Coach Todd Haley said he meant no disrespect for quarterback Matt Cassel when he refused yesterday to say whether he thought Cassel was the best quarterback in camp.

"This is a full-time evaluation," Haley said. "It's everything that’s going on. You have game situations in which one quarterback's situation may have been a little different than another's. The plays called may have been different. There are a lot of things that go into the equation (so) I don’t think it’s fair (to) any of those guys to answer that question.

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Situational football has become an every-practice thing for the Chiefs under the direction of head coach Todd Haley. At least two or three times in each of the team's training camp practices, they've attacked a drill or a session based on a situation involving time, field position or score.

That will continue into the regular season according to Haley.

"I want a mentally and physically tough team that's smart — specifically, situation-smart ... and the game these days is almost all situations," Haley said. "You're either coming out (of the end zone), you're in the Red Zone, it's two-minute (situation), it's the end of the half, it's short yardage, it's goal line, it's four-minute.

"The game is made up of a lot of situations. In order to be a smart team you have to know what's going on, you have to understand the situation and you almost have to do it without coaching."

It's been a struggle for the younger players on the roster to keep up with the situations. A lot of that has to do with the limited amount of time colleges are allowed to spend with players in practice and film study.

"Guys are coming into the league today and they really are not football smart," said Haley. "The college coaches have a limited amount of time and they have got to dedicate that to game plans and the preparation. We've got ground to make up."

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You know, this year's Kansas City Chiefs are like a complex puzzle full of surprises.

Ever since the new Pioli/Haley Era, fans have been trying to get a grasp on the new identity of this team. Yes, we know that "winning" is always the ultimate goal, but with each change made in either the team's management or coaching staff, there is always anticipation and wonder that put fans in the position of not only being supportive, but speculative as well.

Case in Point, the Kansas City's wide receivers.

One year ago, we were thrust into the Herman Edwards' famous "youth movement". Signing a player over 28 was considered a sin, after all when there is youth, there is always hope, and it was this "hope" which kept fans optimistic (at least until the latter games of the season when Arrowhead was filled for the first time with empty seats).

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Tyson Jackson didn’t make excuses, and he didn’t stretch the truth. He admitted Saturday night that he’s behind, and because of that and other factors, the Chiefs’ defense might be behind, too.

Kansas City’s top draft pick this year, a rookie defensive end who’s expected to become a cornerstone of the team’s shift to the 3-4 defensive front, said his missed week of training camp has cost him.

“I’ve still got a long way to go,” Jackson said.

Jackson, this year’s No. 3 overall pick, said he’s no more than 40 percent comfortable or ready to meet the Chiefs’ high expectations. He said the only cure for the time he missed, which occurred while his five-year contract was being finalized, is more time. More time with his teammates and coaches, and more nights studying Kansas City’s playbook.

Jackson admitted that his rough edges need plenty of smoothing. His technique, he said, is raw. His footwork, he said, is unpolished.

“I haven’t played football in such a long time,” the former LSU star said Saturday.

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Williamson's Take

Tyson Jackson is not happy with his play.

Jackson needs to give himself time. He said missing a week of training camp because of a contract holdout hurt him. That's always the case. But Jackson has three more preseason games to work out the kinks. He will be fine if he continues to work hard.

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