Chiefs vs. Patriots: How Will KC Respond with QB Matt Cassel Lost for Season?

The season started badly for the Kansas City Chiefs. It's not likely to finish any better for them with today's announcement that starting quarterback Matt Cassel is done for the year. ESPN's Mike Reiss tweets:

"

"Also, league source says Chiefs officially placing QB Matt Cassel on season-ending IR. Promoting practice squad WR Jeremy Horne to roster."

"

On opening day the Chiefs lost the services of their starting running back, Jamaal Charles, and they've struggled to fill his shoes since then. That's a big difference between the Chiefs and other teams with injury issues at QB. 

The Eagles have LeSean McCoy. The Bears have Matt Forte. The Texans have Arian Foster. The Chiefs have...Jackie Battle?

The thing is that the news gets even worse if you're a Kansas City fan. Every team left on their schedule has a winning record. Their final seven games are against New England, Pittsburgh, Chicago, the Jets, Green Bay, Oakland and Denver. 

If you are hoping that Tyler Palko will be an unexpected success story, you have some pretty big dreams. It's nothing against him, it's just there's only so much you can reasonably expect from a QB who has never started a game. 

It's going to be a horrible rest of the year for the Kansas City Chiefs and honestly they won't have to "Suck for Luck" or "Play Borin' for Claiborne" or any other such thing depending on what high draft pick they want. They're probably going to suck whether they try to or not. 

Hopefully they can just keep fighting. For them playing for next year at this point means not damaging their psyche to the point it carries over until next year. Somehow the team is going to collectively need to come together and win a game or two as a unit. 

This is the sort of fire that can forge a champion next year, or it can scorch the earth. How the Chiefs respond to this news will make a huge difference next year. Todd Haley has a huge job to do right now, and more than ever his coaching isn't about a playbook, it's about how he handles his players between the ears. 

If he can just keep them fighting, the team will be on a different level next year.