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.”

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

So, you're denying that you actively advocate Smith at 1.1?

I would have been ecstatic if we had drafted Geno Smith 1.1 & I'd be thrilled about it today.


I'm not denying I wanted Geno Smith with our first pick of the draft.


If it worked out that we got Geno Smith with our second round pick and not gave it up to Alex Smith I'd be also ecstatic and pleased that they took a chance on a quarterback with an early pick.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo

I would have been ecstatic if we had drafted Geno Smith 1.1 & I'd be thrilled about it today.


I'm not denying I wanted Geno Smith with our first pick of the draft.


If it worked out that we got Geno Smith with our second round pick and not gave it up to Alex Smith I'd be also ecstatic and pleased that they took a chance on a quarterback with an early pick.

Then, once again, YOU WERE WRONG.

The NFL disagreed with your "evaluation".

Just stop.

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Then, once again, YOU WERE WRONG.

The NFL disagreed with your "evaluation".

We are going round and round with this lol. I don't care if the NFL disagrees with me or even if the majority of Chiefs Planet disagrees with me. It would have been kick ass to draft a quarterback with our first or second round pick of the draft. A top prospect would have been great. I just happen to think Geno Smith was the best out of this bunch and no this wasn't a great class of quarterbacks. They are still prospects with upside greater than Alex Smith.

[Rasputin]

Hell I would have been happy to pick E.J. Manuel with our 1.1 pick if the Bills had enough convection to pick him at 8 then maybe he would have been worth our first. We couldn't get any trade offers to trade back.

[Rasputin]

I think what hurt Geno Smith stock the most is that he didn't show up to the senior bowl and NFL coaches wanted to see him there. There wasn't a clean cut number one quarterback and him not being there really made him drop. I think that is why the Chiefs went ahead and took Alex Smith at the time they did making it known to the public before the combine was over.

Geno Smith hasn't done himself any favors in that regards. I think he has taken bad advise but he is still a workable guy and I think he is eager to learn. We will see if he has what it takes or not. I very well could be wrong about him and not afraid if I am wrong to admit it. He just hasn't had the opportunity to prove himself yet for a full season or the next 5 seasons to see if he got any better or not. Give him time like all the draft prospects ge the time to prove themselves or not.


Eli Manning sure wasn't lighting fires when he got his start in the league.

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Then, once again, YOU WERE WRONG.

The NFL disagreed with your "evaluation".

Just stop.

Just how smart are these NFL scouts and GMs? Tim Tebow, Blain Gabbert, Brady Quinn & yet they all pass up a Tom Brady. The draft is full of pros and cons or boom or bust type players and you just don't know until they prove what they really are worth when they play on the grid iron. Teams are wrong all the ****ing time or they wouldn't be picking 1.1 & don't say this GM Dorsey and Andy Reid are any smarter or Andy Reid wouldn't have been fired and Dorsey is still a question mark at GM. He has to learn the job for the Chiefs.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Dumb

How the **** is that dumb, you asshat? It's the truth. Alex Smith isn't going to do a GODDAMN THING in terms of getting this franchise to a Super Bowl.
I swear, you live in a ****ing fantasy world where Alex Smith is a legit first-rounder and Reid is still a top coach in this league. It's ****ing embarrasing, Dane.

Please....STOP.

Ah, ah, ah......STOP.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

Alex Smith would be closer to Rich Gannon/Trent Green than anything Drew Brees.

Drew Brees can single handed win games by himself. Alex Smith will never, ever be able to do that.

What Alex Smith can do is hopefully put up good efficient stats, like Green and Gannon did late into their careers.

Only different is Alex Smith is a #1 overall pick who you can argue is a draft bust at this point in his career until he proves otherwise.

To be fair. Brees couldn't do that either before he hit New Orleans.

[mcaj22]

Originally Posted by PGM

To be fair. Brees couldn't do that either before he hit New Orleans.

Do what

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

Do what

Win games "by himself"

[mcaj22]

Originally Posted by PGM

Win games "by himself"

thats because he was never given the green light with his arm playing under Martyball with Cam Cameron as his OC

and he still was able to throw for 3000 yards and 20+ touchdowns


same with Flacco, Cam Cameron gets fired and Joe Flacco carries that team with his arm in the playoffs


Alex Smith doesnt have an arm like Brees or Flacco never has and never will

[keg in kc]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Then, once again, YOU WERE WRONG.

The NFL disagreed with your "evaluation".

Just stop.

There's a difference between the NFL disagreeing with your evaluation and being wrong.

Drew Brees is a great example. I didn't think he was a first round pick. The NFL agreed with my evaluation. As it turns out all these years later, we were both wrong.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Sweet Daddy Hate

How the **** is that dumb, you asshat? It's the truth. Alex Smith isn't going to do a GODDAMN THING in terms of getting this franchise to a Super Bowl.
I swear, you live in a ****ing fantasy world where Alex Smith is a legit first-rounder and Reid is still a top coach in this league. It's ****ing embarrasing, Dane.

Please....STOP.

Ah, ah, ah......STOP.

You're a real genius. Draft a guy a 1.1 that's rated by everyone else in the league as no better than a second rounder.

Draft a guy at 1.1 that acts like a cry baby at the draft, them fires his agent.

Draft a guy a 1.1 just because he's a QB.



Dumb.

[Ace Gunner]

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo

I would have been ecstatic if we had drafted Geno Smith 1.1 & I'd be thrilled about it today.


I'm not denying I wanted Geno Smith with our first pick of the draft.


If it worked out that we got Geno Smith with our second round pick and not gave it up to Alex Smith I'd be also ecstatic and pleased that they took a chance on a quarterback with an early pick.

weren't you one of the "tyler bray is going in the first" advocators ?

A lot of NFL pundits think the Jets made a poor choice taking GS that early. I was one of the guys on this board calling for the team to go with BA and take GS 1.1, BUT I also acknowledged this was going to be a big reach because I felt GS was no better than a 2nd round QB talent and since the Chiefs had no 2nd, I'd be okay with getting him 1.1... The lacking talent at the top of this draft was another reason I was for it.

I'd still like to see Reid paired with GS here, it can still happen -- I have little faith he will stick in jetsville. the fans/media are going to roast him and the team will either trade or cut sometime after a season or two.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

There's a difference between the NFL disagreeing with your evaluation and being wrong.

Drew Brees is a great example. I didn't think he was a first round pick. The NFL agreed with my evaluation. As it turns out all these years later, we were both wrong.

Geno Smith isn't Drew Brees.

Brees fell because of his height and that he came from the spread (and if you'll recall, I was a very vocal proponent of Brees).

Smith had no such concerns. His questions stemmed from his lack of maturity and decision making on the field. To date, he hasn't done anything to squelch those concerns.