There is no question the offensive line is a project under construction. How many teams have a lock future Hall of Famer on their offensive line? Well during the Vermeil years, we had TWO, plus another Pro Bowler to boot. When you lose both of those Hall of Fame guys a year apart with no replacments waiting in the wings, you get what we had last year.

We, as Chiefs fans, should have no delusions that the offensive line is going to be great this year, but it SHOULD be better than last year, and thats something at least.

One thing that is good, is that the coaching staff realizes the O-line is in flux so they are shifting to more zone run blocking which will help to alleviate some of the pressure from the less than average linemen and more bootlegs and rollouts that will relieve the pressure from the QB and give him extra time.

All of these changes are done with the recognition that the offensive line is currently sub-standard and needs some help, and that recognition is a good thing.

Herb is proving his worth for sure…I like the idea somebody had of getting him and Richardson to man the right side eventually…a pair of 6th rounders starting…itd be pretty sweet if they were solid…

I like Herm…he is old school…its a proven formula, all the way back to the 70s Steelers (Coached by Chuck Noll who mentored Tony Dungy who mentored Herm)…ball control offense with a power running game…dominant defense…we just…havent reached it yet, obviously…

I like his core values, in both football and human terms.

• He’s fair, open, positive, and balances being a players’ coach with taking a stand.
• His players typically don’t quit (although the second half of last season is somewhat debatable) and they have a history of avoiding penalties. (Again, was last year a fluke?)
• His eye for talent appears to be better than average, as well. And his players stay out of trouble, for the most part.
  He’s got the intangible parts that you’ve either got or not.

His weaknesses are areas that can get better, and for which I’ve seen improvement this year:

1. His lop-sided defensive thinking is not good for a head coach. The head coach needs to bring out the best in everybody and on both sides of the ball. I’m sure he was brought in due in part because we had a great offense, but a poor defense. So management was looking for a defensive-minded head coach. Whether it be drafting, teaching or just plain attention — he favors the defense. He still does to a degree, but a big part of the fix for this problem is the new OC Chan. Chan has head coach capabilities that allow him to take charge of the offense and give it a voice.

2. Minimal offense philosophy is a related weakness. The first couple of years, Herm was trying to convince people that it’s okay to score 10-14 points a game. He was following an offensive jugernaut that wasn’t going to be sustained with more draft choices going to the defense coupled with an aging group on offense that were going to decline rapidly. I just don’t think you want a head coach psychologically limiting your offensive production. Score points! In this area, I have heard Brodie talk more openly about scoring points this year. Everyone seems to be focused on scoring points and not just giving the defense a rest, which seemed to be the only thing an offense was good for in Herm’s mind previous to this year. Like my first point – improvement this year.

3. The third thing I’ve really disliked about Herm the first two seasons has also gotten a lot better this year — using preseason almost exclusively for player evaluation and competition and not enough investment in preparing for the season. I was really shocked this year when the Chiefs named a tentative starting offensive line before camp even began! That’s 180 degrees from the previous 2 years. But he went out on a limb so that they could play together and install the offense. Plus, the play calling in the first game this year was not all “vanilla.” Turned out that’s about the only flavor the team had on the shelf all last year. So I am very glad to see more emphasis on teaching and preparation during the preseason.

4. I’ve heard the knock many times that his game management is not good. So many people have said it that I’m just going to go along with it. I haven’t witnessed any disasters that I can remember, but some of the problems and indecisiveness must go back to his days at the Jets. If there is a problem in this area, I’m hoping Chan as well as Eric Price help this year.

I believe a strong defense is the most important key to winning in the NFL. Matches Herm’s approach. You also must have a good offense. Chan to the rescue…I hope. Herm seems to be moderate when it comes to working the team too hard or not hard enough. That’s gotta be a tough call as a coach. He stresses mental and physical toughness both in player selection and development. I think it will pay off.

Every coach has faults. Coughlin’s team won the Super Bowl last year and I believe he has many detractors. Belichick does an amazing job, but I’d have to hold my nose regarding the way he does a few things. To me, Herm is in the top half of NFL coaches. And I think he’s still learning some things on the job. He’s getting better, I believe. But I’ll take him. I can be proud of him and the team he assembles almost all the time. That’s my 2 cents.

It’s easy to like or dislike a coach. Some people didn’t like Vermeil’s negligence of defense and lack of a hard nosed approach. Until he started winning. Then everyone thought it was pretty great. It’s only after he’s gone that people come out of the woodwork to criticize the guy that brought us our best season in a little under a decade and made us relevant again. Likewise, some people marveled at his offensive ingenuity and sensitive bond with the players, only to later have to admit that his lack of defensive focus kept us from winning a Super Bowl.

It’s the same with Herm. Lots of people here love the hard-nosed approach and dedicated toughness that Herm brings with “just playing football.” Others of us tend to think that gameplanning and a level of offensive creativity may actually help you win. Herm hasn’t won yet, so there’s going to be criticism. The roster change on this team has been so dramatic that he’s bought himself some time to make good on his promises without having his head called for. But there are things to look at, which some of us will be looking at this season, which help you tell whether he can actually coach, not just draft and develop. We can turn over roster spots as often as we want, but if we have problems with managing the clock inside two minutes in a tied game with the Broncos, I’m still going to be more than a little upset.

I think healthy discussion of what Herm’s doing is a good thing. And this offseason, Herm’s been nothing short of brilliant. From the draft, to training camp, to his approach in the preseason, to the coordinator hires. He’s been terrific. And if we go 2-14 but it’s clear we’ve made positive progress and are a better team at the end of the season, Herm will have done his job. But if we go 8-8 but look like the same mess we’ve looked like for most of the last 12 months, he’ll deserve the criticism as much as he would deserve the praise.

It’s a fan’s right to criticize. You’re not bound to a team just to ra-ra. No one just wants to focus on the negative. The Chiefs winning brings joy to every Chiefs fan. But we come here because we want to read about, think about, and discuss our favorite team. And that’s more than just saying how awesome LJ is or how DBowe is the Show (though he is). It also means asking why in the name of God certain players still start, and looking at what we think the team needs to do to improve. It doesn’t make you any less of a fan to criticize. It makes you less of one to try and tell other people how to be one.