COLUMN: One step forward, two steps back
There were some who saw the Chiefs victory last Sunday over Pittsburgh as a watershed moment for the franchise.
Well … not so much.
There’s no question the Chiefs ability to hang with the Steelers and eventually end up with a victory was a high in what has been three seasons of football disaster. But if the ‘09 team took a step forward with that outcome, it got knocked back three steps on this Sunday by the San Diego Chargers.
It’s nice to beat the defending Super Bowl champions, but the Steelers are old news and do not look like they have much of a chance to repeat. In light of the Chiefs performance at Qualcomm Stadium, last week’s victory may have said more about the ‘09 Steelers than it did about the ‘09 Chiefs.
This was going to be an afternoon where the Chiefs could show how much progress they’ve made since San Diego smashed them by 30 points in late October at Arrowhead Stadium. Todd Haley hoped to see if his team could take another “little baby step” forward as they played the division leaders.
Instead, they actually were worse than they played that day in October. This wasn’t one tiny baby step for the Chiefs; it was one giant leap backwards for the Chiefs Nation.
There’s one thing that remains true in football, no matter the era, the players or the rules: turnovers kill the chances for a team to win games. And, interceptions and fumbles on the road make a difficult task impossible.
Four giveaways were not going to get it done against a team like the Chargers. Through 10 games, the Chiefs had allowed just 23 points off their turnovers, ranking fourth in the league behind teams like Baltimore, New England and Indianapolis.
Well, the Chargers scored 28 points off the four turnovers. That would have been enough right there to beat the Chiefs by 14 points.
“If you turn the ball over, it’s going to get out of hand real quick,” said Haley. “Then it gets ugly.”
There was uglier than just the turnovers. The Chiefs defense did a nice job against the run, allowing just 94 yards. But they were unable to put any consistent pass rush pressure on QB Philip Rivers. He was able to stand behind his offensive line and wait for receivers to get open down the field. And, when those big Chargers receivers were covered, he was always able to find TE Antonio Gates.
One could have watched this game and thought the Chiefs had not prepared for Gates’ participation. He ran through the middle of the K.C. coverage with little or no opposition, catching passes for 16, 19, 16, 18, 12, 15 and 22 yards, two of those for touchdowns.
But I can assure you the Chiefs scouted and drew up plans on defense to cover Gates. They just do not have the type of talent in the secondary – especially at safety and linebacker – that can cover a guy like Gates all over the field. They did a good job of handling WR Vincent Jackson, who in the first game between these teams caught five passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. This time, he caught two passes for 27 yards
The Chiefs defense gave up pass completions of 53, 22, 22, 20, 19, 18, a couple of 16-yard plays and a handful of 15-yarders.
“We had been doing some things better to give us a chance to keep that from happening,” Haley said of his coverage group. “I’ve got to give the Chargers credit. They looked like they executed pretty well.”
And the Chiefs did not. How do you explain a usually reliable Rudy Niswanger sailing two shotgun snaps over the head of Matt Cassel? For three years he’s been solid on the deep snap and suddenly he’s firing them all over the yard?
“I have not seen a problem with Rudy until today,” said Haley. “It’s never been an issue with Rudy; it came out of nowhere. Clearly, those really hurt us. ”
No one expected the Chiefs to leave Qualcomm with a victory in their pocket. The Chargers came into this encounter with a five-game winning streak that is now six. This is a team that has been playing at the top of the AFC West for five years, winning four division championships. They are on their way to another AFC West title if they play as well as what we saw on Sunday.
The Chiefs are so far away from being able to think of themselves in the same picture as the Chargers. They’ve now lost five in a row and six of the last seven games to San Diego. The gap between these teams can be bridged, but it won’t matter if the Chiefs play like they did on this Sunday.
“They beat us in every phase; you’ve got to give them credit,” said FS Jon McGraw. “It’s frustrating not being able to build on what we did last week. Hopefully we can learn something from this.”
Maybe we can all learn that one victory is not going to be the watershed moment for the future of the Chiefs. I hate to sound like Todd Haley, but this is a process and what we saw on a sunny Sunday in San Diego is that this process has a long way to go before it’s going to field a team that can compete with the best in the AFC.
[...] 11.29 - COLUMN: One step forward, two steps back [...]
I agree the Chiefs took a major stomping today. You can’t have four turnovers, snap the ball over the QB’s head twice (once on 4th down), let players run unmolested and uncovered through your secondary all day and expect to compete. I don’t disagree with how badly we played. I do find it interesting that you saw all the ugliness in this performance that I don’t really recall hearing about so harshly last year when we looked every bit as bad. We’re not a good team and not even consistently competitive at this point. I’m not really surprised at how the game turned out given the mistakes made early and the fact that a truly good San Diego team capitalized on them. We have no real margin for error against anyone, let alone a championship contender. But it was one game that went kersplat. Get off your high horse and give it a break! We played a good game last week and followed it up with a stinker this week. That’s what not very good teams do. Let’s see how the rest of the season goes and what offseason moves are made to make us more competitive. Maybe this was a giant step backwards for the banished members of Chiefs Nation but it was one more lousy game to go with the others over the LAST THREE YEARS for the rest of us!
Ok since BobGretz has gone the direction he has gone the past month – I have a comment…if you read Bob’s blog entries backwards…the following occurs…
1) The main blogger’s dog and truck are returned to him.
2) The Chiefs have not lost a game before the game has even started.
3) A whole lot of cheezy g-rin’s disappear along with every word that comes from same in the comment section.
Keep heart Chiefs fans – these games will happen during our rebuilding – but we’ll stick with them through the good and bad of it.
This team is so far from competetive that it makes me depressed. Last years team would eat this one up, and that’s saying something. Wake me up in 4 years when we might be competetive again. I strongly emphasize the word MIGHT!
Until then, can I borrow somebodies rose colored glasses to watch games with? Then maybe I’d see the potential of this years changes.
The Chargers have been a well run organization for a long time. They have drafted well and their draft picks live up to expectations more often than not.
The Chiefs-Chargers talent gap has been brought to you courtesy of Carl Peterson.
Later, sometime in the second decade of this century, that gap will close and there will be games that are more competitive.
Pioli Sux, Cassel Sux, Jackson Sux, Dorsey Sux… I could go on and on.
Cassel is incapable of hitting a receiver in stride. This cannot be taught or learned. He is a bust and Pioli should have known. He did the same thing in New England last year. If he could hit a receiver in stride…the Pat’s might have make the playoffs last year. He is incapable.
Jackson Sux! Let me guess… All of you koolaid drinkers are going to tow the company line – “You can’t judge a D-Lineman in the first year.”
How many times have we heard that???
Answer: Every time the front office picks a sorry D-lineman.
Jared Allen had 10 sacks his FIRST year! What has Jackson or Dorsey done??? NOTHING!!!! They Suck!!!!!!
Pioli rode Belichick the same way Carl rode Marty.
Pioli Sucks!!!
[...] COLUMN: One step forward, two steps back from Bob Gretz [...]
Hey Husteak, over react much?
Give it time. Seems like you’re taking the collective misery of the CP/Herm era and the 2009 season and putting it all on Pioli. Besides, don’t you think Haley had something to do with player selection? I doubt if he forced Cassel down his throat.
I don’t drink the “Kool-aid” but I do think it is too early to judge a new GM, coach, team in just one year. Great drafting will be critical.
CF63 – Good points.
But do you see any draft picks from this year’s draft that are good?
OK – The kicker looks okay…
I am just tired of my team sucking! And I don’t see any good young talent. Do you? Any difference makers? Any future Pro Bowlers?
Jackson – NO.
Magee – Maybe? Prob Not.
Washington – NO.
Cottom, O’Connell, Merritt – NO and NO and WHO.
Jarvis Williams – WHO?
Quinten Lawrence – NO.
Albert – Maybe – The league is full of Tackles that are “Maybe’s”.
Hali – NO.
Flowers – Maybe.
Carr – Maybe.
Dorsey – NO.
Morgan – NO.
Charles – Maybe – If he can learn to hold on to the ball. Again – the league is full of RB’s that are “Maybe’s”.
Where is the Talent?
Was there any doubt that Jared Allen would be a ProBowl d-end in his Rookie year? Not to me.
Where are the future probowl’ers on this team?
Who are the future difference makers?
I’m not saying TJ has been good/great, but when will people learn that 3-4 DEs and 4-3 DEs have COMPLETELY different responsibilities and do not get the same kind of stats? In the 3-4, our pass rush falls mainly on the shoulders of the outside linebackers (and any blitzers), NOT the d-line (not directly, at least… they eat up blockers).
The lack of a pass rush on sunday falls on many shoulders, but none more than Hali.
It will take time folks. We have many weaknesses & good opponents exploit them. Not having enough talent at LB leads to continual use of check-downs & shallow crossing routes for WRs & TEs, etc. Slow Safeties is an invite for big plays. Our fairly talented CBs look poor sometimes because the have to cover for too long!
I’ve said last year & all year this year that Rudy IS NOT what’s needed at C, but we’ll have to wait to get a replacement if they don’t go ahead & put Wade Smith there. I know I would.
Once the O line has more quality, drives will take up more time, more points will be scored & expose the Defense less. We HAVE to have more speed at S & better LBs. Our run D seems to have somewhat stabilized.
2010 priorities:
1) O-Line (any of C, RG, RT)
2) Pass rush (ROLB? Hali not a consistent threat)
3) Play-making Safety
4) TE or WR
5) NT?
Uncuffed…you are right on in my opinion. I would go Safety (Berry) first, o-line with two second rounders (OT and OG/C), and WR/TE/OLB/NT with the rest of the draft as well as free agency. I think there are some “diamonds in the rough” at WR who can be obtained in the later rounds/undrafted.
I would also strongly consider trading Brian Waters and D Bowe for draft picks. I’m guessing they would bring a third and second respectively.
We have our new #1 receiver in Chambers. Catches passes and gets yac. Bowe drops to many. Chambers and Wade look decent and Long is getting better as the year goes on. Magee is getting pressure on limited plays. I wouldn’t call him a bust and Dorsey is playing alot better this year than last year. We need safties who can cover ground. We need a big play linebacker. Remember our offense just now has as many practices under the new offense as they had all summer and training camp.
Husteak, I agree that this team is devoid of much talent, but I also realize that it will take another two years to get it fixed. I’ve been preaching oline rebuild since the 2006 draft, but of course nobody at 1 Arrowhead Dr would listen to me. The Chiefs poor def line choices during the CP era means that they have to use draft picks to replace those players instead of using them on WRs, LBs, safeties, etc. You have to build from the interior out. Having said that, this team has so many needs I would probably take the best player available. Better to have a good player that is more likely to contribute than a player that won’t be on your team in a year.
“I would also strongly consider trading Brian Waters and D Bowe for draft picks.”
Yes I assume you’d like them traded to Denver or Oakland. How many more “future” draft picks would we like to accumulate? Let’s trade Dorsey for a 3rd Rounder and Cassel for a 4th rounder too.
SG…you are short-sighted.
“you are short-sighted.”
I believe you’re over-estimating the return on the trade for Waters. D-Bowe is what – a 3rd year WR? So we should trade a 80-catch guy with 7 seasons left in the tank for what – a 2nd or 3rd rounder (we have only invested a 1st round pick and a few million dollars in the guy so his best seasons can be with another team)?
Who are we going to get for those picks – a d-lineman in the order of Junior Siavii – or wait – we could get the next Eddie Freeman. Have you had your Foster’s this morning?? Brilliant!