Haley On Coaches/Part 1 … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

Todd Haley got a late start putting together his coaching staff for the 2009 season.

That left him in a position where he was concerned about the kind of coaches he would be able to hire for his first chance at being a head coach.

When the smoke cleared, Haley was very satisfied with the group he put together especially men like offensive line coach Bill Muir (left).

“It exceeded my expectations because of the late start,” said Haley. “To get some of the guys that we were able to bring in here has been a huge help to me in getting everything off the ground. We are all learning from each other and I think that’s a great way to bring a staff together.

“Not one person has all the answers, so we sit and talk a lot about methods, philosophy and the way we want to get things done.”

None of those assistant coaches has been available to the media; that’s pretty much standard operating procedure in the football worlds where Haley and GM Scott Pioli learned their trade. Those restrictions will have to lessen a bit once the season starts because under NFL mandate coordinators must be made available to speak to the media.

But since the assistants have not been allowed to speak, we asked Haley to talk about his staff. On Tuesday, we’ll cover the offense. On Wednesday the coach will speak of his staff on defense and special teams. Read More..

Explosion Needed … Monday Cup O’Chiefs

Think about it for a second.

How many explosive plays can you remember from the Chiefs over the last two seasons?

We are talking about game changing plays, like runs where the back burst through the line of scrimmage and got into the secondary for a major gain. Or long bombs in the passing game. How about punt and kickoff returns into the end zone for a score? Defensive touchdowns, like a sack, fumble, recovery and TD?

If they don’t come quickly to mind, there’s a reason: there weren’t many.

With a 6-26 record over the last two seasons, the Chiefs ability to win has been compromised by many things. One of the biggest factors has been the lack of big plays. They are few and far between for the Chiefs, whether on offense, defense or special teams.

Brandon Flowers picked off a Brett Favre pass and returned it 91 yards for a score in October ‘08. Tyron Brackenridge picked up a fumble by San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers and scored on a 50-yard return in October ‘07. Maurice Leggett returned a fake field goal fumble by Oakland 67 yards for a score and then grabbed an interception off Jay Cutler for 27 yards and a TD. Both of those came last season.

That’s it … the sum total of big plays. Four plays in four different games. The Chiefs were 2-2 in those games.

Doesn’t sound like much, but when a team goes 4-12 and 2-14, that’s 33 percent of the victories. Read More..

Colquitt’s Comeback … Weekend Cup O’Chiefs 6-27/28

First it was a groin pull, where eventually the muscle pulled away from the bone.

Then it was a sports hernia.

Finally, there was damage to his pelvis.

Physical problems No. 1 and 2 required surgery. All three meant a great deal of rehab that started in January.

Through those injuries last year, Dustin Colquitt kept punting. He missed two games when the groin pull became too much to bear. But he came back and kicked the rest of the season. In that time, he couldn’t practice during the week and he had problems running. Every day was an adventure in pain, treatment and patience.

Years from now, fans will look at Colquitt’s numbers for the 2008 season – a -yard gross average and a -yard net average – and think it was an ordinary to good year for the punter out of Tennessee.

Those numbers can in no way explain the physical, mental and emotional pain that Colquitt endured during what proved to be a long, long season.

“It was a tough year,” Colquitt said. “I read and heard some things where people said I had lost it, or wasn’t having a good year, that it was time for the Chiefs to find another punter, stuff like that … if people only knew.”

There are some fans who think being mysterious about injuries is something new to the Chiefs under the direction of GM Scott Pioli. Not so. Last year under Herm Edwards players were told specifically not to talk about their injuries. Sometimes they slipped and revealed too much to the media. They ended up hearing about it from the coaching staff and one player said he was fined for giving away information on his health. Read More..

Chiefs Sign Another Choice

Seventh-round draft choice Jake O’Connell signed with the Chiefs on Friday.

The tight end out of Miami of Ohio signed a three-year deal for $1.3 million.

He becomes the third of the Chiefs eight draft picks to sign, joining fifth-round OT Colin Brown and fellow seventh-rounder K Ryan Succop.

Haley’s Special Teams View … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

Over their first 49 seasons of play, the kicking game has always been important to the Dallas Texans-Kansas City Chiefs.

The Texans won the 1962 AFL Championship with Tommy Brooker’s field goal to beat the Houston Oilers in double overtime. Jan Stenerud is the only kicker in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and he was drafted and played most of his career with the Chiefs. Noland Smith and Dante Hall are in the game’s record book for their kick/punt returning performances.

The team has had two head coaches who got their starts in pro football as the NFL’s first special teams coaches: Dick Vermeil and Marv Levy. They had a third head coach in the late Frank Gansz who is considered one of the best kicking game coach in league history.

None of that was visible during the disastrous 2-14 season of 2008. Other than a solid punting year from an injured Dustin Colquitt, the kicking game had nothing but turmoil and ordinary performances. The kicker, the snapper, the returners, the coverage people were all found wanting. They finished among the five worst special teams groups in the league.

The Chiefs look to recapture those glory days in the kicking game under Todd Haley and special teams coach Steve Hoffman (right), with help from defensive assistant Ronnie Bradford.

“The first time we got to hear from Coach Haley, he made it plain that special teams are important,” said punter Dustin Colquitt. “He pointed out our special teams coach Steve Hoffman and said ‘If you want to make this team, everybody go talk to him because you won’t make it if you can’t play special teams.’

“He made sure everybody knew there was an emphasis on it.” Read More..

Haley’s Defensive View … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

“You don’t have to put yourself in a box.”

Those words belong to Chiefs head coach Todd Haley and that is the attitude his team will take into preparing its defense for the 2009 season.

While those outside the team may be hung up on whether it will play a 4-3 or a 3-4 defense, Haley is more concerned with using the talents on his roster to field a stout and dominating defense that will give the Chiefs a chance to win.

“You have to utilize the players that you have,” Haley said, later mentioning by name LB Derrick Johnson (right). “If you have some creativity and imagination with these guys you can find some things these guys do pretty well.”

There’s no question the Chiefs are moving toward a base defense that will be dominated by the 3-4 scheme. But that’s unlikely to happen in the first year under defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast. Along with assistant coaches Tim Krumrie, Gary Gibbs, Ronnie Bradford and Pat Perles, they will be mixing and matching all sorts of defensive concepts, based on the roster and what opponents may be doing on offense.

Has too much been made about whether it’s a 4-3 or 3-4 defense?

“Yes, I think there’s been too much made of it,” said Haley. “In today’s game, with more and more teams spreading out on offense, half the time you are in the nickel package any way. There are so many variations and things that are going on to be labeled one thing.”

According to Haley, eventually the Chiefs will be a team that runs the 3-4 defense.

“I just think that’s good business,” said Haley. Read More..

Chiefs Sign Another Brown

Kansascity.com is reporting this afternoon that the Chiefs have come to an agreement with veteran safety Mike Brown.

An unrestricted free agent after nine seasons with the Chicago Bears, the 31-year old Brown joins the roster with 415 total tackles, five sacks, 17 interceptions and four touchdowns on INT returns.

Injuries have been a major problem for the Nebraska product in recent seasons, although he did play 15 of 16 games last season with the Bears.  He played only one game in 2007, six games in 2006, 12 games  in 2005 and two games in 2004.  The last time he played a full 16-game schedule was six years ago.

Chiefs Reach Deal With Brown

The Scout website is reporting Wednesday morning an agreement between the Chiefs and fifth-round draft choice Colin Brown.

Reportedly it’s a three year deal, totaling $1.34 million with a signing bonus at $154,000.

Brown was represented by agent Joe Linta.  He becomes the second of eight draft choices to agree to terms with the team,  joining K Ryan Succop.

Haley’s Offensive Philosophy … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

The play was called Fake Toss 339 Taxi Pass X-Pylon.

How it came to be created, implemented and called tells us something about Todd Haley, his approach to offense and how he hopes the Chiefs will go about moving the football in the upcoming 2009 season.

But before we find out about the play call mentioned above, we must touch on the basics with the Chiefs new head coach for his offensive philosophy and those who have influenced his approach.

“It sounds like coaching jargon, but my offensive philosophy is to utilize the players that we have to the best of their ability,” Haley said. “That’s the way I’ve been taught; whatever gives us the best chance to win.

“If that is three yards and a cloud of dust, we don’t turn the football over and we play great defense, I’ll be the happiest guy after games.”

Last year, when he was creating game plans and calling plays as the offensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals, the best chance to win was throwing the football. With Kurt Warner behind center and receivers like Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, it didn’t make much sense to do anything else.

That the Cardinals finished last in the NFL in rushing yards per game (73.6 yards) had nothing to do with scheme or preference, and everything to do with not having the tools necessary to be a good running team.

“That’s a great example of what I’m talking about,” Haley said. “We were not able to run the ball real efficiently. There were a number of reasons for that. We had a big problem at tight end with injuries. At the end of the year we picked up a tight end off the street in Steve Spach and once we had him, we started to run the ball more effectively.

“We could have said, hey we are going to run it and we don’t care about the results. We obviously showed pretty quick that we could move the ball through the air, so we tried to play to our strengths.” Read More..

Look at ‘09 Draft Class Part 2 … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

On Monday we looked at the performances of the first four Chiefs 2009 draft choices during the off-season program and their prognosis for playing time and contributions during the coming season.

Today, we look at the remaining four draft choices, starting with sixth-round selection WR Quentin Lawrence.

The adjustment from McNeese State to the NFL has been a tough one at times for Lawrence. He’s heard the voice of Haley in his ear several times, and the head coach wasn’t whispering sweet nothings to his young receiver.

“The transition from college to the NFL has been the toughest part,” Lawrence admitted. “College was laid back, but here everything is up tempo, Coach Haley wants everything done in a certain way and he wants a certain tempo and that’s fast. Every day it gets a little bit easier.

“But yeah, I’ve heard from the coach.”

Focus has been Lawrence’s problem. It’s shown up on offense, as he’s run some bad routes and dropped a few passes. It showed up on special teams, when he was catching punts and dropped two of the four kicked to him.

“I definitely got an education with that,” Lawrence said of the punt returns. “I really didn’t do much of that in college, so it’s not something I’m used to.”

What Lawrence has shown is the athletic ability and speed that made him a draftable player. Several times in passing drills he simply ran past young cornerbacks trying to cover him. That’s why Haley has been tough on him, because he sees the skills that Lawrence could bring to the offense. His speed is something nobody else on the roster has at that position.

But none of it matters if he can’t get to where he’s supposed to be on the route. Read More..

Look At ‘09 Draft Class Part 1 … Monday Cup O’Chiefs

It happened in the Chiefs first OTA session several weeks ago.

When the offensive and defensive lines went to a pass protection drill, No. 1 draft choice Tyson Jackson put his hand on the ground and went against 12-year veteran guard Mike Goff.

Jackson went three times against Goff. In the space of about 90 seconds he was welcomed to the NFL.

“They know everything those offensive linemen,” Jackson said last week as the Chiefs wrapped up their off-season practices. “A guy like him (Goff) has seen everything and there wasn’t much I could show him.”

This comment comes from Jackson with a smile on his face, because he knows that if he’s going to be successful in the NFL, he must find a way to show those offensive linemen something they haven’t seen before from him.

“Oh yeah, I tried some stuff and I’m going to keep trying some stuff,” he said. “If I’m going to get to the quarterback, then I’ve got to find some moves that work.”

Jackson and the rest of his fellow draft choices got welcomed to the NFL over the last six weeks since they were selected back in late April. They’ve learned the way Todd Haley and his staff want them to practice. They learned that they must get in better shape because the veterans had an entire month head-start in the strength and conditioning program.

They learned that there’s a lot they need to learn.

“Oh yeah, it’s something new every day,” said third-round draft choice Alex Magee. “At the start it was all new and your head is spinning. Now, I know I feel more comfortable.” Read More..

Players on Longer Season …Weekend Cup O’Chiefs

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO ALL THE DADS OUT THERE.

From America’s Highways & Byways

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wants to expand the NFL’s regular-season schedule.

Goodell wants 17 or 18 games, rather than the current 16 that has been the league’s schedule since the 1978 season.

Chiefs veteran RG Mike Goff answered a question with his own question when asked about the expanded schedule.

“Has the Commissioner ever played 16 games in a season?” the 12-year veteran asked.

When told Goodell had never played pro football, Goff scratched his beard and shook his head.

“I don’t know what the answer is, but at some point it’s too much,” Goff said.

That reflected many of the comments from other veteran players in the Chiefs locker room who were asked about the possibility of a longer regular season. At the NFL meetings back in March, Goodell floated the idea of expanding the regular-season schedule to either 17 or even possibly 18 games. The Commissioner has said the time-frame would remain the same as today’s 21 weeks for four pre-season games, 16 regular season games and a bye week. Read More..

Chiefs Slice Four

The Chiefs on Friday released four players: long snapper Thomas Gafford, wide receiver C.J. Jones, DT T.J. Jackson and LB Darrell Robertson.

Gafford snapped in nine games last year, while Jackson appeared in four games.  Jones and Robertson had never stepped on the field wearing a Chiefs uniform.

The team’s roster stands at 81.

What Didn’t Get Done … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

From America’s Highways & Byways

There was a lot that got done with the Chiefs during the last six months.

But then, there was a lot to do.

And the new regime of Scott Pioli/Todd Haley has not solved all the problems, plugged all the holes or gotten every questioned answered.

There are some things that didn’t get done.  Here’s the top five.

GETTING BRIAN WATERS ON BOARD

There’s no question that Waters is one of the team’s best players. Now, that may be damning him with faint praise given the team is 6-26 over the last two years, but other than Larry Johnson, he’s the only returning Chiefs player who has sniffed the Pro Bowl.

Most people consider Waters one of the team’s leaders. Now again, that’s a tainted label given the fact the team has performed so poorly in recent years. The media likes to label Waters a leader, but that’s because the guard is always approachable and always willing to talk. If he’s as much a leader as everyone thinks, then he needs to start doing a better job of leading.

No matter what happened between Waters and Haley in their now famous hallway conversation back in February, that situation should be history. It appears it is not from Waters perspective. His only appearance was for the mandatory mini-camp, when missing would have lead to a fine. He showed up and was out of shape compared to his teammates. There was still pout in his demeanor.

It’s going to be very interesting to see what type of shape Waters is when he arrives in Wisconsin. It’s going to take him a lot of work over the next six weeks to get his conditioning to the level that Haley is looking for from his players. Read More..

What the Chiefs Got Done … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

The veterans are out and about, enjoying a six-week vacation from the Chiefs facilities. The rookies are hanging around for another week, before they must head off to the NFL Rookie Symposium and then get their vacation.

Scott Pioli spent six months working on the roster. Todd Haley and his staff spent five months trying to mold the players into three units that will be prepared to perform come September. And some 85 players spent the last three months sweating, toiling and working to understand the new coach and his assistants.

OK, make that 83, leaving Brian Waters and Mike Vrabel out of the equation.

So just what did the Chiefs get accomplished over the last few months? Here are five things that they got done. On Friday, we’ll look at five things that did not get done.

THE PLAYERS GOT INTO CONDITION

Haley made it obvious to the players from the first day of their off-season program that there was going to be a new emphasis on strength and conditioning. This is something Haley brought with him from his previous coaching experiences and it’s also something designed to overcome one of the Chiefs biggest problems in recent years: the fourth quarter. Read More..