Panther Game Thread

[DieHard 2,061]

It's not just his size. He has to have the heart of Hill to go all out on every play and it's just not there. We don't play in the NFL and shouldn't criticize for not laying out to catch a pass or to take the big hit, but it's what they get paid to do and if it's not in them, then someone else should be moved up. The Chiefs have dodged two bullets the last two games. It won't always work that way. Gotta make every chance count.

Yes, Hill is a baller. Slot he'll, this kid is a starter. Reminds me of Steve Smith Sr.

[jetlord 10,209]

Question about Hill:  Is there that much wear and tear from returning kick offs that Hill can't do that while playing an increased role on offense?  If Maclin comes back, why not use Hill where he has a chance to break a big return?  Most K.O.s aren't returned anyway so we're only talking about one or two chances at most.

[Bilyous2 884]

Question about Hill:  Is there that much wear and tear from returning kick offs that Hill can't do that while playing an increased role on offense?  If Maclin comes back, why not use Hill where he has a chance to break a big return?  Most K.O.s aren't returned anyway so we're only talking about one or two chances at most.

If he gets us 10 yards farther to begin a possession, it is as good as a reception on the ensuing drive, in my opinion.  When we have such outstanding special teams at blocking and tackling, why waste them?  Hill is just a kid.  When he gets more mileage on him, we can think about protecting him a little more.  Just my opinion.

 

I still think there is a general lack of appreciation for the equal role of special teams, from the many posts on this forum.  This is a three phase game.  Taub is maybe the best in the business.  There is just as much chance that Hill runs a punt back for a TD in the playoffs and helps us advance as there is by leaving him only on offense.  Remember that our opponents know he is there, and they risk their players, too, trying to neutralize him on punt returns.  If you were an opposing coach, would you not want put your fastest guys in on punt coverage to catch Hill in case he breaks through?   If you put your fastest guy in there to stop Hill, wouldn't he be at risk if Richard Sherman plowed straight into him at full speed? Or D.J. Alexander?  I think Hill is every bit as important on ST as he is as a receiver...and that's a lot.  I think you will feel much better about him also returning punts once Maclin is back.

[jetlord 10,209]

Hill is already returning all the punts.  It's the K.O.s that I was questioning.  If Hill brings it out, there's a good chance for the big return that's, as you stated, just as important as the pass completion.

[DefensiveMan 758]

Keep in mind Wilson has our only offensive TD in the last 8 Qtrs. Give him some room to grow, he can play. He blocks really well on gadget plays as well. In this scheme WRs need to know how to block. Needs to play more aggressive, he'll be fine we need him.

[eraser 722]

Keep in mind Wilson has our only offensive TD in the last 8 Qtrs. Give him some room to grow, he can play. He blocks really well on gadget plays as well. In this scheme WRs need to know how to block. Needs to play more aggressive, he'll be fine we need him.

He is also a very good special teams player.

[KCSLC2008 606]

Just got to rewatch the game. There were 3-4 drops: 3 yards, 25 yards, 22 yards (arguable; throw to Kelce was too low), and 6 yards. 2-3 of those would have been first downs.

 

The throws to Conley and Kelce in the end zone were bad passes, one with pressure. One pass to Wilson was rushed but could have been made if Smith threw it earlier or further in the route.

 

The missed play where aware was open was a big miss because I think he was clearly an option in Smith's progressions.

 

The missed Kelce in the end zone was poorly televised, in my opinion. Re-watching it, if you see when Smith throws the pass, Kelce is defended. I know this sounds like an old excuse, but you rewatch it. Still should have gone with him, but it would've been a defended play. The defender knew where Smith was throwing the ball and he cut towards Conley. Basically like the Hill pass that was intercepted but Smith instead doesn't throw it.

 

Still, the pass to Conley was pointless. There wasn't really a reason to pass to him with how little he could gain from it. Should have been patient and gone with Kelce. The decision seemed to be made too early and that was the problem, not really vision in my opinion.

[KCSLC2008 606]

Double post.

[KCSLC2008 606]

The flip side of that coin is that more than a few times, Smith DID make the correct play and/or the offense was finding a rhythm, and something totally out of Smith’s control happened. One example of this was a horrific drop by Albert Wilson 20-plus yards down the field on a perfect throw by Smith between multiple defenders. that drop alone cost the Chiefs a drive, as it swung from 1st and 10 in enemy territory to a punt.

 

There were multiple costly drops on the day. One came late in the game when Smith got CRUSHED by a free blitzer up the middle (that one is on the OL, as Smith actually POINTED at the linebacker prior to the snap) but managed to throw the ball as he was getting hit. Wilson was running a quick slant and had plenty of room to work with, but was unable to haul in a throw that was behind him. It was a very catchable pass despite the fact that Wilson had to reach behind him. When your quarterback sticks in the pocket and takes a shot, you’ve gotta catch the ball. Sometimes it truly is that simple.

 

Wilson wasn’t the only culprit. Travis Kelce dropped a (low) throw over the middle that would have netted at least 20 yards and brought the Chiefs close to field goal range on one drive. Now, make no mistake, the throw was low. But it was a routine catch that Kelce (and any other NFL player) should make all day long. Kelce committed the sin of starting to run before gathering the ball in (one of his only weaknesses as a player).

https://www.arrowheadpride.com/platform/amp/2016/11/19/13683930/alex-smith-all-22-vs-the-panthers

[KCSLC2008 606]

The deeper concern I have is how out of sync the ENTIRE offense looked. There were multiple drops (as I mentioned) that seemed to come at the worst possible time. There were also several plays where the offensive line, after Smith had actually pointed out a blitzer, still let him get a free sprint at Smith (he took some real shots getting the ball out that he should get credit for, picking up positive plays when the defense had him dead to rights). Finally, there were multiple false start penalties that, much like the drops, seemed to come at the worst possible time (generally right when the offense was starting to get some momentum).

 

If the rest of the offense plays an average day, I’m not sure we would be looking at the Carolina game the same way. If even a couple of those dropped throws are caught, the Chiefs very likely put up another six points or more on the scoreboard. If a few of those false starts and free blitzers go away, several drives are quite likely sustained that were later snuffed out on 3rd and long. What you had with Carolina was a situation where Smith was playing “meh” football and the rest of the team followed suit. As a result, the offense as a whole completely stunk and Smith is now receiving the lion’s share of the blame (which hey, is part of being the quarterback and pretty deserved).

 

Carolina’s front seven, in my opinion, is a really poor matchup for the Chiefs offense. Their linebackers are freakishly fast and instinctive, which destroys a lot of what the Chiefs try to do offensively in stretching the defense horizontally (the Panthers don’t need to adjust to such things because they can trust their LB’s to clean up those plays). Additionally, they are stout enough against the run to prevent the Chiefs ground attack from getting started, a major problem for the offense in Kansas City. Finally, Carolina’s tendency to play zone messes with presnap reads, which is a huge part of Smith’s game.

 

When you combine a bad matchup with poor general play from the entire offense, bad things are going to happen. Frankly, it’s a miracle the Chiefs escaped with the win. I’ll be watching closely against Tampa Bay to see if things look more tightened up on offense. The efficiency we saw against Oakland and New Orleans is going to be a must down the stretch, no matter how good the defense is at stealing games.

https://www.arrowheadpride.com/platform/amp/2016/11/19/13683930/alex-smith-all-22-vs-the-panthers