Chiefs are about to witness what a first-round QB can do

[Count Zarth]

Freeman haters, this is your reckoning.

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/11/27...ness-what.html

In three of the next four weeks, the Chiefs will see evidence that taking a quarterback in the first round of the NFL draft can work.

This Sunday, they’ll face Carolina’s Cam Newton, the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft. The next week, it will be Cleveland’s Brandon Weeden, a first-round pick in 2012, assuming he’s recovered from a concussion sustained in last Sunday’s win over Pittsburgh.

And on Dec. 23, the Chiefs will go against the top overall pick of the 2012 draft, Andrew Luck of Indianapolis, who has helped turn a 2-14 team into a 7-4 club that is contending for an AFC playoff berth.

The Chiefs, at 1-10, would own the first pick in the 2013 draft if the season ended today, and unfortunately for them, there isn’t a quarterback of Newton’s and Luck’s quality available, and there may not be one worthy of a top-five or even top-10 pick. But it appears these college kids, whether taken at the top of the first round or even deep in the third round, are more prepared to take on the NFL than ever before.

“I’m going to be totally honest with you … I am absolutely blown away by quarterback play of these rookies this year,” said former NFL quarterback and longtime ESPN analyst Ron Jaworsksi. “Six rookies that we have starting is probably the most in the history of the NFL. These guys are so much more prepared to play in the NFL, I just can’t believe it.”

Besides Luck and Weeden, the 22nd overall pick, three other rookie quarterbacks have started since opening day. Robert Griffin III of Washington, the second overall pick, has his team in playoff contention; Miami’s Ryan Tannehill (eighth overall) has led Miami to a 5-6 record, one win shy of the Dolphins’ win total of last year; and Seattle’s Russell Wilson (third round) has Seattle in the NFC wild-card hunt.

Two other rookies, Philadelphia’s Nick Foles, a third-round pick, and Arizona’s Ryan Lindley, a sixth-rounder, are playing because of injuries to starters.

And the talk of the league right now is San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick, a second-round pick in 2011, who beat Chicago and New Orleans in his first two NFL starts while Alex Smith sat out with a concussion and could very well be Wally Pipped despite a 20-6-1 record in the past two seasons.

“You’re watching the growth of Andrew Luck, Weeden, Wilson, Tannehill and Foles,” Jaworski said. “I was happy to be in the huddle 30 seconds (as a rookie), let alone to go out and execute the offense the way these guys are.

“It’s really a tribute to the way these guys are being coached not only at the NFL level, but also what’s happening at the college level. They’re throwing the football more, reading defenses more now in high school, with the summer camps, the seven-on-seven, all those things.”

A year ago as a rookie, Newton became the first player in NFL history to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for at least 500 yards in a single season, and his 35 combined touchdowns (21 passing, 14 rushing), were the most by a rookie quarterback in NFL history.

As a team, Carolina has regressed this season, but Newton showed his multiple skills when he threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two scores in a 30-22 win Monday night at Philadelphia.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera said the offensive coaches have tried to lighten the load on Newton by limiting his called running plays. Most of his 14 runs for 52 yards at Philadelphia came on scrambles.

“We put a lot on his plate early in the year, and we’ve taken some of it back,” Rivera told reporters after Monday night’s game. “We’re starting to find the balance that we need with him. He’s given us chances to win, and this is the first time we as a team took advantage of it.”

Of course, there’s no guarantee any quarterback the Chiefs select will become the next Newton or even Andy Dalton, a second-round pick who guided Cincinnati to the playoffs in his rookie season last year and beat the Chiefs 28-6 two weeks ago.

Former Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert, selected by Jacksonville with the 10th overall pick in the 2011 draft, was force-fed as a rookie when then thrust into the starting lineup by then-coach Jack Del Rio.

Gabbert, without the benefit of an offseason program and at 21 the youngest starting quarterback in the league, struggled mightily, and before he went on injured reserve because of a forearm injury and torn labrum earlier this month, his 5-19 record and .208 winning percentage is the lowest for any active player with more than 20 starts.

Two other quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2011 draft, Tennessee’s Jake Locker and Minnesota’s Christian Ponder, haven’t lit it up either.

But the first round isn’t the only round to draft a quarterback. Wilson, who fell to the third round because he was considered undersized at 5 feet 11, beat out high-priced free agent Matt Flynn for the Seahawks starting job. Wilson has led Seattle to a 6-5 record and led the league with a 128.6 passer rating in November when he became the first rookie in NFL history to post a 125.0 or better passer rating in three straight games.

“These players now are mature beyond years,” Jaworski said. “They’ve thrown more passes, read more coverage. It shouldn’t be as surprising as it is that they’ve come to the NFL and played very well.”

Earlier this season, the Chiefs faced another first-round pick in Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman, the 17th overall pick in the 2009 draft out of Kansas State.

Freeman, who played at Grandview High School, became a starter midway through his rookie year, led Tampa Bay to 10 wins in 2010 and after a rugged season last year, is directing a high-powered offense for the Bucs, 6-5.

Starting with a 38-10 victory over the Chiefs on Oct. 14, the Bucs lead the NFC in scoring (32.6 points per game), while Freeman has thrown 16 touchdown passes with three interceptions for a 104.1 passer rating.

“Josh Freeman is playing phenomenal football,” Jaworski said. “I thought last year he really struggled with his accuracy. Two years ago I thought he was really coming on … I’m seeing that superstar potential now. He’s in a very balanced offense. They run the football. They use the play action, and he has been absolutely phenomenal in the red zone.

“The NFL is now a red zone league. If you settle for field goals, you’re going to lose.”

Clearly, Freeman is on his way to becoming a superstar in this league. He’s got all the attributes you would want in a quarterback.”

Attributes the Chiefs are desperately seeking.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/11/27...#storylink=cpy

[PhillyChiefFan]

Originally Posted by SNR

This shit about the QB class is out of ****ing control. Now they're saying none of the QBs are as good as ****ing Newton?!

Cam Newton's great, don't get me wrong, but to take him over either Smith or Wilson is insanity. Much less to write that this is simply a fact of nature in ****ing NOVEMBER.

**** Randy Covitz in the ass. He had a nice little article going here except for that one clause, which ruined the entire ****ing thing.

I'm betting tunes change after the combine.

I fail to see how a guy completing 70% of his passes isn't considered as good as Cam Newton coming out of college, strickly from an ability standpoint.

[Hog Farmer]

Landry Jones >Cam Newton

[CoMoChief]

I just hope to God we don't draft Barkley

[Frosty]

I'm a little worried about the game this week. It's the second of back to back road games for Carolina plus Cam tends to run hot or cold. He was hot on MNF so this could be his cold week. Also, based on the MNF game, Charles could go for 200 yards on that defense.

I still have faith in Romeo to **** it up though.

[notorious]

I hope we get completely destroyed by all of them just to stick it up the Truefans' asses.

[Pasta Giant Meatball]

It's sad that there are still True Fans left. Even after all the failed QB leftovers from other teams, they STILL want to go that route. Insane bastards.

The fact that people want Alex Smith and Teo, makes me want to punch a baby dolphin.

[scho63]

Personally I think Cam Newton's passing accuracy is very suspect at this time.

[Pasta Giant Meatball]

But, but Smith could be the next Brees!!!!!/TF

[Mr. Arrowhead]

But we just need to draft a Middle LB with the 1st overall pick/ true fans

[PhillyChiefFan]

Originally Posted by Mr. Arrowhead

But we just need to draft a Middle LB with the 1st overall pick/ true fans

Yep, defense and special teams are the key problem here. If the other team would have to punt from their own endzone every drive and ST would block punts or run them back for TD's we wouldn't be in this mess.

Have we had ANY blocked punts this season? Cassel and Quinn can only do SO much. Gaawwwd.../TF

[suds79]

Originally Posted by scho63

Personally I think Cam Newton's passing accuracy is very suspect at this time.

True.

Even still, I applaud Carolina for taking a QB with that #1 overall pick.

They know that a QB is going to do more for them in getting to a SB than any other position could.

True fans going to eat some crow this next Sun.

[gochiefss]

Originally Posted by Frosty

I'm a little worried about the game this week. It's the second of back to back road games for Carolina plus Cam tends to run hot or cold. He was hot on MNF so this could be his cold week. Also, based on the MNF game, Charles could go for 200 yards on that defense.

I still have faith in Romeo to **** it up though.

He'll be going aganist one of the worst D's in the NFL in terms of yards given up per play, Cam will be fine

[gochiefss]

We all know Pioli won't draft a QB #1 anyway so why even talk about it.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by PhillyChiefFan

Wasn't Griffin kind of lambasted as a "system QB" and "a spread QB"? I thought I remembed analysts saying that they thought he was a risky because he was a system QB.

Yes, yes, yes!

I said it a couple of times yesterday - Robert Griffin, at THIS time last year, was not a "can't miss" prospect. People in the media were talking about him EXACTLY the way you mentioned.

It really wasn't until the Colts settled on Luck and started floating rumors that they "couldn't decide" that Griffin suddenly become 1b to Luck's 1a.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by gochiefss

We all know Pioli won't draft a QB #1 anyway so why even talk about it.

New England won't be drafting #1, the Chiefs will.