Vindication for Carl?

[Hammock Parties]

Well written piece, IMO. He has a point.

http://kan.scout.com/2/791361.html

As everyone reading this already knows, the Kansas City Chiefs are currently mired in an eleven-game losing streak. The latest loss was particularly hard to swallow, coming at home against the hated Raiders. The same Oakland team, it should be noted, who came out in their season opener looking more like an NCAA Division II cupcake than a team capable of winning games in the NFL.

With those things in mind, you aren’t likely to find too many people looking for ways to compliment Kansas City Chiefs President and General Manager Carl Peterson these days. Brace yourselves, though, because in a roundabout way that’s exactly what I’m about to do.

You see, if the Chiefs’ recent decent into also-ran status has shown us anything, it’s that Peterson may be a lot smarter than anyone’s been giving him credit for.

What do I mean by that? For the answer, let’s jump back a few months. Shortly after the NFL Draft, WPI’s own Nick Athan conducted an interview with Chiefs’ owner Clark Hunt.

Here’s an excerpt from that piece:

Ultimately, Hunt knows that he’s serving the fans. Can they endure another losing season while this year’s draft class matures? Hunt thinks so.

"I do realize that in the short run, going with young players could have some shortcomings in terms of our performance on the field," he said. "But that’s OK. I think those guys will learn and our fans will enjoy watching those players develop."

"What I’ve come to learn is that the fans are actually really studied. They’re really smart. It must be because there’s 24-hour news on the National Football League. It’s Warpaint Illustrated and all the cable channels that cover the NFL and the constant media attention and the internet. Fans have become very smart in terms of how championship teams are built, and I sense they understand what we’re doing and will support it."

That certainly sounded good back in April. I imagine that a lot of the people who read those comments probably nodded in agreement and patted themselves on the back for being the smart, studied fans Clark said they were.

But now, just two games into the regular season, many of those same fans – no doubt spurred on by the pot-stirring of those like KC Star Columnist Jason Whitlock – are demanding that Hunt take action.

They want Peterson fired, they want Herm Edwards fired -- heck, they want both of them fired. Some even want Hunt to sell the team. They want whatever it takes in order to feel that change is on the horizon.

Unfortunately, it seems safe to say that after two more losses Hunt’s comments about the patience of the fanbase was a bit optimistic. Everyone knew the Chiefs would be a bad team this year. Sure, there were a few cockeyed optimists who were predicting K.C. to shock the world and finish 9-7, but most understood that considerable growing pains were to be expected. And, echoing Hunt’s remarks, most fans said all the right things about rebuilding during OTAs and training camp.

But as soon as the Chiefs began playing games again, something changed. It was even evident during the preseason. Perhaps some expected rebuilding to be a painless process that wouldn’t involve any sacrifice. Maybe they understood the Chiefs would lose some games, but figured every loss would be a moral victory in some way, and that rookies like Dorsey, Albert, and Flowers would all look like future Hall of Famers in the process.

Or maybe a lot of fans just never had the stomach for it to begin with.

“Not so”, they’ll undoubtedly say. “We were prepared for losing. But not like this. We weren’t prepared to lose because of the endless mistakes by Carl and the poor coaching from Herm. Get rid of ‘em!”

That sounds good and all – but I don’t buy it. Why not? Because this isn’t the first time I’ve heard that excuse.

Two years ago, the exact same cries were rising up from fans of the Green Bay Packers. The Pack went 4-12 in 2005, the team’s worst season in fourteen years. That offseason they brought in the unheralded Mike McCarthy as their new head coach and began rebuilding the team.

The Packers traded away one of their top players (Javon Walker) and ended up with twelve draft picks, several of whom saw significant action as rookies. With the league’s youngest roster, Green Bay began the next season 1-4, starting things off with an embarrassing 26-0 loss in their home opener against a hated rival.

Is this sounding familiar? It should. Don’t get me wrong, the Packers aren’t a perfect analogy to the Chiefs’ current situation – Green Bay, after all, already had a franchise QB in place with Brett Favre, and that alone makes a considerable difference.

But as you can see, there are enough similarities to make it an interesting comparison.

The Packers lost their first three home games that season, and their lone early victory came against the similarly winless Detroit Lions. Although they rebounded from their poor start and nearly got back to .500, they ultimately lost eight of their first twelve games and were sitting at 4-8 in early December.

When the team was slow out of the gate, outraged Packers fans wasted little time in demanding that McCarthy and G.M. Ted Thompson be fired. The same cries for change referenced in that column continued throughout the season as the Packers struggled, suffering lopsided defeats at the hands of the Eagles, Patriots, Bills, and Jets.

But the Packers pulled together in the final month and won four straight games to finish 8-8. A year later, still sticking to youth, Green Bay made their conference title game.

Will Kansas City finish 8-8 this season? Will they be a Super Bowl contender next year? Probably not.

As mentioned, the Chiefs don’t have a QB, and they also don’t have the benefit of playing in the weaker NFC. But the point of the comparison, as Packers’ fans learned, is that it’s foolish to judge so quickly.

Chiefs’ fans can say they’re not being impatient with losses, that it’s the coaching and management they’re upset with. It just rings hollow. Any Packers fan who signed a petition to fire McCarthy and Thompson during the 2006 season would probably admit today that they overreacted. They recognize that their young team started to improve as they got more experience and developed chemistry with one another.

No matter how the angry masses in Kansas City might want to justify their reactions, the simple truth is this: anyone who’s demanding sweeping changes in the Chiefs’ organization because a bad team played a bad game on Sunday wasn’t prepared for what was coming this season.

For that matter, anyone who wanted to see 35-year old Damon Huard trot back onto the field Sunday, rather than see 24-year old Tyler Thigpen get his opportunity, wasn’t prepared for what was coming this season. And most of all, anyone who’s not willing to wait more than two games before declaring the rebuilding effort a failure wasn’t prepared for what was coming this season.

So, no, I’m not buying that the reactions are all about Herm and Carl. And you know who else isn’t buying it? Carl Peterson.

After all, judging by the reactions we’re seeing, Peterson had everyone pegged a long time ago. He’s been criticized by millions, myself included, for the strategy he’s executed all these years. Stock up on free agents every few seasons, never bother to develop a young quarterback when you can always acquire a veteran with experience, and do everything else possible to shoot for a season of eight or nine wins. And if you can make the playoffs, hey, anything can happen once you’re in the tournament.

That’s been the Carl Peterson way, and the results speak for themselves. Sure, the Chiefs haven’t won a playoff game since Joe Montana was under center, but Arrowhead has still been filled to capacity year after year. Every December, no matter how mediocre the Chiefs were, the seats were always full and the stadium was always loud as long as there was some outside chance at a playoff berth.

Contrast that to this year, when even after a highly-praised draft and one of those “moral victories” against the New England juggernaut, the openly rebuilding Chiefs – finally trying to build a championship team the right way – struggled to sell out their home opener against their biggest rival.

While Hunt had reason for his view of how the fans would react to a rebuilding season, maybe Peterson’s view was a little more in line with reality. Perhaps he’s been more tuned-in to the fans than anyone ever thought he was. Maybe he knew that Chiefs fans just aren’t cut out for this rebuilding stuff.

I just hope he’s not the sort of guy to say “I told you so."

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by FAX

In the C2, Mr. OnTheWarpath58, the DBs are expected to provide a lot of support for the run.

FAX

Support, Mr. FAX. In a last line of defense kind of way. In C2 the FS has a deep half.

And the strong safety would be/should be in on most of the tackles the front seven missed, not the FS.

With a solid front 7, this is a moot point.

[beach tribe]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

beach,

In your opinion, has Herm made any really good draft picks?

Bowe is a no brainer. I think we will know more about Tank, and Turk by the end of this year. If Herb taylor becomes a solid backup, or starter, and the T brothers pan out, I think 07 will have been a solid draft.
It's too early to tell about 08, but it looks like the best draft we've had since I've beeen following football, and if they don't pan out, I don't think anyone is at fault. They made the right picks IMO. I'm no guru, but everyone in the country agrees, so I would say yes, Herm has made a lot of good picks, but the 06 draft doesn't look too promising to me. Hopefully they prove me wrong.

[the Talking Can]

most sane people think success is a vindication for failure...


but not WPI, or True fans....no, they think 15 years of failure is vindicated by losing streaks and further embarrassment....

no wonder this franchise sucks so much penis....

in KC, "Failure = Success"

[beach tribe]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Support, Mr. FAX. In a last line of defense kind of way. In C2 the FS has a deep half.

And the strong safety would be/should be in on most of the tackles the front seven missed, not the FS.

With a solid front 7, this is a moot point.

How many tackles does a FS average 50? 60? 70?.

They have to be able to tackle to be effective, not only in run support.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

How many tackles does a FS average 50? 60? 70?.

They have to be able to tackle to be effective, not only in run support.

Should be less than 50, unless your front 7 is absolute garbage.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

If you're counting on your FREE SAFETY to make tackles in the run game, you need to take a HARD look at your front 7.

Thats what I was thinking. If your safeties are making tackles your front 7 is getting beat.

[FAX]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Thats what I was thinking. If your safeties are making tackles your front 7 is getting beat.

Generally true, Mr. ChiefsCountry. No question. However, if you really research the C2 or T2 design in depth, you find that the corners and safeties (particularly the FS) are supposed to be big hitters and provide significant run support. It's one of the reasons Dungy cited as always wanted tons of speed in those positions ... so they could roam large sections of the field in pass defense and, simultaneously, support the run. It's worth mentioning that he also looked for very heavy hitters in the defensive backfield - Lynch comes to mind.

The way to analyze this aspect of the defense is where the tackles are being made ... if it's 15 yards downfield, for example, it's a problem.

Herm and Gun are always talking about our guys not playing their gaps correctly. It's another key aspect of the C2 ... gap responsibility. You can't downplay the importance of that when you run that defense. So far as our front 7 are concerned, we may have two serious problems ... gap responsibility errors and poor tackling. When you're running the C2 and both of those mistakes are being repeated, it is death by running back.

FAX

[Time's Yours]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

When did I say anything about Herm's teams? we're talking about a SB winning Raven's team with one of the best defenses ever, your highness.

I was just making a point there about the most boring Superbowl I've ever watched. Read my initial post. My MAIN point was that even if we win under Herm, 3-0 or 6-3 how he likes it, I'm not going to have as much fun watching the team as a Patriots fan in the last few years, for instance.

But apparently the Chiefs Planet mob agrees with you, so I'm an idiot.

[Time's Yours]

Originally Posted by COchief

A group of douchebag slimy laywers looking at you and deciding: "We have to have this kid, he will make an excellent attorney" is not something I would brag about.

Congratulations, you've won the "most likely to grow up to be an asshole award", the funny thing is that you think this is an accomplishment.

You're right, a full-tuition scholarship is not an accomplishment. Tell your kids that.

I started being an "asshole" when I was called an idiot for prefering to watch higher scoring wins to Herm Edwards style wins.

I simply offered a nice piece of evidence that most of the population would consider relevant to prove that I am not, indeed, an idiot.

[beach tribe]

Don't take it so seriously. The Your and idiot thing is a joke more than anything. I mean, look at the spelling. Didn't mean to get so far under your skin.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

Don't take it so seriously. The Your and idiot thing is a joke more than anything. I mean, look at the spelling. Didn't mean to get so far under your skin.

You know why you got so far under his skin, don't you?

It's because


Your and Idiot.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by phillip

I was just making a point there about the most boring Superbowl I've ever watched. Read my initial post. My MAIN point was that even if we win under Herm, 3-0 or 6-3 how he likes it, I'm not going to have as much fun watching the team as a Patriots fan in the last few years, for instance.

But apparently the Chiefs Planet mob agrees with you, so I'm an idiot.

I think that has a lot to do with your lack of attatchment to either team.

I don't know anyone that would be disappointed, or felt they got cheated by watching their team win a SB 3-0 or 40-10.

[FringeNC]

In a strange way, it is vindication for Carl. Carl knows Chiefs' fans are smart enough to know that he and Herm aren't competent, so the fans really go nuts as we not only lose, but incompetently rebuild.

If it were someone with a resume like Bill Parcells leading the rebuilding effort, I think Chiefs' fans would be patient with the process.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by FringeNC

In a strange way, it is vindication for Carl. Carl knows Chiefs' fans are smart enough to know that he and Herm aren't competent, so the fans really go nuts as we not only lose, but incompetently rebuild.

If it were someone with a resume like Bill Parcells leading the rebuilding effort, I think Chiefs' fans would be patient with the process.

There's an inherent problem with the whole situation -

How can a team rebuild when the guy pulling the strings is the same guy that let them get into the shape they're in now?

[donkhater]

Without going through the five pages worth of replies to this inane article, I'll throw my two cents in, which has undoubtedly been said before.

They are rebuilding. Fine. I get it. They aren't going to win many games and they will be inconsistent from week to week. I get it. I will allow the PLAYERS to perform like they are still maturing and developing.

But answer me this:

How in the hell is Herm or Carl or anyone going to develop a QB if all the game plan calls for is running the ball up the center's a$$?

The QB throws 15 passes a game in situations that the defense knows he going to throw and these idiots wonder why the QB isn't developing as fast as they thought he would.

Give the QB and the whole team the whole playbook. Coach aggressively and your team will play aggressively. The QB will make mistakes. He'll likely throw interceptions. Chances are he may even throw a few really good passes and make big plays, too.

What the hell is Herm scared of? Losing the game? They probably will, but haven't they been doing that for the last 11 F#$$%^^^G games????

At least you'd give the fans a sense that you are at least TRYING to win.