Tackling KC’s Tackling Issues
By:
Chris Eithun (BirdmanLJ27)
First,
I request you attempt to recall an evening all of us would prefer
not to reminisce, but I feel it would be detrimental to dismiss.
Rewind back, if you will, to the game against the New York Football
Giants. After a strong first quarter, holding the seemingly
harmless Tiki Barber to a meager 18 yards on 7 carries, the
unthinkable happened. In the second quarter, Tiki burst up the
left sideline, breaking numerous, half-hearted tackles. To the
casual observer, Tiki gained just a first down, but due to the
team giving up, Tiki trekked onward like a ghost, slipping right
through the almost transparent Chiefs defense to score and swing
the momentum violently in the Giants favor. He never stopped
after that, and the defense succumbed to the shifty quickness
that is Tiki Barber. This occasional “disappearance” of the
Chiefs defense showed itself numerous times throughout the season,
notably on the Cowboys winning drive, and the pitiful performance
of preserving the lead against the Philadelphia Eagles. What
is the source behind the bad tackling throughout the season?
A multitude of explanations can be implemented to attempt to
produce an answer to this question that is in direct correlation
with the question, “Why didn’t the Chiefs reach the postseason?”
Could it be over exhaustion? Were our players overworked and
in need of a rest, a softer schedule, and less time on the field?
I sure hope not, I would like to think Gun had them prepared
and they are paid to be in shape and constantly vigilant. Does
the blame rest partially with the offense? Should the offense
have put up more than 17 points on the Giants injury riddled
defense, or should they have committed the costly turnover in
the red zone at Dallas that changed the game? No, that is not
a valid scapegoat either in my opinion, because the defense
has a much easier job, to defend. Guns group doesn’t have to
attack and score, so their mistakes should be far less than
those accumulated on offense. The penalties need to be severely
downsized as well, as I recall a multitude of boneheaded fouls
were committed on defense that made the road to the end zone
that much easier for opposing offenses. Yet, there is still
the possibility our defensive players haven’t “gelled” yet.
In my opinion, some will never “gel”, because their talent level
is not up to par with NFL standards. Finally, it could always
be a matter of coaching, and I don’t mean Dick Vermeil or Gunther
Cunningham. There’s a good chance the coaching staff assembled
around Gun, which he wasn’t allowed to tamper with, was just
not getting it done and were holding the talented Chief's defense
back. Luckily, Herm Edwards recognized this fault, and has since
exterminated the problems and in their stead he will hopefully
insert quality coaches who can get the job done. Will the scheme
be changed, … perhaps. But it won’t be a matter of what Herm
likes to use, it’ll be what Herm and his new staff scope in
the current players they have, and will get during the off season.
Be it a 4-3, 3-4, Or Cover-2, as long as the disastrous showing
on Saturday, December 17th, 2005 against the Giants isn’t repeated
I will be satisfied.
Now, if I was to truly “tackle KC’s tackling issues,” it would
only make sense for me analyze the root of all tackling problems;
tackling itself. One stat that would indicate adept tackling
skills is the amount of tackles a player accumulates. What follows
is a list of the Chief’s leading tacklers, in chronological
order:
1.) Kawika Mitchell 105
2.)Derrick Johnson 95
3.)Sammy Knight 89
4.)Greg Wesley 82
5.)Patrick Surtain 57
6.)Eric Warfield 57
7.)Jared Allen 55
8.)Eric Hicks 43
9.)Benny Sapp 41
10.)Kendrell Bell 41
11.)John Browing 34
12.)Rich Scanlon 26
13.)Jimmy Wilkerson 22
14.)Dexter Mccleon 21
15.)Gary Stills 19
16.)Lional Dalton 18
17.)Boomer Grigsby 15
18.)Carlos Hall 13
19.)Dewayne Washington 13
20.)Chris Horn 11
21.)Ryan Sims 8
22.)Junior Siavvi 6.5
23.)Kris Griffin 6
Defensive Line-TOTAL Tackles:199 (19 sacks)
Linebackers-TOTAL Tackles: 273 (5.5 Sacks)
Secondary-TOTAL tackles: 360 (4.5 Sacks)
Interesting Notes:
The linebackers/secondary have a total of 10 sacks, which is
over half of the D-Lines production Jared Allen has 12 of the
19 sacks listed above for the defensive line The top eight tacklers
start with two linebackers, then continues down with an interesting
pattern. Two safeties, two corners, and then two defensive linemen.
Benny Sapp has more tackles then starters Kendrell Bell, John
Browning, and Lional Dalton. Derrick Johnson was an excellent
draft pick, was 2nd on the team in tackles!
Drawing my conclusions from this data, I found some key factors
that probably attribute to the teams occasional poor tackling
and overall weak defensive showings. Two words seem emblazoned
with the most meaning, and therein where most of that blame
lies. “Defensive Line!” The defensive line needs to apply some
sort of pressure outside of Jared Allen. With pressure comes
errant throws, mistakes, mistiming, and the overall offensive
disarray that a defense strives for. With an embarrassing 19
sacks coming from the defensive line, an average of a little
over one a game, you can see where the rest of the team's troubles
sprout from. Perhaps if the defensive line had more sacks, tackles
behind the line of scrimmage, and quarterback pressure, the
secondary wouldn’t be outlandishly ahead of the rest of the
team in tackles. Maybe, the team will have to tackle less, and
not rely solely on stopping the opposing offense, rather playing
defense effectively enough to cause the opposition to stop themselves.
Once again, the keys to effectively “tackle KC’s tackling issues,“
are better coaching, a respectable defensive line, and a new
attitude on the defensive front! How do we go about doing this?
Its easy, make some neccesary cuts, sign a few free agents,
and draft defensive line in the first round of the draft. Tamba
Hali from Penn State, Mathias Kiwanuka from Boston College,
or Haloti N'gata from Oregon would be excellent picks in my
opinion. (If available)
Chris Eithun
Nepa Chiefs Hardcore Fanatic
Ramblings of a Chiefs fan: Year end review
By:
The Xtreme One
Only
one word really comes to mind when I think about this last season.
And that word simply blurted out says it all. WOW! This was
a year of so many ups but so many downs as well. It was a season
that showcased a KC offense that, when all the tools were in
place, was still the best in football. It was an offense that
had a new look and a devastating punch in Larry "You wouldn't
like me when I'm angry" Johnson.
KC also showcased what I consider a much improved D. They had
their problems, but most young defenses do. Given another year
and the same Gunther Cunningham, I see some great things coming.
With the MUCH improved play of Kawika Mitchell and the likes
of Derrick Johnson at linebackers, this D is heading in the
right direction. And let me be the first, well maybe not first,
to tell you that I actually MISSED Ryan Sims when he got hurt.
He flew under the radar for the last few years, taking a lot
of hits by the fans as being a bust. But without him in there,
the D line got NO push, and considering we didn't have any to
begin with, it hurt all the more.
In this man's opinion, the problem with the past season wasn't
the players, it wasn't the coaches, it wasn't the schedule.
It was the hype. Every single year we Chiefs fans find a way
of letting our emotions get ahead of our brains. We should have
known the D wasn't going to click from the start, we should
have known that the O wasn't going to start with a bang or that
the 2 to 1 RB rotation wasn't going to work. But we are all
wishful thinkers, and this year it hurt. But to me, what hurt
the most was a wasted 10-6 season. A season that 9 out of 10
times gets you to the playoffs.
As much as missing the playoffs hurt, there are a lot more bright
spots than there are dark. Heck, the age of the D alone makes
for a strong case. Our D is young, hungry, and fast, VERY fast.
And with an improved push from the middle, there should be nothing
that stops this D from jumping up even higher. We were middle
of the pack in points allowed per game, and to me, that is all
that matters. Provided Edwards does what I think he will do
to this D, I again have high hopes for them. Lets hope I don't
get let down again.
Now the O is a completely different story. Before the season
started we were all saying that the O was fine, we didn't need
to do anything to it. One year wasn't going to break it. Well,
we were right and we were wrong. One injury was all it took.
Big Willie went out and it hurt, A LOT! And that's the age factor.
I don't know how much longer we have, but injuries are going
to take a toll next year. These guys, as great as they are,
aren't eggs, but they aren't 20 years old either. They need
an injection of youth, and they need it now.
The O line did a great job, that is after Roaf got back. The
problem is that we only have 1 young and talented player on
the line at this moment. And Waters can't do it by himself when
Roaf and Shields are gone. Now some will say that Welbourne
will be able to take over for Shields, and I have to agree.
But guard really isn't the problem, it's the tackle position.
If Roaf leaves, that means that we have Black and Sampson. And
that scares me more than a little. But looking back to last
season, the O line was fine, great if you forget the half season
without Big Willie.
At Quarterback Trent Green had another great season. And has
recently earned his 2nd trip to the Probowl. I couldn't be happier
with his play, but I could be happier. Trent isn't getting younger,
he isn't getting stronger, faster, did I say younger? With the
addition of Printers to the team it looks like KC fixed this
problem, but forgive me if I doubt a player that was injured
in college, injured in Canada, and is now going to be the future
at QB for KC. But again, that is the future and I am here to
talk about the past. Green has now put together one of the best
three year runs at quarterback in the history of the NFL. Three
straight 4000 yard seasons, not to mention his string of 90
or better QB rating. In my opinion this should have been his
3rd straight probowl. As for his numbers this year, he has proven
to me that he is the best QB KC has ever had. If not for the
D he might have gotten us to at least one Superbowl. My only
question, what would his stats have been this season if we didn't
turn to smashmouth football? I bet they would have blown most
QBs away.
My last look at the O will be a combination of RB, TE, and WR.
What can you say about the WRs? Well, Parker started slow, got
hurt, got in the dog house, but then came on and played well
for a second year player. But my eyes were turned to Eddie Kennison.
Another great year by the 30+ year old WR. I applaud him for
his great play, but again the age factor for me.
At Tightend, something just wasn't right. Be it Tony G. blocking
more than normal or the change in scheme, something was missing
from our all world TE. I think father time has began it's approach.
He didn't seem to have the speed, the vertical, or the strength
of past years. While he is still one of the best, he is no longer
the best. And I am sure everyone knows who is. Tony had a solid
season, damn good for a tightend, but not one he or I am accustom
to from our beloved Gonzo.
And know the position that I will eat some crow on. At the beginning
of the season, moments after a 99 yard run in some lost preseason
game, I was one of the doubters. Oh it was preseason, oh it
was against backups, oh Priest could have done that. Well, while
all the above were probably true, I was spending too much time
lamenting that Priest wasn't the same rather than staring in
awe like I should have. Once the 2 to 1 with Holmes and LJ ended,
it was the L Train all the way. Now I am a Priest fan, I love
the guy, but his time has past, his train has left if you will.
In one season Larry Johnson just about blasted away all the
records that Priest managed over the last 4 seasons. And with
Herman Edwards already naming LJ the starter, I can only bow
down before LJ and kiss his feet.
As for the D, well it was improved. But like I said earlier,
there is only one stat that matters. And that is PPG Allowed.
At times, this D seemed like they knew what they were doing,
they blasted up plays in the backfield, they swarmed to the
ball, they knocked the wind out of the ball carrier. Enter Denver
and New York. Both of those teams just killed us at one point
or another. Now we did come back and beat Denver, but the spanking
they gave us in Denver should have foretold our play on the
road. The Giant's and Tiki just backed that up. This D, for
all the hype, didn't do what I was hoping. But they did help
us win some. But again, they also helped us lose, ala Philly.
This D, for some reason or another, just couldn't put together
2 straight good games. Were they too aggressive? Were they too
slow? I can't answer that. I do know that every game it was
something different and one thing the same. We couldn't stop
the pass in just about every game we played. Then we couldn't
get a rush for the life of Lamar, or then we couldn't tackle,
couldn't catch that INT, it was always something. I can only
hope, and I believe we can, that this team will get better and
fast.
All in all, I was thrilled with the season. A 10-6 record is
good, and should get you into the playoffs. But fate was against
us. It wasn't a season to be ashamed of, it wasn't one to really
be proud of. But it was one that showed me, this ravaged fan,
that The Chiefs meant to fix the D, they were going to win some
games. But in the end it all falls down to execution, and a
mixed kick in Dallas.
TXO
Defensive Line: A CHIEF Concern
By:
Chris Eithun (BirdmanLJ27)
Every
season fans share one all encompassing goal, winning games and
advancing into the playoffs. Of course the next level of that
goal is to win out during the postseason and punch a ticket
to the Super Bowl. Based on that logic, you could infer by examining
the teams that have survived and currently have legitimate shots
at fulfilling football’s sole goal, you can get a good overview
of what it takes to be where they are, and in turn strengthen
your own chances of being in that same category next season.
The four remaining teams still alive and well in the postseason,
and I hope you are familiar with them, are the Carolina Panthers,
the Seattle Seahawks, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver
Broncos. Obviously, judging by the subject my article’s title
seems to imply, I will be targeting and zeroing in on the defensive
lines of these four teams. For starters, sacks and pressure
on the quarterback are vital if the line wants success. In turn,
that pressure cascades onward and equally spreads success throughout
the rest of the defense.
Three of the four remaining teams have forty-five or more total
sacks, while the Chiefs are well below that with twenty-nine.
The defensive line can take credit for nineteen of those sacks,
which over a course of sixteen games is an average of around
1-2 sacks a game. If you want takeaways, less yards, and less
points given up, you have to create more pressure. Blitzes,
if effective, can be the answer, but if executed incorrectly,
which they often are, hang the rest of the defense out to dry.
Gunther Cunningham is a defensive coordinator that likes to
“bring ‘da boys,” and get after the quarterback. Stopping the
play before it begins is his philosophy. If that’s your game
plan, yet you are lacking the sacks and/or the pressure it entails,
it’s a wonder you aren’t scored on every play. Gunther and Herm
undoubtedly have realized this, and it indeed is, as aforementioned,
a chief concern for them. We, as fans, can only hope they address
it correctly.
What I suggest, and I am sure they will consider this action,
(But with out any correlation to this article, I would think)
would be to obtain a true pass rushing specialist, a “veteran,
quarterback punishing, engineered to reek havoc in the backfield”
defensive end. Of course, based on the previous adjectives you
could deduce the one and only man I am referring to is Herm
Edward’s own John Abraham. Herm and John have respectively earned
each others respect, and I’m sure both would be pleased to reunite
under “better” circumstances. At season’s end, John Abraham
will be an unrestricted free agent, and if not dubbed with a
franchise tag, fair game to any team interested in his defensive
talents. "I said it when I first came [to the Jets]: I'm looking
for that stability," Abraham said [Wednesday, Dec. 14th, 2005].
"I'm 27 now, it's not like I'm 21 or 22 or just don't care.
I have a family. I'm looking for long-term, whether it's here
or somewhere else." Twenty seven years of age, standing at 6-4,
weighing 258 lbs, and a former first round draft pick, John
Abraham is head and shoulders above the rest of Free Agent defensive
ends and any defensive end the upcoming NFL 2006 Draft has to
offer.
Another way to acquire Abe (My new, condensed, version of John
Abraham’s name) would be a draft trade, involving a first rounder
we would send over there along with the already departed fourth
rounder which was sacrificed for Herm Edwards. Accordingly,
we should all hope the pursuit of Abe will soon be in progress,
all facets of acquiring him thoroughly explored, and a full
force operation undertaken to obtain, in my opinion, the missing
ingredient to our defense. Our defense is much like a toasted
bagel, it looks good, and though its not complex it is marginally
satisfactory. Yet, when you eat a plain bagel, you don’t taste
much substance or flavor. Its as if the bagel is not complete,
and something is missing. Personally, I prefer cream cheese
on my bagels, adds that extra flavor and individuality we desire
in the things we want. In this instance Abe, you are the cream
cheese missing from our defense. Hey, King Carl, do us all a
favor and go out and buy some cream cheese!
Chris Eithun
Nepa Chief Hardcore Fanatic
