Chiefs Whitlock:Chiefs’ play is scaring the wrong people - Page 2

**Tribal Warfare** · 10-04-2009, 10:16 PM

Chiefs’ play is scaring the wrong people
JASON WHITLOCK COMMENTARY

Scared yet?

An unintended consequence of Scott Pioli’s and Todd Haley’s master plan of inspiring fear and intimidation throughout the Chiefs franchise is that they’re scaring the (spit) out of us, too.

I’ll admit it. I’m scared. I’m afraid Pioli and Haley are on a ridiculous power trip, have no real clue how to fix the Chiefs and are going to spend the entire season hiring and firing players like 15-year-old fantasy-football owners.

Against the New York Giants, the Chiefs trotted out their third different starting right tackle, Ryan O’Callaghan, a Larry Johnson-led wildcat formation and some no-name special-teams player to replace Monty Beisel.

The result? The Giants toyed with the Chiefs, winning 27-16 in a game that was boring, uncompetitive and pointless for the boys in red.

If you’re not scared, you probably spent the afternoon at Kansas Speedway watching NASCAR.

A week after promising to establish a tough, physical, impose-our-will-on-the-ground identity, Haley spent the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Giants padding quarterback Matt Cassel’s stats with shotgun pass plays from inside the New York 10.

Cassel connected on fourth-quarter scoring tosses of 1 and 2 yards. Kansas City’s Sixty Million Dollar Man completed 15 of 32 passes for 127 yards and two TDs. He survived five sacks. The offensive line was leaky, and Cassel fell into the annoying habit of anticipating leaks that weren’t there.

Scared yet?

I am. I’m not sure if the players in the locker room are all that scared. Oh, they’re quiet, fearful of saying the wrong thing. But scared straight, scared into playing at a high level? I see no evidence. Do you?

Cassel throws behind his receivers on crossing routes and overthrows his receivers on any route more than 15 yards downfield. The offensive line can’t protect Cassel or open holes for Larry Johnson. Dwayne Bowe and Bobby Wade had little trouble dropping balls that hit them in the hands.

A pass rush from KC’s front four? Nonexistent. New York’s Steve Smith caught three more passes while you were reading the first 400 words of this column. Did the Chiefs ever cover Smith? Is he the second coming of Jerry Rice?

And please, someone tell me what linebacker Derrick Johnson did to the Chiefs’ coaching staff. Is he simply a high-profile example of Haley’s and Pioli’s willingness to target any player for embarrassment?

Johnson spent most of Sunday afternoon warming up on the sideline, jogging, stretching, trying to keep circulation in his legs. In terms of big plays this season, Johnson is responsible for the biggest — the long interception return against the Ravens. A team in desperate need of playmakers could certainly be helped by Johnson’s athletic ability.

He’s a bench-warmer. He’s a symbol in the my-way-or-the-highway army.

Haley’s highway, at some point, has to produce tangible results. His coaching Godfather, Bill Parcells, preached that you are what your record says you are. The Chiefs are 0-4 and gaining momentum. A winless know-it-all doesn’t garner much respect.

I believe Beisel was released in a futile effort to prove to the players in the locker room that Haley and Pioli weren’t strictly targeting holdovers from the Carl Peterson era. Haley and Pioli want to create the impression that they’re equal-opportunity jerks.

I’m not buying it. Neither, apparently, is Larry Johnson.

When asked after the game what the difference was between the Chiefs and the Giants, Johnson had a one-word response.

“Ego,” he said.

When asked to clarify, Johnson said “ego” again. He repeated it several times before reporters moved on to other questions.

It’s no secret in Kansas City or across the league. The No. 1 character trait/flaw driving the Chiefs organization right now is ego.

Pioli created the Sixty Million Dollar Man, and the Chiefs repeatedly went shotgun from the 1 in an effort to justify a few of those $60 million.

Rather than embrace and coach up the players they inherited, Pioli and Haley have treated Peterson’s leftovers as if they could be replaced by guys off the street. It’s just not a sound foundation. It’s a highway to nowhere.

**Bearcat** · 10-04-2009, 10:39 PM

Guess the $60 million man and front office ego schticks haven't been run into the ground enough yet....

We get it.

T-post Tom · 10-04-2009, 10:40 PM

I feel like I've read this before.

DallasChief · 10-04-2009, 10:41 PM

Not only did LJ say this to reporters-he also put it directly on his twitter after the game-straight from his twitter: http://twitter.com/ToonIcon/

EGO.... EGO..... EGO..... EGO about 6 hours ago from txt

**Tribal Warfare** · 10-04-2009, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Ego? He's not using this word to suggest "confidence"

substitute that with Cassel.

Quiet Storm · 10-04-2009, 10:43 PM

“I don’t know what he’s doing or what he’s trying to create but he’s absolutely killing the guys in the locker room.”
Eddie Kennison, on Haley’s conservative play calling in the second half in Philadelphia, 810 AM
GH: Haley listens to comments like Eddie Kennie’s. It is my opinion that Haley went a little nutso Sunday with his onside kick and Larry Wildcat formation in an effort to show the team he will pull out all the stops to win.

LOL

ChiefsCountry · 10-04-2009, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

I'm sure someone will claim that Whitlock is lying, or bending the truth, exaggerating, etc - even though it happened with other reporters witnessing it.

cough Sauto cough

**Bearcat** · 10-04-2009, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DallasChief

Not only did LJ say this to reporters-he also put it directly on his twitter after the game-straight from his twitter: http://twitter.com/ToonIcon/

EGO.... EGO..... EGO..... EGO about 6 hours ago from txt

Quote:

Originally Posted by LJ

Ready to trade the Club in for a corner table at Chucky Cheeses.

http://twitter.com/ToonIcon/status/3919546315

The quote isn't complete until you click on the link.

FloridaMan88 · 10-04-2009, 10:55 PM

It really looks like Haley is trying to ensure that at the very least Cassel comes out of these games with good stats.

He did his best to prop up Cassel's QB rating last week and this week with all the passes near the goaline to ensure that Cassel could pad his TD passes # was biazarre.

**wazu** · 10-04-2009, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCChiefsfan88

It really looks like Haley is trying to ensure that at the very least Cassel comes out of these games with good stats.

He did his best to prop up Cassel's QB rating last week and this week with all the passes near the goaline to ensure that Cassel could pad his TD passes # was biazarre.

So? Cassel is capitalizing on the opportunities, and the team is learning how to score in the red zone. Not seeing INTs, which is amazing considering the surrounding talent. What do you want them to do, run it up the middle?

L.A. Chieffan · 10-04-2009, 11:09 PM

sorry, im not scared. i knew we were going to suck. wake me up when weve stopped sucking if im still alive

Sweet Daddy Hate · 10-04-2009, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L.A.Chieffan

sorry, im not scared. i knew we were going to suck. wake me up when weve stopped sucking if im still alive

I hear that.

**alanm** · 10-04-2009, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Yeah, that's a strange comment from LJ.

Ego? He's not using this word to suggest "confidence," so it sounds like some of the players have found their excuse. That's not good.

You sure Whitlock didn't hear right and Larry was saying Eggo's?

**wazu** · 10-04-2009, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanm

You sure Whitlock didn't hear right and Larry was saying Eggo's?

Yes, the deep, personal wisdom of L.J. is a great barometer for the inner thoughts of the team. Glad Whitlock was able to use his column to highlight Larry's moment of Zen, when he really made sense of all the madness.

Red Coater · 10-04-2009, 11:27 PM

It is all over. Wouldnt be great if we could fast forward til the chiefs were good. like the movie Click with Adam Sandler and then when we did start to win it would be on auto pilot and we would miss being good and suck all over again

**morphius** · 10-04-2009, 11:28 PM

"ego" doesn't tell me a lot from LJ, is he talking about the Chiefs or is he talking that the Giants have a big ego, I mean the same thing has been said about Coughlin for years, and the media and team wanted him fired until they finally made the SB. Now their entire team was out there pushing people around after plays, seems like ego to me.

10-04-2009, 10:16 PM
Tribal Warfare Man of Culture Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $-2987187	Whitlock:Chiefs’ play is scaring the wrong people Chiefs’ play is scaring the wrong people JASON WHITLOCK COMMENTARY Scared yet? An unintended consequence of Scott Pioli’s and Todd Haley’s master plan of inspiring fear and intimidation throughout the Chiefs franchise is that they’re scaring the (spit) out of us, too. I’ll admit it. I’m scared. I’m afraid Pioli and Haley are on a ridiculous power trip, have no real clue how to fix the Chiefs and are going to spend the entire season hiring and firing players like 15-year-old fantasy-football owners. Against the New York Giants, the Chiefs trotted out their third different starting right tackle, Ryan O’Callaghan, a Larry Johnson-led wildcat formation and some no-name special-teams player to replace Monty Beisel. The result? The Giants toyed with the Chiefs, winning 27-16 in a game that was boring, uncompetitive and pointless for the boys in red. If you’re not scared, you probably spent the afternoon at Kansas Speedway watching NASCAR. A week after promising to establish a tough, physical, impose-our-will-on-the-ground identity, Haley spent the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Giants padding quarterback Matt Cassel’s stats with shotgun pass plays from inside the New York 10. Cassel connected on fourth-quarter scoring tosses of 1 and 2 yards. Kansas City’s Sixty Million Dollar Man completed 15 of 32 passes for 127 yards and two TDs. He survived five sacks. The offensive line was leaky, and Cassel fell into the annoying habit of anticipating leaks that weren’t there. Scared yet? I am. I’m not sure if the players in the locker room are all that scared. Oh, they’re quiet, fearful of saying the wrong thing. But scared straight, scared into playing at a high level? I see no evidence. Do you? Cassel throws behind his receivers on crossing routes and overthrows his receivers on any route more than 15 yards downfield. The offensive line can’t protect Cassel or open holes for Larry Johnson. Dwayne Bowe and Bobby Wade had little trouble dropping balls that hit them in the hands. A pass rush from KC’s front four? Nonexistent. New York’s Steve Smith caught three more passes while you were reading the first 400 words of this column. Did the Chiefs ever cover Smith? Is he the second coming of Jerry Rice? And please, someone tell me what linebacker Derrick Johnson did to the Chiefs’ coaching staff. Is he simply a high-profile example of Haley’s and Pioli’s willingness to target any player for embarrassment? Johnson spent most of Sunday afternoon warming up on the sideline, jogging, stretching, trying to keep circulation in his legs. In terms of big plays this season, Johnson is responsible for the biggest — the long interception return against the Ravens. A team in desperate need of playmakers could certainly be helped by Johnson’s athletic ability. He’s a bench-warmer. He’s a symbol in the my-way-or-the-highway army. Haley’s highway, at some point, has to produce tangible results. His coaching Godfather, Bill Parcells, preached that you are what your record says you are. The Chiefs are 0-4 and gaining momentum. A winless know-it-all doesn’t garner much respect. I believe Beisel was released in a futile effort to prove to the players in the locker room that Haley and Pioli weren’t strictly targeting holdovers from the Carl Peterson era. Haley and Pioli want to create the impression that they’re equal-opportunity jerks. I’m not buying it. Neither, apparently, is Larry Johnson. When asked after the game what the difference was between the Chiefs and the Giants, Johnson had a one-word response. “Ego,” he said. When asked to clarify, Johnson said “ego” again. He repeated it several times before reporters moved on to other questions. It’s no secret in Kansas City or across the league. The No. 1 character trait/flaw driving the Chiefs organization right now is ego. Pioli created the Sixty Million Dollar Man, and the Chiefs repeatedly went shotgun from the 1 in an effort to justify a few of those $60 million. Rather than embrace and coach up the players they inherited, Pioli and Haley have treated Peterson’s leftovers as if they could be replaced by guys off the street. It’s just not a sound foundation. It’s a highway to nowhere.
Posts: 43,452

10-04-2009, 10:39 PM	#16
Bearcat Would an idiot do that? Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Arizona Casino cash: $-1065069	Guess the $60 million man and front office ego schticks haven't been run into the ground enough yet.... We get it.
Posts: 59,615

10-04-2009, 10:40 PM	#17
T-post Tom Busy in a Kohl's restroom Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Milk/Honey/Gazland Casino cash: $1747293	I feel like I've read this before. __________________ You seem nice!
Posts: 22,376

10-04-2009, 10:41 PM	#18
DallasChief Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Casino cash: $10004900	Not only did LJ say this to reporters-he also put it directly on his twitter after the game-straight from his twitter: http://twitter.com/ToonIcon/ EGO.... EGO..... EGO..... EGO about 6 hours ago from txt
Posts: 80

10-04-2009, 10:43 PM	#20
Quiet Storm Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Casino cash: $10004900	“I don’t know what he’s doing or what he’s trying to create but he’s absolutely killing the guys in the locker room.” Eddie Kennison, on Haley’s conservative play calling in the second half in Philadelphia, 810 AM GH: Haley listens to comments like Eddie Kennie’s. It is my opinion that Haley went a little nutso Sunday with his onside kick and Larry Wildcat formation in an effort to show the team he will pull out all the stops to win. LOL
Posts: 301

10-04-2009, 10:55 PM	#23
FloridaMan88 Mahomes: We Are All Witnesses Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Miami, FL Casino cash: $-737094	It really looks like Haley is trying to ensure that at the very least Cassel comes out of these games with good stats. He did his best to prop up Cassel's QB rating last week and this week with all the passes near the goaline to ensure that Cassel could pad his TD passes # was biazarre.
Posts: 50,238

10-04-2009, 11:09 PM	#25
L.A. Chieffan PLAY GOOD FOOTBALL Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: American Gardens Building Casino cash: $2688654	sorry, im not scared. i knew we were going to suck. wake me up when weve stopped sucking if im still alive
Posts: 17,400

10-04-2009, 11:27 PM	#29
Red Coater Starter Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Irving Texas Casino cash: $10004900	It is all over. Wouldnt be great if we could fast forward til the chiefs were good. like the movie Click with Adam Sandler and then when we did start to win it would be on auto pilot and we would miss being good and suck all over again
Posts: 421

10-04-2009, 11:28 PM	#30
morphius World's finest morphius Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $5735027	"ego" doesn't tell me a lot from LJ, is he talking about the Chiefs or is he talking that the Giants have a big ego, I mean the same thing has been said about Coughlin for years, and the media and team wanted him fired until they finally made the SB. Now their entire team was out there pushing people around after plays, seems like ego to me.
Posts: 26,023