I remember the days in the 80’s when the Chiefs were horrible, when I had to listen to them on the radio because the games were blacked out on television; but this team is far worse than any of those teams. I also remember the reigns of Dick Vermeil and Marty Schottenheimer as the head coaches of the Kansas City Chiefs. Game-day at Arrowhead was packed, with a roaring and insanely loud crowd every time the opposing team had the ball. They would look at each other in confusion because they couldn’t hear the play-call and they would self-destruct. That’s how it USED to be at Arrowhead anyways, not recently though, not in the last 2 – 1/2 to three years at least. Today Arrowhead was fairly empty; half empty by the 2nd quarter, 4/5th empty by the 4th quarter. We got embarrassed by the Buffalo Bills, not just embarrassed but humiliated at home. By giving up 54 points today, the Chiefs set yet another infamous team record during Herm’s reign, last held by the 1983 Chiefs.
In our house, the place where teams used to fear to tread, we got totally owned, embarrassed, humiliated. Now teams on losing streaks come here to get their confidence back. It used to be that even if we were having a bad year, at home we were still a fearsome place for opponents to play. But like I said, not anymore, now we’re a bye week on other team’s schedules.
No more excuses – no more of this ‘we’re young’, no more ‘we’re injured’; it’s enough already. We have young guys yes, but also 1/3 of our team are players released by other teams, not draft picks but castaways. What’s the excuse for that? Certainly not the salary cap, we are an NFL best mind you, 28 million dollars under the cap. I understand rookie draft picks, second, third year players, even more than a few undrafted rookies and cut players, but having that many players picked up off the street? Something has got to change, and not at the end of the season, not the year after that; right now, right now something has to change if you want to have even any HOPE of regaining that Arrowhead swagger and the confidence of the fans.
I for one don’t see next year’s defense being much better than it is right now (worst in the NFL), that’s why I would start with firing Gunther Cunningham. The offense has been doing their job believe it or not, scoring 20 -30 points a game for the last 5 games. I would fire Gunther Cunningham right now, and see what another guy could do with this defense before the end of the year. This losing streak lies solely on the defense. And it’s no secret that players for years have said they do not like Cunningham’s coaching style, that is exactly why he got fired from being the head coach after Schottenheimer left.
The players say he is too loud, too in their faces, he yells too much, he is not a good motivator, and not a good communicator. He doesn’t change up the defense in the game either, when the opposing offense adjusts to our defense – that’s it, game over, Cunningham doesn’t know how to respond. That kind of old school, inflexible, in-your-face, adversarial style of coaching is a thing of the past, it’s why Art Shell failed in his return to the Raiders as head coach a few years ago (not everything is Al Davis’s fault).
FIRE GUNTHER CUNNINGHAM. If he doesn’t get fired, then fire Carl Peterson and Herm Edwards, the new coach and GM will bring in their own defensive coordinator. I like Herm Edwards I really do, but enough is enough. Twenty losses in 21 games? I don’t care if you’re the best talent scout and motivator the NFL as ever seen, 95% of owners would fire the guy. Coming from a lifelong Chiefs fan who supports the team and believes in them week in and week out no matter what, this humiliating performance, especially at home is not just embarrassing but degrading. I don’t care if it’s not the right thing to do or in hindsight it was a bad decision, to save the morale of the fans, SOMEONE needs to get fired, TODAY. Clark Hunt – You’re starting to lose the confidence of what used to be, the best fans in the game.
10 responses so far ↓
Pat // November 23, 2008 at 4:26 pm |
I also remember the 80’s. I drove in from Western Kansas one Sunday morning, wlaked up to the ticket booth and bought a ticket that was 20 rows up from the field.
Could you do that now?
No! I still there are a lot of fans out there that believe we are on the right track.
I understand that this will be an up and down season, no doubt. BUT… what I don’t understand is why our coaches DO NOT try and win the game. We did not even TRY to put any kind of pressure on Trent Edwards. If you go back and look at the game film, we rarely (if ever) blitzed. Our linebackers spent most of the game taking a step back instead of taking the role of the aggressor and rushing the QB.
We spent the ENTIRE game rushing four down lineman against 5 offensive lineman. Buffalo blitzed, they brought 5,6 sometimes 7 players. Not the Chiefs… We brought FOUR!!!!
Pittsburg, the number 1 defense in the league, rushes more people than the offense can account for. The Chiefs… they rush FOUR!!!!
Every other team in the league tries to put pressure on the QB by rushing more players than the offense can block.
NOT THE CHIEFS!!!!
Ed // November 23, 2008 at 4:37 pm |
I have heard of people getting 50 yard line tickets for less than it is to park though, maybe not from the booth, but soon it will be that way. The Chiefs defense is just screwy, we agree on that point! Thanks for reading Pat
Relevant Rhino // November 23, 2008 at 6:47 pm |
1-11 is not an up and down season…sorry, but there’s no way to spin that positively.
Herm should’ve gone three seasons ago, and the front office should be shaken like a strippers ass.
And really…let’s trade Jared Allen…that sounds like a good idea. Dang.
Ed // November 23, 2008 at 6:55 pm |
To be fair Rhino, This is only Herm’s third season… and we did get a helluva lot for Jared Allen, (1st and 2nd round picks) translating to Albert, who at least seems to be already a decent left tackle, and Charles, who many think with his catching ability, blocking, and speed, is better than LJ, and more. But still, for how far under the salary cap we are, you’re right – why couldn’t we keep Jared Allen? I think Herm is a good talent scout and is good with the players, but to fire him would be very fair, I would first Fire Gunther, and Fire Carl Peterson though.
Green Fish // November 24, 2008 at 3:26 pm |
Ed,
All the point you make are spot on, however, our owner has made it clear that he intends to do nothing. I also question his commitment to the NFL standards (other than make as much as you can and run). The roots of ineptness run deep in this organization.
Sad to say but until the culture of the ownership changes, I am not even optimistic that firing the entire front office and all coaches will solve the problem.
Jason Janti // November 24, 2008 at 3:41 pm |
Well lets see where to start?? Lets blow up the whole team, get all rookies, rejects that no one else wants. Then lets get rid of our number one pass rusher with sacks last year allen, drop ty law, drop eddie kenison, drop hall because we over used him, just ask hester how thats working out for him. Then lets have a new offensive line that can’t make any holes for LJ. Oh yeah lets have a defense that misses tackles every game, lets drop our salary cap, lets never blitz, lets keep gonzalez because we don’t want to make it that obvious that we can’t hold on to our good veteran hall of fame players because we can’t afford them and we are such a fucking joke that no-one wants to play in KC. Oh yeah lets over use LJ like we did hall and then get rid of him. Oh wait, too late for that. Ask Devin Hester how thats working out for him? Lets see whatelse. Lets have a coach that goes to dinner with his buddy coach dungy te night before a playoff game and talk about how we are going to run LJ a million times on the colts defense. Wait a minute, even better lets announce to the whole world that our game plan is going to be run LJ on the colts defense and lets see if the colts rush defense has any pride and trys to stop us. Oh yeah ty law 3 interceptions against payton manning, no we don’t want veteran players any more lets let him go. Actually no good players want to come to KC thwy have trouble holding on to their palyers. The last time their defense mattered is when they had DT-RIP. He would be rolling in his grave right now. Fire Peterson, edwards, Cunningham, get a new salary cap.
Ed // November 24, 2008 at 4:22 pm |
Green Fish – I agree, Clark Hunt as shown no interest in the Chiefs at all…. he is either waiting for the offseason to fire everyone, or gunning to sell the team (could never happen, the market in the midwest is too huge and KC is a centerpoint of that).
Jason – First off LJ can’t block, can’t catch – I mean did you see when Thigpen threw to him? He wasn’t even aware that was a possibility, and how many times do you let a guy miss his block? Gonzalez blocks, LJ just sucks, get over it. And he is a huge cancer in the locker room and for the young guys. Charles is better than LJ, Flowers and Carr are better than Ty Law, Dante Hall has been injured more than he has been healthy for St. Louis, I agree with you about the O-line, totally dropped the ball there, Kennison is old, no other team wants him either (good luck to the man though). We could have hung onto Allen but then we wouldn’t have had Albert or Charles, but we should have passed on Dorsey and still picked up a left tackle, and signed Allen, but rumor is he would of never agreed to any contract with Carl Peterson here. I think Peterson is the main problem, that and Gunther should of been let go years ago. We let a lot of our backups on defense go, like Ryan Sims, yah he sucked but he is a decent backup, better than off the street players anyways.
Taylor // December 29, 2008 at 1:55 pm |
The chiefs suck ass!!!!
Ive been a Chiefs fan my whole life and it is starting to get really embarrassing. Why in the hell is Herm Edwards still here??????? This season our record was 2-14. Last year it was 4-12. I mean come on!!!! 6 wins in the last 2 years is pathetic. FIRE HERM, trade LJ cuz he sucks ass, draft a QB because im pretty sure thigpen cant lead us to a super bowl, and get a new coaching staff, fire EVERYONE!!
Larry // January 25, 2009 at 4:13 pm |
Herm Edwards is gone but Gunther Cunningham is still there-WHY? He is the main reason the Chiefs are in this mess. Ineffective defense and unwilling to change. Just a screamer and cusser with no class and the team has little respect for him. Get rid the that sore!!
Ed T. // January 25, 2009 at 5:23 pm |
naw Gunther is DC for the Lions now,… new head coach and Pioli will get all new staff now, I think they should keep Gailey though.