ChiefsCountry.com

The head coach keeps claiming he's solely responsible for the problems currently plaguing the Kansas City Chiefs. The players keep saying they won't let an embarrassing start snowball into an utterly humiliating season. What's missing from all these mea culpas and mission statements are comments from the man who was supposed to be smart enough to keep this franchise pointed in the right direction. It's time for Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli to take some blame for a team built from his blueprint.



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The Chiefs have gone from AFC West champions to producing arguably the worst start ever by a team that just won a division title. They've given up 89 points, scored just 10, committed nine turnovers and been decimated by two teams (Buffalo and Detroit) that haven't reached the postseason since Bill Clinton was in the White House. The easy explanations for these struggles have been offered already -- that coach Todd Haley ran a soft training camp and season-ending knee injuries to three starters (tight end Tony Moeaki, running back Jamaal Charles and safety Eric Berry) are too debilitating to overcome. The truth is much harder to focus on -- that this team was flawed before any of that stuff ever happened.

Pioli was hired to be the resident genius three years ago, the man who helped New England become a dynasty right alongside Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Right now, it's hard to believe the hype. This offseason he made little attempt to improve a roster that had some glaring flaws, and his biggest acquisition in free agency was wide receiver Steve Breaston. Standing pat after a strong season works well when you're as loaded as Green Bay or Pittsburgh. It's a pretty big gamble when you're a team that feasted on a weak schedule in 2010 and then wilted in a blowout playoff loss to Baltimore.

Pioli's lack of aggressiveness is even more glaring because it comes at a time when the Chiefs are flush with cash. Kansas City had nearly $34 million in salary cap space when the lockout ended, a total that ranked it near the top of the NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles weren't in that kind of financial shape and they attacked free agency as if Warren Buffett were writing the checks. The New York Jets were just as willing to improve their team a year earlier, when they made enough savvy moves to aid their return to the AFC Championship Game.







Because Pioli isn't taking that kind of approach to bolstering his own talent pool, it's fair to wonder if team owner Clark Hunt is handcuffing him to a tight budget. If that isn't the case, then Pioli -- who rarely talks publicly -- has some explaining to do. As much as Haley has taken heat for this ugly start, he deserves credit for last season, especially for helping develop players like Charles, wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and inside linebacker Derrick Johnson. Those players were there before Pioli came to town.

That is the biggest irony here, that Pioli's success thus far has come largely on the backs of talent that former general manager Carl Peterson drafted. Sure, running back Thomas Jones and guard Ryan Lilja were nice free agent additions last season, and quarterback Matt Cassel has blossomed into a solid starter. But the offense and defense still needed more playmakers before this rash of injuries. The mere fact that the Chiefs had wide receiver Keary Colbert -- who had been coaching tight ends at USC just a few months ago -- on the field in Week 1 tells you what kind of depth Pioli had created at that position.

And then there are Kansas City's drafts. Aside from making a no-brainer pick of Berry in last year's first round, Pioli has made two shaky selections with top picks. The Chiefs used the third overall selection in the 2009 draft to take Tyson Jackson, a 3-4 defensive end who still hasn't made an impact. This year Pioli traded up to take wide receiver Jon Baldwin, a player who had character issues entering the draft and then validated them by injuring his thumb in a training camp scuffle with Jones. Baldwin still has yet to play a down for Kansas City.

Granted, it takes a few years for draft picks to find their way, and some of the Chiefs' lower-round picks still might blossom. But Pioli was also supposed to be a savior in Kansas City. The Chiefs' start this season makes it harder to buy into that theory. It's even tougher now that Haley is looking more and more like an easy fall guy in this calamitous campaign.

It would be a shame for him to take all the blame because, after all, he was Pioli's first hire. And of all the people in the Chiefs' organization, Pioli is supposed to be the one with the best understanding of what it takes to build a consistent winner. It would be one thing if the Chiefs were just off to an 0-2 start. Right now they look like a team destined for the first pick in next year's draft, especially with a schedule that still includes opponents like the Patriots, Steelers, Packers, Jets and Bears.

Even the luster of Kansas City's division championship seems tainted now, more fluke than feel-good story. When you look at the end of last season, you see a team that was outscored 61-17 in its final two games. That should have been a major red flag, an omen that this team faced a much longer climb to reach the NFL's upper echelon. Now it is simply a squad that has to question everything about its organization, starting with the invisible man at the top of the power structure.



Senior writer Jeffri Chadiha covers the NFL for ESPN.com.

all this cap space and pioli sat on his butt durning a flood of good FA`s before the season. there is the problem, unless clarkie gave him a kmart budget.
CHEAP owner and a lazy GM is one reason we have this problem now and to come.
Makes one wonder if pioli sat in the corner while bellycheat did everything.

Pioli has some responsibility for what is happening with this team, but at the same time, there is plenty of room for blame to go around.

I think we all forget or maybe got a little tainted last year, but this is almost the same team last year, injuries not withstanding. A couple of key positions changed of course, most notably Brian Waters and Mike Vrabel, but this team is very much the same team. Good or bad. The question is: Was this team over-performing last year?

I really think maybe they were overperforming last year.

holes that we had were not address, good backups werent addressed.
the teams we played last year, well speak for themselfs.

I think it's time to call Cassel a failure. We have two legitimate QB's on the roster that may not be SB qualified this year, but they both have better possibilities than we have in Cassel. I hate to say it, but that's the way I see it.

Also I see a problem with the play calling, it looks like Haley has taken that on again. He failed the first year doing that and will fail again. Maybe it's time for Haley to take the bus out of town too.

Maybe the Chiefs can talk Cower out of retirement to help this club return to prominence.

It wouldn't hurt my feelings any to see Cowher or Gruden either one take the job.

There are serious issues at hand. I have no confidence in the play calling, the strategy of the games in general seem to be one of a wave off like when a pilot is landing on an AC carrier. There are players with potential, the "veteran" players are not playing to their abilities. There must come a day of accountability and that accountability must start with the owner. In one fan's eyes he has failed the NFL, the team, the city and the fans, not to mention the players that actually want to become a force again.

If I were calling the shots I believe we would be seeing a new HC, OC and maybe a few new players on the field. The #2 and #3 QB's on the team show more ability as young players as Cassel seems to show on the field.

All teams play their offense differently but you should not be capable of telling what play a team is running purely by the personnel on the field, in KC that seems to have been a given. Formations are the same issue. Watch how they line up on Sunday (or whenever they play next-the games are generic right now) a not astute viewer can see enough of the formation to call out the play and because of the personnel can tell if it's going to be a pass, run or attempted gimmick play. There is no subtitle way for the Chiefs to a play a down. I understand that things evolve and you do have teams that don't care that you know what play is coming, the QB is smart enough to check off when that happens - not in KC.

I'd call for the offense, regardless of who is on the field, to take a standard "pro-set" as they get to the line and when they are ready to break into a "go-formation" they do it so the defense doesn't have time to talk out what the play is. The defense is tasked with reading the set and personnel. The Chiefs need to know that you don't always hand the ball off to #20 (or 25, or 42 or 26, etc). If #20 is the only RB in the game and the set is a run play, guess who is getting tackled? There just don't seem to be any set options to any play that is on the field. After the Chan Gailey firing before the season started nobody would have thought he had a brain, let enough the ability to run an offense. Even after a year away he still knew the manner in which Haley called a game - not worth crap.

We have large problems in KC and there isn't just one person responsible - someone needs to step up to the plate and kick some inside the house butt!

I can rant on more later, I'm up early and on a roll - sucks to get up early when you don't have to!

Agreed, although I think the problem with our offense has been many fold: from the o-line who can't pass block, to the QB who has limited vision down field and hangs onto the ball way too long, to the WRs who don't get open nearly enough. And, let's not forget the asinine way that the plays are relayed and finally sent into the QB who then has to convey them to the rest of the offense.

although the line isnt the best pass blockers cassel has enough time. he holds on to the ball to long and gets happy feet. our o-line is not made for big back,ie jones and maclain.
cassel has to go,but unless he gets hurt we will ride him to the gutter. Why? because of his price tag and he`s piolis boy.

I guess the thing that endears me, somewhat, to Cassel is that he seems to be a good, genuine guy with a great work ethic. However, having said thus, I also realize that those qualities alone cannot move the team in the direction we want it to go.