SB Nation User Blog: Texas Chief

The NFL is a Game in the Shallows

Texas Chief — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:51:18 -0000

-From the FanPosts. -Matt

It's been awhile since I sat down and made a new post here on AP. I thought it was time to prove to DThomas, Chris, and Joel that I'm not dead yet. For those that know me you will recognize the defensive subject matter. For those that don't, just know that pee-wee to college I played LB in every system there is. I don't know squat about offense, unless it's how to read it from the defensive side of the ball. My posts are never short, so if you're looking for a dessert post you should stop reading now. This will be a multi-course meal.

In the pee-wee's the focus is on letting everyone play. Sure, you want to win but just learning some basics and playing a game with friends is what matters. In grade and middle schools the focus turns to winning, playing with sound fundamentals, and running the ball. The kids just simply aren't physically developed to a point of being masters of their own bodies, and coordination. In high school, as boys become men the focus is most definitely on winning. In fact, in places like here in Texas winning on the high school level gets almost as much press and praise as the college game. In smaller communities it may get even more. Passing becomes much more important, and for the first time ever game plans and schemes begin to take shape. By the time college rolls around we see something that almost looks like the football we know in the NFL......ALMOST.

Only the best of the best make it to the NFL, and only the top 10% of those ever make it to "status" in the NFL. The reason is simple: the NFL is a game played in the shallows. College offenses play the spread offence with a mobile QB that dances around the field while coverage scheme heavy defenses drop players back into coverage and give QB's all day to find an open receiver. This is exactly why week after week you watch college games where teams are scoring 40,50 and 60 points while the pros struggle to break 30. The big play and the long pass is what college spread offenses are made of. If the defenses were even 1/2 as good as the offenses the scores would be lower and the games would be more interesting to watch. Then comes the NFL.

More after the jump...

The NFL will always have need for the pocket passer. The mobile QB that was so good in college often comes to the NFL and falls flat on their faces. The long bomb passes of college are few and far between on most NFL fields. One or two huge pass plays a game are all most NFL teams will ever have. The defenses are better, faster, and stronger. Why, you ask?

A smart pocket passer that can read the defense before the snap, identify the hot route, and deliver the ball quickly and accurately is a must have position in the NFL. A mobile QB without read ability may gain some yards with their legs on occasion, but they will not be successful long term on the NFL level.

NFL defensive coordinators like to dial up blitzes to get to the QB and rattle them. They want to limit the QB's time in the pocket to let a play develop, and they do not want to play coverage schemes that allow a QB to wait for a play to develop and a receiver to eventually get open. In college when a QB reads blitz one of 2 things happens: 1) The QB, who is in shotgun, rolls out and runs the ball against slower weaker defenders. 2) The coach's begin setting up max-protect sets where TE's and RB's are kept in for pass protection. This allows for extra blockers to pick up extra blitzers; again affording the QB's time to dance around waiting for a receiver to get open.

It works in college, BUT... in the NFL the QB's don't get to run around all day because TE's and RB's can't block DE's LB' and S's crashing down in blitzes. Fear not, the NFL has its own solution. That solution is called the 'hot route'. INSTEAD of playing max protect offense the QB is expected to identify the defense in a pre-snap read. The play is then either changed, or the receivers, TE's and RB's are expected to key on the blitz and default to a hot route. The QB takes the snap KNOWING that 7 blitzers are coming and only 6 protectors are available to block. The QB's job is to stand in the pocket and QUICKLY pass the ball out to the hot route before the unblocked or chip blocked blitzer can get there. Only a pocket passer QB that can read the defense can get this done. There simply is not enough time for a QB to dance around in the backfield hoping a receiver can get open. After all, this isn't college ball.

The 'hot route' is ALWAYS in the shallows. It might be in the center shallows or it might be in the outside shallows, but it's ALWAYS in the shallows. There's not enough time for the TE, Slot, or RB to get down field for a long 'hot route', so one or more of them will play in the shallows. The NFL game is all about the shallows. Whoever wins the battle in the shallows usually wins the game.

The Shallows are the area of the field behind the LB's and in front of the DB's. It can be inside or outside but it's always between the 2nd and 3rd level of the defense. Not only do blitzing defenses force plays into the shallows, but entire offensive game plans are built around the shallows. It's called a 'play action' pass. Play action passes start out by showing run, and then as the LB's suck up to the line a RB or TE or Slot crosses the middle or drops to the flat in the shallows. The more the LB's crash the line the bigger the shallows become.

Wes Welker makes his bones in the shallows. So did Bobby Engram, Amani Toomer, Chris Henry, Tony Gonzalez, Zach Miller, etc etc.... the list goes on and on. Because the NFL is played in the shallows. Should a team decide to make up for the line crashing LB's and slip the safeties/corners up to shorten the shallows then guys like Randy Moss and Terrell Owens will easily slip behind the DB's and take the big play. But as I said before, in the NFL big plays come few and far between.

I have read (and argued against) the idea that LB's don't need to have coverage skills over and over on AP. The shallows are the LB's bread and butter and also their problem to defend. If a team's LB's cannot pass cover in the shallows they may as well take off the helmets and forfeit the game. I have been watching the Chiefs LB's and to put it lightly: their coverage skills need vast improvement.

As an example: Offense lines up with a TE strong 21 personnel. (21 = 2 backs, 1 TE) or a TE strong 11 personnel (you figure it out). At the snap of the ball the back goes HARD to the weak side 2 gap, the QB turns to hand off to the RB and then......... ......the LB's crash the gaps to play the run just as the QB pulls the ball back in. The TE is now in the shallows strong side running a crossing route behind the LB that have given up the shallows to pursue the run.

IF your LB's CANT play coverage then they play poor technique. When they realize that the ball was not handed off they turn 90-100 degrees to the strong and LOOK for the TE. They see him running a crossing route BEHIND them and then they take off to catch up. The QB easily passes the ball to the TE who catches it for a 3-10 yard gain + whatever YAC (yards after catch) he can get.

If your LB's CAN play coverage then they play good technique. When they realize the ball was NOT handed off they turn 180 degrees and immediately run FULL SPRINT behind them. They don't waste time looking for the TE. They get to where he WILL BE to receive the pass, not where is currently is, while crossing the field to get behind them. It seems like a little thing, but that tiny amount of reaction time is the difference between a LB being able to challenge the pass in the shallows, and the TE getting an easy catch and run in the center shallows.

The same holds true for OLB's in the flats. Only instead of turning 180 they need to turn 135 degrees and blast the sideline for the out route. Neither the ILB's or the OLB's have the time to THINK or LOOK for the ball. Instead they have to react to the play and protect the shallows.

Once a LB gets into position to disrupt the pay they have to have the skills to take on a BIG TALL TE or a small FAST RB or a SLIPPERY Slot receiver. They WILL BE OUTMATCHED; either in speed, height, strength, or agility. They cannot let being outmatched mean getting beat. Their coverage technique HAS TO BE so good that with almost zero reactionary time they can blanket a potential receiver and make a play on the BALL. --- That's right, the ball... not the player.

With their back to the QB a LB in coverage has to be able to watch the receiver and know when to make their break/move/jump on the ball based off of the receivers reaction to it. In order to do that their read and react coverage skills have to be tremendous. If they aren't then the LB's team is going to give up 3-12 yard plays in the shallows all day.

As another example: The offense lines up in a 4 wide empty set. (No backs, 1 TE aka 01 personnel or 'empty set') The defense is showing blitz. They are sending 3 linemen, 2 LB's and a safety in to blitz. There are 7 defenders blitzing and only 6 blockers to pick them up.

The offense immediately recognizes blitz. The QB sees is and KNOWS that there will be an unblocked defender. The QB also KNOWS that his #1 receiver will be in single man to man coverage DEEP. The QB also knows that the slot receiver is his 'hot route'. The slot will be running an outside shallows weak. The #1 receiver will streak down the field in man to man coverage, the OLB will be coming in a blitz and the slot will be covered by an inside LB as he slips into the shallows of the area the #1 receiver just vacated.

The QB has only 1 thing to look for after the snap: Did the #1 receiver IMMEDIATELY blow past the CB in coverage at the line. If he DID it's a deep ball pass to the #1. If he did NOT the QB takes the snap and throws to the Slot in the outside shallows.

The only one to protect the entire side of the field is the ILB. If that LB cannot play pass coverage the slot will have 30 yards of open running room before the non-blitzing safety can get over to help. Once again the team that wins the battle in the shallows wins the day.

The NFL is a game in the shallows, more so than any other place on the field. The defenders in the shallows are the LB's.

If your LB's can't play smart football, and play pass coverage then pack your gear up and go home because any pocket passer is going to pick you apart all game long. The Chief's currently cannot play coverage from the LB position. They may get better as the season progresses, but at the moment they are losing the game ---- in the shallows.

This is not an advertisement

Texas Chief — Sun, 31 May 2009 16:31:30 -0000

Along with Primetime I'm one of many Chiefs fans that have Sirius NFL Radio in my car/home. My goal here is not to advertise that you go out and buy it, but just to pass on some information for those that do have it.

They have been doing a series for the 50th AFL anniversary. Each week on Sunday they pick one of origional AFL teams and do a complete "all time" breakdown for that team, including picking a "all time" players at every position. They have already done the Bills, and the Titans/Jets. Today they are covering the L.A./Oakalnd Raiders, and next week is the Texans/Chiefs week.

If you have access to a sattelite radio I thought you might want to know that next Sunday at 11 central the Chiefs program starts. The show is 4 hours long, and focused on the Chiefs. I can't remember exactly, and will include a bunch of guests from all era's of the Texans/Chiefs.

So there you have it. A heads up for the Chiefs fans out there. There has been a series of posts on all time bests by the numbers, and another thread where people picked their favorite "all time" Chiefs. It should be interesting to see who the guys from the radio programs would pick and why.

*On a completely unrelated note: Hmills, do me a favor and shoot me an email at the address in my profile. I checked your profile for one, but you don't have one listed that I can send a note to. Thanks.

For the Sake of Posterity

Texas Chief — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:44:38 -0000

I was reading the 2008 draft results post. For some reason the comment section on that post has been closed, not sure why. I was looking over the picks and my eyes were drawn to all the negatives were more than a full round reach. (-32 to -132).

This doesn't warrent a new fanpost (sorry Chris) but seeing as the comments are closed I made one anyway.

Just for the sake of posterity I think we should track the players that were picked by APers that are considered more than a full round of reach. I'd love to see who amung the football brains may have been able to spot a diamond in the rough in the draft.

Kentwan Balmer (-53)

Phillip Merling (-132)

John Carlson (-63)

James Hardy (-70)

Jerome Simpson (-72)

Trever Laws (-65)

Limas Sweed (-39)

Mile Pollak (-98)

My Turn for Chiefs Draft Trade Craziness

Texas Chief — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 19:31:02 -0000

From the FanPosts. One of the better thought out trade down scenarios for the Chiefs I've seen. Please keep this post in mind before you post two paragraphs that don't make any sense. -Chris

So, seeing as everyone else has listed some ideas about who we could trade down with for our #3 overall pick I thought I'd take a shot at it.

Denver, San Fran, Tampa Bay, the Jets, and Seattle may be in need of a QB, but that's been done already. Philly is in need of OL and a RB, but that's been done too.

Without further ado:

Plaxico Burress was pulled over for the 5th time in a month after changing across 5 lanes in an attempt to make his exit. He decided that mouthing off to the officer rather than to act like an adult was the correct course of action. Burress was released by the N.Y. Giants after refusing a settlement that would have paid him some of the bonus money he was due to make before he broke the law and shot himself in the leg. After missing games last year the Giants felt that he was in breach of contract and they filed a grievance in an attempt to get out of his $35million dollar contract. After the NFLPA listened to both sides and while they were considering the issue the Giants decided to make an offer to settle the dispute.

Keep in mind that the Giants were none too happy over Burress' decision to postpone the legal proceedings on his gun possession charges until after the draft. The Giants very much would have preferred to go into the draft knowing if they were going to be in need of taking a receiver. Plax and his lawyer, in obtaining a postponement, left the Giants in limbo regarding that question going into the draft. The Giants made an offer to Plax that would have paid him some of his contract money even if he served time for the gun charges. Plax and his agent decided the best course of action was to refuse that offer and continue to fight for the full $35 m contract. The Giants decided that, given the continued malcontent over the $$$ + the impending possibility of jail time, it was in their best interest to cut him.

Now the Giants know for sure that they need to go into the April draft and come out with a serious threat at the WR position. According to the table on this page WR Michael Crabtree tops the NFL draft rankings for the Giants. He is ranked #1 above Aaron Curry. The Giants do not pick until 29th in the April NFL draft. There isn't much chance for the Giants to pick up a top threat at WR with the 29th overall pick.

The Giants have a plethora of draft picks in April including: 1 first, 2 seconds, 2 thirds, 1 fourth, 2 fifths, 1 sixth, and 1 seventh. They also have about $23m in cap room. They could sign all 10 players in the draft if they wanted to spend all their cap, but I believe they would be better off by packaging some picks to move up and take an impact receiver in the 1st round.

With Kevin Boss as their TE pass catching threat, they also would not be hurt by adding a veteran TE that has a proven ability to catch the ball in traffic. With the loss of Burress and Amani Toomer (born 1974) entering his 15th NFL season they can expect to see decreased production of 1st downs from the WR position. Hixon, Manningham, Smith, and Moss round out their current receivers. During the 2008 regular season the Giants did not have a receiver with over 600 yards and were 88/204 in 3rd down conversions. Worse yet, on 2/27 Amani Toomer was declared a FA and is no guarantee to return to the team next season.

The Giants have a definite and immediate need for an impact WR. They have the means and ability in terms of draft picks to move up the board. They have needs at all the receiver positions and arguably for a TE that can be a bigger receiving threat than he is a blocker.

The Chiefs could get a lot of picks in the 2nd and 3rd for the "Michael Crabtree" spot if they are willing to trade back to #29 in the first round. The Giants are also a team that is ripe for the picking to trade further back with to add more picks in a multi-trade deal. EX. trade the #3 for Denver's #13 and #18 + the Broncos 4th or 5th. Then trade the #12 to the Giants (Crabtree might be gone, but other top 5 ranked receivers wont be) and move down to #29 while adding at least 1 second rounder if not 2 (or a 2nd and a 3rd).

We could still grab a Maualuga or a Laurinaitis with the #18 pick and Unger/Mack at the #29 spot plus add 2nd and/or 3rd rounders.

I don't want to get too far into suggesting specific trades, but I do think there is a definite possibility of the Giants being willing to wheel and deal their 10 picks on draft day. Their need at WR is high. There also may be a player or 2 off of their defense they are willing to package for a WR, and adding TG to sweeten the pot could be a possibility.

The Curse of Bobby Layne

Texas Chief — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:59:26 -0000

From 1950 - 1958 the Detroit Lions had a quarterback named Bobby Layne. Layne is a hall of fame quarterback that won 3 championships in his 8 year tenure with the team, including 2 back to back.

In 1958 fresh off his 3rd championship the Detroit Lions decided that Layne was past his prime and traded him away to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Layne was dejected and upset by the trade. As he boarded a bus to head to Pittsburgh he publically stated that the Detroit Lions would not win for 50 years.

The Detroit Lions have had the worst winning % of any NFL franchise over the last 50 years, ending in their 0-16 record setting debacle of 2008.

The end of the 2008 season coinsides with the last year of the 50 year curse of Bobby Layne. Begining in the 2009 season the curse will be lifted and Detroit will pick #1 overall in the draft.

Given that football news nuggets are few and far between on a Saturday afternoon in the offseason I thought I'd give Chiefs fans a chance to chime in on the validity of the Bobby Layne curse. Is this the year the Lions turn it around and start winning again? Does Layne's curse have anything to do with the last 50 years? Would anyone in thier right minds (besides the Ravens) trade away a QB immediately following a championship season? Let's have a little fun with this. Do you believe in the curse? What are your thoughts?

Poll

What are your thoughts about the curse?

Now that the Layne curse has ended Detroit will rise again.

8 votes

Bobby Layne's curse has nothing to do with it. Detroit has just sucked for 50 years.

27 votes

The curse was real, but Detroit will continue to suck even without a curse. They are just that bad.

27 votes

62 votes | Poll has closed

Michael Wilbon - Washington Redskins Are Lucky to Have Jason Campbell, Despite Their Efforts for Jay Cutler - washingtonpost.com

Texas Chief — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 05:43:48 -0000

Michael Wilbon - Washington Redskins Are Lucky to Have Jason Campbell, Despite Their Efforts for Jay Cutler - washingtonpost.com

Jason Campbell is a Class Act

The Browns may now be in the Tory Holt business

Texas Chief — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:48:16 -0000

The Browns may now be in the Tory Holt business

The National Football Post | A Defender’s Look At Man Defense

Texas Chief — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 12:40:33 -0000

The National Football Post | A Defender’s Look At Man Defense

Just what the title says. Good breakdown. Worth the read

Turning the Negative to a Positive

Texas Chief — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 22:14:49 -0000

As can be seen by most of my posts, I'm usually what is referred to as a reactive commenter. My posts usually lean toward a negative slant. More often than not I react to something someone else said and point out or argue the other side of the coin. Therefore, you may read me as a negative person or someone that is not positive about my team and the direction it's headed in.

Allow me to take this opportunity to state publically that there is no truth to that stereotype where I am concerned. I am anything but negative about my Chiefs. From the retirement of Carl Peterson to the firing of Herman Edwards to the accusation of Pioli, Haley, and Matt Cassel I see nothing but positives. More importantly, with the few offseason moves that the Chiefs have made so far I also see nothing but positive. There is a lot of negative talk about the activity level of the Chiefs so far in the offseason and I don't think it is either warranted or anything to worry about.

A quick review of a few of offseason moves:

Released:

Carl Peterson, Herman Edwards, Gunthar Cunningham, Damon Huard, Quinn Gray, Donnie Edwards, Patrick Surtain, and a few other coaches as well as a pot smoking TE.

Signed:

Scott Pioli, Todd Haley, Clancy Pendergast, Gary Gibs, Maurice Carthon, Ronnie Bradford, Joel Collier, Steve Hoffman, Matt Cassel, Mike Vrabel, Travis Daniels, C.J. Jones, Robertson, and I'm sure more to come.

The biggest thing I have to be positive about are the few players we have signed in FA. QB Cassel, LB Vrabel, WR Jones, DE/LB Robertson, CB Travis Daniels. Why, you ask, would I be positive about those signings? Where are the rest of the big name, can't miss, superstar players that we have let get away?

My answer to that is - Who cares!!

What we are seeing is something unprecedented during the tenure of the last 2 coaches in KC. We are seeing a move that you might even let slip by your eyes if you haven't taken the time to think about it. We are seeing a team being built with a definite philosophy and direction in that the big picture is being focused on.

Dick Vermeil decided the best way to build a team was to go all out on offense, and boy was that ever an exciting few years. Points flew up onto the board in almost no time. Every single offensive play had the potential to end in a TD. Unfortunately, no thought what-so-ever was put into the defense. The end result was a team that could rack up 30+ points a game, but couldn't hold their opponent to less than 36.

Then came Herman Edwards, the defensive backs guru, the orchestrator of the of cover 2 defense, the savior that would put the defense back where it belonged (or so he thought) in the annals of Chiefs history. Draft pick after draft pick were tossed into righting the ship on the side of the ball that would keep us in the game. Speeches at team meetings and in front of the press told us that our team should be able to win games by putting 20 points on the board. The defense was going to save us and prove that you didn't need to score a lot to win; you just needed to control the clock and run the ball, play it safe and don't make mistakes. All we had to do was to keep the opponents score low and put just enough points on the board to win. Unfortunately, everyone could predict every move that we were going to make on offense. Worse still, that powerful shut down cover 2 defense never did emerge. It was time to rebuild the team through the draft, starting with a whole new backfield of players and limping by with Brodie Croyle as the QBotF. That managed to work out even worse than the Vermeil era, and it was far less exciting to watch too.

2 coaches, 2 systems, 2 plans; 1 result - Losing game after game by just a few points and never managing to put together a playoff win.

In steps Scott Pioli and a new thought process; build a team, not just one side of a team. What, you ask me, am I talking about? What have we done so far that would lead you to believe we are building a team? Well, let me shine a light on it.

Haley comes to the Chiefs as an expert offense coach. We've seen what he did in Arizona, and we've heard the new GM tell us how we are building an aggressive offense. Matt Cassel took fully 70% of his snaps as a starter in a spread offense. It's no coincidence that he's now a Chief. That spread attack is exactly what the Chiefs will be implementing. Knowing that we're going to run a spread our fearless leader and GM has went ahead and signed us another receiver, C.J. Jones, as well as a QBotF that can toss the ball around the yard. The coach, QB, and adding more receivers all add up to more spread sets and less predictability. The offense will be heading in the direction of excitement. We will move the ball around and let everyone touch it. Between Bowe, Bradley, Gonzalez, Jones, Franklin, and speedy RB Jamal Charles we should see some excitement on our offense again.

Here's the best part:

If your offense runs the spread a lot, and you put a lot of point on the board that means that your defense is going to have to play a lot of nickel and dime coverage. Assuming you are successful in putting points on the board and taking leads in a game the one thing you cannot afford to do is give up a lot of points just as quickly. This was the mistake last year. As good as the youngsters Carr and Flowers were you can't play nickel without a legitimate 3rd starting CB. You're going to have to play a lot of nickel to cover the pass when you have a lead, and you can expect to play some dime coverage also. Pioli paired his new WR and QB with Travis Daniels. A new CB and someone that has 26 starts in the pros (which makes him the veteran in the backfield) joins the Chiefs to play in the nickel defense. Legget is still around and he may slide into dime coverage when necessary, but we have a legit 3rd CB for all that nickel coverage we will be playing.

Our team has actually thought this out. Spread offense = points (if run right), points = leads, leads = opponent passing a lot to stay in the game, opponent passing a lot = nickel coverage, and nickel coverage = a need for a legit 3rd starting CB. Holy hell!, look at that!! We've actually got a real system planned out to allow the defense to compliment the offense. We aren't going to sacrifice 1 side of the ball so that we can strengthen the other. For the first time in a long time I can honestly say that I'm positive about the decisions being made for the future of the team.

We added a QB of the offense that can bring a winning attitude to the field. At the exact same time we added a QB of the defense that can pave the way for our new to come system on that side of the ball too. A legit signal caller for both sides of the ball, and character guys that can lead to boot.

That's right folks, the 34 is coming. It may take a few seasons before we are fully vested in it, but it's coming none the less. The 43 defense, specifically the cover 2 version, was designed to shut down the west coast style offense. There is nothing wrong with that, except that more and more teams are shifting out of the west coast system and integrating more parts of the spread. The 34 defense is much stronger against the spread offense than the 43 cover 2. I could EAISLY write a 20 page document explaining why this is true, but for the sake of this post let us just say it like this. The 34 has a better chance of putting athletic guys in coverage on athletic guys, and also has more ability to mask blitzes and coverage schemes. Once again we see this new system of team building. Complimentary pieces.

First we compliment the new spread with the nickel package guys. Then we go out and compliment the new QB with the a defensive QB on the other side of the ball, and we're going to compliment the new spread offense with a defense designed to stop the spread! It's a brand new world Chiefs fans. How can you not be excited and positive about the direction of the team?

For the first time in a long time I can honestly say I'm excited about the future of my team. I actually believe we may have a chance to win a super bowl while I'm still alive. Someone has finally brought a SYSTEM to our team, not just 1 side of the coin! Brace yourself Chiefs fans, it may take a season or 2 to get all the pieces in place and the machine oiled up and firing on all cylinders but it's coming Chiefs fans; A winning team in KC!!

Football 101: Defensive Line Alignments 3-4

Texas Chief — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:16:28 -0000

Football 101: Defensive Line Alignments 3-4

Another, much smaller reference to the 3-4 defense.