Chiefs Babb: Hali a player opponents notice - Page 4

**Tribal Warfare** · 10-14-2009, 10:08 PM

Hali a player opponents notice
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star

They know the stranger by number and not always by name, but they have learned to remember the new outside linebacker for the Chiefs.

Weeks pass. Opposing players who study the Chiefs always leave with the same impression.

“The guy we’ve been looking for is 91,” Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said before his team’s regular-season opener against Kansas City.

He’s not the only quarterback who noticed Tamba Hali, whose jersey number is 91, while studying film.

“Ninety-one,” Dallas quarterback Tony Romo said last week, “is a good player.”

Coaches, too.

“Ninety-one is as good a player as you’re going to see,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He just goes and goes and goes so hard.”

Months ago, the Chiefs weren’t sure about Hali. They didn’t know how he’d react to the change. Hali was a defensive end for his first three seasons, and he had once played that position well enough to be the Chiefs’ first-round pick in 2006. He was terrific alongside Jared Allen his first two seasons; Hali never minded taking advantage of an opportunity when teams double-teamed Allen, the Chiefs’ former right defensive end.

Then Allen was gone — traded in an infamous deal before the NFL draft in 2008. That shifted the attention toward Hali last season, and he slid to the right side to take Allen’s spot. Without the help and stuck in a defense that accumulated 10 sacks, the lowest number in NFL history for a team playing a 16-game regular season, Hali set career lows in tackles and sacks.

Was Hali like the others? Another first-round defensive lineman, another bust? The questions followed him, and they wouldn’t let up.

The Chiefs needed a change. Hali did, too. But first-year coach Todd Haley was talking about something drastic. Haley wanted to shift the Chiefs’ defense to the 3-4 scheme, and that meant Hali and other linemen would move to outside linebacker.

“Not easy,” said Andy Studebaker, another longtime end who moved to linebacker to accommodate the new defense. “Not everybody is going to make it.”

Pass rushing had never been Hali’s problem. He was quick, determined and skilled. But now the Chiefs were asking him to cover receivers, something that looked peculiar considering his proximity to 300 pounds and that Hali had been a lineman for years.

Hali, 25, kept working, but he stopped talking. He had always been so affable and chatty, and then he went silent. Hali told reporters during training camp that he wouldn’t speak publicly until the team returned to Kansas City. Then, after an outstanding preseason, he declared that he was extending his vow of silence through the regular season, too.

The questions were back. Was he uncomfortable in his new position? Angry for being moved? Unhappy with all the changes the Chiefs had made, some of which were, in effect, putting his career at risk?

“I just want to do my job,” Hali told The Star on Wednesday, during a rare but revealing discussion.

He wouldn’t agree to be interviewed, but he said there were two reasons for the quiet. He said he hates to discuss losing, which the Chiefs have done plenty of in his time and is the finish line for most conversations about the team. Hali said his other reason was that he doesn’t need additional distractions as he continues to adjust to his new position. He said he preferred to streamline his focus, and any outside discussion could only slow his progress.

Hali said he preferred to let Haley do the talking for him, and the coach did that Wednesday. Hali, one of the most glaring questions entering this season, has emerged as one of the Chiefs’ most reliable defenders.

“He knew this was going to be a difficult transition,” Haley said. “He took it with open arms. He’s worked his butt off. It’s hard to find anybody who’s worked harder than him in all areas, physically and in the film room.

“He’s the type of guy we’re looking for around here. The more of those (players) that we can get around here, the better off we’ll be.”

Haley said he likes that Hali’s energy level and approach never seem weakened. Hali never requires the threats or public jabs that so many other defenders have provoked from Haley, and Haley said Wednesday that Hali’s work ethic leaves an impression on not only the Chiefs’ staff but also his teammates.

“Tamba does everything a hundred miles an hour,” defensive end Glenn Dorsey said. “If you ain’t giving it in practice, he’s going to tell you.”

Haley said it doesn’t matter that Hali’s statistics aren’t overwhelming. His coverage skills have improved, and Haley said Hali’s pass-rushing ability forces offenses to adjust — or do “things that don’t look so legal to get him stopped,” Haley said.

Still, Hali has two sacks, one fewer than last year’s season total. He has become the cornerstone of what is right with the Chiefs’ defense, even during a season in which so much seems unsettled. Others have noticed. Some outsiders have even begun to know the stranger by more than just his number.

“Hay-lee is playing pretty good,” Washington running back Clinton Portis said Wednesday. “Hah-lee, however you pronounce his name.”

In the Chiefs’ locker room Wednesday, Studebaker laughed when he heard that. If they don’t know Hali now, Studebaker said, they will soon.

“They’re looking at Tamba’s explosiveness and quickness and his ability to use his hands well,” Studebaker said. “He’s making that change pretty nicely.

“They know his name. Don’t let them fool you. They know his name. They know who he is.”

**OnTheWarpath15** · 10-15-2009, 03:21 PM

Either people are too naive to see through the coach-speak, or are just flat out too ignorant to do so.

Opposing coaches aren't going to say the guy is a bum, but it's pretty ****ing obvious that they are fluffing the guy because there's no one else to fluff when they say shit like the Dallas staff said.

Paraphrasing, "He's (Hali) the best pass rusher we've seen yet this year."

I.

Call.

Bullshit.

Julius Peppers, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Elvis Dumerville would like to have a word with you...

**DaneMcCloud** · 10-15-2009, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Either people are too naive to see through the coach-speak, or are just flat out too ignorant to do so.

Opposing coaches aren't going to say the guy is a bum, but it's pretty ****ing obvious that they are fluffing the guy because there's no one else to fluff when they say shit like the Dallas staff said.

Paraphrasing, "He's (Hali) the best pass rusher we've seen yet this year."

I.

Call.

Bullshit.

Julius Peppers, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Elvis Dumerville would like to have a word with you...

Hali has 11 tackles, 3 assists and 2 sacks through 5 games.

I'm sure Kevin Gilbride, Andy Reid and Jason Garrett lost sleep preparing for Hali.

**OnTheWarpath15** · 10-15-2009, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Hali has 11 tackles, 3 assists and 2 sacks through 5 games.

I'm sure Kevin Gilbride, Andy Reid and Jason Garrett lost sleep preparing for Hali.

This.

**OnTheWarpath15** · 10-15-2009, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Hali has 11 tackles, 3 assists and 2 sacks through 5 games.

I'm sure Kevin Gilbride, Andy Reid and Jason Garrett lost sleep preparing for Hali.

But, he's the best pass rusher they faced?

**DaneMcCloud** · 10-15-2009, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

But, he's the best pass rusher they faced?

According to SensibleButt**** and the living Ken Doll (Buster Hyman), he's an All-Pro, Hall of Famer.

In reality, he's just a "guy". If he went to a team with a great defense, he could probably make some noise because the offense would be concerned with the better players (like 2006 in KC).

But he's just a "guy".

staylor26 · 10-15-2009, 03:38 PM

Sacks don't tell the whole story. Like Haley said in his PC there was atleast 1 holding penalty called on the LT last week (would have been a sack for sure), and could have been called several other times. I don't see how anybody watched the past 5 games and ahsn't notice Hali consistently beating the LT? Also, he might have only had 2 sacks last season, but I'm almost 100% sure they said during one of this years games that he led the NFL in QB hurries in 08

**DaneMcCloud** · 10-15-2009, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by staylor26

Sacks don't tell the whole story. Like Haley said in his PC there was atleast 1 holding penalty called on the LT last week (would have been a sack for sure), and could have been called several other times. I don't see how anybody watched the past 5 games and ahsn't notice Hali consistently beating the LT? Also, he might have only had 2 sacks last season, but I'm almost 100% sure they said during one of this years games that he led the NFL in QB hurries in 08

11 tackles in 5 games tells a story.

And not a very good story I might add.

chiefs1111 · 10-15-2009, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Hali has 11 tackles, 3 assists and 2 sacks through 5 games.

I'm sure Kevin Gilbride, Andy Reid and Jason Garrett lost sleep preparing for Hali.

But Mr Juco football star The Guardian said Hali was going to be awesome....

Halfcan · 10-15-2009, 03:45 PM

Hali has done enough to be consider in trade discusions-lol

staylor26 · 10-15-2009, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

11 tackles in 5 games tells a story.

And not a very good story I might add.

What does that have to do with pass-rushing? He's a WLB though so his tackle totals are never going to be impressive. His job is simply to get to the QB, and he's done a good job of it. QB hurries and holding penatlies aren't sacks, but they count for something. He's also excellent at knocking the ball loose when he gets there, something he's always done fairly well and did on both his sacks this season.

el borracho · 10-15-2009, 06:35 PM

Seriously?

It is soooo sad that anyone can even make the argument that Tamba Hali might be our best defensive player. Get some perspective, people. Tamba Hali is an NFL nobody. Even Jimmy Wilkerson is a superior player.

el borracho · 10-15-2009, 06:36 PM

Seriously?

It is soooo sad that anyone can even make the argument that Tamba Hali might be our best defensive player. Get some perspective, people. Tamba Hali is an NFL nobody. Even Jimmy Wilkerson is a superior player.

el borracho · 10-15-2009, 06:38 PM

Ha! Just looked at the stats on NFL.com.... Gilberry is better than Hali.

**DaneMcCloud** · 10-15-2009, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by staylor26

What does that have to do with pass-rushing? He's a WLB though so his tackle totals are never going to be impressive.

I hope it's more than 35 tackles a year! Which is what his totals to date project.

Quote:

Originally Posted by staylor26

His job is simply to get to the QB, and he's done a good job of it. QB hurries and holding penatlies aren't sacks, but they count for something. He's also excellent at knocking the ball loose when he gets there, something he's always done fairly well and did on both his sacks this season.

He's had two FF this season. And two sacks. That's just not very impressive.

Do I think he'd improve upon those numbers with a better front seven? Absolutely.

But it just doesn't appear that the guy will ever be a Joey Porter/John Abraham/James Harrison type of dominant player.

tonyetony · 10-15-2009, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loochy

Actually the show host brought that up and Martellus then laughed and made fun of himself. BTW this was all done in a funny sort of way - Bennet is quite a clown. Look up MartyBTV on youtube.

This is why I stop by the planet. I got totally side tracked and watched all his stupid videos, thanks.

Marty's a pretty funny dude actually and reminds me of someone I know.

10-14-2009, 10:08 PM
Tribal Warfare Man of Culture Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $-3047187	Babb: Hali a player opponents notice Hali a player opponents notice By KENT BABB The Kansas City Star They know the stranger by number and not always by name, but they have learned to remember the new outside linebacker for the Chiefs. Weeks pass. Opposing players who study the Chiefs always leave with the same impression. “The guy we’ve been looking for is 91,” Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said before his team’s regular-season opener against Kansas City. He’s not the only quarterback who noticed Tamba Hali, whose jersey number is 91, while studying film. “Ninety-one,” Dallas quarterback Tony Romo said last week, “is a good player.” Coaches, too. “Ninety-one is as good a player as you’re going to see,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He just goes and goes and goes so hard.” Months ago, the Chiefs weren’t sure about Hali. They didn’t know how he’d react to the change. Hali was a defensive end for his first three seasons, and he had once played that position well enough to be the Chiefs’ first-round pick in 2006. He was terrific alongside Jared Allen his first two seasons; Hali never minded taking advantage of an opportunity when teams double-teamed Allen, the Chiefs’ former right defensive end. Then Allen was gone — traded in an infamous deal before the NFL draft in 2008. That shifted the attention toward Hali last season, and he slid to the right side to take Allen’s spot. Without the help and stuck in a defense that accumulated 10 sacks, the lowest number in NFL history for a team playing a 16-game regular season, Hali set career lows in tackles and sacks. Was Hali like the others? Another first-round defensive lineman, another bust? The questions followed him, and they wouldn’t let up. The Chiefs needed a change. Hali did, too. But first-year coach Todd Haley was talking about something drastic. Haley wanted to shift the Chiefs’ defense to the 3-4 scheme, and that meant Hali and other linemen would move to outside linebacker. “Not easy,” said Andy Studebaker, another longtime end who moved to linebacker to accommodate the new defense. “Not everybody is going to make it.” Pass rushing had never been Hali’s problem. He was quick, determined and skilled. But now the Chiefs were asking him to cover receivers, something that looked peculiar considering his proximity to 300 pounds and that Hali had been a lineman for years. Hali, 25, kept working, but he stopped talking. He had always been so affable and chatty, and then he went silent. Hali told reporters during training camp that he wouldn’t speak publicly until the team returned to Kansas City. Then, after an outstanding preseason, he declared that he was extending his vow of silence through the regular season, too. The questions were back. Was he uncomfortable in his new position? Angry for being moved? Unhappy with all the changes the Chiefs had made, some of which were, in effect, putting his career at risk? “I just want to do my job,” Hali told The Star on Wednesday, during a rare but revealing discussion. He wouldn’t agree to be interviewed, but he said there were two reasons for the quiet. He said he hates to discuss losing, which the Chiefs have done plenty of in his time and is the finish line for most conversations about the team. Hali said his other reason was that he doesn’t need additional distractions as he continues to adjust to his new position. He said he preferred to streamline his focus, and any outside discussion could only slow his progress. Hali said he preferred to let Haley do the talking for him, and the coach did that Wednesday. Hali, one of the most glaring questions entering this season, has emerged as one of the Chiefs’ most reliable defenders. “He knew this was going to be a difficult transition,” Haley said. “He took it with open arms. He’s worked his butt off. It’s hard to find anybody who’s worked harder than him in all areas, physically and in the film room. “He’s the type of guy we’re looking for around here. The more of those (players) that we can get around here, the better off we’ll be.” Haley said he likes that Hali’s energy level and approach never seem weakened. Hali never requires the threats or public jabs that so many other defenders have provoked from Haley, and Haley said Wednesday that Hali’s work ethic leaves an impression on not only the Chiefs’ staff but also his teammates. “Tamba does everything a hundred miles an hour,” defensive end Glenn Dorsey said. “If you ain’t giving it in practice, he’s going to tell you.” Haley said it doesn’t matter that Hali’s statistics aren’t overwhelming. His coverage skills have improved, and Haley said Hali’s pass-rushing ability forces offenses to adjust — or do “things that don’t look so legal to get him stopped,” Haley said. Still, Hali has two sacks, one fewer than last year’s season total. He has become the cornerstone of what is right with the Chiefs’ defense, even during a season in which so much seems unsettled. Others have noticed. Some outsiders have even begun to know the stranger by more than just his number. “Hay-lee is playing pretty good,” Washington running back Clinton Portis said Wednesday. “Hah-lee, however you pronounce his name.” In the Chiefs’ locker room Wednesday, Studebaker laughed when he heard that. If they don’t know Hali now, Studebaker said, they will soon. “They’re looking at Tamba’s explosiveness and quickness and his ability to use his hands well,” Studebaker said. “He’s making that change pretty nicely. “They know his name. Don’t let them fool you. They know his name. They know who he is.”
Posts: 43,455

10-15-2009, 03:21 PM	#46
OnTheWarpath15 MVP Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $2041115	Either people are too naive to see through the coach-speak, or are just flat out too ignorant to do so. Opposing coaches aren't going to say the guy is a bum, but it's pretty ****ing obvious that they are fluffing the guy because there's no one else to fluff when they say shit like the Dallas staff said. Paraphrasing, "He's (Hali) the best pass rusher we've seen yet this year." I. Call. Bullshit. Julius Peppers, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Elvis Dumerville would like to have a word with you...
Posts: 60,758

10-15-2009, 03:38 PM	#51
staylor26 In Search of a Life Join Date: Oct 2007 Casino cash: $-2170960	Sacks don't tell the whole story. Like Haley said in his PC there was atleast 1 holding penalty called on the LT last week (would have been a sack for sure), and could have been called several other times. I don't see how anybody watched the past 5 games and ahsn't notice Hali consistently beating the LT? Also, he might have only had 2 sacks last season, but I'm almost 100% sure they said during one of this years games that he led the NFL in QB hurries in 08
Posts: 52,916

10-15-2009, 03:45 PM	#54
Halfcan In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2005 Casino cash: $7327995	Hali has done enough to be consider in trade discusions-lol
Posts: 43,200

10-15-2009, 06:35 PM	#56
el borracho In Pat We Trust Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Albuquerque, NM Casino cash: $2459148	Seriously? It is soooo sad that anyone can even make the argument that Tamba Hali might be our best defensive player. Get some perspective, people. Tamba Hali is an NFL nobody. Even Jimmy Wilkerson is a superior player.
Posts: 12,282

10-15-2009, 06:36 PM	#57
el borracho In Pat We Trust Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Albuquerque, NM Casino cash: $2459148	Seriously? It is soooo sad that anyone can even make the argument that Tamba Hali might be our best defensive player. Get some perspective, people. Tamba Hali is an NFL nobody. Even Jimmy Wilkerson is a superior player.
Posts: 12,282

10-15-2009, 06:38 PM	#58
el borracho In Pat We Trust Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Albuquerque, NM Casino cash: $2459148	Ha! Just looked at the stats on NFL.com.... Gilberry is better than Hali.
Posts: 12,282