Kendall Gammon

Where do they go from here?

noreply@blogger.com (Chiefs Radio) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:48:00 +0000

It's been a season that no one could have predicted. Some brought on by the Chiefs themselves? Arguably so. The fact remains that very rarely, if ever, do you lose your top two quaterbacks before the midseason point. As fans, I understand your frustration. The fact also remains, however, that it is a rebuilding year(s). It's not for the faint of heart. It sounds good to talk about it in the off season, but it's quite another.
It would be my contention that the Chiefs haven't hit bottom quite yet. This is not to jump on them. It just seems to me that with Tyler Thigpen at QB, we are in for some bumps. Natural growing pains. I'm more concerned with the D and how, or if, the Chiefs stop the run. To me, that's the answer to "where do they go from here?".

Consistently inconsistent.

noreply@blogger.com (Chiefs Radio) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:06:00 +0000

The Chiefs performance against the Carolina Panthers was not good. Being a former player, I typically try to find as much positive as I can. In this case, the plane landed safely back on the ground in KC Sunday evening. That's the only positive I can find.
While this was truly a disappointing performance, the season continues. All that was gained in the Denver win was thrown away in this loss. The only thing the Chiefs can do is continue to develop the younger players. It's in this that losses like Carolina will be around as well as wins like Denver. The one true calling card of a young team is inconsistency. How this team responds, not only vs the Titans, but the remaining year will go a long way towards finding out what kind of players the Chiefs have, both mentally and physically.

So which one is it?

noreply@blogger.com (Chiefs Radio) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:15:00 +0000

Two weeks ago it was doomsday. The Chiefs could not beat a college team. This week the Chiefs beat the Broncos who are 3-0 and considered to have one of the best offensive attacks in the league. So which one is it?
I would submit to you it is neither. The Chiefs are certainly not as bad as they showed against Atlanta and most likely won't consistently play at the level they played against Denver. The key word is consistent. The Chiefs have to strive to play solid football week in and week out. While I don't think we'll see any more performances like that against Atlanta, there is the very real possibility of the team that beat Denver like a drum to show up more often. Fans just have to realize that it's a young team and it is a process. Look for the development.
Offensively, Larry seems to be back. I credit that to Larry of course, the offensive line and the coaching staff. They have found a way to get Larry not only in a rhythm but the ball in his hands where he feels comfortable.
Defensively, the Chiefs are young. It's one thing to be young and not play well. It's quite another to be the Chiefs of Sunday where at times, there were 4 rookies in and the oldest player on the field was in his fifth year. That's something to not only watch, but be excited about.
One quarter of the season is over. In my eyes, the development that the Chiefs have made in those 4 games is very impressive. Do you book your Super Bowl hotel yet? No, but you also don't expect to have that first pick in the draft anymore either. Stay tuned.

Searching...

noreply@blogger.com (Chiefs Radio) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:04:00 +0000

Atlanta has come and gone and now Denver rides into town. Certainly this season has not went how the Chiefs would envision it. I've been on teams like this before where a win seems like a mile away. In my previous words, I talked about the season being a marathon. That may actually describe the distance away from a win. With so QB position unsettled, so too is everything else. It's what drives a team in my opinion. Conversely, however, the linebacker position on defense drives the team as well, and the Chiefs are not getting the play needed at this point. Is it there? Do they have the ability? Only time will tell, but the lack of tackles and play making to this point shine light on a weakness. What will ultimately come into play in my opinion is pride. Will the Chiefs figure out what they need to do. Quite possibly they may need to play above what they are capable of on a consistent basis to get a tally on the correct side of the column.

Either way, there is still 14 left.

noreply@blogger.com (Chiefs Radio) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:32:00 +0000

Certainly no one will debate that Sunday's performance by the Chiefs was not a work of art. It may not even qualify as fingerpainting. But as a former player, I can tell you this. Whether the Chiefs are 0-2, or 2-0, the season still goes on. It's a marathon and we've just barely left the starting blocks. There is still much to learn about this collection of players, and that's just what they are right now, a collection of players. But they will develop, hopefully sooner than later. They will become a team. You really can't become a team until you go through things like they are going through now. I know from my years in the league that this is truly when you find out what players are made of. Who the leaders are. Who will step up both on the field and off. I see some veterans stepping up, just as they should, but I'm most interested to see what young Chiefs decides they are the one, or ones, to help turn it around. This most important aspect is something only time will tell. Stay tuned, they're barely to mile two of the 26 mile race.

Learning to walk

noreply@blogger.com (Chiefs Radio) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:28:00 +0000

It’s been said that you must crawl before you walk. But what does that really mean? For a child, it’s simply is what it is. For an NFL football team, it’s so much different however. The Chiefs included. So why is it difficult? Let’s examine.
Coming off a season in which almost no one was satisfied outside of the Chiefs opponents, talk of “retooling” or “rebuilding” was implemented, and rightly so. It was time to infuse youth into an aging franchise. In a sense, it was time to crawl again. With many veterans let go, and younger players added in what was termed a top notch draft by both the informed and uninformed, came excitement, again, rightly so. How could fans not be excited about Glenn Dorsey and Brandon Albert. About Brandon Flowers stepping in, acting, and more importantly performing, like he belongs. Former Longhorn Jamaal Charles darting all over the place and helping take defensive keys away from Larry. A defensive front that employs one rookie, two second year players and former number one pick Tamba Hali the veteran of the group in his 3rd year. I could go on and on, but it all comes back to the same thought. For the most part, the Chiefs have young players with productive veterans scattered in.
But as I said earlier, you have to crawl before you walk. There will be times that things don’t go exactly as Chiefs fans would like. Were we all impressed with how Brandon Albert played on opening day against beast like Richard Seymour with little more than a week of actual practice? This from a kid who hadn’t even played tackle before. Of course, how could you not be. But make no mistake. He will go through some rough times. Especially at left tackle. For that matter, they all will.
The same can be said for others, and not just the rookies. 2nd and 3rd year players are still just that, 2nd and 3rd year players. Their performance is more consistent we hope, but they are developing as well. As a former team mate of future hall of famer Tony Gonzalez, I can tell you that he is still developing. He’s always working to get better, both before and after practice. He seems to never be satisfied. So what does that have to do with the youth of the team? More than anything a coach can ever say. He’s teaching through his actions. Those around him take notice. They realize that it takes work and dedication. He doesn’t work hard to just learn how to do it right, he works hard in the thought of never doing it wrong.
When a child learns to walk, there are a lot of falls before he masters it. Often, it will look like he has perfected the task, only to stub his toe and fall again. This analogy can be pushed to that of a young NFL team. They may start slow, but as they gain experience and knowledge, so too, they gain confidence. If a child was never given the chance to actually practice walking in real time, then when you put him on his feet when he was one and a half, there is no way he would just start going. The wait would have only retarded his progress. The only way to get experience, is to get experience. It’s a process. The main difference though is, when a little kid falls, we look at him or her and smile. We realize it’s just part of the process. Certainly the NFL is a business, and much is expected of players getting paid very well for what they do. The fact remains that it is a process. A parent looks for progress in the process of learning to walk. Fans should look for progress as well.

Dress rehearsal over

noreply@blogger.com (Chiefs Radio) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:37:00 +0000

Opening day is upon us. I experienced 15 of them, and each one was special. Do I remember them all? Of course not, I've been hit in the head too many times. But I do remember the 1st and I do remember the last. And while I don't specifically remember all in between, I remember the feeling. How special it was. How hard I had worked. The off season. Camp. The sacrifices.
Those are the feeling that many Chiefs will have this Sunday in New England. It's a special time, whether it's your first or fifteenth.
After the luster wears off, for me it was usually when I got my block knocked off for the first time in the game, it is then still "a game", and the object is to win.
I've been with Herm in this situation before. Nobody expects you to win, so how are you going to react? It's my thought that this young Chiefs team has the correct thoughts in mind. If you really have nothing to lose, then there is no pressure. Go up and let it loose. Take what was taught in this long off season and camp and let in transfer to the field. Will Rome fall? We won't know until Sunday, but I'm looking forward to watching a young team start the journey to find themselves and what their about.

Going forward

noreply@blogger.com (Chiefs Radio) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:45:00 +0000

The final preseason game will be played tonight, and while it may not tell us much, there is much to be interested in.
With final cuts to get down to the 53 man roster and then make up the practice squad, the Chiefs will have their eyes on the entire league. Herm always says, and I believe him, that for the most part, what you see is what you are going to get as to the players on the team. But this doesn't mean they won't be looking. Stranger things have happened as to coming up with somebody who can make a difference with the Chiefs, either immediately or later. If there ever was a year where the Chiefs might seem active after the final cuts, this would be the year. They are young and inexperienced. It's very possible that a few players just might make sense. If I were to guess, I would think linebacker is a position that the Chiefs would definitely scour. Not only for possible future consideration at the position, but for the here and now at special teams.

Building going on INSIDE the stadium as well.

noreply@blogger.com (Chiefs Radio) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:30:00 +0000

The Chiefs nation got their first look in person as to the progress going on with the New Arrowhead on Saturday. Certainly, it's not finished yet, but you could see the foundations and footings for good things ahead. It is very similar to what is going on with the Chiefs on the field. While the final score was not what Herm is looking for. It is obvious that the foundation has been laid and the building continues.

Offense:
For the second week in as many, the offense marched down very methodically and put points on the board. This week, it was only a field goal, but the tone was set. The Chiefs continued with a winning formula. Establish the run and mix in the pass. Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey continues to do a masterful job in keeping the defense off balance and wondering what is coming next. As a former offensive lineman(albeit a poor one), nothing is better than a defender who is guessing. Larry Johnson hit holes created by the developing line with energy and attitude. Brodie continued to show development as well, making passes that were precise. This includes throwing the ball into the stands when a bootleg was occasionally sniffed out. Yes, it's possible to throw an incomplete pass precise as well.
In talking with Herm as he came off the field at halftime, he mentioned these traits, but there was one them. Ball control. Long drives, ball control, take time off the clock and keep a very young and athletic defense fresh.
Defense:
Two sacks from Turk, pressure on the QB from LBers and big number 72, Glenn Dorsey getting his first taste of Arrowhead, and the NFL in general, are reasons to smile. Was everything perfect? No, of course not. Arizona had some success throwing the ball. With the pair of receivers they have, that wasn't the first time they've had success throwing, and it certainly won't be the last. Head coach Ken Wisenhunt is building something in Arizona that will be successful for quite some time. I spoke with Brandon Flowers after the game about his play and the NFL in general. What I saw was a very humble player who is going to continue to push himself. While he is a rookie, the game is certainly not to big for him. Arizona went deep on him the first play out of the gate, and while the receiver got a few steps on him initially, Brandon made up ground and broke up the big play. Chiefs fans, you can get excited about a corner that should man his position successfully for quite some time.

Overview: Just like the stadium is a work in progress, so too is the team that will play there. It's not finished yet, but it's going to be very exciting see the ongoing progress. Ultimately, I believe Chiefs fans will be happy with both. Like anything though, it does take time.

Camp is over, but it's just the beginning.

noreply@blogger.com (Chiefs Radio) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:13:00 +0000

Camp is over. You keep hearing it over and over. But as the title says, it's just beginning. I played 15 years and was never involved in a situation where so many roster spots were up for grabs. That's the nature of a young team. Because they are young, you don't know what you have. You must go deeper into the preseason games as a coach to really find out what you have.
It's often a complaint that there are too many preseason games, or that they don't matter. That isn't the case in either situation. The Chiefs wouldn't want any more than four, but it will do just fine.
Positions to watch: Well, I could probably list them all, but of particular interest to me is O Line(I know, shocker). The right side is very unsettled right now in my mind. We have to have protection from the Tackle and we must have a guard that is mobile. To me, the jury is still out. This isn't to say we don't have players capable, I just want to see it first.

The return game is interesting as well. B.J. Sams is returning punts and Jamaal Charles kicks. B.J. will have to prove that he's worth the roster spot if that is indeed all he does. If he can make an impact at receiver in some way, shape or form, then it would go a long way towards helping him continue his career.

Off and Running....Literally

noreply@blogger.com (Chiefs Radio) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:58:00 +0000

The Chicago game has come and gone, so what have we found out? Well, the Chiefs weren't lying when they said they wanted to run the ball. It's often been said that you pass to score and run to win. While it was somewhat the opposite as Tyler Thigpen's post route pass Bobby Sippio were the deciding points in the Chiefs 1st preseason win, the running game was on display.

What I find so enticing about the running game is the fact that offensive coordinator Chan Gailey does such a great job mixing it up. A toss may go outside as is the norm, but it might go in. The toss may be faked with a give inside. The off tackle zone run, a staple of all offenses, may bounce outside, or break all the way back. It appears that most, if not all, run plays have a counter off of them that will ultimately put some indecision in the minds of the opponent

So what does this say for the upcoming season? I forsee a power running game that fits LJ's preferred style. Get downhill fast. With an offensive line that is in the process of retooling and getting to know more about themselves, a quick hitting run game will help out immensely. Only time will tell if this will ultimately be successful, but from every aspect I saw from the sidelines on Thursday evening in Chicago tells me that with continued development, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.