Pioli has praise for Haley

[Hammock Parties]

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/07...for-haley.html

Coach Todd Haley will be moving into the final year of his contract next year, and while general manager Scott Pioli wouldn’t say whether the Chiefs would extend his contract, his comments seemed to indicate they would.

Pioli praised Haley on Monday in an interview with The Kansas City Star.

“I think he’s doing a good job of growing into the job,” Pioli said. “He’s adjusted well to changes in personnel, changes in roster. He’s adjusted well to staff changes. This team has continued to evolve and continued to develop. Players have developed well. That’s Todd and the whole coaching staff.”

Echoing comments made recently by Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, Pioli also said he has a good relationship with Haley.

“I think it’s a good working relationship. I really do,” Pioli said. “We’re both focused on the same thing, which is winning football games.”

Asked whether they work well enough together to allow the Chiefs to win a Super Bowl, Pioli said yes.

“Absolutely,” Pioli said. “We talk often. Our approach hasn’t changed in terms of the way and the amount of communication from two years ago, a year ago. It’s the same. It hasn’t changed in terms of the volume or anything else.”

Pioli said he meets with Haley regularly during the season to discuss roster needs for upcoming games. The 4-4 Chiefs are tied for first place with Oakland and San Diego in the AFC West and play the 3-5 Broncos on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.

“We make sure we have solid communication, particularly right after a game, the Monday and the Tuesday,” Pioli said. “We evaluate performance and where we’re at as far as health and where we are for the upcoming game. We’ll talk about the game plan for the upcoming game and then what we’re going to do as far as roster makeup.”

The Chiefs have a regular-season record of 18-22 halfway through Haley’s third season. They finished 4-12 in 2009, his first year with the Chiefs, and then last season went 10-6 and won their first division title in seven years.

This year, the Chiefs started 0-3, losing their first two games by a combined 79 points. By the time they finished their second game of the season, a 48-3 defeat at Detroit, the Chiefs had lost safety Eric Berry, running back Jamaal Charles and tight end Tony Moeaki for the year with knee injuries.

But the Chiefs rallied to win four straight games before falling to 4-4 with Sunday’s 31-3 loss to previously winless Miami.

Pioli indicated he wasn’t tempted to fire Haley or otherwise get discouraged when the Chiefs started the season so poorly.

“I didn’t think that was who we were when we were 0-2, and that’s why I’m not surprised when we were able to continue to improve and begin to play good football,” Pioli said. “What you don’t want to do is get caught up in the dramatic swing of any one game or two games. I don’t think you can evaluate that small a portion of the season. That’s one-eighth of the season.

“I believe we have a good football team and a good coaching staff. We have a good, young football team that is continuing to develop.”

Haley, at his news conference Monday, called the first half of the season “adventurous” for the Chiefs. They’ve been outscored by 70 points even though they’ve won as many games as they’ve lost.

“It’s been a different set of encyclopedias from the start,” Haley said. “Everybody’s had the same challenges, with the lack of offseason and some of those things. I think it has led to a unique year thus far. I said that in training camp, that I thought it would be a wild ride, and it hasn’t disappointed.”

Haley said he hoped the Chiefs’ performances would be more even over the season’s second half. Including the game against Miami, the Chiefs have lost three games by four or more touchdowns.

“Consistency is the key to being a good team or a great team,” Haley said. “Very rarely do you see a team that’s inconsistent be one of the last teams standing. Consistency is going to be one of those things that we’re really going to work hard on in all areas.

“We’ve got a team that’s still developing and still getting better and is still a work in progress. I’m excited about these guys.”

[aturnis]

Originally Posted by Laz

absolutely he is ... but he played better than most of the team.

and yet people aren't talking about all those ****-ups they are still beating a dead horse about Cassel.

EVERYBODY here knows we need an upgrade at QB ... move the **** on.

every dam thread turns into something about Cassel, it's beyond stupid. You can't talk about anything else.

He's not the reason we lost, but he's the biggest reason we didn't win. A great QB can carry a terrible team. Look what Montana did here with terrible receivers. He made them look legit.

[Nightfyre]

Originally Posted by Fritz88

One of the problems that we have is offensive playcalling. It's been the same with Haley at the helm. Last year it was good because we had JC. Without JC, we are back to the same horrible, predictable calls.

It's clear that Haley is running the offense whether we want to admit it or not. He's not willing to change it. That is a problem.

He's good with developing players. That. Is. It.

Managing games, adjusting strategies, two minute offense, etc are all horrible.

He has not had a true signature win since he came here. We either beat shitty teams or have people like Phillip Rivers give us games.

I am starting to believe that his success in AZ were due to Whisenhunt and Kurt.

So what you are saying is...
he needs to hire a good OC and let him do his job and then he will be a terrific coach?

[rocknrolla]

Originally Posted by loochy

I pretty much agree, but I think he needs a new OC (and obviously a QB). Offensive playcalling is atrocious.

I don't get the play calling. It's a joke. And getting the plays to Cassel makes all those offensive coaches look like reeruns.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by durtyrute

I thought it is Weisenhunts down the field offense not Haley's. Seems like we are seeing Haley's offense right now.

Ding,Ding,Ding

How we really know what Haley's offense is? Whisenhunt had already installed the offense in Arizona when Haley took over the playcalling in week 10(or whatever). Kurt Warner,Larry Fitzgerald and Boldin were already in place as well.

Haley has NEVER installed/assembled an offense in the NFL or at any other level of football.


We have no idea what 'Haley's offense' is.

[aturnis]

Originally Posted by durtyrute

I thought it is Weisenhunts down the field offense not Haley's. Seems like we are seeing Haley's offense right now.

We haven't seen a true vision of Haley's offense yet. Early on when he was calling plays in 09' he didn't have much in the ways of talent anywhere on the offense.

In 10' Weis stepped in and was greatly aided by the emergence of Charles, Bowe and Moeaki, as well as the addition of guys like Weigmann, and Lilja. He never really had the proper WR talent to work with though.

This year, we have the WR's, but are missing Charles and Moeaki. The guy who takes the heat off of the passing game and the reliable safety valve. It really hinders this offenses ability to be unpredictable.

Also, each and every year the offense has been hindered by the infamous Mark Castle.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by aturnis

He's not the reason we lost, but he's the biggest reason we didn't win. A great QB can carry a terrible team. Look what Montana did here with terrible receivers. He made them look legit.

Ya, you're right.

We need a great QB to carry our shitty coaching.


i got an idea ... why don't we try and do both, get a better QB and better coaching. Oh ya, nobody wants to talk about that ... only Cassel.

people all over the league are playing with less than franchise type QB's but that's the only thing people around here can bitch about.

[aturnis]

It's like many have said, put Rodgers, Brees, Brady or any other top flight QB on our team and we are Superbowl contenders.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by Laz

We have no idea what 'Haley's offense' is.

It seems to involve quite a few draws on 3rd and 10.

[Fritz88]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

So what you are saying is...
he needs to hire a good OC and let him do his job and then he will be a terrific coach?

Not really.

It's an indication of many other things. Most importantly, stubbornness.

A good OC is not going to fix time management issues or preseason experiments.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

So what you are saying is...
he needs to hire a good OC and let him do his job and then he will be a terrific coach?

we already tried that ..... twice.

Haley refused.

[Chiefnj2]

Crennel has had a year and a half to figure out a way to pressure opposing QB's and he has failed miserably. Double team Hali and you have a perfect pocket.

[Fritz88]

Originally Posted by aturnis

It's like many have said, put Rodgers, Brees, Brady or any other top flight QB on our team and we are Superbowl contenders.

With this current team?


Playoff, yes. SB. Hell no.

You saw how Jake Long raped Hali. Without Hali, you have no passrush. Without an effective passrush, you can't contend for SBs.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by aturnis

It's like many have said, put Rodgers, Brees, Brady or any other top flight QB on our team and we are Superbowl contenders.

or give us a real coach and we would be playoff caliber.

[Fritz88]

Originally Posted by Laz

we already tried that ..... twice.

Haley refused.

There you go.

Chan and Weis are two of the best OCs anyone would love to have. Haley ran them off.

[Sofa King]

Originally Posted by Laz

Ya, you're right.

We need a great QB to carry our shitty coaching.


i got an idea ... why don't we try and do both, get a better QB and better coaching. Oh ya, nobody wants to talk about that ... only Cassel.

people all over the league are playing with less than franchise type QB's but that's the only thing people around here can bitch about.

You don't think every team with a shitty QB is bitching about the QB?

QB is the most important position in the organization. Look at Mike Shanahan. Great QB resulted in multiple superbowl wins and more appearances. In Washington with no QB, he's a ****ing bust.

Fact is Haley is making the players on this team better, with the only exception being a shitty QB who has already hit his peak. I'd rather not burn this bitch down and start over already with a whole new staff. Get him a competent QB and we're a contender.