Chiefs Teicher:Prodded by Andy Reid, Chiefs QB Alex Smith learning to be more aggressive - Page 35

**Tribal Warfare** · 06-05-2013, 06:26 PM

Prodded by Andy Reid, Chiefs QB Alex Smith learning to be more aggressive
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
One of the qualities the Chiefs like in new quarterback Alex Smith is his recent history with few turnovers. Smith threw just 10 interceptions in his last 25 games for the San Francisco 49ers, a stat that looks extremely pretty in Kansas City after Chiefs quarterbacks committed 27 turnovers last season.

Smith’s low turnover rate was due at least in part by his reluctance to throw the ball down the field. He was referred to by frustrated 49ers fans as Captain Checkdown for his habit of throwing shorter patterns to receivers for shorter gains.

Smith is in the process of being reprogrammed by Andy Reid, his new coach. Reid doesn’t want to turn Smith into a turnover machine but wants him to be more aggressive, particularly during offseason practice.

“You want to get a feel for the offense now, particularly when you’re new at it (and) if there are close throws, challenge it, see what you can get away with,” Reid said. “If it ends up being an interception, OK, it’s an interception. You learn from it. These are smart guys so they learn from it and once they get into the season, they’re not experimenting with it on game day and they know what they can get away with and know what they can’t.

“It’s a new offense. I would tell any quarterback that comes in new that that’s what you need to do. I’ve told them all that. Go ahead and take your shots and see what you can get away with, within reason. But if it’s a close throw, there are going to be a few of those in the National Football League on game day so you need to know what you can get away with on each route.”

Smith and the other Chiefs quarterbacks were rewarded with several long completions in Wednesday’s practice. Smith had three such plays, including two to Jon Baldwin, while Tyler Bray and Ricky Stanzi had one apiece.

Wednesday’s barrage of big passing plays isn’t necessarily an indication the deep ball is back in the Chiefs’ offense. But since such plays have been scarce for the Chiefs in each of the past two seasons, they’re taking it as an encouraging sign.

“We’re just kind of continuing to press to see what we can do … finding out what we’re capable of,” Smith said. “You’ve got to find that out at some point. This is what the practice field is for.”

Smith was the NFL’s highest-rated passer last season before he was injured, missed a start and then replaced by Colin Kaepernick as San Francisco’s starting quarterback. Smith was completing more than 70 percent of his passes, a high rate, and had just five interceptions.

Still, he had just 30 touchdown passes in his final 25 starts for the 49ers. While that’s a good number as a ratio with his 10 interceptions, it still represents a shortage of big plays.

Smith won’t turn into a mad bomber overnight, if he ever does.

“You want to stay aggressive,” Smith said. “But in the end I’m always trying to make the right read and throw where the defense is telling me to throw. You don’t come out here and predetermine anything, like ‘Oh, I’m going to chuck it deep on this play.’ I’m constantly trying to just trust my eyes and what I’m seeing out there, trust my reads and what I’ve prepared for and then come out here and throw good balls.”

For his part, Reid might be OK with that. But for now, when an interception costs the Chiefs nothing, he would prefer Smith be more of a gambler.

“Everybody is all on board (with Smith),” Reid said. “He’s a good football player. He’s showing that (along with) good leadership. I’m asking him to do a ton of things. He’s handling it. We’ve had an interception here or there but that’s all part of this thing. You’ve got to find out about the offense and you can’t do it with your hands in your pocket. You’ve got to go out and try things and experiment. That’s what he’s doing now.

“It’s just good stuff. He’s staying aggressive with the ball, and I appreciate that.”

The final offseason practice is today. The Chiefs won’t get together again as a group until training camp begins in July at Missouri Western State University.

Smith indicated he may try to throw to some Chiefs receivers during their downtime in an effort to stay sharp.

“We’re heads and shoulder above where we were a couple of months ago,” he said. “But that’s a never-ending thing. I don’t think it’s something like, ‘We’ve got a good feel for each other so we don’t need to work anymore.’ You’re constantly working at it. This is our job, this is our craft. Every single day, it’s coming out here and pushing to get better.”

**BossChief** · 06-22-2013, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unnecessary drama

he's incredibly lucky he landed on a Ravens team that has a coach and defense that carries him to these said playoffs

if he landed on the Jets rather than Sanchez...Flacco would be close to being out of the league.

that's just silly.

Flacco has a 2:1 td:int ratio in the regular season while consistently pushing the ball down the field...opening up the underneath stuff the offense thrives on.

Sanchez and Flacco were somewhat comparable in their first year or so...the difference is Joe kept progressing to the point of apex like this last playoff where he was dominant and ended up with the superbowl MVP trophy while Sanchez has regressed.

Sweet Daddy Hate · 06-22-2013, 09:34 PM

The good news is; we have an actual prospect in Bray. Maybe not the greatest prospect, and not my first choice for 2013, but a prospect nonetheless.

RunKC · 06-22-2013, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keg in kc

The Ravens d was 13th in points, 15th in sacks, 17th in yardage, 19th in INTs, 20th in ypc allowed, 29th in fumbles forced. That was not the 2000 Ravens d. They were the definition of average. They didn't carry anything.

Flacco carried them, but their defense played a huge part in their SB run. They only allowed 18.5 PPG in the postseason, scored a TD and had three crucial plays to help them win games (Manning INT in OT, Pollard hit to force the fumble in NE and holding the 49ers on a crucial stand late in the game).

keg in kc · 06-22-2013, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunKC

Flacco carried them, but their defense played a huge part in their SB run. They only allowed 18.5 PPG in the postseason, scored a TD and had three crucial plays to help them win games (Manning INT in OT, Pollard hit to force the fumble in NE and holding the 49ers on a crucial stand late in the game).

All true, but the point of the discussion was devaluing post-season performance. And I was simply pointing out that the Ravens defense was every bit as average as their offense during the season.

keg in kc · 06-22-2013, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweet Daddy Hate

The good news is; we have an actual prospect in Bray. Maybe not the greatest prospect, and not my first choice for 2013, but a prospect nonetheless.

Yeah, it's a nice change. I never considered Stanzi one, which I know wasn't a popular view to a lot of folks. It's odd to consider an undrafted player a prospect, and he obviously scared off everybody with what's going on between his ears, but you can't deny the physical tools.

(I'm not expecting him to amount to anything though, at this point. He's got a lot to prove (and I don't mean to me).)

**BossChief** · 06-22-2013, 09:43 PM

1140 yards and 11 tds (with no picks) in their 4 game superbowl run played a larger role in winning the superbowl than their defense.

No question about it.

Sweet Daddy Hate · 06-22-2013, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keg in kc

Yeah, it's a nice change. I never considered Stanzi one, which I know wasn't a popular view to a lot of folks. It's odd to consider an undrafted player a prospect, and he obviously scared off everybody with what's going on between his ears, but you can't deny the physical tools.

(I'm not expecting him to amount to anything though, at this point. He's got a lot to prove (and I don't mean to me).)

True. His work ethic over the next couple of seasons will make or break him. The future is there for the taking if he really wants it.

**BigMeatballDave** · 06-23-2013, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unnecessary drama

not because of his takes, but because of his videos, his torrents, and his .gifs

This is the guy we like.

The other stuff, not so much.

**BigMeatballDave** · 06-23-2013, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Smith HATER

I'll be accepting apologies as soon as Alex Myth loses Week 1 against the Jags.

The tears will flow...drowning the excuses...

Apologies?

**BigMeatballDave** · 06-23-2013, 01:06 PM

No one should apologize for shit regardless of how this season goes.

How ****ing arrogant?

Sweet Daddy Hate · 06-23-2013, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrueFanDave

No one should apologize for shit regardless of how this season goes.

How ****ing arrogant?

True. I will certainly apologize for nothing if Smith wins regular season games.

**Mav** · 06-23-2013, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweet Daddy Hate

True. I will certainly apologize for nothing if Smith wins regular season games.

That was a given. Duh......No one is going to admit they were wrong. Which is fine by me.

**Mav** · 06-23-2013, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigBeauford

While not elite, he keeps his team competitive, and makes tremendously big plays when needed.And since 2010, the teams have gone back and forth in defensive superiority in regards to totak yards given up and points per game given up. The onlg difference between the two has been superior qb play of Flacco. There is just no way they are the same tier.

That describes Alex Smith to the LETTER. Good call.......

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigBeauford

Alex Smiths best season was only marginally better than Flacco's worst season (his rookie year). No, they are not the same. Using the regular season as an arguing point in this is weak, Smith is equally mediocre.

Smiths best year? He was 13-3, on a team that led the league in Time of poseesion, starting field position, opponents starting field position, and had a 17-5 td to INT ratio. That was his best year. Stats are irrelevant, unless we are talking wins, and unless you are going to include everything into the equation.

There was no way that Alex Smith could of had many more yards than he already had. He plays for a running coach, and when your defense forces 38 turnovers, and you have a plus 10 turnover ratio, and you play with the short field all the time, your qb isn't going to put up huge numbers. Did I mention that his head coach, and OC prefer to run the ball?

themanwithnoname · 06-23-2013, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maverick91579

That describes Alex Smith to the LETTER. Good call.......

Smiths best year? He was 13-3, on a team that led the league in Time of poseesion, starting field position, opponents starting field position, and had a 17-5 td to INT ratio. That was his best year. Stats are irrelevant, unless we are talking wins, and unless you are going to include everything into the equation.

There was no way that Alex Smith could of had many more yards than he already had. He plays for a running coach, and when your defense forces 38 turnovers, and you have a plus 10 turnover ratio, and you play with the short field all the time, your qb isn't going to put up huge numbers. Did I mention that his head coach, and OC prefer to run the ball?

They ran the ball because of the limitations in their QB.

ChiefAshhole20 · 06-23-2013, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by themanwithnoname

They ran the ball because of the limitations in their QB.

Or because of the best run blocking o-line in the league to go with a top Defense and quality RB.

06-05-2013, 06:26 PM
Tribal Warfare The Boom Boom Room Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $792813	Teicher:Prodded by Andy Reid, Chiefs QB Alex Smith learning to be more aggressive Prodded by Andy Reid, Chiefs QB Alex Smith learning to be more aggressive By ADAM TEICHER The Kansas City Star One of the qualities the Chiefs like in new quarterback Alex Smith is his recent history with few turnovers. Smith threw just 10 interceptions in his last 25 games for the San Francisco 49ers, a stat that looks extremely pretty in Kansas City after Chiefs quarterbacks committed 27 turnovers last season. Smith’s low turnover rate was due at least in part by his reluctance to throw the ball down the field. He was referred to by frustrated 49ers fans as Captain Checkdown for his habit of throwing shorter patterns to receivers for shorter gains. Smith is in the process of being reprogrammed by Andy Reid, his new coach. Reid doesn’t want to turn Smith into a turnover machine but wants him to be more aggressive, particularly during offseason practice. “You want to get a feel for the offense now, particularly when you’re new at it (and) if there are close throws, challenge it, see what you can get away with,” Reid said. “If it ends up being an interception, OK, it’s an interception. You learn from it. These are smart guys so they learn from it and once they get into the season, they’re not experimenting with it on game day and they know what they can get away with and know what they can’t. “It’s a new offense. I would tell any quarterback that comes in new that that’s what you need to do. I’ve told them all that. Go ahead and take your shots and see what you can get away with, within reason. But if it’s a close throw, there are going to be a few of those in the National Football League on game day so you need to know what you can get away with on each route.” Smith and the other Chiefs quarterbacks were rewarded with several long completions in Wednesday’s practice. Smith had three such plays, including two to Jon Baldwin, while Tyler Bray and Ricky Stanzi had one apiece. Wednesday’s barrage of big passing plays isn’t necessarily an indication the deep ball is back in the Chiefs’ offense. But since such plays have been scarce for the Chiefs in each of the past two seasons, they’re taking it as an encouraging sign. “We’re just kind of continuing to press to see what we can do … finding out what we’re capable of,” Smith said. “You’ve got to find that out at some point. This is what the practice field is for.” Smith was the NFL’s highest-rated passer last season before he was injured, missed a start and then replaced by Colin Kaepernick as San Francisco’s starting quarterback. Smith was completing more than 70 percent of his passes, a high rate, and had just five interceptions. Still, he had just 30 touchdown passes in his final 25 starts for the 49ers. While that’s a good number as a ratio with his 10 interceptions, it still represents a shortage of big plays. Smith won’t turn into a mad bomber overnight, if he ever does. “You want to stay aggressive,” Smith said. “But in the end I’m always trying to make the right read and throw where the defense is telling me to throw. You don’t come out here and predetermine anything, like ‘Oh, I’m going to chuck it deep on this play.’ I’m constantly trying to just trust my eyes and what I’m seeing out there, trust my reads and what I’ve prepared for and then come out here and throw good balls.” For his part, Reid might be OK with that. But for now, when an interception costs the Chiefs nothing, he would prefer Smith be more of a gambler. “Everybody is all on board (with Smith),” Reid said. “He’s a good football player. He’s showing that (along with) good leadership. I’m asking him to do a ton of things. He’s handling it. We’ve had an interception here or there but that’s all part of this thing. You’ve got to find out about the offense and you can’t do it with your hands in your pocket. You’ve got to go out and try things and experiment. That’s what he’s doing now. “It’s just good stuff. He’s staying aggressive with the ball, and I appreciate that.” The final offseason practice is today. The Chiefs won’t get together again as a group until training camp begins in July at Missouri Western State University. Smith indicated he may try to throw to some Chiefs receivers during their downtime in an effort to stay sharp. “We’re heads and shoulder above where we were a couple of months ago,” he said. “But that’s a never-ending thing. I don’t think it’s something like, ‘We’ve got a good feel for each other so we don’t need to work anymore.’ You’re constantly working at it. This is our job, this is our craft. Every single day, it’s coming out here and pushing to get better.”
Posts: 42,122

06-22-2013, 09:34 PM	#512
Sweet Daddy Hate Unsparing Join Date: Aug 2008 Casino cash: $10004900	The good news is; we have an actual prospect in Bray. Maybe not the greatest prospect, and not my first choice for 2013, but a prospect nonetheless. __________________ 1. Merciless, severe. 2. Given freely and generously. 100% refusal to overrate 20 year Head Coaches with ZERO **ing rings as a Head Coach. CP's Official Professor of 'Dem Blues for 2019/2020!**
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06-22-2013, 09:43 PM	#516
BossChief SuperBowl or bust Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: BF Iowa Casino cash: $1754088	1140 yards and 11 tds (with no picks) in their 4 game superbowl run played a larger role in winning the superbowl than their defense. No question about it. __________________ Dreams do come true... http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showp...postcount=1407
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06-23-2013, 01:06 PM	#520
BigMeatballDave GBM 8-12-15 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Dayton, Oh. Casino cash: $10052154	No one should apologize for shit regardless of how this season goes. How ****ing arrogant?
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