Reid’s deal comes shortly after the Chiefs and general manager Scott Pioli mutually agreed to part ways after four seasons.

The Chiefs held a meeting with the coaching staff Friday morning, presumably to talk about Kansas City’s job search and ongoing talks with Reid, according to sources.

Read more at ESPN.com

Discuss in the forums

“After several productive conversations, we made the difficult decision to part ways with Scott Pioli and allow him to pursue other opportunities,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. “Scott has been an invaluable member of the Chiefs family since joining us in 2009, and we sincerely appreciate his tremendous contributions over the last four years.

“I know that this was a difficult decision for Scott as well. He has a great deal of appreciation for the history of this franchise, for our players, coaches and employees, and especially our great fans.

Read the full article at KCChiefs.com

Discuss in forums

On Sunday night, Bob Costas echoed the sentiments of one of my favorite plagiarists, Jason Whitlock, stating that Belcher’s crime would have been prevented were we a country with stricter gun laws. The reaction online was swift and loud–Costas should get off his soapbox and stick to football. This surely came as no surprise to Costas himself. He’s a smart guy. He owns a globe. He knows where Kansas City is located.

I, like Costas, carry a liberal stance on most social issues. On the subject of gun control, however, we’re not on the same page. Fundamentally speaking, I view guns virtually the same way I view cars. You should own as many or as few as you like; once you buy them, it’s your responsibility to make sure whomever uses them operates them safely and correctly; and under no circumstance should they be used in conjunction with alcohol.

That last point is important. Belcher’s toxicology report isn’t yet available, but based on the accounts of his Friday night/Saturday morning companions, it’s safe to assume that he, in strictly scientific terminology, was drunk off his ass. As we’ve seen from this past weekend’s events in Dallas, or in years past with the lovable Leonard Little, alcohol + vehicle is every bit as effective a means for a football player to end another human being’s life as is alcohol + firearm.

That said, let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that, in the absence of a gun, that Belcher would have just as handily found another means by which to kill Kasandra Perkins. Perhaps he would have, but whereas a kitchen knife or a golf club has an alternate purpose, guns have the singular function of terminating life. That makes them very useful if you’re in a situation wherein terminating life is the correct response (see: Sean Taylor — his story alone lends credence to the idea I’ve heard floated around that every athlete would be better off if they did own a gun), but there’s a serious ethical and moral obligation that accompanies that sort of power, and while our Bill of Rights rightly protects our right to have that power, the Amendment itself should not in turn be used as justification to downplay just how heavy that obligation is, and the manners in which some men falter under that weight in their weaker moments. Thus, I think it’s absolutely necessary that we have the discussion from time to time as to how we carry that weight.

The question then becomes whether or not Bob Costas is the right guy to raise the issue. To that, despite our differences in opinion, I say yes, yes, a thousand times yes. To begin, Costas isn’t Jon Gruden or Ron Jaworski. While he understands the Xs and Os at a level the layman doesn’t, his knowledge of the workings of the game pales in comparison to that of a former player or coach. The reason he’s done such a stellar job of sticking around for so many decades is precisely the reason why he’s exactly the right guy to raise the issue — he understands and communicates the human element of athletic competition better than just about any other journalist I can name. It’s what makes him the right guy for the Olympics every other year. It’s what made him the right guy to hand the noose to Jerry Sandusky. There are thousands of writers and reporters in Costas’ mold, but none of us are boxing in his weight class. He’s the undisputed champ in a field of one.

Suppose for a moment, however, that he wasn’t. Suppose those words had come instead from…. say…. Joe Buck. If Joe Buck came on the air at halftime on a Sunday night and espoused a political/social viewpoint that was contrary to my own, does the fact that he isn’t a cultural barometer in the same vein as Costas diminish his right to share his thoughts? We often carry this mantra that actors, musicians, artists, and other entertainers (sometimes journalists too) should keep their opinions to themselves, excepting the handful who think and speak like us. That premise is prejudicial. You, me, and the overwhelming majority of people you interact with in your daily life will from time to time share their political and social views, particularly in election years. Sometimes by request. Sometimes not. Celebrities do the same, on account of the fact that it’s a normal behavior. Their proximity to a microphone neither validates nor invalidates their opinion. Likewise, their proximity to a microphone neither validates nor invalidates their right to express that opinion.

Even when they’re wrong.

This group of cornerbacks sucks. I know I said I was going to moderate my prejudice this season. I don’t find that statement to be in violation of said moderation. Prejudice implies prejudgment. I’m not prejudging. I’m judging. A bunch of guys whose names I won’t remember in two weeks were giftwrapped an opportunity to dethrone Jalil Brown for the key reserve spot. Not a tall order, by my estimation, but they all came up Muggsy Bogues.

Across the field, the quarterback situation is a budding catastrophe behind a budding catastrophe behind a catastrophe in full bloom. But hey, lots of athletes change their stars at 30 years old, right? I’ve heard the Chiefs have good receivers. Likewise, Ray Charles probably heard that Salvador Dali was a good painter.

I could nitpick forever. It’d be easy to do with a team that looks as dead in the water as this one. That said, I remember the last time the Atlanta Falcons visited Arrowhead. The Chiefs, weak at linebacker, cornerback, and whatever other positions Jared Allen wasn’t playing, were supposed to be trampled roughshod by Michael Vick and Warrick Dunn. Instead, guys like Monty Beisel and Eric Warfield came up big, and when Priest Holmes exceeded his daily maximum capacity for awesome sometime early in the 3rd quarter, a lowly forgotten seventh round reserve named Derrick Blaylock pounded his way behind All Pro lineman Brian Waters to tack on an extra four TDs. Ya know, just in case Priest’s four weren’t enough.

I’m not going to state that Jamaal Charles and Peyton Hillis are going to match Holmes’s and Blaylock’s feat. I am, however, going to state that the only way the Chiefs will win is if Charles and Hillis come close.

It’s not outside of the realm of possibility. Charles is on plane with Holmes, and Hillis is way beyond Blaylock. They don’t have Trent Green’s passing attack to set them up, but they do have a line that’s not too far off from the wrecking crew that helped make Holmes and Green household names. This will have to be a more singular effort on the parts of Charles and Hillis, but I believe it’s one of which they’re capable.

Then again, if they aren’t, it’ll be Sunday afternoon, and I have no problem drinking on a Sunday afternoon.

Thus, I’ll keep my observations brief, as you’ll barely have time to conclude I’m full of shit before tonight’s kickoff, and I don’t want you to miss a second of Matt Cassel checking down because you were busy firing off an angry missive in my direction.

To begin with…. Bloody freaking hell. I don’t get wound up over Seattle Seahawks games because they were never that great when they were in the division. Short of Dave Krieg being D.T.’s punching bag, I can’t say I have too many vivid memories of Chiefs/Seahawks contests. I don’t like, however, that they might have two good quarterbacks while Kansas City has none. I know it’s tough to assess Matt Flynn or Russell Wilson, given that neither has a statistically relevant sample size of NFL experience on which one could base an educated opinion (not that mine would be, necessarily). Also, I vowed I would be less critical of Cassel until the games start actually counting. Thus, I shall end this paragraph.

Next up…. Bloody freaking hell. A year ago, Kansas City’s starting defensive backfield was Brandon Flowers, Brandon Carr, pre-injury Eric Berry, and Kendrick Lewis. I’m confident Berry will look a little less tentative as time progresses, but even if he’s back at full strength for week one, errant offseason maneuvers and recent injuries dictate that Kansas City’s starting defensive backfield, at least for a few weeks, will be Jalil Brown, Stanford Routt, post-injury Eric Berry, and Abram Elam…. Bloody freaking hell.

Finally…. Bloody freaking hell. I can wrap my head around Steven Jackson wrecking the Chiefs’ front seven, but there’s something about having to Google a fourth round rookie’s college stats that just makes me queasy. Still, I’m being less reactionary. Seriously. I’m committing to this. Ask me face to face what I think of the team, and I’ll give you a blank stare like Jimmy Carter on a lithium drip and tell you everything is going to be okay.

So there you have it…. That awkward moment when the senior editor posts a game review too damn late and completely stone sober. I shan’t try this again. (The sober part, anyway.)

That’s a flowery way of saying it was fucking annoying.

Then again, I’m no less guilty of it myself. I look through prior articles from time to time and inevitably identify reactionary rhetoric in far more of them than I’d care to admit. Some of it proved to be right. Some of it proved to be wrong. Was my enthusiasm a week ago reactionary? I don’t know. Maybe. It’s a major complication in writing about something that means something to you. You can aim for objectivity, but it’s tough to undercut the end result: the wins feel so fucking good, and the losses feel so fucking bad.

That said, I emerged from the back end of the Governor’s Cup relatively unfazed. I still believe the Chiefs are destined for a winning season, and so should you. Here’s why:

1) It didn’t count. I try to avoid using this argument. Preseason losses are still a tax on a player’s psyche. But…. what happens in August stays in August. Half the players on the field during preseason won’t even once don a helmet in a game that’s actually tallied. Even in the first quarter of a preseason game, there are guys on offense and defense who will never have a regular season assignment steeper than “don’t break your neck too bad on this punt return.”

2) Jonathan Baldwin isn’t Derrick Ross. He’s a fantastically gifted athlete who suffered a momentary mental lapse, and he won’t forget it anytime soon. He knows he put seven on the board for the wrong team. He’ll do better next time.

3) Steven Jackson. I’ve criticized even the better Chiefs defenses of the past several years as being soft on larger tailbacks. At 240 pounds, Jackson fits that bill, so I could easily just pass it off as further prima facie. On the other hand, who actually does have an answer for Steven Jackson? He’s ruled the roost for the better part of a decade. At his advanced age, he still manages to tear off a 4.5 yard average or higher every third or fourth game, and even in a bad year he eclipses 1,000 on the ground and 300 in the air. Defenses should never concede yardage; their goal should always be a net loss of zero yards or fewer. Since that’s an unrealistic goal, however, I’ll just choose to keep in mind that conceding a yard to Steven Jackson is not the same as conceding a yard to, say, Jerome Harrison.

4) We already knew Stanzi was going to suck. If anything that’s fallen out of Ricky Bobby Stanzi’s hand and/or mouth has convinced you otherwise, I’ve got the numbers of a good optometrist and a good otolaryngologist, and I’m happy to pass them on. I rooted for the kid to come off the bench in lieu of Tyler Palko last season, but that was little more than a gamble on an unknown quantity. His braindead play in St. Louis probably did more to secure Brady Quinn’s bid for clipboard kid than Quinn could have ever done on his own. It also serves as evidence that the old ‘any port in a storm’ adage might really be bullshit after all.

Seeing as Stanzi has a mild Tebow effect going on in the undeserved attention department, I’m sure someone will rush to say the interception wasn’t his fault. Nay, I say. Any quarterback worth his salt should know better than to throw to Terrance Copper.

And Now for Something Completely Different. Optimism is nice, but I’m not kidding myself into thinking this roster is anywhere close to flawless. Bowe, Breaston, and Baldwin have the makings for a nice gun show, but something tells me Matt Cassel won’t sell any more tickets to it than he has in years past. Still, I promised to reserve judgment, so I’ll move on.

Jalil Brown concerns me. If Kendrick Lewis misses significant time, Travis Daniels (also presently injured) will likely take his place, leaving Brown to cover the lion’s share of Brandon Flowers’s work for at least the first week or two of the regular season. All of this, of course, paves the way for Donald Washington to be on the field (pending his ability to stay sober long enough to follow the pavement between his residence and the stadium). I don’t know yet if I’ll ever take a liking to Brown, but my mind is more than made up on Washington. Reshard Langford, where art thou?

So what have we learned from today’s story? I’ve learned that I think I’ll enjoy the narcissistic act of rereading my articles more if I’m a little less reactionary and a little more objective; ergo, I shan’t be swayed so easily. Unless I’m drinking. If so, all bets are off. As a whole, I’m not sure you’ve learned much of anything you couldn’t already see with your own eyes, but I think we’ve all learned that I type the word ‘fuck’ a lot. What can I say? Sometimes art imitates life.

Asamoah’s performance wasn’t unique either. Relative to his teammates on both sides of the ball, it was ordinary. The Chiefs beat the hell out of the Cardinals, and they did it in the trenches. Final stats for the offensive line: 4.0 yards per carry (7.6 from the two backs that count) and zero sacks. Final stats for the defensive line and linebackers: 10 tackles for loss, 6 QB hits, 3 passes defensed, a forced fumble, and seven sacks.

The bad news here is that it looks more than ever like the last three years were Todd Haley’s fault. I wanted Haley to succeed as much as anybody, and you can’t fault Scott Pioli for thinking Haley would have the requisite pedigree. He didn’t. This roster isn’t all that different from the one he inherited in 2009, and for all intents and purposes it’s the same team that got embarrassed by Baltimore in the wild card round two seasons ago. No doubt that guys like Eric Winston and Justin Houston are making this team better, but swapping a couple of cogs in the wheel can’t account for how much faster the wheel moves nowadays.

The good news is that it looks more than ever like the last three years were Todd Haley’s fault. Now he’s Pittsburgh’s problem.

There are still chinks in the armor. I’ll reserve judgment of Matt Cassel until he has his full complement of receivers, but I don’t find it encouraging that the leading receivers were Steve Maneri and Dexter McCluster. Then again, I find it quite encouraging that Steve Maneri can actually catch. Likewise, it’s encouraging that a journeyman like Abram Elam can cover routes. It may not be a tall order to outplay the guys they’re replacing–Jake O’Connell and Sabby Piscitelli–but these two might actually bypass the standard third string benchmark of not-completely-awful and venture into the lesser known territories of potential-contributor and moderately-watchable. Or better. There’s no rule that says benchwarmers have to suck.

In any case, it does appear that Cassel probably doesn’t need to fear losing his job. Brady Quinn looks shakable, and Ricky Stanzi looks shook. Or, rather, he throws with the accuracy of a quarterback who’s shook. My fear with Stanzi is that he isn’t shook, and very well may have full confidence in his ability to make plays–a sort of full time Mighty Casey, minus the track record. I want a new quarterback, but since that isn’t in the cards, Matt, please stay healthy.

In the meantime, I used my press credentials today to get in touch with the lunch lady at 1 Arrowhead Drive. On the menu for Saturday: Big hits. Bewildered opponents. Sam Bradford undulating in his boots and defecating in his shorts. Strap in, sports fans. It’s time for some fuckin’ football.

Here is our scouting report on Poe:

Thoughts

Poe is not a name a casual draft follower will not be onto yet, but as soon as the pre-draft process rolls around everyone will know who this massive specimen of a man is. Poe is absolutely huge and has good athleticism to boot. He has an intriguing blend of size, strength, and athleticism. He is not going to make a ton of plays at the N.F.L. level, but he’s going to open up a lot of room for other players to make plays. His potential to play nose tackle also greatly boosts his draft stock. I project Poe as a 1st or second round pick more because of the position he plays and his upside, more so than his ability right now today. He has a lot of technical work to do to play with better leverage and learn how to beat double teams most consistently

http://nflmocks.com/2012/04/26/kansas-city-chiefs-select-dontari-poe-dt-memphis-live-2012-nfl-draft-grade/

Winston was in the fourth year of a $30 million, five-year deal when he was cut by the Houston Texas to save salary-cap space. He instantly became the most coveted right tackle on the market, and Kansas City quickly swooped in to line up a visit.

Source: ESPN

2011 Grade: F.
Need for Upgrade: Mandatory.

TAILBACK (2010 Grade: B, Need for Upgrade: Moderate): It’s hard to discern whether or not I should grade this position on a curve, given that the starter was injured early and the blocking was piss poor. For a backup, a role player, and a guy who should have retired a year ago, they weren’t awful. They also weren’t very good. I still like Jackie Battle and I’m starting to warm up to Dexter McCluster, but I don’t trust either to be able to shoulder the kind of load a tailback has to when his team lacks a legitimate quarterback.

2011 Grade: C.
Need for Upgrade: Moderate.

FULLBACK (2010 Grade: A, Need for Upgrade: Minimal): As in years past, I saw no need to upgrade from Mike Cox, but I sure was stoked when I found out Le’Ron McClain was coming to take Cox’s job. It didn’t pan out. I’d like to see McClain get another shot, but I’m not gonna mince words. He was pretty bad.

2011 Grade: D.
Need for Upgrade: Undecided.

WIDE RECEIVER (2010 Grade: D, Need for Upgrade: Critical): Dwayne Bowe, for the first time in his career, was given the chance to play with a healthy, NFL-worthy #2. Unsurprisingly, it helped. Rookie Jonathan Baldwin flashed a little too, and maybe with a proper offseason (and no locker room altercations) he’ll be able to match Bowe’s and Breaston’s level of production. The only thing bad that happened here was that Terrance Copper remained employed while Keary Colbert was cut loose.

2011 Grade: B.
Need for Upgrade: Minimal.

TIGHT END (2010 Grade: A, Need for Upgrade: Minimal): Once again, it’s tough to determine how harshly a bench player should be graded for being asked to do something so far out of his skill set. I contend that Leonard Pope wouldn’t have looked quite so untenable had any of the team’s plays been remapped to suit his strengths. On the other hand, it’s difficult to defend a tight end whose major weakness is his run blocking. It’ll be good to get Tony Moeaki back on the field next season, but the dearth of talent behind him needs to be addressed.

2011 Grade: D.
Need for Upgrade: Critical.

OFFENSIVE LINE (2010 Grade: B, Need for Upgrade: Moderate): I make no secrets of my admiration for Brian Waters. Maybe now his detractors will begin to acknowledge their utter lack of correctness. Probably not, but maybe. Still, losing a perennial Pro Bowler and getting no compensation for his loss wasn’t the worst roster move made in the trenches. I don’t know if Jared Gaither could have been made into a long term solution at right tackle. I do know, however, that he could have fallen forward at each snap and still been more effective than Barry Richardson.

2011 Grade: C.
Need for Upgrade: Critical.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE (2010 Grade: D, Need for Upgrade: Critical): Kelly Gregg was a major upgrade over Ron Edwards. Like Edwards, however, Gregg can’t be that far off from signing out. He played on less than half the defensive downs, and when he was out, the team usually switched to a two lineman package. The fact that Romeo Crennel opted to alter his base package rather than substitute rookie Jerrell Powe indicates to me that Powe is probably not the solution we’d like him to be. In short, improved production in a meaningless season is as meaningless as the season itself.

2011 Grade: B.
Need for Upgrade: Critical.

DEFENSIVE END (2010 Grade: B, Need for Upgrade: Moderate): The Chiefs struck a balance of sort at defensive end this season. The starters, Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson, were among the best in the league at stopping the run. The reserves, Wallace Gilberry and Allen Bailey, are pretty damn good at getting to the passer. The overlap in skill sets is close to nonexistent, but none of the four is really a liability either. Gilberry was signed to a one year deal prior to last season. His 2011 stats aren’t as impressive as in years past, which means he’s not likely to generate significant interest elsewhere. Now would be a good time to try to convince him to sign on for a little longer.

2011 Grade: A.
Need for Upgrade: Minimal.

INSIDE LINEBACKER (2010 Grade: C, Need for Upgrade: Critical): In 2010, Derrick Johnson was the league’s premier cover LB. In 2011, he was damn close to being the league’s premier run stopper. Todd Haley made a lot of mistakes in Kansas City, but don’t devalue the transformation he inspired in DJ. I’m still not overly impressed with Jovan Belcher, but it’s tough for any team to be good at all 22 starting spots. If it means the team will address other more pressing needs first, I’ll gladly settle for adequate.

2011 Grade: A.
Need for Upgrade: Minimal.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (2010 Grade: B, Need for Upgrade: Critical): Tamba Hali and Justin Houston are the most.

2011 Grade: A+.
Need for Ugrade: Minimal.

CORNERBACK (2010 Grade: B, Need for Upgrade: Moderate): Brandon Flowers had a down year, at least by Brandon Flowers standards. Meanwhile, Brandon Carr played the position better than anyone else in the division, which brings me to my analysis of the Chiefs’ newest acquisition, whose own name speaks volumes. Stanford Routt: not smart enough to attend the former, not fast enough to cover the latter. I’m not sure I’ve ever misread a player’s potential as badly as I did Carr’s. Two years ago, I wanted him cut loose. Now, on the precipice of losing him to free agency, the thought of him playing elsewhere disgusts me.

2011 Grade: B.
Need for Upgrade: Nonexistent if Carr is retained. Otherwise, Critical.

SAFETY (2010 Grade: A, Need for Upgrade: Minimal): Nobody could have foretold Eric Berry’s injury. Anyone could have foretold Sabby Piscitelli’s failure. Sabby the Situation was the team’s eighth most productive safety, behind Kendrick Lewis, Jon McGraw, Reshard Langford, Travis Daniels (he was downright decent as an injury sub), Donald Washington, pre-injury Eric Berry, and post-injury Eric Berry. That’s right…. Eric Berry on a stretcher is more effective than Sabby Piscitelli in the flat.

2011 Grade: D.
Need for Upgrade: Moderate.

KICKER (2010 Grade: C, Need for Upgrade: Minimal): Who among us didn’t see shades of Justin Medlock in Ryan Succop’s first two outings? Likewise, from mid September through Christmas Eve, who among us didn’t see shades of Pete Stoyanovich? I have no question he’s the right guy for the job.

2011 Grade: B.
Need for Upgrade: Nonexistent.

PUNTER (2010 Grade: B, Need for Upgrade: Nonexistent): There’s nothing to fix here either. The only knock on Dustin Colquitt is that his brother Britton has a stronger leg. Britton’s kicks may be bigger, but Dustin’s are dirtier. He’s the punting equivalent of a junk ball pitcher: average distance, but awesome hang time, location, and bounce. He’s woefully overused and probably won’t last through the end of his next contract, but until he falters, I don’t want anyone else.

2011 Grade: A.
Need for Upgrade: Nonexistent.

RETURNER (2010 Grade: C, Need for Upgrade: Nonexistent): Javier Arenas isn’t the next Dante Hall. He’s better. Sure, Dante could find the endzone, but in between scores he’d spend a lot of time running in the wrong direction. Arenas doesn’t do that. His 12.8 yard average on punt returns isn’t the product of one really great return balancing out the three or four piss poor returns that preceded it. He literally averages 12.8 yards. That’s uncommon. It’s also incredibly useful. Arenas and McCluster split time on kick returns, posting nearly identical stat lines. Neither shone, but now that any kicker can belt a touchback at will, who cares? Punt returns are where it’s at, and Arenas does them well.

2011 Grade: A.
Need for Upgrade: Nonexistent.

LONG SNAPPER (2010 Grade: C, Need for Upgrade: Minimal): Wow, are you still reading this? The password is naptime, and the first person to message me with the password gets a free beer next time they’re in Wichita. No job in sports is easy, but long snapper is at the bottom of the payscale for a reason. A long snapper’s job is pretty simple: hike the ball to the holder or the punter, try not to get pushed to the ground in the process, and tackle a returner if he makes it past the first nine guys. Also, twice a year, remember for a full 30 seconds that you’re about to run a trick play, and consequently you’re going to snap the ball to someone different. Thomas Gafford doesn’t seem to excel at any of the aforementioned activities. For God’s sake, cut the guy already. He’s awful.

2012 Grade: D.
Need for Upgrade: Critical, relatively speaking.

COACHES. In the past, I haven’t graded coaches. I’m not about to grade the full pack, but to close this year’s report card, I’m gonna evaluate the big three.

Bill Muir: Muir was originally brought to Kansas City to replace John Matsko as offensive line coach. Matsko, of course, replaced Mike Solari. Matsko and Solari were both pretty good at that job before they came to Kansas City, and both have been pretty good in other cities since they left. Muir was never any better than average anywhere he went. To the contrary, at times he’s been pretty bad. This was one of those times. I’m not sad to see him retire.

2011 Grade: F.

Todd Haley: Bill Walsh will forever be remembered as one of the game’s all time great coaches. He earned that honor, but having Joe Montana sure didn’t hurt. The perception of a head coach’s ability is inextricably tied to how well his quarterback performs. Haley surely understood that well before he arrived in KC. With the Cardinals, he was a virtual unknown with Matt Leinart, but prospective head coach material with Kurt Warner. Haley was hired by the Chiefs 22 days before the Cassel/Vrabel trade. Would he have accepted the position had he known in advance that he would be shackled to a college backup? The answer is probably yes, but maybe with some reservation.

Haley’s tenure as head coach can’t be considered a success. By the same token, I don’t think it can be considered a failure either. He didn’t right the ship, but even with 2011′s poor showing in focus, it’s clear that he was at least cognizant of which direction he needed to steer. Herm Edwards drafted the core of this team, but Haley shaped it by salvaging the questionable careers of four years’ worth of 1st round picks. He made critical mistakes, as most young coaches do, but don’t discount the fact that he made Derrick Johnson and Dwayne Bowe not just better players, but better men.

2011 Grade: C.

Romeo Crennel: Remember when the only way Kansas City could win against a good offense was to get in a shootout and outgun them? Remember when scoring 30 wasn’t enough? I’m getting good at blocking that from memory. I hope someday soon to be able to altogether forget names like Lew Bush and Monty Beisel.

Regardless of how awful it’s going to be to watch Matt Cassel play out his contract while all of the team’s good players get old, savor for a moment or two that Crennel (a) led this team out of the defensive Dark Ages, and (b) laid wood to Tim Tebow and Aaron Rogers. I like Crennel. I wish he was getting a fairer shake. In the absence of a fair shake, however, I will say that I don’t trust very many coaches to engineer a defense good enough to overcome an offense as awful as this one. In Romeo I Trust.

2011 Grade: A.