Chiefs Teicher:Prodded by Andy Reid, Chiefs QB Alex Smith learning to be more aggressive - Page 24

**Tribal Warfare** · 06-05-2013, 06:26 PM

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 · 06-18-2013, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcellus

I amazed how little credit you fools give to coaching.

We had the worst coach in the NFL last year by a mile. Maybe 10 miles.

We just picked up a top 10 coach.

Basically every person in the NFL media thinks the Chiefs are talented.

We sent 6 people to Hawaii granted a few were questionable but still, somebody thought we had that level of talent.

Lets be a doom and gloom, that's way better.

Love,

2009

keg in kc · 06-18-2013, 09:50 PM

Who says we don't give credit to coaching. I'm sure Reid can coach Alex Smith to the point where Smith can ride the talent on the rest of the team to 8 or 9 wins. Just as I'm also sure Reid could have coached virtually any other QB to that point.

Discuss Thrower · 06-18-2013, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcellus

I amazed how little credit you fools give to coaching.

We had the worst coach in the NFL last year by a mile. Maybe 10 miles.

We just picked up a top 10 coach.

Basically every person in the NFL media thinks the Chiefs are talented.

We sent 6 people to Hawaii granted a few were questionable but still, somebody thought we had that level of talent.

Lets be a doom and gloom, that's way better.

Reid is NOT a Top 10 coach. This isn't 2004.

Beef Supreme · 06-18-2013, 10:21 PM

Let us have our optimistic off-season. We're Chiefs fans. It's all we have.

milkman · 06-19-2013, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mac-NinersChiefs

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2013/6...efs-alex-smith

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mac-NinersChiefs

Your facts include that this QB has been in the top 10 the last two years in passer rating?

... wow.. do you even think? at all?

Stats mean jack, and passer rating is the most useless stat of all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by J Diddy

Lol

I'm the furthest thing from a dumbass.

Everyone is just one mistake away from dumbass.

**Mav** · 06-19-2013, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keg in kc

Who says we don't give credit to coaching. I'm sure Reid can coach Alex Smith to the point where Smith can ride the talent on the rest of the team to 8 or 9 wins. Just as I'm also sure Reid could have coached virtually any other QB to that point.

Bullshit. I heard this argument before. Any qb could of done what alex smith did the past two years under harbaugh. that's a cop out. That is a convenient excuse for people who cling to every single reason to not give alex smith the credit he rightfully EARNED. Not deserves. He EARNED IT.

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkman

Stats mean jack, and passer rating is the most useless stat of all.

Everyone is just one mistake away from dumbass.

Correct. The only stats that matter, are wins, and in the past two years, the only qbs with a higher winning percentage than alex smith, were aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. The concept, is team, the chiefs have built an entire team, and Alex is just a part of it. Yes, ideally, you would want a franchise qb, that can carry you if you need it. But, if you cant have that, the least you can have is a solid team, which the Chiefs have built.

mcaj22 · 06-19-2013, 11:44 AM

oh cool we built a solid team with no franchise QB, in the off chance the once every 20 years Trent Dilfer Scenario happens again, we should be first in line to catch that lightning in a bottle and have our team carry our game manager QB passed all the franchise QBs in the playoffs.

Joy

**Mav** · 06-19-2013, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcaj22

oh cool we built a solid team with no franchise QB, in the off chance the once every 20 years Trent Dilfer Scenario happens again, we should be first in line to catch that lightning in a bottle and have our team carry our game manager QB passed all the franchise QBs in the playoffs.

Joy

And again. Joe Flacco, 28 tds, and 3800 yards. Those are franchise qb numbers? What won in the end for The ravens last year? Hmmmm? Their defense and special teams won that game for them.

The blueprint for the Chiefs, is very similar to the ravens.

When was the last time that Tom Brady won a super bowl? And in the year that the packers won the super bowl, in case you have forgotten, it was their DEFENSE that carried them to the title. Not THEIR OFFENSE. To win it all, which should be the goal, you have to have a COMPLETE TEAM. Alex Smith, is NOT trent dilfer bad, not even close.

keg in kc · 06-19-2013, 01:08 PM

Alex Smith is a game manager who needs a strong running game and a top defense to eek out close wins. Which is fine, except for the whole "traded two seconds" part. I'm sure he'll do fine in his role. I'm also sure a half a dozen other veterans would have done fine in that role, at no cost and without crippling the team in top half of the draft for two years.

Love the way people keep devaluing Joe Flacco and his 1100 yard, 11 TD/0 INT playoff performance last year. He throws for 285 yards and 3 TD a game, the Ravens score 24, 38, 28 and 34 points, but their title's not about anything he did. Nah, that wasn't an all-time playoff run for a QB. It was all defense carrying him!

mcaj22 · 06-19-2013, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maverick91579

And again. Joe Flacco, 28 tds, and 3800 yards. Those are franchise qb numbers? What won in the end for The ravens last year? Hmmmm? Their defense and special teams won that game for them.

The blueprint for the Chiefs, is very similar to the ravens.

When was the last time that Tom Brady won a super bowl? And in the year that the packers won the super bowl, in case you have forgotten, it was their DEFENSE that carried them to the title. Not THEIR OFFENSE. To win it all, which should be the goal, you have to have a COMPLETE TEAM. Alex Smith, is NOT trent dilfer bad, not even close.

weren't Joe Flacco's playoff numbers last year godly/elite? Where he got on a hot streak in the WC, Division and Championship rounds and absolutely CARRIED his team with his arm? Weren't his passing numbers something crazy, he had a like 8 touchdowns and no picks.

He carried that team to the Super Bowl. Everyone knows this.

**BigMeatballDave** · 06-19-2013, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keg in kc

Love the way people keep devaluing Joe Flacco and his 1100 yard, 11 TD/0 INT playoff performance last year. He throws for 285 yards and 3 TD a game, the Ravens score 24, 38, 28 and 34 points, but their title's not about anything he did. Nah, that wasn't an all-time playoff run for a QB. It was all defense carrying him!

Wait till Hootie sees this. LOL

If not for a dropped pass vs NE the yr before, he'd have 2 Lombardi's.

Marcellus · 06-19-2013, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Reid is NOT a Top 10 coach. This isn't 2004.

This topic has already been debated in an entire thread devoted to the subject and it was determined by a vast majority opinion on CP that yes indeed Reid is a top 10 coach.

Feel free to have your own opinion though.

-King- · 06-19-2013, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Reid is NOT a Top 10 coach. This isn't 2004.

Name 10 coaches better than him. Go.

**Dave Lane** · 06-19-2013, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcellus

This topic has already been debated in an entire thread devoted to the subject and it was determined by a vast majority opinion on CP that yes indeed Reid is a top 10 coach.

Feel free to have your own opinion though.

I think its way early to determine where he is today. He certainly has the potential to be top 10 and has been in the past. We will see.

Sorter · 06-19-2013, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -King-

Name 10 coaches better than him. Go.

One could potentially argue this

Harbaugh
Harbaugh
Payton
Belichick
Coughlin
McCarthy
Tomlin
Shanarat
Carroll
Fisher

Now, I'm not sure that I'd put Fisher above Reid. Additionally, I'd rather group them into tiers rather than a 1-10 list.

06-05-2013, 06:26 PM
Tribal Warfare Man of Culture Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $-2997187	Teicher:Prodded by Andy Reid, Chiefs QB Alex Smith learning to be more aggressive 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.”
Posts: 43,453

06-18-2013, 09:50 PM	#347
keg in kc oxymoron Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: OP/KC/Whatever Casino cash: $9556299	Who says we don't give credit to coaching. I'm sure Reid can coach Alex Smith to the point where Smith can ride the talent on the rest of the team to 8 or 9 wins. Just as I'm also sure Reid could have coached virtually any other QB to that point.
Posts: 58,682

06-18-2013, 10:21 PM	#349
Beef Supreme MVP Join Date: Oct 2010 Casino cash: $10019560	Let us have our optimistic off-season. We're Chiefs fans. It's all we have.
Posts: 11,000

06-19-2013, 11:44 AM	#352
mcaj22 MVP Join Date: Feb 2010 Casino cash: $10014454	oh cool we built a solid team with no franchise QB, in the off chance the once every 20 years Trent Dilfer Scenario happens again, we should be first in line to catch that lightning in a bottle and have our team carry our game manager QB passed all the franchise QBs in the playoffs. Joy
Posts: 11,886

06-19-2013, 01:08 PM	#354
keg in kc oxymoron Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: OP/KC/Whatever Casino cash: $9556299	Alex Smith is a game manager who needs a strong running game and a top defense to eek out close wins. Which is fine, except for the whole "traded two seconds" part. I'm sure he'll do fine in his role. I'm also sure a half a dozen other veterans would have done fine in that role, at no cost and without crippling the team in top half of the draft for two years. Love the way people keep devaluing Joe Flacco and his 1100 yard, 11 TD/0 INT playoff performance last year. He throws for 285 yards and 3 TD a game, the Ravens score 24, 38, 28 and 34 points, but their title's not about anything he did. Nah, that wasn't an all-time playoff run for a QB. It was all defense carrying him!
Posts: 58,682