Originally Posted by milkman (Post 10430027)

I hope it gets done this offseason, and he continues the growth he shoed over the last half of last season.

If he continues to grow next season and this doesn't get done before that, he becomes more costly.

Originally Posted by npayne1978 (Post 10430115)

I thought it was an absolute perfect throw. How many times throughout the years have we seen Chiefs QB's either under-throw or over-throw that exact play? Yeah Avery burnt the DB but Alex hooked it up.

Originally Posted by BWillie (Post 10430068)

Why? Franchise tag him for two years after this year. No reason to give him a new contract right now. Call it good.

If anybody should be in talks for a new contract, it should be Jamaal Charles.

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho (Post 10430100)

I continue to be amazed that people praise Alex Smith so much for this play.

He did his job on this play and delivered the throw ... but you SHOULD expect ANY NFL QB to make that throw when his WR has toasted the defender by 5-6 steps.

The great part of this play was Avery toasting the DB, not the delivery of the ball.

That's a throw ANY competent NFL QB makes (and before you reference Matt Cassel, remember I said COMPETENT).

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho (Post 10430100)

I continue to be amazed that people praise Alex Smith so much for this play.

He did his job on this play and delivered the throw ... but you SHOULD expect ANY NFL QB to make that throw when his WR has toasted the defender by 5-6 steps.

The great part of this play was Avery toasting the DB, not the delivery of the ball.

That's a throw ANY competent NFL QB makes (and before you reference Matt Cassel, remember I said COMPETENT).

Originally Posted by Jakemall (Post 10430146)

It is a good play on Alex's part by making the defender miss him while keeping his eyes down field and putting the pass where it is supposed to be.

But you're right..it isn't an amazing pass...it is a great play though.

Originally Posted by 3rd&48ers (Post 10430152)

Smiff is a damn good QB... Alot better than I thought he would be...

Pay him, I would take him as the Raiders QB

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho (Post 10430134)

He made a lot of great plays in that game. And a lot of plays he was criticized (by me, by others, by people in san Francisco) for NOT trying to make in the past. The nice TD throw to Knile Davis, the Favre-esque flip to Sherman, stand out in that regard.

I just think it's odd that people look at that throw and think it's a "great play" ... when the guy he's throwing to is SO wide open, any QB in the NFL should be able to hit him for a TD. Making throws to guys with 2-3+ steps downfield and no safety help behind them has never been a criticism of Alex.

I've got no problem with extending Alex Smith. It makes sense. I think the money, years, and structure of the contract are important, because the Chiefs have to UPGRADE the talent on both sides of the ball around him to get where we all want to see them go.

I'm optimistic about his growth and future here, but still cautiously optimistic in that regard. His play from the Chargers game on was solidly top half of the NFL QB play. Still not elite, but in that next range.

Would love to see that play out over a full season, because it's good for my team. Just not completely sold on a 6-game sample size.

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho (Post 10430154)

Sure. A good play. But a play any decent NFL starter should be able to make. Take two steps up in the pocket while keeping the eyes downfield and making a throw to a guy who has 5 steps.

I'm not saying it's a "nothing" play. Just that Chiefs fans - because they haven't seen it very often - think that play is more special than it was. When it really should be a play any NFL starting QB can accomplish.

Originally Posted by scott free (Post 10430160)

Top QB's miss that throw all of the time, Brady alone missed atleast a dozen like that this year... see NPaynes post above, yes Avery got open but it means nothing if Smith doesn't lay out a perfect pass.

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho (Post 10430144)

We've seen it a lot, because the Chiefs have had sub-standard QB for nearly a decade. Ever since Green was concussed, basically. And had sub-standard QB play for the better part of a decade before that (Montana retirement through trading for Green).

KC being a QB wasteland for most of the past two decades seems to blind some folks to what even an average NFL QB should be able to accomplish.

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho (Post 10430174)

I'll put it this way: If Alex Smith is a college QB who misses that throw, and he's being evaluated for the NFL draft, he would get ripped apart by draft analysts for missing it.

Especially the hallowed Mike Mayock, whom I've seen freak out about just such a play SEVERAL times over the years.

I once heard Russ Lande (whom I don't think is that great but used to work with) sum it up really well: "If a QB can't hit a guy in stride when he's got more than 2 steps on the defender, he has not business calling himself a QB in the NFL."

Yeah, sometimes guys miss throws. But when they do, it is freak-out time (and deservedly so).