Offensive Struggles Continue

I am convinced the reason our O always goes conservative in the 2nd half is because of Hermcuffs playing not to lose.

We have been playing this offense for awhile, and teams have plenty of game tape…yet we have no trouble scoring in the 1st half. I think it has less to do with the adjustments of opposing defenses after halftime, and more to do with the chiefs playing not to lose.

Dont give Clark Hunt anymore of your money!
Contact them before they steal $25 million taxpayer money!

Send them a message online here before it is too late:
http://www.mdfb.org/About%20Us/SendUsAMessage.aspx

Phone: 573/751-8479
E-mail: mdfb@ded.mo.gov

I have to agree. In second halves, the offense goes into a shell and makes few adjustments or changes. The defense goes into some kind of prevent. This is happening over and over, like the coaches are so suprised and bewildered that the team performed well in the first half, and couldn’t possibly do more of the same in the second, that they start playing not to lose. All the aggression and imagination goes out, and they look like they’re just trying to hang on for dear life. Maybe it’s also the players letting up, thinking they can slide by. Whatever, it shouldn’t happen consistently like it has.

I still think there’s a lot I like about this team, many of the players I think are going to be very, very good. Many have improved markedly over the season. But, obviously, something is seriously wrong. From top to bottom, this organization has to figure it out.

A lot of the problems in the second half is the continued inability of the OL to open holes for the RB to hit. And to have a true game breaker like Priest Holmes or a Marcus Allen in their prime to run the ball. We really need to get one or two more offensive lineman in the off season. Once we get the OL and DL to play better we will get more wins.

Keep up the great work Coach Edwards. ALL of KC is behind you and we know that you will lead us back to glory very soon now.

AND NOW, Clark Hunt has RE-affirmed Herm’s The Man!

It’s easy to say they are “playing not to lose”. But can you actually point to something on the field that the Chiefs are doing differently? Can you say “Here’s what they were doing in the first half, and they stopped doing it after halftime”?

I can’t.

In the first half they moved the ball with the run, with a lot of balls mostly thrown in the 5-10 yard range (some plays gaining more yards with YAC), and with Thigpen picking up yards by scrambling.

They did all those things in the second half. They just didn’t do them as well.

If they were somehow “handcuffing” the offense, it would be evident. You could say “they were doing this and this, but now they aren’t”. There was no change in the philosophy of what they were doing. The only difference was the success of the plays.

You can’t simply watch the offense stop executing and go “Oh, well, Herm must be handcuffing them”.

Sure they can say that Dave…they’re constipated in their thinking.

Hali knows what happened in the game – were the H*** was LARRY JOHNSON in the second half????????
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/937110.html

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/story/937110.html

“How we managed the game, I do question that,” said Hali, a third-year defensive end. “Those questions belong to the coaches.”

———————————–

“I’m not saying this team’s got to win 10 or 11 games next year. But I expect us to be competitive for a playoff spot. Certainly, if we’re 4-12 again taht would be a failure, or anywhere close to 4-12″.

Clark Hunt, January 2008.

Forgot about that Clark Hunt quote findthedr. I distinctly remember him saying that. This was at the point where I thought this team would go 6-10 (a two win improvement) with a much younger roster and give us the hope we needed going into 2009. That isn’t going to happen now. Wonder what Clark is thinking this morning about his club’s future?

Here’s the deal. Herm has done a good job managing the players they have. Making the most of a 3rd sting quarterback and injury riddled defense. But yesterday the play-calling by Chan Gailey was horrendous. Going for a bumb to Bradley in the first quarter on 3and 1 instead of running the football was dumb. Lining this team up in shotgun on the goal-line instead of going into a goal-line offense and running the football was stupid in the second quarter. ON that play I don’t blame Tyler for throwing the pick I blame the decision to get in an obvious passing play and him even being told to throw it in that situation. Calling an option play that Jamaal Williams I thought had eaten Tyler.

Yesterday showed me two things. Inspite the incompetent play-calling by Chan Tyler played well. So he needs to be the starting quarterback. And number 2 the spread does not need to be our main offense. It cannot sustain the ablity to run out of it for 4 quarters nor can it sustain scoring for 4 quarters either. We need to go back to the offense that was installed for Brodie and Tyler earlier in the year. Which is a more conventional style and we just need to use the spread as part of that offense. Maybe use it in two minute situation or even if the offense comes out flat use it to get the offense going. But not as the main offense.

Most of you are beating a dead horse. This version of the chiefs was rebuilt for failure so that years from now you get a team that can compete for mulitple years. Somebody, unnamed, chose to use only young players and ignor veterans to rebuild. We all know this.

There will be more games like this season and yesterday. It will happen maybe less often next year. I believe in 2010 they expect this team to come together. So I do not expect any changes but cosmetic ones to keep the fence setters happy.

All that said I believe:

clark hunt is not about winning (most owner are not, so he is nothing special).

herm is not the guy for this job.

carl is just old and tired, gone as soon as remodel is complete.

coaches are unemployable except for the chiefs, few teams would face their fans with continually losing.

Players not enough NFL quality guy on either side of the ball. Even with all the upside draft picks just not enough to play a game. All teams rebuild through the draft all the time. Because of past failures and herm, the chiefs kept away from veterans who might of made this rebuild a little easier to swallow.

Fans we all wanted a superbowl and bought into gut the team and rebuild. We do not have the stomach for the way herm chose to do it, no veterans.

Internet site – probably brings out the worst in all of us. We are all to much in love with our own opinions to allow us to have free access to others. Sorry I am bad but rintintin/herm’s the man is just sad.

Wait tm1946 that lost hurt but we can’t say the rebuilding process is a faliure and that Herm is a failure. That was one painful lost I voiced my opinions about the game and how the coaches blew yesterday but everybody makes mistakes. Fisher made questionable calls that cost the Titans the game yesterday and so did Dick Jaron for the Bills. Either way next year will tell the story

I agree with what you said earlier Ed. I didn’t understand that while the Chiefs were in the red zone they didn’t go for the first down instead a fade to the endzone and then they missed the field goal. There were too many points left on the field.

Second, I return to what I’ve been calling for – Hire Bill Cowher! He knows how to build a long standing playoff contending team. With the raw, young, talented players that we currently have; he could add a few more from the draft and free-agency and help put us back into the playoffs NEXT year. I truly believe this.

I was shocked, did anybody see how empty the stands were for this game?

Most important, did Clark see how empty they were?

Ed I did not say the rebuild was a failure, I said this type of rebuild will take years to show its success. Also to rebuild the way the chiefs CHOSE TO DO IT has resulted in unacceptable losses by many fans.

herm not a failure…..Hmmm….. being the worst coach in the history of the chiefs should count for something. What does he have to do to convince you he was not been a raving success, has no history on the offensive side of the ball, has yet to say “it is my fault and we are going to fix it and win”, and he left the Jets just ahead of tar and feathering much in the same direction he has taken the chiefs. 9-7, 4-12, and as of today 2-12, do you really feel he is improving as a headcoach??

Tm1946 its not going to take this team long to turn it around a matter of fact it’ll be next year. We’re only about 4 positions away from being a winning team. Right tackle and guard, defensive end, and middle linebackker. Next is Herm the right guy for the job if you’re going by yesterday game no,but going by the entire season I would say he deserves another year to get things right. Fans like yourself are forgetting we’re not even suppose to be in these games going out there with the 3rd string quarterback. So that alone shows the guy has done a good job evaluating talent and getting them prepared to play. That being said yes yesterday game is all Herm and CHAN fault. The play-calling in key situations was horrible. I give Gun alot of credit he had the defense ready to play football. The spread is this team achilles heel though. Its good for portions of the game, but in the NFL it want work for 4 quarters. Hopefully Chan and Herm are realizing that and are going to go back to the offense that was more conventional and the offense that was originally installed for Brodie. Get back to running the football more to balance things out on offense. And use the spread as a tool in our offense and not the base of our offense. Tyler is a good starting quarterback but he needs help from the coaching staff in not putting him in bad situations.

I will say this if Herm doesn’t at least beat the Bengals at the end of the year he want be back next season. And rightfully so.

Bob & Everyone Else…Quit Complaining and Look at the Facts:
1. Interception by Chiefs and return to 4 yard line means an entire offensive possession LESS of stats including time of possession, first downs, yards etc. I will take it anytime.
2. Teams make defensive adjustments at half time so offensive scoring should be less in 3rd quarter. Last week we drove the ball in 3rd quarter on long drive and then punched in end at beginning of 4th quarter. This week interception was in 3rd quarter.
3. IF Jamal Charles gets correct spot on 2nd and 1 the game is (almost) over even if Chiefs punt 4 plays later.
4. Not everyone catches every ball, including on- side kicks with 4 other bodies slamming into you and arms grabbing at the ball.
5. Blown coverage on long pass play was a result of SOMEONE ELSE NOT covering Gates. It happens.
6. I have watched MANY veteran playoff teams lose close games to inferior opponents and not be criticized like the Chiefs are. I am proud of my team- they play great for where they are in the rebuild-Get over it and be encouraged for next year. These learning experiences will not be wasted.

I like Thigpen but it takes years for a NFL quality QB to develope, Lenny, John U, and Elway come to mind.

Forget about last sunday, the season is over as soon as you are elimanated from post season. If you get a chance listen to Waters comments after the game. He is a real bellweather for the players opps. It sounded to me that he is ready to head for the beach and call it a year.

I do not even care about the outcome of the next two games. How many players are playing better than at the start of the season? Draft picks, since herms arrival, how are they developing? You suggested we only need 4 position players next year, I disagree. If Tony G leaves, Cottam is not ready to take up the slack. If Waters retires, missing hole. Need a second QB, did you see how Thigpen got buried with the option. Personally I would like a better Center and we need one more WR. On defense, desparate for one or two LBs. The Def. Line, what do you say, anything but good….. So I think the team needs more than 4 starters. That sets nothing asside for backups. I know the chiefs are rebuilding but I suggest 2010 for the next winning season and if they fire carl, herm and the guys maybe longer. There are not a lot of Bill Parcells, who can change a team in less than one year, out there.

Tm1946 you don’t know if Cottam is ready or not because he hasn’t played much. But the couple of times he has been involved in the offense he has looked decent. Those positions you mention LB and defensive line was part of the four positions I mentioned. Receivers we have good receivers. Franklin played well yesterday. And Bradley and Bowe are very good themselves. How many receivers do you want? This receiving core is alot better than Kennison and Sammy Parker.

Next year we will win alot of games if this team address those weaknessess in the roster I mentioned. And get rid of the spread offense. Maybe not all together but it doesn’t need to be our main offense because it doesn’t work for 4 quarters and you can’t consistently run the football out of the spread for the entire game. That being said they need to improve on Tyler throwing the ball from under center and use the offense they had originally designed for Brodie. Which is a more conventional style so we can get back to running the football more consistently and working in some play-action and bootlegs. I still say keep the spread as part of the offense though but not the base of our offense.

Ed, thank you for your opinions, but I would like to believe you feel a kid who does not play much is READY to replace Tony G, a probable HOFer. This is not just a joke but truly delusional.

Like Bradley and not sure Franklin can play in one of the top 3 WR positions. If they draft a great WR (underclassman out of TX) I am not sure Bowe is not a 2 or 3.

Good comments anyway.

You could make a list of 5 or 6 errors every game that cost a win. That is the problem. You can’t make a list of 5 or 6 plays that created the win. I just don’t see improvement. It seems like the staff doesn’t really care much about getting a win, but correcting one thing from the previous game, which isn’t really happening either.

I did feel the “play not to lose” plan for the 2nd half. I believe the first two posessions had screen passes as the downfield threat. I do believe they tried a hook and lateral when facing a 3rd and forever, but that was it. I don’t understand Hali or anyone else asking why we didn’t run more. Maybe because we can’t? We haven’t had a consistent running game (outside of Thigpen scrambles) all year. Running the clock? Sure, but that just goes to the play not to lose mindset. Run into a brick wall 3 times and punt. That isn’t a winning plan either. A 2-11 team should be aggressive in all phases to try and get a win. At least leave it all on the field.

Well no one can replace Tony so to even say that is way off base. But I think Cottam can be a quality tight end but will have to see. He’s certainly big and fast and seems to have good hands. But you can’t replace a legend. And I don’t want Cottam to try, but for him to be productive thats all I want. I think Bowe is a number one receiver. He’s only been in the league for 2years he’ll get better. He has the ability and remember Tony went through the same slump his sophmore year. And people were questioning him.

I’d like to see the film grades on the individual o-linemen from Sunday.

Watching from the upper deck at the 50, I’m guessing that no one gets acceptable grades– especially in the second half.

Frank Ganz is the worst coach in the history of the Chiefs, not Herm.

I think the way John Makovic lost the players (resulting in Frank Ganz’ hiring as head coach) qualifies him as the 2nd worst.

Let’s wait and see where Herm ends up for playoff appearances and playoff wins before consigning him to 3rd worst all-time.

Herm owns more ‘worst losses” in chiefs history than Ganz or Makovic.

We have scored the least points in chiefs history.
If the team doesnt win out, than they will have the worst record in chiefs history.

There is a solid argument that, right now, Herm is the worst coach in chiefs history.

As for cottam, he is a virtual unknown in the passing game. His college career receptions is something like 21 receptions for 341yrds.

You can’t put Herm as the worst coach in franchise history off of two emotional losing season when he did take the team to the playoff in his first year here.

Keep up the unproductive work Coach Edwards. ALL of KC is sick of you and we know that you will make excuses and lead us back to 2 and 14 very soon now.

AND NOW, Clark Hunt has RE-affirmed Herm’s The Man On The Hot Seat!