Thoughts about today's game

[Zouk]

1) Everyone (including me) thought it was obvious that Damion McIntosh had to be benched. But Herm and Chan stood their ground that the O-line needed to play together and would get better. Over the last 3 weeks against good defenses the pass blocking for Thigpen has been outstanding. Branden Albert is playing great for a rookie who has never played the position before, and McIntosh and Jones have been doing a good job on the right side. None of this passing offense could be happening if the line continued to play like it did in the 1st 4 or 5 games.

2) This was the defense for most of the 2nd half of the game:

DE: Brian Johnston
DE: Wallace Gilberry
DT: Glenn Dorsey
DT: Tank Tyler
WLB: Rocky Boiman
MLB: Weston Dacus
SLB: Donnie Edwards
CB: Brandon Carr
CB: Maurice Leggett
SS: Bernard Pollard
FS: Jon McGraw

That's rookies from Valdosta St, Grand Valley St, Gardner Webb, another undrafted rookie, and 2 guys from off the street. The fact that the Chiefs were even close is amazing.

3) 14 rookies played today. That's 1 out of every 3 Chief players. And it doesn't even include Tyler Thigpen.

4) About Thigpen - it's obvious that Dick Curl ruins young QBs. If Thigpen was on another team he would be so much better by now. Still, his turnaround is the most surprising thing I've seen on the Chiefs in a long time.

5) This team will be really good next year if Thigpen is not a mirage. The young guys playing together will continue to get better. I would bring in a guy like Matt Cassel to compete with Thigpen, draft a pass rusher (Orakpo) in the top 10, and get another playmaker that fits our new offense (say Derrick Williams from Penn St. at the top of Round 2). And definitely a new special teams coach. But the team is really not that far off in my opinion.

[blueballs]

if people can get past the winning and losing
there is a lot to be encouraged by
with improvements player wise

[DRU]

on the missed pat we had, am i the only one that seems to think I heard a whistle and about half the offense and half the defense kinda stopped and everybody was a little confused..?? I wasn't able to rewind or anything but I could have sworn I heard a whistle and then it was a very "confused" play all together including the bad snap.

Nobody mentioned anything that, though, and I haven't seen anything about it here either. Was I tripping?

[TrickyNicky]

Originally Posted by DRU

on the missed pat we had, am i the only one that seems to think I heard a whistle and about half the offense and half the defense kinda stopped and everybody was a little confused..?? I wasn't able to rewind or anything but I could have sworn I heard a whistle and then it was a very "confused" play all together including the bad snap.

Nobody mentioned anything that, though, and I haven't seen anything about it here either. Was I tripping?

My Brother mentioned that as we were watching the game (on tv). I didn't hear it though, but he was sure of it.

[milkman]

Damion McIntosh and Adrian Jones haven't improved.

Their poor play has been masked by Thigpen's mobility, his quick decisions, and good decision making, combined with more creative play calling.

They still suck.

The Chiefs are just hiding it better.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by milkman

Damion McIntosh and Adrian Jones haven't improved.

Their poor play has been masked by Thigpen's mobility, his quick decisions, and good decision making, combined with more creative play calling.

They still suck.

The Chiefs are just hiding it better.

This.

If we went back to a QB under center, run RRPP offense, the right side will just as bad as it did at the beginning of the season. Spread makes it easier to pass block.

[Zouk]

Originally Posted by cdcox

Spread makes it easier to pass block.

I'm curious why you think this is true. I thought the story was that the spread can't be used as a base offense in the NFL because the rushers will overwhelm the protection and the DBs can sit on the short stuff behind pressure and force picks off hot throws.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by Zouk

I'm curious why you think this is true. I thought the story was that the spread can't be used as a base offense in the NFL because the rushers will overwhelm the protection and the DBs can sit on the short stuff behind pressure and force picks off hot throws.

In the spread, the QB is supposed to take the snap, take a 3 steps straight back and unload. The QB is deeper on a 3-step shotgun drop than a 7-step under center drop. The defender has to get 8 yards up field in a very short time period to get to the QB. This necessitates taking a relatively short path. A short path necessitates a more predictable path, thus leaving the OL less territory to protect.

In contrast with the QB under center, the distance between the QB and DE is shorter, which opens up additional pathways. Plus it is more likely that the interior push will provide pressure when the QB is under center, getting the QB to make a move that the DE can see, but the OL can't. In the spread, the OL knows where his QB is. Makes pass blocking a lot easier.

Finally if the DE breaks free from the OL there is more space for the QB to scramble. Fewer sacks happen, and the fans assume the pass blocking must be better.

I am not a proponent of too many short throws, but that is another subject.

[Zouk]

Originally Posted by cdcox

In the spread, the QB is supposed to take the snap, take a 3 steps straight back and unload. The QB is deeper on a 3-step shotgun drop than a 7-step under center drop. The defender has to get 8 yards up field in a very short time period to get to the QB. This necessitates taking a relatively short path. A short path necessitates a more predictable path, thus leaving the OL less territory to protect.

You totally left out the factor of backs and tight ends to help and chip. The spread is widely acknowledged to leave the QB exposed - that's why it includes all those screens and misdirection runs to slow rushers. Sounds like you're pining for the run n shoot, which was basically 5 wide and deep route combinations. Buddy Ryan would choke you.

[suds79]

Originally Posted by milkman

Damion McIntosh and Adrian Jones haven't improved.

Their poor play has been masked by Thigpen's mobility, his quick decisions, and good decision making, combined with more creative play calling.

They still suck.

The Chiefs are just hiding it better.

Yep.

I've seen enough of McIntosh to be able to surely say he isn't a quality starting O-Tackle.

Jones & Rudy (can't handle the big DTs) arn't much better IMO.

[BigRock]

Originally Posted by milkman

Damion McIntosh and Adrian Jones haven't improved.

Their poor play has been masked by Thigpen's mobility, his quick decisions, and good decision making, combined with more creative play calling.

They still suck.

The Chiefs are just hiding it better.

This is true on pass protection. It doesn't explain how the offensive line helped open up a running game that went for, I don't remember, like 150 yards against Tampa last week, though.

But there wasn't much on the ground today, so there's no point dwelling on that issue until they prove it wasn't a fluke.

[TrickyNicky]

Agreed. The players haven't given up, that's for sure.

And if we go through next the offseason without bringing in or drafting some new LB's its going to be ugly again.

[blueballs]

I thought Thigpen staying in the pocket and taking hits
then delivering the ball was huge
running has got to be a strong -and acceptable in his case -option

[Zouk]

Thigpen's pocket presence has been incredible - but I maintain that McIntosh has really improved a lot.

After the Jets game I thought we just caught them off guard with the spread but that Thigpen's really not a legit NFL QB.

After the Bucs game I got a little excited but thought that it was mostly trick plays and catching the Bucs on a day they were looking ahead to their bye.

Tonight after this game and that drive at the end is the first time that I am really starting to believe this may be real. It's pretty exciting, and I'm glad we have 7 more games to really figure this guy out.

[ncCHIEFfan]

I was let down but still exited through out the game! Can't wait until we get everything working