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

[Tribal Warfare]

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.”

[BigBeauford]

I bought a Trek Dual Sport 8.3. Its geared towards being a road bike, but isn't afraid to go into some dirt. It is also infinitely more comfortable than a true road bike.

[Fat Elvis]

Originally Posted by Alex Smith HATER

Agreed. Geno will be a huge disappointment, and I will look am incredibly dumb, if he is not starting next season.

Originally Posted by beach tribe

Fixed

Now it is fixed.....

[Hammock Parties]

Counting the chickens way before they're hatched there.

[Tribal Warfare]

Originally Posted by Sweet Daddy Hate

Or, considering the mans known IQ, perhaps he's being proactive regarding his career from the get-go, and taking no shit?

This "immaturity" shit is overblown. WAY overblown, and some folks here are going to find this out the hard way.

He ****ed up along the interview process, and coaches might saw something that rubbed them the wrong way for him to drop like he did. Firing his agent, because he didn't get picked in the 1st is a red flag for maturity issues.

[crazycoffey]

Originally Posted by Alex Smith HATER

I will follow him.

Then follow him to the jets board.

[milkman]

I'm not going back to qoute all of the posts I'll be adressing here.
I'm going to try to touch on the things I've read and want to respond to.

First, let's talk about Mark Sanchez.
As many, if not most, may know, I really liked him coming out.
I said at the time, however, that he was a guy that needed to sit for a year, at the least, and ideally should sit for two.
Unlike some (keg then, Dane now), I believe you still invest high first round picks on the guys that you believe have the potential to be outstanding QBs even if you don't believe they can be first year starters.
Passing on them is short sighted, IMO.
Sanchez is at a cross roads now.
He is either going to continue down the path to complete bust, or he will begin to live up to his potential.
Most are giving up on him.
But it was at this same point in his career that Drew Brees began to emerge.

It's all going to ride on maturity and work ethic for him now.
He has the physical tools.

[milkman]

Next, to Coogs primarily, I believe the thing that separates Joe Montana from Alex Smith is confidence.
The confidence in one's self and the confidence the players around them had/have in them.
Montana believed in his reads, in his ability to put the ball exactly where he had to, and his teamates believed.
I din't believe that Smith was ever going to earn that confidence from his team in San Francisco.
Just too many years of mediocrity or complete suckage there.
He needed a change of venue.
He's got that.
Now it's up to Andy Reid and staff to instill that self confidence.
I keep reading that Smith is a smart QB whose pre snap reads and adjustments are on Peyton Manning's level.
So what happens after the snap.
I'll tell you.
He doesn"t believe in his ability to put the ball where it needs to be in tight windows.
If Andy Reid can get Smith to trust himself, he will back up his claim that he can turn Smith into a HoF QB.
The problem is that I don't believe that's going to happen at this stage of Smith's career.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by milkman

I'm not going back to qoute all of the posts I'll be adressing here.
I'm going to try to touch on the things I've read and want to respond to.

First, let's talk about Mark Sanchez.
As many, if not most, may know, I really liked him coming out.
I said at the time, however, that he was a guy that needed to sit for a year, at the least, and ideally should sit for two.
Unlike some (keg then, Dane now), I believe you still invest high first round picks on the guys that you believe have the potential to be outstanding QBs even if you don't believe they can be first year starters.
Passing on them is short sighted, IMO.
Sanchez is at a cross roads now.
He is either going to continue down the path to complete bust, or he will begin to live up to his potential.
Most are giving up on him.
But it was at this same point in his career that Drew Brees began to emerge.

It's all going to ride on maturity and work ethic for him now.
He has the physical tools.

The book on Sanchez has been written, he isn't going to get good now.

That's ridiculous to even consider.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

The book on Sanchez has been written, he isn't going to get good now.

That's ridiculous to even consider.

Alex Smith can get good, though, right?

[keg in kc]

Originally Posted by milkman

Unlike some (keg then, Dane now), I believe you still invest high first round picks on the guys that you believe have the potential to be outstanding QBs even if you don't believe they can be first year starters.

You misrepresent me a bit. I was never convinced that Sanchez had the potential to be an outstanding quarterback at the pro level because he simply hadn't played enough to demonstrate it. Historically speaking it's enough of a risk to take a junior QB at all, much less a junior with a single year of experience. So in his specific case I did not believe the high degree of risk was worth what I considered to be a minimal chance at reward.

Contrast that with someone like Geno Smith, who had performed at a high level in a variety of offensive systems for three years...

And you're right, it is ironic that the book on Sanchez has been written, but apparently the book on Alex Smith has not.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by milkman

Alex Smith can get good, though, right?

Well one of them has been ascending and the other descending.

Don't act like you dont know the difference.

The butt-fumble play is possibly one of the worst in the history of QB play.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

You misrepresent me a bit. I was never convinced that Sanchez had the potential to be an outstanding quarterback at the pro level because he simply hadn't played enough to demonstrate it. Historically speaking it's enough of a risk to take a junior QB at all, much less a junior with a single year of experience. So in his specific case I did not believe the high degree of risk was worth what I considered to be a minimal chance at reward.

Contrast that with someone like Geno Smith, who had performed at a high level in a variety of offensive systems for three years...

And you're right, it is ironic that the book on Sanchez has been written, but apparently the book on Alex Smith has not.

There is nothing ironic at all about it, not only has Alex picked up his play and Sanchez regressed, from all reports (and there have been many look them up) Sanchez isn't a hard worker and is not dedicated to the craft of being a QB, which never bodes well for a guy who needs to improve.
https://www.google.com/search?q=MArk...ient=firefox-a


The team with Sanchez just drafted another QB in the 2nd round, what does that tell you about their belief in him?

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

The book on Sanchez has been written, he isn't going to get good now.

That's ridiculous to even consider.

THat's kind of ridiculous. Alex Smith didn't "ascend" until late in his career, and even still basically started playing like... rookie year Mark Sanchez

I am curious about how Sanchez would do behind a different coach. I think he's been coddled WAY too much by Rex Ryan.

[TheUte]

Originally Posted by milkman

Next, to Coogs primarily, I believe the thing that separates Joe Montana from Alex Smith is confidence.
The confidence in one's self and the confidence the players around them had/have in them.
Montana believed in his reads, in his ability to put the ball exactly where he had to, and his teamates believed.
I din't believe that Smith was ever going to earn that confidence from his team in San Francisco.
Just too many years of mediocrity or complete suckage there.
He needed a change of venue.
He's got that.
Now it's up to Andy Reid and staff to instill that self confidence.
I keep reading that Smith is a smart QB whose pre snap reads and adjustments are on Peyton Manning's level.
So what happens after the snap.
I'll tell you.
He doesn"t believe in his ability to put the ball where it needs to be in tight windows.
If Andy Reid can get Smith to trust himself, he will back up his claim that he can turn Smith into a HoF QB.
The problem is that I don't believe that's going to happen at this stage of Smith's career.

You are absolutely correct.

I think he can change and will.

There was too much baggage in SF.

The change will be good, watch and see.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Well one of them has been ascending and the other descending.

Don't act like you dont know the difference.

The butt-fumble play is possibly one of the worst in the history of QB play.

Yeah, cause Alex Smith began his ascension well before his 4th season.





Oh.......wait.

Originally Posted by Marcellus

There is nothing ironic at all about it, not only has Alex picked up his play and Sanchez regressed, from all reports (and there have been many look them up) Sanchez isn't a hard worker and is not dedicated to the craft of being a QB, which never bodes well for a guy who needs to improve.
https://www.google.com/search?q=MArk...ient=firefox-a


The team with Sanchez just drafted another QB in the 2nd round, what does that tell you about their belief in him?

2011, the team that Alex Smith plays for just tradede up in the second round to draft a QB,.
What does that tell you about Alex Smith?