This is the Chiefs we know.  Nothing has changed.

This type of defense always beats us.  We haven't come up with an answer to it even though we've been losing to it all season.

I'm saying it again, small and fast is not the whole answer in the NFL.  It's a sure way to get your rear end handed to you by bigger, more physical teams, like the raiders.

This is the Raiders, they had nothing to lose. it's a part of our rivalry.  No matter how bad they might be the rest of the year against other teams, they ALWAYS bring their best game against KC.  It's guaranteed.

Continue reading this post »

First and foremost is we are still inconsistent.  That's not necessarily a bad thing though.  All the way through the game, we saw the defense fall for some plays we see all the time.  They just always bite. Then they turn around and get the int or sack when it's really needed .  The best part about that is, it doesn't "look" lucky when they do it, it looks like "I meant to do that".   We still see far too many failed attempts at tackling. 

Continue reading this post »

This is part speculation and part free-thinking.  Just some things  I've been thinking as I watch the games playcalling.

As the season has progressed, it seems the play direction has gone from being primarily run focused to leaning towards building Cassel up as a passer.

There are quite a few times we are seeing what used to be and what most would agree as ideal running situations.3rd and 2, 2nd and 1.  We have been in those situations recently and instead of sending Charles or Jones out there to get at least that first down.  They have Cassel passing.  It's been commented on many times by many people in AP here.

Obviously, Cassel having a better passing game can improve the running game.  The more credible threats we have to offer gives defenses that much more to contend with and keeps them off balance.

But,  I think it goes beyond that.   I think in terms of overall management and coaching, this is a write off season.  The coaches and management had no expectation or intent to get to the playoffs.  It's nice to win these games, but as we get closer to having a "winning season"( and I think they would be fine with an 8-8 or 9-7 season) I think we are going to see more "experimentation" going on in the games.

Plays that don't make much "obvious" sense to us as fans.  However, to a Haley and Pioli who are thinking beyond this one season, they are setting the stage, so to speak.  As well as seeing in "real time" what positions need to be fixed first.

I watch Pioli and Haley on interviews and  I see when the cameras pan them at the games, especially after big plays.Often  I don't see expressions that one might think matches the "right here, right now" situation.

I am thinking that we are going to see a great many ponderous things happen in the next few games.  Games that we are supposed to win handily according to all the prognosticators may end up being a lot closer than we like or even lost because they are being turned into lab experiments and field tests.

Just a thought anyway.

While  I was a teen-aged fella, my team was Washington.  Not really sure how  I ended up a Washington fan other than I liked the O line back then ( they were deep into the "hogs" tradition at the time.) .  Anyway, When Doug Williams won the Super Bowl and had a career ending injury, and ended up as a backup for Rypien, that was the end of my time with Washington.   I just couldn't continue on

Continue reading this post »

 I find it amusing how so many people try to attribute much of the Chiefs win to the rain affecting San Diego's game play.

Continue reading this post »

Man I hate cable tv.  opening game is on Monday night football, in KC, against the Chargers,  I don't have cable tv and I am sick, can't go anywhere.

Sometimes, life just sucks.

Continue reading this post »

They are a 3 steps forward, two steps back unit.   I grudgingly can't give a fair review of Cassel because he doesn't get to stay on his feet long enough to play consistently. 

I am beginning to think that Haley or Cassel or someone has ticked these boys off and they are protesting by playing like a juvi squad.

I don't just blame the players though.  Offensive line coaching is miserable.   I have watched these boys miss their assignments in embarrasing ways.  That's not just bad playing, that's bad planning on top of it.

We know what a top notch offensive line looks like.  We've been there. What we have now isn't even close.

my prediction is, until this management gets off their collective duffs and starts to pay attention to putting a real offensive unit together, this team will not see more than 6 wins  in any season.  If that many.

But hey, this is just my opinion.  Have fun today.

Big Bear

I just inherited a Madden NFL 2005 game for PS2.  I'm notoriously cheap and don't buy many games.  I saw that along with the games  I picked for my kids, I saw this little slice of KC nostalgia and decided what the heck...

Continue reading this post »

When you stripe your burgers and dogs in alternating stripes ketchup and mustard...you might be a Chiefs fan

If your definition of a ground assault is " Cristian Okoye", you might be a Chiefs fan.

When your pajamas all consist of Kansas City player jerseys...you might be a Chiefs fan.

If you still refuse to have that Trent Green tattoo surgically removed...you might be Chiefs fan

If you have been known to rouse from a nap muttering "martyball" over and over...you might be a Chiefs fan.

If you are a member of AP and have more posts to your name than the editorial crew...you might be a Chiefs fan.

How  do you know if you might be a Chiefs fan?

Big Bear

A NFL teams offensive line is like the infrastructure of a city. 

If a city wants to have the best companies providing jobs and the best entertainers coming in and the best nightlife, etc... they need to make sure the infrastructure of their city is capable of supporting all that.  Core services and needs are seen to first and foremost.

Are the roads and bridges taken care of?  is it easy enough to get around?  is it safe in that city, is there mail on time?  etc..

These are the things that draw the best.  Not only do they draw the best, they make the best better.

Same thing goes for an NFL team.  If you pay to have 'the best' receivers, running backs and quarterbacks out there, what have you got on hand to pave the road for them, to protect them and give them the open doors and opportunities they need to show off what they have?

There is no 'cheap' way about it.  You need to invest heavily in your infrastructure.  Nothing else works of it doesn't.

A great offensive line makes even just a 'good' quarterback look better.  Look at Trent Green.  I liked Trent Green a lot.  He was a good quarterback.  i will not go so far to say he was a 'great' quarterback.  However, when he was behind the O line that he worked behind for years, he looked like diamonds and roses.  Once that line fell apart, you saw not only that he wasn't 'great' but that he needed to learn to run faster.

The Chiefs have tried to half ass their way to an offensive line hoping and praying to luck into a quarterback that had the scrambling and quickness to overcome a poor O line.  This is ridiculous and smacks of cheapness.

Throw the gauntlet down Chiefs!  Go out there,with your checkbook and find the biggest, baddest and most disciplined O line that can be put together.  let them become the tough, cohesive unit they need to be, then you can throw any one of these dandies you hired as QB behind them and go to town in style.  Feed your defensive line that don't make the annual cut to them, give them the taste for D blood.

 I don't want to see team photos of the O linemen smiling and being big teddy bears.   I want to see a grimace that will make other teams children have bad dreams.   I want grizzly bears and Kodiaks.

I want every one of my offensive linemen to hear the name "Jared Allen" and their first reaction is "DINNER!!!"

When I hear that opposing defenses are updating their last will and testament before they face the Chiefs,  I will be happy.

You know you have a great  O line when other teams know your coming to play them and they start making trades and acquisitions beforehand on defense just to try to be ready for you.Make them despair, make them curl up and wish it were the week after.

Behind a great O line a QB can be confident, he can be accurate and he can be patient. Behind a great  O line,

A running back will not have paths to run through, he will have entire alleys opened up before him.

Receivers have time to get where they need to be they won't have to chase balls thrown just to avoid a sack.

now doggone it, GO CHIEFS!!!

Big Bear

Some people will say "defense wins the game" others will point to a powerhouse offense ( "the best defense is a good offense" ), meaning, if you just go and score dang near every time your on the field, it's hard for the other team to catch up               ( provided your defense  can stop the other side at least once.).

As most reasonable fans and players know though, it takes everyone on the team and all units to be playing at their best to win a football game.

In order to win, your defense absolutely MUST prevent the other teams offense from scoring.  How does the defense do that?  By creating turnovers.  Interceptions, Knocking the ball out or away from the intended receiver/carrier. Control the line of scrimmage and pressure the QB.

As several other posts here have shown recently, the Kansas City defensive unit, is not doing these things very well at all.

Of course, it is then incumbent on your teams offense to out there and pound that little ball into the goal every chance it gets.  Not at selected times or whenever it wants to.  They must work to score EVERY time they take the field.  How many touchdowns does it realistically take to win an NFL football game?  Many people will reasonably expect any good team to put up at least two touchdowns.  So, your offense needs to be able to put up three.  Minimum. 

Kansas City offense has been in that position several times over the last few weeks.  They have put up three touchdowns in a game and still lost. 

Another rule of thumb is to not permit turnovers.  It's the Offenses job to keep that ball, not give it up to the other team over rookie mistakes like not catching, carrying or throwing correctly.  Here is another area Kansas City is doing a good job.  They are not turning the ball over, little, if at all.  They are still losing the games.

Any coach who takes shame in piling up points over any other team, huge underdog or or not, has no business on the field.  Your offense has one job as a unit.  SCORE.  That's it.

There is a tendency to give a bit to much emphasis on a teams quarterbacks.  The quarterback runs the offense, not the whole team.

He doesn't run the defense and he doesn't tell special teams what to do.  They have their own leadership establishment and they know their jobs.

What about special teams?  How do they help win the game?  By providing short fields for their offense and taking every opportunity to run that ball as far as they can get it toward the goal.  That pretty much says it all for special teams, offensively anyway.  Conversely, on the  kicking side of th ball, your special teams needs to make sure the ball stays as far back as possible.  Trying to put your opponents in the worst possible position to start a drive from.

The Kansas City special teams have been about fifty fifty on terms of performance and I might be a bit optimistic there.

In the NFL, the Head Coach isn't the dictator or or hand holder that a college or high school coach is.  That's not his job.  His players are pros who are getting paid well to know their jobs and perform.

The best NFL coaches are more like coordinators or facilitators.  They see a whole big picture, they even mostly paint the picture.  They then lay that picture out and give the team what it needs, the people it needs, the asst coaches it needs, etc... to make this picture happen.

You have some coaches who like to be more involved at the ground level though.  They want to be in on the action at the performing level.  Where the coordinators and unit coaches are.  They want to have direct input with the players.  They want to take the player by the hand and point them to what the HC thinks that player should be doing.

More often than not, it is the sign of a coach who hasn't moved past his own need to be in the middle of the action.

If the head coach has a plan laid out and has the people with the abilities to make that plan come together, he should have a successful season.  If not, he needs to watch carefully  what the [people around him are doing, provide direction and make changes when necessary.  If he doesn't or can't do that effectively, he has the wrong job.

In order to win, Kansas City needs to have it's offense be able to score more than it's opponents should average, which they can and have done., tey need to keep possession of the ball and control the line of scrimmage as well as the clock to maximize their opportunities.  Kansas City does need to work on this part of the game.

The defense should be able to contain the opposing offense and put pressure on the key players, be where the ball is at all times.  They have not adequately or consistently done this.

Special teams needs to consistently place their teams possessions in the best possible position at every chance it touches the ball.  Kansas City special teams are not the worst at this, but do need to improve quite a bit.

Overall, Kansas City "can" win games if they improve the overall play of the defensive and the special teams and pick up the low spots on the offense.

If the Head Coach and his staff cannot provide the tools, atmosphere and people to do this, they need to look at changes there as well.  Right now, the Kansas City Head Coach isn't coming across as entirely successful in that light. There is hope though.  There are some good people in place and there are moments where hard work and direction are showing themselves more every week.  Is it enough though?

I am a fan of this team like no other team.  I watch or find myself at least near a radio or something to "attend" the games as best  I can.   I wear my KC gear like a flag and proud of it.

KC is more than just a team to me, they are part of who  I am.  If all I saw was the glass half full side I will someday be sorely disappointed to find it entirely empty from a lack to see something I might not like.   I will praise their achievements, I will will defend their character to the end and I will never miss the opportunity to help prevent them from becoming complacent and accept "good enough".

As a "fan" my role in helping them win is to let them know at every opportunity that I believe in them as a team and their ability to beat the living crap out of any other team they come up against, if they bring their best game.   I might get frustrated sometimes with what  I see as bad play or choices, but that's just because I know they are capable of so much better.

GO CHIEFS!!

I think Thigpen deserves a game by game evaluation of the starting spot for the rest of the season.

In that I mean that depending on his play for the current game, combined with his past play should determine his ability to start the next game.

As of right now,  I say he earned the start to the next game.  Not the rest of the season, just the next game.

He is not afraid to be mobile and can move pretty well.  With this O-Line, you have to have a QB that can be quick on his feet.

He does have the ability to make good passes. he does have the ability to think on his feet ( literally) being chased out of the pocket and still managing to not only find his receiver, but get the ball to him as well.

What he needs most right now is confidence and time on the field.  He is inexperienced and because of that will flub a bit here and there.  The big thing to watch is will he learn from his mistakes.

Also, I think he's fun to watch.  He scrambles and makes an effort to get it done.  I personally started calling him scooter after watching him get around on that field.

He he hit what? Like 7 different receivers out there, so he's not just falling back on his "safe" guys, he's actually trying to find connections.

He ran the ball himself and had at least one other RB out there to carry the ball as well.

Yes, with a better O-Line, he likely could have performed even better, but  I think in a way, it's better for him to start behind a less than great line like this because it will teach him to not get over confident in his line.  He won't take it for granted when it finally does improve.  This will help him to stay on his toes and keep his eyes open.

Yes, Tyler Thigpen was the QB of the week at KC this week.   I have no doubt he should get the start next week.  then we'll see how it goes from there.

Well, I saw highlights of the bears game.

 I read coverage from a variety of sources about the bears game.

I have tried to catch up on all the news overall about the team, and the OL.

My take?

Sorry, they don't cut it.

They will be average at best.  Iwill watch this game to see what behind the line changes they make to speed up play and carry out plays without dragging tteir feet, but the offense cannot enjoy the long counts they got under Trent Green , Willie Roaf, etc...back then.  You remember those guys.

Now, they weren't just a group of exceptional players, they were an exceptional unit.

What we have now is one or two exceptional players and a bunch of guys that need to get their act together.

If they can get themselves together as a unit, and think as a unit, they may be pretty dang good.

I don't see it happening this season.  But,  I have hope.

I do not, have not, will not be a Herm fan.  I thought it was a bad decision to bring him aboard and I think it's a bad decision to keep him.

We make do with what we're given though.

I'll be happy to see 8-8 this year and not blow out a QB.  This kid is gonna get killed though I'm afraid.  I just hope he's tough enough to keep taking the hits.

Big Bear

ps...  Yes, I will try to post with more specifics per player and the unit as  I go along,

heya folks.

I've been absent a bit.  Things have been very busy and I don't get to do everything I always want to do.  I am here now though and ready to get all the info on the Chiefs and their new season.

Looks like the new site is very nicely, good job Chris and everyone.

I plan to brush up on this seasons O line and drop my two cents when  I can, where  I can.

I'll be back.

Big Bear

I have collected NFL cards since i was a kid.  It was always a way, even in the offseason, to stay involved with football ( not counting playing some streetball or practices).

I hope it isn't too big an issue, but this site kind of inspired me to set up a card traders forum.  It is ONLY for trading, no sales allowed.  It is intended to be fun and promote good sports and having some fun.

The link to it is:
http://cardtraders.forumsland.com

If anyone here is interested helping to get this card traders forum 'kicked off', I would be more than glad to welcome you.

This is one of the very few sites I have been part of that people just have fun still.  That is very cool and my compliment to the whole bunch of you.

Big Bear

I am dead certain that with someone like Trent Green as The KC QB coach, Brody Croyle would shape up into on e dynamite QB.

Croyle has the athleticism and ability.  Combine that with Trent Green's savvy and prowess and you have a HOF QB growing in your own backyard.

People can talk all the trash they want about Trent Green, I think he got the shaft in losing his spot at KC and for lack of a better defense at the time, could very well have gone to a superbowl at KC.

No doubt in my mind.

In many ways, the team management let Trent down.

A great way to give him his proper dues would be to bring him back as QB Coach. ( and fix the defense).

Big Bear

I just read his article on Croyle and whether he is a success or not.

His biggest criticisms are on Croyle's decision making abilities and behavior on the field.

Last time I checked,  Croyle makes no play decisions on the filed.  He does what he is told.  They ( the OC and Herm ) decide what he will do, not Croyle.  Which, if the play is a success, well then he looks ok and the coaches are gods for the playcalling, but it leaves Croyle without playcalling and decision making experience.

If the play fails, well, Herm says it's the players fault for not playing up to snuff.  Never mind that it was the wrong play to send in for the situation and Croyle takes the fall for something that shouldn't have happened.  NOw, if Croyle fumbles or falters then of course, it is his fault.  or if the receivers drop it, don't run routes correctly, etc, etc... it is part their fault for not doing what they are paid to do and performing as expected.  again, provided the play was the correct play to send in in the first place and Croyle still gains no experience on decision making on the field.

If you want to find out how well a QB thinks on his feet in a game, you have to let him off the leash.

Herm has made it obvious, he isn't ready to do that, so any assessments of Croyles abilities are incomplete until he starts doing so.

The kid has demonstrated a calm demeanor,, seems to be pretty unshakable from the video footage I've seen.  What he needs is experience.

It is way to soon to be talking stud or dud on Croyle  it is only fair to give him at least one full season if not two to see how he builds himself up.

Plus, it never hurts to give him some help on the field.

Big Bear

One thing I mention more than once in posts around here is playing for the love of the game.

It's true, you have to love the game to keep playing or you will burn and crash hard.

However.  Let's not kid ourselves,  Playing in the NFL means more than that.  it means money.

Now, for the "visible" positions, RB's Receivers and QB's,  There is LOADS of money to be had.  Not to mention the publicity and advertising money to be chased down as well.  If a "visible" player is successful in the NFL, his earning potential skyrockets without "outside" opportunities often exceeding their NFL contracts, which are nothing to sneeze at on their own.

On the other side of the lights though are the "invisible" players.  The "Big Boys", being linemen and "grunt" back positions.

These boys Love the game.  Often it's one of the fewest opportunities they will ever have come their way to make that kind of money, which very often might equal half of the "visible positions at best.

They generally NEVER see the publicity and advertising opportunities come their way, once in a while you get a standout shot, a William Perry, a "Mean Joe" Green, etc. but those are the exceptions, not the rule.

But still, an NFL base contract for linemen is pretty good.  Better than most opportunities a "big Boy" will ever get.

Truck Driver,  Dock loader, farmer/rancher, etc.

I know this because I and a lot of Retired or short term 'invisibles" I know have ended up doing those exact jobs after the NFL was through with them.

A friend of mine was a starting offensive Lineman for the Chiefs in the late 70's, Larry Brown.  That dude was good back then.

got hurt, retired ( nice way to put it ) and what does he do now?

He's a truck driver.  ( just like me)

I don't ever give the "visibles" a hard time for wanting to get what money they can out of the NFL,  the owners make more from their teams than they could ever spend.  and it's the players backs theyr are making that money on.  

but the "visibles" are only really at their best, when some "invisibles" are excelling at their jobs.  where are the bonuses for making the opportunities happen for them?  you got to have a damn good agent to see that happen and even then, count yourself very lucky to even be heard on the subject.

Even the "bad" O line guys we have in KC, I love em.  they play their hearts out, even if they aren't the best and I don't blame them for taking every minute a coach gives them on the field.

Yes, football is just a game.  It's a game that pays the guys who play it very well if they make it to the Pro's.  But that doesn't make the game any easier to play.  

Big Bear

the interaction of ethnics, minorities, pick your term in the NFL, has a real history.

It took until 1987, in the 20th century of educated, "enlightened" and "equal" people in the world, for a black person to be a starting quarterback in the Superbowl ( Doug Williams).

The topic  is an uncomfortable one for everyone involved because regardless of the "truth" of the situation,  it really is one of those topics that as humans, we should have grown beyond by now, yet many haven't.  Thus forcing the issue to the forefront occasionally.

I am what this society calls a "minority" ( I'm xicano and native american) but that's just a cultural identification.  People identify themselves by various terms, depending on the topic.  
If we discuss nationalsim, there is the "American" "French" Mexican" etc ID.   In the Gender wars, there is Man, boy, Woman, girl, etc ID's.

all of these kinds of identifications are not a definition of who we are, but what we think are.
How we describe ourselves.

To look at a player, and the discussion of a players performance and just assume that any critical comments might be related to "racism" or something other unpleasant automatically assumes that any positive comments in that discussion must be similarly prejudiced.

If we are accusing of criticizing someone of being a poor sport and that is because of racism, then when we praise their talents or performance, is that also then because we are recognizing their "ethnic" ability to perform in a particular way?

I think it is time for all humans to get off the race card bus and start to acknowledge that race id is still around because there are some characteristics in people of certain races or ethnicities that are often obvious in their performances.

That is most often a reflection of human adaptation amongst a group of people living in a geographic region which requires the inhabitants to adapt or "evolve" if you will, to develop tendencies that will best afford them to live in said geographic region.

With the world having seen humans leave their geographic "homes" of so long as technology has created more ways of swiftly moving masses of people around more conventionally, many people are introduced to people from other geographic areas they may never have seen or known of before and they are sometimes awed by the characteristics that have come to be in folks who have come from an area that required certain abilities in order to successfully survive.

Now, this is a long, drawn out text trying to say,

let's get over ourselves and instead of complaining about what someone may look like or a physical capability due to geography, let's appreciate the talents and fine collection of talent from around the globe that has has been brought together to create the greatest NFL football team in the world.

The KC Chiefs.

Big Bear

There is a rumor floating around here in Nebraska that Bill Callahan, recently fired Nebraska head coach, is on a straight path to the Chiefs as Herm's new OC.

I have no idea if this is even close to true.  It may not even make a decent rumor.  However, to stop and think about it for a moment, Would Callahan, or someone like him be a good OC for the Chiefs?

I don't think Bill is head coach material.  But he, like Solari, is a "specialist"  perhaps a bit more so than Solari.  He would be ok I think in that position.

Just thought I'd share some of the breeze flying around these parts.

Big Bear

I said it before, this is a rebuilding year,  I don't care who doesn't like it, that is the reality.

Given that this is a rebuilding year, To me, a second year QB who spent almost no time on the clock in his first year is still basically a rookie.  Experience is what it takes to mature and grow as an athlete and you don't get that on the bench.

LJ is a great RB when he wants to be.  No doubt about that.  I cheered for him when Vermeil pitted him against Priest at the beginning.  LJ is only half of an old fashioned RB unit.  When Priest and LJ really got going and Vermeil played them the right way, The Chiefs running was mindblowing.  We had a Running answer for any team in the league.

We can have the same thing again with LJ a solid powerback who runs the defense over. Then a lithe acrobat who just finds ways to squeak through the most amazing places in a defense.  Unstoppable when used as a unit and used correctly.

Brodie needs to calm down just a bit and end the overthrowing.  other than that, that boy has got it.  He has terrific aim, he has good eyes and he has expectations.

What expectations?  That when he tells a receiver to go down 20 and cut left 8, he means it.  Receivers need to be better disciplined running routes.  it's a mantra that coaches never get tired of trying to drill into receivers.  run the route as you are told. That and "Catch the ball".

I saw a little bit of Brodie in college. and in college, he was given the chance to manage his game more often than Herm allows here.

In those few games I saw, Brodie is not a cowboy.  HE knows when to get the running game involved as much as the passing game.  A good quarterback isn't just there to pass, he should be able to determine which type of attack will have the the greatest effect, which will be the most productive.  He just needs time and the support of the coaches.

The O line, well, sad to say, but I have to agree with a couple others.  it sucks.  my two favorites, Wiegmann and Waters both have the sun setting on their careers and good as they might be, they simply cannot cover for the abject failure of the rest of the line.

On the defense, well.  Gun is a genius.   We have always bitten too hard on the run though.  Always.  and the bootleg burns us almost every time we see it.

One of the biggest issues for our defense is conditioning. They get tired very quickly.  They are playing hard granted, but seemingly more than other comparable defenses around, they wear down easier, part of it is the age of some of the boys and some of what I read about Ty Law is true.  He was great.  once.  Now, he let's too much get by him.

WE still need some size in the D line to just plain stuff the run. they cut our inside way too much.  Junior would have been great if he would have worked out, but, size on that line is what the D should recruit for one for sure, maybe 2 flat out monsters who have nothing better to do than make RB's cry.

Coaching wise,  I was NEVER a Herm fan, I will NEVER be a Herm fan. Maybe it's the way I came up playing, playing it safe was for pee wee football.  You went on the field to make the other team regret stepping on the field.

Herm doesn't play that way.  Gun does.  Solari, he is just out of his element.  Put him back on the line with no distractions. some doctors  make great GP's some are better specialists and that's ok too.  Solari is a specialist and a dang good one when he's not trying to be a GP.

Herm needs that new OC now and take a step back.

 I agree with the notion that a "real" Offensive coordinator is needed, Al Saunders, for whatever reason  I see him getting short shrift here, is great at it, but, I think a better OC would be Lovie, yes, from the Bears.  Not that he'd ever step back down, but he knows what "eat them alive" offense is all about.

This is Pro Football, there is no paycheck for trying.  You win or you go home.  Period.

 I see many of these boys trying desperately to win, TG, D Bowe, Waters, Jared, Pollock, quite a few others.  They can taste it.  Herm is a pansey.  He wants to skate away with just enough, there is no conquering for Herm, just squeaking another one out.

I hated Marty Schottenheimer with a passion, as a player and as a fan when he was with KC.  One thing  I have to give him credit for though is, He turned football players into heros, seize the day or go down in flames trying, but they gave it 200% every time.

Dick Vermeil did the same, at least on Offense.  TG, The Whole dang O line, LJ and Priest played bigger than life, when they succeeded, the crowd roared, when they failed, they took out someone with them, just from the the herculean effort.

With Herm, there are no heroes.  Only chess pieces.  You see them start to go after it, and once they do, he chokes them back down.

I saw the potential for heroes out there against the Raiders,  Smith running, Brodie nailing receivers, TG by himself is awesome.  D Bowe just being there and making great catches.  They were there and they wanted it.  and you could almost feel their excitement when they began to get it going and you could feel their displeasure when they saw the play called in that would choke them off.  

Sorry, I get a bit emotional when it comes to football.  to me it will always be more than "just " a game.  To me, it is "the" game.

Big Bear

-From the diaries. Listen to him. Thanks Big Bear!

One of the best centers I have ever seen is this guy.

He plays consistently, clean and rarely if ever gets flagged.

HE rarely messes up a snap and he must accommodate for at least one guard who is like an open drain, he lets everyone through.

His play hasn't changed at all except for having to cover more than his share. Which he does a good job of, considering he's playing Center which is a big enough job on it's own.

I hear all the love Waters is getting, rightly deserved, and wonder where is the respect for one  of the best Centers in the NFL should be getting?

Will he be a Hall of Famer? my opinion, he should be.  Not likely as the folks who elect rarely, oh so rarely take offensive linemen into HOF consideration.

He is solid, consistent and accurate.  the defense you see bleeding through consistently are NOT coming through center.

I got nuttin but love for Casey Weigmann.

Big Bear

this game was a " Let's see what the kid can do" game at the end of the first half.  Huard didn't leave himself much of a chance going out of the first half.

The receivers aren't used to looking for the ball in front of them, they are accustomed to having to come back to get Huards less than powerful throws.  They have an actual passer on their hands.

With the game time here and the extra reps in at practice he should get over this next week,  the receivers will get a better feel for his passing and more comfortable with him in the game.

You might call it something else, I call it reality.  The way this team has played and is playing, there is no realistic shot of doing much more with this season than building.

Croyle shows potential. He attempts to do more and actually completes more.  He needs more time to know his team and for them to get the feel for his style.

The line.  Well.  It's already been said.  It needs help.  Help t won't get this season.

A bit better line and you have more runs, god Holmes looked good today,  and you get more time for a passer to watch routes come together.

 I am interested to see the rest of this season be a Croyle season and get the O line developed in the off season.

Big Bear

I spent my life in the Oline when I played football at every level.

Lots of street ball, some high school, right up to Pro Flag and try outs for the NFL.

In that time, I had two coaches one in little league and one in Pro Flag, who made the biggest impacts on the Line.

Football is a game.  A game that is won by taking advantage of opportunities.

How and when opportunities come about are not luck or accidental.

The best teams MAKE opportunities.

it's a twofold concept.

The front lines are there to create opportunities.  To provide the protection a QB needs to make a pass and to break open holes for a run.

poor players and poor teams lean on the excuse that they couldn't make opportunities because of mismatches and tricky defenses.

The other players are there to see those opportunities and take full advantage of them.

Don't wait for a play to happen, make it happen.

That's your job.  To make plays happen.

I have posted this in comments to other posts but this is the core  I played by and how  I judge my favorite teams by.

It's sad the media and many fans talk about "playmakers" as though they are the exception and not the norm.

Every member of a football team is expected to be a playmaker.

anyone not using everything they have on every play they are in, to create or take advantage of opportunities is not going to be worth having on the field.

For example, our defense is very good right now.  Why? because someone has found a bunch, not just one or two, but a bunch of playmakers to put on the field at the same time.

And they do it.  The D line is working to make opportunities to make holes for the others to get in and make a play.

The Oline has apparently only two guys who think like that currently, the rest are too busy just trying to block.

I would like to repeat something I said about Trent Green elsewhere.

He was so successful with this line because he had some of the best thinking O line in the nfl.

Roaf, Waters, Weigmann, Will Shields and John Tait.

Those guys made opportunities happen and Trent would be on constant lookout for them.

He scrambled and hung in on several plays just to see it come through.

It almost seemed like an Orchestra, to watch that unit play together.  

It is not like that now.  It needs a Leader to point the unit as one to think that way.  to work that way.

Huard is not that type of QB

He is a responder.

Croyle may be the kind of thinking QB and leader that unit needs.

The very little  I have seen him in, all it took was a couple plays to get in sync with the boys and soon, he was making plays, finding opportunities.

Most people may not believe it, but great football is more mental than they will ever believe.  not just attitude either.

 it helps to "put on your game face" tremendously.  

It helps more if you put your thinking cap on before you put your helmet on.

( that's another gem from one of my coaches)

Just more of my two cents,

Big Bear

about Damon Huard.

It may be time to let him go after all.

his inability to make quick reads and snap decisions is seriously shown in days like today.  He had two, maybe 3 good moments.  beyond that,  he was just not there.

LJ, finally showed up in the second half.  

What can I say about the defense.  great job all around.

anytime KC beats the raiders is a good day.

Big Bear

I had to laugh for a long time.

In the Bengals game, Benny Sapp decided to throw a tantrum and was even spouting off at his own teammates.

It was bad enough, the national TV folks caught most of it, but then, he bumped into Brian Waters along the way, got smart mouthed and visibly moved himself like 10 feet away very quickly, all the while, you could see Waters telling him something quite loudly that likely had something to do with being careful who you bark at.

Why does it seem that suddenly this is the season for tempers and bad attitudes to be displayed while a game is going on?

I think these guys are showing some disrespect for their team and their fans by allowing themselves to behave these ways.

It was funny to see though.

Big Bear

I am not much a fan of college ball. never really have been.

The Cornhuskers ( Nebraska college team) I really don't have much to say about good or bad.  Not because it's Nebraska, but because it's college ball.

I don't like the BCS either.

One thing  I don't like about Nebraska though, is the fans.  They have some of the worst fans anywhere.

If they lose, they had no business losing at all,
if they win, they didn't win by enough.

Nothing is ever good enough for Nebraska fans.

Because Nebraska is such a hard core college ball state, it isn't always easy to get access to Chiefs merchandise in this market.

We are lucky to get the games broadcast when we do.

But, no matter if games are on tv or not, I am lucky to have our local am sports 590 broadcast each game.

It doesn't matter.

GO CHIEFS!

Big Bear

I am not going to post stats, they are available, google is your friend.

after retirement, offensive lineman die younger, at a higher rate, than any other position held in the NFL.

There is a higher rate of heart attacks, internal damage and general body degeneration that contribute to the sad state that ends the lifespan of the former NFL Lineman than any other position.

Not that the NFL or the teams are somehow responsible, but they do play a big part in  a very unhealthy situation.

Two things to note about lineman in the NFL.

Size and strength.

When you eat with the linemen, you eat anything that isn't nailed down or doesn't eat you first.

you are expected to maintain a certain size and physical condition.

Given the hard practices and conditioning,  much of the eating habits are kept in check with all the exercise.

But, players who have likely spent the last 15 to 20 years of their life doing nothing but eating, lifting weights and eating d line, don't often know or understand the dire need to "reprogram" after retirement from the NFL.

old habits die hard, especially habits that are encouraged by your coaches, teammates and the guys who pay you to be a giant.

Linema have to retrain themselves entirely to follow a "normal" diet and exercise routine.

sadly, most don't.  And with it comes extreme weight gain, strain on the heart and other internal organs.

damages to the joints and and body are added to by the addition of weight.

In the last ten years, the average life span of a former NFL lineman has risen from the early fifties to the late 50's
any gain is better than none.

remember, these are averages, and of course you will find examples that live much longer and die much younger.

The NFL has helped to drill in the lifestyles the boys on the O line follow, they make money of those lifestyles.

I talk to guys all the time who are trying to encourage the NFL and retiring O line players to become better educated about the "retraining" that needs to happen after the NFL.

Big Bear

John Matsko and Bob Bicknell are the O line coaches.  it's their job to give the fellas their plays, motivate them and more than anything, drill them on standing down till the snap.

up to half of all practices will focus on not moving till that ball goes.

It's these two guys job to see who's playing to their strengths and who's not playing as part of the unit.

The only problem is, they have to work with what they are given.

NFL players aren't kids in high school or young men in college.  they're grown men who have their own minds and should not need a babysitter.  They need someone to show them what they can't see and to provide them with experience and assistance to do the job the best they can.

it's on the player from that point.  I am going to say it, even though every position says the same thing.

one of the toughest jobs on a football team is the line.  You get paid to take the QB's buttwhoopin, you get paid to keep him safe.  you get paid to eat d line for breakfast.  you get paid to give the backfield fellas a chance to do what they do best.

QB can't pass unless you give him the time, RB can't run if he's got nowhere to go.

LJ is a strong RB, but,  he is not going to make a dent, as seen in the past games, against d line guys who are paid to make him hurt.

Where I come from, there is a way of looking at the job of O line.

if you don't live on pain, if you don't get off on it, then you don't belong on the line.  D line are nasty, they are paid to do whatever it takes to get that ball. there is so much dirty ball played in the scrimmage line, if refs were to call everything, the game would never be played.

D players intentionally try to take you out, they dive at your knees, they angle their elbows as they crash "low" coming into you.  

O line guys do it too.but, we have to be sneakier, O line has more p's and q's to mind.

A good QB takes special care of the O line,  He makes sure they are his best friends.  

the front 5 are some of the toughest, meanest, most disciplined guys on the field.  

They have to tolerate all types of mouthing off by D, they have to stand perfectly still while a D is trying to draw him into movement before the ball is snapped.  

in specific regard to KC, I will say, two of the best friends the O line has is T Gonzales and J Dunn.  These 2 guys are awesome blockers when they need to be.

LJ is supposed to help pass block, but he needs to improve dramatically.  

 I think Svitek has potential,  I think he really wants to be a Chief.

 I think Kyle Turley needs to move on, this is not the line he fits in.

 I think John Welbourne needs to play more consistently. He's ok but kind of has too many off days.

anyways, if you want to hear about defense and backfield, I have no problem talking about them, but I almost always end up back on the line.

Big Bear

From the diaries. Listen to Big Bear. He knows what he's talking about. -Chris

I say, look at the passing game.

The O line pass blocking has improved.  why, because  in practices Mike Solari said he wants the pass opened up to use WR's better. To use TG better.

Actually, I will change that.  I will say It's 70% the O line, 20% Coaching and planning and the last ten, Larry Johnson not being more aggressive.

An O line is a difficult thing to develop.  It takes communication, really knowing what your fellows are doing and what they're going to do.

It does indeed take time , great O lines are almost grown instead of built.   I refer you back to Joe Gibbs " Hogs" in the 80's and the Steelers front line in the Terry Bradshaw and Jack Hamm era.

These guys were almost always older fellas, been around a few teams and were late 20's at least.  Also,  they were "clicking".

They had a buy in, an identity.  They weren't "just" linemen, they were the Hogs., etc

that required a sense of pride and a higher expectation of themselves and their partners on the line.

We have Brian Waters and Casey Weigmann, these guys know what it's like to be a part of that and  I expect they are feeling frustrated, we have seen Brian Waters express some of it.

If even one of the guys is thinking "I" instead of team, it won't mesh.

One way we as fans can help is recognize the Oline, single them out, give them their own "nickname"  let the guys buy in to the expectation that they CAN carry the team.

It helps morale a lot when you know people are respecting a unit that is often invisible to most fans.

Big Bear