Sunday was the day of Tyler Thigpen. Not Carl Peterson, not Herm Edwards. If anything, Tyler Thigpen played to win and the other two set things up for failure.
Thigpen threw the ball all over the field with conviction. He made our questionable receiving corps look good while hitting 7 receivers, he made our questionable o-line look good by surveying the field and making quick decisions so as to not hold the ball too long. He made Chan Gailey look like a genius. He made himself look like the quarterback of the future, even if only for a day.
First off, let me say that in all walks of life, being good at something makes those that it directly affects look better. Good coaching makes subpar talent look better than it is, which is not happening right now with the Chiefs. Good QB's make receivers and lines look better than they are, which Thigpen did. Good receivers catch inaccurate balls, and make subpar QB's look better. Good blockers make RB's look better, good pass rush makes a secondary look better, and the list goes on and on.
Tyler Thigpen made the offense look REALLY good yesterday, and until there were 5 1/2 minutes to play, Chan Gaily made the offense look REALLY good as well. The college spread can work in the NFL. The field MUST be spread out in all of football. The teams that do it (Patriots, Colts, Chargers, Rams (previously), Cowboys, Giants, etc.) are always there in the end. You have to open up the field to be able to run.
This week, the Chiefs are looking to sign Daunte Culpepper, who at this point in his career is incapable of providing what Thigpen did yesterday. He's no leader, he's injury prone, his no longer mobile, and he's expensive. He also doesn't know the system, so he might start 4 games for us this season even if we give up on Thigpen.
Why not spend the rest of the season working the spread offense with Thigpen at the helm? It allows us to evaluate receivers and lineman, it allows us to evaluate a potential offensive system, it also helps us evaluate the defense because it's the only way we can move the ball and give them a breather in between series.
The answer is in those who should be gone. Peterson doesn't have the guts to not sign Culpepper and possibly face blackouts, and he doesn't have the guts to go against Herm and see to it that this game continues for the rest of the season unless Thigpen gets hurt. It's sad that those who should exemplify making those around them look better are the ones that make this franchise and those around them look worse through their own doing.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Peterson's Foolishness
Carl Peterson today signed Quinn Gray to replace Brodie Croyle at QB on the Chiefs' roster. I'll bet that based on the title of the article that you all think I am going to bash Peterson for making this deal. I hate to disappoint, but that's not where I'm going at all.
Chiefs' management is in disarray. They have a team not playing for their head coach, and across the state we see a Rams team with potential playing hard for a new coach who the players like. The Rams just ran through the NFC East like a wrecking ball through a paper mache house, and after four of the worst weeks in team history. Can the same happen if Herm was gone? Would the offensive and defensive play calling start to mimic the intelligence of the coordinators and not the foolish preferences of Herm Edwards? There's only one way to find out....
And now on to Carl Peterson and Quinn Gray. I happen to believe that Gray is a good signing. He torched us when he came in for Jacksonville previously. He has a good arm, a body that can hold up to the beating, and he's still young. Only one of which could we say for Daunte Culpepper, and none of which could we say for Bruce Gradkowski. Damon Huard has none, Thigpen has a good arm and is young, and Brodie was the same as Thigpen. It's cheaper AND it's smart. Unfortunately though, Peterson has no credibility in this town anymore. The city will see this signing, and bash on it because Peterson called it. It is deserved disdain that we now treat Peterson with, so I will not say that the fans are foolish for not believing in Quinn Gray.
I will say right now, Quinn Gray is not our QB of the future. That guy still has to be a young guy in FA next year, a young guy we trade for next year, or a draft pick. I would say that based on the QB's likely to come out next year, we would be better off trading for Colt Brennan early in the offseason and giving up a 3rd rounder for him. The trio of Colt Brennan, Quinn Gray, and Brodie Croyle heading into next season with Brennan or Gray as the starters would be much more formidable than Huard/Thigpen are now. If none of those two work out, then the first round of the following year will absolutely bring out Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, Matthew Stafford, Nate Davis, and others who could possibly stay in college this season.
Another alternative we have right now is to sign Andre Woodson off of the NY Giants practice squad in Mid-November. Then, we could have Gray knowing the offense, deactivate Huard for the remainder of the season, and head into the offseason with Brodie Croyle, Tyler Thigpen, Damon Huard, Ingle Martin, Quinn Gray, and Andre Woodson all under contract. We keep them all because Thigpen, Gray, and Woodson finish on the final roster, Croyle/Huard are on IR/inactive, and Martin is on the Practice Squad. Only three roster spots taken, yet we have 6 in the wings for next season. If we draft a guy, sign a guy, and/or trade for a guy, we could potentially have 8 QB's under contract to narrow down through the offseason program and training camp next season.
This team doesn't need a temporary fix in Dante Culpepper or Bruce Gradkowski right now, it needs bodies at QB. If Peterson had any credibility, he could make such moves throughout the rest of the season and we could see that the effort (for once) is being made. Unfortunately though, Quinn Gray alone is not the necessary approach. If Carl Peterson read this blog, he might be amazed at the type of potential some simple analysis by an outsider could provide.
Sadly though, he has been destroyed by his own doing and even a good start is not enough to resurrect his perception in the Kansas City community and fan base.
Chiefs' management is in disarray. They have a team not playing for their head coach, and across the state we see a Rams team with potential playing hard for a new coach who the players like. The Rams just ran through the NFC East like a wrecking ball through a paper mache house, and after four of the worst weeks in team history. Can the same happen if Herm was gone? Would the offensive and defensive play calling start to mimic the intelligence of the coordinators and not the foolish preferences of Herm Edwards? There's only one way to find out....
And now on to Carl Peterson and Quinn Gray. I happen to believe that Gray is a good signing. He torched us when he came in for Jacksonville previously. He has a good arm, a body that can hold up to the beating, and he's still young. Only one of which could we say for Daunte Culpepper, and none of which could we say for Bruce Gradkowski. Damon Huard has none, Thigpen has a good arm and is young, and Brodie was the same as Thigpen. It's cheaper AND it's smart. Unfortunately though, Peterson has no credibility in this town anymore. The city will see this signing, and bash on it because Peterson called it. It is deserved disdain that we now treat Peterson with, so I will not say that the fans are foolish for not believing in Quinn Gray.
I will say right now, Quinn Gray is not our QB of the future. That guy still has to be a young guy in FA next year, a young guy we trade for next year, or a draft pick. I would say that based on the QB's likely to come out next year, we would be better off trading for Colt Brennan early in the offseason and giving up a 3rd rounder for him. The trio of Colt Brennan, Quinn Gray, and Brodie Croyle heading into next season with Brennan or Gray as the starters would be much more formidable than Huard/Thigpen are now. If none of those two work out, then the first round of the following year will absolutely bring out Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, Matthew Stafford, Nate Davis, and others who could possibly stay in college this season.
Another alternative we have right now is to sign Andre Woodson off of the NY Giants practice squad in Mid-November. Then, we could have Gray knowing the offense, deactivate Huard for the remainder of the season, and head into the offseason with Brodie Croyle, Tyler Thigpen, Damon Huard, Ingle Martin, Quinn Gray, and Andre Woodson all under contract. We keep them all because Thigpen, Gray, and Woodson finish on the final roster, Croyle/Huard are on IR/inactive, and Martin is on the Practice Squad. Only three roster spots taken, yet we have 6 in the wings for next season. If we draft a guy, sign a guy, and/or trade for a guy, we could potentially have 8 QB's under contract to narrow down through the offseason program and training camp next season.
This team doesn't need a temporary fix in Dante Culpepper or Bruce Gradkowski right now, it needs bodies at QB. If Peterson had any credibility, he could make such moves throughout the rest of the season and we could see that the effort (for once) is being made. Unfortunately though, Quinn Gray alone is not the necessary approach. If Carl Peterson read this blog, he might be amazed at the type of potential some simple analysis by an outsider could provide.
Sadly though, he has been destroyed by his own doing and even a good start is not enough to resurrect his perception in the Kansas City community and fan base.
Monday, October 6, 2008
How Does Sunday Happen?
There is one thing left to understand: the coaches of the Kansas City Chiefs are not on the same page. It looks to me like they are not game planning at all to the teams they play, they are simply evaluating players. Is that not what it looks like?
When your offense is so predictable that the other team stacks the box daring you to throw it more than 10 yards and YOU DON'T DO IT. Look, I think we have something with Chan Gailey. Not because of his performance this season, but because of his resume. Herm Edwards has a resume of being a QB killer, a poor game manager, and a conservative game caller. He wants to build this team in the image of a team like the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that can run the ball down the throat and hit you in the mouth on both sides of the ball. Well, Jack Del Rio allows his coordinators to call a pass play on first down every once in a while. They take a few deep shots each game. They are unpredictable, although they still have a good run/pass split. How does Herm think we're going to become the Jacksonville Jaguars if he is never going to become Jack Del Rio?
When your defense has speed all over the field yet they are out of position to chase anyone down? Gunther Cunningham NEVER coached a Tampa-2 scheme in any other experiences. Now, teams do run some Cover 2 from time to time, but the Chiefs are not pulling off what they need to. Also, when you blitz it is the job of the Defensive linemen to drive the blockers away from the blitz lanes so the linebackers are either 1-on-1 or 2-on-1 with a runningback. That's when blitzes work. Bernard Pollard and Brandon Flowers are the two best tacklers on this defense, which goes to show you why opponents are gouging the Chiefs running the ball every game.
Plays succeed by talented players, sure. But even more so by talented coaching and design. The Chiefs under Vermeil had an amazing offense with a bunch of old lineman, a weak-armed and immobile QB, and terrible WR corps. They led the league each year because of design, not by talent. The Washington Redskins probably don't have as much offensive talent as the Cowboys or Eagles, but they beat them on the road in consecutive weeks by outcoaching their opponents.
I am sick of the Kansas City Chiefs getting outcoached each week. This Chiefs team is deeper right now on Offense at WR, TE, and RB than they ever were under Vermeil. They are deeper at CB, S, DT, and OLB than they ever were under Vermeil. I don't care about youth, this team has more talent than nearly any Chiefs team has had in the past 10 years. Croyle has more talent than Trent Green ever had.
If the coaching on this team, by personnel changes or by indivdual improvement, does not change soon, then this team is going to ruin a lot of young careers and the best fan base on the NFL by letting talent and potential turn into a group that is accustomed to losing and accustomed to not doing the right thing.
I would love to see Clark Hunt give Carl Peterson and Herm Edwards their walking papers today. Seriously. They should be gone and not be allowed back in the complex tomorrow. They need a good, young GM prospect to take over the team and a coach who is not already on the outs with another team (remember Herm-ball 2004?).
Fans all want Bill Cowher here. That's not necessary. The Falcons didn't need Cowher this year to emerge, nor did the Dolphins, Titans, Redskins, or Bills. They need a philosophy and they need a coaching staff that is on the same page. I love the trust that Herm Edwards has placed in our scouting department and the trust that Carl has also allowed to go there in order to bring in the talent that we have.
Unfortunately though, under Herm Edwards we will see the Chiefs lose by 34 points a lot more often than we see the Chiefs even score 34, much less win by 34.
When your offense is so predictable that the other team stacks the box daring you to throw it more than 10 yards and YOU DON'T DO IT. Look, I think we have something with Chan Gailey. Not because of his performance this season, but because of his resume. Herm Edwards has a resume of being a QB killer, a poor game manager, and a conservative game caller. He wants to build this team in the image of a team like the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that can run the ball down the throat and hit you in the mouth on both sides of the ball. Well, Jack Del Rio allows his coordinators to call a pass play on first down every once in a while. They take a few deep shots each game. They are unpredictable, although they still have a good run/pass split. How does Herm think we're going to become the Jacksonville Jaguars if he is never going to become Jack Del Rio?
When your defense has speed all over the field yet they are out of position to chase anyone down? Gunther Cunningham NEVER coached a Tampa-2 scheme in any other experiences. Now, teams do run some Cover 2 from time to time, but the Chiefs are not pulling off what they need to. Also, when you blitz it is the job of the Defensive linemen to drive the blockers away from the blitz lanes so the linebackers are either 1-on-1 or 2-on-1 with a runningback. That's when blitzes work. Bernard Pollard and Brandon Flowers are the two best tacklers on this defense, which goes to show you why opponents are gouging the Chiefs running the ball every game.
Plays succeed by talented players, sure. But even more so by talented coaching and design. The Chiefs under Vermeil had an amazing offense with a bunch of old lineman, a weak-armed and immobile QB, and terrible WR corps. They led the league each year because of design, not by talent. The Washington Redskins probably don't have as much offensive talent as the Cowboys or Eagles, but they beat them on the road in consecutive weeks by outcoaching their opponents.
I am sick of the Kansas City Chiefs getting outcoached each week. This Chiefs team is deeper right now on Offense at WR, TE, and RB than they ever were under Vermeil. They are deeper at CB, S, DT, and OLB than they ever were under Vermeil. I don't care about youth, this team has more talent than nearly any Chiefs team has had in the past 10 years. Croyle has more talent than Trent Green ever had.
If the coaching on this team, by personnel changes or by indivdual improvement, does not change soon, then this team is going to ruin a lot of young careers and the best fan base on the NFL by letting talent and potential turn into a group that is accustomed to losing and accustomed to not doing the right thing.
I would love to see Clark Hunt give Carl Peterson and Herm Edwards their walking papers today. Seriously. They should be gone and not be allowed back in the complex tomorrow. They need a good, young GM prospect to take over the team and a coach who is not already on the outs with another team (remember Herm-ball 2004?).
Fans all want Bill Cowher here. That's not necessary. The Falcons didn't need Cowher this year to emerge, nor did the Dolphins, Titans, Redskins, or Bills. They need a philosophy and they need a coaching staff that is on the same page. I love the trust that Herm Edwards has placed in our scouting department and the trust that Carl has also allowed to go there in order to bring in the talent that we have.
Unfortunately though, under Herm Edwards we will see the Chiefs lose by 34 points a lot more often than we see the Chiefs even score 34, much less win by 34.
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