Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs have a big problem and no idea how to solve it.

Eleazar · 11-28-2017, 01:04 PM

What we learned (and didn't learn) in Week 12 of NFL

Dan Graziano
ESPN Staff Writer

The Kansas City Chiefs have a big problem and no idea how to solve it.

Their offense -- which dominated the NFL with explosive plays and creative concepts through the first five weeks of the season -- has stopped working. Kansas City gained 236 total yards in Sunday's 16-10 home loss to the Buffalo Bills. This just one week after losing to the New York Giants.

You don't want to lose to the Giants. The only other team to lose to the Giants this season is the Denver Broncos, who did it in Week 6 and haven't won since. It's possible that a loss to the Giants is to a team's 2017 season what Mrs. O'Leary's cow was to 1871 Chicago. We'll find out when and if the Chiefs get this thing turned back around.

The question is whether they can. Kansas City's offensive struggles aren't rooted in injury or personnel deficiencies or even in Alex Smith, really. The root of the Chiefs' current issue is that opponents keep defending them the same way, and they can't overcome it.

The Bills kept both safeties deep for much of Sunday's game, allowing the Kansas City offense to unfold in front of their defense and reacting accordingly to cut off the big play. Cover 2 isn't the most common of looks for the 2017 Bills, but it's an awfully common one for the Chiefs' opponents over the past two months.

"We've played some teams that show a very low percentage of Cover 2 in their other games and then they've popped to that against us," Chiefs right tackle Mitchell Schwartz said. "We have Cover 2 beaters, but conversely, if they're in Cover 2, that should open up our run game. So we need to run the ball better somehow."

Schwartz and the offensive line are taking this on themselves, shouldering the blame for the rut in which the running game finds itself. Schwartz pointed to what he described as "next-gen stats" that show how much room running back Kareem Hunt had to run early in the year vs. lately. In the first five weeks of the season, Hunt averaged 3.88 yards per carry before first contact -- the third-best figure in the NFL over that time. In Weeks 6-12, he has averaged 1.37 yards per carry before first contact -- the 41st-best figure in the league over that time.

Good for the line for taking the blame, but a lot of this is the ability of opponents to take away big plays. During the Chiefs' 5-0 start, Hunt and Tyreek Hill were lining up in all kinds of zany formations and confusing defenses with their speed and the types of plays the Chiefs were running. Andy Reid was Jean Girard to the rest of the league's Ricky Bobby -- sipping a macchiato and reading French literature while still driving his race car too fast for anyone else to catch. Problem is, he got caught, and he can't seem to catch back up.

"Just limited the big plays," Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White said after Sunday's game, as if it had been that simple all along. "A guy like Hill, they want to get him the ball in space and get him over the top. We did a great job of keeping him in front of us."

The Chiefs understand the problem. After the loss to the Giants, tight end Travis Kelce said, "Teams are running Cover 2. Until we can beat Cover 2, we're going to struggle."

But that's crazy, right? It's not as if Cover 2 was invented this year. Teams see it -- and beat it -- somewhat routinely. When you have offensive weapons the caliber of Hunt, Hill and Kelce, you should be able to figure out a way to beat it. That's why the calls to replace Smith with raw rookie first-round pick Patrick Mahomes at quarterback are too simplistic. Sure, you can make the case that the team "needs a spark" and that Mahomes might provide one. But the issue here is that Reid's offensive design has taken a punch and hasn't regained its footing yet.

Every NFL team encounters problems during the season. The teams that find ways to fight through and overcome them are the ones that win. The teams that don't are the ones that lose. Minnesota was 5-0 last season but went on to miss the playoffs. It happens. The Chiefs are still in first place in the AFC West, but they're far from home free. The Raiders and Chargers are each a game behind, and the Raiders already beat the Chiefs once. The Chargers, who started 0-4, have the look of a bully who can rough you up with elite edge rushers and slice you up with a still-game Philip Rivers, the best quarterback in the division.

The good news for the Chiefs is that they know exactly what the problem is, and exactly how teams are going to continue to try to make it worse. The bad news is that they've had time to fix it but haven't. Which makes you wonder whether they can. Kansas City has the time, it has the information and it has the players. It's up to the Chiefs' coaching staff to muster a counterpunch before it's too late.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/2...akness-stop-it

Hammock Parties · 11-28-2017, 01:06 PM

Quote:

"We've played some teams that show a very low percentage of Cover 2 in their other games and then they've popped to that against us," Chiefs right tackle Mitchell Schwartz said. "We have Cover 2 beaters

So Kelce and Schwartz basically saying the same thing.

TLO · 11-28-2017, 01:07 PM

I'll need to hear Geoff's take on this before I react.

BlackHelicopters · 11-28-2017, 01:07 PM

Heh.
......before it’s too late.......

Eleazar · 11-28-2017, 01:09 PM

Coaching

L.A. Chieffan · 11-28-2017, 01:11 PM

We have a pretty good idea...

arrwheader · 11-28-2017, 01:15 PM

This Chiefs team is dead. After the Giants loss they lost all heart and confidence. They got embarrassed again at home and it only got worse. If losing to the giants didn't light a fire then there's no way losing to the bills did.

The Chiefs suck and they can win this week and next and I still will feel the same. We lost to the Giants LOL to that ****ing macadoo reerun and to the Bills who suck just a little less than the Giants. Suck all around. No fire, care, or urgency. This team is done.

**Ragged Robin** · 11-28-2017, 01:18 PM

Quote:

The Kansas City Chiefs have a big problem and no idea how to solve it.

no shit

L.A. Chieffan · 11-28-2017, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arrwheader

This Chiefs team is dead. After the Giants loss they lost all heart and confidence. They got embarrassed again at home and it only got worse. If losing to the giants didn't light a fire then there's no way losing to the bills did.

The Chiefs suck and they can win this week and next and I still will feel the same. We lost to the Giants LOL to that ****ing macadoo reerun and to the Bills who suck just a little less than the Giants. Suck all around. No fire, care, or urgency. This team is done.

arrwheader is Randy Quaid once he sees PMII warming up on sidelines.

arrwheader · 11-28-2017, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L.A. Chieffan

arrwheader is Randy Quaid once he sees PMII warming up on sidelines.

HAHA! Oh for sure.

Hog's Gone Fishin · 11-28-2017, 01:32 PM

Has anybody ever considered looking at tape of Alex Smith to check and see if he's missing any open receivers ?

Black Bob · 11-28-2017, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog's Gone Fishin

Has anybody ever considered looking at tape of Alex Smith to check and see if he's missing any open receivers ?

Never

PAChiefsGuy · 11-28-2017, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog's Gone Fishin

Has anybody ever considered looking at tape of Alex Smith to check and see if he's missing any open receivers ?

Have any of you football geniuses thought of looking at the tape and focusing on problems other than the QB? Or realizing that we don't know what Smitty's 1st and 2nd reads are?

Hmmmmm.

Molitoth · 11-28-2017, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy

Have any of you football geniuses thought of looking at the tape and focusing on problems other than the QB? Or realizing that we don't know what Matty's 1st and 2nd reads are?

Hmmmmm.

Same Excuses, different season.

Fish · 11-28-2017, 01:57 PM

Quote:

It's possible that a loss to the Giants is to a team's 2017 season what Mrs. O'Leary's cow was to 1871 Chicago.

Andy Reid was Jean Girard to the rest of the league's Ricky Bobby -- sipping a macchiato and reading French literature while still driving his race car too fast for anyone else to catch. Problem is, he got caught, and he can't seem to catch back up.

What's with these bizarre analogies?

11-28-2017, 01:04 PM
Eleazar Beyond the Rapids Join Date: May 2003 Location: Langley, VA Casino cash: $-370000	The Kansas City Chiefs have a big problem and no idea how to solve it. What we learned (and didn't learn) in Week 12 of NFL Dan Graziano ESPN Staff Writer The Kansas City Chiefs have a big problem and no idea how to solve it. Their offense -- which dominated the NFL with explosive plays and creative concepts through the first five weeks of the season -- has stopped working. Kansas City gained 236 total yards in Sunday's 16-10 home loss to the Buffalo Bills. This just one week after losing to the New York Giants. You don't want to lose to the Giants. The only other team to lose to the Giants this season is the Denver Broncos, who did it in Week 6 and haven't won since. It's possible that a loss to the Giants is to a team's 2017 season what Mrs. O'Leary's cow was to 1871 Chicago. We'll find out when and if the Chiefs get this thing turned back around. The question is whether they can. Kansas City's offensive struggles aren't rooted in injury or personnel deficiencies or even in Alex Smith, really. The root of the Chiefs' current issue is that opponents keep defending them the same way, and they can't overcome it. The Bills kept both safeties deep for much of Sunday's game, allowing the Kansas City offense to unfold in front of their defense and reacting accordingly to cut off the big play. Cover 2 isn't the most common of looks for the 2017 Bills, but it's an awfully common one for the Chiefs' opponents over the past two months. "We've played some teams that show a very low percentage of Cover 2 in their other games and then they've popped to that against us," Chiefs right tackle Mitchell Schwartz said. "We have Cover 2 beaters, but conversely, if they're in Cover 2, that should open up our run game. So we need to run the ball better somehow." Schwartz and the offensive line are taking this on themselves, shouldering the blame for the rut in which the running game finds itself. Schwartz pointed to what he described as "next-gen stats" that show how much room running back Kareem Hunt had to run early in the year vs. lately. In the first five weeks of the season, Hunt averaged 3.88 yards per carry before first contact -- the third-best figure in the NFL over that time. In Weeks 6-12, he has averaged 1.37 yards per carry before first contact -- the 41st-best figure in the league over that time. Good for the line for taking the blame, but a lot of this is the ability of opponents to take away big plays. During the Chiefs' 5-0 start, Hunt and Tyreek Hill were lining up in all kinds of zany formations and confusing defenses with their speed and the types of plays the Chiefs were running. Andy Reid was Jean Girard to the rest of the league's Ricky Bobby -- sipping a macchiato and reading French literature while still driving his race car too fast for anyone else to catch. Problem is, he got caught, and he can't seem to catch back up. "Just limited the big plays," Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White said after Sunday's game, as if it had been that simple all along. "A guy like Hill, they want to get him the ball in space and get him over the top. We did a great job of keeping him in front of us." The Chiefs understand the problem. After the loss to the Giants, tight end Travis Kelce said, "Teams are running Cover 2. Until we can beat Cover 2, we're going to struggle." But that's crazy, right? It's not as if Cover 2 was invented this year. Teams see it -- and beat it -- somewhat routinely. When you have offensive weapons the caliber of Hunt, Hill and Kelce, you should be able to figure out a way to beat it. That's why the calls to replace Smith with raw rookie first-round pick Patrick Mahomes at quarterback are too simplistic. Sure, you can make the case that the team "needs a spark" and that Mahomes might provide one. But the issue here is that Reid's offensive design has taken a punch and hasn't regained its footing yet. Every NFL team encounters problems during the season. The teams that find ways to fight through and overcome them are the ones that win. The teams that don't are the ones that lose. Minnesota was 5-0 last season but went on to miss the playoffs. It happens. The Chiefs are still in first place in the AFC West, but they're far from home free. The Raiders and Chargers are each a game behind, and the Raiders already beat the Chiefs once. The Chargers, who started 0-4, have the look of a bully who can rough you up with elite edge rushers and slice you up with a still-game Philip Rivers, the best quarterback in the division. The good news for the Chiefs is that they know exactly what the problem is, and exactly how teams are going to continue to try to make it worse. The bad news is that they've had time to fix it but haven't. Which makes you wonder whether they can. Kansas City has the time, it has the information and it has the players. It's up to the Chiefs' coaching staff to muster a counterpunch before it's too late. http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/2...akness-stop-it
Posts: 80,659

11-28-2017, 01:07 PM	#3
TLO Life is changing.. Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: NW Missouri Casino cash: $1634900	I'll need to hear Geoff's take on this before I react.
Posts: 39,085

11-28-2017, 01:07 PM	#4
BlackHelicopters Spiraling down the Drain Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Dante's Ninth Circle Casino cash: $2450588	Heh. ......before it’s too late....... __________________ "We're both part of the same hypocrisy, Senator, but never think it applies to my family." "Fredo. You are my brother, and I love you. But never take sides against the Family again. Ever." 2019 Adopt a Chief - Travis Kelce #87
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11-28-2017, 01:09 PM	#5
Eleazar Beyond the Rapids Join Date: May 2003 Location: Langley, VA Casino cash: $-370000	Coaching
Posts: 80,659

11-28-2017, 01:11 PM	#6
L.A. Chieffan PLAY GOOD FOOTBALL Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: American Gardens Building Casino cash: $3958654	We have a pretty good idea...
Posts: 17,368

11-28-2017, 01:15 PM	#7
arrwheader Veteran Join Date: Dec 2011 Casino cash: $2926613	This Chiefs team is dead. After the Giants loss they lost all heart and confidence. They got embarrassed again at home and it only got worse. If losing to the giants didn't light a fire then there's no way losing to the bills did. The Chiefs suck and they can win this week and next and I still will feel the same. We lost to the Giants LOL to that ****ing macadoo reerun and to the Bills who suck just a little less than the Giants. Suck all around. No fire, care, or urgency. This team is done.
Posts: 3,477

11-28-2017, 01:32 PM	#11
Hog's Gone Fishin Fish are scared of me Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $1440477	Has anybody ever considered looking at tape of Alex Smith to check and see if he's missing any open receivers ?
Posts: 40,392	1 0