Answering Some Whys?
I’ll go through a game or a day, picking up information, seeing things happen and invariably write in my notebook next to something new or different, WHY?
I’ve had a bunch of those notations lately, so I spent some time trying to get answers to the various whys I have collected.
Like why does at least once a game Dwayne Bowe drop a pass that should have been an easy catch? It’s a weekly occurrence. These are never tough catches he flubs. In fact, they are generally the easiest passes to catch that he’ll see that day. We have seen in almost two seasons that he has very good hands and can make some remarkable catches. But the drops keep getting in the way.
Why?
So I ask around and the general consensus is that Bowe loses focus at times during games and that’s the biggest reason for his drops. It’s a very simple habit of watching the ball all the way into his hands, rather than grabbing at it and turning his head and eyes away from the catch point to look for running room up the field. The coaching staff has worked with Bowe on fixing this problem, but he can’t seem to get over the hump. It was a problem in the season opener against New England and it continued last Sunday against Buffalo. Right now it’s a flaw in his game.
Another why: with the return of Larry Johnson to the offense two games ago, they’ve lined him up directly behind quarterback Tyler Thigpen in the spread? It seems very constricting to both of them. First, Thigpen had to move closer to receive the snap. When he drops back from the spot he now gets the ball, Johnson has to quickly dance out of his way. It’s like a new I-formation.
Why?
I checked with Chiefs offensive coordinator Chan Gailey and the reason they’ve gone to this comes down to structure: if you move Johnson to the left or right, that restricts the running plays that can be called for him by half. Line him up to the left and with Thigpen in the spread, the only way Johnson can get the hand off is to run to the right. If you line him up on the right, the only way he gets the hand off is to run to the left. By lining him up behind Thigpen, the Chiefs may run him either left or right, forcing the opponent to guess where the attack point may be in the alignment.”
“It’s different,” Gailey acknowledged. “But it keeps more of our running game in play.”
In all the roster shuffling the Chiefs have done in recent weeks included bringing Jackie Battle up to the active roster and then sending rookie Dantrell Savage to the practice squad. To make this happen, the Chiefs had to expose Savage to league wide waivers. Savage cleared and he remains with the Chiefs.
Why make the move?
All this came about with the activation of rookie Kevin Robinson from the Physically Unable to Perform List. The Chiefs drafted Robinson because of his ability to return both punts and kickoffs. Once they decided to activate him, Savage became the No. 2 man at both positions. Battle is a much better special teams contributor in other kicking games areas – he’s on all four of the key units in returns and coverage – so keeping Savage active was a luxury, especially with injuries at so many other positions.
And what’s with all the direct snaps to running backs this year? There are some around the country who think the use of the so-called “Wildcat” package by Miami was what got all this started, and other teams around the league followed the Dolphins’ lead. But that’s not the case in Kansas City, where the Chiefs were working on direct snaps to Larry Johnson and other running backs during the off-season program.
What’s the deal in the first place, why has everybody jumped on this bandwagon?
Talk to coaches and observers of the game and they believe it’s simply a trend, this season’s flavor of something different. Since most of the direct snaps have led to the running back who received the ball taking off on a run, it’s not hard to defense. Now wrinkles off the direct snap like passes, reverses, etc. add new dimensions that will make any defense clutch for a second, long enough to get a big play on the board.
The direct snap is like teams that sometimes use an unbalanced offensive line, setting up three linemen to the right of the center and just one to the left, rather than two on each side. The first time catches a defense unaware. The second play may work too. But any defense that’s fooled on the third direct snap or the third time an offense uses the unbalanced line is just a badly prepared unit.
Expect to see both the Chiefs and Raiders run the direct snap on Sunday.
good stuff Bob, and I agree on all counts.
Bowe needs to work on decreasing his drops, and LJ showed he can run out of the spread.
IMO, Battle is also a better rb than savage. He is quicker, bigger, and stronger.
Thanks Bob, I was very curious about aligning LJ up behind Thigpen, and the move with Savage.
Robinson is going to have to do a much better job than he did last week, or we need to get Savage back on the 53.
Bob I have another, “why” Did the Chiefs release Patterson and sign Colclough?
Thanks Bob, I was very curious about aligning LJ up behind Thigpen, and the move with Savage.
Robinson is going to have to do a much better job than he did last week, or we need to get Savage back on the 53.
Bob I have another, “why” Did the Chiefs release Patterson and sign Colclough?
Because
And because^2
Bob
Otis Taylor had the same problem, and in fact had it well into his 3rd season, 1967.
In game three of that year in OAK vs the Raiders, with the defending AFL Champion Chiefs trailing 23-21, the ball near their own 20 yard line with just a bit more than 2:00 minutes remaing in the game, Otis completely undressed and ran past HOF CB Willie Brown & was wide open near midfield, a good 6-7 yards behind him – game winning 80 yard td pass beckoned – a ‘bomb’ – in need of but two hands to cradle it & take it on home to victory.
#16′s toss was long & true, albeit perhaps a yard or so underthrown- said necessitated Otis slowing down just a bit, though even so Otis was still a good 4- 4 1/2 yards behind Brown. The Chiefs had visions of being 3-0 after this game. You can see on the old ’67 highlight film our guys jumping up and down on the sideline right next to Otis, when he . . . dropped the pass.
Ask Lenny about this game some time – I’m CERTAIN he’ll remember (he did when together we discussed it probably some 15 years ago.)
KC failed to score, and again one last time near the very end of the game came up short again for a loss that by many of the Chiefs accounts ended up greatly affecting their season.
The Chiefs had badly beaten OAK 48 – 0 that same exhibition season up in Portland, Oregon, so the Raiders win was unexpected by most. Although, if one goes back and reads/re-reads some of the old football annuals of the time, several correctly predicted the Raiders to overtake Kaycee and win the AFL Western Division that season.
They did – 13-1 and to the Superbowl compared to KCs disappointing 9-5…a season that remains to me the saddest in Chiefs history – even more so than 1971 same that ended vs MIAMI – because so much was expected of the Chiefs and their fans. They went hrough at least 4 centers as I recall (Gilliam, Hudock, Frazier – OT Tony DiMiddio was even moved there against the Oilers in game six due to the rash of injuries (EJ Holub suffered a hamstring tear the game before out in San Diego so he wasn’t even available.) DiMiddio botched at least 2 snaps to Lenny that I recall & the Oilers beat KC, a game we statistically had dominated & HOU had NO business winning, but did. Lenny ought to remember this game too, because he got thrown into the concrete walkway while scrambling & was injured (it looked like he might have scored from about 25-30 yards out but Garland Boyette I think threw #16 on his neck/head & Len had to leave the game, at least for awhile.
Any way back to point, Otis finally for the most licked his buttafangers ‘habit’ by the end season three his 1967. Both Otis & Dwayne Bowe being not dissimilar in build, maybe #82 will come to mimic #89 on the field same greatness. Though Otis had more speed, like Bowe Taylor made tough catches look almost routine, although, with apologies to Bowe there was and shall ever remain but one OT -Keg Head and Slug among his nicks: Otis Taylor.
I still don’t get why LJ would be inhibited from running either left or right if he were lined up parallel to Thigpen as opposed to a step behind him. If LJ was lined up to Thigpen’s right, for example, take a direct handoff, he could jab step to his left, push off and run right or vice versa.
It must be a matter of better deception by having LJ behind Thigpen as opposed to either side of him. Still, I have to wonder if that step closer to the line of scrimmage in the pistol is disadvantaging Thipen more than creating more running deception in the current alignment?
All that said, I’m also confident that Chan Gailey knows a lot more than me and has determined the current stance the best for the Chief’s purposes, but still I have to wonder?
Good stuff Bob. As far as Bowe is concerned he’ll get better. He’s just young receiver thats pressing I think. Trying and thinking too much about making a big play. If you look at Colston for the Saints he’s kind of in a funk too this year coming off a good rookie season. Earlier in the year Gonzalez talked about his sophmore slump in the NFL. I think Bowe will be fine when he understands just catch the football and let the big plays come to you versus you trying to force them.
Robinson hasn’t played many games this year. But I’m hoping he can mirror what Dante Hall brought to the table when he was here in his prime. I say give him more time as well and hopefully he can be an X-factor on this team.
As far as LJ goes he looked very good this past Sunday. I think they need to get him more carries and take some of the pressure off of Tyler. They also need to mix in some play-action into the offensive scheme. Now for the first time since 2005 we have a threat of running or passing the football helping Tyler and Larry become more effienct at the play-action pass would open things up down the field for the receivers.
Another issue is LJ isn’t as nifty a runner as say Charles so he needs more traditional handoffs.