Chiefs Doug Tucker: Chiefs see slow, painful progress being made

**Tribal Warfare** · 10-13-2009, 03:05 AM

Chiefs see slow, painful progress being made

By DOUG TUCKER

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—A team that’s lost 28 of 30 games takes encouragement from every little nook, cranny and crawlspace where anything positive might be found.

The Kansas City Chiefs, once the sting went away, saw a few things to like about their 26-20 overtime loss to Dallas the previous day.

They made plays in the kicking game, recovering a muffed punt and kicking two field goals. They recovered a fumble. They made some defensive stands, although not enough.

And most of all, an offense with a wounded line and a history of futility found a way to drive 74 yards in 10 plays and get the game tied in the final seconds on Matt Cassel’s(notes) 16-yard pass to Dwayne Bowe(notes) on fourth down.

In fact, that final drive that tied it 20-all may turn out to be a watershed event as Todd Haley and his coaching staff work to forge a personality and an identify for the 0-5 Chiefs.

It was easily the snappiest drive of the entire miserable year for the Chiefs, even more remarkable because left tackle Brandon Albert had gone to the sideline with an apparent ankle injury.

Early in the drive the Cowboys sacked Cassel for a 4-yard loss. But working quickly out of the shotgun, he found Bobby Wade(notes) for 25 yards on third-and-14, connected with Bowe for 17 yards on first down, then got the TD and let Ryan Succop(notes) kick the extra point to send it into overtime.

“They pulled together, overcame adversity and overcame some injuries in key spots to give us a chance to play a little longer and win the game,” Haley said Monday. “That’s something we definitely as a team have to build on. I think it’s critical that we recognize some of those positives. There were a lot of guys playing real hard for the whole game.”

The Chiefs may use more of the no-huddle, hurry-up approach when they travel to Washington this week hoping to avoid being the first team in franchise history to start a season 0-6.

“Like I said, we’ve got to build on that situation in a lot of different ways,” Haley said. “That was a tough deal, a tough situation to be put in.”

In a a locker room that was not entirely downbeat on Monday, players knew a few good things had happened.

“I think in all three phases there were some positive things to take away from it,” safety Jon McGraw(notes) said. “You don’t always have the luxury of looking at that when you lose. You always have to focus on the negative. But at the end of the day guys realized there was some good football played out there.”

Dallas fans looking for reasons to fire coach Wade Phillips may be pointing to a rash of mistakes the Cowboys made, seemingly trying to hand the game to the Chiefs with a fumble, a muffed punt, a whopping 13 penalties for 90 yards, a missed field goal and several receivers who dropped throws or watched them sail over their outstretched hands.

Haley was criticized for not trying to win in the second half of a blowout loss to Philadelphia on Sept. 27. But no one was questioning the heart of the coach or the motivation of the players in what turned out to be their eighth straight loss at home.

“Some things that we’ve been struggling with, it seemed like we were able to get them done,” said McGraw.

Haley said Albert had his ankle taped and was sore on Monday and his status for this week was not known.

michaelj_58 · 10-13-2009, 03:26 AM

i think the chiefs played hard,but if were so that far under the salary cap then why didnt they bring in some offensive linemen. or did they think the ones they have were good enough,if so they made a big mistake.

kcxiv · 10-13-2009, 04:02 AM

Eh, i dont see to much postive. THere are a few ok things that happened in the game, but there were a few ok things that happened last year in games as well. I dont really see any difference. I really dont.

IF someone see's something different. Please let me know. lol WE are ****ing painful to watch on offense and defense. VERY VERY PAINFUL.

PhillyChiefFan · 10-13-2009, 05:02 AM

Offensively, Cassel needs to throw the ball more quickly. Our O-line has been exploited as the weakness that it is and if he doesn't get rid of it faster, he will get killed in the backfield. His dropbacks to hits ratio was staggering. And seriously, stop with the draw plays on 2nd and long.

Defensively, it's obvious our secondary is weak at safety. I just about lost my religion with Brown on Sunday. After getting burned several times, I fail to see why Haley didn't put DeJuan Morgan in. (was he hurt? if someone can enlighten me, please do.)

Sunday hurt. Dallas tried to deliver a win at our doorstep and the chiefs refused to open the door.

**kysirsoze** · 10-13-2009, 05:32 AM

I think we made progress this week for sure. It just sucks that the progress got me invested in the game. I am used to expecting the Chiefs to blow it and being right. I actually let myself think we'd get a win and I paid the disappointing price. I sure hope we build on this at least enough to beat the awful Redskins.

BosunMoon · 10-13-2009, 08:48 AM

Yeah. 500 yards given up, and ½ of those yards to one dude is unacceptable.

CHIEFS58 · 10-13-2009, 08:56 AM

"It was easily the snappiest drive of the entire miserable year for the Chiefs, even more remarkable because left tackle Brandon Albert had gone to the sideline with an apparent ankle injury."

Because or due to?

FloridaMan88 · 10-13-2009, 10:59 AM

0-5, 32nd in total defense, 30th in total offense, near the salary minimum... please explain Clark/Scott.

Jack · 10-13-2009, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCChiefsfan88

0-5, 32nd in total defense, 30th in total offense, near the salary minimum... please explain Clark/Scott.

Clark has learned well from his father. Don't expect him to pony up his bucks.

Wish we had a different owner.

Maybe we need a government takeover.

**OnTheWarpath15** · 10-13-2009, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCChiefsfan88

0-5, 32nd in total defense, 30th in total offense, near the salary minimum... please explain Clark/Scott.

Jesus, I thought you were exaggerating, until I actually looked up the numbers.

And FWIW, we're actually $7M BELOW the salary floor.

**DaneMcCloud** · 10-13-2009, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCChiefsfan88

0-5, 32nd in total defense, 30th in total offense, near the salary minimum... please explain Clark/Scott.

When Clark threw out an additional $75 million for stadium renovations back in December 2008, it was a sign that the Chiefs would not be very active in free agency.

I just didn't realize to what degree.

bowener · 10-13-2009, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelj_58

i think the chiefs played hard,but if were so that far under the salary cap then why didnt they bring in some offensive linemen. or did they think the ones they have were good enough,if so they made a big mistake.

Im starting to wonder if the players didnt want anything to do with us.

Most of the OL guys we brought in were up there in years, right? Maybe they just decided they would rather be a backup on a contender for 2 years than be a starter on a team that is going nowhere in 2 years.

Gravedigger · 10-13-2009, 01:12 PM

I only have one question when reading this... who the **** is Doug Tucker?

MMXcalibur · 10-13-2009, 01:19 PM

We're so low on the salary cap number becaaaaauuuuuuseee.......

WE'RE GOING TO SPEND LIKE CRAZY THIS OFFSEASON TO FILL IN EVERY POSITION DEEMED A WEAKNESS ON THIS KANSAS CITY CHIEFS SQUAD. OFFENSIVE LINE? CHA-CHING! WIDE RECEIVERS? SHOW ME SOME GREENBACKS! MORE OFFENSIVE LINE? OH SHIT YEAH, WE GOT SOME MONEY UP IN HERE! WE'RE GONNA BE MAKE JERRY JONES LOOK LIKE A PENNY PINCHER THIS OFFSEASON, BABY! BELIEVE IT! IT'S ALL PART OF THE PLAN!!!!

....to return to 8-8.

FloridaMan88 · 10-13-2009, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gravedigger

I only have one question when reading this... who the **** is Doug Tucker?

He is the AP writer based on KC.

10-13-2009, 03:05 AM
Tribal Warfare Man of Culture Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $-2957187	Doug Tucker: Chiefs see slow, painful progress being made Chiefs see slow, painful progress being made By DOUG TUCKER KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—A team that’s lost 28 of 30 games takes encouragement from every little nook, cranny and crawlspace where anything positive might be found. The Kansas City Chiefs, once the sting went away, saw a few things to like about their 26-20 overtime loss to Dallas the previous day. They made plays in the kicking game, recovering a muffed punt and kicking two field goals. They recovered a fumble. They made some defensive stands, although not enough. And most of all, an offense with a wounded line and a history of futility found a way to drive 74 yards in 10 plays and get the game tied in the final seconds on Matt Cassel’s(notes) 16-yard pass to Dwayne Bowe(notes) on fourth down. In fact, that final drive that tied it 20-all may turn out to be a watershed event as Todd Haley and his coaching staff work to forge a personality and an identify for the 0-5 Chiefs. It was easily the snappiest drive of the entire miserable year for the Chiefs, even more remarkable because left tackle Brandon Albert had gone to the sideline with an apparent ankle injury. Early in the drive the Cowboys sacked Cassel for a 4-yard loss. But working quickly out of the shotgun, he found Bobby Wade(notes) for 25 yards on third-and-14, connected with Bowe for 17 yards on first down, then got the TD and let Ryan Succop(notes) kick the extra point to send it into overtime. “They pulled together, overcame adversity and overcame some injuries in key spots to give us a chance to play a little longer and win the game,” Haley said Monday. “That’s something we definitely as a team have to build on. I think it’s critical that we recognize some of those positives. There were a lot of guys playing real hard for the whole game.” The Chiefs may use more of the no-huddle, hurry-up approach when they travel to Washington this week hoping to avoid being the first team in franchise history to start a season 0-6. “Like I said, we’ve got to build on that situation in a lot of different ways,” Haley said. “That was a tough deal, a tough situation to be put in.” In a a locker room that was not entirely downbeat on Monday, players knew a few good things had happened. “I think in all three phases there were some positive things to take away from it,” safety Jon McGraw(notes) said. “You don’t always have the luxury of looking at that when you lose. You always have to focus on the negative. But at the end of the day guys realized there was some good football played out there.” Dallas fans looking for reasons to fire coach Wade Phillips may be pointing to a rash of mistakes the Cowboys made, seemingly trying to hand the game to the Chiefs with a fumble, a muffed punt, a whopping 13 penalties for 90 yards, a missed field goal and several receivers who dropped throws or watched them sail over their outstretched hands. Haley was criticized for not trying to win in the second half of a blowout loss to Philadelphia on Sept. 27. But no one was questioning the heart of the coach or the motivation of the players in what turned out to be their eighth straight loss at home. “Some things that we’ve been struggling with, it seemed like we were able to get them done,” said McGraw. Haley said Albert had his ankle taped and was sore on Monday and his status for this week was not known.
Posts: 43,451

10-13-2009, 03:26 AM	#2
michaelj_58 Starter Join Date: Aug 2009 Casino cash: $10005231	i think the chiefs played hard,but if were so that far under the salary cap then why didnt they bring in some offensive linemen. or did they think the ones they have were good enough,if so they made a big mistake.
Posts: 389

10-13-2009, 04:02 AM	#3
kcxiv In Search of a Life Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Central Valley, Cali Casino cash: $8697996	Eh, i dont see to much postive. THere are a few ok things that happened in the game, but there were a few ok things that happened last year in games as well. I dont really see any difference. I really dont. IF someone see's something different. Please let me know. lol WE are ****ing painful to watch on offense and defense. VERY VERY PAINFUL.
Posts: 29,111

10-13-2009, 05:02 AM	#4
PhillyChiefFan Veteran Join Date: May 2007 Location: Harrisburg, PA Casino cash: $3181139	Offensively, Cassel needs to throw the ball more quickly. Our O-line has been exploited as the weakness that it is and if he doesn't get rid of it faster, he will get killed in the backfield. His dropbacks to hits ratio was staggering. And seriously, stop with the draw plays on 2nd and long. Defensively, it's obvious our secondary is weak at safety. I just about lost my religion with Brown on Sunday. After getting burned several times, I fail to see why Haley didn't put DeJuan Morgan in. (was he hurt? if someone can enlighten me, please do.) Sunday hurt. Dallas tried to deliver a win at our doorstep and the chiefs refused to open the door.
Posts: 3,407

10-13-2009, 05:32 AM	#5
kysirsoze SNAP THE ****ING BALL!!! Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $96946	I think we made progress this week for sure. It just sucks that the progress got me invested in the game. I am used to expecting the Chiefs to blow it and being right. I actually let myself think we'd get a win and I paid the disappointing price. I sure hope we build on this at least enough to beat the awful Redskins.
Posts: 11,970

10-13-2009, 08:48 AM	#6
BosunMoon Rookie Join Date: Oct 2009 Casino cash: $10004900	Yeah. 500 yards given up, and ½ of those yards to one dude is unacceptable.
Posts: 16

10-13-2009, 08:56 AM	#7
CHIEFS58 Smoke a turd. Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Western North Carolina Casino cash: $10004930	"It was easily the snappiest drive of the entire miserable year for the Chiefs, even more remarkable because left tackle Brandon Albert had gone to the sideline with an apparent ankle injury." Because or due to?
Posts: 2,217

10-13-2009, 10:59 AM	#8
FloridaMan88 Mahomes: We Are All Witnesses Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Miami, FL Casino cash: $-707094	0-5, 32nd in total defense, 30th in total offense, near the salary minimum... please explain Clark/Scott.
Posts: 50,178

10-13-2009, 01:12 PM	#13
Gravedigger Plays to win the game! Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lees Summit Casino cash: $6473101	I only have one question when reading this... who the **** is Doug Tucker?
Posts: 7,826

10-13-2009, 01:19 PM	#14
MMXcalibur Pessimistically optimistic. Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Denver, CO Casino cash: $-144914	We're so low on the salary cap number becaaaaauuuuuuseee....... WE'RE GOING TO SPEND LIKE CRAZY THIS OFFSEASON TO FILL IN EVERY POSITION DEEMED A WEAKNESS ON THIS KANSAS CITY CHIEFS SQUAD. OFFENSIVE LINE? CHA-CHING! WIDE RECEIVERS? SHOW ME SOME GREENBACKS! MORE OFFENSIVE LINE? OH SHIT YEAH, WE GOT SOME MONEY UP IN HERE! WE'RE GONNA BE MAKE JERRY JONES LOOK LIKE A PENNY PINCHER THIS OFFSEASON, BABY! BELIEVE IT! IT'S ALL PART OF THE PLAN!!!! ....to return to 8-8.
Posts: 16,747