Practice Report 9/30 Updated

From the Truman Sports Complex

The changing Chiefs roster this week had nothing to do with the results of last Sunday’s game in Philadelphia.

“We’ve made it pretty clear whenever we have the opportunity to make this team better whether now or in the future, we are going to do it,” said Haley, a day after the club swapped  out three spots  on the active roster. “We are in the process of shaping this team and I think it’s critical that we understand,  all the players understand that this is the beginning stages of the process.

“One thing that’s made clear to the players is that there are going to be changes as we try to improve and get better reach week. They can’t let it effect them in any way shape or form. That’s the way we are going to continue to operate.”

New faces on the field Wednesday morning for their first practice session of the week were TE Leonard Pope, LB David  Herron and CB Mike Richardson. Pope is wearing No. 45, Herron has No. 42 and Richardson No. 23. …Read More!

As The Roster Door Turns … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

Scott Pioli and Todd Haley promised after the NFL Draft back in April that they were not done trying to improve the Chiefs roster.

They said it again at the end of training camp.

They are proving men of their word when it comes to personnel matters. By the time the door to the Chiefs roster stops spinning this week there will be at least three new faces on the 53-man active roster. Tyler Thigpen, Monty Beisel and Ricardo Colclough got their walking papers on Tuesday. OT Leonard Pope (left) was officially added, with two spots remaining open.

Sounds like one of those could go to former Packers OT Mark Tauscher, who worked out on Tuesday at the team’s facilities. Tauscher is coming off a knee injury and was not re-signed by Green Bay.

What does all this coming and going accomplish? So far, not much based on the team’s record. Pioli has talked about the number of players he inherited who have been removed from the roster and only a few have since found work in the NFL (see the chart below.) Right now that number of players who were on the active roster-injured reserve-practice squad when Pioli took over and are now gone is 32. Only six are on NFL active rosters right now. …Read More!

Beisel, Colclough Gone From Arrowhead

Tuesday was a busy day in the personnel department at the Chiefs offices.

And there’s more to come as two spots remain open on the active roster.

QB Tyler Thigpen was traded to the Miami Dolphins in the morning for an undisclosed draft choice.

Then in the afternoon, the Chiefs released ILB Monty Beisel and CB Ricardo Colclough.

They signed free agent TE Leonard Pope to the active roster. Pope played with the Arizona Cardinals for three seasons, so obviously Todd Haley is familiar with him. At 6-8, 264 pounds, he caught 48 passes for 476 yards and 5 TDs with the Cardinals, where he was largely a blocking TE. Pope had two catches for 21 yards in the ’08 playoffs.

Pope was a third-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft out of Georgia.

They also made a move on the practice squad, releasing TE Tom Crabtree and signing OT Chris Patrick. A three-year letterman at Nebraska, Patrick went to training camp with the Eagles but was released before the start of the regular season. He went to camp with the Giants in the ’07 season. Patrick stands 6-5 and weighs 315 pounds. He was a three-year lettermen for the Cornhuskers.

Thiggy Joins Flipper

On Tuesday the Chiefs traded QB Tyler Thigpen to the Miami Dolphins for an undisclosed draft choice.

That was good news for Thigpen who was trapped in a no-win situation with the Chiefs. GM Scott Pioli and head coach Todd Haley did not view him as potential quarterback for them. There’s a good chance Thigpen would have gone to Jacksonville in a trade before the season’s first game, but the knee injury to starter Matt Cassel put that on hold.

In Miami, the Dolphins have lost starter Chad Pennington for the season with a right shoulder injury. Chad Henne will become the starter. The other quarterback on the roster is rookie Pat White out of West Virginia.

Because of his ability to run and throw the ball, Thigpen will likely get a chance to get on the field with the Dolphins once he learns the offense. This year with the Chiefs, he appeared for two plays against Baltimore, running once for two yards and handing off on the second play. …Read More!

Game-Day Leftovers …Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

They are not there yet, but if the results continue to go south like they have for the 2009 Chiefs, this team will enter some dangerous territory for Todd Haley.

A coach can’t work his team as hard as Haley has done with the Chiefs and expect to be loved and admired. That’s no big deal because most NFL players don’t like their head coach anyway.

But a coach can’t work his team as hard as Haley has and not give the players a little sugar, in this case in the form of a victory. The longer it takes to get the first winning effort of the Haley Era, the closer the locker room will be to tuning out their head coach.

That’s not visible now, but a victory is badly needed by everyone in the Arrowhead tepee.

Here are a few other thoughts left over from the weekend in Philly and what happened on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field: …Read More!

From The Mouth Of Todd 9/28

From the Truman Sports Complex

Everything around the Chiefs these days is very fluid, and that includes the head coach’s weekly press conference. It will now be held Monday afternoon rather than Tuesday.

So Todd Haley met with the media horde and answered questions for 24 minutes at the Chiefs offices. Naturally, the theme revolved around the Chiefs 34-14 loss on Sunday to the Eagles.

Here’s some of the best of what Haley had to say.

ON THE DIRECTION THE CHIEFS GO FROM HERE

“I think it’s pretty clear that our margin of error is not real great right at this time, so we must as a team and as a coaching staff really do everything right – all the little things including technique, decision making – especially against a team like Philadelphia. We weren’t (doing things right) and that’s why we saw the result that we had.

“We’ve got to continue to coach discipline. We just have to get better at the little things. When your margin of error is small you can’t align a yard out of place, or allow a big play to happen. We need to have all those little things coached hard, coached correctly and then we need to execute. I don’t think we do a whole lot different other than focus and not let anything slide. That’s the direction.” …Read More!

Chiefs Report 9/28

From the Truman Sports Complex

There are changes coming with the Chiefs as they lick their wounds from Sunday’s loss to the Eagles and get ready for the visit of the Giants this weekend.

On the team’s depth chart released on Monday, Ryan O’Callaghan is now listed as the starter at right tackle.  For the first three games, Ikechuku Ndukwe was the starter there.

And the depth chart also now lists Ron Edwards as the starter at nose tackle. Edwards opened the game against the Eagles. Tank Tyler had been the starter there for the first two games.

There may be more. Speaking on Monday, head coach Todd Haley also indicated that rookies ILB Jovan Belcher and CB Donald Washington could become major parts of the defensive effort. Belcher played with the starters in the base defense through the second half, replacing Corey Mays. In the nickel defense, Washington was inserted into the nickel back role in place of Maurice Leggett after Philly’s DeSean Jackson scored on a 64-yard touchdown pass.

On the injury front, Haley said the Chiefs would be very careful this week with the hamstring injury of WR Dwayne Bowe. Bowe is unlikely to practice on Wednesday, but may be able to get ready for action by the weekend. 

Haley expects ILB Derrick Johnson to practice on Wednesday. Johnson missed all of practice last week and Sunday’s game with the Eagles because of the groin injury he suffered against the Raiders.

Chiefs Take Another Step Backwards

From Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

The ugly beat goes on.

Even though they were playing a depleted Philadelphia Eagles team, the Chiefs were unable to matchup even against their backups. With youngsters like QB Kevin Kolb, RB LeSean McCoy, TE Brent Celek and WRs DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin leading the way, the Eagles improved their record to 2-1 with a 34-14 victory Sunday afternoon.

Philadelphia got Michael Vick on the field, but head coach Andy Reid did not have Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook and Kevin Curtis, all starters in his offense. Turns out the Eagles didn’t need them.

The 25-year old Kolb threw for 327 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The 21-year old McCoy ran 20 times for 84 yards. The 24-year old Celek caught eight passes for 104 yards, while the 22-year old Jackson led all receivers with six catches for 149 yards. The 21-year old Maclin added four catches for 33 yards.

The Chiefs were ineffective on offense, defense and special teams. They killed themselves again with penalties; in the first half they had more penalties (6) than first downs (5). Todd Haley’s team is now 0-3 this year. The Chiefs have now won only two of their last 19 games, and six of their last 35.

As always, there was plenty to write about.

• Game story: Chiefs overmatched on the field.
• Column: There’s a long road to travel for this franchise.
• Vick: The disgraced QB makes a quiet return.
• Offense: Third down struggles continue.
• Defense struggles & notes.
• GAMEBOOK

Pre-Game Report 9/27-UPDATE-Inactives

From Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

10:37 a.m. – Former Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin will make his first NFL start today, as he opens for the Eagles offense in place of Kevin Curtis. Also, Mark Bradley will take Dwayne Bowe’s spot in the starting lineup for the Chiefs.

10:35 a.m. – The Eagles have made all three healthy quarterbacks active for today’s game, with Kevin Kolb starting and Jeff Garcia and Michael Vick both part of the 45-man roster. Nursing his rib injury, Donovan McNabb is on the inactive list. Because all three of the QBs are active, Philly had to name eight inactive players: McNabb, Westbrook, CB Dimitri Patterson, FS Quintin Demps, G Mike McGlynn, OL Todd Herremans, WR Kevin Curtis and DE Jason Babin.

10:30 a.m. – The Chiefs got a big break as RB Brian Westbrook is inactive today because of an ankle injury he suffered last week. That should put rookie LeSean McCoy into the starting lineup.

10:25 a.m. – Both WR Dwayne Bowe and ILB Derrick Johnson will not play today against the Eagles, as they were part of the inactive listed just turned in to game officials. Also inactive for the Chiefs will be WR Quinten Lawrence, QB Matt Gutierrez, CB Ricardo Colclough, TE Jake O’Connell and LB Pierre Walters. Tyler Thigpen is the inactive third quarterback. …Read More!

Make A Play To Win … Game-Day Cup O’Chiefs

From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

His name was Gerald Hayes.

Two years ago on a September Sunday in the desert, the linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals found a way to make a play with the outcome of a game against the Seattle Seahawks on the line.

Todd Haley says that moment was when the Cardinals learned how to win. He hopes that sometime soon, one of his Chiefs will enjoy a similar moment and help the team stop the losing ways that have become a habit around the team for the last two seasons and two games.

Haley hopes that man makes himself visible Sunday, when the Chiefs make their first trip to Lincoln Financial Field to play the Eagles. Kickoff is noon on CBS-TV.

Trips to the city of brotherly love over Chiefs history have been as rare as victories in recent seasons; it’s only the second time that the red and gold have made a trip to the land of the Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin, Rocky Balboa, Geno’s & Pat’s (cheese steaks for the uninitiated and I think they are both great) and America’s most boo happy sports fans.

This is where the Chiefs hope to find the first victory of the Pioli/Haley Era. For the last two weeks, they’ve been in the game, thus had a chance to win, against both Baltimore and Oakland. Just as this team did last year in a disastrous 2-14 season, they either found ways to lose, or could not find the key to victory. …Read More!

City of Brotherly Love?

From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A sports figure has never really reached superstar status until he’s been booed by the sports fans of Philadelphia. They are equal opportunity in Philly when it comes to making their voices heard. Great players are often targeted more than the not so good.

I mean come on, these guys booed and threw snowballs at Santa Claus.

Folks in the Midwest have often asked me if the reputation of the Philadelphia sports fans was true. Were they really a group that would boo anybody at any time, and were they the most unruly spectators in the country?

My answer has always been yes, and yes.

Over the years, I saw a lot of games at Veterans Stadium and the Spectrum. Baseball, football, hockey, a few college basketball games were spent in south Philly and always something would happen. Fights and drunken brawls were not considered anything out of the ordinary.

I can remember a Phillies-Pirates game where every fan in a half-filled section in the upper deck were all involved in a melee. Security personnel arrived and hauled a couple guys off and it wasn’t a half-inning later that another fight broke out in the same section. There was an Eagles game where I swear to God, the fans booed a couple kids who took part in a Punt, Pass & Kick competition at half-time. …Read More!

Surviving the Philly Blitz

From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

It’s unorthodox. It’s unusual. It can be deadly in a football sense.

When a team faces the Eagles they must deal with the Philadelphia blitz package. Under their late defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, the Birds have been sending extra guys at the passer for the last decade and confusing offensive coordinators and quarterbacks.

Johnson passed away earlier this year and Sean McDermott was elevated to the defensive coordinator’s position. So far, McDermott has changed a lot of what the Eagles have done.

“It looks like they’re carrying over a lot of the same stuff to me,” said Chiefs head coach Todd Haley. “I would say that it’s hard to see a lot of difference now. Coach Johnson was the best as far as the timing and instincts; when he did and didn’t bring (the blitz) and staying ahead of the curve. To me, going against anybody in the league, Coach Johnson was the one.

“So that’ll be on the new guy to pick up from there. But it doesn’t look like a lot is different.” …Read More!

Iowa vs. Penn State … College Preview 9/26

One of the better matchups of this weekend in college football will go down at Beaver Stadium in the middle of Pennsylvania as Penn State hosts Iowa.

With Penn State LB Sean Lee (right) and Iowa OT Bryan Buluaga likely out of this game because of injury, two of the stars on these teams that could move on to the NFL will be missing. But both teams have a handful of players who will make a place for themselves at the next level.

Because of that, there will be a lot of attention on this game tape as NFL teams go through the evaluation process. On top of that, it figures to be a heck of a game. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz is 6-2 all-time against Joe Paterno and last year the Hawkeyes knocked off a good Nittany Lions team.

The crowd will be loud and wild. It will be as good as college football gets.

Game time is 7 p.m. on ABC.  Here are the top prospects: …Read More!

Vick Should Be Home … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

When the Eagles arrive on the playing surface of Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Michael Vick will run out of the tunnel with them. Wearing his familiar No. 7, Vick will be active for an NFL game for the first time since December of 2006.

Vick should not be there.

Commissioner Roger Goodell screwed up when he handed Vick a two-game suspension for this season, allowing him to return for the Eagles third game, which just happens to be against the Chiefs.

Goodell should have suspended Vick for the entire 2009 season. The earliest that Vick should have been allowed to return would have been in the next off-season.

Do not get me wrong here: I believe Vick should be allowed to return to the NFL and to play football. We can debate whether Vick has already received a second chance based on his resume of misdeeds over his pro playing career. But there’s no doubt in my mind that he should have another chance.

I’m not talking about baring him for life. I’m talking about making sure that Michael Vick is really a changed man, because the only way he deserves another chance would be if what happened to him actually brought about a different approach to his life. …Read More!

Cal vs. Oregon … College Preview 9/26

Keep your eye on the backfields in this game, offensively with California and defensively for both teams. That’s where the projected pro talented is playing when these two Pac-10 teams meet in Eugene, Oregon.

Cal RB Jahvid Best (left) is one of the most explosive offensive threats in the country. The junior has a string of seven straight 100-yard games, including all three this season.

In the secondary the Golden Bears have a talented athlete in Syd’Quan Thompson, while Oregon has a pair of defensive backs in T.J. Ward and Walter Thurmond who figure to be early draft choices next April

Game time is 2:30 p.m. and you can watch on ABC.

Here are the top prospects: …Read More!

Hogs vs. Tide … College Preview 9/26

It’s an SEC battle in Tuscaloosa between the Arkansas Razorbacks and Alabama Crimson Tide.

When it comes to potential draft choices, there are not many teams in the country that can put more NFL-type talent on the field than Nick Saban with Alabama. At just about every position group there’s a player who is projected as a early-round draft choice when he becomes available for the NFL Draft.

Two defensive players for the Tide – DT Terrence Cody (right) and ILB Rolando McClain – are both projected as first round talents. Both would be perfect fits in a 3-4 defense, like the Chiefs. Cody is a big man, who has been compared to Ted Washington, who played for years at nose tackle for a number of teams and was impossible to block with one man.

Arkansas has an interesting young quarterback in Ryan Mallet, a transfer from Michigan, who will get his first real test with the Razorbacks in facing the Alabama defense.

The game is on CBS-TV with kickoff at 2:30 p.m. …Read More!

Texans Win First Home Game

It was a rainy Sunday afternoon in Dallas on September 25, 1960 when the Texans played their first home game in franchise history.

An estimated crowd of 42,000 fans turned out for the event, at that time the largest crowd to see a game in the American Football League.

Although wet from the rain, the Texans sent the fans home happy with a defensive-minded 17-0 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Texans had had lost their opening game to the Chargers in the L.A. Coliseum. Three weeks later, they evened the score with L.A. and quarterback Jack Kemp, allowing just 211 yards in total offense. They picked off four of Kemp’s passes, two by LB Walt Corey, and recovered a pair of fumbles.

Hank Stram was pleased with the victory, but not the performance of his now 2-1 team. …Read More!

CHIEFS-EAGLES INJURY REPORT

CHIEFS: QUESTIONABLE – ILB Derrick  Johnson (groin), LB Brian Waters (ankle), TE Jake  O’Connell (ankle) and WR Dwayne Bowe (hamstring). PROBABLE – QB Matt Cassel (knee) and CB Brandon Flowers (shoulder).

EAGLES: OUT- G Todd Herremans (foot) and CB Dimitri Patterson (hand). DOUBTFUL – S Quintin Demps (hamstring), QB Donovan McNabb (ribs), WR Kevin Curtis (knee). QUESTIONABLE – RB Brian Westbrook (ankle), WR DeSean Jackson (groin). PROBABLE – DE Victor Abiamiri (groin), LB Omar Gaither (neck), G Max Jean-Gilles (knee), OT Winston Justicie (hamstring), LB Joe  Mays (shoulder), CB Asante Samuel (neck).

Practice Report 9/25 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

As the Chiefs started their final practice in preparation for Sunday’s game in Philadelphia, ILB Derrick Johnson was riding a stationary bike and WR Dwayne Bowe was practicing, sort of.

Todd  Haley said both would be listed as questionable when the team turns in its injury report to the league office Friday afternoon.

On Thursday, Johnson declared himself out of the meeting with the Eagles because of a groin injury. Of course, D.J. hasn’t realized yet that he’s not the final word on whether he dressess or not. That would be Haley. But his work on the bike indicates his chances of being suited up in Philly are slim.

Bowe was on the bike patrol Thursday and the Chiefs reported him as a limited participant in practice. He was with the offense and receivers in the part of Friday’s session open to the media. But to say he was practicing would be a stretch. Bowe did not run as much as trot on his pass routes. He has what Haley called “a problem with his leg”; he was wearing a wrap on his right knee after practice on Thursday. …Read More!

Mizzou vs. Nevada … College Preview 9/25

Last year the NFL picked clean the roster of the Missouri Tigers, grabbing six of Gary Pinkel’s players including first round choices Jeremy Maclin and Evander Hood.

Pinkel’s program has reached a point where the pipeline isn’t completely empty, but there are not a lot of potential early choices coming out of Columbia this season.

LB Sean Weatherspoon (right) is the cream of the crop and a likely first-round choice based on what he’s gotten done with Mizzou. He’ll lead the Tigers into their game Friday evening against a Nevada team that has a handful of projected draft choices.

Here are the prospects you can watch on ESPN. Kickoff is 8 p.m.: …Read More!

Dorsey Making Progress … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

Glenn Dorsey pondered the question for a few seconds.

“Yeah, I’d say it was my best game so far,” said the Chiefs second-year defensive end. “I’m feeling more comfortable, I’ve lost some weight and I’m trying to get better every day.

“The more opportunities I get, the more reps I get, the more games I play in, the more that comfort grows.

Dorsey was speaking about his performance last Sunday against Oakland. Upon review of the tape by the Chiefs coaching staff, the team’s 2008 No. 1 draft choice was credited with five tackles. He also leaped high to knock down a screen pass attempt by former college teammate, Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell.

Besides showing he has a pretty good vertical leap for a guy that’s just less than 300 pounds, Dorsey was active up and down the line of scrimmage. One of the big reasons the Chiefs defense did such a good job stopping the Raiders running game was Dorsey shedding blocks and getting to the point of attack.

It’s something he must continue to do when the Chiefs face the Eagles in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon.

It was the Russell pass that Dorsey knocked down that everyone watching the game saw and remembered.

“I was going up field and I saw the quarterback backing up, he just kept backing up, so I knew it was a screen, …Read More!

Defense Struggles & Notes

From Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

The game had turned into a game again in the second quarter when QB Matt Cassel and WR Mark Bradley hooked up on a 13-yard touchdown pass. The score was 14-7 and momentum was now wearing a red jersey.

But then Eagles WR DeSean Jackson ran a slant, caught a pass from QB Kevin Kolb and roared off on a 64-yard touchdown that pushed the difference back to 14 points and Philadelphia was never bothered by the Chiefs again.

The Chiefs were in a nickel defense on the play, and nickel CB Maurice Leggett had the coverage on Jackson. Leggett allowed him to get inside of him and that started off the play. After the catch, Jackson made FS Jarrad Page look bad when he ran past him on the way to the score.

The next time the Chiefs came out in the nickel defense, rookie CB Donald Washington was working as the nickel back. It was all part of another very frustrating afternoon. Philadelphia racked up 420 yards, and averaged 6.7 yards per play. They also hit on six of 13 third-down conversion plays. …Read More!

Opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

2009 record: 1-1; beat Carolina and lost to New Orleans.

Last year’s record: 9-6-1, second place in NFC East

Record for the last five seasons: 46-33-1, with three tips to the playoffs, including two NFC Championship Games (2004, 2008) and one Super Bowl appearance (2004). Overall the Eagles went 5-3 in playoffs the last five years.

Last appearance in the playoffs: 2008 NFC Championship Game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale Arizona where the Eagles fell to the Arizona Cardinals 32-25. Philadelphia beat Minnesota by 12 and the New York Giants by 12 to reach the conference title game as a wildcard team.

Head coach: Andy Reid, in his 11th season leading the Eagles, the second longest current tenure in the NFL. He has a 107-69-1 record, including post-season. …Read More!

Not A Lot Of Bark In Vick’s Wildcat Bite

From Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Eleven plays constituted the comeback of the man who just a few years ago was considered one of the best players in the National Football League.

With a pitifully small number of animal rights protestors outside the stadium trying to make a point, Michael Vick returned to an NFL field for the first time since December 2006. That alone made the afternoon memorable.

Certainly, nothing Vick did in the game left anybody remembering the athletic skills that were so much a part of his seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.

In eleven plays, Vick produced seven yards. He only carried the ball once himself, gaining those seven yards. He threw two incomplete passes, and neither one was close to being on the mark. He lined up at wide receiver once, and was out of the play. The other eight times, he took direct snaps in the shot gun and either handed off or pitched the ball.

“Yes it was a very small look,” Vick said afterwards. “We have so much still for the future. We just wanted to go out there and get some looks and see how they were going to play and not tip our hand to what we really wanted to do with this Wildcat thing.

“We’ve got a lot of variations and it’s going to be exciting and I just want to contribute.” …Read More!

One Play That Worked

From Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

There was no Wildcat in the Chiefs offensive attack on Sunday against the Eagles.

But there was a little football hocus pocus, and it turned out to be their best play of the day.

Calling the 26-yard pass from WR Mark Bradley to RB Jamaal Charles the Chiefs best offensive play is damning the 26-yard gain with faint praise. Other than a 13-yard TD throw from QB Matt Cassel to Bradley and a nine-yard scoring pass to WR Bobby Wade, it was the only other significant play of the game.

Todd Haley reached into the offensive fun box in the second quarter and kept the Chiefs in the game, albeit for only a few seconds. On a 2nd-and-17 play at their own 48-yard line, Cassel took the snap and threw wide to the left for Bradley, who was behind the line of scrimmage, making it a lateral. Bradley then ran to his right behind a blocker and threw a rainbow down field where Charles was able to make the catch before the ball bounced off the grass field. …Read More!

Commentary: A Long Road Ahead

From Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

The Eagles did not have their starting quarterback. They did not have their starting running back and the engine of their offense. They were without one of their starting wide receivers.

None of that mattered on Sunday. They were playing the Chiefs.

If you want an idea of how far the Hunt Family franchise must go to become a contender again then simply refer to what happened here when they came to Pennsylvania to play a hurting Eagles team.

Over the last decade, the Eagles have been a lot like the Chiefs were in the 1990s. They are always contenders, they win a lot of games and they are still searching for a championship to validate everything that they’ve done. They have kept themselves among the league’s best teams with judicious use of free agency and heavy reliance on the NFL Draft. …Read More!

Chiefs Lose Bad Mismatch to Eagles 34-14

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

On the day that Michael Vick made his return to the playing field of the NFL, he was but a lounge act.

His young teammates Kevin Kolb, LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson were working the main room on this muggy Sunday and along with a healthy dose of defense, that was enough to beat the Chiefs 34-14, sending Todd Haley’s team to a 0-3 record on the young 2009 season.

Vick barely made a dent in what the Eagles were able to do, running once for seven yards, throwing two incomplete passes and handing off seven times. But when he handed the ball to McCoy, the rookie made Philly forget that Brian Westbrook was out with a bad ankle. McCoy ran for 84 yards on 20 carries with a touchdown.

Second-year man Jackson caught six passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. Third-year man Kolb was subbing for the injured Donovan McNabb and threw for 327 yards and two TDs, along with scoring a TD on a quarterback sneak. It was just his second NFL start.

Add into that offensive equation a defense that held the Chiefs to 215 yards in total offense. QB Matt Cassel threw for just 90 yards. RB Larry Johnson carried 19 times, but gained just 38 yards. WR Mark Bradley and Bobby Wade caught TD passes.

But at no point were the Chiefs competing on the same level as the Eagles.

“I had high hopes coming into this game that we had a good chance to win,” said Chiefs head coach Todd Haley. …Read More!

Practice Report 9/24 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

ILB Derrick Johnson said Thursday after the Chiefs  practice that he would not play this Sunday against Philadelphia.

Johnson suffered a groin injury in that final defensive series last Sunday against Oakland.  He worked in the rehab area early in Thursday’s practice during the time the session was open to the media.

“I’m not going to go,” Johnson said.

The linebacker has been bothered by hamstring and groin injuries since the first practice of training camp. It’s one of the reasons he ended up losing his starting job.

Joining Johnson in the rehab area on Thursday was WR Dwayne Bowe, who the Chiefs listed as a partial participant in Thursday’s practice. It appears to be a right knee problem but  Todd Haley would  only say Bowe “has a little something with his leg. I’m hopeful that it will clear up.”

Everybody else was available and practicing on Thursday as the Chiefs prepared for their trip this weekend to Philadelphia. That included QB Matt Cassel who reports the strength in his left knee  improves on a daily basis.

“I’m getting better each and every week,” said Cassel, who added he came through his first game with no problems. “There was not anything more than normal, just bumps and bruises you always have after the game.” …Read More!

Wildcat Presents Challenges … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

Miami RB Ronnie Brown throws from the Wildcat offense.

Mike Vrabel remembers thinking “what is this?”

Vrabel was lined up at outside linebacker last year with the New England Patriots as they played the Miami Dolphins in Foxboro on September 21, 2008.

Suddenly, there was something not quite right with the Dolphins offense. RB Ronnie Brown was lining up in the shot gun behind the center and quarterback Chad Pennington was … was … where the hell was he?

That day was when the so called Wildcat offense made its debut in the NFL. Other teams had shown those types of plays, including the Chiefs who under offensive coordinator Chan Gailey were working similar ideas all through last year’s off-season and training camp.

What made this different was how successful the Dolphins were with the new offensive wrinkle, plus who they ran the plays against. There were six direct snaps to Brown in this game and four ended in Miami touchdowns, including a 62-yard scoring run by Brown. The Dolphins won 38-13. The outcome ended a 21-game regular-season winning streak for the Patriots.

“It was something that we as players and coaches were totally unprepared for,” Vrabel recalled Wednesday in the Chiefs locker room. “It caught us by surprise. We certainly hadn’t worked on it. They continued to hurt us during that game with those plays. …Read More!

Andy Reid On Todd Haley

Philadelphia’s Andy Reid is one of the longest tenured head coaches in the NFL right now. Reid is in his 11th season as leader of the Eagles. Only Tennessee Titans head man Jeff Fisher has held his job longer; he’s in his 16th season.

He took over the Philadelphia job back in 1999 after coaching with the Packers for seven seasons on the staff of Mike Holmgren. When he arrived with the Eagles, he handled the play calling for the offense. “Early on, I did everything,” said Reid.

Thus, he understands where Todd Haley is coming from as the rookie head coach has also become the Chiefs offensive coordinator.

“Todd is extremely good at what he does,” Reid said on Wednesday. “When I was in his chair during my first year I absolutely did everything. I made sure that every play, every drawing and everything was the way that I wanted it. You build a foundation that way, just like he is doing. …Read More!

Practice Report 9/23

From the Truman Sports Complex

For the first time in a month, the Chiefs had no new faces on the roster for a Wednesday practice.

And all 61 players – 53 active roster and eight practice squad guys – took part in the full pads session.

Really, the only new faces at this workout were manager Terry Francona and members of the Boston Red Sox, who watched practice with GM Scott Pioli. The Sox are in town playing a series against the Royals.

QB Matt Cassel (left knee), CB Brandon Flowers (left shoulder) and LG Brian Waters (left ankle) were all on the practice field and active during the brief window available for the media. …Read More!

Seeds Of QB Controversy? … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

For years, Chiefs fans always railed about the fact that the team never developed its own quarterback.

Once Len Dawson retired, they tried with guys like Steve Fuller and Todd Blackledge, but ultimately no matter who was in charge they usually went with veterans, guys like Bill Kenney, Steve DeBerg, David Krieg, some guy named Montana, Elvis Grbac, Rich Gannon and Trent Green.

Developing a young quarterback takes an awful lot of patience. It takes time. It’s painful and sometimes it’s messy.

A pair of games into the 2009 season, it already appears that some media and fans have absolutely no patience.

How else to describe the tavern talk and talk show babble that Todd Haley should replace Matt Cassel (right) after one start as the Chiefs quarterback. The call has gone out for Brodie Croyle to be the man. Yes that’s the same Brodie Croyle that so many lost faith in over the last few years because he couldn’t stay healthy.

Croyle’s performance against Baltimore and Cassel’s efforts in last Sunday’s loss to Oakland has some people thinking a change must be made. Fueled by the $63 million contract and $28 million guaranteed that the Chiefs handed Cassel before the season started, some of the red and gold faithful figured they were getting a polished product.

They forgot that Cassel’s entire NFL starting experience was just 15 games for a football team that run by one of the best coaches in the business and with a pair of top flight receivers in Randy Moss and Wes Welker.

Cassel is not a refined product, and he showed that against the Raiders with two interceptions and that pass at the end of the first half that should have been two rows into the stands and not in the hands of RB Dantrell Savage. …Read More!

From The Mouth of Todd

From the Truman Sports Complex

Todd Haley met with the media horde Tuesday morning and in 26 minutes there were a lot of things said and a lot of ground covered about the Chiefs their most recent game and the future.

Here are the highlights.

ON WHERE HIS TEAM IS RIGHT NOW

We are 0-2 in the first quarter of the season. That’s the way I look at the season. That’s the way I would like my team to look at the season is in quarters. That’s the way I was taught a long time ago. We’ve got two games left in this quarter and we have to find a way to get a couple back.”

THE TEAM’S QUARTERBACK SITUATION WITH MATT CASSEL AND BRODIE CROYLE

“I think there were a lot of positives in Matt’s performance. There were a few that we would like to have back. I believe a quarterback in a game has seven critical decisions, or throws. A total of seven key plays in 79 plays that really separate winning and losing. There were clearly seven in this game that we would clearly like to do something different.

I like a lot about this guy. Anybody watching you can see the competitiveness; here’s a guy that is injured that was not running with that thought in his mind. He added 34 yards of rushing to our game and when you do that, it’s positive.

“That being said, I’m excited about Brodie’s progress. Brodie getting to play in the first game, got his feet under him, started to gain some confidence and that was clear in this past week’s practices. I expect all those guys to improve every week. That’s their job, and my job, to make our quarterback better every day.” …Read More!

Chiefs Will See Wildcat in Philly … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

When the Chiefs coaching staff broke down the tape of the New Orleans-Philadelphia game from Sunday they saw plenty of Saints, a lot of Eagles and a healthy dose of Wildcat.

The Eagles worked the so-called Wildcat offense big against the Saints. Nine plays in all, including at least one snap in each of their first four possessions. And, they did that without Michael Vick who was still serving his NFL suspension. Plays like the one to the right where WR DeSean Jackson took the snap from center and handed off to RB Brian Westbrook.

But when the Chiefs arrive in the City of Brotherly Love on Sunday, Eagles coach Andy Reid will be able to add Vick to the mix as well.

“You know they are going to use him,” Chiefs ILB Derrick Johnson said on Monday, as the Chiefs came back to work to lick their wounds from Sunday’s 13-10 loss to the Raiders. “They aren’t going to have him and not do something with him. We’ll have to expect the unexpected.” …Read More!

NFL Week #2 Review

A lot of people around the NFL are talking about the success of young quarterbacks like Mark Sanchez in New York, Joe Flacco in Baltimore and Atlanta’s Matt Ryan.

But NFL Week #2 was really a celebration of old quarterbacks and young running backs as the league went through the second line of the 2009 schedule.

Brett Favre (soon to be 40), Kurt Warner (38), Peyton Manning (33) and Drew Brees (30) all led their teams to big victories, with the last three on the road. The Vikings, Colts and Saints are all 2-0 to start the year.

And those young running backs lit up the scoreboard, as 26-year old Frank Gore and soon to be 24-year old Chris Johnson just blew up their opponents.

Manning put the cap on the week with a remarkable effort in beating Miami on Monday night. With a decided disadvantage in time of possession, Manning directed the Colts to the victory and started it all on the first Indy offensive play on an 80-yard TD pass to TE Dallas Clark (right). They held the ball for less than 15 minutes and ran just 35 plays, and won.

“It was about being efficient when it counted, in the fourth quarter,” Manning said after the game. “That’s really what the game’s about.” …Read More!

OPENING DAY FALLS SHORT FOR CHIEFS

AP PHOTO

From Arrowhead Stadium
There were all the elements of a great opening day at Arrowhead Stadium.

The red and gold balloons that are traditionally released before kickoff went flying into the air. There was an Air Force flyover. There was a large crowd. And there were the Raiders visiting from Oakland.

What wasn’t there was a Chiefs team ready to win. Shooting themselves in the foot with mistake after mistake, especially on offense, the team that so desperately needs a victory came up short. The Raiders left with their third consecutive victory at Arrowhead, 13-10.

The stat sheet landed in the Chiefs favor, but the scoreboard is all that matters. They stifled the Raiders offense all day, until late in the fourth quarter when QB JaMarcus Russell led his team to the winning touchdown by RB Darren McFadden.

There’s a lot to cover and here what we have:

• GAME STORY: Raiders show poise and win.
• COMMENTARY: Dumb plays and mistakes kill the Chiefs.
• MATT CASSEL: His dream start turns ugly.
• BOBBY WADE: Busy guy in his first Chiefs Game.
• DEFENSE: Top effort wasted.
• NOTES & QUOTES: Raiders own Arrowhead.
• GAMEBOOK

Pre-Game Report 9/20 Updated

From Arrowhead Stadium

11:30 a.m. – The Hunt family was out in force on Sunday as all four of Lamar’s children are in the house for this game.

Also on the field pre-game were the fathers of both Scott Pioli and Todd Haley, who are visiting this home opener weekend.

10:35 a.m. – It’s  official, Matt Cassel will start at quarterback today for the Chiefs.

And Brandon Flowers will start at left cornerback.

Here are the Chiefs inactives, with a few surprises: QB Matt Gutierrez, WR Terrance Copper, CB Ricardo Colclough, RB Jamaal Charles, G Andy Alleman, TE Brad Cottam and LB Pierre Walters. The inactive third quarterback is Tyler Thigpen.

Charles and Cottam are surprises, since they appear to be healthy scratches who were on the field last week against Baltimore. Expect RB Dantrell Savage to return kickoffs and don’t be surprised if Bobby Wade returns punts in his first game with the team.

Raiders inactives included WR-Returner Johnnie Lee Higgins and RB Justin Fargas. Also inactive are: OT Khalif  Barnes, G Paul McQuistan, WR Chaz  Schilens, TE Brandon Myers and WR Nick Miller. The third inactive quarterback is Charlie Frye. …Read More!

Arrowhead Filled With Stories … GameDay Cup O’Chiefs

There’s one thing that Chiefs-Raiders games have no matter the season, not matter the fortunes of either team and no matter who is coaching and playing.

These games always are filled with a plethora of story lines. There are plot twists everywhere and they always seem to play out on the green grass of Sunday and Monday night.

This Sunday that grass is at Arrowhead Stadium as the Chiefs host the Raiders for another meeting of this 50-season rivalry. Kickoff is noon on CBS-TV.

Both teams enter the game 0-1. According to one guy who used to play in these games, that means their seasons are over. …Read More!

Former Chiefs On Preliminary Hall List

Albert Lewis, Rich Gannon, Leslie O’Neal and Nick Lowery are on the preliminary list of modern-era nominees for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame that was announced on Saturday.

It’s the first step in the voting process that will lead to the Hall of Fame Class of 2010.

Lewis (right) played cornerback with the Chiefs for 11 seasons (1983-93), appearing in 150 games and finishing his Chiefs career with 38 interceptions and 555 tackles. A third-round draft choice in 1983 out of Grambling, Lewis also blocked 10 punts in his time wearing the red and gold. He finished his career with the Raiders. …Read More!

Texas Tech vs. Texas … College Preview 9/19

The first big game in the Big 12 Conference goes down Saturday night in Austin, as Texas hosts Texas Tech.

Kickoff is 7 p.m. CDT and will be televised by ABC.

Last year, the only reason the Longhorns did not get a chance to play for the national championship was a 39-33 loss they suffered in Lubbock, when WR Michael Crabtree grabbed that late TD toss to decide the game. It was the only blemish on the Texas scorecard last year.

This season, the Longhorns are loaded with talent, topped by four-year starter at quarterback Colt McCoy (left). In just the junior and senior classes, scouts say there are 13 draftable players coming into this season.

It’s not the same with the Red Raiders, who lack that upperclassmen superstar like Crabtree that they had last year. That difference in talent is why Texas is so heavily favored at home in this game.

Here are the top prospects: …Read More!

Just Al Baby … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

It was some 25 years ago on a March morning in Phoenix, Arizona.

The NFL owners were meeting at the Arizona Biltmore in the desert. It’s an old school resort, designed under the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright that has been welcoming guests for 80 years. It’s a high dollar joint, the kind that the big-money guys of the league enjoy.

At the far end of one of the wings in the hotel there was a media work room, set aside for the ink-stained wretches to pound out their stories. One morning during a break in the sessions, I was writing in the work room and the door was open onto a balcony. I kept hearing this clinking sound. It would go clink, clink, clink and then stop. Then clink, clink, clink again, and a stop.

I looked over the edge of the balcony and on the patio of the room below me was a man pumping iron on a weight bench. Over and over again with a barbell, clink, clink, clink.

It was Al Davis. He had more hair then and fewer wrinkles, but then so do I. He worked those weights for a good hour. Not bad for a guy who at that time was like 54 or 55 years old. Davis always traveled with his weights back in those days.

Davis was in fighting shape then. …Read More!

Huskers vs. Hokies … College Preview 9/19

There are not many things that pro football scouts can agree on. But to a man, they have nothing but praise for Ndamukong Suh (right).

The cornerstone of the Nebraska defense is viewed as can’t miss prospect in pro football. Suh’s size, speed and strength make him a natural pass rusher, plus he’s smart and appears to have no skeletons in his closet. Scouts say the folks in Lincoln have nary a negative word about the young man whose mother is Jamaican and father is from Cameroon.

Suh will lead the Huskers into Blacksburg to face the Virginia Tech Hokies in Blacksburg in one of Saturday’s big national games. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. CDT on it will be on ABC.

Both of these teams have a handful of potential draft picks, but only a few that are considered sure-fire projections for the pro game.

Here are the top prospects: …Read More!

Vols vs. Gators … College Preview 9/19

When Tennessee and Florida face-off Saturday afternoon, there will be 13 to 15 players on the field that are possible first or second-round choices next spring in the NFL Draft.

The problem for Tennessee, is only one of those players wears the orange of Rocky Top. The rest are part of the defending national champion Gators who are just loaded with talent. Offense and defense, Florida coach Urban Myer has potential pros at every position. There are close to 20 draftable seniors, junior-redshirts and juniors on the roster.

Of course the name everybody knows is QB Tim Tebow (right), winner of the 2007 Heisman Trophy and the leader of the Gators who has been aboard for a pair of national championships. But he is protected by twin brothers who have early-round potential and a very athletic defense.

Here are the top prospects for both schools: …Read More!

Opponent: Oakland Raiders

2009 record: 0-1

Last year’s record: 5-11, third place in AFC West.

Record the last 5 seasons: 20-60.

Last appearance in playoffs: Super Bowl 37, when they lost to Tampa Bay 48-21 in January of 2003.

Head coach: Tom Cable, career record of 4-9 since taking over four games into the ’08 season for Lane Kiffin, who was fired.

Coordinators: John Marshall, defense; no designated offensive coordinator.

Roster overview: The Raiders are largely a self-built team with 29 of their draft picks on this week’s roster, including seven first-round picks (like QB JaMarcus Russel above right), four second-rounders and seven in the third round. It’s a younger group than normal for Al Davis, as there are 24 players who have been in the league three seasons or less and only five at 10 seasons or more. There are seven UFAs on the roster, none of them big-name, big-money contracts. …Read More!

Practice Report 9/18 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

Todd Haley said Friday afternoon the decision on whether Matt Cassel is the Chiefs starting QB against Oakland will be made Sunday morning.

“I think that’s safest with this; if I make a promise now and something may not go according to plan,” said Haley. “Both of those guys, Matt and Brandon Flowers, are clearly ahead of where they were last week at this time, so that’s positive. We’ll make a decision Sunday morning.”

All indications point to Cassel getting the start because of his increased mobility and work load during the week of practices.

“I think there was enough work mentally and physically to feel like he’s ready to go,” Haley said of Cassel. …Read More!

Boise vs. Fresno … College Preview 9/18

Friday night college football lights will be on with Boise State visiting Fresno State in a big game for the the guys from Idaho.

It’s on EPSN starting at 8 p.m. CDT.

For Boise State, this is another step in trying to get into a BCS bowl. The Broncos are 2-0 and with a schedule that doesn’t have many toughies after Friday night. Last year, Boise beat Fresno 61-10 last year and the Bulldogs have not beaten a ranked team since 2004.

There will not be a lot of NFL draftable players on the field in this game, but one guy that will be selected is Boise State CB Kyle Wilson (left). He’s got the tools to be a cover-2 corner.

Here’s a look at the prospects: …Read More!

Run, Chiefs, Run … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

When the Chiefs won so many football games during the 1990s and even into this century, the personality of the team frequently changed.

Sometimes they were strong defensive clubs, other times they could wing the ball all over the yard. Other editions of the team were strong on special teams and most frequently they were able to consistently win the battle of turnovers.

But always, always, always, always the Chiefs were able to run the ball.

In these tough times for the franchise, even the running game has disappeared from the Chiefs.

In the 2008 season finale against Cincinnati, they gained 31 rushing yards.

In the 2009 season opener against Baltimore, they had 29 rushing yards.

Sixty yards in the last two games. Ouch. Double ouch when Larry Johnson’s numbers are totaled: 21 carries for 38 yards. Triple ouch for Jamaal Charles: seven carries for 17 yards.

If the Chiefs hope to make something of the ’09 season and if they hope to win their home opener this Sunday against Oakland, they must become an offense that can reliably run the football every Sunday. …Read More!

Chiefs Waste Good Defensive Effort

From Arrowhead Stadium

Defense has been a problem for the Chiefs for the last few years.

Think back to a year ago in the second week of the season when the Oakland Raiders ran for 300 yards against the Kansas City defense. It was the biggest reason the Raiders walked away with their second straight Arrowhead victory.

They got their third straight on Sunday, but it wasn’t because of the Chiefs defense. With brief exception, the guys in red and gold did a great job on the Raiders attack. They made QB JaMarcus Russell look horrible. They made RB Darren McFadden look ordinary and they did not allow any of the Oakland receivers to make a dent in the defense.

It was a top notch defense effort that was wasted.

“It hurts; it’s so tough,” said CB Brandon Flowers. “We felt like we played well. That’s why it hurts so bad, we played the whole game and for them to come out in that last drive and put points on the board … ” …Read More!

Raiders Own Arrowhead & Other Notes

From Arrowhead Stadium

They’ve got the keys to the Chiefs Kingdom.

For the third consecutive season, the Raiders came into Arrowhead Stadium and went home with a victory.

“To come here on the road and know what you are getting into with the crowd, the noise and the pressures, I did not think we handled it very well,” said Oakland coach Tom Cable. “It was a huge step the Oakland Raiders took today, having a chance to do something at the end of the game. We were behind and we haven’t been able to do that for a few years.”

Cable wasn’t trying to blow smoke at anybody about how his team performed; they weren’t very good. But it didn’t matter because they found a way to win the game.

“It was as poor as you can play offensively, but we still found a way to win a football game,” said Cable. “We didn’t turn the ball over and obviously that was to our advantage. We got a couple of turnovers and I thought our defensive was bend but don’t break all day and did enough for us to win the game.” …Read More!

Welcome to K.C. Bobby Wade

From Arrowhead Stadium

As the newest member of the Chiefs, Bobby Wade has a lot to learn about Kansas City.

But you’ll have to excuse him right now if he’s clueless about our little cow town because over the first week he was in town, Wade saw only three places: a hotel, the Chiefs offices and on Sunday afternoon, Arrowhead Stadium.

Last Monday morning, Wade was waiting for the phone to ring about another job in the NFL. He was released by the Minnesota Vikings in the days before the season opener, but he knew another team would take a shot on him. That turned out to be the Chiefs.

Less than a week later, Wade played nearly the whole game on offense and returned punts as well in the 13-10 loss to the Raiders.

After the game, this was one tired wide receiver. His post-game plans did not include heading to the Plaza or the Power & Light. He was going back to the hotel to sleep. …Read More!

Cassel’s First Start Is A Nightmare

From Arrowhead Stadium

When you are Matt Cassel you have a lot of dreams.

How else do you think this guy survived seven years of college and pro football without starting a single game? One of his dreams was to play, and he enjoyed that last year with the Patriots. Another dream was to have a team of his own, and he’s been given that as the Chiefs franchise quarterback, the guy with the $63 million contract. He looked forward to his first regular-season start and his first trip running down the Arrowhead Stadium tunnel for a game that counted.

But this dream turned into a nightmare Sunday.

Interceptions, mistakes and a loss, 13-10 to the Raiders was never part of his dreams. …Read More!

Commentary: Tough Team, But Dumb

From Arrowhead Stadium

There are certain methods and ideas that are part of the NFL Head Coaches Handbook.

One of those suggestions is that the head coach should pick several themes or traits that are important for his team to possess. Once he has those, he’s advised to keep pounding on those ideas, to drive home the point over and over, so players, fans and the media come to understand what is important.

That’s just what Todd Haley has done over the last eight months as head coach of the Chiefs. He had a vision of three things he wanted his team to be. First, he wanted them to play smart football. Second, he wanted them to be tough. Third, he wanted his team to be in top physical condition.

Smart, tough, conditioned, those are words that have come out of Haley’s mouth hundreds of times. It is his mantra, his chant, his foundation for building a successful football team.

It’s not happening. Oh, the Chiefs show all the signs of being a tough bunch of hombres. They had to be to survive the training camp and pre-season that Haley put them through. That also means they are conditioned.

But they ain’t smart. At times, they are simple one dumb football team. One of those times was Sunday against the Raiders. …Read More!

Raiders Find Poise And Grab Victory Over Chiefs

From Arrowhead Stadium

In the 50-season history of games between the franchises, there have been many memorable moments.

This sunny, muggy September Sunday afternoon will not be one of them.

Oh the Raiders will celebrate their 13-10 victory on the plane ride home and in the East Bay once they land. But when they go in Monday morning to look at the tape, they will find a coaching staff ready to dissect an afternoon of bad football.

As for the Chiefs, this was just another ugly moment in what has become an ugly habit for this football team. While the Raiders found a way out of their misfortune to win the game at the end, the Chiefs could not get it done again.

“Same old story as last year,” said CB Brandon Flowers. “We have a chance to win the game at the end and we don’t get it done.” …Read More!

Chiefs Still Young And Other NFL Roster Notes

Based on the rosters for the opening weekend of games, the Chiefs have the second youngest team in the league, with an average age of 25.89 years.

That was before the addition of WR Bobby Wade, who is 28 years old and the deletion of OLB Turk McBride who is 24 years old.

The youngest roster in the league belongs to Green Bay at 25.7 years. The Chiefs are tied for No. 2 with Indianapolis.

When it comes to playing experience, the Chiefs rank sixth with an average of 3.92 years in the league. Less experienced teams ahead of them were Cincinnati, Green Bay, Miami, St. Louis and Indianapolis. The Chiefs were tied at sixth with Jacksonville.

The average Chiefs player is 6 feet, 1.7 inches and weighs 246.91 pounds. The Chiefs have nine players that weigh less than 200 pounds and nine who weigh more than 300 pounds. They have eight players under 6-feet. The tallest Chiefs are TE Brad Cottam and OT Ryan O’Callaghan at 6-7. The smallest player on the roster is RB Dantrell Savage at 5-8. The heaviest player is O’Callaghan at 330, and the lightest is Savage at 182 pounds.

Here’s the raw data: …Read More!

Practice Report 9/17 UPDATE

From the Truman Sports Complex

It was more of the same Thursday morning for QB Matt Cassel during the team’s practice session.

In the portion of practice that the media is allowed to view, Cassel went through all the position drills, including those that required movement. He seemed to have the same quickness and manuvered as he did during Wednesday’s drills. Cassel’s throws looked strong and accurate and he did not seem to have problem putting weight on that injured left knee.

“I’m leaps and bounds ahead of where I was last week,” Cassel said after practice. “I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress. My (practice) work load definitely went up this week. Coach has said we are going to take it day-by-day.”

That day may be Friday.

“Our evaluation will include tomorrow,” Haley said. “He’s made  progress.” When asked if he would like to have a decision on Friday, Haley said he would.

“There are medical issues involved when an injury occurs and there are certain times that things take. But like I said, the player is doing everything under his power to be ready and that’s usually a good thing.”

Cassel would welcome news as early as possible. ‘Sooner rather than later,” Cassel said. …Read More!

Lessons To Remember … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

Todd Haley didn’t want to talk about last Sunday’s game. “We’ve moved on,” the Chiefs head coach said Wednesday after practice.

Mike Brown didn’t want to talk about it either. “It’s old news,” said Brown. “We’ve moved on. It’s all about the Raiders.”

Understood.

But to get a clear vision of what the Chiefs must do to beat the visitors from Oakland this Sunday, we have only a very small sample to analyze and that’s last Sunday in Baltimore.

More specifically, what happened with the Chiefs defense late in the fourth quarter? It was the critical moment in the game where the outcome hung in the balance. With 5 minutes, 21 seconds to play, K Ryan Succop put his foot into the football and sent a kickoff to the Ravens three-yard line. Chris Carr returned the ball to the 26-yard line and it was there that Baltimore began the drive.

Here is where the Chiefs defense needed to make a stand. They needed to keep the Ravens out of the end zone. They needed to make sure they got their offense the ball back with time and a chance to win the game, or at worst tie the score. …Read More!

Texans Get First Franchise Victory

On Friday evening, September 16, 1960, the franchise that was the Dallas Texans and became the Kansas City Chiefs won its first game.

It came on a cold, chilly night in Golden Gate State Park, as the Texans beat the Oakland Raiders 34-16 at Kezar Stadium.

To say that the Bay Area was underwhelmed by the matchup and the outcome would be an understatement. Just 8,021 fans braved the cold wind blowing off the Pacific Ocean and into the concrete bowl of the stadium.

San Francisco Chronicle sportswriter Bruce Lee had the game story and his lead summarized quite well what happened:

“The Oakland Raiders tried to live by a pass attack and instead died by it last night at Kezar Stadium. The Dallas Texans intercepted five Raiders passes, turned two of those interceptions into touchdowns and with the other four effectively quelled promising drives to take a 34 to 16 victory before 8,021 fans.

“The Oaklanders had little or nothing beyond their passing. Their running attack, except for spasmodic jerks, got nowhere against a strong Dallas line and the Raiders defense leaked badly, especially in the fourth quarter. As was expected the Raiders were hopelessly outmanned in the late going and the Dallas running backs, Jack Spikes, Johnny Robinson, Abner Haynes and Jim Swink were cutting the Oakland line as easily as through butter.”

…Read More!

Practice Report 9/16 – Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

As the Chiefs quarterbacks went through their position drills during the early part of Wednesday’s practice, Matt Cassel was a full participant.

Cassel took part in all the drills, including those that required movement by the quarterback. Last week in these same drills, he did not take part when the quarterbacks shuffled through pads or when they would roll or sprint out and throw.

“As I thought he would, he moved around a little better than he did at the end of last week,” said Haley. “This
is still going to be an evaluation deal with him. He’ll go on the injury report as questionable today.”

Cassel did everything the other three  quarterbacks did. There was noticeable improvement on his pass drops; they were quicker and more pronounced. His follow through on that left knee also looked stronger.

Overall, he looked far better than he did at any time last week.

“To me eye he looked like he moved better in all situations,” said Haley. “To me he was improved.”

Overall, Haley was happy with the first practice session of Raiders Week, where the combination of opponent and a home game has the team focused.

“It wasn’t a hard sell to get guys up and going,” said Haley. “This is a big week for us. It means a lot to everybody in this state and in this city. I thought the players practiced accordingly and got off to a good start.” …Read More!

Passion Back For Raiders … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

“I’ve had a great dislike for the Raiders.”

The statement above was made by:

1. a.) Marty Schottenheimer
2. b.) Carl Peterson
3. c.) Gunther Cunningham
4. d.) Todd Haley
5. e.) All of the above

We found out this week that the correct answer is (e.)

Yes, the game is on with the “Hated Raiders” and Todd Haley has thrown his fuel on the fire.

“Growing up in the household that I grew up in the Steelers-Raiders rivalry was important,” Haley said. “Once you have it I don’t think you ever lose it. It’s not like some point in my life I said, ‘Hey, I like these guys, they’re cool’.”

While Dick Vermeil and Herm Edwards downplayed the emotional elements of the 50-season rivalry with the Raiders, it sounds like Haley is more along the lines of Marty/Carl/Gun, where things are personal when it involves the silver and black.

“I’ve made it clear to the team that everybody in this building needs to have an equal dislike,” Haley said. “We’ve got to start re-establishing the great home-field advantage we have. …Read More!

Wade In; Turk Out

The Chiefs made it official late Tuesday afternoon, announcing the signing of WR Bobby Wade.

The surprise was the move they made to clear room for Wade on their 53-man roster: they released OLB Turk  McBride.

A second-round choice (54th player selected) in the 2007 NFL Draft, McBride was inactive for last Sunday’s season opener. He was making the transition from the defensive line to outside linebacker.

McBride played in 25 games with 16 starts during his two seasons with the Chiefs. He had 47 tackles and one sack. Last year, his season was cut short by a shoulder injury that required surgery and he played in just nine games.

The 28-year old Wade has previously played for Chicago, Tennessee and Minnesota.

Another Veteran WR Arrives … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

The time to sign veteran wide receivers was in March, April & May.

That’s how Bobby Engram came to the Chiefs; he was one of the first receivers acquired by Pioli/Haley in their re-make of the team’s roster. Engram was signed for his ability after 14 NFL seasons to play in the slot and catch passes on third down. He wasn’t viewed in the spring, or viewed now as an every offensive down receiver.

When at team is trying to add experienced pass catchers in August and September it’s pretty good evidence of a rash of injuries or the fact that somebody seriously over-estimated the talent on the roster. With the Chiefs, it’s not a problem with injuries, although they did lose Devard Darling for the season with a torn ACL in his left knee.

Sometime today the Chiefs will announce the signing of 28-year old WR Bobby Wade (right), who will be playing in his seventh NFL season. To make room for Wade, the Chiefs will have to move somebody off the active roster.

Wade is the third veteran receiver that Pioli/Haley have brought in since the start of training camp in hopes of improving the talent level at the position. Amani Toomer and Ashley Lelie came and departed before the season opener.

The duo in charge of the Chiefs has said they will continue to add players to their team if he’s an upgrade in talent. Whether Wade qualifies as an upgrade remains to be seen. Over his career he’s caught 208 passes for 2,491 yards and seven touchdowns. He was a starter in Chicago for the 2004 season, but then lost the job the next year. He started 26 games the past two seasons in Minnesota. In between the Bears and Vikings he spent time with the Titans. …Read More!

Chiefs Open The Same Way They Finished

From Baltimore, Maryland

On a sunny, muggy Indian summer afternoon, the Pioli/Haley Era planted its first flag in the mountain that is the National Football League.

The outcome wasn’t pretty, as the Chiefs fell 38-24 to the Baltimore Ravens before 71,099 at M&T Bank Stadium.

In the franchise’s 50th season of play, the 2009 team made plays in all three facets of the game, but not nearly enough to beat a good team. The Ravens certainly are a good club, a contender not only for the playoffs, but the league championship. They got a very good game from second-year QB Joe Flacco.

There’s a lot to cover from this game and here’s what you can find here:

• GAME STORY: the Chiefs made changes, but the results are the same.
  
• COMMENTARY: Are the Chiefs learning how to win, or learning how to lose?
  
• BRODIE CROYLE: Filled in for Matt Cassel and did a good job.
  
• DEFENSE: Living and dying by the blitz.
  
• L.J. SHUT DOWN AND NOTES
  
• GAMEBOOK
  

Game-Day Inactives/Cassel Is Out

From Baltimore, Maryland

It’s a partly sunny, muggy and windy day at M&T Bank Stadium for the 2009 season opener between the Chiefs and Ravens.

QB Matt Cassel is one of the team’s eight inactive players for today’s game. Along with the other Chiefs QBs, Cassel worked out throwing the ball for about 30 minutes starting at 9:45 a.m. CDT.  Cassel threw the ball OK, but he had no movement either to his left or right and his drops were not quick and certain. Brodie Croyle was the first quarterback in line for throwing the football; expect him to start the game.

Also inactive for the game is CB Brandon Flowers, who was listed as questionable all week with his injured left shoulder.

Other inactives for the Chiefs are:  RB Dantrell Savage, TE Jake O’Connell, G Andy Alleman, OLB Turk McBride and OLB Pierre Walters.

Matt Gutierrez is the inactive third quarterback.

Inactive for the Ravens: RB Jalen Parmele, LB Dannell Ellerbe, OT Oniel Cousins, OL Tony Moll, TE L.J. Smith, NT Brandon McKinney and DE Paul Kruger. John Beck is the inactive third quarterback.

The Mysterious Chiefs … Sunday Cup O’Chiefs

From Baltimore, Maryland

It seems only appropriate that the Pioli/Haley Era would begin here in the town where Edgar Allan Poe spent so much of his life.

Poe was one of America’s greatest authors of mysteries, so there is no better place for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs to take the field for their first game. It goes down at M&T Bank Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens, a team named after Poe’s most famous poem. Kickoff is noon CDT, and you can see it on CBS-TV.

Right now, the team that Haley will lead onto the field is a mystery, certainly the most mysterious collection of players, offense and defense that the Chiefs have seen in more than 25 years, back to when John Mackovic took over as head coach for Marv Levy in the 1983 season.

Since then, when there have been changes at the top of the leadership chain at Arrowhead, it was easy to predict how teams coached by Frank Gansz, Marty Schottenheimer, Gunther Cunningham, Dick Vermeil and Herm Edwards would attack on the field.

But the changes around the Chiefs have been so complete, so overwhelming that after nine months under the direction of Pioli and eight months with Haley in charge, there’s no way to guess what we will see on the field. Certainly, the pre-season provided a look, but the offensive and defensive game plans were vanilla. And, on top of that, the guy coordinating the offense and calling the plays today has changed. …Read More!

The AFL Meets For a Third Time

This is another chapter in the story of the birth and growth of the American Football League.

Dubbed the third organizational meeting of the American Football League, six club owners got together on Saturday, September 12, 1959 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

All six teams were represented by ownership and their lawyers and there was much to discuss on the agenda, including culling a list of potential Commissioners for the league down to three men. That trio of choices was an interesting collection of personalities. More on them later.

According to the minutes of the meeting, the first subject of business was Lamar Hunt reporting that a group trying to get an AFL team in Seattle had been unable to get the consent of the University of Washington to play at their stadium so they were out. As the owners talked about adding two more franchises, they focused on a team out west and a team near New York, to help create rivalries. Barron Hilton, owner of the Los Angeles Chargers said he knew people in San Francisco that were interested in a team. There was discussion of Buffalo in the east.

Hunt told the room that the new league did not want a war with the NFL. As written in the official minutes: “He reiterated his belief that the representatives in the American Football League were primarily interested in bringing professional football to their respective cities and that if any one representing any of the six charger members had as his primary motive making a great deal of money out of football, o r spending exorbitant sums in the establishment of its teams, such thinking was contrary to the express beliefs of t he majority of the representatives. He further stated that he felt there should be a limitation on salaries and that in his opinion the secret of a successful league would be to equalize all of the teams as much as possible so that competition would be keen.”

The next time somebody tries to say that NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle was the architect of the revenue sharing model that made pro football such a success, remember that in September 1959 Lamar Hunt was well ahead of Rozelle and the NFL on the subject. …Read More!

Changing Offensive Face … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

The question was put to Todd Haley in the simplest of terms.

“How much have you changed the offense?”

Haley said without hesitation: “It’s the same offense as the third pre-season game.”

But as Haley spoke, his face was cracked by a grin. It was a cat that ate the canary look, with the feathers coming out the sides of his mouth. It was the type of face that said “and if you believe that one, I’ve got some swampland in Florida that you just have to have.”

When Todd Haley took over the duties as offensive coordinator on August 31st after firing Chan Gailey, more changed than just the guy calling the plays. More changed than the approach and aggressiveness of the play caller.

There are new plays, there are old plays with new terminology and there are more blocking schemes, especially in pass protections. It’s not a complete change, but it’s just about as close as a team could get, especially with just two weeks to prepare for the regular-season opener.

“It’s really different,” said RB Jamaal Charles. “There are a lot of changes and there are a lot of things we’ve had to hit the (play) book on. There’s a lot of new stuff.”

That’s about as expansive as any player would get on the record about the changes. …Read More!

USC-Ohio State … College Preview 9/12

Going down at the horseshoe in Columbus on Saturday is the top college game of the early 2009 season, as Pete Carroll takes his Southern Cal Trojans to play The Ohio State (7 p.m. CDT on ESPN.)

When two programs face off there are pro prospects at almost every position group. USC lost quite a few starters from last year to the NFL, but Carroll’s cupboard is not bare in any manner. With the Buckeyes, head coach Jim Tressel continues to be able to recruit and develop quality talent that pro teams seek.

Here’s a look at the top senior prospects in this game, based on conversations with NFL scouts.

SOUTHERN CAL

FS Taylor Mays (#2) – 63, 230 pounds, SR: He’s considered one of the top talents available in the 2010 NFL Draft, as he has the complete package of size, speed and explosion. Mays is following in the Trojans tradition of big time safeties like Ronnie Lott, Mark Carrier, Dennis Smith and Troy Polamalu. One spot where Mays must improve is catching the ball; in 40 career games he has intercepted just four passes. He reportedly has been clocked under 4.3 seconds over 40 yards; that’s impressive at 230 pounds. Mays moved into the starting lineup as a true freshman because of injury and he’s been there since, with 180 tackles. If he had come out last season, Mays would have been a first-round selection. This year, he should go in the top five.  …Read More!

L.J. Ready For Ravens … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

Larry Johnson is healthy. Larry Johnson is comfortable. Larry Johnson is ready to go.

“You get to a certain age, a certain spot in your life where you just feel comfortable,” Johnson said on Thursday after the Chiefs practice session. “I think that’s what it is, being able to be comfortable and focus on what I have to do Sunday.”

If Johnson can do this Sunday what he did the last time he played against the Baltimore Ravens defense, it would not guarantee a Chiefs victory. But the chances of winning would certainly be enhanced, no matter whether Matt Cassel starts at quarterback or not.

Back on December 10, 2006, Johnson carried the ball 23 times for 120 yards in a 20-10 loss to the Ravens at Arrowhead Stadium. It was one of 11 games where he gained 100 yards or more that season.

It was however, the last time the Baltimore defense gave up a 100-yard rusher. That’s a streak of 35 regular season games since the Ravens allowed any back over 100 yards. It’s actually a streak of 39 games if the post-season is included.

How dominate has the run defense been for the Ravens? In those 35 regular season games, the opponent’s leading rusher topped 50 yards only 14 times and had more than 90 yards only three times. …Read More!

Notes: Nowhere To Run, Nowhere To Hide For L.J.

From Baltimore, Maryland

There was no doubt coming into this game that the Baltimore Ravens were intent on making sure that Larry Johnson never got out of the blocks with the Chiefs running game.

The last time they saw him, Johnson ran for 120 yards, the last running back to crack the 100-yard against the Ravens in the last 35 regular season games.

Make that 36 games, as Johnson ran 11 times for 20 yards. As a team, the Chiefs had 29 yards on 17 carries.

“When you get down by a couple of points and certain things happen, you just kind of go with the flow and do the best you can to help the team stay out of negative downs,” Johnson said after the game. “We got down and there were things we wanted to do that we just couldn’t do.”

Most of the reason the Chiefs struggled was the Baltimore defense and their focus on stopping the run, which is an every game goal, especially if it means stopping Johnson. …Read More!

DEFENSE: Some Very Ugly Numbers

From Baltimore, Maryland

Live by the blitz. Die by the blitz.

The Chiefs were football dead on Sunday against the Ravens because to put any type of pressure on Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco, they had to blitz. There front five – the defensive line and outside linebackers – got to the passer one time in 44 passing plays.

Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast had to dial up extra rushers. The ability of Flacco’s protection unit to pick up the blitz led to the winning touchdown, a 31-yard pass from the quarterback to WR Mark Clayton.

On the play, the Chiefs sent both of their safeties on the blitz. They went after Flacco with seven guys.

And the Ravens knew what was coming.

“We just had the post on and coach made a great call,” Clayton said of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. “That was the perfect call and we caught the defense in the perfect coverage and we were able to execute the throw and catch.

“Cam is very smart and at that moment he told us it was coming and it was going to happen. Sure enough, there was the defense and there was the middle wide open. There was the ball and there was the touchdown.” …Read More!

Brodie Produces Everything But A Victory

From Baltimore, Maryland

In the end, there’s only one statistic that Brodie Croyle cares about.

And after the Chiefs 28-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday the stat next to Croyle’s name is 0-9.

He’s winless in his nine starts at quarterback for the Chiefs. Whether it was in 2007, last season, or the opening week of this season, Croyle can’t get over the hump.

So what he did against the Ravens defense was not important to him after the game. His 116.1 pass rating, his 66.7 percent completion percentage, his two TD passes and no interceptions … all meaningless.

“It doesn’t matter, play well, don’t play well, if you don’t win,” Croyle said. “You still have the same feelings and that’s where I’m at.”

Croyle sensed all week that he would start against the Ravens, but he really wasn’t convinced until Sunday morning at M&T Bank Stadium. He had prepared all week to be the starter, but that something he has always done during his time with the Chiefs. As checkered as his career has been because of injury, Croyle does not want any possible opportunity to go by without him doing everything possible to be ready. …Read More!

Commentary: Can You Learn To Win Without Winning?

From Baltimore, Maryland

It was another moment of defeat for a franchise that has tasted so many bitter cups of football gruel over the last 33 months.

Since losing in the AFC playoffs in January of 2007, the Chiefs are 8-38 in all games, post-season, pre-season and regular season.

They are team for all seasons: they can lose no matter what season it might be. Thank goodness there’s no spring football.

Sunday against the Ravens was another one of those learning experiences. At this point maybe the Chiefs are simply learning how to lose, rather than taking the lessons they’ve been slapped across the face with so many times in the last three years and learning how to win.

Scott Pioli and Todd Haley tried things differently than what the Chiefs did in 2008. Both of those teams had more than 20 new players, but this year’s team was heavy on NFL veterans, while last year’s club was heavy on rookies.

But after one week, the results are the same – another “L.” Experienced hands that have experienced winning – Mike Vrabel, Bobby Engram, Mike Goff and Mike Brown – were all on the field Sunday. They were all making contributions, but they couldn’t turn around this ship that has been aimlessly floating in the sea of losing.

Even when the Chiefs tied the score at 24-all and just over five minutes remained to be played, there was no belief that the guys wearing the red and gold would win the game. The Ravens were a ticking time bomb and they were never worried about the outcome. That’s what winning teams think.

“We never quit,” said Ravens RB Ray Rice. “Nothing phases us. We could’ve easily cracked when they went ahead. But I know when I got out there; there wasn’t a doubt that we were going to move the ball.” …Read More!

Chiefs Changes Bring Same Result In Loss To Ravens

From Baltimore, Maryland

With all the changes, all the new faces, all the blood, sweat and tears, the outcome of the Chiefs season opener at M&T Bank Stadium looked awfully familiar.

Forget the final score of 38-24 in favor of the Baltimore Ravens. Yes, the birds covered the big number that the Vegas odds makers put on them. But the 14-point victory was not a blow out.

It was just like a lot of games Chiefs fans saw last year with a different general manager, head coach, coaching staff and roster. The Chiefs had a chance to win in the fourth quarter, just like they did so many Sunday’s last year.

Brodie Croyle, who started at quarterback for the injured Matt Cassel, led the Chiefs on a scoring drive and when he found TE Sean Ryan for a 10-yard touchdown and the PAT kick was added, the score was 24-24 with just 5 minutes, 21 seconds to play.

All things seemed possible at that point. The Chiefs offense was finally starting to find a rhythm against the vaunted Baltimore defense. The Chiefs defense was giving up a lot of yards (501 yards in all) and spending a lot of time on the field (the Ravens had a two-to-one advantage in time of possession), but they got a takeaway that set up a touchdown and they were still in the game.

But just like so many of those days for the 2008 season, they came up with an “L.” The Ravens scored a pair of TDs in the last 2:06 and won the game they were supposed to win.

And the Chiefs lost the game that everyone thought they would lose. …Read More!

Texans Drop Opening Game To Chargers

The Texans-Chiefs franchise is celebrating its 50th season of play in 2009. This is another look at the founding team of the American Football League.

As he made his way through the stands at the Los Angeles Coliseum just before half-time, Lamar Hunt was thinking about the second half of this opening game for his Dallas Texans.

They were playing the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday evening, September 10, 1960. The Texans held a 20-7 lead at the intermission.

“I was walking to the press box to do a radio interview at half-time,” Hunt remembered several years ago. “I was thinking about how well we played in the first half and I was hoping we didn’t make the Chargers look bad in the second half. I was worried that if we beat them badly it would hurt the growth of the Chargers in the Los Angeles area.

“Well the Chargers come back and beat us 21-20. And I was feeling sorry for them? It was game one and lesson learned. I never felt sorry for an opponent again.” …Read More!

Practice Report 9/10 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

QB Matt Cassel’s left knee must be holding up because he did more in the open portion of Thursday’s practice than he did in either the Monday or Wednesday sessions.

“It’s doing well,” Cassel said of his knee. “I’ve been working hard. I’ve been out there each day at practice. I feel like I’m making progress every day.”

But will he play Sunday against Baltimore?

“That’s up to the coach, ” Cassel said. “I think it’s a decision that will probably go right up until game time. As long as I’m able to walk and get out there, I’m ready to go. It’s their job (coaches/trainers) to decide.”

So what does the coach say?  Same thing as Wednesday, same thing as Tuesday, same thing as …

“This is going to be a full week evaluation,” said Haley. “This will go down to the wire. On game day we will probably still be trying to figure it out.” …Read More!

Living With The Changes … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

Derrick Johnson turned and saw that he was about to be swallowed by television cameras, microphones and notebooks. He sighed. He knew why they were there.

“I want to be out there more right now,” Johnson said. “I’m working my way up.”

Welcome again to Todd Haley’s wonderful world of the depth chart. It’s one thing when a piece of paper comes out and lines up football players on first, second and third teams.

It’s quite another when that depth chart comes to life on the field. For the Chiefs defense, that means that Johnson is not in the starting lineup; he’s been a starter since the first game of his rookie season in 2005. For the Chiefs defense, that means Jarrad Page is not in the opening group; he’s been the full-time starter at free safety since the opening game of his second season in 2007.

That appears to be the defensive plan for the regular-season opener this weekend in Baltimore.

This is unfamiliar territory for both Johnson and Page. The last time the linebacker wasn’t a full-time starter was his freshman season at Texas in 2001. Page started all four seasons at UCLA and only in that NFL rookie season was he forced to watch. …Read More!

NFL Tried To Buy Off Lamar And Kill AFL

This is another chapter in the story of the birth and growth of the American Football League.

The phone call came after the AFL held its first league meeting and the NFL announced they were expanding into Dallas and Houston in 1961. It was early September of 1959 and the phone call was made to Lamar Hunt.

In those primitive days there were no cell phones and portable phones were something that spacemen used in movies and cartoons. Hunt was a busy man, moving around the country getting his new football league up and running. It took him a few days to return the call.

The voice at the other end of the line was the owner of an NFL team; Hunt never publicly identified the man, although he said it was not Bears owner George Halas, who is in the picture at left with Hunt and NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle.

The voice had a simple proposal.

“He called to offer myself in Dallas and Bud Adams in Houston the opportunity to have an NFL franchise,” Hunt said several years before he passed away. “It was not something I considered, but I heard him out on the offer.”

The idea was obvious from the NFL point of view: give the founding AFL fathers teams in the NFL and the new league would die in the womb. …Read More!

Chiefs/Cassel Practice 9/9 Updated

From the Truman Sports Complex

QB Matt Cassel was back on the practice field this morning as the Chiefs went through their Wednesday session in preparation for Sunday’s regular-season opener against Baltimore.

Chiefs coach Todd Haley said Cassel was able to get through practice with no problems. But he was unwilling to commit to whether Cassel will play Sunday against Baltimore. “That’s going to be a situation that we evaluate as the week goes on,” said Haley. “I don’t know that we’ll have an answer until right before the game.”

Haley allowed that Cassel would be listed as questionable when the team’s first  injury report comes out on Wednesday.

In the short window where practice is open to the media, Cassel did pretty much the same work he did during Monday’s practice. He worked that injured left knee in the position drills, although he did  not take part in any drill that required movement beyond a pass drop. Cassel worked some on hand-off timing with the running backs and then threw to the wide receivers.

Just as he did on Monday, Cassel did not look brisk in his pass drops. He did seem willing to put more pressure  on his left knee on the follow through, however. …Read More!

A Flowers Is Blooming … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

When he’s healthy – and Brandon Flowers says right now his injured left shoulder is fine – he’s the best player on the Chiefs defense.

Some would consider that damning Flowers with faint praise, given the performance last year of the defense and the fact the 2009 season has not yet begun.

But all that happened because of the injured shoulder he suffered on August 29th against Seattle is a speed bump on what had been a top-notch pre-season for the second year cornerback from Virginia Tech. Most days in River Falls and then back in Kansas City, Flowers displayed the coverage skills and athletic ability that made him a second-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft.

He also showed something more. Sometime between the end of the disappointing ’08 season and the start of this ’09 season, Flowers got faster. He added another gear. He displayed that a few weeks ago when rookie WR Quinten Lawrence ran a post pattern against Flowers. Lawrence is a raw, inconsistent receiver, but he has one trait that he always shows and that’s his speed.

When he shifted into gear and broke for the middle of the field, Flowers was running with him step-for-step. When Lawrence went a little faster, that’s when Flowers showed his fifth gear, sticking with him and reaching up and poking away the pass that was right on the money. …Read More!

No Promises At Kickoff Luncheon

The annual Chiefs Kickoff Luncheon was held Tuesday at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center.

Many times in the past this affair has been a time when the Chiefs players, coaches, administrators and owners have talked of Super Bowls, playoffs and winning.

Not so for the 2009 version. GM Scott Pioli and head coach Todd Haley never used the words Super Bowl or playoffs as they spoke to the assembled crowd.

They promised only that they and the team would work hard and become mentally tough.

“I don’t know when we are going to win, but we are going to win,” Pioli told the group in the Regency Ballroom. “Until the time that we win, you are going to get nothing but hard work. That’s the only thing that we can promise.

“We are going to work hard, the coaches are going to work hard, the players are going to work hard. Right now we have a group of young men here who know what hard work is about. We are going to continue to work until the job is done. There is no other option. That’s what we can promise Kansas City.” …Read More!

Every Corner Has A Story … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

Monday was the first day of the NFL regular season.

And in locker rooms around most of the league, it was a day where players returned from a two-day weekend vacation. They got a chance to see which of their teammates were still in the locker room, and which ones had their lockers cleaned out and empty.

It’s kind of like the first day of school, with a lot of emotions around the room. Some of the young guys have new locker locations, as they are sprinkled in with the veterans, rather than being grouped together with other rookies. Some guys have new numbers to wear, like rookie OLB Pierre Walters who is now wearing No. 97 after using No. 67 in the pre-season.

In one corner of the room, OLB Tamba Hali had his nose buried in his cell phone, still refusing to speak with reporters, something he started back in training camp. At the other end of the room, SS Mike Brown was talking about the Chiefs defense.

“We’ve got the schemes down and we know what the coaches expect from us,” said Brown. “Now it’s just about reacting. All the thinking is done. From now on it’s going to be more about reacting and playing fast.” Brown is running with the No. 1 defense at strong safety. …Read More!

Analyzing The Chiefs Opening Roster

Todd Haley says the Chiefs have the “right 53″ to head into the 2009 NFL season.

Time will tell if this roster is right or wrong when it comes to producing victories for a franchise and its fan base that is starving to celebrate winning again.

One thing is obvious as the Chiefs get ready to kickoff the ’09 season in Baltimore – this team does not have enough good players. As we go through the roster position-by-position, player-by-player, it becomes abundantly clear that the Chiefs have few strengths and plenty of weaknesses.

Here’s our view with an evaluation for each position, ranked from poor at the bottom, to average, good and finally very good at the top. One hint: the Chiefs don’t possess a position group that ranks as very good.

QUARTERBACKS (4): Matt Cassel, Brodie Croyle (above right), Matt Gutierrez and Tyler Thigpen.

• Lost: Damon Huard, Ingle Martin
• Added: Cassel, Gutierrez
• Analysis: The QB position is improved, even with Cassel starting the season with an injury. He’s shown in his time with the team that he has all the intangibles anyone would want from their franchise quarterback. But he remains an unfinished product, with plenty of mistakes to make and learn from. Croyle’s future is likely not with the Chiefs but he can be a competent backup; plus he took some big shots during the pre-season and got up every time, so hopefully for him his streak of bad luck with injuries is over. Thigpen is a fish out of water with the drop-back offense.
• GRADE: Average. …Read More!

Cassel Practicing With Chiefs-UPDATE

From the Truman Sports Complex

Starting QB Matt Cassel took part in the team’s Monday morning practice, dressed out in full pads like everyone else and wearing a brace on his injured left knee.

But Todd Haley could not and would not shed any light on Cassel’s status for this Sunday’s regular season opener in Baltimore.

“As the week goes on we will know a little bit more with Matt,” Haley said after practice. “It was good that he was out there and able to get through some things.” As to his ability to play this Sunday against Baltimore, Haley said: “I think it was positive that he was on the field today.”

With the regular season underway, the media is allowed only a brief 20-25 minute glimpse into practice. In that time, Cassel worked with the other three quarterbacks on individual position drills. When the QBs shuffled through some pads on the ground, Cassel did not take part.

And when he worked taking a snap and dropping back to pass, he did so gingerly. Same with his follow through on that left leg. It was obvious  that he was far from 100 percent.  He left the field with an ice bag wrapped around his knee.

A true indication will be how his knee responds to the work he does today. The Chiefs do not have a practice on Tuesday, so that’s an extra day for his knee to recover.

“It’s good that this is a long week and we have the extra day,  that will  help with everybody, anybody that’s nicked up,” said Haley.

Cassel will have to go through a full practice session by at least Friday to have any chance to play in Baltimore. “You’ve got to practice to have a chance to play,” said Haley. “That’s true for everyone on this team. I would say there would have to be a full Friday practice to have a chance to play.” …Read More!

Who Is No. 1 On Defense? … Monday Cup O’Chiefs

The Chiefs return to the practice field on Monday and the biggest question after whether QB Matt Cassel is ambulatory is how will the No. 1 defense line up?

When the Chiefs final pre-season game was over in St. Louis last week, the major positive that Todd Haley saw in the loss was the play of his defense. Starting in that game were safeties Jon McGraw and Mike Brown, rookie CB Donald Washington and Demorrio Williams was at ILB with Corey Mays. On the bench was LB Derrick Johnson and at home were CB Brandon Flowers with his shoulder injury and safeties Jarrad Page and Bernard Pollard, with unknown problems.

Well, now Pollard is gone and when Johnson and Page show up for work, the question will be where do they stand and just what will be the Chiefs starting defense look like in Baltimore for the season opener.

“We’ll have to see,” Haley said with a smile after the game. …Read More!

More Moves & Practice Squad

The Chiefs shuffled the deck, but only slightly on Sunday, as they made one change to the roster.

Claimed on waivers was OT Ryan O’Callaghan (6-7, 330 pounds), a four-year veteran who was released by the Patriots. To make room for him, the Chiefs released second-year offensive tackle Barry Richardson.

The Chiefs also  filled seven of the eight spots on their practice squad by signing: CB Jackie Bates, TE Tom Crabtree, DE Dion Gales, DE Bobby Greenwood, G Darryl Harris, RB Javarris Williams and WR Rodney Wright.

Sorting The Roster … Sunday Cup O’Chiefs

It’s a funny thing about the NFL, or the Not For Long football enterprise.

Change is the only constant and Saturday was the busiest day of change in the NFL as 32 teams went from a maximum roster of 75 to 53. I’m no Einstein but that’s over 700 men that were employed on Friday who are without jobs on Sunday.

One would have figured that the biggest roster changes would have come where there were the biggest changes in the franchise decision makers. It would seem obvious that the Chiefs would have a significantly different roster today than they did last season when they went 2-14.

But that’s the funny thing – change is constant but sometimes it’s not as quick as we think. When the Chiefs got done with the moves that allowed them to reach a 53-man roster, there weren’t as many changes as expected.

Pioli/Haley’s first roster is 62.3 percent returnees from last season. Only 20 of the 53 spots are being held by players signed since February. While there was wholesale change in the entire organization, the roster was not shaken up in the manner most would have expected from a new GM, new coach and one of the league’s worst records last year. …Read More!

NFL CUTDOWN LIST

Here are the moves made by NFL teams to reach the league roster limit of 53 over this weekend.

BEARS – released G Johan Asiata, DE Ervin Baldwin, OT Cody Balogh, QB Brett Basanez, CB Rudy Burgess, DE Joe Clermond, FB Jason Davis, LB Marcus Freeman, CB Marcus Hamilton, LB Kevin Malast, WR Eric Peterman, C Donovan Raiola, WR Brandon Rideau, LB Mike Rivera, FB Will Ta’ufo’ou, CB Woody Turenne, G Dan Buenning, CB Rod Hood, and LB Darrell McClover; activated CB Charles Tillman from the PUP List. …Read More!

One Big Surprise In Roster Moves

There really wasn’t much in 21 of the 22 roster moves the Chiefs made the last two days that would qualify as a surprise.

The exception was the release on Saturday of safety Bernard Pollard.

A veteran of 48 games in three seasons with the team and 31 starts over the past two seasons, Pollard was one of 14 moves made on Saturday to reach the NFL deadline for a roster of 53 players. Just 24 years old and a former second-round draft choice, Pollard will very quickly find work somewhere in the NFL.

But why wasn’t he wanted with the Chiefs? It’s hard to give you the straight skinny on that given that Pioli/Haley were unavailable to speak in the last two days. More than likely they wouldn’t have much to say about Pollard even should there be microphones around.

So all we can do is speculate. First, there was the play of three other safeties in the St. Louis game, while Pollard was home in Kansas City. Jon McGraw, Mike Brown and DaJuan Morgan were the best defenders on the field for the Chiefs. McGraw came back from a bad game against Seattle last weekend, while Brown got his first extensive playing time. Morgan was all over the field.

We do not know why Pollard was not practicing last week and why he wasn’t available for the game. Early in training camp he did tweak an ankle, but he did not miss a practice. …Read More!

Chiefs Make 14 Moves To Reach 53

The Chiefs reached the NFL regular-season roster limit of 53 players on Saturday afternoon. But don’t bet on that the same 53 will be the group that gets ready to play the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday in the ’09 oepner.

There’s a good chance a few more bodies may come off and onto the roster as the Chiefs sift through today’s waivers in search of players that are better than what they currently have on the roster.

Among the moves, there was one surprise: the Chiefs released SS Bernard Pollard. In his fourth season out of Purdue, Pollard was a second-round draft choice in 2006. He had been the starter at that spot since 2007, and worked all through the pre-season as the starter. Not until this past week was he removed from the lineup, replaced by veteran S Mike Brown.

Fifth-round draft choice G/T Colin Brown was placed on the injured-reserve list, ending his season.

Otherwise there were really no surprises. Veteran ILB Zach Thomas was released; he’s spent most of training camp and pre-season trying to comeback from an injury. WR Ashley Lelie was released as well.

Sent to waiver wire were first-year players NT Derke Lokey and WR Rodney Wright.

The only draft choice to be released was seventh-round RB Javarris Williams.

Also released were undrafted college free agents CB Jackie Bates, WR Taurus Johnson, DE Bobby Greenwood, DE Dion Gales, TE Tom Crabtree, G Darryl Harris and S Ricky Price.

We will have more later today and tomorrow on the Chiefs roster and preparations for the Ravens.

The Slicing Begins At Arrowhead … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

It’s the time of year where dreams are made and shattered, all in the matter of seconds. The NFL’s 32 teams are all trying to reach the 53-man roster limit by 3 p.m. CDT on Saturday.

Some get the jump on the whole process and move on. That’s what Arizona did on Friday, slicing down to the regular-season maximum and releasing all the names. Others like to drag things out and won’t make any moves public until after the deadline.

The Chiefs would land somewhere between those extremes, as they announced Friday afternoon that they released eight players. They may have released more, but they weren’t talking about anything.

And there was something to talk about in the first eight cuts. If you haven’t liked the play of the Chiefs offensive line in the pre-season then Pioli/Haley showed on Friday that they agree, as they sliced four blockers. That group included OT Damion McIntosh (wearing No. 77 to the left), a guy who has started 111 games in the NFL.

Three other linemen were released as well: T Fred Taylor, G Tavares Washington and C Eric Ghiaciuc. Also sent to the waiver wire were CB Londen Fryar, LB Corey Smith, FB Jed Collins and CB Travis Daniels.

Here’s a look at all eight cuts and the ramifications for the Chiefs: …Read More!

Yes There Were Some Positives …. Really

 From St. Louis, Missouri

The search for positives from Thursday night’s Chiefs pre-season finale is a difficult one, about a step easier than finding a needle in a haystack.

The No. 1 defense … running game … punter … kicker … and … OK, so we found the needles.

Todd Haley immediately went to those in his post-game comments.

“Defensively, I thought we did an excellent job; we gave up one touchdown,” Haley said. “Early in the game, we were pretty solid and guys looked like they knew what they were doing. Offensively, running the football I thought was something to feel good about.

“The defense was definitely a bright spot. There are some signs that there are some guys that are starting to get it. It looks like we are starting to get a corps of guys that understands what we are asking of them and how we want it done. The trick is going to be the rest, the fringe guys on board.” …Read More!

Busy Head Coach/Coordinator & Notes

From St. Louis, Missouri

About 90 minutes before kickoff of all NFL games, whether pre-season or regular season, a pair of game officials is escorted into each locker room to meet with the head coaches. It’s a “Hi, how are you?” type meeting, where any issues involving that particular game are discussed.

On Thursday night at the Edwards Jones Dome when the officials went to the Chiefs locker room they got a surprise: the head coach wasn’t there.

Todd Haley was busy, so the officials had to go on the playing field to find him. When one is the head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, there are plenty of things to do before the game, including watching your receivers and quarterbacks warm up.

It was the first game of the new offensive set up for the Chiefs, with Haley handling the play calling after removing Chan Gailey from the job.

“I made a few mistakes out there, but overall it felt good,” said Haley, who admitted he was a little rusty on the play calling end. “Obviously there are a couple plays that I would like to have back that came out of my mouth.

“The first series I had to remind myself a couple of times and they were yelling at me for being on the wrong airwaves. After I got the feel, I didn’t feel too out of synch with the game and what was going on. Overall, it was OK.” …Read More!

QBs Struggling As Pre-Season Ends

From St. Louis, Missouri

If Friday night was an audition to see who would start the season opener at quarterback for the Chiefs, it’s hard to believe either Brodie Croyle or Tyler Thigpen nailed down the job with their performance against St. Louis in the Edwards Jones Dome.

 OK, maybe Croyle assured himself the job because he was less bad than Thigpen. But that’s because Thigpen was really bad.

“It is still not where we need to be,” Todd Haley said of his quarterback play.

Oh my, that was the understatement of the evening.

Croyle got the start and could not lead the offense to a touchdown in seven possessions. His numbers were not good: five of 16 for 85 yards. He was sacked twice.

“Brodie Croyle was OK at times and erratic at times,” said Haley. “Again, it’s the quarterback’s job to not get sacked in the red area. He had a couple of chances to make big plays throwing it, but we weren’t able to.”

Here’s how bad things were for Croyle throwing the ball: he tried seven different times in the first half to get the ball to WR Dwayne Bowe. The results of those throws? Bowe did not have a catch. …Read More!

Chiefs Stumble To Pre-Season End, Losing 17-9

From St. Louis, Missouri

The first thing that Missouri Governor Jay Nixon should do Friday morning upon his return to the state capitol in Jefferson City is call Washington.

Nixon should immediately appeal for emergency relief funds from the federal government pinpointed to help the disaster that is professional football in the state of Missouri.

A major stinker was Thursday night’s game between the Rams and Chiefs at the Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis grabbed the 17-9 victory to finish the pre-season with a 3-1 record. That may be more games than the Rams win during the regular season. First-year head coach Steve Spagnuolo has a struggling team with few offensive weapons, a banged up quarterback and a defense that’s working hard.

Sound familiar? The Chiefs earned the defeat and they finished Todd Haley’s first pre-season at 0-4.

It also makes them 8-39 in games played in the calendar years 2007-08-09.

“I talked to my father this morning,” Todd Haley said. “He knows the numbers better than I but he told me a lot of good teams haven’t won a pre-season game.”

That’s true. But then, the Chiefs are not a good team. They are not even close at this point.

There was some good play out of the first-team defense, as they gave up one TD and did a great job against the run. The Rams kept RB Steve Jackson under wraps, but in the first half they managed just 40 yards on 15 carries and in the game they were able to push those numbers only to 76 yards on 32 carries.

“There were some encouraging things out there today, most specifically the defense,” Haley said. “They did an excellent job. We gave up one touchdown and early in the game, they played hard, they got their hands on the football. I thought we were very good against the run game.” …Read More!

Desperately Seeking Victory … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

Nothing is forgotten quicker than the final pre-season game every year.

This year that’s true for 31 of the 32 teams in the NFL.

The exception is the Kansas City Chiefs. Right now, the Chiefs must approach any opportunity on the field as an important afternoon or evening. In the big picture of things, the outcome of Thursday night’s Chiefs-Rams game at the Ed Dome in St. Louis doesn’t amount to anything of tangible value. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

But in the little picture, this franchise needs to taste victory because the Chiefs have become the NFL’s biggest loser over the last three years. It’s a painful football reality show where nobody is celebrating in the end.

It all began on a January day in 2007 when the Chiefs fell to the Indianapolis Colts 23-8 in a post-season game at the old RCA Dome.

That’s 0-1. …Read More!

Why Football Teams Must Have Lawyers

We don’t spend a lot of time working political angles on this site; too many trap doors there and the rough and tumble, well sometimes it is bloodier than football.

But (you knew there was a but coming, didn’t you!) I can’t walk away from this one.

The website Politico.com reported Wednesday evening that the Federal Election Commission revealed this week that it had dismissed a complaint alleging that the Chiefs had illegally boosted Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign.

The issue is a video that the Chiefs ran on the big screens at Arrowhead Stadium on November 2nd before a game with Tampa Bay. Featured in one of those videos was McCain, who was two days away from Election Day. In the video, McCain praised U.S. military personnel and honored the “hardships, danger and sacrifices you have born so valiantly for us.” …Read More!

Texans Go Unbeaten In Pre-Season

The lead paragraph of the Associated Press dispatch on what happened on Friday, September 2, 1960 captured the important facts of that evening:

“The Dallas Texans stamped themselves as National Football League contenders as well as the powerhouse of the American League Friday night. They beat Houston 24-3 to wind up their exhibition campaign with an unblemished 6-0 record, tops in the AFL.

“However, the Texans most important accomplishment was the drawing 51,000 fans into the Cotton Bowl to witness the charity game. The brand new Texans in a brand new league weren’t expected to pull in more than the 40,000 who turned out to see the Dallas Cowboys play the Baltimore Colts last month in their Dallas debut.”

It was the first chance the football fans of Dallas had to see the Texans. Lamar Hunt and Hank Stram took their team on quite a road show in that pre-season, playing games in Oakland, Tulsa, Boston, Abilene and Little Rock. Even down to the last week they were traveling as they pitched their camp in Fort Worth for the first part of the week.

Dallas welcomed them home on game day with a parade through downtown Dallas. The game against the Oilers was dubbed the Blood Research Bowl, with proceeds going to the Wadley Research Institute for its fight against blood diseases. A crowd of 40,000 was expected.

When far more than that showed, despite a thunderstorm that hit 15 minutes before kickoff and continued through the first quarter, it provided Hunt with a shot of encouragement. …Read More!

OPPONENT: ST. LOUIS RAMS

Last year: 2-14, fourth in the NFC West.

Head coach: Steve Spagnuolo, first-year as an NFL head coach after working the previous two seasons as the Giants defensive coordinator and then eight years before that with the Eagles staff. Spagnuolo is the 25th head coach in Rams history and the fifth person to hold the position in this decade.

Last appearance in playoffs: 2004, when they finished 8-8 and beat Seattle 27-20 in the first-round of the playoffs before losing to Atlanta 47-17.

Starting quarterback: Marc Bulger has a broken pinkie on his right hand and it’s unlikely he will play against the Chiefs. Bulger has said he will be on the field for the regular season opener next weekend. Last year he threw 11 TD passes and 13 INTs, while being sacked 38 times.

Offensive Threats: These are no longer the Rams of the Vermeil-Martz Flying Circus or Greatest Show on Turf. Isaac Bruce is long gone, Torry Holt is gone, Marshall Faulk is almost eligible for the Hall of Fame and Kurt Warner is in Arizona. The power in the ’09 Rams offense is RB Steven Jackson (above), not only as a runner but a receiver. Jackson went over 1,000 rushing yards last year and caught 40 passes for 379 yards. …Read More!

Dealing In Depth Charts … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

Until this last month, there were two words that were seldom discussed by Chiefs fans and the media that follow the team:

Depth chart.

Like everything else around the franchise, that’s changed. Suddenly, the weekly depth chart issued by the Chiefs is a major topic in discussions about the team. I’ve got to be honest, but it’s been years since I paid much attention to the depth chart that’s part of the club’s weekly publicity release. There was never really any reason, because changes were obvious on the field, whether in practice or games. The depth chart was never a psychological tool for the coach.

Todd Haley and his coaching staff have turned all that upside down and they have the fans and media talking, along with the players. It’s especially so this week, as the depth chart came out on Monday with ILB Derrick Johnson on the third team defense and Demorrio Williams moved to the first team. Then there was FS Jarrad Page on the second team defense, behind Jon McGraw.

Yet on that same depth chart, Dwayne Bowe remains a third-team wide receiver, when he’s now taking all of his snaps with the No. 1 offense. Rookie Donald Washington is listed as the fourth cornerback on the left side, but he’s taken all the snaps with the No. 1 defense this week and is expected to start Thursday night in St. Louis for the pre-season finale. …Read More!

Chiefs Trim Five

From the Truman Sports Complex

The Chiefs moved five players off their roster to reach the NFL limit of 75.

WR Devard Darling went to the injured-reserve list, done for the season with a serious knee injury. RB Kolby Smith went to the Physically-Unable-To-Perform List as he continues to rehab from his knee  injury/surgery from last November. Smith has a chance to be able to play this year, although he won’t be able to begin practicing until the seventh week of the NFL season.

Released were veteran DE Alfonso Boone, WR Amani Toomer and rookie OT Cameron Goldberg.

Darling’s Season Is Over Says Brother

The Chiefs keep a cap on all information having to do with the team, especially when it comes to injury.

Sometimes that blanket  of secrecy gets breached by family members.

The brother of Devard Darling has told the Nassau Guardian that the wide receiver’s season is done because of an ACL injury with his left knee. Here’s what the Guardian reported:

“Darling couldn’t be reached for comment yesterday, but older brother Dennis explained that it was an unfortunate incident that comes with the reality of playing in the National Football League.

“Football is a physical sport and these things just happen. It was a tough break and it was very disappointing for us and for Devard,” said Dennis. “We were looking for some big things from him this year, especially with him starting at wide receiver, but unfortunately he won’t get that opportunity now.”

Darling was injured in the second quarter of last Saturday’s pre-season game against Seattle.  With the NFL cutdown to 75 on Tuesday, expect Darling to be one of those five moves.

Haley Takes Over … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

We already knew things were different around the Chiefs with the new regime and all.

On Monday, Todd Haley drove that point home once again with his decision to dump Chan Gailey as offensive coordinator.

With that move, Haley did something that Gunther Cunningham, Dick Vermeil and Herm Edwards were not willing to do. All three of the more recent Chiefs head coaches had assistants on their staffs that were not working out and all three soldiered on with those coaches rather than going through with the difficult decision of making a change.

Cunningham, Vermeil and Edwards were also big on allowing their coordinators free reign and they were reticent to inject themselves into game planning and game-day decisions. With Vermeil that approach worked out on offense with Al Saunders, and did not work with Greg Robinson. With Edwards, that worked last year with Gailey, but not before with offensive coordinator Mike Solari. Part of the problems with the Chiefs defense last year was that Edwards and Cunningham were intent on doing different things and the team’s defensive identity was split.

Ultimately when there are those types of situations, it’s the head coach who pays the price in the end because generally there are more defeats than victories.

It appears that Haley is going to work with his staff more in the manner that Marty Schottenheimer handled his over 10 seasons as head coach. Schottenheimer was never afraid to stick his finger into the offensive, defensive or special teams plan; he made known what he wanted and if it didn’t come, heads rolled. …Read More!