Seahawk website article on why Frank Clark underachieving

[Chiefswinitall 60]

https://www.fieldgulls.com/2019/10/11/20909309/kansas-city-chiefs-seattle-seahawks-john-schneider-frank-clark-trade-2019-sack-ford-houston-nfl

 

liked this comment from the messageboard.  blaming SPAG. 

 

A lot of it is probably on Spags.

He’s not exactly well-respected as a defensive coordinator. His preference is to make his D linemen 2-gap, and get pressure via blitzes. Likely, if he was willing to let Clark just cut loose and get the QB, he’d perform better.

Also explains why he’s making plays against the run both to the outside and the inside.

vote Hindsight 2020.

[FANATIC 852]

Here’s perhaps the best summary of Frank’s 2019 play, this time from the Kansas City Star:

I charted all 169 of Clark’s snaps with the Chiefs so far. Clark has not been bad, or ineffective. He’s been … fine. But the Chiefs didn’t use first- and second-round picks and $63 million in guarantees for fine...It makes sense that Clark might need some time to learn a new scheme and adjust to new teammates, and that the Chiefs’ coaches might need the same time to learn how to help him better use his specific gifts. You can see flashes of what the Chiefs paid for, but those flashes so far do not justify the cost. That was always the burden Clark would carry with the Chiefs.

So what’s causing Frank Clark’s struggles this season? I can tell you definitively what it is not: double teams. It’s a weird thing to measure because of the fluidity of offensive lines, and whether to count TE/RB chips (and if they even do anything - Nick Vannett). But Frank Clark is currently double teamed at a 20% rate, according to NFL NextGenStats.

[FANATIC 852]

The point is this - Frank Clark’s production has dipped significantly to start 2019, while he’s making significantly more, and it’s not because he’s been double-teamed into irrelevance.

How you feel about all this probably depends on your opinion of Frank before he left Seattle. Clark has been one of my favorite draft picks and players on this team in recent years, and it’s unfortunate to see him taking the brunt of Kansas City frustration while he’s in the middle of his slow start.

But Clark’s departure is part of the process of having a world-beating quarterback, linebacker, and an absolutely fearless GM. Can’t keep everyone. It is not uncommon at all to see Seahawk players reach a level of play worth real money (for another franchise), and then struggle to find the same success they had in Seattle. Byron Maxwell, Paul Richardson, Earl Thomas, and to an extent Richard Sherman, DeShawn Shead or Jimmy Graham are a few of the notable ones.

Whatever the case may be, John Schneider made two of his bigger trades this offseason, and right now Seattle looks to be on the plus side of both.

[FANATIC 852]

So Ford & Houston are playing well in a QUOTE NEW SYSTEM. The article does not really blame Spaz. It notes maybe coaching could adjust. Same excuses KC has had for years. THE SYSTEM. THE COACHING. At this point Schneider knows he ripped KC off. 

[Lamardirts 2,114]

I don't know this system was suppose to be simpler and easier.   But guys still look lost out there.   To be honest though there isn't enough talent.  Veach gambled on Nnadi, Hitchens, Ragland, Lee, Okafor, Clark, HB, Saunders, Claiborne, Breeland, and Ward.   Out of that group who is playing good.....Clark, HB, Breeland in stretches.   You need a stud DT and a couple good Lbs in this D to stop the run we got Nnadi or should i say Nada.   It really is that basic.  We gambled with a 2nd year player and its back firing.  We gambled with avg lbs from other teams and its back firing.  We wasted 2 early picks on DL projects that aren't helping at all against the run and we have a bunch of 1 year make it deals with our db's.    I'm trying to see the upside here but we have no young up and coming players outside of Juan Thornhill and Chris Jones.   We've invested a lot of picks and money and its really bad and not going to get much better next year unless Saunders and Speaks are the next coming of Neil Smith and Dontari Poe.   Seriously we have 1 - 1st, 4 -2nds,  2 -3rds, and a couple 4ths spent on the front 7 alone........ Thats 9 picks and only 2 guys really worth a crap in Clark and Jones.   9 picks.     That is negligent and irresponsible.   Sutton should have been fired years ago which would have helped because i'm sure the concensus was these guys can play in a different scheme but the reality is they suck.  Had we found out about this a year earlier this would have happened last year and we could have corrected things this year.   But again we are a year late and a dollar short.   Gonna be hard to fix what ails this team before Mahomes gets his huge contract.   .......because Chiefs.

[sith13 1,746]

The system isn't what makes Clark unable to tackle a freaking QB within 5 yards. It's entirely on the player and the player alone. He has whiffed on guys he was easily tackling in Seattle, he probably has mental issues but the gaps or other BS people keep coming up with doesn't make a player forget how to tackle within a few months. 

[SEMO 6,811]

I'm not blaming Spags for the performance of Clark, or the defense, as a whole.  He seems to be calling the right defenses and putting players in position to make the plays.  They are just not doing it.  Hesitating to hit their gaps, atrocious tackling, and the dline getting their shit pushed in on every damn run play is not Spags' fault.

[FANATIC 852]

6 minutes ago, SEMO said:

I'm not blaming Spags for the performance of Clark, or the defense, as a whole.  He seems to be calling the right defenses and putting players in position to make the plays.  They are just not doing it.  Hesitating to hit their gaps, atrocious tackling, and the dline getting their shit pushed in on every damn run play is not Spags' fault.

I think the fact SPAZ  must have supported/input player moves on D gives him much accountability of the play of each.

[soonerborn77 276]

10 hours ago, Chiefswinitall said:

https://www.fieldgulls.com/2019/10/11/20909309/kansas-city-chiefs-seattle-seahawks-john-schneider-frank-clark-trade-2019-sack-ford-houston-nfl

 

liked this comment from the messageboard.  blaming SPAG. 

 

A lot of it is probably on Spags.

He’s not exactly well-respected as a defensive coordinator. His preference is to make his D linemen 2-gap, and get pressure via blitzes. Likely, if he was willing to let Clark just cut loose and get the QB, he’d perform better.

Also explains why he’s making plays against the run both to the outside and the inside.

vote Hindsight 2020.

what's this blitz you speak of, I rarely saw it yesterday

[Thegoatee 1,780]

For $105 million, the dude should be having multiple game changing plays a game like Donald or Mack as a pass rusher and line disrupter. Clark doesn’t look fast or strong. He doesn’t beat one on one blocks. Basically Seattle is a great scheme with a collection of good players. KC is a suspect scheme with a bunch of bad players.

[FANATIC 852]

1 minute ago, Thegoatee said:

For $105 million, the dude should be having multiple game changing plays a game like Donald or Mack as a pass rusher and line disrupter. Clark doesn’t look fast or strong. He doesn’t beat one on one blocks. Basically Seattle is a great scheme with a collection of good players. KC is a suspect scheme with a bunch of bad players.

WINNER

[BroncoStud 3,253]

Clark was either overrated due to the Seattle system being so strong, or he got his massive contract and doesn't give a shit anymore, or a bit of both.  If he isn't playing hurt then he is just playing below expectations.  He also clearly has character issues, so he may not be someone you ever want to hand $105 MILLION to in the first place...

Spags has proven over the years he runs a solid 4-3 system, and by all metrics, Clark was supposed to be the ideal 4-3 DE for his system.