This isn't pre-season

by JT-CT Dad on Sep 18, 2008 8:55 AM CDT

Apparently Herm has forgotten that's it's no longer pre-season. You usually "don't a look at" players during the regular season.

I beginning to agree with others who have been saying the Chiefs don't want win! I always believed you put your best players out on the field. Starting Tyler Thigpen over Damon Huard's doesn't make a lot of sense. Especially looking at Tyler's performance last week, along with the lack of carries for Larry Johnson, etc what else can you say?

How much longer will the fans (or the Hunt's) tolerate these type of decisions? I know after 30+ years of supporting the Chiefs I'm getting close.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Arrowhead Pride's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Arrowhead Pride writers or editors.

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Definitely agree

I’m in the younger generation of Chiefs fan but it seems this perceived lack of effort is resonating with fans of all generations. Nice post.

by primetime 07 on Sep 18, 2008 9:47 AM CDT 0 recs

Indeed

by Official Arrowhead Pride Parade on Sep 18, 2008 11:59 AM CDT up 0 recs

The PARADE can respect his elders

I only hope to continue blogging when I get older. If I can just get rid of my boss…

by primetime 07 on Sep 18, 2008 12:33 PM CDT up 0 recs

Well put

It’s becoming almost painful to watch the games now. Over the past year most fans have realized we’re not putting a great product on the field, which I understand that’s going to happen occasionally, but when the players we put on the field aren’t given the chance to perform to their full potential, it just becomes frustrating to watch.

Hopefully Herm and the offensive play-calling wake up and realize that you have to let the players play, and that getting a win under the belt might be more beneficial than getting a look at a young guy. Otherwise these players are growing accustomed to losing, which is not the growth I think we as fans are looking for.

by Chiefs n Chopper on Sep 18, 2008 9:54 AM CDT 0 recs

agreed

The product on the field last weekend was an embarassment. Granted I have only watched NFL games for about 15 years now but that was definitely the worst live sporting event I have ever been to and I would assume that on TV it was probably even worse. If I bought the game from Target, I most definitely would have taken the product back.

by skibum1537 on Sep 18, 2008 12:39 PM CDT 1 recs

Completely agree

What I don’t understand is this. Why haven’t we made any move to get a “decent” quarterback as a starter or just a backup who has actually played and has SOME experience running any type of offense. Huard is the better choice over Thigpen but Huard almost seems as though he has just said to hell with it. Hagans is a joke. Ingle Martin well I have no idea about him, nor do I think any of the coaches do either. How hard would it be to just bring someone in to help in any capacity? Just someone to get the ball to the receivers, in a positive way though.

I was being funny the other night and I know this is bad but here it is. Why not make a play for Vince Young? If he truly is suicidal, then playing behind our line would be perfect for him. (That is bad, I know.)

by THS '94 on Sep 18, 2008 2:09 PM CDT 0 recs

Here's the problem

I think everyone agrees that Huard is more likely to give us a chance to win than Thigpen and I know we’re in the middle of this horrendous losing streak. But this season is all about the future. Winning one or two games to take us from 4-12 to 6-10 really does nothing for us but make us feel a little better 2 more Sundays this season.

Maybe thats all you care about, but I’m more concerned about every Sunday for the next 10 years.

We KNOW Damon Huard, who is 35, is not going to be with this team by the time we’re back to being a contender. Thigpen COULD be, but they need to know whether he’s worth investing any more time into or if they need to keep looking at other guys.

One thing we absolutely do NOT want to do is get two years down the road competing for a playoff spot and our starter (whoever that may be) goes down and they call Thigpen off the bench and ONLY THEN find out he’s not suited to be an NFL backup.

We have to find out sometime, might as well be when the guy you’re trying to develop as your starter is out anyway. Sure, I wish it could have happened after we won 2 or 3 games, but it is what it is.

by ChiefDJ on Sep 18, 2008 6:07 PM CDT 0 recs

Excellent points

Arrowhead Pride

by Chris on Sep 18, 2008 11:58 PM CDT up 0 recs

You are absolutely right!

This season is about the future and Herm has made it 100% crystal clear since the 9-game losing streak ended our season last year. What our fans need to realize is that, like you said, winning 6 games instead of 4 won’t do anything for us this year if we can’t develop our young rookies into highly productive veterans in a couple of years.

JDub

by jscottknoell on Sep 19, 2008 12:54 PM CDT up 0 recs

O.K.

If it is all about the future, why is thirty-one year old sacintosh still in there? This makes absolutely no sense. Why not let a young guy learn how not to get burnt?

by Eric Allen on Sep 19, 2008 5:57 PM CDT up 0 recs

I understand that your looking to the future..

But I have serious problem accepting this Farm system mentality. What about the other guys who are legitimate players deserving to be in the NFL, how can you say without a doubt that they completely buy into this. Can you look them in the eye and tell them that we are trying to develop this QB so we can eventually make it to the big show? We need to see what these youngster can do most definitely, but not at the expense of wasting players careers and patience. I thought that the QB position has to be evaluated over time anyways, and that one or two games is not a clear indication of the potential of a rookie QB to be a legitimate starter in the NFL.

Losing games to me is like a curse that you cannot just shake off. I remember the bad years, and I also remember the rebuilding years of Marty-ball. Marty kept on emphasizing that we must change the lackluster mind set in the locker room, and turn it into believing that we can virtually win any game. Look at the Cardinals and how they never seem to progress, and when the games are close and when their mental toughness comes into question. They would fall back into the mode of "here we go again."

What Herm is doing is going into dangerous territory, just because we are rebuilding does not mean he has free ticket to experiment with different players to see if they are capable of playing. Great QB’s are not necessarily players that you have to develop, but sometimes come to substitute for the incumbent QB after an injury and end becoming the starter. (Bledsoe/ Brady, DeBerg/Montana, Trent Green/Warner) The teams had legitimate starters, but through injury the back up ended up becoming the starter, taking their respective teams to the Super Bowl. My point is that we shouldn’t be so focused on developing QB’s through game experience, but concentrate on making good sound selections in drafting a QB then allow that rookie QB the time to develop in the wings with a GOOD QB coach. While we have a veteran QB who can take us to the Super Bowl.

Thigpen has the raw physical attributes to play in this league, but the decision making skills are way off at this stage of his career. Forget about the fans being unhappy because of the losses, what we should be worried about is psyche of the players in the locker room when they continue losing throughout the year. Why should I play hard? Were Rebuilding……………and if you say we’ll release them, I’d say good! So I can sign with a team who has the potential to at least making it to the playoffs. (Neil Smith, Jared Allan, Kawika Mitchell, even Scott Fujita)

by aPacificChief on Sep 20, 2008 6:21 AM CDT up 0 recs

PacificChief

Hey I completely agree with you. Losing can become a habit just like winning can. But there is a big difference between the team Herm took over and the one Marty took over.

The Chiefs had been “rebuilding” for over a decade when Marty took over and a LOT of good players already on the team with years left to go to contribute to the new regime. Kevin Ross, Albert Lewis, Durron Cherry, Neil Smith, John Alt, Steve DeBerg, Dino Hackett, Nick Lowry, Dave Lutz, Christian Okoye, Stephon Paige, J.C. Pearson, etc. And those are just the bigger name guys that we all recognize, not counting the guys that were backups and we probably dont even remember.

There is absolutely no question that Schottenheimer is the guy that turned the franchise around and is a fantastic coach, but he did not inherit a team in which 90% of the players had to be replaced in 2 years. How many of those guys that Herm scraped off the roster are still even on a team right now, much less starting? I can think of very few.

As far as the QB situation goes, we have so many holes on this team we haven’t really had the luxury to spend a high draft pick on a QB that might end up being a failure (take a look at the 06 draft class, 07 and 08 don’t look so hot so far either). And just because you spend a high pick on a QB does not in any way guarantee that when you stick him in there he’s going to turn out to be a great player right off the bat. And what good does it do to have that high pick on a QB when you essentially have no offensive line? NO QB can operate without protection. Even our pathetic guys would look 10 times better with protection.

If it was my call, as long as Croyle is out, I’d be playing Huard because as pathetic as it is, he gives us the best chance to win right now. However, thats not to say its a significantly better chance than with Thigpen in there. Huard is more experienced, but his lack of mobility behind our swiss cheese offensive line is a severe liability. I doesn’t really matter who you have back there, they aren’t going to get time to set up and survey the field. I guess the coaching staffs thoughts are its better to have a guy that can get away from the pressure than have a more experienced sitting duck back there.

So while everyone is looking at this and saying “They’re playing Thigpen so they are just giving up and making this an exhibition game”, well, the coaching staff must feel that a mobile, inexperienced guy that they want to evaluate has a better chance of surviving than a more experienced sitting duck behind the swinging gate right side and a rookie on the left side. That may be true too.

by ChiefDJ on Sep 20, 2008 3:41 PM CDT up 0 recs

I agree with you about the mobility issue..

but I have a question then,

If management knew we had serious problems with our OH’ Line then why didn’t they release Huard in favor of a newer more mobile veteran QB? Heck its not like Huard knew the Offense already. We could of brought in another veteran QB (w/ alittle more mobility) and he would of been in the same catagory as the other QB’s on the team, learning a new system.

Good points about the talent level being higher when Marty came onboard. But another question I’ve gotta ask…..what is harder to find Talent, or Mental Toughness? The NFL is made up of the best football players in the country, like Emmit Smith said once who cares if you play 1 or 3 excellent games, but disappear for the next 4. Everyone is talented in the NFL, but its the ones who are consistent that becomes stars.

by aPacificChief on Sep 20, 2008 3:59 PM CDT up 0 recs

starting thiggy

Chief DJ is right. What I want to know is why is sacintosh going to be allowed to get our qb killed . Richardson needs to play some at right tackle. Huard can’t give us a better chance to win if he does’nt remain healthy until half time. What do folks not undestand about rebuilding? If they beat the crappy falcons are we going to the playoffs ? Of course not. This is painful to watch I agree but didn’t we all know in our hearts it could be like this? Thiggy should start until Croyle can go. With our line, especially the swinging gate we call the right side of the line, Croyle may be injured again. Free Barry Richardson !

by dklogue1 on Sep 18, 2008 7:27 PM CDT 0 recs

Exactly!

I loved your reference to the right side our line as the swinging gate.

JDub

by jscottknoell on Sep 19, 2008 12:55 PM CDT up 0 recs

Bad team

I think some folks should be forced to watch the CRAPTACULR teams we had from 75 -86. You remember Herman Heard and company. I think it was 77 froze my arse off watching the Chiefs lose to the Steelers 49-0. What I’m trying to say guys is alot of us are spoiled. The situation now is not even close. Ask a Browns or Lions fan they know.They’ve never been to a superbowl much less won one. Weknow we are rebuilding what they know is there team stinks and will for the forseeable future.

by dklogue1 on Sep 18, 2008 7:36 PM CDT 0 recs

Post of the day

This is exactly how I feel.

by ChiefDJ on Sep 19, 2008 1:02 PM CDT up 0 recs

ChiefDJ

Kudos for making some sense out of something I’ve refused to wrap my head around. +1

by KansasCityShuffle on Sep 18, 2008 8:18 PM CDT 0 recs

Huard gives us the only chance to win.

Can somebody explain to me why Herm handled the Raider game like it was preseason. Can somebody please tell me what NFL team has been successful with a two quarterback system? Anybody? Huard was fine in the second game but Herm said he was dinged up and they chose not to put him back in the game..With that decision and many other brilliant moves by Herm are chances of competing this year now zero thanks to Herm. Huard is a good quarterback and Herm decides to play the other quarterbacks while Huard with his $1.75 m salary sits on the sidelines to watch the Titantic. Damon Huard is better than all three of our other qb’s. Brody Croyle has shown he is not durable and not a pro caliber qb . Thigpen hits the defense more often than the chiefs receivers. Fed Up in The OC

by chieffanintheOC on Sep 23, 2008 12:12 AM CDT 0 recs

Only One Example

Had Huard been in on the first play against the Falcons, he may be out for the season as well. Huard is a good QB and I have always respected him, but his mobility and our O-Line just don’t mix. I like him starting as well, but he just can’t take the pounding or get away from the rush like a 24 year old can.

I just don’t see the Herm bashing as a fun sport. I don’t agree with everything he does, but I’m not the coach, breaking down film, and trying to put together the best team on the field to win, while at the same time developing a lot of raw players. It has to be a balance of playing who you have, while protecting what you have, and planning for the future. As far as Brodie not being durable, again, any QB getting the same hit he did, would be out. Until our line is able to protect the QB better, we better be prepared to set a new record for starting QBs in a season.

by TXChiefan on Sep 23, 2008 5:39 PM CDT 1 recs