Chiefs Andy blames himself, not Alex, for Chiefs' sputtering offense - Page 3

ShowtimeSBMVP · 10-16-2013, 10:05 AM

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- When you're 6-0 and coming off a 2-14 season, there really shouldn't be any complaining.

There can't be a football fan or scout or executive anywhere on the planet who could have forecast the amazing turnaround general manager John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid have conducted with the Chiefs -- certainly not to the extent of a 6-0 start.

But -- and isn't there always a but? -- there is one small area of concern that even Reid himself continues to address: a sluggish offense.

The Chiefs are 25th in the NFL in offense, chugging along at just 326 yards per game, a remarkably low figure for a team unbeaten this far into the season.

No one is more aware of the offense's struggles than Reid. The offense is his baby.

"Listen, I'm never going to make excuses," Reid said Monday. "That's not how we roll here. But the reality of it is we're a little young, but we have to get better.

"I see some phases we're getting better at. But I've got to do a better job of getting these guys in the right position to succeed. We've all got a little piece of the pie to get things right. We're learning on the fly, but we're going to get better."

The Chiefs likely will have to. Fans in this area have seen this script before. They've seen the Chiefs' teams of the 1990s soar through the regular season on the strength of their overpowering defenses and elite special teams.

Then those fans saw the same teams misfire in the postseason, mainly because the offense couldn't step up and contribute when it had to.

To avoid revisiting that script, the Chiefs must get more production out of quarterback Alex Smith, whose numbers keep sinking.

Smith is 26th in the league in passing yards at just 221.7 per game. He's also 20th in the league with a passer rating of 79.8.

But if you're looking for Reid to point any fingers toward Smith, you'll have a long wait.

Reid knows what kind of team he has. He knows, outside of Jamaal Charles and at times Dwayne Bowe, he doesn't have an explosive offense.

Reid also knows you can win in this league simply by not messing up, and letting the opponent beat itself. The Chiefs are No. 1 in the league in turnover ratio at plus-12, and don't have the appearance of a team that will beat itself anytime soon.

"Not turning the ball over is very important to us," Reid said, "especially when you have a solid defense like we have and the kicking game we have, both from our punter and our kicker."

In that respect, Smith is giving Reid all he needs, even if the offense has that familiar conservative look of the '90s. After all, there is a fine line between wanting more offensive production, and opening the offense up so much that more turnovers occur. Reid isn't likely to stand for that.

"You want to always start off by protecting the ball," Reid said. "There's no fine line there for me. ...

"Alex is doing that. And we need to point out the way Alex continues to manage this offense."

And that is the key in Reid's mind: He simply wants Smith to manage the game, which also includes managing the different personalities in the huddle.

"We've got a guy at quarterback, this kid, he's a stud," Reid said. "The things he does for this team is unbelievable. He's making people around him better. He takes the blame for things -- that's what good leaders do.

"At the same time, he's able to teach and explain to other guys with a clear head. Those are valuable things for us as coaches to see. I'm very pleased with the job (Smith) is doing."

In Reid's mind, let the other quarterbacks around the league possess the pretty passing numbers; Reid will take the ultimate one that counts. That is, for now, 6-0.

Still, Reid also has been around long enough to know that his offense will have to improve as the season wears on, even if it's just incrementally.

And that will be up to Reid himself as the play-caller and architect of the offense, something Reid has mentioned almost every week.

"I think we have done some good things, but we have plenty to work on," Reid said. "I don't think I've done a very good job of putting guys in position to make plays. That has been obvious at times. I have to do a better job."

http://www.foxsportskansascity.com/n...75&feedID=5117

Sorry if Q

**The Franchise** · 10-16-2013, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Jenkins has shown absolutely nothing. IMO, Davis should be cut and placed on the PS. No one is going to claim that fumbling machine. It's too bad Draughn is a member of the Ravens.

Dorsey needs to continue to churn the roster.

Draughn got cut by the Ravens.

**RealSNR** · 10-16-2013, 11:44 AM

Draughn got cut because the Cyrus Gray was better. And he's still on the roster.

Mr. Laz · 10-16-2013, 11:46 AM

Everyone involved with the offense should blame themselves.

Blame yourself,Self-evaluation, work hard to get better

**DaneMcCloud** · 10-16-2013, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SNR

Draughn got cut because the Cyrus Gray was better. And he's still on the roster.

At this point, I think Draughn would be more productive than Davis.

Every single time he touches the ball, he fumbles. At this point, he's wasting a roster spot.

ChiefsCountry · 10-16-2013, 11:47 AM

Davis needs carries. One carry, actually I think it was a catch isn't going to cut it. Let him play, the only way we know if he can or can't get the job done.

**DaneMcCloud** · 10-16-2013, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warrior

Don't want to sound like one of the weeping vaginas but we should have taken K Allen in the third Draughn and Gray would have been fine, we needed a wr.

For as much as Dorsey has absolutely killed it with UDFA's and Free Agents, his first draft sucked ass and rivals Pioli's 2009 draft.

**DaneMcCloud** · 10-16-2013, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Davis needs carries. One carry, actually I think it was a catch isn't going to cut it. Let him play, the only way we know if he can or can't get the job done.

He touched the ball once on Sunday and fumbled forward, out of bounds.

He's a PS guy at this point. I wouldn't let him anywhere near the field until he rectifies his fumbling problem. The guy should be made to carry a football everywhere and sleep with it, too.

warrior · 10-16-2013, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

For as much as Dorsey has absolutely killed it with UDFA's and Free Agents, his first draft sucked ass and rivals Pioli's 2009 draft.

Unfortunely I have to agree

mcaj22 · 10-16-2013, 11:55 AM

well if it's anything like Pioli's 2009 then that means we will get two good players out of it after 4 years of development

KCDC · 10-16-2013, 11:59 AM

I agree with Dane as well on the draft.

I think Talking Can's point about the role of a game manager, is amusing and fair. Going three and out for three quarters, kicking field goals when the defense gets turnovers in the red zone, and sustaining drives mostly on penalties against the opponent, is not an effective game manager.

Alex Smith is a known game manager; but, he is doing a crappy job for us. Going three and out, but not turning the ball over, is not to be applauded. We can rehire Herm Edwards if we want to applaud that.

InChiefsHeaven · 10-16-2013, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCDC

I agree with Dane as well on the draft.

I think Talking Can's point about the role of a game manager, is amusing and fair. Going three and out for three quarters, kicking field goals when the defense gets turnovers in the red zone, and sustaining drives mostly on penalties against the opponent, is not an effective game manager.

Alex Smith is a known game manager; but, he is doing a crappy job for us. Going three and out, but not turning the ball over, is not to be applauded. We can rehire Herm Edwards if we want to applaud that.

Whatchootalkinbout? This ain't no 'rena football!!

Mr. Laz · 10-16-2013, 12:02 PM

About the only strength of this offense right now is not turning the ball over. We can't afford to give Davis carries when he coughs it up about every time he touches it.

fumbled it out of bound, fumbled it and recovered it himself ... probably more

lucky so far

rather have Gray get carries

Sandy Vagina · 10-16-2013, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

Avery has been getting open on the deep routes but Smith is just missing him. Last week he had a long TD if the ball isn't overthrown.

Had a couple of thoughts on this.. and granted, you could be right...

True or false? Every QB.. even the best.. overthrow a receiver once or twice a game. The difference is, those other QBs throw plenty more deep ones that DO connect... so you tend to forget about the one or two that doesn't connect.

Now, I can't say what happened down the field.. but Avery's a fairly small guy. Could be that he was disrupted on his route early on.. which could throw off the timing and accuracy of a deep pass. Doesn't take much.. could be a quick stumble that makes an accurate ball look to us like it was a couple feet too long. Could just be an excuse, I don't know. I do know that Alex's deep passes to Vernon Davis were almost always right where they needed to be... whether on a seam or wheel route. There were a couple deeper passes that moved the chains for us, but via D.P.I... so fans tend to forget about giving the offense credit for those.

**RealSNR** · 10-16-2013, 12:18 PM

Tons of people have already brought this up, but it bears repeating.

"Game manager" is code for "shitty QB" these days, but that's not what the term originally meant.

If you're looking for the term of a QB whose only good qualities are playing it safe, not turning the ball over, and keeping the offense on track and commanding the huddle, it's far more accurate to use the term "placeholder."

Right now Alex Smith is being a placeholder for the offense, which absolutely sucks if that's all he can do for us. He can be and has been a very good game manager in the best sense of the word, which is really putting him in the top 10-15 discussion of QBs.

Sandy Vagina · 10-16-2013, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SNR

Tons of people have already brought this up, but it bears repeating.

"Game manager" is code for "shitty QB" these days, but that's not what the term originally meant.

If you're looking for the term of a QB whose only good qualities are playing it safe, not turning the ball over, and keeping the offense on track and commanding the huddle, it's far more accurate to use the term "placeholder."

Right now Alex Smith is being a placeholder for the offense, which absolutely sucks if that's all he can do for us. He can be and has been a very good game manager in the best sense of the word, which is really putting him in the top 10-15 discussion of QBs.

Wow.... agreed. Who are you and what have you done with the real SNR?

10-16-2013, 10:05 AM
ShowtimeSBMVP Chiefs Join Date: Feb 2009 Casino cash: $3696009	Andy blames himself, not Alex, for Chiefs' sputtering offense KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- When you're 6-0 and coming off a 2-14 season, there really shouldn't be any complaining. There can't be a football fan or scout or executive anywhere on the planet who could have forecast the amazing turnaround general manager John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid have conducted with the Chiefs -- certainly not to the extent of a 6-0 start. But -- and isn't there always a but? -- there is one small area of concern that even Reid himself continues to address: a sluggish offense. The Chiefs are 25th in the NFL in offense, chugging along at just 326 yards per game, a remarkably low figure for a team unbeaten this far into the season. No one is more aware of the offense's struggles than Reid. The offense is his baby. "Listen, I'm never going to make excuses," Reid said Monday. "That's not how we roll here. But the reality of it is we're a little young, but we have to get better. "I see some phases we're getting better at. But I've got to do a better job of getting these guys in the right position to succeed. We've all got a little piece of the pie to get things right. We're learning on the fly, but we're going to get better." The Chiefs likely will have to. Fans in this area have seen this script before. They've seen the Chiefs' teams of the 1990s soar through the regular season on the strength of their overpowering defenses and elite special teams. Then those fans saw the same teams misfire in the postseason, mainly because the offense couldn't step up and contribute when it had to. To avoid revisiting that script, the Chiefs must get more production out of quarterback Alex Smith, whose numbers keep sinking. Smith is 26th in the league in passing yards at just 221.7 per game. He's also 20th in the league with a passer rating of 79.8. But if you're looking for Reid to point any fingers toward Smith, you'll have a long wait. Reid knows what kind of team he has. He knows, outside of Jamaal Charles and at times Dwayne Bowe, he doesn't have an explosive offense. Reid also knows you can win in this league simply by not messing up, and letting the opponent beat itself. The Chiefs are No. 1 in the league in turnover ratio at plus-12, and don't have the appearance of a team that will beat itself anytime soon. "Not turning the ball over is very important to us," Reid said, "especially when you have a solid defense like we have and the kicking game we have, both from our punter and our kicker." In that respect, Smith is giving Reid all he needs, even if the offense has that familiar conservative look of the '90s. After all, there is a fine line between wanting more offensive production, and opening the offense up so much that more turnovers occur. Reid isn't likely to stand for that. "You want to always start off by protecting the ball," Reid said. "There's no fine line there for me. ... "Alex is doing that. And we need to point out the way Alex continues to manage this offense." And that is the key in Reid's mind: He simply wants Smith to manage the game, which also includes managing the different personalities in the huddle. "We've got a guy at quarterback, this kid, he's a stud," Reid said. "The things he does for this team is unbelievable. He's making people around him better. He takes the blame for things -- that's what good leaders do. "At the same time, he's able to teach and explain to other guys with a clear head. Those are valuable things for us as coaches to see. I'm very pleased with the job (Smith) is doing." In Reid's mind, let the other quarterbacks around the league possess the pretty passing numbers; Reid will take the ultimate one that counts. That is, for now, 6-0. Still, Reid also has been around long enough to know that his offense will have to improve as the season wears on, even if it's just incrementally. And that will be up to Reid himself as the play-caller and architect of the offense, something Reid has mentioned almost every week. "I think we have done some good things, but we have plenty to work on," Reid said. "I don't think I've done a very good job of putting guys in position to make plays. That has been obvious at times. I have to do a better job." http://www.foxsportskansascity.com/n...75&feedID=5117 Sorry if Q
Posts: 23,752

10-16-2013, 11:44 AM	#32
RealSNR Special Teams ACE!!! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Where the hell is SNR Casino cash: $2410208	Draughn got cut because the Cyrus Gray was better. And he's still on the roster.
Posts: 90,309

10-16-2013, 11:46 AM	#33
Mr. Laz Don't Tease Me Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: KS Casino cash: $11047037	Everyone involved with the offense should blame themselves. Blame yourself,Self-evaluation, work hard to get better __________________
Posts: 95,626

10-16-2013, 11:47 AM	#35
ChiefsCountry The Insider Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Lake of the Ozarks Casino cash: $2368752	Davis needs carries. One carry, actually I think it was a catch isn't going to cut it. Let him play, the only way we know if he can or can't get the job done.
Posts: 49,558

10-16-2013, 11:55 AM	#39
mcaj22 MVP Join Date: Feb 2010 Casino cash: $10014454	well if it's anything like Pioli's 2009 then that means we will get two good players out of it after 4 years of development
Posts: 11,886

10-16-2013, 11:59 AM	#40
KCDC Starter Join Date: Mar 2009 Casino cash: $9736110	I agree with Dane as well on the draft. I think Talking Can's point about the role of a game manager, is amusing and fair. Going three and out for three quarters, kicking field goals when the defense gets turnovers in the red zone, and sustaining drives mostly on penalties against the opponent, is not an effective game manager. Alex Smith is a known game manager; but, he is doing a crappy job for us. Going three and out, but not turning the ball over, is not to be applauded. We can rehire Herm Edwards if we want to applaud that.
Posts: 876

10-16-2013, 12:02 PM	#42
Mr. Laz Don't Tease Me Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: KS Casino cash: $11047037	About the only strength of this offense right now is not turning the ball over. We can't afford to give Davis carries when he coughs it up about every time he touches it. fumbled it out of bound, fumbled it and recovered it himself ... probably more lucky so far rather have Gray get carries __________________
Posts: 95,626

10-16-2013, 12:18 PM	#44
RealSNR Special Teams ACE!!! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Where the hell is SNR Casino cash: $2410208	Tons of people have already brought this up, but it bears repeating. "Game manager" is code for "shitty QB" these days, but that's not what the term originally meant. If you're looking for the term of a QB whose only good qualities are playing it safe, not turning the ball over, and keeping the offense on track and commanding the huddle, it's far more accurate to use the term "placeholder." Right now Alex Smith is being a placeholder for the offense, which absolutely sucks if that's all he can do for us. He can be and has been a very good game manager in the best sense of the word, which is really putting him in the top 10-15 discussion of QBs.
Posts: 90,309