When the bronze sculpture of the late Derrick Thomas was unveiled in Canton this summer, the book closed on an era in which his team, the Kansas City Chiefs, was the third winningest of the 90s and flirted with postseason success to little consequence.

It’s fitting that Thomas would be inducted a decade after his passing. It sends off the Carl Peterson era (well, Clark Hunt kind of did that last winter) and it precedes a year in which Kansas City is under a new regime for the first time in 20 years.

Kansas City is still waiting for its first playoff victory since 1993. It now does so without King Carl as GM (replaced by Scott Pioli — former Patriots VP of Player Personnell) and Herm “You Play to Not Lose the Game” Edwards as head coach (replaced by first-year top dog Todd Haley, formerly Arizona’s offensive coordinator).

After finishing 31st in total defense and recording a historically pathetic 10 sacks (all-time low), the Chiefs turned to Clancy Pendergast at defensive coordinator. Perhaps they’re hoping to replicate the 2008 Arizona Cardinals without, you know, the personnel. Pendergast was the defensive coordinator opposite Haley on offense. And just last week, Haley axed offensive coordinator Chan Gailey so he can call the shots himself.

Out with the old, in with the…old: After finishing 6-26 the last two seasons, it was a matter of how fast heads would roll and not whether they would. But Tony Gonzalez’ trade to Atlanta stung Chiefs fans in a way the loss of an all-timer and community fixture only could. The Chiefs also unloaded veterans linebacker Donnie Edwards and cornerback Patrick Surtain. Only this isn’t exactly a youth movement. The Chiefs landed linebacker Mike Vrabel in the Cassel trade. Zach Thomas, Bobby Engram and Amani Toomer (before cutting him) have also joined the Chiefs although fans may prefer to have had them five years earlier instead. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported (and was later refuted by Drew Rosenhaus) that Thomas would be cut or retire earlier this week.

The Bernard Pollard Parlay: Safety Berard Pollard earned Kansas City a new quarterback with this hit on Tom Brady last year. You know the story: Brady goes down, Cassel inherits a historic offense before earning a cool $63 mil to blow on the world’s finest BBQ the next season. Don’t forget that along the way the Broncos lusted after Cassel, upsetting Jay Cutler and eventually trading him to Chicago for Kyle Orton. All the while the Redskins nearly ran off Jason Campbell, guaranteeing a 5-11 season and tumult for Washington. This is historic people.

The preseason has been a rocky one. The patchwork offensive line — they traded for a pair of Miami castaways last month — has looked as awful as last year. Ask the already-injured Cassel. If Cassel can’t go in the season-opener, the Chiefs will have to decide between brittle Brodie Croyle and Tyler Thigpen, who was decent last year but isn’t fit for the pro-style offense Kansas City is implementing. It could get ugly.

Good news is that we’ll likely see a the most animation from the Chiefs sideline since Marty Schottenheimer’s salad days. Haley already has confrontations with Terrell Owens and Anquan Boldin on his resume. He momentarily benched Chiefs receiver Dwayne Bowe — whom one might say is the team’s last best hope on offense — early in the preseason. It’s worked as Bowe pulled in 11 receptions for 145 yards and a touchdown through three games.

The previously mentioned Larry Johnson is also going to play a huge role in determining whether Kansas City’s offense sinks or swims. His 41-yard run last night had to have had some thinking of better days in which LJ dropped more tacklers than Jay-Z’s name. I think the regime change will do Johnson good. That and the fact that this is pretty much It for him. Put up or shut up.

The 2009 NFL Previews Beer of the Final Stephen Montemayor Post: Keeping with the KC tune, I proudly offer as the third installment of my Beer of the Day series any bottle of the finely-brewed Boulevard Brewing Co.’s offerings. Brewed near I-35 in Kansas City, Boulevard’s Wheat ale is its franchise player with the Pale Ale playing Pippen to its MJ. Don’t limit yourself. Grab the year-round Single-Wide IPA, Bully Porter, Lunar Ale or Dry Stout. Or any of the five seasonal ales. Or the 750 ml and higher alchy Smokestack Series. This midwest treat has only been around 20 years though it hits you as good as the suds richest in tradition do. They also recently rolled out a new pilsner. Try it. Now.

Before we continue, enjoy some local flavor and Genius hip hop from Kansas City’s own Krizz Kaliko. If you don’t know, now you know. Don’t take it from me. Read one of the finest articles Jason Whitlock has ever written .

Prediction? Let me get this out there first: I was raised on the Chiefs. They’ve been my team for the entirety of my lifetime. Hell, if you’d cut me I’d bleed RED. But thumbing throught Sports Illustrated’s gargantuan 2009 NFL preview issue — which by most accounts is quite nice – I’m having difficulty seeing the eight wins they’re calling for out of this schedule:

Sept. 13 at Baltimore and Sept. 27 at Philadelphia. October: 10/4 vs. New York Giants, 10/11 vs. Dallas, 10/18 at Washington (winnable), 10/25 vs. San Diego. At Jacksonville Nov. 1 and home against Pittsburgh Nov. 22.

If they have any quarterbacks left in December, the Chiefs will certainly have the chance to pick up some wins then. Denver, Buffalo and Cleveland visit before a Dec. 27 road trip to Cincy and an odd Jan. 3 trip to Denver.

But who knows. They lost an awful lot of last-minute games last year. Seven of their 14 losses were by a touchdown or fewer. They’re not for want of questions preceding this year but outside of unanimous favorite San Diego, such is the book on the AFC West.

I’m stuck somewhere between 6-10 and 7-9. Either way, second in the West is forseeable. That still might not be a good thing but for this team it’d be a start.

Au revoir.

NFC East: 2009 Dallas Cowboys Preview | 2009 Philadelphia Eagles Preview | 2009 New York Giants Preview | 2009 Washington Redskins Preview

NFC North: 2009 Chicago Bears Preview | 2009 Detroit Lions Preview | 2009 Minnesota Vikings Preview | 2009 Green Bay Packers Preview

NFL South: 2009 Tampa Bay Bucs Preview | 2009 Atlanta Falcons Preview | 2009 New Orleans Saints Preview | 2009 Carolina Panthers Preview

NFL West: 2009 San Francisco 49ers Preview | 2009 St. Louis Rams Preview | 2009 Arizona Cardinals Preview | 2009 Seattle Seahawks Preview

AFC East: 2009 New England Patriots Preview | 2009 New York Jets Preview | 2009 Buffalo Bills Preview | 2009 Miami Dolphins Preview

AFC North: 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers Preview | 2009 Baltimore Ravens Preview | 2009 Cleveland Browns Preview | 2009 Cincinnati Bengals Preview

AFC South: 2009 Tennessee Titans Preview | 2009 Indianapolis Colts Preview | 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars Preview | 2009 Houston Texans Preview

AFC West: 2009 Denver Broncos Preview | 2009 Kansas City Chiefs Previews |