But the preseason is where Johnson’s big plays stopped. Other than a sack in New England, Johnson’s ...

But the preseason is where Johnson’s big plays stopped. Other than a sack in New England, Johnson’s season has been filled with plays more like one last week in Atlanta, when he inexplicably overran a running play and allowed a long run to Jerious Norwood.

To the 0-3 Chiefs, that ranks among the season’s biggest disappointments, perhaps behind only the injury to Brodie Croyle.

"I thought," coach Herm Edwards said, "he was going to be a lot better than he is right now, too."

Kansas City Star

What do you think? Is DJ the biggest disappointment other than Croyle?

about 1 month ago primetime 07 Comment 31 comments 0 recs |

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I'd Say He Ranks Up There

But considering how disastrous pretty much the entire team looks, it’s kind of tough to say that he’s the biggest disappointment…even among the linebacking corps. Napoleon Harris has got five years remaining on his contract and they’re not even activating him for games. Pat Thomas looked underwhelming in preseason, he hasn’t done much to distinguish himself in the regular season and he’s a starter. Edwards is constantly banged up and will miss this Sunday.

To me, he’s not really a bigger disappointment than Croyle because I didn’t have any expectations that Croyle was good. But I also don’t think he’s a bigger disappointment than Tamba Hali, or our offensive line, or the team’s crappy judgment in kickers. He’s disappointing, sure, but he’s kind of lost in the shuffle…probably like 7th or 8th most disappointing thing on the team.

I will say that so far it’s looking like putting Gunther in charge of coaching the linebackers looks like it’s been more or less a complete failure.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Sep 25, 2008 1:02 PM CDT 0 recs

Correction

To me, he’s ~~not really~~ a bigger disappointment than Croyle because I didn’t have any expectations that Croyle was good.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Sep 25, 2008 2:04 PM CDT up 0 recs

Disappointments

I have to agree with a lot of Crawfords sentiments.

Hali is probably the biggest disappointment so far this year, he’s been pretty much invisible. Nap Harris is a big one. I’d say Damion McIntosh too. He has never been a great Tackle, but he was servicable when healthy and did a decent job most of the time on the left side last year. His move to RT though has been a complete disaster.

DJ is disappointing not because he has played poorly, but because he has the athletic talent and ability to play so much better than he is.

by ChiefDJ on Sep 25, 2008 1:53 PM CDT 0 recs

McIntosh

Can’t really be disappointed in a guy that you already know sucks. :)

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Sep 25, 2008 1:59 PM CDT up 0 recs

He did OK last year

by ChiefDJ on Sep 25, 2008 2:18 PM CDT up 0 recs

He Was The Second Worst Lineman Behind Chris Terry

I was happier to see Kyle Turley in the game than Damion McIntosh.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Sep 25, 2008 2:22 PM CDT up 0 recs

third worst

First Welbourn, then Terry, then McIntosh, followed closely by Weigmann, who can be a good center but not in our system.

by Chief Running Bare on Sep 25, 2008 2:32 PM CDT up 0 recs

I'm Not So Sure About Welbourn

He definitely wasn’t the worst…Terry was so horrible that the Chiefs dumped him mid-season. Welbourn at least finished the year out. I’d put him and McIntosh in a tie for second, though. I’d rate Turley as fourth worst with Wiegmann fifth. Turley tried hard, but he was just terrible. Wiegmann was at least serviceable, if below-average.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Sep 25, 2008 2:38 PM CDT up 0 recs

Actually he was the second best

Don’t know what games you were watching.

by ChiefDJ on Sep 25, 2008 2:36 PM CDT up 0 recs

Negative DJ.

McIntosh has issues with staying with his man, gets overpowered easily, and always take that ridiculous inside step which leads to him getting swimmed on every third down.

Bones. It's not just a noun it's a verb. Not just a nickname, a movement.

by Ridiculous Matt on Sep 25, 2008 2:43 PM CDT up 0 recs

Bridging The Gap

I have to agree with a lot of Crawfords sentiments.

Thought that needed some emphasis :)

by primetime 07 on Sep 25, 2008 2:19 PM CDT up 0 recs

Hey when you tell the truth, you're telling the truth.

by ChiefDJ on Sep 25, 2008 2:37 PM CDT up 0 recs

He's no more disappointing

than the rest of the team with less than a handful of exceptions.

It’s hard to say one person is failing more than anyone else at this point because no one is doing much of anything right.

have you seen my baseball?

by IISaiNtII on Sep 25, 2008 1:55 PM CDT 0 recs

Herm usually doesn't call out one of his own like that

this must be worse than I thought

by sm7600 on Sep 25, 2008 1:56 PM CDT 0 recs

I Suspect It's Because His Job's On The Line

So now it’s time to start throwing people under the bus.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Sep 25, 2008 2:01 PM CDT up 0 recs

or maybe...

…it’s because DJ has played really poorly.

by Chief Running Bare on Sep 25, 2008 2:33 PM CDT up 0 recs

NO THAT COULDN'T BE IT!

You have to understand that in Crawfords mind, EVERYTHING is Herm and Carls fault.

by ChiefDJ on Sep 25, 2008 2:37 PM CDT up 0 recs

Ah, DJ :)

One of these days you’ll learn…when one player does terribly, it’s most often that player’s fault. When the entire team does terribly, it means the coaching staff is most likely doing a horrible job. Particularly since they’re the ones who you seem to think staffed the roster this year.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Sep 25, 2008 2:43 PM CDT up 0 recs

I will say

I would not be surprised to hear you blame the rain, or global warming, or a bad hair day on Carl Peterson and Herm Edwards. And I say that being willing to blame Herm for most everything.

Bones. It's not just a noun it's a verb. Not just a nickname, a movement.

by Ridiculous Matt on Sep 25, 2008 2:48 PM CDT up 0 recs

He blamed the rain on Carl last week.

You must have missed it.

by ChiefDJ on Sep 25, 2008 2:50 PM CDT up 0 recs

Well

This is speculation here but judging by his sig and his time in the army I don’t think he’s necessarily got a problem with authority as much as holding the right people accountable. Respecting the chain of command.

by primetime 07 on Sep 25, 2008 2:52 PM CDT up 0 recs

That's Pretty Much It

I realize that I’m not so much beating a dead horse, but beating the skeletal corpse of a dead horse, but seriously…the team’s gone nowhere for a decade, during that time nobody outside of Kansas City has ever considered the Chiefs a contender to win anything even in our best years, we’re heading for potentially our worst season ever and Carl Peterson’s been the one in charge of it all that entire time. Is this really that hard to figure out?

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Sep 25, 2008 3:00 PM CDT up 0 recs

Man-Made Global Warming Is A Myth

And I actually like rain.

I’m convinced he was behind my bad hair day, though. :)

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Sep 25, 2008 2:57 PM CDT up 0 recs

If The Problem Were Just Restricted To DJ

Then I’d say that might be the case. But since the problems are team-wide and everyone in the linebacking corps is pretty underwhelming I’d say that the problems probably stem from a little higher up the food chain.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Sep 25, 2008 2:41 PM CDT up 0 recs

I will say

it’s hard to be a good linebacker when your D-Line is getting pancaked so you’re getting blockers right in your grill and when no one throws over the middle because they know they can test your corners. It’s also hard to play well at linebacker when the rest of the linebacking crew is bad. They have to work together too much.

Bones. It's not just a noun it's a verb. Not just a nickname, a movement.

by Ridiculous Matt on Sep 25, 2008 2:01 PM CDT 0 recs

That's Why

I don’t rank DJ all that high on the disappointments list. He’s not playing very well, but then nobody’s playing very well.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Sep 25, 2008 2:02 PM CDT up 0 recs

What?

Is DJ or Croyle the biggest disappointment? Thats like being on the Titanic and complaining about your dinner being interrupted. We have not even been competitive in the last two games. Its embarrassing on all levels.

by smockcsz on Sep 25, 2008 2:02 PM CDT 0 recs

Biggest dissapointment:

Damion McIntosh – he’s simply pathetic.

by CBaller13 on Sep 25, 2008 4:49 PM CDT 0 recs

DJ, Kawika Mitchell, Fujita, etc...

I think there is a bigger problem. Should DJ be better? Yes. He is a first rounder with all kinds of athletic ability. Im sure that DJ will follow in the steps of Kawika and go some place else and thrive. I am not a defensive coach nor did I stay at a holiday in express last night, but I have to assume that it is the defensive scheme that is holding our guys back. There is a good chance that I am wrong.

by Tuggurnaut on Sep 25, 2008 4:51 PM CDT 0 recs

Glad someone wrote an article about this

I posted a similar comment on another topic. I said to my buddy last week; “It sure is great how fast DJ is, he’s always the first one there to miss the tackle”

Maybe it is the system, I don’t know.

I just know that for the last two seasons, keep hearing “this is his break out year” and we should be past that. He is a Veteran now. This may be as good as he ever gets.

by rdub on Sep 25, 2008 5:16 PM CDT 0 recs

As for the discussion about

who is the biggest disappointment, it is just a matter of degrees with each individual player. NONE of the players is being coached well. DJ has the physical skills to be a great player. Our so called defensive minded head coach is doing a poor job with the defense as is Gunther. Probably part of the problem is the stupid ass cover two defense. Gunther has no idea how to coach the cover two (notice our defensive backs seven yards off the line of scrimmage). Herm is really high on the defense because his sweater vest buddy Tony Dungy “invented” it as the Tampa Two. Basically all Dungy did was steal the old defensive plan from Chuck Knoll with a few changes. Gunther functioned much better when he wasn’t saddled with the cover two which many teams simply cannot play or make it work. Put these young gifted players in a defense or offense which works, give them some coaching, and let them be athletes. That is what needs to be done, and we would have very few disappointments.

by G.L. on Sep 26, 2008 8:52 AM CDT 0 recs