What’s Missing?

Hammock Parties · 09-18-2007, 08:10 PM

http://chiefs.scout.com/2/681229.html

Through two games, Chiefs quarterback Damon Huard is averaging 5.62 yards per pass attempt, good for 27th in the league. Huard’s longest completion has gone for 31 yards, and that came on a short pass to fullback Kris Wilson, who gained most of those yards after the catch.

The Chiefs, after years of throwing the ball down the field with Trent Green and Willie Roaf, are suddenly addicted to throwing the ball sideways. That leads to a high completion percentage (67.2 percent for Huard), but few first downs. Kansas City is tied for 24th in the league with just 18 passing first downs thus far.

The only question I can ask at the moment, is why?

A year ago, the Chiefs ranked ninth in yards per attempt (7.21) and Huard, despite playing with a bad offensive line and a limited version of the playbook, was an impressive sixth in the league (7.70) in yards per attempt.

What’s changed? Is former offensive coordinator Paul Hackett working fiendishly behind the scenes to sabotage KC’s passing offense? There’s no reason for the Chiefs to usher in a return to the dead-ball era.

The offensive line is providing better pass protection than it did a year ago. Right now, Damion McIntosh looks like an enormous upgrade over Jordan Black at left tackle. Kansas City still has All-Pro tight end Tony Gonzalez, who is currently being fitted for a Hall of Fame bust after making a living of going down the middle of the field over the last 11 years. First-round pick Dwayne Bowe is ready to contribute now (and has already made two sensational downfield receptions), and even Samie Parker is catching the football more consistently.

The Chiefs have all the pieces in place (save Eddie Kennison) to do exactly what they did in the passing game a year ago and even more. What’s going on?

I came to one inevitable conclusion after the Chicago game: this team doesn’t have all the pieces in place. There’s two huge factors missing right now.

Trent Green and Terry Shea.

When Green was injured last year, the input he offered on the sidelines was invaluable in keeping KC’s offensive attack afloat. The Chiefs didn’t throw the ball as much, but they still maintained an aggressive approach when the game called for it.

Shea, Kansas City’s former quarterbacks coach, obviously did a great job preparing Huard to start in Green’s absence. No one could have predicted he’d play as well as he did last year during his eight-game stretch. He even torched a couple of teams along the way.

Right now, it’s clear the Chiefs need someone like Green or Shea. Dumping Shea is the worst coaching decision Herm Edwards has made in two offseasons. By preparing Huard to play at a high level, you can argue Shea was as critical to KC’s playoff season last year as any big-name player on the roster.

Right now, the Chiefs don’t seem to want to throw the ball down the field until they are completely desperate, trailing by two scores or more. Edwards talks about going on the road and not falling behind, but the best way to do that is to obviously score first.

Against the Bears, the Chiefs had three golden opportunities to strike quickly. They moved the ball to midfield on each of their first three possessions, and yet squandered this great field position by remaining benign in their offensive attack.

The most egregious example of this ho-hum approach to the passing game came after Bears wide receiver Bernard Berrian fumbled, setting up the Chiefs at the 50-yard line. From my couch, I begged the offense to take a shot down the field off play action (they showed a propensity to do just this after turnovers last year, and hit big passes against San Francisco and St. Louis) to no avail. The Chiefs ran on first down and threw a yawner of a pass to Wilson in the right flat for a four-yard gain on second down. Not surprisingly, they punted a play later, wasting a great chance to take an early lead in a hostile stadium.

None of this is really surprising when you look at the current offensive braintrust in Kansas City. There’s offensive coordinator Mike Solari, who is in his second year at the position after a mediocre 2006 season. There’s quarterbacks coach Dick Curl, Shea’s replacement, whose claim to fame is leading the offensive attack of the now-defunct NFL Europe’s Barcelona Dragons for six years.

There’s no one on this staff with real credentials when it comes to planning during the week and calling an NFL offense on gameday. The Chiefs desperately need someone like current Broncos coach Mike Heimerdinger, whom Edwards hired to install a downfield passing offense during his last season in New York. They need a guru.

The bottom line is that this offense must start throwing the ball down the field early in games. It’s the only way to relieve pressure on the running attack, which is struggling right now. And judging by comments from Tony Gonzalez following the Chicago game, I’m not the only one thinking this way.

Sunday’s game against Minnesota is the final exam for Edwards, Solari and Curl. If the Chiefs come out against the Vikings trying to run up the gut while throwing three-yard passes in the flats, they won’t move the football. Minnesota’s mammoth pair of defensive tackles, Pat and Kevin Williams, will make life incredibly tough on KC’s offensive line.

The Chiefs have to attack the edges in the running game and throw down the field early. They can’t rely on their defense, even if Minnesota’s young quarterback, Tavaris Jackson, is way overmatched on the road in Arrowhead Stadium.

Give the Vikings a chance and they’ll wear down KC’s defense with their huge offensive line and ultra-talented rookie running back, Adrian Peterson. It’s up to Herm, Dick and Mike to prevent that from happening, and the best way is to attack.

RustShack · 09-18-2007, 08:19 PM

#1 mistake was letting Al Saunders walk, #2 hiring Solari to replace him, #3 Hiring Dick Curl as the QB Coach, #4 Playing weak armed Huard start over strong armned Croyle, #5 letting Shea go

NewChief · 09-18-2007, 08:21 PM

Herm has made it abundantly clear that he won't tolerate turnovers from his QB. As such, you've got to expect conservative QB play. It's what Herm wants out of his field general.

In other words: get used to it.

The worst part of all of that for the organization, in my opinion, is that Croyle is the exact WRONG QB to develop under a head coach like Herm. Croyle is a gunslinger, and Herm wants a tortoise.

**cdcox** · 09-18-2007, 08:28 PM

Herm was talking about "simplifying the offense" at the end of last season. This represents the second round of simplification. It matches the game plan against Indy, when Green was playing. Herm had his worst year in NY with Heimerdinger. He clearly thinks throwing downfield is to be minimized. It all rests with him and is not likely to change as long as he is here.

Hammock Parties · 09-18-2007, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdcox

Herm had his worst year in NY with Heimerdinger. He clearly thinks throwing downfield is to be minimized.

Yeah...that's what I was thinking. Herm brings in 'dinger, all the quarterbacks get killed, Herm vows to eradicate all seven-step drops from the playbook now and forevermore.

NewChief · 09-18-2007, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdcox

Herm was talking about "simplifying the offense" at the end of last season. This represents the second round of simplification. It matches the game plan against Indy, when Green was playing. Herm had his worst year in NY with Heimerdinger. He clearly thinks throwing downfield is to be minimized. It all rests with him and is not likely to change as long as he is here.

Yeah, I agree with your analysis. You're now seeing Herm's true offensive game planning (of course, he'd say the execution hasn't been there for us to really see what it's all about, but whatever). Last year, he was trying to uphold the illusion that he wasn't changing a thing. This year, he's no longer clinging to that facade, and he's revealing his true offensive colors.

GoChiefs is right though, in a sense. Shea was the only one that actually understood the old playbook. Herm didn't even know what the plays were called in it.

kcxiv · 09-18-2007, 08:31 PM

Herm is going to have to eventually catch up with the year 2007 and want to score more frequently. If he doesnt learn to attack on offense then he's not going to be a head coach very long. Its all up to him to see if he how long he wants to be a coach. Tony Dungy learned. He lets the Offense do what they do best. Attack attack and attack. Cowher learned it as well. The 1 thing they have in common is they both have superbowl rings.

Hammock Parties · 09-18-2007, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewPhin

Shea was the only one that actually understood the old playbook. Herm didn't even know what the plays were called in it.

Good lord.

Mecca · 09-18-2007, 08:35 PM

Herm has gotten rid of everyone who disagreed with him about the offense being conservative...now he has what he wants his fingers are all over that offense.

kcxiv · 09-18-2007, 08:37 PM

but they still shift! lol

**the Talking Can** · 09-18-2007, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewPhin

The worst part of all of that for the organization, in my opinion, is that Croyle is the exact WRONG QB to develop under a head coach like Herm. Croyle is a gunslinger, and Herm wants a tortoise.

that's my biggest fear, that Herm will destroy what is best about Brodie...I want a gunslinger....Bowe wants a gunslinger...Tony wants a gunslinger...

sigh...

'Hamas' Jenkins · 09-18-2007, 08:52 PM

Air Coryell is the greatest offensive system in the history of the NFL and the stupid sonofabitch chucked it out for Woody Hayes' system that hasn't worked in 40 fucking years.

Hammock Parties · 09-18-2007, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Woody Hayes' system .

Would you care to elaborate? I don't know much about college football history.

'Hamas' Jenkins · 09-18-2007, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOATSE

Would you care to elaborate? I don't know much about college football history.

It's called "3 yards and a cloud of dust". Woody was the coach at Ohio State, and basically believed in nothing but buttsex football and defense.

Herm is his exact copy offensively, save for melanin production.

'Hamas' Jenkins · 09-18-2007, 09:07 PM

Woody is the kind of offensive mind that the 46 defense was created to attack.

The 46 wreaked havoc on the running game, and the play action passing game because of its heavy use of blitzers and the setup of the down linemen.

The WCO shredded the 46, and the Zone Blitz and Tampa 2 shredded the WCO.

09-18-2007, 08:10 PM
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $4390478	What’s Missing? http://chiefs.scout.com/2/681229.html Through two games, Chiefs quarterback Damon Huard is averaging 5.62 yards per pass attempt, good for 27th in the league. Huard’s longest completion has gone for 31 yards, and that came on a short pass to fullback Kris Wilson, who gained most of those yards after the catch. The Chiefs, after years of throwing the ball down the field with Trent Green and Willie Roaf, are suddenly addicted to throwing the ball sideways. That leads to a high completion percentage (67.2 percent for Huard), but few first downs. Kansas City is tied for 24th in the league with just 18 passing first downs thus far. The only question I can ask at the moment, is why? A year ago, the Chiefs ranked ninth in yards per attempt (7.21) and Huard, despite playing with a bad offensive line and a limited version of the playbook, was an impressive sixth in the league (7.70) in yards per attempt. What’s changed? Is former offensive coordinator Paul Hackett working fiendishly behind the scenes to sabotage KC’s passing offense? There’s no reason for the Chiefs to usher in a return to the dead-ball era. The offensive line is providing better pass protection than it did a year ago. Right now, Damion McIntosh looks like an enormous upgrade over Jordan Black at left tackle. Kansas City still has All-Pro tight end Tony Gonzalez, who is currently being fitted for a Hall of Fame bust after making a living of going down the middle of the field over the last 11 years. First-round pick Dwayne Bowe is ready to contribute now (and has already made two sensational downfield receptions), and even Samie Parker is catching the football more consistently. The Chiefs have all the pieces in place (save Eddie Kennison) to do exactly what they did in the passing game a year ago and even more. What’s going on? I came to one inevitable conclusion after the Chicago game: this team doesn’t have all the pieces in place. There’s two huge factors missing right now. Trent Green and Terry Shea. When Green was injured last year, the input he offered on the sidelines was invaluable in keeping KC’s offensive attack afloat. The Chiefs didn’t throw the ball as much, but they still maintained an aggressive approach when the game called for it. Shea, Kansas City’s former quarterbacks coach, obviously did a great job preparing Huard to start in Green’s absence. No one could have predicted he’d play as well as he did last year during his eight-game stretch. He even torched a couple of teams along the way. Right now, it’s clear the Chiefs need someone like Green or Shea. Dumping Shea is the worst coaching decision Herm Edwards has made in two offseasons. By preparing Huard to play at a high level, you can argue Shea was as critical to KC’s playoff season last year as any big-name player on the roster. Right now, the Chiefs don’t seem to want to throw the ball down the field until they are completely desperate, trailing by two scores or more. Edwards talks about going on the road and not falling behind, but the best way to do that is to obviously score first. Against the Bears, the Chiefs had three golden opportunities to strike quickly. They moved the ball to midfield on each of their first three possessions, and yet squandered this great field position by remaining benign in their offensive attack. The most egregious example of this ho-hum approach to the passing game came after Bears wide receiver Bernard Berrian fumbled, setting up the Chiefs at the 50-yard line. From my couch, I begged the offense to take a shot down the field off play action (they showed a propensity to do just this after turnovers last year, and hit big passes against San Francisco and St. Louis) to no avail. The Chiefs ran on first down and threw a yawner of a pass to Wilson in the right flat for a four-yard gain on second down. Not surprisingly, they punted a play later, wasting a great chance to take an early lead in a hostile stadium. None of this is really surprising when you look at the current offensive braintrust in Kansas City. There’s offensive coordinator Mike Solari, who is in his second year at the position after a mediocre 2006 season. There’s quarterbacks coach Dick Curl, Shea’s replacement, whose claim to fame is leading the offensive attack of the now-defunct NFL Europe’s Barcelona Dragons for six years. There’s no one on this staff with real credentials when it comes to planning during the week and calling an NFL offense on gameday. The Chiefs desperately need someone like current Broncos coach Mike Heimerdinger, whom Edwards hired to install a downfield passing offense during his last season in New York. They need a guru. The bottom line is that this offense must start throwing the ball down the field early in games. It’s the only way to relieve pressure on the running attack, which is struggling right now. And judging by comments from Tony Gonzalez following the Chicago game, I’m not the only one thinking this way. Sunday’s game against Minnesota is the final exam for Edwards, Solari and Curl. If the Chiefs come out against the Vikings trying to run up the gut while throwing three-yard passes in the flats, they won’t move the football. Minnesota’s mammoth pair of defensive tackles, Pat and Kevin Williams, will make life incredibly tough on KC’s offensive line. The Chiefs have to attack the edges in the running game and throw down the field early. They can’t rely on their defense, even if Minnesota’s young quarterback, Tavaris Jackson, is way overmatched on the road in Arrowhead Stadium. Give the Vikings a chance and they’ll wear down KC’s defense with their huge offensive line and ultra-talented rookie running back, Adrian Peterson. It’s up to Herm, Dick and Mike to prevent that from happening, and the best way is to attack.
Posts: 278,808

09-18-2007, 08:19 PM	#2
RustShack **** That Noise Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Jack Trice Casino cash: $4596954	#1 mistake was letting Al Saunders walk, #2 hiring Solari to replace him, #3 Hiring Dick Curl as the QB Coach, #4 Playing weak armed Huard start over strong armned Croyle, #5 letting Shea go __________________
Posts: 15,049

09-18-2007, 08:21 PM	#3
NewChief In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Fayetteville, AR Casino cash: $9590204	Herm has made it abundantly clear that he won't tolerate turnovers from his QB. As such, you've got to expect conservative QB play. It's what Herm wants out of his field general. In other words: get used to it. The worst part of all of that for the organization, in my opinion, is that Croyle is the exact WRONG QB to develop under a head coach like Herm. Croyle is a gunslinger, and Herm wants a tortoise. __________________ In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican. - H. L. Mencken
Posts: 21,762

09-18-2007, 08:31 PM	#7
kcxiv In Search of a Life Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Central Valley, Cali Casino cash: $8807996	Herm is going to have to eventually catch up with the year 2007 and want to score more frequently. If he doesnt learn to attack on offense then he's not going to be a head coach very long. Its all up to him to see if he how long he wants to be a coach. Tony Dungy learned. He lets the Offense do what they do best. Attack attack and attack. Cowher learned it as well. The 1 thing they have in common is they both have superbowl rings.
Posts: 29,110

09-18-2007, 08:35 PM	#9
Mecca Hockey Town Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Casino cash: $2297050	Herm has gotten rid of everyone who disagreed with him about the offense being conservative...now he has what he wants his fingers are all over that offense.
Posts: 111,137

09-18-2007, 08:28 PM	#4
cdcox www.nfl-forecast.com Join Date: Sep 2000 Casino cash: $2171769	Herm was talking about "simplifying the offense" at the end of last season. This represents the second round of simplification. It matches the game plan against Indy, when Green was playing. Herm had his worst year in NY with Heimerdinger. He clearly thinks throwing downfield is to be minimized. It all rests with him and is not likely to change as long as he is here.
Posts: 45,543

09-18-2007, 08:37 PM	#10
kcxiv In Search of a Life Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Central Valley, Cali Casino cash: $8807996	but they still shift! lol
Posts: 29,110

09-18-2007, 08:52 PM	#12
'Hamas' Jenkins Now you've pissed me off! Join Date: Jan 2006 Casino cash: $7959572	Air Coryell is the greatest offensive system in the history of the NFL and the stupid sonofabitch chucked it out for Woody Hayes' system that hasn't worked in 40 fucking years. __________________ "When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”--Abraham Lincoln
Posts: 74,848

09-18-2007, 09:07 PM	#15
'Hamas' Jenkins Now you've pissed me off! Join Date: Jan 2006 Casino cash: $7959572	Woody is the kind of offensive mind that the 46 defense was created to attack. The 46 wreaked havoc on the running game, and the play action passing game because of its heavy use of blitzers and the setup of the down linemen. The WCO shredded the 46, and the Zone Blitz and Tampa 2 shredded the WCO. __________________ "When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”--Abraham Lincoln
Posts: 74,848