Chiefs WR Chris Chambers Takes Some Heat Off Of QB Matt Cassel
by Joel Thorman on Dec 11, 2009 7:05 AM CST
in 2009 Kansas City Chiefs Campaign
Email
PrintIn last week's game, Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel took some heat for some of his decision making, which contributed to a low, low completion percentage. Some folks point to the Chiefs NFL high 37 drops while others point to Cassel's "happy feet". Whatever the case may be, not all is perfect with the Chiefs receivers, as evidenced by a few things Chris Chambers had to say after yesterday's practice.
Chambers was cognizant of the fact that the receivers haven't been perfect and said they've gotta do a better job of taking the heat off of Cassel. He pointed to a couple of plays that, from our view, puts the blame on Cassel. But, from his view, puts the blame on himself.
"There were a couple of routes that you may have seen him double-clutch on," Chambers continued. "I ran a route that was supposed to be three steps, and I ran five steps. He was ready to throw it, but I wasn’t ready to receive it. So, it looks bad on him."
And another:
"I was short on another route that was 12 yards," Chamber went on to say. "It went over my head, but I was supposed to be at 16-18 yards. It looks like that on TV, but when you break it down on film it’s not like that. You can’t put it all on him."
Josh Looney of KCChiefs.com has a nice perspective on Chambers' words.
"That’s some interesting perspective from a player who hasn’t been here very long and could have very well kept quiet; keeping the focus on the many big contributions he’s made in just a month on the job," Looney writes. "Keep in mind that Chambers is a free agent this offseason and currently auditioning for a job. Those past three paragraphs show exactly what the type of stand-up, team-player that Chambers is."
Indeed it does. It also shows that a few of the things Cassel said yesterday has some meaning to it.
“Well I don’t think anybody that sits there, watches the game and tries to evaluate the game, they don’t know my reads, they don’t know one pattern that I’m supposed to be reading, they don’t know what I’m supposed to be looking at, so for them to sit there and evaluate and say ‘he’s holding the ball too long, or he’s doing this or he’s doing that,’ they really don’t know what’s going on out there other than the fact that they’re looking at the overall product.
"It’s easy for someone to sit back and critique somebody from the sideline, but at the same time, it’s different when I’m being coached to do something specifically, I’m not saying that all the time I’m doing it right or perfectly by any means, but at the same time, that’s kind of how it feels sometimes.”
When I first heard Cassel say this yesterday, I was a little taken aback. But, after hearing what Chambers had to say, it kinda validates Cassel's words.
32 comments
|
1 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Good morning Joel.
That makes me feel a lot better. And it shows what a class act Chambers is. Thanks to 1970 for the “happy feet” analogy. That’s awesome. Our boys make headlines don’t they Joel?
Which just goes to stress the importance of keeping things professional on AP since it appears we get readers on here from high places in the sports world.
That makes me feel like a load has been lifted where Cassel is concerned. Thanks for the kool-aid I needed it.
by krayfish on Dec 11, 2009 7:10 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Class move by Chambers, I really hope they bring him back
I know some people may be getting tired of this comparison, but its true. Trent Green threw 24 INTs his first year in KC with a good o-line, great RB, HOF TE, and playing in a offensive system he already knew from being with Vermeil in StL. Cassel has an o-line that has recently upgraded itself from “dog poo” to just not very good, played half the season with 2.7 at HB, has a new starting WR every couple weeks, lost his one main target for four games, and is not only playing in a new system, but that system was put in a week out from the first game and Cassel was hurt at that time.
His completion percentage last year was 63.4 this year it is 53.9. His yards per attempt last year was 7.16 this year it is 5.68. I don’t see how people can rationalize saying he was “only good last year because of the team around him” but this year the team around him has nothing to do with it, he just sucks.
I don’t think Cassel will ever be an elite QB but I do think he can be a solid QB to build the team around for the next few years. It’s a two step process in my mind. 1-Up the talent level around him. 2-Establish some consistancy so the offense can gel.
Feeling "The Love" and "Drinking the Kool AId"
by KCporkchop on Dec 11, 2009 7:50 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Agreed on bringing Chambers back
I want to see Chambers, Wade, Long and Bowe as the primary receivers through next season (along with a high-grade receiver taken in the draft). The offense is going to be in a flux no matter who the QB is until some continuity is established.
Predictions:
Kansas City will not win more than four games in 2009
Kansas City will have a new OC and DC in 2010
Kansas City will win at least seven games in 2010
Agreed...
with Chambers we finally have a serviceable #1 reciever….which D Bowe in NOT
by Tomahawk_Chop on Dec 11, 2009 10:30 AM CST up reply actions
Chambers and Bowe
for sure. Wade and Long? Not sold. They could easily be upgraded and Wade has some serious improvement he needs to do to earn himself any spot on next years team.
by Eastcoastransplant on Dec 11, 2009 11:11 AM CST up reply actions
Wouldn't say I'm sold on them either
but I would like them back for continuity more than anything.
Wade, I think, is a good guy to have for depth…but I wouldn’t want him as a starter. He can also serve as a backup punt returner (I don’t want him as the primary there either).
As for Long, I’m not ready to give up on him yet. He seems to have a knack for getting open, so if he can improve in some other areas (like catching the ball) I think he can become a solid slot guy.
Lawrence hasn’t shown any game speed (supposedly his greatest asset), Bradly has been a ghost, Darling is injury prone, and Copper is…who? I don’t expect any of those guys to be back.
In any case, I do want a receiver drafted pretty early, at least by the 4th round. I’m really hoping Jermaine Gresham is available to us in the 2nd round…he’d fill needs at both TE and receiver, and according to walterfootball.com his athletic skills are on-par with Tony G.
Predictions:
Kansas City will not win more than four games in 2009
Kansas City will have a new OC and DC in 2010
Kansas City will win at least seven games in 2010
HOLD THE PRESSES
Porkchop and Krayfish just agreed! Therefore, I predict we win and by a substantial margin this weekend. :)
Love you guys!
by Eastcoastransplant on Dec 11, 2009 11:09 AM CST up reply actions
yes and Hell freezes over,
the Pirates and the Royals play in the WS next year, rainbows and unicorns fall from the sky, and Megan Fox shows up naked on my doorstep holding some some handcuffs and a roll of duct tape
by chiefsandcigars on Dec 11, 2009 2:04 PM CST up reply actions
Wow Megan Fox?
Really no kidding? I mean I was there with you for the whole thing, I mean believed it all till you pulled that one out… hahah
by Eastcoastransplant on Dec 11, 2009 10:03 PM CST up reply actions
i had to put them in order from
most to least likely to happen
by chiefsandcigars on Dec 12, 2009 9:19 AM CST up reply actions
It sounds like Cassel has been reading some of the AP game threads
by chiefsandcigars on Dec 11, 2009 8:21 AM CST reply actions
I think the organization is definitely on to us.....
by Hail2DaChiefs on Dec 11, 2009 8:25 AM CST up reply actions
Clark
Clark came to my tailgate and I told him that I had seen a picture of him doing this on a webiste and he said “Oh, ArrowheadPride”. The organization is definitely on to us and it shows that they care what the fans think
I hope we get Chambers locked up.
I hope he has the same train of thought as Vrabel, wanting to see this thing through. It would be a nice start to next season to have him here all the way through camp, preseason. We really need to get the o-line up to snuff so the receivers have time to get open, then we will really know what we have in Cassel. Upgrade the o-line. this will be a totally different offense.
Good move by the Chiefs org, glad to see LJ gone.
by Eric Allen on Dec 11, 2009 8:40 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Alright, fine.
I’ll ease up on some of the Cassel antipathy.
However, if our Head Coach made his bones as a Wide Receivers coach, shouldn’t his Wide Receivers be doing a little better job a) running their routes and b) catching the ball?
by JacinB on Dec 11, 2009 8:41 AM CST reply actions 2 recs
He has quite a bit on his plate now
think he has time to be the wideout coach as well? Hey Jacin, I nominated you for the lead blogger position over at Arrowhead Addict, you would be a good fit. Gonna check it out?
Good move by the Chiefs org, glad to see LJ gone.
I don't hit up Arrowhead Addict much anymore.
For some reason or another it’s blocked from where I work, so I don’t get over there very often anymore.
Agreed to an extent on the WRs
However, our top 3 receivers right now didn’t go to training camp with the team so I think there’s only so much you can do…
by Joel Thorman on Dec 11, 2009 9:06 AM CST up reply actions
Yeah I was thinking the same thing
And Haley has a tonne on his plate, he did help completely revamp the people at that position in season too, so that says something.
by Eastcoastransplant on Dec 11, 2009 11:13 AM CST up reply actions
This is an interesting read and I think it really drives home what I've tried to say a couple of times.
I don’t know how true it is for this offense, but in a some offenses the quarterback and receiver on any given play need to read the same thing and adjust their routes accordingly – this leads to some of the bad plays that we see. The Andre Goodman interception comes to mind; it looks like Cassel was clearly expecting Long to break back, but he just kept running. I’m sure that Cassel has made bad plays and bad reads too, of course. I really feel that with some continuity and some more coaching (and a bigger staff) there will be marked improvement.
It’s really interesting to hear Chambers and Cassel come out and say this; and if Chambers is saying it, as a veteran receiver and a pretty decent one, it makes me wonder how the rest of the Chiefs’ receivers are at running precise routes and making correct adjustments – my guess would be that guys like Mark Bradley and Bobby Wade just aren’t that great at it.
I hate to bring up last year and Cassel’s time in New England (I’m clearly a New England fan) but it was clear that after about the season’s midpoint that Cassel, Moss, Welker, and Jabar Gaffney were on the same page and it was allowing Cassel to make quick reads and deliver the ball accurately. He still would get sacked, but then, the New England offensive line has been overachieving and overrated for years. If you need further evidence of this, watch the Saints and Dolphins getting to Tom Brady with a three man rush.
I agree
I went back & watched some of Cassel last season with Game Rewind, and to me he looks like the same QB he was then, the difference is that his receivers were where he was expecting them to be last season, and not so much now. I’ll be very surprised if the offense isn’t much more efficient by the second half of next season.
Predictions:
Kansas City will not win more than four games in 2009
Kansas City will have a new OC and DC in 2010
Kansas City will win at least seven games in 2010
It'll also be very nice for him to be able to practice the playbook
for the entire camp and preseason. He really got screwed with how much time he missed with injury and time he lost because of Gailey being fired. That was a really poor decision by Haley IMO.
Yes... that's an extremely good point.
Only now are the Chiefs getting to the point that they’ve had as many practices with Todd Haley’s playbook as they had with Chan Gailey’s playbook. We don’t know, of course, exactly what changed, but all information seems to point to pretty substantial changes across the board. Could that include differences in routes? I don’t see why not.
I agree that it was a bad decision – arguably the worst of the season. However… if you’re in Haley’s shoes at that point – you aren’t seeing eye to eye with your OC for whatever reason – it’s very hard not to pull that trigger. So I’m not nearly as down on Haley for canning Gailey as I am for not realizing back in the spring that he was going to need to do so. Let’s hope he does a better job of interviewing people in the future.
John
"Gentlemen! You can't fight in here. This is the War Room!"
I also blame the stupid Cardinals
Why’d they have to get on that hot streak right at the end of the season and go to the SB, therefore not giving us the time we needed with Haley?
I like the idea of our players backing up our QB but...
There’s no way that those streaks that our WR’s are running were actually too long when Cassel is underthrowing them. He definitely doesn’t have the “cannon” that everyone thought he did. I think we were just excited because he had a good .22 compared to Thiggy’s bb gun…
In my opinion the having a deep arm isn't that important
It’s the ability to put velocity on throws in the intermediate ranges with accuracy. Brady excels at this – I believe he was actually the best in his draft class at this coming out of college, even though he was perceived to have a weak arm.
It should make everyone feel better that these things can be worked on. Brady’s deep ball and arm appear to be stronger (I believe it was Chris Collinsworth who said that no one really gives Brady credit for having one of the strongest arms in the league) and Drew Brees is a much more accurate QB now than he used to be. Give it time – practice, games, coaching, refining mechanics. It’ll come.
I thought Brees was always accurate...
but teams were afraid of drafting a midget.
Cassel is rght
and chambers is a class act.
Cassel is correct, if you watch the game 100 times you wont know his reads…I expect a big turnaround,..in person I saw him miss a couple throws yes…but I also saw what he was talking about…its a lot more than all on matt cassel.
All QB's can say this same thing but they are't this bad.....
…..and it doesn’t validate any of the comments you make in support of Cassel. These statements can be said by every reciever and QB on every team at some point throughout the season. I really like the way Chris stepped up and said it out loud and hopefully it does make a difference in the overall offesive play of the team. What it says to me is that Cassel MIGHT wait longer to through a pass to reciever because he is not sure what the reciever is going to do on his pass route. I’ve been there and done that and coached it so I know what that is. There is a remedy for that and it is simple….in this million dollar a day business there is no excuse for it.
I think this even more supports an agument to replace Cassel with Brodie. Just like with Larry Johnson’s style and abilities were not working with our O-line. Our O-line didn’t all of the sudden get better with Jamaal running behind it. His stlye and skillset were more suitable for the existing condition – their inability to sustain the blocks. Haley said it himself, with Jamaal they don’t need to be perfect in that area.
A similar situation exist at QB – if there is a necessity to wait a second longer to read the route/coverage Brodie’s stronger arm and better accuracy can possible make up some of the lost time due to these circumstances.
Okay, moving past the passing incompetance, look at the body language of our QB during the game……
Last point about his reads and the read progressions – what QB doesn’t have to do this. Is Cassel tasked with more to process than every other QB in the nfl. No, we don’t know what his read are and we don’t know how he’s coached but if Brodie playing in the same system were to show us all something different about running the same offense what would that say. I think we need to find that out and. The organization needs to find that out.
With all of the time he’s spent waiting and observing how to do it right in his career, he should be light-years ahead of any rookie playing QB. So he doesn’t warrent any excuses in terms of an eveluation. He is a veteran from a complexe and successful system. He watched Tom Brady play championship football with a mixed bag of recievers only one of which started the whole season. Even if he didn’t pay attention real well he could have learned enough to be better in our situation than he is. I can’t figure out why he’s being given so much latitude for doing absolutely nothing right. I’ll bet you had Tom not got injured in 2008 he would have been released by the Patriots before the 2009 season. Nearly all of the football mags were saying that he was a disappoinment and probably would be around much longer. This is in a system that he had time in and knew the recievers.
Joe, I have to say from your reply comments to some of the post on this website, that you are a great debater. The objective of great debate is not to present the truth but to win an argument. Just an observation and it is a free world so can do that. I’m going to keep searching for the website that is not trying to bring in the numbers…..by presenting all side of the topics just to get people talking. I want the truth, I want the X’s and O’s, I want factual insite. This ain’t the place for that. It’s great for stirring up conversation but I am beyond that as a fan.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Arrowhead Pride
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
