the Chiefs this year. I say that because last year I'd written more in this blog that I had in any other year, because of the unique nature of the season. We had a decent team, actually, just a miserable coach and an even more miserable quarterback situation. A 2-14 record was the pukifyingly ignoble result. Last year's therapy was really just a set up to this preview, which really could be encapsulated in the simple idea that after the team thoroughly cleaned house and brought in quality personnel from top to bottom, there are indeed high expectations.
Of course I could write all about Andy Reid and Alex Smith, or even make mention of GM John Dorsey and pine hopefully for the most boffo decisions in the front office, but hey, it's just a given that they've got to be beast there for us to be beast on the field.
So what of that team? Just some brief thoughts beyond the standard expectations from this crew, just broken down what I think is the key to the offense, the key to the defense, and the key to the more long-term future of the Kansas City Chiefs, and each involves a single player.
The key to the defense: Dontari Poe.
I'm going to start there, and the key here is indeed the behemoth nose tackle we got last year with our number one pick and something like 11th overall. It was a learning year for the guy, but this year he's got to be the linchpin of a defensive line that must not only stand up the opposing offense but flat-out push it back.
I think our run defense should be pretty decent -- Derrick Johnson is still quick, Justin Houston's got another year of experience, Eric Berry has laser instincts for the ball, and ya know? I think Tyson Jackson does have it in him to do decently against the run.
Our defensive backfield still looks solid with the help of a fine pick-up in Sean Smith, but for our pass defense to work, we have got to win the battle at the line of scrimmage. If Poe is a stand-up -- and yes push-back -- kind of guy, then we should be fine on defense.
If he isn't, then a mediocre 8-8 season is very possible. I know many would think that's great compared to last year, but I'm sorry. We do have the talent to be 10-6, with a respectable coach and QB as we now have -- so 8-8 would be a disappointment.
The key to the offense: Wait for it... Junior Hemingway.
Huh? Who's that?
Yeah, right, who is that. In the small portion of preseason action I saw, this guy looked like our best receiver not Dwayne Bowe. Yes, a couple weeks ago I was planning to put Jonathan Baldwin's name here, yeah, as the key to the offense. That was merely because he had to have stepped up his game for us to really be effective offensively.
Well, not 'nee more.
So, yeah, trading Baldwin means that now here's yet another instance, in 2011, of the Chiefs forgoing a truly decent quarterback draft pick for some other guy who didn't pan out -- in this instance Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton both selected a few picks after Baldwin. In fact I should say my cousin has put together an analysis of all the times the Chiefs have drafted a bust -- or, to be fair, just someone who didn't get it done -- before some quarterback was drafted who went on to do fine things for their team. If he puts it together in some published form I'll share it here.
But to the key to the offense, I firmly believe it is in our wide receiver situation. Sure we have Dwayne Bowe, but I'm always concerned about him. Come on, how many of you Chiefs fans just cringe when you see him break off his route unexpectedly, drop passes thrown to him right on the numbers -- but then he forces you to tearfully forgive him when he makes that top-of-the-highlight-reel juggling catch or reaches half-way up the grandstands for another of his patented sideline grabs?
Then there's, who? Dexter McCluster? Maybe Reid will be the one to finally know how to use him. Anthony Fasano? What a phenomenally great pick-up at tight end, but that's tight end -- you can only go so far with that. The however many other wide receivers we are shuffling around and trying to fit in these last days of cuts and pickups? Chinese fire drills feature more stability and organization. Oh to have a -- ahem -- Jon Baldwin. In fact, I was thinking, are Calvin Johnson and Jon Baldwin that much different in size, speed, all that stuff? Ya know? I don't think so! It's just... yeah, you can stop laughing now.
Thing is we really really needed Baldwin not to be such a monumental bust. And the guy we got for him, A.J. Jenkins, is he going to get it done? Dunno, maybe at this point we should just be thankful we got something for Baldwin.
Enter Junior Hemingway. Again, he looked pretty decent the times I watched him -- running his routes nicely, getting nice separation, showing nice fundamentals... But errgh. Will it translate into a nice vertical passing game that I really wonder about -- having a nice Alex Smith in there now notwithstanding.
The key to the future: Drafting that quarterback we can actually have and hold dear and watch take us to the promised land.
Oh, please don't get me wrong. I fully expect Alex Smith to take us to the promised land sometime over the next three or four years. I do, I mean that.
But the evidence from The Quarterback Project is simply too brazenly obvious to be ignored. At some point sometime very very very very very very soon the Chiefs
SIMPLY MUST
Be in a position in the draft to have a top flight quarterback drop into our laps, and get one whom they can develop through the years to be their mainstay for years and years and years. The Chiefs are the only team in NFL history to never have that happen -- or at least have the wherewithal to make it happen. Really, look it up, right there in The Quarterback Project.
Never.
Never for them; at least once for every other NFL team in their history.
Now I've said this before, but I'm convinced that most of it has to do with the Chiefs wretched luck in having picks where they can snatch up that guy. My cousin feels it is just typical Chiefs ineptitude -- they always grab some Todd Blackledge or Matt Blundin but pass on every Brett Favre and Joe Flacco. It is obviously a combination of both, but both together mean the Chiefs have been majorly hosed in the area for years and years and... okay, I'll stop now.
As it is we've got I imagine a good three or four years for Alex Smith to shine. But during that time it is imperative that we get that quarterback -- first round somewhere, maybe in the most remote way second round -- yes Seattle's Russell Wilson was a third-rounder but they are rarer than any decent Chiefs quarterback draft.
Well, enough about that. It's a given. What we've got now is this year. And what we need this year to complement the Jamaal Charleses and Eric Fishers and Brandon Flowerses is that fierce defensive line which I do believe is well within our reach, and a downfield passing attack which I think is the one area that may be a critical deficiency.
In all of this there is no question Clark Hunt must be commended for his massive overhaul in those critical areas and his commitment to excellence that is looking very contagious, and as such this season holds great promise for some very good things to happen.
Looking forward it all!
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