David Bell Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs: Heavens to Betsy, Chill for Heaven’s Sake!

David Bell October 16, 2019 No Comments Gallery

Chiefs: Heaven’s to Betsy, Chill for Heaven’s Sake! – Watching what has gone on since Sunday’s embarrassing loss to the Texans, first it was outright panic and next, huge critiques from top to bottom. Now? Viewing twitter, the Chiefs conglomerate has found a bit of “chill.” However, this is still a good team and it still will make the playoffs, presuming leadership kicks some tail. Thank heavens, or, as my grandmother used to say: “Heavens to Murgatroyd*” but before that it was Heavens to Betsy in the 1950’s.

Well okay then, I have a lot I want to observe. Others have delved into the basic problems that face the Chiefs by reviewing film, using their expertise, hard won or not, to come to conclusions. My take is a bit different. The Chiefs have had a “wake” as in “Up”! Chill. Add a bit of reason to all the emoting reactionary ideas that you have. This team is still a good team with a good roster. All is not lost but I have some critique of my own.

Things to fix were noted in an article by Laddie Morse and are well-worth deliberation. Link –> here.

The Missing Ingredient: Team Persona, Belief in the Team Identify: Toughness and “Buying It”

Because it’s my view that the Chiefs have a talented Roster, I have been asking myself: What is the missing ingredient. I took a look around the NFL to see if I could spot what i thought has been missing for decades. It has to do with the “Chiefs Persona” or “Mystique“. It is missing. I can watch football games and see it. For example: The Packers last night in the comeback win over the Lions. At the same time, I can see that “mystique” building at Detroit. Another long constant in the NFL in this regard is the Pittsburgh Steelers. No matter what, they are a difficult team to beat. They have lost two quarterbacks and they still have won, this weekend with a UDFA who won his first start out of the door this week. When things are down, such teams as the Packers and Steelers “Get Tough”.  What I see from the Chiefs does not entail that toughness.

More easily fixed?

Things can and should be fixed before Thursday’s game against the Broncos at Mile High (sic). The basics. DO YOUR JOB. Basic Tackling: Do not tackle above the belt buckle, wrap up and take the legs from underneath the ball carrier. Hit the gaps and stop the run. Flow to the ball.

The DL must drive into their opponents and keep awareness of where the ball is going. We are seeing rushes deplete early(Effort), and a lack of play-making at the LoS in finding the route the Running Back is taking. This is purely basic stuff and our linemen as a whole are failing.

Sorely missed in this view is Chris Jones but I can say that a missing ingredient is having a DT (NT type of defender) who is big enough and strong enough to clog the middle and to command double teams to stop him. This is the one talent that is missing from the Chiefs front four.

Sad to say

Khalen Saunders — he needs a year of development with an eating and strength training program. Bashaud Breeland has let me down. He did play well in the first 4 games but the past two have become a nightmare for him — he has been flagged at least five times and that must stop.

Kendall Fuller, who has not shown up with the successes he had in the slot with Philly, suffered what appears to be a fracture thumb. He was getting a second opinion but his status is not known. He didn’t practice in the first practice of week 7 which was yesterday.

Observations

Zach Brown was released by the Eagles. The linebacker has great promise. The Chiefs need a hard hitting ILB who can and will hit the holes and gaps and stop the run. To be sure, he is not a long term solution at LB but he looks good as a soft cost acquisition by Brett Veach. Brown of UNC, was a 2nd round pick by the Titans in 2012. that year he was ranked 6th and 9th best LB by Gil Brandt and Mike Mayock. Brown has been a Pro Bowler twice, and though not a youngster any more he excels at stopping the run–just what the Chiefs. He can also do pass defense. 

For me he would be a good addition to the roster for his ability to hit the gaps hard and is a “cheap” LB that can be acquired now for a reasonable cost with his 2019 cap number about $2.5m and salary of $3m — now unemployed. Certainly, Brown is being considered by Brett Veach. I cannot say for sure what Brown has or doesn’t have at this point but if he can still do the basics, we could use him. I do know that our LB corp isn’t doing it’s job.

A Concern about to be retired — LOT Eric Fisher

Fisher may not have endeared himself to ‘your’ personal standards. I think if you are among that crowd, you fail to see his value from the evidence before you (last 3 games).

Having our LOT back on Pat Mahomes blind side will really help. I don’t care spit for those who don’t like him. He is a pro bowl Tackle. He is pretty good. He has not lived up to the #1 type draft pick status from 2013. I have written about this before. I stick to my view about it, and the crap shoot of the draft at any level.

Thank heavens, Fisher is about to return. Cam Erving fouled up, and fouled out starting at LOT. The Chiefs had acquired Martinas Rankin from the Texans and he had snaps when Wylie went out. That was not bad play. We need to see more from Martinas. I have wrongly placed faith in Erving. Bye soon buddy!

An Offensive Line Concern not Retired (LOG Wylie and OC Reiter)

Despite Fisher’s return, the play of interior linemen LOG Andrew Wylie and OC Austin Reiter. However, having Fisher outside would surely aid the two interior linemen. The Chiefs line would be back to strength at the bookend positions.

Consider this: We are playing two lesser players at LOG and OC. Mind you I am not calling them a failure because I understand that it takes time to get the footwork down, use leverage and learn the ropes (witness Fisher).

Here, you have two young players who are struggling against some good opponents the past 3 games. They have had ups and downs.

I am not ready to give in to the idea that they must be replaced. They are learning on the fly. Both are smart players and both are now well versed in the Reid playbook. As far as Wylie is concerned, he is gimp with an ankle injury.  Wisniewski will start in his place and should. That’s why he was added to the roster: Experience, the fact that already, Fisher was out, Erving and Hunter failed and Nick Allegretti is not ready and is OC#2 anyway and that is a dangerous situation itself.

Stefan Wiśniewski

I am not sure how Veach will approach this. I think the Chiefs should draft an offensive lineman every draft with a high pick (Rounds 1-3). You have a HoF type QB. He needs to stay healthy and the way to insure that is with a top offensive line. Enter Vet acquisition of OG Stefan Wisniewski. He was a 2nd round pick in 2011 and has been a starter wherever he has played. Wisniewski is not a top ranked guard, but is at least experienced and solid, a starter for the Eagles in 2017 (Super Bowl Champs). He is an above average player and comes at economical cost. If this works out the Chiefs will have at least improved the situation at LOG and Wylie would revert to learning mode as LOG#2.

DT Terrell McClain

At about the same time that Wisniewski was signed on, so was Terrell McClain. Both were signed due to injuries of players on the Chiefs roster. In McClain’s case, his first week in saw him play 26 snaps in the game due to a depleted DT group of players. I can’t say he succeed but with others on the bench, he at least took on part of the load as an NFL experienced player (journeyman). The cost of signing him was about $425k pro-rated from the NFL minimum $645k. I think he is a one-year rental, again acquired due to injuries.

Players Who Fit the “tough get going bill”

Tyrann Mathieu: This past week I want to note successes due to so many “bad looks”. The loss was indeed ugly. Tyrann Mathieu continues to play football at a high level, again figuring in with his playmaker ability. He is also become a team leader.

The importance of Mathieu is covered by BJ Kissel. See the video highlighting points from the Colts game here.

Frank Clark: Since his joining the Chiefs I have defended Frank Clark from the outset but the culmination of what I think he does showed in the numbers this past game. I admit I became totally disillusioned with Justin Houston for 3 sequential seasons: 2016-2018. I know that Clark was contributing all along. Just not in categories that would register. Versus the Texans, we saw a lot more such as this particular tackle and the stats from the game.

See the result here:

Charvarius Ward again had a quietly successful game. I am pleased that he is playing solid football and is removing concern as to his ability.

Ward even had a takeaway in the endzone with an interception on a play defending against DeAndre Hopkins, the best tuned WR in the game. I believe Ward is becoming a solid pro and like Thornhill, the game as slowed for him as well. See Ward’s one-handed INT here.

Juan Thornhill: from his insertion as a starter, Thornhill’s play has greatly improved. His reads and positioning has emerged as evidence of his play. This past game, Thornhill showed his speed and burst in his interception, overtaking the WR at making the play. Thornhill is still on a rookie learning curve but he is playing more and more like a top acquisition by Brett Veach. See Thornhill’s intercept that highlights his closing speed from this tweet by Nick Jacobs:

After the game an interview with Thornhill brought quite  a lot to light. I was high on Thornhill before the draft. Now more certain than ever.

Pat Mahomes: We didn’t get to see him in the 4th quarter much, the Chiefs had the ball for about 1 minute. Time of possession is not lost upon me. Mahomes can’t do much watching the game from the sidelines.

Still, Pat Mahomes threw for 3 touchdowns in this woefully played game and is only 15 yards away from being ranked at the top for QBs throwing for 7500 yards in their career. This weekend, Mahome will put that accomplishment in the book. Plus?  Pat mustered and patched together a 116-yard drive.

Tyreek Hill

Hill returned after 4 complete weeks off due to his shoulder/clavicle injury. His affect was electrifying, scoring two Chiefs TDs, the first of which was a circus catch climbing the ladder, snagging the ball from the hands of a defender and then he lunged and fought his way to a TD. A truly acrobatic and great play by Hill.

Ty Hill is the “toughest” player on the Chiefs roster, he has become a leader and cheerleader. I thought the Chiefs players caught a bit of the fire from this first catch but if what I thought was a fire from a fanned ember, it was quickly doused. It was a Reekin’ Catch! Here on twitter (in German… ENJOY!):

 

Mitchell Schwartz

I can’t say enough about Mitch. He is the anchor of the offensive line and his durability is unquestionable(and probably very fortunate). Week in, week out Schwartz comes through. He is one of the top offensive tackles in the NFL.

Eric Bieniemy and Steve Spagnuolo 

Good grief. Here we have a fine group of players who are a threat to advance the ball and score and Eric Bieniemy is talking about “Do Your Job” but the players aren’t, injuries not withstanding. You have Reid’s ear. If you must, get a megaphone. Steve Spagnuolo talks about the basics. I am seeing some of the most flagrant lack of discipline and basic football from defenders than I thought was possible. This is all “Football player 101 stuff. Poor tackling, tackling above the belt buckle, not wrapping up, not closing holes and hitting the LoS playing off your heels, Not aggressively attacking the offense(almost ad infinitum).

The defects go on and on. I thought surely the defense couldn’t be a failure after dearly Departed Bob Sutton. Maybe I was wrong altogether.

Besides that, Andy, the game plan, play-calling and much else, stank to “high heavens.

I knew there was a defect in team persona after 2014’s season and it was evident in 2015. I thought it was resolved. I erred, again.

My Last Call, Andy Reid: Heavens to Murgatroyd

I thought it was just an intermittent crisis. I thought we would have a team that Gel’ed by now. I was wrong. It has reared it’s head again. We don’t have it and now it is crucially important.

I’ve rattled on and covered a lot of ground. Provided in this article is what I view as the missing ingredient(see above).

The Chiefs have enough “Blue” rated players to be a competitive team and a team which should get to the playoffs and have a shot at the title. If it doesn’t that is not a front office problem, it is an on the field problem and responsibility for this lies with Andy Reid.

Andy Reid must prep the team, uplift it and do his own job with total effectiveness. The past two games demonstrate his lack of play calling prowess. Run game? Does Reid even know why it is important? Why has he failed to put the only franchise Running Back in the game and give him 15 touches? Reid has failed to control the ToP and tempo of the game. He has failed to manage the clock(again and again). He has not ripped some tail and he should have done so. This lackadaisical effort by the head coach is the true abysmal performance that allows all of the rest of them. Andy Reid has been out-coached 3 games in a row.

Get in the locker room and gnaw on some tail end Andy Reid!

David Bell — ArrowheadOne

 

 

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