Daboll gets Chiefs’ offense moving

[KcMizzou]

Posted on Fri, Aug. 10, 2012
Babb | Daboll gets Chiefs’ offense moving
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star

There he goes again, perpetual motion, patting Dexter McCluster on the side and then lifting his microphone to say something to Matt Cassel and then starting the second half with some words of encouragement, surely, to a replacement line judge.

Brian Daboll doesn’t sit still for long, and maybe that’s understandable. This is an important season not only for the Chiefs but also for Daboll, their first-year offensive coordinator. Both the man and the team have in recent years been pictures of inconsistency, of perpetual movement; Daboll is the Chiefs’ sixth coordinator in six years, and the Chiefs are Daboll’s third employer since 2010.

Now they’ve found each other, and maybe the motion can stop.

On Friday night the Chiefs played their first preseason game, a 27-17 win against the Arizona Cardinals at Arrowhead Stadium. It was a game that meant almost nothing, but there are hints of optimism and concern even in a game like that. Maybe nobody deserved the hope he earned Friday like Daboll.

His calls weren’t reckless and unexplainable. They weren’t boring and conservative. When the first-team offense participated, the Chiefs made magic — two series of brilliance. By the time you read this, Twitter and message boards and blogs already will be firing posts that ask things like this: Did you see Matt Cassel on Friday night? What about Dexter McCluster and Peyton Hillis?

The Chiefs’ starting offense was two for two against the Cardinals, scoring touchdowns on each of its possessions. Cassel completed five of six passes. McCluster had three catches for 45 yards. Hillis averaged 10.3 yards per carry. The man behind all that, along with a brief but impressive showing of variation and timing, seemed to know how to take advantage of a mediocre defense — something that has, in recent seasons, appeared more complicated than it should’ve been. Remember last year’s preseason opener? The Chiefs scored zero points against a defense that went on to allow the most points in the league.

The tricky part is to withhold excitement or any kind of movement that Daboll and all those players belong in the Hall of Honor after two possessions of the preseason opener. Really, is there an event that offers more fool’s gold in all of professional sports? One-week legends are made in games like this, and expectations are lifted and inflated until they pop, and anyway, is there any other reason why people in Kansas City still know the names of Casey Printers and Bobby Sippio?

But what’s interesting about the early part of Friday’s performance is that the people who will enter the season with the most pressure, answered the bell the first time they heard it. Cassel has been knocked in the mouth, criticized and booed in his home city. McCluster has been mostly given up on, forgotten in advance because he’s a player without a position, a man without a country. Hillis rushed for 1,177 yards in 2010, but otherwise he has mostly played like the seventh-round pick he was in the ’08 draft.

Maybe nobody, though, begins this season facing as much pressure and as many raised eyebrows as Daboll. He wasn’t particularly successful in Cleveland or Miami, and when the Chiefs hired him in February, the overriding sentiment in town was: Really? This is the best Romeo Crennel and the Chiefs can do?

It was difficult then to learn much about Daboll or his offense because he has never sat still long enough to get a fair read. He had a reputation in previous stops as surly and combative; reporters expected dry, thoughtless answers, and players learned two years ago of his short temper when he blasted Browns quarterback Colt McCoy so loudly that teammates could hear Daboll screeching through McCoy’s helmet speaker.

By the time Chiefs’ training camp started in St. Joseph, Daboll had the look of a man who knew something needed to change. The life of a nomad is good for no man, let alone one who coaches football. Success is often attained through consistency, and Daboll simply hasn’t had that luxury the last three seasons — let go when his head coach (Eric Mangini in Cleveland, Tony Sparano in Miami) was fired.

These last two weeks, Daboll ran around the practice field like a teenager on a sugar rush, wearing a bright yellow shirt and a bucket hat with the bill flipped up. He smiled after practices and joked with journalists, behaving like a man who’d like to stay and sit a while.

“I love what I do,” Daboll said after a practice early in camp. Daboll didn’t speak to reporters after the game.

Maybe none of it means anything. Training camp, that meaningless victory Friday night at Arrowhead — who’s to say they’re not mirages? Cassel hasn’t read a defense like that since his Pro Bowl season two years ago. Including practices, McCluster hasn’t seemed this dependable since college. And Hillis hasn’t broken a run like his 28-yarder Friday night since the ninth week of the 2010 season.

“He was getting into a rhythm,” Crennel said of Daboll. “He knew what he wanted to call. He knew what the opponent was giving us, and he knew what he needed to do to take advantage of that.”

Daboll and many of his players have baggage and moments in time they’d like to forget. Friday won’t be remembered in the long term, but for at least this next week, it’ll be discussed and picked apart, before it’s go time again. Nothing will be certain, though, about the Chiefs’ new coordinator, his scheme or the players who’ll make it work until the games start counting.

But Daboll and his offense earned some trust with that abbreviated showing at Arrowhead Stadium. If nothing else, Friday will make the skeptics stop and watch, to pay attention to the man who rarely stops moving, to see what Daboll has in mind next.

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/10...se-moving.html

[KChiefs1]

NFL Network is showing the game on Wednesday at 2:00am & 3:00pm.

[KChiefs1]

And Wednesday at 3:00pm

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

NFL Network is showing the game on Sunday at 8:30pm

Not according to my Direct TV DVR. It's the Steelers vs. Eagles from 9pm-12am PST. The Rams vs. Colts is on from 6:00 to 9:00pm Sunday nights.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Pawnmower

Its so funny that with all the BILLIONS the NFL has and makes, that the NFL network seems totally cheesy and hokey still....LOL

Maybe just set the DVR to record 7AM to 10:30 AM on Monday still just to be sure ...I dunno....

Well, there are certain local "rights" issues that come into play because technically speaking, the preseason games are organized, managed and broadcast by each team and not the NFL.

But I do agree that they need to iron out this issue. I almost purchased the Preseason Package for $19.99 last night, only to have a friend call and say "Don't do it. I just paid for it and the game is blacked out".

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

But I do agree that they need to iron out this issue. I almost purchased the Preseason Package for $19.99 last night, only to have a friend call and say "Don't do it. I just paid for it and the game is blacked out".

UGGGGHHH...Good thing you didn't, that would be ****ing ANNOYING.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Pawnmower

UGGGGHHH...Good thing you didn't, that would be ****ing ANNOYING.

Which is exactly why I was stuck watching the crappy feed last night. Oh well, it was better than waiting until Wednesday.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Not according to my Direct TV DVR. It's the Steelers vs. Eagles from 9pm-12am PST. The Rams vs. Colts is on from 6:00 to 9:00pm Sunday nights.

Fox Sports Arizona is showing it at 8:30pm on Sunday...sorry.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

Fox Sports Arizona is showing it at 8:30pm on Sunday...sorry.

I saw that, thanks! Although I'm betting it's the Arizona feed, so I won't see and hear the Trent Green-Paul Burmeister broadcast. I set it to record, anyway.

[lcarus]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I saw that, thanks! Although I'm betting it's the Arizona feed, so I won't see and hear the Trent Green-Paul Burmeister broadcast. I set it to record, anyway.

I like Trent as a commentary guy. Very smart and insightful. I'm glad Idon't have to listen to Jayice Pearson anymore. That guy was sort of annoying. The Chiefs television network or whatever its called, always has "technical difficulties". Every year. It's kinda comical at this point. Like an annual tradition lol.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by lcarus

I like Trent as a commentary guy. Very smart and insightful. I'm glad Idon't have to listen to Jayice Pearson anymore. That guy was sort of annoying. The Chiefs television network or whatever its called, always has "technical difficulties". Every year. It's kinda comical at this point. Like an annual tradition lol.

I never cared for Jayice on the field or in the booth. Trent has some nice insight from time to time, although if he wants to pursue a broadcast career, he needs to work with a vocal coach to work on his tone, which is a bit nasally.

I'm not surprised with technical difficulties because the broadcast team works infrequently together. Live broadcasting is very,very difficult under normal circumstances. The network guys just make it look easy.

[lcarus]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I never cared for Jayice on the field or in the booth. Trent has some nice insight from time to time, although if he wants to pursue a broadcast career, he needs to work with a vocal coach to work on his tone, which is a bit nasally.

I'm not surprised with technical difficulties because the broadcast team works infrequently together. Live broadcasting is very,very difficult under normal circumstances. The network guys just make it look easy.

Lol yeah I really don't care about the technical issues they have every year. I kind of welcome it at this point. Its funny, and I didnt give a shit about that guy they were trying to interview anyway.

[okcchief]

Trying to get the defense out of position is trickery? I think each team should tell what the other one is calling just to make it fair.

Knowmo is definitely a gochiefs mult.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by lcarus

I like Trent as a commentary guy. Very smart and insightful. I'm glad Idon't have to listen to Jayice Pearson anymore. That guy was sort of annoying. The Chiefs television network or whatever its called, always has "technical difficulties". Every year. It's kinda comical at this point. Like an annual tradition lol.

All the local teams broadcast in preseason for every team are like this. They don't have the budgets that the networks do. They are all for the most part, homeristic.
Posted via Mobile Device

[-King-]

Arrowhead pride dissects our wizardry and witchcraft

Chiefs' 4th Down Conversion Was Simple But Effective

by Joel Thorman on Aug 11, 2012 3:11 PM CDT

It wasn't exactly the gutsiest call but KC Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel went for it on fourth down on the Chiefs first possession of the preseason.


With KC driving down the field, Crennel opted to keep his offense on the field and go for it on a fourth and one. The ball was on the 46-yard line so, really, this was the right decision. But it was the play call, and how it was executed, that I really liked.


It was simple, yet effective, which seems to be a theme with the very little we know about Brian Daboll so far.




This is the initial formation. Definitely looks like there's a run coming with the Chiefs power formation here. But...





The offense motions out of that formation. Now you have an empty back field with five wide. Or pretty much the exact oposite formation of what they lined up in initially. This puts the defense off balance and makes them quickly process what's going on. And, as KC learned last night, making the Cardinals defense think usually results in very good things for the Chiefs offense.


Look at the middle of the defense. That's the key area on this play.





Cassel takes the snap and lunges forward, just left of center. Look at this screen grab and compare it to the first one. The formation moved a number of Cardinals off the line of scrimmage. Something as simple as changing that can make a big difference.





If you can see him, that's Cassel sliding in there between Rodney Hudson and Ryan Lilja. Branden Albert is there on the edge pushing forward as well.


Obviously, the sneak was more than enough.
As Mitch Holthus would say, another FIRST DOWN KANSAS CITY!
He didn't do it this time, but this is a normal Cassel reaction to a play like that:

[lcarus]

I guess all the years Denver used the misdirection QB bootlegs was just cheap trickery. Why not just run a play in one direction? Faking a run one way and going the other is CHEAP. Trying to fool the defense is for pussies!