Chiefs Ultimate Power Rankings Of The 2000s

(Editor’s note: Our man Enrique has outdone himself with his post on the most memorable games of the last decade for the Chiefs. Not only does he provide his thoughts on each game, but he’s linked each one to video of the game on YouTube. Just open the hyperlink on each entry and you’ll have video to watch with Enrique’s words. Happy New Year!)

Thanks to Dick Vermeil, on November 23rd, 2003 I was able to visit Arrowhead Stadium for the first time; and whatever things I heard before about the venue, were nothing compared to the actual experience of being there. From the streets to the offices, from the tailgates to the stands, and from the booths to the field, the happening went well beyond my expectations, and that truly constitutes my highlight of the decade.

Of course, it didn’t stop there. All in all, there were 203 games, pre-season, regular season and post-season. There were many wins … and there were too many losses. There were shining stars … and there were colossal busts. There were championship hopes … and there were rebuilding stops. What was the greatest feat? The Chiefs remained relevant. And that will do it … for now.

But the decade has come to an end, and as we get ready to tackle the next 10 years, we took one last look back to gather the compilation that will remind you of what was left behind only to be better prepared for the near future. Enjoy your Chiefs’ Ultimate Power Rankings Of The Decade: …Read More!

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.