our new Middle Linebacker
 

After game 1, what's the consensus on Corey Mays?

he certainly wasn't blowing up folks.
Got owned by Todd Heap a couple of times.
Seemed to look a little lost on the goalline plays where he should have destroyed.

I grade him less than fair, better than Boiman.

thoughts?
gifs?

He may run like Mays, but he hits like shit.

I certainly didn't hear his name called as much this game as we have during the preseason. Hopefully it was a one-time deal and he'll continue to improve.

LOL

rep for the Major League reference

Derrick Johnson, hopefully, will work his way out of Haley's doghouse....and be an improvement...

I thought he had a poor game. He pulled up short on at least two blitzes; missed tackles; appeared to miss his gap assignment more than once; and did NOT look even close to "good" in pass coverage. I was hoping for better after his preseason performance. Somehow I doubt he's a starter on most NFL teams. Sorry for the negative vibe, but he was a big let down today. Maybe my expectations were too high.

It doesn't matter if DJ works his way out. He'll play the Mike. Mays is the Ted backer. Belcher is Mays' backup for all intents and purposes.

He didn't play well today. Hopefully he'll improve as the season wears on.

Demarrio Williams is pretty awful...so I'll be glad when he's off the field.

He's a decent special teams/back-up sort of player. Hopefully, this experiment woke up DJ....because he belongs in the starting role after today, if for no other reason than his cover skills.

DJ is versatile enough to play either, IMHO. So, he should. :shrug:

I don't know about you, but I just about dropped a pant load when we put a 36 year-old Ingram back to receive and return.

That was definitely my personal "double-take"/"WTF"-moment in this game.LMAO

Sack of fail. The LBs in general didn't have a very good game. Hali had a sack, DJ had the INT, Vrabel tipped a pass and made a few other plays. But these same guys were running themselves out of plays, missing tackles, watching Heap make a bunch of drive sustaining grabs, giving up all kinds of yardage in the flats, ineffective on the blitz, and looking generally slow.

The LB are going to have to play a lot better if this defense isn't going to give up 500 yards every week.

He was exposed in pass coverage. Bleh.

No, he's not. His #1 weakness is taking on blockers, and on interior running plays, the Ted frees up the Mike to make the tackle.

None of the LB's can cover at all, this entire year is going to consist of getting abused by TE's and RB's.

Bullshit. They were all over the field in the preseason. Tamba looked fluid and athletic, and Mays was the destroyer of worlds.

Exactly. If I was a o-coordinator facing the chiefs, I would be running hooks all ****ing day.

We'll have to agree to disagree. He has problems getting off blocks when he gets lazy; but I've seen him get off more than his share of blocks over the years...when he is properly focused and motivated.

Discipline, not ability, is his real short-coming IMHO. Hopefully that's what Haley's demotion of him to third string was all about....because properly focused and motivated, he's a very capable all-around LB. Herm just accepted his lazy ass attitude and lack of focus....because of the occasional flashes he shows, and in the end he did DJ a horrible disservice because of it.

I think someone in preseason said 3-4 ILBs generally suck in coverage.

Hoping for a guy like Mays to come out of nowhere and be both a downhill plugger AND Derrick Brooks is a little wishful thinking.

By the way, at one point both Tamba and Vrabel were beaten in coverage.

The OLB's generally are very marginal at it unless they are athletic freaks like a Ware, but the ILB's need to be solid at it...all of our guys suck nuts at it.

hi mecca

I'm sorry, but this is just sophistry.

His #1 knock coming out of college was an inability to shed blockers. He's shown it time and time again in run defense for 4 years.

DJ is our best cover LB by far. His guy might make the catch, but DJ limits RAC and seldom lets his guy get completely behind him. He's been a huge disappointment overall, but he is reliable in coverage, especially compared to the other backers on the Chiefs.

How scary is it to think about Mike Vrabel trying to cover a running back catching a swing pass. Old meets new. Slow meets fast. I know he is a champi... forget it

I like him against the run but... seems like another weakness

Well Ted better get his shit together or Haley will rip him a new one...

He'll teach these guys who won't be in the league in two years how to be a champion.

bingo.

LMAO

Haley put him back there to make sure he would CATCH THE MOTHER****ING BALL. Everybody in America knew he wasn't returning that shit.

Good point.

Agree 100% and that's why I was thinking WTF when he almost dropped it.

still the same problems from the preseason. problems with pass coverage from the middle of the field. Along with DJ's problems with not having the "want to" with taking on blocks on a consistant basis leaves him as a nickel backer for now. He even played some outside instead of studebaker as the first OLB off the bench. Also DJ is inconsistant and makes poor reads once he has reached his pass drop as to wear the ball is going. His reading run/pass on play action needs work as do all the ILB's. The best thing about the pick is he stayed with the bobble and held on instead of dropping the ball like he has so many times in the past. I give him credit for turning it up a gear and trying to take it all the way. His problem is what it has allways been. Focus, inconsistantcy, and likely not taking constructive critisism as well as he should because of his cockiness from his "star" days at texas. We need him at LILB starting but he's got to earn it with this staff. Just seems to be something they ain't gonna budge much on as far as inconsistancy goes.

I think you have to figure if Mays is an old school two down thumper as an ILB. Like a Tracy Simien for example. Not comparring the players just the fact Simien came out on obvious passing downs. I think he is still young and inexperienced as a NFL LB but has the right attitude and has been the first to deflect all the attention he has got from the media as not to make him out to be a great one yet by any means. No excuses for his mistakes in the run game today, he should excell at blowing up and redirecting plays and getting in the backfield when Dorsey does his job.

Demo Williams "should" play the pass better as a typical undersized coverage backer. He broke up a few passes in the PS but also is undersized and plays like when Gado ran him over are gonna happen. Give him credit for atleast making the tackle while getting bull dozed. He should be our nickel backer but as has been said is filling in for an under achieving DJ. Beisel is the same type of player as mays except slower and less explosive. He's bigger than his first go around as a LB in KC. Probably 5 to 10 lbs. And they aren't ready to play Belcher. Not yet anyway.

We've got 1 or 2 wasted spots at OLB with McBride, who is basically a pass rusher only and not a good on at that and Walters who would probably be ok as far as passing waivers and added to the PS. He was kept for Special teams but we should be ok for now and able to add him in case of an injury.

The other problem is the safety play. It's better without pollard and brown looked faster than i thought he did in the ps, not great or anything. Page is going to have trouble as the center fielder on plays when they send brown on the blitz. He makes some plays on the ball and has been hitting/tackling better than expected but he lacks the range.

Overall i'd say ILB and S play together with the issue we have are our biggest problems. Some of that hopefully will get better with practice and compfort in the new 34. Other spots were guys are limited in what they are and their limits isn't going to change. Maybe Morgan pushes brown down the line.

We could use a coverage backer if there is one out there as a ILB in the nickel.

If DJ doesn't get it together stepping up his consistancy and awareness i think he fits best as a rusher, depending on the opponent.

Also, While Hali has done a remarkable job in his position swith, better than many hoped, he has to remember the little things like getting a jam/chuck on the TE when he is on his side and not miss or allow a free release.

It wouldn't shock me if they resign z. thomas since his contract can't be guaranteed now. I don't think it's the answer but they may take a flier again because of his instincts and gamble on his age/health.

Also it was a mistake to play Leggett so soft early on. Whether that was by the calls or his choice i don't know. But he has the speed and athletic ability to stay with shifty WR's. When they let him crowd the WR and show confidence in him he played much better then the off coverage.

You know, booger, I'm sitting here going through the game and our real problem might not be the pass rush, as bad it is. Or at least this compounds it - on a lot of Flacco's throws the rush barely gets off the snap before his back foot hits and the ball is coming out. The linebackers are busting coverages so quickly in the middle of the field the pass rush has no chance.

WE SUCK! EVERYWHERE! LMAO

that's game planning and how they came out throwing which we didn't expect. I think that was a shock in some ways as we expected them to pound the rock. Part of the mind games all week where Harbaugh kept saying how hard a staff KC was to prepare for with will it be the 'zona O and D and how will they mix it in with last years KC players.

Being slow off the ball is BS though. Part of that when a DL is head up at any time he is in a stack and shed mode. Or read/react which i just hate that term. It's also a tough change for Hali because he has to stay disiplined within the scheme and run/pass reads.

Give credit to that OL. Oher, i watched him a bit in the preseason and dude plays with a nasty streak. Adjusted well to RT.

Again, slow off the ball for DL is horseshit. They coach first OL or DL that gets his hands on the numbers wins. They coach it in pee wees. No excuses.

i'm just happy to see players getting their asses chewed in game. This is a huge adjustment to the young guys and the Herm guys that are left. I'm glad too that we aren't pussy footing around and installing the D and O they are going to run and we will live with mistakes. That attitude.

To be tied with 2 min left it just gave me that sick feeling to lose like last years opener at NE. Difference is i have hope with the direction change in Philosophy and coaching/attitude. I don't dismiss lack of talent or get blinded by that though. I just feel much better after last years week 1 loss this year than last.

But yeah, we sure have our share of suckage.

Mays looked lost in first game as starting LB. Let's hope he learns and adjusts going forward.

If by WE, you really mean you
and by EVERYWHERE you really mean dick
then i agree

YOU SUCK! DICK!

Yeah. Our pass rush is what it is. It's not as bad as alot of people make it out to be.

It's the LB's that are the REAL disappointment.

the preseason superhero everyone was psyched on, does in fact... suck when it comes to down playing a full game.

Yep. One game is all you need to make a proper evaluation.

Did I mention you're a dumb ****?

This is my take as well. Yeah, everybody had a good play here, and there, and it kept us in the game, but overall, I think we played like dog crap.

I also think that there is room for improvement, and am really hoping we see some.