Well Chiefs fans, it's been a crazy year. There were some amazing highs and some inescapable lows. One week we would be calling for heads to roll, and the next we were singing their praises. Just another typical Chiefs season I suppose. And while the only thing we were consistent at this season was being inconsistent, I can't imagine ever cheering for anyone other than the Chiefs. So in honor of the season that couldn't make up its mind, I will be re-capping the year below. Hopefully some of the memories won't be too painful.
The Preseason
When the lockout ended, the preseason was rushed upon the players and coaching staffs. A short training camp after a long summer meant that players were rusty, some out of shape, and others completely unfamiliar with the team and the system if they were rookies or players picked up through free agency. While most coaching staffs were scrambling to catch up on a summer's worth of workouts in a couple of weeks, Head Coach Todd Haley decided on an unorthodox approach.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and the lockout had changed everything. So Haley decided to treat training camp as a conditioning program to get back into football shape. Preseason games were then treated as a glorified walk-through practice. The starters were worked in more and more during the course of the preseason, which is opposite of what most teams practice. Haley's intent was to gain momentum using the final game of the preseason, while evaluating the roster and getting caught up on the playbook through the first three.
I've always viewed the preseason as a gauge that cause fans to overreact when evaluating. After all, most of the time it's just backups versus backups, how much could that matter? This lack of depth, which was a large reason the Chiefs went 0-4 in the preseason, came to be a much bigger problem during the season. And Haley's strategy of pushing his starters throughout much of the preseason finale against the Green Bay Packers resulted in Matt Cassel injuring his ribs and Tony Moeaki tearing his ACL and being lost for the season. The Chiefs were stumbling into the regular season.
Not a Good Way to Start: Weeks 1 - 3
The NFL season started in Kansas City for the defending AFC West Champions. Visiting was the Buffalo Bills, a team the Chiefs had beat in the previous season. Hopes were high, despite missing the valuable passing target of Moeaki, the Chiefs were returning the number one rushing offense in football and four Pro Bowlers. A repeat playoff trip was expected, but Buffalo soon took all the wind out of the Kansas City sails.
Buffalo stunned the Chiefs 41-7. But not only were the Chiefs blown out at home, but Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry was lost for the season with a torn ACL. The following week was a similar result, this time a 48-3 loss in Detroit. Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Two weeks into the regular season and the Chiefs were reeling with injuries and the team's metaphorical head was spinning.
The Chiefs rallied in Week 3 against the Chargers, but fell short when a Matt Cassel screen play throw was intercepted in the final minute of the game while the Chiefs were driving for a potential game-tying or game-winning score. The final result was a 20-17 loss. During the three game stretch, the Chiefs averaged: 130.7 yards passing, 113.3 yards rushing, 3.3 turnovers, 27.7% third down conversion, 383.3 yards allowed - 260.3 yards passing, 123 yards rushing - and 25:18 time of possession. We were also in last place in the division.
To be continued.
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