Broncos at Chiefs - Week 10 - Record: 4-5

The agonizingly woeful ignominy of being anything related to the Chiefs -- player, fan, doesn't matter -- was highlighted in brilliant blazing colors across the sky by this wretchedly profound irony:

First, rookie Chiefs wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin made probably the most amazing catch of the century, when on a long pass he reached both arms around the defender, grabbed the ball behind the defender's back, and held on for the catch as he fell to the ground clutching the ball all the way. Big, big, big time play in a game that was still close and was in desperate need of a good Chiefs score to make it interesting.

Instead the play was called back, for even though the Broncos guy committed pass interference, Steve Breaston was called for illegal formation -- he wasn't off the line enough. Never mind that this call is never made in the NFL -- never ever never ever ever ever. And I know, in all the NFL games I've seen I'll watch right there on the screen receivers who should be a bit more off the line, right there on the line and they are never flagged for it. And here we are. Only the Chiefs.

Anyway, the penalties offset, and the play had to be done over again.

Only only only only only the Chiefs.

And that's not even the irony. Here's the thing that makes this so ironic.

The Broncos offense completed two passes.

Two passes.

Two passes the entire game. And one of them was pass that traveled about a yard and the receiver took it about 12 yards more.

It was the second pass that killed us, a 60-something yard TD bomb in the 4th quarter that made the score 17-7 Denver. Party over.

Two passes, party over.

Only the Chiefs.

What the Broncos did was run all over us, even after their two top backs were injured early and did not return.

Now, did you get that? Denver did not have their top two running backs, and they still ran all over us -- even using the option. Did you get that? Their offense ran the option about half the time, and were reasonably successful with it. Did you get THAT? An NFL team was able to run the option against an NFL defense. That only happens in a fantasy world.

Unless, of course, the Kansas City Chiefs defense is a fantasy defense, which I am beginning to believe that it is. As in, this team just does not have a real defense.

I've said this a hundred times before, and I really hope that ten years from now when we may actually be a playoff contender I just won't have to say it again, but here goes:

The reason we haven't had any sustained playoff action in the past several years, and we won't for the next several, is two reasons. Let's just share them again so we all know it, and perhaps Clark Hunt and Scott Pioli will know it and they'll do everything they can to avoid it. And amazingly, it has very little to do with Todd Haley!

Okay, okay, here're the two. No surprise because it's so obvious:

1. We have simply refused, in the worstest of all worst ways, to draft and develop a quarterback who'll be solid enough for years to give us the chance to truly compete in this league. Matt Cassel was awful again today, and yes, I'm joining the chorus of Chiefs fans who are starting to call for Tyler Palko to start and Ricky Stanzi to get snaps to see if he'll indeed be the next Tom Brady. Let's get going Chiefs management. Don't futz around anymore with this trying to pick off the shelf some QB from other team's reject pile. Yes yes yes we had fun with a fine people like Trent Green, but please -- this is just not the way to build a championship team. It isn't isn't isn't so stop it already.

2. The defensive linemen who we've selected in the highest rounds of draft after draft after draft have simply refused, in the worstest of all worst ways, to play like they should. Should we again go over the list of all the Junior Siavii's and Eric Downing's and Eddie Freeman's there are? Remember Ryan Sims, picked sixth overall (2002). Add to that Glenn Dorsey, fifth overall (2008), and Tyson Jackson, third overall (2009) (Third. Third. I'm going to cry right now...) That's the reason Denver's third-string backs ran all over us today, and we haven't the faintest of chances to do anything for the next few years -- there's no one there up front to tackle anybody!

Even more depressing is that, really, to give Denver credit, their O-line was outstanding, and is one of the youngest in the NFL. Great. So a division rival will now have one of the best O-lines in the league for years upon years to come. And our defense is, well....

Only any good in a fantasy world.

::Whimper::
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