PFF Grades the Chiefs, Week 9

[Hammock Parties]

1. Jonathan Baldwin's snaps went up to 38 this week, with 32 on pass plays. Considering we had 55 passing snaps, that's not enough.

2. Branden Albert, Ryan Lilja and Casey Wiegmann are innocent. They all had positive grades (although Albert gave up 3 pressures). Your culprits are Jon Asamoah and Barry Richardson, although interestingly enough their pass blocking grades are not wildly horrible. Their run blocking was terrible though. Richardson allowed 4 QB pressures, Asamoah 3.

3. One guy no one is talking about: Jake O'Connell. His pass protection was terrible at a -2.7. Blitz pickup FAIL.

4. The only guy credited with allowing a sack was Matt Cassel. Which again points to the talk that the Dolphins simply brought more guys than we could block. Coaching fail.

5. Cassel was under pressure 16 times. On those plays he ran 7 times, completed no passes, and was sacked 5 times. Get me a new QB.

6. Nobody on defense had a green rating this week. That means everyone was average at best, and there is a lot of red on the page.

7. Interestingly enough, Jovan Belcher had a nice game with 7 stops.

8. We had 0 QB pressures.

9. Nobody in this game was good in coverage. Carr and Flowers were targeted 12 times, and gave up 10 catches for 129 yards. The Dolphins didn't throw at anyone else that much, although Studebaker, DJ, Pieceofshitty and Travis Daniels all gave up one big play each.

PFF's recap:

Dolphins – Three Performances of Note

Showing Moore effort

What a turnaround for Moore in this game! Prior to Week 9, Moore’s highest passing grade was +2.0, while against the Chiefs it was +6.5. Moore was incredibly accurate with 17 of his 22 throws caught —discounting, batted passes, throwaways — with another two passes dropped, and did so without changing his aggressive approach. In fact, only two incompletions were from beyond ten yards and his 244 passing yards indicate a healthy 10.6 yards per attempt. Moore made the Chiefs pay for blitzing him, completing all five pass attempts against the blitz for 55 yards and two of his three touchdown passes. The former Panther didn’t feel any pressure all game and he responded with improved decision-making and remarkable accuracy. It’s too bad the Dolphins can’t have a perfect game in pass protection every game, because if this Moore was around every week, Chad Henne would have been long-forgotten by this point in the season.



Tight end make significant contributions

Anthony Fasano (+2.8) became the first Dolphins TE since 2008 to catch two touchdown passes in one game, when he caught them, and played a big role in the Dolphins win. After a disappointing first half of the season, Fasano turned in his best game of the year and made plays through the air and blocking in the run game. His second touchdown, at 9:55 in the second quarter, was the product of good play-design and execution as Moore rolls out to the right, freezing ILB Derrick Johnson up just long enough for the big TE to get behind him and stretch for the touchdown. Fasano is known more for his blocking than receiving skills, though, and he didn’t sacrifice the former for the latter in this game. He helped spring Bush (+2.2) for a touchdown in the third quarter with a key block on left OLB Tamba Hali (-2.4) on a reverse to his side.



Defensive standouts

Typically this spot would be reserved to discuss a poor performance or two, but when a previously winless team turns in a 31-3 road victory, it’s hard not to want to give credit rather than blame for once. In that spirit, let’s briefly look at a few standout defensive performances. DE Kendall Langford (+3.7) had his highest-graded output of the season thanks to five pressures of Matt Cassel. ILB Karlos Dansby (+2.7) was extremely active all over the field and finished with a sack, three tackles for loss, and a pair of tackles short of first-down yardage on third down, giving him a total of five defensive stops for the game. Kevin Burnett (+2.0) had his best game of the season for the second week in a row and is starting to look like the player Miami expected to get when they signed him. For those looking to find fault with the team’s first win, look to the secondary, where rookie CB Jimmy Wilson (-3.6) and veteran safety Yeremiah Bell (-1.1) combined for five penalties. Wilson’s penalties were pass interference calls he supplemented with a couple missed tackles. Bell was the victim of a poor unnecessary roughness call, but the other two were his own doing.



Chiefs: Three Performances of Note

Oh my, O’Connell

After seeing the contributions of Fasano and Clay up close and personal, have the Chiefs felt the loss of Tony Moeaki more sharply than now? It doesn’t help that their own TEs didn’t play too well in this one. Leonard Pope (-1.3) didn’t have a good game by any means, but the true offender was Jake O’Connell. O’Connell (-3.8) was graded negatively in every facet we grade players, and when you play 57 snaps and don’t perform well in any capacity, you’re likely to play a big part in a team’s loss and grace the virtual pages of our Re-focused articles, or worse, Khaled’s “Had a Bad Day” articles. Besides being a non-factor as a receiver, O’Connell allowed three pressures of Cassell in only 14 pass-block attempts and drew a holding penalty. The sting is that much more painful with Fasano’s big day on the other side.



Problems in Washington’s D, see

The Chiefs have suffered some bad performances at the safety position this year, but Donald Washington’s (-4.0) game against the Dolphins ranks up there. Washington didn’t record a tackle, but he did miss two, although one was erased through an unrelated penalty. The penalty was a stroke of luck for Washington, as his missed tackle of Bush allowed Bush to run free down the sideline for significant extra yardage all the way down near the five-yard line. He also bit on a play-fake that allowed Fasano to sneak into the back of the end zone for his first touchdown catch, uncontested. Additionally, Washington committed a costly unnecessary roughness penalty for a late hit on Bush after he was stopped for a short gain that would have led to 3rd-and-6 at the Dolphins own eight-yard line. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the recipe for an all-around poor game.



Where’s the rush?

Again, normally this paragraph would serve to remind that it’s not all bad when a team loses and that there are strong performances in almost any defeat. In this game, though, it’s far more relevant to continue discussing the poor performances than to ignore them to discuss a performance that had far less impact on the game. The root of the problem for the Chiefs in this game was their inability to get any pressure whatsoever. It’s not uncommon for the Chiefs defense to struggle to get pressure outside of Tamba Hali (-2.4), but when Hali is shut down as he was, somebody else has to step up. They did not and Moore, a QB who typically struggles under pressure, was able to sling the ball around care-free. Hali actually had more penalties called against him than he did pressures, a feat that certainly doesn’t occur very often. Despite their inability to get any pressure in this game, the Chiefs only called five blitzes. That number will need to increase if the Chiefs continue to struggle to get to the opposing quarterback.



Game Notes

- Thanks mainly to their collective perfect game in pass protection, the entire Dolphins offensive line outside of right guard Vernon Carey (-0.6) graded in the green, marking the first time right tackle Marc Colombo has done so all season.

- In 16 drop-backs under pressure, Cassel took off running seven times, absorbed five sacks, and completed none of the four passes he actually got off.

- Bush’s strong game marked the first time he’s graded in the green in back-to-back games since weeks 2-3 of 2008 season.

PFF Game Ball

Quarterbacking a winless team to a victory takes enough grit to warrant consideration for this award regardless, but Matt Moore’s impressive display erases all doubt.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

You are overrating our defense. That Raiders game made it look like much more of a playmaking D than what it really is, which is a bend-but-don't-break D with solid corners, a really good MLB, and one pass rusher.

A defense like that is going to get carved up by good offenses, and it has.

Losing Berry really has hurt our defense more than I thought it would. But to be a good d in the league you have to create turnovers and pressure the qb. We can do the first when healthy but like you have stated we really need more of a passhrush. I hoped HOuston would bring that and he eventually might. This has been a tough year for rookies especially on defense, leaguewide.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Iconic

Has Haley ever beaten a competent team with a strong showing besides the Pitt game in 09?

No, unless you count the MNF Chargers game.

The credibility of this entire regime is based on beating bad football teams and taking advantage of lousy QBs.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

You are overrating our defense. That Raiders game made it look like much more of a playmaking D than what it really is, which is a bend-but-don't-break D with solid corners, a really good MLB, and one pass rusher.

A defense like that is going to get carved up by good offenses, and it has.

While I mostly agree there, I also would like to say that I think this defense is completely different with Berry.

Similar to how Baltimore and Pittsburghs defenses play without Reed/Polamalu.

I bet we had to put 30% of the defensive playbook back in the cupboard once Berry went down.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

Right now the last two drafts are not looking that special.

I know how you feel about McCluster as I'm starting to come to the darkside with you on that. But Arenas and Mo ( when healthy are greatly underappreciated on CP). This years class is tough to eval, with the lockout and all.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by O.city

I know how you feel about McCluster as I'm starting to come to the darkside with you on that. But Arenas and Mo ( when healthy are greatly underappreciated on CP). This years class is tough to eval, with the lockout and all.

Arenas is a good player.

We have no idea if Berry and Moeaki can come back from their injuries.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

No, unless you count the MNF Chargers game.

The credibility of this entire regime is based on beating bad football teams and taking advantage of lousy QBs.

Totally agree with you here. However you aren't going to beat good football teams alot in this league with a qb that can't carry you. I know this has been beat to death but it's really all that needs to be said.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

Arenas is a good player.

We have no idea if Berry and Moeaki can come back from their injuries.

I'd say it's pretty pessimistic to assume that Berry won't. I'm sure that Moeaki can, too, but he may very well get his dick ripped off in the Nautilus machine while doing leg curls for his rehab, so who the hell knows about him.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

Arenas is a good player.

We have no idea if Berry and Moeaki can come back from their injuries.

I think Mo can because he has done it before and I tend to think Berry will have a better chance to than Charles. ACL tears aren't what they used to be with the technology we have now. It's not gonna be easy by any stretch as that rehab is turrible but the good thing about it being those three go down is that they seem to have a love affair with football and they are so youn.g

[O.city]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

I'd say it's pretty pessimistic to assume that Berry won't. I'm sure that Moeaki can, too, but he may very well get his dick ripped off in the Nautilus machine while doing leg curls for his rehab, so who the hell knows about him.

This.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by BossChief

While I mostly agree there, I also would like to say that I think this defense is completely different with Berry.

Similar to how Baltimore and Pittsburghs defenses play without Reed/Polamalu.

I bet we had to put 30% of the defensive playbook back in the cupboard once Berry went down.

I think this.


I made the comparison the other day that, if the Ravens lost Reed and Rice it would be very tough for them to compete.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

You're preaching to the choir about that, but where is this defense in four years, which is essentially the soonest that we'd have a franchise QB who is ready to go?

some are just reaching their prime, others are already in it. Some are past it.

Also, the way we have drafted and maneuvered in free agency over the last two offseasons leads me to believe that this team is gonna continue to get more talented and deeper across the board.

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

Right now the last two drafts are not looking that special.

I completely disagree.

Relatively speaking, of course.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by O.city

I think this.


I made the comparison the other day that, if the Ravens lost Reed and Rice it would be very tough for them to compete.

and their second receiving option.

[O.city]

No one replied or said anything about it so I'll ask again: What would be everyone's thought about trying to get Mallett from the Pats? You could keep most of this years draft to add more talent and get a guy that already is better and has more potential than our qb does.

Again I like some aspects of this and don't like some. Just throwing it out there.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by BossChief

and their second receiving option.

Very true. Take away Rice and Dickson and Flaaco struggles.

[Iconic]

Originally Posted by O.city

Totally agree with you here. However you aren't going to beat good football teams alot in this league with a qb that can't carry you. I know this has been beat to death but it's really all that needs to be said.

See Alex Smith for further assistance.
See the Chiefs 2010 NFL season with Charlie Weis and Matt Cassel.
See the Patriots 2008 NFL season with Josh McDaniels and Matt Cassel.

A good coaching staff can make any offense be productive.