Chiefs Teicher: Waters thinks Chiefs don’t need offensive-line upgrade - Page 7

**Tribal Warfare** · 01-04-2010, 11:49 PM

Waters thinks Chiefs don’t need offensive-line upgrade
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star

To Brian Waters, the numbers speak with clarity. During the season’s final few games, the Chiefs became one of the league’s most explosive running teams while significantly reducing the number of times quarterback Matt Cassel was sacked.

There can be no better endorsement of the Chiefs’ much-maligned offensive line.

“They say stuff rolls downhill, and we’re at the bottom,” Waters said Monday as the Chiefs, who finished their 4-12 season with a 44-24 win over the Broncos on Sunday in Denver, cleared out their lockers and scattered for winter. “We take that burden because we’re big boys.

“But the last two years, I don’t think that some of my offensive linemates have been judged properly. I feel a lot of eyes that have been judging some of my teammates are unqualified eyes. There are a lot of people basing their opinions off what they know, and a lot of people don’t know football.

“In our position, everything is all about what other guys do. Everything is about how many times the quarterback got hit or it’s all about how many rushing yards we had. We’re pretty much (tied) to the numbers.”

His comments suggest that given Kansas City’s recent offensive improvements, Waters, a four-time Pro Bowl guard, believes the Chiefs don’t need to make upgrading their offensive line an offseason priority.

During the season’s final eight games, running back Jamaal Charles trailed only Tennessee’s Chris Johnson in rushing yards with 968. Charles averaged 6 yards per carry in that time.

Chiefs quarterbacks were sacked 37 times in the first 10 games, but Cassel went down only eight times in the final six. In Denver, he wasn’t sacked for the first time all season.

Some of the improvement has to do with changes on the line. On the right side, Ryan O’Callaghan replaced Ikechuku Ndukwe at tackle and Wade Smith replaced Mike Goff at guard.

The line also had time to adjust after the Chiefs abruptly changed their offense during the preseason when they fired coordinator Chan Gailey.

“That affected us greatly,” Waters said. “We’d be lying to ourselves to not think that the change in offense two weeks before the regular season started didn’t harm what we had already kind of got going. But that’s the head coach’s prerogative to make that type of change.”

The biggest reason for the line’s improved play was Charles, who is smaller and quicker than Johnson and doesn’t need as much space to be an effective runner.

“What we were trying to do offensively wasn’t to the strength of Larry,” Waters said. “We were trying to be a little more open-space, a little bit more no-huddle, a little bit more fast-hitting type of offense. We know Larry, and when he was in his greatest time, he was more of a pounder.

“We finally got comfortable in what we were trying to do. The idea of what we were trying to do from game to game has changed through the course of the year and we finally settled on who we are and we weren’t going to change that.

“Talentwise, I don’t think I’ve ever played with anybody as talented as (Charles) is, with the explosive ability he has. He has the ability to make a 5-yard run a 50-yard run just like that.

“He has the ability to make us look better.”

Monday’s interview ended Waters’ seasonlong silence. Waters asked to be traded last winter shortly after Todd Haley was hired as the Chiefs’ head coach.

Waters said his silence shouldn’t be interpreted that he was unhappy playing for the Chiefs.

“With the stuff I came back here with during the offseason, I just wanted to kind of stand out of the way and just do my job and allow this whole situation to show itself,” Waters said. “I didn’t want to get in the way. I know people are always trying to make it seem like you feel this way or you feel that way. I just wanted people to see this whole program for themselves. I didn’t want to be a distraction.

“It was just a good year for me to focus on my own job.”

Waters started 15 games this season, missing last month’s Cleveland game because of a sore hamstring. That ended a streak of 51 consecutive starts.

He also missed out on the Pro Bowl after playing in Hawaii the previous year,

“I think I had a solid year,” Waters said. “I don’t think I performed any worse than I’ve performed over the last few years.

“I feel I have plenty left in the tank.”

Halfcan · 01-05-2010, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BossChief

Im gonna go out on a limb and say that I dont want Waters replaced.

I understand that wont be popular, but I dont care. The guy has a couple more years left on him and I seriously believe we will be a much improved team next year. The management knows where the holes are now and will move to fill them as well as possible.

I think that Waters poor play was perfectly in conjunction with Alberts and that his play came back to form once Alberts did. I think he will make us forget his suck if/when we upgrade the center position as well. I saw him lunging a lot early in the year and getting a lot of holding penalties and IMHO those are both byproducts of a player trying to do to much because of the players around him not doing their jobs.

I have talked with Brian a couple times and he is one of my favorite players on the team, he one of the few veteran presences and has been a Chief through thick and thin.

If Whitlock never writes that article, the perception of him would still be accurate. Unfortunately, Whitlock made him look like a bitch and its really unfair. It put him in the wron light with us fans.

I even called himout on that article and he responded with saying he should have kept that info private (though, I couldn't tell if he was saying it sarcastically or not by his response) he even went on to say his play hadn't been effected by it. LOL

Excellent post!

Mr. Laz · 01-05-2010, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

Albert is not out of position.

shannahan to kc is a done deal

TigerPig · 01-05-2010, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laz

shannahan to kc is a done deal

NO

Hammock Parties · 01-05-2010, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laz

shannahan to kc is a done deal

You're a dumb****. Albert just spent 16 games learning how to play with new technique in a new body. He FINALLY got it down by game 16. ****ing with him now is uber-fail.

He's gonna be awesome next year.

Saccopoo · 01-05-2010, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

JFC.

He was a GUARD because Eugene Monroe was incapable of playing anything but left tackle, so Albert moved to guard.

He is NOT a natural guard.

I don't know Dane. After this season, he's not showing the proclivity to be a natural left tackle either.

Personally, I hope he's salvagable and not just a shit pick by the king of shit pickers, Carl Peterson. He got beat like a drum this year and tried to get his quarterback killed.

I'm just trying to conceptualize best case scenarios and getting a more naturally gifted LT and C around him while he played LG looked to be a better situation than a left side of the line of Albert/Waters/Niswanger.

**DaneMcCloud** · 01-05-2010, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

I don't know Dane. After this season, he's not showing the proclivity to be a natural left tackle either.

Personally, I hope he's salvagable and not just a shit pick by the king of shit pickers, Carl Peterson. He got beat like a drum this year and tried to get his quarterback killed.

I'm just trying to conceptualize best case scenarios and getting a more naturally gifted LT and C around him while he played LG looked to be a better situation than a left side of the line of Albert/Waters/Niswanger.

Dude, come on.

The guys lost 30 pounds and had to rely on technique that he was learning week by week, not on his strength and size. He was playing extremely well the last four weeks of the season and heading into his third year, he should be near an All Pro level, especially if the left guard position is upgraded either through the draft or by Darryl Harris.

Waters is done. Niswanger sucks. The only thing that helped to stop the bleeding was Albert's re-emergence and Wade Smith.

TigerPig · 01-05-2010, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Dude, come on.

The guys lost 30 pounds and had to rely on technique that he was learning week by week, not on his strength and size. He was playing extremely well the last four weeks of the season and heading into his third year, he should be near an All Pro level, especially if the left guard position is upgraded either through the draft or by Darryl Harris.

Waters is done. Niswanger sucks. The only thing that helped to stop the bleeding was Albert's re-emergence and Wade Smith.

Albert is neither good nor bad. He could go either way at this point, it looks like he has an upward trend. But he could totally fizzle out, and it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he never got better than he is right now.

**DaneMcCloud** · 01-05-2010, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TigerPig

Albert is neither good nor bad. He could go either way at this point, it looks like he has an upward trend. But he could totally fizzle out, and it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he never got better than he is right now.

I'm sorry but that's crazy talk

Hammock Parties · 01-05-2010, 05:43 PM

How can people ignore the last month. Honestly.

It wasn't coincidence we averaged 413 yards per game while Albert played his best football.

Brock · 01-05-2010, 05:45 PM

KC had a dominant offensive line for years and years and never won a goddamn thing.

**DaneMcCloud** · 01-05-2010, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

How can people ignore the last month. Honestly.

It wasn't coincidence we averaged 413 yards per game while Albert played his best football.

I'm betting that most of these people didn't even watch Albert and that some didn't even watch all of the games.

TigerPig · 01-05-2010, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brock

KC had a dominant offensive line for years and years and never won a goddamn thing.

Those times could be contributed to either overly-conservative playcalling (Schottenheimer) or lack of defense (Vermeil).

TigerPig · 01-05-2010, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I'm betting that most of these people didn't even watch Albert and that some didn't even watch all of the games.

There have been many second year guys who show stride, that end up still fizzling out. Just don't be surprised if it happens (it could very well not).

Hammock Parties · 01-05-2010, 05:49 PM

Look at his pass blocking in the first half of the season compared to the second half.

Not even close.

http://profootballfocus.com/by_playe...&playerid=4329

FAX · 01-05-2010, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Dude, come on.

The guys lost 30 pounds and had to rely on technique that he was learning week by week, not on his strength and size. He was playing extremely well the last four weeks of the season and heading into his third year, he should be near an All Pro level, especially if the left guard position is upgraded either through the draft or by Darryl Harris.

Waters is done. Niswanger sucks. The only thing that helped to stop the bleeding was Albert's re-emergence and Wade Smith.

I think (think) that Albert is improving, but I'm not sure. I like the fact that the coaches are working with him on his technique. I do believe that, if he masters the technique necessary to play NFL left tackle, he could be excellent.

However, the main reason Albert was able to perform well in the goat game was our rushing attack. It's downright amazing what a serious run threat can do to improve an offensive lineman's stats.

Still and all, the o-line continues to need help. We are far from being a dominant group that executes their blocking assignments with flawless, integrated precision and coordinated power. At this point, we're a whole lot more like 5 club-footed monkeys in a gunny sack race.

FAX

01-04-2010, 11:49 PM
Tribal Warfare Man of Culture Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $-2877187	Teicher: Waters thinks Chiefs don’t need offensive-line upgrade Waters thinks Chiefs don’t need offensive-line upgrade By ADAM TEICHER The Kansas City Star To Brian Waters, the numbers speak with clarity. During the season’s final few games, the Chiefs became one of the league’s most explosive running teams while significantly reducing the number of times quarterback Matt Cassel was sacked. There can be no better endorsement of the Chiefs’ much-maligned offensive line. “They say stuff rolls downhill, and we’re at the bottom,” Waters said Monday as the Chiefs, who finished their 4-12 season with a 44-24 win over the Broncos on Sunday in Denver, cleared out their lockers and scattered for winter. “We take that burden because we’re big boys. “But the last two years, I don’t think that some of my offensive linemates have been judged properly. I feel a lot of eyes that have been judging some of my teammates are unqualified eyes. There are a lot of people basing their opinions off what they know, and a lot of people don’t know football. “In our position, everything is all about what other guys do. Everything is about how many times the quarterback got hit or it’s all about how many rushing yards we had. We’re pretty much (tied) to the numbers.” His comments suggest that given Kansas City’s recent offensive improvements, Waters, a four-time Pro Bowl guard, believes the Chiefs don’t need to make upgrading their offensive line an offseason priority. During the season’s final eight games, running back Jamaal Charles trailed only Tennessee’s Chris Johnson in rushing yards with 968. Charles averaged 6 yards per carry in that time. Chiefs quarterbacks were sacked 37 times in the first 10 games, but Cassel went down only eight times in the final six. In Denver, he wasn’t sacked for the first time all season. Some of the improvement has to do with changes on the line. On the right side, Ryan O’Callaghan replaced Ikechuku Ndukwe at tackle and Wade Smith replaced Mike Goff at guard. The line also had time to adjust after the Chiefs abruptly changed their offense during the preseason when they fired coordinator Chan Gailey. “That affected us greatly,” Waters said. “We’d be lying to ourselves to not think that the change in offense two weeks before the regular season started didn’t harm what we had already kind of got going. But that’s the head coach’s prerogative to make that type of change.” The biggest reason for the line’s improved play was Charles, who is smaller and quicker than Johnson and doesn’t need as much space to be an effective runner. “What we were trying to do offensively wasn’t to the strength of Larry,” Waters said. “We were trying to be a little more open-space, a little bit more no-huddle, a little bit more fast-hitting type of offense. We know Larry, and when he was in his greatest time, he was more of a pounder. “We finally got comfortable in what we were trying to do. The idea of what we were trying to do from game to game has changed through the course of the year and we finally settled on who we are and we weren’t going to change that. “Talentwise, I don’t think I’ve ever played with anybody as talented as (Charles) is, with the explosive ability he has. He has the ability to make a 5-yard run a 50-yard run just like that. “He has the ability to make us look better.” Monday’s interview ended Waters’ seasonlong silence. Waters asked to be traded last winter shortly after Todd Haley was hired as the Chiefs’ head coach. Waters said his silence shouldn’t be interpreted that he was unhappy playing for the Chiefs. “With the stuff I came back here with during the offseason, I just wanted to kind of stand out of the way and just do my job and allow this whole situation to show itself,” Waters said. “I didn’t want to get in the way. I know people are always trying to make it seem like you feel this way or you feel that way. I just wanted people to see this whole program for themselves. I didn’t want to be a distraction. “It was just a good year for me to focus on my own job.” Waters started 15 games this season, missing last month’s Cleveland game because of a sore hamstring. That ended a streak of 51 consecutive starts. He also missed out on the Pro Bowl after playing in Hawaii the previous year, “I think I had a solid year,” Waters said. “I don’t think I performed any worse than I’ve performed over the last few years. “I feel I have plenty left in the tank.”
Posts: 43,439

01-05-2010, 05:43 PM	#99
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $920478	How can people ignore the last month. Honestly. It wasn't coincidence we averaged 413 yards per game while Albert played his best football. __________________ Chiefs game films
Posts: 297,041

01-05-2010, 05:45 PM	#100
Brock Say hello to my little friend Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Larryville Casino cash: $9598422	KC had a dominant offensive line for years and years and never won a goddamn thing.
Posts: 47,314

01-05-2010, 05:49 PM	#104
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $920478	Look at his pass blocking in the first half of the season compared to the second half. Not even close. http://profootballfocus.com/by_playe...&playerid=4329 __________________ Chiefs game films
Posts: 297,041