Elvis is NOT the Problem

[KCJohnny]

Some have argued that Grbac just needs to audible away all the vapid play-calling and then all will be well.
We don't really know what reins Gun/Raye have on Elvis as far as audibles. I remember a certain QB who was benched and then released when he audibled against the headcoache's wishes (Harbaugh/Ditka). I'm not saying that is happening here, I'm arguing that we just don't know.
The staff constructs a game plan before the game and the QB is supposed to execute it. Of course audibles and hot reads are a part of that offense, and if you are correct about Grbac's difficulties in making adjustments, I would have to change my view.
The Grbac I have seen ever since the beginning of '99 has gotten steadily better, thrown for tons of yds in a run-run-run offense, heaved 25 TDs since 1 SEP 99 and only 16 INTs.
THIS year, Grbac is scrambling to make plays, running for 1st downs, and yes, calling audibles at the LOS. Elvis did not drop 9 passes against Indy. He was only allowed to attempt SIX passes in the first half vs. Tennessee. SIX!
Until we find out if Elvis still on the "leash" or not, I am inclined to put my confidence in the performer on the field. Whatever goes on between the pressbox and the snap is beyond my limited understanding. I have 2 eyes and can see that Elvis is one of the best QBs in the AFC if the coaching staff can just learn to utilize the strengths and talents of its offensive personnel.
I was wondering where all the regulars on the star bb went!
KCJ
"Chaplain"

[FloridaChief]

KC Johnny,

Good to see you posting again! Hope all is well with you.

As for Grbac, I agree with you for the most part. I think, in another offence, one that would play to his strengths, he could hang with the upper echelons of current NFL QB's--Maybe even Pro Bowl.

I would like to see the Chiefs let up on the leash and let EG at least attempt to control his offense. Use his ability to run for positve yardage when neccessary--He doesn't seem as fragile as he did 2 years ago. Obviously we should be using the passing game to maximize the run game right now. We have to shake opposing teams confidence that they can stack 8 or 9 in the box and stop us. This is like "Football 101"--We, the fans see it, everyone sees it--Where is our coaching staff??

We know EG can audiblize--If I recall, he called all the plays on the come-from-behind victory drive vs Minnesota last year. The coaching staff lacks the faith or the foresight and in turn, I've lost faith in the coaches. I don't see any radical changes in execution coming from Gun & co. anytime soon. Elvis will simply either play his part, hamstrung by the current philosophy, or he will more and more change the plays at the LOS. I wonder if the coaching staff will stand for it if they believe Elvis has become a "renegade" and they can no longer "control" him?

Eric

[This message has been edited by FloridaChief (edited 09-16-2000).]

[KCJohnny]

FL Chief:
It won't matter if EG is considered a "renegade" if he leads the Chiefs to victory. This is the time that all of Elvis fans have anticipated: Elvis SIEZES control of thisa offense like a Marino or an Elway. If Gun and Raye fail to capitalize on Elvis' new bold confidence and obvious technical improvement, then they are making a very foolish mistake. Since DT has left us, Elvis is stepping up as the leader of this team, and I LIKE IT!
You are exacty right about the approach to offense. If the Chiefs come out throwing, then maybe some of the 8-9 man fronts will loosen up. But they are all daring the Chiefs to beat them with the pass and the frustrating thing for us fans is that we KNOW that Elvis and the CHIEFS CAN DO IT!

[The_Grand_Illusion]

KCJ,

Yeah I agree that Elvis is not the problem. In fact I do like the progress he is making this year. He is scanning the field and distributing the ball better. He is not locking on his receivers as a habit and he's using pump fakes. IMO this guy would have been a pretty darn good QB with a good offensive system and coaches around him.

Dan<BR>

[KCJohnny]

Its NOT too late, I tell you!

Raye got GREAT production out of this offense at the end of both the '98 and '99 seasons FOLLOWING the 6 and 4 game losing streaks. We have HAD our losing streak this year, so let's get to our post-losing-streak offense NOW!

[ck_IN]

Careful, don't let Cannibal or Clint see this. According to them EG and CP are the source of all known evil in the world. *S*

[Gracie Dean]

Hey proctor,

HOw is life treating you at jump school? Glad to "see" you on the board.

Pam

[KCJohnny]

Pam: I graduated from Jump school on 31 August.
Grbac will be the reason KC wins tomorrow.

[Gracie Dean]

Wow, I didn't know that. Thanks and congratulations.

What is on your plate now?

Pam

[bkkcoh]

They said on the pre-game show today that EG was very limited in the audibles he could use at the LOS.

I am not sure about you, but I think the QB should not be that restricted. I think the audibles should be limited because of the people on the field.



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bk

[htismaqe]

Elvis is not ALL of the problem. He looked very good on the last series when the playcalling was better.

But that INT he floated the ball up there. He did it 3 or 4 times, and on that particular one, he got us burned.

I admit, Elvis looks very good at times. But he's also a SEASONED VETERAN. When is he going to stop making stupid, rookie-like throws?

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Parker
ChiefsPlanet Administrator
Jimmy Raye for President...anything to get him out of Kansas City
[i]More Moreau</I>

[KCJohnny]

Is there any other AFC QB with 8 TD passes already?
Grbac 20-33 for 235 yds, FIVE Tds!!!!
All you Grbashers are proven to be WRONG!
BTW, Gannon throws the INT at home that seals the Raiders' defeat to Donx.
You give Elvis a great WR like SlyMo and take the LEASH off and he goes out and beats one of the AFC's top defenses.
I am ECSTATIC about Elvis' play in 2000. This guy IS the leader of our team and is playing GREAT football.
I know there will be people who will say otherwise, but 5 TD passes are 5 TD passes.
KCJ
Feeling good to see the KC offense open up and EXPLODE!

[Cormac]

Great post John........

Take the leash off for once and for all, and at the risk of sounding like Luz, h m and others........give the ball to Moreau while you're at it.

[KCJohnny]

BTW, please see reply #7!
http://www.ChiefsPlanet.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Bob Dole]

Bob Dole posted his QB rating calculation (may be errant) on another thread already, so that's a gimme.

Bob Dole saw one SERIOUS example of EG changing the play at the LOS today, and was so excited that he ran across the bar to the only other KC fan in the place and shouted, "When was the last time you saw Elvis change a play at the LOS??" (Predictably, the answer was never...)

Bob Dole is excited. Bob Dole would have been seriously excited after week 2, had it not been for that d@mned 4-man front, soft zone defense against the Titans. If our coaching staff stops standing in the way (as they did not stand in the way today), this team has a chance to be something special.

Who the he1l can remember the last time we had 4 TDs from rookies?

[DaWolf]

Johnny,
IMO today's game shows that when you are a coach, if a guy makes a mistake, do not go into a shell because of it. Guys need to get opportunities and get on a roll. The coaching staff does a disservice to Grbac when they pull in the reighns after a mistake. And thus he has not in the past been able to atone for his mistakes, and thus people key in on the bad plays and call them "amateurish" plays because he doesn't get a shot like he did today to overcome those mistakes. Kurt Warner throws INT's and the Rams don't stop throwing, for example. Today they stayed with the pass and got terrific rythm going, and disproved the statement that Robert Dole quoted in his post that said "Hey, I can go ou there and score 30 points but we're going to throw an INT and lose." No, you throw an INT but a lot more TD's and you win. We should have done that in Tennessee. This is a good team if the coaching staff can figure out what to do. Nice step in the right direction today. Let's not forget this lesson next week, or the week after. Get the ball to the playmakers, and your playmakers do not run the ball...

[DaWolf]

BTW, speaking of the running game, anyone think Corey Dillon's stock is going up? http://www.ChiefsPlanet.com/ubb/smile.gif

[KCJohnny]

Elvis could very well be named AFC offensive player of the week, folks.

I am literally drooling at the prospect of Air Elvis vs. the Donkeys' soft D....

[Gracie Dean]

And just think of the rice-young analogy

Grbac--Morris==great for years to come?????

[Bob Dole]

Dawolf:

Bob Dole refuted the statement that we'd score 30 points and lose. Bob Dole never advocated crawling into a shell.

Matter of fact, right before EG threw the INT, Bob Dole turned to the Seahawk fan (Gag...no offense Joe) next to him and said, "They'll probably run now." They threw and it was intercepted and returned for a TD and Bob Dole then said, "I'd rather give up that TD than stick our head up our a$$ and play for the punt."

It must have been that biga$$ Arrowhead logo Bob Dole slapped on the hood of the Formula last night... (You all can bet the farm that it'll be there every week from now on.)

[DaWolf]

Senator,
I do apologize if I made it sound like YOU were saying those things. I was just pointing out the quote that you had quoted and then ridiculed in the same post. You and I are both on the same side of the aile on this one... http://www.ChiefsPlanet.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Bob Dole]

Bob Dole thought so, Wolf...just wanted to clarify.

Bob Dole was as bad as anyone this past week ragging Gunther and Raye, and feels that today's performance (re: playcalling) proved Bob Dole wrong.

Bob Dole prays (and that doesn't happen very d@mned often) that Bob Dole continues to be wrong...

[Durtman]

Is it my imagination, or was Grbac actually looking off receivers today? Wasn't that a major knock on the guy - even from Len Dawson? Weren't we actually employing play action? Whoever finally woke up, I hope they continue the pattern.
Today was the first time in recent memory when the entire offensive squad was allowed to spend more time on the field than the requisite 4 minutes of 3-and-out. How can an entire offensive unit, much less a quarterback expect to get into a rhythm standing on the sidelines? They utilized a creative mix of plays in something other than a desperate situation. Even with rough first few series and the INT, the approach stayed varied and kept the defense on their heels. It was fun to watch.
For those who consider today's game an irrelevant blow out against a vastly inferior team, I think you're missing a very exciting point. That this can do nothing but good going into next week. A round of applause for a much needed, entertaining turn-around.

[Cormac]

Durtman,

No, it wasn't your imagination. He has been doing that regularly this season http://www.ChiefsPlanet.com/ubb/smile.gif

[DaWolf]

Bob,
I am still skeptical. One good game does not make a good coaching staff. They must prove it on the road...

[Bob Dole]

Bob Dole is not yet claiming that the coaching staff is good, but today they did the right thing more often than not.

[HC_Chief]

More than that, they must prove that they can call games consistently. Not until then, will they be considered more than imbeciles IMO.

Today, the playcalling was good -- both offensively and defensively. But especially offensively: San Diego is no slouch on D - as a matter of fact, they are damn good. We shredded them like BBQ pork today... and that was mostly due to playcalling.

Now, our coaches must prove they can continue to call games like this... to allow our players the opportunity to seize victories.

[Gracie Dean]

It was a wonderful and much needed win, and I bet Elvis has more confidence now. He looked great.

I am going to hold out judgement on the coaching staff until I see a couple more games.

If next week we go back to the 3 and out boring running game, then we will know.

[KCJohnny]

This was NOT a fluke!
Elvis could have done this against the Colts if 9 passes weren't dropped. He could have done it vs. the Titans if he could have attempted moe passes (21).
Grbac FINALLY has a deep go-to guy (MOrris) as well as DA, Gonzo, Drayton and Tony R.
I am literally salivating over the chance to get a crack at Denver's pee wee Herman defense!
Our D will crush them!
Now if only Gun will name Moreau as the starting HB....

[DaWolf]

KCJ,
That's what I've been saying all along too. We have the players. We have as much talent IMO as anyone in the division if not more. But our coaching leaves something to be desired. They have not yet proven they know how to consistently win with these guys. Feed the ball to the playmakers. That is all I ask...

[G_Man]

It must be the beard. http://www.ChiefsPlanet.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Seriously, I hope Raye doesn't have a lapse and go back to his old play calling. He called a spectacular game today. I thoughorly enjoyed all aspects of the game (great pass rush, Morris, Grbac, etc.) but my favorite part had to be Raye's playclling (please do not cut and paste if he does forget how he called this game http://www.ChiefsPlanet.com/ubb/smile.gif ). Sticking with the pass when we had the lead in the forth was sooo nice. This is the first time in a VERY long time that I saw a killer instinct in the Chiefs.

[DaWolf]

"Credit Elvis," Gonzalez said. "He took the hit that hurt his knee, and while I can't speak for him, I think he said to himself, 'I'm ready now.' Maybe it woke him up, but it got him going for a career day."

Grbac brushed himself off and completed 11 of his next 13 first-half passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns -- 36 yards to rookie Sylvester Morris and 1 yard to Tony Richardson -- to rally Kansas City from a 10-0 deficit to a 14-10 first-half lead.

"I think he was a little (ticked) off after coming that close to an injury," Gonzalez said of Grbac. "But hey, if it works, I'll start hitting him upside the head!"

"Did it shake me up?" Grbac asked rhetorically. "I don't know. There was this one (fan) behind me bothering me all day, and I wanted to shut him up." But seriously folks...

LOL

http://www.cjonline.com/images/091800/spt.chiefwin.jpg
http://www.cjonline.com/stories/091800/spo_grbac18.shtml <BR>

[alanm]

John, You want to know why they played so well today? Well other than the fact that the D played well again. The Offensive line had an outstanding game for the first time this season. And I didn't even get to watch the game had to listen to it on the Puter! It was like Grunny said "We just executed beter today" The play calling was varied and not totally predictable yesterday http://www.ChiefsPlanet.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Grbac had time to throw the ball and looked like he was in a zone. Granted San Diego's secondary was weak to say the least. And we capitalized on mismatches. That's not going to be the case nextweek at Denver. But then Denver's defense is nothing to write home about at the moment either. Next weeks game will be very intresting to say the least. Have the Chiefs finally broken out of their offensive slump? Who knows! But if they have they could be downright scary.

[Chief Henry]

It appears that Elvis has taken the leadership role. He obviously has spoken his .02 cents worth to the coaching staff
about the offense play calling. Now, the last two games he gets knocked down hard, and he comes back and leads the team. Players know how hard it is to get knocked down and come back. The players in the locker room know how tuff Elvis is.

About Elvis beard, he knows he has to look
tuffer. I like the beard. I hope he changes that picture of him they put on TV. To me that picture makes him look like anything but a leader. I hope he keeps the beard.

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Chiefs Rock

[htismaqe]

Elvis proved that he can get it done, no doubt about it. Our defense looked really good against a really bad team. Our offense looked really good against a really good defense.

Our coaches opened the gates for ONE GAME. Until they come out and do it again, I'm going to remain skeptical.

I don't doubt what you guys are saying. I've always known we had the talent. But do we have the collective brains to use it? That remains to be seen.

Here's to a 70-point shootout at Mile High!!!

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Parker
ChiefsPlanet Administrator
Jimmy Raye for President...anything to get him out of Kansas City
[i]More Moreau</I>

[Clint in Wichita]

I'm not getting my hopes up just yet. IMO this game was an aberration...versus the worst offense in the NFL & a banged up secondary. I hope they can do it every week, but I think they'll curl back into the fetal position...oops, I mean return to "smashmouth"...instead.

[KCJohnny]

Its Official:
Elvis Grbac leads the NFL in TD passes.
Yes, more than Kurt Warner and Peyton Manning.
Oh, heavens, it feels good to say that!
KCJ

[Durtman]

S.F. Mayor Willie Brown once referred to EG as, "An embarrasment to mankind". I wonder what wine he serves with crow? Oh, I forgot, the Niners have Jeff Garcia. Silly me.

[TheFly]

I will give credit to the players, including Elvis. They did an outstanding job.

I am not prepared to credit any of the coaches. They will have to show me more than one game after the last eight games of failures...<BR>

[G_Man]

I think the best part is that he's nearly ten full points ahead of Gannon in QB rating. http://www.ChiefsPlanet.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

E. Grbac 94.2
P. Manning 93.8
C. Chandler 92.0
J. Garcia 91.2
M. Brunell 88.4
J. Plummer 87.8
R. Gannon 84.5
T. Banks 84.2
D. Bledsoe 81.0
J. Blake 78.5
C. McNown 77.9
J. Fiedler 76.6
D. Culpepper 76.0
V. Testaverde 73.2
B. Johnson 67.8
B. Favre 67.0
K. Graham 65.3
C. Batch63.7
D. McNabb 62.0
J. Kitna 52.8
S. McNair 45.0
A. Smith 40.4
R. Leaf 32.6

Just so people don't claim I doctored the list, there ARE players with higher QB ratings. http://www.ChiefsPlanet.com/ubb/smile.gif I just thought it was interesting WHO was LOWER than Elvis. Some surprising people.

<BR>

[milkman]

G_Man,
Re: your reference to the Chiefs passing on that last drive and showing a killer instinct. That, I believe, just might be the thing I was most pleased with.I found myself, on my commute to work this morning, saying to myself (out loud) "The Chiefs played to win. They didn't play not to lose. They actually played to win" I was almost giddy!
Let's hope that the coaches, who I remain skeptical about also, learned from that game, and continue to show balance and a killer instinct.

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Red Eyes
Chinn Up.

[b]The SitCom must die!!</B>

[G_Man]

Wow. I just reread the post to which you're referring. It DEFINITELY shows what time I was typing it at. No use going back and editing it now. http://www.ChiefsPlanet.com/ubb/smile.gif

[G_Man]

thoughorly
playclling

http://www.ChiefsPlanet.com/ubb/smile.gif

[KCJohnny]

Tomorrow morning Elvis will be named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Nya nya naya nay nya nya....
Feels sorry for the Donx...
They are yielding 237 passing ypg (26th in NFL) and gave up 365 yds rushing to KC in '99 (182.5 ypg).
How sweet it is!