Beating the Panthers will be a temporary relief for the Chiefs.
But it was all they could do today.
Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel didn’t want to delve too deeply into the events of Saturday — when linebacker Jovan Belcher killed his girlfriend and then himself — but said the escape was helpful.
“I thought that was the best thing we could do,” Crennel said, via Lindsay Jones of USA Today. “If for no other reason it takes our minds off our misery for a few hours.”
The day was difficult for the Chiefs from an emotional standpoint. They left Belcher’s locker intact, but didn’t name him during a pregame announcement.
“There’s really nothing you can do to prepare for this,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said before the game. “It’s tough, and, again, I come back to the fact that the guys rally around each other to make it through the day.”
But they also know it’s temporary.
“It might not be over for some time for a lot of the guys,” Crennel said, alluding to the grieving that’s yet to come.