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My official Kansas City Chiefs preview comes to you in the form of a grab bag consisting of my 10 biggest thoughts, worries, qualms, predictions, hunches, juxtapositions, and if you're lucky, maybe some conjectures. But first, go ahead and play this song throughout the reading of this piece. If it ends, just restart it. Trust me.
1. This Buffalo Bills opening game scares the dickens out of me. In case you haven't read what I've been saying about the Bills this offseason (here and here), I think they are very dangerous. The Chiefs are still reeling from their shaky preseason, and the Bills might be extra motivated after last season's last second loss (not to mention, Chan Gailey probably hates Todd Haley). However, if the Chiefs were to drop their home opener, I don't like their chances to win at Detroit the next week. At all. And then you're staring down an 0-2 record with a trip to San Diego looming. Those are season over circumstances there. So the moral of this horror story is - Don't lose to Buffalo!
2. People saying this is a make or break year for Todd Haley are dead wrong. I'm looking at you Randy Covitz! And you Sports Guy (who had this to say in his NFL preview: "Relatively Bold Prediction No. 5: By April 2012, Todd Haley will be the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets"). Look you may not like how Haley approached this preseason (nor do you probably like anything that is unconventional), but he has earned himself a down season after last year. If the Chiefs underperform this season, then he can plop down on the hot seat for the 2012 season, but unless the bottom falls out this season, and the Chiefs go something like 3-13, Todd Haley's job will be safe.
3. I'm worried about Jamaal Charles. And nobody else seems to be, which worries me even more. Look, I've said it before, and I'll say it again (just watch), Running Backs come and go all the time in the NFL. And it happens just like that. One minute you are Chris Johnson (and he'll suck in 2 years) and the next you're Edgerrin James. Or Shaun Alexander. Or Steve Slaton (perhaps the scariest comparison - nearly 1,300 yards as a rookie and barely over 500 yards in the two years since). The easiest way to metamorphose from good to bad is by getting injured. Or getting paid. One of which happened, and one of which I see in my nightmares. Luckily, we have, who I believe to be, the best long term mind in the NFL in Scott Pioli, who seems to be taking the necessary measures to keep Charles healthy for a long God Jam time.
4. Dwayne Bowe takes "The Leap." Last year he took a step and became D-Pro Bowe. I think he takes that next step this season. I'm not sure his stats will necessarily reflect the leap, but consistency is a big part of taking that next step. I expect Bowe to be considered a Top 5 NFL Wide Receiver by the end of the 2011 season. He's in a contract year, which may have played a big part in his offseason conditioning (something the Chiefs will have to take into evaluation following this season when he becomes a free agent). He has looked simply unstoppable this preseason, catching everything thrown his way, and I expect that to continue into the regular season.
5. Charlie Weis was the biggest loss of the offseason. Literally and schematically (oh wait, Shaun Smith is bigger, I think...). Since Chaz Weis announced he was leaving for oranger pastures, Matt Cassel and the passing offense haven't played well against an NFL starting defense. It's possible that the Chiefs got the services of a top flight Offensive Coordinator for only 15 games. And it's also possible that Todd Haley is to blame for that (speculative personality beef). In comes Jim Zorn (who I believe in) and Bill Muir (very skeptical), who takes over as the play caller for the Chiefs. They'll become the immediate scape goats, if my fears of Weis being more important than we're all hoping he was come true.
6. The defense is dependent on the long term health of Kelly Gregg. He appears to be fully healthy right now. But he will turn 35 this season. And his snaps were cut down considerably last season in Baltimore. If Gregg goes down, the Chiefs are forced to turn to 6th rounder Jerrell Powe as a starting Nose Tackle. POWE (right in the kisser) has looked good against 2nd and 3rd teamers in the preseason, but asking him to handle the load as a rookie is a bit of a stretch. And with the Chiefs run defense struggling enough as is, I hate to imagine what it would be like without The Oggre. That is why we all need to pray to 8 pound, 6 ounce baby Jesus that Gregg is lucky enough to last 16 games this season.
7. The defense needs a definitive leader to step up. It could be Eric Berry, Brandon Flowers, Derrick Johnson, or Tamba Hali (my order of likelihood), but I want an individual player for the team to rally around. I want a player that everybody can look to when things are going bad, and they'll get a sense of reassurance. The Ravens have Ray Lewis. The Steelers have Troy Polamalu. The Packers have Charles Woodson. The Patriots had Tedy Bruschi. One look in any of their eyes, and you knew his teammates were completely prepared to respond to adversity. My guess is that Urrrrrr Burrrrrrr (ahem, Eric Berry) steps into that role as this season progresses.
8. I'm atleast mildly intrigued by the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes. I'm not gonna root for the Chiefs to lose all of their games. Atleast, not yet. But if the Chiefs fall out of the playoff hunt early on in the season (read: worst case scenario up at #1), I would atleast entertain the idea of tanking the rest of the season in order to win the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes. I think the Chiefs are set up with young talent across the board right now, but Matt Cassel will never be more than an above average Quarterback, and if you watched the Green Bay - New Orleans season opener, you saw first hand what an elite QB can bring to the table. If the Chiefs were able to acquire an elite level QB (and I think there's a very high chance Luck becomes one), then they would become a league powerhouse for the next 10 seasons (and now I have to quit typing before I convince myself this is a good idea from the get go).
9. The Chiefs will only make the playoffs if Jared Gaither is successfully inserted into the starting offensive line. When predicting a team's fate, especially your own team, I look to the most clear cut reasoning possible. Right now the Chiefs offensive line is piss poor. And Matt Cassel doesn't handle getting pressured very well. That's the absolute easiest observation to make about this team. Barry Richardson not only seems to have regressed this offseason/preseason, he seems to have regressed hard. The only chance at improvement I see right now is Jared Gaither, who must play, and play well for the Chiefs to repeat last year's success.
10. The Kansas City Chiefs will go 9-7. Click here to see how.
His Dirkness
Showing posts with label charlie weis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label charlie weis. Show all posts
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Monday, September 20, 2010
Kansas City Chiefs: A Beautiful Game
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"A Tale of Two Coordinators"
I don't know what people are talking about, calling that 16-14 gem of a game things like "ugly" and a "setback for the game of football". To me there ain't nothing finer then gutting out a hard fought victory on the road (especially on a short week). Other people can have their 38-35 shootouts. Give me 13-10's all day. I'm a product of my environment, and that's how the 1990's Chiefs raised me. I want field position to be a vital part of the game. I like good plays made in punt coverage (or in this week's case, not so good plays). I want weather conditions to be a factor (check). I want to win games with defensive and special teams touchdowns (double check). Somehow, this brand of football has been brought back to our lives through the work of two coordinators, one doing a stand up job, and one with nothing but unanswered questions through two games.
Romeo 'Colonel' Crennel- The main reason we are 2-0 right now is the hiring of this man. We absolutely stifled the Cleveland Browns offense in the second half to the tune of 55 yards, 3 first downs (1 on a BOGUS penalty on Ken Lewis for hitting too hard), and most importantly, 0 points. The touchdowns we've given up so far this season look like this...
~San Diego: 9 plays, 60 yards, legit drive
~San Diego: 5 plays, 91 yards, 59 yard touchdown on broken coverage from a rookie safety
~Cleveland: 10 plays, 98 yards, would've been held to a field goal if not for an iffy illegal contact penalty on Mike Vrabel
~Cleveland: 3 plays, 74 yards, beautifully executed 3rd and 1 playaction with a perfect 65 yard touchdown pass that you have to tip your hat to
We are not getting driven down the field on very much. It's taking big plays to score on us (and people are being too harsh on the Error Bearer. These are the growing pains with a rookie safety). Somehow we are shutting down running games (we held Jerome Harrison to 253 less rushing yards than he had on us last year!), which seemed to be one of our biggest holes coming into this season. Some young talent is stepping up this year: Glenn Dorsey is becoming what we all hoped he would be, and might actually be better suited for the 3-4 (which people even said on Draft day). Brandon Flowers is heading to the Pro Bowl this year barring injury. Derrick Johnson is making plays after needing a year in timeout to get his head straight. These are the potential leaders of the defense for the present and the future, fortunately spread out over each position base. We did not see this kind of development before Romeo, oh Romeo.
Charlie 'General' Weis- The man who I thought had a greater chance of success with the Chiefs than Colonel Crennel has come across some tough sledding. For starters, let me declare that I had little problem with the way he handled the San Diego game given the conditions, the early lead, and the struggles of Matt Cassel. We dared them to score twice, and weren't going to assist them with a turnover of any kind.
The Cleveland game was another story. Obviously, the topic on everybody's mind is the (mis)usage of JamaAL Charles. One touch in the first quarter is simply not enough. I was in favor of running Tom Jones most of the second half, with a close, grind it out game in the works, but I offer no excuse for not running Charles early in the game. I'm not sure if this falls on Weis or Haley, but the power games over players from the old regime need to stop, especially if we expect to contend this year.
My biggest problem with Weis on Sunday was his playcalling on 3rd and short. He kept getting cute with them. He had me wanting to hurl my helmet into the crowd ala Brandon Jacobs. He ran a Charles sweep near the goalline on one. He ran an option with Tim Castille on another (a cool play that has no place occurring on a 3rd and 1). He called an all verticals on 3rd and 2 in the 4th quarter. He's got this weird obsession with Tim "The Wasted Down" Castille. And our go to guy has been Tony Moeaki, who's been pleasantly impressive. But, still, use our weapons: Charles, Tom Jones, Dwayne Bowe, and The Ole Missile, Dexter McCluster.
All in all, the game was won because of a ballsy call by our head(setless) coach (along with a few gratuitous official rulings- definitely not a fumble in the 1st, terrible roughing the passer call. Breaks we haven't seen in some time) to go for it on 4th and inches to cue the fade to black. Todd Haley set a tone for our team that "we play to win the game" via Herm Edwards, who rather ironically, often sacrificed game results in hopes for a better future (and we're finally seeing those results, thanks Herm!). I was very impressed with our Chiefs on Sunday, perhaps even more so than I was with our victory over the Chargers, given the circumstances. If we win enough of these toss up games against all the bad teams we play (and next week is another), we could very well find ourselves in the playoffs, which is what this game is all about.
Stat of the Week: The Chiefs have the same number of wins as Minnesota, Dallas, New England and Indianapolis combined.
His 2-0'ness
"A Tale of Two Coordinators"
I don't know what people are talking about, calling that 16-14 gem of a game things like "ugly" and a "setback for the game of football". To me there ain't nothing finer then gutting out a hard fought victory on the road (especially on a short week). Other people can have their 38-35 shootouts. Give me 13-10's all day. I'm a product of my environment, and that's how the 1990's Chiefs raised me. I want field position to be a vital part of the game. I like good plays made in punt coverage (or in this week's case, not so good plays). I want weather conditions to be a factor (check). I want to win games with defensive and special teams touchdowns (double check). Somehow, this brand of football has been brought back to our lives through the work of two coordinators, one doing a stand up job, and one with nothing but unanswered questions through two games.
Romeo 'Colonel' Crennel- The main reason we are 2-0 right now is the hiring of this man. We absolutely stifled the Cleveland Browns offense in the second half to the tune of 55 yards, 3 first downs (1 on a BOGUS penalty on Ken Lewis for hitting too hard), and most importantly, 0 points. The touchdowns we've given up so far this season look like this...
~San Diego: 9 plays, 60 yards, legit drive
~San Diego: 5 plays, 91 yards, 59 yard touchdown on broken coverage from a rookie safety
~Cleveland: 10 plays, 98 yards, would've been held to a field goal if not for an iffy illegal contact penalty on Mike Vrabel
~Cleveland: 3 plays, 74 yards, beautifully executed 3rd and 1 playaction with a perfect 65 yard touchdown pass that you have to tip your hat to
We are not getting driven down the field on very much. It's taking big plays to score on us (and people are being too harsh on the Error Bearer. These are the growing pains with a rookie safety). Somehow we are shutting down running games (we held Jerome Harrison to 253 less rushing yards than he had on us last year!), which seemed to be one of our biggest holes coming into this season. Some young talent is stepping up this year: Glenn Dorsey is becoming what we all hoped he would be, and might actually be better suited for the 3-4 (which people even said on Draft day). Brandon Flowers is heading to the Pro Bowl this year barring injury. Derrick Johnson is making plays after needing a year in timeout to get his head straight. These are the potential leaders of the defense for the present and the future, fortunately spread out over each position base. We did not see this kind of development before Romeo, oh Romeo.
Charlie 'General' Weis- The man who I thought had a greater chance of success with the Chiefs than Colonel Crennel has come across some tough sledding. For starters, let me declare that I had little problem with the way he handled the San Diego game given the conditions, the early lead, and the struggles of Matt Cassel. We dared them to score twice, and weren't going to assist them with a turnover of any kind.
The Cleveland game was another story. Obviously, the topic on everybody's mind is the (mis)usage of JamaAL Charles. One touch in the first quarter is simply not enough. I was in favor of running Tom Jones most of the second half, with a close, grind it out game in the works, but I offer no excuse for not running Charles early in the game. I'm not sure if this falls on Weis or Haley, but the power games over players from the old regime need to stop, especially if we expect to contend this year.
My biggest problem with Weis on Sunday was his playcalling on 3rd and short. He kept getting cute with them. He had me wanting to hurl my helmet into the crowd ala Brandon Jacobs. He ran a Charles sweep near the goalline on one. He ran an option with Tim Castille on another (a cool play that has no place occurring on a 3rd and 1). He called an all verticals on 3rd and 2 in the 4th quarter. He's got this weird obsession with Tim "The Wasted Down" Castille. And our go to guy has been Tony Moeaki, who's been pleasantly impressive. But, still, use our weapons: Charles, Tom Jones, Dwayne Bowe, and The Ole Missile, Dexter McCluster.
All in all, the game was won because of a ballsy call by our head(setless) coach (along with a few gratuitous official rulings- definitely not a fumble in the 1st, terrible roughing the passer call. Breaks we haven't seen in some time) to go for it on 4th and inches to cue the fade to black. Todd Haley set a tone for our team that "we play to win the game" via Herm Edwards, who rather ironically, often sacrificed game results in hopes for a better future (and we're finally seeing those results, thanks Herm!). I was very impressed with our Chiefs on Sunday, perhaps even more so than I was with our victory over the Chargers, given the circumstances. If we win enough of these toss up games against all the bad teams we play (and next week is another), we could very well find ourselves in the playoffs, which is what this game is all about.
Stat of the Week: The Chiefs have the same number of wins as Minnesota, Dallas, New England and Indianapolis combined.
His 2-0'ness
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Chiefs' 5 Biggest Questions Pre-Training Camp
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1. Does Matt Cassel have any Trent Green in him?
Cassel went through his share of struggles last year, but was consistently guided along with the understanding that he didn't have much help. That will not save him this year. I don't think the offense, or maybe I should say the passing game, was improved upon a whole lot from last year, but continuity and cohesiveness should be elevated. Trent Green went through the same struggles his first year with the Chiefs, leading the league in interceptions, before coming into his own his sophomore season. The team's success, as well as Cassel's future in the league, will hinge on his performance this season. Pairing Thomas Jones with Jamaal Charles should provide an astute running game to help keep the pressure off of him, while it remains unclear how much immediate help Jerhame Urban, Tony Moeaki, and Dexter McCluster will provide in the passing game this year. The weight of the offense will come down to Cassel, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, and head coach Todd Haley, with Cassel being the leader in the clubhouse for scapegoat if things falter.
2. Is Branden Albert a legitimate NFL Left Tackle?
Albert's struggles seemed to have stemmed from his enforced diet plan handed down by authority last training camp (which is starting to seem like more of a tone-setting message from Haley with long term implications with a few accepted short term pitfalls- Albert being one of them). His performance improved as the season went on (and as Grandma Larry got further away) along with the rest of the offensive line. Most pundits had the Chiefs selecting an offensive lineman, presumably a Left Tackle, with their first pick in this year's draft. They put a lot of faith in Albert by ignoring the supposed best Left Tackle prospect in Oklahoma State's Russell Okung. Interior help was added in free agents Ryan Lilja (projected starting RG) and Casey Weigmann (I envision him in a backup role), which puts the pressure on the outside pair of Albert and Ryan O'Callaghan. Best case scenario is that Albert was playing below preferred weight, which Haley figured out and now knows how to use him best (remember he was ahead of schedule as a rookie). Worst case scenario is that he is playing out of position and they waited one year too long to pull the trigger (which might seal Cassel's fate in the process).
3. How quickly can Eric Berry develop?
Look, I think Berry is going to eventually become a stud (most highly drafted safeties do, plus the fact of working with defensive guru Monte Kiffin at Tennessee last year), the only question in my mind is when. The defense is undeniably void of playmakers. Tamba Hali is probably one, and well, lets just leave it at that. The success of our defense may be dependent on his development rate (due to the inexplicable decision to not target another rush Linebacker). The other hope is that defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel will implant more exotic schemes to help hide the lack of talent in the front seven. Otherwise, it may be up to Error Bear, which is an awful lot to ask out of a rookie, no matter how promising he may appear to be.
4. What position will Glen Dorsey play?
Rumblings in the offseason revolved around a potential position switch moving Dorsey to the Nose Tackle position of the three down linemen. It doesn't make sense to me. I get that they might be trying to make room for 2009 draftee Alex Magee (remember him?) at Defensive End, but Dorsey simply isn't big enough. We have a position to fill at the Nose, and this move might maximize our talent on the field, but I think the negatives still outweigh the positives. We were pushed around enough with much bigger Ron 'The Dawn' Edwards squatting up the gut. The fact of the matter, is that everybody at One Arrowhead Drive is praying that Dorsey and fellow first round disappointee, Tyson Jackson, make significant improvements this year, or changes will have to be made. There is entirely too much money tied up in the two of them for what little production they are providing. It's tough to tell whether the rumors of the switch were a media creation or actual thinkings of the Chiefs brass, but there is little question that improvements along the defensive front are essential to the Chiefs' chances of fielding a defense worthy of contention.
5. How much of an impact will Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel make?
Championship experience. That's what General Weis and Colonel Crennel bring to the table. They have designed schemes, made gameplans, and called plays in the biggest game of them all (multiple times). If there was one thing the Chiefs were missing last year, it was an ignorance of what it took to win games. The team is/was young, the coaching staff new, and the veterans that have been around haven't seen many games go their way. Weis and Crennel could bring a sense of culture shock to the team. There is absolutely zero question that these two will be an upgrade from who we had dialing up plays in 2009, but how quickly will we see the results? I almost wander if Pioli threw Haley into the fire by overfilling his plate with responsibilities to show him exactly what it took to be successful, and to shrink his head in the process. It's entirely possible that 2009 was completely thrown away to lay a foundation for the future, which I'm totally cool with since last year is long gone, and we're on to 2010. I'll put it this way- If I were a casual observer of the NFL as a whole, Weis and Crennel would be the line of reasoning for projecting the Chiefs to be a surprise team this year.
El Jeffeness
1. Does Matt Cassel have any Trent Green in him?
Cassel went through his share of struggles last year, but was consistently guided along with the understanding that he didn't have much help. That will not save him this year. I don't think the offense, or maybe I should say the passing game, was improved upon a whole lot from last year, but continuity and cohesiveness should be elevated. Trent Green went through the same struggles his first year with the Chiefs, leading the league in interceptions, before coming into his own his sophomore season. The team's success, as well as Cassel's future in the league, will hinge on his performance this season. Pairing Thomas Jones with Jamaal Charles should provide an astute running game to help keep the pressure off of him, while it remains unclear how much immediate help Jerhame Urban, Tony Moeaki, and Dexter McCluster will provide in the passing game this year. The weight of the offense will come down to Cassel, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, and head coach Todd Haley, with Cassel being the leader in the clubhouse for scapegoat if things falter.
2. Is Branden Albert a legitimate NFL Left Tackle?
Albert's struggles seemed to have stemmed from his enforced diet plan handed down by authority last training camp (which is starting to seem like more of a tone-setting message from Haley with long term implications with a few accepted short term pitfalls- Albert being one of them). His performance improved as the season went on (and as Grandma Larry got further away) along with the rest of the offensive line. Most pundits had the Chiefs selecting an offensive lineman, presumably a Left Tackle, with their first pick in this year's draft. They put a lot of faith in Albert by ignoring the supposed best Left Tackle prospect in Oklahoma State's Russell Okung. Interior help was added in free agents Ryan Lilja (projected starting RG) and Casey Weigmann (I envision him in a backup role), which puts the pressure on the outside pair of Albert and Ryan O'Callaghan. Best case scenario is that Albert was playing below preferred weight, which Haley figured out and now knows how to use him best (remember he was ahead of schedule as a rookie). Worst case scenario is that he is playing out of position and they waited one year too long to pull the trigger (which might seal Cassel's fate in the process).
3. How quickly can Eric Berry develop?
Look, I think Berry is going to eventually become a stud (most highly drafted safeties do, plus the fact of working with defensive guru Monte Kiffin at Tennessee last year), the only question in my mind is when. The defense is undeniably void of playmakers. Tamba Hali is probably one, and well, lets just leave it at that. The success of our defense may be dependent on his development rate (due to the inexplicable decision to not target another rush Linebacker). The other hope is that defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel will implant more exotic schemes to help hide the lack of talent in the front seven. Otherwise, it may be up to Error Bear, which is an awful lot to ask out of a rookie, no matter how promising he may appear to be.
4. What position will Glen Dorsey play?
Rumblings in the offseason revolved around a potential position switch moving Dorsey to the Nose Tackle position of the three down linemen. It doesn't make sense to me. I get that they might be trying to make room for 2009 draftee Alex Magee (remember him?) at Defensive End, but Dorsey simply isn't big enough. We have a position to fill at the Nose, and this move might maximize our talent on the field, but I think the negatives still outweigh the positives. We were pushed around enough with much bigger Ron 'The Dawn' Edwards squatting up the gut. The fact of the matter, is that everybody at One Arrowhead Drive is praying that Dorsey and fellow first round disappointee, Tyson Jackson, make significant improvements this year, or changes will have to be made. There is entirely too much money tied up in the two of them for what little production they are providing. It's tough to tell whether the rumors of the switch were a media creation or actual thinkings of the Chiefs brass, but there is little question that improvements along the defensive front are essential to the Chiefs' chances of fielding a defense worthy of contention.
5. How much of an impact will Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel make?
Championship experience. That's what General Weis and Colonel Crennel bring to the table. They have designed schemes, made gameplans, and called plays in the biggest game of them all (multiple times). If there was one thing the Chiefs were missing last year, it was an ignorance of what it took to win games. The team is/was young, the coaching staff new, and the veterans that have been around haven't seen many games go their way. Weis and Crennel could bring a sense of culture shock to the team. There is absolutely zero question that these two will be an upgrade from who we had dialing up plays in 2009, but how quickly will we see the results? I almost wander if Pioli threw Haley into the fire by overfilling his plate with responsibilities to show him exactly what it took to be successful, and to shrink his head in the process. It's entirely possible that 2009 was completely thrown away to lay a foundation for the future, which I'm totally cool with since last year is long gone, and we're on to 2010. I'll put it this way- If I were a casual observer of the NFL as a whole, Weis and Crennel would be the line of reasoning for projecting the Chiefs to be a surprise team this year.
El Jeffeness
Monday, December 14, 2009
2009 Kansas City Chiefs thoughts
As tough as this is right now, I'm gonna try and put out some words on what I'm seeing from the Kansas City Chiefs this year (tissues are nearby).
First, I need to get something off my chest though. I was offered free tickets to each of the last two games. I didn't go either Sunday. Warp back to three years ago, and this was unheard of to me. I would feel embarassed to even call myself a fan. Here's the thing though: I don't feel like I'm in the wrong. I liken it to a friend becoming an alcoholic (analogy alert!). Lets call him Nate. Now, Nate (The Chiefs) has recently started drinking too much (Carl + Herm + Haley), and gets irrational when he does (bad drafts in the 2000's). I don't really want to to see Nate when he gets like this (not going to the games), but I still want to support him (watching them on TV). So what do you do? You lie to yourself, tell yourself its not that bad, keep an eye on the situation from afar and wait for it to pass over. Now is this being the best friend in the world? No, but its atleast keeping you sane. I don't want to see the joke that his life (Arrowhead Stadium) has recently become, and want to remain naive to preserve his friendship (sacredness of Arrowhead). Arrowhead just needs some time to itself and a bottle of Hennessy.
Now on to actual thoughts about the team...
Charlie Weis- It seems to make too much sense for it not to happen. He's familiar with Scott Pioli and Todd Haley. He seems to run a similar offense to what Haley runs and likes. He's been a good coordinator in the past, and will most likely be looking to return to that position. Haley needs to hire an offensive coordinator to get better control of the game (and if he doesn't want one, then he needs to go). Pioli will need to make some sort of move before free agency starts to get this season off the fans' minds. I see a strong chance of this happening.
Matt Cassel- He has looked shaky at best the last couple of weeks. His biggest problem is that he seems to get uncomfortable at times. This is the exact problem you'd expect from a quarterback without much game experience. He needs games under his belt. The good news is that we can give him that experience. Remember how bad Trent Green was in his first year with the Chiefs (led the league in INT's)? How did he turn out? Green lacked experience the same way Cassel does. Now I don't envision Cassel becoming as good as Trent (Top 10 quarterback) was, but he could be in the 10-15 range in the league, and I do think we can win with him. His biggest asset is that he performs well in crucial moments. He has led successful drives at the end of games against the Raiders (first game), Cowboys, and Steelers (twice). He makes plays to win games (his teammates don't always respond, i.e. Chambers vs. the Bills). I remain sold on Cassel for now, and would like to see him with a better offensive line. However, next year will be his last year as the undisputed starter if he continues to stuggle.
Defense- The Chiefs defense lacks the same thing it has since Derrick Thomas: Leadership. They try to appoint people as leaders (Shawn Barber, Kendrell Bell, Derrick Johnson, Mike Vrabel, Mike Brown), but leadership needs to be earned, not given. We have three solid pieces to build around: Hali, Flowers, and Carr. We have some overpaid underachievers: Dorsey, Jackson, and DJ. We have some role players that would be good not playing every down: Edwards, McGraw, Brown, Page, Mays, and Belcher (too many). I just noticed that I named every starter except Mike Vrabel/Andy Studebaker. There's our answer. Vrabel is best off becoming co-defensive coordinator and Studebaker is best off starring in preseason games. So what's the solution?
Shawne Merriman- But, Nic, isn't he your most hated player in the league?? Yes, yes he is. That is until he leads the Chiefs in double-digit sacks. I learned years ago with Freddie Mitchell that I can learn to like anybody that puts on a Chiefs uniform. Merriman will become a free agent after this year and has a pretty rocky relationship with general manager A.J. Smith that will in all likelihood lead to his departure. Merriman is having a down year (4 sacks), but we all know that he has the potential to be a force. He is coming off a major knee injury suffered last year, which can take a year or two to overcome (perfect timing), or could possibly be the end of his career (Lights out!). The Chiefs would be forced to overpay which makes the move somewhat risky. I, however, feel in favor of taking the chance because I know I'd be getting a player fully motivated (Lights on!) after switching teams to a division rival.
This will be the first of many posts on the Chiefs franchise, and completes the trifecta of writing about "my teams" (Chiefs, Nebraska Football, KU Basketball). I hope this comforts some of the hopelessness felt by a beaten down, once proud, Chiefs fanbase. Stay tuned for what I think the Chiefs need to address in the upcoming draft (only 5 months away!) and how I see the NFL season playing out.
First, I need to get something off my chest though. I was offered free tickets to each of the last two games. I didn't go either Sunday. Warp back to three years ago, and this was unheard of to me. I would feel embarassed to even call myself a fan. Here's the thing though: I don't feel like I'm in the wrong. I liken it to a friend becoming an alcoholic (analogy alert!). Lets call him Nate. Now, Nate (The Chiefs) has recently started drinking too much (Carl + Herm + Haley), and gets irrational when he does (bad drafts in the 2000's). I don't really want to to see Nate when he gets like this (not going to the games), but I still want to support him (watching them on TV). So what do you do? You lie to yourself, tell yourself its not that bad, keep an eye on the situation from afar and wait for it to pass over. Now is this being the best friend in the world? No, but its atleast keeping you sane. I don't want to see the joke that his life (Arrowhead Stadium) has recently become, and want to remain naive to preserve his friendship (sacredness of Arrowhead). Arrowhead just needs some time to itself and a bottle of Hennessy.
Now on to actual thoughts about the team...
Charlie Weis- It seems to make too much sense for it not to happen. He's familiar with Scott Pioli and Todd Haley. He seems to run a similar offense to what Haley runs and likes. He's been a good coordinator in the past, and will most likely be looking to return to that position. Haley needs to hire an offensive coordinator to get better control of the game (and if he doesn't want one, then he needs to go). Pioli will need to make some sort of move before free agency starts to get this season off the fans' minds. I see a strong chance of this happening.
Matt Cassel- He has looked shaky at best the last couple of weeks. His biggest problem is that he seems to get uncomfortable at times. This is the exact problem you'd expect from a quarterback without much game experience. He needs games under his belt. The good news is that we can give him that experience. Remember how bad Trent Green was in his first year with the Chiefs (led the league in INT's)? How did he turn out? Green lacked experience the same way Cassel does. Now I don't envision Cassel becoming as good as Trent (Top 10 quarterback) was, but he could be in the 10-15 range in the league, and I do think we can win with him. His biggest asset is that he performs well in crucial moments. He has led successful drives at the end of games against the Raiders (first game), Cowboys, and Steelers (twice). He makes plays to win games (his teammates don't always respond, i.e. Chambers vs. the Bills). I remain sold on Cassel for now, and would like to see him with a better offensive line. However, next year will be his last year as the undisputed starter if he continues to stuggle.
Defense- The Chiefs defense lacks the same thing it has since Derrick Thomas: Leadership. They try to appoint people as leaders (Shawn Barber, Kendrell Bell, Derrick Johnson, Mike Vrabel, Mike Brown), but leadership needs to be earned, not given. We have three solid pieces to build around: Hali, Flowers, and Carr. We have some overpaid underachievers: Dorsey, Jackson, and DJ. We have some role players that would be good not playing every down: Edwards, McGraw, Brown, Page, Mays, and Belcher (too many). I just noticed that I named every starter except Mike Vrabel/Andy Studebaker. There's our answer. Vrabel is best off becoming co-defensive coordinator and Studebaker is best off starring in preseason games. So what's the solution?
Shawne Merriman- But, Nic, isn't he your most hated player in the league?? Yes, yes he is. That is until he leads the Chiefs in double-digit sacks. I learned years ago with Freddie Mitchell that I can learn to like anybody that puts on a Chiefs uniform. Merriman will become a free agent after this year and has a pretty rocky relationship with general manager A.J. Smith that will in all likelihood lead to his departure. Merriman is having a down year (4 sacks), but we all know that he has the potential to be a force. He is coming off a major knee injury suffered last year, which can take a year or two to overcome (perfect timing), or could possibly be the end of his career (Lights out!). The Chiefs would be forced to overpay which makes the move somewhat risky. I, however, feel in favor of taking the chance because I know I'd be getting a player fully motivated (Lights on!) after switching teams to a division rival.
This will be the first of many posts on the Chiefs franchise, and completes the trifecta of writing about "my teams" (Chiefs, Nebraska Football, KU Basketball). I hope this comforts some of the hopelessness felt by a beaten down, once proud, Chiefs fanbase. Stay tuned for what I think the Chiefs need to address in the upcoming draft (only 5 months away!) and how I see the NFL season playing out.
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