Well that was the worst thing ever. I’m still too mad to talk about it much. The Chiefs got screwed by the refs, and fans got screwed by the Chiefs. It is what it is. In the end, losing this game was the best thing that could have happened to the Chiefs. Even though it hurt… hurts… and will continue to hurt year after year till sweet apathy saps the pain away, this loss was a good thing. Here’s why:
The first step is to admit you have a problem: If Chiefs somehow came back to win this game, it would have glossed over a persistent problem. Luckily the Chief can’t ignore their issues now. There are plenty of complaints from the awful defense to the bad play-calling, but the bottom line is: the Chiefs are mentally weak. They don’t close games strong, they often don’t open strong either. K.C. is a rhythm team that struggles when things don’t go right. If they had recorded Chumbawamba’s classic hit: Tubthumping (‘I get knocked down, but I get up again‘) it would have been about two seconds long and consisted of the phrase: “I get knocked down.” This loss forces Chiefs to take a long look in the mirror and get things under control. That’s going to mean new leaders on the team and new leaders on the coaching staff.
Draft Position: Chiefs have few picks and this also looks to be a down year in the draft. That said, every little bit helps. If the Chiefs are to come away with anyone helpful from the 2018 class, picking a few spots higher can certainly help.
Smith’s Performance: While the Chiefs looked totally inept on offense in the 2nd half, most of that fell at the feet of people not named Alex Smith. K.C. is entering their rebuilding phase (a phase they should have entered after 2016 when their championship window closed) and they need Smith to bring a nice pick in trade. Mahomes may not be any better than Smith, but early returns show he could be just as good for about $16M less per year.
Getting Healthy For Next Year: The Chiefs were dealt some tough blows, losing both Kelce and Jones in the game, and some other key role players the previous week. This team was never going to go the distance. By losing, they avoided any serious injuries that could linger into next year.
Earlier Resolution to Coaching Dilemmas: Bad teams get a jump on hiring the best coaches. By losing, the Chiefs will have more options available to replace the guys they’ve lost. We saw this in action last year, when K.C. ended up having to fill David Culley’s spot with Greg Lewis, because there just weren’t that many guys out there.
However you slice it, a cat scat sandwich is a cat scat sandwich. In the end though, losing is what losers do, and that’s what the Chiefs are. A win would have been fun in the moment, but it would’ve just set us up for the next disappointment. Now, we can all move on to more productive things like banging our heads against the wall, or collecting bellybutton lint. Go Chiefs. Sigh.
If you are viewing this in Apple News and would like to join the Discussion, [GO HERE.](http://arrowheadone.com/silver-linings-to-a-cat-excrement-sandwich/#disqus_thread)