A LOT OF MISSED OPPORTUNITIES, BUT ALL IS NOT LOST
There was a lot to take in this afternoon & altho the Chiefs lost, I saw a few things that made me think these guys are heading in the right direction. There were also a few things that had me cursing loudly at the TV. I'll start with the good news.
Romeo Crennel has made a huge difference
With basically the same personnel as last season, Crennel has reshaped his defense & made them very competitive. His schemes put pressure on the opponent, the defense no longer reads & reacts, they attack. They don't lose gap responsibility nearly as much & they tackle so much better. Derrick Johnson is reborn in this defense, he's becoming the linebacker we thought we were getting when he was drafted in the first round of the 2005 draft. DJ flies to the ball, Tamba Hali should finish among the league leaders in sacks. The Chiefs, Steelers, Ravens & Jets are all allowing 15-points a game or less. I no longer cringe when the Chiefs' defense is on the field, they're fun to watch. Like I told you on Friday, it appears Romeo Crennel is kryptonite to Peyton Manning. No Bill Belichick around today, it was all Romeo.
Coverage teams have been sensational
Long time problem area, now as good as any team in the league. Ten punts have been returned against the Chiefs this season for just 43 yards & remember they've faced Darren Sproles & Joshua Cribbs. Same with kickoff returns, when your opponent averages only 14.6 per return, you're among the best in the league.
No win, but you could see the frustration from the Colts
Head coach Jim Caldwell, Peyton Manning & defensive captain Gary Brackett all showed the frustration of playing a well prepared, disciplined, very aggressive opponent. When was the last time it took the Colts 56-minutes to score a touchdown, especially at home? Look for this frustration on the faces of future opponents, this team is improving game by game.
Chiefs still lead the AFC West
Losing at Indianapolis is nothing to be ashamed off, especially with the Colts in a near must-win situation. Chargers still have glaring problems with their special teams while the Broncos ran for 39 yards today lowering their league worst per game average to 51. Oakland won, but they're already 2 games back in the loss column & they can easily revert to the self-destructive team that finds new ways to lose. Giving up 26.6 points per game is a problem. Winning at Houston would be huge, we saw today it can be done, but winning the 4 after the Texans, Jacksonville, Buffalo, Denver & Oakland would put some additional space at the top of the division.
What about Haley's decisions today?
Todd Haley made several major decisions today, were they good or bad or both? I had no problem with the onside kick to open the game. Crennel's defense bailed Haley out by holding the Colts to a field goal. But if you're going for an onside kick & you give up a field goal, I think you have to take the field goal when you're 4th & 2 at the Indianapolis 8-yardline to get those points back. All or nothing at all is reckless at times. Cassel's decision to try to force his pass into a triple-covered Dwayne Bowe while Tony Moeaki was breaking open in the back of the endzone was unfortunate. As to the decision to go for the 51-yard field goal instead of 4th & 5, that one I was in total agreement. You're ten points down, you take the field goal, if you can kick it successfully & move onto the onside kick.
Bowe & Cassel make me curse at the TV
Bowe drops a certain touchdown pass without being touched by a defender, it's a catch he must make if he's to play in this league. He follows that up with another drop when he took his eye off a first down throw by turning his head to see where the defense was coming from & dropped another very catchable pass. I will give Bowe props for consistently blocking well. Cassel has regressed from 2009 in my opinion. He has happy feet in the pocket. He doesn't check down even when he has time. The 4th down throw at the goaline was simply a bad decision. he had Moeaki in the back of the endzone. He doesn't protect the ball, fumbling twice on the same play. He gets rattled & his throwing motion suffers, several of his passes came out of his hand too early causing the ball to sail. I know Haley wants Cassel to manage the game, but sometimes the quarterback has to make a play & I haven't seen much of that out of Cassel this year. The 1 for 10 on 3rd down conversions today point to just that issue.
Javier Arenas is no longer playing for Alabama
When a guy with the ball hits the ground, unless someone touches him, he can get back up & run. Inexcusable to allow a receiver to get up & gain another 8-yards. Arenas looked surprised he got up, thank goodness his secondary mates understood the rule.
I hope someone emerges as a pass rush partner for Hali
Who's it going to be? If they can get 6-8 sacks out of another defender, Hali will surpass 12 sacks to be sure. Eventually, if that other pass rusher isn't found, Hali will get enough double-teaming to render him useless in this capacity.
I say we need........
1. If Cassel peaked in '08 & '09, they're going to need a quarterback. Doesn't have to be Sam Bradford-esque, but better than the proverbial "game manager."
2. An offensive tackle, I'm not sold on Albert as the end-all answer yet & Barry Richardson is the softest, least aggressive tackle I've seen in years, he just leans on people, he doesn't hit them.
3. A wide receiver who can consistently run good routes to get open & catch the ball. Chambers is near the end & I just don't see enough improvement out of Bowe.
4. An edge pass rusher with quickness & speed. Even if they're just situational, another pass rusher is essential.
5. An unmovable nose tackle, like Casey Hampton of the Steelers or Vince Wilfork of New England.
I was pooped & pissed after the game ended today, the Chiefs could have won. But they have to learn how to go on the road, into a difficult environment against a superior team & find a way to win. They were close today, but too many things went right for Indy, because they know how to win regardless of how well you play.
Romeo Crennel has made a huge difference
With basically the same personnel as last season, Crennel has reshaped his defense & made them very competitive. His schemes put pressure on the opponent, the defense no longer reads & reacts, they attack. They don't lose gap responsibility nearly as much & they tackle so much better. Derrick Johnson is reborn in this defense, he's becoming the linebacker we thought we were getting when he was drafted in the first round of the 2005 draft. DJ flies to the ball, Tamba Hali should finish among the league leaders in sacks. The Chiefs, Steelers, Ravens & Jets are all allowing 15-points a game or less. I no longer cringe when the Chiefs' defense is on the field, they're fun to watch. Like I told you on Friday, it appears Romeo Crennel is kryptonite to Peyton Manning. No Bill Belichick around today, it was all Romeo.
Coverage teams have been sensational
Long time problem area, now as good as any team in the league. Ten punts have been returned against the Chiefs this season for just 43 yards & remember they've faced Darren Sproles & Joshua Cribbs. Same with kickoff returns, when your opponent averages only 14.6 per return, you're among the best in the league.
No win, but you could see the frustration from the Colts
Head coach Jim Caldwell, Peyton Manning & defensive captain Gary Brackett all showed the frustration of playing a well prepared, disciplined, very aggressive opponent. When was the last time it took the Colts 56-minutes to score a touchdown, especially at home? Look for this frustration on the faces of future opponents, this team is improving game by game.
Chiefs still lead the AFC West
Losing at Indianapolis is nothing to be ashamed off, especially with the Colts in a near must-win situation. Chargers still have glaring problems with their special teams while the Broncos ran for 39 yards today lowering their league worst per game average to 51. Oakland won, but they're already 2 games back in the loss column & they can easily revert to the self-destructive team that finds new ways to lose. Giving up 26.6 points per game is a problem. Winning at Houston would be huge, we saw today it can be done, but winning the 4 after the Texans, Jacksonville, Buffalo, Denver & Oakland would put some additional space at the top of the division.
What about Haley's decisions today?
Todd Haley made several major decisions today, were they good or bad or both? I had no problem with the onside kick to open the game. Crennel's defense bailed Haley out by holding the Colts to a field goal. But if you're going for an onside kick & you give up a field goal, I think you have to take the field goal when you're 4th & 2 at the Indianapolis 8-yardline to get those points back. All or nothing at all is reckless at times. Cassel's decision to try to force his pass into a triple-covered Dwayne Bowe while Tony Moeaki was breaking open in the back of the endzone was unfortunate. As to the decision to go for the 51-yard field goal instead of 4th & 5, that one I was in total agreement. You're ten points down, you take the field goal, if you can kick it successfully & move onto the onside kick.
Bowe & Cassel make me curse at the TV
Bowe drops a certain touchdown pass without being touched by a defender, it's a catch he must make if he's to play in this league. He follows that up with another drop when he took his eye off a first down throw by turning his head to see where the defense was coming from & dropped another very catchable pass. I will give Bowe props for consistently blocking well. Cassel has regressed from 2009 in my opinion. He has happy feet in the pocket. He doesn't check down even when he has time. The 4th down throw at the goaline was simply a bad decision. he had Moeaki in the back of the endzone. He doesn't protect the ball, fumbling twice on the same play. He gets rattled & his throwing motion suffers, several of his passes came out of his hand too early causing the ball to sail. I know Haley wants Cassel to manage the game, but sometimes the quarterback has to make a play & I haven't seen much of that out of Cassel this year. The 1 for 10 on 3rd down conversions today point to just that issue.
Javier Arenas is no longer playing for Alabama
When a guy with the ball hits the ground, unless someone touches him, he can get back up & run. Inexcusable to allow a receiver to get up & gain another 8-yards. Arenas looked surprised he got up, thank goodness his secondary mates understood the rule.
I hope someone emerges as a pass rush partner for Hali
Who's it going to be? If they can get 6-8 sacks out of another defender, Hali will surpass 12 sacks to be sure. Eventually, if that other pass rusher isn't found, Hali will get enough double-teaming to render him useless in this capacity.
I say we need........
1. If Cassel peaked in '08 & '09, they're going to need a quarterback. Doesn't have to be Sam Bradford-esque, but better than the proverbial "game manager."
2. An offensive tackle, I'm not sold on Albert as the end-all answer yet & Barry Richardson is the softest, least aggressive tackle I've seen in years, he just leans on people, he doesn't hit them.
3. A wide receiver who can consistently run good routes to get open & catch the ball. Chambers is near the end & I just don't see enough improvement out of Bowe.
4. An edge pass rusher with quickness & speed. Even if they're just situational, another pass rusher is essential.
5. An unmovable nose tackle, like Casey Hampton of the Steelers or Vince Wilfork of New England.
I was pooped & pissed after the game ended today, the Chiefs could have won. But they have to learn how to go on the road, into a difficult environment against a superior team & find a way to win. They were close today, but too many things went right for Indy, because they know how to win regardless of how well you play.
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