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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You nailed it. I love Thiggy, but he has shown that an NFL offense is something he can’t handle. A college spread offense however is something he can handle. I just hope that the powers that be realize this when hiring/firing time comes around. Cowher ‘09!
So do we stick with the spread if Thigpen gets injured or switch to another offense?
Chan is doing exactly what he needs to do for this team. He is known for adapting to his players strengths, not forcing them to learn his system. What exactly is an NFL offense anyway? Who cares if they run the spread, if it works stick with it. Obviously what KC was doing(HERM BALL) was going nowhere fast. Play to your players abilities and exicute a good game plan. Bash Herm all you want, but leave Chan alone….He is doing a fine job. Reunite Cowher & Gailey in ‘09
hey, my stuff still ain’t workin…it’s not the browser (I’ve used IE, Firefox and Safari) it just doesn’t work at my house…only FSB sites…what should I do?
I liked Sunday and the conversion…I think Tyler IS learning Pro Offense, but slowly…we will see how they work LJ back into the gameplan…
That’s a pretty dour assessment Doc. All I’ll say for now is that AA seems to be going, for the most part, excessively gloomy of late.
I say whatever it takes to win let’s do it. I give Herm and Chan credit for having the nerve to run the spread in spite the fact that it is not known as a typical NFL type offense. If that is what it takes then do it and let the chips fall where they may. Success breeds success. Failure also breeds failure. Can you imagine the difference in the confidence level of these young players over the last three weeks? It is obvious that they are playing much more confidently than they were before. Thigpen almost pulled it off on Sunday. We were one play shy of a win. You could see it in the way the Chiefs moved they ball down the field that this young team thought they could do it. If we can get over that second half “slump” we have been getting into, the sky is the limit. This young team is going to be good. The signs are everywhere. They are progressing. Dorsey is beginning to shows signs of being not only effective but maybe even “nasty” good. There is a lot of work to be done, but the team is actually putting points on the board. I am excited about the second half of the season.
Woody, try refreshing your browser or clearing out your cookies in your browser’s tools. It’s pulling up the old version for sure. Sorry, bud!
Another fine piece from the old, and I mean old, man.
Double D, we’ve won one of our last 19 games. How in the hell can anyone be “gloomy” about that? What’s weird is how many people are defending Harm! I think Chiefs nation is too overly optimistic about him for certain right now. I sure hope the world judges my failures so nicely as the years go by.
And Quinn Gray probably runs pretty much the same offense if Thiggy gets hurt.
The Chiefs QB situation has stabilized and voila they have shown the ability to move the ball. Despite being devastated by injuries on defense, the continue to show promise, progress, and competitiveness over the last 3 weeks against what most people (with half a brain) consider to be teams deep in the hunt. Need I remind you, Crane and others that you predicted they would win only 4 games this season? Considering it seems increasingly likely the Chiefs will succeed, if not hit dead on, with meeting your expectations, why the hell do you complain about it and keep saying the same thing over and over?
I can’t speak for anyone else, but if want to talk about what is getting old, how about taking a look at your “Harm” schtick? From where I sit, it sure seems there is nothing in this world that would ever convince you that the man has it in him to do anything right. Your view on the subject has become extreme.
A rather vacuous article. No mention of the injury situation and no real mention that we would have had Johnson had he not been dip (dumb in public). Thigpen was faced with a fair amount of pressure and acquitted himself well. The one mistake Coach Gailey made was not insisting on the presence and use of Battle. He would have helped in the 3rd and 4th quarters.
Im a “glass half full” guy, when it comes to the Chiefs. Even if the glass is half full of warm piss at times.
Woodster is your browser workin’? Come to a game Wood-man dont penalize the team because of the coachng and management the team needs your support. You can have some of my nachos.
On point Chief. Nicely done
Double D, we are on pace to win two games, not four, and Crane and I were never OK with us just winning four in the first place, especially when we are $40 M under the cap.
I’m extreme for criticizing a coach who has gone 1-18 in his last 19, yet you aren’t for standing behind him? What kind of Twilight Zone are you living in, my man?
Harm makes the worst halftime adjustments I have ever seen. I could go on and on and on and…
The other thing is I have to overcompensate for all the Harm apologists out there. It is people like you who are going to get this dipshit brought back for another 4-12, if we’re lucky, season. Why are we OK with a coach who wins one out of every 20 games? Because we’re used to a GM who wins a playoff game once every 20 years? I don’t get it, dude. I just don’t.
As long as Herm Edwards is still coach of the Chiefs, we’ll be in the playoffs next year and many years thereafter. I guarantee it.