I suppose you expected another column praising the coaching attributes of Herm Edwards and his partner in conservative Chan Gailey. Well, you are wrong. Yes, I applaud the adoption of the spread and going for a win with the two-point try. But was it coaching brilliance or necessity?
I claim necessity. The coaching staff was stuck with Tyler Thigpen, an inexperienced third-string QB who ran the spread at Coastal Carolina. In addition, the first two options of the power running game — Larry Johnson and Kolby Smith — were unavailable, thus making the spread a plausible solution.
This was further emphasized by two putrid offensive performances on the road against the Panthers and at home against the Titans. Remember, pro football is a business. Selling tickets. People will attend and root for an entertaining-but-losing team. What “entertaining” really means is scoring. In America, we are entertained by 40-28 shootouts, not 13-0 shutouts.
Before you anoint Chan a genius and extend Herm’s contract, let’s simply state what happened. A desperate Chiefs team going nowhere fast having lost 15 of their last 16 and looking pathetic in the process needed a change. What about the spread? It would do several things. First, it would simplify reads for Tyler and allow him to get back to an offense he was familiar with. Secondly, it would help a patchwork offensive line pass protect. Additionally, with no power running option it would allow scatback Jamaal Charles, and now Dantrell Savage, to get out in space. Lastly, it would help get its two best playmakers — Tony G. and D-Bowe — back into the action.
The futility of the first six games led to imporvement in the offense the last three weeks. The coaching staff did a fine job adapting once their hands were forced, but in the second halves of the last three contests their true conservative colors came shining through. It was necessity that birthed this version of the spread and it’s productive, yet non-winning (at least thus far), formula. After all, necessity is the mother of invention.
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