Kansas City Chiefs fans were desperate to see someone other than Matt Cassel behind the wheel of their team's milquetoast attack.
In Sunday's 38-10 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, backup quarterback Brady Quinn wasn't able to make a difference, and Kansas City's offense finds itself at a crossroads.
For the second week in a row, the Chiefs leaned on a ball-control scheme that kept their opponents off the field early. Kansas City held the ball for 19-plus minutes of the first half but did nothing with it, scoring just a field goal. Chiefs offensive coordinator Brian Daboll ran the ball 51 times and threw it just 17 in last week's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. His game plan was more balanced Sunday, but no more prolific.
Quinn finished 22-of-38 passing for just 180 yards with two interceptions. None of his completions went for more than 19 yards, and the Chiefs struggled to extend plays. With the fourth quarter ticking away, quarterback Josh Freeman's Bucs had 162 yards after the catch. Quinn's Chiefs had just 13.
Kansas City has yet to lead in regulation this season, and the reason for that is Daboll's offensive approach, which didn't show trust in Cassel a week ago and failed to put Quinn in a position to score points Sunday. Also part of the problem: Quinn's sheer mediocrity at the position. The last time Daboll teamed with Quinn was in 2009, when both were part of a Cleveland Browns offense that employed a ground-heavy style of football more familiar to the people of the 1930s. That team went nowhere.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
