Column: Mike Brown Takes The Blame
From Jacksonville, Florida
It’s too bad that the Chiefs and their fans are seeing the end of Mike Brown’s pro football career.
At the age of 31 and in his 10th NFL season, Brown is struggling on the back line of the Chiefs defense; he has been all season. But never more so than what happened Sunday afternoon against the Jaguars. A missed tackle and a blown coverage provided Jacksonville with a pair of touchdowns. Those were only the most obvious of Brown’s blunders that cost the Chiefs points and a chance to take a winnable game.
“I feel bad, I feel like I cost my team the game,” Brown said. “We only lost this game by three points. It’s easy to see if I had played a better game how we might be enjoying a win today, rather than another loss.”
Mike Brown did not lose this game himself; he had a lot of help from a lot of his teammates and coaches. If Brown plays this game at an All-Pro level there’s a good chance the Chiefs would have still found other ways to lose.
It’s just that right now, the margin of error for the Chiefs is so thin they can’t overcome a bad day from one of their safeties, especially when his poor play leads to a pair of scores.
The first came in the opening quarter when Jaguars RB Rashad Jennings broke through the line of scrimmage and ran 28 yards for a touchdown. Brown had the chance to make the tackle that would have held the run to 10 or 12 yards. But Jennings fought off Brown with a stiff arm and went into the end zone.
“I missed that one; I take responsibility for that,” said Brown. “Those plays are things I cannot do if we are going to win … I had the opportunity to make the tackle and it didn’t happen.”
But the killer came in the second quarter, when Jacksonville QB David Garrard hooked up with WR Mike Sims-Walker for a 61-yard scoring play. There was only one man close to the receiver when he hauled in the pass and that was Brown, who watched helplessly as the ball flew over his head and into the arms of Sims-Walker. Brown chased him into the end zone, but was not threat to tackle him.
“The cover two, that’s my bad,” said Brown. “That was a huge play in the game. It was just bad play on my part.”
Brown reacted to something he saw near the line of scrimmage and moved up on the defense. That proved a fatal football mistake.
“My responsibility is the back half of the field and I wasn’t there,” Brown said. “I think that play cost us the game.”
There were other problems for Brown and his defensive mates. They gave up other big plays during the game and forced just one turnover and had only one sack on the afternoon.
But Mike Brown was carrying this L on his shoulders, and his shoulders only.
“If I do my job, we’ve got a better chance to win at the end than we had,” said Brown. “It’s just hard to swallow.”
That Brown would stand up in another losing locker room and take the questions of the media, and then give the type of answers that he did tells you a lot about the man. He did not run and hide in the showers or training room as some players are prone to do when things go bad. In fact, Brown lingered in the locker room longer than most of his teammates. And when he was asked about the game, he left little doubt about his thoughts and who was to blame.
Brown’s personality was one of the reasons that Pioli/Haley wanted to add him to the Chiefs defense this season. They never signed him with the idea of being the starter; they figured young safeties Jarrad Page and Bernard Pollard would handle the starting duties and Brown would push them.
Page is gone to the injured-reserve list, done for the season with a calf injury. But he was having his troubles meshing with the new defensive scheme and coaching staff. Pollard’s problems doing the same became known back in early September when he was released as part of the final cutdown before the regular season.
That put Brown on the field and there’s no question that his physical skills are diminished. He does not have the speed and quickness of early in his career. That’s probably not a surprise given how many injuries he suffered through with Chicago in the last six years or so.
Brown has to play with his head and his heart. In Jacksonville, he was all heart and no head.
“To have a chance to win, those things can’t happen,” Brown said. “It’s on me.”
Yup, he is right. He probably cost us this game..
On the other hand, we would have never been in this situation, if we had an offense that could do something besides the 2 minute drill.
I would almost like to see Morgan start at SS when McGraw comes back.
well…sadly this is a team with few players that belong…Flowers,Jackson,Mays(as a 4th linebacker)Hali(really showing up, REALLY making the transition)Magee(dorsey needs to get dealt, sorry but he isnt improving, he had a pressure unblocked, he just doesnt fit, trade him for a pick or two and move on, magee immediately brought more rush than they got from dorsey all year) Morgan(yep, I said it) Cassel, Long(yep again), Bowe, Succop, Colquitt….outside those players…everyone may be blown up
and yeah, I leave out albert till he switches to guard
we easily have the worst tight end group in the NFL, its as bad as the pat thomas rocky boiman LB group of last season
and if we had my cousin at right guard and my step brother at ss!… blah blah blah.. lookin better…
go chiefs!
Alex K, I don’t disagree that the team needs a lot of improvement, but Dorsey is not going anywhere. He has improved greatly from last year, and is a far better option than Magee. Everyone likes to rag on Dorsey and I’m not sure why. How is Tyson Jackson doing this year? Not even close to the production we got out of Dorsey last year. Would you like to get rid of him as well?
I hate where are team is right now, I think we’re moving backwards. We got rid of a good player in Pollard, who has turned Houston’s Defense around, and we’re not playing our best personel. We need a real D-coordinator and to get our heads out of our asses. Brown may have a good heart, but why would you release a more talented safety, with a lot more upside, for someone who is on there last leg. This makes absolutely no sense.
So, while the team makes a statement move with the release, and benching of more talented players, the fans have to suffer with the team moving backwards. Total BS
Alex k: What games have you been watching?
Corey Mays has been making plays, especially in the run game all year. He made lots again today.
Dorsey has been the best D-lineman so far this year, and he has created a lot of commotion in most games.
This wasn’t his best, but im you are way wrong..
Jackson finally stepped up today, and so did Long.
Brown should take the blame. Morgan and McGraw should start when McGraw comes back. Morgan and anybody should start. Brown is done.
I do not know who you guys are but what happened to the regulars like ED (I’m cool with it).
For some reason Pioli/Haley decided to dump existing players and used guy they knew even if they were not first level players. Can they change, better hope so, Haley will get this year and next to see if he has any talent to be a HC. Pioli will get longer. That is the hunt way. The problem as I see it is that sometime after the last draft Pioli decided none of herm’s guys belong on the team. AND honestly, I do not think Haley can be a HC and this experiment will fail miserably. A bad combination all around. We just have to tough it out because anyone who reads this blog knows “next year the superbowl” is a dominate cry or was it whine.
Need a smile? Did you realize the Lance Long had more passes thrown at him than our star D Bowe UNTIL the last 3 minutes. Man can that Haley coach fooled the other team by not throwing to your best WR until the game was over.
Brown is just washed up bottom line Bob. Page needs to be brought back next year as the starting free safety while Morgan takes over the strong safety position as the starter. As for the game once again Haley doesn’t get playmakers involved early on in the game. Bowe wasn’t targeted much in the first half and neither was Chambers. I like Lance Long, but we have to get those two guys going first.
As for play-calling it was horrible once again. We get in the redzone in the first half of the game kick a field goal the score goes Jags 7 and Chiefs 6. During that drive why didn’t Haley line up in a goal-line offense and give the ball to Kolby. We’re in shotgun on the goal-line which makes absolutely no sense. Then we run a draw play again to Kolby and it gets stuffed. Haley needs to ban shotgun draw plays out of his playbook because it never works. Love the guy as a head coach he’s got all the qualities you look for a tough guy, a leader, someone who’s going to challenge even the stars of the team. Knows how a team should practice and prepare,but as a play-caller he sucks.
Problem with Haley as a play-caller is he’s got to realize this isn’t the Cardinals receiving core. You can’t run the offense the same way you did there. Run the ball more we were getting good yards per carry out of all 3 backs. Stop lining up in shotgun to run the ball. Get in a i-formation and run the football. Next get Bowe and Chambers involved early on in the game. Last but not least this isn’t the Cardinals o-line get in mass protection and move Cassell around in the pocket when passing the football.
AT this rate if he doesn’t get this offense going. We’ll win only 3 or 4 games this yr. Browns and Raiders. Maybe the Bills.
Ed, totally agree. If Haley has any ability as a HC, the Chiefs could possibly will 2 -3 games but if I am correct and he refuses to learn of mistakes resulting in a 1-7 half year. 0 wins the rest of the year. Why Pioli has turned Haley loose to wreak what was left on this team, remains a mystery to me.
I’m happy to take this losing year in order to build the right roster. I’ll take the shell of Mike Brown over the turbulence and immaturity of Bernard Pollard. This organization needs to consist of men playing the game; mature, character-driven adults – not underwear-dancing thugs with no respect for authority and no reluctance to accept blame for poor play.
There have been some bright spots. Tamba Hali. Lance Long. Corey Mays. To an extent, Tyson Jackson. Hell, even Ryan O’Callaghan. An offseason where we acquire some help at NT, S, MLB, and OL & TE in the Pioli/Haley mold will bring this team together with production.
I think we all have to be patient. Haley is learning. Pioli is working with a bad deck. Next year we’ll probably have an OC and improved protection and weapons, with a few much-needed playmakers on defense. We’re going in the right direction! This thing was blown up, and it will take time.
HOW BOUT BERNARD POLLARD WITH 9 TACKLES AND 2 PICKS OF THE BEST QB IN FOOTBALL SUNDAY.. MAYBE PIOLI AND HALEY SHOULD WORRY MORE ABOUT TALENT THAN PERSONALITY
Scott Pioli was jealous of old Mother Hubbard when he got here and had a chance to evaluate the talent. This year is ugly. Most everybody knew going in that it would be that way.
Every game that is lost is a reminder that Carl Peterson stocked this pantry. Don’t complain when you are served corned beef hash if no filet mignon is on hand for the chefs to prepare.
Time will tell. It is too early to fairly assess the 2009 draft.
On the other hand, the doghouse where Derrick Johnson spends his time seems to be built of structural members that are the figment of Todd Haley’s imagination.
This process won’t change as long as Haley is coach. Losing is frustrating to everybody associated with the team as well as the fans.
So we should hold our noses and keep on.