Late night bullshit: Looking forward to San Diego.

[Direckshun]

Assorted thoughts on the Saints game and upcoming Chargers game.

The biggest takeaway for me is the fact that we can seemingly cover receivers again.

For too much of the Falcons game, the Bills game, and the first half of the Saints game, it just seemed like play after play, receivers were wide ****ing open with nobody covering them.

Romeo finally made the correct adjustment in the second half of the Saints game. Receivers were legitimately blanketed. Players like Travis Daniels were tailing Jimmy Graham step for step.

This is good news, because the Chargers do not have a very good receiving corps outside of Antonio Gates. Their run game is not that great (the Chiefs seem to stuff bigger backs like Ryan Mathews, but struggle against smaller scatbacks that the Chargers don't have). Their offensive line is horrid and Hali always seems to excel against the Chargers.

Their defense can stop the run really well, but Baldwin finally seems incorporated into the passing game. Against the Chargers tough run D, and without the sure hands of Dexter McCluster in short yardage, there is absolutely no reason this offense shouldn't attack the Chargers corners with Baldwin and Bowe.

Force the Chargers to double Bowe, and chuck it up to Baldwin. Once the Chargers start diverting their resources to the outside, kill them between the hashes with Moeaki.

I love how this team is reacting to adversity. You can chalk that up partly to heart, but you have to give Pioli credit for acquiring depth.

Hillis goes down, Draugh steps up.
Hudson goes down, Lilja and Jeff Allen step up.
Boss goes down, Maneri steps up.
McCluster goes down, Breaston and Baldwin step up.
Toribio goes down, Powe steps up.
Lewis goes down, Elam steps up.

The sorest losses we've suffered were clearly at corner with Flowers, and passrusher with Hali. And while they were devastating losses, I'll take two Achilles heels over the 10 different ones this team has had in years past.

I think McCluster is a sore, sore loss. He really is a perfect fit for somebody like Cassel, who prefers short-yardage passing. McCluster is the perfect short-yardage back, an impossibly quick receiver with great hands that causes nightmares in the slot for everybody but the quickest corners. It's taken him three years to get there, but he finally is this team's Wes Welker, and one of the best in the league.

I hope he recovers soon. He finally found a great role in this offense.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

Hillis goes down, Draugh steps up.
-Hillis sucks to begin with. You can make an argument that Draughn is the best #2 back on this team. He can pass block at least, and he's getting some playing time in real NFL games because he's actually a decent talent.

Fair enough.

Draughn is also an excellent teammate. Fun watching him pump up the energy.

Originally Posted by mcaj22

Hudson goes down, Lilja and Jeff Allen step up.
-Jeff Allen did not step up. He graded like a -3.6 by PFF. He got owned. Ryan Lilja has been playing well all season, so he didnt step up from anything. Hudson should be playing guard, where he was a two time all american at florida state. Again, not Pioli acquiring depth, Pioli being a ****ing idiot and not acquiring a true center. Chalk this up to a failure pile GM.

Lilja didn't step up from anything? He filled in at a completely different position and tore shit up.

It's unrealistic to look at that and not consider that impressive. Credit where it's due.

Hudson is fine at center, but almost every team had his projected as a center, and he has not been bad at center. He needs to get healthy and back on the field to continue his learning curve.

Originally Posted by mcaj22

Boss goes down, Maneri steps up.
-Again, STEVE MANERI STEPS UP. So Tony Moeaki, still waiting on this "first round talent" Pioli got for a steal. Oh wait. He's terrible. And he's hyped on here as this great TE. Another Pioli fail.

I was referring to Boss as a 2nd option at TE. Maneri stepped up to it.

Originally Posted by mcaj22

McCluster goes down, Breaston and Baldwin step up.
How did Breaston and Baldwin step up.

Because Breaston played more shallow routes and didn't do half bad.

Baldwin was finally targeted more, and stepped up.

Originally Posted by mcaj22

Toribio goes down, Powe steps up.
lol Toribio goes down. What has Toribio ever done to go up?

He was the starter heading into the season. He got the starter reps.

Powe stepped up despite getting 3rd team reps.

Originally Posted by mcaj22

Lewis goes down, Elam steps up.
-Elam is ****ing terrible. He has not stepped up. I am pretty sure he is one of the worst current safeties starting in the NFL. He is awful. This is actually a big failure by Pioli.

His coverage and bracketing in the 2nd half of the Chiefs game was nails.

Honestly, you're letting your hate of Pioli get the best of you. Common ChiefsPlanet error.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

His coverage and bracketing in the 2nd half of the Chiefs game was nails.

Abram Elam is ranked 63rd in coverage.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Breaston played more shallow routes and didn't do half bad.

His two-yard catch was critical.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

ill answer all these

Hillis goes down, Draugh steps up.
-Hillis sucks to begin with. You can make an argument that Draughn is the best #2 back on this team. He can pass block at least, and he's getting some playing time in real NFL games because he's actually a decent talent.

Hudson goes down, Lilja and Jeff Allen step up.
-Jeff Allen did not step up. He graded like a -3.6 by PFF. He got owned. Ryan Lilja has been playing well all season, so he didnt step up from anything. Hudson should be playing guard, where he was a two time all american at florida state. Again, not Pioli acquiring depth, Pioli being a ****ing idiot and not acquiring a true center. Chalk this up to a failure pile GM.

Boss goes down, Maneri steps up.
-Again, STEVE MANERI STEPS UP. So Tony Moeaki, still waiting on this "first round talent" Pioli got for a steal. Oh wait. He's terrible. And he's hyped on here as this great TE. Another Pioli fail.

McCluster goes down, Breaston and Baldwin step up.
How did Breaston and Baldwin step up. These two guys are like the ghosts in the movie with Michael J Fox. They are practically invisible because Cassel's first read is always Bowe then checkdown to the swing pass HB. Catching a couple passes is not stepping up. They are a non-factor.

Toribio goes down, Powe steps up.
lol Toribio goes down. What has Toribio ever done to go up? Powe might not have actually stepped up, he could be better than Toribio for all we know. Toribio was just given the starting job without ever having produced in an NFL game at the position. This was anyones position since it involved 3 inexperienced players battling it out for the spot. You don't step up for that.

Lewis goes down, Elam steps up.
-Elam is ****ing terrible. He has not stepped up. I am pretty sure he is one of the worst current safeties starting in the NFL. He is awful. This is actually a big failure by Pioli.


Pioli has done a good job of acquiring two decent playmakers in 4 years. And then filling the rest of the team with a bunch of guys that are just there. mostly non-factors. The team has proven they still rely very much on a guy like Jamaal Charles to carry and will this team to a win. Because Jon Baldwin, Peyton Hillis and whatever other **** bum on this team Pioli brought in certainly wont do it. Pioli is just wasting the prime years of guys like Flowers, Tamba, and DJ. And by the time any of this Pioli talent "Develops" from non-productive hype to actual production, the current talent will be on their downswing and yester-years wasted. So you can thank Fat Scott for that one.

Indeed.

For whatever reason we are reluctant to allow guys who've shown they can play (Powe/Maneri/Breaston) above the level of the people starting in front of them.

BS.

If Powe is playing better start him. If Baldwin can't get open or run routes correctly put in Breaston. If Mo-E-Ouchie can't get it together run with Maneri.

REWARD SUCCESS INSTEAD OF EXCUSING FAILURE!

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning

Abram Elam is ranked 63rd in coverage.

And he was a critical part of the self-destruction of Weeks 1, 2, and the second half of 3.

In the second half, he's turned shit around, along with the rest of out secondary.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning

His two-yard catch was critical.

I've watched the tape, he was earning separation. If Cassel's not finding him, that's on Cassel.

[Hammock Parties]

I can see why you like Dexter's 4-yard gains if you're impressed by Breaston's two-yard gain.

[Titty Meat]

Breaston has 3 catches all year.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I've watched the tape, he was earning separation. If Cassel's not finding him, that's on Cassel.

This.

Ca$$hole does not even appear to look at Breaston. And he's even worse this year and locking on to one guy and then the dump off.

He doesn't have the first inkling of being able to read coverage and go through your progressions to find an open guy...

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning

I can see why you like Dexter's 4-yard gains if you're impressed by Breaston's two-yard gain.

I don't know what you want me to do with this information.

I think McCluster's got all the talent of a Danny Amendola. He just can't run the whole route tree with this quarterback.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

Hudson goes down, Lilja and Jeff Allen step up.
-Jeff Allen did not step up. He graded like a -3.6 by PFF. He got owned. Ryan Lilja has been playing well all season, so he didnt step up from anything. Hudson should be playing guard, where he was a two time all american at florida state. Again, not Pioli acquiring depth, Pioli being a ****ing idiot and not acquiring a true center. Chalk this up to a failure pile GM.

Lilja has been getting his ass handed to him at LG. Especially in the Bills game.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

Lilja has been getting his ass handed to him at LG. Especially in the Bills game.

I didn't agree with that either but I don't wanna' hate on a guy who's on a roll...

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I don't know what you want me to do with this information.

I think McCluster's got all the talent of a Danny Amendola. He just can't run the whole route tree with this quarterback.

And yet Bowe and Breaston did just fine last year.

Face it, there is one game of evidence that says Dexter can play WR.

You are dealing with fool's gold.

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning

And yet Bowe and Breaston did just fine last year.

Face it, there is one game of evidence that says Dexter can play WR.

You are dealing with fool's gold.

Breaston's base salary next year is 3.8 million. Get used to seeing Dexter because theres no way a team should pay Breaston that much with his current production.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning

And yet Bowe and Breaston did just fine last year.

Face it, there is one game of evidence that says Dexter can play WR.

You are dealing with fool's gold.

Bowe and Breaston aren't slot receivers. It's a completely different position.