Kansas City Chiefs Blow 21 Point Lead To Tampa Bay Buccaneers

by primetime 07 on Nov 2, 2008 3:42 PM CST in 2008 Campaign Comment 57 comments

The Kansas City Chiefs came out and played outstanding in the first half against the shell shocked Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Chiefs' drive charts were certainly a tale of two different halves however.

1st Half Drive Results

Touchdown
Touchdown
Touchdown
Punt
Field Goal
Punt

Not too shabby. But a different team came out in the 2nd half and posted very different numbers.

2nd Half Drive Results

Punt
Punt
Fumble
Field Goal
Punt

Question: Is the Chiefs tendency to fall apart at the first sign of trouble indicative of a young team or a Herm Edwards coached team? I'm becoming increasingly under the impression that it's the latter.

UPDATE: In his postgame press conference, Herm Edwards said "Kolby's got a knee. I think he's done for the season."

UPDATE: Brandon Flowers has a concussion and is questionable for next week at this point.

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the Chiefs have been running a gimmick offense

for the last two weeks. It was inevitable that a good team would figure it out.

As far as the defense goes, its been pretty easy to figure out no matter what the strength of the team they are playing.

Add in bad coaching, lack of talent, and no character…here’s what you get

by sm7600 on Nov 2, 2008 3:47 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I am thinking it's the safe playcalling with the lead

that lead us down the path to defeat. When the defense is giving up so many yards, how are they ever going to win without continually scoring? I left Hooters (god, i hate that place) with :30 seconds left thinking it was all but wrapped up for a W, only to check my phone a minute later having the Bucs complete a 2 point conversion….

What do they risk losing trying to win a game they were never supposed to be in?

As for the game overall, I was most impressed by Charles YPC. Thigpen did well the first half.

have you seen my baseball?

by IISaiNtII on Nov 2, 2008 3:49 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

absolutely safe play calling

they had the bucs on their heels in that first half and attempted to play them straight up in the 2nd half…

We appreciate the win

Thigpen looks like a keeper

Buc 'Em Your SBNation Tampa Bay Bucs Blog where Dull Boys are not allowed!!

by JScott on Nov 2, 2008 3:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

They did not go conservative in playcalling

Penalties are what killed the Chiefs drives in the 2nd half. The playcalling was still moving the ball.

by ChiefDJ on Nov 2, 2008 3:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Penalties

Injuries to DJ and Flowers, and some ridiculous officiating.

by PVChiefsfan on Nov 2, 2008 4:41 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Really? Really?

Really?

/disbelief.

-cw

"If there’s a god he’s laughing at us and our football team." - Ben Folds

by webby37 on Nov 2, 2008 7:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree we melted down but

Herm had us in a position to win the game. Poor tackling a Fumble by a rookie running back, a bad pass interference call and this is what we get. The team was prepared to win as evident in the first half. Tampa bay did well in adjustments and the defense wore down somewhat and the team lost

by KC FAN IN CA on Nov 2, 2008 3:50 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Scapegoating

Its the easiest thing in the world to blame a coach for a bad loss like this and last weeks. But its also the wrong thing.

We lose two of our best players on defense in DJ and Flowers and Brackenridge and Leggett got taken advantage of.

The Bucs get a return for a TD on a kicoff right before halftime.

Charles, who had a fantastic day overall, fumbles at the 10 yard line.

Turk gets called for a late hit that would have taken Tampa Bay off the field.

Tony G gets called for offensive pass interference when they converted on 3rd down late in the game.

Thigpen throws for under 50% accuracy in the 2nd half.

The Chiefs didn’t go into a conservative shell when they got ahead as they have done at times in the past.

Our young players gave us a shot to win this game. Unfortunately the young players also contributed to losing it.

by ChiefDJ on Nov 2, 2008 3:51 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

It was a complete team effort

lack of character usually is.

I understand the NFL will ask us to change the helmet logo to a poodle with two hands around the neck

by sm7600 on Nov 2, 2008 3:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I would look at the play-by-play

Before you say we didn’t go conservative when we got a lead.

by primetime 07 on Nov 2, 2008 3:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Looking right at it.

Kansas City Chiefs at 10:58
1-10-KC 20 (10:58) J.Charles left tackle to KC 24 for 4 yards (B.Ruud, K.Carter). TB-G.Adams was injured during
the play. His return is Probable.
2-6-KC 24 (10:37) (Shotgun) T.Thigpen pass short right to T.Gonzalez ran ob at KC 27 for 3 yards (R.Barber).
3-3-KC 27 (10:13) (Shotgun) T.Thigpen pass short right to T.Gonzalez to KC 35 for 8 yards (D.Brooks). P16
1-10-KC 35 (9:33) (Shotgun) J.Charles up the middle to KC 39 for 4 yards (B.Ruud).
2-6-KC 39 (8:56) J.Charles left tackle to KC 42 for 3 yards (G.White, C.Hovan).
3-3-KC 42 (8:13) (Shotgun) T.Thigpen pass incomplete short right to M.Bradley.
4-3-KC 42 (8:08) S.Weatherford punts 58 yards to end zone, Center-T.Gafford, Touchback.

Kansas City Chiefs at 5:13
1-10-KC 15 (5:13) T.Thigpen scrambles right tackle to KC 28 for 13 yards (D.Brooks). R17
1-10-KC 28 (4:33) J.Charles up the middle to KC 32 for 4 yards (G.Adams).
2-6-KC 32 (3:47) J.Charles right end to KC 37 for 5 yards (B.Ruud, K.Carter).
3-1-KC 37 (3:47) PENALTY on KC-M.Cox, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at KC 37 – No Play.
3-6-KC 32 (2:35) (Shotgun) T.Thigpen pass short left to T.Gonzalez to KC 36 for 4 yards (D.Brooks).
4-2-KC 36 (1:51) S.Weatherford punts 40 yards to TB 24, Center-T.Gafford. C.Smith to TB 37 for 13 yards
(T.Brackenridge).

4TH QUARTER
Kansas City Chiefs at 13:36
1-10-KC 20 (13:36) J.Charles up the middle to KC 24 for 4 yards (C.Hovan).
2-6-KC 24 (13:02) T.Thigpen pass deep middle intended for M.Bradley INTERCEPTED by P.Buchanon at KC 45. P.Buchanon ran ob at KC 3
for 42 yards.
PENALTY on TB-S.Piscitelli, Illegal Contact, 5 yards, enforced at KC 24 – No Play. X18
1-10-KC 29 (12:51) T.Thigpen pass short left to D.Bowe pushed ob at TB 49 for 22 yards (D.Brooks). P19
1-10-TB 49 (12:09) T.Thigpen scrambles right end to TB 46 for 3 yards (J.Wilkerson).
2-7-TB 46 (11:25) (Shotgun) J.Charles right end to TB 37 for 9 yards (E.Mack). R20
1-10-TB 37 (10:39) (Shotgun) T.Thigpen pass short left to M.Bradley pushed ob at TB 35 for 2 yards (S.Piscitelli).
2-8-TB 35 (10:09) J.Charles left end to TB 13 for 22 yards (C.June). R21
1-10-TB 13 (9:20) D.Savage up the middle to TB 7 for 6 yards (T.Jackson).
2-4-TB 7 (8:35) D.Savage right tackle to TB 4 for 3 yards (R.Sims, D.Brooks).
3-1-TB 4 (7:50) T.Thigpen pass incomplete short left to M.Bradley [G.Adams].
4-1-TB 4 (7:42) (Field Goal formation) PENALTY on KC-S.Weatherford, Delay of Game, 5 yards, enforced at TB 4 – No Play.
4-6-TB 9 (7:41) C.Barth 28 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-T.Gafford, Holder-S.Weatherford.

Kansas City Chiefs at 3:24
1-10-KC 20 (3:24) J.Charles left tackle to KC 22 for 2 yards (J.Haye).
2-8-KC 22 (2:40) J.Charles up the middle to KC 26 for 4 yards (G.Adams, C.Hovan).
Timeout #3 by TB at 02:29.
3-4-KC 26 (2:29) T.Thigpen pass deep right to T.Gonzalez to KC 46 for 20 yards (D.Brooks).
PENALTY on KC-T.Gonzalez, Offensive Pass Interference, 10 yards, enforced at KC 26 – No Play.
3-14-KC 16 (2:21) (Shotgun) J.Charles left tackle to KC 23 for 7 yards (B.Ruud).
Two-Minute Warning
4-7-KC 23 (2:00) S.Weatherford punts 41 yards to TB 36, Center-T.Gafford. C.Smith to 50 for 14 yards (J.McGraw).

by ChiefDJ on Nov 2, 2008 3:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Pass shorts and runs

…Yep.

by primetime 07 on Nov 2, 2008 3:58 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

You kidding me?

They were MOVING THE BALL. You can’t say complain that the playcalling was too conservative when they were MOVING THE BALL.

Was the 22 yard catch and run by DBowe too conservative? How about Charles and Savage averaging around 4 yards a run?

Penalties and incompletions on 3rd and short are what stopped them. NOT the playcalling.

by ChiefDJ on Nov 2, 2008 4:04 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I would have thought that being a shill for a bad organization

would have gotten awfully tiresome by now

by sm7600 on Nov 2, 2008 4:07 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Better than sounding like a Raiders fan

Seriously, I don’t really care if you don’t like the coaching but when you are just going by the same old playbook of gripes that don’t fit what happened in the game, thats what it sounds like.

The Chiefs had a good game and in this case, they lost due to injuries and young player inexperience. To ignore those two most obvious things and go straight to bashing the coach just like after the Carolina game makes it sound like you don’t even bother watching it but just have your cookie cutter responses ready.

by ChiefDJ on Nov 2, 2008 4:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

look, this is a bad organization

they don’t draft all that well, the coach does not recognize talent nearly as well as he thinks, the special teams blow, and the defense has been a wreck since the first year of the Vermeil era.

NOW…we also have the reality that the same cast of fools have been trying to improve the defense, without success, for the last three years or so.

what am I missing?

by sm7600 on Nov 2, 2008 4:18 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe you would find it helpful

To realize that sometimes we are going to lose games due to youth. Do we sometimes lose games due to coaching?

Yeah, I thought it was wrong to run up the gut three times against the jets with 5 minutes left on the clock last week.

But if you simply insist on scapegoating a coach or a player or the GM or whoever every single game rather than actually watching the game and drawing your conclusions from there, then thats your problem.

The Chiefs are my team and no matter how bad they are, I will be rooting for them no matter who is running them and not secretly hoping they will lose just to get rid of guys I’ve decided to scapegoat as some have.

Blame the coaches when its their fault, not just because its convienient.

by ChiefDJ on Nov 2, 2008 4:27 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

you must have missed my earlier posts

and youth had nothing to do with this loss. Character, lack of talent, and bad coaching had everthing to do with it

by sm7600 on Nov 2, 2008 4:35 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Right

Because young players NEVER lose focus when they start blowing another team out.

Young players NEVER fumble the ball on the opponents 10 yard line.

Young players NEVER make late hits on the QB.

Young players NEVER false start on 3rd and 1.

Young players NEVER drop 1st down passes that hit them in the hands.

Boy I sure do see where you’re coming from there (sarcasm). I just don’t understand why you continue watching a team that you obviously think is so horrible and hopeless.

by ChiefDJ on Nov 2, 2008 4:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

no, BAD players do all that stuff

make a habit of it, as a matter of fact.

Sort of like a 1-7 team would do.

by sm7600 on Nov 2, 2008 4:40 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Ridiculous

Do you know what young teams lack?

DEPTH

so when DJ goes down, Asshat McGee takes his place.

when Flowers goes down, Leggett and Brackenridge (who we cut once) compete for the “let’s see who can give away the quick slant” award.

by PVChiefsfan on Nov 2, 2008 4:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Johnson has not done squat this year

his loss has nothing to do with a lack of pass rush the entire second half.

by sm7600 on Nov 2, 2008 4:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Again, ridiculous

Remember the INT in the first half by Carr?

Johnson caused that.

We missed his ability to drop into pass coverage the entire second half.

Did you not notice that the Bucs were killing us with underneath passes after Johnson and Flowers left?

by PVChiefsfan on Nov 2, 2008 4:56 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I also noticed that Garcia was moving freely

every time he went back to pass.

He wasn’t throwing slants on every play.

by sm7600 on Nov 2, 2008 5:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Wrong.

Remember the dropped pick against NY that cost us the game. Dj and Tamba have not played well.

by GHOST OF DT on Nov 3, 2008 7:49 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Agree.

It’s not hard to see. BAD coaching across the board!

by GHOST OF DT on Nov 3, 2008 7:46 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Impossible to talk to a hater.

Young players make mistakes. Thats all there is to it. If you’re that unforgiving then there is no hope for you.

by ChiefDJ on Nov 2, 2008 4:54 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

the NFL is not a very forgiving environment

either. Hence the team’s won loss record.

By the way…who on the team has actually been on a super bowl winner? either in the front office, coaching staff or as a player?

by sm7600 on Nov 2, 2008 5:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

sm7600

I agree with everthing you’ve said. We can win with these young players. We can’t with this coaching…….

by GHOST OF DT on Nov 3, 2008 7:51 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

No, I'm not kidding

Neither is Tyler Thigpen:

"Maybe we just need to stay out there on the field and not even come in the locker room. I don’t know. We’ve got to move the ball in the second half."

by primetime 07 on Nov 2, 2008 5:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Did that pass to Bowe go in the air for 22 yards, or wasn't that almost all YAC?

"If there’s a god he’s laughing at us and our football team." - Ben Folds

by webby37 on Nov 2, 2008 7:06 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, that really reminds me of Air Coryell

look, Herm doesn’t believe in winning games on offense.

by sm7600 on Nov 2, 2008 4:00 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

agreed the stats will be key

but if charles is averaging over six yards a carry why go away? No we didnt run the “wild cat” but i have to agree with DJ I dont’ think it was the coaches fault we lost

by KC FAN IN CA on Nov 2, 2008 3:58 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Everyone is to blame

Not just the players. I liked what I saw this week for the most part. I saw a more rushing attack in the 2nd half, but I could be wrong.

However, the Chiefs had 1 turnover, and the Bucs had 4. We should not have lost this game. That call on Tony was a killer. Whether it was a good call or not, it killed the Chiefs.

have you seen my baseball?

by IISaiNtII on Nov 2, 2008 3:55 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

for the second week in a row, they've won the turnover battle

and tanked the game.

that is not easy to do

by sm7600 on Nov 2, 2008 3:56 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Did you watch the second half?

You’re a fool. Herm called it quits 5 minutes before the half.

by HIV 2 Elway on Nov 2, 2008 4:19 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Kolby Smith done for the year

That hurts big time. Get ready for some Jamaal…

by primetime 07 on Nov 2, 2008 4:00 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

We will lose next week either way....

…its San Diego…Charles, Batlle and Savage will have to do…and then LJ is back…

It is our defense…not the gimmick playcalling…not the conservative stuff….we were successful-ish at both of those…(only ish because we only scored 3 points in the second half…unacceptable…but we did move the ball)

The D has to get a pair…

by woodman212 on Nov 2, 2008 4:02 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

"We will lose next week either way...."

A little hasty?

by PVChiefsfan on Nov 2, 2008 4:45 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Definitely hasty

Tampa is a better team than SD IMO.

by primetime 07 on Nov 2, 2008 4:48 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yep

did we all forget that NO ONE thought we would win this game.

I mean, even ChiefDJ expected TB to be too tough for us.

by PVChiefsfan on Nov 2, 2008 4:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Thigpen really surprised me

I though the Jets game was a fluke. While his stats were not as impressive this game (only 53% accuracy), the team seems to be rallying around him.

Hopefully the trend can continue and with some stability at QB we can see the players actually finish a game.

by ChiefDJ on Nov 2, 2008 5:20 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

This time it wasn’t coaching and it wasn’t playcalling. We have a young team and we are inconsistant. Rookie mistakes cost us the game. Hopefully the rookies learn from thier mistakes and get better. We saw some flashes of brilliance in the last two weeks. We play well in spurts, if we could maintain and play well for an entire game and I think could get a few wins this season.

by ill_spec on Nov 2, 2008 4:15 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Special Teams

How about we need to lay a lot of this game on the special teams play that I thought pretty much sucked. Giving up a 97 yard TD just before the half, and then man do we need Coquitt back.

by DLChiefs on Nov 2, 2008 4:17 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Was there any doubt...

Herm would choke this game away?

by HIV 2 Elway on Nov 2, 2008 4:18 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

He didn't fumble the ball on the 3 yard line

by PVChiefsfan on Nov 2, 2008 4:45 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

But he did pass the ball on third and one on the 4 yard line

When they had been running great the whole game. That touchdown would have made the game.

by Vince D on Nov 2, 2008 5:22 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

+1

Easily the reason we lost. Hell I said it during the game thread. WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY!!!!

by GHOST OF DT on Nov 3, 2008 8:04 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

-1

Maybe because fans had been bitching that they’d been running it too often. R-R-R-punt, and all that?

by Bleedingredandgold on Nov 6, 2008 2:55 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Fact is if

Attacking the T.B. defense got us the lead we should have stayed the course. You can see this team deflate when we go to a run heavy offense. It has been this way all year, once we started doing things to attack, the enthusiasm was there. Well this is what a Herm team does is get the lead, and go conservative and try to salt the game away. Should have kept the creative playcalling going in the second half, oh well just another loss on our road to greatness.

by Eric Allen on Nov 2, 2008 5:03 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

+1

by thehulk on Nov 2, 2008 5:08 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

+2

Smart man.

"If there’s a god he’s laughing at us and our football team." - Ben Folds

by webby37 on Nov 2, 2008 7:09 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Chiefs Improved!!!!

Amazing Chiefs is better team in this past 2 weeks, rather than loss by blow out games, they give their chance to win. I am very optimistic with the young Chiefs…GO CHIEFS!!!!!

by ali_djoo on Nov 2, 2008 5:06 PM CST reply actions 0 recs