The Chiefs are not alone in this. All fans for all teams have done this at some point in their lifetime. It's just common sense. You can't root for an awful team thinking they are always going to be awful. You root for an awful team finding the little things that make you think they could be good in the future.
This 2011 Chiefs team I can confidently classify as an awful team. Sure, there have been flashes of being good: the four game win streak, the brief first place standing in the AFC West. But overall, yeah, this is a bad team.
At the same time, however, this team has shown glimpses. After all the injuries, you can see core parts of the team, key players, stepping up and playing well. Key players, who if they were surrounded by other key players, could make a major impact. Let's begin:
- Linebackers
- The Chiefs linebackers have shown a ton of promise. Tamba Hali has been a great pass rusher, Justin Houston has turned into a good one, and Derrick Johnson has proven to be one of the best ILBs in the NFL.
- Cornerbacks
- Brandon Flowers and Brandon Carr, although inconsistent at times, have been a good tandem and have come up with big plays. Flowers, who many thought had regressed last season, has been the Chiefs best defensive back all season.
- Jon Asamoah
- Asamoah was promoted to the starting role after the Chiefs decided to part ways with Brian Waters. Asamoah, who had backed up Waters in his rookie year, was then moved to right guard, moving Ryan Lilja over to the left side. And while Lilja has graded out to one of the worst linemen for the Chiefs this season, Asamoah has graded out as the best.
- Bowe, Baldwin, Breaston
- This three-headed aerial assault was one of great hope and enthusiasm for Chiefs fans when the Chiefs could still complete passes. And while Bowe has had his share of mistakes this season, he is still a gamechanger with the ball in his hands. Breaston has looked good in the slot, and Baldwin looks like a serious threat. Letting Bowe go after this season would be a HUGE mistake, especially when Cassel comes back next season. Not to mention, if the Chiefs were to take a QB in the first round, what better arsenal could you ask to have for a rookie passer than these three guys?
- Ryan Succop
- If you need a game winning kick in the Super Bowl with two seconds left in the fourth quarter, who could think of a better kicker right now than Ryan Succop? Sure, I wouldn't want him in there for a needed onside-kick with the game on the line, but he has made 17 consecutive field goals, and not many of them chip shots, including his most recent 53 yarder against the Jets.
- Kendrick Lewis
- It's hard to find any positives from the Chiefs safeties. Jon McGraw is old and Sabby Piscitelli is awful. But Kendrick Lewis has been the best of the bunch (which isn't saying much) and has a nose for the football, having three interceptions on the season. With Eric Berry coming back next season, the Chiefs should have a good defensive backfield.
So what does all this mean? It means that if the Chiefs can get some key parts (cough Quarterback cough Right Tackle), and don't have the attrition they suffered this year with injuries, then this team can immediately be a playoff contender. And the good part about all this is how young the team is. So if certain positions can become resolved, we could be a very good term for a long time.
Unfortunately, the quarterback position is one of the hardest to fix and/or solve. It's the most valued position in the league; the prices are high for the veteran ones, priceless for the young good ones, and not a sure thing for the rookies. But if the Chiefs could get lucky, just once, in drafting a franchise QB, then most of the parts are already in place just waiting for their opportunity to go on a championship run. The window of opportunity is there, all that is missing is _______________.
Simple, right? Just trying to stay optimistic.
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