Chiefs Fans Get Started Early On Carl Peterson Revolt

The vast majority of football fans know a certain number of tenets. Defense wins championship. You have to run the ball. Never buy into the Cardinals. And, the preseason doesn't matter. There's nothing real about it, it's not a predictor of success, it's an exhibition that proves positively nothing.

That said, after last Sunday's debacle/car crash/unmitigated disaster for the Chiefs in Miami, the fanbase has flipped open the case on the panic button and are staring at it intently. No one's pushing, considering the abysmally low expectations for this season ,but their finger is so tight on it, you can feel the indentation of the letters. That tends to happen after you get blanked 24-0 by Chad Pennington, I repeat, Chad freaking Pennington while only creating 189 total yards of offense against a team that went 1-15 last year. There's going to be a little anxiety. And, as is always the case in Kansas City, the big target moves immediately to General Manager Carl Peterson.

The Kansas City Star today takes its annual "Is This The End Of King Carl" column to a whole new level, with a bevy of quotes indicating a rift between Carl and head coach Herm Edwards on how to best rebuild. The argument essentially comes down to Edwards supporting drafting and Peterson supporting free agency. With the passing of Lamar Hunt, the article suggests Peterson could be on his way out as new owner Clark Hunt moves in support of Edwards.

There has been grumbling for the last decade or more about Peterson, who despite fielding successful playoff teams, has failed to return the Chiefs to the Super Bowl. Furthermore, having been in the position for so long, people wonder if it may be time for new blood in the front office. The shift in philosophy could have far reaching affects for the Chiefs.

Edwards supports a tough, run-first, field-position football strategy. So far, his rebuilding efforts have been massive, but largely vague in terms of positive feedback. Conversely, the free agency signings that Peterson has long supported have become nothing more than band-aids to stop the bleeding. There has been a need for a drastic rebuild, a complete workup from the ground up for a long time in Kansas City. It's a tenuous decision for Clark Hunt, and one that may determine whether this team is able to rebuild itself back into a perennial playoff team, or fade into obscurity behind the run-short pass-run-punt offense. Either way, it appears that King Carl's time is running out. Expect Whitlock to begin unloading on Carl in about, oh, ten seconds.

If this article and last Saturday's game are any indication, this could very well be the low-point season for Chiefs fans. We'll see if anybody's left after we clear the rubble.