Week 8 - Still Behind

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DC Game Plan

I've been on vacation the last few days in Washington DC and even with all the history around me I still found time to think about football, as always. The Washington Redskins are buzzing all over town which surprised me since the more successful Ravens are actually just as close to DC as the Skins are. I was confused until I started looking around and talking to people wearing football apparel.

The answer was simple. RGIII. With the drafting of a superstar in Robert Griffin III Washington has not only immediately improved their team, with the addition of a better quarterback, they have also made their team a more desirable destination for free agents. When free agents, especially offensive players, look at the Chiefs I would imagine they have to say to themselves, "They don't have a QB that can get me the ball or make me look better." I'm surprised Dwayne Bowe was interested in signing a contract with the Chiefs this season and with Cassel or Quinn at the helm I don't think anyone would be interested in signing here.

Drafting an exciting and young quarterback is a very risky and inaccurate science. I know that. But, at some point you have to give it a shot, if not as an attempt to improve your team, at least for the fans' sake. Fans need something to be excited about and look forward to. If they don't get that eventually they will lose faith in the team and quit supporting them, further damaging their image to the rest of the league.

I don't have much faith in this class of quarterbacks in 2013. After Matt Barkley and Geno Smith I don't think any quarterback in college football will make an impact in the NFL. Colin Klein is the next Tim Tebow, Landry Jones gets worse every year, and Tajh Boyd, Logan Thomas, and Tyler Wilson are just not ready for the next level. Aaron Murray could be a surprise much like Andy Dalton but I'm not sure about him yet. I'm sure people disagree with me but I just don't think any of them are ready for the NFL. If we don't get a top three pick I don't see the Chiefs getting a quality QB.

I don't know where the future lies for the Chiefs at quarterback but this week against the Raiders Brady Quinn will start. This will be a rough season for KC.

QB Battle

Matt Cassel has been cleared by team doctors for full contact practice this week. As the team heads into their bye week he and Brady Quinn will both be getting reps with the starters. Head coach, Romeo Crennel, has left the door open for either quarterback to start against the Raiders in week eight. With the Raiders coming to town, I see a team that is very beatable. I sincerely hope that one of them steps up and take hold of the job because I don't know a single team that has had a quarterback controversy during the season and has been successful (ex: Jets, Eagles, Cardinals). If you don't know who's leading your offense, it's hard to move forward with your game plan. No matter how good the rest of your team is, a defined leader is a must have for you to win games. We can run the ball all we want, but without a QB that can convert on third down every once in awhile or a defense like the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, you won't get very far. 

Cassel gives us the best chance to win. He is the best QB on our roster (sadly). I could be wrong, but I doubt it. I want a decision to be made this week and I don't want the controversy to continue any further. The coaching staff has to make the decision and stick with it because if a coach doesn't trust his leader, why would he trust himself? This is a vital week for the team.

Who will win? Vote on the new poll!

Week 6 - Happy Now?

I hope all the Matt Cassel haters are pleased with the game this weekend. I hope everyone realizes now that Brady Quinn is not capable of leading the Chiefs anywhere. Last week I pointed out that Brady Quinn had a career quarterback rating of 67.3. That's bad. This week he played even worse than he normally does with a 48.1 rating and a total QBR of 15.7 (50 is average). I can't put all the blame for our loss this week on Quinn though. There weren't many bright spots for the whole team.

Our running game was stagnant, our passing game was far too simplistic, and the defense got burnt all day. This week was the lowest total of rushing yards all season with just 80, averaging only 2.7 yards per carry. The passing game consisted of safe and easy throws averaging just 4.7 yards per attempt. In contrast, the Bucs averaged 12.6 yards per attempt. Tampa Bay came into this game averaging by far the most yards per completion in the NFL. I'm not sure what the defensive backs saw on film this week, but they allowed big play, after big play all game. We looked unprepared in every aspect of the game in a 38-10 loss.

The offense couldn't score a touchdown but the special teams came through with a score of their own on a ridiculous looking play that brought back memories of the Super Bowl VII Garo Yepremien mishap. I'm not sure how to explain it so take a look at the video.

Players of the Game
Chiefs
Offense: Nate Eachus - While he didn't really do anything spectacular, neither did the rest of the team. He finally got a couple carries and made the most of them as well as grabbing a 19 yard reception down the middle of the field.
Defense: Derrick Johnson - The pro-bowler played like one this week with 12 tackles. The next highest total for the Chiefs was Eric Berry with just 4. He seems to be the only defender that can be consistently counted on.

Buccaneers: Mike Williams - He had only 4 receptions but they were all bombs. He ended the game with 113 yards (28.3 yard average) and a touchdown. Even when he was covered well he went up over the Chiefs' corners to make the catch.

Week 5 - Headlines

The Chiefs have been in headlines this week for all the wrong reasons. In the last two games we have turned the ball over TEN times, coming to a league-leading, grand total of 19 giveaways in just five games. Some teams will only turn the ball over around twenty times all season and we're now on pace to have over 60. While the offense is clearly struggling, most fans want to blame it all on Matt Cassel. While Cassel has thrown nine interceptions (only around half of which weren't bobbled by his receivers), we also have ten fumbles, which is by far the most in the NFL.

While I may not be a Matt Cassel fan, necessarily, I don't think he is the reason we are losing games. While he is not a stud quarterback by any means, I absolutely, let me repeat, absolutely do not think that Brady Quinn is a better option. Over the last five seasons Cassel has averaged 210.74 yards per game. That is far from upper echelon but a good number for the "game manager" that he has always been. He has also averaged just over two interceptions per game over that period. He does just enough to keep you in every game with an 81.1 quarterback rating. Brady Quinn, who hasn't played in a regular season game since 2009, has a career quarterback rating of 67.3 and averages just 128.9 yards per game. He has almost thrown an interception for every touchdown he's thrown with ten scores and nine turnovers. In comparison, Cassel has thrown 81 touchdowns and thrown just 54 interceptions. It is absolutely ludicrous to think that Brady Quinn has somehow shown that he is a more viable option to lead this team. To the fans saying "well we might as well give him a chance" take a look at his past. His former teams have chosen, Seneca Wallace, Colt McCoy, Jake Delhomme, Bruce Gradkowski, Ken Dorsey, Derek Anderson and even Tim Tebow as their starters over Quinn. Most people haven't even heard of most of them and there's a reason for that. Even with all of the evidence available for them, fans actually cheered when Matt Cassel was injured, lying motionless on the ground for minutes. It was pathetic and disgusting that fans actually cheered about a player being injured. Right tackle, Eric Winston, had a message for the fans about what they had done.

While this was what most of the media got from the game, there was actual play going on, on the field. The defense held a high powered Ravens offense to just nine points and had the best game they played all season. I think that the Ravens are one of the best teams in the AFC this year with a great defense, as always, and an improved offense that will lead them into the playoffs. In my eyes, a 9-6 loss to one of the best teams in the league was actually encouraging, especially when we had four turnovers. This year's offensive line looked dominant. Since the 2003 season our line has looked pathetic until now. Even against a defense like the Raven's they were able to give Jamaal Charles room to accumulate 162 total yards. If our offensive line and defense play this well all season we'll have a chance. If not, and Quinn plays as bad as I expect he will, expect a top three draft pick.

Players of the Game
Chiefs
Offense: Eric Winston - Not only did he stick up for his team after the game, he handled future pro-bowler Haloti Ngata for most of the game and led a MUCH improved offensive line to open up holes for Jamaal Charles all game.
Defense: Justin Houston - Just another very impressive game from the second year outside linebacker. Two more sacks brought his total to six (half a sack more than last season after just five games).

Ravens: Ray Rice - The running back had a good game, carrying the uncharacteristically unproductive offense for the day and sealing the game for them on a third down carry, diving for the last yard he needed. He always impresses me with how fast he gets through even the smallest holes.

Week 4 - Pre-Game Popcorn

For those of you who have never carried a football, there's more to it than you think. You don't, or at least shouldn't, just put it in your arm and run. There's a technique that is taught to most running backs and receivers at a very young age. 

This is how the ball should be held when running in the open field:

Compliments of rankopedia.com

This is how the ball is held by every Chiefs' running back, with the exception of Nate Eachus (who rarely gets a chance to carry the ball):

Compliments of The Wichita Eagle

For some, the difference may not be visible. For others, it's glaring. In four games, the Chiefs have managed to turn the ball over FIFTEEN times. The seven interceptions Matt Cassel has thrown in four games is the same as the number of interceptions Aaron Rodgers threw in four times as many games last year, but I don't believe that's the main reason we're losing games. The most crucial part of the game takes place inside the ten yard line. Whether you are backed up against your own end zone, or you are about to score, those are crucial moments in any game. In those moments, almost every team is careful with the ball, counting on the running game to move the ball. In the Chiefs' case, however, that has turned out to to be even more dangerous than putting it in the air. EIGHT fumbles have caused the opponent to win in those crucial moments of the game. 

In the picture of Jamaal Charles above, you can see the ball resting against his forearm, and moving with his arms as they pump. This would be an acceptable technique if he were in the open field, and sure there were no defenders around him. In this picture he isn't even past the line of scrimmage and will be hit soon. That is lazy and poor execution of a technique he was probably taught at the age of five or six. The little things win ball games. Being lazy and not doing them is a sure way to embarrass your team by handing the ball to the opponent.

The first picture is of Tiki Barber, former running back for the New York Giants. Early in his career he led the NFL in fumbles almost every season. Eventually, his coach, Tom Coughlin, told him that if it didn't change, he'd find himself on the bench. He famously changed his technique to what is pictured and for the rest of his career he was last in the league in fumbling the ball. In the picture of Charles, even a middle schooler could take that ball from him. All it takes, when cradling the ball, is a slight hit (much less than the average NFL player is capable of delivering) to dislodge the ball. With Tiki Barber's technique, the is no place for the ball to squirt out. A player has to physically pull it from your arms, which can happen still, but RARELY.

It may seem like I haven't the game much, but the game mostly consisted of us turning the ball over to the Chargers. Coming into the game the Chiefs had averaged the most yards per game in the entire NFL, but six turnovers is too much for any team to overcome, no matter how bad the other team plays. The Chargers didn't do anything very well on offense as pro-bowler, Phillip Rivers, threw for only 206 yards, but that's because they didn't have to. KC handed the ball over in their own territory giving the defense no chance to keep San Diego from scoring. 

This week we played sloppy football. There was very little effort put forth and we didn't take care of the ball. The players should be embarrassed by the show they put on for their home fans. The Chargers scored at will and laughed their way back home with a 37-20 victory and first place in the division.

Players of the Game:

Chiefs 

Defense: Tamba Hali - He finally looked like the old Tamba. He looked strong, man handling offensive linemen. He made plays in the backfield and looked close to what he was last year. He had five tackles, two in the backfield, and one sack.

Offense: Dwayne Bowe - Matt Cassel looked for him on almost every play. He targeted Bowe twelve times (seven more than any other receiver) and they connected on seven of them for 108 yards and a touchdown. He was the only player that looked dominant for the Chiefs, winning every one-on-one battle with the San Diego corners (when Cassel could get the ball somewhere close to him).

Chargers

Antonio Gates - The eight-time pro-bowler looked like the seasoned veteran that he is. Romeo Crennel thought that the athletic Eric Berry would be able to neutralize Gates and had him cover him on-on-one for the entire first half. In the first half, Gates was thrown to five times, and embarrassed Berry on every one of them. He caught three of the passes thrown his way for over 70 yards. The only passes that weren't completed were because Berry attempted to mug him and was called for pass interference. It really emphasized that experience and wisdom will beat youth and athleticism every time.