If I told you a team had lost their starting quarterback, their two top receivers and one of the top running backs in franchise history, most of you would say that team would struggle offensively.
If I told you a team lost its top tackler, its two safeties and three of its top defensive lineman from the previous year, most of you would say that team would struggle defensively.
THAT TEAM, MY FRIENDS, IS OUR CHIEFS.
Whether you like it or not, we are one step removed from an expansion team. You know that when our top playmaker the last three weeks is Andy Studebaker — a Division 3 player!!!
It is impossible to objectively evaluate Todd Haley and Matt Cassel. When Dwayne Bowe was suspended we were left with one offensive playmaker — Jamaal Charles. Cassel and Haley are attempting to make something from nothing. As a result crazy chances are being taken on 4th down such as the polecat. It was a DESPERATION attempt to score and alter the course of the game.
Haley’s and Cassel’s future will depend on the ability of one Scot Pioli to draft, sign and develop playmakers.
SUGGESTION BOX:
1. HIRE AN OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR IN THE OFFSEASON YOU TRUST
2. Find a quality, dependable center
3. Rebuild the right side of the O-Line
4. Find another RB and regulate Charles to change-of-pace duty
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OC,
When discussing the subject of losing key players, I would argue that the extent to which that has been self-inflicted absolutely needs to be a huge consideration when it comes to evaluating Pioli and Haley. Cassel was horrible all by himself last Sunday and aside from putting together a couple of drives over 13 games, has yet to show anything this season that gives us reason to believe he is anything more than a back up quarterback. Those who believe otherwise are basing their opinions solely on faith and not on facts.
When it comes to evaluating coaches and/or players, I say we try to avoid undeserved excuses as part of that process.
I think that Charles has the potential to be an every down back, and don’t think it’s necessary to ‘relegate’ him to a 3rd down back role.
One glaring omission from your suggestion box, in my opinion, is the DEFENSE! 515 yards given up against Pittsburgh in our win a few weeks ago was disgraceful…and it hasn’t gotten much better.
I recognize that the overall talent level is low, and that scheme and coaching can only do so much to improve the unit, but Pendergast hasn’t shown me anything that would lead me to believe his job should be safe this offseason, nor should the jobs of 8-10 of the defensive starters (I think Hali, Jackson, and potentially Dorsey are starters next year. DJ is up in the air based on his relationship with the coaching staff, though he has shown flashes of ability).
I also agree with DD that Cassel has failed to put a consistent product on the field that would indicate he’s a starter in this league (to say nothing of a top-10 QB, which quite a few of us thought we were getting).
The O-line, complimentary skill-position talent, and knowledge of the scheme certainly all play into the ineffectiveness of the ‘09 Chiefs’ offense, but franchise QB’s overcome and lead their teams through, even if the records don’t always reflect that leadership.
Drew Bledsoe had been ‘the man’ in NE, complete with the starting job and high-dollar salary…he was replaced by a 7th round pick who has become one of the top 3 QB’s in the entire league over the last 5-7 years.
Cassel may or may not end up being the answer at QB for KC, but if the decision were to be made today, I’d make room for a guy named Clausen, Locker, Bradford, or Tebow (i don’t think he’s an NFL QB, but you get the point).
No doubt we have to to rebuild the line! Niswanger is pretty decent but NOT at center. I think we should move him to Guard. I don’t think that Brian Waters has left his better years behind him and close to a retirement so we need to think of replacing him aswell! The top 5 linemen I think will go in the first round of the draft are:
#1 Russell Okung – OT – Oklahoma State
#2 Trent Williams – OT – Oklahoma
#3 Ciron Black – OT – LSU
#4 Mourkice Pouncey – G – Florida
#5 Sam Young – OT – Notre Dame
This team is a big pile of DUNG right now. WE absolutely suck and really have all year. Not even the win against the Steelers means jack right now. There is only negativity in my eyes right now and there will be no more optimism from this Chiefs fan. Haley(Horrible game planning, terrible OC,etc..), Cassel(I agree, an overpaid back-up at this point), our defense(allowing every F-ING Team in the league to break some damn record against us), and the entire O-line suck (Even Waters)! I can only be excited for the next year, and maybe the next year, and maybe even the next year. Until then I will just set back & continue to be pissed/patient/disappointed.
I don’t think its fair to render verdict on Cassel as a over-paid back-up. Consider this….Chris Chambers his best receiving option, disgustingly terrible offensive line, a fumbling running back yet proven to be able to carry the load, a fullback that can’t block for shit, a defensive that keeps him throwing mostly because we are trying to play catch-up, oh, and by the way, would his stats be that bad if the receivers could catch the fucking ball. True he makes mistakes, but how can he get in the groove when the man gets punched in the dick at least once a series, of course that number goes up if we get a first down. I see a young QB if given some essential pieces, can be a great franchise QB. Its a process…..allow it to be. I’m frustrated too….but I see zeal when I look at Cassel. He’s a professional….have you ever noticed during his Q & A how confident he sounds? Its almost like he knows something that we don’t. We are gonna be a winner, he’s the guy that’s gonna take us there. His confidence is my confidence. He takes responsibility for bad play. He’s tough, smart, and he wants it just as much as we do. This is our franchise, believe in him like he believes in himself, like Pioli believes, like Clark Hunt believes. The corner gets turned next season. Patiently I will wait. Go fucking Chiefs
I think that Cassel had proven he can be a winning QB in this league. Moreover, he has won in this league. He won 11 games in NE and had won 3 for the Chiefs. That is 14 more games than Brodie Croyle and 13 more games than Tyler Thigpen.
It is so easy to forget how few games Cassel has played at the NFL level. We all want him to run out of the tunnel at Arrowhead and start chucking up touchdown passes but even a good QB would struggle in this offense. Chris Chambers, Lance Long and Bobby Wade were not even on the team in training camp. They also are not superstar receivers. They are average. Only Chambers has any real break away speed and even that is on the decline. What we saw in Denver was what happens when a crop of average wide receivers go up against a very skilled secondary. No one got open. The Chiefs were outclassed, it is as simple as that.
There are many problems on this team and to put them all on a second year quarterback with terrible blocking, average wide receivers and an awful defense is unfair. The only thing the Chiefs would accomplish by drafting a QB would be to waste a pick.
Matt has shown he can win on a good team. Let’s give him a good team. Plugging good QB into a bad team over and over again will only lead to more losing.
This is my first comment on AA btw. Hello all!
patrick:
Welcome to AA. I hope to see you comment more on the posts. The thing I worry about with Cassel is the mental beating he is taking playing QB for us. It is going to take a least another draft to get enough of a team around him so we can make a fair assessment of his status. I agree with you, drafting a QB with a high draft pick would be a waste.
I hope with everything I have that we draft Eric Berry next year. That guy will turn a defense around, and we all know that Pioli or Haley or whoever made the decisions completely fucked up our situation at safety this year. He’s projected to be a Top 10 or even Top 5 pick, and I guarantee we will be there.
Ne we need O-linemen, a sturdier running back (what happened to that Javarris Williams fella we drafted this year?) to split time with Jamaal Charles, and receivers.
But Eric Berry and O-linemen first. PLEASE.
Hell I wish we had like 10 first round picks. We could pick up Eric Berry, Toby Gerhart, a couple O-linemen, Golden Tate, Terrence Cody… that would be awesome.
We’re such a pathetic team right now. It breaks my heart to see people say things like “the NFL should step in and take control of that organization” referring to us. But honestly, it’s getting about that bad.
I think we were better off last year with Herm, and I NEVER thought I’d feel that way.
Charles does have a lot of potential and if he can hang on to the ball will be a star in the league but and it is a big but is will he over come the fumbling? The team unfortunately doesn’t have overall talent that allows them to compete in the NFL. They have a coach that is using a style of coaching that probably would work with a unmotivated talented team but as you can’t get blood out of a turnip he can’t get pro bowl play out of the majority of the current players.
Then I guess we better hope Pioli knows what he’s doing and drafts us a lot more talent.
I agree with a that has been said about players. But i’m not to happy with the coaching mainly the game plan and play calling. Some of Haleys decisions have not been the best to give us the chance to when a game. Pioli better start with his coaching staff, we will not when with Haleys play calling.
Realistically Todd Haley isn’t going anywhere. Its up to Pioli to put the kabosh on him and tell him “straighten up or get the F out of dodge”.
Will he? Who knows. But if Arrowhead continues to degress in the attendance population, Clark’s going to have to do something simply because its a buisness and his hand will be forced. Sh*t rolls downhill.
We need an OC, a QB coach, and (IMO), a DC. Honestly the quality of ALL skill postion coaches seems pretty poor. One quick fix would be Charlie Weis mainly because he is a great QB coach, as well as a solid OC. Just depends on Haley’s ability to co-exist with another play caller. I don’t think he can.
I like the idea of a name outside of the Pioli/trinity circle for a DC (or even OC, but Weis is a proven QB coach so thats a 2-fer). I have no idea if Pioli can excise himself from his old flames and try to do something on his own for once tho.
IMO if Eric Berry declares and is available, we HAVE to take him (which is very feasible since we’ll have the 5th or 6th overall). I highly doubt we have the ability to sign McNeill, especially during an uncapped season. So a LT becomes a must. Jason Fox from Miami could be that guy.
In FA bring in:
(OL)
C Richie Incognito
RT Winston Justice
RG Harvey Dahl
OG Jeremy Trueblood
(DL)
DE Richard Seymore
DT/NT Ryan Pickett
DE/OLB Derrick Burgess
(LB)
Keith Bulluck
Thomas Howard
Adalius Thomas
Shawne Merriman
(CB)
Stanford Routt
Ellis Hobbs
(S)
Nick Collins
Dawan Landry
Could we get ALL of those guys? NO. But any one of those at their respective postions would be a great start. Especially Incognito, Justice, Seymore, and Pickett. If we drafted Berry I’d nix any Safety moves in FA and focus on the OL and LB positions.
Depending upon who we can sign right away has an instant effect on how and who we draft. Again, trading Dorsey and Johnson for more picks is NOT an over-the-top suggestion. Even tho I’d prefer to keep DJ. It would allow us to take either a WR, RB, LB, CB in the 2nd that could step in and immediatley make an impact.
“Its almost like he knows something that we don’t.”
Well what cassel knows is that he’s gonna get paid lots of money no matter how good or bad. Id be smiling too, all the way to the bank. Is cassels supporting cast good not at all, but he also had a record breaking offense in NE.
As far as free agents i think Merriman would love to come here.