KaDo's to Andy Reid

[Meatloaf]

Ok, let me start by admitting that I think Andy Reid is a very good NFL football coach. So, most likely, my bias in evaluating Reid is to be overly positive. I beg indulgences as I proceed...

Here's the deal, Reid guided the Chiefs to a 12-4 regular season record. That, my friends, is hard to ignore. Especially when considering the amount of first stringers we had sitting on the trainer's table this year (eg. Houston, Charles, Mauga, Bailey, Howard, etc.). I sat in Arrowhead throughout the 70s watching coach after coach after coach post losing records -- 12-4 wasn't even a dream back then. Yet Reid accomplished that in year 4 (after prior good seasons too).

Add to that, that his current QB of choice is Alex Smith, and the record becomes even more remarkable.

Of course, the kicker in all of this is that he got kicked in the butt in our home field playoff game. And yeah, short of an untimely holding call, a bunch of dropped passes, some missed receivers, etc, the Chiefs still almost pulled out a win. But, he still lost a home playoff game and many of the CP nation will not let that go unpunished. Ergo, Reid sucks, he'll never win the Big One, etc.

In my mind, Reid knows more about football than I do about my little finger. The guy has been a winner in Philly and in KC. He's won with the likes of McNabb, Vick, Foles and Smith. Simply put, the guy clearly understands what it takes to win in the NFL. Let's not crucify him because he doesn't have Brady, Rothlisberger, or Rodgers. Currently, he's doing this with Alex Smith, for goodness sakes!

Do we really think that he doesn't understand what he has (and doesn't have) with Smith? The guy lives, breathes, eats, shits, (and eats some more) about football. Think he doesn't review game film? Think he doesn't know Smith's deficiencies (and strengths)? C'mon, he ain't no dummy. Of course he does.

So what's this mean? Well, for one, I think Reid knows full well that the best (if not only) way for this team to win is to muddy up the game. Not let the opposition get into any rhythm. And then, by hook/crook, coax a score from the defense or special teams and hold on for dear life. Pretty? Nope. Effective? Well, 12-4 suggests that it certainly was this year.

Consider too that we accompished all this with a fellow by the name of Spencer Ware as our primary runner, did not have 2 of 3 starting DL for most of the year, did not have 2 of 4 starting LBs for most of the year, had an extremely young OL, a receiving corp that drops passes like they're hot rocks, a QB that has very limited field vision, etc, etc, etc. Of course I guess you could suggest that some of these items are the result of poor coaching, but methinks that with serious reflection, that's just not the case. This team simpy has some deficiencies that cannot be overcome with coaching. That said, the 12-4 record suggests that a whole lot of said deficiency was overcome.

So, where does this lead us? Well, for one, Andy Reid can challenge himself to make some key changes in efforts to further improve the team. This crap about "I'm taking responsibility for this" and "it's my responsibility to get the guys in the right place" is only so much crap unless true change occurs. If Reid is half the coach that I think he is, we should see some pretty interesting changes next year. Of course, if he's another bullheaded German "Marty" type, we ain't gonna see anything change come hell or high water.

In sum, kado's to Coach Reid on a really great year. Now, let's see some demonstrable change so as to further improve the proficiency of our Chiefs team. Anything less, and I'm gonna retract my kado's and turn into the biggest Reid-basher on The Planet. Don't make me do it!