Masterpiece in K.C.

When the Herm Edwards era came to a close in Kansas City after the 2008-2009 season, the football fans in the area had grown accustomed to watching a certain style of football. It was a style of football that saw their beloved Chiefs seemingly inventing new ways to lose, new ways to get embarrassed, every single week.

Worse yet, the team didn't have the right attitude to change anything, and as a result, they not only kept losing, but became used to it. Arm-tackles ruled the day for the defense, and actually blocking a defender was a lofty goal of the offensive linemen, rather than an expectation. It surprised no one when this team won only 6 games over a two-year period, and probably played worse than their record would indicate.

A culture of losing had taken hold of Kansas City. But Carl Peterson and Herm Edwards were both gone following a 2-14 season, and Chiefs fans everywhere were simply hoping their favorite team could begin a gradual shift from laughing-stock to respectable franchise. They got so much more.

Less than two weeks after firing Edwards, and less than a month after taking over as General Manager, Scott Pioli decided to hire Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley as head coach for the Chiefs, and then brought in Matt Cassel, a quarterback he had been responsible for bringing to the New England Patriots. The Chiefs finally had a strong foundation, and it was put together in only seven weeks.

Optimism took place of the bitter attitudes many Chiefs fans had previously expressed, and they prepared themselves for the long road towards relevancy. While the first year with the new regime didn't appear to be much better (the team finished with a 4-12 record) — and it certainly wasn't without its tough-to-swallow moments, such as the trade that sent longtime fan-favorite Tony Gonzalez to Atlanta — there were signs of improvement and growth.

Then came the 2010 NFL offseason. After a draft class that was almost unanimously considered to be great, and after seeing the leadership of veteran players like Thomas Jones and Mike Vrabel in training camp, most NFL analysts agreed the Chiefs were on the rise and were posed for a turnaround season. Predictions generally ranged anywhere from 6 to 8 wins for the Chiefs, and they gladly would have taken that. But once again, they got so much more.

They've been called the Kansas City Patriots, and it seems as fitting a nickname as any for a team whose general manager (Pioli), offensive coordinator (Charlie Weis), defensive coordinator (Romeo Crennel), team leader (Matt Cassel), and defensive captain (Mike Vrabel) are all ex-Patriots.

Because this group has proven to be so invaluable to the success of the year for the Chiefs, much will be made of Charlie Weis' decision to leave after only one year. But as a Chiefs fan, I realized two things after thinking it over.

The first was that I didn't want a coach who would leave a team so quickly and, at least seemingly, without cause. The second was that there is a wealth of talent for that position in this offense-heavy NFL. So if they've got to lose either Weis or Romeo Crennel, I'll hold the door for Weis on the way out.

Chief fans and experts need to steer clear of panic mode when it comes to losing Weis. Anybody who has seen this team play this year can see that Weis hasn't been the biggest reason for the resurgence of the offense. If you don't believe me, wait until next year, because the offense will be even better.

It's guys like Matt Cassel and Jamaal Charles playing good football that's making the offense work, and they're finding success because the offensive line has been playing great the majority of the year. Next year, even without Weis, this offense will be fine because he was just one piece of the puzzle.

On the defensive side, they've been in the top half of the league all year long, and they've done so well because Romeo Crennel is brilliant, and has possibly the fastest defense in the league to work with. If the Chiefs can find a good pass-rusher to complement Tamba Hali (whose exclusion from the Pro Bowl is a crime), people will find out next year just how good that young secondary is.

Sunday's loss to the Raiders may sting, but this young group will bounce back. Whether or not they beat the Ravens this weekend, they've had a successful season. They've already accomplished more than almost anyone said they could.

The experts want to tell you that the Chiefs' 10-6 record is largely a by-product of an easy schedule. Whether or not they're right is of no consequence. The fact of the matter is that winning a game in the NFL is hard, but the Chiefs have done so 10 times this year after doing so the same number of times in the previous three years.

What really matters is that they won the AFC West and that they'll host a playoff game. It's a game they have a great chance to win, and if they do, it'll be the first time in their last seven playoff games that they've done so.

After this season is finished for the Chiefs, whenever that may be, they've got a lot to look forward to. They've got young players on both sides of the ball that will only get better this offseason, and they've got five picks in the first three rounds of the draft this year, as well as enough cap room to sign the players they draft and possibly possibly make a move for a proven talent.

When the Chiefs take the field in 2011, they'll be better than they were this year, which is a scary outlook for the rest of the AFC West.

Don't worry, Chiefs fans. This team may not be elite just yet, but they weren't supposed to be. They're a rebuilding project that's a year ahead of schedule. Just think of what next year will bring.

The players are becoming used to winning football games, and the fans are becoming to seeing it happen.

A culture of winning has developed in Kansas City. These Chiefs are for real, and they aren't going away any time soon.