Kansas City Chiefs' Alex Smith needs to keep his eyes up

[kcchief4lif 910]

Since I mentioned the name Alex Smith, I assume at least a quarter of you have already skipped to the comments. Once more into the fray, my friends. Have at 'er.

For the rest of you, to be perfectly frank this column isn't the one I set out to write. My initial intention was to look at the Chiefs' non-packaged and non-screen plays to try and figure out why Andy Reid is keeping such a tight rein on the offense. Is it an offensive line issue? An Alex Smith issue? An Andy Reid being a control freak issue? I wanted answers.

Unfortunately, I couldn't make it through the research (big hat tip to the NFL for getting All-22 film up ASAP) without getting sidetracked by another issue. One that's even more pressing than packaged plays vs. non-packaged plays and Andy Reid's play calling; Alex Smith's eye level.

It's no secret that Smith had a really, really bad game against the Packers. In fact, after re-watching that first quarter on All-22, I believe the first quarter especially was as bad as Smith has played since becoming a Chief.

Smith was committing two cardinal sins against the Packers that doomed him on multiple plays; he was hesitating, and his eye level was consistently dropping.

 

MISDIRECTION DOESN'T WORK IF THEY KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, JUST LIKE A MAGICIAN CAN'T FOOL YOU IF YOU DON'T LOOK WHERE HE WANTS YOU TO LOOK.

For those of you unfamiliar with the term "eye level," (I'm guessing most of you are, but let's play it safe today) it's referring to whether the quarterback is keeping his eyes on his receivers down the field (eye level "up") or watching the pass rush (eye level "down"). It's a pretty basic part of being a quarterback that you want to keep your eye level up. Because, you know, you can't throw to receivers when you're staring at rushing defensive linemen.

Eye level is something that allows quarterbacks to make plays even when a rusher is closing in. We had an opportunity to witness the absolute best in the business (Aaron Rodgers, in case you didn't realize it) at keeping eye level up Monday night. One reason Rodgers is so horrifically frustrating to play is that pressure doesn't affect him the way it does many quarterbacks. His eyes always stay up no matter how many times he's been hit. I hate that guy.

Smith was pretty much the opposite the majority of Monday night. I don't know if he was still feeling skittish from the Broncos game, jumpy from too much caffeine, or hopped up on crystal meth (probably not those last two), but Smith was CONSTANTLY dropping his eyes and looking at the rush. This resulted in him panicking and scrambling more than once (or twice, or three times) and missing guys coming open. It also resulted in some panicked checkdowns (Lawrence Tynes agrees!) when the offense needed more.

An example of this was early in the game. First, a screenshot view...

 

 

Now, while it might not look like Smith is under any pressure at the moment, a DT is currently beating Mitch Morse and is about to come screaming into Smith's face.

HOWEVER ... as of this moment Smith has room to step up and throw. You see that guy with the red lines and arrow? That's Jeremy Maclin. He's pretty good at getting open. I know he doesn't look open right this second, but as the arrow indicates, he's about to break back toward Smith and leave his corner stumbling briefly (a lil' veteran shove helps create separation). There's a window where he's absolutely open if Smith releases the ball AS HE BREAKS.

Is that window particularly big? No. Is it one that a QB should see and hit? Well ... yeah, probably. The corner had been turned around several times and wasn't in a position to drive on any throw Smith could make.

Maclin stops short after turning around because he sees, rather than the ball coming toward him, Alex Smith scrambling around (ended up with a one yard gain). Instead of keeping his eyes up and seeing his star WR winning his route, Smith looked at the rush and panicked, taking off.

This happened time after time Monday night. I could show you a dozen or so GIFs. I'm not going to do that, mostly because even watching it ONCE was bad enough for you fine people (and even you not-so-fine people. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy).

I call the types of plays where a QB drops his eye level and starts dancing around aimlessly to avoid pressure (real or imagined) "happy feet" snaps. Smith had them last year more than I'd like, but nothing even close to what we saw Monday. It was horrible.

The Chiefs offensive line is not playing very well. Of that we can be certain. However, you don't need to have superstar or even GOOD offensive line play if your quarterback is able to keep his eyes up and watch down the field. An easy example of that can be found in this same game (yes, even this dumpster fire of a game had some good plays).

First of all, I'd like to thank that blitzing Packer for running right into Eric Fisher, allowing him to transition seamlessly from blocking one guy to blocking another.

Second of all, see what happens there? Smith sees the blitzer coming and drops his eye level for a moment, but rather than freaking out and trying to run for a three yard gain or so he forces his eyes back down the field as he steps up into the pocket. Oh hey, look, there's Jeremy Maclin getting open again! We should throw to that guy, eh? Smith does, and it's a big gain.

Had Smith kept his eye level down that would have been just another wasted play in which we could bemoan the offensive line and be kinda / sorta correct. But it's on the QB to protect his line almost as much as it's on the line to protect its QB. Not everyone can be Rodgers. But you can be better than "terrible" when it comes to keeping your eyes up and on your receivers.

Bad eye level wasn't the only thing Smith did wrong this game, but it was far and away the worst of his sins. Since I'm talking about him here I might as well pile on; Smith has got to stop hesitating when receivers are about to come open. Throw your receivers open. On more than one play Monday Smith had a receiver either open or about to become open and he hesitated and clutched the ball (almost a miniature pump fake toward the receiver he's actually looking to throw to, a cardinal sin as a QB). It was costly. In some cases it was very costly early.

 

Smith was extremely lucky that throw wasn't picked off and returned for six points. The throw hung up in the air and it would be easy to point and say, "Oh, it's because of Smith's noodle arm!" But that would be the wrong issue to kill Smith on for this play.

The throw was a duck because Smith got hit as he threw and couldn't follow through on his motion. He got hit as he threw because he didn't get the ball out sooner. He didn't get the ball out sooner because he hesitated, even though Maclin was clearly about to break left and gain solid separation from his corner.

Maclin is a superb route runner. Smith needs to trust that he'll be where he's supposed to be if they want to be a combo that teams actually fear facing. Smith knows where the route is supposed to go and he should see where the defense is relative to that route. Through that, he OUGHT to know he can make the throw even though Maclin isn't already "open" just yet. It's called anticipatory throwing, or throwing your receiver open. Good quarterbacks do it. A lot. That's why their receivers look open all the time, frankly.

Smith's contract (and Reid's apparent confidence) mean he's going to be the Chiefs quarterback this season and next season barring some massive change. The way he played against the Packers was utterly unacceptable. Smith is seeing ghosts out there (this was the first game in which a lot of his snaps resembled Cassel's to me regarding consistently poor eye level. That's scary).

Reid seems to have been trying to protect Smith (and the offense as a whole) by being very controlling of the play calls and reads. Tons of packaged plays, screens, misdirections, quick outs, and the like have been the norm. Unfortunately, other teams are wise to this now. Misdirection doesn't work if they know what you're doing, just like a magician can't fool you if you don't look where he wants you to look.

Reid said he needs to be better and the issues are on him. While he's not blameless, that's just a flat-out lie. Smith has to change his eye level to compensate for how poorly the line is playing. It's either that, or fail. Smith has shown much better eye level in the past (particularly 2013, his first year with the Chiefs). Regardless of what happens with the line, Smith is the X-factor here. That eye level needs to be at least average for this offense to succeed.

I hate leaving ya'll on a thought so potentially dreary. Let's end on a positive note ... hey, have you noticed Smith's accuracy in the intermediate and deep zones was improved Monday? Just watch this throw and try to tune out everything else that's worrying you.

Freaking STUCK that throw. Onto Cincinnati (gulp)

 

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2015/9/30/9421421/kansas-city-chiefs-alex-smith-eye-level

[AppalachianChief 116]

I would like to add that later in the game I thought Smith relaxed and trusted his WR's and Oline along with "keeping his eyes up"

[FANATIC 852]

I would like to add that later in the game I thought Smith relaxed and trusted his WR's and Oline along with "keeping his eyes up"

Against the PREVENT DEFENSE. 

 

I was excited about this year and thought for sure this was the start of something special. It was a fantasy dream. I woke up to a nightmare. Alex Smith and Andy Reid = failure.

[Calichief 3,016]

As we have said. He doesn't scan than field.

I don't have the video tools like this guy but it was pretty obvious.

[azchief21 5,278]

I've said before....he plays in fear. Fear of pressure, fear of interception. Always trying not to lose. His receivers have to be wide open at the very start of the play or he folds and runs. No timing throws, no throwing the receivers open

[Chiefmanzada 466]

He is not the QB this franchise needs right now. Where's his confidence? 

[Guest holmes4six]

I was always trying to support Smith until the GB game. He gets happy feet to quickly instead of standing in the pocket and taking a hit in order to deliver the ball. It doesn't help that Reid's play calling seems to always in big games, put us in 3rd and long. ( those BS swings plays). I know our O line is weak but Patriots have 3 rookies on the interior of there line and the play calling is designed for them, QB and receivers to be successful. Get the ball out quick and make sure we take our shots down field.  Watch what happens in Cincy...they will blitz on a rapid pace just like GB did. Don't blame them, show us you can burn us.  I would bet if they put chase in, just the fact its not Smith, the D would have to respect the big play and the field would open up and the O- line would look better. All defenses are scared of Charles, kelce and Maclin, but all defenses know that Smith cant get them the ball so it doesn't matter. The way I see it now with Smith as the starter, the only way we get on track is connecting on big plays down the field in at least 3 games in a row. No more swing passes. everything goes north so it 3 and short.

[AppalachianChief 116]

Against the PREVENT DEFENSE.

 

I was excited about this year and thought for sure this was the start of something special. It was a fantasy dream. I woke up to a nightmare. Alex Smith and Andy Reid = failure.

Why the HELL is it when Alex does something good it's because the other team quit or in a prevent defense well bullshit!!! They continued to rush his ass and blitz until the last seconds the Chiefs had the ball and then they got to AS11 with 3 fricken linemen. I'm not giving AS11 a pass but he needs more then .8 seconds to look down the field, how about some frickin holes for the best RB in the league to run through, how about not letting the other frickin team score 38 points and don't say AS11 put the defense in a bad place cause many drives started deep because of our punter. Alex Smith is NOT the problem it's the fucking Ole' "offensive" line. Tired of hearing that BULLSHIT!!!!

[liquidfriend 1,151]

Lmao they were giving reserve players playing time.

[Calichief 3,016]

Lmao they were giving reserve players playing time.

Total prevent defense

[AppalachianChief 116]

Total prevent defense

So GB played prevent the entire 2nd half? Don't think so!!?

[Calichief 3,016]

So GB played prevent the entire 2nd half? Don't think so!!?

14 points in the fourth qtr.

[AppalachianChief 116]

14 points in the fourth qtr.

And that proved what?

[kychief 239]

I had no idea green bay was playing back ups..don't think so..

 

what I do believe happened during half time there was enough anger in the locker room over a first half of pure dogshit.. the team came out desperate and played a pretty good half of football against a team that felt comfortably enough in the lead they were easing back somewhat.

[KCSLC2008 606]

I think anything positive or negative to say about Smith was evident by just watching the game. Those who go out of their way to mention that his stats look better because of garbage time stats didn't necessarily say his stats against Houston looked worse because we took our pedal off the gas.

 

It would've been nice to have a 300 yard and 4 TD game to open the season, but we didn't because of garbage time. Smith probably would've finished with 175 to 225 yards in the Packers game if it were not for garbage time yards.

 

Who cares about stats? I do think that some of the passes he made in the first half were due to the oline and some of the passes in the second half were due to garbage time. Both were affected.

 

No one did enough to win the game and I don't think we could. But I do think we could've done better than we did and one unit doing better would help the other. I'm not saying it was a perfect storm to beat us like they did, but we were all interconnected.

[PhataLerror 370]

I get the concept of garbage time, but not every yard or score gained at the waning moments of a losing blowout are given away free. Not all garbage time is created equal. Every team plays garbage time a little differently.

[eraser 722]

If Alex Smith will change, then I am totally for him. He is not playing well because he does not see the field. He does not see the field because he latches onto a receiver, and doesn't see other options. his is directly because he does not move his feet. He plays almost stationary. You cannot see the field if you do not re-position your body. You do this quickly, but moving your feet. If you move your feet, you automatically put yourself into an ideal position to throw the ball. I am sure this is nothing new. He is not dumb. He is very smart. He just does not do the things you need to do in order to be successful. 

 

Did he do well against the prevent defense? Yes. He did. However, his footwork remained poor. I am not bagging on Alex Smith. I want him to succeed. However, to do this, he has to do something different. He has to work on his game. The arm is not the reason for his problems. Its his feet. The eyes are a symptom of not moving the feet. 

[liquidfriend 1,151]

Please break down the different levels of garbage time in a chart tia

[BroncoStud 3,253]

Alex Smith doesn't see the field, he doesn't actually read defenses.  He is a 31 year old QB, can he actually learn to do it at this point?

[KCSLC2008 606]

Alex Smith doesn't see the field, he doesn't actually read defenses. He is a 31 year old QB, can he actually learn to do it at this point?

Steve Young said that Smith was one of the better pre-snap read quarterbacks and that he would go through his progressions. But I think he sped it up last year and missed out. This year it seems he's not speeding it up but rather skipping it due to distrust of an inconsistent OLine. The thing with an inconsistent oline is that sometimes they give you time - you can't treat every snap like you don't. But how can he not if he doesn't trust them and is often right?

 

Post-snap reads, like the defense adjusting to a scramble he isn't as good. When you don't trust your oline, look at the rush, don't keep your eyes upfield you put yourself in those positions more.

[kcchief4lif 910]

Our own MNChiefsfan wrote yesterday about Alex Smith's eyes. Besides the fact that they're dreamy (per Mrs. Arrowhead Pride) he wrote about the Kansas City Chiefs QB seemingly not looking downfield when pressure was coming. It looked like Alex wasn't keeping his eyes downfield. There is an example in the piece of Smith not keeping his eyes downfield and then a good example of him keeping his eyes up under pressure and delivering a strike. So it can be done. It just didn't seem to be done very well against Green Bay.

Alex was asked at Wednesday's media session how tough it is to keep his eyes down the field in the face of a pass rush (which I will fully admit I would be way too scared to do).

"I think the thing that gets you, that can get you, is eyes and feet," Alex said, via quotes from the Chiefs. "And when pressure's coming, I think, as the game wares on, it can affect a quarterback's eyes and feet and really that's what a quarterback plays with back out there. When you're well trained, and that's why you're doing all of those reps - to make sure your eyes and feet are well trained. And pressure sometimes can make those two things do funny things - feet are off, your eyes are in different places, so I think it's important. Even when there are games like that, it's not always clean, you have to keep those disciplined."

During training camp, Andy Reid sits behind the quarterbacks running the offense and watches the quarterback every play. He almost always has something to say to the quarterback and I bet it's about the eyes or the feet or some other mechanic so minute I don't even understand. Reid is a good quarterbacks coach (really, he is) because he understands the mechanics so there's no doubt if there was an issue in that Green Bay game that Reid has told Smith about it.

The key now is seeing actual improvement on the field next week in Cincinnati, which is not an easy task. There will be pressure coming up the middle thanks to a guy named Geno Atkins. He's a really good Bengals defensive tackle. Alex will also be tested because his two guards -- LG Ben Grubbs and RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif -- have each given up three sacks (per Pro Football Focus). The next closest qualifying guard in the league? Two sacks. That pressure is coming right up the middle.

[liquidfriend 1,151]

 

Well you see it's definitely the Offensive Line and he just can't trust them. Not a holding onto the ball for too long and ignoring an open receiver thing.

[artsy 1,137]

 

Well you see it's definitely the Offensive Line and he just can't trust them. Not a holding onto the ball for too long and ignoring an open receiver thing.

Watch Kelce, he is open!!!

 

Yes, the oline sucks, but Alex knows this. He has to be ready to get the ball out quickly.

[KCSLC2008 606]

 

Well you see it's definitely the Offensive Line and he just can't trust them. Not a holding onto the ball for too long and ignoring an open receiver thing.

I see what you did there. Yes, he had that problem a few times. Ugh. He had Charles and Gore as his check downs - he should make Kelce his guy, as he gets open. Going from Charles (1-2 yards up field) to Kelce (3-4 yards) is progress. Then, we should go to WR3 (5-6 yards). Then, WR2 (7-8) and then Maclin (8-9 yards).

 

[Calichief 3,016]

https://twitter.com/mellinger/status/649606231774990336