Poor Preseason Puts Heat on Pioli, Cassel

[Hammock Parties]

Poor Preseason Puts Heat on Pioli, Cassel


Did the Chiefs seriously just complete another losing preseason?

If you’re keeping score at home, that’s 1-7 in the preseason for the Scott Pioli era. Over the last four years, the Chiefs are a woeful 3-13 in preseason. While it would be foolish to assign too much relevance to exhibition wins and losses, when they come in tandem with 10 Chiefs regular season wins in three years, the correlation is a concern.

When you factor in the performance of the Chiefs’ key starters and draft picks this preseason, there’s even more reason for concern.

Aside from the shocking revelation that Todd Haley can control his previously nuclear sideline temper for an entire month, the most important thing we learned from August is that Pioli and his highly-paid quarterback, Matt Cassel, still have a lot to prove. Preseason provided no legitimate answers to the questions that have surrounded the pair since last season.

In Pioli’s case, the question is simple – can he effectively identify and cultivate game-changing, impact players?

Most of his initial draft class appears to have been written off already. Jake O’Connell, Javarris Williams, Quinten Lawrence, Colin Brown and Donald Washington have been pushed down the depth chart by 2010 rookies.

The three who don’t appear to have been written off - Alex Magee, Tyson Jackson and Ryan Succop – are a mixed bag. Magee actually showed up this preseason, recording a sack, which makes the crown jewel of Pioli’s 2009 rookie class, Tyson Jackson, look like a lump of cubic zirconia. After a disastrous rookie year, Jackson didn’t show much progress over the last month. He was invisible. If he made an impact play, I missed it.

Clearly, the Chiefs don’t consider Jackson much of a threat as a pass rusher. He comes off the field frequently on third down. It’s not hard to see why – Magee and Wallace Gilberry are far more athletic and explosive, not to mention cheaper. Considering his price tag, Jackson’s impact should be more noticeable.

Has Pioli picked the right players? Getty Images

After missing four field goals all of last year, Succop missed three this preseason. Sure, they were long kicks. Is that supposed to make Chiefs fans feel better when a game is on the line this season and Succop needs to make another long kick?

Conclusion: there are no signs from the 2009 draft class of a game-changing, impact player. How about Pioli’s 2010 draft class? Any signs there?

Pencil in safety Eric Berry as a legit possibility. After seeing Berry blast through a fullback to upend a ball carrier against the Buccaneers two weeks ago, I began speaking in tongues. The Chiefs shut down starting quarterbacks this preseason (apart from one busted play against Tampa) and Berry was definitely part of it.

The problem is Pioli’s second-round picks, wide receiver Dexter McCluster and cornerback Javier Arenas, and his third-round pick, tight end Tony Moeaki. Carl Peterson is no longer hanging around Arrowhead Stadium, which means second-round picks should be having a huge impact, even as rookies.

Are McCluster and Arenas having a huge impact? Based on preseason, the answer is no. While they’ve both proven to be exciting, athletic players who can change a game on special teams, they have to be more.

Arenas has to make an impact on defense. In a perfect world, he’d challenge for Brandon Carr’s starting job by season’s end. If he’s Allen Rossum, a great “cornerback” who has elite return skills but never plays defense, Pioli reached on the pick.

McCluster’s preseason receiving numbers – seven catches, 40 yards, no touchdowns, two or three drops – are disappointing. While it’s great that McCluster can make explosive plays as a running back, he needs 600 receiving yards and three or four touchdowns to justify the pick Pioli spent, and that’s setting the bar low. Kenny Britt and Hakeem Nicks, selected in 2009 in roughly the same draft slot as McCluster, both went over 700 yards as rookies.

And let’s go ahead and set the bar a little higher for Moeaki, who finally caught a pass Thursday night. Third-round picks, especially on teams lacking viable starting tight ends, have to make more of an impact.

But maybe we should temper the expectations for any of KC’s pass catchers. Because based on Cassel’s preseason, the Chiefs will again struggle to throw the ball.

Will Cassel chuck it down the field? Getty Images

I’m honestly flabbergasted that Cassel managed to complete 64 percent of his passes this preseason, throw more touchdowns than interceptions, and finish with a lousy 79.3 rating. Previously, football scientists believed such a feat was impossible, because the NFL weights completion percentage and touchdown-to-interception ratio so heavily in their passer rating formula.

But Cassel pulled it off by quickly dumping the ball short on almost every snap this preseason, averaging a shockingly low five yards per pass attempt. In some cases, Cassel was dumping the ball to running backs behind the line of scrimmage before receivers running down the field had even completed their patterns.

Either the approach was Cassel’s diabolical plan to avoid looking too inept, or KC’s new offensive coordinator, Charlie Weis, watched film of Cassel taking too many sacks and missing too many throws down the field the last two seasons. After sweating profusely for a moment, Weis yanked his 1983 Morristown High School Football playbook out of mothballs, fired up a Xerox machine, and voila! He produced the 2010 Kansas City Chiefs playbook and hatched a plot to turn Cassel into a mistake-free, accurate passer.

Humor aside, here are the facts: had Dwayne Bowe not caught a short pass from Cassel and rumbled for a 30-yard gain Thursday night, every one of Kansas City’s starting receivers and tight ends would have averaged fewer than 10 yards per catch this preseason. Quite literally, in four exhibition games, Cassel did not complete a pass that traveled 15 yards or more from the line of scrimmage.

All of this happened in the midst of an improved offensive line that barely resembled the unit responsible for Cassel’s knee injury last year. Cassel handed the ball to three dynamite running backs this preseason, threw it to a receiver (Bowe) who appears to have made a quantum leap in maturity, and had not one, but two former Super Bowl offensive coordinators talking inside his helmet between plays.

Chan Gailey, Bobby Wade, Larry Johnson and Mike Goff are gone. The excuses are drying up.

Is preseason a mirage, or will Cassel continue to play quarterback as if he were coached by Herm Edwards and Dick Curl? We’re talking about a player who will make more money this year than Donovan McNabb, Tony Romo, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees and Tom Brady.

That means he has something to prove. So does Pioli. The heat is on.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by tonyetony

I guess you missed hiss kick returns and the plays that got called back for stupid penalties.

Yeah I suppose you're right Clay because a rookies longest play in preseason is only 17 yards we know he won't have anything longer than that in the regular season!!!!!!

Would you care to place a wager on that?

No. You're missing the point.

McCluster had a disappointing preseason. That's all.

[tonyetony]

No he didn't he proved despite his size and draft position that he will have a positive impact for this team. Like it or not the opposing D's are not going to like what they see on tape when the game plan for us.

[tonyetony]

In fact I'll sweeten the bet for you. I'll bet you he has a play longer than 20 yards from the LOS in the first 3 games. Do you want that bet?

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

No. You're missing the point.

McCluster had a disappointing preseason. That's all.

LOL.

Our entire offense had a disappointing preseason.

McCluster IS NOT going to be a consistent deep threat because we don't have a dude that can really chuck it to him. Sure, McCluster is fast enough that if we get him one on one, he can get 4 yards of separation pretty easily. But then he'll just have to wait for a punt-pass and get his spine shoved through his asshole by a safety.

[tonyetony]

Come on man if he can only turn out one 17 yard play in preseason then according to your logic there is no way he can turn out something longer than 20 yards in the regular season against the first teamers.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

No. You're missing the point.

McCluster had a disappointing preseason. That's all.

Arrelious Benn, a guy in almost the same draft position, didn't even play with the first team. And you call a rookie with 150 all purpose yards (not even counting return yards or penalty call-backs, let alone the fact that starters don't play for an entire game) disappointing?

Again, the standard your setting is way too high.

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Arrelious Benn, a guy in almost the same draft position, didn't even play with the first team. And you call a rookie with 150 all purpose yards (not even counting return yards or penalty call-backs, let alone the fact that starters don't play for an entire game) disappointing?

Again, the standard your setting is way too high.

This is true.

[Pioli Zombie]

What a shitty article. Did Mecca write it? McCluster and Arenas didn't show a huge impact? We really care preseason W-L records. Article Fail.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Again, the standard your setting is way too high.

WE HAVE THE GM OF THE ****ING DECADE.

GET YOUR EXPECTATIONS UP.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by tonyetony

In fact I'll sweeten the bet for you. I'll bet you he has a play longer than 20 yards from the LOS in the first 3 games. Do you want that bet?

No, I'm confident he can do that.

I just wonder if he can do it consistently.

[Pioli Zombie]

The proof is in the record. If they go 8-8 this year then they are on the right track. If not then all the criticism is warranted.

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

This.

But unfortunately.....there will always be excuses for Cassel.

not after this season.

Oline has improved

Cassel has some weapons around him, including what appears to be a strong running game.

He has had a offseason and training camp w/ a good OC, with HC that seems to be on the same page, for now at least.

Last season Cassel had ALL of the above working against him. Now that's not the case. Trent Green was horrible his first year, then after improving the team w/ some acquisitions and a year under his belt w/ DV/AS, Green improved A LOT. I expect the same w/ Cassel, but when I watch him play it just seems like there's little hope for this guy to get better. He's just not that good, certainly doesn't have that great of talents. Doesn't have a strong arm by any means, and he's not too accurate, overthrowing WR's, underthrowning, not leading his WR's etc. He holds onto the ball way too long, even w/ NE w/ the best Offense in the league around him, he was sacked more than any QB in the league, or close to it. He's just not that good, sadly I wish it was different.

I REALLY hope Cassel proves me wrong, but if he doesn't improve this year (and the coaches saying that he's improving is just coach speak/PR shit) KC really needs to cut their losses and move on. Haley can't afford to let Cassel drag him down as well.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Pioli Zombie

The proof is in the record. If they go 8-8 this year then they are on the right track. If not then all the criticism is warranted.

They won't go 8-8 and the biggest reason will be the QB. And the front office definitely deserves criticism for that.

That doesn't mean we're not moving in the right direction in a lot of ways.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

WE HAVE THE GM OF THE ****ING DECADE.

GET YOUR EXPECTATIONS UP.

I swear you are getting dumber.

The GM of the decade may have shit holed the 2009 draft but all indications so far are that he hit a HR in 2010 so stop your constant whining.

The article blew great big donkeydick chunks. Deal with it.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

They won't go 8-8 and the biggest reason will be the QB. And the front office definitely deserves criticism for that.

That doesn't mean we're not moving in the right direction in a lot of ways.

Dude we could have won 7 games last year without several defensive collapses late in games. Cassel should be better even if it is only marginally.

Cassel can't even **** things up enough to stop 8-8. That's the scary part, we could go 9-7 and stand pat at QB.