Thoughts on the KC/Cinci game

[Frankenchief]

In no particular order.

1- The Chiefs have become masters of whiffing on good drives. Seven good drives yielded 3 points each. If we are to compete with the big boys we need to finish our drives strong. Potentially we left 28 points on the field. But wait, our kicker sets a new Chiefs record for FGs in a game. Who needs Jan Stenerud or Nick Lowery when you got Cairo Santos. Btw, if we finish 4 of those 7 drives with TDs like a legit team should, we win this game.

2- That bit of sarcasm about our kicker out of the way he needs to be mentioned with a big atta boy. The young man has improved a lot over last year. He has become pretty clutch. Too early to tell but maybe Cairo Santos will be mentioned someday along with Stenerud and Lowery. Now if he could only learn you're not supposed to kick off out of bounds.... ;)

3- Oline is crap. But you knew that. Here's a couple of observations about that:

A- Alex was sacked 49 times (most in his career) last year behind an Oline that did not have the 'stud' OG Grubbs and featuring human green light, Mike McGlynn. This year we are on track for almost 70!... Go figure!

B- Given the vast talent we have now accumulated on the Oline this year, (I wish there was a sarcasm emoticon), at what point do we point a finger at our Oline coach and the scheme?

C- The optimist in me thinks, this line is not as bad as it is and will gel sometime soon. The same optimist says that usually one or two bad apples make the whole Oline go rotten. So maybe either a player will be traded for, developed, or mature up and bingo(!) we will have respectable Oline play.

4- Alex Smith: He deservedly got a lot of criticism last week and deserves some this week too.

A- How can a NFL QB throw for almost 400 yards and not a TD pass?

B- Broken record here, but Alex holds on to the ball too long. He deserves a lot of the blame for the sacks as well. He doesn't even know how to throw the ball away. That intentional grounding was pathetic.

C- A lot of people attribute the almost bust status that he achieved at the pre-Harbaugh San Francisco to how his psyche got messed up with bad coaching and regime changes. All that means is that his psyche CAN be messed up. And nothing will mess up a QB's psyche more than sacks, hits, and hurries. Poor dude. PUT A FREAKING OLINE IN FRONT OF HIM ALREADY!

5- Gadget plays only worked for the Chiefs in the Stram era. I have never seen an NFL team botch gadget plays with the regularity that KC has in the last, what, two decades? I doesn't even matter who the coach is. Gadget plays are simply not in KC's DNA

6- What's up with our D and 3rd-and-longs?!!! defending them is another thing that does not seem to be in KC's DNA. Regardless of coach.

7- Speaking of the D, where are they? Where the hell is our vaunted pass rush?

8- Still speaking of the D, why is it that Sutton does not teach them to go for stripping the ball? Marty's Ds had that edge on the opposing Os and would get into their heads by the second quarter on. Our D is close to fielding the same talent, without that essential edge.

9- Officiating rants:

A- Kelce's fumble should have been reversed. Why do they have the replay review technology otherwise?! The game looked winnable until then. Cinci was -17 points in the 2nd half before this game. The officials basically gifted a TD to them to put the game out of reach.

B- On the Cinci's first attempt at the 2 point conversion our 99 was being held by two Olinemen. Yet a dubious defensive holding call was made against our D giving the Bengals the 2nd chance to make it a 2 TD game.

10- Broken record again: One of Alex Smith's positive qualities is his mobility. Why the hell don't we have DESIGNED QB runs in our playbook?! And if we do why the hell don't we use them?! This can be very effective in drives. It can keep oppositions Ds unbalanced and guessing. That threat can open up other plays for the Chiefs. For a supposedly offensive minded coach, we have a very conservative playbook. Maybe that's also why our occasional gadget plays don't work. Maybe that's why we don't score TDs when we get to 1st-and-goal. Can you imagine the QB bootlegs that Alex can take to the house in those situations?

[Chiefs4life24]

All I'm saying is it could very well be Fisher that's fouling it up anyone of those kids could be the problem my fear is its the oline as a whole that's just bad not just one or two guys. They just have a look like were gonna give up a sack anyway so why block. We should've grabed 3-4 linemen in this last years draft but pissed that away

[brdempsey69]

All I'm saying is it could very well be Fisher that's fouling it up anyone of those kids could be the problem my fear is its the oline as a whole that's just bad not just one or two guys. They just have a look like were gonna give up a sack anyway so why block. We should've grabed 3-4 linemen in this last years draft but pissed that away

How could it possibly be Fisher alone that is fouling things up when there's tons of pressure coming right straight up the middle and the LT also whiffs intermittently, as was the case in the GB game? What is Fisher supposed to do -- wipe out the entire opposing Defensive 7 by himself on every play, while the other 4 O-Lineman just stand there and smoke a big turd, just because Fisher was #1 overall pick? In the GB game, Fisher did his job to an acceptable level -- the other 4 guys didn't.

The biggest weakness is at RG. The Chiefs need another Will Shields. A 2nd round pick in 2016 might bring a good player to the RG position.

[Chiefs4life24]

I judge all five together and equally as it should be when the oline plays good their good together when they suck they suck together I have never and will never individualize the oline

[Bike]

On another subject, what's up with Dee Ford? 1st round bust?

[brdempsey69]

I judge all five together and equally as it should be when the oline plays good their good together when they suck they suck together I have never and will never individualize the oline

Well I do. I saw what happened when Willie Roaf left in 2006 with no adequate replacement, and then Will Shields left in 2007 with no adequate replacement. Those spots got exposed repeatedly.

If you don't individualize who is performing and who is not, then you can't fix it if you don't know what is broken.

On another subject, what's up with Dee Ford? 1st round bust?

Or just simply having to wait his turn behind Hali this year. We'll know next year.

[Chiefs4life24]

We need all five to be studs no way around it. We just have to draft until we find them. Lots of stud LT, LG, RG And RT in the draft next year so we should be able to find one of each

[brdempsey69]

We need all five to be studs no way around it. We just have to draft until we find them. Lots of stud LT, LG, RG And RT in the draft next year so we should be able to find one of each

You know that isn't going to happen. They will not draft only O-lineman. That just never happens. What's really needed is a RG and a new O-Line coach.

[matthewschiefs]

Here are my thoughts

Maclin Charles and Kelce along with Santos get to slide by

Alex Smith overall was good. There are some things he could have done better. And I do agree that on a couple of plays he took to long. Alex gets to slide by as the last one out before I go postal. But the door almost hit you Alex GET RID OF THE FREAKING BALL

The rest of them would you guys like to show up sometime? Anytime?

O LINE while again I do agree that a couple of times Alex holding on to the ball was a problem there were FAR more times where guys were coming 100% untouched unblocked. Could you make it easier for them O line? Across the board the O line was Junk IMO. People want Alex to take shot down the field and he did take a couple to Maclin but If an O line is going to let guys come untouched then well that's just not going to happen.

Defense. WTF are you guys doing. No passrush for 99% of the game there were times they got some and just some pressure on the QB but outside of that you let Andy Dalton look like a top 5 QB. Good job guys. Your stealing money if you cash your checks this week.

Andy Reid. I'll say I thought the playcalling was better this week but that's not saying much. GET YOUR TEAM TOGETHER Andy.

[Chiefs4life24]

And LT too cause that's not working out either. I would also fire Flemming, Cooper, Berry and Abdullah and start over their with some new corners and safeties. Also I would get rid of Albert Wilson and DAT not sure why we got him. Seems like we need 4 different Linebackers just too have for running plays

[brdempsey69]

And LT too cause that's not working out either. I would also fire Flemming, Cooper, Berry and Abdullah and start over their with some new corners and safeties

I'll wait until season's end regarding Stephenson & I'd really like for him to improve so that he can stay.

Berry must go. I've noticed this disturbing trend of the Chiefs Defense performing better without him, than with him. And for the second time, after missing most of the season, Berry has come back and we've heard this hoopla about how the Chiefs Defense would be that much better because of him, only to witness the exact opposite happen. NEVER do I want to see this team draft a Safety in the top 10 ever again, as history has proven that teams that have done it over the last 25 years almost never get above .500 or have post-season success with that player on their roster, and those players never play up to their draft status, with the exception of the late Sean Taylor.