FanPost

Did Haley Deserve His Failing Grade?

If Sunday's contest against the Jets were a Pop Quiz in Miss Tewiliger’s 7th Grade

Social Studies Class we can assume at least one failing grade would have been earned. Is that a cause for concern? Let us consider that we may have a deeper problem only if more than a few students are not preparing for a Pop Quiz. Let us presume that Miss Tewiliger’s class is progressing, as a whole, on par with other classes in the School District while Mr. Haley’s Third Grade Class on the other hand shows few signs of any significant progress in multiple areas.


Has Mr. Haley been given some students that would be better served in a class for "Special Education" and yet others that should be in "Advanced Placement? Have Mr. Haley’s Lesson Plans been disrupted by an above average number of sick days and tardiness? Does the lack of progress show that the School Administrators were wrong in deciding that History Books could be used to instruct Mathematics?

Professor

Every football game is like a Pop Quiz. Every game gives us a snapshot as to the progress of our team this season. To assess the Team we must assess the progress of each position. Being a lazy student myself ("Does not apply himself"… "Does not play well with others"… "Does not turn in work in a timely manner") I will assume that the achievement problem exists only in the starting 22 and not the Special teams or backups. Yeah, I know….Ignoring facts and making unrealistic assumptions is a product of my early exposure to Theoretical Economics. …What can I say?

Let us assume a Grading System:

· 5 = All Star, All Pro Performances.

· 4 = Good player capable of outstanding plays at times.

· 3 = Average player who is assignment sound.

· 2 = Not quite average and capable of missing assignments that cost team.

· 1 = Proven capable of consistent mental and physical mistakes that prove costly.

Haley’s assignment was to bring along a failing class that had a 2-14 record the year before. His goal was to gain a Super Bowl type of a grade which we will assume would consist of, at minimum, an average of 6 all stars, 11 good players, 4 average players and perhaps 1 below average player. This grouping would earn a total of 88 points for the 22 starters at an average grade of 4 pts per player. Let’s assess what Haley started with.

OFFENSE BEFORE HALEY AND PIOLI

QB=2 (Thigpen), RB=5 (Charles), FB=3, C=2, OG=5 (Waters), OG=2, OT=3 (Albert, OT=2 (BRich), TE=5 (TonyG), WR=5 (Bowe), WR=2.

This group earns a total of 36 points or 3.27 grade for an average. The slightly above average grade indicates they must have performed below expectations before Haley to win only 2 games.

DEFENSE BEFORE HALEY AND PIOLI

CB=4 (Carr), CB=5 (Flowers), FS=3, SS=3, LB=2, LB=3, LB=2, DE=5 (Hali), DE= 2, DT=3 (Dorsey), DT=2.

This group earns a grade of 34 or a 3.09 grade for an average. Like the offense this group had potential to be average but was not even performing at that level.

Now let us assess the overall achievement after three years under Haley and Pioli.

OFFENSE AFTER HALEY AND PIOLI

QB=3 (Now with Cassel and a slight upgrade), RB=5 (No Change as JC was in place), FB=5 (McClain has tools to be an All-Star), C=3 (Casey is at least average), OG=3 (Lilja is at least average), OG=3 (Asomoah shows promise but is now average at best), OT=3 (Albert is Average), OT=2 (BRich can only be graded below average), TE=4 ( Moeaki does not quite replace TonyG), WR=5 (Bowe is still Bowe), WR=3 ( Breaston offers an upgrade).

This group now earns a grade of 39 or 3.545 points per player. The group is above average but not near expectations yet.

DEFENSE AFTER HALEY AND PIOLI

CB=4 (Same), CB=5 (Same), SS=5 (Berry), FS=4 (Lewis), OLB=5 (Hali at a new position), OLB=3 (Houston is progressing but still at average rating), ILB=5 (DJ is playing as an All-Star), ILB=3 (Belcher is adequate), NT=3 Gregg is Average at best (Mangold pushed him back 2 yards at times in Jets game one on one), DE=3 (Dorsey is average at best as a 3-4 DE), DE=3 (TJax may or may not be "just adequate".

This group earns a grade of 42 or 3.818 per player. This grade is close but still short of the 4.0 which is the minimum desired result after 3 years.

The minimum team grade for the starting 22 is expected to be at least 88 to be a Super Bowl contender. We began with a total of 70 (36 on Offense and 34 on Defense) and are now at 81 (39 on Offense and 42 on Defense).

Offense grade before was 36 now 39

Defense grade before was 34 now 42

Total grade before was 70 now 81

You don’t have to be a Rocket Scientist to notice several things that jump out after a cursory analysis.

1) The team that was inherited by Haley and Pioli did have a small core of very good players with a potential for greatness.

2) The team before Haley and Pioli had a talent level that was average at best but performing at well below average.

3) In three years the additional talent has only brought the total talent level up from a score of 70 to 81, barely more than half way to the goal.

4) The players that were lost for the season due to injury (Cassel 3 pts, Charles 5 pts, Moeaki 4 pts and Berry 5 pts) have caused the team to play with replacements who have average or below average scores at those positions. Instead of playing as a team with a score of 81 they are now playing as a team with a score of 75 or less due to a lack of depth.

5) Team performance is drastically affected when injuries cause 5 point players to be replaced with 2 and 3 point players of far inferior talent.

6) Haley has had the team playing at or above its level of talent.

7) Pioli has not yet provided a level of talent to compete at the highest level or sustain injuries.

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.