Chiefs at Buccaneers - Week 6 - Record: 1-5

Do you remember what happened the last time we played the Bucs? Back in 2008? I happened to see a replay of the play in the Chiefs Hall of Honor at Arrowhead when I was there last week. It was the very last play on the menu of a video feature there showing the greatest plays in Chiefs history.

On a flea-flicker Mark Bradley threw a long touchdown pass to quarterback Tyler Thigpen. It was a splendidly fun play, and you know something else about that play? It put us up 21-3. Yeah, a big Chiefs lead -- that we later squandered. We lost the game.

Well, that's about it for Chiefs highlights. A nifty play four years ago against the Buccaneers.

I will say that we actually do one thing really well. We actually have a terrific punt team, both kicking and returning. Today Colquitt blasted punts and our down guys pinned them within the 5 a couple of times. Our touchdown on the day was off a blocked punt. Yay!

But that's it. Kinda depressing when the one great Chiefs thing we have -- our punter -- is the exact same thing that was remotely great back in the woeful years of '07-'09.

This team is so miles from being in any playoff contention it isn't even funny. I'm back to hoping that we just don't win many more games so we can truly actually really have a shot at someone like Geno Smith. And ya know?

I just don't think it's going to be that hard to do that.

Top-to-bottom we stank.

I'd like to start at the top with Scott Pioli, who I'd heard during the gamecast was offered a new extension. I know that's going to rile a lot of Chiefs fans, but for me, I'd still like to see what the guy can do. Yes, his two major bonehead moves loom so gargantuously over this team: Taking Tyson Jackson with the third overall pick in the draft and sticking with Matt Cassel for eons and eons and eons of time. Just those moves alone are so huge that I just don't know if his reputation can recover, but that call is still for another day.

Then you've got Romeo Crennel. Sorry but I am getting more and more disillusioned with the guy. Today's offense was spittle, and our defense was worse. There were a few plays in which the ball just bounced their way, but we still looked timid and weak in all facets of the game. Our play-making is getting no separation on defenders at all, and our defense is still looking too much like the "Chinese fire drill" out there.

The stats were extraordinarily ugly, and they just don't stop. They mentioned it again -- forgive me I don't remember, I've lost count anyway, but it is something like 25 or 26 straight games now with no opening drive TD.  We have a turnover differential of something like -15, which after six games is phenomenally abysmal. We've won three games at Arrowhead in the last 13 -- can you even believe that. And how about this gem: The last time any team went this long without ever leading in any game at any point to open the season was in 1983. They didn't mention which team it was, but it must've been some really wretched team.

The key is that we just don't got it at the line on either side of the ball. The D-line has already been a bust. All those high draft picks? Just not getting it done. Their QB Josh Freeman had all day to throw, to wide receivers who just made our guys look silly. In fact, I've always sung the praises of our D-backs, and bless them they played hard out there, but have you noticed that teams with big strong receivers just overpower our guys who are just a bit smaller than they are? We've had that problem with the Chargers forever.

Our O-line was non-existent today. The Buccaneers front seven spent more time in our backfield than our quarterback's rear end did.

And then there's the quarterback. I could say they should keep Brady Quinn in there, and he did decently (hey, he threw to the tight ends! Yay!) but at this point it really doesn't matter. Go ahead, put Matt Cassel back in. Heck, put Brian Daboll in. Put in the guy from the stands who waves around the cotton candy palette. Who cares.

Quarterback Project, people.

It just won't matter until we get that guy.

So much of what we can do relies on having That Guy -- note: IN CAPS.

Even on defense it makes a major difference because the best QB's control the tempo of the game giving the defense the chance to rest and get a rhythm.

If we get That Guy in the draft next year, and he does what he should do, then Clark could pay Scott a trillion dollars a year for the next 57 years and it won't be enough.

So yeah, from now on -- until we can actually get him and watch him win Super Bowls for us -- That Guy will henceforth be known in its proper noun form, with the caps.

It's the only hope we got.
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