Chiefs Teicher:Prodded by Andy Reid, Chiefs QB Alex Smith learning to be more aggressive - Page 68

**Tribal Warfare** · 06-05-2013, 06:26 PM

Prodded by Andy Reid, Chiefs QB Alex Smith learning to be more aggressive
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
One of the qualities the Chiefs like in new quarterback Alex Smith is his recent history with few turnovers. Smith threw just 10 interceptions in his last 25 games for the San Francisco 49ers, a stat that looks extremely pretty in Kansas City after Chiefs quarterbacks committed 27 turnovers last season.

Smith’s low turnover rate was due at least in part by his reluctance to throw the ball down the field. He was referred to by frustrated 49ers fans as Captain Checkdown for his habit of throwing shorter patterns to receivers for shorter gains.

Smith is in the process of being reprogrammed by Andy Reid, his new coach. Reid doesn’t want to turn Smith into a turnover machine but wants him to be more aggressive, particularly during offseason practice.

“You want to get a feel for the offense now, particularly when you’re new at it (and) if there are close throws, challenge it, see what you can get away with,” Reid said. “If it ends up being an interception, OK, it’s an interception. You learn from it. These are smart guys so they learn from it and once they get into the season, they’re not experimenting with it on game day and they know what they can get away with and know what they can’t.

“It’s a new offense. I would tell any quarterback that comes in new that that’s what you need to do. I’ve told them all that. Go ahead and take your shots and see what you can get away with, within reason. But if it’s a close throw, there are going to be a few of those in the National Football League on game day so you need to know what you can get away with on each route.”

Smith and the other Chiefs quarterbacks were rewarded with several long completions in Wednesday’s practice. Smith had three such plays, including two to Jon Baldwin, while Tyler Bray and Ricky Stanzi had one apiece.

Wednesday’s barrage of big passing plays isn’t necessarily an indication the deep ball is back in the Chiefs’ offense. But since such plays have been scarce for the Chiefs in each of the past two seasons, they’re taking it as an encouraging sign.

“We’re just kind of continuing to press to see what we can do … finding out what we’re capable of,” Smith said. “You’ve got to find that out at some point. This is what the practice field is for.”

Smith was the NFL’s highest-rated passer last season before he was injured, missed a start and then replaced by Colin Kaepernick as San Francisco’s starting quarterback. Smith was completing more than 70 percent of his passes, a high rate, and had just five interceptions.

Still, he had just 30 touchdown passes in his final 25 starts for the 49ers. While that’s a good number as a ratio with his 10 interceptions, it still represents a shortage of big plays.

Smith won’t turn into a mad bomber overnight, if he ever does.

“You want to stay aggressive,” Smith said. “But in the end I’m always trying to make the right read and throw where the defense is telling me to throw. You don’t come out here and predetermine anything, like ‘Oh, I’m going to chuck it deep on this play.’ I’m constantly trying to just trust my eyes and what I’m seeing out there, trust my reads and what I’ve prepared for and then come out here and throw good balls.”

For his part, Reid might be OK with that. But for now, when an interception costs the Chiefs nothing, he would prefer Smith be more of a gambler.

“Everybody is all on board (with Smith),” Reid said. “He’s a good football player. He’s showing that (along with) good leadership. I’m asking him to do a ton of things. He’s handling it. We’ve had an interception here or there but that’s all part of this thing. You’ve got to find out about the offense and you can’t do it with your hands in your pocket. You’ve got to go out and try things and experiment. That’s what he’s doing now.

“It’s just good stuff. He’s staying aggressive with the ball, and I appreciate that.”

The final offseason practice is today. The Chiefs won’t get together again as a group until training camp begins in July at Missouri Western State University.

Smith indicated he may try to throw to some Chiefs receivers during their downtime in an effort to stay sharp.

“We’re heads and shoulder above where we were a couple of months ago,” he said. “But that’s a never-ending thing. I don’t think it’s something like, ‘We’ve got a good feel for each other so we don’t need to work anymore.’ You’re constantly working at it. This is our job, this is our craft. Every single day, it’s coming out here and pushing to get better.”

**BossChief** · 06-27-2013, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunKC

You could also say he was sacked a lot because his OL as a whole sucked ass for most of his career and Harbaugh purposely told him to take sacks.

Hammock Parties · 06-27-2013, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunKC

You could also say he was sacked a lot because his OL as a whole sucked ass for most of his career and Harbaugh purposely told him to take sacks.

No.

RunKC · 06-27-2013, 07:35 PM

Interesting. In 2011, PFF ranked the 49ers OL as the 26th best pass blocking OL and said G's Chilo Rachal and Adam Snyder were dumpster fires.

I guess Harbaugh didn't want them back in 2012 because of Alex Smith making them look bad.

FYI, they were still dumpster fires in Arizona last year.

Sandy Vagina · 06-27-2013, 07:35 PM

RunC does speak truth here, though Alex has to take some blame on occasion. Our OL pass pro leaves much to desire, and often gets overrated because of their run blocking. Kaepernick's obviously superior in evading sacks... making our pass pro look better than it is.. but Alex did a lot of this as well. The pass pro was a contributing factor into why we didn't throw more deep passes. It was as if during every huddle, the OL would discuss and decide which one was gonna screw up the next block attempt. Things did get better once Boone was inserted at RG, but he wasn't without growing pains.

Hammock Parties · 06-27-2013, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunKC

Interesting. In 2011, PFF ranked the 49ers OL as the 26th best pass blocking OL and said G's Chilo Rachal and Adam Snyder were dumpster fires.

I guess Harbaugh didn't want them back in 2012 because of Alex Smith making them look bad.
.

And last year it was 7th.

And Alex Smith was on pace for 50 sacks.

He LOVES to take sacks. When he gets up in the morning, the first thing he does is take a sack.

RunKC · 06-27-2013, 07:50 PM

It sounds an awful lot like Alex Smith will be making more throws, but most of the throws will be short or intermediate.

RunKC · 06-27-2013, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Smith HATER

And last year it was 7th.

And Alex Smith was on pace for 50 sacks.

He LOVES to take sacks. When he gets up in the morning, the first thing he does is take a sack.

Sure his coach telling him to take sacks has nothing to do with this.

**LoneWolf** · 06-27-2013, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Smith HATER

And last year it was 7th.

And Alex Smith was on pace for 50 sacks.

He LOVES to take sacks. When he gets up in the morning, the first thing he does is take a sack.

What was their ranking before Kaepernick took over and they started running the spread option? I'd be willing to bet it wasn't 7th.

Sandy Vagina · 06-27-2013, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunKC

Sure his coach telling him to take sacks has nothing to do with this.

Yep!

Quote:

Today, offensive coordinator Greg Roman echoed what Smith said Wednesday – there are worse things than sacks. And the worst alternative is a turnover, which is to be avoided at all costs.

It’s clear Smith has been instructed to err on the side of caution when he’s under pressure, which helps explain all those sacks

http://blog.sfgate.com/49ers/2012/09...t-take-a-sack/

Damn you, QB, for listening to your coaches!!!!

Hammock Parties · 06-27-2013, 07:56 PM

You idiots. We already went over this MONTHS AGO. Alex Smith was the most sacked QB in the NFL on a per-snap basis last season.

HE LOVES GETTING SACKED. IT'S A HOBBY OF HIS.

RunKC · 06-27-2013, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Smith HATER

You idiots. We already went over this MONTHS AGO. Alex Smith was the most sacked QB in the NFL on a per-snap basis last season.

HE LOVES GETTING SACKED. IT'S A HOBBY OF HIS.

Well yeah of course he gets sacked. Anytime he was pressured, his coach demanded he take a sack.

Sounds like his OL put him in positions to take a sack quite a bit.

**DaneMcCloud** · 06-27-2013, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Smith HATER

IT'S A HOBBY OF HIS.

Like you and false narratives.

Hammock Parties · 06-27-2013, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Like you and false narratives.

False as in "real facts."

Most sacked QB in the NFL.

Glad he's ours.

Hammock Parties · 06-27-2013, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunKC

Well yeah of course he gets sacked. Anytime he was pressured, his coach demanded he take a sack.

Sounds like his OL put him in positions to take a sack quite a bit.

No. His pass protection was good. He takes too long to read defenses and holds the ball.

Fat Elvis · 06-27-2013, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Smith HATER

Oh well in that case, I accept. Alex Smith doesn't have a prayer of throwing 25 TDs.

This will be an avatar + username bet. The winner has rights to the loser's set for one calendar year.

You already have a sig bet that you are going to lose.....

06-05-2013, 06:26 PM
Tribal Warfare Man of Culture Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $-947187	Teicher:Prodded by Andy Reid, Chiefs QB Alex Smith learning to be more aggressive Prodded by Andy Reid, Chiefs QB Alex Smith learning to be more aggressive By ADAM TEICHER The Kansas City Star One of the qualities the Chiefs like in new quarterback Alex Smith is his recent history with few turnovers. Smith threw just 10 interceptions in his last 25 games for the San Francisco 49ers, a stat that looks extremely pretty in Kansas City after Chiefs quarterbacks committed 27 turnovers last season. Smith’s low turnover rate was due at least in part by his reluctance to throw the ball down the field. He was referred to by frustrated 49ers fans as Captain Checkdown for his habit of throwing shorter patterns to receivers for shorter gains. Smith is in the process of being reprogrammed by Andy Reid, his new coach. Reid doesn’t want to turn Smith into a turnover machine but wants him to be more aggressive, particularly during offseason practice. “You want to get a feel for the offense now, particularly when you’re new at it (and) if there are close throws, challenge it, see what you can get away with,” Reid said. “If it ends up being an interception, OK, it’s an interception. You learn from it. These are smart guys so they learn from it and once they get into the season, they’re not experimenting with it on game day and they know what they can get away with and know what they can’t. “It’s a new offense. I would tell any quarterback that comes in new that that’s what you need to do. I’ve told them all that. Go ahead and take your shots and see what you can get away with, within reason. But if it’s a close throw, there are going to be a few of those in the National Football League on game day so you need to know what you can get away with on each route.” Smith and the other Chiefs quarterbacks were rewarded with several long completions in Wednesday’s practice. Smith had three such plays, including two to Jon Baldwin, while Tyler Bray and Ricky Stanzi had one apiece. Wednesday’s barrage of big passing plays isn’t necessarily an indication the deep ball is back in the Chiefs’ offense. But since such plays have been scarce for the Chiefs in each of the past two seasons, they’re taking it as an encouraging sign. “We’re just kind of continuing to press to see what we can do … finding out what we’re capable of,” Smith said. “You’ve got to find that out at some point. This is what the practice field is for.” Smith was the NFL’s highest-rated passer last season before he was injured, missed a start and then replaced by Colin Kaepernick as San Francisco’s starting quarterback. Smith was completing more than 70 percent of his passes, a high rate, and had just five interceptions. Still, he had just 30 touchdown passes in his final 25 starts for the 49ers. While that’s a good number as a ratio with his 10 interceptions, it still represents a shortage of big plays. Smith won’t turn into a mad bomber overnight, if he ever does. “You want to stay aggressive,” Smith said. “But in the end I’m always trying to make the right read and throw where the defense is telling me to throw. You don’t come out here and predetermine anything, like ‘Oh, I’m going to chuck it deep on this play.’ I’m constantly trying to just trust my eyes and what I’m seeing out there, trust my reads and what I’ve prepared for and then come out here and throw good balls.” For his part, Reid might be OK with that. But for now, when an interception costs the Chiefs nothing, he would prefer Smith be more of a gambler. “Everybody is all on board (with Smith),” Reid said. “He’s a good football player. He’s showing that (along with) good leadership. I’m asking him to do a ton of things. He’s handling it. We’ve had an interception here or there but that’s all part of this thing. You’ve got to find out about the offense and you can’t do it with your hands in your pocket. You’ve got to go out and try things and experiment. That’s what he’s doing now. “It’s just good stuff. He’s staying aggressive with the ball, and I appreciate that.” The final offseason practice is today. The Chiefs won’t get together again as a group until training camp begins in July at Missouri Western State University. Smith indicated he may try to throw to some Chiefs receivers during their downtime in an effort to stay sharp. “We’re heads and shoulder above where we were a couple of months ago,” he said. “But that’s a never-ending thing. I don’t think it’s something like, ‘We’ve got a good feel for each other so we don’t need to work anymore.’ You’re constantly working at it. This is our job, this is our craft. Every single day, it’s coming out here and pushing to get better.”
Posts: 42,675

06-27-2013, 07:35 PM	#1008
RunKC Andy Reid Supporter Join Date: Apr 2012 Casino cash: $409611	Interesting. In 2011, PFF ranked the 49ers OL as the 26th best pass blocking OL and said G's Chilo Rachal and Adam Snyder were dumpster fires. I guess Harbaugh didn't want them back in 2012 because of Alex Smith making them look bad. FYI, they were still dumpster fires in Arizona last year. __________________ Mike Greenberg@Espngreeny I can’t fathom what it must be like to be a fan of the #Chiefs. Adopt a Chief: Jared Wiley
Posts: 48,312

06-27-2013, 07:35 PM	#1009
Sandy Vagina Still Got The Blues (For You) Join Date: May 2013 Casino cash: $10014178	RunC does speak truth here, though Alex has to take some blame on occasion. Our OL pass pro leaves much to desire, and often gets overrated because of their run blocking. Kaepernick's obviously superior in evading sacks... making our pass pro look better than it is.. but Alex did a lot of this as well. The pass pro was a contributing factor into why we didn't throw more deep passes. It was as if during every huddle, the OL would discuss and decide which one was gonna screw up the next block attempt. Things did get better once Boone was inserted at RG, but he wasn't without growing pains.
Posts: 16,482

06-27-2013, 07:50 PM	#1011
RunKC Andy Reid Supporter Join Date: Apr 2012 Casino cash: $409611	It sounds an awful lot like Alex Smith will be making more throws, but most of the throws will be short or intermediate. __________________ Mike Greenberg@Espngreeny I can’t fathom what it must be like to be a fan of the #Chiefs. Adopt a Chief: Jared Wiley
Posts: 48,312

06-27-2013, 07:56 PM	#1015
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $2850478	You idiots. We already went over this MONTHS AGO. Alex Smith was the most sacked QB in the NFL on a per-snap basis last season. HE LOVES GETTING SACKED. IT'S A HOBBY OF HIS. __________________ Chiefs game films
Posts: 288,100