Chiefs A message of Positivity, from Mr. Jason Whitlock

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 [email protected]. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com.

CaliforniaChief · 11-22-2009, 11:23 PM

Not to brag or anything, but...

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showp...5&postcount=30

chiefzilla1501 · 11-22-2009, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

Not to brag or anything, but...

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showp...5&postcount=30

I agree.

It's been interesting to listen to Haley's tone the last few weeks. I remember after the Chargers game, I was expecting him to go absolutely apeshit. The Chiefs played like shit. But during the Press Conference, he spoke a lot about how he was happy with the way they played and how they prepared for that game. Probably coachspeak, but it was a rapid departure from earlier in the year when he was continually disappointed in his team.

You could see a whole different personality in him against Pittsburgh. Much happier. Having a really good time. And I think it really rubbed off on the players.

We'll see if this is something permanent, or if he goes back to being an asshole again next week. Either way, I did enjoy his post-game comments where he was giddy like a school girl.

KCbroncoHATER · 11-22-2009, 11:24 PM

Props!

Reerun_KC · 11-22-2009, 11:24 PM

Jwhit can **** himself. die in a flaming bucket of aids.
Posted via Mobile Device

Hootie · 11-22-2009, 11:25 PM

you know what's funny?

When it counted...especially defensively...WE looked like the defending Super Bowl Champs...not them.

Quesadilla Joe · 11-23-2009, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baby Got Grbac

you know what's funny?

When it counted...especially defensively...WE looked like the defending Super Bowl Champs...not them.

Well Big Ben and Troy Polamlu weren't on the field.....

Pioli Zombie · 11-23-2009, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

Well Big Ben and Troy Polamlu weren't on the field.....

Broncos are collapsing like a Twin Tower
Posted via Mobile Device

TheGuardian · 11-23-2009, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

Well Big Ben and Troy Polamlu weren't on the field.....

Only two teams have ever started off 6-0 and then lost four straight. Can you name me one of those two teams?

beach tribe · 11-23-2009, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

Well Big Ben and Troy Polamlu weren't on the field.....

Actually Ben was on the field 95% of the time it counted. He only missed half of 1 drive.

Quesadilla Joe · 11-23-2009, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

Actually Ben was on the field 95% of the time it counted. He only missed half of 1 drive.

When it mattered most he wasn't on the field.

Quote:

Chiefs 3-2

Donkeys 1-4

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY??

The Steelers beat themselves, KC didn't win.

KCUnited · 11-23-2009, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

When it mattered most he wasn't on the field.

Because we knocked him out.

**The Bad Guy** · 11-23-2009, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

When it mattered most he wasn't on the field.

The Steelers beat themselves, KC didn't win.

God you are so predictable.

With the exception of the Charger road game, then I could say the exact same about the Bronco 5 wins.

You couldn't beat that Steeler team in your backyard.

Sucks to be you, loser.

**ChiTown** · 11-23-2009, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

When it mattered most he wasn't on the field.

The Steelers beat themselves, KC didn't win.

Go **** your sister, again.

Mr. Plow · 11-23-2009, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

The Steelers beat themselves, KC didn't win.

And San Diego dismantled the Broncos. They didn't lose the game, they got their ass kicked.

11-22-2009, 11:22 PM	Topic Starter
chiefzilla1501 In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2008 Casino cash: $-1805503	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 [email protected]. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com.
Posts: 51,679

11-22-2009, 11:23 PM	#2
CaliforniaChief #RIPAce Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: So Cal Casino cash: $10495899	Not to brag or anything, but... http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showp...5&postcount=30
Posts: 17,471

11-22-2009, 11:24 PM	#4
KCbroncoHATER KCBH Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Lee's Summit, Missiouri Casino cash: $9984900	Props!
Posts: 1,326

11-22-2009, 11:24 PM	#5
Reerun_KC Banned Join Date: Aug 2005 Casino cash: $7231160	Jwhit can **** himself. die in a flaming bucket of aids. Posted via Mobile Device
Posts: 1,529

11-22-2009, 11:25 PM	#6
Hootie Banned Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Dallas, Texas Casino cash: $10004900	you know what's funny? When it counted...especially defensively...WE looked like the defending Super Bowl Champs...not them.
Posts: 56,356