Chiefs Mellinger: In the Jets, there's a lesson for Chiefs fan about taking the safe route - Page 6

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.

**Trivers** · 10-31-2014, 08:46 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)

/Thread

**Lzen** · 10-31-2014, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearcat

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.

I am getting so sick of this argument comparing the Royals and the Chiefs. Baseball is a completely different animal. They are series', not single elimination games (WC game, notwithstanding). And let us not forget that the Royals had not even been to the playoffs for 3 decades. Also, let us not forget that they barely got in as a WC and nearly lost that game, as well. I suppose you could compare winning a series in baseball as similar to winning a playoff game in the NFL. Even then, I don't believe it is a completely accurate comparison. But I do think that if the Chiefs had series' to win against teams they lost to over the years that they would have won a few of those. Finally, as the Royals proved this year is that the first step to winning a championship is getting into the tournament.

Coogs · 10-31-2014, 08:57 AM

Looks to me like Sam has been reading the Planet, and instead of posting his take here, did it in the Star.

**FRCDFED** · 10-31-2014, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Count Zarth

Signing Alex does...maybe not afraid...but head over heels for Alex.

READ MY LIPS: NO FIRST ROUND QBS

At this point, unless you have a QB crystal ball, you have no idea how far Alex is going to take this team. He is the perfect QB for this system. Look at what he is doing with trash WR and OL. It is a team sport! Imagine what he could do with better teammates. Your argument should not be with Alex. He is clearly light years ahead of Geno and the article merely states only that.

Your argument should be whether or not the brass can get him some protection and WR's before his window closes and his skills start to deteriorate.

Reerun_KC · 10-31-2014, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TEX

Clayness and his Geno Smith predictions -

And add in his lapdog/ROR/505 or whoever that guys is and it has become priceless...

We will see Clayanus predictions come true on Sunday when Geno rips this D...

Jimmya · 10-31-2014, 09:07 AM

Coaching is important...just ask any QB if they would like to go to the New York Jets AKA Where QB's go to die

**Lzen** · 10-31-2014, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimmya

Coaching is important...just ask any QB if they would like to go to the New York Jets AKA Where QB's go to die

Very true. Coaching makes a big difference. But even the best coaches can fail with a QB who just doesn't have it.

**Bearcat** · 10-31-2014, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lzen

I am getting so sick of this argument comparing the Royals and the Chiefs. Baseball is a completely different animal. They are series', not single elimination games (WC game, notwithstanding). And let us not forget that the Royals had not even been to the playoffs for 3 decades. Also, let us not forget that they barely got in as a WC and nearly lost that game, as well. I suppose you could compare winning a series in baseball as similar to winning a playoff game in the NFL. Even then, I don't believe it is a completely accurate comparison. But I do think that if the Chiefs had series' to win against teams they lost to over the years that they would have won a few of those. Finally, as the Royals proved this year is that the first step to winning a championship is getting into the tournament.

Yeah, I know, 29 years is quite pathetic, but so are the Chiefs.

As far as just getting in, it's completely different between baseball and football, or at least it should be.

What I find amusing is that baseball teams should definitely aim for just getting into the playoffs based on the fact there's not a huge difference between the best and worst playoff teams (the best teams only win ~60% of the time and is heavily dependent on pitching, so you get one game that's 7-1 Giants and another game that's 10-0 Royals), as opposed to the large difference in football (~50-62% for WC teams and 80-93% for the best teams).... yet (and here's the amusing part), the Chiefs have played the baseball strategy of "let's just get in" for decades AND the fans not only go for it AND not only eat it up, they practically demand it.

I'm not saying anything definitive about this group after two years, except that SO FAR it's looks exactly like the same old shit, and until that actually changes, fans can eat up mediocre beating mediocre and the occasional upset all they want and bring up that one Ravens team or that one Giants team, but playing the baseball strategy is clearly not the way to go... of course, just my opinion after watching that strategy fail for 30 years, minus that one time they acquired Joe freakin' Montana. I'll give it another two or three decades though just to be sure.

Hootie · 10-31-2014, 09:52 AM

I sure wish we had Derek Carr or uhm, one of those other magical franchise qbs that grow on trees

**Easy 6** · 10-31-2014, 10:12 AM

Seems like even Smith haters agree that Reid is great with QB's, both coaching them and finding them... yet refuse to give him the benefit of the doubt about his choice of Smith.

"Yeah his history with QB's is good, but Bray?

"

"Yeah his history with QB's is good, but Murray?

"

Yeah his history with QB's is good, but Smith?

"

So yeah, he's good at coaching and finding QB's... its just that all three of these guys suck balls, is that about right?

**RealSNR** · 10-31-2014, 10:14 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)

Nothing wrong with acquiring a veteran to ease the rookie into the league.

The problem I have is when teams like the Chiefs trade for those veteran backups and act like just because they used the draft to acquire their guy, that means they basically drafted their own QB.

They didn't. All they did was pay an unnecessarily high price for a stop gap-level talent QB who could have been had in free agency.

And yet people like me last year who advocated making the "stabilization period" for the QB position on this team as brief as possible with a free agent like Carson Palmer were ridiculed because Palmer wasn't good enough. You're right, he's not. He would have given us Alex Smith, basically.

Only, you know... we'd be up two 2nd round picks by now, we'd be free to pick any young QB we wanted to wait in the wings, and could ditch the free agent QB at any time without being wasteful

**Bearcat** · 10-31-2014, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hootie 2.0

I sure wish we had Derek Carr or uhm, one of those other magical franchise qbs that grow on trees

It's not about going down to the dollar store and picking up a franchise QB, it's about trying a clearly superior strategy while finding a middle ground between not trying at all and picking a QB for the sake of picking one... or at least trying a different strategy besides the one that's obviously failed for most of the past 4 decades (outside of Joe Montana and that one time they actually drafted a QB in the first round).

**RealSNR** · 10-31-2014, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearcat

It's not about going down to the dollar store and picking up a franchise QB, it's about trying a clearly superior strategy while finding a middle ground between not trying at all and picking a QB for the sake of picking one... or at least trying a different strategy besides the one that's obviously failed for most of the past 4 decades (outside of Joe Montana and that one time they actually drafted a QB in the first round).

It also comes down to NOTHING is ever good enough for the Chiefs when it comes to QBs in the draft.

"Chiefs should definitely pull the trigger on a QB!

...but only if the thing they're shooting at puts the gun in its mouth for you and gives you a thumbs up when it's time to pull. Otherwise you might miss, and then we might go 2-14! Scary!"

jkw87 · 10-31-2014, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Count Zarth

Signing Alex does...maybe not afraid...but head over heels for Alex.

READ MY LIPS: NO FIRST ROUND QBS

What is your obsession with first round quarterbacks? Name the one Dorsey could have grabbed the past two drafts that wouldn't have been a waste. Your obsession with the first round or bust is idiotic and overplayed. Switch things up a bit. Try harder

Imon Yourside · 10-31-2014, 10:22 AM

I think where GENO is and who coaches him makes a world of difference. That being said we would not have made the playoffs with GENO last year, for better or worse it would have taken time to develop him. New York is a dumpster fire though, everyone has to see that.

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.
Posts: 66,914

10-31-2014, 08:57 AM	#78
Coogs In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Northern Kansas Casino cash: $1334349	Looks to me like Sam has been reading the Planet, and instead of posting his take here, did it in the Star.
Posts: 21,633

10-31-2014, 09:07 AM	#81
Jimmya Veteran Join Date: Dec 2012 Casino cash: $10024530	Coaching is important...just ask any QB if they would like to go to the New York Jets AKA Where QB's go to die
Posts: 2,743

10-31-2014, 09:52 AM	#84
Hootie Banned Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Dallas, Texas Casino cash: $10004900	I sure wish we had Derek Carr or uhm, one of those other magical franchise qbs that grow on trees
Posts: 56,356

10-31-2014, 10:12 AM	#85
Easy 6 pie is never free Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: the drivers seat Casino cash: $3457775	Seems like even Smith haters agree that Reid is great with QB's, both coaching them and finding them... yet refuse to give him the benefit of the doubt about his choice of Smith. "Yeah his history with QB's is good, but Bray? " "Yeah his history with QB's is good, but Murray? " Yeah his history with QB's is good, but Smith? " So yeah, he's good at coaching and finding QB's... its just that all three of these guys suck balls, is that about right?
Posts: 91,964

10-31-2014, 10:22 AM	#90
Imon Yourside WhatUneed2Hear Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: AllSoulsMatter Casino cash: $2403181	I think where GENO is and who coaches him makes a world of difference. That being said we would not have made the playoffs with GENO last year, for better or worse it would have taken time to develop him. New York is a dumpster fire though, everyone has to see that. __________________ "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" Peter 5:8 "Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay" Isaiah 29:16 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20
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