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The other day we talked about Todd Haley "turning a corner" as a head coach in the NFL. His first year in the NFL it seemed that the CBS and FOX cameras would focus on him while on sidelines because he would undoubtedly scream at a player (and sometimes you could even read his lips, Brodie Croyle).
This year? Things are different.
"500 times more chill," 610 Sports' Nick Wright recently said of Haley this year compared to last. "Actually coaching them. The team really struggled in the red zone. Todd sat down with the receivers and the quarterbacks for 45 minutes with the film and a clicker and actually talked, something we missed last year."
Everything was new for the players last year. New offensive system. Completely new defense. New positions. Now coaches.
Most drastically, though, was Haley's coaching style which was the exact opposite of Herm Edwards. The team was still made up of quite a few players from the Herm era so this was a major shock to them.
Enter the 2010 version of Todd Haley.
I wouldn't call this a softer Haley because he's still intense. Instead, I would call this a perfect blend of the players knowing Haley's expectations and Haley not having to jump their you-know-what so often.
A year under your belt will help anyone but it will especially help when there's not a coach screaming at you along the way. Haley's demeanor alone will help the Chiefs make strides in 2010.