Offensive changes could give Chiefs a chance

By Adam Best  |   Thursday, September 13, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Kansas City Chiefs
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!

Last Sunday, Kansas City sports fans were overwhelmed by the same sense of hopelessness typically associated with their Royals when their Chiefs failed to even compete with the lowly Houston Texans. The Chiefs were so out of sync that the Texans much more closely resembled the Kansas City team that reached the playoffs last season.

It's not likely to get any better for the Chiefs this week either; they have to travel north to face an angry Chicago Bears team at Soldier Field. Not only were the Bears thoroughly dominated by the San Diego Chargers last week, but this is the their home opener. Basically, if Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards and the rest of his team thought last week was tough, then they're in for a rude awakening come Sunday.

The good news is that the Chiefs can't possibly play any worse than last Sunday, especially offensively. The bad news is that they could again play just as poorly. Considering the Bears are universally considered to be better than the Texans -- things could get ugly.

What has to happen for the Chiefs to compete against the Bears? There are three offensive changes in particular the Chiefs can make in order to have a chance this upcoming Sunday:

For one, offensive coordinator Mike Solari must be more aggressive with his playcalling. Quarterback Damon Huard was made the starter to avoid the turnovers that keep the Chiefs from calling plays aggressively. Consistently calling draws, screens and other plays that develop behind the first-down marker on third-and-long isn't going to get the job done. Dropped passes, penalties and poor blocking were all things that contributed to the Chiefs' 3-for-11 performance on third downs last Sunday. Still, the timid and overly conservative playcalling is probably the biggest reason the Chiefs didn't move the chains.

The Chiefs must also get more from their receivers.

With Eddie Kennison out with a hamstring injury, relying more on first-round draft pick Dwayne Bowe and former Arena Football League legend Bobby Sippio would be a good start. Both players are athletic and big enough to haul in balls, even in traffic.

Jeff Webb doesn't have the confidence, hands or size right now to be a possession receiver.

As for Samie Parker, the team needs to stop utilizing him as a starting receiver. Yes, he played better last week, but the diminutive speedster typically has butter fingers. He belongs in the slot, and he should be used strictly as a Az Hakim- or Brandon Stokley-type player.

The other thing that Kansas City must do is get the ball to the team's biggest playmakers -- running back Larry Johnson and tight end Tony Gonzalez. Both are consistent performers who don't turn the ball over. Getting each involved early and often will be crucial in helping the rest of the offense perform better and keeping the defense off the field. Ten rushing attempts and 17 total touches for Johnson simply isn't enough. That said, neither is a measly 28 receiving yards for Gonzalez. If Johnson doesn't get 30 touches and Gonzalez accrue a minimum of 50 yards receiving, there is virtually no way the Chiefs can win.

If the Chiefs implement these three offensive changes, the vastly improved defense will stay fresher and play better, even without end Jared Allen (who will miss one more game because of a suspension for multiple DUI offenses), and the final score will be close. An upset isn't likely, but it's still possible. The Bears really don't have any offensive game-breakers outside of return man Devin Hester, so if the offense manages just 17-20 points, then the Chiefs could leave the Windy City with an overall record of 1-1.

Adam Best, RealFootball365.com 's Kansas City Chiefs senior columnist, also covers the Chiefs for ArrowheadAddict.com, where he serves as the site's lead writer.
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report