Teicher:Prodded by Andy Reid, Chiefs QB Alex Smith learning to be more aggressive

[Tribal Warfare]

Prodded by Andy Reid, Chiefs QB Alex Smith learning to be more aggressive
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
One of the qualities the Chiefs like in new quarterback Alex Smith is his recent history with few turnovers. Smith threw just 10 interceptions in his last 25 games for the San Francisco 49ers, a stat that looks extremely pretty in Kansas City after Chiefs quarterbacks committed 27 turnovers last season.

Smith’s low turnover rate was due at least in part by his reluctance to throw the ball down the field. He was referred to by frustrated 49ers fans as Captain Checkdown for his habit of throwing shorter patterns to receivers for shorter gains.

Smith is in the process of being reprogrammed by Andy Reid, his new coach. Reid doesn’t want to turn Smith into a turnover machine but wants him to be more aggressive, particularly during offseason practice.

“You want to get a feel for the offense now, particularly when you’re new at it (and) if there are close throws, challenge it, see what you can get away with,” Reid said. “If it ends up being an interception, OK, it’s an interception. You learn from it. These are smart guys so they learn from it and once they get into the season, they’re not experimenting with it on game day and they know what they can get away with and know what they can’t.

“It’s a new offense. I would tell any quarterback that comes in new that that’s what you need to do. I’ve told them all that. Go ahead and take your shots and see what you can get away with, within reason. But if it’s a close throw, there are going to be a few of those in the National Football League on game day so you need to know what you can get away with on each route.”

Smith and the other Chiefs quarterbacks were rewarded with several long completions in Wednesday’s practice. Smith had three such plays, including two to Jon Baldwin, while Tyler Bray and Ricky Stanzi had one apiece.

Wednesday’s barrage of big passing plays isn’t necessarily an indication the deep ball is back in the Chiefs’ offense. But since such plays have been scarce for the Chiefs in each of the past two seasons, they’re taking it as an encouraging sign.

“We’re just kind of continuing to press to see what we can do … finding out what we’re capable of,” Smith said. “You’ve got to find that out at some point. This is what the practice field is for.”

Smith was the NFL’s highest-rated passer last season before he was injured, missed a start and then replaced by Colin Kaepernick as San Francisco’s starting quarterback. Smith was completing more than 70 percent of his passes, a high rate, and had just five interceptions.

Still, he had just 30 touchdown passes in his final 25 starts for the 49ers. While that’s a good number as a ratio with his 10 interceptions, it still represents a shortage of big plays.

Smith won’t turn into a mad bomber overnight, if he ever does.

“You want to stay aggressive,” Smith said. “But in the end I’m always trying to make the right read and throw where the defense is telling me to throw. You don’t come out here and predetermine anything, like ‘Oh, I’m going to chuck it deep on this play.’ I’m constantly trying to just trust my eyes and what I’m seeing out there, trust my reads and what I’ve prepared for and then come out here and throw good balls.”

For his part, Reid might be OK with that. But for now, when an interception costs the Chiefs nothing, he would prefer Smith be more of a gambler.

“Everybody is all on board (with Smith),” Reid said. “He’s a good football player. He’s showing that (along with) good leadership. I’m asking him to do a ton of things. He’s handling it. We’ve had an interception here or there but that’s all part of this thing. You’ve got to find out about the offense and you can’t do it with your hands in your pocket. You’ve got to go out and try things and experiment. That’s what he’s doing now.

“It’s just good stuff. He’s staying aggressive with the ball, and I appreciate that.”

The final offseason practice is today. The Chiefs won’t get together again as a group until training camp begins in July at Missouri Western State University.

Smith indicated he may try to throw to some Chiefs receivers during their downtime in an effort to stay sharp.

“We’re heads and shoulder above where we were a couple of months ago,” he said. “But that’s a never-ending thing. I don’t think it’s something like, ‘We’ve got a good feel for each other so we don’t need to work anymore.’ You’re constantly working at it. This is our job, this is our craft. Every single day, it’s coming out here and pushing to get better.”

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by TrueFanDave

Lil', meet Chiefy.

[mcaj22]

Alex Smith would be closer to Rich Gannon/Trent Green than anything Drew Brees.

Drew Brees can single handed win games by himself. Alex Smith will never, ever be able to do that.

What Alex Smith can do is hopefully put up good efficient stats, like Green and Gannon did late into their careers.

Only different is Alex Smith is a #1 overall pick who you can argue is a draft bust at this point in his career until he proves otherwise.

[Mav]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

Alex Smith would be closer to Rich Gannon/Trent Green than anything Drew Brees.

Drew Brees can single handed win games by himself. Alex Smith will never, ever be able to do that.

What Alex Smith can do is hopefully put up good efficient stats, like Green and Gannon did late into their careers.

Only different is Alex Smith is a #1 overall pick who you can argue is a draft bust at this point in his career until he proves otherwise.

Rich Gannon, was the MVP of the entire league dude. People shit on this guy like he was a game manager. He was a BEAST lol......

And no, no one associates the word bust with Alex Smith anymore. Obviously not worthy of the number one overall pick, but no where near a bust. He will be remembered as a guy drafted too high, but was efficient enough to remain a starter in the league. But lets not group him in with Joey Harrington, David Carr, Jamarcus Russell, or Ryan Leaf, he is not that type of bust qb.

Hell, I would even say that Sam Bradford is closer to being a bust than Alex Smith.

[mcaj22]

Originally Posted by Maverick91579

Rich Gannon, was the MVP of the entire league dude. People shit on this guy like he was a game manager. He was a BEAST lol......

And no, no one associates the word bust with Alex Smith anymore. Obviously not worthy of the number one overall pick, but no where near a bust. He will be remembered as a guy drafted too high, but was efficient enough to remain a starter in the league. But lets not group him in with Joey Harrington, David Carr, Jamarcus Russell, or Ryan Leaf, he is not that type of bust qb.

Hell, I would even say that Sam Bradford is closer to being a bust than Alex Smith.

Rich Gannon walked into a team with Jon Gruden players + a stable offensive system already in place under Bill Callahan. There wasnt a revolving door of offensive schemes and there was so much talent on that Raiders team in that small window they had no reason NOT to win the Super Bowl.

You are talking about a team with Tim Brown, Jerry Rice, Charles Woodson, Rod Woodson, Bill Romanowski, etc

Those Gannon Raiders teams were ****ing stacked so I guess so he was able to be the MVP of an entire league playing with Hall of Famers on both sides of the ball.

Drew Brees and Sean Peyton went to a dying franchise that just got butt ****ed by a hurricane and rebuilt that team from scratch. That team had no talent no hall of famers no schemes no coaching no stability before those two arrived and did what they are doing.


That's why Alex Smith is similar to Gannon, Alex Smith is walking into a team with a stable offensive scheme (Andy Reid and friends), other people's talent (Herm's draft picks and Scooter Pioli's 2 good players in 4 years), and we are hoping he can use that talent around him and put something together statistically. He's coming into a team that had SIX pro bowlers last year. It's not like Drew Brees going into a team that had nobody. The team around him will be good enough to carry Alex Smith to a statistically good season(s). Like the team and offense was able to make Rich Gannon look like a God for 3 years.

Drew Brees actually carries the Saints, by himself most of the time because his defense the last few years has been one of the worst in the league, even when they won the super bowl that defense was not that good and they got by on Darren Sharpers silly end of his career season where a bunch of balls bounced his way for a lot of turnovers which masked their actual awful defensive coverage.

[Mav]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

Rich Gannon walked into a team with Jon Gruden players + a stable offensive system already in place under Bill Callahan. There wasnt a revolving door of offensive schemes and there was so much talent on that Raiders team in that small window they had no reason NOT to win the Super Bowl.

You are talking about a team with Tim Brown, Jerry Rice, Charles Woodson, Rod Woodson, Bill Romanowski, etc

Those Gannon Raiders teams were ****ing stacked so I guess so he was able to be the MVP of an entire league playing with Hall of Famers on both sides of the ball.

Drew Brees and Sean Peyton went to a dying franchise that just got butt ****ed by a hurricane and rebuilt that team from scratch. That team had no talent no hall of famers no schemes no coaching no stability before those two arrived and did what they are doing.


That's why Alex Smith is similar to Gannon, Alex Smith is walking into a team with a stable offensive scheme (Andy Reid and friends), other people's talent (Herm's draft picks and Scooter Pioli's 2 good players in 4 years), and we are hoping he can use that talent around him and put something together statistically. He's coming into a team that had SIX pro bowlers last year. It's not like Drew Brees going into a team that had nobody. The team around him will be good enough to carry Alex Smith to a statistically good season(s). Like the team and offense was able to make Rich Gannon look like a God for 3 years.

Drew Brees actually carries the Saints, by himself most of the time because his defense the last few years has been one of the worst in the league, even when they won the super bowl that defense was not that good and they got by on Darren Sharpers silly end of his career season where a bunch of balls bounced his way for a lot of turnovers which masked their actual awful defensive coverage.

That's a fair statement by you. Although, having the second pick in the draft and not having to use it on a qb, because you signed drew brees, and being able to take reggie bush was a big help. But I get your point....

[mcaj22]

Originally Posted by Maverick91579

That's a fair statement by you. Although, having the second pick in the draft and not having to use it on a qb, because you signed drew brees, and being able to take reggie bush was a big help. But I get your point....

we had the number one pick in the draft and took a RT. If the Chiefs cupboard was as truly as bare as the Saints were when they had to take Bush, we could have easily taken a Tavon Austin type and been in the same boat.

That fact that there is players at the skill positions where some are proven and some need to start living up to their hype and draft slots, should be enough to tell you Alex Smith has the car keys to have a similar window as Rich Gannon, Trent Green, etc.

I don't ever expect him to Drew Brees our season and playoffs to the Super Bowl, because Alex Smith cannot do that.

[New World Order]

Originally Posted by Maverick91579

Right. Because as we all know, that drew brees, because he doesn't have superior arm strength, cant make every throw. Uhhhh, wait, he can. So, no, I didn't contradict myself. And yes, Alex Smith, can make every throw needed on the football field. He just cant laser point it 50 yards like Kaep, or Flacco. His would have more loft, and he would have to throw it sooner. That's all it means. But, he can make every throw.


Absolutely. Because im not in other threads, you know like the leach bishop thread where im talking about, you know, leach and bishop, or im not in the media center talking about video games, and movies. Nope, every single one of my posts, are all about Alex Smith. You got me.

Look, you can't be serious as to say it was a good trade for us to give up 2 second round picks for a game manager. Can you?

Why would you defend someone who isn't a franchise quarterback? Why not just admit he's average?

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by New World Order

Look, you can't be serious as to say it was a good trade for us to give up 2 second round picks for a game manager. Can you?

Why would you defend someone who isn't a franchise quarterback? Why not just admit he's average?

you realize that 2nd round picks are just not all that valuable, right?

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by unnecessary drama

you realize that 2nd round picks are just not all that valuable, right?

Depends on the year.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by unnecessary drama

you realize that 2nd round picks are just not all that valuable, right?

Two second round picks are extremely valuable compared to a guy who is never, ever going to win a Super Bowl in Kansas City.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by Alex Smith HATER

Two second round picks are extremely valuable compared to a guy who is never, ever going to win a Super Bowl in Kansas City.

This. Will nevar happen. Waste...of...time.

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by unnecessary drama

you realize that 2nd round picks are just not all that valuable, right?

Dumb post is dumb.


Hell yeah second round picks are valuable. By making the right pick you create value with it. Being able to manipulate the draft and use it to trade up for a better prospect in the first adds value to the second round pick. Not having the second round pick ****ing sucks.

[Hammock Parties]

What's more likely?

Alex Smith leads this team to the Super Bowl

OR

One of those two second-round picks turns into an above average 10-year starter?

[Rasputin]

This years draft sucked with out the second round draft pick. Could have got a qb prospect with it and took a chance on one. Still be able to draft a quarterback in next years draft if it looks like another prospect can be even better. For as many years Chiefs neglected the quarterback in the draft wouldn't hurt going back to back years picking first or second round qb draft picks. Have competition & have trade bait to get more picks.


I don't give a shit if this was a bad year for qb prospects they have upside that Alex Smith doesn't have.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Alex Smith HATER

What's more likely?

Alex Smith leads this team to the Super Bowl

OR

One of those two second-round picks turns into an above average 10-year starter?

Alex Smith leads this team to the Super Bowl.

Ten years is a LONG time in the NFL. The Chiefs haven't drafted a player in the second round that has lasted ten years as a starter since Tim Grunhard (and he sat on the bench his rookie year).

As a matter of fact, Grunhard, Jim Lynch and Charlie Getty are the only second rounders to start for the Chiefs for 10 years in their entire history.