Chiefs fans still thinking playoffs in denial

Chiefs fans still thinking playoffs in denial By JEFFREY FLANAGAN Columnist

Yes, some of the truly die-hard Chiefs fans out there are busy still pondering scenarios in which the Chiefs can still sneak into the playoffs as a wild card.

This is a clear case of denial, sort of like using the old comb-over as you refuse to accept that you're going bald.

So let's get on to reality. The Chiefs, at best, will probably split their last two games, and finish in last place in the AFC West.

Here's the good news: That will put them in position to draft anywhere from No. 12 through No. 16 next year, certainly high enough to nab a top-rated defensive player, preferably a pass-rusher.

But they won't get the normal benefit of the last-place finish, which has traditionally been a cozier schedule. Since the NFL went to four divisions in each conference, the teams play on a regular rotation. With the exception of games against the last-place finisher in the AFC East (Buffalo) and AFC South (Houston), the Chiefs play the exact same schedule as every other AFC West team.

If they do finish last in the West, here's their schedule for next season:

Home: Cleveland (7-7), Pittsburgh (8-5-1), Chicago (4-10), Detroit (3-11), Buffalo (7-7), Denver (8-6), San Diego (8-6), Oakland (9-5). Combined opponents' records would be 53-57-1.

Away: Baltimore (7-7), Cincinnati (1-13), Green Bay (11-3), Minnesota (4-10), Houston (4-10), Denver (8-6), San Diego (8-6), Oakland (9-5). Combined opponents' record would be 52-59.

III

The Chiefs' mysterious, deliberate approach to their offense when they were down by two scores and the clock winding down in the fourth quarter wasn't lost on the Denver media, either.

Wrote the Denver Post: 'The Broncos gave up 24 points in the second half and would have lost if the Chiefs hasn't been without running back Priest Holmes and had been with a sense of urgency in the latter part of the final quarter. The Chiefs acted as if the game had six, not four, quarters. Instead of a hurry-up offense, Kansas City came up with a dawdling-down offense

A) The Chiefs have a problem signing their #1 picks in a timely fashion.

Didn't the Chiefs use their #1 pick for defensive pass-rusher?