Chiefs Gretz: Busy Head Coach/Coordinator & Notes

**Tribal Warfare** · 09-04-2009, 08:11 AM

Busy Head Coach/Coordinator & Notes
September 4, 2009 - Bob Gretz |

From St. Louis, Missouri

About 90 minutes before kickoff of all NFL games, whether pre-season or regular season, a pair of game officials is escorted into each locker room to meet with the head coaches. It’s a “Hi, how are you?” type meeting, where any issues involving that particular game are discussed.

On Thursday night at the Edwards Jones Dome when the officials went to the Chiefs locker room they got a surprise: the head coach wasn’t there.

Todd Haley was busy, so the officials had to go on the playing field to find him. When one is the head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, there are plenty of things to do before the game, including watching your receivers and quarterbacks warm up.

It was the first game of the new offensive set up for the Chiefs, with Haley handling the play calling after removing Chan Gailey from the job.

“I made a few mistakes out there, but overall it felt good,” said Haley, who admitted he was a little rusty on the play calling end. “Obviously there are a couple plays that I would like to have back that came out of my mouth.

“The first series I had to remind myself a couple of times and they were yelling at me for being on the wrong airwaves. After I got the feel, I didn’t feel too out of synch with the game and what was going on. Overall, it was OK.”

“When I was an assistant coach and a coordinator I probably ran my mouth too much in games,” Haley said. “But I’ve always tried to pay attention. I’ve always been a guy on offense who was talking with defensive players. I was always paying attention when the other team had the ball.

“I’m not somebody as an offensive coordinator who would go and sit o n the bench and stick my head I n the call sheet and try to figure out what’s going on. I’ve always been up on the sideline and paying attention to defense and special teams. Hopefully that will help me going forward.”

BIG PLAYS FOR THE OFFENSE

While Haley’s approach on Thursday night did not lead to more touchdowns for the Chiefs offense – or any touchdowns for that matter – it sure returned the big play to the attack. Before the St. Louis game, the longest play of the pre-season for the Chiefs was a 31-yard run by RB Jamaal Charles.

Against the Rams, the Chiefs offense produced plays of 40, 41, 43 and 70 yards. RB Larry Johnson had a 41-yard run and WR Ashley Lelie combined on a 43-yard pass play with QB Tyler Thigpen. The surprise contributors was TE Sean Ryan acting like Tony Gonzalez as he went down the seam and picked up 40 yards and RB Dantrell Savage and his 70-yard scamper.

Ryan and starting QB Brodie Croyle seemed in synch in the first quarter as they combined on two completions for a total of 60 yards. The long play came when Ryan got between areas in the Rams zone coverage and Croyle him in stride and he was off.

“I saw the seam open up and Brodie saw it too and he put it right where it needed to be,” said Ryan. “I didn’t think it was going to be that wide open. I got to the 50 and I was like ‘oh oh, I don’t have enough speed to take this all the way’.”

Rather than enjoy his long p lay, Ryan was kicking himself for the holding penalty that cost the Chiefs a touchdown. After his catch and Johnson’s 41-yard run, the Chiefs ran a sweep right with Savage and he reached the end zone. But that’s when the hanky came out and the offense moved back 10 yards.

“Obviously penalties in the red zone kill you,” said Ryan. “I owe Dantrell on that one.”

Savage got a chance in the second quarter to show his style of running. Former coach Herm Edwards once describe it as a bowling ball with knives sticking out from all sides. The offense just took over possession at their two-yard line after the Rams downed a punt. Savage hit the right side of the line, bulled his way forward, broke several tackles and then got in the clear and went outside. By the time he was tackled, the ball was at the Rams 28-yard line.

“I basically read the fullback’s block and then took the ball outside,” said Savage. “A couple of guys were trying to tackle m e and I just kept moving my feet and broke it. I was kind of disturbed that the backside, the free safety caught me.

UPDATING THE ROSTER AND INJURIES

Like the rest of the NFL, the Chiefs must slice their roster to a maximum of 53 players by 3 p.m. CDT on Saturday. They can go lower than 53, if they already know they will bring in several players from the waiver wire on Sunday.

“I learned my lesson last year,” said Savage. “You just go about your business and they will do what they will do.”

Injuries could alter the Chiefs roster in the first week. There’s the question of QB Matt Cassel and how quickly he can come back from his sprained MCL in his left knee. There’s also the question of CB Brandon Flowers and how quickly he can bounce back from his left shoulder injury. Cassel and Flowers were two of six players who did not make the trip to St. Louis. The others were rookie TE Jake O’Connell (ankle), ILB Zach Thomas (hamstring), FS Jarrad Page and SS Bernard Pollard. The injuries of Page and Pollard are unknown.

All the remaining 69 players on the roster got into the game against the Rams.

OTHER STUFF

Press box stats had NT Tank Tyler as the Chiefs leading tackler with nine … S DaJuan Morgan had a big game, with seven tackles and an interception … ILB Corey Mays had a sack, as did OLB Tamba Hali and DE Wallace Gilberry … the Chiefs defense finished the pre-season with seven sacks and only two takeaways.

The victory by the Rams makes the Governor’s Cup series between the Chiefs and Rams now at 9-7 in favor of Kansas City. The overall Governor’s Cup series between Kansas City and St. Louis – whether it was the Cardinals or the Rams – now stands at 25-14-2 in favor of the Chiefs.

The crowd was announced at 46,616, well below the Edward Jones Dome capacity of 66,000-plus. Even the announced number seemed high, as there were empty seats everywhere. There were a surprisingly large number of Chiefs fans in the building. Unfortunately they didn’t get much to cheer about.

The real star of the game was St. Louis punter Donnie Jones. Last year, he was one of the best in the league and he showed no signs of dropping off his kicking on Thursday night. Jones had nine punts and averaged 47.6 gross yards and 43.2 net yards. More remarkable, he put seven of those nine punts inside the 20-yard line, with only one touchback. On those seven punts, the starting yard-line for the Chiefs offense was the 11, 1, 14, 2, 15, 12 and 6.

**Buehler445** · 09-04-2009, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

Against the Rams, the Chiefs offense produced plays of 40, 41, 43 and 70 yards. RB Larry Johnson had a 41-yard run and WR Ashley Lelie combined on a 43-yard pass play with QB Tyler Thigpen. The surprise contributors was TE Sean Ryan acting like Tony Gonzalez as he went down the seam and picked up 40 yards and RB Dantrell Savage and his 70-yard scamper.
.

Jesus ****ing Christ! How did we not score a ****ing touchdown???? Are you ****ing kidding me?
Posted via Mobile Device

crazycoffey · 09-04-2009, 11:37 AM

penalty

Deberg_1990 · 09-04-2009, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Jesus ****ing Christ! How did we not score a ****ing touchdown???? Are you ****ing kidding me?
Posted via Mobile Device

Croyle and Thigpen.

cdirty · 09-04-2009, 11:47 AM

didnt zach retire?

Hog's Gone Fishin · 09-04-2009, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Jesus ****ing Christ! How did we not score a ****ing touchdown???? Are you ****ing kidding me?
Posted via Mobile Device

None of our players were able to cross the goal line with the ball in their possession.

**wazu** · 09-04-2009, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdirty

didnt zach retire?

No. Baseless rumor.

**Buehler445** · 09-04-2009, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

None of our players were able to cross the goal line with the ball in their possession.

Oh, Now i get it

Micjones · 09-04-2009, 12:03 PM

Seems that Haley will give us an opportunity to create big plays offensively, but I still think it's too big a responsibility to shoulder. Let Mo Carthon call the plays. You know the guy. Tell him exactly what you want. Defer that responsibility.

trndobrd · 09-04-2009, 12:03 PM

Press box stats had NT Tank Tyler as the Chiefs leading tackler with nine

Wow.

**Buehler445** · 09-04-2009, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micjones

Seems that Haley will give us an opportunity to create big plays offensively, but I still think it's too big a responsibility to shoulder. Let Mo Carthon call the plays. You know the guy. Tell him exactly what you want. Defer that responsibility.

Especially as a rook HC. At the very least, he has to give up the QB coach job. He has to. There is no way he can sit down with them every series and go over the photos and coach them.

Micjones · 09-04-2009, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Especially as a rook HC. At the very least, he has to give up the QB coach job. He has to. There is no way he can sit down with them every series and go over the photos and coach them.

Didn't we hire someone over the off-season that had lots of QB coaching experience?

**Buehler445** · 09-04-2009, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micjones

Didn't we hire someone over the off-season that had lots of QB coaching experience?

Don't think so. Gailey was the QB coach.

StcChief · 09-04-2009, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

None of our players were able to cross the goal line with the ball in their possession.

**Buehler445** · 09-04-2009, 12:06 PM

I mean, it's not a Dick Curl level of sucktitude, but I don't recall anything.

09-04-2009, 08:11 AM
Tribal Warfare The Boom Boom Room Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $932813	Gretz: Busy Head Coach/Coordinator & Notes Busy Head Coach/Coordinator & Notes September 4, 2009 - Bob Gretz \| *From St. Louis, Missouri* About 90 minutes before kickoff of all NFL games, whether pre-season or regular season, a pair of game officials is escorted into each locker room to meet with the head coaches. It’s a “Hi, how are you?” type meeting, where any issues involving that particular game are discussed. On Thursday night at the Edwards Jones Dome when the officials went to the Chiefs locker room they got a surprise: the head coach wasn’t there. Todd Haley was busy, so the officials had to go on the playing field to find him. When one is the head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, there are plenty of things to do before the game, including watching your receivers and quarterbacks warm up. It was the first game of the new offensive set up for the Chiefs, with Haley handling the play calling after removing Chan Gailey from the job. “I made a few mistakes out there, but overall it felt good,” said Haley, who admitted he was a little rusty on the play calling end. “Obviously there are a couple plays that I would like to have back that came out of my mouth. “The first series I had to remind myself a couple of times and they were yelling at me for being on the wrong airwaves. After I got the feel, I didn’t feel too out of synch with the game and what was going on. Overall, it was OK.” “When I was an assistant coach and a coordinator I probably ran my mouth too much in games,” Haley said. “But I’ve always tried to pay attention. I’ve always been a guy on offense who was talking with defensive players. I was always paying attention when the other team had the ball. “I’m not somebody as an offensive coordinator who would go and sit o n the bench and stick my head I n the call sheet and try to figure out what’s going on. I’ve always been up on the sideline and paying attention to defense and special teams. Hopefully that will help me going forward.” *BIG PLAYS FOR THE OFFENSE* While Haley’s approach on Thursday night did not lead to more touchdowns for the Chiefs offense – or any touchdowns for that matter – it sure returned the big play to the attack. Before the St. Louis game, the longest play of the pre-season for the Chiefs was a 31-yard run by RB Jamaal Charles. Against the Rams, the Chiefs offense produced plays of 40, 41, 43 and 70 yards. RB Larry Johnson had a 41-yard run and WR Ashley Lelie combined on a 43-yard pass play with QB Tyler Thigpen. The surprise contributors was TE Sean Ryan acting like Tony Gonzalez as he went down the seam and picked up 40 yards and RB Dantrell Savage and his 70-yard scamper. Ryan and starting QB Brodie Croyle seemed in synch in the first quarter as they combined on two completions for a total of 60 yards. The long play came when Ryan got between areas in the Rams zone coverage and Croyle him in stride and he was off. “I saw the seam open up and Brodie saw it too and he put it right where it needed to be,” said Ryan. “I didn’t think it was going to be that wide open. I got to the 50 and I was like ‘oh oh, I don’t have enough speed to take this all the way’.” Rather than enjoy his long p lay, Ryan was kicking himself for the holding penalty that cost the Chiefs a touchdown. After his catch and Johnson’s 41-yard run, the Chiefs ran a sweep right with Savage and he reached the end zone. But that’s when the hanky came out and the offense moved back 10 yards. “Obviously penalties in the red zone kill you,” said Ryan. “I owe Dantrell on that one.” Savage got a chance in the second quarter to show his style of running. Former coach Herm Edwards once describe it as a bowling ball with knives sticking out from all sides. The offense just took over possession at their two-yard line after the Rams downed a punt. Savage hit the right side of the line, bulled his way forward, broke several tackles and then got in the clear and went outside. By the time he was tackled, the ball was at the Rams 28-yard line. “I basically read the fullback’s block and then took the ball outside,” said Savage. “A couple of guys were trying to tackle m e and I just kept moving my feet and broke it. I was kind of disturbed that the backside, the free safety caught me. *UPDATING THE ROSTER AND INJURIES* Like the rest of the NFL, the Chiefs must slice their roster to a maximum of 53 players by 3 p.m. CDT on Saturday. They can go lower than 53, if they already know they will bring in several players from the waiver wire on Sunday. “I learned my lesson last year,” said Savage. “You just go about your business and they will do what they will do.” Injuries could alter the Chiefs roster in the first week. There’s the question of QB Matt Cassel and how quickly he can come back from his sprained MCL in his left knee. There’s also the question of CB Brandon Flowers and how quickly he can bounce back from his left shoulder injury. Cassel and Flowers were two of six players who did not make the trip to St. Louis. The others were rookie TE Jake O’Connell (ankle), ILB Zach Thomas (hamstring), FS Jarrad Page and SS Bernard Pollard. The injuries of Page and Pollard are unknown. All the remaining 69 players on the roster got into the game against the Rams. *OTHER STUFF* Press box stats had NT Tank Tyler as the Chiefs leading tackler with nine … S DaJuan Morgan had a big game, with seven tackles and an interception … ILB Corey Mays had a sack, as did OLB Tamba Hali and DE Wallace Gilberry … the Chiefs defense finished the pre-season with seven sacks and only two takeaways. The victory by the Rams makes the Governor’s Cup series between the Chiefs and Rams now at 9-7 in favor of Kansas City. The overall Governor’s Cup series between Kansas City and St. Louis – whether it was the Cardinals or the Rams – now stands at 25-14-2 in favor of the Chiefs. The crowd was announced at 46,616, well below the Edward Jones Dome capacity of 66,000-plus. Even the announced number seemed high, as there were empty seats everywhere. There were a surprisingly large number of Chiefs fans in the building. Unfortunately they didn’t get much to cheer about. The real star of the game was St. Louis punter Donnie Jones. Last year, he was one of the best in the league and he showed no signs of dropping off his kicking on Thursday night. Jones had nine punts and averaged 47.6 gross yards and 43.2 net yards. More remarkable, he put seven of those nine punts inside the 20-yard line, with only one touchback. On those seven punts, the starting yard-line for the Chiefs offense was the 11, 1, 14, 2, 15, 12 and 6.
Posts: 42,055

09-04-2009, 11:37 AM	#3
crazycoffey .......... Join Date: Dec 2006 Casino cash: $5207901	penalty
Posts: 28,330

09-04-2009, 11:47 AM	#5
cdirty Starter Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: wichita Casino cash: $10004900	didnt zach retire?
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09-04-2009, 12:03 PM	#9
Micjones Whose house? Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $10005180	Seems that Haley will give us an opportunity to create big plays offensively, but I still think it's too big a responsibility to shoulder. Let Mo Carthon call the plays. You know the guy. Tell him exactly what you want. Defer that responsibility. __________________ It's like when I'm right I'm right, when I'm wrong I could been right, so I'm still right cause I coulda been wrong.
Posts: 15,344

09-04-2009, 12:03 PM	#10
trndobrd 'Stachecicle Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: The Tolerance Box Casino cash: $4975087	Press box stats had NT Tank Tyler as the Chiefs leading tackler with nine Wow. __________________ "I don't really think there is a need to raise or debate this point." -jAZ
Posts: 7,074

09-04-2009, 12:06 PM	#15
Buehler445 Supporter Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Scott City KS Casino cash: $2334734	I mean, it's not a Dick Curl level of sucktitude, but I don't recall anything.
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