Gun cracking the Linebackers

[chiefforlife]

CUNNINGHAM CRACKING ON CHIEFS LINEBACKERS
Posted by Mike Florio on August 6, 2008, 8:59 a.m.

Chiefs defensive coordinator, and one-time Chiefs head coach, Gunther Cunningham assumed responsibility for coaching the linebackers after last year’s position coach, Don Blackmon, was fired. And Cunningham is using tough love on his linebackers in an effort to get better performance out of the unit.

For starters, former starting middle linebacker Napoleon Harris has been removed from the first team, replaced by Pat Thomas.

And free-agent acquisition Demorrio Williams, who was a starter for three years in Atlanta, has been given limited reps in practice. His only time with the first team came when Donnie Edwards was out with a hamstring injury.

“It’s unfair to blame it on just the linebackers,” said Derrick Johnson, in an article by Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star. “Some plays are our fault, some plays the defensive line, some plays the secondary. But as a whole, we had too many big [running] plays.”

But the linebackers are getting the brunt of it from Cunningham. “He’s very demanding,” Thomas said. “He doesn’t care who you are. You could be Donnie Edwards, Derrick Johnson. He doesn’t play favorites. If you aren’t doing your job, he’ll get in your face and tell you about it. At one time or another, he’s been after every one of the linebackers, either in practice or in a meeting.”

For Williams, it sounds like he wouldn’t have even signed with the Chiefs if he knew he wouldn’t be starting. “That was my understanding when I came here,” Williams said. “They’re the coaches and we’re the players, so I guess we just have to follow the rules and do what they say. But that’s what I was told would happen.”

And some of Williams’ teammates might wish he hadn’t signed there, either, given that he took a shot at Harris, a free-agent acquisition in 2007. “You can look at the film and kind of see [Harris] is not really doing what [Cunningham] wants him to do,” Williams said. “That’s always going to be a problem.”

The root of the problem is that the Chiefs are trying to get the best performance out of the guys they have, and with the roster currently at the shallow end of the talent pool, the coaches need to push them as hard as they can.
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Williams was promised he would start? Initial reports were that he was everywhere on the field?

[Consistent1]

Gun is dumb. If it all came together, and they locked people down....fine. He is just a big shit talker that has not been getting things down. Do you guys believe that Jared Allen gave a crap about what this fool said to him in the past?

[Buehler445]

As long as the best guy is starting, I could give 2 shits about what he was promised. Posted via Mobile Device

[the Talking Can]

if Williams can't beat out a 48 year old LB with bad hamstrings, then he has only himself to blame....

[rambleonthruthefog]

CUNNINGHAM CRACKING ON CHIEFS LINEBACKERS
Posted by Mike Florio on August 6, 2008, 8:59 a.m.

For Williams, it sounds like he wouldn’t have even signed with the Chiefs if he knew he wouldn’t be starting. “That was my understanding when I came here,” Williams said. “They’re the coaches and we’re the players, so I guess we just have to follow the rules and do what they say. But that’s what I was told would happen.”

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Williams was promised he would start? Initial reports were that he was everywhere on the field?

everything i read this offseason said noone was guaranteed sh*t. open competition all over the field.

[PhillyChiefFan]

everything i read this offseason said noone was guaranteed sh*t. open competition all over the field.

I should be, we are starting all over. Let the best man win the job, if Williams isn't the best for his position then keep his a$$ on the bench.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Well Donnie is getting up there in age, so Williams will likely get at least a couple starts and will get to fill in at times as a reserve. So, it's not like he'll rot on the bench.

[Zouk]

And some of Williams’ teammates might wish he hadn’t signed there, either, given that he took a shot at Harris, a free-agent acquisition in 2007. “You can look at the film and kind of see [Harris] is not really doing what [Cunningham] wants him to do,” Williams said. “That’s always going to be a problem.”




I am amazed that a guy who has been on the team for only a couple of months would call out a teammate in the newspaper. What an idiot.

[tomahawk kid]

Gun is dumb. If it all came together, and they locked people down....fine. He is just a big shit talker that has not been getting things down. Do you guys believe that Jared Allen gave a crap about what this fool said to him in the past?

QFT

[LOCOChief]

Gun is dumb. If it all came together, and they locked people down....fine. He is just a big shit talker that has not been getting things down. Do you guys believe that Jared Allen gave a crap about what this fool said to him in the past?



Dumb? Sound like your post. Actually Jared attributes much of his success to Gun and KC coaching. He's built some pretty good defenses here in the past as well. Williams is a puss and thats why the dirty bird didn't make it.

[The Bad Guy]

Dumb? Sound like your post. Actually Jared attributes much of his success to Gun and KC coaching. He's built some pretty good defenses here in the past as well. Williams is a puss and thats why the dirty bird didn't make it.

One player improved over the last 4 years.

What defenses did he buid? The one with 2 dominating edge rushers and 2 lock down corners?

Yeah, it takes a true genius to coach superior players.

Gunther is a big ****ing blowhard who can't scheme to save his life.

You seriously might be mentally retarded.

[Consistent1]

I am not trying to stir crap up. I just don't like all this Gunther is such a hardass crap. You have to earn that rep, not say the F word a million times trying to intimidate guys who could an F less. He does not belong in the NFL to me.

[Chief Faithful]

What a fun article. Jeff Fischer of the Titans loved Gun as a LB coach and under Gun Keith Bullock had his best year.

I love the idea that he shows no favoritism. Either do it the way he says to do it or sit the bench. From everything I've read over the last year Harris really hurt the defense in the run game because he didn't maintain his gaps. If he is playing for stats instead of doing his job then riding the bench is appropriate.

[Chief Faithful]

One player improved over the last 4 years.

What defenses did he buid? The one with 2 dominating edge rushers and 2 lock down corners?

Yeah, it takes a true genius to coach superior players.

Gunther is a big ****ing blowhard who can't scheme to save his life.

You seriously might be mentally retarded.

Only the two best defenders, Derrick Johnson and Surtain remain after 4 years. The defense has improved over the previous year every year since Gun arrived. Better than Grob where the defense got worse every year.

[Consistent1]

What a fun article. Jeff Fischer of the Titans loved Gun as a LB coach and under Gun Keith Bullock had his best year.

I love the idea that he shows no favoritism. Either do it the way he says to do it or sit the bench. From everything I've read over the last year Harris really hurt the defense in the run game because he didn't maintain his gaps. If he is playing for stats instead of doing his job then riding the bench is appropriate.


Maybe so. If I were a 23 year linebacker, I would care less about all his yelling and crap like that. I believe high school would be the best place for that. Of course, somebody would get they panties in a bind and bitch if that happened. They need to come up with some good varied stuff. The offense is even worse. The Chiefs truly have some talent. Until the pass rush, and secondary play gel, they are going to get attacked this year. The first game will be a huge test on that front. Bullock? Shit, that guy is (was) so good that it didn't matter. I think he could have been even better.

[The Bad Guy]

Only the two best defenders, Derrick Johnson and Surtain remain after 4 years. The defense has improved over the previous year every year since Gun arrived. Better than Grob where the defense got worse every year.

It certainly didn't improve last year.

He handpicked these defenders that he's failed with.

I guess some people think just because we improved over that piece of shit GRob, that we should be satisfied.

[kcxiv]

It certainly didn't improve last year.

He handpicked these defenders that he's failed with.

I guess some people think just because we improved over that piece of shit GRob, that we should be satisfied.

when you go from 30th to 15th, thats a definite improvement. Is that where everyone wants it to be? of course not. They couldnt waste draft picks all on 1 side of the ball the Offensive side was aging BIG TIME.

I am not saying Gun is all great, but to say his defense's arent improving is ****ing retarded. They were just flat out dead tired last year becuase of our horrible ****ing run run pass punt offense. I am surprised that Colquitt's leg didnt fall off last year.

[LiL stumppy]

One player improved over the last 4 years.

What defenses did he buid? The one with 2 dominating edge rushers and 2 lock down corners?

Yeah, it takes a true genius to coach superior players.

Gunther is a big ****ing blowhard who can't scheme to save his life.

You seriously might be mentally retarded.

I don't think Jared was a "superior" player when he came in the league. No one here would have thought of him turning into the player he did.

[CoMoChief]

Gun coaching LB's is like have Picaso paint the interior of your house.

[Swanman]

Gun coaching LB's is like have Picaso paint the interior of your house.

Thanks for your input, Coach Fisher.

[CoMoChief]

Thanks for your input, Coach Fisher.

I think everyone on this board knows where that quote is from.


But "you're welcome" FWIW.

[Consistent1]

Thanks for your input, Coach Fisher.


Classic. I am going to rep you as much as possible just for that.

[FAX]

I like Gun. As for needing great players to create a great defense, you could say that about almost every coordinator since the beginning of time as we know it. The Chiefs haven't had a consistent, gamechanging "playmaker" on D for a long time - Allen notwithstanding - that guy disappeared in crunch time.

Still, today's player isn't going to respond to a guy screaming curse words, so I don't know why he relys so heavily on that motivational technique. "Oh My! Coach said a naughty word I never heard before! I sure better improve my game before he says another one!" I don't think so.

FAX

[KCrockaholic]

One player improved over the last 4 years.

What defenses did he buid? The one with 2 dominating edge rushers and 2 lock down corners?

Yeah, it takes a true genius to coach superior players.

Gunther is a big ****ing blowhard who can't scheme to save his life.

You seriously might be mentally retarded.

so are you saying we should call up Greg Robinson again?

[The Franchise]

How funny is it that SI can't tell the difference between Gunther and Tim Krumrie?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0808/nfl.chiefs.training.camp/content.10.html

[LOCOChief]

One player improved over the last 4 years.

What defenses did he buid? The one with 2 dominating edge rushers and 2 lock down corners?

Yeah, it takes a true genius to coach superior players.

Gunther is a big ****ing blowhard who can't scheme to save his life.

You seriously might be mentally retarded.

Jeez you sound like a really nice person with maybe a little bit of an attitude problem. That's probably the reason you have so much time to make so many posts and I'm sure I'm not the only one to recognize that. To your point I certainly didn't refer to Gun as a "true Genius" I just question someone who in reality probably sits around all day eating cheetos and jacking around on the message boards questioning the way in a professional football coach coach's. That defense you are referring just happened without coaching or player prospecting right? GFY

[The Bad Guy]

I don't think Jared was a "superior" player when he came in the league. No one here would have thought of him turning into the player he did.

I'm not talking about Jared Allen. I was talking about Neil Smith and Derrick Thomas.

[The Bad Guy]

so are you saying we should call up Greg Robinson again?

Of course. If you hate Gun, you can only want Robinson as the replacement.

I want this team to call up a coordinator that doesn't need superior talent everywhere to have a great defense. I want a fresh face with new ideas.

Is that too much to ask?

[The Bad Guy]

Jeez you sound like a really nice person with maybe a little bit of an attitude problem. That's probably the reason you have so much time to make so many posts and I'm sure I'm not the only one to recognize that. To your point I certainly didn't refer to Gun as a "true Genius" I just question someone who in reality probably sits around all day eating cheetos and jacking around on the message boards questioning the way in a professional football coach coach's. That defense you are referring just happened without coaching or player prospecting right? GFY

I've been on this site over 7 years.

Good comeback though. It takes a true scholar to say "you have too many posts on a message board.

I have a professional career. Thankfully, I have summers off.

What do you do with your life? I assume by the way you post that you're some rocket scientist.

It wouldn't surprise me if you were Hootie's father.

[Fish]

Nice shorts Carl...... if you had nuts that would be uncomfortable...

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/3299/076379851wq6.jpg

[LOCOChief]

I've been on this site over 7 years.

Good comeback though. It takes a true scholar to say "you have too many posts on a message board.

I have a professional career. Thankfully, I have summers off.

What do you do with your life? I assume by the way you post that you're some rocket scientist.

It wouldn't surprise me if you were Hootie's father.

Again, I never said Gun was a genius, never claimed to be a scholar. You label people with differing opinions than yours as mentally retarded or an idiot and I can't help but imagine you wouldn't throw comments like that around so freely if it weren't for the internet.

[Mecca]

Doesn't play favorites.....something tells me Donnie Edwards could be 52 years old and Gun would still remember what he was in 97 and have him out there.

[FAX]

Nice shorts Carl...... if you had nuts that would be uncomfortable...

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/3299/076379851wq6.jpg

Wow. He looks like his mom dressed him.

FAX