Bengals at Chiefs - Week 1 - Record: 0-1

What a disasterous start to the season. Yes, Trent Green got clocked on a play that took him off the field on a strecher, and preliminary reports are that he is okay, all things considered. But his shocking departure was a metaphor for this game.

Can anyone for two seconds think that Kyle Turley can replace Willie Roaf? Last year it was clear that the one critical factor in how we won games versus how we lost games was whether or not Roaf was in there and doing well. It was that pronounced. This game featured Trent Green running all over the place like a soda cup on the Harbor Freeway. Sorry, but as good as he is, he can't do squat with that.

Listen, you can take all the components of a team and debate about which ones are the ones that will bring you the most success. As far as what I've seen and heard from the people in the know, here they are in order of importance:

1. Offensive line.
2. Defensive line.
3. Quarterback.
4. All the others.

As great as Larry Johnson is and can be, he won't go anywhere if no one is leading the way down the field. Sure enough, he only got 68 yards today. Everyone remembers Emmitt Smith of the Super Bowl Cowboys in the mid-90's, but people forget that his offensive line was probably the best in NFL history. Nothing against Smith, but my grandma could've run backwards on her hands behind that line. I think we're really in trouble unless we get our OT situation fixed.

We were doomed from the outset in this contest. Green fumbled the ball on the very second play of scrimmage, setting the tone. Dante Hall never muffs a kick, but he did today, setting up their first score. And blasted this highly drafted punter-- you can't get off a 29 yard punt from your own 8 and expect one of the best QB's in the league to fail to capitalize.

The one bright spot was that our defense played decently given the holes they were put into. They gave up only one TD drive-- otherwise they effectively shut them down. I might add that backup QB Damon Huard played with some guts off the bench. That solid showing is a bit reassuring in case Green can't make it back for a while. No matter what, we all hope the best for Green whatever happens.