Monsoon Leftovers From Arrowhead
On the way to River Falls, Wisconsin
All the way up I-35 through Iowa there was evidence that Arrowhead Stadium was not the only place that got some rain Saturday night. Puddles and giant pools of water dotted the corn and soybean fields of Iowa.
That kind of moisture may be good for the crops, but it’s not so good for a football game and it made a difficult evening for the Chiefs more so as they fell to the Houston Texans 16-10.
It’s not so much the score or even the game’s outcome that furrowed the brow of the Chiefs fans who bothered to show up to watch the game, or saw it on the telly. It was the fact that despite massive changes in the organization – a change in culture according to GM Scott Pioli – the results on the field looked just like last year’s Chiefs.
Not enough offense, not enough defense and after Dustin Colquitt, very little from the kicking game. Yet, there the Chiefs were, late in the game, with a chance to win.
Down by the final score, the Kansas City offense has two possessions to get the winning TD and PAT. On the first one with three minutes, 14 seconds to play, three snaps produced five yards. On the second possession, the Chiefs offense had seven plays that produced 11 yards and an interception that all but ended the game with 17 seconds to play.
The Chiefs arrived back in the northwoods for dinner and a meeting Sunday night. They’ll be back on the practice field first thing Monday morning for the first of what’s scheduled to be two practices.
Some other items worth mentioning from the pre-season opener:
– There was nothing on the post-game stat sheet that cleared up the situation at both the punt and kick return positions. Sometimes in practice the Chiefs have had 14 different players catching off the ball machine. Against Houston, only three players got a shot: WRs Rodney Wright and Quinten Lawrence and RB Dantrell Savage. Combined, they returned six punts-kickoffs for a total of 88 yards, the longest being a 24-yard kickoff return by Lawrence. None of those involved claimed the job(s).
– ILB Zach Thomas’ injury has opened the door for Corey Mays and the –year veteran has made something of his opportunity. He started next to Derrick Johnson on the inside of the Chiefs defense and he was active and around the ball. Press box stats credited him with five tackles and he got things done at the line of scrimmage and several times dropping in coverage. Thomas did not make the trip to Kansas City; he was left in River Falls for treatment of his unspecified injury.
– One of the few offensive players with explosion on the Chiefs roster was nearly invisible Saturday night: RB Jamaal Charles. He came in on third-down passing situations, where he lined up as the only back next to QB Matt Cassel who was in the shotgun. After Larry Johnson went to the sidelines midway through the first quarter, it was Jackie Battle that got the carries next, then Dantrell Savage in the second half. Charles ended up with only two carries in the game for two yards.
– Those that have been here in the northwoods watching practices were disappointed when Haley did not make LT Branden Albert and OLB Tamba Hali run a sprint after they were flagged for a false start and offsides during the game. That’s what happens on the River Falls practice fields.
– Rookie K Ryan Succop did a nice job with that 47-yard FG under tough weather and field conditions. But since that score came on the final play of the first half, Succop kicked off just twice in the game. His opening kickoff went three yards deep in the end zone and was brought out to the 25-yard line. Succop’s kickoff after the Thigpen-Cottam TD pass went one-yard deep, but it was returned to the 41-yard line; not enough hang time on that kick.
– It was a first look at how Todd Haley deployed his coaching staff on game day. Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey is in the coaching box, while defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast is on the field. So is special teams coach Steve Hoffman. Working the sidelines for the offense were line coach Bill Muir, assistant head coach Maurice Carthon and WR coach Dedric Ward. In the box with Gailey were TE coach Bob Bicknell and assistant line coach Joe D”Alessandris. Defensively, line coach Tim Krumrie was on the field, with LB coach Gary Gibbs in the box.
– We’ll write about the Arrowhead Stadium changes later in the week, but one thing that’s very different are the video panels on the façade of the club level that goes all the way around the interior of the stadium bowl. When those panels have something bright on the screen, it really lights up the inside of the stadium.
“the results on the field looked just like last year’s Chiefs.”
- yes… how true, eerily so. Makes one more than a bit certain that as Rin has said wasn’t the coaches deficiencies in 2008 – twas the players.
This KC team is till miles from being mediocre if ‘home sweet home’ be sufficient talent- flavor of the moment ‘messers’ & are no more qualified to ‘win’ as such than a Herm Edwards et al were.
Too, this first off season under the guru & the genius have proven to be less than scintillating as far as their talent acquisition.
Rin wonders as he wanders… what did Herm think about the ‘coaching’ (term used loosely) and too the talent ‘upgrades’ (if any) made by KC 2009.
Coach Herm, me thinks that other than the corners – your shining contribution – and your QBS – both Brodie & Tyler outshining by far an Patriot Way’r Mutt you’d be disappointed in the leadership such as it is.
The fans are too Herm… you were right al the time.
daddy-o
Step away from the ledge Mr. Gretz.
Although there was no diffrence in the outcome in this game compared to most last yr, the diffrence was the final outcome was in the hands of the teams 3rd stringer in this game, while last yr we had a 3rd stringer starting because of injury.
Cassel made good passes on the run, but had poor wrs to throw to.
Croyle made some outstanding throws, and both Bradley and Bowe made some outstanding catches.
I’d love to see Toomer and Ingram in the mix, as well as see more from Wright, Copper, and Darling.
Sean Ryan had an oppurtunity to steal the starting TE job from Cottom and (litterally and figuritively) dropped the ball.
I can live with LJ’s 4yrds/carry..which translates to 1st downs, and Battle looked good.
The linebackers showed progress along with Magee, Dorsey, and Tyson Jackson. Its great to see our 2 drafted Dlineman actually looking good early.
The entire defensive secondary looked good.
For once the chiefs look like they have finally found a kicker to compliment Colquit.
Ofcourse the team still has problems that need to be addressed. No one believed the rebuild would occur in 1 season. That being said, one would have to be blind to not see the progress that the team has made, and the turnaround that has begun, despite the return of r2p2 playcalling while Cassel was running the offense.
I’ll blame that on Chan Gailey forgetting that he is in a new arrowhead. Just like the stadium, the teams renovation/rebuild has begun….progress is being made, and although not complete, fans can see tangible improvement.
Pioli and Haley are bringing the chiefs back!
“Cassel . . . had poor wrs to throw to.”
- result of ‘POOR COACHING’ courtesy the main WR coach ‘check’ & the figurehead, Ward.
“Pioli and Haley are bringing the chiefs back!”
- right. ‘check’ Yup, just like Jesus; To borrow from the late Sam Kinison: “What’s it been, 2000+ years now? Yeah the Chiefs like Baby J be comin’ back…hoppin’ and skippin’ all the way.”
&
Bob, RTT0W, are we at the midseason point? Or are we done with the first game of a new regime?
Nobody said it would be easy, and by the way, they will be 0 and 2 after next week. It doesn’t matter if they show progress.
Real Rin ® daddy-o, response to steve
“and by the way, they will be 0 and 2 after next week.”
- agreed stevo0-1′09 soon to be stevo0-2′09 chiefs… will be an even worse bloodbath.
“It doesn’t matter if they show progress.”
- would smite thee to within an inch your life for such blasphemy… you obviously have NO conception of what working to get better entails.
But hey, you are welcome to your opinion anyway. Rin willst not as the insecure bloggers herein do to others whose opines they cannot handle to ‘take your opinions elsewhere’…
Ya’ll come back now…hear?!
&
seriously Rin…..you really need to get thyself a job
Hath one… roll over.
Wellllllllllllllllllllll doggies!
daddy-o
I agree with findthedr. Way too early to freak out about the “loss” and signs of progress are evident. I thought the first team D looked pretty good–very fast and got to the QB. Although Cassel’s stats were horrible, two of his five passes were dropped. He should have been 4/5. Battle looks like a potential beast, Croyle looks like he has some promise as a backup….lots of positives to take away from this preseason “loss”.
It’s easy to talk about it when there is bad weather…but…. It was not a factor….because if you are a pro football team you had better be able to play in bad weather. The Texans played in the same weather and they won….so the weather should not even come up.
Yep….they looked just like the Chiefs of last year….and last year they were in a lot of games right down to the end and yet lost them all….except 2. They have to find a way to get over that hump. If they can figure out how to win games late then look out.
I thought the difference in the two teams were there demeanors. Houston seemed to be calm, relaxed, and had confidence in what they were doing. KC seemed to play almost with desperation from the start. No confidence at all. I think the OL controls that. Houston could run or pass with little worry of penetration into their backfield while the KC backfield was dodging defenders 5 yards deep all night. Without fixing that, there won’t be any progress beyond what we saw.
THE SKY IS FALLING!!!
THE SKY IS FALLING!!!
I think that the playcalling (runs) while Cassel was in may have been a desire not to overuse a sore arm.
Shut up Chicken Little…..ya jerk.