This was a couple of days ago..I dont think it was posted here... Can Trent put on the brakes? Green is not concerned about switch to conservative offense after thriving under Vermeil?s fast-paced attack. By ADAM TEICHER The Kansas City Star RIVER FALLS, Wis. - Trent Green rescued the Chiefs more than once over the years with a long pass fit into a tight spot, a throw another quarterback might not have even tried. New coach Herm Edwards doesn?t like for his quarterback to be the hero. He would rather see in that role any number of others: running back Larry Johnson, the offensive linemen, members of the revamped defense. Edwards prefers his quarterback to hand off frequently to Johnson, get out of his way and, most important, not throw an interception when it comes time to pass. The potential clash is an interesting one: Green?s ingrained willingness to take some chances down the field against Edwards? decidedly conservative approach. The success of the Chiefs? passing game and their offense in general could depend on how well Green adapts. The Chiefs would prefer to figure out a way to harness their quarterback without taking away the quality that made Green a two-time Pro Bowler. ?What we don?t want to do is take away Trent?s aggressive mentality,? quarterbacks coach Terry Shea said. ?He has more of that than any quarterback I?ve ever been around. In a lot of ways, that?s what allowed this offense to flourish. ?Trent has always had that flair for pushing the ball into a window, a tight window. He doesn?t lack for confidence in that way because his mind works so quickly that it?s ahead of the ball. ?He?s still who he is, and we want him to play that way as long as he is protecting the ball because that is probably the paramount theme that Herm has brought to the offense.? It?s inaccurate to paint Green as some wild risk-taker. He?s done well pushing the ball down the field into some tight spots because of his accuracy but hasn?t thrown many interceptions since his 24 led the league his first season with the Chiefs in 2001. There?s no question Green makes some bold decisions. Backup quarterback Damon Huard was teammates with Dan Marino in Miami and Tom Brady in New England but said Green?s thought process is as aggressive as either of them. ?Trent has such a good feel for this offense,? Huard said. ?He knows when to take chances and when not to. That?s what the best quarterbacks do. He knows when to force the ball in there and when not to. He?s really good at that. That?s why I think he?ll do just fine no matter what our offensive philosophy turns out to be.? Green played exactly the way former coach Dick Vermeil and offensive coordinator Al Saunders wanted. Vermeil and Saunders would tolerate turnovers as long as they were in small numbers and in an acceptable ratio to big plays. No turnover is tolerable to Edwards. ?We?re going to keep within the theme of what Herm would like to see happen,? Shea said. ?The top priority is to protect the ball. If we?re going to turn the ball over, let?s turn it over with our kicking game, either a field goal or a punt. ?With Dick, it was probably understated as compared to Herm. Herm is a lot more vocal about it.? Stuck in the middle is Green, who thrived in the Vermeil-Saunders system. The playbook has changed little, but the play-caller is now Mike Solari, a career offensive-line coach who has a fondness for the running game. Solari will operate under authority from Edwards. Green played early in his career with San Diego and Washington, teams that ran conservative offenses at the time. ?It won?t be much of an adjustment for me,? he said, ?because the first half of my career was spent with that philosophy.? Yet Green can?t hide the player he is. Even though he liked seeing Green attack with downfield passes, even Saunders occasionally had to counsel his quarterback that it was OK sometimes to throw the safer, higher-percentage pass. It?s not a stretch to think Edwards, Solari and Shea will have the same conversation with Green more often. ?You?re talking about game situations, the heat of the battle,? wide receiver Eddie Kennison said. ?You?ve got to make a split-second decision. I don?t think Trent is going to change. I don?t think he can change. ?Trent will still be Trent regardless. He?ll still take his chances. That?s what makes him the player he is.? and the chief fans take on this idotic change in philosiphy http://www.chiefshuddle.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15044
It's actually not a bad plan. With the losses on the OL, Green won't be able to just stand back there and throw the ball. They have the best pure RB in the league in Larry Johnson, and he should be the main weapon. I wouldn't go too conservative, as the attack should be balanced, but putting a lot of the weight on Johnsons back isn't a bad plan at all.
One of the biggest things that used to annoy the hell out of me was the amount of time that it took the offense to get a play and get to the line. They always seemed they were dragging ass, no matter who the OC was. I'll be curious if that becomes an issue there in KC.
See if you Herm enthusiasts can follow me here: I can't tell which Herm I like better - (a) Morose Herm: that sullen character you get after a four game losing streak; (b) Exuberant Herm: that "fresh and new" guy, full of pep, that you get at the beginning of a new season or new job; or (c) Out-of-Ideas Herm: that nutsy dude that doesn't have a clue about what he's going to say when he gets to the podium, but somehow works his way into a crazy stream of consciousness. Morose Herm would be more cool to watch if we weren't all Jets fans. Morose Herm gave us the "We're in the playoff because we got a letter from the Commissioner" speech. I'll always have a soft spot for Morose Herm. Exuberant Herm I just can't take seriously. I remember watching an NFL Films thing on Herm last year, and they showed clips from training camp. Exuberant Herm was in his glory screaming such nonsense to the team as, "You can't have ILLegal procedure unless you first have LEGAL procedure," and, talking to the visiting referee, "Hey Ref, call it how you see it. We'll still give you lunch." Exuberant Herm bores me a little. Seems so forced. I think Out-of-Ideas Herm might be my favorite. I could change any minute. "It's like one of those horses in Central Park." "I never caught a chicken." "Like a dog chasing a car. . . now riding in the car." Those are some of my favorite lines by ANYONE. EVER. BUt they're flavors. Depending on the day, I could go anywhich way. These days, all we're getting out of Kansas City is Exuberant Herm. "Ya’ gotta put pads on, ‘cuz officially they hafta play in pads. I mean, the game we play, you hafta tackle, you hafta run, you hafta hit, so you hafta put pads on. . . " It's been weak stuff lately. I'm dying for him to start a presser with, "It's like a rack of overcooked ribs," or maybe an extended nonsense rant (rantsense?): "We're here in Kansas City. We may be in a city, but we ain't in Kansas anymore. We're here. And here is pretty good. But we're here to play football. And it ain't Kansas football. It's Kansas CITY football."
