maybe defensive coaching doesn't matter

[wubfree]

I'd argue Pendergast could be blamed for AZ's loss at the superbowl last year. he's proven he's mediocre...but maybe he'll get lucky w/ the Chiefs. This is cronyism at its finest IMHO but I digress.


****maybe defensive coaching is more about the players and less about the coaching.****

off the top of my head...
Romeo - supposedly good DC but team was fine without him.
Marvin Lewis (good DC, then head coach that couldn't spell D)..and the Ravens were fine without him.
Buddy Ryan...got a lot of credit but had great players
Gunther - was a genius when he had DT and Neil and decent cast down in Tenn. but otherwise pretty average.
the list goes on...

maybe defensive coaching doesn't matter.

[KristofLaw]

The naming of Mr Pendergast has been a long time coming and is likely the result of the late hirings of our entire team. It seems the Chiefs upper brass had a plan set in place and has been slowly revealing it in a smartly planned fashion. I have thoroughly been enjoying the manner in which Mr Hunt has proceeded this off-season.

I don't know if Pendergast is the right guy for our team, however he has inherited a youthful defense with talent. The football Gods be willing, hopefully he will round that talent into a ferocious beast.

In all likely-hood we will be using a 4-3/3-4 defensive scheme this season and next we will know the face of our D a great deal better. There are still many holes to fill on the roster but the season is in it's infancy and league-wide the Chiefs organization has been given watch.

*The Cardinals were defeated soundly in the end by both an incredible drive and an incredible officiating job by the leagues best points/big game deciding ref.* But, that's only my opinion.

[jap1]

Im starting to think that the key to a good defense is both players AND a good coaching STAFF. In other words, a good DC is not enough. Im starting to think you need to have really good positional coaches to have a successful defense. If the positional coaches instill proper skills and discipline, usually the D is successful.

The DC calls the plays, which is important. But I feel that defense depends much more on the individuals. If you have really talented athletes that are coached well, then I think they can outplay the offense, even if they have sub-par play calling. Defense is much more of a read and react situation, which means the success is much more in the hands of the players than the choice of plays.

That having been said, I think we have some great positional coaches this year, and a lot of raw talent. A lot of the coaches have been DC at some point, and were known as good positional coaches at some point in their career.

I have hope for our defense.

[okikcfan]

My point was I do not think the Cards D was up to par, too many missed tackles and at times just chaos. Pioli has never been an HC but I have all the faith in the world that he will assemble a great team of coaches and players for the up coming season, I think Pend could very well be a good fit in KC and God knows we ALL wish him well and I do see us as the AFC West Champs at the end of 2009. I Believe..GO CHIEFS IN 09

[wubfree]

Dear Coach

w/ all due respect....WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! AZ was up w/ 2 mins to go and AZ needed a stop that they did not get...I am not sure what planet your comment is coming from. again, w/ all due respect, I completely disagree with you.

[wubfree]

one more point...in an effort to continue this healthy debate...

there are a lot of posters defending the AZ D on how they improve at certain points during the season and how they played big in the playoffs up to the day of the big dance. This is almost like saying "if you exclude the 4th qtr, the Chiefs were a .500 football team over the past 2 seasons." AZ's D was on the field w/ 2 mins to go and a chance to win a championship and they blew it.

[KristofLaw]

one more point...in an effort to continue this healthy debate...

there are a lot of posters defending the AZ D on how they improve at certain points during the season and how they played big in the playoffs up to the day of the big dance. This is almost like saying "if you exclude the 4th qtr, the Chiefs were a .500 football team over the past 2 seasons." AZ's D was on the field w/ 2 mins to go and a chance to win a championship and they blew it.

All due respect, I think those final 2 minutes will go down as another great memory to Steelers and NFL fans alike. It was another of Rothlisbergers heroic moments. He is definitely a HOF prospect as a result of that drive.

[wubfree]

All due respect, I think those final 2 minutes will go down as another great memory to Steelers and NFL fans alike. It was another of Rothlisbergers heroic moments. He is definitely a HOF prospect as a result of that drive.

I agree that Big Ben is a stud QB - HOF credentials. But I'm pretty sure the AZ D and the mgt, which fired Pendergast, did not take solace in the moral victory of losing to a future HOF QB. The AZ D still blew it, the lead, the Super Bowl. The PITT playcalling was also pretty transparent. Ward had one good leg, and they were throwing to Holmes exclusively. They were mediocre and I'm not sure who to blame but it looks like we are trying to emulate that mediocrity in KC.

Hey. Somebody's got to lose and as a chiefs fan, I get no comfort from acknowledging that we played tough competition and lost. If that's good enough for anybody it'll be another 30 years before the Chiefs go to the SB.

I hope we get lucky. Maybe we get a LB and DE and Pendergast suddenly becomes a defensive genius. I hope so!

[slc chief]

balanced teams that play good offense and a good defense wins championships. i think that is what pioli and clark are trying to build here is a balanced team.pendergast got his defense to play good during the playoffs when it matterd and that was the reason they made it all the way.i think the game could have gone either way it was a close game

[DT14PRIEST]

one more point...in an effort to continue this healthy debate...

there are a lot of posters defending the AZ D on how they improve at certain points during the season and how they played big in the playoffs up to the day of the big dance. This is almost like saying "if you exclude the 4th qtr, the Chiefs were a .500 football team over the past 2 seasons." AZ's D was on the field w/ 2 mins to go and a chance to win a championship and they blew it.

I think it was more Big Ben and the Steeler offense coming through in the clutch then it was Arizona's defense choking at the end. He was clutch all season against top ranked defenses and lead the Steelers to wins in:

Week 4: In OT, game winning drive against the Baltimor Ravens lead the Steelers down field and set up Jeff Reed for the winning 46-yard field goal

Week 5: After falling behind 21-20 in the fourth quarter, Roethlisberger directed the game-winning drive, passing for an eight-yard TD to Hines Ward to put the Steelers ahead

Week 11: Lead the Steelers down field in the last drive of the game against San Diego to set up Jeff Reed to kick a 32-yard field goal

Week 15: Steelers trailed 9-3 in the fourth quarter. After a FG to make it 9-6, the Steelers took over with 3:38 remaining. Roethlisberger led a 92-yard, game-winning TD drive, culminating in a four-yard TD pass to Santonio Holmes for the 13-9 victory

So saying it was all an implosion on the defensive side of the ball may be under estimating Roethlisberger's prowess when the game is on the line

[okikcfan]

All due respect, I think those final 2 minutes will go down as another great memory to Steelers and NFL fans alike. It was another of Rothlisbergers heroic moments. He is definitely a HOF prospect as a result of that drive.

yea well, last years Chiefs could have beaten the AZ D in the final 2 minutes of that game,