Alex Smith is "the best in the league"

[Stewie]

BY RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star

There’s little question any success the Chiefs have this season hinges on how well quarterback Alex Smith performs.

The Chiefs paid a hefty price in acquiring Smith from San Francisco for a second-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft and a conditional second- or third-round pick in 2014.

Smith led San Francisco to the NFC championship game in 2011 and started the first nine games of the 49ers’ Super Bowl run a year ago, and Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson believes strongly in Smith.

“Ultimately, every team has to have a quarterback,” Pederson said. “I think we have the best in the league.”

The best? Better than Peyton Manning … Tom Brady … Drew Brees … Joe Flacco … Matt Ryan … Eli Manning … Colin Kaepernick … ?

“There are a lot of great ones,” Pederson said, “but over time, Alex has proven he can get it done. He’s a sharp guy, he brings a wealth of knowledge, he’s experienced, he’s a proven winner the last couple of years, and he needs a team to embrace him.”

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/07/31...#storylink=cpy

[GordonGekko]

Originally Posted by Maverick91579

Depends. They have to run the ball more, and they have to sure up that defense. There is literally only so much he can do to over come all the defenses mistakes.....

What is he 29, going on 30? Easily entering his 'prime' in terms of the mental aspect of the game. He has 5 years at least to get 2 more. Should be doable.

I love watching him play, not his commercials though.

[Mav]

Originally Posted by GordonGekko

What is he 29, going on 30? Easily entering his 'prime' in terms of the mental aspect of the game. He has 5 years at least to get 2 more. Should be doable.

I love watching him play, not his commercials though.

No. Stop with the commericals. Just keep chucking the ball. Yeah, hes a few months older than Alex. Them winning to me, has absolutely nothing to do with the offense other than running the ball. They drafted two really good rbs in Lacy, and Franklin, they have to take some pressure off Aaron, and off the Defense. Running the ball, will help that defense out. It is a very young YOUNG YOUNNNNNNGGGG, defense right now......Remember, Woodson is gone, Desmond Bishop is gone......

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by GordonGekko

Kaep and Russell Wilson are in the same ballpark along with Newton, Vick.

No. Vick isn't nearly as accurate with the ball as Kaepernick or Newton. Russell Wilson averaged about 200 yards per game passing, which doesn't put him in the same category as those QB's or RGIII. He may get there but he may not.

Originally Posted by GordonGekko

Big Ben and Schaub feel very similar to me.

What? When has Matt Schaub EVER put his team on his back and willed them down the field 80 yards or more for a winning touchdown in a game that mattered?

Do you watch NFL football? Have you ever watched the Steelers?

Originally Posted by GordonGekko

Brady and Peyton are throwbacks to the past.

Past what? Which QB's in the "past" were 6'5, 235 pounds, won or appeared in multiple Super Bowls, and threw for 4,000 yards or more repeatedly?

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by Maverick91579

You cant make an argument for a guy that owns the all time playoff single game rushing record in nfl history, or the guy who owns the biggest NFCCG comeback of all time as a qb that someone would like to have right now today?

I'm saying as a player Jamal Charles is super talented and accomplished. Easily a top 5 HB in the NFL.

Comparing Smith to any top 5 QB is just silly.

We're comparing individual players here - not teams. I don't want to hear about playoff wins. Hell, Sanchez has more playoff wins than Smith but he's one of the worst starting (?) QB's in the league...

[Mr. Laz]

The Chiefs paid a hefty price in acquiring Smith from San Francisco for a second-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft and a conditional second- or third-round pick in 2014.

sad post makes me sad

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

Alex Smith, the whole team really, didn't need this pressure point. Sports radio isn't going to forget this comment, and expectations for Alex's individual performance will be raised accordingly. This was a pretty stupid thing to say. No benefit.

Nonsense. Nobody is going to give 2 shits about this outside of CP.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by Pablo

Would have been a better .gif if he maniacally gunned down the group of Camaro drivin', Alex Smith masturbating, Right Tackle loving true fans in front of him.

[keg in kc]

The best in the league at what, doing Trent Dilfer impersonations?

[BigMeatballDave]

Uh. No.

[Rain Man]

If I was the GM, I would always say every player is the best in the league, no matter what team they're on. Maybe for rookies I'd soften it and say that they're potentially the best in the league.

Reporter: So what can you tell me about Alex Smith?

GM Rain Man: I think he's the best quarterback in the league.

Reporter: Do you think you'll play well against the Patriots next week?

GM Rain Man: Yeah, but they're tough. They're the best team in the league and Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the league.

Reporter: What about that Jets game coming up? Will you change your game plan depending on whether Sanchez or Geno is starting?

GM Rain Man: It's going to be a tough game. Sanchez is the best quarterback in the league, so you've got to game plan around him. But if Geno Smith starts, it's a whole different ball game, because he has the potential to be the best quarterback in the league.

Reporter: Do you think Geno Smith's rookie season will be better than, say, John Elway's rookie year?

GM Rain Man: Definitely. Elway sucked.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by TrueFanDave

Uh. No.

You would bow the knee for Trent Dildo in his prime for this team, wouldn't you?

[duncan_idaho]

Does anyone have Doug Pederson's phone number? Sounds like he's an easy mark.

I have some crap I'd like to sell him.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Does anyone have Doug Pederson's phone number? Sounds like he's an easy mark.

I have some crap I'd like to sell him.

[Sandy Vagina]

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2013/7...ge-all-22-film

Harbaugh came in and taught Alex to play safe football. This is well-documented. Alex was told that sacks are better than interceptions, and a dump off on 3rd and 8 that picks up 5 yards is better than "forcing" something for a potential first down. This is the SAME WAY Harbaugh played football back in his days as an NFL quarterback. Harbaugh knows it can work, and can win games, but he also knows it has its limits.

In my opinion, this is precisely why Alex was so confused over the Kaepernick take-over. Because Kaepernick was going out there and taking risks and just playing football. The 49ers have a good enough TEAM that they can afford a quarterback to do that. It wasn't like the 2011 squad, where Alex's safe play was, really, the only way to win a game.

Alex said, "I feel like the only thing I did to lose my job was get a concussion." In other words, Harbaugh never came up to Alex, at any point, and said, "Hey, we like the safe play... but we REALLY need you to take more deep shots. To be more aggressive. I want our offense to be more explosive. So it's okay if you throw a pick or two. Just go out there and play a bit more aggressive. Don't be afraid of the tight windows."

Kaepernick came in and made quite a number of silly mistakes. Some bad interceptions, some questionable decisions, etc. The run game took a dip under Kaepernick. But, without doubt, the offense as a whole was much more explosive.

It seems to me Alex was never approached with the possibility of making the offense more explosive. He feels he was playing football exactly as Harbaugh taught him to play it; and yet he was then replaced for no reason. Hence the confusion over, "I feel like the only thing I did to lose my job was get a concussion." Alex's play was always advertised to him as exactly what Harbaugh wanted. When it turned out Harbaugh actually wanted a full pistol offense with Kap and the deep ball, Alex was confused.

The truth is that... the San Francisco offense was never really Alex's offense. Even when Harbaugh told him it was, that was likely a lie. Harbaugh is a great coach, but he's not above a lie to help the team win. In fact, that's part of what makes him a great coach. The best in the league, in my opinion. The truth is that Harbaugh has been building this offense with Kaepernick in mind from the start; and he has been waiting, itching, CRAVING the day to put HIS GUY in. The Alex Smith Era was ALWAYS MEANT to end, regardless of what Harbaugh might have said to Smith.

Reid knows this -- which is why he keeps reiterating that he is going to let Alex "open things up" and "pull the trigger." Reid believes in Alex, I think; even more than Harbaugh did. Reid wants Alex to know that it's okay for him to throw an interception. That this is HIS offense. He "has the keys", as Reid put it. Reid wants Alex to know he trusts him explicitly to be able to go out and make a few mistakes, crack a few eggs, to get that metaphorical winning omelet (terrible metaphor!).

The nice thing is that Alex is so intelligent that he won't make any mental errors, like he did when he was younger. Now that he's learned to play safe, smart ball, he just needs to feel he has the freedom to take a shot at those tight window throws; take a shot deep; etc.

I would say the suspicion you have is spot on, based on my perspective. This is partly where my great faith in Alex lies. I know he's a good fit with Reid, I know he's a talented player, I know he's a leader and well-respected. I know his command of the line, the offense, his understanding of the game, is "elite." The only thing he needs to fix, really, is the lack of aggressiveness. You can't have a sack rate in the 9.0's forever.

Harbaugh simultaneously nurtured Alex in to a winning player while also holding him back. It's an odd paradox. A "dialectic", if you will. I'm really looking forward to the "synthesis" of Smith in 2013 under Reid. I think Chiefs fans are really going to fall in love with the guy once they see him on the field, winning games.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

I've dreamed for YEARS of having this outstanding paradox for the Chiefs...