WOW, WAS THAT TOUGH TO WATCH OR WHAT?
If you watched the Chiefs-Raiders game yesterday, it was more like an exhibition game wasn't it? Guys running into each other in the backfield, lots of dropped passes, horrible play calling, 15 penalties, 5 turnovers, lots of 2nd stringers playing & some lousy officiating. The 2 teams combined for 3 of 31 on third down conversions, the Chiefs cemented their last place ranking in the NFL with a sparkling 1 of 15 effort. How do you win games with such ridiculous play calling & poor execution? Simple, you have to be playing the Raiders or Browns & anything's possible. It was K.C.'s 7th straight win in Oakland. This game had everything that makes a fan squirm for 3+ hours. The turnstile attendance of 40,720 spoke volumes of the excitement this matchup created.
First, I have to recognize the pluses for Chiefs fans. Jamaal Charles ran for 103 yards on 18 carries, breaking a 44-yard touchdown run. How long has it been since we watched a Kansas City back bust one that long? For that matter, how long has it been since we saw a Kansas City running back run for a touchdown from any distance? How about December 21, 2008? Yes, it's been that long since our team was able to score on the ground.
I have to salute veteran guard Brian Waters for hustling 40 yards downfield to recover a Dwayne Bowe fumble that no one could recover for either team until Waters arrived.
Once again the kicking duo of PK Ryan Succop & P Dustin Colquitt was not only reliable but bordering on exceptional. Succop did miss a 52-yarder to the left, but he was successful on 3 other attempts, one from 50-yards out. Colquitt punted 6 times for a 47.2 average & 4 of them inside the Raider 20 with no touchbacks. Without these two, Kansas City would be dramatically worse, if that's possible.
It's difficult to get to excited about this win, it was after all, against the Raiders. How did this team ever beat the Chiefs back in September? Kansas City was more inept in the 1st game, yesterday the most inept title went to the Raiders. Nine dropped passes, 10 penalties, 3 turnovers & quarterback play that is so awful, I'm ready right now to declare JaMarcus Russell the biggest bust in NFL Draft history. It's a no-brainer in my book he's worse than Ryan Leaf. The worst part is Russell doesn't appear to care he's that bad. He's got nearly $40 million in guaranteed money for being the first overall pick in 2007. The Raiders 1st pick this season, WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, mishandled a pass inside the 10-yardline & after tipping the perfectly thrown ball twice, Chiefs' safety Mike Brown picked it off to seal the win. DHB was 'given' a 22-yard reception by the replay official when it was determined he got both feet down before going out of bounds. I saw it differently, but what do I know? Suffice to say this is a horrible team, that is poorly coached & a team that puts out a poor effort most of the time. I am constantly amused at the Halloween costumes their 'fans' show up in week after week. I don't know that they're diehard football fans, I think they're more in love with getting 'dressed up', kinda like the people who went to see "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" every Saturday night in the 70s & 80s.
Back to football, I'm growing weary of Todd Haley's brutal tongue lashing of his players while he calls every play for a 2-7 team that is dead-last in the league's 3rd down ratio. Lip readers have a field day with this guy, he drops more F-bombs than a drunken rapper. He is too angry at players who are put in situations where they are almost bound to fail by his really lame play calling. Haley should go into the locker room at halftime, look into a mirror & curse at the guy he sees. He is every bit as much to blame as any player on his team. His refusal to run on 3rd & short while having no reservation to do so on 3rd & long is bewildering. Foregoing a 31-yard field goal in the second half to go for it on 4th & 1 at the Raider 14, is lost on me. In a game that is close & looks to remain very close, how do you go for a 52-yard field goal & pass on a 31-yarder? In the post game news conference, Haley remarked "he needs to talked out of such decisions by his assistants". Did you see him seething at Mo Carthon's attempts to 'talk him out of going for it'? This is not a coach who is going to be talked out of anything, he has such an ego, there's no way he's wrong. If this doesn't change, his tenure in Kansas City will be short.
A request from all Chiefs fans who are sick of clinching their sphincters every time we have to field a punt. Keep Bobby Wade active & make sure he's back there fielding every punt. No more Dantrell Savage fumbles, no more Maurice Leggett wrong-way running. Enough is enough.
In the "Is it Scouting or Coaching?" department, I am going to continue to hammer these scouts & assistant coaches for Kansas City. Did you watch the New England-Indianapolis game last night? If you did, you saw the Colts' Austin Collie(a 4th round pick this year) & Pierre Garcon(a 6th round pick last year). They both start for the Colts, they caught 9 passes for 95 yards & a touchdown. Yes, they have the great Peyton Manning as their quarterback, but they are late round draft picks nevertheless. The Patriots had rookie Julian Edelman(a 7th rounder this season), a college quarterback, catch his 23rd pass of the year, a touchdown. He's the Pats' 4th receiver & he has more catches than anyone on the Chiefs except Dwayne Bowe. Sebastian Vollmer(the 4th of 4 2nd round picks) has started at both tackle spots this season, 4 at RT, 3 at LT. Vollmer has given up 2 sacks this season, two. Let's compare those 4 players to the comparable picks of the Chiefs. Remember, Kansas City picks ahead of Indy & N.E. in most rounds. LOT Brandon Albert, WR Quinten Lawrence, RB Javarris Williams & WR Kevin Robinson were our picks. Is it scouting or coaching? For the most part, it's scouting. Lawrence, Williams & Robinson aren't currently on an NFL roster. Albert has regressed this year & he didn't look too great yesterday, even against the Raiders. So in my opinion, it's scouting and it's coaching. This team will never improve with a sub-par scouting department & a coaching staff that is unable to get the most from their players. Screaming & swearing at your players isn't coaching in most cases. It's O.K. to go off on a starter that's screwing up occasionally but when your team isn't prepared & you don't put them in a position to succeed with your ridiculous play calling, keep the cursing & screaming to yourself.
How ugly do you think Sunday's game with the Steelers will be? I'm thinkin' we're looking at a 38-6 ass-whippin'.
First, I have to recognize the pluses for Chiefs fans. Jamaal Charles ran for 103 yards on 18 carries, breaking a 44-yard touchdown run. How long has it been since we watched a Kansas City back bust one that long? For that matter, how long has it been since we saw a Kansas City running back run for a touchdown from any distance? How about December 21, 2008? Yes, it's been that long since our team was able to score on the ground.
I have to salute veteran guard Brian Waters for hustling 40 yards downfield to recover a Dwayne Bowe fumble that no one could recover for either team until Waters arrived.
Once again the kicking duo of PK Ryan Succop & P Dustin Colquitt was not only reliable but bordering on exceptional. Succop did miss a 52-yarder to the left, but he was successful on 3 other attempts, one from 50-yards out. Colquitt punted 6 times for a 47.2 average & 4 of them inside the Raider 20 with no touchbacks. Without these two, Kansas City would be dramatically worse, if that's possible.
It's difficult to get to excited about this win, it was after all, against the Raiders. How did this team ever beat the Chiefs back in September? Kansas City was more inept in the 1st game, yesterday the most inept title went to the Raiders. Nine dropped passes, 10 penalties, 3 turnovers & quarterback play that is so awful, I'm ready right now to declare JaMarcus Russell the biggest bust in NFL Draft history. It's a no-brainer in my book he's worse than Ryan Leaf. The worst part is Russell doesn't appear to care he's that bad. He's got nearly $40 million in guaranteed money for being the first overall pick in 2007. The Raiders 1st pick this season, WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, mishandled a pass inside the 10-yardline & after tipping the perfectly thrown ball twice, Chiefs' safety Mike Brown picked it off to seal the win. DHB was 'given' a 22-yard reception by the replay official when it was determined he got both feet down before going out of bounds. I saw it differently, but what do I know? Suffice to say this is a horrible team, that is poorly coached & a team that puts out a poor effort most of the time. I am constantly amused at the Halloween costumes their 'fans' show up in week after week. I don't know that they're diehard football fans, I think they're more in love with getting 'dressed up', kinda like the people who went to see "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" every Saturday night in the 70s & 80s.
Back to football, I'm growing weary of Todd Haley's brutal tongue lashing of his players while he calls every play for a 2-7 team that is dead-last in the league's 3rd down ratio. Lip readers have a field day with this guy, he drops more F-bombs than a drunken rapper. He is too angry at players who are put in situations where they are almost bound to fail by his really lame play calling. Haley should go into the locker room at halftime, look into a mirror & curse at the guy he sees. He is every bit as much to blame as any player on his team. His refusal to run on 3rd & short while having no reservation to do so on 3rd & long is bewildering. Foregoing a 31-yard field goal in the second half to go for it on 4th & 1 at the Raider 14, is lost on me. In a game that is close & looks to remain very close, how do you go for a 52-yard field goal & pass on a 31-yarder? In the post game news conference, Haley remarked "he needs to talked out of such decisions by his assistants". Did you see him seething at Mo Carthon's attempts to 'talk him out of going for it'? This is not a coach who is going to be talked out of anything, he has such an ego, there's no way he's wrong. If this doesn't change, his tenure in Kansas City will be short.
A request from all Chiefs fans who are sick of clinching their sphincters every time we have to field a punt. Keep Bobby Wade active & make sure he's back there fielding every punt. No more Dantrell Savage fumbles, no more Maurice Leggett wrong-way running. Enough is enough.
In the "Is it Scouting or Coaching?" department, I am going to continue to hammer these scouts & assistant coaches for Kansas City. Did you watch the New England-Indianapolis game last night? If you did, you saw the Colts' Austin Collie(a 4th round pick this year) & Pierre Garcon(a 6th round pick last year). They both start for the Colts, they caught 9 passes for 95 yards & a touchdown. Yes, they have the great Peyton Manning as their quarterback, but they are late round draft picks nevertheless. The Patriots had rookie Julian Edelman(a 7th rounder this season), a college quarterback, catch his 23rd pass of the year, a touchdown. He's the Pats' 4th receiver & he has more catches than anyone on the Chiefs except Dwayne Bowe. Sebastian Vollmer(the 4th of 4 2nd round picks) has started at both tackle spots this season, 4 at RT, 3 at LT. Vollmer has given up 2 sacks this season, two. Let's compare those 4 players to the comparable picks of the Chiefs. Remember, Kansas City picks ahead of Indy & N.E. in most rounds. LOT Brandon Albert, WR Quinten Lawrence, RB Javarris Williams & WR Kevin Robinson were our picks. Is it scouting or coaching? For the most part, it's scouting. Lawrence, Williams & Robinson aren't currently on an NFL roster. Albert has regressed this year & he didn't look too great yesterday, even against the Raiders. So in my opinion, it's scouting and it's coaching. This team will never improve with a sub-par scouting department & a coaching staff that is unable to get the most from their players. Screaming & swearing at your players isn't coaching in most cases. It's O.K. to go off on a starter that's screwing up occasionally but when your team isn't prepared & you don't put them in a position to succeed with your ridiculous play calling, keep the cursing & screaming to yourself.
How ugly do you think Sunday's game with the Steelers will be? I'm thinkin' we're looking at a 38-6 ass-whippin'.
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