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Let's All Get Behind Alex Smith! Or Not!! (M.E.T.) NO kirk talk---that goes in ATN forum

Veryoldschool

By Veryoldschool
in The Stadium

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Skinsinparadise

Skinsinparadise

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Posted
10 minutes ago, Veryoldschool said:

I didn't follow Smith's career so I'd only saw him play a handful of times before and had no opinion of him.  The team committed to him after now committing to Cousins.  If the team committed I was going to commit to supporting him and I didn't want my fellow Cousins supporters turning on Smith because they let Kirk leave, but wow, I expected Smith to be similar to Cousins.  Last night looked like one of Griffin's games in 2014, WTF?  Dan Snyder committed 71M for this and worse yet traded with Andy Reid to get him?  Only a total fan boycott to force an ownership change will change things.

 

From what some say who cover the team the Kirk-Alex seasons will have more to do with shakeup in the FO and Dan's own feelings about things including hopefully himself than any other dynamic happening.  The Kirk-Alex drill is publicly covered on almost every sports show -- fans that I know of other teams even talk to me about this.  If they end up with a black eye on this especially with Kirk looking like one of the best QBs in the league -- I don't think there is anything more embarrassing to Dan's tenure.   Does crashing and burning make Dan change his ways?  You got me. Probably not.  But he might luck into hiring someone to run things who isn't a twin to his own personality.  That's my one hope.  Will see.

 

Having said that I am not rooting for anything to crash here.  I always root for the team.  And I like Alex as a dude.  And I think he's a good qb.  But if the product of this season is that its clear that Kirk > Alex and they have another mediocre season -- there is some karma to that which I think has some justice to it.  And if that brings some needed change to the FO and humility to Dan -- there might be some good that comes of it. 

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DJHJR86

DJHJR86

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9 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

Galdi is joking right now that the Kirk haters would have had a field day if it were Kirk last night playing like that -- but a lot of them he suspects are staying quiet -- his inference (he's not the only media guy who made this observation) that the Kirk haters have really embraced Alex because he's not Kirk.

 

Galdi is 100% correct here.  I still suspect that the Kirk haters were bitter over who he dethroned to get the starting job, so now they've latched on to Colonel Checkdown solely because he's not Kirk.  And where'd all of those "you guys got a really good player" Chiefs fans go?

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BatteredFanSyndrome

BatteredFanSyndrome

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Just now, DJHJR86 said:

 

Galdi is 100% correct here.  I still suspect that the Kirk haters were bitter over who he dethroned to get the starting job, so now they've latched on to Colonel Checkdown solely because he's not Kirk. 

They are absolutely part of the demographic, but not all Kirk haters are built the same.  The ones you talk about though do exist, quite a few here, who will vehemently deny their dislike of Kirk has anything to do with that though.  Even though it’s all well documented on this forum and many of us do keep a mental Rolodex on this kind of stuff.  I actually think Bruce played his hand well in selling Kirk as a greedy traitor and over time some other fans really bought into that as well.  Add to that the emotional folks upset with Kirk because he didn’t win the team games late to make meaningless playoff runs.  

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Skinsinparadise

Skinsinparadise

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2 hours ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

They are absolutely part of the demographic, but not all Kirk haters are built the same.  The ones you talk about though do exist, quite a few here, who will vehemently deny their dislike of Kirk has anything to do with that though.  Even though itÂ’s all well documented on this forum and many of us do keep a mental Rolodex on this kind of stuff.  I actually think Bruce played his hand well in selling Kirk as a greedy traitor and over time some other fans really bought into that as well.  Add to that the emotional folks upset with Kirk because he didnÂ’t win the team games late to make meaningless playoff runs.  

 

Yeah the irony to all of it and I said so at the time is the KC critics (both media and fans) hit Alex in almost the exact same way as Kirk critics do -- he needs a big supporting cast, is too conservative, doesn't play well in the clutch, too understated.  I found it really weird and funny how some (especially on twitter) embraced Alex as being all things that Kirk isn't and defined Alex as a different kind of QB than he has been in his career to make that narrative fit. 

 

The dude through most of his career is he's super conservative and his thing is not making mistakes.  He is on pace for 16 Tds right now.  I'll give Andy Benoit (ironically known as a Kirk critic) credit for this because he beat it like a drum -- Alex is much more conservative than Kirk let alone him being the let it fly dude.

 

I still think the sample size is too small.  But if the season plays out the way it has so far -- that move specifically at QB will get people fired.  And people should be fired.  And before the big Alex fans jump down my throat -- none of that is directed at Alex as a guy or a player.  I genuinely think he's a good QB even after last night.   But when you have a QB who is hitting his prime years in the house who is distinctly better than the alternatives out there (Alex included) then you don't botch it up.   Let alone botch it up and crow about it.

 

But if you do and you sell the move as the be all and end all and how he's an upgrade -- and yeah they've said it publicly and privately to reporters -- then you better be right otherwise the Qb is too big of a position to screw up royally.  i was on the record in January that if they can't work it out with Kirk go to the draft and go young.  If you are going with a 34 year old QB -- you got to win now.  I don't care about the yo-yo mediocrity.  I'd rather go 4-12 and rebuild.

 

Though I'll double down that the season is young.  The verdict isn't in, yet. Lets see what happens next.  Sometimes being humiliated (this directed to the whole team not Alex) is a wake up call.  Will see.  I hope so. As for Alex being a let it fly dude.  I am open to that too.  Small sample.  But he certainly looks like what his rep has been thus far on that front. 

 

 

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DJHJR86

DJHJR86

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19 minutes ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

I actually think Bruce played his hand well in selling Kirk as a greedy traitor and over time some other fans really bought into that as well. 

 

I'm amazed that there are fans who will believe anything that comes out of his mouth.

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Spaceman Spiff

Spaceman Spiff

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I remember people crying about RG3 not working out setting this team back for years.  Well, that didn't turn out to be true.  Thankfully the Shannys knew what they were dealing with in RG3, which was a one trick pony and they knew how to disguise his weaknesses.  They knew that they'd need a real deal QB and drafted Kirk.  Good thing they did.

 

Not locking up Kirk and replacing him with a guy like this with a contract like this will set the team back for years.  RG3 not working out wasn't a big deal.  Screwing the pooch on the Kirk situation will be.  

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BatteredFanSyndrome

BatteredFanSyndrome

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Just now, Lombardi's_kid_brother said:

I have to say that spending the next three years watching Alex Smith slowly lose athleticism and arm strength is going to be a hoot and a half.

 

Literally all I could think about last night in the midst of it, particularly after that JV floater interception, was “holy ****, 3 years of this”.

 

Obviously he’s not going to play that bad every week.  I’d just prefer Alex not have found what we believe to be his floor in week 5 on MNF in year 1 of this 3 year stint.  That arm isn’t getting any stronger.

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Lombardi's_kid_brother

Lombardi's_kid_brother

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Just now, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

 

Literally all I could think about last night in the midst of it, particularly after that JV floater interception, was “holy ****, 3 years of this”.

 

Obviously he’s not going to play that bad every week.  I’d just prefer Alex not have found what we believe to be his floor in week 5 on MNF in year 1 of this 3 year stint.  That arm isn’t getting any stronger.

 

He's already doing some of those end stage McNabb things (without being 30 pounds overweight thankfully):

 

1. Drifting the pocket further and further away from the line for no apparent reason.

2. Deciding on receivers as the huddle breaks and then throwing them an absolute laser on a five yard slant.

3. Throwing 25 yard deep outs that go 22 yards with an arc.

 

(Speaking of #3, I was at a high school game two weeks. 6A Texas, which is better than the ACC, but not as good as the SEC, I guess. One of the QBs threw a 30 yard out on an absolute rope. It may have been the most impressive throw I've ever seen in person. Texas high school football is nuts).

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Spaceman Spiff

Spaceman Spiff

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3 minutes ago, Lombardi's_kid_brother said:

 

He's already doing some of those end stage McNabb things (without being 30 pounds overweight thankfully):

 

1. Drifting the pocket further and further away from the line for no apparent reason.

2. Deciding on receivers as the huddle breaks and then throwing them an absolute laser on a five yard slant.

3. Throwing 25 yard deep outs that go 22 yards with an arc.

 

(Speaking of #3, I was at a high school game two weeks. 6A Texas, which is better than the ACC, but not as good as the SEC, I guess. One of the QBs threw a 30 yard out on an absolute rope. It may have been the most impressive throw I've ever seen in person. Texas high school football is nuts).

 

#4.  Throwing it into the ground.  Had someone on a slant last night near the goal line, threw it right at their feet.  

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BatteredFanSyndrome

BatteredFanSyndrome

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4 minutes ago, Lombardi's_kid_brother said:

 

1. Drifting the pocket further and further away from the line for no apparent reason.

2. Deciding on receivers as the huddle breaks and then throwing them an absolute laser on a five yard slant.

3. Throwing 25 yard deep outs that go 22 yards with an arc.

 

Our only hope is for this org to cause him to choose early retirement.

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TK

TK

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1 minute ago, Spaceman Spiff said:

 

#4.  Throwing it into the ground.  Had someone on a slant last night near the goal line, threw it right at their feet.  

The McNabb worm burner special #5.

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Destino

Destino

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The interception was memorably bad.  Usually a QB just fails to see a defender or places the ball a little too far inside or high.  Smith has a receiver wide open behind the defense, he just needs to throw it in his vicinity and it’s a catch... but he throws the ball to the opposing db instead.  

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Lombardi's_kid_brother

Lombardi's_kid_brother

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1 hour ago, RandyHolt said:

 

Is Smith late on his reads?  Forced to guess, that is what I saw last night. If you don't have a powerful arm, anticipation and throwing early is a must. 

 

For today, I will ignore all the horrid throws where he missed wide open WRs. I think early pressure on him may have had him rattled. His security blanket, AP, got injured early. On a late throw....

 

I mean, this is just Alex Smith. This is what he does. He's always been really really safe with the ball and very accurate to his backs and tight ends. He's also always been shockingly athletic (Shocking if you didn't see him play for Urban Meyer at Utah, I guess, where he basically invented what Tebow did in college).

 

I don't know if it's risk aversion or the fact that he doesn't trust his arm or seeing a dead body in a number 88 jersey when he was 6. He doesn't throw to receivers. Never has. Apparently never will.

 

Andy Reid had to literally give him a track team on the outside  get him to throw deep. It's the only time that has happened. And clearly, it wasn't even that impressive, because, my god, Mahomes.

 

The Chiefs went a season without a receiver catching a TD. Welcome, to the Alex Smith Experience.

 

Here's the weird thing: he's actually pretty good. I don't know how it's possible, but he is. Of course, he's 34 now......

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Skinsinparadise

Skinsinparadise

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1 hour ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

Alex Smith said himself on his new Cyprus Air commercial...

 

”Just like my team, Cyprus Air is great at upgrades.”

 

Saw that commercial on SNF, right after Dungy was going on and on about how good Kirk is.  Phew.

 

If I can have a dollar for every time I heard that behind the scenes they are told Alex was an upgrade.  Dan's breath of fresh air comment.  Jay saying no doubt he's an upgrade.  And all the other stuff Alex is a winner.  Alex is more aggressive in practice.  Alex is a leader on and on.  Funny that Alex is willing to do a commercial about it.  And from what I've seen from Alex and gauging his personality -- he was just having a goof about it versus probably taking it seriously.

 

The bar isn't as some say here IMO -- with hey maybe Alex isn't as good as Kirk but heck he's good enough and we saved some cap room.  Maybe i'd get that argument if we can talk about what we've seen tangibly with that cap room.  But they didn't go gangbusters with any big FA signings.   So what's the argument Alex and Richardson versus Kirk?   And I like Richardson better than most but I don't like him to that degree. Some say well now they can extend Preston Smith.  Well, will see.  I don't think they are going to be fishing much for the big fish in FA until Bruce is gone.  So maybe next year. 

 

To me the right bar to gauge this is this team better to have Alex versus Kirk.  That story remains to be told.  So far the answer is no.  And I've said many times I'd worry less about this if Alex was the same age as Kirk.  But he's not so the urgency is hot now.

 

And look I think Alex is fine.  I think he will bounce back.    But he needs to be the 2017 version of himself (without the 2017 weapons) for this trade to be justified.  

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Lombardi's_kid_brother

Lombardi's_kid_brother

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2 minutes ago, Destino said:

 

The interception was memorably bad.  Usually a QB just fails to see a defender or places the ball a little too far inside or high.  Smith has a receiver wide open behind the defense, he just needs to throw it in his vicinity and it’s a catch... but he throws the ball to the opposing db instead.  

 

That throw needs to happen right now. He drifted ten yards behind the line to the right and then threw it after Harris had already covered 25 yards. Throw that to Harris at 10 yards, and it's probably a TD.

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