Year in Review: Part 2

My Year in Review series continues with Part 2 today. To catch up with Part 1, click here.

The Streak: Weeks 4 - 8


The Suck4Luck campaign was in full swing in Kansas City. Losing the first three games 109-27 was demoralizing to the fanbase, and many had already written off the season. With three of the Chiefs best weapons already on Injured Reserve, who could blame the fans for being disheartened? But then the inconceivable happened: the Chiefs beat the Minnesota Vikings. In a battle of two winless teams, the Chiefs emerged victorious, ticking off the fanbase who wanted Andrew Luck while offering a slim glimmer of hope to the rest. But the real note was Cassel's improved play after head coach Todd Haley and him got into a shouting match on the sidelines following an unsuccessful redzone trip. Whatever was said seemed to have worked.

The next week, the Chiefs found themselves again facing a winless team, this time the Indianapolis Colts. The Chiefs had been historically bad facing the Colts, but a little momentum coupled with no Peyton Manning gave many fans hope for another win. After being down 24-7 shortly before halftime, the Chiefs would rally for 21 unanswered points and win the game late in the fourth quarter. And much of this was thanks to Matt Cassel's 4 TD passes, including a juggling catch in the endzone by Dwayne Bowe. Two consecutive wins had all but shattered the hopes for Andrew Luck, but there emerged a new hope: the Chiefs still had a chance in the miserable AFC West.

But a bye in Week 6 came, and many considered it ill-timed, possibly stopping any momentum the Chiefs had. But any fears Chiefs fans had paled in comparison to what was going on in Oakland. It was learned that Raiders starting quarterback, Jason Campbell, was going to miss all if not most of the season with an injury. Oakland, contenders in the division, were seemingly going to have to roll with Kyle Boller for the rest of the season. And then the Raiders did what only the Raiders can, and traded their upcoming first round pick and a 2013 second round pick for recently retired and disgruntled Bengals QB, Carson Palmer. But still, there seemed no way the Chiefs would face Palmer having only a couple of days working with Oakland before KC arrived on Sunday.

Kyle Boller did about what everyone expected Kyle Boller to do, throwing three interceptions, one returned for a touchdown by Kendrick Lewis. The real surprise came after halftime, when Oakland HC Hue Jackson put Carson Palmer into the game. Palmer, later admitting he didn't know very many plays of the Raiders offense, went on to throw three more interceptions, including another pick-6 to Brandon Flowers, in a 28-0 Kansas City shutout. The victory gave the Chiefs a .500 record at 3-3, and a home rematch the following week against the San Diego Chargers could give the Chiefs first place in the division.

The Chargers entered Arrowhead on Monday Night Football, not having returned since their MNF upset loss against the Chiefs to start the 2010 season which propelled the Chiefs to their first division title since 2003. But the Chiefs wanted revenge for their Week 3 loss, and were riding a three game winning streak. And the game did not disappoint. A 10 point Chiefs lead at halftime quickly evaporated, and even an 8 point lead in the fourth quarter was erased. The Chargers had the ball in the redzone, the Chiefs had no timeouts left. In an attempt to eat clock, however, Philip Rivers fumbled the snap (remember the firework-gate?) and Andy Studebaker came out of the dog-pile with the ball held high, the Chiefs hopes for a win still intact. The game would go to overtime, the Chargers were stopped, the Chiefs drove, and Ryan Succop hit the field goal. The Chiefs were inexplicably in first place in the AFC West.

During this four game win streak, the Chiefs averaged: 356.8 total yards - 224.3 passing, 132.5 rushing, 1.5 turnovers, 48.3% third down conversion, 366.3 total yards allowed - 244.8 passing, 121.5 rushing, and 31:45 time of possession.

The Letdown: Weeks 9-10

Just when the Chiefs gave everyone a reason to cheer and hope for a repeat division title, the disappointment came again. The winless Dolphins and the lowly Denver Broncos were coming to town in the next two weeks. Having attained first place and a winning record, the contemplation of being 6-3 by the time New England came around was a popular one. All we had to do was take care of business at home, and the Chiefs would be sitting pretty for a playoff appearance. That was not to be.

Miami came into Arrowhead and absolutely embarrassed the Chiefs, winning by the final of 31-3. Some called it a trap game going in, because the Dolphins had played teams close all year but couldn't find a way to win. But the disappointment still resonated throughout Kansas City. The Chiefs were now 4-4, but that loss echoed concerns with every aspect of the Chiefs team.

The next week came along, and the Tim Tebow-lead Broncos were looking for another miracle win. And while it wasn't the miracle win Tebow became known for since the Broncos never trailed at any point of the game, it was still close down to the wire until Tebow completed his second pass of the game for a 56 yard touchdown that iced the game. And late in the 4th quarter, Matt Cassel left the game with a hand injury, later determined as a broken finger, that would cause him to be sent to Injured Reserve later in the week.

During these two games, the Chiefs averaged: 300.5 total yards - 175.5 passing, 125 rushing, 0 turnovers, 32.3% third down conversion, 332 total yards allowed - 156.5 passing, 175.5 rushing, and 30:29 time of possession. The Chiefs were now back to a losing record at 4-5 entering the hardest part of their schedule with a backup backfield. Which brings us to part 3 ...