Monday Morning Armchair Addict: Coaches and QBs
Hello, Addicts, I have to say that a Sunday with no depressing Chiefs loss was pretty nice. With the embarrassment of the San Diego loss in the rearview mirror and the ensuing loss to the Steelers still a week away, I have a chance to vent some general Chiefs-related thoughts at you. I’ve once again decided to “borrow” my format from Sports Illustrated’s Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback (which is a must-read) and present you with a variety of topics.
Here we go……
* I now believe that Clark Hunt will wait to fire anyone until the end of the season. Friday or Saturday was the perfect time to make a move since it would have given the Chiefs extra time to get their new coach/GM up and running with almost a week and a half between games. If Clark wouldn’t make a move after a nationally televised embarrassment like we saw on Thursday night, I don’t think it will happen any time soon. I just hope that he doesn’t wait too long on the new GM. Clark needs to fire Pioli before the season is over so that the new GM can hire his coach before all the best candidates are scooped up. That’s what happened when Pioli was hired.
* I think Scott Pioli is a coward for not firing Romeo Crennel after the Chargers game. It’s clear that Romeo doesn’t have the Chiefs ready to play from an emotional or strategic standpoint. With Pioli’s job on the line he doesn’t want to have to admit that he screwed up again with his coaching hire only eight games into Romeo’s official tenure. Much like his insistence on sticking with Cassel, his decision to keep Romeo has more to do with him not wanting to admit he made a mistake than it does with doing what is best for the Chiefs. This is absolutely a fireable offense.
* If I was ranking the Chiefs head coaches since Marty left, I think I would go Vermeil, Haley, Edwards, Cunningham, and then Romeo. It’s a pretty pathetic group overall, but here’s my thinking. Vermeil had the best overall record and the Chiefs had a 13-3 season under him. His offense was amazing. Haley was absolutely crazy, his preseason plan last year was a disaster, and his offensive coordinator situation was even worse. That having been said, it’s clear that his ability to push players and hold them accountable is sorely missed this season. If he’s learned his lesson on not going “off his rocker” quite so much I think he could still be a good NFL head coach if given another chance. Edwards was a mess but I respect his ability to spot talent. At least he left the roster with a lot of future Pro Bowlers. Cunningham was just as crazy as Haley, but without the results. Then we have Romeo, who has shown no ability to motivate, lead, or devise a winning game plan whatsoever. At this point I can’t think of one positive quality that he brings to the Chiefs as a head coach.
* Question: If Clark Hunt had backed Todd Haley in the Haley/Pioli feud and fired Pioli last season instead, would the Chiefs be better off right now?
* I’m not a diehard K-State fan, but I have watched a few of their games this year and I’ve come away very jealous of how well coached they are. That team never comes out not ready to play. Even more impressive is how the coaching staff makes adjustments as the game goes on. K-State rarely blows a team out early on, instead they feel the other team out. They see what they are doing well and what they are struggling with and then the coaching staff adjusts what they are doing to stop them and take advantage of their holes. The result is a team that usually dominates in the second half. The KC coaches haven’t figured out how to do this. I REALLY hope that the staff next year can motivate, game plan, and make adjustments in-game. This year’s staff is 0 for 3 in those departments.
* I’ve begun turning my attention to the first round QB prospects for next year’s NFL draft as a way to get my mind off this year’s team. As excited about Geno Smith as I was a month ago, I am equally concerned now. I’ve mentioned before that I felt like he just accepted defeat in the K-State game and sulked around on the sideline. What really worries me though is his numbers the last three games. He started the year against a Division II school and four Division I teams that had an average defensive ranking of 82.5. In those games he averaged 399 yards, 81.4 percent completion percentage, 9.8 YPA, with 24 TDs and zero INTs. However, since then he’s played three teams that have an average defensive ranking of 25.3 and has averaged 227 yards, 58.5 percent completion percentage, 4.8 YPA, with five TDs and three INTs. 227 yards/game, 58.5 percent, and 4.8 YPA in a pass-heavy college spread offense with two NFL caliber WRs is REALLY bad. If he can’t put up better numbers than that against good college defenses, then what is he going to do against NFL caliber ones?
* Finally, after spending some time on YouTube looking at the college QBs, I stumbled across some post game interviews that got me thinking. The Chiefs are a HORRIBLE football team. Assuming the Chiefs do draft a first-round QB, they are probably going to go through some struggles as this team tries to break free of its losing ways. So KC is going to need a QB that can handle losing, handle adversity, and really lead this team. So I’ll leave you with a video I put together showing all three first-round QB prospects after key losses this season. You can judge for yourself who you would like leading your favorite team.