So, as you all may know, last offseason I wrote a gargantuan article about watching every Alex Smith pass on all-22. Since that time I've streamlined my film review process and finally given in to making tables to display "deep" stats on players. I haven't, however, found a way to avoid feeling the need to write about Alex Smith's film.
Make no mistake, I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to start more Alex Smith Wars in the comments. I also have no desire to talk about the distinction between "good" and "decent" and "average" and "mediocre" or whatever other relatively meaningless term we want to use to describe our starting quarterback (I personally lean toward the term "decent," for what that's worth. Which is nothing).
BUT... I feel like my primary role here at Arrowhead Pride has shifted over time from a commentary role to an informational role. I still love making borderline humorous remarks and sidetracking in parenthesis dozens of times per article, but more and more my job has been to try and provide as much information as possible about what is going on when the Chiefs take the field.
Given that Alex Smith is by far the most argued-about player on the team (many have tried to take the crown and failed. Fair thee well, Knile Davis and Eric Fisher), it would be lazy on my part to not at least try and add as much INFORMATION as possible to the debate. I don't want the review on Smith to be an argument one way or another. I simply want to put what I see on film on paper (well, not paper. But you get it).
With that in mind, I want to hear from ya'll. I plan on tracking the following things when watching Smith on all-22 (I'll watch every dropback as well as plays where he ran the football, whether due to scramble or a called play):
Missed shots- Open wide receiver down the field 15 yards or more on snaps the QB should have seen him (ie didn't get killed the second the ball was snapped) and just flat-out missed him (ie doesn't throw him the ball, without the legitimate excuse of finding an open guy elsewhere).
Happy feet- Clean pockets bailed out on by the QB.
Drops- Catchable throws dropped by WR's (genuinely catchable, not "if it were Jerry Rice he would've caught that) and yards lost (which includes reasonable YAC).
Saves- Plays wherein the QB faced heavy pressure or blanketed receivers but made something happen with his feet or a great throw.
Flushes- Plays wherein the QB gets chased out of the pocket before anyone is open.
Inaccurate passes- I mean, this is pretty self-explanatory.
Potential picks- throws that should have been intercepted by the opposing defense.
I also plan on tracking the depth of each throw made by a QB, to get a better idea of how often the QB is testing the intermediate to deep zones.
Here's what I want from you guys...
First, I'd like to know if there are any (reasonably) trackable "deep stats" you believe would add to the quantitative analysis of Smith.
Second, I'd like to know what quarterback AP would like me to review 2-3 games of for the sake of comparison to Smith.
Third, and most importantly, I'd like to know what "narratives" people would like to see addressed in the film review portion of the article. By narratives, I mean statements like...
"Alex Smith was constantly missing open receivers."
or
"The wide receivers were never getting open, that's why Alex Smith bails on clean pockets."
Please note that I took a negative narrative AND a positive narrative as my examples. Again, the point isn't to prop up one "side" or the other. The point is to get as much information as humanly possible.
So think of a narrative about Alex Smith that you'd like to see examined. Phrase it in the form of a question in the comments, and I'll select some of my favorite and directly address them in the article.
Basically, this is like a choose your own adventure, but with football! I look forward to hearing some ideas for stats to track and narratives to address. And remember, this is going to likely take a few weeks, so patience is a virtue!
Now hit me with your best thoughts.