The Chiefs Failure This Season Start At The Top

Just when you thought the Chiefs couldn’t go any lower (or maybe you did), they have gone nearly as low as you can go after their 26-16 loss to the Raiders yesterday.

This team doesn’t seem to know the word competitive and that is a problem that starts at the top of this organization and trickles all the way down the Chiefs 53-man roster.

Clark Hunt deserves some of the blame as many know because of his unwillingness to spend money to do what it takes to put a winner on the field. I’m not talking about Daniel Snyder and the Redskins type of spending, I’m talking about getting some depth that can actually contribute. Brady Quinn does not qualify as depth that can contribute. Kevin Boss’ injury was a tough break but he is not contributing, Peyton Hillis has not contributed, and Abram Elam did next to nothing while Kendrick Lewis was out.

The Chiefs decided to go cheap in free agency and that is the fault of Hunt, while the fact that these cheaply signed players have not contributed is the fault of GM Scott Pioli.

Pioli clearly doesn’t have the right 53 and he surely does not have the right man to lead those 53 in Romeo Crennel. Perhaps no person deserves more blame for this catastrophe of a Chiefs season then Crennel. The man literally has no clue. He has said so himself in fact. He didn’t know what was wrong with his Chiefs wen reporters asked him a few weeks ago and he had no idea yesterday why Jamaal Charles only received five carries.

Unless Charles is hurt, and there have been no indications that he is, the fact that he only received five carries all game is simply inexcusable. It is mind-boggling that the best player on your team and one of the best running backs in the entire league only received five carries. The Chiefs don’t seem to know what they are doing and Charles season has been as good of an example of that as any you can find.

The Chiefs have run Charles into the ground in two games this season, giving him over 30 carries against the Saints and Ravens. Then in other games, such as their past two, they have decided to barely use Charles and have given him just 17 carries total in those two contests.

It’s hard to keep running the ball when you are always falling behind and never have a lead, that’s right, literally never. Look no further then the fact that the Chiefs have yet to lead at any time during any game this entire season as a starting point for why it’s time for Crennel and Pioli to go.

Crennel was selected as the Chiefs new head coach this season after his feel-good win against the Packers last year, he was called a “player’s coach” and because of this the team deemed him to be a good fit. The term “player’s coach” generally refers to someone who is well-liked by the players (obviously) and is a motivator of their players. They also typically struggle with the strategical aspects of coaching, look to Herm Edwards and Pete Carroll for examples. So we are now left with a man who is definitely struggling when it comes to strategical coaching and who does not have the motivational capabilities of guys like Edwards and Carroll.

If you are going to hire a “player’s coach,” then that coach better be able to motivate and at least have an idea of what he is doing, Crennel does not fit that bill and it’s time for him to go. It’s also time for Pioli and his Patriots way to go as well.

With the Chiefs playing the Chargers this Thursday, that is very unlikely to happen this week, but with a Monday night game the following week, there will be no excuses if Crennel is still on the sidelines when Kansas City visits the Steelers.