Merlin's Magic: Super Bowl Offense Edition

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Let’s continue where we left off. Last week, we went through the defense and answered the question: “Can you win a Super Bowl with X starting for you?”. Also, we took the percentage of players with a yes answer and compared that to Herm’s statement that 85% of the foundation has been laid. Last week, the defense came in at just a shade under 67%. Let’s see how the offense shapes up.

Quarterback: As much fun as watching Tyler Thigpen was last year, I can’t give him a yes answer. Nor can I see giving a yes answer next year. Tyler is too limited and requires a gimmick offense to function. Can he develop? Yes, he can. I would love to see it. Please, Tyler, do us all a favor and make me eat these words. I would love it.

Running backs: I still think LJ is a beast, Charles is a fun back, if he can hold onto the football. Cox is a decent fullback. Yes, I think you can win a Super Bowl with the LJ/Cox combination. For those of you scoring at home, that’s two yes answers, not three.

Wide receivers: Bowe is a big yes. Bradley? I am giving him a yes also. The expectations for a second wide receiver are not very high.

Tight end: The is a no-brainer yes. Tony is one of the best tight ends to ever play the game. His window is closing pretty fast though.

Tackles: Albert is a big yes. He had a very nice rookie year. D-Mac? No, his knees are shot.

Guards: Waters is still a high level player so that’s a yes. His window is closing fast too though. Jones doesn’t cut in at right guard. Perhaps Niswanger can work here, but it’s to early to give yes answer.

Center: No, Niswanger or Wade Smith should not start on a Super Bowl team.

Kicker: Barth is a yes. He looks decent, but not great. I would love to see better distance and hang time on his kickoffs.

Ok, let’s go to the numbers. We have eight yes answers and twelve positions. Again, we are at just below 67%. So, we arrive at the same percentage for both defense and offense. I think we can safely tell Herm what do do with his 85%. Before some one raises the concern that I am only looking at starting positions while Herm was talking about the entire roster, let’s talk about that. Eighty five percent works out to about eight new players. We have identified eight starting positions that need new players. I seriously doubt that those are the only new players needed. We have serious work to do on both sides of the ball to get to where all of us want to be. That is, Clark Hunt hoisting the Super Bowl trophy.

102win

Speaking of completion %, look at JaMarcus Russell's numbers. He was at 53.8 %, but he had a decent O line, they ran some screens and they had running backs that helped them compete. In the Oakland games I saw, Russell was the worst passing QB I have ever seen in about 20+ years of serious football viewing!!!!!!!!! Numbers (except for turnovers) can be deceiving. If he were on the Chiefs this year it would have been about 35-40%

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Yes-Thigpen had a bad completion %, but some of that had to due with throwaways. He ran (quiet well at times) for his life on most plays. It also didn't help that we had to have run fewer screens then anyone in history. Bowe had more than an above average number of drops. I believe the Gonzo factor was a wash, because he is so good-he draws double & triple teams, which led to more breakups. Second half issues are on Herm and his staff (I think they should have played "Hang on Snoopy, Snoopy hang on" during the second halves of our games, it would have summed up that stupid game plan we had.

He also gets up after he gets smashed, that is abnormal around here given our recent history.

Sometimes I wonder about my fellow Chief fans??? Can anyone name the last time we had a young QB that has given us hope? No One can deny he has shown a nice skill set at times ? I really can't think of any other young QB that we can say that about!!!!

Crabtree_Michael

Anybody who thinks Bowe is not clearly number 1 material is clearly pickier than hell and are still waiting on their perfect long-legged, massively breasted, mute, diligent in bed, eager to please, and baller-ass rich wife to waltz into their life. D-Bowe had 995 yards and over a thousand this year with an offense that at first seemed like it would never get going. Sure he had a few drops, but he's still got magic hands and he's entering only his third year. Plus the guy plays against Nande twice a year and does a pretty swell job.

Double D

Charles = fumbles, et tu Merlin?

Just curious, why does this popular perception exist?

Stats certainly don't seem to back it up.

And how about we talk about bad hands for a second? Bowe's faulty hands cost us no less than 2 games. But wait, you declared him as a "big yes" didn't you? Hmmm. I would put Bowe as a number 2 receiver and Bradley as a number 3, maybe. Point is, we still lack a number 1 receiver.

Thiggy was brought in as a development project - he's made progress, I say we continue to develop him while we wait for our OL to be fixed and unless/until someone better comes along. Thiggy didn't have a running game and didn't have a deep threat WR (other than himself) so I think he deserves a little slack and heavy dose of patience, the latter of which seems to be in pretty short supply around here I might add.

Speaking of the OL, one might fairly argue that we're only 1 player away from having a pretty good OL.

I'm leaning no on Barth too. Anybody think we should use a 4th round pick on a kicker?

Adam,

Shields?

Randy5k

oh no not Brodie talk again.

woody

LJ can still do good things...not a doubt in my mind...And since we have cleaned house AND because he will be almost impossible to trade (for anything valuable anyway)...I think he will be around next year.

Thiggy will not last...

610 had a good point...or made me think of my own good point today...If we get a quality offensive line that protects the passer and makes our running game effective I think Brodie could be a serviceable QB this season. Peyton Manning could not have put up good numbers with our players...

Eric Crane

I agree with Adam on Thiggy too, he isn't a very accurate passer. Tony made him look like an All-Pro but the numbers don't lie.

I disagree about LJ being toast though. I think a new coach and a real offense would benefit LJ...however I feel that our All-World line for Holmes and later LJ made both backs look a lot better than they really were.

Adam Best

His completion percentage left a lot to be desired.

Romo hit at 65.3 his first year.

Cutler - 63.6

Eli - 52.8

Roethlisberger - 66.4

That's an average of roughly 62.1 %. Thiggy went 54.8 this season.

Thiggy really stunk it up in second halves when teams made adjustments. Also, he stunk it up late in the season to some degree. Why? The Derek Anderson effect. Teams had tape on him.

I'm just not a Thiggy Smalls believer. I wanted to be. Zach and I even came up with a shirt for him. He's just not the guy.

As odd as it sounds 67% is hopeful. I would agree with everything Merlin said, with exception to Thigpen. I really think this guy is going to be good.If you go off last year, how can we be disappointed. Thigpen had very little reps in training camp ,a horrible O line,no true RB threat, a RB that won't block-making our offense more predictable,defense was awful,special teams were bad.
With all that a guy who never played in the NFL had 18tds & 12ints. Romo's first year (2006) starting was 19tds &13ints. Cutler (2007) 20tds & 14ints. Eli Manning (2005) 24tds & 17ints. Roethlisberger (2004) 17tds & 11ints.

I have 4 out of 12.

No on all three backs (L.J. is toast) and Barth.

That's 33%. Even if I give Charles a pass as our change of pace guy, that's only 5 out 12. I had us at 40% or so on both side of the ball, and I think our starters are in better shape than our reserves.

The good news is that the offense boasts four All-Pro or potential All-Pro talents in Albert, Bowe, Gonzalez and Shields.Mark Bradley could be a good No. 2, a great No. 3 (Case for Crabtree!).