Alex Smith: Chiefs' offensive strategy will look much different this year

[Dante84]

Alex Smith says the Kansas City Chiefs are always changing and in a way he's right. The Chiefs offense will change. The personnel, however, doesn't seem to be changing around him as much as other teams which is a good thing.

Alex was asked about this being his fourth year and how the Chiefs offense changes as the team's personnel changes.

"For sure, especially with Coach Reid, nothing's chiseled in rock," Alex said via quotes from the Chiefs. "We are constantly changing and constantly trying to get better. He grinds over using the talent we have and how can we make it better and put guys in good situations and take advantage of strengths. We're always changing."

The Chiefs found out last year that they have a lot of talent at running back after Jamaal Charles went down. It makes me wonder if the offense will change in a way to highlight that strength at running back.

"I think they spent a lot of time after the season," Alex continued, "looking back at the entire collection of last season, all the snaps and really, what is our identity, where do we need to go from here, what are we good at, what do we need to maybe kick out of the offense, what do we need to add on, build on, things like that. I feel like it's constantly changing."

I found this interesting: Alex said they looked at the tape of their first OTA session last year. "Very, very different the install that went in today, very different than last year's install." Hmm.

"And then obviously there's going to be a big change when you add (Matt) Nagy and (Brad Childress) in there," Alex said. "They've spent a lot of time this offseason, really, I think, trying to clean that stuff up with Coach Reid. You're always changing."

What's not changing that much is the Chiefs personnel. Jeremy Maclin is back again. Both Jamaal Charles and Travis Kelce - along with Alex and Maclin, the Chiefs most important offensive players - are going into their fourth year together. Albert Wilson is going into his third year. Chris Conley in his second year. There's some continuity on offense.

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2016/5...lways-changing

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by BossChief

Cmon with that nonsense. That's an article from 2014 and Alex was a different player last year.

It is not non sense. It is pretty easy to add one year in there. Not to mention that was also meant to show Bleeding that the offense we run here doesn't throw deep since he was telling me I didn't know the offense we have been using.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by BossChief

Look at who he was throwing to in 2014.

Donnie Avery
Dwayne Bowe
AJ Jenkins
Frankie Hammond

I mean the ONLY guy we had at receiver in 2014 that even deserves to be on an NFL roster was Albert Wilson.

Everybody else is washed out, now.

http://www.pro-football-reference.co...S/SmitAl03.htm

You can look at his entire career and tell that he has almost always had a low average per attempt.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by BossChief

Alex is definitely improving as a deep ball thrower.

In 2014, he only threw 18 passes that traveled 21 yards in the air or more.

In 2015, that number went all the way up to 32...nearly double.

With the additions at receiver both in FA and the draft, I expect that number to get close to 40 in 2016.

Maybe a little more, depending how how defenses play us when Hill and Robinson get on the field.

Gotta love it.

[Chief Roundup]

I am not trying to bash Alex. He is what he is and this is the longest he has ever been with one coach and system. It isn't like the dude has a long way to go to be able to make a bigger difference. If there was ever a true chance for that to happen it is here with Andy Reid.
No we have not had a real deep threat nor has it ever seemed that Reid has been pushing Alex beyond his comfort zone either with the deep pass.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

It is not non sense. It is pretty easy to add one year in there. Not to mention that was also meant to show Bleeding that the offense we run here doesn't throw deep since he was telling me I didn't know the offense we have been using.

The claim that this offense doesn't throw deep isn't accurate, either.

IN 2008, Donovan McNabb threw 62 passes that traveled 21+ yards in the air.

In 2014, Alex only threw 18 and that number jumped to 32 last year.

Just a shade over half the amount of agressive passes that got attempted when Reid had a QB that made that a part of his game and had the players out wide to get those passes to.

IMO Dorsey made some decent moves to try to improve the WRs the last 2 off seasons ...Conley, Streater, Williams, Hill, Robinson, Maclin...

As that talent learns how to get open more and more, the more you will see that number rise for Alex Smith.

As I said, I expect that number to get to 40 next year.

No excuses.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

http://www.pro-football-reference.co...S/SmitAl03.htm

You can look at his entire career and tell that he has almost always had a low average per attempt.

That's bull, too.

Sorry.

Alex had to learn a new offense every single year he was in SF until Harbaugh got there and most of those coaching staffs got fired because they were total trash. That has a lot to do with it.

Look at his YPA in that second year under Harbaugh...8.1....pretty damn good. Especially when you factor in that he was completing 70% of his throws that year.

Not far off from last years 7.6...

Also notice that Alex's YPA has dramatically increased each year in KC....while his comp% has also gone up.

6.8 at 60% in 2013
7.2 at 64% in 2014
7.6 at 65% in 2015

And his receivers in 2016 will have more explosiveness and ability to get open than in any of those other years in KC.

Also factor in that the offensive line will be vastly improved, as well.

Now.

I understand that most here want to hate Alex because no matter what, he's always gonna be "another backup QB KC traded for" and that he will never be "our guy" in KC because of such, but the guy is gonna have another big jump in productivity and effectiveness in 2016 and some of you should probably try to....

You know....

Enjoy it.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by BossChief

The claim that this offense doesn't throw deep isn't accurate, either.

IN 2008, Donovan McNabb threw 62 passes that traveled 21+ yards in the air.

In 2014, Alex only threw 18 and that number jumped to 32 last year.

Just a shade over half the amount of agressive passes that got attempted when Reid had a QB that made that a part of his game and had the players out wide to get those passes to.

IMO Dorsey made some decent moves to try to improve the WRs the last 2 off seasons ...Conley, Streater, Williams, Hill, Robinson, Maclin...

As that talent learns how to get open more and more, the more you will see that number rise for Alex Smith.

As I said, I expect that number to get to 40 next year.

No excuses.

Maybe they morph the offense some more, but up this point Andy Reid has not used the same offense here as he used in Philly. Yes there are multiple reasons but it is not the same offense here yet if ever.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by BossChief

That's bull, too.

Sorry.

Alex had to learn a new offense every single year he was in SF until Harbaugh got there and most of those coaching staffs got fired because they were total trash. That has a lot to do with it.

Look at his YPA in that second year under Harbaugh...8.1....pretty damn good. Especially when you factor in that he was completing 70% of his throws that year.

Not far off from last years 7.6...

Also notice that Alex's YPA has dramatically increased each year in KC....while his comp% has also gone up.

6.8 at 60% in 2013
7.2 at 64% in 2014
7.6 at 65% in 2015

And his receivers in 2016 will have more explosiveness and ability to get open than in any of those other years in KC.

Also factor in that the offensive line will be vastly improved, as well.

Now.

I understand that most here want to hate Alex because no matter what, he's always gonna be "another backup QB KC traded for" and that he will never be "our guy" in KC because of such, but the guy is gonna have another big jump in productivity and effectiveness in 2016 and some of you should probably try to....

You know....

Enjoy it.

I don't hate Alex never have never will.
YPA does not correlate with passes over 30 yards. This conversation started over the deep pass that starts at 30 yards. You are twisting some stats there.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

Maybe they morph the offense some more, but up this point Andy Reid has not used the same offense here as he used in Philly. Yes there are multiple reasons but it is not the same offense here yet if ever.

That's only partly due to Alex, though.

In Philly, the Eagles had a number of WRs there for a fairly long time that knew the system and didn't need to start from square one each year like has been the case in KC.

Just listen to Alex talking about exactly that.

Reid's offense is the same as its been for quite some time and he has the largest playbook in the league...very tough to learn. That's why the continuity Alex talks about in this is so important and why it's silly to dismiss it.

The backs know the offense.
The OL (except Schwartz and the rook) knows the offense
3 of the top WRs know the offense
The QBs know the offense (even Hogan, according to Reid)

Alex and the offense should be able to "hit the ground running" in 2016 and use the new guys as wrinkles in the offense they can add gradually...by years end I expect a really really fun offense to watch.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

I don't hate Alex never have never will.
YPA does not correlate with passes over 30 yards. This conversation started over the deep pass that starts at 30 yards. You are twisting some stats there.

Outside of maybe 4 QBs, nobody consistently threw 30 or 40 yards bombs consistently last year.

who knows....with all the firepower at RB and the improved line, maybe those attempts even go up more than I think because of teams respect for the ground game.

[BossChief]

Sorry for picking on you CR. I guess I'm just trying to make a point that I see Alex having an equal jump in production and effectiveness in 2016 and am trying to illustrate the signs that back up that assumption with what is going on and what has happened the last 3 years leading up to this point.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by BossChief

Outside of maybe 4 QBs, nobody consistently threw 30 or 40 yards bombs consistently last year.

who knows....with all the firepower at RB and the improved line, maybe those attempts even go up more than I think because of teams respect for the ground game.

Using the 2014 numbers we threw 2.5% of the time which ranked us dead last. While the NFL average was 6.5%. The most was just over 10%. This were all in that 21 to 30 yard range that you were talking about.
If we doubled our throws in 2015 we would be some where around the 5% area. Maybe with the additions we have made and the time in the system we will improve to that average area. That would be absolutely fine with me as well. I do not want one of those offenses that throws deep continually. I favor the defensive game plan. I do wish that Alex had a better mid to deep game. It has been improving. I have always thought and said on here that he is good enough to get us there. He is just not going to be the QB that throws it all over down the field. He is going to play complementary football to the entire team to make the team as successful as he possibly can.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by BossChief

Sorry for picking on you CR. I guess I'm just trying to make a point that I see Alex having an equal jump in production and effectiveness in 2016 and am trying to illustrate the signs that back up that assumption with what is going on and what has happened the last 3 years leading up to this point.

You are not picking on me. We are discussing, nicely, slight differences. You just think I hate Alex because that was the mantra around here for a long time.

[Mr. Laz]

If Smith can trust his Oline and his receivers this year it will be a first.

If we have more than 1 WR that can really make things happen it will be the first time since all the way back to Paige and Carson.

[RobBlake]

just run a smooth offense and the crowd will back you