From The Wild Card Games … Monday Cup O’Chiefs
So after the first four games of the 2009 NFL playoffs are in the books, what did we learn?
Save for the defensive farce that was Arizona’s victory over Green Bay, we had re-affirmed several football truths, three in-fact:
- If you want to win in the post-season, you had better be able to score points.
- Teams that run the ball are going to improve their odds of winning.
- A team planning to advance must play defense; specifically, they must stop the run.
That’s what the New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys did in winning three of the four wild-card weekend games. Arizona followed two of those three commandments in winning the highest scoring game in NFL post-season history. Remarkably, the Cardinals defense won this game as LB Karlos Dansby returned a fumble yards for a touchdown in overtime. That’s Dansby above, celebrating the victory.
Actually, a fourth amendment was also confirmed – if you have trouble doing any of those three truths, then having a great quarterback can make all the difference in the world. Yet, the great QB doesn’t guarantee anything – just ask the Patriots and Tom Brady. They couldn’t stop the Ravens running game, they could not run themselves and they lost the turnover battle. Even with Brady, New England’s season ended early.
On average, the winners over the wild-card weekend had a two-to-one edge in rushing yardage. Simply, they were able to run and also stop the run. Here are the numbers:
| Winning Team |
Rush Yards |
Rush Yards Allowed |
Difference In Rush Yards |
||
| New York Jets |
41-171 |
22-171 |
0 |
||
| Dallas |
35-198 |
13-56 |
+142 |
||
| Baltimore |
52-234 |
18-64 |
+170 |
||
| Arizona |
23-156 |
20-90 |
+66 |
||
| Average |
38-190 |
18-95 |
+95 |
||
There was another statistic that almost always shows the winner; turnover ratio. All four winners were on the plus side in the turnover battle. Dallas was plus-3, while the other three winners were plus-2.
There are eight teams left in the playoffs. Half of those teams rely on great quarterbacks: Indianapolis, San Diego, New Orleans and Arizona. The other four rely on running the ball and stopping the run: Baltimore, New York Jets, Minnesota and Dallas.
It takes more than a great quarterback. But if you have one of the best, it makes many things possible. And, if a team doesn’t have one of those quarterbacks, they had better run the ball and stop the run.
There’s been a lot of attention since the end of the Chiefs ‘09 season about their offense. There were the 44 points they scored in Denver (30 by the offense), the explosion of yards from RB Jamaal Charles and then the hiring late last week of Charlie Weis as offensive coordinator. But if the Chiefs are to put themselves into contender class for a spot in the playoffs, they are going to need major improvement; some might say a major overhaul of their defense.
As weak as the Chiefs receiving corps was during the ‘09 season, as poor as the overall pass protection was, the lack of a running game for half of the season – none of that hurt the Chiefs the way the inability to stop the run and to stop opponents from scoring. They allowed an average of 156.5 rushing yards per game; that was the second worst run defense in the league. They allowed 43 touchdowns to opposing offenses, tied for seventh in the most opponent TDs allowed during the season.
The dozen teams in the playoffs averaged No. 11 in the league against the run, or an average of 107 rushing yards per game. On average they allowed 30 touchdowns by the opposing offenses.
In the last three seasons, or since the Chiefs last made the playoffs, they’ve ranked 28th, 30th and now 31st in stopping the run.
If they want to join the post-season party, making giant strides with their defense is the way to go.
ROMEO, OH ROMEO, WHEREFORE ART THOU ROMEO
Romeo Crennel, the former head coach of the Cleveland Browns and defensive coordinator of the Patriots through their Super Bowl victories has been on vacation. He was in Aruba. Lucky guy.
Crennel reportedly is supposed to return home on Monday and he already knows there are at least two NFL teams very interested in speaking with him and speaking with him soon: the Chiefs and the Giants.
The 62-year old Crennel has talked often with the Chiefs, going back to a year ago when Todd Haley was trying to fill out his staff. Remember that he worked with Haley on the Jets staff in the late 1990s, handling the defensive line for Bill Parcells. He went to New England in 2001 as defensive coordinator.
FINALLY, A POST-SEASON VICTORY FOR T-RICH
It was his rookie season of 1995 that Tony Richardson first played in a post-season game. T-Rich was part of that Chiefs team that lost to Indianapolis at Arrowhead Stadium in a divisional game. Then they lost to Denver at Arrowhead in another divisional game in 1997. And again, they lost a divisional game in the playoffs at home in 2003, when they fell to Indianapolis.
On Saturday, in his 15th NFL season, Richardson finally experienced post-season success, as his New York Jets beat Cincinnati, 24-14. The Jets will play San Diego in a division round game next weekend.
“I wasn’t sure it would ever happen, but it’s great that it came with these guys,” Richardson told reporters after the game. “This is a good team that believes in itself. I’ve been on those kind of teams before, but this one is different. We believe we can win every game.”
How will T-Rich celebrate his first post-season victory?
“Get ready for the next one,” he said with a smile.
SOME OTHER FORMER CHIEFS STILL IN THE POST-SEASON
The Bengals season ended on Saturday, but Larry Johnson’s ended before that as he was a healthy scratch for the game against the Jets. Brings back memories of the Chiefs 2003 game against Indianapolis in the playoffs in Johnson’s rookie season; he was inactive for that game as well.
LB Monty Beisel moves on with the Cardinals after Arizona’s victory. Up in Minnesota, DE Jared Allen and CB Benny Sapp are waiting for the arrival of the Cowboys. In San Diego, DE Alphonso Boone and RB Michael Bennett are waiting for the Jets to come in for a divisional game this coming weekend.
Down in New Orleans, LB Scott Fujita will be part of the defense that tries to slow down the Cardinals.
SIGNINGS, INJURIES & MOVEMENT AROUND THE LEAGUE
- BROWNS – have hired Tom Heckert as their new general manager.
- EAGLES – expected to promote Howie Roseman to general manager’s position to replace Tom Heckert.
- SEAHAWKS – Pete Carroll resigned on Sunday as head coach at Southern Cal.
SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY …
Born on January 11, 1976 in Saginaw, Michigan was DT Alfonso Boone He joined the Chiefs in 2007 as a free agent after spending six seasons with the Bears. Boone played two seasons with the Chiefs (2007-08), appearing in 30 games with 19 starts. He contributed 45 total tackles and two sacks, along with one fumble recovery. Boone was released before the start of the ‘09 regular season and he’s on the roster for the Chargers in the playoffs.
Born on January 11, 1951 in Houston was TE Gary Butler. He was selected in the second round of the 1973 NFL draft, the 27th player taken overall out of Rice University. Butler played in only that rookie season (1973) with the Chiefs, appearing in 14 games. He caught eight passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran twice for 10 yards. Butler finished his career playing one season each for the Bears and Buccaneers.
Born on January 11, 1963 in Atlanta, Georgia was LB Angelo Snipes. He joined the Chiefs in 1987 after spending time with the Redskins and Chargers. Snipes played in three seasons with the Chiefs (1987-89), appearing in 21 games, with eight starts.
Born on January 11, 1969 in Cincinnati was CB Darren Anderson. He joined the Chiefs in 1994 after spending two seasons with the Patriots and Buccaneers. Anderson played four seasons with the Chiefs (1994-97), appearing in 53 games, with five starts. He had one interception, that he returned 55 yards for a touchdown during the 1997 season. Anderson finished up his career in 1998, playing six games with the Falcons.
[...] From The Wild Card Games … Monday Cup O’Chiefs-BobGretz.com [...]
When the Chiefs got thrashed by Cleveland it was the lack of ability to stop the run that bothered me far more than the dropped passes and return touchdowns on special teams. Stopping the run, as far as I’m concerned, is the number one priority for next season if the Chiefs want to be competitive. I think there is a good chance, based on his history, that Pioli will take a nose tackle with the first pick, if he believes any available are good enough.
The packers flat got screwed. How do you not call facemask penalty on that last play. When QB’s get sneezed on they call penalties yet in a playoff game no call….
It will be interesting to see what happens with Crennel. I also wonder if there’s anyone else the Chiefs might be looking at for DC. Or if it’s just Crennel…and if they can’t land him, then stick with Pendergast?
And good for T-Rich. I’m certainly no fan of the Jets, but I’ll be pulling for them to knock off the Chargers next weekend. I don’t think I’d bet on it, though.
Rick—-The Chiefs have lost about 6 games that were close in the last 2 years on miss calls & no calls .
A good question may be , How come when they are standing right there , and they can’t get it ?
Cardinals looked pretty good and efficient without the “great” mind of Haley…..hmmmm…..but thier d-fense still sucked…..I hope we’re not building the same type of team in KC, which is a carbon copy of Vermiels team!
Alexthe”GREAT”,
Tha Haley-bashing has run its course, don’t you think? He’s the head coach whether you like it or not. Get over it.
Well they did get screwed the last TD by Fitzgerald was setup by offensive pass interference, I mean the receiver isn’t allowed past the 5 yard mark to run over a safety while running his route, definately missed that one…
Isn’t Junior Siavii with Dallas?
In whole, I thought it was pretty poor playoff games, so far. If you cared about one of the teams, it was ok and if your team won, ok. It would have been better if the NFL shuffled the games. Dal/Phi three times in one year, to much. Only one I found interesting was GB/Ari, Not well executed, no defense, remember Vermeil. Did not care who won.
Bob,
Great point regarding the defense. The Chiefs have a lot of needs,but I would focus mostly on the defense. The Ravens and Jets both played good old fashioned football-ran the ball,played good defense and won the turnover battle. The Chiefs need to get back to that kind of football. Find a pass rusher,A run stuffer, a linebacker or two and a new starting safety. A lot to ask for in one off season,but if they can get started down that path, with next years schedule, they should be much improved
el cid says:
“It would have been better if the NFL shuffled the games.”
Yeah…funny how three of the four games were repeats of the week before. Two of the three had different outcomes, though…I suppose.
Jet-Benagals – Didn’t care.
Cowboys-Eagles – Always root against Dallas…but don’t care for Philly, either. So take your pick.
Cardinals-Packers – Kind of fun to watch, if you like lots of Offense.
Ravens-Patriots – Best game of the four, I thought. Good to see the Patriots get beat soundly. At home, no less. Funny to hear the hometown crowd boo their team, and even Tom Brady, on most every play. What have you done for me lately, right Patriot fans?
I enjoyed watching all the playoff games. I did not have any favorites nor wishing one team to win over another. But, I did want the Cowboys to lose & the Patriots to stumble.
I project these teams to win their next game. Ravens, Chargers, Saints & Vikings.
Gotta Love the post season. Even better when the Chiefs are playing. Maybe next year.
I agree. Unless you can stop the run, you won’t be in many games. So, where does that leave the Chiefs and their priorities this off-season?
I’d say a run stuffing ILB, NT, and SS in about that order. McClain from Bama should get a good look in the draft.
jimbo says:
“I project these teams to win their next game. Ravens, Chargers, Saints & Vikings.”
I would have to agree, except for maybe the Ravens game. Indy should win, and I hope they do…but the Ravens could give them some problems, no doubt.
If it comes down to the Colts, Chargers, Saints, and Vikings…that’s really the best four teams in the league. And that’s how it should be. I’d still like to see the Colts and Saints in the Super Bowl. If both teams can get back to their early to mid-season form…that should be a great game. (And please, no matter what happens…please don’t let the Vikings or the Chargers make it.)
Here’s a good one…sure to be a trivia question for years to come.
In the Cardinals/Packers game, Kurt Warner actually had more touchdown passes (five) than incompletions (four).
How crazy is that?
Warner was deadly–if the Chiefs had one Safety like Troy Polmalu AND replace Jackson with someone that can get out of his own way . Thats the problem , like no one else got a chance to run the ball because of LJ and by shutting all those doors , you never know !
On Jackson –They have tight ends that can do way better than pokie .
Jarred Allen told me once that he can play at his best at under 270 and at 275 , about half .
Jim,
I found it interesting what Haley said about Jackson at his season-ending PC:
“I had a long talk with Tyson Jackson that I won’t go into the specifics of, but this is a critical, critical off-season for him. Those guys playing on the defensive line go from playing against boys most of the time to playing against men all of the time – every week. That’s why it’s such a difficult transition. He now has a year’s experience under his belt to help him understand how much harder he has to work to put him in a position to succeed. He’s got his mindset in the right place, he’s got a plan, he’s got his off-season mapped out and I’m looking for him to make big strides.”
Sounds like maybe Jackson wasn’t working as hard as he should have been. At least, that’s the way I read it. I also kinda’ felt like there was an implied “or else” at the end of what he said.
To help KC stop the run, I hope they either draft LB Rolando McClain from Alabama, he is going to be a damn good LB. But if S Eric Berry is still there it would be hard to pass on him if he is the next Ed Reed. Either one of those two players will help out our defense a lot.
Still say Jackson was not just a disappoint but a major set back. He may be adequate in a few years but in the mean time the Pioli rebuild was trashed its first year. Mad Chiefs also said Lawrence was a core player, how do you explain that one? Look forward Pioli needs to do a much better job in 2010’s draft. For such a supposed draft guru, he did nothing in 09.
Haley is here and should get some imput into draft picks, I am assuming Jackson was not his wilda$$ed pick. So let him get who he needs.
Sorry Mad Chief, I missed typed. Haley said Lawrence was a core player, what is your opinion on that. Sometimes fingers move faster than my brain or vice versa.
Well el cid, Haley called also Brodie Croyle a “core player”…so? I have no explanations, really.
But, I’m still not ready to give up on Lawrence. The kid has a ton of speed, and has a lot of potential to be a good player. He’s just young and inexperienced. He just might make it someday. “Speed”, “raw talent”, “potential”…a lot of these things were being said about Jamaal Charles last year. Lawrence wasn’t a high draft pick, so there’s no real harm in giving him a chance. I’m willing to see what our ‘09 draftees can do in year two…before I declare them wasted picks.
I buy Brodie being a core player. At the price and as a backup, he fits into the core that Haley can forget about while trying to work on the rest of the team. But having speed and raw talent, and has shown absolutely nothing in return, Lawrence looks like a bust. Just like the rb they drafted, OL from MU, and the TE looks like a definitely special teamer of course I am not sure how many TEs the Chiefs roster can hold. My point is many kids can develope in the next few years. But Pioli has a rep, a can’t miss rep and so far, the Chiefs do not have much to show for it. The next draft will go a long way into showing Pioli’s true colors. After all the Chiefs will only get some much good press from Weis hiring.
Here’s a link for an interview with our very own, apparently too modest, Bob Gretz…addressing the very same subject of Pioli and the draft. You should enjoy it, el cid.
https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/1/11/1245376/as-for-pioli-being-hindered-by#comments
Anon how did I bash Haley? I said he had a “great” mind….I love Haley he will go down as the greatest coach 2 ever succeed Herm…..(he he)
Crap…hit “submit comment” too soon.
Bob, how about being that honest on your own site? I would love it…whether I agree or not. I never see you say things like that here.
Brodie could be in need of the same thing Jackson needs , a lot time in the Weight room , with a lot of hard mussel building . I did that once and at one point I knew I could handel anything .
It’s not just the strenght , but the self confidence .
Brodie Croyle is a trooper. What he did in the offseason & boot camp to restore his knee is impressive. The kid has the arm, the passion the toughness & work ethic that any coach would want on his team. With that said, I’m not a big Croyle fan, but should Cassel go down because of injury, Croyle makes a great backup. IMO. He at least has some experience in the NFL & I don’t think he is as brittle as in years past.
I am not sure of the acuracy of the “grets article” Mad Chief. I have heard repeatedly the OL Brown was not no anybodies draft board but Bob never suggested it so far. I grew very tired of many saying “it was carl’s scouts who somehow got Jackson drafted, not Pioli’s fault”. Also have a hard time accepting, Pioli chose those kids because of some future time frame for excellence. Except the team was 2-14 under herm and had more needs than about any other team in the NFL. Almost every pick could have been a starter except for Pioli’s future stars.
Leaving the area for a few day, so a parting shot. Scott Pioli before joining the Chiefs may have been the hotest executive material with his 4X Exec. of year awards and the success of NE. Since joining the Chiefs he get credit for Haley and trading Cassel. But basically he has hidden from public, silienced the organization, and done a piss poor job in free agency and drafts. It is his way and more power to him IF IT PRODUCES WINS. That will determined in the future. The constant barrage of fans who believe nothing (no communication with the public) is something. Let us all relax until the next draft. Can he find a starter who delivers by the start of season or will there be a parade of 2-3 years guys. The NFL is not built on years to rebuild, now it is seasons.
If the “2-3 year guys” start producing…then after those initial 2-3 years, you’ll have guys that start producing every year. I believe that’s how New England was built in the draft. They generally drafted guys who fit their “system”, not big names. Of course, some of those guys turned into big names…but they didn’t start off that way.
And I’ll give Pioli full credit, or full blame for the 2009 draft. It’s just too early to judge.
It’s too early to judge 2009 draft, that is true. It would be interesting to see where dollars are on each side of the ball. Can Chiefs really spend more on d-line without neglecting some other position? Of course they could spend more, too. . . Chiefs must add one or two pieces on o-line. Niswanger may be okay on the roster as 6th or 7th lineman, but me thinks we need to use a high pick on a stud center.
I think that it’s true that the scouts weren’t used and that Pioli already had scouted players while with New England. I also think that the chiefs need to pick up another O-lineman, I dont know if it’s a tackle or not, but the point is, what happens if/when Charles goes down with an injury and the there is no protection afforded the O-line due to only having one Jamaal Charles?? It’s not like it can’t happen and then the O-line goes back to trying to block for a RB without the speed.
Sounds like Romeo Crennel will likely be coming to KC. Weis running the Offense…and Crennel running the Defense? Things are looking up, for sure. The credibility these two will bring to this team? FA’s will start thinking twice before dismissing the Chiefs as an option. I would bet on it.
And those few of you that keep questioning the Chiefs organization’s commitment to building a winner here? What can you say now? This team IS committed to winning. Times are changing…and our wait will soon be over. Arrowhead will be rocking again, as it should be.
The chiefs bringing in new big name coordinators sounds great, but I will reserve my praise until after they start winning. The Washington Redskins brought back a superbowl winning coach in Joe Gibbs once upon a time and they didn’t get any better. I hope they can make things better