Kansas City Chiefs Defeat Carolina Panthers, 27-21, Day After Tragic Events
By Josh Sanchez
December 02, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Moeaki (81) celebrates with tight end Steve Maneri (87) after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter of the game against the Carolina Panthers at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE
For a few hours on Sunday afternoon, the Kansas City Chiefs were able to put the tragic events from Saturday morning in the rear view mirror and deal with the grieving process by doing something they love — playing football.
The Chiefs captains made the decision yesterday afternoon to go forward with their scheduled game against the Carolina Panthers, despite 25-year-old linebacker Jovan Belcher taking his own life in the parking lot of the team facility in the early hours of the morning just moments after fatally shooting his 22-year-old girlfriend, who was the mother of their three-month old daughter.
Sometimes the best way to deal with pain is to get back in your normal routine and the Chiefs did just that.
The Chiefs were emotional charged on Sunday and were led by strong performances from quarterback Brady Quinn and starting running back Jamaal Charles, the man who introduced Belcher to his girlfriend.
Kansas City ended up winning the game, 27-21, and snapping an eight game losing streak.
On the afternoon, Quinn completed 19-of-23 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Charles added 127-yards on the ground.
You can’t be any happier for the Chiefs. It has been a horrifying 24-hours for the franchise and they managed to find a way to come together as one and find happiness on the field. Let’s hope this helps all of the players affected by the tragedy deal with their pain.