Chiefs Mellinger: In the Jets, there's a lesson for Chiefs fan about taking the safe route - Page 5

Deberg_1990 · 10-30-2014, 07:49 PM

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt...le3481340.html

In the structure of the modern NFL, the most important decision a franchise can make is who plays quarterback. Two years ago, two franchises walked away from this decision on two very different paths.

The Chiefs played it safe, were largely criticized for it, then made the playoffs and have a chance to do it again this season. The Jets took the gamble that many in Kansas City had been screaming for, and are now 1-7 in what is a virtual certainty to be a fourth consecutive season without the playoffs.

They will play this weekend at Arrowhead Stadium in what for Chiefs fans could be fairly called The Upside of Boring.

Boring hardly ever plays well with sports fans, right? We want bold, we want daring. We want to toast those with enough guts to go for it all and laugh at the cowards who don’t.

But when it came time for the Chiefs’ new power structure to choose a quarterback, they did it with all of the flair of a ham sandwich.

They traded for a known commodity in Alex Smith, a man who had demonstrated what scouts often call “a high floor” but also “a low ceiling” which is often translated by fans and media as “weak sauce.” Then, when Smith performed well in their system and with their coaches, they signed him to a long-term extension for a higher salary than two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning, among others. Solid, logical, conservative thinking.

This has always been the Chiefs’ way. Trading for the 49ers’ backup quarterback is a time-honored tradition here.

One of the byproducts of this approach is a fan base that often clamors for bold, for daring, for, come to think of it, what the Jets sometimes do.

Two years ago, the same offseason when the Chiefs traded for Smith, the Jets were coming off 6-10 and also needed a quarterback. They’d drafted Mark Sanchez four years earlier with the fifth overall pick and watched him deteriorate from promising to an unplayable mess. They felt a compelling need to upgrade, to find the quarterback of their future.

Many around Kansas City wanted the Chiefs to draft Geno Smith, the three-year starter at West Virginia who completed 67 percent of his passes for 98 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.

Full disclosure, I was in that crowd, at least until hearing from league insiders who questioned his drive, personality and ability to read defenses, among other things. Every draft prospect is questioned, obviously, but there was something different about the tone and scope of the criticism of Smith. It’s one reason he fell into the second round, and surely one reason the Chiefs went with a different Smith at quarterback.

Coincidence or not, Geno Smith has been fairly terrible in his short time in the NFL. He’s thrown 19 touchdowns and 31 interceptions. By passer rating, Total Quarterback Rating, and the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus and Football Outsiders, Smith is either the worst, second-worst, or third-worst quarterback this season.

He was benched this week. Michael Vick, who has completed 26 of 56 passes this season, will start instead.

Think the Jets would like that pick back?

Alex Smith was the top overall pick in the 2005 draft, but generally lacks the type of elite, obvious, natural ability that fans and scouts like in brand name quarterbacks.

The story about the Chiefs’ Smith is often the story about what he isn’t. He’s a good athlete with a great feel for the pocket, but can’t really be called elusive. He reads defenses well and is usually quite accurate, but has occasional lapses and doesn’t throw the best deep ball.

The Chiefs lost at the goal line as time expired in Denver, and with an interception on their final drive in San Francisco. The quarterback is the one who gets the most credit when things go well (like the two-minute drill that won a game in San Diego) and the one with the most blame when things fail. That’s part of the job description.

But in Smith’s case, it misses the point that the Chiefs are 11th in the league in scoring with a flimsy group of receivers and an offensive line that struggles in pass protection.

Jamaal Charles is the star of the offense, obviously, the one defenses plan for every week. But Smith makes enough good decisions, and is reliable enough with short and medium-range passes, to keep the offense moving and — through a season and a half in Kansas City — the Chiefs winning.

Now, clearly, the Chiefs would love to draft and develop their own quarterback. That has proven to be the most successful way to find a top passer and win Super Bowls.

But the Chiefs picked first overall the year after Andrew Luck. They went boring, and traded for a guy who led them to the playoffs. The Jets reached, and drafted a guy they just benched.

Boring is better, sometimes.

**Dave Lane** · 10-30-2014, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Bad Guy

Why? You're the one who was firmly in the Sanchez and Geno camp. You write dumb blowjob posts all the time. Are you ashamed?

Of course they should try to find a franchise QB in the draft. However, if they don't deem one worthy of a high pick, they should just spend it anyway?

Yes, we all want them to try, but it shouldn't be blind trying and hoping to strike gold. It should be they have confidence that the player can turn into that caliber, not forcing the issue.

I wasn't a Sanchez fan but I was a Geno fan. If its true Geno played Angry Birds during his interview with Andy then there's no way we could have pulled the trigger on him at 1.1. This year I think it was even a worse mistake to pass on Bridgewater but that's water under the bridge.

Coochie liquor · 10-31-2014, 04:22 AM

God forbid a new regime addressed their qb position with a proven NFL qb, vs drafting a walking shit storm of a qb in their first draft. Because yeah, Reid doesn't have a history of drafting qbs even if he has one. I swear reading comprehension is horrible on here. We should have drafted a qb that most decent teams could see there were problems with instead of trading for one who knows how to win in the NFL. When the right qb comes along and is sitting in a position to draft I feel confidant they will draft him. But I don't want them to draft one just to make a bunch of dumbass fans happy they finally took one in the first round when he's gonna suck much like Geno has! Some people are actually good and get paid for scouting talent (Dorsey) while others are better suited for running the fryer at McDonalds (most of CP)

TEX · 10-31-2014, 06:58 AM

Clayness and his Geno Smith predictions -

TEX · 10-31-2014, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Count Zarth

I was not in the Sanchez camp.

Very ashamed of my Geno love affair, however.

Embarrassing, but I'm not going to crawl into bed with game managers.

They gave me herpes.

Yes u were and you even crawled into bed with Brodie ****ing Croyle ...FOOL!

Herpes are the least of your worries...

jd1020 · 10-31-2014, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coochie liquor

God forbid a new regime addressed their qb position with a proven NFL qb, vs drafting a walking shit storm of a qb in their first draft. Because yeah, Reid doesn't have a history of drafting qbs even if he has one. I swear reading comprehension is horrible on here. We should have drafted a qb that most decent teams could see there were problems with instead of trading for one who knows how to win in the NFL. When the right qb comes along and is sitting in a position to draft I feel confidant they will draft him. But I don't want them to draft one just to make a bunch of dumbass fans happy they finally took one in the first round when he's gonna suck much like Geno has! Some people are actually good and get paid for scouting talent (Dorsey) while others are better suited for running the fryer at McDonalds (most of CP)

Every time someone mentions Alex as a QB who knows how to win when he's got 1 playoff win in 10 years I throw up in my mouth.

Amnorix · 10-31-2014, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

The Hunt family went 1 of 2 in Super Bowls and earns a playoff bid once every fourth or fifth year with veteran QBs acquired from another team.

Drafting a first Round QB risks that kind of run. That's why you'll never see the Chiefs draft a Geno Smith or an Andrew Luck.

That and they're afraid of investing a guaranteed 70 million in one guy.

Putting everything else aside, your inclusion of Andrew Luck in this email made it completely absurd. No NFL team that didn't already have a HOF QB in his prime would have passed on Luck. NOT ONE.

**Bearcat** · 10-31-2014, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coochie liquor

God forbid a new regime addressed their qb position with a proven NFL qb, vs drafting a walking shit storm of a qb in their first draft. Because yeah, Reid doesn't have a history of drafting qbs even if he has one. I swear reading comprehension is horrible on here. We should have drafted a qb that most decent teams could see there were problems with instead of trading for one who knows how to win in the NFL. When the right qb comes along and is sitting in a position to draft I feel confidant they will draft him. But I don't want them to draft one just to make a bunch of dumbass fans happy they finally took one in the first round when he's gonna suck much like Geno has! Some people are actually good and get paid for scouting talent (Dorsey) while others are better suited for running the fryer at McDonalds (most of CP)

(insert same old arguments from the past 4000 times it's been discussed)

Black and white argument!

(insert same old arguments from the past 4001 times it's been discussed, but worded slightly differently)

Hyperbole!

(insert same old argument from the past 4002 times it's been discussed, but very sarcastically)

Personal attack!

(insert that one gif of Matt Cassel trying to put on his cap, for no apparent reason)

Red Dawg · 10-31-2014, 07:37 AM

Why is everyone obsessed with bringing up our lack of playoff wins? Would winning a playoff game every other year be any better? The Chiefs are finally on the right track to building a team with depth that can compete for a championship and possibly win one and that is all that matters. Playoff wins are worthless if you are not tbe champ. The champ is the only winner in pro sports.

jd1020 · 10-31-2014, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuckdaddy

Why is everyone obsessed with bringing up our lack of playoff wins? Would winning a playoff game every other year be any better? The Chiefs are finally on the right track to building a team with depth that can compete for a championship and possibly win one and that is all that matters. Playoff wins are worthless if you are not tbe champ. The champ is the only winner in pro sports.

So you ask the question of why people care about playoff wins and then you say we should only care about winning a SB.

Awesome.

Let us know how the Chiefs can be so good that they are just given the Lombardi.

**Bearcat** · 10-31-2014, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuckdaddy

Why is everyone obsessed with bringing up our lack of playoff wins? Would winning a playoff game every other year be any better? The Chiefs are finally on the right track to building a team with depth that can compete for a championship and possibly win one and that is all that matters. Playoff wins are worthless if you are not tbe champ. The champ is the only winner in pro sports.

Uh, those two things are the same argument. They've used the same strategy with every coach and/or GM change for the past 180 years and have fewer playoff wins in their history in KC than the Royals had in October.

The argument for the safe route is having a chance to make the playoffs every year. The argument against it is that making the playoffs and even winning one playoff game every once in a while (or every couple years) shouldn't be the goal, so maybe change up that strategy now that it's been 3 decades since you last tried something different. But of course, it's different this time!!

Red Dawg · 10-31-2014, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jd1020

So you ask the question of why people care about playoff wins and then you say we should only care about winning a SB.

Awesome.

Let us know how the Chiefs can be so good that they are just given the Lombardi.

I think you know what I mean. Winning a playoff game then getting bounced in the next one is not anything special. Only winning the championship is worth something. Ask any player if he would rather have a bunch off playoff wins or one chanpionship? Pretty obvious what they say.

I am also pretty sure that if the Royals had won game seven nobody would give two damns that had not made the post season since 85 anymore.

jd1020 · 10-31-2014, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuckdaddy

I am also pretty sure that if the Royals had won game seven nobody would give tow damns that had not made the post season since 85 anymore.

Go lie down and sober up and come back later.

EDIT: quick edit there my man. Very nice.

**Lzen** · 10-31-2014, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Lane

Sorry you are wrong.

2 playoff wins in 43 years...

Actually, you are wrong.

I count at least 3 playoff wins (vs Raiders in 1991 playoffs, vs Steelers and vs Oilers in 1993 playoffs).

**MahiMike** · 10-31-2014, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Count Zarth

He should be ashamed.

Mirror. Meet Count Zarth.

Pasta Little Brioni · 10-31-2014, 08:43 AM

Chiefs Planet is awful at evaluating QB play. Just unbelievably bad....End of thread and every other one like it

10-30-2014, 07:49 PM
Deberg_1990 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $3744454	Mellinger: In the Jets, there's a lesson for Chiefs fan about taking the safe route http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt...le3481340.html In the structure of the modern NFL, the most important decision a franchise can make is who plays quarterback. Two years ago, two franchises walked away from this decision on two very different paths. The Chiefs played it safe, were largely criticized for it, then made the playoffs and have a chance to do it again this season. The Jets took the gamble that many in Kansas City had been screaming for, and are now 1-7 in what is a virtual certainty to be a fourth consecutive season without the playoffs. They will play this weekend at Arrowhead Stadium in what for Chiefs fans could be fairly called The Upside of Boring. Boring hardly ever plays well with sports fans, right? We want bold, we want daring. We want to toast those with enough guts to go for it all and laugh at the cowards who don’t. But when it came time for the Chiefs’ new power structure to choose a quarterback, they did it with all of the flair of a ham sandwich. They traded for a known commodity in Alex Smith, a man who had demonstrated what scouts often call “a high floor” but also “a low ceiling” which is often translated by fans and media as “weak sauce.” Then, when Smith performed well in their system and with their coaches, they signed him to a long-term extension for a higher salary than two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning, among others. Solid, logical, conservative thinking. This has always been the Chiefs’ way. Trading for the 49ers’ backup quarterback is a time-honored tradition here. One of the byproducts of this approach is a fan base that often clamors for bold, for daring, for, come to think of it, what the Jets sometimes do. Two years ago, the same offseason when the Chiefs traded for Smith, the Jets were coming off 6-10 and also needed a quarterback. They’d drafted Mark Sanchez four years earlier with the fifth overall pick and watched him deteriorate from promising to an unplayable mess. They felt a compelling need to upgrade, to find the quarterback of their future. Many around Kansas City wanted the Chiefs to draft Geno Smith, the three-year starter at West Virginia who completed 67 percent of his passes for 98 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. Full disclosure, I was in that crowd, at least until hearing from league insiders who questioned his drive, personality and ability to read defenses, among other things. Every draft prospect is questioned, obviously, but there was something different about the tone and scope of the criticism of Smith. It’s one reason he fell into the second round, and surely one reason the Chiefs went with a different Smith at quarterback. Coincidence or not, Geno Smith has been fairly terrible in his short time in the NFL. He’s thrown 19 touchdowns and 31 interceptions. By passer rating, Total Quarterback Rating, and the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus and Football Outsiders, Smith is either the worst, second-worst, or third-worst quarterback this season. He was benched this week. Michael Vick, who has completed 26 of 56 passes this season, will start instead. Think the Jets would like that pick back? Alex Smith was the top overall pick in the 2005 draft, but generally lacks the type of elite, obvious, natural ability that fans and scouts like in brand name quarterbacks. The story about the Chiefs’ Smith is often the story about what he isn’t. He’s a good athlete with a great feel for the pocket, but can’t really be called elusive. He reads defenses well and is usually quite accurate, but has occasional lapses and doesn’t throw the best deep ball. The Chiefs lost at the goal line as time expired in Denver, and with an interception on their final drive in San Francisco. The quarterback is the one who gets the most credit when things go well (like the two-minute drill that won a game in San Diego) and the one with the most blame when things fail. That’s part of the job description. But in Smith’s case, it misses the point that the Chiefs are 11th in the league in scoring with a flimsy group of receivers and an offensive line that struggles in pass protection. Jamaal Charles is the star of the offense, obviously, the one defenses plan for every week. But Smith makes enough good decisions, and is reliable enough with short and medium-range passes, to keep the offense moving and — through a season and a half in Kansas City — the Chiefs winning. Now, clearly, the Chiefs would love to draft and develop their own quarterback. That has proven to be the most successful way to find a top passer and win Super Bowls. But the Chiefs picked first overall the year after Andrew Luck. They went boring, and traded for a guy who led them to the playoffs. The Jets reached, and drafted a guy they just benched. Boring is better, sometimes.
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10-31-2014, 04:22 AM	#62
Coochie liquor Bolton gonna knock you out Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Free Vybz Kartel Casino cash: $2442394	God forbid a new regime addressed their qb position with a proven NFL qb, vs drafting a walking shit storm of a qb in their first draft. Because yeah, Reid doesn't have a history of drafting qbs even if he has one. I swear reading comprehension is horrible on here. We should have drafted a qb that most decent teams could see there were problems with instead of trading for one who knows how to win in the NFL. When the right qb comes along and is sitting in a position to draft I feel confidant they will draft him. But I don't want them to draft one just to make a bunch of dumbass fans happy they finally took one in the first round when he's gonna suck much like Geno has! Some people are actually good and get paid for scouting talent (Dorsey) while others are better suited for running the fryer at McDonalds (most of CP)
Posts: 20,507

10-31-2014, 06:58 AM	#63
TEX Out Gunning CP's Fandom Police Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Laguna Beach, CA Casino cash: $2093127	Clayness and his Geno Smith predictions - __________________ "The CHIEFS, HAVE THEIR DYNASTY!"
Posts: 34,761

10-31-2014, 07:37 AM	#68
Red Dawg Going home eventually Join Date: Dec 2002 Casino cash: $4562858	Why is everyone obsessed with bringing up our lack of playoff wins? Would winning a playoff game every other year be any better? The Chiefs are finally on the right track to building a team with depth that can compete for a championship and possibly win one and that is all that matters. Playoff wins are worthless if you are not tbe champ. The champ is the only winner in pro sports. __________________ If you're not first you're last!
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10-31-2014, 08:43 AM	#75
Pasta Little Brioni Consuming CP souls Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: U.S.A. Casino cash: $3718880	Chiefs Planet is awful at evaluating QB play. Just unbelievably bad....End of thread and every other one like it __________________ **Official TFWdemB Trivia Commisioner**
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