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The Underappreciated Genius of Chan Gailey


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Nice article in The Ringer about Chan's Chiefs, c. 2008:  https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2019/1/18/18188064/kansas-city-chiefs-10-year-challenge-afc-championship

 

Chan's offense(s) just plain worked, at least better than most of the alternatives. I think I was the only person clamoring for him to start Tyler Thigpen with the Bills in 2011-12. I remember Chan stuck him in for one play in a game situation that mattered: he rolled right in some kind of option and completed a short pass. Hey, back then that was enough to inspire faith in me.  

 

Chan on how he came to use college tactics in an NFL offense back in 2008:

 

“We lost our two QBs,” Chiefs third-string quarterback Tyler Thigpen remembers offensive coordinator Chan Gailey telling the team in a meeting. “Tyler is our guy, and moving forward, hey, we’re going to try to build an offense that’s best for him.”  The 6-foot-3 Thigpen played quarterback in a wing-T offense in high school and in a spread offense at Coastal Carolina. The Chiefs signed him in 2007 from the Vikings, who were attempting to put him on their practice squad. With Thigpen as the starter, the Chiefs’ offense was in shotgun almost all of the time. It switched to wristband play-calling so it could run more plays from no-huddle, and Thigpen ran read-option-type plays, utilizing running backs Jamaal Charles and Larry Johnson while he ran out of the shotgun or pistol formation. The receivers, including Tony Gonzalez and Dwayne Bowe, would spread the field to offer a passing threat. These wrinkles are routine in modern NFL playbooks, but they were not in 2008. And the Chiefs players had to answer a lot of questions about them.

“The most frustrating part was the questions from the media. They’d say, ‘You can’t run shotgun all the time’ and ‘You can’t run the spread,’” said Thigpen. “I knew eventually the game would evolve to that.”

 

 

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4 minutes ago, hemma said:

2009 we scored 16.1 per.  2011 we scored 23.3.  

 

I’ll look around tomorrow and see if I can find his departure speech.  

loyal to the end.

Gailey got to work with a declining (32/33 year old) Troy Aikman in his two seasons as Cowboys HC.

Then he got to work with a declining Dan Marino as the Dolphins OC.

Then the Chiefs QB disaster mentioned in the article (Damon Huard? Brody Croyle? Brady Quinn? No wonder Tyler Thigpen had a job)

Then the Bills: Edwards and Fitzy

Then the Jets: Fitzy and Geno

Can we bring him back to work with Josh Allen?  I mean, seriously ... special consultant or something. I feel he deserves one shot with a seriously talented young QB ...

 

 

 

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9 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

Gailey got to work with a declining (32/33 year old) Troy Aikman in his two seasons as Cowboys HC.

Then he got to work with a declining Dan Marino as the Dolphins OC.

Then the Chiefs QB disaster mentioned in the article (Damon Huard? Brody Croyle? Brady Quinn? No wonder Tyler Thigpen had a job)

Then the Bills: Edwards and Fitzy

Then the Jets: Fitzy and Geno

Can we bring him back to work with Josh Allen?  I mean, seriously ... special consultant or something. I feel he deserves one shot with a seriously talented young QB ...

 

 

 

 

I thought with the Bills he worked only with Fitz...unless you're counting that one game that Trent was so bad that they cut him afterwards. I wonder between Peterman and Edwards who is the bigger training camp hero. 

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2 minutes ago, Reader said:

 

I thought with the Bills he worked only with Fitz...unless you're counting that one game that Trent was so bad that they cut him afterwards. I wonder between Peterman and Edwards who is the bigger training camp hero. 

I checked: you're right. Edwards was gone right away. 

Don't forget Jeff Tuel as a training camp hero!

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14 minutes ago, Reader said:

 

I thought with the Bills he worked only with Fitz...unless you're counting that one game that Trent was so bad that they cut him afterwards. I wonder between Peterman and Edwards who is the bigger training camp hero. 

Actually Edwards started a season 5-0 IIRC until Adrian Wilson ended him.  He was never the same after that.  It was a hit that would have brought a hefty fine now days.

Edited by formerlyofCtown
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Just now, MJS said:

Good OC. Just not a good HC. He shouldn't be making personnel or organization decisions, but he can call a good came on offense.

 

RW was still around.  I just don't think either Chan or Buddy would have hired Dave Wannstadt without arm twisting.  

Same thing for bringing in Vince Young.  Chan's lack of enthusiasm over that move was real clear.

A lot of behind the scenes stuff where Chan the good trooper had to play some bad cards.

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41 minutes ago, Reader said:

 

I thought with the Bills he worked only with Fitz...unless you're counting that one game that Trent was so bad that they cut him afterwards. I wonder between Peterman and Edwards who is the bigger training camp hero. 

 

Peterman is a 10000000000000 times worse than captain check down 

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31 minutes ago, formerlyofCtown said:

I never agreed with the firing and cutting Fitz. I would have liked to see thew with Sammy or maybe they would have chosen a different WR.  One that didnt have glass feet.

 

They were gone a season before Sammy was drafted?...

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