Practice Report 12/31

From the Truman Sports Complex

If there’s anybody on the Chiefs who has checked out early on the 2009 season, Matt Cassel can’t find him.

 ”We’ve had two great days of practice,” Cassel said Thursday afternoon after the Chiefs wrapped up their indoor workout. “We are super focused. Everybody is treating this like a game in the playoffs for us.”

Said head coach Todd Haley: “That’s got to be our mentality. That’s a winning team’s mentality all the time. Guys that are banged up try to play. You practice hard. You do your tape study. You continue to do all the things you did in week No. 1. That’s got to be the mindset and that’s the mindset that I would expect.  I think that’s what they have and I don’t think it matters if you are going for 16-0 or trying to get your fourth win against a division opponent on the road.”

They had all but one player taking part in the practice, as G Andy Alleman was out with a back problem. CB Brandon Flowers returned to full participation with his sore right shoulder after missing Wednesday’s practice. DE Alex Magee was also a full participant on his sore hamstring.

The End of a Decade … New Year’s Eve Cup O’Chiefs

While the official end of the decade for the Chiefs will not come until Sunday and the conclusion of the game against the Broncos, the calendar runs out Thursday evening at midnight. It seems an appropriate time to take a look at the team and the last 10 years.

And what are we to say about the fifth decade of Chiefs football?

As we look backward with the advantage of hindsight, one thing becomes crystal clear: it’s not a pretty picture. The last 10 years were not very successful and years from now Chiefs fans will have only a hazy recall of most of the decade’s 162 games.

The bookends of the decade were the team’s only appearances in the playoffs. At the end of the 2003 season, when the Chiefs won 13 games and decade’s only division title, they had no defense and were beaten by the Indianapolis Colts 38-31. Three season later, they made the playoffs in the most improbably manner, some three hours after their game was over, and played the Colts again. This time they didn’t have any offense and lost to Indianapolis 23-8.

It was a decade where the franchise did not field a complete team in any of the 10 seasons. Sometimes the Chiefs offense was among the league’s best. In fact the Flying Circus of Dick Vermeil rewrote the club’s record book for production of yards and points. Through the first six seasons of the 2000s, the Kansas City offense was never ranked lower than eighth in offensive yards.

But the defense struggled; only twice did the unit finish in the top half of the league in fewest yards allowed, the highest finish being 13th in 2007.

With one game to play, their winning percentage of .429 is the worst of the five decades in the history of the franchise. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: Texas Bowl

Texas Bowl

December 31, Houston

Missouri (8-4) vs. Navy (8-4)

ESPN, 2:30 p.m. CST

MISSOURI

#12 OLB Sean Weatherspoon, 6-1, 246 – He has been a tackling machine over the last three seasons with the Tigers, as he pulled down 130 in ’07, 155 tackles in ’08 and 104 tackles this season. In 51 games under Gary Pinkel, Weatherspoon had 399 tackles, 43.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. He also had four interceptions, including two that he returned for touchdowns. He’s a durable player who missed one game in his college career. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: Sun Bowl

Sun Bowl

December 31, El Paso, Texas

Stanford (8-4) vs. Oklahoma (7-5)

CBS, 1 p.m. CST

STANFORD

#7 RB Toby Gerhart, 6-1, 235 pounds – A first-team All-America selection, Gerhart became a sensation in the ’09 season and has put himself into the first round of the NFL Draft. He has said he’ll make his decision after the bowl game, but there really isn’t much of a decision for him to make because his status in the draft will be high. He ran for 1,736 yards and 26 touchdowns this season, with 10 games over 100 yards and three games over 200 yards. Over his 37-game career, he’s rushed 630 times for 3,387 yards and 42 rushing TDs. He’s caught 38 passes for 387 yards. Gerhart had 19 games where he rushed for 100 yards or more. He suffered a season ending knee injury in 2007. Gerhart is also a top notch baseball player, working the outfield for the Stanford squad. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: International Bowl

International Bowl

January 2, Toronto

South Florida (7-5) vs. Northern Illinois (7-5)

ESPN2, 11 a.m. CST

SOUTH FLORIDA

#90 DE Jason Pierre-Paul, 6-5, 263 pounds – A first-team all-Big East selection in his initial season in the conference in 2009. He played the ’07 season at College of the Canyons Juco where he racked up 14 sacks. Then in ’08 he transferred to Fort Scott C.C. in the Jayhawk Conference and had 10.5 sacks and was first-team All-JUCO. Landed at South Florida in ’09 and contributed 33 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and one interception in 10 games. He’s a junior and has applied to the NFL advisory board for an idea of where he might be selected. After the bowl game, he’ll make a decision on 2010. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: Sugar Bowl

Sugar Bowl

January 1, New Orleans

Florida (12-1) vs. Cincinnati (12-0)

FOX, 7:30 p.m. CST

FLORIDA

#5 CB Joe Haden, 5-11, 191 pounds – Although he’s not officially announced he’s leaving the Gators, everyone associated with the program and Haden believe he’ll announce his intention to enter the draft early next week. Haden was first-team All-America and All-SEC in 39 games, Haden has eight interceptions, 212 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss. He also forced three fumbles and has one blocked kick. This season h has four interceptions and three sacks with 62 total tackles. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: Gator Bowl

Gator Bowl

January 1, Jacksonville

West Virginia (9-3) vs. Florida State (6-6)

CBS, Noon CST

WEST VIRGINIA

#66 OT Selvish Capers – 6-5, 293 pounds – A second-team All-Big East selection at right tackle, Capers began his career with WVU as a tight end, but was moved to tackle in ’07 and has played there since. During the ’08 season, he was effectively a left tackle, since Mountaineers QB Pat White was a left –hander. He seemed to handle that situation without much of a problem. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: Rose Bowl

Rose Bowl

January 1, Pasadena, California

Ohio State (10-2) vs. Oregon (10-2)

ABC, 3:30 p.m. CST

OHIO STATE

#4 S Kurt Coleman, 5-10, 189 pounds – An all-Big 10 Conference first-teamer in the ’09 season, Coleman is a team captain and the brains of the Ohio State defense. This season he had 64 total tackles, with a sack, three forced fumbles and five interceptions. He took one of those picks back 89 yards for a score against Wisconsin, and he added 14 tackles. Coleman also was suspended for one-game by the Big 10 for a helmet-to-helmet hit against Indiana. Over his career, he played in 43 games with 215 total tackles, nine interceptions, one returned for a TD. He also blocked two kicks. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: 1/1 Early Games

Outback Bowl

January 1, Tampa

Auburn (7-5) vs. Northwestern (8-4)

ESPN, 10 a.m. CST

AUBURN
#52 OLB Antonio Coleman, 6-1, 252 pounds – The Mobile, Alabama native has been very productive over his three seasons of action. Coleman was twice named first-team All-SEC. Coleman pulled down 23.5 sacks over his career; that’s third on Auburn’s all-time list. This season, he played the early part of the schedule with a cast on his right hand to protect a partially torn tendon in his wrist. Still he started all 12 games and had 45 total tackles, an interception that he returned for a touchdown, a block kick, a forced fumble and he recovered a fumble. Over 49 games, he had 146 total tackles, 23.5 sacks, 45.5 tackles for loss, one interception that he returned 20 yards for a TD and one fumble return of 34 yards for a score. Coleman has accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: Chick-fil-A Bowl

Chick-fil-A Bowl

December 31, Atlanta

Virginia Tech (9-3) vs. Tennessee (7-5)

ESPN, 6:30 p.m.

VIRGINIA TECH

#17 FS Kam Chancellor, 6-3, 230 pounds – With the Hokies, he played cornerback as a freshman, moved to strong safety in his sophomore season and then to free safety over the last two years of play. Tech coaches thought it would help their team and also help Chancellor in pro football to let him play at safety. He played in 53 games, with 40 starts, all of those at safety. Overall, he had 204 total tackles, with 4.5 tackles for loss and six interceptions. This season, he had 64 tackles with two interceptions. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: 12/30

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl

December 30, San Diego

Arizona (8-4) vs. Nebraska (9-4)

ESPN, 7 p.m. CST

NEBRASKA

#93 DT Ndamukong Suh, 6-4, 300 pounds – We will be brief: considered the top player in the 2010 NFL Draft. Over his 53-game career with the Huskers, Suh had 212 total tackles, 48.5 tackles for loss, 24 sacks and four interceptions, including two that he returned for touchdowns. He forced three fumbles and blocked six kicks.

Evaluation – Suh will be the first, second or third player selected. Most scouts doubt he’ll get past No. 2, with only a quarterback possibly being selected ahead of him by a team like St. Louis. …Read More!

Practice Report 12/30

From the Truman Sports Complex

It’s the final preparation week of the 2009 season for the Chiefs. By this time next week they will have scattered around the country to begin their off-season.

But after the team’s Wednesday practice, Todd Haley said nobody seems to have checked  out earlier on the disappointing season.

“We just lined up out there for the 16th week of the season and ran gassers and they lined up and ran hard,” said Haley. “They practiced hard. They were into it. They were communicating. They are here on time regardless of the weather conditions. They are working together to do the things necessary to be a good team. That’s progress.”

Only three players turned were on the injury/practice report for Wednesday. CB Brandon Flowers was listed as limited, but he did not take part in any of the early practice work and was on the field without a helmet. That’s a pretty good indication of very limited practice work.

Also listed as limited was G Andy Alleman with a sore back. DE Alex Magee had a full practice on the hamstring injury that kept him out of last Sunday’s game against Cincinnati.

It was just 24 days ago that the Broncos slapped the Chiefs with a 31-point defeat at Arrowhead Stadiuim, 44-13.  It was the Chiefs worst Arrowhead loss in more than 30 seasons. The key to that Denver victory was the difference in rushing yards between the two teams, 245 to 94. That 151-yard edge for the Broncos has been a familiar factor in who wins this AFC West battle.

“They have a very good offensive line and the last time we played these guys, they clearly won the line of scrimmage,” said Haley. “Obviously, we have to be better there.”

Chiefs Pro Bowl Streak Ends … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

The Chiefs long string of Pro Bowlers is done.

For now.

But the landscape of the AFC roster will change. In fact, it’s guaranteed to have alterations this year.

The NFL’s decision to play the Pro Bowl the Sunday before the Super Bowl means representatives of at least two teams will not be available for the all-star game. More than likely, that will be two teams with quite a few players on the conference all-star teams.

First, here’s a link to the Pro Bowl teams for the AFC and NFC that were announced Tuesday evening.

In the AFC, the three favorites to end up in the Super Bowl would have to be Indianapolis, San Diego and New England. The Colts have six Pro Bowlers, the Chargers five and the Patriots have four in the game. Over in the wide-open NFC New Orleans has five players in the Pro Bowl, Minnesota has eight, Philadelphia and Dallas both have six and Arizona is sending four players.

There are also injuries that must be accounted for by the time the game comes around on the evening of Sunday, January 31st. Again, the change in when the game is played could open up some more spots. In the past, there were three weeks from the conference championship games to the Pro Bowl. That gave everyone more time to heal, especially those guys that were injured in the last few regular season games. …Read More!

Chiefs Get Pro Bowl Shutout

For the first time in 31 seasons, the Chiefs do not have a player on the AFC squad for the Pro Bowl.

Now, with various injuries to those players announced Tuesday evening, there’s always a chance a member of the Chiefs can be added as an injury replacement.

But right now there will be no arrowhead covered helmet at the game for the first time since the 1978 season.

The Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals were the only teams in the AFC that did not land at least one player on the AFC all-star squad. Over in the NFC, Atlanta, Seattle, Detroit and Tampa Bay were shutout. That’s right, former Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez was not named to the NFC squad, as Vernon Davis of San Francisco and Jason Witten of Dallas were the picks at tight end.

DE Jared Allen was the only former member of the Chiefs to make the game, as he was selected a starter at defensive end for the NFC.

Indianapolis placed six players on the squad, while Denver, Baltimore  and San Diego have five each.

The Vikings put eight players on the NFC team, includig 40-year old quarterback Brett Favre. Philadelphia and Dallas both had six players earn trips to the game on Sunday, January 31st at Dolphin Stadium in south Florida.

College Bowl Preview: 12/29

Champs Sports Bowl

December 29, Orlando

Miami, FL (9-3) vs. Wisconsin (9-3)

ESPN, 7 p.m. CST

WISCONSIN

#89 TE Garrett Graham, 6-3, 245 pounds – A member of the media’s all-Big 10 Conference first team, and he’ll take part in the East-West Shrine Game after participating in the bowl game. In 40 games with the Badgers, he has played 40 games, catching 115 passes for 1,415 yards and 16 touchdown catches. This season Graham caught 45 passes for 547 yards and seven scores.

Evaluation – Good athlete, fluid runner with soft hands. He catches the ball away from his body and runs good, precise routes. He’s a reliable blocker, although not especially strong at the point of attack. He is very good at shielding off defenders as a blocker. Graham is a top motor guy who brings good intangibles to the field. Possessing the skills of a classic tight end, Graham is a third-round prospect according to most scouts. If he can show them some speed and quickness getting down the field as a receiver, he has a chance to go even higher. He’ll have a career in the NFL. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: 12/29

Eagle Bank Bowl

December 29, RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.

UCLA (6-6) vs. Temple (9-3)

ESPN, 3:30 p.m. CST

UCLA

#1 CB Alterraun Verner, 5-11, 180 pounds – Kansas State fans will remember Verner, as he grabbed two interceptions against the Wildcats early in the 2009 season. A three-year starter for the Bruins, he was one of the team’s captains this season and was selected to the first-team All-Pac 10 Conference squad. Verner played in 50 games, with 13 career interceptions and four TD returns, including a 68-yard TD this season against Arizona State. He has 272 total tackles and three forced fumbles. …Read More!

Any Chiefs For the Pro Bowl? … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

The NFL will announce the rosters for the Pro Bowl on Tuesday evening.

It figures to be a quiet evening for the Chiefs. Unlike baseball, where every team is guaranteed at least one player on the All-Star Game roster, in the NFL there is no regulation that requires all 32 teams have a Pro Bowler.

The Chiefs have had at least one player on the AFC team every year since after the 1978 season. They were without representation in 1977-78. The odds would indicate the Chiefs will have at least one player in the game.

In fact, the Chiefs have the second longest streak of consecutive Pro Bowls with a representative at 30 years. Only the San Diego Chargers have sent more guys to the all-star game in consecutive seasons, at 35 years. (Check the chart at the bottom of the story.)

Not that Todd Haley cares much about that streak or what comes down with Tuesday’s announcement.

“The Pro Bowl thing is for the players and I’m about trying to win games,” said the Chiefs head coach. “Right now we have three (victories) and we’re going on the road against Denver and have a chance to knock them out of the playoffs and that’s what I’d like to really get.

“That would be Pro Bowl material for me.” …Read More!

Another Tough Afternoon For Chiefs in 17-10 Loss

From Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati

The wind blew cold and hard off the Ohio River, as slate gray skies with puffy dark clouds hung above the playing field.

Snow started falling just as the Bengals were wrapping up their 10th victory of the season, beating the Chiefs 17-10 and locking up first place in the AFC North and a trip to the playoffs.

The snow could have been a bit of Mother Nature’s confetti to celebrate the team’s first division crown and post-season ticket in four years.

And it added another notch under the “L” column for the 2009 Chiefs. That’s 12 losses, against just three victories. There’s one more week to go and when the Bengals and getting ready to host a game in the playoffs, the Chiefs will be headed off for vacation, and contemplation of a game where they had a chance to beat a post-season team.

“Overall, I thought the team played their heads off,” said head coach Todd Haley. “There are no moral victories here, but again, I thought it was important for us to come out here and compete against a good team.”

Compete yes, win no, as that hurdle remains a tough one for them to overcome.

As always, there was plenty to talk about. Here’s what we have:

• GAME STORY: Bengals win defensive struggle.
• COLUMN: Patience has helped the Bengals.
• DEFENSE: Rebound performance wasted in loss.
• GAFFORD’S GAFFE: Long snapper throws up a wild pitch.
• NOTES: Charles has another good day.
• GAMEBOOK

Pre-Game Report 12/27 WATERS ACTIVE

From Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati

11:30 a.m. CST – CORRECTION – BRIAN WATERS IS ACTIVE TODAY. Early incorrect information provided in the press box. Again, Waters is active and working with No.1 offensive line in pre-game warmup.

11:15 a.m. CST – The Chiefs are going white on white with their uniform today; white pants with the white tops. The last time they went white on white as the Chiefs was in the Indianapolis game in the playoffs at the end of the 2006 season. Earlier this year they wore all white in the Texans throwbacks against Oakland.

11 am. CST – Out early returning kickoffs are Quinten Lawrence, Javarris Williams and Terrance Copper.  On punt returns, the only man working there is Bobby Wade.

10:55 a.m. CST – In early kicking, Ryan Succop was good from 47 yards kicking towards the south, which is the open end of the stadium. Wind is coming into the stadium from that direction. Kicking towards the north Succop was good from 53 yards, although it was a line drive and very low trajectory. Bengals K Shayne Graham hit one from 56 yards to the north.

10:50 a.m. CST – Cincinnati under Marvin Lewis as head coach is 9-4 at home in December and they’ve won five straight.

10:41 a.m. CST – The Bengals defense is down two starters for this game in FS Chris Crocker and DT Domata Peko. Also backup DT Orien Harris is also down. Pat Sims will start for Peko and tom Nelson will open for Crocker.

10:40 a.m. CST – Rookie free agent safety Ricky Price will get his first taste of NFL action today, as he’s up and active. DT Derek Lokey is also active for his first regular-season game this year. Andy Alleman will again start at left guard for Brian Waters.

10:30 a.m. CST – The inactive players for the Chiefs today are G Brian Waters, G Darryl Harris, S Reshard Langford, TE Sean Ryan, OLB Pierre Walters, WR Lance Long and DB Donald Washington. The inactive third quarterback is Matt Gutierrez.

10:30 a.m. CST – The inactive players for the Bengals today are FB Fui Vakapuna, S Chris Crocker, C Jonathan Luigs, OT Anthony Collins, WR Jerome Simpson, DT Domata Peko and DT Orien Harris. The inactive third quarterback is Jordan Palmer. …Read More!

Winning Is The Thing … Game-Day Cup O’Chiefs

From Cincinnati, Ohio

So just what do the Chiefs have to play for today?

They will take the field at Paul Brown Stadium against a Cincinnati team that is 9-5 and one victory away from winning the AFC North. The Chiefs will take the field wearing their 3-11 record like a scarlet “L” as in loser, stuck as they are at the bottom of the AFC West, AFC and NFL.

Kickoff is set for just after 12 noon and unlike last week, the entire game can be viewed on CBS. Even the folks in the River City will get to watch as the remaining 1,500 tickets were purchased by the local CBS affiliate and a Bengals sponsor.

There are just two more steps left in what has become a miserable season of rebuilding and starting “the process” which has been Todd Haley’s mantra all season. The end of a grind that started back in late July is just days from being completed.

So just what does this team have to get excited about or motivate them? What do the Chiefs have to play for against the Bengals?

LB Mike Vrabel’s left eyebrow arched a bit when he was asked that question. …Read More!

For Chiefs Fans/A Decade Of Players

POLLS CLOSE SUNDAY AT 10 A.M.

We are in the final days of a decade of Chiefs football and there have been hundreds of players who have passed through the portals of Arrowhead Stadium. It seems like hundreds in just the last two seasons, but we digress.

We want your selection of the Players of the Decade for the Chiefs. Over the next four days you’ll have the opportunity to vote for the man you think was the best player in the last 10 years. If you can’t settle on one, then give us all your choices. The more the merrier. Just attach a comment and tell us in 25 words or less about this player.

After four days, the polls will close and we will total up the nominations, let you know what the readers picked and then I’ll give you my top players of the decade.

Now is your opportunity to vote. The polls are open.

Roomies Face Off … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

They were not Felix and Oscar of “Odd Couple” fame on stage and screen.

But for one school year, Matt Cassel and Carson Palmer shared a room. Each one had a single bed in the same room of a house filled with other University of Southern California players and students.

They became good friends and confidants and they will get to see each other on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium with Palmer and his Bengals host Cassel and his Chiefs.

“I learned an awful lot from him,” Cassel said of Palmer. “He was the man when I got to USC and he took me under his wing and was very helpful in helping me handle the transition to college football.”

Cassel’s first season with the Trojans was in 2000, when he took a red-shirt year in what was Palmer’s sophomore season when he established himself as the USC starter. They spent the next two seasons together, as Cassel watched from the sidelines and Palmer became the 2002 winner of the Heisman Trophy and the first player selected in the 2003 NFL Draft.

It was during that 2002 fall and spring that they shared the room. This was not a pairing of the clean freak Felix and the sloppy Oscar. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: 12/26

The day after Christmas is a busy day for bowl games, as with three games on the day, starting at noon. There’s a lot of potential NFL talent playing in these games, especially for Southern Cal and Pittsburgh. Here are the best of the bunch.

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl

December 26, Detroit

Marshall (6-6) vs. Ohio (9-4)

ESPN, noon CST

MARSHALL

#85 TE Cody Slate, 6-3, 217 pounds – Very productive in the Thundering Herd offense, catching 199 passes for 2,619 yards and 23 TD catches. That’s a 13.2-yard average, not bad for a tight end. Slate’s best season was as a sophomore, when he caught 66 passes for 818 yards. He suffered a knee injury in the ’08 season opener that kept him off the field for several games. Slate also had a rushing touchdown.

Evaluation – Slate may be more suited as a wide receiver because of his lack of bulk. Scouts say he’s only a so-so blocker and he can be outmuscled. He runs hard, but has no second gear. Slate seems very adept at finding open spots in the coverage. He’s a late-round prospect.

OHIO

#23 WR Taylor Price, 6-1, 212 pounds – The all-time leading receiver in Bobcats football history, Price has played 51 games for head coach Frank Solich and has not missed one due to injury. He has 145 catches for 1,970 yards and 14 touchdowns catches. He also threw two TD passes and did some work on punt and kick returns. He’s been invited to the Senior Bowl.

Evaluation – What has caught scouts attention with Price is his speed. He’s consistently timed under 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash and has been timed under 4.3 seconds. He plays the game fast and he catches the ball as well. His size is average and that will cost him some slots in the draft. Right now, he’s considered a fifth or sixth-round pick, but a strong performance during the Senior Bowl week and in team workouts could lift him to the fourth or fifth-round level. That speed is much sought after by all NFL teams. …Read More!

Practice Report Update 12/25 – Chiefs Add Safety

From the Truman Sports Complex

Maybe it was the holiday cheer from Christmas Eve or the thrill of opening presents around the tree on Christmas morning, but the Chiefs showed up for practice on Friday afternoon in much better shape than they’ve been for the last two weeks.

They also had a new teammate, as the Chiefs signed S Reshard Langford off the Eagles practice squad. Langford is 6-1, 213 and played his college ball at Vanderbilt. The Alabama native was not drafted and signed with Philly as a college free agent. He survived until the final cut before the regular season and was signed to the Eagles practice squad on Sept. 7.

Head coach Todd Haley said it was doubtful Langford would be active for Sunday’s game in Cincinnati. “We got him in here a little later than we wanted,” said Haley.

Langford played in 48 games at Vanderbilt, never missing one because of injury. He finished  his career with 247 total tackles and eight interceptions. He’s more of a strong safety type and made a name for himself in the SEC for his hitting and intelligence. 

With the exception of S DaJuan  Morgan (chest) and LB Justin Rogers (thigh), the rest of the team was working in the early portion of practice. That included LG Brian Waters, who was working with the No. 1 offensive line in the early drills, something he hasn’t done for the last two weeks.

Other players who have been on the injury report lately were all taking part.

The Chiefs official injury report to the league will read like this: DOUBTFUL – S DaJuan Morgan (chest) and LB Justin Rogers (thigh); QUESTIONABLE – LG Brian Waters (hamstring), DE Glenn Dorsey (knee), RT Ryan O’Callaghan (knee), DE Alex Magee (hamstring). PROBABLE – CB Brandon Flowers (shoulder), S Jon McGraw (hand).

Here’s what the Bengals turned in for their injury report: DOUBTFUL – DT Domata Peko (knee), S Chris Crocker (ankle); PROBABLE – DE Robert Geathers (knee), DE Frostee Rucker (illness), DT Tank Johnson (foot).

Christmas Day Cup O’Chiefs

                             Happy Holidays to everyone and thanks for your support.

                            May the next year bring you health, happiness and hope.

Consider this your Cup O’Chiefs Christmas stocking.

It’s filled with a bunch of little presents to provide entertainment over the next few days. No lumps of coal here, just little jewels of information.

Enjoy.

A PRETTY LOUSY LOSS TO A LOUSY TEAM

After the Chiefs 41-34 loss to Cleveland I wondered whether it was the worst late season loss at home in Chiefs history. The Browns came into the game with a 2-11 record

It’s close, darn close. Here are the candidates for the worst late season home defeats suffered by the Chiefs over 50 seasons:

• December 7, 1975 against San Diego at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chargers entered the game with a 0-11 record. The Chiefs were 5-7. San Diego left town with a 28-20 victory.
• December 26, 1982 against San Francisco at Arrowhead. In a season that was shortened because of a 57-day players strike, the 49ers arrived to play the game sporting a 2-5 record. They left town with a 26-13 victory.
• December 20, 2009 against Cleveland at Arrowhead. The Browns were 2-11 coming in the door and left 3-11 after a 41-34 victory.

One was just as ugly as another on this list. OK, so maybe that’s a pretty big lump of coal. …Read More!

NFL Power Rankings: Week No. 15

As you all know, the Holiday season gets everybody in a hurry. There is so much to get done and the days go flying past; it’s like we are in our own little two-minute drills, chasing down the clock and trying to score something for friends and loved ones.

I’m not immune to that. But out of respect to each and every one of you that takes the time to read this feature, I was not going to leave you high and dry, and with a piece of coal in your hands.

So as a parting gift, please receive nothing but the very best for Christmas, and may Santa bring us a Chiefs’ victory on Sunday.

And in the meantime, we leave under your tree the game that soaks in the excitement that surrounds the sport of professional football. Enjoy your NFL’s Chutes ‘N Ladders for Week 15:

 Chutes ‘N Ladders – Week 15 – (1-16)

Chutes ‘N Ladders – Week 15 – (17-32)

Practice Report Update 12/24

From the Truman Sports Complex

Good news for the Chiefs in their Thursday practice as CB Brandon Flowers was back in full uniform, taking a regular turn in position drills.

Flowers watched most of Wednesday’s session, but had his shoulder pads and helmet on for Christmas Eve, a hopeful sign that the shoulder injury that has bothered him all season will not keep him out of Sunday’s game in Cincinnati.

Joining Flowers on the full participation list were DEs Glenn Dorsey (knee) and Wallace Gilberry (back).

Otherwise, not much changed on the injury front with the Chiefs after getting the second practice of the week under their belts. S DaJuan Morgan (chest) and LB Justin Rogers (thigh) were in the rehab area for the second consecutive day, but were listed as limited

Others listed as limited participants in practice were LB Brian Waters and DE Alex Magee (hamstring).

The Chiefs will have an adjusted and abbreviated schedule on Christmas Day, as they will not  practice until the afternoon. Also, some of their meeting time has been moved to Saturday to accommodate the holiday.

College Bowl Preview: 12/24

Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl

December 24, Honolulu

Southern Methodist (7-5) vs. Nevada (8-4)

ESPN 7 p.m. CST

NEVADA
#10 QB Colin Kaepernick, 6-6, 220 pounds – A junior with a decision to make Kaepernick is an interesting talent. This year, he has run for over 1,000 yards in the so-called pistol offense with the Wolf Pack. Over his 36 games he’s run for 100-plus yards 11 times. But he’s not just a runner; Kaepernick can throw the ball as well, with 60 TD passes and 15 interceptions. Over his career he’s thrown for 6,899 yards while completing 55.7 percent of his passes. He averaged 6.9 yards a run with 2,883 yards on 414 carries, and 39 TD runs. He’s also caught a six-yard touchdown pass. That’s 100 touchdowns rushing, passing and receiving in 100 games.

Evaluation: A very intriguing prospect at quarterback. Kaepernick was a highly sought after baseball prospect, who was selected in the most recent June baseball draft by the Cubs. Questions surround the quality of the defenses he’s played against and how he translates into the normal pro offense out of Nevada’s pistol. Physically and mentally he’s a second-third round prospect. He may be able to elevate his stock by returning to Nevada for another year. If not, he’ll need strong pre-draft performances at the Combine, workouts and the like. With the right team and right coach, this guy can be a home run with some patience. …Read More!

Fan(ning) The Flame … Christmas Eve Cup O’Chiefs

It was about two hours after last Sunday’s Chiefs-Browns game had ended. Todd Haley was finally getting out of the building, joining his family that was waiting for him and piling into the car to head home.

It was dark outside and it was dark in the Chiefs Nation as the team has fallen to Cleveland, making it four defeats in a row and cementing a 3-11 record on the season.

But as he got into his car, Haley noticed a group of fans standing outside the fence that rings the Arrowhead Stadium parking lot where the team leaves their cars for home games.

“I was blown away,” Haley said of the group that stood in the darkness. “We just got beat in a very disappointing manner and there’s 30 people, women, men, children, standing by that fence in the construction (area) and it’s two hours after the game. I was blown away.”

Haley got out of his car and went over and spoke to the fans. He signed autographs; he accepted words of encouragement and energy that those fans still had despite the game’s ugly outcome.

“That’s what I grew up a part of being in Pittsburgh,” said Haley. “I just know you’ve got to stay the course, you’ve got to fight through these rough times to get to the Promised Land. There is a Promised Land and you have to believe and know you are going to get there.”

There’s at least one Chiefs fan running around saying he had a very different encounter with Haley last Sunday. …Read More!

L.J. Looking Forward To Chiefs Visit

“What’s going on with this team is bigger than me versus the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s basically us trying to put ourselves in a great position to get to the playoffs and hopefully get to the Super Bowl.”

So said Larry Johnson on Wednesday, as he met with the Cincinnati media and talked about his first chance to play against the Chiefs. Obviously, given the fact that the Bengals can clinch a division title with a victory on Sunday, revenge or any sentiment similar to that goes on the back burner.

“It’s just another chance to become division champions,” Johnson said of the scenario where a Bengals victory gives them the AFC North title. They can get the same thing with a Baltimore loss on Sunday in Pittsburgh. “That’s most important. I haven’t got to wear those caps and T-shirts (handed out to division winners) since my rookie year (2003.) It would be fun to do it at home, in front of the fans. Hopefully we can celebrate a win.” …Read More!

Gafford’s Gaffe Cost Chiefs

From Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati

Long snappers should not ever be noticed on the football field. Their job is to bend over, take a football, fire it between their legs a holder who is eight yards away and a punter who is 15 yards away.

When the long snapper has the media seeking him out, it can never be good.

Such was the case with Thomas Gafford, the Chiefs long snapper. His snaps have been pretty solid for the first 14 games of the 2009 season.

Game No. 15, not so much. Gafford’s gaffe came in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Bengals. The ball was on the Chiefs 45-yard line. The game at that point was scoreless and it had turned into a battle of field position. Punters Dustin Colquitt and Kevin Huber of the Bengals were very busy.

Gafford did the same thing he’s done every time this year. Only this time he sent the ball flying over Colquitt’s head. It wasn’t even close. Colquitt chased after the ball and rather than fall on it, and take the chance it would squirt away. On the run, he kicked the ball towards the end zone, but it rolled out of bounds at the seven-yard line. That’s where the Bengals took over.

The Chiefs defense held Cincinnati to a field goal, but in a game as close as this one proved to be, any points were big in the outcome.

“It was a bad play,” said Gafford. “First of all I credit the defense for standing up and stopping them. I put them in a terrible situation. They were awesome, holding them to a field goal. And then the offense went down in the two-minute (offense) and got a field goal. That was a good job by our team and a bad play by me.”

A bad play that Todd Haley notes does not come very often from Gafford.

“I don’t’ know that he had a problem; he’s been pretty reliable this year,” said Haley. “There was quite a bit of wind blowing across there. He made a poor snap.”

Conditions on the field at Paul Brown Stadium were very windy, with gusts up to 20 miles per hour. Gafford’s snap was into the wind that was blowing into the stadium from the open south end that faces the Ohio River.

“It was a windy day, but I’ve played on windy days before,” Gafford said. “I’m not going to start making excuses. It was a bad play, it’s on me and I’ve got to be better. I will be better.”

“I feel like I didn’t do my part to help us win today,” Gafford added. “Now, I’ve got to put it behind me and move on to the next snap and move on to the next game.”

Now, he needs to go back to being the faceless-nameless guy, bending over and firing the ball between his legs.

Column: What Patience Wrought

From Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati

There’s much the Chiefs can learn from the Cincinnati Bengals.

Just think about that statement for a moment. It’s not said in jest or to cause a laugh.

And yes, I know that comment is about the team occasionally known as the Bungles, the franchise run by the Brown family with sometimes ridiculous cheapness and strange decision. There have been ink-stained wretches who have written for decades in the River City that it was time for the Brown family to sell the franchise. There have been talk show yakkers and callers who have been pounding home the fact they believe head coach Marvin Lewis isn’t good enough to handle a roster of players and turn them into a consistent winner. There are even those chatters on the Internet who write that quarterback Carson Palmer is all flash and cash, but no dash when it comes to leading the Bengals to a championship.

Last year Cincinnati finished 4-11-1. The season before that, they were 7-0 and back in 2006, they were 8-8.

On Sunday, the Bengals won the AFC North with their 17-10 victory over the Chiefs. It was their 10th victory of the season. Two weeks from now they will be hosting a game in the playoffs at Paul’s place.

How did this happen? What was the big move that turned around the franchise?

It can be summarized in one word: patience. …Read More!

Playing Tough Isn’t Enough As Chiefs Lose No. 12

From Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati

When a team has lost 12 times in the 15 games they’ve played, it sometimes is hard to separate the levels of pain that each defeat inflicted along the way in a long season.

But immediately afterwards and for several months to come, the Chiefs 17-10 loss to the Bengals will be a wound that takes time to heal. If Cincinnati can go on and make something of its berth in the AFC playoffs it will be a scab that just won’t heal for Todd Haley and his team.

For the better part of 50 minutes, the Chiefs played the Bengals toe-to-toe. The plot of this game was very familiar for any red and gold fan that has seen their team play each Sunday of this season. There were moments when Todd Haley’s team looked like it was good enough to compete. And then there are always times when a play is needed, and the Chiefs get out-executed or out performed.

“I thought the team fought back off a disappointing game last week and came on the road against a very good team, one that obviously is now a playoff team,” said Todd Haley. “We had every intention of keeping them out of that (clinching the AFC North) I thought we had a very good chance to do that until the final drive.”

When they downed a punt at the Bengals two-yard line it seemed a good opportunity for the Chiefs. They had the advantage of field position, they score was tied and there were just over nine minutes to play in the game. They even had Carson Palmer and the Cincinnati offense at third down-and-seven at the Bengals five-yard line. …Read More!

Practice Report Update 12/23

From the Truman Sports Complex

TE Brad Cottam is recovering from surgery to help repair a cracked verterbrae in his neck on Tuesday.

Breaking his normal policy of revealing only the basics about player injuries, head coach Todd Haley reported that Cottam’s is doing well after the procedure.

“He’s already on the road to recovery,” Haley said of the tight end. “Everything went very well fromwhat I was told. He was uncomfortable there for a couple of days. From a safety standpoint, we wanted to keep him in a safe position.”

Cottam suffered the injury during Sunday’s game against Cleveland. After making a catch, his legs were taken out from under him on the tackle and Cottam landed awkwardly on the back of his head and neck.  He was momentarily dazed but walked off the field to the sidelines and after being examined by team doctors and trainers, he went back in to the game.

“We checked him out and he said he was good to go,” Haley said.  “It was only well after the fact that he started experiencing any pain.”

Sunday evening Cottam was hospitalized where x-rays and other tests showed the crack. The second year tight end out of Tennessee never lost any ability to move his arms and legs.

“From everything that I’ve been told there’s a great chance of him getting back on track,” Halely said. …Read More!

Opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

2009 record: 9-5, with two victories each over Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cleveland, along with Green Bay, Chicago and Detroit. They’ve lost to Denver, Houston, Oakland, Minnesota and San Diego.

Last year’s record: 4-11-1. The Bengals started the season with eight straight defeats and at one point Cincinnati’s record was 1-11-1. But they got it together and won their last three games of the season, including the season finale, a 16-6 decision over the Chiefs at Paul Brown Stadium.

Record for the last five seasons: 38-41-1, with only one trip to the playoffs back in 2005 when they won the AFC North, but lost in a first-round game to Pittsburgh 31-17. That ’05 season was also the club’s last winning season.

Last appearance in the playoffs: came in 2005 with that loss to the Steelers. The last time the Bengals won a post-season game was nearly 20 years ago. They beat the Houston Oilers 41-14 in the first round of the AFC playoffs after the 1990 season. They lost the next weekend to Oakland.

…Read More!

Stop The Run To Win … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

One thing never changes about football, no matter the era. A team that wants to win must be able to defense the running game.

Against Cleveland last Sunday, the Chiefs dropped passes and allowed a pair of kickoff returns for touchdowns. But more importantly, they were gashed for 351 rushing yards, more than any opponent has managed in a single game against the franchise through 50 seasons.

What we know about football and the history of the game is this: the Chiefs could have dropped balls and failed to stop Joshua Cribbs and still won the game had they found a way to bottle up Jerome Harrison (above) and the rest of the Browns running game.

They didn’t get that done. They lost. That’s going to happen a lot when the running game consistently rolls over a defense. Past and present defensive numbers drive that point home for us every time.

Consider the current standings for defense and the ability to stop the run in this 2009 season. Here are the bottom 10 teams against the run and their record for the season: …Read More!

Another Good Day for Charles & Other Notes

From Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati

Larry Johnson will get to join the AFC playoffs with the Bengals. Jamaal Charles is a week away from a vacation, one badly needed for his battered and bruised body.

But Charles would trade places for more games and carries immediately, if it meant the Chiefs were part of the post-season tournament.

They are not, but the absence can’t be laid at the feet of Charles. In fact, his feet will go down as one of the few highlights of this 2009 Chiefs season. In the 17-10 loss to the Bengals, Charles had his third consecutive 100-yard plus game, as he finished with 102 yards on 24 carries.

“The Bengals have a good defense and we played well against a defense that is going to the playoffs,” said Charles. “If we could have made some plays, we could have taken over the game and won today.”

Cincinnati’s defense may have given up the 100-yard game to Charles, but the longest run he had 14 yards and they kept him out of the end zone. That ended a streak of six consecutive games where Charles scored on either a run, catch or kick return.

“I think the guy is trying to make a case to be talked about as one of the good backs in the league,” said Todd Haley. “He has come a long way and I think that is encouraging for us and for him.”

It was a special kind of day for Charles. He got the 100-yard game. He celebrated his 23rd birthday. He got a chance to see a couple of old friends in Johnson and Cedric Benson, another Texas running back.

“I’m happy to see him get another chance with another team,” Charles said of Johnson. “They are a good team that might need him as they got to the playoffs. They have two good backs on their team.”

As for Benson, Charles said: “I wanted to compete against Ced. I know he wanted to do the same thing, because he saw the young Longhorn on the other sideline before the game. I wanted to go out there and shine.”

Charles streak of three games with 100 rushing yards or more is the longest streak for the Chiefs since Johnson put together four straight 100-yard games in November and December of 2006.

On the season, Charles is 139 yards away from reaching the 1,000-yard mark.

And what of Johnson? He carried the ball four times for 11 yards, all in the first half. Johnson did not get on the field in the second half.

CASTILLE COMES THROUGH THIS TIME

Last week, FB Tim Castille put himself in Haley’s doghouse when he fumbled on the Chiefs first offensive possession of the game against the Browns.

He got himself out with an outstanding touchdown catch against the Bengals. Castille caught Matt Cassel’s 20-yard pass in the end zone and got blasted by Cincinnati safeties Tom Nelson and Chinedum Ndukwe.

“I don’t get many opportunities and when I do, I try to make the most of them,” said Castille. “That’s Coach Haley’s motto. It was in the back of my head, ‘If Matt throws this ball to me, I have to catch it’.”

It was Castille’s first NFL touchdowns.

SPECIAL TEAMS REPORT

It was a mixed bag for the Chiefs kicking game against the Bengals. Snapper Thomas Gafford’s blunder cost the team three points. But the Chiefs punt return team was able to deflect a Cincinnati punt and the play set up a Chiefs touchdown.

K Ryan Succop had a 30-yard field goal at the end of the first half, and that was his 22nd of the season, establishing a new rookie record for the franchise. The old mark was 21 made FGs by Jan Stenerud in 1967. Succop now has 90 points, which is the third highest total for a rookie kicker behind Stenerud (108) and Jack Spikes in 1960 (104).

P Dustin Colquitt had a 47-yard gross average on six punts, with three downed inside the 20-yard line. One of those was in the fourth quarter, and WR Quinten Lawrence downed the punt at the Bengals two-yard line. Colquitt had a 40-yard net average.

This season, Colquitt has 39 punts inside the 20-yard line, that’s the third highest total in NFL history. The record is held San Francisco punter Andy Lee with 42 in 2007.

On coverage, the Chiefs held punt returner Quan Cosby to an 11-yard average. On kickoff returns, the Bengals averaged 22.3 yards on three returns.

In the return game, the Chiefs came up dry again. WR Bobby Wade had one punt return for four yards. Lawrence had two kickoff returns for a 17.5-yard average.

UPDATE ON THE ZEBRAS

“Mr. Muscles” Ed Hochuli and his crew worked the game and for the most part, stayed out of the way, dropping 12 flags that were walked off, six against each team.

LT Branden Albert remained the favorite target of the zebras, as he was hit with a false start on the second offensive play of the game. Later in the first quarter he was flagged for holding, a call that wiped out a 42-yard run by Charles. WR Chris Chambers was hit with a false-start call and CB Brandon Carr was flagged for illegal contact.

On special teams, Gafford was hit with a holding call on a punt play, costing the Chiefs 10 yards in field position. Colquitt was hit with the illegal kick call when he booted the wayward snap out of bounds.

There was one review and instant replay got it right, correcting a bad call on the field. Cincinnati had a touchdown on a throw from Palmer to Ochocinco, inside two minutes left in the first half. The replay booth called down for a review and it showed that before making the catch, Ochocinco had stepped out of bounds. Rather than a touchdown, the Bengals were penalized five yards.

PERSONNEL MATTERS

No surprises on the list of inactive players turned in by the Chiefs. The list had veteran TE Sean Ryan, first-year WR Lance Long and rookies CB Donald Washington, S Reshard Langford, G Darryl Harris, DE Alex Magee and LB Pierre Walters. As usual, the third inactive quarterback was Matt Gutierrez.

Rookie S Ricky Price was dressed and got his first taste of NFL action, after being promoted on Saturday from the practice squad. Also dressed and active was DT Derek Lokey, playing in his first game this season.

The inactive players for the Bengals were FB Fui Vakapuna, S Chris Crocker, C Jonathan Luigs, OT Anthony Collins, WR Jerome Simpson, DT Domata Peko and DT Orien Harris. The inactive third quarterback was Jordan Palmer.

Starting for Crocker at free safety was Tom Nelson and Pat Sims opened at defensive tackle for Peko.

OTHER EXTRA STUFF

The Chiefs were wearing white-on-white for the first time since the game against Indianapolis in the post-season in January 2007. Earlier this year, they wore white-on-white in the throwback uniforms of the Dallas Texans … the Chiefs again failed to produce a touchdown with their first possession of the game. They’ve been able to put only a FG on the scoreboard with their first chance with the ball.

Defensive Rebound Wasted In Loss

From Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati

At the end of the first half, the Cincinnati Bengals offense that features Carson Palmer, Chad Ochocinco and Cedric Benson had gained just 53 yards and only 10 net passing yards.

That’s how good the Chiefs defense started Sunday’s game. It was quite likely their best half of play this season. Too bad they had to play the second half. Benson got loose on the first offensive play of the third quarter for 32 yards and from there the Bengals scored a pair of touchdowns and that was enough for a 17-10 Cincinnati victory.

“We were critical of ourselves after last week,” said OLB Mike Vrabel, as he spoke about how the K.C. defense could improve after their poor performance against Cleveland last week, including allowing 351 rushing yards.

“It comes down to playing better, everybody understanding where they are supposed to be and being there and doing their jobs, not trying to do somebody else’s job and leaving your gap alone. It was better, but obviously not good enough. The end result was a loss.”

In that first half, Benson had 34 yards on nine carries. Larry Johnson had 11 yards on four carries. Palmer was four of nine for 19 yards and he was sacked once by DE Wallace Gilberry. The Bengals had just three first downs and they were one of six on third down conversions.

There was pressure on Palmer, there was good coverage by the Chiefs secondary and Benson and Johnson had minimal running room. Everything was coming together.

“I thought our guys did a very good job against a very good run team and a very good p ass team,” said Todd Haley. “Cincinnati can clearly run the football and we only gave up the one big run to start the second half. Other than that run …”

That run seemed to provide a bit of a spark for the Bengals offense, and Palmer drove them down the field where they scored the game’s first touchdown on an 11-yard pass to WR Laveranues Coles.

The first half had been a tough one for Palmer and the Bengals passing game.

“You have to be smart with him and 85 (Ochocinco),” said Vrabel. “The reasons they are winning games is that they are more balanced than Bengals teams before were. Carson used to throw the ball 50 times and if he completed 30 or 40 passes, they would win. If he didn’t they would lose. They are a lot more balanced now. They are able to dictate the flow of the game.

“We were able to hang in there for a few quarters.”

But in the end, the Chiefs defense couldn’t stop Carson and the Bengals offense, even with the help of the K.C. special teams. When a Dustin Colquitt punt was downed at the Cincinnati two-yard line, the Chiefs had 98 yards to protect and just over nine minutes to play.

And they had them third-and-seven at the Bengals five-yard line. Turns out they didn’t have them. Working out of the shotgun, Palmer dumped a shovel pass to RB Brian Leonard who got eight yards and a first down.

“They made a good call,” said Vrabel. “It’s one of those things that you have to rally to stop. You’re not counting on a shovel pass on third-and-eight.”

Masterfully, Palmer moved his team in most short chunks, getting 21 yards on a pass to Coles and then 20 on a run by Benson. It all ended when he connected with Ochocinco for a six-yard TD pass on third down with 2:03 to play.

Ochocinco beat CB Brandon Flowers on the play, as those two went head-to-head most of the game. Flowers won his share of those battles, but gave up the winner.

“It was an all-out blitz,” said Flowers of the touchdown play. “Cincinnati had a great call coming out I n a stacked receiver set. It was one-on-one with a blitz coming. Chad won that matchup.

“He is a great receiver, if not the best in the NFL. I enjoy playing against the best receivers in the league. I try to get better and better each time I play against a receiver like him.”

Said Haley: “We challenged Brandon Flowers, who has been battling through injury and I thought that kid showed a lot of heart playing against one of the better players in the league. Unfortunately, at the end they were able to get one on him. I thought overall he really showed something to me and his teammates.”

At the end, the Chiefs defense allowed 274 yards to the Bengals, one of their top five performances of the season and 113 yards less than their season average. FS Jon McGraw had an interception, DE Wallace Gilberry picked up a sack and Mike Brown led all the tacklers with 13.

It was better than the previous Sunday as they total yards they allowed was less than the rushing yards they gave up to the Browns.

But it wasn’t good enough.

College Bowl Preview: 12/23

The college bowl season has begun and over three weeks some of the better players in the collegiate ranks will be performing everywhere from Honolulu to Toronto, Miami to San Francisco.

These games will feature a lot of players who could be playing on Sunday’s next year and could be wearing the red and gold of the Chiefs.

We will provide analysis and information on the players that we’ve heard from the scouts that are considered draftable and could be part of the plan to turn the Chiefs around.

Poinsettia Bowl

December 23, San Diego

Utah (9-3) vs. California (8-4)

ESPN, 7 p.m. CST

UTAH
#41 DE Koa Misi, 6-2, 256 pounds – Named first-team All-Mountain West Conference and earned a ticket to the Senior Bowl. Played both tackle and end for the Utes over the last three years, after transferring from Santa Rosa Junior College in California. Misi (right) went from left to right end for the ’09 season. This year, he had 65 total tackles and 4.5 sacks. The only game he missed at Utah was this year’s season opener due to a back injury. Misi finished his 37-game career with 200 total tackles, 10 sacks and one fumble recovery for a TD.

Evaluation: He’ll be an outside LB in pro football with his size. That will be quite an adjustment for him in all areas. Misi scores well on the intangibles and was a team captain for Utah. He’s generally considered a second or third-round pick. His spot can be lifted with a strong Senior Bowl and Combine.

…Read More!

Chiefs Release Bradley; Send Cottam To IR

When Todd Haley was taking about his team dropping passes in Sunday’s game against Cleveland, he said this:

“Anybody out there running routes his job is to catch the ball and block in the run game. That’s about it. It’s not to look pretty, it’s not to run the best route, it’s to block in the run game and catch the ball when we’re throwing it. That’s it. We need to catch the ball or find somebody who will catch the ball.”

Which would also mean moving out those having trouble catching the ball. That’s one of the reasons veteran WR Mark Bradley was sent packing on Tuesday, 48 hours after he dropped three passes in the loss to Cleveland. To fill his roster spot, the Chiefs re-signed sixth-round draft choice Quinten Lawrence for the third time this year.

Bradley played in 23 games over the last two seasons with the Chiefs, catching 54 passes for 700 yards and six touchdowns. He could have saved his spot on the roster if he had produced anything as a returner last week against Cleveland. But Bradley had seven kickoff returns for 123 yards.

TE Brad Cottam had his best game of the season against Cleveland, catching four passes for 62 yards. At the end of one of those catches, Cottam was tackled hard and landed on his head and the back of his neck. The blow didn’t keep him out of the game, but after more x-rays and tests on Monday, the Chiefs decided to end Cottam’s season two games early, placing him on the injured-reserve list Tuesday.

Cottam’s move makes for 10 players on the IR-list, including seven who got on the field at some point during the 2009 season.

In eight games, Cottam caught nine passes for 120 yards.

Drops Driving Haley Nuts …Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

Todd Haley came into the room, his hair rumpled and his eyes bloodshot.

It was late Monday afternoon and as the sun was setting Haley was starting his second 12-hour shift as the leader of a 3-11 football team that’s having trouble doing the basics.

Meeting with the media horde for his weekly interrogation, Haley confirmed his post-game comments after the 41-24 loss to Cleveland. Bad run defense, bad kick coverage and dropped passes killed the Chiefs chances for victory.

Nothing boils Haley’s blood more than the dropped passes. We’ve covered the subject several times in the last few months because it has been such a big issue for the ’09 Chiefs. It became even bigger against the Browns, when the head coach said after the game that his team had dropped nine passes.

That number grew to 10 after he had a chance to watch the tape.

“Any one of those three things we don’t allow to occur and we’re probably in a much better mood today,” Haley said. “I really mean that – any one of those things. If all things being equal and we catch the ball on third down specifically in the third quarter or in the end zone we’re probably in a position where Cleveland cannot continue to run the ball and has to throw it. I felt our defense in throwing situations did a good job in the passing game.” …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: 12/22

The college bowl season has begun and over three weeks some of the better players in the collegiate ranks will be performing everywhere from Honolulu to Toronto, Miami to San Francisco.

These games will feature a lot of players who could be playing on Sunday’s next year and could be wearing the red and gold of the Chiefs.

We will provide some analysis and information on the players that we’ve heard from the scouts that are considered draftable and could be part of the plan to turn the Chiefs around.

Maaco Bowl Las Vegas

December 22, Las Vegas

Brigham Young (10-2) vs. Oregon State (8-4)

ESPN, 7 p.m. CST

BRIGHAM YOUNG

#32 TE Dennis Pitta, 6-5, 248 pounds – A consensus All-America and the No. 1 receiving tight end in the country this season, although calling him a tight end may be a misnomer. He’s really a very big wide receiver and his ability to catch the ball and play in a passing offense is exceptional. This season he has 57 catches for 784 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s caught passes in 42 consecutive games and over his career has close to 3,000 receiving yards. He was a finalist for the John Mackey Award that goes to the top tight end in college football. He was also a captain for the Cougars and as a kid, he was an eagle scout. Pitta started at Brigham Young in 2003 as a 190-pound walk-on wide receiver and eventually earned scholarship status. As a member of LDS church he did a two-year mission, going to the Dominican Republic; that makes him older than the average senior coming out. He’s also married and his brother-in-law is BYU QB Max Hall. …Read More!

Blackout Extends To Winning As Chiefs Fall 41-34

From Arrowhead Stadium

Didn’t see Sunday’s game between the Chiefs and Browns?

If you watched previous Chiefs games this season then you can close your eyes and conjure up what happened in Cleveland’s 41-34 victory. Local TV blackout or not, it was a familiar vision.

The KC defense got smacked by the Cleveland running game, giving up 351 yards. No opponent has ever run for as many yards in 50 seasons worth of games. The offense produced some yardage, but Chiefs receivers dropped nine passes on the afternoon, many in key situations. The special teams got a touchdown, but gave up two others, as Browns kickoff return Joshua Cribbs went 100 and 103 yards for touchdowns (right).

Those that did not see the game missed record setting performances by Cribbs and Browns RB Jerome Harrison. Cribbs now has eight kick return scores, the most in NFL history. Harrison ran for 286 yards, a Browns single-game record and the third best rushing game in league annals.

It’s ironic that the last time a Chiefs regular season game was not broadcast locally was on December 16, 1990, when Houston QB Warren Moon threw for 527 yards, the second biggest passing day in league history. Some 19 years and four days later, with local TVs dark again, Cribbs and Harrison turn in historic performances.

So there was plenty to talk and write about afterwards, and we’ve got it right here:

• GAME STORY: Browns win with Cribbs and Harrison.
• COLUMN: Stars aren’t always first-rounders.
• SPECIAL TEAMS: Stopping Cribbs didn’t get done.
• DEFENSE: Chiefs run defense is AWOL.
• NOTES: Cassel, drops & Mangini
• GAMEBOOK.

Game-Day Inactives 12/20

From Arrowhead Stadium

The Chiefs face a problem today as two starting members of the offensive line are out of today’s game, LB Brian Waters and RT Ryan O’Callaghan. They are two of the Chiefs inactive players.

Others are WR Lance Long, DE Glenn Dorsey, WR Bobby Wade, TE Sean Ryan and LB Pierre Walters. The inactive third quarterback is Matt Gutierrez.

For the Browns, the inactive players are DB Coye Francies, DDB Ray Ventrone, LB David Veikune, OL Billy Yaes, TE Greg Estandia, WR Jake Allen and DL Robaire Smith. The inactive third quarterback is Brett Ratliff.

Game-Day Cup O’Chiefs

They are branches of the same tree, Todd Haley and Eric Mangini.

The head coaches of the teams that will meet Sunday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium were cultivated, fertilized and allowed to grow in an environment that was like a football hot house, with one master gardener in charge.

When the Chiefs and Browns play, they will do so in the manner and approach of the Parcells Way.

Kickoff for the two teams is just a few moments after 12 noon. CBS-TV coverage of the game will not be available in the Kansas City area.

Some would say that local TV blackout is a good thing, given the records of these two teams: the Chiefs are 3-10, while the Browns are 2-11. This season the franchises were coming off 2008 seasons with records of 2-14 (Chiefs) and 4-12 (Browns). These two teams have been working the bottom of the NFL for the last three seasons.

And that’s what brought Haley to Kansas City and Mangini to Cleveland, as the owners of both teams trimmed off branches from the Parcells Tree, replanting them in fallow soil, hoping for some of the same success generated by the man known as “The Big Tuna.” …Read More!

Chiefs Activate Bowe

WR Dwayne Bowe will be on the field Sunday when the Chiefs take on the Cleveland Browns.

On Saturday afternoon, the Chiefs returned him to the 53-man active roster. Bowe was gone four weeks on an NFL suspension for violating the performance enchancement drug regulations.

When the suspension ended last Monday, the Chiefs were granted a one-week roster exemption for Bowe that will expire this Monday.

To make room for Bowe on the active roster, the Chiefs released WR Quinten Lawrence. It’s the second time that Lawrence has been released by the team.

In another roster move, the Chiefs placed RB Dantrell Savage on the injured-reserve list with his ankle injury. They promoted G Darryl Harris from the practice squad to fill Savage’s roster spot. Harris joined the team this year as a college free agent.

College Bowl Preview: 12/20

The college bowl season has begun and over the next three weeks some of the better players in the collegiate ranks will be performing everywhere from Honolulu to Toronto, Miami to San Francisco.

These games will feature a lot of players who could be playing on Sunday’s next year and could be wearing the red and gold of the Chiefs.

For each bowl game, we will provide some analysis and information on the players that we’ve heard from the scouts that are considered draftable and could be part of the plan to turn the Chiefs around.

New Orleans Bowl

December 20, New Orleans

Middle Tennessee (9-3) vs. Southern Mississippi (7-5)

ESPN, 7:15 p.m. CST

MIDDLE TENNESSEE

#98 OLB Chris McCoy 6-4, 252 pounds – Named first-team All-Sun Belt Conference he was also the co-defensive player of the year in the league. McCoy had 59 total tackles and seven sacks, along with three blocked kicks this season. The Georgia native played in 45 games over the last four seasons, with 107 total tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, one fumble return for a TD, two forced fumbles and one blocked kick. …Read More!

Stopping Cleveland’s Slash … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

Every offensive coordinator wants a “Slash.”

They dream about having a guy who could be a running back on one play, a quarterback on the next and a receiver on third down. They fantasize about have a dependable guy, a player who doesn’t choke; who doesn’t put ball possession in jeopardy can do many different things.

Every offensive mind that draws all those fancy Xs and Os wants a Joshua Cribbs.

“Oh yeah, you’d love to have a guy like that,” said Chiefs head coach/offensive coordinator Todd Haley, a smile crossing his face at the mere thought. “When you’ve got a guy you can put to use in different ways and he’s a guy you can count on, that’s gold for an offense.”

There isn’t a lot of sparkling diamonds on the Cleveland Browns roster, but there’s no doubt that Cribbs is solid gold for head coach Eric Mangini and his offensive and special teams coordinators. They have allowed their imaginations to run wild in finding ways to get the ball in the hands of the 6-1, 215-pound native of Washington, D.C.

In his five years in Cleveland, here’s what Cribbs has done, starting with his numbers for this year: …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: 12/19

The college bowl season is about to start and over the next three weeks some of the better players in the collegiate ranks will be performing everywhere from Honolulu to Toronto, Miami to San Francisco.

These games will feature a lot of players who could be playing on Sunday’s next year and could be wearing the red and gold of the Chiefs.

So for each bowl game, we will provide some analysis and information on the players that we’ve heard from the scouts are considered draftable.

The New Mexico Bowl

December 19, Albuquerque

Fresno State (8-4) vs. Wyoming (6-6)

ESPN, 3:30 CST

FRESNO STATE
#21 RB Ryan Mathews (JR) 5-11, 223 pounds: This young man must still decide if this bowl game is his last in college football. Fresno coach Pat Hill is taping his NFL sources on where the league views this young back. Generally, scouts see him as a second to third-round selection after a college career of 30 games, with 3,136 yards on 503 carries, 37 touchdown runs and 15 100-yard games. Mathews battled injury problems his freshman and sophomore seasons, but he missed just one game in the ’09 season after suffering a concussion. He’s always performed well against the best teams; this year h e ran for 234 yards and three TDs against Boise State, 145 yards and a score vs. Cincinnati and his last game was 173 yards and three TDs against a struggling Illinois defense. Mathews was a sensation at West High School in Bakersfield, California, running for 3,396 yards and 44 touchdowns in his senior season as a quarterback/running back; he took snaps out of the shotgun. Mathews definitely has some potential in the Wildcat type offenses. …Read More!

Texans Finish First Season With Victory

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 and its first season of play.

The first season of American Football League ended on Sunday, December 18, 1960 for the Dallas Texans. They beat the Buffalo Bills 24-7 at the Cotton Bowl to finish the inaugural campaign 8-6 and in seconds place in the AFL Western Division behind the Los Angeles Chargers, who finished 10-4.

“I’m very encouraged about our first season and about the future,” Texans owner and AFL founder Lamar Hunt told the Dallas Morning News. “We didn’t win the title and we have a goal to reach there but I believe we’re on our way.”

After starting slowly with a 2-4 record, the Texans won six of their last eight, including their last three games against Houston, Boston and Buffalo by a combined score of 82-7.

“Our strong finish should help season ticket sales,” said Hunt. “If this game doesn’t sell them, I don’t know what will.”

The finale had been dubbed Lamar Hunt Appreciation Day and approximately 18,000 people were in the stands to watch the Texans final game and to thank Hunt from bringing professional football to Dallas, not only the Texans but their competitors the Dallas Cowboys. Half-time ceremonies included the presentation of eight AFL footballs to Hunt, one from each of the original league teams. …Read More!

Magic Number For Chiefs vs. Browns

Our man Enrique has broken down all the numbers for Sunday’s game between the Chiefs and Browns. He’s boiled them all down to one magic number. See if you agree.

His record with the magic number: 3-0.

The return of Dwayne Bowe from his suspension will definitely help Kansas City’s cause this Sunday. But for the Chiefs to aspire to win, the spotlight will fall on another wideout.

Josh Cribbs is listed in the Browns’ depth chart as a receiver, but so far he has inflicted more damage by carrying the ball, as 305 of his 455 yards from scrimmage have come on the ground. And that’s exactly the area that has propelled Cleveland to enjoy success in Kansas City.

In the 10 Chiefs-Browns contests played in K.C., there have been seven victories for the Arrowhead Ones, two for the Dawg Pounders and one tie. The Cleveland victories have come when somebody delivered the goods for the Browns in the running game. In the three games where Cleveland has left K.C. with a victory or tie, they have featured individual rushing performances of 110 yards (in the tie), 77 yards and 70 yards.

So, the Chiefs’ Magic Number to escape with a victory against Cleveland on Sunday is 69, which would be the maximum number of yards allowed on the ground to any Cleveland runner.

Practice Report 12/18 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

It’s not looking good for Brian Waters playing on Sunday against the Browns.

Waters was again limited  in his practice participation on Friday because of a left hamstring injury. The team is listing him as doubtful on the NFL  injury report they’ll  turn in late Friday afternoon. In the last eight years, Waters has missed only two games because of injury, those came in the 2006 season because of a right knee  injury. That ended a string of 79 consecutive starts. Since missing those two games, Waters has starteed 52 straight games.

“I haven’t given up hope that Brian can go,” said head coach Todd Haley. “We’ll see how Brian comes along in the next day in a half.

If Waters can’t play, Andy Alleman figures to get the start at left guard. He’s been working with the first team in practice this week.

Haley was unwilling to share any information on whether WR Dwayne Bowe will play on Sunday, after missing the last four games because of an NFL suspension. By all accounts, Bowe has looked good in practice and has been taking snaps with the No. 1 offense. …Read More!

End Of An Era … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

It had to end at some point.

Kansas City and environs are not New York, Philadelphia, Washington and Chicago. There are not enough people in the metro area, plus outlying villages and burghs to guarantee sellouts at sporting events. The Chiefs play in the 29th ranked Metropolitan Statistical Area and the 26th of the 32 markets in the National Football League. Plus, they have the fourth largest capacity of any building used by pro football in Arrowhead Stadium.

Sooner or later the basic math was going to catch up to the Chiefs. That it took 19 seasons is a remarkable achievement for an organization and its fan base. I’m not sure enough people appreciate what was done here starting in 1989 when Carl Peterson and Marty Schottenheimer arrived and turned the NFL’s most moribund franchise into a winner, on and off the field.

By 1991, Arrowhead was sold out. It stayed that way until 2008, when season tickets did not cover all of the available seats. By this season, the Chiefs were not anywhere close to being sold out. That’s been the case for all 10 games this year. The Oakland and Dallas games were the only ones that came close. The rest were not close, especially in the last three weeks with opponents like Denver, Buffalo and Cleveland. …Read More!

Cassel, Drops, Holmgren & Other Notes

From Arrowhead Stadium

After the game was over, Matt Cassel was in no mood to admit to his frustration.

But he couldn’t hide his feelings in the third quarter of Sunday’s 41-34 loss to Cleveland, after WR Mark Bradley dropped a third down pass that would have continued the Chiefs opening drive of the second half.

Television replays showed him yelling and pointing and just generally giving the impression of a man who had enough. One could not blame him, as the Chiefs dropped nine passes – by the count of head coach Todd Haley – against the Browns.

They went into the game the league leaders in drops, and there seems little doubt they will go into next weekend still on top of the NFL in one of the worst negative categories in the game.

“This is something that has been a problem with us for an extended period of time,” said Todd Haley after the game. “We have made a lot of different moves to fix the problem and we’ve been unable to find a solution to this point.

“We’ve made changes in personnel. We made changes in the way the Jugs (ball machine) work, after practice work, catching from quarterbacks. You just have to catch the ball at some point. You have to pride yourself on catching the ball.”

The NFL does not make available on game day statistics on drops. But there’s no question that Bradley, WR Dwayne Bowe and TE Jake O’Connell each had two drops. TE Leonard Pope had a drop as well. Five drops came on third down plays, and if caught, all of those would have moved the sticks.

“As a quarterback you just keep pushing forward,” said Cassel. “I’m going to have throws that I want back and that I’m going to miss. That’s just part of football. The receivers have been working hard. They give 110 percent every week in practice and are diligent in what they do.”

As for his frustration showing in the third quarter after Bradley’s drop?

“What happens on the sidelines stays on the sidelines,” Cassel said. “I’m human. You move on.

“You saw how Bradley came back and made two huge pays for us, one on fourth down and one when we needed to get the ball down the field on the last drive. It’s bouncing back from those mishaps and doing those things that help the team win.”

For Cassel it was a strong passing game even with the drops, as he hit 22 of 40 for 331 yards and two TD passes. That was a 99.1 passer rating, one of his best numbers of the season. It was the first time with the Chiefs that Cassel topped 300 yards.

IS MANGINI ON HIS WAY OUT IF HOLMGREN GOES TO CLEVELAND?

There are reports out of Cleveland that as early as Monday, former Packers-Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren may have an answer for the Browns about his future with the franchise.

All signs point to Holmgren joining the operation. The question will be how much will he put on his plate. He will essentially be the Czar of all football, much like Bill Parcells is in Miami. But whether that means he’ll be president, general manager, head coach or any combination of the three remains to be seen.

Holmgren visited with Browns owner Randy Lerner and other personnel early last week in Cleveland. He sounded optimistic that something could be worked out and said he’d have an answer for Lerner “sooner than later.”

Current Browns head coach Eric Mangini is very aware of the reports and he met with Holmgren last week in Cleveland.

“They are reports, that’s what they are,” Mangini said after the game when asked about the possibility that Holmgren would take over the coaching duties. “I am coaching this team. I am proud of this team and the things we have done. There are a lot of good things happening and I am proud of what they are doing and how they are working. I am proud of the progress we have made that this is the only thing I am concerned with.”

Mangini has a big name in his corner: Hall of Fame RB Jim Brown, who holds the title of executive advisor for the Browns.

“”If you come into a situation where you’ve got to clean house and you’re going to do it your way, and you’ve got to have mental toughness against everything and you lose the kind of games we’ve lost, and then at the end of the season you have these guys playing this way, it means that you have some kind of plan,” said Brown.

“It means at this particular point, the plan is working. I look at these last two or three games as being a sign of the plan that the coach has.”

NOT SO SPECIAL IN THE KICKING GAME

Any time the special teams produces a touchdown, it figures to be a good thing. That wasn’t the case for the Chiefs on Sunday, as they ended up minus-one on kicking game touchdowns.

First the good news: a quick snap by punt center Ryan Pontbriand bounced off the elbow of DB Nick Sorensen and rolled past punt Reggie Hodges and into the end zone. For some reason, Hodges was not in a hurry to fall on the ball, or even try to kick it out of the end zone for a safety. A scrum landed on the ball and coming out of the pile was LB Andy Studebaker, scoring his first NFL touchdown.

It was a huge play which at the time gave the Chiefs their biggest lead of the season, 24-13.

But then came the second of Joshua Cribbs’ two kickoff return touchdowns and the Browns would score the next 21 points.

The Chiefs entered the game as one of better kick coverage teams in the league, allowing an average return of 22.2 and a long return of 40 yards. Cribbs has turned those numbers on their head; now they are allowing an average return of 24.7 yards and that long of 103 yards.

“We have prided ourselves on our kick coverage,” said Studebaker. “Something like that should never have happened.”

It got so bad that K Ryan Succop started hitting mortar kickoffs – high pop ups that landed around the 20-yard line. The Chiefs handled those very well, and almost got one themselves.

The Chiefs did keep Cribbs contained on punt returns, as he had four returns for only 36 yards.

In the return game, the Chiefs had nothing going for them. WR Mark Bradley handled the duties on both punts and kickoffs. He had two fair catches on punts and returned seven kickoffs for a 17.6-yard average. Jamaal Charles had one kickoff return for 24 yards.

P Dustin Colquitt averaged 45.7 yards on six punts, with three that ended up inside the 20-yard line. Colquitt’s net average was 39 yards.

THE ZEBRA REPORT

Referee Gene Steratore and his crew are not one of the strongest groups in the league and they had a few fumbles and bumbles in this one. They were still looking for the ball in a pile of players as Studebaker was standing with it some 10 yards away.

Overall, they walked off three penalties against each team in this one. G Andy Alleman was flagged for illegally being downfield on a pass. Cassel was hit for an intentional grounding call that was borderline. Studebaker got a 15-yard personal foul call for unnecessary roughness on a kickoff.

Haley challenged one of the official’s calls, when FB Tim Castille fumbled in the first quarter. But the review upheld the turnover.

PERSONNEL MATTERS

The Chiefs were without two starting offensive linemen for the game, as LG Brian Waters was inactive because of a left hamstring injury he suffered last Sunday against Buffalo. Why RT Ryan O’Callaghan was inactive is unknown. He was not on the Chiefs injury/practice report for last week, and was not on the team’s injury report turned into the league office on Friday.

Stepping into left guard was Alleman, with Barry Richardson starting at right tackle.

FS Jon McGraw was active, but he did not play because of a left hand injury he suffered against the Bills last Sunday. Starting for McGraw was DaJuan Morgan.

Also out on defense was DE Glenn Dorsey, with the left knee injury that finished his game against Buffalo last Sunday. Rookie DE Alex Magee got the start, but rotated through the position with Dion Gales and Wallace Gilberry.

Other inactive players were WRs Lance Long and Bobby Wade, TE Sean Ryan and LB Pierre Walters.

Getting his first NFL playing time was rookie G Darryl Harris, who was promoted from the practice squad on Saturday.

THE LEFTOVER STUFF

The announced paid attendance was 53,315 fans, but the stands indicated a crowd of somewhere between 40,000 and 45,000 … ILB Demorrio Williams led the Chiefs with 13 tackles and Morgan had eight … the Chiefs did not have a sack … both teams ran a lot of no huddle offense, especially in the first half … Succop’s two field goals gave him 21 for the season and tied him with Jan Stenerud for the most FGs made as a rookie. Stenerud did his back in 1967 … it was the final game for the original Arrowhead Stadium press box. Opened in 1972, there have been 386 games played over 38 seasons. As part of the stadium renovation, the press box will move to the top of the stadium on the south side for the 2010 season.

Chiefs Run Defense Is AWOL

From Arrowhead Stadium

That was not Jim Brown running through the Chiefs defense on Sunday.

It was Jerome Harrison, a little-known backup running back in his fourth season out of Washington State.

Against the Chiefs rush defense of the last month, a Jerome Harrison can look like a Jim Brown.

Harrison ran for 286 yards, a Browns franchise record and the third best running day for a back in NFL history. He also scored three touchdowns and took the heart out of the Chiefs and their hopes for victory.

With the man himself watching in Arrowhead, Harrison, his FB Lawrence Vickers and his offensive line simply steamrolled the Chiefs defense. But then, that’s been happening a lot lately. In the last three games, the Chiefs have given up 796 rushing yards to Denver, Buffalo and Cleveland.

The Browns ran for 351 yards, more than any opponent has ever gained against the franchise in 50 seasons of play.

“I don’t think we tackled as we need to tackle,” said head coach Todd Haley. “One of our keys going in was our front line must win that battle. From my vantage point, it did not look like that battle was won and when you lose that battle, you generally lose. I saw a lot of movement on their part and our guys going o ne way, the wrong way, too much of the time.” …Read More!

Chiefs Plans Fall Flat Against Cribbs

From Arrowhead Stadium

It wasn’t the first thing Todd Haley did with his team last Monday. But it was pretty close.

After he rolled through the tape of loss to the Bills, Haley put another tape on the screen in front of his whole team. It was a highlight tape of the Joshua Cribbs, the do-everything dynamo of the Cleveland Browns. The week before, Cribbs had almost single-handedly beat the Pittsburgh Steelers with his special teams and offensive work.

“We talked about this guy at the start of the week,” said Haley. “We talked about how this guy could hurt us.”

Despite the best laid plans of the Chiefs, Cribbs hurt them big time, with kickoff return touchdowns of 100 and 103 yards.

“When you allow two returns for touchdowns that’s generally not going to end up being a good thing,” said Haley. “That’s 14 points. You have to cover, make tackles when we have a chance to tackle. We didn’t do a good enough job on him.”

That’s for sure. Cribbs finished the day with six kickoff returns for 269 yards, a 44.8-yard average per return and those two touchdowns. That gives him eight in his career, more than any player in NFL history. He had previously been tied with Mel Gray, Dante Hall, Gale Sayers, Travis Williams and Ollie Matson for the record with six each. …Read More!

Column: Good Players Come From Everywhere

From Arrowhead Stadium

Jim Brown was in the house Sunday afternoon. One of the greatest players in the history of football watched his Cleveland Browns beat the Chiefs.

Brown was a superstar coming out of Syracuse in 1957. He was a first-round draft choice and he became one of the icons of the game. He works as an adviser these days with the Browns. He was thrilled by the Browns victory.

“I’m for winning football games,” Brown said. “To not play well, then stick in there and then come back and win it … it’s exciting because at this time of year they could be giving up.”

Talents like Brown do not come around that often for football franchises trying to win games and championships. But that doesn’t mean a team can’t have good players and can’t win football games. Contributors don’t come only in the first round or with big signings in unrestricted free agency.

On this Sunday, Brown watched his team win thanks to a player who was not drafted five years ago when he came out of college, and another that was a fifth-round draft choice four years ago, who in his first three seasons with the Browns had a total of 77 carries for 448 yards.

The undrafted Joshua Cribbs and the fifth-rounder Jerome Harrison were the difference between the Browns and Chiefs on this Sunday afternoon. Everybody in the league knows about Cribbs, but Harrison was largely a Mr. Nobody; a backup guy for Jamal Lewis who is done for the season because of a head injury.

Both Cribbs and Harrison ran their way into the NFL record books against the Chiefs. Cribbs had two kickoff returns for touchdowns that give him eight for his career, more than any player in league history. Harrison ran for 286 yards, the third best rushing day in NFL history and a team record for the Browns, a mark previously held by the greatest Brown of all. …Read More!

Blackout Falls on Chiefs

For the first time in 19 seasons, the Chiefs will have a regular-season home game blacked out on local television.

The Chiefs announced Thursday afternoon that the 5,500 tickets still available for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns had not sold by the noon deadline. The NFL rule is that tickets must be sold 72 hours before kickoff.

It’s the first time since December 16, 1990 that a Chiefs regular season game at Arrowhead will not be on local TV. That day, Houston grabbed a 27-10 victory. That’s a string of 156 regular and post-season that have been broadcast. If you factor in the pre-season games starting with the 1991 season, that number is 193 consecutive Chiefs home games of all kinds that have been available without charge.

The game cannot be televised in a 75-mile radius of the Kansas City metropolitan area.  That includes stations inside the radius and those that broadcast into the 75-mile circle around Kansas City. 

The DirecTV and NFL Sunday Ticket broadcast of the game will be unavailable to zip codes inside that radius.  CBS stations in Wichita, Omaha, Jefferson City-Columbia, Springfield, Pittsburg, Dodge City/Hays and Sioux City. The contest will be available on NFL.com at midnight Sunday and will remain available for three days at no cost in the Kansas City area.

Chiefs Fail In All Phases In Loss To Browns

From Arrowhead Stadium

Combine 491 offensive yards with a plus-2 margin in the turnovers, and Matt Cassel posting a 99.1 passer rating and Jamaal Charles running for 154 yards and those should be the plot elements to a big Chiefs victory.

But in this disaster of a 2009 season all those positives were just part of another negative. The Cleveland Browns came to Arrowhead and went back home with their third victory of the season, 41-34.

How do the Chiefs lose a game with those kinds of accomplishments? It happens when they can’t stop the running game and give up not one, but two kickoff returns for touchdowns. Cleveland ran for 351 yards and RB Jerome Harrison finished with 286 yards on 34 carries. That’s the third best rushing performance in the history of the NFL and the best in Browns history, topping anything that the great Jim Brown did during his Hall of Fame career.

Cleveland’s best weapon is WR-KR-RB-QB Joshua Cribbs and scored on kickoff returns of 100 and 103 yards, giving him eight for his career, more than anybody in the history of the game.

And the Chiefs dropped a minimum of nine passes during the game, five of which were on third down and would have moved the sticks.

“Defensively you’ve got to stop the run,” said head coach Todd Haley. “Special teams you’ve got to cover and on offense when you are throwing the ball, you gotta catch it. We gave up 351 rushing yards, we allowed two kickoff return TDs and we dropped nine passes.

“It’s a very disappointing outcome with very clear-cut reasons for the outcome.” …Read More!

Practice Report Update 12/17

From the Truman Sports Complex

The Chiefs had all hands practice on Thursday as they continued preparations for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns.

Todd Haley took his team outside where they experienced weather conditions that sound like they will match what they will face  at Arrowhead against the Browns: temperature in the 30s, with a light breeze and no precepitation.

WR Dwayne Bowe got his second practice session in after being away for a four-week NFL suspension and Haley remained reticent to declare him ready to play on Sunday.

“Dwayne made it through yesterday,” Haley said. “He’s picking up a handful of new stuff that we’ve evolved since the suspension. I’m encouraged by where he’s at in two days.”

QB Matt Cassel said of Bowe: “We have missed Dwayne over the last few weeks. He’s a playmaker and to have him back on the field will be great. He’s still trying to get caught up to speed. We are doing a lot of different things in the time since he left. It will be up to the coaches to decide how far he’s progressed during the week.” …Read More!

A Decade Of Games – Polls Close Thursday 11 p.m.

We are in the final days of a decade of Chiefs football. From CP and Gunther, to Dick and Herm … and from Pioli and Haley there have been too many “L” and not enough “W” in the Chiefs column over these last 10 seasons.

Nevertheless, the last nine seasons and this one have had some memorable games. OK, maybe not this season, but the nine before it did. OK, maybe not 2008, but the eight before did.

We want your selection of the Game of the Decade. For the next four days you’ll have the opportunity to vote. Just attach a comment to this post and give me the game and 25 words or less on why it’s your favorite contest in this decade. After four days, we will total up the nominations, let you know what the readers picked and then I’ll give you my top games of the decade. Then, we’ll move on to coaches, players and plays of the decade.

Just to prime the pump a little bit, here are a few games that are on my list for consideration to make the games of the decade list:

• September 30, 2001, Chiefs @ Washington: Priest Holmes breaks out as an all-purpose offensive weapon against Marty Schottenheimer and the Redskins.
• October 24, 2004, Atlanta @ Chiefs: the Chiefs score an NFL record eight rushing touchdowns against the Falcons, as Holmes and Derrick Blaylock both go for four.
• October 12, 2003, Chiefs @ Green Bay: the Chiefs go to Lambeau Field and beat the Packers in overtime, Trent Green to Eddie Kennison for the winning points.
• November 23, 2006, Denver @ Chiefs: the first Thanksgiving night game gets played out in front of a national TV audience as the Chiefs beat the Broncos.

Now it’s your opportunity to vote. Don’t worry if you don’t remember exact dates. A simple Raiders game at Arrowhead in ’04, or that Denver game when Priest Holmes did something special will suffice.

The polls are open.

Working The Offense … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

The Chiefs offense continues to struggle. It was abundantly apparent last Sunday when they played a mediocre Buffalo defense.

While they were able to produce 354 yards – their second best yardage day of the 2009 season – they were able to score but 10 points and one touchdown. They turned the ball over four times. They allowed four sacks.

In all, they had 20 negative plays, a number they should reach over three or four games, not just one. They are 80 percent through their season and they are still making a remarkable number of mistakes. That total of 20 included four sacks, four interceptions, four offensive penalties, three passes for minus-yardage and five running plays for minus-yards.

Essentially the Chiefs big offensive day came down to a 76-yard touchdown run by Jamaal Charles (above).

“Jamaal Charles continues to be a real bright spot for us,” said head coach/offensive coordinator Todd Haley. “I think there are a lot of good things going on with him in the pass game and the run game, even in the turnover situation when he made the tackle and forced the fumble.” …Read More!

Practice Report Update 12/16

From the Truman Sports Complex

LG Brian Waters and DE Glenn Dorsey were limited participants in the Chiefs practice on Wednesday.

Both players are coming off injuries they suffered in last Sunday’s game against Buffalo, with Waters dealing with a left hamstring injury and Dorsey a left knee problem. Head coach Todd Haley remained optimistic that both Waters and Dorsey would be available this coming Sunday against Cleveland.

“I’m optimistic … I think they have a chance to play,” said Haley. “We’ll see as the week goes on.”

Also limited in practice on Wednesday were FS Jon McGraw (hand) and DE Wallace Gilberry (back). Again, Haley expets them to be ready to play vs. the Browns.

CB Brandon Flowers who missed practice time last week was a full participant on Wednesday, as the Chiefs worked indoors at their facility. Flowers has battled a sore shoulder all season.

Haley was pleased with what he saw on the practice field from WR Dwayne Bowe, taking part in his first session since serving his four-game NFL suspension. …Read More!

Running at Defense … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

As Todd Haley spoke about Sunday’s loss to Buffalo after the game and then the next day after reviewing the tape, he said the same things.

The Chiefs offense was error prone and inefficient against the Bills according to the head coach, looking good only in the running game with Jamaal Charles. The special teams battle went to Buffalo in his view. And, Haley said he was pleased with the overall performance of his defense.

“I thought our defense did a very good job overall, did a great job of creating turnovers, did a great job versus the passing game holding them to 73 yards,” Haley said. “In the run game, we’ve got to be better.”

Better? It’s hard to imagine the Chiefs run defense being any worse than what they’ve done the last two weeks. Denver had 245 rushing yards. Buffalo had 200 rushing yards. Two weeks in a row and the opponent averaged 223 yards rushing per game. No wonder the Chiefs are ranked 30th in the league when it comes to giving up yardage on the ground, with a 13-game average of 148.1 yards.

So why was Haley pleased about his defense? Well, when a coach is reviewing the performance of a 3-10 football team, one that has lost three in a row and by a combined score of 103-37, there are not going to be many positives. When something like forcing three turnovers and allowing 73 yards passing shows up on the tape for this team, it’s something to be pleased about.

There’s no question that defensive production is lacking with this group. …Read More!

Dawson Will Be Honored At Super Bowl

Super Bowl IV MVP Len Dawson will be part of the trophy ceremonies at Super Bowl 44 at Dolphin Stadium in south Florida on Sunday, February 7, 2010.

Dawson will take part in the presentation of the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the winning team. Len will carry the hardware to mid-field where he will hand it off to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

It will happen 40 years after Len led the Chiefs to their 23-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans in the fourth and last AFL-NFL Championship Game. The date was January 11, 1970.

Dawson’s passing numbers in the game were: 12 of 17 for 142 yards, including a 46-yard TD pass to Otis Taylor.

Previous Super Bowl stars who have taken part in the ceremony over the last five years were Bart Starr, Don Shula, Doug Williams and Joe Namath.

D-Bowe Returns … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

Everyone around the Chiefs football operations wanted to see how WR Dwayne Bowe looked when he showed up at the facility on Monday, ending his four-game NFL suspension.

Todd Haley was happy with what he saw when No. 82 walked back into the building.

“He looked good,” Haley said late Monday afternoon. “It looks like he did a good job of keeping himself in condition. You’re always happy to get back one of your best players.”

Throughout his career, Bowe has dealt with weight problems during periods of inactivity. It happened to him after last season, and even during the five-week vacation the players had between the end of the Chiefs off-season program and the start of training camp.

That’s why Bowe was taking a diuretic for weight loss. That’s what gave him a positive test and why he was suspended by the league under its rules involving performance enhancing drugs. Diuretics are often used by those who abuse steroids.

Under NFL rules the team was not allowed to have any communication with Bowe, but several of his teammates kept in touch and some who didn’t, were happy to see him return in shape and ready to contribute. …Read More!

Victory Gets Blacked Out At Arrowhead

From Arrowhead Stadium

Only the folks inside the Chiefs know how much money it cost the Hunt family to lift the local television blackout for Sunday’s game against Buffalo. The club said they needed to sell 3,500 tickets, but there were thousands more available for the game and it cost the club thousands of dollars to take care of the visitor’s share of the gate split.

Clark Hunt should ask for his money back. There are many better things that money could have been spent on as the Chiefs dropped their 10th game of the season, this time 16-10 to the Buffalo Bills.

If the Hunts want to entertain Kansas City TV viewers, they should have blacked out the game, but televised the half-time ceremonies that involved performers from a local dance studio including one tiny little guy who had moves galore and drew the greatest cheers of the afternoon.

The team announced paid attendance of 68,668, but empty seats were plentiful. Yet, this crowd did make a lot of noise. Some of it was encouragement and some was raspberries directed at their favorite team that is now 3-10 on the season.

“I just want to thank the fans,” said head coach Todd Haley. “I thought the fans were tremendous for us. I thought they were loud and a disruption for the Bills for most of the game.”

By losing once again, it guaranteed the Chiefs a third consecutive season with double-digit defeats. That’s never happened before in the 50-season history of the franchise. From 2007-09, the Chiefs are 9-36.

There are plenty of things to talk about and discuss after a game such as this one. Here’s our stuff:

• GAME STORY: Too many mistakes to win for the Chiefs.
• COLUMN: A Haley decision that didn’t work.
• OFFENSE: Charles is going up, Cassel is going down.
• DEFENSE: Good enough to win.
• NOTES: Bills get lucky.
• GAMEBOOK

Pre-Game Report 12/13 UPDATE

From Arrowhead Stadium

10:45 a.m. CST – honored in pre-game ceremonies was Kansas City native Tom Watson. His step-daughter Kelly Page will sing the national anthem.

10:40 a.m. CST – Game-day weather is partly cloudy, cool with some sunshine. Temperatures expected right around 40 degrees, with a light wind out of the north-northwest. There’s a chance for preciptiation in the second half.

11:30 a.m. CST – No changes in the starting lineup for the Chiefs. With the Bills, RT Jonathan Scott moves to LT to replace Demetrius Bell, who was sent to the injured-reserve list last week. Kirk Chambers steps in at RT for Scott. Fred Jackson will open at running back for Marshawn Lynch and on defense Nic Harris starts at SLB for Chris Draft.

11:05 a.m. CST – working on returns in the pre-game warm-up for the Chiefs are Jamaal Charles, Lance Long, Terrance Long and Javarris Williams. With Quinten Lawrence and Dantrell Savage inactive, they will have to find a new returner to fill in for Charles.

11 a.m. CST – Ryan Succop was good from 53 yards towards the east uprights, but missed short from 53 yards kicking to the west. there’s a minimal amount of wind on the playing surface.

10:45 a.m. CST – Chiefs made a roster move late Saturday afternoon, promoting DL Dion Gales from the practice squad to fill the roster spot that was open after DT Kenny Smith was released last Monday. Gales is active today and will wear No. 70.

10:40 a.m. CST – Good news for the Chiefs defense that CB Brandon Flowers is active today. Flowers missed practice on Thursday and Friday due to a shoulder injury that has bothered him all season.  With guys like Lee Evans and Terrell Owens in the Bills offense, having Flowers is important.

10:35 a.m. CST – The inactive players for the Chiefs today against the Bills are: WR Quinten Lawrence, LB Justin Rogers, TE Sean Ryan, TE Jake O’Connell, RB Dantrell Savage, LB Pierre Walters and G Ikechuku Ndukwe. The inactive third quarterback is QB Matt Gutierrez.

10:35 a.m. CST – The inactive players for the Bills today against the Chiefs are: WR Justin Jenkins, TE Joe Klopfenstein,WR James Hardy, DE Chris Ellis,CB Ashton Youboty, DB Cary Harris and DT John McCargo. The third inactive quarterback is Brian Brohm.

…Read More!

One Play At A Time … Game-Day Cup O’Chiefs

It’s one of the most difficult things to do for everyone, whether it’s just another day in the everyman’s life or an NFL football player. Living in the moment is a mindset that has to fight through a lot internal wiring in our brains and hearts before it can control our thinking, if it can. 

Football coaches for years have preached: one play at a time. When Marty Schottenheimer was the Chiefs head coach, it seemed he was saying one play at a time in his sleep. The premise is a simple one: live in the present, don’t worry or celebrate what just happened, and don’t get caught up in thinking about what’s coming down the road. Live in the moment.

The 2009 Chiefs have shown no ability to live in the moment or take their Sunday duties one play at a time. They will make another stab at pulling that off on Sunday when they host the Buffalo Bills at Arrowhead Stadium. Kickoff is just moments after 12 noon and TV coverage is on CBS-TV, with no blackout.

It’s why the Chiefs have been prone to third quarters like the Denver game last Sunday, and the second quarter the week before in San Diego.

“Right now, it just seems like if we have something go wrong and then all the sudden it’s a snowball effect,” said QB Matt Cassel, who was covered in an avalanche of bad plays last week that pushed him off the field and to the bench. “You saw it in the third quarter. We started the third quarter and we went three and out and then all of a sudden we had the interception and that led to another bad play. Then you get into a bad situation where before you know it, it’s 44 to whatever. We just can’t allow that to happen.

“We’ve got to stop allowing one bad play to lead to another.” …Read More!

Chiefs Add Defensive Lineman

On Saturday the Chiefs added rookie defensive lineman Dion Gales to the active roster and he’ll be eligible to play on Sunday against Buffalo.

There was a spot open on the 53-man active roster after the release earlier in the week of NT Kenny Smith. Gales was signed as an undrafted college free agent back in April, was with the team in training camp and the pre-season and has been on the club’s practice squad since the first week of the regular season.

Gales – 6-5, 259 pounds – grew up in New Orleans and attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Troy University in Alabama.

Special Special Teams … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

There are certain coaches in the NFL that make for sleepless nights for other coaches.

Former Chiefs defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham matched wits against Mike Shanahan with the Broncos for a decade. But before every game between the teams, Gunther’s already limited sleep time was chopped even more because he was trying to plot and predict what new offensive twist Shanny would hit him with. No matter what had happened in the past, there was always a previously unseen wrinkle. It drove Cunningham crazy trying to guess, more than it bothered him trying to figure out how to defense the move.

Buffalo Bills assistant head coach/special teams Bobby April (left) is one of those coaches. He arrives at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday with what some people in the league think are the best kicking game units in the game. April is a guy who always comes up with new fakes, new returns and previously unseen wrinkles.

And, he’s had 10 days to prepare for the Chiefs.

“They’re a well-coached group that will throw a lot at you and they’ve had a couple of extra days to prepare,” said Chiefs head coach Todd Haley. “I’m sure they’ll have something for us and in a lot of different areas. He’s seen everything there is and you see it on the tape and through the years.

“You’ve got to be prepared and we’re working on it all the time. You can’t just look at two or three games to get ready for this special teams group. You have to look at two, three or four years ago.”

NFL writer Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News has issued his special teams rankings for many years. Over the past decade, it’s become the standard by which people in the game judge who is getting it done on special teams and who is not. He takes about 20 statistical categories and ranks the teams one through 32 based on their numbers for the season. Gosselin then adds up all the numbers and comes up with his rankings. …Read More!

Texans Defense Keys Another Victory

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 and its first season of play.

In a league that would become famous for its offense and scoring, in game No. 13 of the 1960 season the Dallas Texans defense was overpowering on a cold, cloudy Sunday afternoon at the Cotton Bowl. They pitched a shutout for the second straight week, beating the Boston Patriots 34-0 before a crowd of 12,000.

The Texans allowed the Patriots just 151 yards in total offense, and only 18 rushing yards. They forced five turnovers and never allowed Boston to get past the Dallas 42-yard line. The defense also added a touchdown, as CB Duane Wood (left) returned an interception 56 yards for a touchdown.

“I was playing the short outside zone,” Wood told reporters after the game. “We knew they would have to pass and he threw it right to me.” Wood grabbed another interception later in the game.

Dallas also got a touchdown out of the kicking game, as Johnny Robinson returned a punt 62 yards for a score in the third quarter.

“Before the punt I told Sherrill (Headrick) to call (the return) to the wide side,” Robinson said. “The ground was so slick that I knew we could have more time to set it up. Nobody touched me, well the last man grazed me a little but he was really out of the play.”
…Read More!

Practice Report 12/11 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

CB Brandon Flowers is listed as questionable on the official injury report that the Chiefs turned in to the NFL office Friday afternoon.

Flowers has been dealing with a shoulder  injury and in the early part of Friday’s practice outside, he was on the stationary bike. The Chiefs listed him as a limited participant in the session. Flowers missed Thursday’s workout because of the shoulder problem, which is something he’s dealt with all season.

Head coach Todd Haley said Flowers was improved from Thursday to Friday. Haley wouldn’t say who would start if Flowers can’t go, but more than likely it would be Travis Daniels, who has been serving as the nickel back for the last three weeks.

Everybody else on the injury report is listed as probable: RB Jamaal Charles (shoulder), RB Dantrell Savage (ankle), DE Wallace Gilberry (back), G Andy Alleman (knee) and LB Justin Rogers (thigh).

The Chiefs worked outside in Friday’s practice, under sunny skies and temperatures in the low 30s. The weather forecast for Sunday afternoon is cloudy, with temps in the low to mid 40s and a chance of rain.

Also, the team announced Friday morning that Sunday’s game will be broadcast locally and not blacked out. The team said early in the week that they needed to sell 3,500 tickets for the blackout to be lifted. It makes the streak of Chiefs games on local TV 156 consecutive games.

Dropping The Ball … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

Over his 13-year NFL career, linebacker has been Mike Vrabel’s football home.

But every once in awhile, Vrabel gets to play tight end; it started in 2002 with the Patriots and has continued through this season. He has caught 11 passes over his career, all for touchdowns. He was thrown a 12th pass. Vrabel actually made that catch, but officials ruled he was out of bounds at the back of the end zone.

A dozen passes to a linebacker and he caught them all. Not a single dropped pass.

Maybe it’s time to have Vrabel start working with the Chiefs receivers. At this point, Todd Haley would welcome any help.

The Chiefs are leading the NFL in dropped passes with 37 in 12 games.

Over the last dozen seasons, Haley has made his bones in the NFL coaching profession handling receivers. With the Jets, Bears and Cowboys he was the wide receivers coach. With the Cardinals, he worked closely with the pass catchers in his role as offensive coordinator.

Not much rankles Haley more than dropped passes. “I hate them,” Haley snarled. “Hate’em.” …Read More!

Practice Report 12/10 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

CB Brandon Flowers did not practice on Thursday as the Chiefs went through their second workout of the week.

Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said a shoulder injury is bothering Flowers and that’s why he did not practice. Flowers was limited to walking laps around the field in the team’s indoor facility.

“We’ll  know more on Friday about his availability,” Haley said of Flowers chances to play on Sunday against the Bills.

Flowers has not been on the injury report since early in the season when he had a shoulder injury that kept him out of the season opener against Baltimore.  The second-year CB missed two games last year with a shoulder injury. At 5-9, 187 pounds, shoulder injuries  figure to be a problem Flowers will have to deal with in his career.

If Flowers is out, that hurts the Chiefs defense given the fact they are playing an offense with receivers like Terrell Owens, Lee Evans and Josh Reed. …Read More!

Problems In Evaluating Cassel … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

Have you wondered why it’s been so long since the Chiefs developed their own quarterback?

Watching and listening to what’s happened in the last month or so with QB Matt Cassel, it’s not hard to understand why the Chiefs haven’t gone the developmental route since drafting Todd Blackledge back in 1983.

It’s not easy watching a quarterback earn his stripes. It’s a mess actually, a roller coaster that produces all the feelings that go into any amusement park ride: exhilaration, nausea, thrills, chills, fear and many more emotions.

There’s nothing easy about dealing with the trials and tribulations of an inexperienced quarterback trying to find his way. But there is an investment of time and patience that must be made by an organization if they are truly going to give their guy a chance to be the franchise quarterback.

Right now, the Chiefs seem willing to be patient. Todd Haley gave Cassel the hook last Sunday, but immediately stated that he was not going to change his starter.

Cassel has 26 games as a starting quarterback in the NFL. That’s 15 in New England last season and 11 this year. His record as a starter is 13-13. That’s better than most.

For all those who have already decided Cassel isn’t capable of being the franchise quarterback for the Chiefs, I’m here to tell you that assessment is premature. And, for all those who think Cassel is the man to eventually be the replacement for the long retired Len Dawson, I say not so fast.

Any evaluation of Cassel at this point has to take into account many factors, some of which are out of his control. The hardest part of divining whether a young quarterback is capable of leading a team is the team itself. Who is he playing with? What kind of situations is he asked to handle? What type of game plans is he given? What’s the coaching staff like? How much patience does the organization have? …Read More!

Bills Get Lucky & Other Items

From Arrowhead Stadium

There was no doubt in the mind of interim head coach Perry Fewell that he and the Buffalo Bills got a gift near the end of their 16-10 victory over the Chiefs.

Specifically, it was the dropped pass by WR Chris Chambers that would have given the Chiefs the ball at the Bills two-yard line with just around two minutes to play.

“That was the game,” Fewell said afterwards. “Yes, he did beat the coverage but we were on the lucky end today. Sometimes you have to have a little luck.”

It also helps when players make plays, like DE Aaron Schobel did on fourth-and goal at the Bills one-yard line in the first half of the game. Chiefs QB Matt Cassel was trying to run a bootleg, but Schobel wasn’t fooled and brought down Cassel for a seven-yard loss.

“We were in a goal-line defense and thought that they would pass the ball,” said Fewell, who still doubles as the team’s defensive coordinator. “When the quarterback kept it, it was a Schobel play. The guy makes plays and you just have to go ‘Man, I’m glad we got this guy!’”

Fewell is now 2-2 since he took over for the fired Dick Jauron and he could have cared less if the game was not a classic.

“I don’t see any ugly in victory,” Fewell said. “All victories are pretty to me.”

What wasn’t pretty was the performance of Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who completed 12 of 20 passes for 86 yards and an interception.

“He didn’t throw the ball very well and we threw the ball into coverage a couple of times,” said Fewell of his quarterback. “He just didn’t throw it very well.”

Fitzpatrick wasn’t happy with the interception he threw in the end zone, where CB Brandon Flowers picked him off.

“That was a poor decision,” Fitzgerald said. “It was really a one-receiver route and we ran it all week. You can’t make decisions like that out there. Luckily it didn’t cost us.”

The Bills are now 5-8 on the season and they have a tough three-game closing schedule. They host New England, visit Atlanta and then host Indianapolis to close out the season.

SPECIAL TEAMS REPORT

Facing one of the best kicking game attacks in the league, the Chiefs did OK in Sunday’s game against Buffalo.

Where they fell down was a shock: punter Dustin Colquitt had one of the worst days of his career, kicking five times and averaging just 33.4 yards a punt. His net average of 29.4 yards a punt. The last time he his gross average was that bad in a game where he had more than one punt was last year against New Orleans when he averaged 33.4 yards. The last time his net average was that bad was September 2007, when his net average against Chicago was 22.9 yards, thanks to a Devin Hester return for a touchdown.

When punting for field position, sometimes a punter’s numbers can take a beating. That wasn’t the case for three of Colquitt’s punts. Kicking from the Chiefs 26-yard line, his punt went just 38 yards. Kicking from his 19-yard line, his punt was 37 yards and the worst one of the day came on a punt where the line of scrimmage was the Chiefs nine-yard line; Colquitt got off a punt of just 28 yards.

Meanwhile, Kansas native Brian Moorman was having a big day punting the ball against the Chiefs, kicking four times for a gross and net average of 53 yards a kick. He got off a 73-yard punt courtesy of a mental mistake by Chiefs punt returner Bobby Wade, who said he lost the ball in the air on a punt where the Chiefs were going for a block. Wade let the ball hit the ground and it bounced another 20 yards.

The Chiefs got nothing from their return game. Wade in fact did not return a punt, fair catching two of them. On kickoff returns, WR Lance Long stepped in for Jamaal Charles but he averaged just 17.4 yards on five returns, including one where he brought the ball back just eight yards.

Coverage-wise, the Chiefs gave up a 40-yard kickoff return to RB Fred Jackson, who averaged 30.3 yards on three returns.

K Ryan Succop’s kickoffs went to the Bills six-yard line, the goal line and one-yard deep in the end zone.

DORSEY SUFFERS KNEE INJURY

The Chiefs lost DE Glenn Dorsey in the first half with an injury to his left knee. Doctors and trainers put a brace on the knee, but Dorsey never got back into the game and eventually went to the locker room just before half-time.

After the game, Dorsey was wearing a brace on the knee and an electronic stimulator as he left the Chiefs locker room.

As is their custom, the Chiefs had nothing to say about Dorsey’s injury, other than it was his knee.

LOOKING AT ZEBRAS

Referee Al Riveron and his crew did not have the tightest handle on this game. They walked off eight penalties for 83 yards, but there were several huddles that took way too long for the group to decide on a play. There was also a replay review that seemed to go on forever, although that may have been the result of a failure of the communication line from the replay booth down to the replay machine on the field.

Todd Haley challenged two calls and lost both of them. First, he challenged the spot of a third-and-three completion from Cassel to WR Chris Chambers that ended up short of the first-down stick at the Buffalo two yard line. The decision on the field stood up and the Chiefs lost a timeout, as Succop kicked a 21-yard field goal.

Haley then challenged a call at the end of LB Paul Posluszny’s interception in the fourth quarter. On the return, Jamaal Charles was able to knock the ball out of Posluszny’s arm for a fumble. Charles came up with the ball, but the officials ruled that fumble did occur, but they didn’t see Charles recover the ball. So the call on the field was affirmed, giving Buffalo possession at the Chiefs 35-yard line.

“The ball was definitely ruled a fumble but they said they couldn’t figure out who had possession after the fumble,” said Haley. “Jamaal recovered the football and when he jumped up he was trying to get any officials’ attention to show that he had the ball. The referee told me they were unable to determine who had possession after No. 51 fumbled.”

The Chiefs had five flags walked off against them. CB Brandon Flowers was hit with a 15-yard personal foul call for a facemask grab on defense. The other four came on offense: LT Branden Albert was called for an illegal formation and a false start, C Rudy Niswanger was called for holding as was WR Chris Chambers.

CHARLES 76-YARD RUN TO HISTORY

Charles 76-yard TD run was the seventh longest run from scrimmage in franchise history. Here are the six longer plays:

LEFTOVERS

Sunday was the three-year anniversary of the passing of Lamar Hunt … Vrabel’s sack was the 57th of his career, while Hali’s sack gives him 7.5 for the season and 26 for his career … WR Bobby Wade played in his 100th NFL game … CB Travis Daniels made his first start with the Chiefs when the defense opened in the nickel … rookie DE Dion Gales was promoted from the practice squad on Saturday and played in his first NFL game … Kansas City native Tom Watson was honored before the game and his step-daughter Kelly Page sang the national anthem. Watson wore red pants and gold sweater. It was quite the get up … the Chiefs offense had their best third-down conversion day of the season, moving the chains seven of 18 times, or 39 percent … Buffalo rookie LB Ashlee Palmer was sensational on special teams coverage, getting credit for three tackles … the Chiefs won the toss and elected to receive … the Chiefs offense ran one play with a direct snap to Charles.

Defense: Good Enough To Win

From Arrowhead Stadium

The numbers jump off the statistical page from Sunday’s game between the Chiefs and Bills:

BUFFALO PASS RECEIVING: Terrell Owens, 2 catches for 15 yards; Lee Evans, 1 catch for 11 yards.

The best tandem of wide receivers that the Chiefs have seen this year were held to three catches for 26 yards. Put the clamps on a pair of receivers like that and a defense expects that they’ll be on the winning side in any game.

It didn’t happen as the Bills beat the Chiefs 16-10.

“I’ll have to wait to see the tape,” said CB Brandon Flowers. “Coach (Haley) always talks about hidden yardage, so I’ll be anxious to see where we maybe gave up some hidden yardage. But we really didn’t let those two guys hurt us.”

Owens did score Buffalo’s only touchdown, on a nine-yard pass from QB Ryan Fitzpatrick in the first quarter. He caught just one more pass after that for six yards. Evans did not catch a pass until the second half, that one for just 11 yards.

The Chiefs forced three turnovers during the game, as OLB Mike Vrabel caused a fumble on a sack, CB Brandon Carr pulled the ball out of the hands of a Buffalo tight end and Flowers grabbed a Fitzpatrick pass in the end zone for his third interception of the season.

Not bad for a guy who did not practice on Thursday or Friday and had no clue whether he would play in the game until he woke up Sunday morning.

“I didn’t know what they were going to do with me,” Flowers said. “But I didn’t know until this morning that I was going to play. That’s cool for me, because you don’t’ want to be watching. You want to be out there and helping out your teammates.”

It seems almost silly to say a defense played well after giving up 200 rushing yards, but the Chiefs defense really did play a good game. They allowed just 273 yards in total offense, one of their best performances of the season and a site better than the numbers they’ve allowed in the last three games: 516, 426 and 413 yards.

“I thought our defense played really, really well,” said head coach Todd Haley. “‘We’ve got to do a better job against the run, but I really thought the defense for some of the spots they were put in really fought it out and made a bunch of key, key plays that gave us a chance to stay in the game and gets back in it.”

Vrabel had a sack and a forced fumble, but he wasn’t happy with his or his team’s overall performance.

“We didn’t do a good enough job, obviously,” said Vrabel, speaking specifically about stopping the Bills running game.

Fred Jackson had 99 yards on 20 carries and Marshawn Lynch picked u p 84 yards on 12 carries, including a 47-yard run that went on the ledger as another big play this Chiefs defense has allowed.

But the big plays were not there in the passing game, as they held Buffalo to just 73 yards in net passing, easily their best performance of the season. Vrabel and OLB Tamba Hali had the sacks. Vrabel and CB Brandon Carr caused the fumbles, with NT Ron Edwards and Carr recovering the loose balls. Flowers had the interception. SS Mike Brown led the team with nine tackles.

But when they needed the big play, it was hard to find.

“Once again at the end of the game we just couldn’t come up with the plays to win it all,” said FS Jon McGraw. “It’s frustrating but we’ve got to do what we’ve been doing the last few weeks and that’s keep trusting that we are headed in the right direction.”

Offense: One Guy Up, Another One Down

From Arrowhead Stadium

If the two key guys in the 2009 Chiefs offense were on escalators, they would pass each other going up, and going down.

Jamaal Charles is on the up escalator, as he continues to show that he has the ability to be a top-flight offensive threat in the NFL.

Matt Cassel is on the down escalator, as he continues to struggle to establish himself and the Chiefs passing game as a productive and consistent offensive force.

Both were on display Sunday as the Chiefs fell to the Bills 16-10. Charles and his legs kept the Chiefs in the game in the second half, when Cassel and his passes were taking them out of the action.

It’s not a good combination for producing victories, which probably explains the three straight losses the Chiefs have suffered.

Charles ran for 143 yards on 20 carries, the bulk of that coming on a 76-yard touchdown run. He also caught seven passes for 38 yards, giving him 27 touches in the game for 181 yards.

Over the last five games since he’s become the focus of the Chiefs running game, and the offense, Charles has 104 offensive touches for 570 yards and five touchdowns. Throw in his kick return duties – which he did not handle against Buffalo – and in the last five games he’s produced 911 all-purpose yards on 115 touches with six touchdowns.

This season now, Charles has nine plays that went for 40 yards or more and three plays for 50 yards or more, with touchdowns of 76 and 97 yards.

The 76-yarder came on a first-and-10 play at the Chiefs 24-yard line late in the third quarter. Charles took the handoff from Cassel as RG Wade Smith pulled and trapped Buffalo DT Kyle Williams. That opened a huge hole in the Bills defense, and when Charles got to the second level of the defense, he just juked and then out ran several defenders for the touchdown.

“I guess they had a blitz up the middle and we had a perfect play and I just took it to the house,” said Charles.

The play call was perfect because Buffalo head coach/defensive coordinator Perry Fewell had called for a blitz.

“They caught me in a blitz; it was a bad call,” Fewell said. “I thought I had some tendencies on them and I thought I could predict what they were going to do and they caught me.”

Charles tried to contribute in several different ways against the Bills. He made two tackles on interception returns, and actually caused a fumble on one and ended up with the football. But officials ruled the play down and Buffalo kept the football. The Chiefs challenged the call, but replay did not overrule the decision on the field.

“I thought it was a great hustle play by all the guys,” said Haley.

Cassel had his second bad game in a row. In the last two games played over eight days Cassel was 36 of 72 (50% completion rate) for 308 yards, no touchdowns and six interceptions, including the four he threw against the Bills on this Sunday.

All of those go on Cassel’s ticket, but only the first one was really his fault.

“When an interception happens there are a lot of different factors that are involved,” said head coach Todd Haley. “I know today two of them were tipped balls and the last interception is a jump-ball situation. When two are tipped and one hits the receiver in the hands, it’s proof there are a lot of factors involved.”

Cassel’s first interception was an extremely poor decision on his part. He was rolling to his right away from some pressure and decided to throw across his body and try to dump the ball over a Buffalo defender to WR Mark Bradley. The defender was Terrence McGee and he grabbed the interception.

“Obviously, I’d like to have that one back,” said Cassel. “It was just a dumb play by me and I’ve got to be smart with the ball.”

The next two picks bounced off the hands of WR Chris Chambers and were grabbed by LB Paul Posluszny and DB Jairus Byrd, Then S George Wilson grabbed the jump ball on the final play of the game to make it four interceptions.

That’s six in the last two weeks and 13 on the season. Those are combined with two potential touchdown passes where he overthrew Bradley and then several drops, including one late in the game by Chambers that would have set up the Chiefs at the Buffalo two-yard line.

It all led to a steady chorus of boos from the Arrowhead crowd. Cassel heard the catcalls.

“Hey, they’re allowed to do whatever they want,” he said. “They pay the money to come here and we have to perform. It’s frustrating not to be winning. You come out and put so much hard work in each and every week and to not have the production all the time on Sunday and putting up the Ws for the fans … for us and for everybody, it’s frustrating.”

Column: Yes It Can Get Worse And Did

From Arrowhead Stadium

Walking out of the stadium a week ago, I ran into Roger, a big Chiefs fan I know who had watched the debacle against Denver. He had drowned his sorrows in a suite after the game and was stumbling his way out of the building.

“Hey Gretz,” he yelled over his shoulder, as his long suffering wife Anne was dragging him to the parking lot. “There’s nothing as bad as losing to the Donkeys. It can’t get any worse than this.”

Oh yes it can Roger. It did. It’s one thing losing to a Denver team that’s in the hunt for a wildcard spot in the playoffs. It’s another to go down to the Buffalo Bills, a 4-8 team with an interim head coach and a starting quarterback who might have a degree from Harvard but should not be starting for an NFL team.

Make that the 5-8 Bills, and now the 3-10 Chiefs. Yes, this was a stop on the schedule for the Chiefs to win a game and yet they never really held the opportunity in their hands for more than a few moments.

It disappeared when head coach Todd Haley made another one of those decisions that will be second guessed for many, many days, weeks, even months. Fourth-and-goal at the Bills one-yard line, there’s n o score and there are four minutes to play in the first quarter. The coaching handbook says you put the first points on the board with a field goal. …Read More!

Bills Make Fewer Mistakes and Beat Chiefs 16-10

From Arrowhead Stadium

As the final pass of the game fluttered through the air towards the end zone, the Chiefs hope of victory hung by a very slim thread. Here was one last chance to make up for an afternoon of mistakes.

When you are a bad football team – like 3-10 bad – the bounces, the tips and the calls seldom go your way. That’s why a team so desperate for another “W” can’t put itself in the position to have all the eggs of their basket resting on a single, last-moment snap of the ball.

That’s why the Chiefs fell 16-10 to the Buffalo Bills. QB Matt Cassel’s throw as the clock showed 0:00 found the hands of safety George Wilson and the Bills fourth interception of the afternoon. The victory has Buffalo now 5-8 on the season, while the Chiefs are 3-10.

“The biggest thing is not capitalizing on opportunities on the field,” said head coach Todd Haley. “Whether it was giving up a sack in field goal range, or coming out of the red zone with zero points. We had good opportunities and we didn’t produce.”

There were four or five Chiefs receivers in the end zone. Several jumped way too early and had no chance to catch the ball. TE Brad Cottam was interfered with as he tried to throw his 6-7 frame towards the heavens and the ball. That’s the stuff that happens when you scramble your own chances of winning and have to rely on a wing and a prayer.

“It’s frustrating not to be winning,” said Cassel, who heard from the Arrowhead Stadium boo-birds throughout the game. “You put so much work during the week and not to get the results you want on Sunday, it’s frustrating for the fans, for us, it’s just frustrating.” …Read More!

Opponent: Buffalo Bills

2009 record: 4-8, with victories over Tampa Bay, Carolina, Miami and the New York Jets. They’ve lost to New England, New Orleans, Miami, Cleveland, Houston, Tennessee, Jacksonville and the Jets.

Last year’s record: 7-9, after they started 4-0 and then 5-1. They were 2-8 over the last 10 games. One of their seven victories was a 54-31 demolition of the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Bills scored six touchdowns and four FGs. QB Trent Edwards threw two TD passes and scored two rushing touchdowns. CB Leodis McKelvin returned an interception 64 yards for a score.

Record for the last five seasons: 35-45, with no appearances in the playoffs. Their last winning record was in the 2004 season, when they were 9-7 under head coach Mike Mularkey.

Last appearance in the playoffs: 1999, when they were a wildcard team and lost a first-round game to the Tennessee Titans 22-16 in the game that gave birth to the Music City Miracle, where the Titans used a lateral on a kickoff return to score the winning points.

Head coach: Perry Fewell, who was named interim head coach on after owner Ralph Wilson fired Dick Jauron. Fewell was the team’s defensive coordinator and had never been a head coach on any level before being named to the post. He’s 47 years old and Fewell is the fifth head coach in this decade for the Bills, joining Wade Phillips, Greg Williams, Mularkey and Jauron, who was fired after going 24-34 since taking over in 2006. …Read More!

Practice Report 12/9 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

The rehab area was uninhabited on Wednesday morning as the Chiefs began their practice week in preparation for the Buffalo Bills.

Only DE Wallace Gilberry was on the practice report as less than a full participant, as he was limited because of a sore back. Despite plenty of bumps and bruises, all 60 available players were practicing.

That included RB Jamaal Charles, who was pretty banged up after the game, but was out and working in the early part of practice with the other RBs and the offense.

“He’s showing signs of being a good player and one of those (signs) is the ability to play through bumps and bruises,” said head coach Todd Haley.  “Good back in the league have to do that. If he wants to be a good back, he’s got to do that and I think that’s what he has shown.”

The Chiefs practiced inside, despite Haley’s plans and hope to be outside. The Chiefs grounds crew cleared snow off the tarp that was covering the practice field, but a decision was made that it was too windy. Haley said it had nothing to do with a windchill factor of zero.

“i just didn’t think we could be productive out there throwing the ball with the way the wind was blowing,” said Haley. “”I was disappointed. I don’t know whether they (players) were. Working in those conditions will make us a better team.”" …Read More!

The Quarter System … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

Todd Haley likes to break down the schedule into four quarters, four games each. Haley thinks breaking up the season makes it easier for him and his players to take on the marathon that is an NFL season.

An example of what the quarter system can do for a team’s thinking is the Chiefs improved record in each quarter of the season, from 0-4, to 1-3 and finally to 2-2 in the most recent four-game period. Haley can sell his team on the idea that improvement is tangible by looking at record from quarter to quarter rather than getting stuck on the ugly 3-9 number.

We decided to go beyond the victories and defeats, and look at the offensive and defensive numbers of each quarter for this 2009 season. The numbers paint a pretty good picture of what’s happened over the last three months with this team, and what areas have to improve over the last quarter of the season beginning on Sunday against Buffalo.

What comes as no surprise is this: the Chiefs must improve in all areas on the field. Plays like the early third down catch that WR Bobby Wade (right) couldn’t make have to be counter-balanced by production and consistency somewhere else. That’s simply not happening.

There’s one thing that must be taken into account when looking at any team’s statistics: just who did this team play? The Chiefs have faced 10 different opponents in 12 games. Only three of those games came against teams with a losing record: two against the 4-8 Raiders and a game against the 3-9 Redskins. The ’09 Chiefs have played a tough schedule, one that has two of their last four games against clubs with losing records in Buffalo and Cleveland.

Here are the numbers on offense and defense by quarters: …Read More!

Another Transaction Tuesday

Tuesdays have been the busiest day of the week for roster movement around the Chiefs during this 2009 season.

Thus the day has been dubbed Transaction Tuesday.

There was another transaction for the Chiefs on Tuesday as the team released DT Kenny Smith.

Signed on October 21st, after being out of the NFL for several seasons, Smith played in six games with the Chiefs. He was credited with two tackles in those games, where he got just a handful of snaps each week spelling NT Ron Edwards.

The Chiefs did not announce who would fill the open spot on the 53-man active roster. They have three defensive linemen on the practice squad: DT Derek Lokey, DE Dion Gales and DE Bobby Greenwood.

Getting Back On Track … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

The sun came up Monday morning.

It always does, whether the Chiefs have won or lost the day before. But after games like the Broncos 44-13 battering of the Chiefs, more than a few people want to pull the covers over their heads and forget about the pain.

Others crawl out of bed and face the day. That’s what Matt Cassel did on Monday morning. He was up and out the door of his south Kansas City home and into the Chiefs facilities before many of his teammates.

Sunday against Denver may have been the worst performance of his NFL career, but there’s only one way to wash that nasty taste out of your mouth if you are quarterback. That requires getting to the office and getting to work on putting away the past and starting preparation for the future.

But that doesn’t stop the media and fans from continuing their dissection of Cassel’s ugly performance against the Broncos.

“In the first half he had us in a position to win,” head coach Todd Haley said of Cassel. “In the second half, we didn’t make some plays that would have put us in a better position to win. …Read More!

From the Mouth of Todd

From the Truman Sports Complex

Todd Haley had looked at all the tape of Sunday’s loss to Denver. He wasn’t smiling when he met with the media horde for his weekly session of parry and thrust.

The score remained the same – 44-13 – as it was on Sunday, so there wasn’t much to highlight or enjoy from this one, although the ever-optimistic coach did find some good things.

“I thought we did a lot of good things early offensively,” Haley said. “In the third quarter we unraveled a bit. The defense made a play on the first possession (interception), but allowed too many 10-yard plus runs. We had a couple outstanding performances, specifically Tamba Hali. I thought he played outstanding from start to finish. He made a bunch of plays for us. Overall we were at least a tie on special teams. Every week, we need to win on special teams.

“There was some good to find in the loss. One of those things was our pass protection. It was one of our better games against a team that has produced a bunch of sacks.”

Here are some of the highlights of what Haley had to say during his 24 minutes on the griddle.

Does removing the starting quarterback from the game like what was done on Sunday with Matt Cassel hurt his ability to be a team leader?

“Not in my opinion. Others may have different opinions. That’s the head coach’s decision to make based on where the game is at and the circumstances surrounding it. Yesterday at the time, I thought the best thing for us as a team was to put Brodie in the game and let him play a little bit.”

Was that sending a message, saying everyone has to perform? …Read More!

The Lowest Point

I believe in barometer games. Throughout any season, the real value of a team will be measured in those particular contests in which 53 men –and a coaching staff– will be asked to come through no matter what. Not so much because of the rival they’d be facing but because of the unique circumstances that surround such instances. When they arise, you better be up for the task.

That’s why Sunday hurt so much.

Last week, the Chiefs melted down in San Diego. After a brutal 10-minute stretch in which they imparted a clinic in self-destruction, I tried hard to find the silver-lining. With the two game-winning streak coming to an end in such discouraging fashion, I was left to think that in some way the spanking at the hands of the Chargers would only help in the long run. The focus would be regained, the sloppiness would be limited and the hunger for victory would be renewed. Most importantly, there would be no reason to panic; after all, a bump on the road would be left behind just as soon as we concentrated on the end of the road. Unfortunately, no one expected what happened yesterday.

I can live with Jamaal Charles fumbling one more time (barely); I can understand that the jitters got to Matt Cassel (forcefully); I’m aware that Todd Haley still hasn’t developed a knack to pull the successful gimmicks (mercifully), and I completely realize that this team is in a rebuilding mode (realistically). But the thing that I cannot get is how on earth the Chiefs could possibly lay such an enormous egg on Derrick Thomas’ day?

Behind his contagious smile and the need to create havoc on the football field, the thing that moved Derrick Thomas was pride. This was his last hurrah, his posthumous swan song and his closing tribute all rolled into one. Without a doubt, the Chiefs were required to put together a performance worthy of everything he ever gave to Kansas City. …Read More!

Broncos Slap Mistake-Prone Chiefs

From Arrowhead Stadium

The overtime victory against the Steelers seems so long ago. When Ryan Succop’s field goal sailed through the uprights and the Chiefs had beaten the defending Super Bowl champions, all things seemed possible.

That was just 15 days ago when many thought the rebuilding club had its watershed moment.

Turns out, what happened that day said more about the Steelers than it did about the Chiefs. That is so very apparent after Sunday’s action in the NFL, when the Chiefs were crushed by Denver Broncos 44-13 and the Steelers lost their fourth game in a row, falling to the Raiders in Pittsburgh. Yes, the Raiders.

Since the victory, the Chiefs have been batted and bruised to the tune of 87-27 by the two best teams in the AFC West. They’ve turned the ball over seven times in these last two games and have scored just one touchdown per game.

On Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, nothing seemed possible against the Broncos. The offense was awful, the starting quarterback was pulled, the defense couldn’t stop the run and the special teams failed to execute a fake punt that started the momentum ball rolling in the wrong direction (right).

The Chiefs honored the late Derrick Thomas at half-time with the retirement of his No. 58. That may have been the only high point of the game for those Chiefs fans that showed up at Arrowhead.

As there always is, plenty of story lines showed themselves on this Sunday afternoon. Here are some of them:

• GAME STORY: Top of AFC West Falls on Chiefs
• COLUMN: A Different Approach
• FAKE PUNT: Failure Starts An Avalanche
• CASSEL: Season Goes From Bad To Worse
• NOTES: Tamba & The Broncos
• GAMEBOOK

Pre-Game Report 12/6 Inactives Update

From Arrowhead Stadium

11:35 a.m. CST – Former Chiefs head coach Marty Schottenheimer visiting on the field with current head coach Todd Haley and GM Scott Pioli. Schottenheimer is in town for the half-time ceremonies honoring Derrick Thomas.

11:30 a.m.CST – K Ryan Succop looks like he’s solid from 45 yards on FGs to either goal posts. He just finished hitting several attempts to each side from the 35 to 38-yard line.

11:10 a.m. CST – Chiefs GM Scott Pioli and Denver head coach Josh McDaniels in a proviate conversation at the 25-yard line. They share the common roots of coming from the Patriots/Belichick family

11:05 a.m. CST – Handling kick and punt returns in the early warm-up period are RBs Jamaal Charles and Javarris Williams and WRs Lance Long, Bobby Wade and Quinten Lawrence.

11:00 a.m. CST - Rookie RB Javarris Williams is active for the game, his first in the NFL. Williams was promoted from the practice squad on Saturday,a fter the Chiefs placed RB Kolby Smith on the injured-reserve list because of his ankle injury. 

10:55 a.m. CST – K Ryan Succop was short on all his kicks from 50 yards plus towards the west goal posts. There’s only a light wind currently blowing across the Arrowhead playing surface.

10:35 a.m. CST – The inactive players for the Chiefs against the Broncos today are: CB Donald Washington, RB Dantrell Savage, G Andy Alleman, LB Justin Rogers, WR Mark Bradley, TE Jake O’Connell and LB Pierre Walters. The inactive third quarterback is Matt Gutierrez. …Read More!

Fast Start Needed … Game-Day Cup O’Chiefs

Making a list of the things that Todd Haley wants to fix around the Kansas City Chiefs would take a tablet or two of paper to write them all down. OK, maybe a gross of tablets. There is much that needs repaired.

On this Sunday as the Chiefs host the Denver Broncos, there’s one item that sits squarely at the top of Haley’s wish list – get off to a better start on offense.

We’ll get a chance to see if they can get that done against the Broncos with a noon kickoff. TV coverage is on CBS.

In 11 games, the Chiefs have produced only three points off their first offensive possession. That came against Jacksonville when Ryan Succop hit a 45-yard FG. Only one other team in the league has produced so little on the scoreboard when they first get their hands on the ball and that’s the Dallas Cowboys, who have also produced only a field goal.

The average in the NFL is 20 points of the first offensive possession and New Orleans has scored 41 points the first time they had the ball. Arizona, the team Haley left behind, has 35 points.

Other than the obvious problem that comes with inadequate talent, what’s the problem for the Chiefs when they first get the ball? …Read More!

Patching The Run Game … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

When it comes to beating the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium in this decade, the Chiefs offense relied heavily on the running game.

The last 10 times these two teams have met in Kansas City, the Chiefs won eight games. From 1999-2008, the Kansas City offense averaged 171.7 rushing yards per game.

Consider that number for a moment: 171.7 yards on the ground.

In that span, four different Kansas City runners went over 100 yards against Denver: Kimble Anders, Tony Richardson, Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson. In three of those 10 games, the Chiefs ran for more than 200 yards. The only time they ran for less than 100 yards was in 2007, when they were beaten by the Broncos.

That’s the history. The present doesn’t look so rosy when it comes to the Chiefs running game.

So far this season, the Chiefs haven’t been able to break 100 rushing yards on average per game; they now stand at 98.4 yards per game. In five of their 11 games they failed to top 100 yards as a team. As the Broncos make their annual visit to Arrowhead on Sunday, the ’09 Chiefs have not been strong running the ball, ranking No. 22 among NFL offenses.

On Friday, their chances of changing that became more difficult when RB Kolby Smith was declared out of the game because of an ankle injury. There seemed a good chance that Smith may be headed to the injured-reserve list because of the problem.

And, RB Dantrell Savage was listed as doubtful for the game because of his own ankle injury. Savage was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, and did not work at all on Friday, making his participation against Denver very doubtful.

So at the halfback position, that leaves starter Jamaal Charles … and nobody. …Read More!

Defense Stymies Oilers, Texans win 24-0

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 and its first season of play.

It’s a record that still sits there in the franchise record book, unlikely to be broken any time soon. It hasn’t been close for the last 49 seasons.

On a rainy Sunday in Dallas on December 4, 1960, the Dallas Texans held the Houston Oilers to minus-27 rushing yards in grabbing a soggy 24-0 victory.

In the 12th game in franchise history the Texans established a record that has not been broken. The closest a defense came to the number was the n ext season, when they allowed the San Diego Chargers just three yards rushing.

Mother Nature provided the Texans defense with help, as steady rains had turned the Cotton Bowl playing field into a mud pit. What also apparently helped was a threat from Hank Stram. After some sloppy play the week before, the Texans head coach threatened $500 fines to any player who did not show he was mentally and physically into the game. There were also words from GM Jack Steadman, who said that performance in the game against Houston would affect how the Texans went about selected players in the 1961 AFL Draft, scheduled for the next day.

Said Steadman, as quoted by the Dallas Times-Herald: “Our players have been together long enough and are experienced enough to give a great show. If they don’t … well, you guess.”

Did the threat of fines work? …Read More!

Practice Report 12/4

From the Truman Sports Complex

RB Kolby Smith has been declared out of Sunday’s game against Denver, and RB Dantrell Savage will be listed as doubtful.

It sounds like Smith’s ankle injury could be a season-ender. Head coach Todd Haley said the club was waiting for further evaluation on Friday before making a decision as to how they will proceed with Smith this year and with the running back position this weekend.

If Savage can’t play, that leaves only starter Jamaal Charles at halfback. FB Tim Castille has also been taking snaps at the halfback position.

On the team’s practice squad is seventh-round draft choice Javarris Williams. “That’s a possibility,” Haley said of promoting Williams. “We’ll have to see where Savage is at and where we are as a group. We have a couple plans we are ready to go with one way or another.”

OLB Mike Vrabel will be listed as questionable on the team’s injury report to the league later today. “He’s gotten better as the week has gone along,” said Haley. “I’m optimistic with Mike.”

Smith and Savage were the only players  who did not take part in Friday’s practice session that Haley moved inside for the first time this week.

Elvis Will Be In The Building … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

They will honor Derrick Thomas on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium during the Chiefs game against the Broncos, retiring his No. 58 jersey.

Denver linebacker Elvis Dumervil just might sneak out of the locker room a bit early at the intermission so he can see the ceremonies.

The NFL’s leading sacker, Dumervil has always had hero, one player he modeled his game after.

“Derrick Thomas, hands down, because of his ability to get the ball out, to force fumbles,” Dumervil said. “Seven sacks in one game; he was relentless, and that’s what I want to be known as, a guy who is non-stop; someone that you have to account for four quarters.

“He was the perfect defensive player. He played with great energy and attitude. That was my guy growing up. He just destroyed people.” …Read More!

Gunther With Something To Say

It’s been almost a whole season and very little has come out of Motown featuring former Chiefs head coach and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham.

That finally ended on Thursday, when the Detroit Free Press sat down to talk with Gun about offenses in the NFL.

And he had plenty to say, some of it very familiar to Chiefs fans who will remember the first game of Cunningham’s two years as head coach, back in September of 1999. The opponent that day was the Bears and they had a new offense in place, one that Gun called “frisbee football.”

A decade later, his thoughts haven’t changed.

“The sad thing is the NFL’s going towards the college game, and I hate it,” Cunningham told the Free Press. “I don’t care what people say about me for making a comment like that. But it’s taken five years for the NFL to change to this five wide receivers and Wildcat stuff. I remember when Jim Brown was running the ball. That’s what football is to me.”

There’s more, as Gun got wound up talking about NFL offenses.

“The offensive guys are really cute,” Cunningham said. …Read More!

Practice Report 12/3 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

RB Kolby Smith suffered a setback in his return from an ankle  injury and did not practice with the Chiefs on Thursday. That puts in doubt his ability to play Sunday against the Broncos.

Head coach Todd Haley said that more would be known about Smith and his chances for playing against Denver on Friday.

That leaves only Jamaal Charles and Dantrell Savage as halfbacks on the roster. Savage was limited in Thursday’s practice as he recovers from an ankle injury. Haley said that Savage was better on Thursday than he was on Wednesday.

“We got a Plan B, Plan C ready to go one way or another,” Haley said of the situation at running back. “I think we’ve done the things necessary to be ready. I’m happy we have a guy like Tim Castille that can play both positions, halfback and fullback. We’ll be ready to go regardless. Any time you have an injury, it’s a setback but somebody has to move up and fill the void.”

The Chiefs were outside for practice again on Thursday, in temperatures that were even colder than what they went through Wednesday. The only difference was a bit of sunshine broke through the clouds at times, making it feel a few degrees warmer. 

Maybe because of the weather, but the Chiefs were done with practice earlier than normal.

“They were moving fast,” Haley said with smile. “They were in and out of the huddle and off the field quicker.”

Putting Chill In The Chiefs … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

Winter arrived in Kansas City on Wednesday. Temperatures were in the 30s, with the wind blowing from the north-northwest, gusting at times to 20 mph. That pushed the wind chill down into the 20s.

But there were the Chiefs, a perfectly good – and heated – practice facility sitting empty as they practiced in the winter conditions.

And, there was there head coach Todd Haley, not a child of the beaches of southern California or the hot house of Florida, but of western Pennsylvania where it gets plenty cold, walking around during the nearly two-hour practice wearing shorts.

“Coach is one tough guy,” said RB Jamaal Charles, a child of Port Arthur, Texas, who admitted that he went out to practice on Wednesday with short sleeves and had to run back into the building and put on a long sleeve sweatshirt underneath his shoulder pads.

‘I couldn’t take it; too cold. That coach … one tough dude.”

Tough is a word that some would use. Crazy is another, like some permafrost has affected his brain.

“He looked cold out there,” said DE Tyson Jackson. “I don’t think there’s any doubt he was. Everybody was.” …Read More!

Tamba, Broncos & Notes, Oh MY

From Arrowhead Stadium

Tamba Hali wasn’t talking to the media after Sunday’s game. It’s something he’s done all year. He wants his play to speak for him.

Well, on Sunday against the Broncos, Hali’s play was shouting. In a lost season, Hali continues to play at a level far above the 3-9 record that he’s part of with the ’09 Chiefs.

His teammates spoke up for him on Sunday after Hali had 10 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles.

“Frustrated by the game,” OLB Mike Vrabel said in the Chiefs locker room. “You don’t envision it going the way that it goes. We’ve got good players. It’s sad that we couldn’t win for a guy like Tamba who played his ass off.

“We just need to try and play up to what Tamba and guys like him are doing. If we win, it’s a great story. Instead, we’re all just frustrated and upset.”

Those three sacks were the most by an individual Chiefs pass rusher since DE Jared Allen had three against Washington in October of 2005.

Head coach Todd Haley acknowledged the performance of his fourth-year linebacker.

“We had some guys that gave it everything they had,” Haley said. “You have a guy like Tamba with the sacks and tackles who is playing all over the field along with some others who are playing to the final gun.

“But effort wasn’t the issue.”

Hali now has 6.5 sacks on the season and he’s forced four fumbles this year. For his career, he has 25 sacks in 59 games and has forced 15 fumbles. That final statistic ranks third in Chiefs history behind Derrick Thomas (45) and Neil Smith (29).

BRONCOS NOW FACE TOUGH VISIT TO SEE PEYTON & COLTS

They started the season with six straight victories. Then, the Broncos lost four in a row.

Now, they have put together a two-game winning streak, after beating the New York Giants by 20 points last week and then the Chiefs on Sunday by 31 points.

But ahead is a trip to the Lucas Oil Dome and the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts next Sunday for a noon CST kickoff.

So their time to celebrate an unusual December victory in Kansas City will be short.

“We talked a lot about how difficult it was to come in here and get wins this late in the season in Kansas City,” said Denver coach Josh McDaniels. “I thought our team prepared hard and was familiar with the opponent. We played with a lot of energy today and I thought we were really into the game and executed early and continue to stay with it for 60 minutes.”

The Broncos are now 8-4, matching the victory of the ’08 team that got Mike Shanahan fired after 14 seasons in charge. The franchise has been re-made from front office to locker room and so far the results have been good. As they end the season, they have home games against the Chiefs and Raiders, with road trips to Indianapolis and Philadelphia.

“I think we have a veteran team that understands that we have to play our best football no matter who our opponent is in December,” said McDaniels. “We have to play our best football of the year if we want to have an opportunity to live longer in this season.

“Our focus was on improving our football team in the areas that we needed to improve. That is going to be our challenge again this week against Indianapolis.

QB Kyle Orton wants to keep the groove of the two-game winning streak going.

“That’s two good weeks in a row,” Orton pointed out. “Hopefully we can continue that momentum.”

HONORING DERRICK

Chants of “DT, DT” rang through Arrowhead Stadium at half-time as the Chiefs retired Derrick Thomas’ No. 58 jersey. It became the 10th number retired by the franchise.

The biggest cheer during the half-time ceremonies was for former head coach Marty Schottenheimer, who was – surprise – emotional during the moment. Others helping in the celebration were former teammates Neil Smith, Dan Saleaumua, Tracy Simien and Kevin Ross.

Steve Perry and Joe Horrigan, executives from the Pro Football Hall of Fame presented the Thomas family with a framed print of D.T. honoring his induction back in August with the Hall’s class of 2009.

Receiving the honors were D.T.’s mother Edith Morgan and all seven of his children.

SPECIAL TEAMS REPORT

It’s hard to get past the fake punt that did not work when talking about the contributions from the Chiefs kicking game.

P Dustin Colquitt had a good game, as he averaged 53.7 yards on seven punts, including a 63-yarder. That was the fourth best punting game in franchise history. The record is a 56.4 average by Jerrel Wilson against the Boston Patriots in October 1970.

The Chiefs were facing one of the league’s best punt returners in Eddie Royal, who ripped off a 39-yard return, but on five other returns he averaged just under nine yards. Colquitt on the season has a 45.6-yard gross average and a 41.4-yard net average.

K Ryan Succop was two for two on his field goals, which get harder and harder at this time of year with the cold, wind and turf at Arrowhead Stadium. He’s now 18 of 22 on the season, or 82 percent. Succop kicked off four times and on average placed the ball at the eight-yard line. Denver averaged just 20 yards a return, so the kick coverage was very good.

The return game produced little for the Chiefs. Three different guys handled kickoffs and averaged 20.9 yards on nine returns. Bobby Wade had two punt returns for an average of nine yards.

FROM THE ZEBRA FILE

The officiating crew of Jeff Triplette was very quiet in this game, as they walked off three penalties against each team for a total of 45 yards.

NT Ron Edwards was hit for a personal foul facemask call for 15 yards. TE Leonard Pope was flagged for a pair of false starts. Flags against LT Branden Albert for holding and LB Jovan Belcher for running into the punter were declined.

There were no video reviews or coach’s challenges.

PERSONNEL NOTES

The game-day inactive players for the Chiefs were rookies CB Donald Washington, TE Jake O’Connell and LB Pierre Walters, along with the injured RB Dantrell Savage, LB Justin Rogers and G Andy Alleman, along with WR Mark Bradley. The inactive third quarterback was Matt Gutierrez.

The Chiefs made a roster move on Saturday, placing RB Kolby Smith on the injured reserve list because of his ankle injury. They promoted rookie RB Javarris Williams from the practice squad. Williams got a chance to play and had two carries for minus-5 yards.

All 45 players got on the field for the Chiefs, who started in a two-tight end alignment. LG Brian Waters started his 50th consecutive game.

The game-day inactive players for the Broncos were WR Kenny McKinley, RB LaMont Jordan, G Seth Olsen, DL Chris Baker, OT Brandon Gorin, WR Brandon Lloyd and DE Jarvis Moss.

LEFTOVER STUFF

The Chiefs had a season high by converting six third-down opportunities. They were six of 17 for 35 percent … WR Chris Chambers six-yard catch in the first quarter was the 500th of his career … the Chiefs had a 20-play FG drive in the first half and that was the longest drive since November 1988 when they went 23 plays for a field goal against Cincinnati … NFL sack leader Elvis Dumervil of the Broncos had his 15th sack and was close on two others. The other Denver sack went to veteran DE Vonnie Holliday … After Hali’s 10 tackles, safeties Mike Brown and Jon McGraw each had eight total tackles … DE Glenn Dorsey recovered two fumbles … other than Hali’s three sacks, the Chiefs hit Orton three other times … the Chiefs won the opening coin toss but differed their choice to the second half.

Cassel’s Season Goes From Bad To Worse

From Arrowhead Stadium

Will Matt Cassel be the Chiefs starting quarterback next Sunday when they host the Buffalo Bills?

“Yes,” said head coach Todd Haley.

How long that might continue is now something that will be debated from tap rooms, to discussion boards and talk shows.

Cassel was simply awful on Sunday against the Denver Broncos. His numbers reflected that, as he completed 10 of 29 passes for 84 yards, with two interceptions and no touchdown passes. His passer rating of 14.6 is the worst of his 26 NFL starts. His completion percentage of 34.5 percent is the worst of his 26 NFL starts. His 2.9 yards per attempt was the worst … you get the picture.

He threw high, he threw low. Cassel put passes right where they needed to be, and sometimes his receivers didn’t make the catch. Sometimes they dropped the ball. Only 10 times did they actually latch onto the ball. His longest completion was 16 yards. Cassel only had two other completions for more than 10 yards.

Finally, when the Chiefs took possession on the final play of the third quarter, Haley threw in the white towel and gave Cassel the hook. Brodie Croyle entered and in the fourth quarter led the Chiefs on their only touchdown drive.

“To me the game was at a point where it was going to be very difficult for us to even get in the game and it was a chance to get Brodie some snaps,” said Haley.

Cassel was left to steam in his own juices as he watched the fourth quarter.

“I always want to be out there with my team,” said Cassel. “I always want to fight. Part of the situation of us being where we were was my fault. Every time you get the opportunity to go back out there on the field, you want to do better the next time. Coach felt like it was time to put Brodie in the game and that it was out of hand at that point.”

Haley is quick to say he has confidence in his starting quarterback.

“I’m very confident in Matt,” he said. ‘Our first series we had a chance to make a huge play on third down and it didn’t happen. We’re not a team that can let opportunities go by the wayside.

“I thought that Matt was prepared and ready to go. The game didn’t go the way he or we wanted it to go and then we let some negative things happen.”

That first possession proved to be a killer. The Chiefs had worked and talked all during the practice week of getting some points out of their first possession. In 11 previous games, they had only put up a field goal in that first drive. They ended up going three plays and punt, as Cassel was 0 for 2, but he got no help from his teammates. A second down pass to FB Mike Cox came in the face of a blitzing Broncos linebacker that forced Cassel to get rid of the ball quickly. The throw was high, but Cox got his hands on the ball before it dropped to the ground.

On third down, WR Bobby Wade got behind the Denver defensive coverage. Wade was running free down the right hash mark, nobody within five yards of him. Cassel’s throw wasn’t perfect, but it was more than catchable. For some reason Wade tried to catch the ball with one hand, rather than two and it bounced off his hands for a lost opportunity.

“I think you put the ball out there and hopefully he makes a play and it didn’t happen,” said Cassel.

That was the type of day it was for the Chiefs offense.

“Obviously there were a number of issues, especially on the offensive side of the ball,” said Cassel. “There were a lot of things going wrong out there. We didn’t get in much of a rhythm all day. We didn’t take advantage of a few big play opportunities.”

For the second week in a row, the Chiefs provided the opposing defense with big play opportunities. Cassel has thrown three interceptions now in the last two games. They’ve lost four fumbles in the last two games.

What happens now?

“We’re going out there each and every day and practicing the right way and doing the things that we need to do,” said Cassel. “We just have to transfer that over to game day and perform better.”

Amen, says Haley.

“There have been some flashes of encouragement and some disappointing Sundays,” said Haley. “We’ve got to get back to work and believe in what we’re doing and continue to try to get this team on a more consistent basis.”

Fake Failure Starts Disaster

From Arrowhead Stadium

It’s not hard to understand why Todd Haley would say yes to the fake punt play that his special teams coach Steve Hoffman drew up. The Chiefs record was 3-8 at the time and they were down 14-6 to the Broncos and had just come off a very unproductive first half.

That lack of efficiency and production continued on the first possession of the second half. RB Tim Castille ran for two yards. QB Matt Cassel threw away the second down pass because of pressure. A third-down pass to TE Leonard Pope fell incomplete.

As far as the head coach was concerned, it was time to take a chance, roll the dice, nothing to lose but another game.

Fourth-and-eight from their 28-yard line appeared to be time for Dustin Colquitt to boot his fifth punt of the day. Haley and Hoffman had other ideas. They sent Colquitt and the punt team out, but with the group was backup QB Brodie Croyle. Colquitt lined up deep, but then shifted and moved forward and to the left side of the formation, as Croyle dropped back into his position.

Colquitt and Quinten Lawrence were lined up to the left of snapper Thomas Gafford and they were off the line of scrimmage. That made Gafford the left end in the formation and made him an eligible receiver. Five other players lined up to his right, and Jon McGraw was in his role as the personal protector, just a few yards behind and to the right of Gafford.

There was some scrambling on the Denver side of the ball, but they quickly got settled and that’s when the Chiefs faced a problem. His name was Richard Quinn, a backup tight end and part of the Broncos punt return unit. Quinn is a 6-4 rookie tight end out of the University of North Carolina and his contributions have largely been in the kicking game in his first season.

As the Chiefs were lined up, nobody was in position in front of Quinn. With the snap from Gafford to Croyle, Colquitt and Lawrence went out as receivers. McGraw picked up a rusher who came from the right of Gafford. The snapper hesitated for a second, as he was supposed to do, and then rolled out to the left.

He was wide open, nobody around him for yards.

But there was Quinn, making a bee-line towards Croyle and nobody blocked him. When Croyle threw the pass, Quinn tipped the ball and it fluttered over his head and landed on the ground as a fourth down incompletion.

“He saw something earlier in the week that we could exploit,” Croyle said of Hoffman. “It was our fake punt for the week and it was just a shame it didn’t work out. We had somebody wide open if I could have just gotten it over that guy.”

Haley said after the game that “we missed a block, turned one guy free that should have been blocked and the ball was knocked down.”

The way the Chiefs lined up, the only players who could have been responsible for blocking Quinn were Colquitt, Lawrence, Gafford or McGraw. It’s hard to see how any of them could have gotten a block on the guy, since they weren’t lined up on him or even off one of his shoulders.

It was a unique play, but possibly flawed in design and obviously flawed in execution.

“Richard made a heck of a play,” said Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels. “I don’t know what happens if the ball gets thrown, but it probably wouldn’t have been too good for us. Whenever you break the formation and have a gadget-type play, we were prepared to split out with them. But you are never sure who they are trying to pick for and who they are trying to spring free.

“That was a big play in the game because we obviously took possession of the football in their territory.”

It started a rock rolling downhill against the Chiefs that they never recovered from, as Denver pushed its eight-point half-time lead to 28 points before the third quarter was over.

“It was a play we practiced and felt good about, obviously,” said Haley. “The nature of the play is one we wanted to do in our end of the field, where there wasn’t any chance that they would be in a safe punt return.

“The guy the ball was going to (Gafford) appeared to be open for a very big play.”

It proved to be a very big play, but not with the type of outcome sought by the Chiefs.

Column: A Difference In Approach

From Arrowhead Stadium

On a day when they honored the great Derrick Thomas, the Chiefs did not live up to his memory in any fashion. If D.T. was watching, he certainly at some point had to say WTF!

Every week, Todd Haley likes to talk about the progress his team is making. He should check his eyes, because any sign of progress on Sunday against Denver was but a mirage.

“We took a big step back the last two weeks,” said QB Matt Cassel, who got benched in the fourth quarter because he was having such a miserable day. “Last week against San Diego got out of hand and this week got out of hand.”

The Chiefs never had any hand on this cold, cloudy day. They have played some awful football in the last three seasons, but nothing matched what they did in the second half of this 44-13 loss to the Broncos. It was an embarrassment of the highest football order as the Broncos scored 20 points in the third quarter and blew open a game that were likely to win anyway.

The foundation for that quarter of abomination disguised as football was built on a bad decision by Haley to run a fake punt play at his 27-yard line. The fake failed. The framework on top that foundation was a pair of Matt Cassel interceptions in his own territory. And, the roof was a fumble by Jamaal Charles that was returned for a touchdown by the Broncos, who didn’t need any such help.

That was game, set, match, season … over. …Read More!

Top Of AFC West Falls On Chiefs Again; Broncos Win 44-13

From Arrowhead Stadium

87-27.

In the last two Sundays, the Chiefs have played the two best teams in the AFC West. They lost both games. They didn’t just lose them, they got smacked by the Chargers last Sunday and then by the Denver Broncos on this Sunday.

The Chiefs 44-13 loss was complete; all three phases of the game contributed to the 31-point beatdown. It’s the worst home loss for the Chiefs since the Chargers blasted them by 30 points (37-7) back in late October. The trip through franchise history for a worse home loss goes all the way back to 1976, when the Pittsburgh Steelers won at Arrowhead by 45 points (45-0).

The frustration meter in the Chiefs locker room was pegged after this game.

“We’ve got to do a better job,” said OLB Mike Vrabel. “I’ve been on the other side when things are good; it’s good, it’s great. Being on this side isn’t good.”

In preparation for the game, Todd Haley stressed two things: efficiency on offense and stopping the run on defense. That and a whole lot more did not get done.

“It’s disappointing that the game ended up in that fashion,” said Haley. “Those are the things we said going into the game that we had to do to have a chance to compete and we did not do them.” …Read More!

Practice Report 12/2 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

The Chiefs got back to practice Wednesday morning and head coach Todd Haley had them working outside despite temperatures in the high 30s  and with a strong wind ripping across the practice fields that made it feel 10 degrees colder.

It is December and with five cold weather games to play starting this Sunday against Denver, Haley wants to make sure his team is ready for all conditions.

“Wind is probably the biggest factor to me,” said Haley. “That’s what would most effect a game plan. I’ve been in games in the snow where teams moved it up and down the field pretty good. Wind and rain have to be taken int account.”

Sunday’s early forecast from the National Weather Service is cold, windy but right now a limited chance of precipitation.

In the early part of  Wednesday’s practice, everyone was taking part; the only player in the rehab area was OL Colin Brown, who is on the injured-reserve list. The Chiefs practice report had just RBs Kolby Smith and Dantrell  Savage listed as limited in participation. Both have ankle injuries.

OLB Mike Vrabel was back on the field and he was back working with the No. 1 defense. G Andy Alleman was back as well, but he did not step right back into the starting spot at RG that he held when he was injured. It looks like Wade Smith is going to continue to work with the first-team offense at that spot.

LB David Herron (knee) and LB Justin Rogers (thigh) were also taking part in the early practice segments.

On the field were the two newest members of the team’s practice squad: NT Derek Lokey and OL Jermail Porter. Lokey is wearing No. 69, while Porter has No. 77.

J.C. For L.J. Helps Run Game … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

Larry Johnson had his first 100-yard rushing game of the 2009 season last Sunday in Cincinnati’s victory over Cleveland. There was nothing fancy with his 107 yards on 22 carries, an average of 4.9 yards per carry; not bad for a guy who averaged 2.9 yards every time he ran the ball with the Chiefs this year.

Even though L.J. had a 100-yard game, there’s nobody around the Chiefs wishing he was back with the team. Forget the off-field stuff and focus just on football. With the offensive line that the Chiefs have right now and Todd Haley’s scheme in its first year, Jamaal Charles is better fit than Johnson.

It’s already showing on the field.

“Here’s a kid we put through a little adversity early and sat him, and he’s fought and pushed and everybody is getting a little excited about him,” said Todd Haley, who is one of those people getting excited.

That excitement starts with how Charles has handled himself in several tough situations, from not dressing for the Oakland game in September because of practice habits and focus, to fumbling the opening kickoff against the New York Giants, to his big fumble last Sunday in San Diego. He’s handled the bad with the good and it’s not led to any outbursts, tweets on Twitter, Facebook comments or the like.

Johnson sat out the Jacksonville game on his one-game club suspension and was released the next week. Charles has been the starter for the last four games and he’s run the ball 55 times for 290 yards, a 5.3-yard per carry average with two rushing touchdowns. In his seven starts, L.J. ran 132 times for 377 yards, a 2.9-yard per carry average with no touchdowns. …Read More!

Pass Rush Problems … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

The number stood out on the stat sheet after the Chiefs were blasted by the Chargers:

The Chiefs defense hit San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers once in the 28 times he went back to pass.

That’s just touching him; that doesn’t mean sacking him. The Chiefs were shutout in the sack department. It’s the third time this season they were not able to get the passer on the ground at least once. It happened in the first game between these teams and also against Philadelphia.

Based on the sacks alone, the Chiefs have shown improvement in their pass rush from last season when they set an NFL record for sack futility with just 10 in 16 games. This year, the Chiefs have 14 in 11 games.

However, that’s the second fewest sacks in the league. Only Jacksonville has less at 10.

Compared to the 38 sacks opponents have gotten against the Chiefs offense, they are a minus-24 in the sack ratio. That’s the worst number in the league. Those 38 sacks allowed are the second highest total in the league, with only Green Bay showing more at 44 sacks.

But our focus here is on defense and the pass rush. Too many times we get hung up strictly on sacks, but that number isn’t always indicative of pressure on the quarterback. We’ve got to dig for other numbers, like the quarterback hits. Only rookie DE Alex Magee was able to get to Rivers on Sunday. One in 28 passes by Rivers; that’s bad, very bad. …Read More!

Haley Says Weis Hasn’t Been Contacted

From the Truman Sports Complex

Charlie Weis is out as head coach at Notre Dame and the rumor grapevine has bubbled for days that his next job may be as offensive coordinator of the Chiefs.

If there has been contact with Weis by the Chiefs organization, that’s news to head coach Todd Haley.

“I can say with a clear conscious that there has been no contact,” Haley said Monday afternoon. “I’ve had no contact. Unless it’s something I don’t know about, the focus in this building is putting this team in the best possible position to succeed each week. As far as staff goes, that would be something I would have to make the decision about.”

There’s no question that Haley knows Weis.

“I shared an 8′ x 8′ office in New York (Jets) with Charlie,” Haley said. “I know Charlie about as up close and personal as you can know him.” …Read More!

Up & Down Chiefs Take Big Fall In San Diego

Todd Haley has said it dozens of times since he was named the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. He does not want yo-yo players. He does not want a yo-yo team.

Whether he likes it or not – and he does not – Haley has a yo-yo team on a roller coaster right now. They showed that again on Sunday in San Diego where they were drubbed by the Chargers 43-14.

Coming off last week’s victory against Pittsburgh in overtime, a performance like the one the Chiefs gave at Qualcomm Stadium appeared to be behind them. But if a two-game winning streak was a step forward, turning the ball over four times was two steps backwards.

“They beat us in every phase; you’ve got to give them credit,” FS Jon McGraw said of the Chargers. “It’s frustrating not being able to build on what we did last week.”

At this point, forget about building on what happened last week against the Steelers. The now 3-8 Chiefs showed just how far behind the AFC West’s best team they are right now. It’s not a distance measured in yards; more like miles and miles to go.

But as they always do, there was plenty of write and talk about. Here’s the package for this week:

• GAME STORY: Chargers batter Chiefs in all phases.
• COLUMN: Going in the wrong direction.
• OFFENSE: Ups & Down for Jamaal.
• CHARGERS & NOTES: Chambers return to SD.
• GAMEBOOK

Pre-Game 11/29 Inactives Update

The game-day inactive players for the Chiefs on Sunday afternoon against the Chargers in San Diego are: OLB Mike Vrabel, G Andy Alleman, RB Dantrell Savage, LB Justin Rogers, TE Sean Ryan, TE Jake O’Connell and LB David Herron. The inactive third quarterback is Matt Gutierrez.

The game-day inactive players for the Chargers are: CB Dante Hughes, RB Michael Bennett, S C.J. Spillman, C Nick Hardwick, OT Jon Runyan, WR Buster Davis and DE Luis Castillo. The inactive third quarterback is Charlie Whitehurst.

Only surprise among the decisions by the Chiefs would be activating rookie CB Donald Washington. It must be a concern that they are light one safety among the 45 active players.

As with last week, Andy Studebaker steps in for Vrabel and Wade Smith will open at right guard for Alleman.

Finally A Team? … Game-Day Cup O’Chiefs

It was a little thing, but it was an indication of the bigger problem the 2009 Chiefs faced.

A month ago, when QB Matt Cassel was sacked – and he was taken down a lot – he generally picked himself off the ground. There wasn’t a lot of help from his offensive teammates. They were worried about their own problems.

Fast forward to last Sunday when the Chiefs beat the Steelers in overtime. As usual, Cassel hit the ground under the Pittsburgh pass rush five times – he’s the second most sacked passer in the league – and was knocked down as many times.

But as the play ended, there were teammates offering a hand up. His offensive linemen were peeling back and knocking off late arriving Steelers who were looking to provide an extra hit. They may still have been worried about their problems, but the rest of the offensive Chiefs showed they were also concerned about their quarterback.

Again, it’s a little thing, but it’s a sign that progress has been made in turning the 2009 Chiefs into a team, rather than a group of players. As the Chiefs play the Chargers on Sunday in San Diego, they will have to take another step in its maturation as a unit, not 53 parts. Kickoff is just after 3 o’clock, with TV coverage on CBS.

“I think (it’s) getting a lot closer,” Todd Haley said about the process of his players becoming a team. “This week will be a great opportunity for us to see where we’re at in that area. But last week was an encouraging sign, as long as we build on it, as long as we continue to use that as a little bit of a stepping stone as a team.

“As long as we understand, it might be an 11-play drive but everybody knows or believes somebody is going to make a play. I’m referring to the defensive play that Andy Studebaker made (his interception in the end zone and 94-yard return.) I think we made a step, but now again it’ll be up to us to see what we do with that.” …Read More!

A Replay Worth Watching

Maybe by the time Sunday night rolls around you will have decided you’ve had enough football. Starting Thursday morning and rolling through Sunday evening was a full schedule of games, from late morning to late at night. The pros and colleges were all over the place. But there’s one more game you need to watch.

REPLAY can be seen on the Fox Sports Network on Sunday. In most areas around the country, the FSN affiliate will carry the program at 9 p.m., but check local listings just to be sure.

What is REPLAY? It’s a little slice of fantasy that became very real for two high school football teams. For over 100 years, the high schools of Easton, Pennsylvania and Philipsburg, New Jersey have finished their seasons with a Thanksgiving Day game. The towns are separated by the Delaware River and it’s only a short drive over the Northampton Street Bridge to get from one town to the other. We are talking tradition. We are talking rivalry.

Back in 1993, these teams played to a 7-all tie. This was before most states instituted overtime periods for high school ball.

The folks at Gatorade decided to offer the teams a chance to play again. Not the current squads, but the original players from that game in ’93. Sixteen years later, the Red Rovers of Easton and the Stateliners of Philipsburg met again. The game was played back in April, and I won’t spoil the ending. …Read More!

Hall Of Fame List Pared To 25

First-ballot locks Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith lead the list of 25 men who are semi-finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010.

The Hall of Fame announced these names on Saturday. They were selected by the HOF Selection Committee from a preliminary ballot of 131 names.

No members of the Chiefs are part of this year’s semi-finalists.

There’s little doubt that first-time eligible Rice and Smith will be part of the Class of ’10. They are the leading receiver and leading rusher in NFL history.

Other first-time eligible players are former Raiders WR Tim Brown and former Cardinals CB Aeneas Williams.

The rest of the 25 have been semi-finalists before. Here’s the complete list: …Read More!

Offensive Improvement? … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

The last time the Chiefs and Chargers played each other was not a good day for the Kansas City offense.

In fact, October 25 was the worst day of the season so far for Todd Haley’s offensive group. They had just 10 first downs, fewest of any game on the schedule. They gained 203 yards, the third weakest game of the season for the offense and 82 passing yards, its fewest of the season. QB Matt Cassel threw three interceptions, more than in any other game and he was sacked five times, which is tied for one of the worst pass protection afternoons in the 2009 season.

That’s why the Chiefs were hammered 37-7, their worst loss of the season and their worst loss at Arrowhead Stadium since 1976, when they were beaten 45-0 by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Subsequent events have shown us that ugly offensive performance may have been the bottom of the barrel. As the Chiefs head to San Diego for game No. 2 of their ’09 set against the Chargers they are not exactly an offensive juggernaut. But they have become more consistent, especially in throwing the ball. They have come up with big plays and they had two games over 300 yards in total offense.

Most of all they have two consecutive victories. …Read More!

Practice Report 11/27 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

Three players have been declared out of the Chiefs game against the Chargers on Sunday, and one more is very unlikely to play.

G Andy Alleman (knee), RB Dantrell Savage (ankle) and LB Justin Rogers (thigh) were declared out of action on Friday by head coach Todd Haley.  The fourth is OLB Mike Vrabel (knee) who is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game in San Diego but is unlikely to be dressed or on the playing field.

Also on the team’s injury report to the league are LB David Herron (knee), who is listed as questionable and RB Kolby Smith (ankle) who is probable.

The Chiefs are still at 52 on the 53-man active roster and the coaches and personnel people were meeting Friday afternoon to decide how to handle the open spot. The team will either promote somebody from the practice squad, or leave the spot open. If they do the latter, they will then have to declare only seven inactive players on Sunday, not the normal eight when a team has a full roster.

Candidates to move up from the practice squad would appear to be S Ricky Price and WR Quinten Lawrence.

On the nicest weather day of the week so far, Haley decided to take his team inside to practice on Friday morning. Something about being able to turn up the crowd noise and create louder conditions to work in as the Chiefs finished up their practice week.

Haley was pleased with the focus and intensity of his players coming back after having Thanksgiving Day off, but allowed that the true test on whether the holiday off was a good move would come Sunday in San Diego.

Thanksgiving Leftovers … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

There was enough of the turkey and stuffing leftover to feed an entire section of Arrowhead Stadium. Nourished and happy, there was plenty of time spent watching football on Thanksgiving Day, or at least until we fell into a tryptophan coma.

There were no surprises in the early Turkey Day games; they went as everyone predicted. Not so in the nightcap of the tripleheader with the Broncos 26-6 pasting of the Giants. As always in the NFL, there were plenty of story lines and performances to talk about beyond the games.

So here’s a column full of football leftovers for the day after Thanksgiving.

TRADITION TRUMPS BAD FOOTBALL

The Detroit Lions weren’t always one of the worst teams in pro football. It just seems that way. In this decade they will have just one winning season; that was back in 2000, when they finished 9-7. Overall, they are 42-113 in the 2000s; one of the worst decades in the NFL.

There has been a lot of grumbling around the league about removing from the Lions schedule a home game on Thanksgiving Day. Detroit has hosted a holiday NFL game since 1934, save for a few years were the game was not held during World War II.

This year’s Packers-Lions game was the 70th in the series. It was also one of the most lop-sided, as the Packers took a 34-12 victory. Detroit QB Matthew Stafford (right) threw four interceptions and showed he was in great pain from his left shoulder injury.

The Lions have lost six in a row on Thanksgiving, by an average margin of just under 24 points. …Read More!

Chargers Continue Hot Streak & Notes

It’s usually about right now, just after Thanksgiving that the San Diego Chargers start to get serious. They’ve won a lot of games in the five or six years in December.

The 2009 Chargers have taken a different route. They decided to get hot in November and they showed it again on Sunday when they hammered the Chiefs 43-14 at Qualcomm Stadium.

“This was our most complete performance,” said Chargers head coach Norv Turner.

It was pretty impressive. On offense, they gained 426 yards and scored four touchdowns. The defense allowed less than 300 offensive yards to the Chiefs, and scored a touchdown themselves while getting four turnovers. The special teams allowed nothing.

“You want to be playing your best ball at this time of the year,” said QB Philip Rivers, who had a big afternoon, completing 21 of 28 for 317 yards and a pair of touchdowns. “Hopefully we can continue this in December like we have. We didn’t feel like we would be in this position in this division. We are going to worry about ourselves and not worry about anybody else. We’ve got to keep growing strong. We can get a lot better.

“No reason Denver can’t get as hot as they were earlier in the year. We have to stay on our streak.”

That winning streak is now six games and the Chargers are 8-3, a game ahead of the Broncos. Not bad for a team that was 2-3 back in October when they arrived at Arrowhead and started their run with a 30-point victory.

Since 2004, the Chargers are 19-4 in December games, and they’ve won 14 straight. The last time they lost a game in December was on December 31, 2005 when they lost in Denver.

Ahead of them on the ’09 schedule are four December games: at Cleveland, at Dallas, Cincinnati and at Tennessee. There are some tough games in that stretch, but if they keep playing the kind of football they showed against the Chiefs, they should win their fifth AFC West title in the last six seasons.

“I thought we had a lot of guys go out and play at a real high level,” Turner said. “I like the intensity we had. I believe we’re getting better.”

SOUR RETURN FOR CHAMBERS TO QUALCOMM

One of the few highlight of the Chiefs loss in San Diego was the continued productive play of WR Chris Chambers.

Returning to San Diego where he began his ’09 season, Chambers was the Chiefs leading receiver, grabbing seven passes for 70 yards. His second-quarter touchdown was a great play on his part, as he caught a third down pass, got enough for a first down and then went backwards into the end zone.

“That’s my goal every game, to score,” Chambers said. “And I’ve been having opportunities, more opportunities to make plays since I’ve been here. Definitely, it was a great start for me. I love getting my hands on the ball early in the game and built some momentum for myself.”

After three seasons with the Chargers, there wasn’t as much emotion for Chambers in returning for this game.

“It wasn’t all that strange,” Chambers said. “I mean, it’s just another game for the most part. A little bit of emotion. I really did enjoy playing with my teammates in San Diego and definitely have a lot of respect for them; they have a lot of respect for me. It was just fun going against the guys.

“There was no jawing or anything. We were just having fun.”

Chambers wishes his old buddies well over the next five weeks and beyond.

“Hats off to them,” Chambers said. “They looked like a poised team, like they are really going full-steam ahead right now. Hopefully they can win a championship this year.”

ALMOST EVERY RUN’S A RECORD FOR L.T.

As big rushing days go, it will not go down as one of the best in the storied career of LaDainian Tomlinson.

But Sunday’s victory against the Chiefs was still a special day for Tomlinson.

His 39 yards on 13 carries included a pair of touchdown runs. The yardage total moved him into tenth position in career rushing yardage in NFL history. He now has 12,257 rushing yards, moving past Marcus Allen (12,243) and Edgerrin James (12,246).

Just ahead of him now in ninth place are Marshall Faulk (12,279) and Jim Brown (12,312).

In 17 games against the Chiefs over his nine-year career, Tomlinson has carried 324 times for 1,488 yards and 13 TD runs. He’s also caught 77 passes for 477 yards with one TD catch.

SPECIAL TEAMS STUFF

The Chiefs kicking game was solid, but average against the Chargers.

Extraordinary returner Darren Sproles was able to return one punt, for no yards. He had a fair catch and the other two punts were downed. WR Terrance Copper made a great play on Colquitt’s fi rst punt when he was able to flip the ball backwards as he was falling backwards towards the end zone.

Sproles averaged 22 yards on four kick returns, below his season average of 24.9 yards. His longest was 32 yards.

K Ryan Succop’s three kickoffs went to the minus-three, three and four-yard line.

P Dustin Colquitt kicked four times for a 40.3-yard gross and net average. He had two punts inside the 20-yard line which set a Chiefs record for punts inside the 20 in one season. Colquitt has 31 and that’s two more than Louie Aguiar had in 1995.

Colquitt had a 64-yard free kick after the Chargers picked up a safety when QB Matt Cassel was tackled in the end zone.

In the return game, Bobby Wade had one punt return for two yards. RB Jamaal Charles had two kickoff returns for 61 yards, including a 45-yarder. Rookie Quinten Lawrence returned five kickoffs, averaging 18.8 yards. His best return was for 24 yards.

ZEBRA REPORT

Referee Don Carey and his crew were pretty much a non-factor in this game. They walked off 13 penalties for 80 yards.

They nailed the Chiefs for five penalties walking off 25 yards. There were two penalties against the offense, as LT Branden Albert was hit for a false start and QB Matt Cassel was penalized for intentionally grounding the ball. His throw came in the end zone, so the play ended up in a safety for San Diego.

Defensively, DE Tyson Jackson was offsides, CB Brandon Carr was hit with a pass interference call and no name was given for a defensive holding call.

There was one coach’s challenge, as Turner threw the red flag on Tomlinson’s fumble near the goal line that the Chiefs recovered. The call on the field was affirmed.

PERSONNEL MATTERS

The game-day inactive players for the Chiefs were OLB Mike Vrabel, LB Justin Rogers and ILB David Herron, RB Dantrell Savage, G Andy Alleman and healthy scratches in TEs Sean Ryan and Jake O’Connell. The inactive third quarterback was Matt Gutierrez.

For the Chargers their game-day inactive players were: CB Dante Hughes, RB Michael Bennett, S C.J.Spiller, C Nick Hardwick, OT Jon Runyan, WR Buster Davis and DE Luis Castillo. The inactive third quarterback was Charlie Whitehurst.

Former Chiefs DL Alfonso Boone started at DE for the injured Castillo.

As expected and as happened last week, Andy Studebaker started for Vrabel and Wade Smith opened at right guard for Alleman. Haley went into the game with six receivers and nine defensive backs on the active roster.

Dressed for the Chiefs was Lawrence, who was promoted from the practice squad on Saturday to fill the roster slot created when DB Maurice Leggett went to the injured-reserve list last week with a shoulder injury.

ASSORTED OTHER STUFF

The Chargers safety in the fourth quarter was the first against the chiefs since October 26, 2003, when Buffalo blocked a punt out of the end zone … the Chargers lost S Eric Weddle (knee) and OLB Shawne Merriman (foot) from their starting defense in the first half. Neither player returned after they left the game … ILB Demorrio Williams led the Chiefs with nine tackles, with ILB Corey Mays and DE Glenn Dorsey contributing seven each … CB Brandon Flowers would have to be the Chiefs defensive player of the game, with five tackles, two passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Offense: Ups & Down For Jamaal

When the Chiefs personnel department evaluated Jamaal Charles before the 2008 NFL Draft there were a few facts that jumped out about the young man from Port Arthur, Texas.

He was fast. He had moves. He was tough. He fumbled too much.

On Sunday in San Diego against the Chargers, Charles was all of those things. He was fast, he showed his moves and he did some tough running. It was the type of performance that has him on the cusp of becoming a star in the league.

But, then there’s his problem with fumbling. He had a big one in the second quarter that stopped the Chiefs in San Diego territory and was turned into a Chargers touchdown. It was one of four giveaways that killed any chance the Chiefs had of winning the game, as the Bolts took decisive 43-14 victory.

“We turned the ball over four times and we can’t do that right now,” Charles said. “We were moving the ball. We got into a groove and we scored and we were heading for another one when I turned the ball over.”

The play came after the Chargers had scored their second touchdown to lead the game 14-7. San Diego’s first score was setup by a Matt Cassel interception, also on the San Diego side of the field.

The Chiefs started their possession at their 16-yard line and picked up two first downs and moved into Chargers territory. On a second-and-seven play, the Chiefs ran a draw and Charles burst through the right side, bounced off a tackler and then was stopped by CB Quentin Jammer and FS Steve Gregory.

But Charles kept moving his feet, trying to get an extra yard. That’s when the ball was knocked out of his hands, landed on the field and was recovered by LB Brandon Silar.

“I should have had two hands on the ball,” Charles said. “It was my fault. It led to another touchdown and it got bad real soon after that. Coach always tells me to cover the ball with two hands, but I thought I was still about to break and I only had one hand on it.”

Seven plays and 61 yards later, the Chargers scored again to make the score 21-7 and the game was all but over.

“The fumble really hurt us because we were trying to answer a score by them and we were moving down field pretty well,” said head coach Todd Haley. “If we can get points there, something positive there, we might have been able to hang in the game.

“Minus that, I think Jamaal is showing that he could potentially be a pretty good back.”

Charles was productive, running for 93 yards on 14 carries, including a 31-yard run. He caught three passes for 54 yards, including one for 49 yards. He returned two kickoffs for 61 yards, including a 45-yard return. Those were the three longest plays on the day for the Chiefs.

In total, Charles’ day was 19 touches for 208 yards.

“The situation we are in right now, every time I touch the ball I try to make something happen,” said Charles. “It’s real frustrating. We just have to come together as a team. We were fighting as a team at the start. After I fumbled the ball, everything just went downhill.

“I believe we can still win the rest of our games. I’m not giving up.”

COLUMN: One step forward, two steps back

There were some who saw the Chiefs victory last Sunday over Pittsburgh as a watershed moment for the franchise.

Well … not so much.

There’s no question the Chiefs ability to hang with the Steelers and eventually end up with a victory was a high in what has been three seasons of football disaster. But if the ’09 team took a step forward with that outcome, it got knocked back three steps on this Sunday by the San Diego Chargers.

It’s nice to beat the defending Super Bowl champions, but the Steelers are old news and do not look like they have much of a chance to repeat. In light of the Chiefs performance at Qualcomm Stadium, last week’s victory may have said more about the ’09 Steelers than it did about the ’09 Chiefs. …Read More!

Chargers Blast Drowning Chiefs 43-14

On Saturday the first storm in five months blew through San Diego, dropping heavy rain and churning the Pacific Ocean so much so that huge waves crashed the southern California shore. Several fishing boats were capsized in the channel from the ocean to Mission Bay.

On Sunday, the Pacific was quiet, winds were calm and the skies were blue. But the Chiefs were hit by a football tsunami wearing pale blue and lightning bolts on their helmets. The Chargers blasted the Chiefs 43-14 and drowning any momentum or confidence that Todd Haley’s team might have developed in their two-game winning streak.

“I looked at this game as an opportunity to see where we were,” said Haley. “It was an opportunity to see if we could take another little baby step. Clearly, we didn’t today.”

In two games between these teams, San Diego has won by 30 and 29 points, outscoring Kansas City 80-21 and showing everyone from the Hunt family, to GM Scott Pioli, Haley and their staffs how far away the Chiefs are away from being able to play with the AFC West’s best team.

“In this process of trying to become a better team, this clearly was an opportunity for us to grow as a team,” said Haley. “I just don’t think we handled this very well.” …Read More!

Not For Long … Thanksgiving Cup O’Chiefs

A hearty Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Times are tough, but we have so much to give thanks for in this great country. To family, friends and readers, thank you.

They call it the Not For Long League and have for years.

Why? Just consider some of the situations we’ve seen in this 2009 NFL season.

A month ago, Denver coach Josh McDaniels was the NFL’s boy wonder. After a disruptive off-season, the Broncos looked like they were headed for a long, long season. But after six games, Denver was 6-0 and McDaniels was being hailed as brilliant young coaching genius. QB Kyle Orton (left) was hailed for his play.

Thanksgiving night, the Broncos will play the New York Giants. McDaniels is no longer the brightest star in the coaching sky. His team is 6-4 and now in second place in the AFC West.

Not For Long. …Read More!

Practice Report 11/25 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

The Chiefs placed DB Maurice Leggett on the injured-reserve list on Wednesday, ending his 2009 season.

Leggett suffered a shoulder  injury on Sunday against the Steelers. It’s the second time his season has ended by being placed on the IR list with a shoulder problem. The same thing happened last year when he injured his shoulder on December 7 against Denver. He missed two games and was then placed on the IR list on December 26th.

Todd Haley said Leggett is headed for surgery. “It’s a pretty significant (injury),” said Haley. “We had moved him to safety and he was really excited about it and showing real promise. So this is a setback. He’s a great kid, with great enthusiasm and I think he’ll put everything into it to get back.”

No word yet on who will replace him on the 53-man active roster.

Despite chilly temperatures, a couple rain drops and a nice cold wind from the north, Haley had the Chiefs outside for practice again Wednesday morning. …Read More!

Chambers Back To San Diego … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

Chris Chambers didn’t see it coming.

It was Monday morning after the Chargers beat the Raiders at Qualcomm Stadium. In that game Chambers had just one catch, but it was a big one. On a third-down play in the fourth quarter, he made an over the shoulder grab stayed in bounds and picked up a big first down to keep alive a drive that killed the clock. San Diego won 24-16.

Chambers arrived in the Chargers locker room and was told that the head coach wanted to see him. He arrived in Norv Turner’s office and was told he was going to be released.

“My playing time was shrinking and that was a sign, but I wasn’t expecting what happened,” Chambers said on Tuesday after the Chiefs went through their first practice of the week. “From the second game on, I was rotating. My minutes were getting cut here and there and didn’t get a lot of encouragement.”

About 36 hours after getting the news, Chambers walked off a flight at KCI. His new football home was Arrowhead Stadium, as the Chiefs claimed him on waivers.

Just under four weeks after he walked into Turner’s office, Chambers has become a growing part of the Chiefs offense. He’s already caught 10 passes for 249 yards in three games. He’s got a pair of touchdown catches and his 61-yard play against the Steelers set up the game winning FG in overtime.

And, Sunday he’s going back to San Diego to face his old team as the Chiefs seek their third-straight victory. …Read More!

Texans Fall On Thanksgiving To Titans

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 and its first season of play.

The Dallas Texans won the fourth quarter of their contest with the New York Titans, 22-13.

Only problem was the Titans won the first three quarters and thus won the game 41-35. It was the highest scoring game in the first season of the American Football League and was one of those games that earned the league the reputation of being wide-open and built on passing. A small crowd of 14,344 sat in the Polo Grounds (right) and watched the game on Thanksgiving. The game was also broadcast on national television, which helped create the aura of the wild, high scoring AFL.

The teams combined for 76 points, nine touchdowns, 814 yards in total offense, 527 net passing yards, as the quarterbacks were a combined 35 of 70.

Dallas entered the fourth quarter down 28-13, and New York scored the first touchdown of the period. But the Titans missed the extra point, so it was 34-13 with 11 minutes to play. That’s when the Texans got back in the game, as they scored three touchdowns and a two-pointer after one of those scores in the final period.

It wasn’t enough, as the Texans record fell to 5-6 on the season. The victory ended a four-game losing streak for the Titans.

After the game, Hank Stram said his team needed rest and a return home to Dallas more than anything. The Texans had played six days earlier in Boston, and then spent the week practicing at a resort in the Catskill Mountains, before showing up for the holiday game in New York.

“We’ve played our two worst games the last two weeks, when we needed to play our best,” Stram said of the losses to the Patriots and Titans. “The entire squad has let down. The tackling is poor. New York ran 45 yards for a touchdown on a play that should have gained maybe 15 yards. …Read More!

Practice Report 11/24 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

The Chiefs are a bruised and sore team just two days removed from their victory over Pittsburgh, but there were only two players not taking part in the team’s Tuesday morning practice.

“We moved around pretty good; I felt like we made progress,” Todd Haley said of the session. “There was good energy from the guys and we got off to a good start,  which we’ll need against this team (San Diego).”

Haley changed the team’s schedule this week, moving the players normal day off from Tuesday to Thanksgiving Day. Thus, Tuesday was like a Wednesday around the Chiefs facility.

The team is not required to give a practice participation report until Wednesday under league rules and Haley was unwilling to provide that  information a day early. But DB Maurice Leggett (shoulder) and LB Justin Rogers (thigh) were the only players not taking part in the session. …Read More!

Winning Decisions … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

A game of football is built on decision making. Coaches, players and officials make decisions on top of decisions, dozens of them every minute.

When a team wins, the decisions are good, even if they are bad. If a team loses the game, the decisions are bad, even if they were good.

Todd Haley was a genius on Sunday, just a week after he was considered a dolt even in a winning effort against Oakland. Getting the unexpected victory over the Steelers was built on many decisions and a lot of them went the Chiefs way.

Here are four decisions that came down on Sunday that helped the Chiefs to victory.

1. CHIEFS WIN OPENING TOSS AND TAKE THE BALL

The last two times the Chiefs won the opening coin toss, they deferred their choice to the second half. But not this week, as they decided to take the kickoff, while the Steelers chose to defend the west end zone.

We all know what happened next: Jamaal Charles ran the kickoff back 97 yards to put the Chiefs on the scoreboard after just 16 seconds

So why did the Chiefs make the decision to take the kick?

“That’s just an instinct thing,” said Haley. “You try to talk to your staff the night before the game and make a decision. You might have to change on the fly, because of weather conditions, a lot of different factors. That will be something different every week.” …Read More!

From The Mouth of Todd 11/23

From the Truman Sports Complex

The media horde gathered for Todd Haley’s weekly press conference, the first one to come after two consecutive Chiefs victories.

Haley was not celebrating or ebullient as he stood behind the podium. It was 24 hours after the Chiefs overtime victory and the head coach had moved on. There were the San Diego Chargers to get ready for this weekend.

But he did have a few things to say about the game and how things played out in the victory over Pittsburgh. Here are the highlights.

On whether he’s concerned about how his team will handle winning two games in a row.

“That wasn’t the Super Bowl. That was our 10th game of the season. We are just going to keep doing what we are doing, trying to stay consistent and pushing the players hard. We are trying to get the players ready each week with a plan that can lead to success. ”

On Jamaal Charles and his contributions to the team right now.

“He’s making progress that we are all excited about seeing. He’s not a big back by any means but he’s showing some substance. What you saw from Jamaal yesterday were some real positive signs. He took some hits and didn’t go down, and almost broke out of the one in overtime. ” …Read More!

Nobody Saw This One Coming!

From Arrowhead Stadium

If at 12:02 p.m. Sunday you thought the Chiefs could beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, then head immediately to Las Vegas because you are on a roll.

By 12:03 p.m., everybody knew that a Chiefs victory was suddenly possible, after Jamaal Charles shocked the world by taking the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. It was a quick strike that said a lot. It shouted that the Chiefs were not going to roll up and die in facing the defending Super Bowl champions.

It would be three hours-plus before the Chiefs were able to secure the 27-24 victory on Ryan Succop’s 22-yard field goal in overtime.

The victory ended a 10-game home losing streak, if Arrowhead Stadium could be called a home game on Sunday. The stands were filled with fans wearing black and gold and twirling those Terrible Towels. The Chiefs say they sold 70,261 tickets to this game, but not that many were in the stands and a large number of them were cheering for the visitors.

Although some Chiefs admitted the lack of support bothered them, they didn’t play like it, especially in the fourth quarter when they had a drive to tie the game. They came back in the overtime for a drive to set up the winning field goal.

Oh, there was so much to write about. Here it is:

• GAME STORY – Gutty Chiefs surprise Steelers.
• COLUMN – Haley Gets A Big Victory.
• PLAY OF THE GAME – Jamaal Charles kickoff return TD.
• DEFENSE – Wheaton College’s Finest.
• NOTES – Stunned Steelers.
• GAMEBOOK

Pre-Game Report 11/22 Inactives Update

From Arrowhead Stadium

11:30 a.m. CST – If the early crowd is any indication – and frequently it is not – this might be a Steelers  home game today. Terrible Towel waving fans dominate the lower level of seats right now and they were very loud when the black and gold ran on to the field for warm ups.

11:10 a.m. CST – Kicking towards the west end zone, K Ryan Succop was good from 51 yards hitting the back net on the fly. There is n o apparent wind on the floor of Arrowhead right now.

11:00 a.m. CST – On the field early handling kick returns are RB Jamaal Charles, WR Lance Long and WR Terrance Copper. Handling punts are WR Bobby Wade and DB Maurice Leggett.

10:45 a.m. CST – With OLB Mike Vrabel out, Andy Studebaker will get the start opposite Tamba Hali. It will be his first NFL start. The Chiefs may take Studebaker out  in the nickel defense and sub another LB or a defensive lineman. At right guard Wade Smith will start for the inactive Andy Alleman. There are three TEs active today, as Leonard Pope, Sean Ryan and Brad Cottam will be on the field. And, as has become a Chiefs custom in this ’09 season, FB Tim Castille had his first practice on Wednesday and is active for the game.

10:30 a.m. CST – Game-day inactive players for the Chiefs are OLB Mike Vrabel, OLB Justin Rogers, RG Andy Alleman, RB Dantrell Savage, CB Donald Washington, TE Jake O’Connell and LB David Herron. Matt  Gutierrez is the inactive third quarterback. …Read More!

Game-Day Cup O’Chiefs

“This is a great challenge for us. It’s an opportunity to show that we’ve grown as a team.”

That was Matt Cassel talking about today’s Chiefs-Steelers game at Arrowhead Stadium. Kickoff is noon and TV coverage is on CBS.

Challenge it certainly is, what with the Chiefs being 2-7 and the Steelers are 6-3. Pittsburgh also happens to be the defending Super Bowl champions, and of course we know the Chiefs are 8-33 over the last three seasons. That’s the biggest reason the gambling point-spread on this game has the Steelers 12 to 13-point favorites.

How much the Chiefs might have grown as a team is debatable. They secured victory No. 2 last Sunday in Oakland and got a great deal of help from the Raiders, who like them are one of the league’s bad teams right now. This meeting is likely to show two things: the Chiefs have grown, and they are still very far, far behind the best teams in the league like Pittsburgh.

With his black and gold roots, Todd Haley does not try to hide his admiration of what the Steelers have done through the years, maintaining their place as a contender each year and winning two of the last four Super Bowl trophies to add to the four from days of yore.

“They’re consistent in all areas – personnel, how they draft, all areas,” Haley said. “They don’t panic. If things don’t go real well early they don’t panic; they’ve proven that over the years. I think that this model would be a great one to follow as would some other teams obviously; New England being one of those teams and Indianapolis, Philadelphia. …Read More!

Studebaker Gets Rolling … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

The last time Andy Studebaker was in the starting lineup for a game it was his Wheaton College Thunder playing North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium on the North Central campus.

The crowd was right around 5,000 people.

When Studebaker goes out for the first play on the Chiefs defense Sunday afternoon, there will be about 60,000 fans sitting in Arrowhead Stadium, or more than watched his college team over an entire season.

Studebaker will not be awed by the scene. In 15 games over the last two seasons, he’s already put behind him the transition from Division III college football to the glamour of professional football.

For the Illinois native, Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers is about showing the Chiefs he has a future in the NFL.

“All any player wants is a chance to play,” Studebaker said. “It’s exciting to get the opportunity.”

Studebaker will step into the starting spot that for nine games has belonged to Mike Vrabel. For the Chiefs defense, losing the veteran linebacker is a big blow; he’s been one of the unit’s most consistent performers and he provided on-field leadership that is impossible to replace.

When you put the numbers down on paper, it’s quite a change going from Vrabel to Studebaker: …Read More!

College Preview: Punt & Kick Returners

It has been 70 games since the Chiefs have had a kickoff return for a touchdown; October 2, 2005, Dante Hall vs. Philadelphia.

It has been 55 games since the Chiefs have had a punt return for a touchdown; October 1, 2006, Hall vs. San Francisco.

Right now, the Chiefs are 22nd in the league on punt return average and 24th in kick return average. They haven’t come close to a scoring return this season. Or last season and the season before that.

If Pioli/Haley hope to turn around the Chiefs on the field and put more victories in the record book, they need more weapons and the biggest addition would be a returner who can break the big one.

There are quite a few top returners who will be available in the 2010 NFL Draft. Some are big names, like Clemson RB C.J. Spiller (above). Others are highly rated players in the pre-draft rankings, like Alabama CB Javier Arenas and CB Perrish Cox of Oklahoma State.

Others are from smaller programs, like LeRoy Vann of Florida A&M, RB Terrence Holt of Austin Peay and CB Scotty McGee of James Madison.

Somewhere in the pool of talent, the Chiefs must find the next Percy Harvin, Lardarius Webb and Johnny Knox – all rookies who have returned kickoffs for touchdowns. …Read More!

Practice Report 11/20

From the Truman Sports Complex

A streak of 113 consecutive games played by OLB Mike Vrabel will likely end on Sunday as a left knee injury will keep the 13-year veteran out of action against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The last time Vrabel was not dressed for his team’s game was October 12, 2003 when the New England Patriots played the New York Giants.

Vrabel will be listed as doubtful when the Chiefs turn in their injury report to the league office late Friday afternoon.

RG Andy Alleman and RB Dantrell Savage will also be listed  doubtful to play against the Steelers; Alleman because of a right knee injury and Savage with a left ankle sprain.

Also on the injury report are LBs David Herron (knee) and Justin Rogers (thigh) and they are listed as questionable.

Vrabel, Alleman, Rogers and Savage did not practice on Friday morning as the Chiefs went through their final workout before facing the Steelers on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.

Haley Suffers From Hypocycloids … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

Once a person becomes infected, they are largely helpless to do anything about this powerful force that’s taken up residence in them. When it enters the blood stream, it quickly moves to the heart and brain and never leaves.

They are hypocycloids.

Chiefs head coach Todd Haley’s blood contains hypocycloids. He’s had them since birth and no medication known to man can rid his body of them. Haley will work very hard this weekend to keep his personal hypocycloids under control.

Hypocycloids are those three stars that are part of the logo for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yellow, orange and blue stars, they signify the elements needed to make steel: coal, iron ore and steel scrap. Hypocycloids are diamond shapes with inward curving edges, creating stars with four points. Developed as the logo for the American steel industry right around 1960, the Steelers first put them on their gold helmets in 1962. The next season they changed to the black helmets they wear today. The logo went along.

Ever since, the three hypocycloids have come to represent the professional football team of Pittsburgh, and they’ve been coursing through his veins for the better part of Haley’s 42 years.

And Sunday, he will see them again as the Steelers visit Arrowhead Stadium to take on Haley’s Chiefs. …Read More!

Play Of The Game: Charles kickoff return TD

From Arrowhead Stadium

It does not happen often that a kickoff gets returned for a touchdown; especially for the Kansas City Chiefs. In 49 previous seasons of football, there had been 18 kick return scores by the Texans-Chiefs. That’s about one every three seasons or so.

The Chiefs were due. They were long overdue. They had gone 70 games without a kickoff returned for a touchdown.

Jamaal Charles took care of that. All he needed was 16 seconds. It just so happens it was the first 16 seconds of Sunday’s game between the Chiefs and Steelers.

It was the first play and it was the play of the game: a 97-yard return for a touchdown to got the Chiefs on the scoreboard first and let everyone know, including themselves, that they had come to compete with the Steelers. In the end, they not only did that, but they won the game, 27-24 in overtime.

In the week of preparation for the game, the Chiefs had talked a lot about the Steelers and their kickoff coverage unit. Pittsburgh was ranked 29th in the league, giving up an average return of 25.9 yards. More importantly, they had already given up three return TDs, and they had all come in the previous four games.

Make that four out of five.

“We talked all week about how specials teams had to make a play and how their kick (coverage) team wasn’t all that good,” said Charles. “People had been scoring on them, so coach was talking about how we needed to take one to the house this week.”

Charles settled under Jeff Reed’s kickoff on the left side of the field. The Chiefs had set up a right return, so Charles had to scamper sideways a bit to get in line with the blocking scheme. Once he did, he turned the corner and he was gone.

“I saw him coming my way and I just made sure I got a hat on my guy,” said TE Leonard Pope, who was on the far right of the second line of kick return blockers. “All you have to do is give him an alley and he’ll go.”

Also on the right side of that second line of blockers was OLB Andy Studebaker.

“That one was a long time coming because we’ve been so close,” said Studebaker. “I hate when you hear players and coaches say we were one block away from springing something, but sometimes it’s true. We had been close.”

Once Charles got through the right side, an alley opened up and he had to break one tackle before he was off to the races.

“I guess they all just bit in where the ball was at and I just kept running and everyone just kept on their assignments and it opened up,” said Charles. “It was just perfect, perfect blocks. I broke a tackle and just went to the house. ”

It was the first Chiefs kickoff return for a touchdown since October 2, 2005 when Dante Hall returned one 96 yards against Philadelphia. Other than Hall and Tamarick Vanover, who combined had 10 TDs, Charles is the first Chiefs player to score on a kickoff return since RB Jon Vaughn took one back 91 yards in 1994 against Miami.

Defense: Remarkable Day For Studebaker

From Arrowhead Stadium

It will go down as one of the more remarkable stories in the first 50 seasons of Chiefs football.

A Division III defensive end gets switched to outside linebacker with a new coaching staff installing a new defensive scheme. With 15 games of NFL playing experience, almost all of it on special teams, this young man gets his first NFL start. It comes against the defending Super Bowl champions.

And all Wheaton College’s Andy Studebaker did was earn himself the defensive star of the game, as he grabbed two interceptions, was credited with five tackles and shared a sack of Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He also helped knock Big Ben out of the game in overtime with a hit.

In the Chiefs improbable 27-24 victory over the Steelers, Studebaker said hello to the NFL.

“That was a blast,” Studebaker said. “What an afternoon.”

The 24-year old Studebaker was replacing veteran OLB Mike Vrabel, who is dealing with a knee injury that’s likely going to keep him out of action for several weeks. Although, as Vrabel watched the game from the Chiefs sideline he was probably thinking he needed to get back on the field as soon as possible. He doesn’t want to go the way of Wally Pipp.

Not to say after one start that Studebaker is in the class of Lou Gehrig. But what happened was not an accident.

“You get a guy like Andy Studebaker, who I said all off-season there was nobody that was better,” said Todd Haley. “And then to see it translated into some of the things that kid did out there today; I’m happy some of that is starting to show.”

Maybe the best indicator on how remarkable Studebaker’s performance was comes in his pedigree. Yes, he was a sixth-round draft choice of the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that has drafted very well for the last decade. But he wasn’t ready to play in Philly last year, which is why he was on the practice squad. That’s when he was picked off by the Chiefs for the final six games of the ’08 season.

Then this year it was moving from defensive end to outside linebacker. But every day, Studebaker got a little bit better. He’s one of the most complete athletes on the team, when it comes to the combined traits of speed, strength and quickness. Special teams blocking and coverage was his forte until Sunday against the Chiefs.

“I just wanted to go out and play well and help the team win,” said Studebaker. “I was in and out of there with Pierre (Walters). I’m on all the special teams, so they wanted to give me a break every now and then.”

In fact, that Studebaker got those interceptions was a surprise. When the Chiefs were in their base 3-4 defense, Studebaker was at LOLB. But coordinator Clancy Pendergast came up with two variations of his nickel defense and Walters would come in for Studebaker in both nickels.

But Studebaker’s first interception came early in the third quarter when the Chiefs were in the base defense, and he was trailing behind Pittsburgh TE Heath Miller. Roethlisberger’s throw hit Miller in the hands, and bounced in the air, where Studebaker grabbed the ball and picked up two yards before he was brought down. Seven plays later, the Chiefs added a touchdown and pulled within three points of the Steelers.

Later in the third quarter, Studebaker got interception No. 2. This one was huge, and it also came on a first down play. Roethlisberger was hit just as he released the ball by OLB Tamba Hali and the ball fluttered into the end zone, where Studebaker grabbed it and started running. And running, and running.

By the team he was dragged down from behind by Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall, the ball was at the Pittsburgh eight-yard line. That turnover set up a field goal.

That’s two Studebaker interceptions and 10 points for the Chiefs.

“One was a batted ball and the other, Tamba got to him with pressure and the ball came wobbling out,” said Studebaker. “It was team defense, the whole team fitting together and I couldn’t have made those interceptions without the rest of the team.”

Studebaker became the first player from Wheaton College to start an NFL game. That’s no big deal since only one other player from the Division III school has ever played before in an NFL game. His name was Doug Rothschild. He was also a linebacker and he played for the Chicago Bears in the three replacement games when the real NFL players were on strike back in the 1987 season.

More than likely, Studebaker will get his second start next Sunday in San Diego. It will be hard to top what went down with his first one.

“I can’t wait to see the tape, but once we do, it’s done,” said Studebaker. “Can’t celebrate for long, we got more games to play.”

Sounds like a veteran already.

COLUMN: Haley’s Comet Falls On Steelers

From Arrowhead Stadium

You will probably read, see and hear a bunch of malarkey about how it was a kinder, gentler Todd Haley directing his team on the sidelines Sunday as the Chiefs faced off against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Don’t believe it. Todd Haley was the same guy watching his team upset the Steelers as he was last Sunday when his team beat the Oakland Raiders, or the Sunday before that when the Chiefs lost in Jacksonville.

He was a week wiser and smarter, but he was the same Todd Haley.

“I’m going to be me every day,” said Haley.

If it seemed he was a bit less like the pit bull that has prowled the Chiefs sideline all year, it was obvious why.

“It’s easy to be positive when good things are happening,” said Haley.

And boy did good things happen for the Chiefs on Sunday against the Steelers. All the lessons that Haley has tried to impart to his team over the last nine months were driven home in front of a crowd that could have easily been in Heinz Field there were so many Pittsburgh followers.

The Chiefs did not give up. They kept plugging. They kept working. They kept doing all those things that coaches pound into their heads day-after-day, week-after-week, season-after-season. But no matter how much a team knows that the coach’s message is true, if they don’t have success, it starts to become an annoying drone.

A team needs some sugar.

“You just need some positive results or otherwise you’re just talking into the air,” said Haley. “We push them hard and my philosophy is I’m not going to accept average or below. This job is not for the faint of heart and not a lot of games have been won around here.

“It’s nice to get a little reward against a team like that. I thought the guys really showed heart and guts.” …Read More!

Gutty Chiefs Beat Steelers In Overtime

From Arrowhead Stadium

On an afternoon when the Steelers Nation took over Arrowhead Stadium and turned it into a Terrible Towel waving horde that made it Heinz Field West, the Chiefs put together their best performance in two years, make that three years, maybe longer than that.

With their normal home-field advantage gone, the Chiefs did not give up. They were not pretty at times, they were far from perfect. But when Ryan Succup’s 22-yard FG pierced the uprights in the east end zone the Chiefs had a 27-24 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Obviously it’s a big win for this team,” head coach Todd Haley said. “We’re a young team and I really feel like we’ve been making progress. I felt like going into this game this would be a great opportunity to measure where we are as a team.”

This wasn’t a victory over the horrid Raiders or the bumbling Redskins. These were the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers, the 6-3 on the season Steelers. That Pittsburgh is now 6-4 on the season and the Chiefs are 3-7 was testimony that yes, the red and gold are improving.

“That’s what we’ve wanted to show everybody, that we are getting better as a team,” said WR Bobby Wade. “Sometimes when you are losing it’s hard to see the improvement, but everyone in here knew it was happening. Now, everybody knows, the fans, the media, the rest of the league.” …Read More!

Practice Report 11/19 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

More and more it looks like Andy Studebaker will be starting in the Chiefs defense on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Starting OLB Mike Vrabel spent another day out of practice because of a left knee injury. It’s doubtful the Chiefs will go with Vrabel for this game.

And th means the 24-year old product of Division III Wheaton College will be in the Chiefs defense. Studebaker got playing time in the second half last week and held down the position quite well.

“You are never as good as you think you are and never as bad as you think you are,” Studebaker said after watching the tape  of the Oakland game.  “I left the game and thought I fit in the defense pretty well, but at the same time I made some mistakes too. This week, I’m working on minimizing those.

“It was game time-situation type stuff, things I thought I saw, but didn’t happen.” …Read More!

Longing For The Chance … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

When Lance Long walks into the Chiefs locker room, there a sense of something out of place with his presence in the group.

NFL locker rooms are full of physical freaks. I’m not talking circus style freaks, but just remarkable physical specimens. There are little guys who have thigh muscles bigger around than some people’s waists. There are big guys who have enough fast twitch fibers in their body that they can run faster than guys who weigh 100 pounds less.

Lance Long just doesn’t fit. When he walks in the door you expect the security guard to come running in, grab him around the collar and escort him out as a trespasser.

It’s just that the Chiefs wide receiver looks so normal. The 24-year old native of Michigan is listed at 5-11, which is generous; maybe if he’s standing on his tiptoes. Long supposedly weighs 186 pounds, but he must have been weighed after a really big dinner, with a couple rocks in his pocket.

“I’m not the prototypical NFL wide receiver,” Long said with a smile.

But there he is in the Chiefs locker room, and there he is on the football field Sunday afternoon, getting more and more playing time in the Chiefs offense.

“It’s just been a true blessing what’s happened for me,” said Long. “Just to get an opportunity to come in and help the team out, to do whatever I can, whether it’s on offense or special teams. It’s been a lot of fun.

“I’m just trying to get better each day.” …Read More!

Stunned Steelers & Other Notes

From Arrowhead Stadium

Losing in overtime to a 2-7 team is not something that happens much to the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is a franchise that has won 100 regular season games in this decade.

Maybe that explained the stunned atmosphere of the Steelers locker room after the Chiefs beat them 27-24 in overtime.

“I have to have this football team better prepared to play and ultimately we have to play better than what we played today,” said Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin. “We are capable of much m ore than that. You have to tip your hat to the Chiefs because they played well enough to win.

“But that’s not what we are capable of and that is not us. It won’t be us. It was us today.”

It was a remarkable afternoon, where the Steelers racked up 515 yards of total offense, but turned the ball over three times that helped set up 10 points for the Chiefs.

And they didn’t have their quarterback at the end, as Ben Roethlisberger left in overtime with head trauma after taking a Derrick Johnson knee to his head at the end of a scramble.

“It was a concussion-oriented thing,” Tomlin said. “I don’t have a lot of information in terms of where he is or his level of availability. We will have more information as we proceed.”

Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in the Steelers locker room that he did not know if he had a concussion, but he felt fine.

He was replaced by Charlie Batch, who wasn’t able to get the Chiefs into a decent position to try an overtime field goal to win. But then the Steelers hurt themselves badly with the turnovers and penalties, eight of those for 85 yards.

“You can say we beat ourselves, but number one you have to give credit to them because they played well and did enough to win the game,” Batch said of the Chiefs. “Typically when you’re on the minus side of the turnover ratio the outcomes doesn’t favor your direction.”

Also under the category of beating themselves was allowing the 97-yard kickoff return by Jamaal Charles to start the game. It was the fourth kickoff return for a score against the Steelers in the last five games.

“It appeared we missed two to three tackles on the play,” said Tomlin. “When you do that, a guy has a chance to go yard on you.”

STUDEBAKER’S RETURN

When OLB Andy Studebaker grabbed an interception two yards deep in the end zone and ran all the way to the Pittsburgh eight-yard line, that 94-yard return was among the longest in franchise history, and certainly the longest by a linebacker.

Here’s where Studebaker’s run ranks:

• 102 yards    Gary Barbaro            December 11, 1977 vs. Seattle
• 100 yards    Tim Collier                 December 18, 1977 at Oakland
• 99 yards       Dave Grayson           December 17, 1961 vs. N.Y. Titans
• 99 yards       Kevin Ross                 September 6, 1992 at San Diego
• 94 yards       Andy Studebaker    November 22, 2009 vs. Pittsburgh

SPECIAL TEAMS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Charles kick return TD was only part of a very good special teams effort in the victory for the Chiefs.

Of course, K Ryan Succop had the game winning FG, hitting it high and true from 22 yards and going two for two on the day with his FGs.

“Thomas (Gafford) did a great job snapping the ball and Dustin (Colquitt) did a great job holding it and the Lord blessed me with the strength and the peace to put it through,” Succop said.

The rookie kicker was also very good on his six kickoffs, as he put four of them into the end zone and two of them went for touchbacks. Pittsburgh had four kickoff returns for 115 yards.

P Dustin Colquitt averaged 47.8 yards a kick and finished with a 39.2-yard net average. The Chiefs did a great job of getting one of those Colquitt punts downed at the two-yard line. Punt coverage was fair, as the Steelers averaged 10.7 yards on three returns.

The Chiefs got nothing on punt returns from Bobby Wade, who had two fair catches and one return for no yards.

DEFENSIVE NUMBERS

The Chiefs had three sacks in this game and should have had another three at least, as they just had a hard time getting the 6-5, 241-pound Roethlisberger on the ground. SS Mike Brown had one sack on a blitz and rookie DE Alex Magee got his second sack of the season. The third sack was shared by LBs Derrick Johnson and Andy Studebaker. Johnson would have had another sack, but it was wiped out by a Chiefs defensive penalty.

Press box stats had LB Demorrio Williams as the leading tackler for the Chiefs with 10. Brown had nine and CB Brandon Carr and FS Jon McGraw had eight each. OLB Tamba Hali had seven tackles and he also drew a pair of holding calls against Steelers tackles.

ZEBRA WATCH

The officiating crew of Carl Cheffers had a pretty smooth ride Sunday afternoon. They did load up on the flags against the Steelers, walking off eight penalties for 85 yards.

The Chiefs were flagged for four penalties. The culprits were: RT Ryan O’Callaghan false start, TE Leonard Pope illegal block above the waist on a kick return, DE Wallace Gilberry illegal contact in pass coverage (yes, pass coverage) and LG Brian Waters was called for holding, wiping out a 13-yard pass play.

There were no instant replay challenges by either coaches or reviews by the booth.

PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT

FB Tim Castille joined the group of players this season who were signed on Wednesday and played on Sunday. He had a tackle in the kicking game and he was also part of a new wrinkle on the offense. Castille took a handoff from Matt Cassel and ran right. He then pitched the ball back to a trailing Jamaal Charles. Nice little play.

There were no surprises among the game-day inactive players for the Chiefs. OLB Mike Vrabel, OLB Justin Rogers, G Andy Alleman and RB Dantrell Savage did not dress because of injuries. They were joined by LB David Herron and rookies CB Donald Washington and TE Jake O’Connell. The inactive third quarterback was Matt Gutierrez.

The Steelers were without three starters, including All-Pro SS Troy Polamalu. Also out were DE Travis Kirschke and FB Carey Davis. Also inactive were OL Kraig Urbik and Tony Hills, DE Sunny Harris and WR Shaun McDonald. The inactive third quarterback was Dennis Dixon.

SOME OTHER STUFF

The Steelers got five sacks of Cassel, with two by OLB Lamar Woodley. NT Casey Hampton, ILB Lawrence Timmons and OLB James Harrison each had one … Terrance Copper had two special teams tackles … the Steelers had a huge edge in time of possession, 44:07 to 22:25 … the Chiefs at one point were one of seven on third down, but finished at six of 15 or 40 percent … the Chiefs are now 11-15-2 in regular season overtime games. It was their first victory in an extra period game since beating Green Bay in October 2003. It was their first overtime victory at Arrowhead since beating Denver in December 2001 … since 1995, the Chiefs are 34-4 at Arrowhead when they have two or more interceptions.

Opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

2009 record: 6-3, with victories over Tennessee, San Diego, Detroit, Cleveland, Minnesota and Denver. They’ve lost to Chicago by three points and to Cincinnati twice, by three and six points..

Last year’s record: 12-4, won the AFC North, then beat Baltimore for the AFC Championship and Arizona for the Super Bowl victory in Tampa.

Record for the last five seasons: 64-26, with three division titles and four appearances in the playoffs, including Super Bowl championships for the 2005 and 2008 seasons

Last appearance in the playoffs: in the ’08 season, when they beat San Diego 35-24, then stopped Baltimore 23-14 and won the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl with a 27-23 victory over Arizona.

Head coach: Mike Tomlin is in his third season as only the third head man for the Steelers in 41 seasons. Tomlin’s record is 31-14, with two appearances in the playoffs.

Coordinators: offense, Bruce Arians; defense, Dick LeBeau; special teams, Bob Ligashesky.

Roster overview: the Steelers are built through the draft and always have been. …Read More!

Texans Get Smoked By Patriots, 42-14

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 and its first season of play.

In their first season of play, the Dallas Texans darkest hours came in a Thursday night game in Boston. On November 18, 1960, Hank Stram’s team got smoked by the Boston Patriots 42-14 in front of a crowd announced as 14,721 at Boston University Field.

Those 42 points were the most the Texans allowed in their first season. The 14 points they scored was their second lowest total of the season and the 28-point differential was their worst loss of the season.

“This was not a good effort for our team,” Hank Stram said afterwards to the media. “On offense, defense, we did not get the job done.”

It was a big victory for the Patriots on the one-year anniversary of their entry into the AFL

Boston native, Boston College product and Patriots QB Butch Songin (right) led the Boston offense, throwing for three touchdown passes, as he hit 25 of 35 passes for 220 yards.

Songin was one of the typical veteran players who revived their football careers in the first season of the AFL. He played football and hockey at Boston College, and was part of BC’s NCAA hockey champions in 1949. He was captain of the hockey team in 1950 his last year at Chestnut Hill. …Read More!

Practice Report 11/18 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

Chiefs coach Todd Haley didn’t have anything to add to the Dwayne Bowe suspension story other than he needs the other receivers to fill the void.

“It’s no different than if there’s an injury,” Haley said after Wednesday’s practice. “Our receiver group must step up now. We lose one of our better receivers. I’ve said here for the last couple weeks I feel like the receiver group was improving as a whole.  That group needs to step up and fill the void.”

During Wednesday’s practice, Bobby Wade and Mark Bradley got snaps with the first team offense opposite Chris Chambers.

“Bobby Wade will be back playing and that’s good for him,” said Haley, who would not get  into any specifics about how the offense might look without Bowe. “His not playing had nothing to do with him. It was a roster thing; he was the last guy both weeks. Bobby helped us a bunch when he got here and now he’s looking to help us again.”

Haley had his team working outside in Wednesday’s practice and the coach liked what he saw.

“We had a very good day of practice today,” Haley said. “The guys were enthusiastic. The win put some gas in their tanks and they are excited and ready to play the defending world champions.” …Read More!

So Much Talent, So Immature … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

Dwayne Bowe’s four-game suspension from the NFL is just another step in what the Chiefs have to hope is the continuing maturation of the wide receiver.

Bowe better hope so as well. As he sits at home for a month, unable to spend time with his teammates and the Chiefs franchise, Bowe has a chance to decide what direction the rest of his career and life will take. He needs to do some very deep soul searching.

Over the years the Chiefs have had many players who had remarkable athletic talent, and the maturity of a 10-year old. Bowe is one of them. His story of being abandoned as a child by a mother and father distracted and in the clutches of drugs, being raised by his grandparents, running the streets and getting involved in crimes and fights left him without some very important blocks in a solid foundation of being an adult.

That background and then his success in football did lead him away from the drug culture. But there were some stains that could not be erased. Bowe was not suspended for taking illegal drugs or performance enhancing drugs like anabolic steroids. He is gone for four games because he tested positive for a diuretic.

The NFL considers the presence of a diuretic in a player’s urine sample the same as if it was steroids because it has frequently been used as a masking agent. …Read More!

L.J. Lands In River City

It didn’t take long to understand that Larry Johnson had been looking at the schedule his new will play over the final seven weeks of the 2009 regular season.

One game jumped out: December 27, Kansas City at Cincinnati.

The newest member of the Bengals couldn’t suppress his excitement to face his former team in five weeks.

“I’d be lying if I said I ain’t looking at that game as a game I definitely want to play in,” Johnson said. “You take one game at a time, one situation at a time. I’m just trying to get on the field as of right now. If that happens, that’d be the best Christmas gift I can get.” 

Johnson agreed to terms on Tuesday with the Bengals and was introduced to the Cincinnati media. On Monday, head coach Marv Lewis talked about L.J. as insurance, the fourth back on the roster. His tune was a little bit different on Tuesday.

“I’m not going to say it can’t happen, I’m not going to say it will happen, but stay tuned,” Lewis said. “He’d like to play, I know that. We’ll see what happens as we go through the week.” …Read More!

Chiefs Sign Another Fullback

With a spot open on the active roster for four weeks due to the suspension of Dwayne Bowe, the Chiefs added FB Tim Castille to the roster.

Castille is 5-11,238 pounds and has played two seasons in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals. Last year he played in 14 games as the Cardinals won the NFC Championship. He did not have any rushing attempts and caught four passes for 11 yards. Castille also had 10 tackles in the kicking game. He was inactive for all 16 games of his rookie season in 2007.  The Cardinals released him on the final cutdown before the start of the ’09 regular season.

A native of Alabama, Castille signed with Arizona as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Alabama. With the Crimson Tide, he was a short-yardage specialist, laying in 43 games with 155 carries for 524 yards and 20 TDs. He also caught 59 passes for 363 yards.

His father Jeremiah was an All-America DB with Alabama who played six seasons in the NFL with the Broncos and Buccaneers. His brother Simeon played in nine games during the 2008 season for the Bengals.

NFL Power Rankings: Week #10

Contrary to their moniker, special-teamers rarely get special treatment.

It’s quite the opposite. Kick returners get somewhat of a pass because they can change the momentum of a contest. Yet, in many cases a good returner in only considered half a football player. As for punters and kickers, the beef gets trickier. Even though they constitute a valuable aspect of the game, more than a few have questioned their resolve, their toughness and even their manhood. And if you take into account that they belong in a 53-men roster just like everybody else, it really doesn’t seem fair.

But every dog has its day, and in Week 10 of the 2009 NFL season, the Saints awoke from their lethargy against the Rams thanks to a kickoff return. The Redskins finally made their patrons happy with a successful gimmick involving their punter. The Dolphins and the Jaguars won with field goals at the end.

One last note: for all of those that think that kickers are not football players please remember, they’re the ones that use their feet. …Read More!

NFL suspends Dwayne Bowe

The NFL has suspended Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe for four games for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing substances.

Bowe’s suspension begins immediately and he’ll miss games against Pittsburgh, San Diego, Denver and Buffalo. He can return for the final three games of the season.

The Chiefs confirmed the susension in a release early Tuesday afternoon: “The Kansas City Chiefs today confirmed that the National Football League has suspended WR Dwayne Bowe for four games for “violating the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances.” Bowe’s suspension will begin immediately. As a result of the league suspension, the team will have no further comment.”

Bowe had 33 catches for 466 yards and four touchdowns.

Players can face suspension for performance enhancing substances for testing positive for anabolic steroids, or certain diuretics that are considered masking agents. Players can also be suspended for failing to show up for testing. There’s no word on what Bowe’s situation might be.

The last Chiefs player suspended for performance enhancing substances was G/T John Welbourn. He missed the first six games of the 2006 season, after serving a four-game suspension in 2005.

Riding In The Hot Seat … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

Generally when you are an NFL head coach about 50 percent of the fans like how you go about your business, how the team is handled, and they like the emotions and passions that are shown or kept in check. The other 50 percent don’t like you because of the same reasons.

And 100 percent of the fans want your head should you lose more games than you win.

This is the life that Todd Haley is living right now. Even if his Chiefs were 7-2 instead of 2-7 there would be people unhappy with how the man has gone about his job in this first season leading the franchise.

And let’s make no mistake, Haley is leading the franchise. When the team suspended and then released RB Larry Johnson, who stood in front of the media and fans and took the questions? Chairman Clark Hunt and GM Scott Pioli were nowhere to be found. It was Haley that was the face of the franchise.

It is Haley who speaks of the team five days a week, every week. Nary is a peep heard seven days a week from Hunt and Pioli.

That increases the already blinding glare of the spotlight that always falls on the position of head coach. Not only is his every decision second guessed, but his words, actions, movements, body language, tone are all dissected by the fans and media. Everybody sees the same pictures, or hears the same words and they find different meanings and interpretations.

During the television broadcast of Sunday’s game in Oakland the cameras caught a “conversation” going on between Haley and his assistant head coach Maurice Carthon. …Read More!

Another Winning Trip To Oakland

From Oakland, California

While it was a cold, cloudy, gray Sunday in the Midwest, it was a picture perfect California afternoon in the city where the author Gertrude Stein said, “there is no there there.”

But in Oakland, there is victory for the Kansas City Chiefs. For the seventh straight year, under three different head coaches and four different starting quarterbacks, the Chiefs left Al Davis’ town with a victory. This time it was 16-10, and the Chiefs grabbed their second victory of the season.

A classic this game was not, but then that mattered not to the Chiefs. One of the hardest things to do in the NFL is to beat a division opponent on the road. Luckily for Todd Haley’s team, the Raiders played their normal giving role, as they had trouble all day with throwing and catching the football.

It was an afternoon where RB Jamaal Charles (above) established himself as the next feature running back. It was a game where the Chiefs defense gave up a big play early, but then held the Raiders in check. It was a day when Oakland coach Tom Cable benched his starting quarterback, as JaMarcus Russell had another brutal day.

There’s was plenty to write about, and it’s all here:

• GAME STORY: No classic, but a victory.
• COLUMN: This was not NFL football.
• OFFENSE: Larry Who?
• DEFENSE: Redemption For Mike Brown.
• NOTES: Raiders have problems.
• GAMEBOOK

Pre-Game Report 11/15 Inactives Update

From Oakland, California

2:25 p.m. CST – This is the final throwback game for the Chiefs. They are  in the all-white uniforms of the 1962 AFL Champion Dallas Texans. Refree Mike Carey and his officials are in those hideous candy striped uniforms that they were forced to wear in the early days of the AFL. The Raiders uniforms looked much like the Oakland uniforms of today, with the exception of the decal on their helmets. 

2:15 p.m. CST – With Raiders starting DE Greg Ellis out of the action, the Chiefs catch a break. Ellis has four sacks on the season and picked up half of those in the first game against the Chiefs. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee and shoulder last week during Oakland’s bye week. Rookie Matt Shaughnessy will start opposite Richard Seymour.

2:00 p.m. CST – The playing surface at the Coliseum appears to be in very good condition. The baseball infield has been sodded and it looks like the groundskeepers did a good job of blending it with the already existing grass. It should be a dry and fast track.

1:55 p.m. CST – The weather conditions are perfect for today’s game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Game-time temperature is expected to be in the low 60s, with a clear blue sky, a light breeze and no threat of rain. …Read More!

Making Practice Effort Count … Game-Day Cup O’Chiefs

From Oakland, California

Uh oh!

“Probably our best Friday (practice); it was pretty good,” said head coach Todd Haley. “We went indoors to just kind of get that noise level up. There was tempo and precision on both sides, I think it was probably our best Friday as a whole.”

Uh oh!

At this point, isn’t Haley reluctant to identify a top-notch practice when he’s been saying that for the last month and the Chiefs went 1-3 come Sunday afternoon? Does he think twice about mentioning, or even thinking about the quality of the work on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday?

“Yes I do,” Haley admitted. “But you can’t think any other way. You really can’t. You’ve got to assume that good practices are eventually going to translate into good play. If you think any other way I think you’re asking for trouble. I know that’s how we gauge how a week has gone.”

And Sunday afternoon there’s another chance to transfer the practice effort, tempo and production to the playing field as the Chiefs face the Raiders at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Kickoff is just after 3 p.m., with television coverage on CBS.

OK, so let’s follow the line of discussion and ask what makes a good practice?

“Tempo, guys were into it, enthusiasm, doing what they’re supposed to do, hustling to the ball on defense, doing all the things we’re asking them to do,” Haley explained. “Guys were sharp. You can tell when guys are into it. They were mentally into the practice.

“These last three or four weeks it looks like we’re starting to get it and, to me, it’s going to eventually start translating and that’s all you can do.” …Read More!

A Punting Explosion … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

When the Chiefs and Raiders face off on Sunday at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum two of the best players on the field will be the punters – Dustin Colquitt (left) and Shane Lechler (right).

That doesn’t just say something about the lack of talent on both of these rosters as evidenced by their combined record of 3-13.

It says something about the punting renaissance that the pro football has experienced over the last three years. At no time in the history of the game have there been as many good punters in the league at the same time. From Lechler and the 49ers’ Andy Lee in the Bay Area, to Colquitt and Donnie Jones over in St. Louis, with San Diego’s Mike Scifres, Buffalo’s Brian Moorman and the old crafty veteran, Jeff Feagles with the New York Giants.

What has led to this glut of talent and top performances? …Read More!

Texans Overcome Slow Start For Fifth Victory

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 and its first season of play.

In the first quarter, Denver QB Frank Tripucka led his offense on a 46-yard touchdown drive that gave the Broncos the first points on the scoreboard.

But on a balmy afternoon at the Cotton Bowl, the Dallas Texans defense shut the door, and running backs Abner Haynes and Johnny Robinson took over on the offensive side and Hank Stram’s team had a 34-7 victory. The decision pushed the Texans over the .500 mark on the season, as they came out of the game with a 5-4 record.

The Dallas defense tied the score in the second quarter. LB Smoky Stover hit Denver RB Don Allen in the left flat as he was catching a pass. The ball bounced in the air and CB David Webster grabbed the ball and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown. It was one of four interceptions in the game for the Texans defense.

“Even though it only gave us a chance to tie the score at 7-7, it blew it open for us,” Stram said of Webster interception, one of six the former Prairie View quarterback grabbed during that inaugural season. He returned two for touchdowns. The other interceptions that day went to LB Bob Hudson LB Ted Greene and DB Jimmy Harris.

“We were too tight both ways it took that interception to loosen us up. After that we looked like a real good football team.” …Read More!

Practice Report 11/13

From the Truman Sports Complex

It looks like OLB Mike Vrabel will be on the field Sunday when the Chiefs take on the Raiders in Oakland.

Vrabel missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday because of what the team is calling a hip injury. But the veteran linebacker was working on Friday as a full participant in the team’s last session of the week.

ILB David Herron is out of Sunday’s game with a knee injury. In just five games with the Chiefs, Herron has become a special teams contributor. His spot in the kicking game will be taken by rookie OLB Pierre Walters or newly signed LB Justin Rogers.

Everyone else on the Chiefs injury report is listed as probable for Sunday’s game: Vrabel (hip), OL Wade Smith (ankle), WR Chris Chambers (foot), ILB Jovan Belcher (head) and FS Jon McGraw (thigh).

McGraw will be back in the starting lineup at free safety. For another week at least, Jamaal Charles figures to be the starter at running back, although head coach Todd Haley says that will depend on what plays and formations are used to start the game.

Haley says Kolby Smith still needs some time before he’s ready to be a full-time back in the Chiefs offense.

“It’s unrealistic to expect him to be at the top of his game,” said coach Todd Haley. “That would be asking too much; it was a major injury.”

Smith tore the patella tendon in his right knee last November. Two years ago, Smith ran for 150 yards on 31 carries against the Raiders.

A Remarkable Comeback … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

Practice was over and Rudy Niswanger was in front of his locker, mixing up a protein drink for a little post-workout libation.

“Got to help the body,” Niswanger said as he took a little bit out of this bag and a little bit out of that bottle and mixed them together with some water.

Given Niswanger’s background and college degree in kinesiology and his perfect GPA at Louisiana State, it’s not hard to believe that whatever powders the Chiefs center was mixing gets the job done.

Last Sunday, just 14 days after suffering a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee, Niswanger was back on the field, started and took every offensive snap for the Chiefs in Jacksonville. Generally, an MCL sprain keeps a player out anywhere from two to six weeks. Seldom does he return on the short side of that equation, especially return and play an entire game.

But Niswanger showed the Chiefs that he’s just a little bit different.

“Got to take your hat off to that guy,” head coach Todd Haley said. “That’s a pretty impressive comeback. That’s a sign of somebody who wants to be on the field, wants to be part of it. Those are the kind of guys we’re looking for.”

Niswanger is the kind of guy any and every business searches out. He’s a team player, a guy who works hard both physically and mentally and while he may not be the most physically gifted of players, the Louisiana native gets more out of his ability and his body than most NFL players. …Read More!

Opponent: Oakland Raiders

2009 record: 2-6

Last time vs. Chiefs: back on September 20, the Raiders walked out of Arrowhead Stadium with a 13-10 victory, despite the fact the Chiefs had a 409-166 edge in offensive yards and a 25-11 edge in first downs. S Michael Huff picked off a pair of QB Matt Cassel’s passes. It was the best rushing day of the season for the Chiefs, as they ran for 173 yards on 38 carries. Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell was awful, completing just seven of 24 passes for 109 yards. Oakland punter Shane Lechler averaged 56.9 yards on seven punts.

’09 victories: other than the Chiefs, the Raiders only other victory this year was a 13-9 toppling of Philadelphia at the Oakland Coliseum. So far in the 2009 NFL season it’s one of those half-dozen games that happen every year that are unexplainable.

’09 defeats: in two losses to the Chargers, the Raiders kept things close, falling by four and eight points. In their other four defeats they were blown out: Denver won by 20 points, Houston by 23, the New York Giants by 37 and the New York Jets by 38 points.

Stat that says it all: In eight games so far this season, the Raiders have scored just 29 points in the second half, and only six in the third quarter. …Read More!

Practice Report 11/12 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

There are a lot of memories this week for Chiefs QB Matt Cassel. Last season as he was getting prepared to play the Raiders in Oakland, another situation came on his personal radar screen.

Cassel had to deal with the death of his father.

On Tuesday, December 9, 2008, Greg Cassel passed away in his home in San Bernardino, California. He was 57.  Matt was in San Jose with the New England Patriots, who were spending the week in the Bay Area between games against Seattle and Oakland.

He spent several days with his family in southern California and then rejoined the Patriots. Cassel played against the Raiders that Sunday – five days after his father’s death - and threw four touchdown passes in a 49-26 New England victory.

This week has brought back the events of 11 months ago.

“There are a lot of memories and it will probably be a little emotional,” Cassel said after practice on Thursday. “What better way was there to honor him than to go up there on Sunday and we won.”

Cassel called the week “a whirlwind of emotion” as he left the team, returned to his family, and then returned to the Patriots.

“I came back and had a good discussion with Coach (Bill) Belichick and it was decided that I would be ready to go,” said Cassel. “Coach (Josh) McDaniels who was my (quarterback) coach last year was a rock for me during that time and really helped  me. He just said whatever we have to do to get you ready for this game, let’s do it.

“It was pretty special, especially with the way the whole team reacted.” …Read More!

Ultimate Rebuilding Pain … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

The pain of rebuilding pulses through the Chiefs facility at the Truman Sports Complex

The Chiefs are 1-7 and while there are miniscule signs of improvement on offense and defense, the whole picture doesn’t show much in the way of moving forward. It’s like they have taken seven punches to the gut, like Andy Alleman did during the game against Jacksonville (right).

Todd Haley rattled off a bunch of statistical areas where the Chiefs rank quite well among the league’s 32 teams. But he allowed after he was done that “stats are for losers.” There’s no doubt the ’09 Chiefs are losers right now, tied for the worst record in the NFL.

Then there are all those others numbers, losers of 27 of their last 30 and 37 of their last 44.

So many fans and pundits wanted change at Arrowhead and rebuilding. It’s doubtful they remembered just how painful it can be. After eight games, the current Chiefs rebuilding job is the ugliest in franchise history.

Six times the Chiefs have gone to a complete tear down of their football team, under Paul Wiggin (1975), Marv Levy (1978), John Mackovic (1983), Marty Schottenheimer (1989), Dick Vermeil (2001) and Haley in 2009. Only the current Chiefs went 1-7. The other years the team won two, three, even four games in 1975 and 1983. …Read More!

Offense: Larry Who?

From Oakland, California

The Chiefs did not exactly scorch the earth of northern California with their running game on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

But they accomplished things that for eight games they were unable to do, largely with Larry Johnson as the featured back. Against the Raiders, that was due to the speed of one Jamaal RaShaad Charles.

“I told the coaches I can make plays,” Charles said in the winning locker room on Sunday. “I can make 40-yard runs. I can make 60-yard runs. Just give me a chance.”

Getting the opportunities that in the past have gone to Johnson, the second-year back out of Texas ran for 103 yards on 18 carries, including a 44-yard touchdown scamper on a 4th-and-1 play that gave the Chiefs their first rushing score in the last 39 quarters dating back to Game No. 15 of last season.

It’s ironic that Charles score and his performance came against the Raiders. The first time these teams faced each other in week No. 2 back in September Charles was a healthy game-day scratch. At the time, the Chiefs coaching staff was trying to alter his attitude and approach, letting him know that the privilege of playing in an NFL game must be earned, not given.

The message was received, because since then Charles has worked harder, assumed less and now with Johnson gone, he’s ready for the opportunities, like Sunday’s game in Oakland and the 44-yard touchdown scamper that was the Chiefs play of the game. …Read More!

DEFENSE: Redemption For Mike Brown

From Oakland, California

Just one week before and a continent away from the cramped visitors quarters in the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Mike Brown stood up and grabbed the handles of the Chiefs loss to the Jaguars and p laced them squarely on his shoulders.

“I feel like I cost my team the game,” Brown said of a missed tackle and a blown coverage that led to a pair of Jacksonville touchdowns.

Seven days later, the media sought him out again. But this time he was smiling. The second of Brown’s two interceptions sealed the Chiefs victory over the Raiders with just a few ticks left on the clock.

For one week at least, there was redemption for the 10-year veteran.

“There is going to be some bad, and there is going to be some good,” Brown said. “Hopefully there is more good than bad. At least that’s the way I look at it. I want to play perfect, but have I ever played perfect? No. It will probably never happen, but you still strive to be perfect.

“I just try to play hard and let the chips fall where they may.” …Read More!

COLUMN: THEY CALL THIS FOOTBALL?

From Oakland, California

I’m not sure what Ralph Nader is doing these days but I think he should investigate and sue the National Football League in the name of anyone who paid money to see the Chiefs and Raiders play on Sunday.

To call what happened on the field at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum “professional football” qualifies as fraud, bait and switch, deceptive advertising and assorted other crimes against the consumer and humanity.

Of course, with two bad teams facing off, it wasn’t like we were expecting a brand of football that would remind anybody of the playoffs. It certainly did not. There were so many negatives in this game, so many mental errors, so many dropped passes, poor passes, bad decisions and penalties.

Positives, even for the winning Chiefs were few and far between. They won their second game instead of losing their eighth; that’s positive. Jamaal Charles ran for 103 yards and scored the team’s first rushing TD of the season; that’s positive. Dustin Colquitt had a net punting average of 47.5 yards; that was a positive.

That’s was it. There are so many examples to provide a picture into how poorly this game was played, coached and officiated. Here are just a couple examples. With less than five minutes to play, Chiefs DB Maurice Leggett was back to handle an Oakland punt. His team was leading by six points. Caution and ball security was paramount. As he settled under the punt at his own 30-yard line, Leggett mishandled the ball. Bending over to pick it up, he kicked it away. Reaching again, the ball slipped from his fingers again. Finally, just a few seconds before the Raiders coverage was about to engulf him and the ball, Leggett finally got hold of the ball. He ended up losing four yards on the return, but he kept the ball. …Read More!

Chiefs Win In Oakland Again, 16-10

From Oakland, California

In the history of the rivalry between the Chiefs and Raiders there have been many great games and moments over 50 seasons.

This was not one of them.

What went down at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on a sun-splashed Sunday afternoon was 60 minutes of mistakes, blunders and poor football.

Afterwards the Chiefs did not care a lick. They stole out of the East Bay with a 16-10 victory, their second of the season. It was the seventh consecutive victory for the Hunt family over the Davis clan.

“Any time you can go on the road in your division and win, that’s a big thing for us,” said Chiefs head coach Todd Haley. “They are hard to come by and we’ll take them however they come.

“I’m proud of the guys. They fought it out and found a way to win and that’s what it’s about.”

As the winner of this game, the Chiefs were lucky their opponent on this NFL Sunday was a team making even more mistakes than they did. After having no luck winning games despite their very good turnover ratio, they won on an afternoon when they finished minus-1 in the ratio, giving the ball away three times.

But it was one of those takeaways that finally ended the game. Oakland’s seldom used rookie WR Darrius Heyward-Bey bobbled a well thrown ball at the Chiefs 10-yard line with 30 seconds left. The ball popped up in the air and into the hands of Chiefs SS Mike Brown. That allowed the Chiefs to use the victory formation on offense for only the second time this season.

“Sometimes things bounce against you, sometimes it bounces your way,” said Brown, who had two interceptions in the game, both of deflected passes. “You just hope you have more bounce your way than against you.

“Today we got them and we started the second half of the season with a win. That’s important. We have to build something from this.” …Read More!

Goff Gone-Practice Report Update 11/11

From the Truman Sports Complex

The Chiefs placed starting RG Mike Goff on the injured reserve list Wednesday, ending his season because of a shoulder injury.

Goff started seven of the eight games this season, after coming over as a UFA from the San Diego Chargers. The 12-year veteran had a string of 113 straight starts snapped in Jacksonville last Sunday. He appeared for one play against the Jaguars, stepping for Andy Alleman when he got dinged.

Alleman will take Goff’s spot in the starting lineup; he started there against the Jaguars. Taking Goff’s place on the active roster is LB Justin Rogers, back for a second tour with the Chiefs. Rogers was signed on October 14th, after RB Jackie Battle was sent to injured reserve. He was released on October 17th when the Chiefs promoted OT Barry Richardson from the practice squad.

…Read More!

It Was All Will Shields Fault … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

Will Shields? Yeah, old No. 68 is the villain in the Larry Johnson story.

But, we’ll get to that point in a moment.

There seems little doubt that sometime Wednesday we’ll have an announcement that Larry Johnson has signed with a new NFL team. Washington, Chicago, New England, all these teams have been linked to Johnson by all those inside sources that now populate the Internet and ESPN.

Johnson cleared waivers on Tuesday afternoon, so the Chiefs will have to pay the rest of his 2009 salary, and he’ll get a new contract with his new team, probably for something along the lines of the veteran minimum with some incentives. How many incentives will depend on how many teams might be interested in signing the soon to be 30-year old running back.

Johnson turned up on the syndicated Dan Patrick radio show on Tuesday and denied he has anger issues. If you want to hear the interview, here’s a link.

“I have a competitive issue,” Johnson said. “I think sometimes that gets the best of me and I become overly competitive and try to control every little thing I can to make sure I’m winning everything and everyone around me is going to win, and sometimes I lose myself in that.” …Read More!

Raiders Have Problems & Other Notes

From Oakland, California

“I’m disappointed where we are as a football team.”

Those were a few of the post-game words of Raiders coach Tom Cable after his team dropped their seventh game of the season, falling 16-10 to the Chiefs.

After winning in Kansas City back in September, you can bet the Raiders viewed this as a game they could take. But these are the Raiders of the last few years and they are their own worst opponent. It got so bad on Sunday at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum that Cable pulled JaMarcus Russell and replaced him with Bruce Gradkowski.

That move got what few fans were still in the stadium all excited, until Gradkowski threw his first of two interceptions.

Cable was pretty cryptic about giving Russell the hook.

“Two plays prior to that we misread it when guys were wide open,” said Cable. “That was enough.” …Read More!

Tony G. & October for PETA

He’s done movies. He’s hobnobbed with Oprah. He was even part of a reality series.

And former Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez took another step into the pantheon of superstar athletes: he has posed nude. He and his wife October both posed nude for a ad that will be running for the People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

“We should be protecting animals, not sacrificing their lives for the sake of fashion or luxury,” Gonzalez is quoted as saying. “October and I have changed many of our habits in light of the inhumane treatment of animals that occurs not only in the fur industry but also on factory farms.

Gonzalez went to a vegan diet about three years ago and he says eliminating meat and products from animals (milk, cheese, etc.) has helped him physical and kept his body in better condition.

Even with some rather unfortunately placed type in the ad, it’s pretty obvious that both Tony and October have kept their bodies in good conditions. Over the years, several other movie stars and athletes have posed naked for PETA ads like Dennis Rodman and Pamela Anderson.

L.J. Finally Tips The Scale … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

There is always a sliding scale at work when it comes to players and the National Football League. Actually, it’s not just peculiar to pro football or sports; it can be found in just about any business.

An employee’s faults are something an employer will put up with depending on what type of performance he can deliver. That’s why the really good athletes get more chances when they screw up on and off the field. If they are really good, ownership, management and coaches are willing to put up with a lot of junk, if there’s a lot of production.

The less production, the less junk will be allowed. When the scales tip towards the junk and away from the performance, generally there is a parting of the ways.

That’s really the story of what went down with the Chiefs decision to release Larry Johnson on Monday. When Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said it was the “totality of the situation” he was speaking the truth. It was the past, the present and the future that all went into cutting L.J. loose at this point.

Just about all Chiefs fans know the past, so we won’t rehash what happened over the previous six seasons of As the L.J. Turned. But trust me on this: Clark Hunt wasn’t too excited about keeping Larry Johnson, especially in the face of fan uproar over this current edition of L.J.’s troubles. Always remember these words spoken by Clark Hunt himself: “I’m not as patient as my father.” Figure the man in charge was a solid vote for releasing Johnson, largely because of the past.

The present was also an important part of the decision, and even more so was the future. …Read More!

“It was the totality of the situation”

From the Truman Sports Complex

It was Todd Haley that the Chiefs sent out to explain a decision that was made by the organization: the release of RB Larry Johnson.

“In the last couple of weeks Scott and I expended a lot of time and energy, along with Clark Hunt in talking about this and figure out the direction we wanted to go that was in the best interest of the Kansas City Chiefs organization to move forward at this time,” Haley said during his regular Monday afternoon press conference.

“It wasn’t any one thing. It was the totality of the situation, even before I was around here. At this time, we felt it was what’s best for the Kansas City Chiefs as we move forward, as we continue to turn this team in the direction it needs to do.”

About the only details Haley was willing to provide was in timing; he said the decision on releasing Johnson was made Monday morning

“We continued phone calls after we arrived back home last night,” said Haley of the team’s return trip from Jacksonville. “Clark actually flew home with us last night, so we were on the plane together.

“We had more conversation early (Monday morning), around 6, 6:15 somewhere around that. This was something we wanted to make sure we were right on, so we put a lot of time and energy into it.”

Was it the Twitter attack on Haley? Was it use of a gay slur on Twitter and in the locker room? Was it something else.

“Totality of the situation was factored in,” Haley said. “It was everything across the board.”

Chiefs Release RB Larry Johnson

The breaking news from Arrowhead this morning is the team’s release of Larry Johnson.  Here is the official statement…

The Kansas City Chiefs released RB Larry Johnson on Monday. In 75 games (55 starts) with Kansas City, Johnson rushed 1,375 times for 5,996 yards (4.4 avg.) with 55 touchdowns. He also registered 151 receptions for 1,369 yards (9.1 avg.) with six TDs. He concluded his Chiefs career with 30 100-yard rushing games and also added two 100-yard receiving games. Johnson established an NFL single-season record with 416 rushing attempts in 2006 when he set a franchise single-season mark with 1,789 rushing yards. He originally entered the league as the Chiefs first-round selection (27th overall) in the 2003 NFL Draft out of Penn State.

More soon…

Another Struggling Sunday For Chiefs

From Jacksonville, Florida

It’s become a very familiar plot line for the 2009 Chiefs. Faced with a paper-thin margin of error because of a lack of experienced talent, Todd Haley’s team again played gamely but made far too many mistakes to win on Sunday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars earned a 24-21 victory and the score is somewhat deceiving, because it wasn’t until late in the fourth quarter that the Chiefs were able to get their offense going. They scored a pair of touchdowns sandwiched around a successful onside kick in the final five minutes.

But that was not enough to overcome their mistakes on offense, defense and in the kicking game. All three facets of the team did some good things. But blunders in all three areas helped send the Chiefs to their seventh defeat of the season. One came in the first quarter when RB Rashard Jennings broke loose for a 28-yard TD run (above).

They are 1-7 for the second consecutive season and right now, they have lost 27 of their last 30 games over the last three seasons.

As always there was plenty to remember and write about from Sunday’s meeting at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. Here’s our package.

• GAME STORY: Close but no cigar, not even a match.
• COLUMN: Mike Brown takes it like a man.
• OFFENSE: Welcome to KC, Mr. Chambers.
• DEFENSE: Some good, plenty of bad.
• NOTES: Jaguars switch their defense.
• GAMEBOOK

Pre-Game Report 11/8 Inactives Update

From Jacksonville, Florida

11:30 a.m. CST – Some of the early morning clouds are now gone and it’s a high sky, with game-time temperature expected to reach 78 degrees. There is a strong enough wind on the field to ruffle pant legs.

11:05 a.m. CST – The Chiefs are in their white uniform tops, which is a surprise given the sunshine and warm temps today in north Florida. Usually teams in Florida like to have their opponents wearing a dark colored jersey, while they were their whites.  The Jaguars will be in their teal tops.

11:00 a.m. CST – Andy Alleman will start at RG in place of Mike Goff, who is dealing with a shoulder injury. Goff apparently will dress and be available in an emergency, but Alleman gets the start, his first with the Chiefs. In the starting lineup for Bobby Wade at wide receiver is Mark Bradley.

10:55 a.m. CST – Working on punt returns in the pre-game warmup are RB Dantrell Savage and CB Maurice Leggett. On the kickoff returns are RB Jamaal Charles, WR Terrance Copper and WR Lance Long.

10:45 a.m. CST – K Ryan Succop was showing his strong leg in pre-game warmups, hitting from 55 yards towards the south end zone and 50 yards to the north end of the stadium. The wind is gusty, but appears to be blowing to the south inside the stadium, where the ribbons on the uprights are moving in that direction.

10:35 a.m. CST – The question after the inactives have been announced is who will return punts for the Chiefs. With Bobby Wade inactive and Bobby Engram released on Saturday, it would appear that duty will fall to CB Maurice Leggett or possibly RB Dantrell Savage.

10:30 a.m. CST – Game-day inactives for the Chiefs against Jacksonville are FS Jon McGraw, TE Brad Cottam, TE Jake O’Connell, WR Bobby Wade, LB Pierre Walters, CB Donald Washington and OT Ikechuku Ndukwe.  Matt Gutierrez is the inactive third quarterback. The surprise is Wade, who apparently is a healthy scratch.

10:30 a.m. CST – Game-day inactives for the Jaguars against the Chiefs are WR Tiquan Underwood, S Anthony Smith, CB Brian Witherspoon, LB Adam Seward, DT Derek Landri, OL Maurice Williams, OT Jordan Black and DT Greg Peterson. Jacksonville has only two quarterbacks on their roster, starter David Garrard and backup Luke McCown. …Read More!

Sunday of Opportunity … Game-Day Cup O’Chiefs

From Jacksonville, Florida

For a football team with as many holes in its 53-man roster as the Chiefs, Sunday is a very important day.

When the Chiefs take the field against the Jaguars at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium they will have two new starters, one on offense, one on defense. What RB Jamaal Charles and FS DaJuan Morgan produce with the opportunity given them will go a long way to helping Pioli/Haley as they make plans for the 2010 off-season.

Running back and safety are two areas where the Chiefs need help looking to the future. Of course, they also need help on the offensive line, defensive line, linebacker, wide receiver and tight end. Possibly only cornerback, quarterback, kicker and punter would go to the bottom of the list.

If Charles and Morgan can be productive players, and show the Chiefs they can step into their roles on offense and defense and not be – as Todd Haley calls it – yo-yo players, then running back and safety can drop down on the list of needs, allowing the Chiefs to prioritize at other positions.

They share a lot more. Both were third-round picks last year. Both came out of college as juniors. Both struggled a bit with the transition to the NFL last year as rookies.

Here’s a look at both situations going into Sunday’s game. Kickoff is noon and the television coverage is on CBS, although the game will be blacked out in northern Florida. A crowd of around 40,000 is expected. …Read More!

What If They Held An NFL Game And Nobody Came?

From Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville is the biggest city in America.

But Jacksonville is not big league.

The Chiefs and any fans that bother to watch in the great Midwest will see that on Sunday when there’s a chance there will be more empty seats at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium than those containing paying customers.

Granted the 1-6 Chiefs against the 3-4 Jaguars does not rank as the NFL’s premier matchup of the weekend. And yes, these two teams finished last season with losing records. But it’s not like they are a pair of franchises that have been constant losers. Jacksonville was in the playoffs in 2007; the Chiefs in 2006.

It’s become more and more apparent that Jacksonville and the so-called First Coast area of Florida is not big enough, or willing enough to support the Jaguars franchise they were given in 1995. Sunday’s game is blacked-out in northern Florida, the sixth time in six pre-season and regular season games that the Jaguars were unable to sell enough seats for home television. …Read More!

Chiefs Activate Kolby; Trim Engram

From Jacksonville, Florida

As expected the Chiefs activated RB Kolby Smith from the Physically-Unable-To-Perform list on Saturday and he should be active on Sunday against the Jaguars.

To make room for Smith, the Chiefs released veteran WR Bobby Engram.

Smith suffered a patella tendon injury to his right knee on November 2, 2008 while playing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arrowhead Stadium. The injury is considered one of the most serious knee injuries that a player can suffer and it’s usuall a 10 to 12-month rehab.  It was certainly that for Smith, who began training camp on the PUP list and then began the regular season on the same list. He began practicing three weeks ago and the Chiefs had to make a decision on him. They could have activated him, sent him back to the PUP list or released him.

Engram was one of the big name free agent signings by Pioli/Haley in the off-season. While he brought a professional demeanor and approach to the job, Engram’s physical skills after 14 seasons had deteriorated and he was a marginal receiver. In two of the last three games, he was a healthy game-day inactive. He caught five passes for 61 yards.

Lost In Signage … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

In following pro football for over 30 years, you see a lot of things happen in and around the game.

However, what’s gone on around the Chiefs this week is a new one for me.

And I say “around the Chiefs,” because within the building, the locker room and the offices, it’s been just another week of getting ready for another opponent in what has been a tough 2009 season.

Outside the building, the subject has been slogans, signage and their motivational purposes.

The Chiefs players returned from their bye weekend off to find some new signs posted around the facility. The local scribblers, shouters and hairdos of the media saw only one of those signs. It sits just outside the players’ locker room, at a spot where they pass by three or four times a day. On their way to practice, on their way to the training room, on their way to meeting rooms, on their way to lunch, they pass the placard. Here’s what it says:

Losers assemble in small groups and complain about the coaches and other players. Winners assemble as a team and find ways to win.

Nothing earth shattering there, but for some reason it has created a maelstrom with the pundit class. Words like stupid, childish, clownish, distraction have all been thrown out in reaction to those words.

And the reaction has more to do with those screaming than it does with the sign itself, or the people who hung it on the wall. …Read More!

Defense Leads Texans To .500 Mark

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 and its first season of play.

It was a remarkable day in Buffalo on November 6, 1960 for Walt Corey.

Little did he know that many years later, he would enjoy many wonderful Sunday afternoon’s in western New York as the defensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills from 1987 through 1994 with four consecutive trips to the Super Bowl.

But in the first season of the American Football League, Corey (right) led a tough Dallas Texans defense in a 45-28 pasting of the Bills on a Sunday with cold temperatures and a biting wind from the north.

Corey had two interceptions, recovered a fumble and blocked a field goal. He was a little hazy on that second interception, because he took a blow to the head that ended up knocking him out of the game.

“I remember everything except the last interception and nothing after that,” Corey said afterwards.

He did remember the blocked FG that helped set up one of the six Texans touchdowns.

“I will always remember this game as long as I live for one thing,” Corey said. “I red-dogged when the Bills lined up on the 45 for that field goal. Next thing I knew the ball came off Bill Atkins foot, right into my belly. I kept running and the ball was still there. I never saw that happen in football, or ever heard of it happening, a linebacker intercepting a field goal.” …Read More!

College Preview: FCS/D-II Pro Prospects

They are now called the Football Championship Subdivision, otherwise known as Division 1-AA football. Those are the guys who get to have a full-scale post-season tournament to decide their champion. A step below them is Division II, and they too have playoffs.

Every year, the FCS schools produce a handful of pro prospects. Division II usually sends anywhere from two or three players to a half-dozen into the NFL through the draft each year. In the 2009 NFL Draft, the first FCS player taken was in the third round, when with pick No. 69 Dallas selected OLB Jason Williams of Western Illinois.

Later in the third round, William & Mary CB Derek Cox was taken by Jacksonville; he’ll start against the Chiefs on Sunday. Also third round picks last year were Cal Poly WR Ramses Barden by the New York Giants and CB Ladarius Webb out of Nicholls State; he returned a kickoff for a touchdown last Sunday against Denver.

We checked with our NFL personnel department sources and they were all in agreement that the No. 1 guy on the smaller school level is CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (right) from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He’s 6-1, 195 pounds out of Columbus, Ohio. Owusu-Ansah is an explosive talent, who has scored touchdowns this season on punt and kick returns, along with two interceptions. He has five scores and 775 yards in returns of punts, kickoffs and interceptions. Plus, he’s had 21 tackles in the Crimson Hawks defense.

With his speed and athletic ability, Owusu-Ansah is right now pegged as a second-third round type talent. Where he ultimately lands will depend on what he does after the season. He should be invited to the NFL Combine and Senior Bowl. There will be some heads he’ll have to turn at those personnel-type conventions to keep him at the top half of the draft. His talents may be better suited for free safety. …Read More!

Practice Report 11/6 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

Ordinarily, a football player sprains his medial collateral ligament in his knee and he’s out four to six weeks. But every person’s body and mind are different when it comes to injury and Rudy Niswanger is  proving that again.

It looks like the Chiefs are going to have their starting center available for Sunday’s game in Jacksonville. Niwsanger was a full  participant in Friday’s practice and Todd Haley has him listed as probable for playing against the Jaguars.  Niswanger sprained the MCL in his left knee on Oct. 25 against San Diego. He missed the bye week practices, but returned this week.

But added to the injury report on Friday was RG Mike Goff with a shoulder injury. Goff was limited in his participation in Friday’s practice and is listed as questionable for the game. …Read More!

Going Faster At First … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

With a bye weekend at his disposal, Matt Cassel didn’t head to either coast, or Vegas, or back to his alma mater at Southern Cal.

Cassel stayed in Kansas City. He spent time with his wife and other family members. Cassel got some coach time and suffered through watching Oregon rise up and batter his Trojans. Considering how the first part of this season has gone, Cassel’s lucky he didn’t have to spend his off weekend in traction.

“The break was great,” Cassel said on Thursday as the Chiefs continued their preparations for Sunday’s game in Jacksonville. “To get a few days away from here, to re-energize, come back focused, ready to go. We need to start getting on a roll here and hopefully we can start putting some wins together.”

One of the ways the Chiefs can get the roll going that Cassel is talking about would be more production at the start of the game from the Chiefs offense. So far this season, they have been ineffective and unproductive on the first play, first possession and first quarter. There isn’t anything where the Chiefs rank first near the middle of the 2009 season.

It’s a pretty gruesome offensive picture early in these games:  …Read More!

Jaguars Change Defensive Spots & Other Notes

From Jacksonville, Florida

During the week of preparation for the Jaguars, the Chiefs practiced against the 3-4 defensive scheme that Jacksonville has used most of the season.

But when they came out for their first play on Sunday, the Jaguars were playing a 4-3 defense.

There’s no question it caused some shuffling of what the Chiefs wanted to do offensively.

“You don’t know why they’re playing the way their playing but we recognized it pretty quickly, even though it wasn’t what we practiced against,” said Todd Haley. I thought for the most part we had an idea of what was going on, but it was for sure something different than we prepared for during the week.”

Why the change?

“We wanted to give ourselves a chance to rush the quarterback a little better on early downs,” said Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio. “I feel like we’re a team that can do either depending on what we decide we want to do. Today we elected to major in the 4-3.” …Read More!

DEFENSE: Same Old Story

From Jacksonville, Florida

In some manner, the Chiefs defense played its best game of the season on Sunday against Jacksonville. In other ways, it was one of their worst performances.

That’s the story of the 2009 Kansas City defense: some good things, but too many bad.

For instance, they put at a lot of pressure on Jaguars QB David Garrard throughout the game. But they were able to sack him only once.

They had a large number of negative plays, as they spent a lot of time in the backfield and forced nine minus plays for the Jaguars, including a fumble that was recovered by the Chiefs.

Yet, they gave up another handful of big plays, as Jacksonville had 10 plays of 12 yards or more, including a 61-yard touchdown pass and a 28-yard TD run. There were also plays of 45 and 33 yards.

“It appeared we were out of position on a couple of those plays,” said Todd Haley. “We’re not going to win games or have chances to win many games when we’re giving up big plays and that has been the big problem on defense.” …Read More!

OFFENSE: New Addition Clicks, But Too Late

From Jacksonville, Florida

Excuse Chris Chambers these days if sometimes he’s not quite sure where he’s at, or what time it might be.

The upheaval in his life continued on Sunday at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

Just ponder the itinerary that’s been Chambers life over the last eight days:

• Wearing a lightning bolt on his helmet, he helped the Chargers beat the Raiders in San Diego, making one of the key catches in the game.
• On Monday, he was called in and told he was being released.
• On Tuesday, he was claimed off the waiver wire by the Chiefs. He jumped a flight to the central time zone and got in around midnight as Tuesday was becoming Wednesday.
• Wednesday saw his first practice with the Chiefs, in an offensive scheme that he’s not seen before in his nine years in the NFL.
• Then on Sunday, Chambers started against the Jaguars and in the fourth quarter, he caught a pair of touchdown passes that allowed the Chiefs to make the score a little more respectable as they lost Jacksonville 24-21.

Yes, when it was crunch time and the Chiefs were trailing 24-6, QB Matt Cassel looked for and found Chambers for a 54-yard touchdown play and then a few moments later, a five-yard scoring pass. …Read More!

Column: Mike Brown Takes The Blame

From Jacksonville, Florida

It’s too bad that the Chiefs and their fans are seeing the end of Mike Brown’s pro football career.

At the age of 31 and in his 10th NFL season, Brown is struggling on the back line of the Chiefs defense; he has been all season. But never more so than what happened Sunday afternoon against the Jaguars. A missed tackle and a blown coverage provided Jacksonville with a pair of touchdowns. Those were only the most obvious of Brown’s blunders that cost the Chiefs points and a chance to take a winnable game.

“I feel bad, I feel like I cost my team the game,” Brown said. “We only lost this game by three points. It’s easy to see if I had played a better game how we might be enjoying a win today, rather than another loss.”

Mike Brown did not lose this game himself; he had a lot of help from a lot of his teammates and coaches. If Brown plays this game at an All-Pro level there’s a good chance the Chiefs would have still found other ways to lose.

It’s just that right now, the margin of error for the Chiefs is so thin they can’t overcome a bad day from one of their safeties, especially when his poor play leads to a pair of scores.

The first came in the opening quarter when Jaguars RB Rashad Jennings broke through the line of scrimmage and ran 28 yards for a touchdown. Brown had the chance to make the tackle that would have held the run to 10 or 12 yards. But Jennings fought off Brown with a stiff arm and went into the end zone.

“I missed that one; I take responsibility for that,” said Brown. “Those plays are things I cannot do if we are going to win … I had the opportunity to make the tackle and it didn’t happen.” …Read More!

Comeback Falls Short, Chiefs Lose Again

From Jacksonville, Florida

They made it interesting right until the end of the game. But the Chiefs dug a hole for themselves in the north Florida sand that was too deep and too steep to escape.

Jaguars 24, Chiefs 21 at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium where an announced crowd of 45,546 saw the home team improve to 4-4 and the Chiefs fall to 1-7. It’s only the second time in the 50-season history of the franchise that the team is 1-7. The other year was last season when they went 1-10 before winning their second game.

Without knowing the facts of the game, someone would look at the final score and figure the Chiefs must have been in quite a struggle. Save for the last three minutes of the game, they would be wrong. When Jacksonville RB Maurice Jones-Drew scored with four minutes, 26 seconds to play in the game, the Jaguars led 24-6 and obviously began celebrating.

That’s when the Chiefs scored a pair of touchdowns and recovered an onside kick in the span of 91 seconds. A second onside kick was not successful and the Jags stumbled off the field with a three-point victory.

The combination of QB Matt Cassel and WR Chris Chambers made things interesting. …Read More!

Practice Report 11/5 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

Apparently bored with football talk around a 1-6 team, the media horde made the topic of conversation in the Chiefs locker room on Thursday about signage.

When the Chiefs returned from their bye weekend they found new slogans, placards and the like posted around the facility. The media got a look at one of those, because it’s posted in the hallway between the team’s locker room and the administrative offices. The sign reads:

“Losers assemble in small groups and complain about the coaches and other players. Winners assemble as a team and find ways to win.”

The signage came from Todd Haley and his coaching staff, and according to the coach was posted at this time because his assistant who was “in charge of signage and posters and he’s just been slow.”

“They are just word that I think are important,” Haley said. “They may be signs that I’ve had up in other places, or thoughts that we came up with as a staff. I think you’ll see more and more.

“They are little reminders to the players to keep them thinking about the direction they ought to be thinking.” …Read More!

Albert Celebrates Return … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

Branden Albert celebrated his 25th birthday on Wednesday with a nice two-hour practice at the Chiefs facility with his teammates.

But there really wasn’t time to have any type of party. There was game preparation to handle, a game where Albert will finally get back on the field.

“Best present I could have is to get a chance to play again,” Albert said after the team’s Wednesday practice. “That’s what I’ve been working on for three weeks.”

His chances of being back on the field at left tackle this Sunday in Jacksonville are very good. The left ankle injury that he suffered against Dallas on October 11th isn’t completely healed, but he’s improved enough that he can handle the duties of protecting QB Matt Cassel’s back and opening some holes for RB Jamaal Charles.

“It’s been hard watching,” Albert admitted. “Wade (Smith) and Barry (Richardson) did a good job, but it’s a helpless feeling not being able to play and contribute something.”

In an attempt to try finding something positive in a negative, the respite from playing gave Albert a chance to take a big picture view of how he was playing before suffering the injury.

It wasn’t a pretty picture. In five games, Albert allowed 4.5 sacks and was flagged for four penalties.

Compare that to his rookie season, when over 15 games the first-round choice out of Virginia allowed 4.5 sacks and was flagged just once for a penalty. …Read More!

Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

2009 record: 3-4, with victories over Houston, Tennessee and St. Louis. The Jaguars have fallen to Indianapolis, Arizona, Seattle and the Titans. They are in third place in the AFC South.

Last year’s record: 5-11, fourth and last in the AFC South.

Record for the last five seasons: 46-37, with two appearances in the playoffs (2005, 2007). The Jaguars did not win a division title in the previous five years.

Last appearance in the playoffs: In the 2007 AFC playoffs, the Jaguars won a wildcard game against the Steelers in Pittsburgh 31-29, but then lost in the divisional playoff round to New England 31-20.

Head coach: Jack Del Rio in his seventh season has a 54-52 record. He’s one of the most tenured coaches in the NFL as only Jeff Fisher, Bill Belichick, Andy Reid and John Fox have been on the job longer. He joined Jacksonville after one season as defensive coordinator in Carolina and three years as linebackers coach in Baltimore.

Coordinators: offensive, Dirk Koetter; defensive, Mel Tucker; special teams, Russ Purnell. …Read More!

Practice Report-Roster Move 11/4 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

The Chiefs placed FS Jarrad Page on the injured-reserve list today and re-signed CB Travis Daniels to take his spot on the active roster.

Page’s departure from the roster and the continuing injury problem of Jon McGraw has left the Chiefs very thin on the back line of the defense.

“Safety is an area of concern,” said Todd Haley. “We have been cross-training some of those corners to be alert in an emergency situation. It will be tenuous to say the least as we go forward, certainly for this week.” 

Reportedly, Page suffered a calf injury during the team’s practice last Thursday. The move to IR ends what has been a disappointing season for the fourth-yea safety, as he has been inactive for several games even when healthy.  Page finished the season with 19 total tackles and one forced fumble in five games. …Read More!

More WR Juggling … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

The Chiefs continued what has been a futile search for help at wide receiver when they claimed Chris Chambers (left) off the NFL waiver wire on Tuesday.

Released by the Chargers on Monday, Chambers is just another attempt by Pioli/Haley to add some firepower to their passing game. To this point, they’ve failed miserably.

Bobby Engram, Quinten Lawrence, Rodney Wright, C.J. Jones, Terrance Copper, Amani Toomer, Ashley Lelie, Bobby Wade and now Chambers. That group combined has provided the Chiefs offense with 27 catches for 298 yards and two touchdowns. Almost all of that belongs to Wade, with his 20 catches for 226 yards and both scores.

The biggest disappointments in that group have been Engram and Lawrence. With the addition of Chambers it doesn’t really make a lot of sense at this point to keep Engram on the roster. He’s caught five passes and has been inactive for two of the last three games. In the month of October, Engram had two catches for 30 yards. There’s no upside with the 36-year old; he’s a solid character in the locker room, but it’s impossible to lead on the inactive list. …Read More!

Chiefs Claim Chambers

The Chiefs claimed WR Chris Chambers on waivers and he’s expected to be on he practice field on Wednesday when the team begins preparations for Sunday’s game against Jacksonville.

Chambers, a 5-11, 210-pound, 31-year old, nine-year veteran, was released on Monday by the San Diego Chargers.

The Chiefs had a spot  on their 53-man roster open with the suspension of RB Larry Johnson.

He has played in 131 games and caught 482 passes for 6,827 yards and 53 TDs. He also has returned 36 kickoffs for 811 yards. Chambers played in 31 games with San Diego, after moving to the Chargers in a 2007 trade from Miami. The Dolphins selected him in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin. He was selected to the 2005 Pro Bowl after catching 82 passes for 1,118 yards with Miami.

Claiming Chambers does not sound like the last roster move of the week for the Chiefs, considering injuries to safeties Jarrad Page and Jon McGraw and RB Kolby Smith’s ability to come off the PUP list.

Making It Special … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

It was a few days before the Chiefs were to face the San Diego Chargers and Steve Hoffman was asked if he was pleased up to that point with the play and production of his special teams.

Sitting in the atrium in the Chiefs complex, Hoffman wasn’t offering a yes.

“I don’t want to use the word please,” Hoffman said. “I have this philosophy that I don’t care what’s happened up to this point. It’s what’s going to happen on the next play. I know how fast it can change.”

Can it ever. The Chiefs had cruised through 6.5 games of the 2009 season with mediocre to strong special teams performances. On a team that has an offense and defense ranked among the worst in the league, the kicking game was the only consistent part of the team’s attack.

Then came the Chargers game.

Rookie K Ryan Succop missed a makeable field goal. RB Jamaal Charles was protecting the right wing on the punt team and was so intent on getting downfield to corral San Diego’s outstanding returner Darren Sproles that he did not bother to block. Chargers FB Jacob Hester rushed past Charles, blocked Dustin Colquitt’s punt and the ball bounded into the end zone where Hester recovered for a San Diego touchdown.

So far that qualifies as one of the few negative plays involving Hoffman’s special teams.

And that is something for both Todd Haley and Hoffman to be proud of as the schedule nears mid-season. This is the first time in Hoffman’s 21-year NFL coaching career where he’s handled the entire special teams package. Up to this season, during 17 years in Dallas, one in Atlanta and two with Miami, Hoffman’s duties involved only the punter and kicker. He did not handle the other 10 players on each kick.

But Haley has given him the chance to do it all. How much fun has it been? …Read More!

Negative Thoughts … Monday Cup O’Chiefs

Over the last few days, even as he spent time with the kids and got away from the office for a few hours, you can bet that Todd Haley’s thoughts never strayed too far away from football.

Especially Todd Haley the offensive coordinator. The contemplation most certainly centered on negative plays, minus yardage. In football, the object of the offense is to move forward. For the 2009 Chiefs offense, there have been far too many plays where they went in reverse.

In seven games, the Chiefs offense has had 90 negative yardage plays. That’s running and passing play for minus yards, sacks, interceptions, fumbles lost and offensive penalties. When it comes to negative on offense, the Chiefs lead the league.

“Minus plays, minus plays, we have to eliminate minus plays,” Haley said last week. “Coach (Bill) Parcells drilled it into my head over and over and over again for years about minus plays and how they lead to dissatisfaction with your offense.

“Right now, we’re all dissatisfied with the offense and to me the root of that evil is minus plays.”

Here’s how those negative plays breakdown at this point in the season: …Read More!

From Coaching To Wine, Vintage Vermeil

A confession: for five years, I hosted the Dick Vermeil Show every Monday night, sometimes Tuesday nights, after Chiefs games. That would be 81 shows.

For 80 of those shows, which were done in the broadcast booth at Arrowhead Stadium, we had a bottle of wine on site. Almost always it was a red wine, because that was my preference; Vermeil’s too. There were usually five to six people there as part of the show, so the bottle would go quickly

The Coach would have about half a glass. He had been at work since 5 a.m. and was planning to be working until about midnight; Mondays are always a very busy day in the NFL. Anything more than a swallow or two would have Vermeil nodding off in his meeting with the coaches.

After his last game as the Chiefs head coach, the last Dick Vermeil Show featured a wine that he brought: one of his own Jean Vermeil Cabernet Sauvignons. As the show went on, the Coach talked about getting more involved in the wine business, going back to his roots.

Vermeil has done that with the creation of the Vermeil Wines Group. Along with a group of partners that includes Carl Peterson and a pair of his former quarterbacks in Trent Green and Todd Collins, Vermeil Wines opened a tasting room in Calistoga, California this summer and production of wines under Vermeil’s name has grown and will get bigger in the future.

Calistoga is where Vermeil was born and where he grew up. It’s smack in the middle of the Napa Valley and the business of wine has fueled the area economy for years. As the off-spring of a family with Italian blood on one side and French blood on the other, wine was always part of Vermeil’s life. They didn’t put it in his baby bottle, but he wasn’t but eight or nine before the milk at the dinner table was replaced by a watered down glass of vino.

“Growing up, even as a child we would have wine at the dinner table,” Vermeil said. …Read More!

Chiefs, L.J. Reach Settlement

ESPN.com under the name of Chris Mortensen is reporting Saturday evening that the Chiefs and Larry Johnson have reached a setttlement on his suspension and his appeal will be withdrawn.

Johnson will remain suspended for two weeks, but it will cost him just one weekly paycheck, rather than two. NFL players are paid on a 17-week calendar during the season, so L.J. will be out $267,647, rather than double that amount.

His contract calls for him to receive a per-game bonus of $62,500. Since he won’t be available for the Jacksonville game, he will also lose that money, so his total ticket in money-lost for his use of slurs on his Twitter account and in the team’s locker room will be $330,147.

Under terms of the suspension, Johnson will return to the team on Monday, November 9th, the day after the Chiefs game in Jacksonville.

A settlement was sought by both the NFL and the NFL Players Association. Johnson’s suspension is new territory for the league and players and if the appeal had been heard, the decision of an arbitrator had potential pitfalls for both sides. That was especially crucial at this time when the parties are trying to reach a new collective bargaining agreement.

Book Review: Warren Moon’s Story

Never Give Up on Your Dream, by Warren Moon with Don Yaeger. Published by Da Capo Press. 264 pages. $25. Available through amazon.com and barnesnoble.com.

Warren Moon’s time in Kansas City with the Chiefs was short, just two seasons tacked on to the end of a remarkable career. If the reader is looking for a lot of insight on the 1999-2000 seasons that Moon spent with the Chiefs, this book will not prove satisfying.

There’s still every reason to read this autobiography, Never Give Up on Your Dream. Moon and writer Don Yaeger take the reader from childhood days in Los Angeles through his unique career as a quarterback, where he was a star at the high school level, the college ranks, the Canadian Football League and finally the NFL.

Most of the book is basic stuff that can be found in dozens of other books written by or with the help of the athlete. What makes Moon’s book a bit different is that he did not try to sweep under the rug or ignore some of the bumps in the road that came in his life. In fact, he talks at great length about the altercation with his first wife which led to him being charged with spousal abuse. He also covers his arrests in the last few years for driving under the influence while living in Seattle and working as a color commentator for the Seahawks Radio Network.

In a chapter titled “Not Perfect,” Moon recounts his arrest in July 1995 for spousal abuse. …Read More!

Around The AFC West … Bye-Weekend Cup O’Chiefs

While the Chiefs enjoy the weekend off, the rest of the AFC West plays on Sunday, so we thought it would be a good time to step back and take a look at the division.

There’s no way to consider the Chiefs part of a race for the AFC West title this season. Certainly, no way unless pharmaceuticals are involved. They are 1-6, Denver is 6-0. The Broncos could collapse, but the Chiefs would have to enjoy one of the greatest team comebacks in league history to get involved.

So consider this more of an assessment of the rest of the division and an indication of just how far the Chiefs are going to have to travel to get back to contender status. Right now, it looks like a long, long road.

DENVER BRONCOS (6-0)

Rookie head coach Josh McDaniels takes his Broncos to Baltimore to face a suddenly struggling Ravens team that is just 3-3 on the season. This would have to go down as probably the biggest test of Denver’s schedule to date; New England was a better team, but they played that game at Invesco Field.

The Broncos are 9th in offensive yards and second in fewest yards allowed on defense. They are the No. 1 scoring defense in the league, allowing just 66 points in six games. That’s an incredible 72 points under the league average at this point. Hiring Mike Nolan as his defensive coordinator was the smartest and most productive move that McDaniels made in the off-season. The Broncos are playing the best defense they’ve seen in the Rockies in some time. …Read More!

Texans End Losing Streak Behind Abner

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 and its first season of play.

The Texans stopped their three-game losing streak by going on the road and beat the Denver Broncos 17-14 on Sunday, October 30, 1960. A crowd of 13,102 turned out at Bears Stadium in Denver to watch the contest.

It was also the breakout game for one of their best players in that first season: rookie RB Abner Haynes out of North Texas State. From this game on, Haynes became the focal point of the Texans offensive attack and combined with his duties as a punt and kick returner, the Dallas native established a legacy in the franchise’s very first season.

Dallas never trailed in this game, scoring first and leading throughout. But the outcome was not decided until 29 seconds remained to be played in the game. That’s when Broncos K Gene Mingo missed a 29-yard FG that would have tied the game. Remember, at that time there was no overtime in the regular season.

Playing under clear skies and cool conditions, this game turned into a defensive struggle. Twice the Texans put together long drives, going 61 and 78 yards, but came away from both without a point. Denver turned the ball over five times. That topped Dallas, as the Texans had four turnovers.

“The defense played well today,” coach Hank Stram said after the game. “Offensively, other than Abner it was disappointing.”

Haynes had a big game as he started a push that would eventually lead him to the AFL’s rookie of the year and player of the year honors for the inaugural season. Haynes had 177 yards in total offense against Denver, including a three-yard TD run in the second quarter. …Read More!

College Preview: Top 32 For ’10 Draft

We looked at the top 32 players among the seniors two weeks ago and last week we covered the top underclassmen in the country who could make themselves available for the 2010 NFL Draft.

Today, we bring the lists together, for what is a top 32 list here at the end of October. There’s plenty of possibility of changes, additions and deletions before the college season is over.

And certainly, before the Draft comes in April, there will be a lot of shuffling.

But after talking with a handful of scouts and personnel types around the country, here’s a list of 32 players who barring injury will be considered by some team in the first round. It’s dominated by defensive guys, including the top four positions and five of the first seven.

There seems little doubt right now among scouts that Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh (top right) is at the top of just about every team’s draft board, whether No. 1, 2 or 3. As one scout said, “He’s a physical freak.” To be that big at 6-4, 300 pounds, and to have the quickness and speed that Suh has displayed makes him a very desirable player for any defensive system.

Close behind Suh is Tennessee safety Eric Berry (top left), who is physically gifted and NFL scouts are excited about his exposure to Monte Kiffin, an NFL coaching legend who is handling the defense for his son with the Volunteers. …Read More!

Bye Weekend Thoughts … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

“Everybody has to be together on whatever we’re doing.”

As the Chiefs scattered on Thursday afternoon to enjoy a long weekend away from football, the words of OLB Mike Vrabel should never leave their thoughts.

Everybody has to be together on whatever we’re doing … Vrabel was speaking specifically of the Chiefs defense, but his words are compatible with every player on this team.

Whether they are headed to the bright lights of Vegas, or back to their alma mater, or home to a weekend of Mom’s cooking, the Chiefs need to ponder their season, the calendar and their commitment.

Essentially, it’s put up or shut up time. …Read More!

As The L.J. Turns … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

Somewhere under the bad boy façade he loves to wear, Larry Johnson is a very intelligent young man.

So why does he keep doing stupid things?

There are dozens of coaches, counselors, psychologists, friends, teammates and family members that have pondered this subject for years. They haven’t come up with any answers.

Just listen to what Larry Sr. told the Kansas City Star after the most recent La Affaire Larry:

“That’s just not who we are and not what we believe. It’s not how he was raised. It’s tough for me as a father. He does not hate gays. That’s not Larry, and that’s not our family. He’s my son. You can’t disown him. We just talk to him, listen to him, and help him move forward.”

That’s what everybody has said for years with Johnson and his stumbles – we are going to help him move forward. Eventually, however, L.J. ends up going backwards. It’s happened again, and again, and again. Yet I’ve seen so many times when he’s spent extra time signing autographs, intent on making sure everyone got what they wanted or came for. I’ve seen him do things like this while teammates, some with far better public perceptions, snuck out the back door to avoid the fans.

In case you’ve been incommunicado over the last 48 hours, L.J. shot off his mouth and twitter, said several things that were very inappropriate and was suspended Wednesday evening by the Chiefs for two weeks. He’ll lose two paychecks and a game bonus, pushing his loss on this case to right around $600,000.

But Johnson is not going down without a fight. His agent Peter Schaffer out of Denver says they will file an appeal challenging the suspension on Thursday. Schaffer said they will seek an expedited hearing. Any appeal would be heard by an arbitrator. Obviously we’ve not heard the last of this one. …Read More!

Chiefs Slap L.J. With Suspension

The Chiefs investigation is over and RB Larry Johnson has been suspended by the team.

Here’s the team’s statement:

“The Kansas City Chiefs have suspended RB Larry Johnson for conduct detrimental to the club effective immediately.  Johnson will not be permitted to participate in any team activities or be on team premises until Monday, November 9th.  The Chiefs will have no further comment on Johnson’s status at this time.”

Johnson’s suspension is related to his use of slur on a Twitter posting Sunday evening. He then used a similar slur when speaking to the Kansas City media on Monday.

It’s the second time in two seasons that Johnson has been suspended for his behavior. Last year, he was held out of three games by head coach Herm Edwards and suspended for one game by the NFL.

NFL players are paid on a 17-week schedule, so Johnson is in line to lose two weekly checks.

RIP Darvin Wallis

Darvin Wallis was unknown to most Chiefs fans during his 19 years working for the team. But believe me when I tell you he was one of the most remarkable men to ever pass through the doors of Arrowhead Stadium.

Wallis passed away over the weekend in a family cabin in Colorado. Details are sketchy at this point but he apparently died in his sleep. He was 60 years old.

Back in the most recent days when the Chiefs actually played good, sometimes great defense, Wallis was a big part of that. In his role as defensive quality control coach, Wallis worked with every defensive coordinator and head coach that passed through Arrowhead Stadium from 1989 through 2007.

He came to Kansas City with Marty Schottenheimer in 1989 and stayed through Gunther Cunningham, Dick Vermeil and Herm Edwards before retiring after the 2007 season.

“He was the best, just the best when it came to analyzing the opponent and the trends in their play calling,” said Schottenheimer. “I think anybody that worked with him would tell you he was the best. He was meticulous.” …Read More!

In Your Face With Tweets … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

One wonders what Vince Lombardi would have made of Twitter and Facebook.

The 21st Century and its modes of communication can leave the old school guys scratching their heads. There’s a story in the current Sports Illustrated about Penn State coach Joe Paterno and how this coaching legend supposedly doesn’t have a computer, cell phone and has no understanding of social communication systems like “facemask.” That’s what Joe Pa called it.

Todd Haley is half Paterno’s age, but he’s old school. Haley texts, he e-mails, but the whole Twitter thing, well he’s out of the loop on that one.

“I’ve never looked at it or seen it,” Haley said of Twitter. “I ask the question every time the word comes up: what exactly is it?

“I understand this is a new age and there are a lot of different ways to communicate but I’m really worried about one thing and that’s trying to get this team going. That is my number one job and all that I really care about outside of the man upstairs and my family.”

Haley’s gotten an education this week about Twitter thanks to one of Joe Pa’s old charges, Larry Johnson and the running back’s tweets on Sunday night after the 30-point drubbing from the Chargers. …Read More!

Bye-Week Practice Report 10/27

From the Truman Sports Complex

The Chiefs ran through a 90-minute practice session on Tuesday afternoon, the first of three bye-week workouts on their schedule.

“Very productive day; this is a very important week for us,” said head coach Todd Haley. “I think these bye weeks are important, especially to teams like us.  This is an opportunity to do a little catchup offensively so to speak and to clean up some of the issues that have consistently given us problems.”

The Chiefs got what sounds like good news on the left knee injury suffered by C Rudy Niswanger. He underwent an arthroscopic procedure on Monday and the report was good. Haley said Niswanger would return this season and he  wouldn’t even rule him out for the Chiefs next game on Nov. 7 against Jacksonville.

FS Jon McGraw did not participate in practice, and Haley said only that he has a strained leg muscle. WR Lance  Long did not practice, as he deals with the after-effects of the head trauma he sustained on Sunday. And out of the work on Monday was NT Ron Edwards, who was ill.

Oh, and RB Larry Johnson was not with the team, told to stay home by the club until investigations of his comments from Sunday and Monday are concluded.

LT Branden Albert worked with the No. 1 offensive line and seemed to be moving around quite well on that left ankle.

Back on the field was WR Quinten Lawrence, added to the Chiefs practice squad after being released from the active roster over the weekend. Lawrence took the spot held by Long, who was promoted to the 53-man roster over the weekend.

The Chiefs announced no other roster moves.

Twitter Dee, Twitter Dumb … Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

The Chiefs have suspended RB Larry Johnson without really suspending him.

Confused? Welcome to the world of L.J. and discipline. Call it a not so secret double-secret probation, or in this case a pre-suspension.

The team announced  on Tuesday that until investigations by the Chiefs and the NFL of recent comments by Johnson are completed, they’ve asked him to “refrain from practicing with the Chiefs or  participating in other team activities.”

Those activities include a bye week practice early Tuesday afternoon at the team’s facility.

On Tuesday, Johnson issued an apology for his use of the slur “fag” on his Tweeter page on Sunday night and on Monday infront of group of Kansas City media. The apology came out of the office of his agent Peter Schaeffer.

“I regret my actions,” the apology reads. “The words were used by me in frustration and they were not appropriate. I did not intend to offend anyone, but it is n o excuse for what I said.”

All this comes almost exactly a year after he was inactive and suspended last season by the Chiefs (three games) and the NFL (one game) for his behavior on and off the field. That ranged from an October 19 game against Tennessee through a November 9 game at San Diego.

Discipline could be imposed by the Chiefs and/or the NFL.

Still Searching For A Team … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

Certainly, Todd Haley learned a lesson in the last few days, actually there were probably quite a few teaching moments for the rookie head coach.

His running back is tweeting, his center has a knee injury that makes his 2009 future very much in doubt, the offense, defense and special teams are coming off a combined failure in performance, his credentials are being questioned and his team is 1-6.

T.G.I.B.W. – Thank God it’s the bye week.

With a weekend off coming up, there’s no opponent to prepare for, no game plan to implement. The Chiefs can study and prepare for their most serious foe of this season – themselves.

One of the lessons Haley learned, if he didn’t already know, was that just because a team practices well on Friday, doesn’t mean it’s going to play well on Sunday.

Especially in the case of the fragile ’09 Chiefs, a group that simply can’t be called a team seven games into the season.

A group of players that has come together and created the internal chemistry needed to win games in the NFL has its best Friday practice of the season, and shows that on Sunday. Maybe they don’t win the game, but they certainly play better than what was seen at Arrowhead Stadium against the Chiefs.

What happened?

“I don’t know if I have a theory,” Haley said on Monday, after brushing aside questions concerning Larry Johnson’s Tweeter rampage from Sunday evening. “I don’t think there was a player on the team after we got off the field Friday that didn’t think we were going to have anything but a great chance to win the game.

“I think when the game didn’t start out positively or quickly went south it kind of caught some guys off guard and really threw some people off. That’s the closest I can come to a theory. We didn’t execute in all phases and you’re not going to have a chance to win if you don’t.”

That’s evidence enough that the ’09 Chiefs remain a group of ever changing 53 players. They are not a team.

Would Haley agree? …Read More!

From The Mouth of Todd 10/26

From the Truman Sports Complex

Boy, the room was pretty crowded Monday afternoon for Todd Haley’s weekly meeting with the media.

Lots of mini-cams, lots of sports talk types, lots of scribblers. We don’t normally see this kind of crowd for a 1-6 football team.

But then these Chiefs like to do things differently. Larry Johnson’s Twitter blast at Haley’s credentials to be a head coach was on everybody’s mind. So too, apparently were homophobic comments and tweets that have now been removed from Johnson’s Twitter.com account.

Haley had little to say about the situation, commenting only that the organization was looking into the situation. As much as the media tried, Johnson would not budge from his stance. The head coach handled himself very well in this situation, maybe better than he did in the first quarter of Sunday’s game when he called for a fourth-and-one play at his own 41-yard line.

This meeting with the media lasted 28 minutes, the longest of the season to date.

Here are the highlights: …Read More!

Twitter Dee, Twitter Dumb

From the Truman Sports Complex

Put Larry Johnson and Jamaal Charles into a room, hand them a standardized test and put them on the clock and there’s no doubt who would answer the most questions in the shortest amount of time and achieve the highest score.

That would be Johnson.

But on Monday, Charles showed he’s a lot smarter and brighter than his teammate. During the Chiefs open locker room period the second-year running back was asked about the Twitter comments of his teammate that sound like blasts of head coach Todd Haley and his lack of a background in playing football.

Charles doesn’t always do the right thing on the football field – see the blocked punt by San Diego on Sunday – but on this day in the locker room, he handled things a lot smarter than Johnson did Sunday night.

“I’m staying away from that,” said Charles. “I’m just going out there and playing, I’m not getting caught up in that.”

Does it bother Charles that Haley did not play football in college or the pros? …Read More!

So Much For the Winning Streak

From Arrowhead Stadium

A bye week may be the best tonic for what ails the Chiefs right now.

And maybe not.

“I don’t know what we are going to solve with three days of practice and a weekend off,” said OLB Mike Vrabel after the Chiefs were hammered by the San Diego Chargers 37-7 on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.

The now 1-6 Chiefs are off next Sunday, with their next game coming on November 8 at Jacksonville.

“Disappointed, mad, a little bit of a letdown because we won a tough game last week on the road,” said head coach Todd Haley. “We had as good a week of practice as we had. It was the best Friday (practice) of the year and we were excited to get to the game.

“We got our butts kicked across the board.”

This was a major step backwards for Haley and his team. It was easily their worst performance of the season to date, and there have been some bad ones in seven games this season.

As always there was plenty to talk about. Here’s what we have:

• GAME STORY: A step backward.
• COLUMN: Where does this team go now?
• OFFENSE: This one was ugly.
• SPECIAL TEAMS: Not so special.
• NOTES: Defense struggles.
• GAMEBOOK

Pre-Game Report 10/25 Inactives Update

From Arrowhead Stadium

11 am. – PUNT & KICKOFF RETURNS: Out early catching punts in pre-game are WR Bobby Wade and CB Maurice Leggett. Handling kickoffs are RB Jamaal Charles, RB Dantrell Savage and WR Terrance Copper. Wade and Charles remain the No. 1 options on returns.

10:50 a.m. – CHIEFS STARTERS REMAIN THE SAME: With both Branden Albert and Jarrad Page inactive today, starters will be the same as last week with Wade Smith opening at left tackle and JonMcGraw at free safety. Another strong performance will strengten McGraw’s grip on the starting job.

10:50 a.m. – VERSATILE CHARLES: Don’t be surprised if RB Jamaal Charles isn’t more WR Jamaal Charles against the Chargers. Charles has done more and more work with the receivers and he and Mike Cox were the only RBs on the field for the Chiefs pregame throwing session. …Read More!

Defense Needs Big Day … Game-Day Cup O’Chiefs

There is so much that the Chiefs must show on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium against the Chargers.

Some sort of consistent offensive performance is badly overdue and it would certainly help matters if they can run the football. The kicking game has been the most consistent part of the Chiefs through six games and it must be so again because San Diego brings in the biggest little man in the game, Olathe’s Darren Sproles.

And more than anything, on Sunday we find out just who should get credit for the defensive performance of the Chiefs in their victory last week against Washington.

Was it the Chiefs defense coming together and implementing Clancy Pendergast’s plan that did not allow a touchdown? Or, was it an out of synch, out of sorts and out of whack Redskins offense that could not score a touchdown?

Seven days later, the Chiefs defense takes the field against the Chargers. Kickoff is noon and the television broadcast is on CBS.

San Diego’s offense under head coach/offensive guru Norv Turner is not a well-oiled machine. They’ve had problems running the football and are tied for last in the NFL at just 57.6 rushing yards per game. QB Philip Rivers is throwing the ball well and has hit a couple of big plays, but the pass protection is spotty.

It’s another opportunity for the 2009 Chiefs defense to distance itself from last year’s group that finished the season ranked No. 31 in yards allowed in the league. …Read More!

Lamar & Military Honored On Sunday

It will be a day of honor at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday when the Chiefs host the Chargers.

First, both teams will honor their history by wearing throwback uniforms. The Chiefs will be in replica uniforms of the 1962 Dallas Texans, while the Chargers will be wearing the uniforms of the early San Diego teams.

In pre-game ceremonies, the late Lamar Hunt will be celebrated with ceremonies honoring the designation of a stretch of I-435 as the Lamar Hunt Memorial Highway. Signs will be erected northbound near the Stadium Drive/Raytown Road exit, and southbound near the 48th Street and Worlds of Fun exit. Various polilticos will be on the field along with members of the Hunt family. …Read More!

Mr. Relevant’s Good Start … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

So far, Ryan Succop has been very relevant.

The only noticeable contribution the Chiefs have received from their 2009 NFL Draft class is coming from Succop, pick No. 256 and the final man selected in this year’s annual selection meeting. That’s how he earned the title “Mr. Irrelevant” and was honored in southern California back in June.

With his four field goals last week against Washington and his general performance over the first six games on the field goals and kickoffs, a shaky kicking situation for the better part of the last decade looks like it may have stabilized itself with the addition of Succop.

He’s young (23 years old), big at 6-2, 223 pounds and talented. But what has impressed special teams coach Steve Hoffman more than anything is Succop’s demeanor and mental approach to the job.

“He’s a joy to work with,” Hoffman said on Friday. “He’s a great kid. He’s willing to listen. He’s tried some things, but in all honesty, I haven’t had to do a whole lot with him. He’s naturally gifted. He’s got great height, weight, he’s got a smooth swing.

“I think the best thing about him is mentally he seems to handle it so well. Nothing seems to phase him. He’s just even keel, which is the way you have to be.” …Read More!

College Preview: Underclassmen

     Tennesse S Eric Berry                                     Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy

Right now, the scouts and personnel people in the NFL say there is more talent available at the top of the list of junior players than can be found with the senior class.

There’s nothing unusual about that and like the seniors that will be available for the 2010 NFL Draft, most of the top talent is on the defensive side.

Tennessee safety Eric Berry and Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy top the list right now. Florida DE Carlos Dunlap and ILB Rolando McClain from Alabama are also among the top five or six picks.

Back in August, the number one underclassmen name was Heisman Trophy winner, QB Sam Bradford of Oklahoma. But his shoulder injury and then his re-aggravating of the injury dropped him down the list, if only a few places. The NFL has seen Bradford’s abilities; the question around the league now is about his durability.

Another potential top 10 pick, WR Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State found himself suspended by the NCAA for his contact with former NFL CB Deion Sanders. Whether that affects his standing in the ’10 Draft will depend on what he gets done for scouts starting in February.

Here’s the list of the 32 best underclassmen as compiled from a number of scouts and other sources: …Read More!

Practice Report 10/23 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

The chances do not look good for starting LT Branden Albert being on the field Sunday against the Chargers with the No. 1 offense.

Albert is listed as questionable on the Chiefs official injury report to the league office. Head coach Todd Haley said it would be a game time decision. Haley did not rule out the possibility that Albert could be active and not start.

Other than Albert, there appears to be no game-day inactive decisions that will be based on injuries. Also on the club’s injury report are LG Brian Waters (ankle), RT Ryan O’Callaghan (shoulder) and FS Jarrad Page (shoulder). All are listed as probable. O’Callaghan suffered some sort of neck/shoulder  injury during Thursday’s  practice,  but he was working with the No. 1 offense on Friday, wearing a neck roll.

Haley took his team indoors for Friday’s final practice of Chargers week.

Albert was not working with the first or second team offensive lines, so the chances  of him starting are slim. Wade Smith will open at LT. It appears that Jon McGraw will open at free safety, which would likely mean that Page would be  inactive since his special teams involvement is minimal.

How Long Can He Survive? … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

Matt Cassel stood at the podium in the room where he holds his weekly gab with the media and he didn’t look any worse for wear.

He was waterlogged from a practice outside in the rain on Thursday afternoon and those off to the side of where he was speaking could see the wrap that he still wears on his left knee.

Funny, but he did not look like a piñata.

But that’s how opposing pass rushes have been treating him for the last three weeks: like a living, breathing crash dummy. Cassel has been sacked 14 times in the last three games: five by the Giants, four by the Cowboys and five last Sunday by the Redskins. In five games, he’s gone down 19 times.

And that does not include all the other times he’s been knocked to the ground. In the last five games, press-box stats put that number at 39. That’s probably on the low side.

But that’s 19 sacks, 39 knockdowns, or 58 times he’s ended up in the dirt. That’s almost a dozen times per game.

How is Matt Cassel going to survive the season? Can he last 10 more games?

“Heck yeah,” Cassel said with a smile. “I’m ready to rock and roll.”

He has been rocked and he has definitely been rolled. The enthusiasm he showed in answering that question is something he’s going to need just to get out of bed in the morning. The odds are not with him surviving this continuing onslaught. …Read More!

Opponent: San Diego Chargers

2009 record: 2-3, with victories over Oakland and Miami, and losses to Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Denver. The Chargers are minus-12 in point differential.

Last year’s record: 8-8, first place in the AFC West. They beat Indianapolis in the wildcard round 23-17, then lost in the Divisional round to Pittsburgh 35-24.

Record for the last five seasons: 56-30 including the playoffs, with four AFC West division titles and a 2-4 record in the playoffs.

Last appearance in the playoffs: last season, going 1-1 with a victory at home over the Colts and a loss on the road at Pittsburgh.

Head coach: Norv Turner is in his third season as head coach of the Chargers (2007-09), 24-18 record at this point. Turner was previously head coach in Washington for seven seasons and Oakland for two seasons. His overall head coaching record in the NFL is now 83-101-1.

Coordinators: Clarence Shelmon, offense; Ron Rivera, defense and Steve Crosby, special teams. …Read More!

Practice Report 10/22 Upate

From the Truman Sports Complex

Todd Haley pretty much thought the heavy stuff wasn’t going to come down for quite awhile. So he took his team outside to practice Thursday morning despite a steady rain that had soaked everything and everyone in a matter of minutes.

“I like the rain,” Haley said afterwards. “It was pretty pleasant out there today. These are conditions that we have to play in. Days like today, being a wide receivers coach for so long, you kind of wanted days like this to really concentrate. I loved windy days and rainy days as a receivers coach because it required great concentration to get the job done.

“I thought today was very productive before it was all over. It didn’t start that way, but it ended up pretty good.”

No, at the start there were a lot of dropped passes by receivers. The ball was wet, the receivers’ gloves were wet and the rain was still falling. At one point, Haley pulled all his quarterbacks and receivers together for a huddle. His words could  not be heard but his point was being made very clearly: concentrate. …Read More!

Mr. Smiths Go To Practice … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

If your initials were K.S., then the spotlight fell on you at the Chiefs on Wednesday.

Kenny Smith spent his first day with his new teammates, signed by the Chiefs as a backup nose tackle and filling the roster spot that came open with the trade of Tank Tyler. For the 32-year old Mississippi native, it’s his first week on an active roster in six years.

Kolby Smith was back on the practice field for the first time this season, as the Chiefs activated him from the Physically Unable-To-Perform List. That’s where he’s been residing since the start of training camp as he rehabbed his right knee. He suffered a torn patella tendon in that knee against Tampa Bay last November 2nd at Arrowhead Stadium.

While these guys play on opposite sides of the line of scrimmage and have traveled very different road to get to the Chiefs practice field on Wednesday, they share one common trait: patience. Without it, both Kenny and Kolby Smith would have gone on to their next careers some time ago.

“Once you’ve got a dream, you don’t ever give up on it,” Kenny Smith said. “I never let go of it. I just kept pushing myself.” …Read More!

Defense Struggles Again & Notes

From Arrowhead Stadium

So now we know that the Chiefs defensive performance last week against Washington had more to do with the struggling Redskins than it did with the struggling red and gold.

“You can’t come out and play like that and think you’re going to win,” said DE Glenn Dorsey.

Defensively, the Chiefs could not handle WR Vincent Jackson in the first half, or RB Darren Sproles in the second half. Each one of those guys had a TD catch from QB Philip Rivers, who was not sacked and the Chiefs did not produce an interception.

Jackson caught five passes for 142 yards, including a pair of 51-yard gains, and all that was in the first half. He didn’t catch a pass in the second half, but then he didn’t have too.

The second half  TD went to Sproles, who was wide open in the right flat and caught a 10-yard pass from Rivers and then raced to the end zone. FS Jon McGraw had no chance of tackling him as Sproles was too quick and a late dive by CB Brandon Flowers couldn’t slow him down. The 58-yard play was one of the three that San Diego had that went over 50 yards. …Read More!

Another Offensive Performance From Offense

From Arrowhead Stadium

Jamaal Charles almost sounded like he was pleading. Unfortunately, the only people he was talking to was a media scrum that formed in front of his locker after the Chiefs got drubbed by the Chargers 37-7.

“You watch them make plays,” Charles said of the Chargers, “and we’ve got good players too. Why can’t we make good plays like they do?”

Good question! It’s not one that anybody around the Chiefs has much of an answer for right now.

“I don’t know what was going through our heads,” said RB Larry Johnson. “I don’t know whether it was false happiness or thinking that we were going to come in and San Diego was just going to lay down because they just played Monday night. I don’t know what it was.”

The lack of good plays on offense was not something new; it’s been a problem all season. Right now, seven games into the 2009 season, the Chiefs are averaging just 251.6 offensive yards per game. They couldn’t reach that average against San Diego, getting just 203 yards. …Read More!

Nothing Special About Kicking Game

From Arrowhead Stadium

If covering punts and kickoffs were the only measure of a special teams performance, then the Chiefs had one heckuva game on Sunday against the Chargers.

Facing one of the league’s most explosive returners in RB Darren Sproles, they didn’t give up a return longer than 18 yards. Sproles returned just one punt for 18 yards and he returned two kickoffs for an average of 17 yards. One of those two kickoff returns also went for 18 yards.

Yes, the Chiefs kicking game had Sproles bottled up.

But the rest of the special teams business was bad. After being the most consistent portion of the Chiefs game over the first six weeks, the bottom fell out of the kicking game.

The ugliest moment was a blocked punt by the Chargers that turned into a San Diego touchdown. …Read More!

Column: Where Is This Team Going?

From Arrowhead Stadium

Have you ever taken a novice driver out and tried to teach them how to operate a moving vehicle?

If you have, then the herky, jerky nature of the 2009 Chiefs season is familiar.

Last week, the Chiefs did the equivalent of driving on the highway, staying in their lane and exiting properly. Then Sunday at Arrowhead, the Chiefs drove off the road, into the other lane, crashed into a bridge abutment and dented every side of the car.

Right now, the tow truck is waiting to haul this team away. The question is, where does it go? Just what direction is the team headed for over the final nine games of the ’09 season?

When a team loses by 30 points at home to a division rival, it’s pretty darn hard to pinpoint one play or situation that decided the game. There were many moments in the Chiefs-Chargers battle where the guys with the lightning bolts showed beyond a shadow of a doubt they were the better team.

They were helped by the Chiefs, and especially their head coach. …Read More!

Chiefs Get Blasted By Chargers, 37-7

From Arrowhead Stadium

On an ugly October afternoon, the Chiefs played an ugly brand of football. Offense, defense and special teams all contributed to a 37-7 pasting from the San Diego Chargers.

By the time this one was over, the fans left in the Arrowhead stands could be counted by sight as a steady rain fell and the Chiefs bumbled about to their sixth loss of the 2009 season.

The rebuilding process is often very ugly, but the one thing that makes it possible to survive the troubled times are signs of progress. For the announced paid attendance of 69,337 that showed up on Sunday, there was nothing good visible.

“Disappointed, mad, a little bit of a letdown because we won a tough game last week on the road,” said head coach Todd Haley. “We had as good a week of practice as we had. It was the best Friday (practice) of the year and we were excited to get to the game.

“We got our butts kicked across the board.”

This was a major step backwards for Todd Haley and his team. It was easily their worst performance of the season to date, and there have been some bad ones in seven games this season.

In the 50-season history of games between these two franchises that were born the same year and have lived together in the AFC West since 1960, no San Diego team has ever administered a beating as bad as the one that went down on this Sunday. And, those 30 points could have easily been 40, because the Chargers wasted chances for another touchdown and field goal.

“This was unexpected,” said OLB Mike Vrabel. “I can’t explain it.” …Read More!

Practice Report 10/21 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

The Chiefs got back to work Wednesday morning, showing no hangover from their first victory of the season.

“I thought today was a good tempo and had a good feel to it, from meeting and through practice,” said head coach Todd Haley. “It seemed like everybody was concentrating and ready to get to work.”

Working outside, where a few sprinkles were falling 45 minutes into the session, Haley had 51 of 53 active roster players taking part. Missing were RG Mike Goff and LT Branden Albert. Goff  was absent with permission, handling some personal matters according to Haley. He’s expected back on Thursday

Albert missed last Sunday’s victory over Washington because of a left ankle injury. He was in the rehab area and did some light jogging along with walking laps. Albert is no longer wearing a boot on the left foot. “He’s night and day from where he was,” said  Haley. “I’m hopeful from the progress he’s shown from when he had the injury until  now, he’s got a chance.”

Working with the No. 1 defense was Jon McGraw at free safety, stepping into Jarrad Page’s spot. Haley acknowledged the change, but said the position would be evaluated on a daily basis.

Taking part  in practice was RB Kolby Smith. He’s been on the Physically-Unable-To-Perform List since the start of training camp, recovering from the knee injury he suffered back on November 2, 2008 against Tampa  Bay. …Read More!

Chiefs Add Nose Tackle

There’s one thing we can say for sure about G.M. Scott Pioli – if a player has spent any time with the New England Patriots  in this decade there’s a chance he’ll be wearing a Chiefs uniform by the close of business  in 2009.

With a need at nose tackle after trading Tank Tyler to Carolina, on Wednesday morning the Chiefs announced the signing of Kenny Smith.

No not the retired basketball player from North Carolina. This Kenny Smith is the 32-year old semi-retired football player out of Mississippi and the University of Alabama. Smith has not played in an NFL regular season game since the 2003 season. That’s six years off the field. Smith was with the New Orleans Saints at the time, where he was a third-round draft selection in the 2001 NFL Draft.

Smith spent 2001-20004 with New Orleans. He signed as an unrestricted free agent with Oakland in 2005, but ended up on the injured-reserve list and was released in November of that year. The 2006 season was blank for Smith, who sat out the year.

In 2007, he signed with Tampa Bay in March, but was released in April. Smith then signed with New England in June, and was released in August. He re-signed with the Patriots before the 2008 season, but ended up on injured-reserve again. The Pats released him in June ’09.

Smith is 6-4, 303 pounds with 30 games of NFL experience.

Square Pegs In Round Holes … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

Chiefs fans with some longevity remember the name Willie Scott. He was the 1980s Tank Tyler.

On Monday, the Chiefs dealt Tyler to the Carolina Panthers for a fifth-round draft choice. The deal was not made because Tyler can’t play the game. The reason for the trade was simply that Tyler did not fit what the Chiefs are looking for in a nose tackle.

When you take the puzzle of an NFL roster and alter the picture with the type of massive changes that have happened with the Chiefs franchise, all the old pieces are not going to fit in the new puzzle. That’s what happened with Tyler.

But it’s not the first time a highly drafted player on the Chiefs ended up losing his spot on the Kansas City roster because he was a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. That brings us back to Willie Scott.

He was the team’s first-round selection in the 1981 NFL Draft, a tight end out of the University of South Carolina. At 6-4, 250 pounds, Scott was picked by Marv Levy and his coaching staff because of his blocking ability, not because of his history as a receiver with the Gamecocks. In Scott’s senior season, teammate George Rogers won the Heisman Trophy running for over 5,000 yards in his career, with Scott blocking throughout those three seasons.

Rogers was the first player taken in the 1980 NFL Draft. Scott was grabbed No. 14 by the Chiefs. While he did not immediately become a starter, Scott was the blocker that Levy was looking for that year. Scott helped fellow rookie, second-round choice Joe Delaney to more than 1,000 rushing yards and a trip to the Pro Bowl. …Read More!

Offense Continues Struggles … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

The fans are unhappy. The offensive play caller has lost his job. The offense can’t score many points and has problems in both the running and passing game, largely because the offensive line is banged up and underperforming.

The head coach is from the offensive side of the football street and there’s a lot of pressure on him to fix his struggling offense.

Fans of the Chiefs saw this team on Sunday, except for that portion of the game where CBS-TV lost the signal coming from FedEx Field. But then they’ve seen them all season.

No, we are not taking about the Redskins here. We are talking about the Chiefs.

Redskins Nation is pondering the eminent departure of head coach Jim Zorn, who had his play-calling duties removed after losing to the Chiefs on Sunday. Washington has struggled on the offensive side of the football all season.

But get this: after six games the offensive numbers of the Redskins are better across the board than the Chiefs offensive numbers. Washington has thrown for more yards, run for more yards, provided better pass protection, picked up more yards per passing attempt and completed more passes than the Kansas City offense. …Read More!

Chiefs Deal Tank

The Chiefs traded NT Tank Tyler to the Carolina Panthers Monday evening.

In return, they will get the Panthers fifth-round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft. Based on Carolina’s season to date, that looks like a high spot in the fifth round.

Tyler came to the Chiefs as a third-round draft choice in 2007 out of North Carolina State. The big man became expendable because of the play of Ron Edwards on the nose, along with his problems of making the adjustment from the 3-4 to the 4-3 defense. 

He got only a handful of plays in Sunday’s game against the Redskins. Tyler started the first two games on the nose, but then lost the job to Edwards. He’s credited with 22 tackles on the season.

The Panthers have been trying to upgrade their defensive tackle situation since starter Maake Kemoeatu suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the first training camp practice.

“Tank is a  young defensive tackle who we think will fit in well with us,” Panthers general manager Marty Hurney told the Charlotte Observer. “He has good size and athletic ability and we are excited to have him join the Carolina Panthers.”

The move leaves open a spot on the Chiefs 53-man active roster. The NFL deadline for trades is Tuesday afternoon.

From the Mouth of Todd 10/19

From the Truman Sports Complex

For the first time in his short career as an NFL head coach, Todd Haley was able to meet the media horde without a big fat zero attached to his record and name.

That first victory came on Sunday in Washington and although the Redskins might be really in disarray right now and the Chiefs were unable to punch a touchdown across the goal line, a win, is a win, is a win.

“After looking at the tape, I’m very encouraged by some of the things I saw,” said Haley. “Our defense probably put together our most complete performance. Offensively though we didn’t score enough points, we only had two penalties and no turnovers, again. I think on the road that’s critical (no turnovers) to your chances for success. Special teams for the most part were very good.”

Here are some more of the highlights from his 19-minute session with the media scum. …Read More!

Victory Day For Chiefs In D.C.

From FedEx Field

On a chilly, wet and windy afternoon in the Washington D.C. suburbs the Chiefs celebrated one of their more memorable moments in recent franchise history.

It wasn’t so much what happened during their game with the Redskins. In many ways it was a very pedestrian contest with only a few highlights; not surprising since a touchdown was not scored all afternoon by either team. The point maker was rookie kicker Ryan Succop (above).

It was about how the lights on the scoreboard were arranged after all the work was done. The outcome was a victory, the first of the Pioli/Haley Era. After six games, the Chiefs finally found the winning combination and beat the struggling Redskins 14-6.

It was a defensive battle that made both offenses look pretty lame at times. The Chiefs had many of their same problems that helped them go 0-5 for the season. The pass protection for QB Matt Cassel was spotty at best. RB Larry Johnson had his best rushing day of the season, but still he hasn’t cracked anything higher than 83 yards. The defense gave up several big plays, but did well with the bend but don’t break style.

So much to write and talk about after this one. Here’s what we’ve got:

• GAME STORY – Finally, A Victory For Chiefs.
• COMMENTARY – Dwayne Bowe Finding Peace.
• OFEFNSE – L.J. Enjoys a Homecoming.
• DEFENSE – Variety Drives Chiefs Defensive Performance.
• SPECIAL TEAMS & NOTES
• GAMEBOOK

Pre-Game Report 10/18 Inactives Update

From FedEx Field

10:50 a.m. – The field is now uncovered and the turf looks to be in so-so shape for this game. Several spots have been patchced including a strip of grass running down the sideline in front of the Redskins bench. As the players begin working on the surface, footing appears to be so-so.

Chiefs will be wearing red for today’s game, as the Redskins go with the white tops.

10:45 a.m. – Kudos to Chiefs President Denny  Thum and former players Larry Marshall and Kelly Goodburn for their efforts on Saturday when they visited Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The trio jumped off the Chiefs charter flight into BWI Airport and headed directly to the hospital, where they met with soldiers injured during action in both Iraq and Afghanistan.  

10:40 a.m. – Both teams made roster moves on Saturday. The Chiefs  promoted OT Barry Richardson from the practice squad and released recently signed LB Justin Rogers. The Redskins promoted P Glenn Pakulak from the practice squad and released DE Renaldo Wynn.

For the Chiefs, Jon McGraw will start for Jarrad Page at free safety and Wade Smith will start for Branden Albert at left tackle. The Redskins have a revamped offensive line for this game, as Stephon Heyer moves from RT to LT in place of Chris Samuels. Stepping in at RT is Mike Williams and the new starting RG is Will  Montgomery.

The Redskins will also  have WR Devin Thomas  in the starting lineup, replacing Malcolm Kelly.

10:35 a.m. – The FedEx Field grounds crew is just now taking the tarp of the playing surface. There is still a light mist falling and the wind has picked up at field level. No question that the weather conditions have played havoc with the Chiefs routine of having their quarterbacks and receivers spend about 15 minutes running routes and throwing passes.

10:30 a.m. – Game-day inactive players for the Redskins are P Hunter Smith, CB Kevin Barnes, RB Anthony Alrdige, OT Chris Samuels, LB Robert Henson, G Chand Rinehart, WR Marko Mitchell and DT Anthony Montgomery. The Redskins have just two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. The backup for starter Jason Campbell is former Chiefs backup QB Todd Collins.

10:25 a.m. – Game-day inactive players for the Chiefs are WR Quinten Lawrence, CB Donald Washignton, FS Jarrad Page, LT Branden Albert, TE Jake O’Connel, TE Brad Cottam and LB Pierre Walters. Serving as the inactive third quarterback is Matt Gutierrez.

9:30 a.m. – The morning has dawned gray, cool and rainy. Right now the rain is light, but everything in this part of the world is soaking wet, since  it’s been raining for two days. The FedEx Field field (?) is covered at this time and there is a lot of water on top of the tarp. The weather report is rain throughout the day, with temperatures at game-time reaching the mid 40s. There is a healthy wind blowing at the top of the stadium, but the ribbons on top the uprights are only moving a bit.

Elevating Toughness … Game-Day Cup O’Chiefs

From Linthicum, Maryland

For just about every person, there is a different definition for the word tough.

Some see the word as descriptive of a person or situation that’s hard to deal with. Some use the word to describe a person who is physically strong. Others find it the word to define mental strength. Webster’s Dictionary has eight different definitions with words that range from rough, to stern, to difficult.

Tough is the word of the day as the Chiefs face Game No. 6 of their 2009 season. They will be in FedEx Field to face the Washington Redskins. Kickoff is noon, with television on CBS.

It’s already been a tough season for the Chiefs. They showed some toughness last week when they came back in the final minutes of regulation to tie up the Cowboys and send the game into overtime. Matters got tough in the extra period and they ended up losing another game. Mental toughness has been lacking all year, as evidenced by their high rank in penalties.

And there is the question that has hovered over the Chiefs franchise for some time: are they tough enough, do they have the disposition and mentality to be a contender, rather than pretender? Todd Haley has said since day one that he wants his team to be smart, tough and well conditioned.

But just what is the head coach’s definition of tough? …Read More!

Chiefs Add Richardson

From Linthicum, Maryland

Before they left Kansas City on their charter flight to BWI Airport, the Chiefs promoted OT Barry Richardson from the practice squad to the active roster.

To make room for Richardson, they released OLB Justin Rogers, who was signed on Tuesday.

LT Branden Albert did not make the trip. He did not practice all week because of a left ankle  injury.

Montana-Elway, 15 Years Ago Today

It was a chilly evening in Denver 15 years ago on the evening of October 17, 1994.

But the action on the field at Mile High Stadium was hot. And epic, and unforgettable.

The Chiefs against the Broncos. Joe Montana versus John Elway. Monday night football.

Several years ago, ABC conducted a poll to determine the greatest games in the history of Monday Night Football. The ’94 victory by the Chiefs over the Broncos ranked among the five most memorable games in what is now a nearly 40 years for the historic national TV broadcast.

“Those kinds of battles you get in are the fun games for a quarterback,” Montana said several years ago. “You’re going against the guy that can, you know if you let him back on the field, he’ll do the same thing back to you.” …Read More!

Help From The Kicking Game … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

This week, the Chiefs offense is ranked 30th in the league. The Chiefs defense after five games is ranked No. 32, or dead last in the NFL.

Those numbers are the best explanation available for the 0-5 record.

But there is one facet of football that has consistently gotten things done for the 2009 Chiefs it has been the special teams. With few exceptions, the kicking game has been mediocre or better through five games. Punter Dustin Colquitt ranks among the best in the league. His net punting average is No. 1. The Chiefs coverage team is first in punt coverage. Ryan Succop (left) has been one of the most solid and consistent kickers in the league.

While the offense and defense have had major problems with production and consistency, Todd Haley’s special teams have been reliable. They’ve been so reliable that the Chiefs head coach has been willing to roll the dice and take some chances in the kicking game, a fake punt and an onside kick in a surprise situation.

“”We’ve done a good job of covering kicks (both) kickoffs and punts,” said Haley. “Our kickers have done a pretty good job for the most part. I would have liked to see the result of the field goal last week had we blocked them up front because I thought that Ryan hit it very good. It sounded like it. I think our punter has been a little inconsistent and we’ve been fortunate the ball has got on the ground in the right spots and rolled the right way. So, we’ve got to be better there. …Read More!

Texans Losing Streak Reaches 3 With Loss To Oilers

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 and its first season of play.

“Dallas is a real fine team. I don’t see how they’ve lost four times.”

Those were the words of Houston Oilers Lou Rymkus on October 16, 1960 after his team beat the Dallas Texans 20-10 at Jeppesen Stadium (right).

It was a bad day for the Texans offense with eight turnovers and the loss left Hank Stram’s team at 2-4 on the season. Many people in the American Football League that first season were amazed that Dallas was not the frontrunner from week one of the season. Because of the Texans success at signing young players like Chris Burford and Abner Haynes, and the deep pockets of Lamar Hunt, everyone in the league expected Dallas to lead the parade.

So 2-4 had Hank Stram frustrated.

“We just made too many offensive mistakes,” Stram said after the game. “Our defense did a good job, but on third down we’d lose the ball on an interception and we wouldn’t even get to kick the field goal.

“We were in a position of needing points, but we couldn’t keep the ball.”

…Read More!

College Preview: Top 32 Prospects

It’s the midway point of the college season, so it seemed a good time to update the list of the top players – at least as of now – who may be available come April 2010.

The fact the Chiefs are 0-5 on the season is an indication they will again get one of those early draft picks at the annual selection meeting.

Picking the top 32 players in October is strictly a project for discussion and information. Once the NFL gets done scrutinizing some of these guys, by April they won’t be a first or second-round pick.

That won’t be the case with Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh (left). Just about everybody in the league believes this talented and athletic young man will be among the first three players selected in the ’10 draft.

Right now there are more top talents on the defensive side of the ball than offense. There are more cornerbacks and wide receivers than other positions. Quarterbacks are not plentiful but there are a handful considered top choices and there’s only one running back that any NFL teams are talking about among the senior prospects.

We talked with personnel types for several teams and then pooled their top 32 lists. Right now most scouts peg the number of sure-fire first-round players at 15 or so. With another 10 who are considered first/second round talents.

Again, a reminder here: these are just the players who have no eligibility left on the college level after the ’09 season. Juniors and sophomore redshirts are not factored in. We will update those players next week and then we’ll bring the two lists together before the end of the college season.

So here are the top 32 seniors: …Read More!

Practice Report 10/16 Updated

From the Truman Sports Complex

FS Jarrad Page was back to practice Friday morning but LT Branden Albert was still riding the stationary bike as the Chiefs went through their final workout of the week.

Page is coming back from a shoulder injury, but whether he’s active on Sunday against the Redskins remains questionable. Jon McGraw will start in his spot. Since Page’s role in the kicking game is minimal, there’s a chance he could be an inactive player.

“He’s  much improved,” Todd Haley said of Page. “He was in there running around and he made great strides from yesterday to today.”

Wade Smith was again working with the first-team offensive line at left tackle for Albert and looks like the starter there on Sunday. But Haley would not rule Albert out of action. …Read More!

Where 2-3 Is Worse than 0-5 … Friday Morning Cup O’Chiefs

There are four teams around the NFL without a victory right now.

But nowhere is the caldron of discontent bubbling more than in our nation’s capital.

What would be the situation around the Chiefs right now if they were 2-3, instead of 0-5? Even without a victory on the season, and the apparent demotion of an assistant coach in the past week, there is not the feeling of desperation and negativity hanging over the team or the locker room. Nobody is happy, but they continue to put their head down, handle the work they’ve been given and hope to earn their first victory this Sunday when they play the Washington Redskins.

Now, the Skins are 2-3 and the kettle is boiling around the franchise. If you thought the Chiefs might be catching Washington at the right time, think again based on the comments of QB Jason Campbell.

“It’s not just another game,” Campbell told the media this week. “It’s a big game for us, for a lot of ways and a lot of reasons. We’re in a tough division. You can’t afford to fall too behind in your division. And for the morale of our team, to get confidence going back in the right direction, you got to do everything you can to get the win.”

There has been a lot of talking going on in our nation’s capital revolving around the Redskins. It comes from inside the locker room, and from outside, from former Redskins players who are not shy about expressing their opinion of what’s gone on there with managing owner Daniel Snyder (above), GM Vinny Cerrato and head coach Jim Zorn. …Read More!

Special Teams Makes Mark & Notes

From FedEx Field

When the ball popped out of Bobby Wade’s hands at the end of Sunday’s game against the Redskins, not only was the balance of the game in danger, so was the gold star for the Chiefs kicking game.

As they have been all season, the special teams were the most consistent part of the Chiefs performance against Washington. It starts with rookie kicker Ryan Succop and his four field goals on the day. There was ILB Demorrio Williams’ block of a Falcons punt, although he won’t get credit for a block because the ball went beyond the line of scrimmage. It just goes down as a five-yard punt.

There was the best kick return day of the season for Jamaal Charles and the coverage units again did a very good job in keeping a couple of talented returners (Antwaan Randle El and Santana Moss) under control.

Only punter Dustin Colquitt was off a bit, as he averaged just 39 yards a punt and the chiefs had a 33.4 net average. But he had quite a few field-position punts, where he was kicking on a short field.

But the Chiefs punt coverage team was able to finally down a punt. In the fourth quarter, Colquitt got off a field position punt that bounced in play but was headed for the end zone for a touchback. Terrence Cooper came flying in and flipped the ball back towards the field of play where Maurice Leggett grabbed it at the three-yard line.

It was a big play, because it turned the field position table and when the Redskins punted away four plays later, the Chiefs offense started a possession at the Washington 36-yard line. That led to the Succop FG that proved to be the winning points.

The Chiefs had another chance for a Succop field goal in the first quarter, when they had a fourth-and-two at the Redskins 24-yard line. But Todd Haley decided to go for the first down, rather than kick what would have been a 42 or 43-yard FG. QB Matt Cassel was sacked on the play and the Chiefs turned the ball over on downs.

“I had a mindset that I was playing to win,” said Haley. “I wish I would’ve called a better p lay. That was the end of the field that the wind was coming out of. We were really struggling to kick in that direction in the pre-game. We were right on the edge of where we thought he (Succop) could kick.”

PASS PROTECTION HAS CASSEL RUNNING FOR HIS LIFE

The Chiefs pass protection problems were not solved in the team’s first victory of the season. They gave up five sacks of Cassel in 37 passing plays, a very bad ratio of one every 7.4 passing plays. On the season, that’s now 22 sacks in 209 pass plays.

Filling in for the injured Branden Albert at left tackle, Wade Smith struggled all day to handle the Redskins rush, especially from DE Andre Carter. He got credit for two of the five sacks. The others went to rookie Brian Orakpo, LB Chris Wilson and DT Albert Haynesworth and DE Philip Daniels split a sack.

Press box stats also credited the Washington defense with 10 quarterback hurries. Cassel ran six times – all in passing situations – and it was a tough day for the young quarterback.

ZEBRA REPORT

The crew of referee Tony Corrente was busy but they did not take over the game, as there were 11 flags walked off against both teams. There were no apparent major blunders and both head coaches did not ask for any instant replay challenges.

The day did not start well for the Chiefs as TE Leonard Pope was flagged on the opening kickoff for holding. Other miscreants wearing a red and gold uniform were LB Brian Waters (holding)

PERSONNEL MATTERS

The game-day inactive players for the Chiefs had no surprises. Rookies WR Quinten Lawrence, CB Donald Washington, TE Jake O’Connell and LB Pierre Walters did not dress. They were joined by injured veterans LT Branden Albert and FS Jarrad Page, plus TE Brad Cottam. The inactive third quarterback was Matt Gutierrez.

All those moves made CB Mike Richardson active for his first game with the Chiefs. The expected moves were made in the starting lineup with Wade Smith stepping in at LT for Albert and Jon McGraw working as the FS for Page. That last move affected the nickel defense, as S DaJuan Morgan came on the field as a safety, McGraw moved to the LB spot he’s played the last three weeks and Richardson was the extra cornerback.

Chiefs Defense Befuddles Dazed Skins

From FedEx Field

The Washington Redskins are not exactly a football juggernaut when it comes to offense.

In fact, they are just terrible as they showed again on Sunday against the Chiefs. But one of the reasons they looked so bad was the Kansas City defense.

Mixing and matching his nickel defensive schemes, coordinator Clancy Pendergast had three quarterbacks scratching their heads and trying to figure out what was coming next. That would be Washington head coach Jim Zorn, a former NFL quarterback who calls the plays for the Redskins. Zorn’s starter Jason Campbell and his backup Todd Collins who entered the game in the second half.

None of them were able to solve the Chiefs defense. Oh, there were plays here and there that the Redskins hit with, big plays in fact. RB Clinton Portis went 78 yards on a third quarter running play. Collins hooked up with WR Santana Moss on a 42-yard pass play.

The Redskins had 265 yards in total offense, with 120 of those yards coming on two plays. That left 51 plays for 145 yards or 2.8 yards per play.

“We had a good plan for them,” said DE Glenn Dorsey, who played another good game up front. Press box stats had Dorsey taking part in seven total tackles on the afternoon. “They gashed us a couple times, but overall we were able to get off the field.” …Read More!

L.J. Enjoys Homecoming Victory

From FedEx Field

“I was getting calls and e-mails and texts all hours of the night. Guys that I played ankle-bitter football with, guys I played PAL (Police Athletic League) with, guys I went to high school with. It was great to come here and get a win in the city I was born in.”

Sunday was a homecoming for Larry Johnson. Yes he went to high school in State College, Pennsylvania, played his college ball there too at Penn State.

But it was in the Washington D.C. suburbs where Johnson was born and where he spent his formative years as his father was coaching high school football. Larry Sr. remains a legend in Maryland high school football for his nine seasons (1983-91) coaching at Maurice J. McDonough High School in Pomfret. That’s in Charles County, southeast of the District of Columbia. McDonough won three Maryland 3-A state championships under Larry Sr., and his record there was 139-36.

He went on to coach for two seasons (1992-93) at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia. That’s the program made famous in the movie Remember the Titans.

Larry Jr. was 17 years old when his father got a job on Joe Paterno’s coaching staff with the Nittany Lions. So a lot of childhood memories for L.J. came in places like Pomfret and Alexandria and other small burgs around the nation’s capital. …Read More!

Commentary: If You Can’t Beat Him, Join Him

From FedEx Field

There have been times over the last nine months where Dwayne Bowe had swallowed so much junk from Todd Haley that he thought he would explode.

Almost from his first day on the Chiefs campus, Haley was after Bowe about his training, his weight, his personality, his hands, his attitude, his focus, his understanding of the offense; to Bowe it seemed like the head coach didn’t like him. Into his third season in the NFL, Bowe couldn’t understand how he’d survived so long by doing so many things wrong.

There were moments when it would all bubble up inside of him and he’d pondered dark thoughts about his coach and his future in the game.

Yet, there was Bowe on Sunday afternoon just moments after his teammates had given Haley a Gatorade shower, standing there laughing with his tormentor and congratulating him on his first victory as an NFL head coach.

“He knows what it takes; he built Larry (Fitzgerald) up to be a great receiver,” said Bowe. “I see it; I know it and I’m trying to get there.

“I’m on board.” …Read More!

Victory At Last For Chiefs, 14-6 Over Redskins

From FedEx Field

Artistically, it was no masterpiece. The folks in Canton will not be calling for artifacts from the afternoon. The highlights will not dominate Sports Center for the next two days.

But in the homes of Scott Pioli, Todd Haley, their staffs, the players and anyone who still cares a wit about Chiefs football, it was the prettiest darned outcome of a football game this franchise has seen for some time.

Chiefs 14, Redskins 6.

No more losing streak. No more bubbling pain in the stomach. No more headaches.

“We made it difficult right down to the end,” said Haley, still dripping from the Gatorade shower he got on the sidelines in the closing seconds of the game. “We pushed through a very difficult period and we needed to get some positive reinforcement.”

The Chiefs ended their nine-game losing streak with a performance that was short on explosion, but long on determination and guile. The offense did not score a touchdown. The defense didn’t score a touchdown, but they did provide two points from a safety.

The guy who did all the scoring was the rookie kicker Ryan Succop, who was four-for-four and ended up getting the game ball from his head coach, who had been given the game ball by QB Matt Cassel, who had been on the field and took the last snap of the game.

“I didn’t believe it until I called the victory formation in the huddle,” Cassel said afterwards.

For Cassel and 18 other players who were dressed and on the field Sunday, it was their first taste of victory in a Chiefs uniform. …Read More!

Practice Report 10/15 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

When Dick Vermeil and Herm Edwards were the head coach, the Chiefs practice Thursday morning would have been held indoors.

But for the second day in a row, Todd Haley took his team outside in cool, breezy and wet conditions. In fact, they are pretty much the conditions expected in suburban Washington D.C. on Sunday when the Chiefs play the Redskins at FedEx Field.

“Having been in Arizona for two years I really thought that was something that hurt us, the fact it was too  nice all the time,” Haley said. “We never really had the mental mindset to play in poor conditions. I think it could be a huge advantage for us here, as long as it’s not holding us back.

“The fields are a little bit of an issue when it’s messy, but I still  think the benefits out weigh the negatives.”

The National Weather Service prediction for Sunday afternoon in Landover, Maryland is temperatures in the mid 40s, with a 60 percent chance of percipitation.

“It’s good to get acclimated to the environment, cold weather and the conditions,” said QB Matt Cassel. “I know Sunday the forecast is kind of bleak, so it’s good to be out there  in the cold weather and getting used to the conditions.”

The Chiefs also have a new advisor on the practice field for several weeks: former NFL cornerback Otis Smith. …Read More!

Checking Up On Rookies … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

Evaluating a team’s NFL draft class in the hours after the selection meeting has ended ranks as one of the most stupefying actions in any given year by pundits in the media and NFL front offices.

Making decisions based on five games in the NFL is not as bad, but it certainly is not enough of a sample to make definitive judgment on these rookies.

That’s because every day is something new for these young men.

Take DE Alex Magee, the Chiefs third-round draft choice out of Purdue. One day after practice, Magee was asked what he learned that day. Magee pondered the question for a moment with a perplexed look on his face. With brow furrowed, he said:

“Learn? I learn something every day. That’s all it’s been day-after-day. I couldn’t give you one thing.”

No. 1 pick DE Tyson Jackson feels the same way.

“Every week is a new team, a new player across the line of scrimmage,” said Jackson. “These are all first time things for me.” …Read More!

OPPONENT: Washington Redskins

2009 record: 2-3, with victories over St. Louis and Tampa Bay and losses to the N.Y. Giants, Detroit and Carolina.

Last year’s record: 8-8, fourth place in the NFC East.

Record for the last five seasons: 39-44, with two appearances in the playoffs in ’05 and ’07.

Last appearance in the playoffs: They dropped a wildcard game in the ’07 playoffs at Seattle 35-14. Last victory in the playoffs came in ’04, when they won a wildcard game against Tampa Bay 17-10, before losing in the next round to the Seahawks 20-10.

Head coach: Jim Zorn, in his second season has a 10-11 record. Zorn played 11 years in the NFL at quarterback, with most of that time in Seattle with the Seahawks where he was the team’s first QB when the team began in 1976. He spent eight years in college coaching, before joining the Seahawks in ’97 as an offensive assistant. Zorn went on to Detroit and then back to Seattle where he was the Hawks quarterback coach for seven years.

Coordinators: Sherman Smith, offense; Greg Blache, defense; Danny Smith, special teams. …Read More!

Practice Report 10/14 Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

The mystery of No. 55 has been solved and it’s bad news for RB Jackie Battle.

A shoulder injury sent Battle to the injured-reserve list on Wednesday, ending his season after five games. Head coach Todd Haley said the team expects Battle will need surgery on the injury.

Taking his spot on the active roster on Wednesday was the unknown No. 55 who was practicing with the team: OLB Justin Rogers. At 6-4, 246 pounds, Rogers is in his third NFL season. He broke into the league with the right pedigree to get picked up by the Chiefs, as he was a sixth-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft by … the New England Patriots.

Rogers was released after his rookie training camp, but claimed on waivers by the Cowboys. He played in 31 games over the last two seasons,  with three tackles on defense and 34 in the kicking game. Special teams is obviously where he’ll get the chance to make his first impressions with the Chiefs.

Battle had carried the ball seven times for 21 yards and caught two  passes for minus-three yards. But he was leading the team with six tackles on special teams and the second-year RB was on all four major kicking game units.

The move with Battle opens the door to a quick trip back to the active roster for RB Kolby Smith. He’s currently on the PUP List because of the knee injury he suffered last year. Starting next week, Smith can begin practicing and the team would then have a three-week window to make a decision on his future. The Chiefs have indicated they think Smith is ready to play.

The possibility of LT Branden Albert playing this Sunday against Washington doesn’t sound good based on the comments of Haley after Wednesday’s practice. …Read More!