Chiefs Dear, Vikings: Thanks for our quarterback; Sincerely, Chiefs - Page 9

**DaKCMan AP** · 12-04-2008, 10:35 AM

Dear, Vikings: Thanks for our quarterback; Sincerely, Chiefs

By Clark Judge
CBSSports.com Senior Writer

I heard someone last week ask if there were any way the Minnesota Vikings could repay Kansas City for dropping star defensive end Jared Allen on their doorstep, and, yes, I said, there is. In fact, they've already done it.

Meet Tyler Thigpen.

He's the Chiefs' quarterback for now and maybe the future, but he wouldn't be in Kansas City if the Vikings hadn't cut him loose a year ago to make room for a reserve tight end.

The move was a gamble, and Minnesota knew it, but it figured it could re-sign Thigpen -- chosen by the Vikings in the seventh round of the 2007 draft -- to its practice squad after he cleared waivers.

Only he didn't clear. Kansas City claimed him.

Now he's playing so well that Chiefs coach Herman Edwards confessed he's considering scrapping the Chiefs' run-heavy offense next season and going with what works for Tyler Thigpen -- a more spread-out, wide-open, two-minute approach that usually has Thigpen operating out of the shotgun.

That can't be good news for someone like running back Larry Johnson, but it is for Thigpen. It means someone has a conviction about the guy, and that someone is Edwards -- with the coach considering a change next season from his offenses of the past just to suit his young quarterback.

If that happens, it means Edwards believes in Thigpen as his future starter. But he isn't there yet, and he emphasized that when I reached him Wednesday.

"We've got four games left," he said. "Let's see what he does. But one thing I do know: He's a No. 2. There is no doubt about that. That we know."

Others within the Kansas City hierarchy admit "cautious optimism" about Thigpen, who produced his first victory last weekend and who has played well for one of the league's bottom feeders. In fact, in a recent four-game stretch, he threw eight touchdown passes and one interception and took, in order, the Jets, Tampa Bay and San Diego to the mat, with all three games decided in the closing seconds.

Now, let's make something clear: Tyler Thigpen is not the next Eli or Peyton Manning. But he is a pleasant discovery in a not-so-pleasant season in Kansas City, and the Chiefs can address those "thank you" notes to 9520 Viking Drive, Eden Prairie, Minn. They wouldn't have Thigpen were it not for the Vikings' gamble.

The common perception is that Kansas City discovered Thigpen when the Chiefs and Vikings held a preseason scrimmage, but Edwards shot down that idea, saying Thigpen didn't play "that much" when the two teams practiced against each other. Instead, he said, Thigpen appeared on the Kansas City radar when he was a star quarterback at Coastal Carolina, with the Chiefs rating him a low fifth- or high sixth-round choice.

He could run. He had a strong arm. He was accurate. He was durable. And he won. Basically, he was everything you wanted from a quarterback, with a couple of drawbacks: 1) He didn't operate in a pro offense, working instead out of the shotgun, and 2) he played at a small school against lesser competition.

Nevertheless, when the team's vice president of player personnel, Bill Kuharich, watched him that summer in the fourth quarter of an exhibition game, he noticed something he liked.

"It was just the way he handled himself and the pressure," said Kuharich. "It reinforced what I had seen on tape. (Team president) Carl (Peterson), Herm and I decided if he ever became available we would claim him."

Which, of course, they did when Minnesota stuck with Tarvaris Jackson and acquired veteran backup Kelly Holcomb. Now, Holcomb is gone, Jackson is benched and Thigpen is playing for Kansas City. Hindsight is 20-20, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out the Vikings erred when they let Thigpen go.

I came to that conclusion last weekend when Thigpen led Kansas City on a 16-play, 91-yard drive that broke a 10-10 deadlock against Oakland. He completed three of four passes and ran for two first downs on that series.

I came to that conclusion again that afternoon when, on third-and-3 with just over two minutes to play, he iced the game by hitting Dwayne Bowe with a 12-yard completion.

"We've got ourselves a pretty good quarterback," said Edwards.

That's as strong a statement as you get from the head coach, but it tells you what he will not: That Tyler Thigpen could be the quarterback the Chiefs envisioned when they drafted Brodie Croyle in 2006. Croyle was supposed to be the Chiefs' quarterback of the future, but those plans have been scrapped because he can't stay healthy.

Thigpen can. He can also win, with last weekend's defeat of Oakland a breakthrough. After close calls against four opponents -- including New Orleans -- he finally demonstrated that he can close a deal, and that's what the Chiefs have been missing the past year and a half.

But that's just the beginning. They rave about Thigpen's mobility. In fact, it was the first quality Edwards ticked off when he listed his quarterback's strengths. Thigpen can throw with accuracy, too, with a string of 161 passes without an interception and a third-down passer-rating higher than those of Brett Favre and Jay Cutler. Plus, he's an outstanding athlete -- the only quarterback in Kansas City history to score a touchdown by running, passing and receiving.

"The question now," said Edwards, "is how will he continue to play and do we want to change the offense? I have to talk to (offensive coordinator) Chan Gailey, but right now I'm thinking we would.

"We changed everything to build the offense around him. It's like we're operating with a three-page notebook, adding a little with each week. Now the question is: Do we stay with this? Because it means you would have to do some things differently, like look at a little different offensive linemen."

The Chiefs have four games to produce an answer, but that they are even considering a change in their offense tells me one thing: They may have found themselves a quarterback.

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/11149961

Sweet Daddy Hate · 12-04-2008, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hootie

defenses can't really even prepare because every week we do something a lot different...we ran the spread 90% of the game against the Jets...something we've never done...so obviously they were off balance...

Then, against Tampa, Thigpen operated under center for the majority of the 1st half...where we scored 24 points and had 3 straight TD drives...

Then, when LJ returned we started running out of the pistol...

At least the offensive creativity displayed saved the season from being a total disaster and made some games entertaining...which is something I didn't see possible two months ago.

I'm no fan of R2P2, and I DO like the creativity that Gailey has brought to the table with Thigpen.
I just believe that you're not going to get to the playoffs running the football out of a shotgun.

Micjones · 12-04-2008, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darth CarlSatan

I'm no fan of R2P2, and I DO like the creativity that Gailey has brought to the table with Thigpen.
I just believe that you're not going to get to the playoffs running the football out of a shotgun.

I don't believe they'll have to.
I think Gailey will have time to really flesh out the playbook and add more wrinkles to the philosophy in the off-season. There's only so much you can do when you're gameplanning on a weekly basis.

I think you can tweak this offense just like Saunders tailored the Air Coryell offense to his offensive weapons.
Remember...In the early-going they didn't exactly know what to do with Priest.

Sweet Daddy Hate · 12-04-2008, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micjones

I don't believe they'll have to.
I think Gailey will have time to really flesh out the playbook and add more wrinkles to the philosophy in the off-season. There's only so much you can do when you're gameplanning on a weekly basis.

I think you can tweak this offense just like Saunders tailored the Air Coryell offense to his offensive weapons.
Remember...In the early-going they didn't exactly know what to do with Priest.

True enough!

kcchiefsus · 12-04-2008, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Jesus

With Herm calling Tyler a #2, I have a good feeling that he will draft a Bradford or Stafford in the draft.

That's not what he meant. He is saying Tyler is at the very least a #2. These last 4 games will go a ways towards deciding if he is more than that.

CoMoChief · 12-04-2008, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micjones

I don't believe they'll have to.
I think Gailey will have time to really flesh out the playbook and add more wrinkles to the philosophy in the off-season. There's only so much you can do when you're gameplanning on a weekly basis.

I think you can tweak this offense just like Saunders tailored the Air Coryell offense to his offensive weapons.
Remember...In the early-going they didn't exactly know what to do with Priest.

Yet still Priest led the NFL in rushing that season. It hink they had a pretty good idea what to do with him.

Kerberos · 12-04-2008, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikey23545

And so ignoring it proves your point?!?!?

Gochiefs, you are such an idiot...

Yup

I'm pretty sure you are dead on with the Goat Cheeze alias.

kcchiefsus · 12-04-2008, 02:38 PM

I think what will determine if Tyler can be our QBOTF, or at least for the near future until we find somebody better, is whether he can learn to play under center about 50% of the time. If he can play out of both the shotgun and under center and be successful then I think we might have a keeper. We'll see how he does in the offseason when they have time to form the offense around him.

**DaneMcCloud** · 12-04-2008, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darth CarlSatan

Oh baby; that is one laundry list full of Wrong.

You can't handicap the running game by working out of the shotgun all day. I'm a fan of Thigpen, but this is just scary stupid.

Um, have you ever watched the New England Patriots with Tom Brady?

How about the Philadelphia Eagles this decade?

60/40 Pass to Run ratio.

This team is a few offensive lineman away from dominance. I truly believe that will happen in the 2009 off-season.

Herm even mentioned the O-line in this article.

**DaneMcCloud** · 12-04-2008, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reerun_KC

Its going to be hard to get 8 wins next year. The coaches Herm has to go up against are far head and shoulders above Herm...

So with Herms usual 2 game collaspe with his spineless approach to coaching and probably 2-3 games where Herm will just be out coached, I can see this team going between 4-12 and 6-10, and give just a maricle of a season and coaching job from Herm 7-9 at best...

If the Chiefs go 7-9 next year with another batch of successful draft choices added to the current youngest team in the NFL, he'll get at least a three year extension.

BigChiefFan · 12-04-2008, 03:00 PM

Brilliant. Herm was Hell Bent on scrap heaping a potent offense for 40 plus games and now all the sudden, he's had a revelation? Bullshit. This is, save your own ass, coach speak and I'm not buying it. Herm will be right back to his conservative ways, when ever the heat is off. Besides that, who in the Hell actually buys that Thigpen was Herm's starter form day one? Two-Face is full of shit.

**HemiEd** · 12-04-2008, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kerberos

Yup

I'm pretty sure you are dead on with the Goat Cheeze alias.

I called it on his first few posts.

Brock · 12-04-2008, 03:02 PM

Yeah, if only we had kept Willie Roaf, Priest Holmes and Trent Green.

BigChiefFan · 12-04-2008, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brock

Yeah, if only we had kept Willie Roaf, Priest Holmes and Trent Green.

I know-they are the only Players that can run the Air Coreyell, right?

Chieftain58 · 12-04-2008, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaKCMan AP

You do realize that since we've gone spread we've rushed the ball more, gained more yards and have a higher yards per carry average?

Let's see how he finishes out the season. How many years left on his contract?

Chieftain58 · 12-04-2008, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcchiefsus

I think what will determine if Tyler can be our QBOTF, or at least for the near future until we find somebody better, is whether he can learn to play under center about 50% of the time. If he can play out of both the shotgun and under center and be successful then I think we might have a keeper. We'll see how he does in the offseason when they have time to form the offense around him.

I think you have said it perfectly... can he play under center?

12-04-2008, 10:35 AM
DaKCMan AP Beloved & Awesome CP Celebrity Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Florida Casino cash: $6714952	Dear, Vikings: Thanks for our quarterback; Sincerely, Chiefs Dear, Vikings: Thanks for our quarterback; Sincerely, Chiefs By Clark Judge CBSSports.com Senior Writer I heard someone last week ask if there were any way the Minnesota Vikings could repay Kansas City for dropping star defensive end Jared Allen on their doorstep, and, yes, I said, there is. In fact, they've already done it. Meet Tyler Thigpen. He's the Chiefs' quarterback for now and maybe the future, but he wouldn't be in Kansas City if the Vikings hadn't cut him loose a year ago to make room for a reserve tight end. The move was a gamble, and Minnesota knew it, but it figured it could re-sign Thigpen -- chosen by the Vikings in the seventh round of the 2007 draft -- to its practice squad after he cleared waivers. Only he didn't clear. Kansas City claimed him. Now he's playing so well that Chiefs coach Herman Edwards confessed he's considering scrapping the Chiefs' run-heavy offense next season and going with what works for Tyler Thigpen -- a more spread-out, wide-open, two-minute approach that usually has Thigpen operating out of the shotgun. That can't be good news for someone like running back Larry Johnson, but it is for Thigpen. It means someone has a conviction about the guy, and that someone is Edwards -- with the coach considering a change next season from his offenses of the past just to suit his young quarterback. If that happens, it means Edwards believes in Thigpen as his future starter. But he isn't there yet, and he emphasized that when I reached him Wednesday. "We've got four games left," he said. "Let's see what he does. But one thing I do know: He's a No. 2. There is no doubt about that. That we know." Others within the Kansas City hierarchy admit "cautious optimism" about Thigpen, who produced his first victory last weekend and who has played well for one of the league's bottom feeders. In fact, in a recent four-game stretch, he threw eight touchdown passes and one interception and took, in order, the Jets, Tampa Bay and San Diego to the mat, with all three games decided in the closing seconds. Now, let's make something clear: Tyler Thigpen is not the next Eli or Peyton Manning. But he is a pleasant discovery in a not-so-pleasant season in Kansas City, and the Chiefs can address those "thank you" notes to 9520 Viking Drive, Eden Prairie, Minn. They wouldn't have Thigpen were it not for the Vikings' gamble. The common perception is that Kansas City discovered Thigpen when the Chiefs and Vikings held a preseason scrimmage, but Edwards shot down that idea, saying Thigpen didn't play "that much" when the two teams practiced against each other. Instead, he said, Thigpen appeared on the Kansas City radar when he was a star quarterback at Coastal Carolina, with the Chiefs rating him a low fifth- or high sixth-round choice. He could run. He had a strong arm. He was accurate. He was durable. And he won. Basically, he was everything you wanted from a quarterback, with a couple of drawbacks: 1) He didn't operate in a pro offense, working instead out of the shotgun, and 2) he played at a small school against lesser competition. Nevertheless, when the team's vice president of player personnel, Bill Kuharich, watched him that summer in the fourth quarter of an exhibition game, he noticed something he liked. "It was just the way he handled himself and the pressure," said Kuharich. "It reinforced what I had seen on tape. (Team president) Carl (Peterson), Herm and I decided if he ever became available we would claim him." Which, of course, they did when Minnesota stuck with Tarvaris Jackson and acquired veteran backup Kelly Holcomb. Now, Holcomb is gone, Jackson is benched and Thigpen is playing for Kansas City. Hindsight is 20-20, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out the Vikings erred when they let Thigpen go. I came to that conclusion last weekend when Thigpen led Kansas City on a 16-play, 91-yard drive that broke a 10-10 deadlock against Oakland. He completed three of four passes and ran for two first downs on that series. I came to that conclusion again that afternoon when, on third-and-3 with just over two minutes to play, he iced the game by hitting Dwayne Bowe with a 12-yard completion. "We've got ourselves a pretty good quarterback," said Edwards. That's as strong a statement as you get from the head coach, but it tells you what he will not: That Tyler Thigpen could be the quarterback the Chiefs envisioned when they drafted Brodie Croyle in 2006. Croyle was supposed to be the Chiefs' quarterback of the future, but those plans have been scrapped because he can't stay healthy. Thigpen can. He can also win, with last weekend's defeat of Oakland a breakthrough. After close calls against four opponents -- including New Orleans -- he finally demonstrated that he can close a deal, and that's what the Chiefs have been missing the past year and a half. But that's just the beginning. They rave about Thigpen's mobility. In fact, it was the first quality Edwards ticked off when he listed his quarterback's strengths. Thigpen can throw with accuracy, too, with a string of 161 passes without an interception and a third-down passer-rating higher than those of Brett Favre and Jay Cutler. Plus, he's an outstanding athlete -- the only quarterback in Kansas City history to score a touchdown by running, passing and receiving. "The question now," said Edwards, "is how will he continue to play and do we want to change the offense? I have to talk to (offensive coordinator) Chan Gailey, but right now I'm thinking we would. "We changed everything to build the offense around him. It's like we're operating with a three-page notebook, adding a little with each week. Now the question is: Do we stay with this? Because it means you would have to do some things differently, like look at a little different offensive linemen." The Chiefs have four games to produce an answer, but that they are even considering a change in their offense tells me one thing: They may have found themselves a quarterback. http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/11149961
Posts: 35,696

12-04-2008, 02:38 PM	#127
kcchiefsus Banned Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nowhere Casino cash: $10017949	I think what will determine if Tyler can be our QBOTF, or at least for the near future until we find somebody better, is whether he can learn to play under center about 50% of the time. If he can play out of both the shotgun and under center and be successful then I think we might have a keeper. We'll see how he does in the offseason when they have time to form the offense around him.
Posts: 4,649

12-04-2008, 03:00 PM	#130
BigChiefFan MVP Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: In the Top 10 Casino cash: $9924205	Brilliant. Herm was Hell Bent on scrap heaping a potent offense for 40 plus games and now all the sudden, he's had a revelation? Bullshit. This is, save your own ass, coach speak and I'm not buying it. Herm will be right back to his conservative ways, when ever the heat is off. Besides that, who in the Hell actually buys that Thigpen was Herm's starter form day one? Two-Face is full of shit. __________________ A 35 year drought can make you thirsty.
Posts: 15,777

12-04-2008, 03:02 PM	#132
Brock Say hello to my little friend Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Larryville Casino cash: $9598422	Yeah, if only we had kept Willie Roaf, Priest Holmes and Trent Green.
Posts: 47,314