A somewhat neglected aspect of yesterday's game
 

The Chiefs consistently moved the ball through the air yesterday. They didn't wait until third down and long to throw the ball. The offense was like nothing we've seen in the three years Herm has been here, and in my opinion was the best the passing game has looked since the Cleveland game of Herm's first year.

Rather than pounding it up the center's butt from a tight formation, we spread things out, and let Thigpen do his thing.

Those who said our poor QB and poor line dictated our RRPP offense look a little foolish now. It certainly appears to me, and has always, that a line and QB need to create uncertainty on the D side in order to be effective.

What we saw yesterday was very damning of Edwards' previous gameplans.

yup .....

a quality game plan makes the players better or rather ALLOWS the players to be better.

it's not really a mystery rather than an excuse used by some to make themselves feel better.

our offense sucked for years ..... Vermeil made it #1 in the league in 1 1/2 years with few random free agents.



coaching,coaching,coaching

they got a first down on the first drive
all bets were off

which made the defense better

yeah. when you not on the field the whole game you tend to be better.

They apparently were running a spread attack with which Pigpen is more familar with from his college days. Wow, you're supposed coach to a player's strengths rather than force a thirty year old offensive philosophy that your team isn't equipped to run? Who'd a thought?/ Herm:doh!:

that would be zouk....the ultimate Herm apologist

well at least yesterday proved Gailey > Solari...Gailey said '**** it' we might as well try something that Thigpen can actually do rather than watch him humiliate himself like he did against Atlanta.

Until it was time to actually win the game. Then you could see Herm's influence on things regardless of what Gaily said afterwards. :shake:

Until the last drive....

That's what kills me about the people who think running the SAME ****ING PLAY 3 times in a row was Gailey's call.

Beat me to it :cuss:

Not sure i get the thread title? How was this aspect neglected?

One thing I really like about the game yesterday is it shows we can use the pass to set up the run. Assuming Charles gets healthy again (and the still uncertain future of Johnson), next week we could see a decent running game. All they have to truly judge Thigpen on is last week (all passing), so they will start game planning against the pass instead of lining 8 men in the box and daring us to pass. I hope this was not a fluke, not that we have to win too many games, but it is starting to be fun to watch again.

As soon as Charles and/or LJ are back, I'll bet we go right back to run, run, pass. Or in yesterdays final series, run, run, run.

I dunno. Seemed liked there was to me.

I'd say it was a scheme that was the only way to success for this QB. With our other QB's this would not work. The idea yesterday was to pass to open up the run while our normal strategy has been run only with no threat of a pass. I don't think what we did yesterday would work for Croyle because of mobility, it certainly wouldn't for Huard. This is the first time we have even involved a passing game all year. We need to set up a team that can run to set up the pass.

Another somewhat neglected aspect of the game was the fact that the defense surrendered 420 yards to the Jets. So far, we've given up ...

Patriots ... 338 yards
Raiders ... 355 yards
Goats ... 446 yards
Falcons ... 378 yards
Panthers ... 441 yards
Tacks ... 455 yards

That's an average of about 404 or so yards per game and places us at 31st in the league. On top of that, we're allowing 3rd down conversions on about 49% of the attempts. That's also 31st in the league. It seems like we've been focusing and working a little too long on the defense to be performing at that level.

FAX

I've been thinking ever since the game yesterday that someone up the chain must have told Herm to ease up his control on playcalling. Didn't sound like Herm was giving any input until the 3 runs up the middle to take time off the clock in the 4th. It was almost like the O was aggressive yesterday.

Can't blame Herm, we were only one score away from "ARENA BALL" status.... :shake:

Well except for when the D started the game on the field and proceeded to flail around while the Jets easily marched down the field.

Glad we didn't get into Arena Ball, even if the Jets did!

Quit Doubting Herm's Defensive accumen. If it weren't for Herm just imagine how bad this defense would really be.

I can only imagine how many chicks you must tax with 2 bikes, mike.

Heh, if you take a look at 2002 and 2003 you will see the horrible DC we had then actually had better stats with his D than the D we have today - and back then we had an O that scored waaaayyyyy too quick, causing the D to spend so much time on the field that they got tired.

Herm is making Robinson look like Buddy Ryan...

It's really kind of remarkable. We have gotten steadily worse on defense even after drafting heavily into that side of the ball, bringing in countless FA linebackers, and hiring an HC who, ostensibly, is a defensive expert.

I can sort of understand how Herm was able to completely dismantle our record-setting offense in just two short years, but our defense wasn't that great to begin with. It takes real commitment and effort to make it actually worse. Impressive by any standard.

FAX

how could they gameplan for that? the Chiefs have been running R2P2 all season

The truly frightening thing about those numbers is how much of it is on the ground while other teams are playing with a lead.

Ouch. Good point, Mr. el borracho, although painful.

That hadn't occurred to me in that way, which makes it all the more fascinating. We must be truly horrible. How can that be? We've drafted like crazy on defense, Herm's a defense first guy, and he came into KC with the express and stated goal of improving the D. What in the name of Mr. Iowanian's sasquatch suit itch is happening?

FAX

I can blame Herm. The cover 2 is a horrible system at stopping the run. Except for the SB run, the Colts D has been mediocre to bad. Hank Stram said that "if you cannot stop the run, you cannot win." The fact that he has Gunther Cunningham running a scheme he doesn't have familiarity with...

Herm isnt the draft guru, defense fixer that many folks around here sucked him off to be when he arrived...

Herm is nothing more that an over glorified scout that is living off his TB years where obviously Dungy was the real talent scout and made this ficticious figure in Herm....