Gretz talks to Gunther (and Chan)
 

New Visions For These Coaching Veterans
Nov 14, 2008, 8:58:35 AM by Bob Gretz

Gunther Cunningham has been coaching since 1969. This is his 40th consecutive year in the business. Chan Gailey has been coaching football since 1974. This is his 35th consecutive year in the game.

These two veteran coordinators are living through a season that neither one has seen before. They knew the season would be different because of the youth of this year’s edition of the Chiefs. It was a rebuilding mode and one that both men embraced.

But then Gailey’s offense got hit with injuries early. Last week’s game in San Diego was the first time the Chiefs had the same starting quarterback for three consecutive games this season. We won’t even talk about the revolving door at running back from Larry Johnson, to Kolby Smith, to Jamaal Charles, to Dantrell Savage.

Now, Cunningham’s defensive lineup has been torn apart by the injury bug. Players are coming off the street on Wednesday and playing as the nickel back on Sunday. Coming up against New Orleans on Sunday, there will be new starters at defensive end, two at linebacker and at least one in the secondary, maybe two.

Though the defense is now ranked No. 32 and will host the No. 1 offense in the league in New Orleans on Sunday, Cunningham sees improvement.

“These guys are starting to gain confidence and with these young guys, these first and second year players, when they get confident, this is going to be a really good defense,” Cunningham said.

“The things that I don’t understand about this year, first of all, it’s seeing teams run on us on third down, third –and-10, plays like that. That’s never happened because teams don’t do that, yet we are getting some of that. The other thing is to be plus in the turnover ratio. I’ve never seen that as a 28-year (NFL) veteran coach, never seen a team with a losing record have that kind of turnover ratio. That’s impossible.”

Cunningham is well known for his intensity and in the past, his blistering barking has left veteran players melting in their spikes. But Cunningham has limited his tirades with this year’s club.

“I’m really proud of myself in that regard,” Cunningham said. “These guys are young and you can’t treat them like you would a veteran team. I told the players that the maturity of a young player takes about three years and I told them when I realized that was about three years ago. They all broke up and started laughing.

“I look out on the field every day at practice and Donnie Edwards is the only guy who knows what used to be here and where we are going. They are all young guys with great, great ability. What you need to do is make them understand the pro game. We went to the Jets to play them and Brett Favre has 18 years (experience), Tony Richardson has 14 years, Thomas Jones has 10 years. I looked at that and went ‘oh boy this is going to be fun.’ The 18-year vet got us in the end.

“There are times I get impatient, but I go back to these guys and how hard they are working and how hard they are playing, I see the improvement and that gets me up every day.

“I’ve been around a long time,” Cunningham added. “The people of Kansas City have to hold on. It’s going to happen and when it does, it’s not going to stop.”

Gailey is new to Arrowhead and it’s been a difficult first Kansas City season what with three different starting quarterbacks and three different starting running backs, and a tight end that wanted to be traded and an offensive line that is only now starting to come together and play good football.

“You have to be adaptable in this game,” Gailey said. “What was it a couple years ago when the Falcons and the Broncos were both in the Super Bowl (1998 season) and they had not lost a player all year to injury; that’s pretty unusual on one end. This has been pretty unusual on the other.

“From week-to-week we struggled to keep doing the things we were doing well and we struggled to improve what we weren’t doing well. Some weeks we looked good and some weeks we looked awful. If we can create a more consistent offense, that’s what I’m looking for. There are lots of reasons it’s happened and reasons become excuses if you let that happen. I don’t want to do that. We just have to become more consistent.”

There’s a certain amount of consistency that has come in the last three weeks. The Chiefs have put starting QB No. 3 Tyler Thigpen in the spread offense, operating out of the shotgun. It’s not what Herm Edwards or Gailey want to do, but it’s what they have to do with the players on hand.

“What you would like to be is a more pound it out, ball control offense, but that’s not what we are right now,” said Gailey. “I’m learning about who we are every week as well. Like the players, I’m learning something every week.”

Thigpen leads the learning curve and he’s done so well in weekly improvement that Gailey’s not sure what comes next.

“The next step is how far we can stake the stuff that he does well,” Gailey said. “That’s where we are now. He’s learning every week what he can do and we are learning every week what he can do. Where it goes from here, I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know. I’m as anxious as anybody to see where it takes us. But we are going to continue to develop these things that he does well. He’s good in the shotgun; he’s very comfortable with that. We’ve got to develop a running game out of that and we are working on that.”

And now Larry Johnson is ready to return, which he will this Sunday against New Orleans.

“If we are continuing to expand what we’ve done the last few weeks, then really Larry is going to have to learn to adjust to this stuff too,” said Gailey.

If a couple of guys with 75 years of coaching experience can adjust, then Larry Johnson can adjust.

http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2008/11...hing_veterans/

"Though the defense is now ranked No. 32 and will host the No. 1 offense in the league in New Orleans on Sunday, Cunningham sees improvement."



LMAO.

It hasnt Gun??

What about 04-07???

Hopefully you wont be around to see it. Buh Bye.

I love Gunther's fire, but it has to say something that he wasnt picked up as a DC after he got canned as HC here. So in the last decade the only position he's held higher than a linebackers coach is with our organization. Makes you wonder.

Damn it, didn't you hear? He was like Picasso in Tenn!

“What you would like to be is a more pound it out, ball control offense, but that’s not what we are right now,” said Gailey.

-- To Herm and Chan,
Hint: Just do what works. There's nothing wrong with a high flying, high scoring offense. It'll open up the running game.

Gunther Cunningham is a joke...

When Gunther is finally shown the door, this franchise will take about 5 steps forward.

if Gunther is gone at the end of the year,who would like to see brought in to replace him???

Its safe to say he doles out some pretty mean blowjobs...

Anybody.

Seriously.

Anybody.

You know how I know this Chiefs team is gay?

They have Gunther Cunningham as their defensive coordinator.

Rod Marinelli.

He's not a good head coach, but I've always thought he'd make a remarkable coordinator. He's right off the Monte Kiffin tree, and I know Herm likes him a lot.

Gun's a joke. The Chiefs mostly give up big yards because they can't tackle, and that is largely on Gun. And I can't even count on my hands how many times we've run a jailbreak blitz that leads to a big gain. Gailey has had crappy players and has made it work. GUn has had serviceable players over the past 5 years but constantly makes excuses as to why it didn't work.

The writings on the wall. While I understand, sometimes you do have to play ball control. Herm will revert back to his ways sooner, rather than later. I'm sick of his antiquated football.