Chiefs A message of Positivity, from Mr. Jason Whitlock - Page 6

chiefzilla1501 · 11-22-2009, 11:22 PM

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chi...y/1587222.html
The victory was just icing. The progress could be seen long before Matt Cassel shook off a critical fumble and began the process of rehabilitating his image.

The progress started with Kansas City’s rookie head coach, Todd Haley, who may have finally figured out what to do with his game-day emotions.

Rather than castigate his players, F-bomb his assistants and bicker with the refs, Haley spent his most productive Sunday as an NFL head coach fueling his players with positive energy. They responded with their most promising performance in two years.

Kansas City 27, Pittsburgh 24 in OT!

Yes, the Kansas City Chiefs, winners of five of their last 30 games, knocked off the defending Super Bowl champions at Arrowhead Stadium.

It wasn’t a fluke. The Steelers tried to win the game. They didn’t stumble into Arrowhead hung over from a night of being denied entrance into P&L nightclubs. The Chiefs played a good football game and took advantage of the Steelers’ errors.

Jamaal Charles returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Tamba Hali led a Kansas City pass rush that harassed Big Ben Roethlisberger and eventually sidelined him with a knee to the head. Brandon Flowers manufactured the first of four Pittsburgh turnovers, poking the ball out of the arm of receiver Mike Wallace. KC safeties Mike Brown and Jon McGraw accepted the challenge of being physical against Pittsburgh’s running game. Linebacker Andy Studebaker intercepted Big Ben twice, returning one 94 yards, setting up a Kansas City field goal.

And, most important, the Chiefs’ $63 million acquisition, Cassel, showed some real courage down the stretch. I thought he was going to fold after his inexcusable 360-spin, I’m-afraid-of-a-pass-rush fumble that basically handed the Steelers a 24-17 advantage in the fourth quarter.

Cassel had been dreadful to that point, completing eight of 18 passes for 95 yards through a little more than three quarters of play.

“He was really down when he turned the ball over, but he bounced back and made some great plays,” Haley said of his quarterback.

Cassel may have saved his Kansas City career. He certainly bought himself some time.

On KC’s next possession, facing third and 9 from the Chiefs’ 10, Cassel laced a strike down the middle of the Pittsburgh defense to Lance Long for 30 yards. Cassel followed it up with a 47-yard bomb to Chris Chambers. Cassel drove the Chiefs 91 yards in eight plays, hitting Charles with a 2-yard TD pass.

In overtime, Cassel set up the Chiefs’ game-winning field goal with a 61-yard, third-and-5 connection to Chambers.

If you would like, you can crawl into the statistics — which were dominated by the Steelers — and craft an argument that the Chiefs got lucky.

Nope. This was Kansas City-created good fortune. No doubt the Steelers are the better team and would likely beat the Chiefs eight out of 10 games. But Haley’s Chiefs followed a proven blueprint on how to beat a superior football team: 1. win the turnover battle; 2. score on special teams; 3. get after the opposing quarterback; 4. make big plays that dramatically change field position.

Did Haley mismanage the clock at the end of both halves? Yes, he was too conservative before halftime. But that’s nitpicking.

Haley coached an excellent football game. He concentrated on play-calling and encouraging his players. He left the refs alone. He didn’t overreact to the mistakes made by his players.

Had the Chiefs lost the game, I would be writing the exact same thing. Haley is learning how to be a head coach. His players are noticing and appreciative of his change in demeanor.

“I’m a rookie head coach and am passionate about what I do,” Haley said. “I live and die every day on how it goes with this team — not just game day. When you care about something, there is going to be some emotion. It’s easy to be positive when good things are happening.”

Good things happen when you expect positive results, when you put your mind in a positive place, when you treat the people fighting with you like they have as much invested in the outcome as you do.

Haley’s transformation from coaching mad man to competent leader has been going on for several weeks. Sunday, he finally struck the right balance. His team reflected his new spirit. The players wanted to shock the Steelers as much as their coach, whose father played and worked for the Steelers.

Are things perfect between Haley and his players? No. But there’s been a lot of progress.

To reach Jason Whitlock, call 816-234-4869 or send e-mail to jwhitlock@kcstar.com. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com.

**SAUTO** · 11-23-2009, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwhit

haley's problems in oakland (not kicking the field goal, f-bombing carthon) led to his new approach on sunday. he's been trying to control himself all year. the raiders game was a wake-up call. i'd bet either pioli or carthon or dick haley had an intervention with haley last week.

sorry but i call bullshit on this, do you think the guy that was f-bombed could say much that would make a difference?

jwhit · 11-23-2009, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

sorry but i call bullshit on this, do you think the guy that was f-bombed could say much that would make a difference?

Do you follow the team at all?

Haley said in his Oakland postgame news conference that he relies on Carthon to call b.s. and that Carthon is his most trusted/valuable assistant. They go way back. I'd imagine Carthon had a long talk with Haley about his abusive sideline behavior. Carthon is a grown man. He's not going to be clowned on national TV.

Fish · 11-23-2009, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

sorry but i call bullshit on this, do you think the guy that was f-bombed could say much that would make a difference?

Yes. Haley has admitted on multiple occasions that he looks to Mo for a lot of advice. He's praised Mo's experience and leadership. They have a very close relationship, despite the obscenities. Definitely not BS.

**Iowanian** · 11-23-2009, 10:40 AM

I think the team played better so it's easier to be less intense.

It's a lot less difficult for me to not yell at my kids when they're quietly coloring, or snuggling with me on the couch watching football, or playing nicely with each other. The next morning, they can be drawing on the refrigerator with markers or coloring on each other's faces, or smashing speak n spell's on one another and I'm back to the attempt to control my volume and word selection.

If the Chiefs play like crap or with iffy effort at Sandy-Eggo next week, we'll be able to lip read the Trucker's bible on TV.

That said, I know sometimes a person can realize they're doing something and work on improving those things.
I realized my kids were starting to yell at each other so I decided to try to curb my volume level so they wouldn't think
it was the appropriate response. Haley was coaching like shit, taking things too far on the sidelines like always had.....I hope he had a moment of Clarity, or Come to Jesus(Carthon) meeting and the switch flipped for him.

**OnTheWarpath15** · 11-23-2009, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iowanian

I think the team played better so it's easier to be less intense.

I'd be inclined to agree with you, had the first half not been a complete abortion, save the KO return.

Haley was calm, cool and collected the entire game, not just when we were playing well.

CoMoChief · 11-23-2009, 10:45 AM

They didn’t stumble into Arrowhead hung over from a night of being denied entrance into P&L nightclubs.

I don't know what Whitlock was trying to make with this comment.

Hammock Parties · 11-23-2009, 10:45 AM

A joke. That failed.

**Iowanian** · 11-23-2009, 10:46 AM

I was pretty frustrated with how many D players had hands on Rosterburger or had a bead on him and just whiffed allowing him to make a play. I was frustrated by the number of hits Cassel was taking and how many times Niswanger was pushed back into him and whiffed blocks.

There was plenty for him to be upset about.

I had made peace with the fact that I really thought Pit was going to put a clown suit on the Chiefs. It was a surprise.

This is the EXACT kind of game that usually causes me to use the Bad girlfriend analogy.

Usually, the Chiefs make me BELIEVE they've got a chance to win, and then give it back with 2 minutes and allow the TD drive to break my heart.

**Iowanian** · 11-23-2009, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

They didn’t stumble into Arrowhead hung over from a night of being denied entrance into P&L nightclubs.

I don't know what Whitlock was trying to make with this comment.

He's saying that he thinks you're a door man at the P&L clubs.

jwhit · 11-23-2009, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

I'd be inclined to agree with you, had the first half not been a complete abortion, save the KO return.

Haley was calm, cool and collected the entire game, not just when we were playing well.

Thank you. Someone who watched the game. Cassel was a joke until after the fumble. Haley had plenty of opportunity to meltdown.

Mr. Plow · 11-23-2009, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

They didn’t stumble into Arrowhead hung over from a night of being denied entrance into P&L nightclubs.

I don't know what Whitlock was trying to make with this comment.

Bringing racism &/or choice of clothing attire into the conversation of football.

CoMoChief · 11-23-2009, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iowanian

He's saying that he thinks you're a door man at the P&L clubs.

Uh oh here we go......

**Iowanian** · 11-23-2009, 10:54 AM

I'm not a Cassel pimp, and a couple of weeks ago, I was ready to see.....Croyle.....put into the game because I was tired of seeing inaccurate throws.

In fairness, he spent a fair amount of time in the first half digging turf out of his face mask and belt loops. He holds the ball too long and misses too many open WRs, however given the usual blocking I can understand why he's a little unsettled.

He did rebound well after that fumble and made some decent throws....not awesome, decent.

L.A. Chieffan · 11-23-2009, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwhit

Thank you. Someone who watched the game. Cassel was a joke until after the fumble. Haley had plenty of opportunity to meltdown.

I enjoy the temper tantrums and F-Bombs as much as any red-blooded American, but if Haley can keep it under control then I think this team will respond. Good article J, and btw dont even bother arguing with jasonauto, the dude is like one step from licking windows...

Mr. Plow · 11-23-2009, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L.A.Chieffan

the dude is like one step from licking windows...

I'm going to use that today.

11-22-2009, 11:22 PM
chiefzilla1501 In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2008 Casino cash: $-1705503	A message of Positivity, from Mr. Jason Whitlock http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chi...y/1587222.html The victory was just icing. The progress could be seen long before Matt Cassel shook off a critical fumble and began the process of rehabilitating his image. The progress started with Kansas City’s rookie head coach, Todd Haley, who may have finally figured out what to do with his game-day emotions. Rather than castigate his players, F-bomb his assistants and bicker with the refs, Haley spent his most productive Sunday as an NFL head coach fueling his players with positive energy. They responded with their most promising performance in two years. Kansas City 27, Pittsburgh 24 in OT! Yes, the Kansas City Chiefs, winners of five of their last 30 games, knocked off the defending Super Bowl champions at Arrowhead Stadium. It wasn’t a fluke. The Steelers tried to win the game. They didn’t stumble into Arrowhead hung over from a night of being denied entrance into P&L nightclubs. The Chiefs played a good football game and took advantage of the Steelers’ errors. Jamaal Charles returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Tamba Hali led a Kansas City pass rush that harassed Big Ben Roethlisberger and eventually sidelined him with a knee to the head. Brandon Flowers manufactured the first of four Pittsburgh turnovers, poking the ball out of the arm of receiver Mike Wallace. KC safeties Mike Brown and Jon McGraw accepted the challenge of being physical against Pittsburgh’s running game. Linebacker Andy Studebaker intercepted Big Ben twice, returning one 94 yards, setting up a Kansas City field goal. And, most important, the Chiefs’ $63 million acquisition, Cassel, showed some real courage down the stretch. I thought he was going to fold after his inexcusable 360-spin, I’m-afraid-of-a-pass-rush fumble that basically handed the Steelers a 24-17 advantage in the fourth quarter. Cassel had been dreadful to that point, completing eight of 18 passes for 95 yards through a little more than three quarters of play. “He was really down when he turned the ball over, but he bounced back and made some great plays,” Haley said of his quarterback. Cassel may have saved his Kansas City career. He certainly bought himself some time. On KC’s next possession, facing third and 9 from the Chiefs’ 10, Cassel laced a strike down the middle of the Pittsburgh defense to Lance Long for 30 yards. Cassel followed it up with a 47-yard bomb to Chris Chambers. Cassel drove the Chiefs 91 yards in eight plays, hitting Charles with a 2-yard TD pass. In overtime, Cassel set up the Chiefs’ game-winning field goal with a 61-yard, third-and-5 connection to Chambers. If you would like, you can crawl into the statistics — which were dominated by the Steelers — and craft an argument that the Chiefs got lucky. Nope. This was Kansas City-created good fortune. No doubt the Steelers are the better team and would likely beat the Chiefs eight out of 10 games. But Haley’s Chiefs followed a proven blueprint on how to beat a superior football team: 1. win the turnover battle; 2. score on special teams; 3. get after the opposing quarterback; 4. make big plays that dramatically change field position. Did Haley mismanage the clock at the end of both halves? Yes, he was too conservative before halftime. But that’s nitpicking. Haley coached an excellent football game. He concentrated on play-calling and encouraging his players. He left the refs alone. He didn’t overreact to the mistakes made by his players. Had the Chiefs lost the game, I would be writing the exact same thing. Haley is learning how to be a head coach. His players are noticing and appreciative of his change in demeanor. “I’m a rookie head coach and am passionate about what I do,” Haley said. “I live and die every day on how it goes with this team — not just game day. When you care about something, there is going to be some emotion. It’s easy to be positive when good things are happening.” Good things happen when you expect positive results, when you put your mind in a positive place, when you treat the people fighting with you like they have as much invested in the outcome as you do. Haley’s transformation from coaching mad man to competent leader has been going on for several weeks. Sunday, he finally struck the right balance. His team reflected his new spirit. The players wanted to shock the Steelers as much as their coach, whose father played and worked for the Steelers. Are things perfect between Haley and his players? No. But there’s been a lot of progress. To reach Jason Whitlock, call 816-234-4869 or send e-mail to jwhitlock@kcstar.com. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com.
Posts: 51,631

11-23-2009, 10:40 AM	#79
Iowanian Supporter Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Utopia Casino cash: $1708454	I think the team played better so it's easier to be less intense. It's a lot less difficult for me to not yell at my kids when they're quietly coloring, or snuggling with me on the couch watching football, or playing nicely with each other. The next morning, they can be drawing on the refrigerator with markers or coloring on each other's faces, or smashing speak n spell's on one another and I'm back to the attempt to control my volume and word selection. If the Chiefs play like crap or with iffy effort at Sandy-Eggo next week, we'll be able to lip read the Trucker's bible on TV. That said, I know sometimes a person can realize they're doing something and work on improving those things. I realized my kids were starting to yell at each other so I decided to try to curb my volume level so they wouldn't think it was the appropriate response. Haley was coaching like shit, taking things too far on the sidelines like always had.....I hope he had a moment of Clarity, or Come to Jesus(Carthon) meeting and the switch flipped for him.
Posts: 62,941

11-23-2009, 10:45 AM	#81
CoMoChief Mahomes Dynasty Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Parts Unknown Casino cash: $7672254	They didn’t stumble into Arrowhead hung over from a night of being denied entrance into P&L nightclubs. I don't know what Whitlock was trying to make with this comment.
Posts: 39,245

11-23-2009, 10:45 AM	#82
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $860478	A joke. That failed. __________________ Chiefs game films
Posts: 297,236

11-23-2009, 10:46 AM	#83
Iowanian Supporter Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Utopia Casino cash: $1708454	I was pretty frustrated with how many D players had hands on Rosterburger or had a bead on him and just whiffed allowing him to make a play. I was frustrated by the number of hits Cassel was taking and how many times Niswanger was pushed back into him and whiffed blocks. There was plenty for him to be upset about. I had made peace with the fact that I really thought Pit was going to put a clown suit on the Chiefs. It was a surprise. This is the EXACT kind of game that usually causes me to use the Bad girlfriend analogy. Usually, the Chiefs make me BELIEVE they've got a chance to win, and then give it back with 2 minutes and allow the TD drive to break my heart.
Posts: 62,941

11-23-2009, 10:54 AM	#88
Iowanian Supporter Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Utopia Casino cash: $1708454	I'm not a Cassel pimp, and a couple of weeks ago, I was ready to see.....Croyle.....put into the game because I was tired of seeing inaccurate throws. In fairness, he spent a fair amount of time in the first half digging turf out of his face mask and belt loops. He holds the ball too long and misses too many open WRs, however given the usual blocking I can understand why he's a little unsettled. He did rebound well after that fumble and made some decent throws....not awesome, decent.
Posts: 62,941