Chiefs' offense: "one of the worst in the league, by nearly every measure"

[the Talking Can]

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2013/9...chiefs-offense

some numbers to chew on from arrowhead pride

The Chiefs are actually 12th in the league in PPG, at 23.7. But if you take away the 14 points the defense is directly responsible for, that number drops to 19 PPG, which would be tied for 23rd - with the Raiders. The Chiefs are relying on the defense to score points, which isn't good. Defensive scoring is random and shouldn't be part of the game plan. They didn't need Tamba Hali's pick-6 to beat the Jaguars, but they did need Eric Berry's against the Eagles.

They also are just not moving the ball; their 333 yds/gm is 21st in the league and their 4.9 yds/play ranks 25th. "Well Kyle," you may ask, " if the Chiefs offense is so bad, how are they undefeated this year?" That's an excellent question, thank you for asking. The answer is that the defense and special teams are much, much better than we thought.

The problem the Chiefs are having is getting to the Red Zone in the first place. They're 30th in yards per drive, with only Tampa Bay and Jacksonville behind them, and Cleveland directly in front of them (not good company to be in). This is a really, really bad offense. But here's the real kicker: the Chiefs' offense has the best starting field position in the NFL this year, and still can't score.

The Chiefs average 17 yards per drive better field position than their opponents (ok, ok, 16.95), the best mark in the NFL (2nd table). Only two other teams average more than 10 yards better starting field position than their opponents (New England and Chicago). The Chiefs' average starting line of scrimmage (LOS) is their own 36.97 yard line (best in the NFL), while their opponents average starting LOS is their own 20.02 yard line (also best in the NFL). What all of that means is the Chiefs's offense is handed consistently great starting field position and can't do anything with it, then they let the special teams pin opponents deep in their own territory. The defense bails out the offense by not letting opponents move the ball, giving the offense the ball back with great starting field position. Lather, rinse, repeat.

There's a nice breakdown of our defense against philly over there as well:
http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2013/9/2...p-kelly-eagles

I have to reiterate and emphasize just how much the Chiefs played man to man -- like a ton of it. And they have the secondary to handle it, unlike most teams in the NFL. Specifically, they matched up Sean Smith on Cooper a lot on the outside. If this had been a prize fight, Cooper's corner would have thrown in the towel somewhere around the middle of the second quarter. Smith owned him right up until the end of the game when he started cramping up. Cooper just couldn't shake him, especially on those aforementioned deep routes Kelly had him running all game.

[Chris Meck]

I don't know about many of you, but I fully expected the offense to struggle a bit early in the year. It's a young line, and a new, complex offensive system. I'm really only surprised that the defense has been so lights out that we're 3-0. This bodes well, as I think the second half of the season the offense should be better than the first half.

Remember year one of Vermeil/Saunders? TrINT? Anybody think that offense would go on to do what it did in the next few seasons?

I'm not worried.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Goddammit, people: The interior of the offensive line is complete and utter ASS. How many play have been run to the right, where Eric Fisher is getting his ass handed to him?

Until this offensive line plays better as a unit, the offense as a whole is going to struggle.

Do any of you guys even watch the games?

We are BETTER up the middle.

Albert is injured (again) but playing and Fish flat out sucks unless he can square up and just maul a guy. And yea, he can and has blown up defenders on running plays.

As far as the interior I completely disagree...

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by tredadda

You don't get extra points winning pretty or get less points for winning ugly. At the end of the day a win is a win. In the 90s we used to dominate teams in the regular season only to lose in the playoffs. How we win in the regular season means little as long as we win. Once the playoffs start then anything can happen.

In the 90s, the Chiefs used to win games just like they are doing now. The D. They didn't have an offense that could score.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

I can only assume you've never watched a AR coached team in Philly.

Top 10 offense in points scored in 8 of his last 11 seasons.

Top 8 in 4 of his last 5. Over 26 PPG.

AR teams are not "reserved". They score points - a lot of them.

So, you thought a team that was near dead last in nearly every offensive category was going to magically and immediately turn that around in one season with four new offensive lineman, two broken tight ends off the street, no true slot receiver and limited camp time together due to the new CBA?

Seriously?

[Ace Gunner]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Goddammit, people: The interior of the offensive line is complete and utter ASS. How many play have been run to the right, where Eric Fisher is getting his ass handed to him?

Until this offensive line plays better as a unit, the offense as a whole is going to struggle.

Do any of you guys even watch the games?

at some point you need to come to terms with the fact most of the "QB sucks" crowd here doesn't have any clue what role the OL plays in any offense -- not even the 2003 Chiefs offense that they watched maul teams for years.

Trint Green, Eddie K, Preist -- that is their knowledge of "offense".

[Imon Yourside]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

So, you thought a team that was near dead last in nearly every offensive category was going to magically and immediately turn that around in one season with four new offensive lineman, two broken tight ends off the street, no true slot receiver and limited camp time together due to the new CBA?

Seriously?

Everybody else is doing it....why can't we?!?!?!?!.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Rausch

We are BETTER up the middle.

Albert is injured (again) but playing and Fish flat out sucks unless he can square up and just maul a guy. And yea, he can and has blown up defenders on running plays.

As far as the interior I completely disagree...

Allen sucks, Hudson has struggled, as has Asamoah.

They are in no way, shape or form "better".

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

I don't think you can just take away one team's defense points then re-insert them into the rankings while leaving in everyone else's defense points. How is that relevant?

It's not, but that'd take a lot of effort...

[keg in kc]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

So, you thought a team that was near dead last in nearly every offensive category was going to magically and immediately turn that around in one season with four new offensive lineman, two broken tight ends off the street, no true slot receiver and limited camp time together due to the new CBA?

Seriously?

It seems to me his comment was more about the team philosophy and how people are for whatever reason attributing the offensive struggles to successfully executing a conservative scheme rather than failing to execute an aggressive one.

The reasons for that failure of execution would then fall into the items you listed.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

Not reading through everything to see if this has been mentioned but this is stupid:




I don't think you can just take away one team's defense points then re-insert them into the rankings while leaving in everyone else's defense points. How is that relevant?

Yeah the offense is weak, but I hate stupid stats like this.

Chiefs offense would be tied for 19th in the league in PPG if you took away all defensive scores.

[keg in kc]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

I don't know about many of you, but I fully expected the offense to struggle a bit early in the year. It's a young line, and a new, complex offensive system. I'm really only surprised that the defense has been so lights out that we're 3-0. This bodes well, as I think the second half of the season the offense should be better than the first half.

Remember year one of Vermeil/Saunders? TrINT? Anybody think that offense would go on to do what it did in the next few seasons?

Yes, actually. They absolutely blew up in the 3rd game of the 2001 season (IIRC...), on the road against the redskins.

Hopefully something similar happens with this offense...

And I do agree with you on expecting them to struggle (although not quite to the degree that they have). And I do expect them to improve at some point. But at this point, however, we can really only discuss what's happened on the field so far. Anything else is conjecture.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

Yes, actually. They absolutely blew up in the 3rd game of the 2001 season (IIRC...), on the road against the redskins.

Hopefully something similar happens with this offense...

And I do agree with you on expecting them to struggle (although not quite to the degree that they have). And I do expect them to improve at some point. But at this point, however, we can really only discuss what's happened on the field so far. Anything else is conjecture.

That was because Saunders finally figured out that Holmes more than a third down back.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

Yes, actually. They absolutely blew up in the 3rd game of the 2001 season (IIRC...), on the road against the redskins.

Hopefully something similar happens with this offense...

And I do agree with you on expecting them to struggle (although not quite to the degree that they have). And I do expect them to improve at some point. But at this point, however, we can really only discuss what's happened on the field so far. Anything else is conjecture.

You know what happened to cause that? They gave Priest the ball regularly and stopped using him as a 3rd down back.

We need to run JC more.

[Titty Meat]

This is brand new information

[keg in kc]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

That was because Saunders finally figure out that Holmes more than a third down back.

Yep.

Also became pretty obvious later on that the in-season acquisition of Eddie Kennison was going to be great. That team did have perhaps the worst starting set of WRs I think I've ever seen through 10 or 12 weeks.