KC Chiefs: A Lot Has Changed Since Last Game Vs Panthers

The KC Chiefs will travel to face the Carolina Panthers this weekend. It’s the first time the two have met in the regular season since 2012 and a ton has changed since that game.

In 2012, the Kansas City Chiefs had a miserable season.

It was a season that saw the team go a franchise-worst 2-14 and land the first overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. It was not fun being a Chiefs fan during the 2012 season because this team was just awful and it was evident that it was time for a change in Kansas City regarding the football team.

Carolina was also having a bad season under second-year head coach Ron Rivera. While their 7-9 record doesn’t look so bad on paper, the team was 3-8 when they traveled to Arrowhead to face the Chiefs.

Looking at this match-up now is just so much different than it was four years ago. The Chiefs and Panthers are both potential playoff teams, something that couldn’t be said in 2012.

Before we get to that game though, let’s get back to the misery that was 2012.

Kansas City had an offense that couldn’t do a damn thing. Matt Cassel sucked. Brady Quinn sucked. The run game, minus Jamaal Charles, was non-existent. Peyton Hillis was a bust.

The defense actually wasn’t awful (though they had their moments, for sure), but the offense was so bad that the Chiefs never were in a position to win football games. It was a terrible time to be a fan of the KC Chiefs.

Now getting back to the Chiefs/Panthers part of the article.

Carolina was one of Kansas City’s two victories in 2012, and it came at a time when the Chiefs organization needed something positive.

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As we all remember, linebacker Jovan Belcher had killed his girlfriend and himself the morning before the Chiefs were scheduled to play the Panthers at Arrowhead. It was a dark day for the organization and for the NFL, not to mention for Kansas City and for the entire nation.

The game was nearly canceled, but the Chiefs played with heavy hearts and won that game by a score of 27-21. Brady Quinn had arguably the best game of his career, Cam Newton tried to complete the comeback, but it just seemed like destiny for Kansas City to win that game.

It was easily one of the most emotional games in franchise history.

Of course, at the end of the game, Brady Quinn (who started for the Chiefs that day) had his speech where he really hit home with what was happening in the city.

"“When you ask someone how they are doing, do you really mean it? When you answer someone back how you are doing, are you really telling the truth?"

Quinn might not have been a great quarterback in the NFL, but his words that day made all of us think about our lives. Life is about a lot more than football, that’s for sure. Sometimes people forget that.

That game would be the last one that the Chiefs would win in 2012. They notched two victories in 2012 and ran away with the number one overall pick, where they took Eric Fisher that April.

That game against Carolina in 2012 was after one of the darkest days in Chiefs history, but so much has changed for this team since then.

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Andy Reid and John Dorsey came to town prior to selecting Fisher in the draft to be the new faces of the franchise. Alex Smith was also signed to a two-year deal. All three of those gentlemen are still members of the Chiefs to this day.

These guys have proven to make all the difference, as the Chiefs have pulled out three straight winning seasons and have won a playoff game. They’re not a flashy team, but they manage to win football games and keep themselves relevant.

The Chiefs had six Pro Bowlers out of that 2012 season, which just shows they were a few great players and a great head coach away from being something special.

A lot has changed for Carolina too since that game. They finished off that season with four straight victories and showed they were beginning a new era for the organization.

They’ve won the NFC South three straight seasons and made it to the Super Bowl last year. Carolina is definitely a contender in the league and will likely come back from their rough start this season.

Next: Ten Worst Chiefs Seasons Ever

Looking at this match-up now is just so much different than it was four years ago. The Chiefs and Panthers are both potential playoff teams, something that couldn’t be said in 2012. They both have smart head coaches, reliable quarterbacks, and are headed in the right direction.

While this game will be close like it was in 2012, this time both teams are on the right track towards something great.

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