Tag: Greg Lewis

Chiefs’ Clyde Edwards-Helaire working to improve as a pass-catcher in 2021

Edwards-Helaire took some time Wednesday with reporters to address his plans to become a better receiver in 2021.

The rookie campaign for Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire wasn’t all that it was expected to be.

Whether it was the rookie wall or a late-season injury, Edwards-Helaire didn’t live up to the hype following a championship season at LSU. He did prove to be one of the best offensive rookies in the league, but he also showed he had some growing to do.

Edwards-Helaire will have more eyes on him heading into 2021 and he’s already working on ways to improve his game. He won’t have to worry much about fighting for a starting job and instead can focus on improving his already vast skillset. On Wednesday, he spoke with reporters to address his plans to become a better receiver under the tutelage of new running backs coach Greg Lewis.

“He brings in that receiving coaching aspect as far as the routes that we are implementing and putting in,” said Edwards-Helaire. “So, just those little things that you don’t get taught from a running backs coach, but you get it from a receivers coach. Then also, it’s not like he hasn’t been in the league eight years and seen some good backs and then also coached some great receivers, so he’s kind of seen it all.”

Having both Lewis and Eric Bieniemy to rely on is allowing Edwards-Helaire and the other running backs to get the best of both worlds. They’re cross-training the running backs to contribute in both the running game and the passing game.

“Talking to Coach Reid and also Pat (Mahomes), there are things we’re implementing to get the ball to the back and just get the ball spread out more,” said Edwards-Helaire. “So, that was one of the things on why I chose to work on my hands and just be more of a threat.”

Edwards-Helaire recorded 36 receptions last season for 297 yards on 54 targets, catching just 66.7% of passes thrown his way. He hopes to improve his pace this season as he expects to be the featured back prominent in one of the league’s most prominent offenses.

“It was seen that I can run the ball between the tackles, outside,” Edwards-Helaire explained. “That was kind of seen, so just being able to also get out, and not just routes out of the backfield but also spread out in the slot position and also the outside wideout position. So, just being able to expand my skill set was my thing.”

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Chiefs announce 8 changes to 2021 coaching staff

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced several changes and additions to their 2021 coaching staff.

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced several changes and additions to their coaching staff for the 2021 NFL season. A significant amount of the changes include shuffling roles around among coaches that were on the team this past season. Here’s a look at all of the changes to the current staff:

  • Greg Lewis has been promoted to Running Backs Coach after serving as the teams’ Wide Receivers Coach since 2017.
  • Joe Bleymaier has been promoted to Wide Receivers coach after serving as the team’s Pass Game Analyst and Assistant Quarterbacks Coach.
  • David Girardi steps in as the Pass Game Analyst and Assistant Quarterbacks Coach after serving as an Offensive Quality Control Coach for the past four seasons.
  • Connor Embree switches to the offensive side of the ball, working as an Offensive Quality Control Coach after working as a defensive assistant for the past few seasons.
  • Terry Bradden Jr. spent three seasons as an Offensive Quality Control Coach, but will now serve as the Assistant Defensive Line Coach.

There are three new additions to the staff, the most significant being former Philadelphia Eagles linebackers coach Ken Flajole. He’ll replace former Chiefs Outside Linebackers Coach Britt Reid, whose contract was not renewed after he was involved in a car crash that severely injured a five-year-old girl. Flajole previously served as defensive coordinator under Steve Spagnuolo when he was head coach of the St. Louis Rams from 2009-2011.

Also joining the Chiefs are former Youngstown State Defensive Coordinator Donald D’Alesio and former Los Angeles Chargers Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Tyler Judkins.

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5 Chiefs assistants who could be promoted to offensive coordinator if Eric Bieniemy leaves

If Eric Bieniemy leaves to become a head coach, who will Andy Reid promote to replace him?

During each of the past two occasions that the Kansas City Chiefs had a vacancy at the offensive coordinator position, they’ve promoted internally.

When Doug Pederson left to become the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles following the 2015 season, the Chiefs promoted then-QB coach Matt Nagy and then-spread game analyst Brad Childress to cooperatively fill the role in 2016. Matt Nagy was promoted to a full-time offensive coordinator role in 2017. When Nagy left to become the Chicago Bears head coach following the 2017 season, then-RB coach Eric Bieniemy was promoted to offensive coordinator.

Now with Bieniemy taking a number of interviews for head-coaching vacancies, it’d only make sense that Andy Reid follows this same path and continues to promote from within his own coaching staff. So who could be the next assistant coach to rise through the ranks and become the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator? Here are the five most-likely internal candidates:

Chiefs’ Greg Lewis sees bright future in depth at WR position

Kansas City Chiefs WR coach Greg Lewis is getting the most out of a deep WR group.

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The Kansas City Chiefs have a ton of speed in their receiving corps, but what may not be as evident is the depth of the group.

The marquee players like Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins are only the surface. Mecole Hardman and Demarcus Robinson are the primary third and fourth receivers, respectively, with plenty of young and talented guys nipping on their heels for playing time.

Chiefs WR coach Greg Lewis played for Andy Reid for six seasons in Philadelphia and now enters his fourth serving as one of his top assistants. Under Lewis, Hill has developed into one of the best receivers in the NFL today and a lot of people are clamoring about what Hardman could do in his second season as a professional.

“I want him to work on becoming bigger, being more explosive,” Lewis said of Hardman. “Obviously, he was explosive last year, but he has more in him and just understands all facets of the offense. I think he did a wonderful job this offseason of doing those things and coming back prepared and ready to get to work, so I’m excited where he is right now and what’s to come.”

Division II product out of Valdosta State, Jody Fortson has been one of the hotter names around training camp. His 6 foot 6, 230-pound frame is eye-catching, but his circus-like grabs are what keeps you watching. Fortson spent the 2019 season on the Chiefs’ practice squad but hopes to make the 53-man roster in 2020.

“Jody came in as a tryout guy and we released him and then he came back and he was playing tight end, then moved to receiver,” Lewis said. “So just really being able to focus on one position, understanding what’s going on with the offense at the receiver position. That’s allowed him to play faster and play more physical and let his natural talent show, and I think he’s done a tremendous job of that throughout this offseason and up through training camp thus far. He’s a guy that’s a workaholic, he wants to be great.”

Having such a deep receiving room is one thing, but making sure those players are ready to step in when an opportunity arises is another. Lewis has done a great job getting guys prepared, look no further than early on last season when the Chiefs were without both Hill and Watkins

“Well, it’s a juggling act with all the receivers that are involved here,” Lewis said. “My big thing and what Coach preaches to me is to make sure everybody knows every position because in a game situation you never know who could go down and what not and we need to continue to put the guys in position to be successful.

“So understanding everything is big and then just technique wise just making sure everybody’s on the same page and able to do the same things, some may be better than others, but we’re able to get the job done with whoever is out there.”

There are many weapons to catch passes from Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, which is why they are one of the toughest teams to slow down offensively. From Hardman to Fortson and everyone in between, it sounds like an embarrassment of riches that Reid, Lewis, and Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy will use to put a lot of points on the board.

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Comparing Brett Favre’s magical run with the Vikings to what Kirk Cousins has done up to this point 

This may surprise some people, but Kirk Cousins’ stats in his first two seasons with Minnesota are comparable to Brett Favre’s two seasons with the Vikings.

On Monday night, ESPN aired a classic Vikings game where Brett Favre beat the Green Bay Packers at the Metrodome. It brought back nostalgic feelings for Vikings fans, with it being one of the most fun seasons the team has ever had. 

A huge reason that season was so fun was due to the magic that Favre brought with him to Minnesota. The news clips of Favre coming back to the game, the Greg Lewis catch and the run that led to a disappointing finish in the NFC Championship game. 

Historically speaking, Favre is one of the best quarterbacks to play the game. And although he was only in purple for two short seasons, he will still go down as one of the best Vikings quarterbacks of all time. 

Being able to watch Favre come into Minnesota, beat his former team twice and take the Vikings to the NFC Championship game will be in the memories of Vikings fans forever. However, the Vikings current quarterback is also on pace to go down as one of the best quarterbacks in franchise history. 

Comparing Kirk Cousins to Favre might seem like a joke to some, but the numbers speak for themselves. The one aspect of Favre’s game that made him so special was the ability to avoid pressure and zip the football into tight windows. This has been one of Cousins biggest flaws to this point, and he himself said in a virtual interview this week that he needs to become more mobile. 

In Favre’s two seasons with the Vikings, he did some great things. His 2009 season was much stronger than 2010, partially because he got injured and missed a total of three games in 2010. 

In his 2009 season, Favre threw for 4,202 yards, 33 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a completion percentage of 68.4. If you combine his two seasons with the Vikings, he averaged 3,356 yards per season, 22 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a completion percentage of 64.5. 

In 2010, Favre was playing into his 40s and battled with an injury. That season never turned out the way Vikings fans hoped, after finishing the 2009 season with a disappointing loss in New Orleans. 

What the Vikings have currently in Cousins is much different than a first-ballot Hall of Fame player entering the end of his career. Cousins is still in his prime, and as of right now will more than likely not be enshrined in Canton someday. There is still time for him to change that, but it looks like that would be an unrealistic expectation to put on Cousins at the moment. 

Having said that, the numbers are still worth looking into. In his best statistical season with the Vikings, Cousins threw for 4,298 yards, 30 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a completion percentage of 70.1%. In his first two seasons with the Vikings, Cousins averaged 3,9506 yards per season, 28 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a completion percentage of 69.6%.

Just comparing the stats, Cousins has been the better quarterback for the Vikings in two seasons, but more goes into it than just stats. Favre played the game in a different way than Cousins, and seemed to trust his arm more as well. The interceptions were much higher, but that was because Favre had more of a gunslinger mentality. 

This mentality that Favre brought to the table is what Vikings fans are itching to see Cousins do. The stats show he is already a great quarterback, but the ability to escape pressure and force throws into extremely tight windows would make him that much better. That ability is what made Favre a Super Bowl winning quarterback.

Favre is high up in the record books in many good categories, but he is also atop the charts for interceptions thrown in a career with 336. Cousins has proven that he has elite accuracy, but it doesn’t always show when he has pressure in his face. His limited turnovers have helped the Vikings over his first two seasons in purple. However, if you were to give him Favre’s confidence and ability to make plays outside of the pocket, he would become that much better of a quarterback even if he threw more interceptions. 

Up to this point with the Vikings, Cousins has been a very good quarterback. The numbers don’t lie, and he has put up just as good of a season as Favre did in 2009. The narrative is there that he can’t win in big games, but he was able to come out of New Orleans with a playoff win last season.

When Cousins’ career is over, how will he be remembered? Who knows? But the quarterback definitely has the potential to be great.

Ex-NFL WR’s Hines Ward and Bobby Engram intersted in coaching job with the Eagles

Hines Ward and Bobby Engram intersted in job as Eagles WR coach

Two former great NFL wide receivers have an interest in sharing all of their knowledge and wisdom with the current group of Eagles skill players.

Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that former Steelers legend Hines Ward and former Penn State star and Bears wide receiver, Bobby Engram, have interest in the job vacated by Carson Walch.

Ward, 44, who played 14 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, just finished his first season as an offensive assistant with the Jets.

Engram, 47, who also had a 14-year NFL playing career, has been an assistant on John Harbaugh’s staff in Baltimore for the last five years. He spent the first four coaching the team’s wide receivers and took over the tight ends this season when Harbaugh brought in former Eagles assistant David Culley to coach the Ravens’ wideouts.

The Eagles will need permission to interview Ward, who is under contract with the Jets and Engram, who is currently under contract with the Ravens.

The Birds will be hiring their fifth wide receivers coach in as many years.