Alex Smith's big chance...

[ctchiefsfan]

We all know that Alex gets called a "game manager". And it's seldom meant in a positive way. I may have even called him that a time or two in 2013 and 2014. I don't any more, but most still do though not so many on this site.

This year we went 12-4, swept the toughest division in the NFL, won the West and got the #2 seed. Alex led us to several 4th quarter comebacks. Today we play for our first chance since 1993 to make it to the AFC Championship.

If Alex comes up big today will he finally start to get a little respect?

What do y'all think?

[TopekaRoy]

I have a huge amount of respect for Alex and I STILL call him a game manager, but he is one of the best game managers I have ever seen. He will occasionally take a shot at a big play, to stretch the field, but mostly he takes what the defense gives him, attacks their weaknesses and methodically marches the ball down the field, keeping our defense on the sideline and allowing them to rest. He throws high percentage passes and rarely turns the ball over.

When most people call a QB a game manager, they imply that he has a weak arm, isn't very mobile and is afraid to take chances. We have seen that none of these is true with Alex. He is very talented, but he is also very smart.

Quarterbacks need to play in a way that best fits the personnel on the offense. Good RBs and big sure handed TEs favor more of a game manager style. If we had more players like Tyreek Hill and Jeremy Maclin, you would see a different style of play in the QB.

The QBs job is to manage the offense. Defense may win championships, but the offense controls the game. The offense decides what play is going to be run and where the ball is going to go. The defense just reacts to what the offense is doing. When you control (or manage) the offense, you manage the game.

[Eydugstr]

I'm absolutely OK with having "game manager" style QB's when they keep managing to win games.

Alex does bring a lot of good intangibles. His ability to scramble, combined with his never-give-up attitude has kept us in a lot of games that previous KC QB's would've just faded out on. If I were to list Alex's vices, I'd say they were his sometimes erratic passing, and the fact he sometimes stares down his receivers and doesn't pump fake near enough.

IMHO Alex Smith was not meant to be the end-all-be-all of KC QB's. He was meant to be a transitional QB that gave the team fighting chance in the playoffs while the front office tries to find it's QBOTF, without putting the fanbase through a 2-14 season.

[NJChiefs]

I'm watching the Packers - Cowboys game right now, and keep thinking...Man, if we had somebody like Aaron Rodgers .... But then I think back to the Indy playoff heartbreaker from a few years back. Alex played better in that game than any elite QB would have in the same situation. He did everything. Precision passes, long balls, scrambling. So he CAN do it. We need to see it TONIGHT!

[ctchiefsfan]

Please don't let them score right before the half! NEED A PICK-6 SO DAMNED BAD!!!