When applying for any job, the number one most important section on your resume is prior work experience. An employer looks at who you worked for, and what those employers thought of you.
If Carl Peterson applies for a new job, he can say he brought together a decade and a half of some of the best Chiefs football since the Hank Stram days. Some may hate him, some may love him, but at the end of the day he wanted to bring in the best players and win now.
When Herm Edwards is applying to be an assistant manager at Burger King this offseason, he’ll be able to say he drove two franchises into the ground after their hall of fame coaches retired. In both New York and Kansas City, Edwards’ first season were successful at 10-6 (with Jets) and 9-7 (with Chiefs), in both cases the teams slowly declined to 4-12 records. After his last 4-12 season with the Jets, he was traded to the Chiefs and after a 9-7 record under Dick Vermeil’s old team, he buried them to 4-12 claiming it was rebuilding. Edwards has rebuilt a 4-12 team into a 2-12 team who will probably end up at 3-13.
This offseason we will be searching for a new GM, President of Operations and possibly Head Coach. Hopefully we will look into what these new prospects have done with their pervious jobs and perhaps call their references.
On a happier note, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone!
Keep reading and I’ll keep writing. Thanks guys and gals!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Leadership
This week, I'm going to dispel from the usual, and write about at issue at the core of the Chiefs' problems.
Leadership. Confidence. Character.
These three qualities define excellence in the NFL. They are the holy trinity of competitive team sports. In the NFL, you can get to the postseason with two of the three, win the super bowl with all three and get the first overall draft pick with none of the three.
Take a close look at some of the teams that will have one of the top five draft picks in April:
Detroit Lions- Head Coach Rob Marinelli will be fired at the end of the season and the General Manager has already been fired, resulting in no defining leadership. Nothing this team has done is giving confidence on offense and defense this year. Character has been hard to see through the turmoil of a 0-13 season.
Cincinnati Bengals- The orange and black has become a character desert. Between Chad Johnson (not Ocho Cinco), Carson Palmer, and Head Coach Marvin Lewis you may be able to find a smidgen of character, most of which comes from Carson Palmer. Palmer has displayed leadership, but is so caught up with injuries he isn’t a factor. Finding confidence with all that has gone on has been like looking for a hairpin in the Sahara desert.
I won’t bore you explaining the Raiders, the Chiefs or the Rams. They are all sitting in the same situation as the Bengals and Lions; the Raiders, of course, exemplify a lack of leadership, confidence and character. This all starts with coaching and managing.
You may be hearing about a team in Dallas that has been having problems. They have the best collection of talent in the NFL this year, but somehow they will probably miss the playoffs. Why? Wade Phillips is not a good head coach and Jerry Jones isn’t acting like a good manager. To simplify it, they aren’t Bill Parcells.
Bill Parcells brings confidence, leadership, and character to every organization he goes to. He’s turned around the Jets in the past, the Dolphins this year and has brought three different teams to the playoffs, brining two of the three to the super bowl.
Dick Vermeil brought three different teams to the playoffs as well, and won a super bowl with the Rams in 1999. Mike Martz took Vermeil’s team back to the super bowl in 2001, and lost.
You watch the Chiefs this Sunday, and tell me where our leadership is? Where our character is? Where our confidence is?
Leadership. Confidence. Character.
These three qualities define excellence in the NFL. They are the holy trinity of competitive team sports. In the NFL, you can get to the postseason with two of the three, win the super bowl with all three and get the first overall draft pick with none of the three.
Take a close look at some of the teams that will have one of the top five draft picks in April:
Detroit Lions- Head Coach Rob Marinelli will be fired at the end of the season and the General Manager has already been fired, resulting in no defining leadership. Nothing this team has done is giving confidence on offense and defense this year. Character has been hard to see through the turmoil of a 0-13 season.
Cincinnati Bengals- The orange and black has become a character desert. Between Chad Johnson (not Ocho Cinco), Carson Palmer, and Head Coach Marvin Lewis you may be able to find a smidgen of character, most of which comes from Carson Palmer. Palmer has displayed leadership, but is so caught up with injuries he isn’t a factor. Finding confidence with all that has gone on has been like looking for a hairpin in the Sahara desert.
I won’t bore you explaining the Raiders, the Chiefs or the Rams. They are all sitting in the same situation as the Bengals and Lions; the Raiders, of course, exemplify a lack of leadership, confidence and character. This all starts with coaching and managing.
You may be hearing about a team in Dallas that has been having problems. They have the best collection of talent in the NFL this year, but somehow they will probably miss the playoffs. Why? Wade Phillips is not a good head coach and Jerry Jones isn’t acting like a good manager. To simplify it, they aren’t Bill Parcells.
Bill Parcells brings confidence, leadership, and character to every organization he goes to. He’s turned around the Jets in the past, the Dolphins this year and has brought three different teams to the playoffs, brining two of the three to the super bowl.
Dick Vermeil brought three different teams to the playoffs as well, and won a super bowl with the Rams in 1999. Mike Martz took Vermeil’s team back to the super bowl in 2001, and lost.
You watch the Chiefs this Sunday, and tell me where our leadership is? Where our character is? Where our confidence is?
Monday, December 1, 2008
Road Warriors?
The Chiefs displayed another good road performance, beating the raiders 20-13. Be aware however, the Raiders are a poor team top to bottom, they have been in a permanent re-building mode for the past five years. Jamarcus Russell has turned into a complete bust and wide receiver acquisitions Javon Walker and Ashlie Lelie have been inconsistent at best. Rookie running back, Darren McFadden has been battling injuries all year, and his only good game was Week 2 against the chiefs. But a win on the road is a win on the road, and complaints seem empty after a win. Here's my take on the big players of this past week's games.
On Maurice Leggett...
You may not have heard of this Valdosta State product before this week, but this kid has been playing well since he was forced to play due to injuries to Patrick Surtain and Brandon Flowers. He has now earned starting rights at the nickel (the third corner), and will most likely be here next year. With rookies Brandon Carr, Brandon Flowers, and Maurice Leggett suring up the defensive back position, it's one less thing to worry about in the draft.
On Tyler Thigen...
Thigpen has done something Brodie Croyle never did as a starter, win a game. Thigpen did not have a touchdown pass for the first time in his seven starts, but did complete several third & long passes to lengthen drives and put LJ in position to score his fourth rushing TD of the year.
On Herm Edwards…
Unfortunately Herm will probably be here for another year after this win. This is more instinct talking, but I get the feeling Clark Hunt (owner of the Chiefs) will not let Herm go. Herm managed the clock horribly when closing the half. They seemed to not be able to decide whether they wanted to run out the clock or get into position for a score to end the half. They ended up punting. He managed to keep this game close, when we had the ability to turn it into a blowout consider how poor the Raiders played. Fire Herm or not, we’ll be in for a ride this next season and the rest of this season.
On Tony Gonzalez…
Tony had another good week, and helped Thigpen to complete crucial third down conversions. Keep your fingers crossed that he stays in KC next year, because when Thigpen gets in trouble he throws the ball to Tony. We’re going to need him.
On the hard hits…
A punishing defense is what Gunther Cunningham (Chiefs Defensive Coordinator) is known for, and he proved they he can turn things around. With Derrick Johnson, Brandon Flowers, and Bernard Pollard all make bone-jarring hits, Gunther saved his job. If he can continue to get turnovers, pressure on the quarterback, and hard hits out of his defense, he’ll be around for a while.
On a couple of kids from this upcoming draft…
James Laurinaitis ILB (Ohio State)
This kid would fill a much needed hole in the middle of the field, and brings more discipline then USC middle linebacker, Rey Maualuga. He displays good instincts, and a great ability to tackle. He is a playmaker and has never been prone to injury.
Chase Coffman TE (Missouri)
This 6’6”, 245 pound athlete can plain play football. If Tony G. is bound for a contender (like the Giants or Packers), this second-coming of Kellen Winslow can be the next Missouri TE to be the best in the AFC west. Good hands, good vision, and great athleticism makes this guy a NFL pro that can make an impact right away. The only downside is his inability to show proper pass and run blocking technique. He also has been injured this year, but has never shone the tendency to be injury prone.
Duke Robinison OG (Oklahoma)
This gigantic interior lineman has tremendous power and quickness off the snap. He could potentially sure up a weakness in the right side of the offensive line. He has good technique, but has some footwork problems. We’ll see how good he does against Ziggy Hood this Saturday at the Big 12 championship game.
Good football watching everyone, Go Mizzou and Go Chiefs!
On Maurice Leggett...
You may not have heard of this Valdosta State product before this week, but this kid has been playing well since he was forced to play due to injuries to Patrick Surtain and Brandon Flowers. He has now earned starting rights at the nickel (the third corner), and will most likely be here next year. With rookies Brandon Carr, Brandon Flowers, and Maurice Leggett suring up the defensive back position, it's one less thing to worry about in the draft.
On Tyler Thigen...
Thigpen has done something Brodie Croyle never did as a starter, win a game. Thigpen did not have a touchdown pass for the first time in his seven starts, but did complete several third & long passes to lengthen drives and put LJ in position to score his fourth rushing TD of the year.
On Herm Edwards…
Unfortunately Herm will probably be here for another year after this win. This is more instinct talking, but I get the feeling Clark Hunt (owner of the Chiefs) will not let Herm go. Herm managed the clock horribly when closing the half. They seemed to not be able to decide whether they wanted to run out the clock or get into position for a score to end the half. They ended up punting. He managed to keep this game close, when we had the ability to turn it into a blowout consider how poor the Raiders played. Fire Herm or not, we’ll be in for a ride this next season and the rest of this season.
On Tony Gonzalez…
Tony had another good week, and helped Thigpen to complete crucial third down conversions. Keep your fingers crossed that he stays in KC next year, because when Thigpen gets in trouble he throws the ball to Tony. We’re going to need him.
On the hard hits…
A punishing defense is what Gunther Cunningham (Chiefs Defensive Coordinator) is known for, and he proved they he can turn things around. With Derrick Johnson, Brandon Flowers, and Bernard Pollard all make bone-jarring hits, Gunther saved his job. If he can continue to get turnovers, pressure on the quarterback, and hard hits out of his defense, he’ll be around for a while.
On a couple of kids from this upcoming draft…
James Laurinaitis ILB (Ohio State)
This kid would fill a much needed hole in the middle of the field, and brings more discipline then USC middle linebacker, Rey Maualuga. He displays good instincts, and a great ability to tackle. He is a playmaker and has never been prone to injury.
Chase Coffman TE (Missouri)
This 6’6”, 245 pound athlete can plain play football. If Tony G. is bound for a contender (like the Giants or Packers), this second-coming of Kellen Winslow can be the next Missouri TE to be the best in the AFC west. Good hands, good vision, and great athleticism makes this guy a NFL pro that can make an impact right away. The only downside is his inability to show proper pass and run blocking technique. He also has been injured this year, but has never shone the tendency to be injury prone.
Duke Robinison OG (Oklahoma)
This gigantic interior lineman has tremendous power and quickness off the snap. He could potentially sure up a weakness in the right side of the offensive line. He has good technique, but has some footwork problems. We’ll see how good he does against Ziggy Hood this Saturday at the Big 12 championship game.
Good football watching everyone, Go Mizzou and Go Chiefs!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Monday Morning Review
Kansas Chiefs
On sunday's offensive performance...
Honestly, it was okay. Turnovers are a symptom of an offense that is pressing for production. Thigpen made a couple inaccurate throws, and rookie corner Leodis McKelvin made him pay for them. Thigpen on the day was shaky, but overall is developing endurance and a short memory. When a quarterback throws a interception, he has to forget about it and move on. Thigpen seems to do well with this. The running game had some spots of brilliance, but was somewhat inconsistance as it has been this year.
On sunday's defensive performance...
Poor pass rushing has been a fatal flaw all year. The chiefs have six sacks on the year and they are on pace to set an NFL record for fewest team sacks in a season. Because of the poor pressure, the chiefs were unable to create turnovers. Overall, a very poor performance, gameplan, and coaching.
On Herm...
Herm made a couple bad calls, both challenges were a waste of time. When Thigpen got tripped up and the ball popped out, that is a fumble. This is a NFL rule, if a player has not been downed (touched in a tackling motion while or before the ball carrier's knee/shoulder/elbow/etc. is down) and an impact with the ground causes a fumble, the ball is live. Thigpen was not tackled nor touch when he stumbled and the ball popped out. NFL coaches know this rule, but Herm challenged it anyways, wasting a timeout and further demoralizing his team. Herm has some serious flaws with clock management and knowing the rules of football. These must be addressed soon.
On Thigpen...
A general rule of thumb for young quarterbacks is to AT LEAST have as many touchdowns as they do turnovers. Thigpen was responsible for three turnovers and had three touchdowns. On the season however, Thigpen is shaping up to have a great year. He leads 16 starting NFL quarterbacks in touchdowns (including first round rookies Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan) in half the starts and playing time. He is a possible contender for "quarterback of the future", and has made a horrible offense look explosive at times.
On Tony and Bowe...
Tony has been solid this season before and after trade talks. He's proven to be an individual with character and commitment. Let's hope by the end of the season, he'll decide to stick around. Bowe has shown he can be a playmaker, and a solid #1 wide reciever, although he does struggle with drops sometimes. He has become more and more productive since the beginning of the season, and is on pace for a career first 1,000 yard season (last year he had 995 yards).
On a couple of kids coming out in the 2009 draft...
Brian Orakpo(texas): DE
a solid prospect that could fix (in some part) our lack of QB pressure on defense. He has some injury problems, but has remained healthy as of late. He has nine sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss (tfl), 31 tackles (tk), and 3 force fumble (ff) this season.
Rey Maualuga(usc): MLB
another strong instictive player that could sure up the middle of the field defensively. He has great speed, and can drop back in pass coverage if need be. He can also lay down a hell of a hit when he wants to. He is a Polumalu-like performer, but has had some injury problems this year.
Michael Oher(mississippi): OT
big, strong, and an ability to play at the NFL level defines this offensive tackle. At 6-5 and over 300 hundred pounds he has the size and body control to solidify the right side of our line. His learning ability may be in question though.
On sunday's offensive performance...
Honestly, it was okay. Turnovers are a symptom of an offense that is pressing for production. Thigpen made a couple inaccurate throws, and rookie corner Leodis McKelvin made him pay for them. Thigpen on the day was shaky, but overall is developing endurance and a short memory. When a quarterback throws a interception, he has to forget about it and move on. Thigpen seems to do well with this. The running game had some spots of brilliance, but was somewhat inconsistance as it has been this year.
On sunday's defensive performance...
Poor pass rushing has been a fatal flaw all year. The chiefs have six sacks on the year and they are on pace to set an NFL record for fewest team sacks in a season. Because of the poor pressure, the chiefs were unable to create turnovers. Overall, a very poor performance, gameplan, and coaching.
On Herm...
Herm made a couple bad calls, both challenges were a waste of time. When Thigpen got tripped up and the ball popped out, that is a fumble. This is a NFL rule, if a player has not been downed (touched in a tackling motion while or before the ball carrier's knee/shoulder/elbow/etc. is down) and an impact with the ground causes a fumble, the ball is live. Thigpen was not tackled nor touch when he stumbled and the ball popped out. NFL coaches know this rule, but Herm challenged it anyways, wasting a timeout and further demoralizing his team. Herm has some serious flaws with clock management and knowing the rules of football. These must be addressed soon.
On Thigpen...
A general rule of thumb for young quarterbacks is to AT LEAST have as many touchdowns as they do turnovers. Thigpen was responsible for three turnovers and had three touchdowns. On the season however, Thigpen is shaping up to have a great year. He leads 16 starting NFL quarterbacks in touchdowns (including first round rookies Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan) in half the starts and playing time. He is a possible contender for "quarterback of the future", and has made a horrible offense look explosive at times.
On Tony and Bowe...
Tony has been solid this season before and after trade talks. He's proven to be an individual with character and commitment. Let's hope by the end of the season, he'll decide to stick around. Bowe has shown he can be a playmaker, and a solid #1 wide reciever, although he does struggle with drops sometimes. He has become more and more productive since the beginning of the season, and is on pace for a career first 1,000 yard season (last year he had 995 yards).
On a couple of kids coming out in the 2009 draft...
Brian Orakpo(texas): DE
a solid prospect that could fix (in some part) our lack of QB pressure on defense. He has some injury problems, but has remained healthy as of late. He has nine sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss (tfl), 31 tackles (tk), and 3 force fumble (ff) this season.
Rey Maualuga(usc): MLB
another strong instictive player that could sure up the middle of the field defensively. He has great speed, and can drop back in pass coverage if need be. He can also lay down a hell of a hit when he wants to. He is a Polumalu-like performer, but has had some injury problems this year.
Michael Oher(mississippi): OT
big, strong, and an ability to play at the NFL level defines this offensive tackle. At 6-5 and over 300 hundred pounds he has the size and body control to solidify the right side of our line. His learning ability may be in question though.
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