Haley 12/30 presser

[Baby Lee]

TODD HALEY: “Started our preparations today for Denver, a division opponent that’s a very good team. Hasn’t been too long ago that they took it to us pretty good. So, it’s a chance to kind of correct some of the things that went on in that game. It’s a great opportunity on the road to take another step as a team.

“Offensively, they have two backs, one that’s close to a 1,000 (yards) and who is a rookie (Knowshon Moreno) and looks like he’s going to be real good back and (Correll) Buckhalter who has over 600 (yards), so two guys who can really run the football. They’ve got a bunch of talented receivers starting with (Brandon) Marshall and (Eddie) Royal, (Brandon) Stokely. They’ve got a tight end who hurt us in the last game. They’ve got a very good offensive line that the last time we played them clearly won the line of scrimmage.

“Defensively, they’re a well-coached group that creates a bunch of problems with multiple looks, multiple fronts and not strictly a three-four (alignment). They play some even fronts, over, under, bunch of different pressures from both sides, very good corners. It’s going to take our best to compete with these guys.

“Special teams: another opportunity for us to get clicking a game in all three phases and beat a division opponent on the road.”

Q: How important is this game for Matt Cassel and his development? The last time these two teams played it was one of his worst games.

HALEY: “I’ll reiterate again, that as far as quarterbacks go this is still a guy who is getting close to getting two years under his belt. Every game is an opportunity for him to grow and this just happens to be a very good defense and a very difficult atmosphere. It is an opportunity but each week Matt is excited and works hard. He’s into it and is super competitive. I feel like we’ve made some progress here of late and it’s another chance for us to take another step for us as an offense and for him to take a step as our quarterback.”

Q: What area or player this year has made the greatest progress?

HALEY: “I think one of them is pretty obvious: Jamaal [Charles] has really made big steps. When you talk about that since November only one guy has had more rushing yards than him and that’s Chris Johnson that’s pretty good. Now, we can’t put him in Canton yet. It’s only been a handful of games. Part of being a good player in this league is doing it consistently over a period of time. That’s just where Jamaal is at.

“That said, there are a bunch of guys without going into detail that I feel like have made big strides. But if you pin me down I’d say Jamaal is the more obvious.”

Q: What is the one phase that hasn’t progressed the way you had hoped it would?

HALEY: “I think there’s been progress in all areas. But the next step for us as a team – and a team never stays the same adding and subtracting players here before too long – is we’ve got to start playing complete games in all three phases before too long. When we do that we’ll be in more games and the more games we’re in the more we’ll win because we’re going to continue to work on being a smart team and one that makes good decisions. That would be my main point: getting all three phases working together.”

Q: Has there been one game this year that all three phases worked together?

HALEY: “I think the Steelers game. I think we played real well together as a team. It wasn’t perfect and there were things we could have done better or more efficiently. I would say that in that game we played at a pretty high level in all areas.”



Q: How has your defensive line progressed or has it not progressed as much as you would have liked?

HALEY: “It has been up and down and that’s what we have to eliminate. We need to get a group there that can hang in there week-in and week-out and when they’re a little off then have some guys that make up for them. We’ve had some games where they’ve really played solid, even last game [vs. Cincinnati] where the front seven did a really good job throughout the game. They had only two or three plays they’d like to have back. The smaller that number gets the better. That’s really where we’re at as a whole.”

Q: Should it be further along than it is?

HALEY: “There again we need to be further along in general. That’s what we’re working at. We have another game to take a step and see where we’re at and then we’re quickly going to be into the off-season and working at it again and trying to do all the things you need to do to be a good team.

“Like I said, the team won’t stay the same. We’ll have some additions and subtractions and we just have to keep adding to the competition. All the same things we said a year ago are really going to have to be said. To be further along at this point would be the idea.”

Q: Would you see adding to the defensive line as a next step?

HALEY: “No different for all spots. If we’ve got a chance to improve or improve competition we’re going to do it. I know Scott [Pioli] is going to do it. I think that’s when you’re a good team, when nobody feels satisfied or comfortable and right now we’re 15 games through that process. I’d like to be sitting here with more wins because I definitely think there are some games there – seven games [that were lost] of seven points or less – that could have been… They’re not 20 plays, they’re two or three plays in each phase that if we do execute something a little cleaner we may get wins. But we’re still not happy. We wouldn’t be happy sitting here with six wins. I’d feel the same exact way that I feel right now because the idea of that is to have the chance to play in the Super Bowl and right now we don’t.”

Q: Have you figured out why the inability to score in the first quarter?

HALEY: “I think this has been a difficult task again, and I’m not making excuses for these guys because they don’t want any excuses made for them. But we made major changes; we’ve done a lot of things. What I think is important now is we’re making progress. Even these last few games we’ve started more positive than we did earlier. Is it good enough? No, clearly not. But I don’t have any regrets about the things we’ve done. I think it’s all happened for a reason. As I said, it’s going to get better and we’re going to be a good team. But you’re got to take your lumps sometimes. The [teams] that haven’t taken their lumps are few and far between that I know of. The teams that have started with everything’s golden and everybody’s happy I don’t know when you’re starting from ground zero. I know there have been growing pains for a lot of different teams and a lot of different staffs, a lot of organizations in general. We’re in that process right now. They’re going to be character builders for us and be what makes us a great team.”

Q: One of your goals was to establish a new mindset or attitude for this organization. Do you feel that’s been done?

HALEY: “Again, it comes down to wins and losses. I know it’s gets old when you say we’re making progress, but I’m the one out there and I’m the one that sees them. We just lined up today in the 16th week of the season and ran gassers and they’re running hard and they practiced hard today, they’re communicating, they’re here on time regardless of the weather conditions and working together to do the things necessary to be a good team. That’s progress from the inside.”

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

It's absolutely improving. So why did we waste so much time with Mr. 2.7 YPC?

Many on this board were saying that it was clear that LJ was NOT the best back in the pre-season. For example, milkman said this multiple times--so did OTW and myself, but, alas...

I don't want to hear about fumbles, since they're still a concern with Charles. What we're seeing is that what he brings to the game far outweighs his negatives.

Too bad Haley wasn't able to see this sooner.

milkman for HC.

Now, see... this is a legitimate gripe. I can't give you an answer, although it's easy to speculate.

[Mecca]

If anything Charles coming in and showing he can play has actually made the ineptness of Cassel even more brutally obvious.

Now he has the 2nd leading rusher in the NFL since week 10 behind him and his play has gotten worse.

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

I have not seen anyone give a decent answer to this question.

Fumbles.

That's the company line. Never mind that this is still an issue. Close your eyes and pretend it's fixed because otherwise it becomes increasingly difficult to believe that the people in charge know what the **** they're doing.

Fumbles piss off coaches. Feel free to ask Maroney about it after his benching this past weekend.

I don't know if fumbles is the reason, and it would be just speculation to claim it was, but it is a major issue for a lot of teams and coaches.

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by Mecca

If anything Charles coming in and showing he can play has actually made the ineptness of Cassel even more brutally obvious.

Now he has the 2nd leading rusher in the NFL since week 10 behind him and his play has gotten worse.

The team's #1 WR was missing for the Pittsburgh, San Diego, Denver and Buffalo games, and Cassel & the offense was fine against Cleveland, but Charles is supposedly proving the ineptness?

What he's proving is that you're an idiot.

[Mecca]

Why is it anytime Barry Richardson plays he's far superior to O'Callaghan yet O'Callaghan continues to play?

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

Thanks. This is the kind of stupidity I expect from you.

Yes anyone who doesn't agree with Pioli and his fluffer just passin by are idiots. Are you related to him or something really.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

Fumbles piss off coaches. Feel free to ask Maroney about it after his benching this past weekend.

I don't know if fumbles is the reason, and it would be just speculation to claim it was, but it is a major issue for a lot of teams and coaches.

I agree, as well they should.

But here we have to weigh risk/reward. With LJ we had a broke-dick, unproductive back. With Charles, we've had production second only to Chris ****ing Johnson.

The difference couldn't be more stark. Yet Charles was not only NOT used frequently, but he was also inactive at times.

When these kinds of decisions are made, in addition to the most woeful game management that I've ever seen from a Chiefs HC, there should be serious talk about whether or not the HC should be retained.

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by Mecca

Yes anyone who doesn't agree with Pioli and his fluffer just passin by are idiots. Are you related to him or something really.

Disagreement is fine. Idiocy is idiocy. If you'd practice the first instead of the second, we'd all be better off.

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

I agree, as well they should.

But here we have to weight risk/reward. With LJ we had a broke-dick, unproductive back. With Charles, we've had production second only to Chris ****ing Johnson.

The difference couldn't be more stark. Yet Charles was not only NOT used frequently, but he was also inactive.

When these kinds of decisions are made, in addition to the most woeful game management that I've ever seen from a Chiefs HC, there should be serious talk about whether or not the HC should be retained.

I don't buy your assertions about game management but, as I've said, you've got a valid point of contention with regards to Charles. They should have gotten rid of Johnson when they won the grievance.

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

Bullshit, the line has greatly improvwed and he has had ample time to make a correct read, he's indecisive which has lead to sacks and INTs.

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

You continue to prove my comments about you correct.

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

What are those exactly? Please regale me

You're an idiot who's bitching just to bitch. You claim that "the line has greatly improvwed" and yet you've seen no progress?

I mean, do you even try to think before you post?

[Tribal Warfare]

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

You're an idiot who's bitching just to bitch. You claim that "the line has greatly improvwed" and yet you've seen no progress?

I mean, do you even try to think before you post?

Name calling, really well thought through on your part from the "Cassel does nothing wrong" association



f

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

Name calling, really well thought through on your part from the "Cassel does nothing wrong" association



f

I've never claimed that "Cassel does nothing wrong".

Having said that, I owe you an apology. I was wrong, and you didn't deserve to be called an idiot. As I was reading the posts, I got your name mixed up with another and called you a name that you didn't deserve. For reasons known only to the subconscious portion of my brain, I conflated your posts with OTW's posts, and that's unfair to you. I'll be far more vigilant in the future, in order to avoid such a mistake ever happening again.

Once again, my sincerest apologies.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

It's absolutely improving. So why did we waste so much time with Mr. 2.7 YPC?

Many on this board were saying that it was clear that LJ was NOT the best back in the pre-season. For example, milkman said this multiple times--so did OTW and myself, but, alas...

I don't want to hear about fumbles, since they're still a concern with Charles. What we're seeing is that what he brings to the game far outweighs his negatives.

Too bad Haley wasn't able to see this sooner.

milkman for HC.

Why did they waste so much time? For a guy with Ljs credentials, you need to make DAMN sure before you let him go. It took them 1/2 a season, not too bad IMO.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Mecca

Anyone and I mean anyone that is going to pimp the improvement of the running game, quickly answer why Jamaal Charles couldn't get on the field till Larry Johnson essentially did whatever he had to do to get off the team?

That situation right there should surely make everyone feel comfortable that the Chiefs are putting the best players on the field...

Pretty simple really, $$$$$$$$$$$$$, how many LJ jerseys are out there? How many Pro Bowlers did the team have left? How many headliners did the team have left?
They had to be sure before they cut him, that it was without a doubt, the only logical move. These moves are for real and permanent.
I wish DV would have cut him.

[kcxiv]

Because they didnt think Charles could carry the load that plus the fumbles. Dude is small. ONce LJ did what LJ does they really had no choice but to put Charles in there, Smith sure in the hell wasnt going to be the feature back. Oh, and Money.