WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IN TONIGHT'S CHIEFS' GAME
Tonight's matchup in the Metrodome will be over hyped because of the return of Brett Favre. His signing cinched a sellout for a game that previously might have had fewer than 40K people click the turnstiles. It will be loud & the Vikings should be all jacked up. The Chiefs need to play within themselves, execute much better than last week & tho a win would be nice(You remember winning don't you? We did it last November), a general upgrade from last week's performance is acceptable to me. Here are a few things I'm watching for.
Can this offensive line protect Matt Cassel?
I don't know who's starting at right tackle, McIntosh or Richardson, but we need to see a significant upgrade at this position. I just don't know if that's possible. Mike Goff, Rudy Niswanger & Brian Waters will face off with the 'Williams' Wall' of Pat & Kevin, both pro bowl performers, both are super stout versus the run. The matchup of the night will be Jared Allen against Brandon Albert. Allen is arguably the best DE in the entire league, certainly the best pass rushing end & how Albert handles him will be a fairly reliable report card on Albert's progress. Will he ever be Willie Roaf good? I doubt it, but, tho his skill sets are different, he could become as dependable as John Alt, which would be very acceptable.
Can Cassel move the team?
A large portion of this question falls on the shoulders of the line, if the running game falters & they aren't able to keep defenders out of his face, Cassel won't succeed. But if he's given a little time, he needs to move this team & put some points on the board. He should have Dwayne Bowe back in his starting spot, which will be a big plus over last week.
Will Bobby Engram, Amani Toomer or Ashley Lelie play?
And if they do, can they get open? There are nine guys vying for probably 4 roster spots. No one has made a case for the starting spot opposite Bowe, much less for even making the team. I don't think Todd Haley will carry all 3 veterans, so somebody needs to stand out in the crowd, just a couple of grabs on third down would go a long way towards building some sort of trust with Matt Cassel.
How will Dorsey respond tonight?
Glenn Dorsey has been in Haley's doghouse since he came to Kansas City it seems. Tonight, he will lineup against the best left side of any offensive line in the league, LT Bryant McKinnie & LG Steve Hutchinson. The Vikings have the best running back in the league, Adrian Peterson, forget about Favre, Minnesota is primarily a running team & they do it very well. Standing his ground will be paramount, if he gets blown off the ball, the question whether he is suited for this 3-4 scheme will be confirmed in my mind. For Dorsey to stalemate his man consistently, he needs to stay low(he's already 7" shorter than McKinnie), play with leverage, keep his motor running & play like he belongs on a starting defensive line. The time is now.
Will the linebackers make some plays?
I wonder when, or if, Zach Thomas will play, hell, when will he even practice in pads again? We'll see more of Mike Vrabel tonight & get a sense of what his presence means to this defense. I want to see Tamba Hali make a play or two, he has the natural ability to both stop the run & rush the passer. Haley says he been a tireless worker, let's see a couple of plays to validate that claim. If the 1st team defense plays most of the first half again, Derrick Johnson should have 5-7 tackles & hopefully so will Hali. Filling the hole against this line & tackling Peterson or Chester Taylor is no easy task. Where are we at with this group of linebackers?
Don't give up the big play.
With Peterson, rookie Percy Harvin & WR Bernard Barrian, Minnesota has speed, elusiveness, they have 3 home run hitters that can go the distance from anywhere on the field. When one of these guys breaks containment & they will, open field tackling by the secondary will be a must. Miss a tackle & one of these guys is gone, we don't have anyone fast enough to run them down. Gap responsibility & secure tackling is so difficult against the Vikings, but essential to contain this offense.
Can we get someone, anyone, to emerge as even an average return man?
The Vikings gave up 7 touchdowns on special teams last year & even with some improvement in '09, they should still be somewhat vulnerable to 1 or 2 decent returns. Over the years I've watched Mike Garrett, Nolan Smith, Ed Podolak, Larry Marshall, J.T. Smith, Tammarick Vanover & Dante Hall. They were more than decent, they scored touchdowns on special teams. I'd be thrilled to see someone get close to the league average on punt & kickoff returns, not 25% less. Not ever getting a leg-up in field position makes Cassel's job that much more difficult.
Fewer penalties, better focus & composure.
All areas from last week that need improvement. Playing on the road, in a dome, before a raucous crowd, will make everything more difficult. These conditions, including Favre's return, should jazz the Chiefs up somewhat. Their intensity level should show signs they came to play. If they get shoved around on both sides of the ball, we're going to be in for another long season.
Can this offensive line protect Matt Cassel?
I don't know who's starting at right tackle, McIntosh or Richardson, but we need to see a significant upgrade at this position. I just don't know if that's possible. Mike Goff, Rudy Niswanger & Brian Waters will face off with the 'Williams' Wall' of Pat & Kevin, both pro bowl performers, both are super stout versus the run. The matchup of the night will be Jared Allen against Brandon Albert. Allen is arguably the best DE in the entire league, certainly the best pass rushing end & how Albert handles him will be a fairly reliable report card on Albert's progress. Will he ever be Willie Roaf good? I doubt it, but, tho his skill sets are different, he could become as dependable as John Alt, which would be very acceptable.
Can Cassel move the team?
A large portion of this question falls on the shoulders of the line, if the running game falters & they aren't able to keep defenders out of his face, Cassel won't succeed. But if he's given a little time, he needs to move this team & put some points on the board. He should have Dwayne Bowe back in his starting spot, which will be a big plus over last week.
Will Bobby Engram, Amani Toomer or Ashley Lelie play?
And if they do, can they get open? There are nine guys vying for probably 4 roster spots. No one has made a case for the starting spot opposite Bowe, much less for even making the team. I don't think Todd Haley will carry all 3 veterans, so somebody needs to stand out in the crowd, just a couple of grabs on third down would go a long way towards building some sort of trust with Matt Cassel.
How will Dorsey respond tonight?
Glenn Dorsey has been in Haley's doghouse since he came to Kansas City it seems. Tonight, he will lineup against the best left side of any offensive line in the league, LT Bryant McKinnie & LG Steve Hutchinson. The Vikings have the best running back in the league, Adrian Peterson, forget about Favre, Minnesota is primarily a running team & they do it very well. Standing his ground will be paramount, if he gets blown off the ball, the question whether he is suited for this 3-4 scheme will be confirmed in my mind. For Dorsey to stalemate his man consistently, he needs to stay low(he's already 7" shorter than McKinnie), play with leverage, keep his motor running & play like he belongs on a starting defensive line. The time is now.
Will the linebackers make some plays?
I wonder when, or if, Zach Thomas will play, hell, when will he even practice in pads again? We'll see more of Mike Vrabel tonight & get a sense of what his presence means to this defense. I want to see Tamba Hali make a play or two, he has the natural ability to both stop the run & rush the passer. Haley says he been a tireless worker, let's see a couple of plays to validate that claim. If the 1st team defense plays most of the first half again, Derrick Johnson should have 5-7 tackles & hopefully so will Hali. Filling the hole against this line & tackling Peterson or Chester Taylor is no easy task. Where are we at with this group of linebackers?
Don't give up the big play.
With Peterson, rookie Percy Harvin & WR Bernard Barrian, Minnesota has speed, elusiveness, they have 3 home run hitters that can go the distance from anywhere on the field. When one of these guys breaks containment & they will, open field tackling by the secondary will be a must. Miss a tackle & one of these guys is gone, we don't have anyone fast enough to run them down. Gap responsibility & secure tackling is so difficult against the Vikings, but essential to contain this offense.
Can we get someone, anyone, to emerge as even an average return man?
The Vikings gave up 7 touchdowns on special teams last year & even with some improvement in '09, they should still be somewhat vulnerable to 1 or 2 decent returns. Over the years I've watched Mike Garrett, Nolan Smith, Ed Podolak, Larry Marshall, J.T. Smith, Tammarick Vanover & Dante Hall. They were more than decent, they scored touchdowns on special teams. I'd be thrilled to see someone get close to the league average on punt & kickoff returns, not 25% less. Not ever getting a leg-up in field position makes Cassel's job that much more difficult.
Fewer penalties, better focus & composure.
All areas from last week that need improvement. Playing on the road, in a dome, before a raucous crowd, will make everything more difficult. These conditions, including Favre's return, should jazz the Chiefs up somewhat. Their intensity level should show signs they came to play. If they get shoved around on both sides of the ball, we're going to be in for another long season.
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