3 little things...

by Troydrake on Oct 8, 2009 9:57 AM CDT

... that could have changed the game.

I rewatched the 1st half of the game and I found 3 key plays that prevented an otherwise extremely competitive effort by the team from resulting in success.

I'm skipping the obvious Charles' fumble. It was bad, but not unrecoverable from. 1) Bobby Engram in the endzone. We've just recovered an Eli fumble and driven the ball to the Giant's 16 yard line. It's 3rd down and Cassel throws a ball to the right corner of the endzone. Engram's there and instead of attacking the ball in the air, he waits with his hands in a basket by his waist for the ball to drop to him. The Giant defender closes the gap and the ball hit's him in the helmet. If Engram goes for the ball, one of two things happens. One a TD or two a pass interference call on the Giants resulting in a 1st down on the 1. End result Incomplete pass and Succop on to kick. 2) The penalty. It was crushing and blatantly wrong and it affected the game in the worst way. The one big mistake that I blame the Chiefs for on this one is that the D coaching staff didn't recognize that the Giants had found a hole quickly enough. They basically ran the same play immediately after the penalty and it resulted in 6. We hold them to a FG there and we're still in the game. (Or if Tynes is kicking maybe just down 4) 3) Cassel throws behind Bowe. In the drive immediately following the Giants penalty TD on 2nd down Cassel threw a skinny post to the right that was behind Bowe. If this pass is on target, it's a HUGE gain. I replayed this play over and over again, aghast at the potential it had. Bowe had his man beaten by a step and the LB was extremely late coming over and would not have made a tackle on Bowe. The safety for some unexplained reason (although I'm guessing it had to do with the TE) had crept up to within 10 yards of the line of scrimage and was cheating to the middle of the field. It was nothing but space for our big receiver... he's not fast enough to have likely scored in the 70 yard scamper, but it would have gone for at least 40 and had the crowd going crazy. 3 Little things that buried us in a hole too deep to climb out of. There were good plays and there were opportunities. We did compete. TD

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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Coulda Woulda Shoulda

No offense bro…..but we could be 4-0….But we are not.

We must go forward…..march ahead. One game at a time. 0-4 is old news now…its behind us. We are 0-0 right now. Haley said so.

"Its going to be a challenge, its going to feel like forever, and there will be difficulties. But we will emerge on the other side of it stronger than we were when we entered." ~ Sudden

by Matt_Grbac on Oct 8, 2009 10:12 AM CDT reply actions

Exactly !

Little mistakes hear and there are preventing us from winning games. Is this coaching? Talent ? or IMO just youth ! I know Wade’s pass should’ve been caught but our young QB under pressure under threw it. These guys will come around !

by CJ-in-2018 on Oct 8, 2009 10:26 AM CDT reply actions

I agree we will come around.

With the exception of Oakland three of the first four games have been against very high caliber opponents. When we played Oakland, we played down to their caliber of play. There are 12 games yet to be played and we will improve against lesser opponents.

by G.L. on Oct 8, 2009 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions

we outgained the Raiders in total yds something like 450-185 - that

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisiton!

by upamtn on Oct 8, 2009 10:42 AM CDT up reply actions

outgaining them as we did, controlling the football that long, etc, is NOT playing down to their caliber

not that mistakes weren’t made. they were … and heads will roll if they already haven’t … but overall I think it’s clear the Chiefs outplayed the Raiders

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisiton!

by upamtn on Oct 8, 2009 10:44 AM CDT up reply actions

I agree that stuff is good,

but time of possession and outgaining them in yards does not put points on the board. We should have handed the Raiders their ass on a silver platter. Instead we got beat by a fat ass quarterback who couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn from the inside.

by G.L. on Oct 8, 2009 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions

except that he DID hit the barn a couple of times on the last drive

yes we SHOULD have beat them, mistakes and a couple of breakdowns (especially on the last drive) and so it goes … score aside, the team played decently enough and yeah SHOULD have won … I can deal with a loss like that here and there

it’s the other 3 games where we’ve gotten kicked up and down the field all day that bother me, not the Raiders game

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisiton!

by upamtn on Oct 8, 2009 10:54 AM CDT up reply actions

Yeah, I guess it

just irritates the sh*t out of me to get beat by the Raiders. ;-{

by G.L. on Oct 8, 2009 10:56 AM CDT up reply actions

they have a barn on their team?

by krayfish on Oct 8, 2009 5:02 PM CDT up reply actions

Well, JaMarcus is as

big as a barn. I guess he can’t very well throw a pass to himself, though.

by G.L. on Oct 9, 2009 8:29 AM CDT up reply actions

waitjustaminutehere! are you saying that Bowe had his guy beat? and that Cassel did NOT throw the ball well?

wow … I’ve seen so many posters who said that Cassel is our savior and (part of) the problem is that Bowe can’t beat anyone down the field ever and …

wow, you mean it CAN happen?!?

how COOL!

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisiton!

by upamtn on Oct 8, 2009 10:41 AM CDT reply actions

Cassel throws that route

before Bowe is out of his break. It is a timing throw between 2 guys who had practiced together once or twice in the past 2 weeks prior to this game due to Bowe’s injury & limited practice participation. Bowe runs harder in the game due to adrenaline & the fact that maybe his injury is healing & bingo: the ball is thrown behind him.
That is how it can happen! That timing will improve with repetition.

by ttownmikey on Oct 8, 2009 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions

let's hope so ... that and the OL gelling as a unit

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisiton!

by upamtn on Oct 8, 2009 10:55 AM CDT up reply actions

It may have been throw behind him

But on some of those, like the first Chiefs pass of the game, the ball hit Bowe on both hands, and it bounced off the palms of his hands.

I realize it’s poor for Cassel, because Bowe had to practically stop instead of catching on the run, but the point is, he still didn’t make the catch.

by jcru on Oct 8, 2009 12:13 PM CDT up reply actions

ttown...I disagree

completely…okay. Cassel didn’t have time last year when he got thrust into the Chiefs game following the injury to Brady. but managed to hit a timing pass down the sideline out of the end zone to moss for a well…you know the rest…Henne at Miami hits almost the same pass to his receiver last Sunday…making excuses for the 60 million dollar man is not gonna cut it.

It’s his job. He doesn’t get paid to make t – shirts or sell hot dogs ok? He gets paid to make passes like that. Simple timing routes that shouldn’t be missed on a consistent basis, which he does a lot.

by krayfish on Oct 8, 2009 12:22 PM CDT up reply actions

I have a feeling you just hate Cassel dont you kray? lol

by tomahawk44 on Oct 8, 2009 12:36 PM CDT up reply actions

well in all honesty i believe in Cassel and I'm a fan

but now that’ he’s my QB I don’t want to see the same ol’ trend here in KC. Every one plays great somewhere else…every other team can fall apart and get put back together again…except us…we’re like humpty dumpty…I spent the last 30 years making excuses so I’ll forgive any of you younger guys who still have years left in your gas tank to forgive…I’m just over it..

But no I don’t hate cassel…i need to give him some time too

by krayfish on Oct 8, 2009 12:45 PM CDT up reply actions

and in all honesty I don't believe in Cassel

I don’t DISBELIEVE either, but hey … for THAT kind of money he should look like the second coming of Peyton Manning crossed with Fran Tarkenton and Johnny Unitas …

drops are on the receiver … bad throws are on the QB (when he has the time, and sometimes … not ALL the time … but SOMETIMES he does)

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisiton!

by upamtn on Oct 8, 2009 1:07 PM CDT up reply actions

your correct upamtn about the missed passes

even with time

by krayfish on Oct 8, 2009 1:29 PM CDT up reply actions

doesn't happen often, I know

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisiton!

by upamtn on Oct 8, 2009 4:32 PM CDT up reply actions

Bowe is slow right now due to his injury. hopefully he's back to 95% by now.

by Chiefsfan1970 on Oct 8, 2009 2:54 PM CDT up reply actions

Yep Cassel blew it for us minimum twice in that game even with time

but ENGRAM was a ussy on that play. I said the same thing. He stood there and watched the ball go off the defenders helmet. He just fucing stood there. Seriously, like a manican… I was screaming at him through the TV.
A great receiver attacks the ball. Engram didn’t even take ONE step back towards the ball at all…and that’s the truth…not ONE. Fitz or Boldin would have jumped back and snatched that ball out of the air…if it had time to hit his helmet engram had time to come back for it…what a jackass.

by krayfish on Oct 8, 2009 12:11 PM CDT reply actions