Chiefs Gretz: An Ugly Start For The New Regime - Page 2

Noss · 08-16-2009, 07:49 AM

http://www.bobgretz.com/chiefs-footb...html#more-9962

This was not the start that Scott Pioli, Todd Haley or Matt Cassel envisioned for the new era of Chiefs football.

On a rainy Saturday night and in front of one of the smallest crowds that Arrowhead Stadium has seen in some time, the Chiefs dropped pre-season game No. 1 to the Houston Texans, 16-10.

Tape study may produce some positives from this game for Haley and his coaching staff, but they will be few and very hard to find.

OK, how about the best player wearing red on the field was P Dustin Colquitt, who averaged 48.2 yards on six punts. If that sounds familiar it should; that’s been part of the plot line for the Chiefs over the previous two seasons.

“I think we made too many mistakes to think we would have the chance to win the game,” Haley said.”You can’t expect to win games converting 23 percent of your third downs, which was a major problem for us. You can’t expect to win a game with the penalties we had and the situations we had them in (eight penalties walked off for 65 yards.)”

And you can’t expect to win when you go minus-three in the turnover ratio.
“We played very good defense and we didn’t turn the ball over that is why we won the game,” said Houston head coach Gary Kubiak said. “It was a very sloppy night weather wise and whoever plays the best defense and whoever doesn’t put it on the ground usually finds a way to win in this game.”

The Chiefs offense struggled all night, catching fire only in the fourth quarter when QB Tyler Thigpen turned in a couple of playground moves that actually moved the chains. The Chiefs defense actually did not play that poorly, giving up just a single touchdown and forcing Houston to kick a pair of field goals after recovering Kansas City fumbles.

“We did OK,” said SS Bernard Pollard of the Chiefs defense. “It was a good start. We came out and played hard and we all responded.”

Overall, it was a performance very similar to how the team has practiced during training camp in Wisconsin: the defense is ahead of the offense and the No. 1 offense is really struggling to create an efficient and productive passing game.

Cassel worked the offense for four possessions, but was able to complete just two of five passes for 15 yards. A dozen of those yards came on his first pass as the K.C. franchise quarterback; he hit WR Terrance Copper.

Here’s how those four possessions Cassel directed went down for the Chiefs offense:

1.Six plays for 24 yards, but failed to convert a 3rd-and-3 play.
2.Three plays for seven yards, with a 3rd-and-11 pass gaining three yards.
3.Three plays for nine yards, as a 3rd-and-1 pass to TE Sean Ryan was dropped.
4.Three plays for seven yards, with Cassel losing a snap from C Rudy Niswanger that was recovered by the Texans.
Houston has revamped their defense and what they put on the field was more than enough to stifle the Chiefs. Larry Johnson got four chances right off the bat, but gained just 12 yards before he sat down for the rest of the night. Cassel wasn’t sacked, but he was harassed several times and hit after the throw.

“I thought Matt was OK,” said Haley. “We played it pretty close to the vest with him in there. We ran the ball a bunch. We weren’t winging it around a whole bunch. I need to see the tape but he was OK.”

The Chiefs aren’t paying Cassel all that money to be just OK. And, why so close to the vest with the offense? Would Cassel have preferred a more open attack to start the game.

“I don’t call plays and I got out and try to execute the plays that are called,” said Cassel. “We executed some, we didn’t execute some others and we’ll just keep moving forward from there. We were trying to find out some things about different people and what our identity is going to be. That’s why we have pre-season. That’s what we are working on.”

Defensively, the Chiefs came out and picked up a sack on their first series of the pre-season. Remember, they had but 10 sacks during the entire 16-game regular season in 2008. CB Maurice Leggett got Texans QB Matt Schaub to the ground on a third-down blitz.

The Texans were able to dent the scoreboard first on this rainy night and they were able to do it under difficult circumstances. Colquitt’s punt was downed at the six-yard line by the Chiefs. RB Chris Brown came into the game for Houston and provided a spark. Brown ran the ball four times for 22 yards and caught a screen pass for 16 yards. Tack another 15 yards on to that catch thanks to a penalty against DE Alex Magee for a horse-collar tackle and the Texans moved 31 yards, from their own 37 to the Chiefs 32-yard line.

Five plays later, they punched in the score on Brown’s two-yard run. The PAT kick gave Houston a 7-0 lead that they never lost.

After Houston recovered Cassel’s fumbled snap at the Chiefs 24-yard line, the Texans put together a six-play, 19-yard drive with backup QB Dan Orlovsky directing the attack. Kris Brown ended up kicking a 23-yard FG.

On the Texans next possession, they got another FG on the board, this one from 42 yards. A couple of nice plays by CB Brandon Flowers forced Houston to go for the three points.

The Chiefs got off the field at half-time with some points as rookie K Ryan Succop hit a 48-yard FG as time ran out, ending a drive engineered by Croyle who was four of seven on the drive.

At half-time the rain really picked up and neither team got much going offensively. When RB Dantrell Savage was ruled to have fumbled at the end of a run, Houston got the ball at their 38-yard line. Backup QB Dan Orlovsky led them 50 yards on eight plays, before Brown hit a 30-yard field goal to make the score 16-3.

Thigpen had the fourth quarter and he did what we saw him do last season. It was typical helter-skelter fourth quarter pre-season football. But with his arm and his legs, he grove the offense 76 yards o n 10 plays ending with a one-yard TD pass to TE Brad Cottam. The PAT kick made the score 16-10, and there was still five minutes, 15 seconds to play.

The offense got two more chances, but they only picked up one first down and Thigpen’s last pass was picked off by Houston CB David Pittman.

And thus, began the Pioli/Haley/Cassel Era. The Chiefs can only go back to work and hope the nights like this one are fewer and farther between.

“We’re back to work on Monday,” said Haley. “I told the team, we’re in training camp mode and we’re back in the pads.”

Chiefnj2 · 08-16-2009, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

I'm not wrapped up in the overall wins/losses in the preseason, but am more interested in how the starters match up.

Our defensive starters couldn't stop Houston's 1st or 2nd offensive unit.

Meanwhile, our offensive starters didn't move the ball against Houston's 1st or 2nd defensive unit.

With the exception of Bowe, who was running against 2nd/3rd teamers, none of the guys that will playing regularly on Sundays looked promising.

Hopefully, that changes by September.

the starting defense didn't do too bad considering it was their first game in a 34. the offensive starters consisted of WRs who likely won't make the team.

MMXcalibur · 08-16-2009, 02:22 PM

Get back at me if the first stringers look like crap in our 3rd preseason game "dress rehearsal" (and even then, I wouldn't worry too much). Nobody should be flipping their lid after the 1st preseason game. Believe me, EVERY fan in the NFL is worried that their team didn't look "up to snuff" after their first game. The Chiefs are no different.

Mecca · 08-16-2009, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coach

Just be aware that the Detriot ****ing Lions went 4-0 during last year's preseason, and everybody was just about to crown their ****ing asses.

How did that turn out for them?

I hope no one cares about wins or losses in preseason but I do care about how the starting unit looks.

teedubya · 08-16-2009, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan

Why does Gretz even survive?

cockroaches ALWAYS survive

ChiefMojo · 08-16-2009, 02:44 PM

I knew we were going to find a article like this. It is freaking stupid to say the least. Lets just say this, even with a new HC, a new defense as a whole, new way of going about things, etc.... we looked a lot better than Preseason game #1 last season.

As a whole I wasn't to disappointed with how things went down. There was a lot that I liked last night even in the bad weather and it being the FIRST Preseason game. Lastly our offensive starters at some positions weren't the REAL starters.

T-post Tom · 08-16-2009, 10:49 PM

Gretz's website has done a good job of covering the off-season and pre-season. A few typos here and there, but good info overall. I understand the disdain after all the years of his kissing Carl's butt. But I think he's improved now that he's off the payroll.

Chiefspants · 08-16-2009, 11:29 PM

Does anyone remember the first game of the 2003 preseason?

Well I do.

49ers 24, Chiefs 6.

I don't even want to think about what the planets reaction was to that game.

**Bugeater** · 08-17-2009, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gonzo

You are always going to get a vanilla performance on the 1st preseason game. The coaches don't want to get the 1st stringers hurt and they are evaluating the free agents. We'll know more come the 3rd preseason game.
Posted via Mobile Device

And then after we suck in the 3rd PS game it'll be "we'll know more when the regular season starts" and after we suck in the first couple RS games it'll be "these guys need some time to jell" then when we still suck in the middle of the season it'll be "there's still no talent on this team, bring back draftplanet!". Wash, rinse, repeat.

okiedokieokoye · 08-17-2009, 12:29 AM

Well of course the first team offense looked bad. No Bowe, No Toomer. Who the hell was Cassel supposed to throw to? Plus, the thing everyone forgets (including Gretz) there is no gameplan or scheme drawn up for the preseason. They just wing it. That makes a huge difference. Ol' Bob needs to settle down quick.

**OnTheWarpath15** · 08-17-2009, 06:08 AM

There no gameplan, yet Houston (and others) had no problems moving the ball this weekend.
Posted via Mobile Device

Deberg_1990 · 08-17-2009, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

Does anyone remember the first game of the 2003 preseason?

Well I do.

49ers 24, Chiefs 6.

I don't even want to think about what the planets reaction was to that game.

heh. It would be fun for someone to go dig up that old game thread.

KcKing · 08-17-2009, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoTrav

#51 looked good from the limited time i watched. i have no idea who he is but he and his hair were winners.

He had a good game from where I was sitting as well...

InChiefsHeaven · 08-17-2009, 06:23 AM

I was out of it last week, how come Toomer wasn't playing?

Also, I was relatively happy with the defense. I guarantee, there are people in Houston pissed off that they were not able to score more TD's against us. Considering the situation that the offense left them in, I thought 16 points wasn't a bad showing at all. They are only going to get better.

MichaelH · 08-17-2009, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coach

Just be aware that the Detriot ****ing Lions went 4-0 during last year's preseason, and everybody was just about to crown their ****ing asses.

How did that turn out for them?

Yeah, and the Chiefs went 0-4 last preseason and looked how that turned out. Only slightly better than the Lions. I agree that the first preseason game is a glorified scrimmage but I hope to see progress and hopefully at least two wins before the season starts.

modocsot · 08-17-2009, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelH

Yeah, and the Chiefs went 0-4 last preseason and looked how that turned out. Only slightly better than the Lions. I agree that the first preseason game is a glorified scrimmage but I hope to see progress and hopefully at least two wins before the season starts.

Exactly. Also this team needs to get into the "mindset" of winning; even if they're only preseason games.

08-16-2009, 07:49 AM
Noss SOS different year! Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: KS Casino cash: $10004900	Gretz: An Ugly Start For The New Regime http://www.bobgretz.com/chiefs-footb...html#more-9962 This was not the start that Scott Pioli, Todd Haley or Matt Cassel envisioned for the new era of Chiefs football. On a rainy Saturday night and in front of one of the smallest crowds that Arrowhead Stadium has seen in some time, the Chiefs dropped pre-season game No. 1 to the Houston Texans, 16-10. Tape study may produce some positives from this game for Haley and his coaching staff, but they will be few and very hard to find. OK, how about the best player wearing red on the field was P Dustin Colquitt, who averaged 48.2 yards on six punts. If that sounds familiar it should; that’s been part of the plot line for the Chiefs over the previous two seasons. “I think we made too many mistakes to think we would have the chance to win the game,” Haley said.”You can’t expect to win games converting 23 percent of your third downs, which was a major problem for us. You can’t expect to win a game with the penalties we had and the situations we had them in (eight penalties walked off for 65 yards.)” And you can’t expect to win when you go minus-three in the turnover ratio. “We played very good defense and we didn’t turn the ball over that is why we won the game,” said Houston head coach Gary Kubiak said. “It was a very sloppy night weather wise and whoever plays the best defense and whoever doesn’t put it on the ground usually finds a way to win in this game.” The Chiefs offense struggled all night, catching fire only in the fourth quarter when QB Tyler Thigpen turned in a couple of playground moves that actually moved the chains. The Chiefs defense actually did not play that poorly, giving up just a single touchdown and forcing Houston to kick a pair of field goals after recovering Kansas City fumbles. “We did OK,” said SS Bernard Pollard of the Chiefs defense. “It was a good start. We came out and played hard and we all responded.” Overall, it was a performance very similar to how the team has practiced during training camp in Wisconsin: the defense is ahead of the offense and the No. 1 offense is really struggling to create an efficient and productive passing game. Cassel worked the offense for four possessions, but was able to complete just two of five passes for 15 yards. A dozen of those yards came on his first pass as the K.C. franchise quarterback; he hit WR Terrance Copper. Here’s how those four possessions Cassel directed went down for the Chiefs offense: 1.Six plays for 24 yards, but failed to convert a 3rd-and-3 play. 2.Three plays for seven yards, with a 3rd-and-11 pass gaining three yards. 3.Three plays for nine yards, as a 3rd-and-1 pass to TE Sean Ryan was dropped. 4.Three plays for seven yards, with Cassel losing a snap from C Rudy Niswanger that was recovered by the Texans. Houston has revamped their defense and what they put on the field was more than enough to stifle the Chiefs. Larry Johnson got four chances right off the bat, but gained just 12 yards before he sat down for the rest of the night. Cassel wasn’t sacked, but he was harassed several times and hit after the throw. “I thought Matt was OK,” said Haley. “We played it pretty close to the vest with him in there. We ran the ball a bunch. We weren’t winging it around a whole bunch. I need to see the tape but he was OK.” The Chiefs aren’t paying Cassel all that money to be just OK. And, why so close to the vest with the offense? Would Cassel have preferred a more open attack to start the game. “I don’t call plays and I got out and try to execute the plays that are called,” said Cassel. “We executed some, we didn’t execute some others and we’ll just keep moving forward from there. We were trying to find out some things about different people and what our identity is going to be. That’s why we have pre-season. That’s what we are working on.” Defensively, the Chiefs came out and picked up a sack on their first series of the pre-season. Remember, they had but 10 sacks during the entire 16-game regular season in 2008. CB Maurice Leggett got Texans QB Matt Schaub to the ground on a third-down blitz. The Texans were able to dent the scoreboard first on this rainy night and they were able to do it under difficult circumstances. Colquitt’s punt was downed at the six-yard line by the Chiefs. RB Chris Brown came into the game for Houston and provided a spark. Brown ran the ball four times for 22 yards and caught a screen pass for 16 yards. Tack another 15 yards on to that catch thanks to a penalty against DE Alex Magee for a horse-collar tackle and the Texans moved 31 yards, from their own 37 to the Chiefs 32-yard line. Five plays later, they punched in the score on Brown’s two-yard run. The PAT kick gave Houston a 7-0 lead that they never lost. After Houston recovered Cassel’s fumbled snap at the Chiefs 24-yard line, the Texans put together a six-play, 19-yard drive with backup QB Dan Orlovsky directing the attack. Kris Brown ended up kicking a 23-yard FG. On the Texans next possession, they got another FG on the board, this one from 42 yards. A couple of nice plays by CB Brandon Flowers forced Houston to go for the three points. The Chiefs got off the field at half-time with some points as rookie K Ryan Succop hit a 48-yard FG as time ran out, ending a drive engineered by Croyle who was four of seven on the drive. At half-time the rain really picked up and neither team got much going offensively. When RB Dantrell Savage was ruled to have fumbled at the end of a run, Houston got the ball at their 38-yard line. Backup QB Dan Orlovsky led them 50 yards on eight plays, before Brown hit a 30-yard field goal to make the score 16-3. Thigpen had the fourth quarter and he did what we saw him do last season. It was typical helter-skelter fourth quarter pre-season football. But with his arm and his legs, he grove the offense 76 yards o n 10 plays ending with a one-yard TD pass to TE Brad Cottam. The PAT kick made the score 16-10, and there was still five minutes, 15 seconds to play. The offense got two more chances, but they only picked up one first down and Thigpen’s last pass was picked off by Houston CB David Pittman. And thus, began the Pioli/Haley/Cassel Era. The Chiefs can only go back to work and hope the nights like this one are fewer and farther between. “We’re back to work on Monday,” said Haley. “I told the team, we’re in training camp mode and we’re back in the pads.”
Posts: 399

08-16-2009, 02:22 PM	#17
MMXcalibur Pessimistically optimistic. Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Denver, CO Casino cash: $-144914	Get back at me if the first stringers look like crap in our 3rd preseason game "dress rehearsal" (and even then, I wouldn't worry too much). Nobody should be flipping their lid after the 1st preseason game. Believe me, EVERY fan in the NFL is worried that their team didn't look "up to snuff" after their first game. The Chiefs are no different.
Posts: 16,747

08-16-2009, 02:44 PM	#20
ChiefMojo Happy, Happy, Happy!!! Join Date: Jan 2009 Casino cash: $10004935	I knew we were going to find a article like this. It is freaking stupid to say the least. Lets just say this, even with a new HC, a new defense as a whole, new way of going about things, etc.... we looked a lot better than Preseason game #1 last season. As a whole I wasn't to disappointed with how things went down. There was a lot that I liked last night even in the bad weather and it being the FIRST Preseason game. Lastly our offensive starters at some positions weren't the REAL starters.
Posts: 2,283

08-16-2009, 10:49 PM	#21
T-post Tom Busy in a Kohl's restroom Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Milk/Honey/Gazland Casino cash: $1747293	Gretz's website has done a good job of covering the off-season and pre-season. A few typos here and there, but good info overall. I understand the disdain after all the years of his kissing Carl's butt. But I think he's improved now that he's off the payroll. __________________ You seem nice!
Posts: 22,376

08-16-2009, 11:29 PM	#22
Chiefspants World's Best Boss Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Bronco Country Casino cash: $3584654	Does anyone remember the first game of the 2003 preseason? Well I do. 49ers 24, Chiefs 6. I don't even want to think about what the planets reaction was to that game.
Posts: 19,383

08-17-2009, 12:29 AM	#24
okiedokieokoye I'm not arguing that with you. Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: North Hollywood Casino cash: $6035100	Well of course the first team offense looked bad. No Bowe, No Toomer. Who the hell was Cassel supposed to throw to? Plus, the thing everyone forgets (including Gretz) there is no gameplan or scheme drawn up for the preseason. They just wing it. That makes a huge difference. Ol' Bob needs to settle down quick.
Posts: 463

08-17-2009, 06:08 AM	#25
OnTheWarpath15 MVP Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $2041115	There no gameplan, yet Houston (and others) had no problems moving the ball this weekend. Posted via Mobile Device
Posts: 60,758

08-17-2009, 06:23 AM	#28
InChiefsHeaven Rockin' yer FACE OFF! Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Omaha, Nebraska Casino cash: $555437	I was out of it last week, how come Toomer wasn't playing? Also, I was relatively happy with the defense. I guarantee, there are people in Houston pissed off that they were not able to score more TD's against us. Considering the situation that the offense left them in, I thought 16 points wasn't a bad showing at all. They are only going to get better. __________________ We have a million reasons for failure, but not one excuse... Die Donks, DIE!! Holy Crap fellas!!! We did it!!! THREE TIMES!!!
Posts: 27,268