Not All Hope Is Lost...I Think

I wanted to write an article earlier this week. I wanted to give my response to several interesting things I've read since the meltdown last Sunday, and offer my own take on whether or not this team has lost all hope. As you can see, I didn't. Sure, I had it on my mind all the time, and I spent much of the week trying to make sense of what happened in Buffalo. But despite my love and commitment to reporting on the topic of Kansas City football, I spent plenty of my week (way more than usual) trying to get my mind off the Chiefs.

Have I explained my “sad-naps” before? Well, I could probably write a college midterm on the subject, but I'll try to keep it brief here, so as not to bore you with my psychological babble (much). Essentially, any time the Chiefs (or Royals) lose a big game, be it a back-and-forth heart-breaker or an embarrassing blowout, my dejected, mopey ass falls asleep shortly thereafter. That means if the disappointment begins at a noon kickoff, I'm passed out by 4, and there's not a damn thing anybody can do about it. If we lose bad enough, I miss the rest of the games that day. I've gotten so used to it, I look ahead on the schedule, and record the other games on DVR that day if I think we're going to lose.

“ Going into Philly this week? Sweet. Where's that damn remote?”

There is no, “ Forget it, man. Let's get out of here and blow off some steam.” No. My mind feels soggy and limp as the constant visions of a 3-11 season assault it like a heavy rain, and it refuses to let this body take one step further. Unless that step brings me closer to my bed. The response I have for my friends is never that flowery, though.

Usually I just say, “ Whatever dude. I'm taking a sad nap. I'm sorry.”

And I am.

Needless to say, I couldn't be more ready for slumber after Sunday's stinker in Buffalo. Did you catch that Cowboys game? I sure didn't. But, now that I can count the hours until kickoff, I've drug myself out of football hibernation, just in time for a little pre-game analysis. Now that we have a game in New Orleans to speculate about (notice I didn't say “look forward to”), I feel like we can all put that drudgery behind us and really move on. So enough about me and my symptoms of chronic depression, let's talk about the game!

Last week, I basically made a point that no matter what happened against the Bills, this season would be far from over. That remains true, despite what fans are feeling nowadays, or what they're reading in the papers. Here's five reasons why, or rather, five things to think about when it feels like all hope is lost.

1. Like I've said before, there's too many spots on the roster filled with impressive talent to be totally down on this team, at least in the long term. Even if we're talking about the worst case scenario, some of the most important contracts should outlast this Pioli/Cassel Era (more on that at number 4).
2. I know it sounds like a cliche excuse, but we're two games into the first year with Daboll as the OC and Romeo taking the reigns as head coach. Two games, people. Two embarrassing, awful games I know, but only two nonetheless.
3. Jamaal Charles had six rushes for 3 yards. He was pulled from the game early, after many on the sideline watched him limp back to the huddle. Crenell told the press this week that Jamaal wanted back in the game, and that he'll be ready to go against the Saints.
4. Maybe not one that will effect this season, but Clark Hunt has already shown that he's more open to change than his father, Lamar. By booting King Carl, or Crazy Carl, or whatever mean name for Carl Peterson you like most, Clark made at least one Chiefs fan confident that he's willing to make big changes when things look bad. And looking ahead on the schedule, things may look really, really bad by the end of this season.
5. The New Orleans Saints. They're 0-2, right?

And that brings me to this Sunday. “The Brees-y Boys,” as they're unfortunately called by some on the internet, are indeed reeling from an 0-2 start. With rumors and talk about Bounty-Gate and the following suspensions swirling around, the Saints lost two games to quarterbacks with a combined one year of pro football experience. They've given up more yards on the ground than any other team, and the Saints and Chiefs share the pride of allowing the most points in the league so far. The Saints aren't getting nearly enough pressure on the quarterback, having recorded only 3 sacks this season. The defense has only forced a single turnover, and Brees has thrown two picks in consecutive games.

That all sounds very ugly, or very encouraging, depending on who you root for. But who really thinks that offense isn't going to be good, and who thinks that defense can be that terrible the whole season? Not this guy, and not this week. Here's my five predictions for the game.

1. Those stats I mentioned about the porous Saints defense are sounding pretty good, right? Starting to get a little hopeful, are we? Stop it. I expect the offense to show up against a struggling defense, and I expect a secondary that's gotten burnt in big situations in back-to-back games to improve after another week of practice together. But I still expect Drew Brees to use us as his springboard back to a successful season of football. The Saints offense gives Jovan Belcher nightmares for weeks to come, and the Chiefs lose again, 37-27. I can feel the silky comfort of my bed sheets melting the sadness away already.
2. This offense loses its biggest weapon when they're down on the scoreboard. Jamaal Charles is a freak, a man on a mission, returning from a year-long injury hell-bent on being even more awesome than before. Because of two blowouts, his awesomeness has been greatly limited, and Chiefs fans have gotten far too few chances to howl his name at their TVs. If Kansas City leads the Saints for more than 12 minutes, expect 100 yards or more from Jamaal. If they don't, expect less than 50.
3. Matt Cassel has some serious happy-feet in the pocket. Blame it on the offensive line if you wish, who look like they're getting beat in the trenches nearly every play. The Saints pass rush is unimpressive right now, so look for him to settle down, find some time and finish the game with a completion percentage above 65.
4. We will have problems defending the middle of the field. Expect Darren Sproles to get 8 receptions or more, many of which will have you screaming “THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD IS WIDE OPEN! WHAT THE HELL?” until your friends tell you to relax. That's been a bit of an issue this year.
5. If the Chiefs lose, expect Romeo to show up to the next Q&A and bore at least one person to sleep in the press room.