During the regular season, and even before the season began, many predicted that despite the Chiefs high powered offense, it would be Bob Sutton and accompanied defensive shortcomings that would keep them just shy of the Super Bowl.

After the Chiefs saw their season end on Sunday night, in a 37-31 loss to the Patriots, many fans feel that those concerns have now been justified. Many feel that the defense is what cost the Chiefs the AFC championship. But, with the score so close and so many plays that could have gone either way, is it truly Sutton’s fault that the Chiefs lost?

Last week we brought the Bob Sutton meter all the way down to the OTHER SIDE OF THE PILLOW level after the defense’s spectacular performance against the Colts in the divisional round. If Sutton could keep it up, the Chiefs would surely be headed to the Super Bowl, and if they lost it would for sure mean the end of Sutton’s time in KC.

The numerous amount of Chiefs fans who want Sutton gone, will immediately point to the first (and last) Patriots drive in overtime when the defense had the Patriots in three separate third-and-long situation and failed to stop them on all three. They marched down the field for 75 yards in 13 plays to end the game, and that’s pretty damning evidence of an awful defense.

While Sutton being out coached by the Patriots may have ultimately lost the game, it’s not like he had the usual support on the offensive end he’s used to.

If before the game started, you told a Chiefs fan “the Chiefs are going to hold the Patriots to only two scores at halftime” that fan would take that deal nine time out of ten because of how unstoppable the offense usually is. The Chiefs had three chances to tie the game at half time, and came up with zero points. That same Chiefs’ team got two great stops from their defense (including an interception in the endzone) and could not capitalize on any of them.

It also didn’t help that on what would’ve been the game winning interception, soon to be free agent Dee Ford was lined up in the neutral zone negating the turnover. To me, Sutton’s defense played well enough to win, which is all that Chiefs fans have been asking for all season. If holding the opponent to 17 points in three quarters isn’t enough time to get a sizable lead for the best offense in the NFL, then what is?

You might point out that sure, Sutton held off the Patriots long enough for the Chiefs to get the lead, but once they got that lead Sutton couldn’t stop Tom Brady to save his life. He failed to get even one sack on Brady with possibly the most talented defensive front in the league, allowing him to pick the defense apart. You’d be right if you said that, and that’s what makes this last part so hard.

How will the Chiefs front office see Sutton? Will they see him as the DC who got the defense to play it’s best in the playoffs and ultimately gave the team plenty of chances to win, or as the scapegoat who looked absolutely clueless at times during the regular season, and failed multiple times to get that one last stop when the Chiefs needed it most.

History tells us Andy Reid wants to keep Sutton around, and last nights performance gave him just enough reason to do so, that’s why the meter is going down to the ICE COLD level.

If the Chiefs decide to keep Sutton around, I have no doubt Chiefs Kingdom will be less than happy, so there’s a good chance the Hot Seat meter will be sticking around for a while.

If it makes you feel any better, I would fire him.