Originally Posted by Sandy Cheeks (Post 10350048)

lots of crashing and burning in there... but this isn't the time to mock them.. :(

Originally Posted by The Rick (Post 10350064)

True. Not trying to mock anyone, but perhaps I should have waited a little longer for some more of the hurt we're all experiencing to wear off from such a disappointing end to the season. This one, for me, hurt worse than any of the others due to the injuries and the "what if". :(

What if Charles hadn't gotten hurt...
What if Flowers hadn't gotten hurt...

:huh:

Originally Posted by l4z4rd (Post 10350079)

and Avery and Davis.

Originally Posted by The Rick (Post 10350136)

Yes, they all hurt, but I think Charles and Flowers going down were the real killers...

Originally Posted by TEX (Post 10349186)

WTF was wrong with that field? I know its turf and its not as forgiving as natural grass, but it seemed to be a lot harder than normal. Maybe it had something to do with the freezing conditions outside. Ill be curious to see if the Chiefs say anything about it...

Originally Posted by The Rick (Post 10350034)

My oh my how opinions can change... :)

http://chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=270488

As for me, Smith exceeded my expectations. I think it turned out to be a good trade. Great, clutch performance on Saturday, especially with Charles out.

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho (Post 10349118)

My opinion has changed, too.

I didn't think Alex Smith had in him what we saw yesterday. It's not about protecting the ball or hitting wide open guys (like the Avery throw - as Mike Mayock would say, every starting NFL QB should hit wide open guys in the middle of the field). It was the ability to take risks and make throws into tighter spots that really surprised me. He has not always shown that ability or willingness, even in San Francisco, except when his back was to the wall. The shovel pass to Sherman, the scramble pass to Knile Davis... not always plays he would have made.

I don't think you can say Jamaal Charles being out hurt them through getting to 38 points. The offense was operating so well, it's hard to see Charles making much difference.

In the third quarter, though, when the offense disappeared after the Luck turnover? Sure that Charles would have helped there.

The fumble, then back-to-back 3 and outs (with the second one producing 3 points because of field position after a pick), were pretty critical to the comeback. Turn the 3 into 7, and I'm pretty sure the comeback stalls out.

This truly is a team loss, though. The Chiefs needed someone to step up and close the door and couldn't get it done.

The defense, even as poorly as it played in the 2nd half, still set up 17 points for the offense with turnovers/short fields.

Alex Smith, even as well as he played, couldn't quite out-duel Luck in crunch time. He still had a costly grounding penalty and couldn't make the perfect throw (it was OK, but not great) with Bowe on the do or die play.

Dwayne Bowe had a huge game but couldn't make the exceptional play on the do or die play.

Andy Reid's (offensive) staff coached a really great game... but the quick burning of timeouts in the 2nd half turned the 4th and 11 into 4th and the season.

I have more faith in Smith at this point than I have all season. I still wouldn't want to see him get an extension that pays him Flacco money - not after going 0-6 against the 6 good teams he played - but a modest extension (something in the $15 million/per range, and that is easy to walk away from in 2-3 years) would not see any wailing on my part.

That was not the case before Saturday.

Originally Posted by Molitoth (Post 10346910)

Alex was garbage the first half of the season.

Whether or not that was HIS fault for playing Scared, or Reids fault for putting him on a leash, I do not know.

What I do know is that the last couple of months he has been playing well enough compete in the playoffs and he has earned my respect before I blindly gave it to him.
Next year will be a better eye test fore he will be playing tougher competition.

So far so good for Alex Smith.

My hatred is for Bob Sutton.

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho (Post 10349118)

My opinion has changed, too.

I didn't think Alex Smith had in him what we saw yesterday. It's not about protecting the ball or hitting wide open guys (like the Avery throw - as Mike Mayock would say, every starting NFL QB should hit wide open guys in the middle of the field). It was the ability to take risks and make throws into tighter spots that really surprised me. He has not always shown that ability or willingness, even in San Francisco, except when his back was to the wall. The shovel pass to Sherman, the scramble pass to Knile Davis... not always plays he would have made.

I don't think you can say Jamaal Charles being out hurt them through getting to 38 points. The offense was operating so well, it's hard to see Charles making much difference.

In the third quarter, though, when the offense disappeared after the Luck turnover? Sure that Charles would have helped there.

The fumble, then back-to-back 3 and outs (with the second one producing 3 points because of field position after a pick), were pretty critical to the comeback. Turn the 3 into 7, and I'm pretty sure the comeback stalls out.

This truly is a team loss, though. The Chiefs needed someone to step up and close the door and couldn't get it done.

The defense, even as poorly as it played in the 2nd half, still set up 17 points for the offense with turnovers/short fields.

Alex Smith, even as well as he played, couldn't quite out-duel Luck in crunch time. He still had a costly grounding penalty and couldn't make the perfect throw (it was OK, but not great) with Bowe on the do or die play.

Dwayne Bowe had a huge game but couldn't make the exceptional play on the do or die play.

Andy Reid's (offensive) staff coached a really great game... but the quick burning of timeouts in the 2nd half turned the 4th and 11 into 4th and the season.

I have more faith in Smith at this point than I have all season. I still wouldn't want to see him get an extension that pays him Flacco money - not after going 0-6 against the 6 good teams he played - but a modest extension (something in the $15 million/per range, and that is easy to walk away from in 2-3 years) would not see any wailing on my part.

That was not the case before Saturday.

Originally Posted by Kaepernick (Post 10350287)

Alex's college coach said Alex has to master a system before he performs well in it. He is not comfortable until he knows every single aspect of a new system, then he shows a complete grasp of it. Somit was mostly just learning a new system from Andy Reid. Familiar, but still new. Alex should be good right out of the gate next year. He really is a solid middle ranked starting QB, better than about half the starters out there.

And I was serious to say I would take Alex over Romo or Cutler. Alex is unlikely to make the crippling mental error at the crucial time.

Originally Posted by Mavericks Ace (Post 10350308)

I think a lot of you are going to be in for a shock when and if he gets an extension, that it is only modestly more than what he is making now.

I don't think he gets anywhere near 15. 12 would probably be my max.