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!