Slingin Sammy 33's - Chiefs Game Review

Now that the 3-hour commercial for Zoloft is a couple days in the rear view.....our focus has to be on praying that Snyder comes to his senses immediately after the clock hits zero on MNF and names a new GM/President of Football Operations with complete control over all football related decisions for our beloved franchise. The GM will immediately fire Zorn and move Vinny out of any real decision-making role.

Before we move on to the game review, I don't feel this is the same as the Spurrier situation. That was a major disaster that needed to be blown completely up, there was little hope on the horizon. Now I feel we have a good base to build on, just an incompetent and soft HC/OC and a QB who isn't going to be successful as a starter in the NFL. Great guy, hard worker, but he just isn't getting it done.

Note: I lost the 5 1/2 minutes late in the 3rd qtr. because of our buddies at CBS.

Stuff That Doesn't Suck
- Our defense. Granted the D hasn't faced any real challenges other than the Giants, but Blache has stayed with a more aggressive style, continues to mix up the D formations, using Zone Blitzes, etc. etc.

Bottom Line: 4 sacks, 3rd Down % = 23%, Net Yds - 268, no TDs, 12 points. The D line is getting it done. Haynesworth has been very productive thusfar and worth the investment. Our young D-lineman seem very promising. On this side of the ball we have reason for optimism. Still some questions at LB & CB, we'll find out more about the D in the second half of the season.

- Pakulak didn't kill us and Hunter Smith is back this week.

Stuff That Sucks
- 7 penalties for 63 yards
- Time of Possession 22:50
- We used more offensive formations....but with little rhyme or reason. It appears we're just coming out in the formation because "It's a different formation."
- Portis' fumble
- Portis loss of lateral quickness and explosiveness. Unfortunately this was made crystal clear on two plays:
1) Our second to last possession of the 1st half. 2 & 6, the pitch to Portis running left. The Safety closed in run support to Portis' outside, rather than attempt to beat the S to the sideline, Portis cutback inside for a gain of 1. Not only was this a bad decision, but it's an indication Portis knows he's lost his quickness. Portis from a couple of years ago would've outrun the S to the sideline and picked up 4 or 5 yards, no problem.
2) Last possession before the Safety, swing pass to Portis in the right flat. He's in the open field against a LB and can't make a move to get by the LB to pick up a few yards. Most backs will make this play, the bigger backs would run over the LB. Portis is stopped for a 2 yard gain.

Portis' best days are in the rear view. He is simply a downhill, between the tackles runner, who isn't very big or very physical. Not a good recipe for a starting NFL RB....in the NFC East, no less. Portis' efforts for the Skins should be appreciated, he ran hard and had some good years here. But it's time to move on.

- Collins play. Collins is simply a game manager and can't be expected to be any more than that....but he should be expected to come into any game, on any play and not make mistakes, absolutely. That's what he gets paid to do. Granted the pass to Moss and his getting the ball out to avoid sacks was good, but the three plays at the +10 were not good decisions, I don't care what the playcall was from Zorn. The throw away to Moss, no problem. The wheel route to ARE???? We were lucky on third down the ball was batted, Collins was throwing into triple coverage. No excuse for not reading the Cover 1 Man KC was playing and hit a quick out, whip or drag.
Collins' missing Davis in the seam at the beginning of the 4th qtr and forcing a pass to Cooley, poor. Collins' bad pass to Betts, awful. The fumbled snap, inexcusable. That being said, Collins should start against the Eagles. A full week of reps with the first unit and he should at least keep us in the game and give us a chance to evaluate the young WRs and Davis.

Stuff That Really Sucks and Is Really Embarassing
- Playing "52 card pick-up" with the OL. I've said this in other threads, this decision is on the coaches and is idiocy. You lose your starting LT, OK $hit happens, you still have four other stable positions on the OL. Rather than compensating for one weak spot, you destroy the cohesion of the entire unit. Monty has been taking reps at RG throughout Training Camp and pre-season. As far as Heyer goes the coaching staff put him in a position to fail.

Heyer didn't become a completely crappy player in the course of one week. So far this season he has been solid. However the move from RT to LT completely changes the technique and mechanics. Everything is opposite what you've been doing for over 3 months. Heyer got destroyed on the play Cooley made the big run on, he had a false start, mis-read a protection and got abused on two consecutive plays at the end of the game. Bad game, no question. However I doubt any of those things happens if he's at RT. He hasn't been getting beat on that side, and on the rare occasion he did, it was by Julius Peppers or Justin Tuck.

- Overall Line Play - We know our OL is not a top shelf OL, but for the most part they have provided protection (not 4+ secs) and opened holes (not tractor-trailer holes). This game we have breakdowns from all parties involved. Most concerning is Dock and Rabach. I counted three run plays where Dock either got stood up, fell down or whiffed. On one of the sacks, Dock completely misses the LB blitz and goes down to help Rabach (who didn't need help). the LB comes untouched, blows up Betts and makes the sack. Rabach clearly has problems with a DT that lines up on his inside eye rather than directly in the A gap. He had three cases where he got abused or fell down. Mike Williams was better than I expected, but he made the fatal mistake of putting his head down and almost got Collins killed on a spin move by Vrabel. Monty got knocked on his hind-quarters a couple of times and had a false start.

But all that being said the OL gave enough protection and opened enough holes to provide opportunities for our QB and playmakers to win this game. Which is a great transition to.....

- Campbell's time in DC is done. This is for the best, I like JC. He works hard and is a quality young man. I wish him a fresh start somewhere else. Based on the last few weeks, JC has limitations that will hold us back from ever being a top level team in the NFL. His ball security continues to be poor, his delivery is too long, he's locking on to his primary receiver and isn't hitting passes that are open.

Examples:
1) 2nd possession. 2 & 8, This should be a quick pass to Moss, JC has a slight pump in his delivery, he's off-balance, the ball comes out late and way low. Incomplete. The next play is 3 & 8, Zorn has on a Max Protect call and with 3 WRs vs. 7 DBs JC has to check-down to Cooley short of the first.
2) Next possession, JC misses an open DT for a TD. There was no help for Flowers, no Safety to worry about. JC just missed this throw, plain and simple.
JC does make a good play on 3 & 11 to get the ball to Cooley, who keeps the drive alive.
3) Same possession 3 & 3, JC overthrows ARE on an open whip route.
4) Next possession 1 & 10. Post to Moss....TD missed.
5) Same possession, 3 & 4. KC is in Cover 2 Man, JC locks on to Cooley and forces the throw low and incomplete. ARE was open on a quick slant, Kelly was open on a dig behind ARE's slant also. JC had time.
6) The drive to end the first half was Zorn and Campbell. On 3 & 1 with :53 left, why does it take :22 seconds to run a 1 yd dive and then reset for the next play? Why weren't two plays called? Why not get to the line and spike on 1st down? Why on the next play throw a 5 yds pass in the middle of the field to Portis? Why not out of bounds?
7) Next play, why take off and run? Where are the sideline routes? How about trying to isolate Kelly or Thomas and get a jump ball or pass interference?

All these plays above (outside of playcalling issues at the end of the half)were flat out on JC, no one else. These plays alone were the difference in the game. Two missed TDs and three killed drives because of QB mistakes. Zorn was right to bench JC.

- Zorn's Playcalling has only slightly improved in the use of more formations and going away from the Stretch play. These changes didn't happen until Sherm Lewis arrived.
Zorn doesn't appear to have a 10 or 15 play script. He doesn't appear to set up plays later in the game from earlier plays/sets/formations. Our formations are a dead giveaway on the type of play. From the 2TE, I-Form set we ran over 80% of the time (out of 11 plays from that set). Also, when in Gun we do not run (is that sig worthy). I didn't have a single run out of Gun this week and only can remember maybe one or two in six games. Pretty easy to defend a one-dimensional play-call.

As I was mentioning in the Collins and Campbell sections, at the +10 when you should have identified Cover 1 Man with a LB sitting in a middle zone, where are the quick outs, whips or even a fade to our 6'4" or 6'2" receivers? At the end of a half why does it take 22 seconds to get from a one yard dive to the next play? Why were there no outs, corners or stuff to get folks to the sidelines and out of bounds called? In an Empty backfield set, with a very immobile QB (Collins), why is he under C?

Zorn just really looks lost out there. I don't see a gameplan that takes advantage of weaknesses or the scheme of the opposing D. I would really like to be a fly on the wall in the game-planning meetings and offensive coaches film sessions....well maybe not, my head would probably explode.

I remember the "Body Bag" game in Philly, I'm really concerned we're going to be looking at a sea of green in Fed Ex and a worse embarassment on MNF. The only good that will likely come of it will be some firings and hopefully the announcement of a new GM.

- Portis loss of lateral quickness and explosiveness. Unfortunately this was made crystal clear on two plays:

1) Our second to last possession of the 1st half. 2 & 6, the pitch to Portis running left. The Safety closed in run support to Portis' outside, rather than attempt to beat the S to the sideline, Portis cutback inside for a gain of 1. Not only was this a bad decision, but it's an indication Portis knowns he's lost his quickness. Portis from a couple of years ago would've outrun the S to the sideline and picked up 4 or 5 yards, no problem.
2) Last possession before the Safety, swing pass to Portis in the right flat. He's in the open field against a LB and can't make a move to get by the LB to pick up a few yards. Most backs will make this play, the bigger backs would run over the LB. Portis is stopped for a 2 yard gain.

Portis' best days are in the rear view. He is simply a downhill, between the tackles runner, who isn't very big or very physical. Not a good recipe for a starting NFL RB....in the NFC East, no less. Portis' efforts for the Skins should be appreciated, he ran hard and had some good years here. But it's time to move on.

I know I am going to sound over dramatic, but I was floored when I saw this play. Portis really looked like any statuesque QB out there running in that pitch.

Now that the 3-hour commercial for Zoloft is a couple days in the rear view.....our focus has to be on praying that Snyder comes to his senses immediately after the clock hits zero on MNF and names a new GM/President of Football Operations with complete control over all football related decisions for our beloved franchise. The GM will immediately fire Zorn and move Vinny out of any real decision-making role.

Might have to wait until the season is over to find the best candidates. Or how about we just name Jerry Gray GM and Danny Smith Head Coach :)

Before we move on to the game review, I don't feel this is the same as the Spurrier situation. That was a major disaster that needed to be blown completely up, there was little hope on the horizon. Now I feel we have a good base to build on, just an incompetent and soft HC/OC and a QB who isn't going to be successful as a starter in the NFL. Great guy, hard worker, but he just isn't getting it done.

Unfortunately, Campbell reminds me more and more of Ramsey every day

Note: I lost the 5 1/2 minutes late in the 3rd qtr. because of our buddies at CBS.

I doubt I'll go back and watch this game, otherwise I'd help you out

Stuff That Doesn't Suck
- Our defense. Granted the D hasn't faced any real challenges other than the Giants, but Blache has stayed with a more aggressive style, continues to mix up the D formations, using Zone Blitzes, etc. etc.

Bottom Line: 4 sacks, 3rd Down % = 23%, Net Yds - 268, no TDs, 12 points. The D line is getting it done. Haynesworth has been very productive thusfar and worth the investment. Our young D-lineman seem very promising. On this side of the ball we have reason for optimism. Still some questions at LB & CB, we'll find out more about the D in the second half of the season.

- Pakulak didn't kill us and Hunter Smith is back this week.

3rd in the NFC in sacks! Orakpo and Jarmon are going to be great bookends on the line for years to come...if Orakpo just gets the chance to play the line. The X-Factor I suppose is Chris Wilson, if he can play the SAM consistently there's hope. He's not the long time answer though as a starter in my opinion. But he can be part of the regular rotation. Meanwhile, Andre Carter quietly having a strong season. That's in no small part thanks to AH

Stuff That Sucks
- 7 penalties for 63 yards
- Time of Possession 22:50
- We used more offensive formations....but with little rhyme or reason. It appears we're just coming out in the formation because "It's a different formation."
- Portis' fumble
- Portis loss of lateral quickness and explosiveness. Unfortunately this was made crystal clear on two plays:
1) Our second to last possession of the 1st half. 2 & 6, the pitch to Portis running left. The Safety closed in run support to Portis' outside, rather than attempt to beat the S to the sideline, Portis cutback inside for a gain of 1. Not only was this a bad decision, but it's an indication Portis knows he's lost his quickness. Portis from a couple of years ago would've outrun the S to the sideline and picked up 4 or 5 yards, no problem.
2) Last possession before the Safety, swing pass to Portis in the right flat. He's in the open field against a LB and can't make a move to get by the LB to pick up a few yards. Most backs will make this play, the bigger backs would run over the LB. Portis is stopped for a 2 yard gain.

Portis' best days are in the rear view. He is simply a downhill, between the tackles runner, who isn't very big or very physical. Not a good recipe for a starting NFL RB....in the NFC East, no less. Portis' efforts for the Skins should be appreciated, he ran hard and had some good years here. But it's time to move on.

As many penalties as first downs right? That Portis cutback absolutely killed me. I kept replaying it just to be sure I wasn't missing something. What a terrible decision and play.

Question: Biggest disappointment: Kelly, Thomas, or Davis?

Great review as always

Unfortunately, Campbell reminds me more and more of Ramsey every dayThanks SS. Great minds think alike :).

Question: Biggest disappointment: Kelly, Thomas, or Davis?I'm not sure at this point. I'm not ready to cut these guys yet. I still think, if used properly, a tandem of Davis and Cooley can be a very powerful tool to create mismatches in the D. DT has proven he can beat people down the field, we just need to see if the drop against CAR was the exception or the rule. Kelly has made some great catches when targeted, he just needs to get more looks.

If we aren't going to evaluate a young QB, then keep Collins in. I feel with him he have a better chance to be able to spread the ball around and get a look at the young WRs. Problem is it will be hard to see if DT can really get down the field due to Collins' weak arm.

Great job again, Sammy. That pitch left to portis was depressing. Remember in 06 (the T. Vincent blocked fg game) Portis ran a similar play v. dallas & took it to the house 38 yrds? That seems so long ago.

I'm depressed w/JC's performance & I think your analysis has in part helped me see that he's likely gone & he's not as good as I'd hoped. I still feel that this offense, Zorn's influence and the overall state of the team are major factors. If he goes somewhere else he can be a decent qb in a stable system. Bottom line though, when his team has been down & in need of leadership & playmaking he hasn't been able to deliver.

As I was watching this game, my overall opinion of the offense came down to:
1) Portis again missed some lanes, but the run blocking isn't good
2) JC & TC had time to throw; is it the wr's not getting open or them not seeing them? I know you point out above where JC missed open guys by locking in too much, but TC also had several plays where he turned in 3 directions & still held the ball. Is it a timing issue w/the routes & dropbacks? Could it be that JC doesn't know all the routes that well so he locks in to the only ones he's familiar with?

I haven't gotten a chance to hit the tape yet, but one of the things that struck me about Campbell is how well he handled adversity last year, and why in the face of the exact same adversity (no line, crappy WRs), Campbell is now failing. It's worth keeping an eye on. He did alright in the Panthers game on the road..that performance isn't world beating but it will help you win games. But from what I've gathered from the Bucs game and what you're saying here, he's been a legitimate problem.

The only thing I disagree with you on is that we will get anything out of Todd Collins. Collins' half was far worse than any half JC has had in his entire career overall. Giving him the reps would prepare him for what he's going to see, but considering he solved the Bears defense in 2007 on limited reps, his inability to look competent against the 2009 Chiefs really tells me everything I need to know. Considering that Todd Collins got a whole half against a terrible team and did nothing, I think Campbell has earned the right to play his way out of here. At least until we decide to give Woodson a look.

If Campbell doesn't get things turned around, there's really no point to hold on to him in the offseason. But we already know that Collins won't be on the team next year, so there's no point in playing a 38-year old replacement level player.

Anyway, excellent review, as usual.

2) JC & TC had time to throw; is it the wr's not getting open or them not seeing them? I know you point out above where JC missed open guys by locking in too much, but TC also had several plays where he turned in 3 directions & still held the ball. Is it a timing issue w/the routes & dropbacks? Could it be that JC doesn't know all the routes that well so he locks in to the only ones he's familiar with?For JC, it looks to me like he's locking on to the primary and then not going through his progressions to the 2nd, 3rd, checkdown. It's either force to primary, then checkdown.
For TC, he wasn't prepared to be in this game IMO, so his timing was definitely off.
But for both, the playcalls just don't seem to try to attack the opponents scheme or weaknesses. Many times the plays are taking too long to develop. Against the Cover 1 D KC was playing a bunch of, a quick out from the slot is a great weapon. It's not going to make a coach look like a revolutionary play caller, but it moves the chains.
It also doesn't appear either of our QBs are getting good pre-reads. This is normally a case of poor coaching and film work. It could also be a lack of manpower since Cerrato "streamlined" the scouting department. Just speculation on my part on the cause.

L'il Wayne shares your thoughts on Portis (http://www.csnwashington.com/pages/landing_09/?blockID=82329&feedID=2992)

Well, Campbell supporters basically have to hang it up. With a different team and scheme he might be a solid starter or a great backup. The difference between hitting the receivers and not can easily be the difference in scoring or not... when you see a play go over the middle or a WR completely abuse the secondary, you wonder.. why can't that be us? Why can't we do that? Because the receiver isn't being hit, plain and simple. DT has been open a million times this year and we might be talking about how he finally broke out, but instead we're wondering if he's a bust. I don't know if the next QB that comes in will be able to do it, but hopefully we'll at least have an O-Line for him.

Well, Campbell supporters basically have to hang it up. With a different team and scheme he might be a solid starter or a great backup. The difference between hitting the receivers and not can easily be the difference in scoring or not... when you see a play go over the middle or a WR completely abuse the secondary, you wonder.. why can't that be us? Why can't we do that? Because the receiver isn't being hit, plain and simple. DT has been open a million times this year and we might be talking about how he finally broke out, but instead we're wondering if he's a bust. I don't know if the next QB that comes in will be able to do it, but hopefully we'll at least have an O-Line for him.

Really, DT is open that much? I can only see what's on the screen. I have been disappointed that he's not been thrown to much, other than the carolina game.