RAVENS & CHIEFS.......I TOLD YOU SO
I said this afternoon the Ravens & Chiefs would prevail on Monday Night Football, I will have to admit I was surprised at how easy the Raven win was. I knew the Chiefs would be hanging from their collective fingernails come the 4th quarter. Mark Sanchez isn't an NFL playoff caliber quarterback right now. I question his potential to ever be more than a middle of the pack signal caller. Right now, the Jets have a one dimensional offense & when a good defense can limit the yards they get on the ground, the Jets are in trouble. Unless Sanchez can produce while limiting the turnovers, the Jets' self-proclaimed Super Bowl run won't ever get started. I told you last week the Bengals, Cowboys & Jets could all be major disappointments, they all lost in week one. I expect these three could continue to underachieve & possibly miss the playoffs altogether. One week does not a season make, but their performances in week one were just an extension of their sub-par preseason work. You can't just switch the light on because you've said you could. making the playoffs in the NFL is difficult & teams who's personality stinks with self-promotion & little accountability will have a tough time getting to the postseason.
So what was "The Good, the Bad & the Ugly" from the Chiefs-Chargers game?
The Good:
The electricity returned to Arrowhead; Having a full stadium of screaming Chiefs' fans was an excellent start to the season. Returning this football palace to it's rightful place near the top of the intimidation list is so very important to the future of this franchise. Making Arrowhead the loudest stadium in the league again & the place no visiting team wants any part of is crucial. I believe that's worth at least one win per season. By winning tonight in the way they did, Chiefs' fans realize this isn't going to be an easy climb back into respectability & they know they'll have to be a big part of that climb.
The speed demons; Jamaal Charles(11 carries, 92 yards & a 56-yd TD run), Dexter McCluster(94-yd punt return) & Javier Arenas(2 punt returns for 60 yards) made plays that broke the Chargers' back in the first half. This will be a major part of their offense this year, busting a big play from anywhere on the field. Players like these three feed off each other as their games are similar & they want to be the one to break that big play that wins a game or locks up a victory.
Derrick Johnson; I have been railing about D.J.'s playing time, or lack of playing time, for over a year. Todd Haley put Johnson in his doghouse last year & kept him there. Haley made it clear to Johnson what he would require of him to get that starting job back. It worked, D.J. looked sensational at training camp & it all paid off Monday night with 12 tackles, 1 for loss, a pass knocked down & the type of speed we hadn't seen since he played for the Longhorns. If Johnson can run from sideline to sideline & still close downhill like a blur on ballcarriers, this defense will show decent improvement against the run.
Glenn Dorsey; Played his best game for the Chiefs since being the 5th overall player selected in the 2008 draft. Tho Dorsey doesn't have the physical makeup to excel in this defense, he played his ass off, it was apparent he has bought into everything defensive coordinator Romeo Crennell is selling. His effort was non-stop, he played nearly every defensive snap & on San Diego's last gasp play, he pursued Phillip Rivers to the end. Six tackles, 1/2 a sack, a tackle for loss & 2 QB hits....great improvement.
The overall linebacker play; From D.J. to Mike Vrabel, Jovan Belcher & Tamba Hali the quartet recorded 25 tackles. They maintained their gap responsibility & didn't overrun plays creating cutback lanes. They flew around with wreckless abandon, showed awareness we never saw last season. Mike Vrabel looked like he had a linebacker rebirth as a Chief, he was really having fun.
Brandon Carr; Broke up three passes, looking much better than he did near the end of last season & early on in training camp.
The Bad:
The safety play: it was disappointing, missed assignments, Berry & Lewis missed 2 tackles each & Berry got completely sucked in on the long touchdown pass to Legedu Naanee. Berry did make a couple of nice plays closing downhill on running plays, but I warned about biting too quickly on play action, which he did on the Naanee score.
Only 9 first downs: When your offense can only create 9 first downs, you wonder if you can consistently win. Answer is, you can't, The Jets only made 6 first downs vs. the Ravens, but they didn't break big plays in either the running game or on special teams, so they lost. The Chiefs can't expect 4 or 5 big plays like they got tonight, they need to find a way to grind out yardage, keep the ball & rest their defense. San Diego held a 15-minute time of possession advantage, something that will beat the Chiefs more often than not.
Barry Richardson: I hope Ryan O'Callaghan can go next week in Cleveland. Richardson reverted to his 2009 performance getting a holding call & totally whiffing on several blocks. For such a large man, he is really a big teddy bear, doesn't appear to have an aggressive bone in his body. Watch Brian Waters to see the difference, he gets after his blocks & finishes them, snap after snap.
The Ugly:
Matt Cassel; his performance was pretty ugly by any standard. Only 62 yards passing, leading an offense that was 1 for 11 converting 3rd downs, which is completely unacceptable. Say what you want about the conditions, Phillip Rivers threw for 298 yards on the same field in the same rain with less of a running game.
Cassel looked tentative, almost lost at times, his touch on passes thrown toward the sidelines was non-existent. When Charlie Weis was hired as offensive coordinator, he said his #1 job was to "fix the quarterback." He needs to begin work ASAP, I was very unimpressed with Cassel up in training camp & I don't think you saw anything tonight that gave you a lot of confidence or am I wrong?
A few other thoughts:
I am constantly amazed at the level of play center Casey Weigman can still attain. He plays with near perfect hand placement, excellent leverage for someone his size & a real upgrade at the center position.
Thomas Jones showed a burst a few times & I'm certain he'll be a great contributor to this offense. Tight end Tony Moeaki caught 3 passes for just 21 yards, but one was good for 16-yards & a crucial 1st down, plus he caught a 2-yard touchdown. If he can stay relatively healthy, the Chiefs got a keeper, but he has to play every Sunday.
Finally, I thought Todd Haley looked like an NFL head coach Monday night. He let his coordinators call the game. He didn't blow up everytime something didn't go right & more importantly, I think many of his players felt like he is a coach they're willing to play for, his enthusiasm on the sidelines was so different from last season. He went 30-yards down the sideline to be one of the first to congratulate Jamaal Charles after his long touchdown run. He was also first to hug Dexter McCluster after his punt return. I do not want to return to the Dick Vermeil days of hugs & tears with Haley & his players, but it was encouraging to see a fresh respect from Haley toward his troops.
So what was "The Good, the Bad & the Ugly" from the Chiefs-Chargers game?
The Good:
The electricity returned to Arrowhead; Having a full stadium of screaming Chiefs' fans was an excellent start to the season. Returning this football palace to it's rightful place near the top of the intimidation list is so very important to the future of this franchise. Making Arrowhead the loudest stadium in the league again & the place no visiting team wants any part of is crucial. I believe that's worth at least one win per season. By winning tonight in the way they did, Chiefs' fans realize this isn't going to be an easy climb back into respectability & they know they'll have to be a big part of that climb.
The speed demons; Jamaal Charles(11 carries, 92 yards & a 56-yd TD run), Dexter McCluster(94-yd punt return) & Javier Arenas(2 punt returns for 60 yards) made plays that broke the Chargers' back in the first half. This will be a major part of their offense this year, busting a big play from anywhere on the field. Players like these three feed off each other as their games are similar & they want to be the one to break that big play that wins a game or locks up a victory.
Derrick Johnson; I have been railing about D.J.'s playing time, or lack of playing time, for over a year. Todd Haley put Johnson in his doghouse last year & kept him there. Haley made it clear to Johnson what he would require of him to get that starting job back. It worked, D.J. looked sensational at training camp & it all paid off Monday night with 12 tackles, 1 for loss, a pass knocked down & the type of speed we hadn't seen since he played for the Longhorns. If Johnson can run from sideline to sideline & still close downhill like a blur on ballcarriers, this defense will show decent improvement against the run.
Glenn Dorsey; Played his best game for the Chiefs since being the 5th overall player selected in the 2008 draft. Tho Dorsey doesn't have the physical makeup to excel in this defense, he played his ass off, it was apparent he has bought into everything defensive coordinator Romeo Crennell is selling. His effort was non-stop, he played nearly every defensive snap & on San Diego's last gasp play, he pursued Phillip Rivers to the end. Six tackles, 1/2 a sack, a tackle for loss & 2 QB hits....great improvement.
The overall linebacker play; From D.J. to Mike Vrabel, Jovan Belcher & Tamba Hali the quartet recorded 25 tackles. They maintained their gap responsibility & didn't overrun plays creating cutback lanes. They flew around with wreckless abandon, showed awareness we never saw last season. Mike Vrabel looked like he had a linebacker rebirth as a Chief, he was really having fun.
Brandon Carr; Broke up three passes, looking much better than he did near the end of last season & early on in training camp.
The Bad:
The safety play: it was disappointing, missed assignments, Berry & Lewis missed 2 tackles each & Berry got completely sucked in on the long touchdown pass to Legedu Naanee. Berry did make a couple of nice plays closing downhill on running plays, but I warned about biting too quickly on play action, which he did on the Naanee score.
Only 9 first downs: When your offense can only create 9 first downs, you wonder if you can consistently win. Answer is, you can't, The Jets only made 6 first downs vs. the Ravens, but they didn't break big plays in either the running game or on special teams, so they lost. The Chiefs can't expect 4 or 5 big plays like they got tonight, they need to find a way to grind out yardage, keep the ball & rest their defense. San Diego held a 15-minute time of possession advantage, something that will beat the Chiefs more often than not.
Barry Richardson: I hope Ryan O'Callaghan can go next week in Cleveland. Richardson reverted to his 2009 performance getting a holding call & totally whiffing on several blocks. For such a large man, he is really a big teddy bear, doesn't appear to have an aggressive bone in his body. Watch Brian Waters to see the difference, he gets after his blocks & finishes them, snap after snap.
The Ugly:
Matt Cassel; his performance was pretty ugly by any standard. Only 62 yards passing, leading an offense that was 1 for 11 converting 3rd downs, which is completely unacceptable. Say what you want about the conditions, Phillip Rivers threw for 298 yards on the same field in the same rain with less of a running game.
Cassel looked tentative, almost lost at times, his touch on passes thrown toward the sidelines was non-existent. When Charlie Weis was hired as offensive coordinator, he said his #1 job was to "fix the quarterback." He needs to begin work ASAP, I was very unimpressed with Cassel up in training camp & I don't think you saw anything tonight that gave you a lot of confidence or am I wrong?
A few other thoughts:
I am constantly amazed at the level of play center Casey Weigman can still attain. He plays with near perfect hand placement, excellent leverage for someone his size & a real upgrade at the center position.
Thomas Jones showed a burst a few times & I'm certain he'll be a great contributor to this offense. Tight end Tony Moeaki caught 3 passes for just 21 yards, but one was good for 16-yards & a crucial 1st down, plus he caught a 2-yard touchdown. If he can stay relatively healthy, the Chiefs got a keeper, but he has to play every Sunday.
Finally, I thought Todd Haley looked like an NFL head coach Monday night. He let his coordinators call the game. He didn't blow up everytime something didn't go right & more importantly, I think many of his players felt like he is a coach they're willing to play for, his enthusiasm on the sidelines was so different from last season. He went 30-yards down the sideline to be one of the first to congratulate Jamaal Charles after his long touchdown run. He was also first to hug Dexter McCluster after his punt return. I do not want to return to the Dick Vermeil days of hugs & tears with Haley & his players, but it was encouraging to see a fresh respect from Haley toward his troops.
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