Chiefs Whitlock:Chiefs’ play is scaring the wrong people - Page 3

**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.

FAX · 10-05-2009, 12:03 AM

I'm pretty sure that the term "ego" is Larry Talk for "confidence". I've noticed that, on occasion, LJ has a tendency to substitute one word for another and it's difficult, at first, to grasp the context. Like that time he said, "Old guys make more floaters." when he actually meant, "I sincerely believe the ancient Egyptians harnessed the power of anti-gravity which explains how they were able to manipulate those enormous stones."

If I'm correct, he means Larry believes that the Chiefs lack confidence in themselves - a problem the Giants no longer have. They damn sure looked intimidated in the Eagles game.

Frankly, I'm more worried about Haley than I thought I'd be at this point in the season. Win or lose, the guy looked like 10 miles of bad road in his presser. He seems extremely tired and the disappointment appears like it may be mutating into disillusionment.

FAX

UsualSuspects · 10-05-2009, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raised On Riots

I'm not saying I agree or disagree, I'm saying JWhit is the ONLY thing I'm looking forward to the rest of this season be he damning OR praising.

Yeah one ass looking to another!

Just sad or a winner of a n00b award.

LOL

Hammock Parties · 10-05-2009, 12:11 AM

Seriously, this is such ****in' bullshit. Four games into a new regime with a bunch of scab players and we get this shit every ****in' week.

**** this shit.

**morphius** · 10-05-2009, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FAX

I'm pretty sure that the term "ego" is Larry Talk for "confidence". I've noticed that, on occasion, LJ has a tendency to substitute one word for another and it's difficult, at first, to grasp the context. Like that time he said, "Old guys make more floaters." when he actually meant, "I sincerely believe the ancient Egyptians harnessed the power of anti-gravity which explains how they were able to manipulate those enormous stones."

If I'm correct, he means Larry believes that the Chiefs lack confidence in themselves - a problem the Giants no longer have. They damn sure looked intimidated in the Eagles game.

Frankly, I'm more worried about Haley than I thought I'd be at this point in the season. Win or lose, the guy looked like 10 miles of bad road in his presser. He seems extremely tired and the disappointment appears like it may be mutating into disillusionment.

FAX

If I were him I'd quickly try to find a QB coach that might be a OC material for next year and bring him in now. You can't help the QB's on the sidelines breaking down the pictures, call plays and run the team all at the same time.

Mecca · 10-05-2009, 12:16 AM

Matt Cassel has thrown alot of garbage time TD's this year and has nice looking numbers despite the blowouts...I do wonder if that is being done on purpose.

UsualSuspects · 10-05-2009, 12:17 AM

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

Here is the link and he said what?

# Best Comeback Ever: It is what it isabout 4 hours ago from txt

# EGO.... EGO..... EGO..... EGOabout 8 hours ago from txt

# WOW. Michael Basdin. Talk topic : Incest.5:19 PM Oct 1st from txt

# I react to failure jus like you do. So when u feel how u feel. I feel double9:32 PM Sep 27th from txt

# My Favorite type of weather to play in! RAIN - soundtrack for today-RAMBO9:45 AM Sep 27th from txt

# Rain Rain. Come my way. Save the Sun for anutha day.9:48 PM Sep 26th from txt

# PLUS. Er'body know I like'm long hair thick Redbones!!!!!6:43 PM Sep 26th from txt

# FYI!!!: I was not hollern at Kardashian. I made a cameo for my homeboy. TJ. Period6:42 PM Sep 26th from txt

# If you Boooooo don't get mad when I say sumthn back!!! LOL.4:27 PM Sep 26th from txt

So I take his ego is better?

LOL

# IN PHILLY!!!!! -3:49 PM Sep 26th from txt

We suck and I will run.. CP quote LOL

Sweet Daddy Hate · 10-05-2009, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UsualSuspects

Yeah one ass looking to another!

Just sad or a winner of a n00b award.

LOL

Smed #2. The world has truly gone to Hell.

Just Passin' By · 10-05-2009, 12:32 AM

Well, at least Whitlock has found the drum he can beat for the next 5 years.

Sweet Daddy Hate · 10-05-2009, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

Well, at least Whitlock has found the drum he can beat for the next 5 years.

If the snare is tuned, pound that ****er.

So far, your Lord and Master is a ****ing joke.

**DaneMcCloud** · 10-05-2009, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

Seriously, this is such ****in' bullshit. Four games into a new regime with a bunch of scab players and we get this shit every ****in' week.

**** this shit.

Hallucinogenic drugs are bad

Sweet Daddy Hate · 10-05-2009, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Hallucinogenic drugs are bad, M'kay?

KcFanInGA · 10-05-2009, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mecca

Matt Cassel has thrown alot of garbage time TD's this year and has nice looking numbers despite the blowouts...I do wonder if that is being done on purpose.

I admit he looked rough today, but the TD's in game two and three were nice, accurate throws...far from "garbage". What was garbage today was four straight plays from the spread in the red zone, two of those damned near on the goal line. WTF was Haley thinking there?

'Hamas' Jenkins · 10-05-2009, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KcFanInGA

I admit he looked rough today, but the TD's in game two and three were nice, accurate throws...far from "garbage". What was garbage today was four straight plays from the spread in the red zone, two of those damned near on the goal line. WTF was Haley thinking there?

IDK what Haley was thinking, but I can guaran****ingtee you this:

Next year, when people are trying to defend Cassel, they'll point to his TD pass #s, or perhaps the # of TDs he threw in Q4 as proof of his calmness in the clutch, not realizing that nearly all were done with the game well out of hand facing Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells.

Mecca · 10-05-2009, 12:44 AM

I meant garbage time not that the throws were garbage or anything like that.

Basically that he now has thrown 3 TD passes in 2 weeks when the other team was basically playing in a shell going "yea this games over we don't care".

WilliamTheIrish · 10-05-2009, 12:50 AM

Larry the Clubhouse Leader?

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

10-05-2009, 12:03 AM	#31
FAX testing ... 1, 2, 3 Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Tennessee Casino cash: $6753759	I'm pretty sure that the term "ego" is Larry Talk for "confidence". I've noticed that, on occasion, LJ has a tendency to substitute one word for another and it's difficult, at first, to grasp the context. Like that time he said, "Old guys make more floaters." when he actually meant, "I sincerely believe the ancient Egyptians harnessed the power of anti-gravity which explains how they were able to manipulate those enormous stones." If I'm correct, he means Larry believes that the Chiefs lack confidence in themselves - a problem the Giants no longer have. They damn sure looked intimidated in the Eagles game. Frankly, I'm more worried about Haley than I thought I'd be at this point in the season. Win or lose, the guy looked like 10 miles of bad road in his presser. He seems extremely tired and the disappointment appears like it may be mutating into disillusionment. FAX
Posts: 44,492

10-05-2009, 12:11 AM	#33
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $810478	Seriously, this is such **in' bullshit. Four games into a new regime with a bunch of scab players and we get this shit every in' week. ** this shit. __________________ Chiefs game films
Posts: 297,429

10-05-2009, 12:16 AM	#35
Mecca Hockey Town Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Casino cash: $-702950	Matt Cassel has thrown alot of garbage time TD's this year and has nice looking numbers despite the blowouts...I do wonder if that is being done on purpose.
Posts: 115,380

10-05-2009, 12:32 AM	#38
Just Passin' By In Search of a Life Join Date: Feb 2009 Casino cash: $5450524	Well, at least Whitlock has found the drum he can beat for the next 5 years.
Posts: 69,748

10-05-2009, 12:44 AM	#44
Mecca Hockey Town Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Casino cash: $-702950	I meant garbage time not that the throws were garbage or anything like that. Basically that he now has thrown 3 TD passes in 2 weeks when the other team was basically playing in a shell going "yea this games over we don't care".
Posts: 115,380

10-05-2009, 12:50 AM	#45
WilliamTheIrish Champion Golfer Of The Year Join Date: Aug 2001 Casino cash: $2580607	Larry the Clubhouse Leader?
Posts: 35,755