Chiefs Teicher:Prodded by Andy Reid, Chiefs QB Alex Smith learning to be more aggressive - Page 36

**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.”

Marcellus · 06-23-2013, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BossChief

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.

There is no question, just like there is no question that up until that 3 game stretch he had played pretty average his entire career. Mainly due to inconsistency.

He had multiple playoff wins with a 30 QBR or so average but was bailed out by defense and a good running game and early in this season he was sucking so bad most everyone thought he had ****ed up not taking the deal from the Ravens.

The question is which guy are they going to get moving forward and I personally think they ****ed up giving him that huge contract. Especially since Boldin making ridiculous circus catches the whole playoffs was the reason Flacco won.

That and blown coverage by the Broncos which had that not happened nobody would be discussing how badass Flacco is right now.

Hootie · 06-23-2013, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcellus

There is no question, just like there is no question that up until that 3 game stretch he had played pretty average his entire career. Mainly due to inconsistency.

He had multiple playoff wins with a 30 QBR or so average but was bailed out by defense and a good running game and early in this season he was sucking so bad most everyone thought he had ****ed up not taking the deal from the Ravens.

The question is which guy are they going to get moving forward and I personally think they ****ed up giving him that huge contract. Especially since Boldin making ridiculous circus catches the whole playoffs was the reason Flacco won.

That and blown coverage by the Broncos which had that not happened nobody would be discussing how badass Flacco is right now.

Rahim Moore got Joe Flacco paid. Plain and simple.

Joe Flacco isn't elite. Will the Super Bowl 'hangover' provide the swagger he needs to take that step? We'll see.

If he turns in another typical Joe Flacco regular season he is what he is. I am putting my money on Joe Flacco being Joe Flacco. An inconsistent, middle of the pack QB.

Hammock Parties · 06-23-2013, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unnecessary drama

I am putting my money on Joe Flacco being Joe Flacco. An inconsistent, middle of the pack QB.

Who can make all the throws...

Alex Smith can't.

And that's what separates them.

**BossChief** · 06-23-2013, 07:11 PM

How many quarterbacks have had more wins (regular season or playoffs) since Joe Flacco was drafted?

Say what you want, the guy is a winner and finds ways to get it done.

Jakemall · 06-23-2013, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Smith HATER

Who can make all the throws...

Alex Smith can't.

And that's what separates them.

Exactly what throw is it that Alex can't make?

Hootie · 06-23-2013, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Smith HATER

Who can make all the throws...

Alex Smith can't.

And that's what separates them.

Maybe. A big arm is a plus...but I still take accuracy over a big arm. Props to those who have both.

Flacco can look really good one week...and the next week he'll look like he's the worst starting QB in the NFL.

He has zero consistency. I think his playoff run was a fluke. A fluke that shouldn't have happened had Rahim Moore not made the biggest blunder in playoff history.

I've watched enough of Joe Flacco to realize he's not elite.

Hammock Parties · 06-23-2013, 07:27 PM

His playoff run the year before was just as good, so it wasn't a fluke.

Alex Smith will NEVER do what Flacco did the last two postseasons.

mcaj22 · 06-23-2013, 07:29 PM

if Alex Smith was in the same tier as Joe Flacco I'd be really excited about this upcoming season

but alas he is not, so I am not excited about this upcoming season.

Hootie · 06-23-2013, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcaj22

if Alex Smith was in the same tier as Joe Flacco I'd be really excited about this upcoming season

but alas he is not, so I am not excited about this upcoming season.

I'd be just as excited. Because they are the same ****ing average QB.

Hootie · 06-23-2013, 07:38 PM

by the way

his "stellar" postseason of 2011 featured QBR games of 18 and 43.

He had a good 4th quarter against a TERRIBLE Patriots defense. Which made his 'up until then' terrible game a somewhat ok game.

Joe Flacco made nice throws this postseason. He was also the beneficiary of Rahim Moore and the Patriots offense shitting all over themselves in 3rd and short situations in the 1st half.

He played a good 1st half in the Super Bowl and disappeared in the 2nd half...49ers score at the end there and instead of being ELITE JOE FLACCO he's a choker according to this board because he choked an 'insurmountable' lead.

Coogs · 06-23-2013, 07:43 PM

Nothing against Flacco, but he under threw Jacoby Jones against the Bronco's and again against the 49ers on TD plays in each game.

themanwithnoname · 06-23-2013, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefAshhole20

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

Its not like he had crap for that prior to 2011 and yet oddly he totally sucked. But yeah that explains why Smith got benched for a 2nd year QB who had never started a game. Or why they had tried desperately to dump him multiple times, including for a broke-neck QB they didn't even know would be able to play.

It wasn't until the coach limited what Smith could do and basically took the game out of his hands that the team had success.

Hootie · 06-23-2013, 07:54 PM

so Alex Smith sucks and his only success was because of his supporting cast

fine

but now lets apply that same theory to Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco did not get his team to the playoffs the last two years...they got there DESPITE Joe Flacco...

and before this postseason, he hadn't done anything different in previous postseasons besides a decent game here and there

if you were to ask me to name my league average QB...the guy right in the middle of elite and Sanchez

Flacco or Smith would be my answer.

themanwithnoname · 06-23-2013, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unnecessary drama

by the way

his "stellar" postseason of 2011 featured QBR games of 18 and 43.

He had a good 4th quarter against a TERRIBLE Patriots defense. Which made his 'up until then' terrible game a somewhat ok game.

Joe Flacco made nice throws this postseason. He was also the beneficiary of Rahim Moore and the Patriots offense shitting all over themselves in 3rd and short situations in the 1st half.

He played a good 1st half in the Super Bowl and disappeared in the 2nd half...49ers score at the end there and instead of being ELITE JOE FLACCO he's a choker according to this board because he choked an 'insurmountable' lead.

I do think Flacco is overrated and definitely overpaid now, but he has shown progress. I'd compare it to Eli and Roethlisberger. They were both really uneven and often times downright horrible for a few years, but then they solidified into good QBs. That's what I expect Flacco is turning into, he's more consistently good with time. I don't think that's quite elite, and they need a very good team around them to accomplish it, but they've proven they can win Super Bowls with that.

themanwithnoname · 06-23-2013, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unnecessary drama

so Alex Smith sucks and his only success was because of his supporting cast

fine

but now lets apply that same theory to Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco did not get his team to the playoffs the last two years...they got there DESPITE Joe Flacco...

and before this postseason, he hadn't done anything different in previous postseasons besides a decent game here and there

if you were to ask me to name my league average QB...the guy right in the middle of elite and Sanchez

Flacco or Smith would be my answer.

No they didn't because Flacco carried them some and then the team carried him some. Only time I can recall Smith even appearing to carry the team was a couple of late drives against that horrible Saints defense.

Even if you don't like Flacco, I don't see any way you could seriously compare him to Alex Smith and conclude they're basically even. They're not even close.

06-05-2013, 06:26 PM
Tribal Warfare The Boom Boom Room Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $762813	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: 42,129

06-23-2013, 07:11 PM	#529
BossChief SuperBowl or bust Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: BF Iowa Casino cash: $1734088	How many quarterbacks have had more wins (regular season or playoffs) since Joe Flacco was drafted? Say what you want, the guy is a winner and finds ways to get it done. __________________ Dreams do come true... http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showp...postcount=1407
Posts: 47,148

06-23-2013, 07:27 PM	#532
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $4560478	His playoff run the year before was just as good, so it wasn't a fluke. Alex Smith will NEVER do what Flacco did the last two postseasons. __________________ Chiefs game films
Posts: 278,365

06-23-2013, 07:29 PM	#533
mcaj22 MVP Join Date: Feb 2010 Casino cash: $10014454	if Alex Smith was in the same tier as Joe Flacco I'd be really excited about this upcoming season but alas he is not, so I am not excited about this upcoming season.
Posts: 11,886

06-23-2013, 07:38 PM	#535
Hootie Banned Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Dallas, Texas Casino cash: $10004900	by the way his "stellar" postseason of 2011 featured QBR games of 18 and 43. He had a good 4th quarter against a TERRIBLE Patriots defense. Which made his 'up until then' terrible game a somewhat ok game. Joe Flacco made nice throws this postseason. He was also the beneficiary of Rahim Moore and the Patriots offense shitting all over themselves in 3rd and short situations in the 1st half. He played a good 1st half in the Super Bowl and disappeared in the 2nd half...49ers score at the end there and instead of being ELITE JOE FLACCO he's a choker according to this board because he choked an 'insurmountable' lead.
Posts: 56,356

06-23-2013, 07:43 PM	#536
Coogs In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Northern Kansas Casino cash: $1454349	Nothing against Flacco, but he under threw Jacoby Jones against the Bronco's and again against the 49ers on TD plays in each game.
Posts: 21,622

06-23-2013, 07:54 PM	#538
Hootie Banned Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Dallas, Texas Casino cash: $10004900	so Alex Smith sucks and his only success was because of his supporting cast fine but now lets apply that same theory to Joe Flacco Joe Flacco did not get his team to the playoffs the last two years...they got there DESPITE Joe Flacco... and before this postseason, he hadn't done anything different in previous postseasons besides a decent game here and there if you were to ask me to name my league average QB...the guy right in the middle of elite and Sanchez Flacco or Smith would be my answer.
Posts: 56,356