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.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by King_Chief_Fan

this was a decent read until the dissing of Dexter McCluster and cornerback Javier Arenas, and his third-round pick, tight end Tony Moeaki. After 4 meaningless preseason games that is written. Dexter and Tony are casualties of piss poor qb'ing. You can't expect large yardage off of dink and dunk. Those comments written are head up ass, I don't like Pioli BS. Arenas has already showed up and will continue. The heat will only be on Pioli if Cassel continues to play like crap and does nothing about it at seasons end.

I'll make this quick, since you apparently have no plans to debate it anyway.

You can't expect large yardage off of dink and dunk.

Really? That's EXACTLY what McCluster was drafted to do - MAKE PLAYS.

If you think they drafted him to run go routes all game, you're mistaken. The plan is to get him the ball, and for him to make plays. That hasn't happened in the passing game.

And he's spot on regarding Arenas as well.

Dude's done NOTHING on defense. Nothing. You have to get defensive production out of the 50th overall pick - if he's solely a returner, we screwed the pooch.

Have a nice day.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by King_Chief_Fan

while I am handing out **** you's.......here is yours

Well, at least I'm not left out.

[L.A. Chieffan]

I like the article too except for the McCluster and Arenas thing. Yeah they were 2nd rounders, but I've seen great things out of both of them so far this preseason. Maybe Arenas won't be a stud on defense but his impact on ST can't be overstated. Our ST, especially our return men, have been so abysmal the past few years that I forgot what it feels like to get excited when the ball is up in the air. Dex looks like he can break one for 50 yards everytime he touches it. This was just unnecessary.
Moekai has shown nothing though.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by L.A.Chieffan

I like the article too except for the McCluster and Arenas thing. Yeah they were 2nd rounders, but I've seen great things out of both of them so far this preseason. Maybe Arenas won't be a stud on defense but his impact on ST can't be overstated. Our ST, especially our return men, have been so abysmal the past few years that I forgot what it feels like to get excited when the ball is up in the air. Dex looks like he can break one for 50 yards everytime he touches it. This was just unnecessary.
Moekai has shown nothing though.

But you can't waste 2nd round picks on purely ST players......it's ****ing dumb and it sets your franchise back.

[L.A. Chieffan]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

But you can't waste 2nd round picks on purely ST players......it's ****ing dumb and it sets your franchise back.

ST is vastly underrated. Ideally you dont want to, but thats how bad our ST has been. He's improved it 300%

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by L.A.Chieffan

ST is vastly underrated. Ideally you dont want to, but thats how bad our ST has been. He's improved it 300%

This team is ****ed if we're reaching in the 2nd round for ST players....just because our ST sucks.

And I'm not downplaying what Arenas can do when it comes to STs.....but for a 2nd round pick.....he either should be pushing for the #2 CB job....or he should be the one of the best nicklebacks in the league.

[bobbything]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

But you can't waste 2nd round picks on purely ST players......it's ****ing dumb and it sets your franchise back.

If they can develop him into a good corner behind what we already have, while getting good production out of him in special teams, then it's great. Fortunately, we seem to have the luxury of doing that. I don't think it's really too fair to expect him to step in and shut people down; especially when our secondary already looks to be the strength of this defense without him.

If ends up sucking at corner, then it was probably a bad pick. But, 4 preseason games in is a little premature to judge.

[L.A. Chieffan]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

This team is ****ed if we're reaching in the 2nd round for ST players....just because our ST sucks.

And I'm not downplaying what Arenas can do when it comes to STs.....but for a 2nd round pick.....he either should be pushing for the #2 CB job....or he should be the one of the best nicklebacks in the league.

Cmon dude, Im not making excuses for Pioli. I talked more shit about TJax than about anybody else on here. I really don't care if Arenas is a starter on D, if he can give us great field position on almost every kick that negates what a solid nickelback is gonna give us

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

This team is ****ed if we're reaching in the 2nd round for ST players....just because our ST sucks.

And I'm not downplaying what Arenas can do when it comes to STs.....but for a 2nd round pick.....he either should be pushing for the #2 CB job....or he should be the one of the best nicklebacks in the league.

I don't know that I totally agree with this.

If he gains you 10 yards per change of possession, it's like adding a sack in there. Look at the bust rate of your average 2nd rounder and we're getting a better ROI than most.

On the other hand, there are always going to be exceptions to the generalities. In general, a game-breaking returner in the 2nd round is better than most teams will get. However, when you don't have a NT and your LBs are sub-standard, and there are 2 legitimate LBs that have a chance to be gamebreakers in your scheme, as well as a NT that has fallen nearly a full round, you have to go with the LB or the NT.

In general, I have no problem with a 2nd rounder that would yield the kind of impact that Arenas could in our return game. However, when combined with the McCluster pick and in light of the players available and our weaknesses on the team, it was not a good decision.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by L.A.Chieffan

Cmon dude, Im not making excuses for Pioli. I talked more shit about TJax than about anybody else on here. I really don't care if Arenas is a starter on D, if he can give us great field position on almost every kick that negates what a solid nickelback is gonna give us

He was drafted as a nickleback and a returner. He should be doing both well or that pick sucked.

[L.A. Chieffan]

Originally Posted by bobbything

If they can develop him into a good corner behind what we already have, while getting good production out of him in special teams, then it's great. Fortunately, we seem to have the luxury of doing that. I don't think it's really too fair to expect him to step in and shut people down; especially when our secondary already looks to be the strength of this defense without him.

If ends up sucking at corner, then it was probably a bad pick. But, 4 preseason games in is a little premature to judge.

exactly, one of the reasons areans hasnt had much PT on D yet is simply because of our depth at the position. one of the very few strengths on our team

[rambleonthruthefog]

first in with cassel sucks, mcluster was a reach, and we should have drafted a NT.

[keg in kc]

Does anybody actually care that the Chiefs just completed another losing preseason? Should anybody? I know I don't. What's the point in making judgments now? This is the kind of discussion that needs to come at about week 8.

[Rasputin]

I tell you this, I don't want us to trade for any QB this year. Wait tell next years draft. If we are going to suffer for piss poor QB play then God Damnet Pioli needs to suffer and take the heat every game. He doesn't pass go & he doesn't collect $200.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by Cool han Luke

I tell you this, I don't want us to trade for any QB this year. Wait tell next years draft. If we are going to suffer for piss poor QB play then God Damnet Pioli needs to suffer and take the heat every game. He doesn't pass go & he doesn't collect $200.

Do you think that Pioli is going to be the one taking the heat? The blame will fall on Haley's shoulders.