Chiefs Babb: Chiefs learn more about themselves in 17-13 win over Green Bay - Page 2

**Tribal Warfare** · 09-02-2010, 11:10 PM

Chiefs learn more about themselves in 17-13 win over Green Bay
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star

Arrowhead Stadium was mostly empty by the second half, most of the starters barely made an appearance, and both teams appeared to be looking more toward their regular-season openers.

Yes, this was the fourth preseason game, and the Chiefs won it 17-13. And meaningless or not, they’ll take a victory of any kind, especially after losing their first three exhibitions.

But these four games have, if nothing else, been about self-education for the Chiefs. Kansas City learned what it’ll be, for better or worse, in 2010. They now know what they have, and that includes some strengths and plenty of promise, but there remains a worry that a most important position could be a weakness.

Here’s what Kansas City learned the last four weeks:

Kansas City can run the ball. Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones are serious threats, and when Jackie Battle can break a 50-yarder, some encouraging things are happening in the Chiefs’ backfield.

The defense hasn’t looked so bad either, and who would’ve seen that coming two weeks ago in a loss at Tampa Bay? Whatever adjustments coordinator Romeo Crennel made, they’ve worked. Whatever the team did to invigorate linebacker Demorrio Williams, who had his third sack in two games, it’s impressive. And the faith Kansas City has in its young and talented secondary is warranted.

And the Chiefs’ group of kick returners look like game-changers. Rookie Javier Arenas had a 44-yard punt return, and at least one big return per game seems to be becoming the expectation.

Kansas City made its discoveries, and it’s happy with many of them. But there is the matter of reality, and it must be addressed. Quarterback Matt Cassel proved nothing Thursday night, and he did himself no favors if he hopes to quiet the concerns that intensified this preseason: that he might not be up to the job.

Cassel didn’t play much Thursday, but when he did, the comfortable thing was to look away. He missed his first three passes, and two of those weren’t close, overthrowing Jerheme Urban and passing behind Dwayne Bowe. Then there was the matter of his interception on Kansas City’s next possession, when Cassel spoiled a promising drive — the Chiefs ran the ball six consecutive times for 40 yards — before throwing behind Bowe again, and this time, cornerback Jarrett Bush was there. Sure, he led a touchdown drive before Brodie Croyle relieved him, but most of Cassel’s passes on that possession were low-risk throws that let the receivers do the heavy lifting.

The Chiefs learned this preseason what they have, but one question the team didn’t answer was whether it has a quarterback it can believe in — especially as other parts of the offense seem to be improving. Dwayne Bowe? Yep, he still looks reliable. Charles? Sure, he has his shortcomings — he nearly fumbled Thursday on a catch and run, but he was ruled down — but the kid is exciting. More than that, he’s effective; Charles had 26 yards on two catches in limited duty. And Kansas City rushed for nearly 150 yards, most of them after Jones and Charles ended their nights.

It was Cassel who hung around longer than expected, and maybe that was because the Chiefs needed to see him more than the others. See how he responded. See if he could gather himself against a mediocre defense. And he never did, not Thursday and not this preseason.

In an exhibition game that’s traditionally used to give a team’s starters a peek at the field and then a long look from the sideline, Cassel played three series. He completed four of nine passes for 58 yards, and 30 of those came in one completion to Bowe. Green Bay’s quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, didn’t even suit up for the game.

The Chiefs believe — or at least they say publicly that they believe — that Cassel is improving. Of all the Chiefs learned this preseason, here’s one thing they knew before the first exhibition: Cassel is their man.

The exhibitions are finished, and the second season of a long project is ahead. Some of the Chiefs’ plans appear to be making progress. Now Kansas City has to learn during the regular season whether Cassel can catch up.

TheGuardian · 09-03-2010, 05:48 AM

The truth is, if we had even a really solid game manager at QB, this is a 10 win team. We can run the ball, and we can cover. Stopping the run isn't what it used to be as this is a passing league now. And we've got that snuffed out. We have runners, solid WR's, a good looking return game, and weapons galore on offense. The defense looks like it might might jump up into the halfway rank area (16th or so) yet I think Cassel's lack of ability is going to cost us a handful of games.

I personally think Croyle would be the better option at this point.

**Bane** · 09-03-2010, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGuardian

The truth is, if we had even a really solid game manager at QB, this is a 10 win team. We can run the ball, and we can cover. Stopping the run isn't what it used to be as this is a passing league now. And we've got that snuffed out. We have runners, solid WR's, a good looking return game, and weapons galore on offense. The defense looks like it might might jump up into the halfway rank area (16th or so) yet I think Cassel's lack of ability is going to cost us a handful of games.

I personally think Croyle would be the better option at this point.

If the kid could just stay healthy,I'd say you hit the nail on the head for sure.
Posted via Mobile Device

LaChapelle · 09-03-2010, 06:21 AM

I finally gave up on Croyle when he missed two more pre-season games
enough

**Bane** · 09-03-2010, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaChapelle

I finally gave up on Croyle when he missed two more pre-season games
enough

Yeah I think even the whole "he's a good back up" experiment has run its course.
Posted via Mobile Device

King_Chief_Fan · 09-03-2010, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGuardian

The truth is, if we had even a really solid game manager at QB, this is a 10 win team. We can run the ball, and we can cover. Stopping the run isn't what it used to be as this is a passing league now. And we've got that snuffed out. We have runners, solid WR's, a good looking return game, and weapons galore on offense. The defense looks like it might might jump up into the halfway rank area (16th or so) yet I think Cassel's lack of ability is going to cost us a handful of games.

I personally think Croyle would be the better option at this point.

I disagree on Croyle. He didn't show anything. He can't stay on the field due to him being injury prone. Chiefs are screwed at QB no matter how you look at it.

crossbow · 09-03-2010, 06:50 AM

I can't believe they traded a 2nd round pick for this guy. Couldn't they have found a better prospect in that round? It was a high pick so there had to be someone out there that is better then this. That was two years ago. I am going to go back and look at who was sitting there.

King_Chief_Fan · 09-03-2010, 06:53 AM

In other news....Todd Collins was 10 for 15, 139 yards and 1 TD

Red Dawg · 09-03-2010, 06:55 AM

I have been on the Matt can do it bandwagon from the start but if he plays like shit the first few games, he needs to be benched and we need to do whatever it takes to get ther best QB in the draft next year.

Rasputin · 09-03-2010, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King_Chief_Fan

I disagree on Croyle. He didn't show anything. He can't stay on the field due to him being injury prone. Chiefs are screwed at QB no matter how you look at it.

Exactly, & Croyle pretty much had to blow the doors off the car and he didn't do that. Never give the ball back with the lead in the last two minutes of the game period. He can throw better than Cassel that is obvious but he didn't do enough to make a case to be a starter over Cassel. It was up to him to stay health and prove it on the field for the entire pre season and he couldn't do it. I wanted to see a better job out of him, no excuses playing with back ups eather. No excuses for any QB that's been in the league 5 years.

I hate the fourth pre season game. The other team had 7 starters out of the game. So how are we not to know Rogers & co would have just kicked our ass up and down the field?

Marcellus · 09-03-2010, 06:58 AM

LOL at this place. Cassel had a good game 2 weeks ago and had some decent #'s and people said I don't care what the numbers are he didn't throw down field etc...

Last night Croyle looked like total ass outside of 1 or 2 throws and was mister checkdown swingpass himself and some people are throwing around his stats and calling it above average.

They BOTH suck and making googly eyes for Croyle is absurd.If I thought he was any better I woudl be on top of the Croyle bandwagon. Not only is he injury prone, he isn't that talented. If you are going to be marginally talented at least be tough.

Cassel hasn't looked good and he is unfortunately still the best QB on the roster.

I look forward to the running game and defense and ST. We are back to Marty ball.

chiefzilla1501 · 09-03-2010, 06:59 AM

A lot of encouraging things from this game. Our screen game, which is Weis' bread and butter, has potential to be outstanding. Our run game could be very good. Our secondary is closing in on the ball extremely well. Our D-line is actually doing a very good job occupying blockers--Tyson Jackson had his best game by far... he was actually starting to drive blockers and he looked a little bit quicker when firing off the line in pass situations.

It's really sad that all our improvements are going to go for naught because our QB holds us back. He won't be bad as Jamarcus or Derek Anderson, but I see the Chiefs being this year's version of last year's Browns or Raiders--a team that stays in games in spite of their QB, and then loses most of their games BECAUSE of the QB.

**Tribal Warfare** · 09-03-2010, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bane_58

Yeah but is there any scenario other than Cassel getting injured that would put his starting spot in jeopardy in your opinion?
Posted via Mobile Device

Executive order by Clark to draft a possible franchise QB, he's been saying this the past couple of years. If Clark gets pissed off like he did after the SD game with Herm, heads are going to role in the Pioli regime after this year which includes a record of 8-8 or above. Saying that as I inferred prior, don't be shocked if KC attempt to trade for Clausen because of the Weis factor.

Chan93lx50 · 09-03-2010, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuckdaddy

I have been on the Matt can do it bandwagon from the start but if he plays like shit the first few games, he needs to be benched and we need to do whatever it takes to get ther best QB in the draft next year.

I hear ya! I was on that bandwagon too. I have a feeling the QB position is really gonna hold back this team. The great improvement we as chiefs fans have been waiting for is here, but could be put on hold because our QB Sucks. I had faith in the kid but man a turd is a turd and when its a turd its a turd.

chiefzilla1501 · 09-03-2010, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcellus

LOL at this place. Cassel had a good game 2 weeks ago and had some decent #'s and people said I don't care what the numbers are he didn't throw down field etc...

Last night Croyle looked like total ass outside of 1 or 2 throws and was mister checkdown swingpass himself and some people are throwing around his stats and calling it above average.

They BOTH suck and making googly eyes for Croyle is absurd.If I thought he was any better I woudl be on top of the Croyle bandwagon. Not only is he injury prone, he isn't that talented. If you are going to be marginally talented at least be tough.

Cassel hasn't looked good and he is unfortunately still the best QB on the roster.

I look forward to the running game and defense and ST. We are back to Marty ball.

Dude, Cassel hasn't been good all offseason. He's completing screens and short out routes. He's staring down his receivers. He's wildly inaccurate when he goes past 15 yards. He's jittery in the pocket because he has no idea how to maneuver in the pocket unless he's tucking in to run the ball. And he's still making dumb decisions about throwing the ball away.

I get that Weis' offense is built around the short game. But any QB can complete the passes Cassel has been completing.

milkman · 09-03-2010, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

Executive order by Clark to draft a possible franchise QB, he's been saying this the past couple of years. If Clark gets pissed off like he did after the SD game with Herm, heads are going to role in the Pioli regime after this year which includes a record of 8-8 or above. Saying that as I inferred prior, don't be shocked if KC attempt to trade for Clausen because of the Weis factor.

JFC

The Chiefs are not going to make a trade for Clausen, you dipshit.

09-02-2010, 11:10 PM
Tribal Warfare Man of Culture Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $-3097187	Babb: Chiefs learn more about themselves in 17-13 win over Green Bay Chiefs learn more about themselves in 17-13 win over Green Bay By KENT BABB The Kansas City Star Arrowhead Stadium was mostly empty by the second half, most of the starters barely made an appearance, and both teams appeared to be looking more toward their regular-season openers. Yes, this was the fourth preseason game, and the Chiefs won it 17-13. And meaningless or not, they’ll take a victory of any kind, especially after losing their first three exhibitions. But these four games have, if nothing else, been about self-education for the Chiefs. Kansas City learned what it’ll be, for better or worse, in 2010. They now know what they have, and that includes some strengths and plenty of promise, but there remains a worry that a most important position could be a weakness. Here’s what Kansas City learned the last four weeks: Kansas City can run the ball. Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones are serious threats, and when Jackie Battle can break a 50-yarder, some encouraging things are happening in the Chiefs’ backfield. The defense hasn’t looked so bad either, and who would’ve seen that coming two weeks ago in a loss at Tampa Bay? Whatever adjustments coordinator Romeo Crennel made, they’ve worked. Whatever the team did to invigorate linebacker Demorrio Williams, who had his third sack in two games, it’s impressive. And the faith Kansas City has in its young and talented secondary is warranted. And the Chiefs’ group of kick returners look like game-changers. Rookie Javier Arenas had a 44-yard punt return, and at least one big return per game seems to be becoming the expectation. Kansas City made its discoveries, and it’s happy with many of them. But there is the matter of reality, and it must be addressed. Quarterback Matt Cassel proved nothing Thursday night, and he did himself no favors if he hopes to quiet the concerns that intensified this preseason: that he might not be up to the job. Cassel didn’t play much Thursday, but when he did, the comfortable thing was to look away. He missed his first three passes, and two of those weren’t close, overthrowing Jerheme Urban and passing behind Dwayne Bowe. Then there was the matter of his interception on Kansas City’s next possession, when Cassel spoiled a promising drive — the Chiefs ran the ball six consecutive times for 40 yards — before throwing behind Bowe again, and this time, cornerback Jarrett Bush was there. Sure, he led a touchdown drive before Brodie Croyle relieved him, but most of Cassel’s passes on that possession were low-risk throws that let the receivers do the heavy lifting. The Chiefs learned this preseason what they have, but one question the team didn’t answer was whether it has a quarterback it can believe in — especially as other parts of the offense seem to be improving. Dwayne Bowe? Yep, he still looks reliable. Charles? Sure, he has his shortcomings — he nearly fumbled Thursday on a catch and run, but he was ruled down — but the kid is exciting. More than that, he’s effective; Charles had 26 yards on two catches in limited duty. And Kansas City rushed for nearly 150 yards, most of them after Jones and Charles ended their nights. It was Cassel who hung around longer than expected, and maybe that was because the Chiefs needed to see him more than the others. See how he responded. See if he could gather himself against a mediocre defense. And he never did, not Thursday and not this preseason. In an exhibition game that’s traditionally used to give a team’s starters a peek at the field and then a long look from the sideline, Cassel played three series. He completed four of nine passes for 58 yards, and 30 of those came in one completion to Bowe. Green Bay’s quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, didn’t even suit up for the game. The Chiefs believe — or at least they say publicly that they believe — that Cassel is improving. Of all the Chiefs learned this preseason, here’s one thing they knew before the first exhibition: Cassel is their man. The exhibitions are finished, and the second season of a long project is ahead. Some of the Chiefs’ plans appear to be making progress. Now Kansas City has to learn during the regular season whether Cassel can catch up.
Posts: 43,464

09-03-2010, 05:48 AM	#16
TheGuardian MVP Join Date: Mar 2009 Casino cash: $6305299	The truth is, if we had even a really solid game manager at QB, this is a 10 win team. We can run the ball, and we can cover. Stopping the run isn't what it used to be as this is a passing league now. And we've got that snuffed out. We have runners, solid WR's, a good looking return game, and weapons galore on offense. The defense looks like it might might jump up into the halfway rank area (16th or so) yet I think Cassel's lack of ability is going to cost us a handful of games. I personally think Croyle would be the better option at this point.
Posts: 9,564

09-03-2010, 06:21 AM	#18
LaChapelle Banned Join Date: Mar 2009 Casino cash: $10004900	I finally gave up on Croyle when he missed two more pre-season games enough
Posts: 8,588

09-03-2010, 06:50 AM	#21
crossbow King of Sarcasm Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: at home Casino cash: $10004900	I can't believe they traded a 2nd round pick for this guy. Couldn't they have found a better prospect in that round? It was a high pick so there had to be someone out there that is better then this. That was two years ago. I am going to go back and look at who was sitting there.
Posts: 2,159

09-03-2010, 06:53 AM	#22
King_Chief_Fan Praise Him Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: none ya Casino cash: $4745486	In other news....Todd Collins was 10 for 15, 139 yards and 1 TD
Posts: 12,362

09-03-2010, 06:55 AM	#23
Red Dawg Going home eventually Join Date: Dec 2002 Casino cash: $1132858	I have been on the Matt can do it bandwagon from the start but if he plays like shit the first few games, he needs to be benched and we need to do whatever it takes to get ther best QB in the draft next year. __________________ If you're not first you're last!
Posts: 33,182

09-03-2010, 06:58 AM	#25
Marcellus Diablo Negro Join Date: Sep 2003 Casino cash: $-587338	LOL at this place. Cassel had a good game 2 weeks ago and had some decent #'s and people said I don't care what the numbers are he didn't throw down field etc... Last night Croyle looked like total ass outside of 1 or 2 throws and was mister checkdown swingpass himself and some people are throwing around his stats and calling it above average. They BOTH suck and making googly eyes for Croyle is absurd.If I thought he was any better I woudl be on top of the Croyle bandwagon. Not only is he injury prone, he isn't that talented. If you are going to be marginally talented at least be tough. Cassel hasn't looked good and he is unfortunately still the best QB on the roster. I look forward to the running game and defense and ST. We are back to Marty ball.
Posts: 74,439

09-03-2010, 06:59 AM	#26
chiefzilla1501 In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2008 Casino cash: $-1865503	A lot of encouraging things from this game. Our screen game, which is Weis' bread and butter, has potential to be outstanding. Our run game could be very good. Our secondary is closing in on the ball extremely well. Our D-line is actually doing a very good job occupying blockers--Tyson Jackson had his best game by far... he was actually starting to drive blockers and he looked a little bit quicker when firing off the line in pass situations. It's really sad that all our improvements are going to go for naught because our QB holds us back. He won't be bad as Jamarcus or Derek Anderson, but I see the Chiefs being this year's version of last year's Browns or Raiders--a team that stays in games in spite of their QB, and then loses most of their games BECAUSE of the QB.
Posts: 51,707