Assessing the Kansas City Chiefs: Where Do They Stand After One Game in 2014?

There is no sugarcoating what happened on Sunday. It was an ugly scene at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Tennessee Titans picked the Kansas City Chiefs apart.

The defense showed up and made some big plays, keeping it a one-possession game going into halftime. But Kansas City’s offense never got into a rhythm, and the Titans pulled away, building a bigger lead as time went on.

Quarterback Alex Smith just got a nifty contract only to throw three interceptions in his first game under his new deal. Yes, Donnie Avery did not play well, but Smith has to accept responsibility too.

Right tackle Donald Stephenson and wide receiver Dwayne Bowe did not play since they were both suspended. Cornerback Marcus Cooper and punt returner De’Anthony Thomas were injured and inactive for this game. Meanwhile, the Chiefs have lost two starters from their defensive front seven in inside linebacker Derrick Johnson and defensive end Mike DeVito, as both suffered ruptured Achilles tendons, according to Josh Alpert of Pro Football Talk.

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

In addition to the injury mishaps, Jeff Allen, who had to shift from left guard to right tackle, injured his elbow and was seen in a sling after the game, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.

Head coach Andy Reid did not have his team prepared for the Titans. At the same time, he did not have his team prepared to deal with suspensions or injuries on all three facets of the game.

Injuries and suspensions are one thing. Throwing three interceptions, allowing four sacks and giving the ball to your best offensive player only 11 times is another.

Titans kicker Ryan Succop, whom the Chiefs cut recently, connected on all four field goals and outscored the entire Chiefs team, while Cairo Santos’ kicks kept hitting the crossbar. Dexter McCluster, whom the Chiefs did not retain, outrushed running back Jamaal Charles. In fact, four Titans running backs outrushed Charles.

In the 2012 season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, the Chiefs struggled in the second half as the Falcons pulled away and left Kansas City with a win. The loss set the tone for the remainder of the season, as the Chiefs finished 2-14.

Last year in Jacksonville, the Chiefs started the season off with a nice 28-2 win, which translated into a 9-0 start.

With a devastating loss to begin 2014, how do the Kansas City Chiefs move forward?

NFL players and coaches claim they do not look ahead and only think one game at a time. But let’s be honest with ourselves: After Sunday’s game, it’s hard not to think about what the Chiefs have to deal with in the next four weeks.

In order, the Chiefs will visit Denver and Miami, will return to Arrowhead Stadium to play New England on Monday night and take on San Francisco on the road before the bye week.

The Chiefs have never defeated the Broncos since they added Peyton Manning. The Dolphins looked very impressive as they stunned the Patriots in one of the biggest upsets in Week 1, which always builds confidence moving forward. Although the Patriots lost, there is no doubt that the team will rebound with Tom Brady. As usual, the 49ers have a good passing game with Colin Kaepernick under center.

The Kansas City defense is good and will create opportunities to win games. But not even the best defense is built to shut out opponents for 60 minutes as fatigue sets in, especially when the offense excessively turns it over and can’t convert a first down.

A lot of pressure is on Reid. He won’t say what, but he knows what this team must do to rebound.

Sports fans usually keep it calm and understand that it's “just one game,” but there are reasons for fans to want to write off the Chiefs for the remainder of the season with 15 games left to play.

The Chiefs were in a similar predicament in 2011 when they began 0-3 and lost three starters, two of them being Pro Bowlers, to ACL tears. The Chiefs eventually played with confidence and produced well. Despite falling one game short of winning the division, finishing 7-9, the Chiefs handed the reigning Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers their first loss in Week 15.

But let’s face it: That kind of good fortune does not happen every time. We see some teams pick up the intensity after a slow start, while others find themselves fighting for a high draft pick from the beginning.

Given Kansas City’s challenging schedule, it is hard to convince a realistic Chiefs fan that this team can contend for the playoffs this year.

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