Practice Report/Update – 9/30

From Arrowhead Stadium

Todd Haley says it will go right up to Sunday morning whether or not either CB Brandon Flowers or SS Jon McGraw plays against Minnesota.

Both defensive backs are listed as questionable on the team’s injury report to the NFL on Friday afternoon. They have been limited participants in practice this week because of ankle (Flowers) and shin (McGraw) injuries that were suffered last Sunday in the game against San Diego. Both were listed as limited participants in Friday’s practice inside Arrowhead Stadium as the team finished their preparations for Sunday’s battle of the winless with the Vikings.

In the brief media window into practice all hands were on deck and working. Flowers seemed to be moving without a problem, while McGraw still appeared a bit slowed by his bruise – he’s wearing a pad over the area.

WR Jonathan Baldwin (thumb) was catching passes, but he’s been declared out of Sunday’s game. That ups the total of games missed to four regular season and seven overall after suffering the injury on August 16.

DE Brandon Bair who missed Wednesday’s practice with an illness is listed as probable, but he’ll likely be a game-day inactive player.

For the Vikings, they list two players as questionable: LB E.J. Henderson (knee) and S Jamarca Sanford (thigh). Henderson was limited in practice. Minnesota lists as probable: RB Adrian Peterson (calf), S Tyrell Johnson (hip), TE Jim Kleinsasser (elbow), CB Asher Allen (toe), CB Chris Cook (groin) and DT Kevin Williams (foot).

Forgetting the Facts … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

It’s hard not to like Jared Allen.

The former Chiefs-now Vikings defensive end is the definition of gregarious. During most of his time with the Chiefs from being drafted in 2004 to be traded in the spring of 2008, he was the life of the party. There wasn’t a group of any kind that he couldn’t mingle with. He made friends with the wealthy tuxedo crowd and with the guys in flannel shirts, jeans and John Deere caps.

He ran with the bulls in Spain and hunted wild animals with nothing but a knife. He came back from one off-season with a new tattoo. It was the picture of a male deer with a big rack of horns and it was placed between his pubic area and belly button. The writing with the picture said: “All you can eat under a buck.”

That was Jared Allen. He was outrageous, he was funny, and he had a short-attention span. There was a time where he lost his starting job in training camp for a few days when Gunther Cunningham caught him staring at a plane flying high above the practice field in River Falls and had no idea what the defensive coordinator had just said.

Then in April 2008, he was gone. Allen was traded to Minnesota for draft choices that eventually became LT Branden Albert, RB Jamaal Charles and S DaJuan Morgan. With the Vikings, he signed a 6-year, $73.26 million deal that at the time was the biggest contract in NFL history for a defensive player.

From the uproar of his controversial departure through this week when he spoke with the Kansas City media in anticipation of Sunday’s game at Arrowhead Stadium, Jared Allen continues to entertain.

When talking about his daughter (due in late October) and how he may handle things as a father when she’s 16 years old and the boys start showing up, he said:

“I’ve got a lot of guns, so it will be just fine hopefully.” …Read More!

4 Things Chiefs Must Do To Beat Vikes/Recap

From Arrowhead Stadium

4

RUN THE BALL

Even without Jamaal Charles, down for the season due to a knee injury, the Chiefs have enough talent that they should be able to run the ball. They need desperately to start stringing together longer drives that would allow the defense to stay off the field. Opponents average nearly 9 minutes, 30 seconds more in time of possession. Part of that is the fault of the Chiefs defense. Part of that is an offense that can’t sustain drives and hasn’t been able to run the ball with effectiveness. FAILED – the attempts to replace Jamaal Charles with the running back by committee is not getting the job done. They had just 103 yards rushing on 28 carries, or 3.7 yards per run. Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster had just 63 yards between them on 18 carries.

3

IMPROVEMENT FROM CASSEL

In the first three games it has not been a good season for Matt Cassel. While his completion percentage is at a career high level, all of his other statistics are down, some considerably. He’s averaging just 5.2 yards per attempt and has thrown five interceptions, including one last week that ended a late-game opportunity for the Chiefs to win or tie the game and go to overtime. Cassel has found receivers in WR Dwayne Bowe and RB Dexter McCluster, but he hasn’t connected with his other wide receivers, including Steve Breaston. Only Jacksonville has thrown the ball for fewer yards than the Chiefs 130.7 yards per game, and one of the Jaguars’ games was played in a monsoon. Cassel needs to stabilize his play and step forward. SUCCESS – It was Cassel’s best performance of the season, as he continued to keep his completion percentage above 60 percent and improved his average yards per attempt.

2

MAKE MCNABB UNCOMFORTABLE

At the end of his successful career, Donovan McNabb does not have the legs he did when he broke into the league. That makes him less of a running threat and more of a pocket passer. So far this year, McNabb has struggled with his accuracy, as he’s completed 58 percent of his passes, but has averaged just 5.9 yards per attempt. He’s thrown only one INT, but he has been sacked eight times, or once every 11 passing plays. Last week, the Chiefs did a good job of keeping San Diego’s Phillip Rivers off-balance and he did not have a good day throwing the ball. They need all that and more against the Vikings. SUCCESS – Although the Chiefs had only two sacks, they were keeping McNabb’s feet moving throughout the game. Along with those sacks came at least five other plays where the Chiefs hit McNabb. They got the job done.

1

CONTAIN A.P.

The Chiefs are not going to shut down Adrian Peterson. Over his career, Peterson has averaged 95 rushing yards per game. If the K.C. defense can hold him to his average consider that a victory. They have to make sure he doesn’t snap off the big running plays that are so much a part of his signature. Broken tackles are also part of the A.P. profile and the Chiefs need to do something we have not seen much of in the first three games – rally to the ball. To contain Peterson, he must be surrounded by tacklers; seldom is one man going to bring him down. SUCCESS – The Chiefs run defense kept Peterson contained and he broke off just one long run. Otherwise, the Vikings couldn’t get much going on the ground, save for end-around runs by WR Percy Harvin.

Flowers Sucks It Up

From Arrowhead Stadium

There was probably no way that Brandon Flowers should have been on the field Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

Not with his injured right ankle. As much a tough guy as Flowers is, when he went to bed Saturday night at the Chiefs hotel, he didn’t think it was going to happen. With all sorts of machines strapped to his ankle, helping stimulate the sprain and improve the blood flow and all of those modern day tricks of medicine, Flowers didn’t think it was going to happen.

“But I woke up this morning and it didn’t feel too bad,” Flowers said after playing all but two defensive plays in the Chiefs 22-17 victory over the Vikings. “I came out here and they wanted to see me move and I did. I was kind of slow, but I felt like I could go.”

Flowers sprained the ankle at the end of an interception return last Sunday in San Diego. Although Flowers didn’t use these words, others in the locker room have described the injury as a high ankle sprain. Those are feared words in the NFL because those types of sprains tend to take longer to heal than the average ankle sprain. Sometimes they can nag a player for months.

From the start, Flowers wasn’t buying that. At 5-9, 187 pounds, he may be the toughest player on the Chiefs roster. But even he was willing to say he didn’t know how things would go down for this game.

“I can’t say there was never a doubt,” Flowers said. “I felt like I could go this morning. Other times this week I didn’t feel that good. I’m just glad they gave me a chance to go out there and show that I could play.”

Flowers found himself part of the action all day. He made a tackle in run support of Adrian Peterson and when the ball popped loose at the end of the play, Flowers grabbed it. Officials on the field ruled the play a fumble, but a replay challenge from the Vikings showed that Peterson’s knee was down before the fumble.

He knocked down several passes, finished with four tackles and generally played a normal Brandon Flowers game. If the Vikings targeted him because of his injury, it wasn’t apparent in the way they attacked the Chiefs defense.

“I don’t go into a game expecting to be thrown at,” Flowers said. “I knew when I got out there I had to be able to run with those fast guys over there. I had to trust myself out there. I couldn’t think about it they were going to go at me or not.”

Flowers does not view the ankle as being a problem from this point on.

“With the great training staff we’ve got here, that they got me on the field for this game, I’m convinced they’ll have me right for next week and the week after that,” said Flowers.

Report Card: Vikings vs. Chiefs

From Arrowhead Stadium

RUSHING OFFENSE: D – The Chiefs are still having trouble getting their running game out of the blocks without Jamaal Charles. They ran 28 times, but averaged just 3.7 yards per carry. Jones, McCluster, Battle and Cassel all had runs of 10 yards or more. That’s four runs for 45 yards; it means the other 24 runs went for just 58 yards. They still do not have a rushing touchdown this season.

PASSING OFFENSE: B – For the first time this year, the Chiefs passing game seemed to be working off the same page of the playbook. QB Matt Cassel threw for 260 yards, in completing 62.1 percent of his passes and averaging 8.9 yards per attempt and 14.4 yards per completion. Protection was OK, as Cassel went down three times but otherwise had a good pocket to work with. Dwayne Bowe continues to play well and Steve Breaston is starting to show himself.

RUSHING DEFENSE: C – Had the Chiefs defense ever found a way to deal with the end-around runs by WR Percy Harvin they might have received a grade as high as A or B. They were able to contain Adrian Peterson nicely, giving him just 3.5 yards per carry on 23 runs. But Harvin had four runs for 67 yards, averaging 16.8 yards per run.

PASSING DEFENSE: B – Donovan McNabb may have had a pair of TD passes, but other than that he had trouble getting anything done in the passing game. The only receiver the Chiefs didn’t have an answer for was TE Visanthe Shiancoe, who caught six passes for 58 yards, most of those on inexperienced SS Donald Washington.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A – Top-notch performance across the board for the kicking game, led by K Ryan Succop and his 5-for-5 day on FGs. Dustin Colquitt averaged 48.7 yards a punt and coverage was excellent on both punts and kickoffs. Javier Arenas broke a nice 33-yard punt return early in the game as the whole return game is starting to show some life.

COACHING: B – Todd Haley and his staff deserve a lot of credit for their game plan and the willingness to adjust when circumstances called for change. The Chiefs only TD came on a play that wasn’t in the game plan, but was inserted in the second half when the offensive staff noticed how the Vikings were covering WR Dwayne Bowe in certain situations. Cassel and Bowe made the play work for a 52-yard score, but the coaching staff figured out a way to make something work.

The Play of The Game: Cassel to Bowe TD

From Arrowhead Stadium

Dwayne Bowe says he started hearing about it from his head coach on the plane ride home from San Diego last Sunday.

Todd Haley kept talking to his No. 1 receiver about “YAC” yards, otherwise known as yards gained after the catch.

“Coach likes to take pride in YAC and all week when I caught one, he’d make me sprint 20 yards down field,” Bowe said on Sunday, after the Chiefs 22-17 victory over the Vikings. “So when I get my hands on it, I’m hearing him scream ‘Get up the field! Get up the field!’

“It just carries over to the game.”

It certainly did on the Chiefs best play of the game – their only touchdown on a 52-yard play from QB Matt Cassel to Bowe. This was not a throw directly to Bowe in the end zone. Far from it; the throw landed in Bowe’s hands near the 20-yard line.

He scored with YAC.

Here’s the play: Its 2nd-and-3 at the Chiefs 48-yard line early in the fourth quarter. Dexter McCluster had just broken off a nice 7-yard run, one of his best of the day. The offense came out of the huddle with two backs, one tight end and two receivers, with Bowe split wide left. Head up on him was Vikings CB Cedric Griffin. Cassel was in the shotgun, took the snap and pumped once like he was going to throw left.

Griffin bit on the pump fake and Bowe got behind him. Griffin was falling to the ground and reached out and grabbed the receiver, drawing a flag but not slowing down Bowe at all. He was wide open, juggled the ball a bit at the 22-yard line before securing it. S Jamarca Sanford came over and made a weak attempt at a tackle, and Bowe shrugged him off. Griffin came back into the play, but Bowe put a move on him and then ran untouched into the end zone. That was a 30-yard pass and 22 yards of YAC.

“It was a simple hitch and go,” said Bowe. “They were rolling the coverage. Once I got off the line, I saw that Matt threw a remarkable ball. He gave it some air and I just came down with it and ran.”

Cassel gave all the credit to the Chiefs coaching staff for making an adjustment on the passing play.

“They saw Minnesota jumping some intermediate routes and we thought e had an opportunity,” said Cassel. “We didn’t have it in the game plan; it was put in on the sideline. They said he (Griffin) was jumping, so I pumped him.

“Sure enough it opened up just like we thought it would and Swayne did a great job. Once he gets that ball in his hands, there is no refusing him when he tries to get into the end zone.”

It was a tough pill for Griffin to swallow.

“The Chiefs just made a play on that play,” Griffin said. “I didn’t make a play. The Chiefs did. The quarterback and the receiver made a play for their team. And I didn’t. Good play for them.”

A.P. Gets Pounded All Day

From Arrowhead Stadium

It’s was one of the first questions asked of Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier after his team lost to the Chiefs 22-17 on Sunday.

“Coach, is Adrian Peterson hurt.”

“No, I think he’s fine,” Frazier said.

When Peterson plays an entire game and doesn’t have much of an influence on the outcome, it leads people to wonder if he was 100 percent healthy, or close to that level.

After the Vikings lost their fourth game of the season and Peterson had 80 yards on 23 carries, it was one of those days where he had little influence on the outcome.

Rather than healthy, that had more to do with the Chiefs defense. They knew going into the game that the key to beating Minnesota was making sure Peterson did not go crazy running the football. Over his career, he’s averaged 95 yards rushing per game. In the first three games of this season, Peterson averaged 5.1 yards per carry.

At Arrowhead on Sunday, he averaged 3.5 yards per carry. One run went for 14 yards, but the others were all for 7 yards or less and 8 carries went for 1-yard or less, with two negative runs. Peterson had 33 yards in the first quarter on five carries. After that, he had 47 yards in the next three quarters on 18 carries.

While the Chiefs didn’t shut him down, they did not allow Peterson to beat them. They forced the trigger into the hands of QB Donovan McNabb and that’s right where any defense wants it these days.

“He’s a special back and you have to be especially aware of him,” said ILB Derrick Johnson. “We just kept working hard on every play, making sure we got some bodies around him, making sure we didn’t allow him to jump through a crack and turn it into a big run.”

It happened early in the game, on his third carry Peterson got 14 yards. The Vikings lined up in a reversed wishbone alignment, with a pair of tight ends lined up in the backfield on either side of McNabb and Peterson as they deep back. He got loose when OLB Justin Houston missed a tackle and eventually got run out of bounds by FS Kendrick Lewis. On that 1st-and-20 play, Peterson got 14 yards.

The next two plays saw him run for five and seven yards, first hitting the right side, then the left side.

But from that point on, Peterson was largely ineffective. He had a pair of six-yard runs in the fourth quarter, but everything else was five yards or less.

“We kept the pressure on,” said DE Glenn Dorsey. “We knew we couldn’t slack off because it doesn’t take much and boom, he’s gone.”

The frustration in the Vikings locker room had almost a physical presence after Sunday’s game. Peterson was one of the last players out of the showers and the training room and by the time he was ready to speak, the frustration was simply rushing out of him.

“I hate losing,” Peterson said. “I feel like crying right now. It’s not a good feeling.

“Focus. Being honest, that’s what it comes down to with us. In really crucial situations, that’s when you’ve got to stand up, remain calm, remain focused, keep your poise and take advantage of those opportunities.

“It’s going to be something I’m going to be more vocal about, something I’m going to focus on to make sure I’m not that guy who’s doing it. It will be something for those guys who made those mistakes to look back on and try to erase.”

Finally, Breaston Making A Connection

From Arrowhead Stadium

In the hurry-up world that was the NFL off-season due to the owners’ lockout, there was no opportunity for Steve Breaston to spend time with QB Matt Cassel after he was signed as an unrestricted free agent.

Like all the other free agents in the league, Breaston signed, waited for the day when he could show up for training camp and when he finally got there, he was limited in the work he could do as he was still recovering from a knee procedure after the 2010 season.

A quiet guy by nature, Breaston just put his head down and kept working. His knee started feeling stronger and stronger. Each practice and game gave him more opportunities with Cassel.

It’s starting to pay off. While Dwayne Bowe was the game’s leading receiver in Sunday’s victory over Minnesota, Breaston had a breakthrough performance for his new team. Against the Vikings, he caught four passes for 91 yards, including a 42-yarder in the second quarter that set up one of Ryan Succop’s five field goals.

“There were tons of opportunities out there today, whether it was coming through the air or from the backfield,” Breaston said. “That’s exciting. That’s the type of things our offense has got to do to win games. It’s a good feeling that we can do those types of things.”

In the first two games of the season, Breaston caught 3 passes for 33 yards. In the last two games against San Diego and Minnesota, he caught 7 passes for 146 yards.

“It’s something I had to be patient with, but it’s working out,” Breaston said. “You can’t just walk in the door and expect everything to click without problems. It’s starting to happen and I think that’s with everybody on this team. I think everybody is starting to feel it coming together.

“When you play with confidence, then things can happen. I think today we played with confidence.”

And he’s showing he can be a down-the-field threat, with catches of 28 and 42 yards against the Vikings and a 43-yard catch against the Chargers.

Suddenly, Cassel has deep threats on either side of him in Bowe and Breaston.

“Steve continues to show up and go a great job,” Cassel said. “The receivers made great plays. Hopefully we can build off of this.”

Count on said Breaston.

“I’m so happy for these guys getting their first win, breathing a little bit,” he said. “The biggest thing is going into next week focusing on the positive things, correcting mistakes, come out and get two in a row.”

The Up and Down Life Of A Kicker

From Arrowhead Stadium

From outhouse, to penthouse … in the span of eight days – that was the trip Chiefs K Ryan Succop took in the last week and a day.

In San Diego last Sunday, he missed a very makeable 38-yard field goal and the Chiefs lost by three points to the Chargers.

A week later, Succop hit all five of his FG attempts, including a pair that were both beyond 50 yards, and he was one of the stars of the game in the Chiefs 22-17 victory over the Vikings.

“It was a little bit of a roller coaster, but I feel really, really blessed to have this opportunity for my team,” Succop said. “This was a huge victory for our team. It feels good to get that first win.”

Succop hit field goals of 22, 24, 40, 51 and 54 yards. On top of that, he kicked off six times; all of them went into the end zone and had stayed there for touchbacks.

“Ryan did a terrific job kicking the ball off and on field goals,” head coach Todd Haley said. “There was one that was a little steep and I was waffling back and forth on the 54-yarder. But Andy Studebaker, with conviction said to me, he’ll make it, so that was a good decision.” …Read More!

Column: Passion Lights Chiefs Fire

From Arrowhead Stadium

Excuse Todd Haley’s memory should you wish to speak about a moment on the sidelines in a just completed game where he seemed, well where he seemed less than happy.

You see, there are just so many of those moments that it’s hard to keep them all straight.

“I have a number of coaching moments throughout a game,” Haley said after the Chiefs beat the Vikings 22-17 for their first victory of the season. “I don’t know specifically the time we are talking about … I give a lot of motivational speeches throughout the game.”

The time “we” meaning the media was talking about came in the second quarter and it involved his struggling QB Matt Cassel. Here’s the scene: there were just over five minutes to play in the first half, the Chiefs were down 7-3 and faced a 3rd-and-6 situation at the Minnesota 6-yard line. The play called by the coaching staff was a screen pass to the left side of the offense. Last Sunday, that play featured Dexter McCluster and everyone remembers how that ended – a San Diego interception.

This time, the Vikings sniffed out the screen and had FB Le’Ron McClain surrounded. Cassel never looked anywhere else; he just drilled the ball into the ground for an incompletion. That made it fourth down and led to one of Ryan Succop’s five FGs.

When Cassel came to the sidelines, he got an earful from Haley. This is not an isolated moment. If you are going to play for Haley, your hide must be thick and willing to put up with the sharp verbal attacks the head coach delivers. If you are going to play quarterback for Haley, you’d better have a Kevlar hide just to protect your vital organs.

Haley spoke his piece, and then Cassel did the same. Then Haley, then Cassel – we are talking a pair of hard-headed, stubborn competitors each one attempting to get in the last word. Eventually, McClain and Thomas Jones got in between the two and the moment was gone.

It would still be gone had it not been captured by the TV cameras, so everyone could see the “discussion.” …Read More!

Chiefs Enjoy Season’s First Victory, 22-15 Over Vikings

From Arrowhead Stadium

It would be wrong to describe the Chiefs post-game locker room as a place of great celebration Sunday after their 22-17 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Oh, make no mistake that the Chiefs were excited about their first victory of the season and the end to a losing streak that stretches back to before New Year’s Day 2011. They shouted, they jumped about, they laughed and they smiled.

But it didn’t take long for that room filled with guys wearing red and gold to stop and wonder “what took us so long!”

“It feels so good,” CB Brandon Flowers said. “I just don’t know why we haven’t enjoyed this before. Hopefully, we remember it all and take it through the coming weeks. Man, this is so much better.”

Behind good performances from offense, defense and special teams, the Chiefs won their first game of the season, ending a five-game losing streak that stretched back to the final game of the 2010 season. It was not a good afternoon for the Vikings, who are now 0-4 on the season and falling further and further behind the upstart and still undefeated Detroit Lions in the NFC North.

The key for the Chiefs was staying away from three items that had destroyed their ability to win the first three games of the season: turnovers, inopportune penalties and poor field position. They protected the ball, they had six penalties but none were the type that killed momentum and their special teams answered the call and provided good starting points for the offense. Plus, K Ryan Succop added five field goals, including a pair from beyond 50 yards. …Read More!

Practice Report/Update – 9/29

From the Truman Sports Complex

If you were hoping to see first-round draft choice WR Jonathan Baldwin on the field this Sunday against Minnesota then prepare for disappointment.

After appearing to take a step forward in his rehab of a broken right thumb on Wednesday, a day later Baldwin was back spending his practice time in the rehab area. In fact, almost immediately after the team finished its pre-practice stretching period, he went right to the stationary bikes and other apparatus used to keep the injured in shape.

There now appears to be no chance that Baldwin will be ready to see his first real NFL action. By missing the game against the Vikings, that will be seven games he’s lost due to the injury suffered on August 16 in a locker room incident with teammate Thomas Jones.

CB Brandon Flowers was working with the No. 1 secondary in Thursday’s practice, and he was moving around much better on that right ankle injury. Not so with SS Jon McGraw who still seemed to be restricted in his movements by a bruised shin just below his left knee. Donald Washington was working with the starters at strong safety. …Read More!

Pre-Game: Vikings vs. Chiefs

From Arrowhead Stadium

11:35 a.m. CDT – Both teams have cleared the field and are in the locker room, preparing their final plans and thoughts. Don’t forget, we’ll be back late Sunday afternoon and evening with complete coverage of game as these teams try to win their first game of the season. Come back early and often for details.

11:20 a.m. CDT – Around the league today they are celebrating  breast cancer awarness so you will see plenty of pink on the field and as part of the uniform of the players and even officials. As he goes through the warm-up period, QB Matt Cassel is wearing pink shoes and has a pink towel tucked into his football pants. Most of the defensive backs are in pink shoes as well.

11:10 a.m. CDT – Part of today’s officiating crew is head linesman George Hayward. This is a home game for him, as he lives in St. Joseph and is a graduate of Missouri Western State University. Hayward has been working NFL games for many years now.

11:05 a.m. CDT – Todd Haley is having a long coversation at the 40-yard line with head referee Bill Leavy and line judge Mark Perlman. It’s too far away to read lips but there’s a lot of gesturing going on and pointing to different parts of the field.

11:00 a.m. CDT - Either it’s a very late arriving crowd or today’s attendance will be far short of a full house. Parking lots to the east and west of the stadium that normally are completely full an hour before kickoff are still open. Traffic is moving pretty well into the stadium off I-70. The game was never declared a sellout, but there will be local television on the Fox network this week.

10:50 a.m. – Kicking towards the west goal posts, Ryan Succop just barely cleared the crossbar from 52 yards away. There’s very little wind of any type on the stadium floor at this moment.

10:45 a.m. – The crew of referee Bill Leavy is handling this game. In their first three assignments, they’ve walked off an average of just over 13 penalties a game. They’ve also thrown a large number of pass interference flags, seven in all. Part of that number were several offensive PIs. …Read More!

Here Comes All Day … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

He is not called A.P. He’s called A.D. – as in All Day, as in if you are trying to stop Adrian Peterson, you are going to have an all-day problem. He keeps coming at you, all day.

That’s what the Chiefs defense will face on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium when the 0-3 Vikings come to town. Peterson is the top of the food chain when it comes to NFL running backs.

“He’s a big, fast back (6-1, 217), probably the best back in the league,” said Chiefs ILB Derrick Johnson. “He has good vision, he runs hard and he’s a workhorse. He’s a big guy too. You have to bring your lunch pail when you play against him; he makes you work all day.”

Todd Haley and Romeo Crennel’s defense have not faced a running back of this quality since the next to last regular-season game in 2010, when they went head-to-head with Chris Johnson and the Tennessee Titans. They held Johnson to 58 yards on 14 carries; he broke loose for a pair of 17-yard runs, but then got just 24 yards on 12 other carries.

“Offensively, they have one of the best runners in the league (in Peterson),” said Haley. “He’s the complete package. Arm tackles aren’t going to cut it with this guy. You need everybody doing their job and everybody getting to him because it generally takes more than one to get him down.” …Read More!

Notes & Quotes: Jared Return Fizzles

From Arrowhead Stadium

It was not much of a homecoming for Jared Allen on Sunday. Arriving with the Vikings for his first visit to the place where he began his pro football career, Allen was an afterthought in the rubble of Minnesota’s fourth defeat.

Allen had two tackles and two sacks. But he spent most of the game rushing the passer and pulling himself out of position. Time-after-time, the Chiefs offense allowed him to rush wide, and then ran the ball right at his spot at right defensive end. It was a successful play many times on the afternoon.

“We saw a lot of max protection,” Allen said of the pocket the Chiefs tried to build for QB Matt Cassel. “I always had a tight end on me.”

Sometimes he had only the tight end on him, as Leonard Pope sometimes blocked Allen one-on-one when LT Branden Albert went inside to make another block. Overall, it was Albert handling Allen for most of the game.

During the week, Allen expressed the hope that the fans who once cheered him would not jeer him and for the most part that was true. Only when he went into his calf roping move after his first sack of Cassel did he hear the raspberries from the Chiefs faithful.

“It was cool,” Allen said. “It was nice to hear the cheers. It makes you feel like the body of work you put in, when you were here, meant something.”

There was no cheering in the Vikings locker room after the game, as veteran players like Allen are confounded by the team’s 0-4 record.

“The good news is we didn’t give the game away this time,” Allen said. “We just got beat. So that’s something, right? I don’t know. We got to figure out a way to win.”

Head coach Leslie Frazier says the Vikings must return to work, get ready for a game this coming weekend against Arizona and find a way to break through.

“We’ve been in situations where if we make a play here, the game could go the other way and we just haven’t been able to make that play,” Frazier said. “We’ve got to go back and re-evaluate what is it that’s keeping us from making that fourth-quarter play or that third-quarter play that can turn a game in our favor.”

Since losing the 2009 NFC title game to the New Orleans Saints, the Vikings are 6-14 and Frazier is now 3-7 as Minnesota’s head coach.

ATMOSPHERE REPORT

The Chiefs announced paid attendance of 72,931 and while the crowd inside Arrowhead didn’t come close to reaching that number, the crowd did make a lot of noise, catching the Vikings in a pair of false starts on offense.

There were a lot of empty seats in the club level and every section had a few seats that were empty, but the crowd was into the game and the players noticed.

“The fans helped us a lot today,” CB Brandon Flowers said. “I felt like they helped the defense get our confidence back.”

Take this for what it’s worth, which may not be much because of the Chiefs and the type of numbers they’ve released in recent seasons, but it’s the biggest paid crowd the Chiefs have seen since December 21, 2008 when 73,689 was announced for the game against the Dolphins.

SPECIAL TEAMS REPORT

It was a good day for assistant coach Steve Hoffman and his kicking teams; they played a part in the victory. Here’s how they broke down:

– K Ryan Succop – 5-for-5 on the field goals, including his career long 54-yarder. His day tied him for the club record in three-pointers in a game, done previously by Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud and Nick Lowery. His kickoffs all traveled to the end zone, and four were touchbacks. It was a superb day for the kicker.

– P Dustin Colquitt – had a strong outing with three punts that traveled 41, 44 and 61 yards, his longest kick of the season. That last one came late in the fourth quarter and shifted field position from the Chiefs 24-yard line to the Minnesota 15-yard line with no return.

– Returner Javier Arenas – On punt returns, Arenas had returns of 33, 20 and 18 yards. The first one helped set up the first of Succop’s five field goals. On kickoff returns, Arenas had two for 21 and 16 yards.

– Coverage – Only one punt was returned and it went for 12 yards. On kick returns, they had two for 25 and 30 yards.

ZEBRA REPORT

The crew of Bill Leavy handled this game and they came through with what has been their average game coming into the day. In three previous games worked by this group, the home team won twice and the average number of penalties walked off per game was 13.3. This Sunday, they walked off a dozen penalties, six against teach team:

That’s six penalties walked off and half of those came at the tight end position. Pope is averaging one penalty a game, and then O’Connell contributes two against the Vikings. That Breaston was called for offensive pass interference matches the profile of Leavy’s crew: they have now averaged at least one offensive p.i. per game.

PERSONNEL REPORT

For the opening coin flip the Chiefs were represented by WR Terrance Copper, RB Thomas Jones and LB Demorrio Williams. Appearing for the Vikings were Allen, FB/TE Jim Kleinsasser and K Ryan Longwell.

No real surprises for the Chiefs in players and how they were used. With Jon McGraw inactive because of a left shin injury, Donald Washington started in his place. McGraw and WR Jonathan Baldwin (thumb) were the only players inactive because of injury.

Joining them on the list were QB Ricky Stanzi, OT Steve Maneri, WR Jerheme Urban, DL Brandon Bair and NT Jerrell Powe.

The inactive players for the Vikings were CB Brandon Burton, S Mistral Raymond, LB Xavier Adibi, C Brandon Fusco, OT DeMarcus Love, WR Greg Camarillo and DE D’Aundre Reed.

Practice Report/Update – 9/28

From the Truman Sports Complex

CB Brandon Flowers was taking part in the Chiefs practice Wednesday afternoon, although he was obviously moving at less than full speed.

Flowers injured his right leg ankle against San Diego last Sunday and left the game in the second quarter and did not return. He went through the positional drills with the defensive backs during the media open window of practice, but he was moving gingerly.

The same could be said for SS Jon McGraw who suffered a bruised left knee shin in San Diego. He was dressed, taking part in practice, but moving at less than 100 percent. Added to that list could be OLB Tamba Hali and DE Glenn Dorsey, who took part in some of the position drills, but no others.

Rookie WR Jonathan Baldwin caught the ball for the first time in six weeks, as he was active in part of the early practice. He appeared to have nothing on his right hand but a glove. But at one point, Baldwin left the field and went to the locker room. He returned just as the media was ushered off the field, so his activity after that is unknown.

The team’s official injury/practice report listed Flowers, McGraw and Baldwin as limited participants. Rookie DE Brandon Bair did not practice because of illness.

Baldwin spoke to the media for the first time in six weeks but refused to talk about the locker room incident with teammate Thomas Jones that caused his broken right thumb, but he did say that he feels at home with the Chiefs. “My teammates see me every day,” Baldwin said. “They know what I’m about.” …Read More!

Marty & Will Crack Early HOF List

Both Marty Schottenheimer and Will Shields are on the first list of nominees of the Class of 2012 for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

They join other former Chiefs on the list of 103 candidates: head coach Dick Vermeil, OT Willie Roaf, CB Albert Lewis and K Nick Lowery.

This is the first year that Shields was eligible for the Hall vote, as he’s one of nine first-time nominees. Shields lengthy and productive career should provide him with a quick entrance to the Hall.

Schottenheimer actually was a nominee back in 2000, after he left the Chiefs and was out of coaching for several years. The Hall of Fame rules have changed since then requiring a coach to be out of the game for five years before eligible.

Two other new additions to the list from the coaching ranks are former Chiefs defensive coordinator-Pittsburgh head coach Bill Cowher and Bill Parcells.

The list includes 71 players, 14 coaches and 18 contributors. …Read More!

Was It Charlie? … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

Could one man who didn’t play really have made that much of a difference?

It’s a subject worth consideration in light of the offensive problems the Chiefs have had in the 2011 season. And, difficulties from the game in the playoffs back in January against Baltimore. And, problems going back one more week to the final game of the 2010 season against Oakland.

All those games were played after it became public that Charlie Weis was leaving the Chiefs as offensive coordinator to take over the same job with the University of Florida. Since that news became known, the Chiefs offense has tanked.

Up until that game, the Chiefs had been average to slightly above average in offensive production. They were not a great offense in 2010, but the running game worked with Jamaal Charles and Matt Cassel was taking care of the football, making good decisions and protecting the ball. They owned a 10-5 record and an AFC West division championship with Weis molding the offense each week. There had been ups (503 yards and six TDs vs. Seattle) and downs (67 yards and no points at San Diego).

But since then, the offense has not been a productive part of the Chiefs. Here’s the numbers that reveal vividly that the offense has taken steps backward in the last five games that counted: …Read More!

Numbers Game: Chiefs vs. Chargers

So the Chiefs are 0-3 – and a solid 0-3 at that. Todd Haley’s famous “first quarter” of the season is a failure. So what’s to look forward to?

Well, the game at San Diego is more of what everyone expected of the Chiefs this season. We’ll look at the usual statistics in a short while. But the two biggest improvements in the game were the turnover ratio and field position. For the first time this season, the Chiefs won both of those battles.

In the opening games against Buffalo and Detroit, Chiefs opponents (on average) had to make two fewer first downs to get into scoring range than the Chiefs did. The Chiefs won the field-position war against the Chargers – or at the very least held their own. That is thanks to a couple of big returns on interceptions and a successful punt return.

The Chiefs started their scoring drives on their 35-yard line on average (if they had converted a score following Kendrick Lewis’ interception return the number would have been significantly better.) The Chargers, on the other hand, had to drive nearly 80 yards each time they scored a field goal or touchdown on average. …Read More!

Items To Consider … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

It was somewhere over the Rockies on Monday afternoon that I began pondering the meaning of life.

When you are on a three-hour flight in one of those lip-stick tubes they call airplanes today, jammed into three across seating where it’s a constant elbow war for control of the arm rests, there are a lot of things that flash through your mind.

And since we are generally talking about the world of pro football in these epistles, there were a lot of names, performances and situations around the Chiefs that flickered through my cranium as we jumped from cloud to cloud. Here are just a few:

**********

What the heck was Leonard Pope doing ripping off his helmet in the end zone after scoring a 4thQ touchdown against the Chargers? Under the heading of dumb penalties, the 15-yards walked off against the Chiefs for Pope’s faux pas ranks as the dumbest. Every player knows the rule that helmets must be worn by all players on the field. That penalty forced Ryan Succop to kickoff from the 20-yard line. Great field position for the Chargers was just ahead. But Succop saved Pope’s butt with a great kickoff that eventually, allowed the Chargers to start a possession just inside the 5-minute mark at their 33-yard line.

**********

And what of Succop? On the right, that’s San Diego LB Takeo Spikes giving him an encouraging word after Succop missed a 38-yard FG on Sunday. Talk about the bloom being off the rose with the 7th-round selection in the 2001. His miss from 38 yards is something that’s not supposed to happen under any circumstances. Today’s NFL kickers in the NFL are almost automatic from inside the 30-yard line. Last year, AFC kickers were 92 percent between the 30 and 39-yard lines. On FGs between the 40 and 49-yard line, the league average last year was 73 percent and overall kickers made 82.4 percent of their field goal attempts. …Read More!

Sunday NFL Best – 9/25

    LONGEST PLAYS

• 81 – Pittsburgh WR Mike Wallace TD catch vs. Indianapolis (W).
• 74 – N.Y. Giants WR Victor Cruz TD catch vs. Philadelphia (W).
• 74 – Baltimore WR Torrey Smith TD catch vs. St. Louis (W).
• 74 – N.Y. Jets RB LaDainian Tomlinson catch vs. Oakland (L).
• 70 – Oakland RB Darren McFadden TD run vs. N.Y. Jets (W).
• 68 – Minnesota RB Lorenzo Booker kickoff return vs. Detroit (L).
• 67 – Oakland P Shane Lechler punt vs. N.Y. Jets (W).
• 66 – Seattle P John Ryan punt vs. Arizona (W).
• 63 – Buffalo P Brian Moorman punt vs. New England (W).
• 62 – Houston TE James Casey catch vs. New Orleans (L).

RUSHING

• 171 – Oakland RB Darren McFadden on 19 carries, 2 TDs vs. N.Y. Jets (W).
• 128 – Philadelphia RB LeSean McCoy on 24 carries vs. N.Y. Giants (L).
• 122 – Jacksonville RB Maurice Jones-Drew on 24 carries vs. Carolina (L). …Read More!

Chiefs Play Good Enough To Win, But Lose 20-17

From Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California

It was a lot better performance by the Chiefs on this Sunday.

But it still wasn’t good enough, as they fell to the San Diego Chargers 20-17. They are now 0-3 on the season and ensconced in last place in the AFC West as the calendar turns to October.

Some of those things that so destroyed their chances of winning the first two games and led to them posting an 89-10 scoreboard were not around this weekend. They turned the ball over only once, but it was a big one at the end of the game that ended any comeback hopes. They finished plus-1 on the turnover ratio thanks to a couple of first half interceptions from FS Kendrick Lewis and CB Brandon Flowers.

The offense simply could not sustain anything throughout the afternoon. They were able to do it twice, and it produced their two touchdowns of the afternoon, a pair of scoring throws by QB Matt Cassel. He found WR Dwayne Bowe on a 4-yard score and then in the fourth quarter, hit TE Leonard Pope for a 1-yard TD pass.

On defense, the Chiefs had trouble dealing with Chargers RB Ryan Mathews, who scored on touchdown runs of 2 and 4 yards and had 149 yards in total offense.

• GAME STORY: Still not good enough for Chiefs.
• COLUMN: Forget moral victories, Chiefs blew chance to win.
• SIDEBAR: Flowers plans to play.
• SIDEBAR: This week’s killer turnover.
• SIDEBAR: RB-by-committee doesn’t produce.
• REPORT CARD: Grade point average still too low.
• NOTES: A couple of Ryans – Mathews and Succop
• RECAP: 4 Things Chiefs Needed To Do In SD.
• GAMEBOOK
• PRE-GAME COVERAGE

Hope Lives In A Do-Or-Die Football Moment

“Sitting in your chair, I would probably say the same thing, and 999. 999 times out of a million, you would be correct. But in the pages of history, every once in a while, fate reaches out and extends its hand.” – Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) to a captured Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), in Quentin Tarantino‘s 2009 movie Inglourious  Basterds.

And with that, there’s hope.

At least for the next 4 quarters…

***

Short-sighted. Insensitive. Classless. Those were the precise adjectives that I employed to describe the occurrence when I first learned about it; and I’m confident that they perfectly expressed how the football world deemed the incident. But upon further review, and in the interest of fairness, there’s one more thing that I’d also like to say to the people behind NFL.com, after watching them utilize Jamaal Charles’ misfortunes to promote their Fantasy Football operation:

Thank you. Thank you very much — for that colossal blunder will be instrumental this Sunday in resolving a rather important issue around KC.

Indeed for the encouragingly better … or for the terminally worse.

You see … I believe in Todd Haley. I believed in him since the day he was hired, and even in these tumultuous times for the Arrowhead Ones, I’ve remained steadfastly supportive of our less-than-glamorous leader. Partly, because three years into the Post-Peterson regime, he’s the only member of the Chiefs hierarchy who’s always faced the spotlight whenever the going has gotten rough. …Read More!

Do Your Job To Win … Game-Day Cup O’Chiefs

From San Diego, California

A team that made the NFL playoffs last season starts a new year with an embarrassing 0-2 record and is blasted by 79 points in two games.

“It’s just that we’re better than that,” said ILB Derrick Johnson. “It just really hits your pride to play and finish like we have.”

Pride … it’s something that after two games some Chiefs fans wonder if this year’s team has any. It’s one thing to have one bad Sunday; it happens all the time in the NFL. But to put a pair of them back-to-back so that it’s the worst start and the worst back-to-back beatings in franchise history leaves the impression that pride is in short supply with the 2011 Chiefs.

But as they attempt to turn their season around Sunday afternoon at Qualcomm Stadium here in San Diego against the Chargers, a lack of pride isn’t the problem. (Kickoff at 3:05 CDT, with TV coverage on CBS.)

In fact, it may be too much pride standing between the Chiefs and a winning performance.

“One of our clear cut issues is these guys do have a lot of pride and they really care about our team and they really want to have success,” said Todd Haley. “Of all the things that have gone on that has gotten us in trouble these first two games, so many have clearly been seeing guys trying to do more than their job. Or too much on a particular play, and that takes them out of position and puts somebody else in a vulnerable position. …Read More!

Mission Bay Appetizers

From San Diego, California

There is no place better to visit for a road trip than this city on the Pacific Ocean. From Coronado Island, to Mission Bay, to Balboa Park, to the Cove in La Jolla, to the serenity that can be found in the Torrey Pines State Preserve – there isn’t a stop on the NFL treadmill that even comes close to San Diego. It’s the gold, silver and bronze medal winner all wrapped up into one.

One thing I learned very early sitting in the sand in Pacific Beach and watching the waves, a road trip to San Diego is not reality. It’s a fun respite from the everyday world for those of us landlocked and missing the sound of the surf.

Should I go missing at any point, look first in San Diego.

FIELD POSITION – IT’S KILLING THE CHIEFS

Take the game of football down to its most basic elements and the most important factor is to own possession of the ball. The second most important factor is where that possession takes place. It’s called field position and because of the Chiefs large number of turnovers on offense and almost no takeaways on defense, they are getting hammered by 79 points in large part because they keep landing in a field position hole. …Read More!

4 THINGS CHIEFS MUST DO TO BEAT S.D.

HISTORY

• This is the 103rd meeting between these original members of the American Football League. The Chargers came into the league in 1960 as the Los Angeles Chargers and the Chiefs came into the AFL the same year as the Dallas Texans.
• The Chiefs hold a 51-50-1 advantage over the Chargers in the series.
• Most recent meeting was on December 12, 2010 in San Diego, where the Chargers won 31-0.
• Most recent victory for the Chiefs was the 2010 season opener on Monday night when they beat the Chargers 21-14.
• Last time the Chiefs won at Qualcomm Stadium was September 30, 2007, with a 30-16 victory.

4

DO THEIR JOB

The concept is simple – trust your neighbor. That has been one of the Chiefs biggest problems in this disastrous start to the 2011 season. Too many players are trying to do too much, and not trusting that their teammates will handle their end of the business. That becomes especially troublesome in the Chiefs defense where gap control is so significant to how the front seven works. One guy gets out of his gap and the rest of the defense drops like a line of dominos. Receivers need to make sure they complete their assigned routes and not make last minute decisions that leave QB Matt Cassel hung out to dry. …Read More!

The Folly Of Suck For Luck … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

I must admit, it has certain panache – Suck for Luck.

It just does not make a lot of sense.

The idea behind the Suck for Luck campaign is that an NFL team – in this case the Chiefs – should do whatever takes in losing to put itself in position to own the first pick of the 2012 NFL Draft.

By all accounts the player that will be selected in that spot is Stanford QB Andrew Luck. The son of former NFL QB Oliver Luck, Andrew is considered the best quarterback prospect to come out of college football in many years.

Luck has all the physical tools, the mental power and the passing arm and skills to qualify under that hard to define, but we know it when we see it title – franchise quarterback.

So the idea is the Chiefs have started 0-2, so they should go 0-16 to guarantee that first pick is in their hands.

There are many problems with that approach, but the biggest is this – having the first pick guarantees nothing when it comes to selecting a productive player, let alone a franchise quarterback. …Read More!

Practice Report/Injury Update– 9/23

From the Truman Sports Complex

There was some speculation that this week was when first-round draft choice Jonathan Baldwin would return to full participation in practice and be ready to play after rehabbing his broken right thumb.

It did not happen and he’ll be inactive again on Sunday when the Chiefs visit the Chargers in San Diego. That will be 6 games total that he’s missed – 3 pre-season and 3 regular season – since he and Thomas Jones tussled on August 16 in St. Joseph. He continues to wear a brace on his right hand/wrist.

Along with declaring Baldwin out of Sunday’s game, the Chiefs list DE Wallace Gilberrry (knee) as questionable and OLB Tamba Hali (ankle) as probable. The Chiefs said both were full participants in Friday’s practice.

Over on the Chargers side they have ruled out DE Luis Castillo (broken leg). Listed as doubtful were WR Malcom Floyd (groin), DE Corey Liuget (ankle) and S Bob Sanders (knee). TE Antonio Gates (foot) is questionable and WR Vincent Jackson (abdomen) and RB Mike Tolbert (calf) were listed as probable. Both were full participants in practice. Also missing from practice for the Chargers was CB Quentin Jammer down with an illness. He’s listed as probable. …Read More!

Romeo: No Wholesale Changes For Defense

From the Truman Sports Complex

The Chiefs defense has struggled through the first two games, allowing 89 points, more than any team in the league. As we touched on earlier Friday, there are elements outside the defense that have made the job tougher for that side of the ball.

But that doesn’t let the defense off the hook for its own performance. Can we expect to see changes with the defense against San Diego this Sunday?

“I don’t know that wholesale change is the answer,” said defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel. “To change completely, there’s a learning curve that goes along with change. It might help you, it might not help you. I think your best chance is to work on your foundations. If you can identify something that is definitely hurting you, then you make a change at that point.” …Read More!

Defense In Search Of Big Plays … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

Is the Chiefs 2011 defense really 89 points bad?

That’s the number of points Buffalo and Detroit scored against the Chiefs in the season’s first two games. All of those came from the Bills and Lions offenses. There are no special teams scores, no Chiefs turnovers returned for touchdowns. All 11 touchdowns were scored against the Kansas City defense.

“You are what you are,” said SS Jon McGraw. “Those are the numbers; we can’t ask for a recount.”

But football is not that simple. It’s a game where offense, defense and special teams are like interlocking fingers of two fists. It’s seldom as simple as the defense completely lost the game, or the offense was totally responsible for the game’s outcome. Problems on one side of the ball can drop a string of dominos in another facet of the game.

There’s no doubt 11 touchdowns have been scored against Todd Haley and Romeo Crennel’s defense. But consider where opposing teams began some of those scoring drives – the Chiefs 45, 34, 32, 28, 26, 23 and 18-yard lines. That’s seven scoring drives that began on the Chiefs’ side of the 50-yard line.

On the 11 touchdown drives, the average starting field position was the Chiefs 42-yard line. …Read More!

Another Killer Turnover Hurts Chiefs

From Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California

In the first two games this season, the game turning Chiefs turnover came early in first quarter. That was Dexter McCluster fumbling the opening kickoff against Buffalo and then Jon McGraw fumbling back his interception against Detroit.

Against the Chargers on Sunday, the turnover that decided the game came with just a few seconds left on the clock.

Until San Diego FS Eric Weddle grabbed QB Matt Cassel’s screen pass intended for McCluster with 55 seconds to play, the Chiefs had not turned the ball over all day. But this one snuffed out any chance available to tie or even win the game in the final moments.

“That’s obviously all on me,” Cassel said after the game. “I don’t have any words for that other than the fact that I’m hurting inside and I wish I could change it.”

What’s especially aggravating for Cassel is that he worked so hard in the week of preparation on not turning the ball over. With three interceptions and a fumble last week against Detroit, he knew it was imperative for him to not provide gifts for the opponent. Against the Chargers he coughed the ball up one time under pass rush pressure, but the Chiefs recovered that fumble. Then, came the interception at a time when the Chiefs were still in position to win the game.

“Coach (Greg) Manusky called in a blitz and it was me off the edge,” Weddle said of the play. “Number 22 was in the backfield so if he released or steps up it’s my guy. It’s just reading the route. I knew a screen was coming or something was up, if he’s not blocking or releasing. I got by the lineman (Ryan Lilja) and I don’t know if he was throwing it away or not.”

There was nothing about Weddle’s reaction that surprised head coach Todd Haley.

“They were doing what we thought they would do,” Haley said. “In critical situations, they’re going to bring pressure and they like to bring it off that weak side. We can see that on all the tapes. We had a little screen into it, which is a play we really like and have worked on. The ball just didn’t work out the way that we wanted it too.”

On the day, Cassel was 17 of 24 (70.8%) for 176 yards with a pair of TD passes and the interception. That was 7.3 yards per attempt and 10.4 yards per completion.

“You try to keep your head downfield and when I swung back around I thought I could get it in there to Dexter,” said Cassel. “Obviously it’s one that I would like to have back.

“As the quarterback of a team, it’s disappointing because you get an opportunity to be in a position that you always want to be in, the two-minute drill. You move the team down and we got some momentum with that first throw (20-yard completion to TE Leonard Pope) and then for it to end the way it did with that interception …”

Flowers Won’t Let Injury Hinder Him

From Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California

It was late in the first half of the Chiefs-Chargers game on Sunday and there was timeout for an injury on the field. CB Travis Daniels was down along the San Diego sideline after a tackle. Trainers and doctors were tending to him.

All the way across the field on the Chiefs bench, Brandon Flowers threw down the towel he was holding and ran on to the field. He was going back in the game. Daniels had been on the field replacing Flowers, who after a pretty interception return suffered a bruised right knee. As trainers worked on him, also along the Chargers sideline, it looked like Flowers was about to become another victim of the knee injury plague that has eaten away at the Chiefs starting lineup.

But this was nothing serious; just a bruise and Flowers felt he could go back in. So he put himself into the game.

Only problem thought – he wasn’t wearing his helmet. When he turned to go back to the bench for it, a trainer grabbed the helmet and walked away from Flowers, while coaches and doctors got him corralled and told him he wasn’t going back in. They wanted to take no chances with one of the best players, especially given the knee injuries that have stripped three starters from the squad.

“I wanted to be out there so bad,” Flowers said. “My guys were out there breaking their butts. It was killing me. It hurt worse than my knee. I could have played. Maybe I wouldn’t have played very well, but I wanted to be there with my boys.”

Whether or not Flowers will be back on the field this coming Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings remains to be seen. He was moving well after the Chiefs 20-17 loss to the Chargers, without crutches and without any type of brace on that knee. And there is no tougher player on the Chiefs roster, all 5-9, and 187 pounds of him.

“I’ll be OK,” said Flowers. “This isn’t going to hold me back.”

It was another interesting afternoon for Flowers. For the second week in a row, he was battling one-on-one against a much taller and heavier receiver. Last week it was Calvin Johnson with Detroit; this week it was Vincent Jackson with the Chargers. San Diego came out with the idea of throwing to Jackson, as Phillip Rivers went to him seven times in the half. Jackson caught four passes for 43 yards. In the second half, he had only one catch for 20 yards against the Chiefs secondary without Flowers.

Just as he did against Johnson in Detroit, Flowers was giving away eight inches and 50+ pounds to Jackson. Here’s how those two Pro Bowl receivers finished up in the game statistics:

With the exception of that last 20-yard catch that Jackson got in the second half on Sunday, Flowers has taken on two of the league’s best receivers and they’ve caught 7 passes for 72 yards.

“There’s no doubt that we need to get him back out there as soon as possible,” said CB Brandon Carr. “He’s really playing well. We had some struggles last week, but things were much better against San Diego. Our communication worked well.”

Column: No Moral Victory Here

From Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California

Understand this – there will be no moral victory in this piece. We don’t sell MVs here.

This is the National Football League. A team is either getting better, or it’s getting worse. There are no ugly victories, and there are no defeats that somehow smell sweeter than others.

“Oh no, this stinks,” CB Brandon Flowers said after the Chiefs 20-17 loss to the Chargers on Sunday. “This isn’t any better than the other two.”

But Brandon, those first two featured the Chiefs losing by 34 points and then by 45 points. Dropping another game is no fun, but this time it was just three points – that must be better?

“Still counts the same,” said Flowers. …Read More!

Full Effort Comes Up Short In Loss To Chargers

From Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California

For the first time in the 2011 season, the Chiefs played football for four quarters. They went out and tackled, and blocked and moved the ball at times, stopped the Chargers at times, and did all the things a team needs to do to be successful in the National Football League. Compared to the season’s first two weeks, it was a giant leap forward.

But it still was not good enough. It was not a performance at the level to win a game on the road, in the division. The San Diego Chargers held on and took a 20-17 victory and established themselves in first place in the AFC West.

The defeat left the Chiefs 0-3 on the season, the eighth time in the franchise’s 52-season history where they opened the season losing three straight. Sadly it’s also the second time in the last three years where they began the season this poorly. They have now lost 5 games that count in a row and nine games if the winless pre-season is factored in.

With the ninth month of 2011 just about in the books, they are 0-for-2011.

Yet there was a different feeling in the losing locker room this time. The Chiefs were not embarrassed on this sunny southern California afternoon. These were two teams that were both short a few of their best players due to injury. For the most part, the Chiefs played this game on an even basis with the Chargers. …Read More!

NFL Steps In It With Fantasy Ad

The NFL is a big company with a lot of moving parts. They are not all on the same page. While the Commissioner has said player safety and issues are of utmost importance to the league, another part of the operation took Jamaal Charles’ knee injury and used it in a classless manner to promote its fantasy football business.

Above is an ad that appeared earlier Thursday on NFL.com. It’s for the website’s fantasy football section. That picture of Charles was taken last Sunday as he rode off the field on a cart at Ford Field after suffering the torn ACL that ended his season.

The ad was eventually taken off the site, but not before it drew reaction from some fellow players. Minnesota punter Chris Kluwe tweeted: “Great job NFL.com using a player’s season ending injury to promote fantasy football. Now THAT is a douchebag move. #unf—ingbelieveable”

Practice Report/Update – 9/22

From the Truman Sports Complex

If the early portion of Thursday’s practice was any indication, the Chiefs were banging some heads during their workout under sunny skies.

The media only gets to see a small window of the practice, but the inside linebackers were going through position drills and banging pretty hard on each other as they worked on tackling. Assistant coach Adam Zimmer had the volume turned up and even head coach Todd Haley was across the field with his eye on the linebackers.

Thursday is the day the Chiefs practice in full pads, so it’s always going to be the most physical of their sessions. But after getting smashed 89-10, it would obviously be time to step on the accelerator at practice.

“It was a good, energetic, hard working day so far,” Haley said after practice was over. “The guys understand what their goal and what they need to do this week in all phases. It will be a supreme challenge. We need to be at our best. The guys are working hard to get ready to have their best game.”

WR Jonathan Baldwin was again a limited participant because of his broken right thumb. He continues to spend most of his practice time in the rehab area.

All other players were taking part in the workout during the open period to the media, including DE Wallace Gilberry (neck) who was a limited participant in Wednesday’s session. OLB Tamba Hali (ankle) appeared to be a full participant in Thursday’s session.

Also in the early period, practice squad FB Shane Bannon was working with the tight ends in a blocking drill against the outside linebackers.

For the Chargers, they placed LB Jonas Mouton on the injured-reserve list with a shoulder injury.  The rest of the injury/practice report remained the same as Wednesday. Not practicing were DE Luis Castillo (tibia), WR Malcom Floyd (groin), TE Antonio Gates (foot), WR Vincent Jackson (abdomen), DE Corey Liuget (ankle), S Bob Sanders (knee) and RB Mike Tolbert (calf).

Who Is Next At RB … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

So just who will get the opportunities that once went to Jamaal Charles in the Chiefs offense?

Will it be the 33-year old Thomas Jones? Does the diminutive Dexter McCluster get the extra touches? Or does FB Le’Ron McClain see his chances with the ball significantly increase?

Sitting out in San Diego, the Chargers and defensive coordinator Greg Manusky are trying to figure out what’s going to happen as well. But there is also an offensive staff with the Chiefs that are still trying to piece together how to approach the San Diego defense without Charles.

“Going forward we’ve got a good group of running backs – we’ve got a couple that can play fullback and be runners,” head coach Todd Haley said. “As down as they are about their teammate, they’re excited about the opportunity and they’re raring to go, starting with Thomas Jones, who obviously has been the leader of this group.

“We’ve probably been cast off by most everybody but not by the guys that are going to out there on the field.” …Read More!

Notes & Quotes – Mathews, 4th Down & Succop

From Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California

Chargers running back Ryan Mathews was the major pain for the Chiefs defense on Sunday.

He scored both San Diego touchdowns and produced 149 yards in total offense, including 98 rushing yards. Mathews had TD runs of 2 and 4 yards.

“Ryan is getting better every week,” Chargers coach Norv Turner said of his second-year back out of Fresno State. Mathews was San Diego’s first-round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft. “I think he’s getting more comfortable and using his vision a lot better and making very good running decisions. It’s very obvious that he’s becoming a very good receiver.”

Mathews now has 393 yards in total offense on 59 touches with three touchdowns.

“It’s just me being more comfortable,” said Mathews. “I’m more patient and the game is slowing down. My linemen, my quarterback and just the whole offense have been helping me along these past couple weeks. I’m comfortable back there. I feel good.”

Chiefs FS Kendrick Lewis bristled a bit when asked how Mathews hurt his defense.

“I think our defensive line did a good job on him,” Lewis said. “We’re going to look at film and see where he hurt us. He’s a big back (6-0, 218) so we need to make better tackles as a group to get him down and plug the leaks.”

CAN’T GET THE INCH

The Chiefs had the opportunity to tie or win the game only because the Chargers could not make an inch when they had a 4th down-play with 86 seconds to play in the game.

Holding a three-point lead with the ball at the Chiefs 34-yard line, San Diego coach Norv Turner decided rather than punt, he was going to go for the first down. If he makes it, the game is over because the Chiefs were out of timeouts.

But QB Phillip Rivers couldn’t move the pile and the Chiefs took over on downs.

“Where I ended up on the ground there was no question I had it, but there was a big dog pile there,” Rivers said. “The referees do the best they can when they blow the whistle and do the best spot they can, but it’s tough on them to let the play go until I end up on the ground.”

Turner had no doubts his team could convert the play.

“You look out there and you see them measure it and we have an outstanding offensive line,” said the Chargers head coach. “When we’ve used the quarterback sneak, it’s been outstanding. I thought he had the first down, but I know it’s hard to get an accurate mark.”

WHAT’S UP WITH SUCCOP

After the game, Todd Haley wouldn’t really address the state of his kicker, other than to say he has to play better like everybody else.

But Ryan Succop is struggling right now. For the third game in a row, he missed a very makeable field goal, going wide right from 38 yards away. Now after three games, he’s just two of four. He later hit a 33-yarder against the Chargers. He also had a successful 33-yard kick against Detroit, while missing from 44 yards against the Lions and then 49 yards against the Bills. That 50 percent success rate is far below his career average over the last two seasons of 82 percent of his FG attempts (45 of 55).

“I thought he did some good things in a couple of areas,” Haley said of Succop. “I think the snap (on the missed FG) may be was a little off, but we’ll have to look on tape to see what happened on the miss.

“Ryan falls into that entire group of guys … I believe in these guys.”

ATMOSPHERE REPORT

It was a loud crowd at Qualcomm Stadium, despite the fact it was not a full house. Me thinks they were augmenting some of the crowd noise through their stadium sound system. At Qualcomm, the PA is at ear bleeding levels.

As usually happens in San Diego, there were a good number of red shirts in the crowd, especially in several sections behind the Chiefs bench. The game at Qualcomm attracts the families of players that live in southern California, plus it’s always an attractive road trip for Chiefs fans in the Midwest.

No question the place was loud and the Chiefs got hit with a false start. But otherwise it didn’t seem to be much of a bother for the K.C. offense.

SPECIAL TEAMS REPORT

SUCCOP – we touched on him earlier. But he also had four kickoffs. Two went for touchbacks. He hit another one to the 5-yard line that was returned 24 yards and when he was backed up to kickoff at the 20-yard line because of a penalty, he boomed it to the 13-yard line that was returned 20 yards. “We needed a good hang-time kick there and that was a real big play for us,” said Haley.

COLQUITT – the Chiefs punter showed his strong leg with four punts, all in the first half. He hit for 43, 37, 49 and 53 yards. Two of those kicks resulted in fair catches, and the other two were returned for a total of nine yards. His gross average was 45.5 yards with a 43.3-yard net average.

RETURNS – Give it up to Javier Arenas who finally made something happen on returns, against San Diego coverage units that have had their problems over the last year or so. Arenas ripped off a 37-yard punt return and a 35-yard kickoff return. The punt return was the longest of the season for the Chiefs, while the kickoff return matched a 35-yarder that Dexter McCluster had against Detroit. The punt return is the longest of Arenas two-year NFL career and the kickoff return matched his best from last year.

COVERAGE – Excellent job here, as the Chargers averaged just 4.5 yards on two punt returns and 22 yards on a pair of kick returns.

ZEBRA REPORT

The crew of Walt Coleman worked the game. Their first two assignments in the 2011 season saw home team victories for Houston over Indianapolis and New Orleans over Chicago. Coming into the game they had walked off 23 flags for 178 yards. They were pretty true to their form, with 11 penalties walked off for 105 yards. They got the Chiefs seven times for 65 yards:

*-Pope was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct when he took off his helmet in the end zone after catching a 1-yard TD pass in the 4th quarter.

INJURY REPORT

Both teams had a lot of injured bodies on the Qualcomm Stadium turf throughout the game. For the Chiefs, it started with SS Jon McGraw, who left in the second quarter with a left knee bruise and did not return.

Then came CB Brandon Flowers and his right knee issues; he went out with 5 minutes, 41 seconds to play in the first half and did not return. His replacement Travis Daniels went down briefly, with an unknown injury in the second quarter. He missed four plays but then returned and finished out the game.

TE Anthony Becht appeared to suffer a left hamstring injury near the end of the third quarter. He was helped off the field and did not return to the offense the rest of the game.

PERSONNEL REPORT

Captains for the Chiefs on this Sunday were WR Terrance Copper, RB Thomas Jones, LB Demorrio Williams and LB Derrick Johnson.

Inactive players for the Chiefs were QB Ricky Stanzi, WR Jonathan Baldwin, DE Brandon Bair, NT Jerrell Powe, OT Steve Maneri, S Reshard Langford and WR Jerheme Urban.

Inactive players for the Chargers were SS Bob Sanders, TE Antonio Gates, DE Luis Castillo, RB Jordan Todman, LB Darryl Gamble, S Paul Oliver and DE Corey Liuget. Starting for Gates was Randy McMichael, opening in Liuget’s spot was Jacques Cesaire and filling in for Sanders was Steve Gregory.

The Chargers made a roster move over the weekend, adding S Paul Oliver to the roster while sending LB Jonas Mouton (shoulder) to the injured reserve list. Oliver was with the Chargers for four years but signed in free agency with New Orleans, where he was cut in the pre-season.

4 THINGS CHIEFS MUST DO TO BEAT SD/RECAP

From Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California

4

DO THEIR JOB

The concept is simple – trust your neighbor. That has been one of the Chiefs biggest problems in this disastrous start to the 2011 season. Too many players are trying to do too much, and not trusting that their teammates will handle their end of the business. That becomes especially troublesome in the Chiefs defense where gap control is so significant to how the front seven works. One guy gets out of his gap and the rest of the defense drops like a line of dominos. Receivers need to make sure they complete their assigned routes and not make last minute decisions that leave QB Matt Cassel hung out to dry. PUSH – Far more than the first two games of the season, there were a lot of moments where the defense and the pass protection worked well together and players trusted their neighbor was going to do his job. It wasn’t perfect, but there were not many visible cases where players were trying to win the game all by themselves.

3

PRESSURE RIVERS

Chargers QB Philip Rivers is not tremendously mobile these days; he’s had too many knee injuries over the years. He’s not near the threat to run away from pressure that the Chiefs saw in Ryan Fitzpatrick and Matt Stafford. Whether they can get him down on the ground or not, the Chiefs defense needs to pressure Rivers. They need to get in his face and they need to knock him down and around. Last year, they got two sacks of him in each of their meetings, so they’ve shown they can go in and get it done. The battle between LT Marcus McNeill and OLB Tamba Hali should be a good one. SUCCESS – They got Rivers on the ground twice in 40 passing plays; that’s not anything special, but they were able to pressure him many more times. They got in his face, they forced him to move his feet and thus he threw off balance several times, including the first interception he threw that was grabbed by FS Kendrick Lewis. A good first step, but they’ll need more.

2

RUN THE BALL

The offense is about running the football and that’s what they need to continue to establish on Sunday. They actually got the run game going a bit against the Lions, finishing with 151 yards even without Jamaal Charles for most of the game. San Diego has not been strong against the run in two games, giving up an average of 126.5 yards per game. Whatever the mix is between Thomas Jones, Dexter McCluster and Le’Ron McClain, the Chiefs need to find something that works. The Chargers are an aggressive defense, so a little misdirection may be the way to go; it’s the same thing they did against Detroit. FAILED – the first game of running back by committee did not produce consistent yardage. Without Jamaal Charles it was expected to be hard, and it was. Thomas Jones lacks to quickness of Dexter McCluster, who can only carry so many times. Battle and McClain were not real options.

1

DON’T HELP THE CHARGERS

If the Chiefs have any desire to actually win this game, they must make sure that their job isn’t made harder by turnovers, penalties and mental mistakes. It’s the biggest reason they are 89-10 on the 2011 scoreboard. They may have lost to both Buffalo and Detroit while having total ball security, but they were guaranteed to lose when they turned the ball over a total of nine times, plus nine penalties. The Chiefs are not 79 points worse than their opponents. But they’ll get crushed again if they help the Chargers the way they did the Bills and Lions. FAILED – They had done a fairly good job of not giving the Chargers any gifts throughout the game, but when it came down to a chance to make a play to decide the game, Matt Cassel’s interception ended the opportunity. Better, but not good enough.

Report Card: Chiefs vs. Chargers

From Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California

RUSHING OFFENSE: D – Running back by committee was not able to get it done for the Chiefs against the Chargers. Four backs carried it 26 times for just 80 yards. Dexter McCluster broke a couple runs at 16 and 10 yards. Thomas Jones just looked slow as he got 14 carries, but produced 31 yards. There were yards available against the Chargers and the Chiefs couldn’t take advantage.

PASSING OFFENSE: D – Just nothing much to indicate that the K.C. passing attack is coming alive in any fashion. QB Matt Cassel’s completion percentage keeps going up, but the completions aren’t really producing anything in the way of yardage. They finally broke free with a 43-yard completion to WR Steve Breaston that set up the one-yard TD pass to TE Leonard Pope. Pass protection was OK. WR Dwayne Bowe continues to be a bright spot.

RUSHING DEFENSE: D – The defense was unable to control Chargers RB Ryan Mathews, who ran for 98 yards on 21 carries. His longest run was 14, but he scored two touchdowns and always seemed to pick up the big yardage when needed.

PASSING DEFENSE: D – We must give the Chiefs credit for a pair of interceptions and a couple of sacks of San Diego QB Phillip Rivers. But the Chargers really spread the ball around, as seven guys caught passes, including three receivers for 50 yards or more.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C – For the first time this year, the special teams provided plays that put the Chiefs in position to possibly win the game. P Dustin Colquitt had a big day, averaging 45.5 yards per kick. Javier Arenas had two nice returns, a 37-yard run with a punt return and a 35-yard run with a kick return. Only black mark was Ryan Succop’s FG miss from 38 yards.

COACHING: D – It’s the first game this season that the coaches have not receiving a failing game. Romeo Crennel had a good plan overall that kept Chargers QB Phillip Rivers under pressure. On offense, the first half was laughable, as the Chiefs couldn’t even get a first down. But whatever adjustments were made at half-time worked and the offense got something going. Again there was no question about the effort, so give Todd Haley credit for keeping the boat floating, even under heavy waves.

Missing Jamaal As Run Game Fizzles

From Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California

It was going to be a four-man committee stepping in and filling the void in the Chiefs’ offense left by the season ending knee injury of Jamaal Charles.

The job was too big for one man so it would be Thomas Jones, Dexter McCluster, Jackie Battle and FB Le’Ron McClain all working together.

So how was Week No. 1 A.J. – After Jamaal? Not so good. It might be time to go back to the drawing board.

Those four backs, along with a one-yard run from QB Matt Cassel had 27 carries for 81 yards, a paltry 3-yard per carry average. Only one run went for more than 10 yards – a 16-yard run by McCluster. Only two runs went for more than five yards.

Here’s the chronology of the running yardage:

• First quarter – 0, 4, 2, 4 = 4 carries for 10 yards.
• Second quarter – 4, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1 = 6 carries for 11 yards.
• Third quarter – 4, 3, 0, 10, 16, 9, 0, 2, 2, 2, 0, 6 = 12 carries for 54 yards.
• Fourth quarter – 2, 3, -1, 3, -1 = 5 carries for 6 yards.

McCluster finished as the team’s leading rusher with 45 yards on nine carries. Jones got most of the work at 14 carries for 31 yards. Battle carried once for two yards. McClain carried twice for two yards. Combine the receiving yardage for McCluster, Jones and Battle and the backfield produced 102 yards in total offense. Divide that number by four and that’s puny production.

The only point in the game where the Chiefs were able to run the ball was coming out of the locker room at half-time. On their second possession of the period, McCluster carried on four straight plays 35 yards. It was all part of an 18-play drive that ended only with a field goal from Ryan Succop.

“We had to get first downs, we had to stay on the field,” said McCluster of the Chiefs attitude coming out of the locker room at half-time. “We don’t want our defense to get tired. Coming out in the third quarter, we wanted to go out there, stay out there, we wanted to drive and we wanted to make a statement.”

Offensive coordinator Bill Muir used all sorts of combinations with his backs. Most of the alignments included two backs, rather than one. It was Jones and McClain, then McCluster and McClain, plays with Jones and McCluster and then Battle with Jones and Battle with McClain. For the first time this season, the Chiefs used three tight end plays with OT Jared Gaither coming into the game as an eligible receiver. When TE Anthony Becht went down with what appeared to be a hamstring injury, Gaither came in for two tight end plays.

None of that worked in the first half, when the Chiefs couldn’t buy a first down. It finally started working in the second half. That’s a momentum the offense hopes to carry over into this Sunday’s game against Minnesota.

“I thought we battled in all three phases of the game,” said Cassel. “That’s the type of football that we’re going to have to play. It might not always be pretty, but at the same time we had an opportunity to possibly tie up the football game and win it.

“As we move forward we can build off this game.”

Chiefs Checking Out RBs

The Chiefs have not added another running back in the wake of Jamaal Charles’ knee injury and move to the injured-reserve list.

But they certainly have looked at a few.

Here’s a list of backs they have worked out this week:

• Jalen Parmalee (5-11, 220) – A former 6th-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft by Miami. He spent three games on the active roster in the ’08 season and then went to the practice squad. Parmalee signed with Baltimore late in the season and spent the 2009-10 seasons there with the Ravens. He was released on September 3rd. He played his college ball at the University of Toledo.
• Dimitri Nance (5-10, 219) – Signed with Atlanta as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2010. He was released land then signed to the Falcons practice squad. Last September 14, he was signed by Green Bay and was with the Packers the rest of last season. He was released on September 3rd.
• Chris Jennings (5-10, 218) – Coming out of the University of Arizona in 2008, Jennings signed with the CFL Montreal Alouettes. In 2009 he signed with Cleveland and was with the Browns until the final cut down before the start of the 2010 season. He spent the fall of last year with the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League. Jennings signed with the New York Jets and went to camp with them, but was released on September 3rd. Two days later, he was arrested in Ohio for driving 147 mph in a 65 mph zone.
• Sammy Morris (6-0, 220) – The 34-year old entered the NFL in 2000 as a 5th-round choice of Buffalo. He spent four seasons with the Bills, three years with Miami and then four seasons with New England. In 11 seasons, he’s run for 2,955 yards and 26 rushing TDs.
• Mike Cox – Yes, the former Chiefs FB worked out this week for the team as well. He was released on September 3rd on the final cut before the regular season. Cox played three seasons with the Chiefs, after joining them in 2008 as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Georgia Tech.

Haley: Too Early To Judge Cassel/Practice Report-Update

From the Truman Sports Complex

Todd Haley said Wednesday afternoon it was too early to judge the performance of starting QB Matt Cassel, other than to say it must improve.

“Two games is too early to recognize an identity of a team,” Haley said. “We obviously need to change things here pretty quick to keep our identity from being something we don’t want it to be. It does take four or five games. The same goes for players.”

Statistically, only Jacksonville’s starting QB Josh McCown has gotten off to a worse start than Cassel. His passer rating is 50.4, a full 20 points behind the next guy above him in the league rankings. His 4.3 yards per passing attempt is the worst in the league. In 10 statistical areas for quarterbacks, Cassel’s highest ranking is No. 13 for completion percentage. Otherwise, he’s ranked 22 and below and in half of those categories, he’s ranked No. 30 or lower.

Haley looked at the numbers for Cassel last year after two games and thinks it’s way too soon to judge his season. …Read More!

PRE-GAME: Chiefs vs. Chargers

From Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California

2:30 p.m. CDT — The sky remains cloudy, but there are a few patches of blue starting to show through. Temperature is in the mid 60s and very comfortable. Check back Sunday night for complete coverage of this AFC West game and whether the Chiefs can get their first victory of the season. Enjoy the game.

2:15 p.m. CDT — Chargers WR Malcom Floyd has taken the field and he’s dressed as if he’s going to play today. On Friday, the Chargers declared Floyd as “doubtful” since he had not practiced all week because of injury. It’s the first time in Norv Turner’s tenure as head coach that a player listed as doubtful has actually played in that week’s game.

2:10 p.m. CDT — A lot of “Hello, how are you?” greetings on the field in pre-game. As division rivals these teams are used to seeing each other and there are a lot of connections with college affiliation. CB Travis Daniels and Chargers FB Jacob Hester are gabbing away. They played together at LSU.

2:00 p.m. CDT — Working on returns in the pre-game warm-up are Terrance Copper, Jeremy Horne, Steve Breaston, Javier Arenas and Dexter McCluster. Considering how little the Chiefs have gotten out of the return game from Arenas-McCluster, don’t be surprised if Horne doesn’t get a chance to return, probably kickoffs.

1:55 p.m. CDT — Kicking towards the west goal posts Ryan Succop was good from 50 yards away with plenty to spare. He then hit from 53 yards and it had another five yards. From 57 yards out, he was good but barely cleared the crossbar. It looks like anything inside 55 is good for Succop today, if he can hit it between the pipes. …Read More!

Jamaal To IR; Roster Moves

As was sadly expected RB Jamaal Charles and the torn ACL in his left knee were placed on the injured reserve list on Wednesday. He’s done for the season.

Taking his spot on the active roster is WR Jeremy Horne, promoted from the practice squad. Horne played in three games last year with the Chiefs, and then spent 11 weeks on the practice squad. He had one tackle on special teams. At 6-2, 193 pounds, Horne joined the Chiefs last year as an undrafted rookie free agent out of the University of Massachusetts.

Taking Horne’s slot on the practice squad is OL Lucas Patterson. He was signed for several days the week before last, but not long enough to get on the practice field. Patterson is an undrafted rookie free agent out of Texas A&M where he was a defensive lineman. After the first day of training camp in St. Joseph, he was moved to the offensive line.

Plenty Of Blame To Share … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

In this throwaway society it came as no surprise in the moments, hours and days after the Chiefs became the worst team in the NFL after two games that there would be the call for “off with their heads” from fans and media concerning head coach Todd Haley and to a lesser extent GM Scott Pioli.

In the last two months – training camp, pre-season and two weeks of the regular season – I must admit that I have observed some dubious decisions on every level of the franchise, and I’m not leaving Clark Hunt out of this equation. Let’s make this very clear from the start – in this corner of observing the Chiefs, Hunt/Pioli/Haley are all linked to each other. Whatever is happening behind the scenes and who might be knifing who in the back because of the horrible start doesn’t matter in this case. They are all responsible for what’s happened.

Of course, Haley is the guy who has the bull’s eye on his chest and who will take the brunt of the criticism and demands for his departure. It’s been set up that way by Hunt and Pioli, who seldom if ever surface in front of the media for regular sessions of questions and answers. That’s OK, because when they talk they tend to babble in circles that provides little or no insight. They prefer the behind the closed doors, off the record way of passing on information. That’s too bad because if there is an opinion that’s going to be shared, then it should come with a name attached.

The owner and GM hide behind the coach and he’s the guy who stands in front of the media and that’s who the fans think of when it comes to the Chiefs. So at 0-2 and losing 89-10 after a season in the playoffs, Haley must be an idiot.

Let me assure you of this: he’s anything but an idiot. Pioli isn’t an idiot. Clark Hunt isn’t an idiot.

But they are not nearly as smart as they think they are. …Read More!

Numbers: Chiefs vs. Lions

The best decision of Sunday afternoon came early in the first quarter.

I opted to go stand 90 minutes in the rain to tour the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts at its open house. Boy am I glad I didn’t stick around for the Chiefs game, and even if I had recorded it I probably wouldn’t have watched it.

Besides getting a first-hand look at Kansas City’s newest wonder of the world, I got some insight into the Chiefs season as I was watching a performance at the Muriel Kauffman Theatre. The local School of Rock house band was onstage performing and an older woman (though who am I to say older!) walked into the performance and whispered to an usher: “I hope this is not representative of the type of performances we will be seeing here.”

I feel much the same way about the Chiefs.

So, not having seen the game – nor having any desire to watch the debacle – here is a somewhat dispassionate look at strictly the numbers.

…Read More!

How Do They Fix This? … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

There is no magic potion that’s available at the coaching supply store to sprinkle over a struggling football team.

Todd Haley checked on that. He was told to take a number. The line in front of him was very long.

There is no blueprint that can be dug out of some old football library that lays out exactly what the head man of the Chiefs, his staff and his players must do to turn around a season gone so, so bad.

Haley checked on that too. He was told some guy named Rockne checked out the blueprint decades ago and it was never returned.

So Haley was forced to visit the cliché store at the Sports Mall and buy an old-fashion remedy to cure the Chiefs ills. With only themselves and their capacity to work, they will face week No. 3 of the 2011 NFL season with a simple plan – they are going to rely on hard work. …Read More!

Haley Says He Has No Concerns On Job Status

From the Truman Sports Complex

Monday afternoon, Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said he had no concerns about the stability of his job after the disappointing 0-2 start.

“That’s not something that I generally worried about or thought about at whatever level and whatever I’ve been doing,” Haley said. “I was sort of raised that way and believe that way; you focus at the task at hand. You focus on doing the things that you can do to make improvements and do your job to the best of your ability. The NFL is a team results business. Teams will never be judged on individual results and that goes for coaches and players alike.

“I go full speed ahead to be the best that I can be and usually that solves a lot of problems.”

Haley said he feels support from team Chairman Clark Hunt and General Manager Scott Pioli.

“I’ve been excited about the opportunity here and for a reason – because of the leadership in place and the opportunity that gives you and you have a chance to succeed. When you lose it’s tough. When you win, it’s a lot better.

“My focus is on and will continue to be and has been on what can we do to be better? Right now, we’ve done some things that have caused us to lose a couple games. We have two more games in this quarter of the season alone still to play. If we go about doing the things that I know we need to do a lot better from an execution standpoint, we will all be feeling a lot better a week from now than we do right now.”

MRI Ends Season For Charles

From the Truman Sports Complex

The Chiefs were holding out the slightest of hope that an MRI on the left knee of RB Jamaal Charles on Monday morning would show something other than the prognosis from the locker room in Detroit of a torn ACL.

That hope was not granted. Charles tore the ligament in the first quarter against the Lions and will undergo surgery and is done for the season. He’ll go on the injured-reserve list sometime this week, probably on Wednesday when the Chiefs get back to work and begin preparations for Game No. 3 on the season against San Diego.

The injury brings to an end one of the most productive offensive performances in franchise history. From mid-season in 2009 through the season opener of the 2011 season, Charles had played in all 25 games and produced 3,121 yards of offense, with 2,518 yards rushing and 630 yards receiving. In that window over those three seasons, Charles scored 18 touchdowns, including one on a kick return during the 2009 season.

His numbers for the 2011 season were 12 carries for 83 yards, with a 24-yard run in the mix. He caught 5 passes for just 9 yards, but one went for a touchdown. In fact, it’s the only TD of the season for the Chiefs. Those total offense numbers are 17 touches for 92 yards and one touchdown.

A Plate of Motown Leftovers

From Detroit, Michigan

The attention always falls on the quarterback in football and right now there’s plenty of people looking at the Chiefs 0-2 start and focusing on QB Matt Cassel.

There’s no question why that’s happening because the numbers for Cassel after two games reflect the troubles of the Chiefs.

“We’ve got to score points,” Cassel said after the Lions drubbed the Chiefs 48-3 at Ford Field on Sunday. That’s an 89-10 scoreboard in two games, with just one offensive touchdown.

“We haven’t been able to sustain drives and we definitely haven’t taken care of the ball. We need to do a better job in that category and I think that will immediately help this team.”

It’s becoming increasing harder for the offense to make a dent when they have lost two of their best weapons in TE Tony Moeaki and now apparently RB Jamaal Charles. Felled by knee injuries, it’s left the offense searching for other answers. …Read More!

Sunday’s Best – 9/18

LONGEST PLAYS

• 84 – Green Bay WR Jordy Nelson TD catch vs. Carolina (W).
• 84 – Cincinnati WR Jerome Simpson catch vs. Denver (L).
• 79 – New Orleans WR Devery Henderson TD catch vs. Chicago (W).
• 77 – Baltimore WR David Reed kickoff return vs. Tennessee (L).
• 77 – Dallas WR Jesse Holley catch vs. San Francisco (W).
• 73 – Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald TD catch vs. Washington (L).
• 70 – Miami P Brandon Fields punt vs. Houston (L).
• 69 – Houston P Brett Hartmann punt vs. Miami (W).
• 64 – San Francisco P Andy Lee punt vs. Dallas (L).
• 61 – Atlanta RB Michael Turner run vs. Philadelphia (W). …Read More!

An Ugly Replay In Detroit For Chiefs

From Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan

This is bad. This is very bad.

After opening the season about as poorly as possible in getting blown out at home by the Buffalo Bills, the Chiefs went on the road for week No. 2 of the 2011 NFL season and got blasted again, this time 48-3 by the resurgent Detroit Lions.

Combined with that 41-7 loss last week, the Chiefs are now down 89-10 on the young season. And they may have lost another one of their best players. RB Jamaal Charles left the game midway through the first quarter with a left knee injury. How serious his injury is wasn’t known and of course the Chiefs would never let anyone know right after the game. But he left Ford Field on crutches with his left leg in a brace and it was not a pretty sight.

Nothing was pretty for the Chiefs. They turned the ball over six times. They were unable to score a touchdown. The defense allowed six touchdowns and numerous big plays. QB Matt Stafford threw four touchdown passes and WR Calvin Johnson caught two of those. In a matter of eight days the Chiefs have played some of the worst football the red and gold have seen in some time.

• GAME STORY: An unexpected nightmare.
• COLUMN: This boat has sprung a leak.
• SIDEBAR: Jamaal appears done.
• SIDEBAR: Another Chiefs fumble sets tone.
• SIDEBAR: Flowers wins some, loses some.
• SIDEBAR: Chiefs defense continues to struggle.
• SIDEBAR: They won for Gun.
• NOTES: Lions GM snubs Pioli
• REPORT CARD: Tough to find passing grades.
• GAMEBOOK
• Pre-Game coverage
• 4 Things Chiefs Had To Have For a Victory/Recap

   

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY … GAME-DAY CUP O’CHIEFS

From Detroit, Michigan

Whether it was Derrick Johnson, Jon McGraw and Kelly Gregg on defense, or Casey Wiegmann, Terrance Copper, Thomas Jones and Matt Cassel on offense, this was the week the Chiefs needed their veterans to step forward.

As head coach Todd Haley said all week, “one week does not form an identity of a team.” That’s only true if the team comes out and establishes something other than what they’ve already presented. That’s what the Chiefs must do on the second Sunday of the 2011 NFL season when they take on the Detroit Lions at a sold-out Ford Field. Kickoff is 12 o’clock on CBS-TV.

Part of the equation in the Chiefs ability to turn things around was the influence of the veterans on this team. The Chiefs are no longer a young team. They are an inexperienced team, especially an inexperienced team dealing with the season after success. They’ve learned very quickly that nothing about 2010 really carries over to 2011. As the head coach admitted this week, his team was carrying an attitude like they had arrived. …Read More!

Appetizers From Motown

From Detroit, Michigan

Sadly, the Chiefs and Lions will play indoors on Sunday at Ford Field. Playing inside on the rug is good in Detroit in November and December, but Sunday’s forecast is for sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70s. Just perfect for outdoor football, but everyone will be inside for this game.

The Lions have declared this game a sellout, although they still have some single seats available, along with a handful of tickets returned to them by the Chiefs. Sellouts have been hard to come by at Ford Field since it opened in 2002. In nine seasons, the new dome hasn’t provided much of a home-field advantage for the Lions. They are 27-45 in the new building, a .375 winning percentage. There overall win percentage in that time was .257 (37-107).

That’s what made the Lions victory last Sunday in Tampa so impressive. Since 2002 they’ve won only 11 of 73 road games. At one point they lost 26 road games in a row. …Read More!

4 THINGS THE CHIEFS MUST DO TO BEAT DETROIT

HISTORY

• This is the 12th meeting between these teams with very different backgrounds. The Lions came into the NFL in 1934 after four seasons as the Portsmouth Spartans. The Chiefs were born as the Dallas Texans in 1960.
• The Chiefs hold a 7-4 edge in the series.
• Most recent meeting was in 2007 at Ford Field in Detroit, that the Lions won 25-20.
• The most recent victory for the Chiefs was in 2003 at Arrowhead Stadium, 45-17.
• Last time the Chiefs won in Detroit was Thanksgiving Day 1996 at the Pontiac Silverdome, 28-24. That was the game Marcus Allen scored his NFL record setting 101 rushing touchdown.

4

HOLD THE BALL

After points scored, the turnover ratio is the No. 1 statistics for deciding who wins and who loses football games. It’s not infalliable, but it’s a good 75 percent plus advantage to winning for the team that’s on the plus side of the turnovers. The Chiefs ended up on the negative side last week against Buffalo, minus-2 to be exact. The 34-point outcome was more than just the two fumbles and an interception. …Read More!

A Lions Den Again … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

QB Matt Stafford (left), DT Ndamukong Suh (center) and WR Calvin Johnson (right) are the foundation of the renaissance of the Detroit Lions.

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For the Chiefs, the 2008 season ended with the worst record in franchise history. Just two victories in 16 games was what Herm Edwards team was able to achieve in that disaster year.

But the two-victory Chiefs were not even the NFL’s worst team that year. Oh no, there was a team that went through 2008 without a single victory, a 0-16 record, the most games lost in a single season without at least one winning performance.

The Detroit Lions.

On Sunday, the Chiefs will visit Ford Field in Motown to face the Lions in week No. 2 of the 2011 NFL season. This is not the same Lions team that stumbled and bumbled about in the NFL for over a decade. Or more like a decade and a half.

The numbers that count come in victories and defeats: …Read More!

Gun Does Have Something To Say

Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham spoke to the media on Friday for the first and only time of the week and as expected he downplayed the matchup against the Chiefs on Sunday.

“Well, its game two and that’s the way the players have to approach it,” Cunningham said. “They play the game.”

But he did have some memories to talk about with the Detroit media.

“Basically, the Hunts gave me a great life in Kansas City and I respect the heck out of their family,” Gunther said. “I think Clark’s doing a great job of running the team and God bless Norma, Lamar’s wife, and Lamar and I were fairly close through the years we were there and they’re a great family. I wish them all well.

“We’ve just got to go play this game and let the players decide.”

He had plenty to say about the Chiefs offense: …Read More!

Friday Practice/Afternoon Update – 9/16

From the Truman Sports Complex

The Kansas City Star is reporting that the Chiefs and CB Brandon Flowers have agreed to a contract extension.

The NFL Network is reporting that the deal is for six years, $50.6 million with $22 million in guaranteed money.

Flowers was in the final year of the contract he signed as a rookie after being a second-round choice of the Chiefs in the 2008 NFL Draft. He joins RB Jamaal Charles, ILB Derrick Johnson and OLB Tamba Hali as young starters that have been re-signed to long term contracts. Only Hali reached free agency, but he was given the franchise player tag that limited his ability to seek deals from other teams.

Before they reached the practice field, the Chiefs started the day with a roster move, as they shuffled tight ends, bringing back journeyman TE Anthony Becht. To make room for him, they released TE Jake O’Connell.

Becht was part of the initial 53-man roster after the end of the pre-season but he was waived early in the week when the Chiefs claimed OT Steve Mareni on waivers. Becht hasn’t played since the 2009 season when he was with Arizona. Before that, the 6-6, 270-pounder played 158 games for the Jets, Buccaneers, Rams and Cardinals. Over his career, Becht has caught 185 passes for 1,511 yards and 21 TDs.

…Read More!

Marty Wins UFL Opener

In what sounded very much like a game played by a Marty Schottenheimer team, the Virginia Destroyers won the opening game of the 2011 United Football League season on Thursday night.

They beat the Omaha Nighthawks 23-13 in front of a crowd of 15,836 fans at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha.

The Destroyers won with a solid offensive effort, keyed to the running game and a defense that forced three turnovers by Omaha that led directly to nine points for Virginia.

“This was a terrific victory for our football team,” Schottenheimer told the media after the game. “We made enough plays that gave us the opportunity to come out of here with a victory. I was particularly pleased with our ability to run the football on the offensive side.”

As for Marty, he was thrilled to be back on the field doing what he does – coaching football.

“It’s delightful; the essence of it for me is I’m a teacher,” he said. “I love to teach the game of football to these young men.  I get great gratification and satisfaction seeing them use things I didn’t have the skill set to do as a player.  I live vicariously through them and I walk out of here feeling like – Hey, we won this one!” …Read More!

Offense Needs Faster Jamaal … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

Over his still young NFL career, Jamaal Charles has done some amazing things, including averaging 6.38 yards per carry last year, the first running back to go that high since Jim Brown did 6.4 yards per carry in 1963. Since mid-season in 2009, he’s run for 2,491 yards in the last 25 regular season games.

One thing Charles has not been is a fast starter. After a miserable opener against Buffalo, the Chiefs need the young back out of Texas to get up and running faster than he has in previous seasons, much faster.

“I haven’t started out very fast in the past, but I was always in different roles with the offense then,” Charles said. “Sometimes I wasn’t given the opportunity to get the yards. If you don’t get the opportunities, it’s hard to get the yards.”

Charles is right – only in the last two seasons was he in the same role as the lead piston in the Chiefs offensive engine. As a rookie in ’08 he was a limited participant at the start of the season. At the start of the ’09 season, he was in Todd Haley’s doghouse and even missed the second game of the ’09 season when he was a healthy game-day inactive.

Including his 10-carry, 56-yard performance against Buffalo last Sunday, Charles has played 12 games so far in the first quarter of the 2008-09-10-11 seasons. Not once did he crack 100 yards. Three of the 12 games he topped 75 yards, with all of those performances coming last season. In those 12 games he averaged 44.1 rushing yards per game. …Read More!

4 THINGS CHIEFS NEEDED TO DO/RECAP

From Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan

4

HOLD THE BALL

After points scored, the turnover ratio is the No. 1 statistics for deciding who wins and who loses football games. It’s not infallible, but it’s a good 75 percent plus advantage to winning for the team that’s on the plus side of the turnovers. The Chiefs ended up on the negative side last week against Buffalo, minus-2 to be exact. The 34-point outcome was more than just the two fumbles and an interception. But when Dexter McCluster coughed up the opening kickoff, it set the tone for the afternoon. Last year, one of the keys to the Chiefs division championship was their ability to protect the ball. They fumbled just 15 times, less than once a game. They lost only six of those. They’ve already lost two in one game. The 2011 Chiefs are not good enough to giveaway possession of the ball. FAILED – they failed miserably as they turned the ball over six times in all, including three fumbles. They are now minus-7 on the turnover ratio in two games.

3

PLAY SMART, FUNDAMENTAL FOOTBALL

Protecting the ball falls into this category as well, but the Chiefs must play the game the way they are taught and the way they have played before. That’s remaining fundamentally sound, not breaking from the scheme, not trying to be Superman and win the game themselves. It’s working together and believing in what they are doing. Yes, I know that all sounds like a bunch of football pabulum but it’s hugely important. There was no cohesion and there are a lot of excuses that could be made for it happening, but the fact is until the Chiefs get on the same page and work together, it’s going to be a disappointing system. This is especially important on defense, and truly important against a Lions team that has some unique weapons. Fundamental football is the only way to win a game like this one. FAILED – Eight penalties is not smart football. Detroit receivers running free in the secondary is not smart football. The Chiefs were anything but smart on Sunday.

2

PROTECT CASSEL

The Chiefs offense has been struggling for some time and part of that can be traced to poor protection for QB Matt Cassel when he’s throwing the ball. Some of this falls to the passer as well, but Cassel has been taken down far too many times. The Bills defense is not one that will rack up a lot of sacks, but they dropped him twice in 38 pass plays. That’s not way out of line, in any fashion. But the Lions present a different matter, with the type of pressure that can come from Kyle Vanden Bosch and the big stud inside, Ndamukong Suh. If Cassel goes down, so do the Chiefs chances for victory. PUSH – They gave up two sacks in just 24 passing plays with Cassel, or one ever 12 plays. One of those was a garbage sack at the end of the half. Press box stats gave the Lions just three QB hurries.

1

RUN THE BALL

There’s no doubt what the offensive personality of this Chiefs team is – they run the ball. If they can’t run the ball, they can’t win. They are not that good a passing team, Cassel is not that good a quarterback and the protection is not good enough to keep the Lions defense off the passer enough to zoom the ball up and down the field. If they are going to win, they must run. Last week they got 108 rushing yards on 18 carries. That’s an average of six yards per carry, which is pretty darn good. But two of those runs produced 45 yards. That means the other 16 averaged just 3.9 yards per carry. Whether it’s Jamaal Charles, Thomas Jones, Dexter McCluster, Le’Ron McClain or all of the above, they must run. That requires the offensive line controlling the point of attack. SUCCESS – not that it ended up mattering much. The Chiefs were able to run the ball against the Lions with a more KC-like 151 rushing yards at 5.2 yards per carry. Unfortunately, the biggest piston in that running game engine appears to be done for the year with Jamaal Charles and his left knee injury.

Notes & Quotes: No Friends In Detroit

From Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan

At the end of the game, both Chiefs GM Scott Pioli and Lions GM Martin Mayhew were headed to the elevator to gown down to the respective locker rooms.

According to the Detroit News, Pioli called out to Mayhew and extended his right hand.

Mayhew shook his head and turned his back on Pioli

So obviously the outcome of Sunday’s 48-3 demolishing of the Chiefs meant more to people with the Lions than just defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham.

It all stems from the tampering charge the Chiefs filed a year ago against the Lions involving Jarrad Page. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell ruled against Detroit and that’s something that apparently the folks with the Lions won’t soon forget.

Now they have a much nicer memory, a total domination of the Chiefs. It would be easy to say that the Lions tampered with the Chiefs confidence big time with the 45-point victory.

BIG, AS BIG AS IT GETS FOR THE LIONS

The 45 points that separated the Lions and the Chiefs was the largest margin of victory in the history of the Detroit franchise. They’ve only been playing football since 1934, and four years before that as the Portsmouth Spartans.

BAD, AS BAD AS IT GETS FOR THE CHIEFS

In the 52 seasons of Dallas Texans-Kansas City Chiefs football, the 48 points the Chiefs allowed on Sunday was the fourth most scored by an opponent against them. It was the largest margin of defeat in club history.

ATMOSPHERE REPORT

The crowd was loud and noisy Sunday at Ford Field. The Lions said the paid attendance was 60,040 and most of the house was filled, although there were some empty seats in the high priced areas.

The Chiefs didn’t really have too many problems with the noise, getting called once for a false start. But it was cheering that the Lions definitely appreciated the support.

“The crowd was amazing,” said Detroit DT Ndamukong Suh. “I love to see our field continue to be sold out and no empty seats anywhere in that stadium. I look forward to the next time we get back here.”

SPECIAL TEAMS REPORT

It was a pretty ugly day for all parts of the Chiefs, including the kicking game. Let’s look at the culprits.

K Ryan Succop – made a 33-yard FG, but missed from 44 yards when he went wide left. He’s now just 1 of 3 on the season. On his two kickoffs he came within a yard each time of booting it out of the end zone.

P Dustin Colquitt – he had five punts on the day that went 33, 38, 44, 41 and 42 yards. He averaged 39.6 yards a punt, with a net punting average of 38.2 yards. Only one punt was returned, that for seven yards.

PR Javier Arenas – he had just one return for one yard.

KR Dexter McCluster – overall there were eight Detroit kickoffs and five went for touchbacks. McCluster returned three for a total of 69 yards, with 35 coming on one return. That’s a 23-yard average.

Coverage – The Chiefs only saw one return, that 7-yard punt return by Stefan Logan. WR Terrance Copper had the tackle there.

ZEBRA REPORT

Tony Corrente’s crew handled the game and it was a bit out of their profile. They are known as a quiet crew, but they were throwing the laundry all day, especially against the Chiefs. On the day, they walked off 12 penalties total for 105 yards.

No doubt though that some of those flags really hurt the Chiefs. Here’s what went down with the penalties.

PERSONNEL REPORT

OT Jared Gaither and CB Jalil Brown were both active for the Chiefs on Sunday, making them the 13th and 14th players to make their red and gold debut this season.

Serving as captains for this game were RB Thomas Jones, LB Derrick Johnson, WR Terrance Copper, LB Demorrio Williams and OLB Tamba Hali.

Inactive players for the Chiefs were QB Ricky Stanzi, S Reshard Langford, OT Steve Maneri, WR Keary Colbert, WR Jonathan Baldwin (injury), DE Brandon Bair and NT Jerrell Powe.

Inactive players for the Lions were QB Drew Stanton, CB Alphonso Smith (injury), LB Doug Hogue, G Jacques McClendon, OT Jason Fox (injury), WR Maurice Stovall and DT Nick Fairley (injury).

They Won One For Gun

From Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan

It turns out that Gunther Cunningham never had to say a word about how special a victory would be for him over the Chiefs on Sunday.

His defensive “sons” on the Lions know their father well enough to know it was something special.

“He made this game about the players and didn’t make it about him this week,” DE Kyle Vanden Bosch said in the Lions locker room after the game. “But we understood. We felt it.

“I don’t know how things went down (in Kansas City.) I don’t know the history behind it. But I know that this was important to him.

“And so it became really important to us as players.”

That’s why near the end of the game, the Lions defense gave Cunningham a Gatorade bath in honor of Detroit’s 48-3 smashing of the Chiefs.

“Even when we had our big lead in the second half, guys got together and were talking about, ‘We need to finish this off and put an exclamation point on it for Gun’,” Vanden Bosch said. “You don’t see that a lot in the NFL, when players care that much about a coach and want to do things the right way and win for the coach.”

Being fired as head coach, being accused of tampering, there are so many wounds with Cunningham when it comes to the Chiefs. They hurt more than others because Kansas City was where he found his football nirvana. When he talked about the picture he had in his office at Arrowhead as head coach, of the stands full of Chiefs fans and how he coached for them, the media made fun of him. His passion sometimes got the better of him, but passion is what Gunther Cunningham is to his core.

And while he more than likely will land in his office around 4 a.m. Monday morning and begin preparations for the Lions defense and a game next Sunday against Minnesota, Sunday was a day to savor. More than likely he went home with wife Rene and had a Miller Lite plus some sushi and collapsed into bed.

“I don’t want to say it was the biggest win in history for him, but man it’s damn close,” said FS Louis Delmas. “This was very important to him. It’s not bragging rights, it’s not winning, it’s just respect.”

Report Card: Chiefs vs. Lions

From Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan

RUSHING OFFENSE: C – The Chiefs came right out and ran the ball and ran it with success on their first possession. They ended up running it 29 times, averaging 5.2 yards per carry. But only Dexter McCluster had more than 50 yards, at just 51 on eight carries. Losing Jamaal Charles is going to make things tough for this part of the team going forward, but the running game is not why the Chiefs are 0-2 right now.

PASSING OFFENSE: F – Matt Cassel’s three interceptions all led to scores for the Lions. He averaged just 6.1 yards per attempt. That’s better than last week, but not nearly good enough. His protection was shaky at times; he was sacked twice in 24 passing plays. Kudos to WR Dwayne Bowe, who played hard the entire game and ended up catching five passes for 101 yards. But Cassel did not have a touchdown pass – never came close.

RUSHING DEFENSE: C – The Lions averaged 3 yards a carry on 30 carries. The Chiefs never let Jahvid Best out of the box on his 16 carries. Overall, it was a pretty good effort that went for naught.

PASSING DEFENSE: F – For the second week in a row, the pass defense gets a failing grade. They gave up four TD passes and nabbed but one interception. Of course, that turned into disaster when SS Jon McGraw handed it right back on a fumble. No sacks and very little pressure on QB Matt Stafford. This is not acceptable.

SPECIAL TEAMS: D – Ryan Succop missed a 44-yard FG and that should not happen. It’s the second time he’s missed between the 40 and 49; he needs to be about 90 percent in there, not 0 percent. P Dustin Colquitt had a mediocre game and the returns again provided very little. The coverage units didn’t have much action.

COACHING: F – The offense came out with a good plan, trying to take advantage of the Lions aggressive defensive style. But it didn’t take long for that approach to get shelved because they fell behind. Nothing that Rome Crennel worked on defense. Losing two games 89-10, that’s never going to get a head coach or coaching staff passing grades.

Chiefs Defense Can’t Get On Track

From Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan

Two takeaways … one sack … 11 touchdowns allowed … 89 points given up … an average of 387.5 yards allowed each week.

Those are the numbers of a defense in trouble. Those are the numbers of the Chiefs 2011 defense. They are ugly; they are the type of numbers that are hard for this team to believe they’ve posted after two games.

From the front seven, through the secondary, things are not working together or correctly. No matter what buttons that defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel punches, they don’t seem to work.

It does not help when the Chiefs offense puts them in bad field position time-after-time due to interceptions and fumbles. Those situations are hard to overcome a few times, let alone constantly like the last two games, when the Chiefs had nine turnovers.

But there are problems within the defense as well, mostly with the sub-defense, or what some people would call the nickel. The Chiefs spent most of the game in the nickel. That pulls rookie DE Allen Bailey, DE Wallace Gilberry, OLB Cameron Sheffield, S Sabby Piscitelli and CB Javier Arenas onto the field. Leaving are Belcher, DEs Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson, along with NT Kelly Gregg, and OLB Justin Houston.

Stafford and the Lions offense spent a lot of time with three receivers wide, sometimes a tight end was part of that group. The quarterback was in the shotgun and they were in strictly a one-back offense with Jahvid Best.

The defense barely slowed down the Lions, as they put 411 yards on the board. Of course, it helps when the average starting field position for the Lions was their 42-yard line.

“Miscommunication, guys running free through the secondary,” said CB Brandon Flowers. “We’ve got to stop guys from running free. We need to get turnovers, we need to get take the ball away. That takes away points from them and gives us a chance to score some points.”

Let’s start there. The Lions had completions of 43, 36, 35, 29, 28 and 27 yards. They lost plays of 47 and 24 yards to penalties. Not all of those catchers came with receivers wide open. But too many of them came with yards after the catch and that means the defense was out of step.

“This game we needed to have better communication,” said Flowers. “We had too many guys running free.”

The Eric Berry factor? Possibly, but Berry’s role was not really that of the guy who got everybody in the right positions. That’s something that generally falls to inside linebackers Derrick Johnson and Belcher.

“We need to keep our confidence, even though it may be wavering at this point,” said Johnson. “Know your role and do it better. We have to get better.

“We have to make more plays in the back end (linebackers and secondary). Every part of the defense, linebackers, DBs, D-Line has to do better.”

Upfront, there was very little pass rush on Stafford. He broke from the pocket less than a half-dozen times in the game. Several times he escaped the clutches of OLB Tamba Hali, and once he ducked under a late blitz from CB Javier Arenas. But nothing much slowed him down as he completed 23 of 39 for 294 with four touchdowns.

“We’ve got to go back to the drawing board and correct our mistakes,” said Dorsey. “The only thing that’s going to help us is to get back on the practice field.”

Flowers Wins Some, Loses Some

From Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan

He’s got a nice new contract that will pay him handsomely over the next six years or so.

But Brandon Flowers understands that doesn’t means squat on a Sunday afternoon when he’s playing out on the island at cornerback.

Flowers had a busy day on Sunday, matching up for most of the afternoon with Detroit’s Pro Bowl receiver Calvin Johnson. He won some of the one-on-one battles, and lost some.

But they always happen where everyone can see them go down. That’s the life of a cornerback. His good play and bad plays are easy to see. He can even play great coverage, do everything that’s asked of him and still look like a loser because a receiver makes a great catch.

“I have a lot of respect for him, he’s a great player,” Flowers said of Johnson, who caught a pair of touchdown passes against him. “He got me. I got him a couple times. That’s how it goes. But he’s one of the best in the league.”

He’s also a giant compared to Flowers, who is listed at 5-9, 187 pounds. Johnson is 6-5, 236 pounds. That’s eight inches and nearly 50 pounds in difference between the two.

Detroit QB Matt Stafford threw the ball to Johnson seven times in the game, but completed just three of those throws for 29 yards. But two were touchdowns. The first was a 15-yard pass where Johnson got a step on Flowers and SS Jon McGraw did not get over in time to help out.

The second was on a 4th-and-goal play at the Lions 1-yard line. On the third down play, Flowers had knocked down a pass that Stafford lofted into the end zone. This time, Johnson ran a slant inside the quarterback drilled him with the football for the touchdown.

“That’s a competitor,” Flowers said. “That’s a grown man out there. We have a lot of respect for each other. His team won, and I’m the one sitting here feeling bad because my team lost. He made plays for his team to win. I should have gone out there and gotten turnovers so my team can win.”

Another Fumble Sets The Tone

From Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan

Last week in the opener against Buffalo it was Dexter McCluster’s fumble on the opening kickoff that set the tone for the day.

Bills 41, Chiefs 7.

A week later, it was another fumble early in the first quarter that set the tone for Game No. 2 against Detroit. SS Jon McGraw had an interception, but turned around and gave it right back to the Lions on a fumble.

Lions 48, Chiefs 3.

“It was the same as last week and it was a big play,” McGraw said after the game. “It was my fault. I don’t know what happened.”

The Chiefs won the opening coin toss and deferred their selection until the second half. So they kicked off to the Lions, and QB Matt Stafford led them to pair of first downs. It was 2nd-and-5 at the Chiefs 44-yard line. Stafford was in the shotgun, took the snap and looked to his right.

McGraw saw that in his role as a linebacker in the Chiefs sub-defense and stepped that way as well. Stafford quickly had a problem, because in his face was DE Wallace Gilberry. As the Lions quarterback let go of the ball, he was hit by Gilberry and that took some steam off the throw.

“I saw it coming and saw that it was hanging in the air and I caught it,” said McGraw. “Then I got up …”

What happened next was one of those moments the 2011 Chiefs cannot afford. McGraw got to his feet and was about to run when the ball squirted out of his hands.

“I had it and then I didn’t have it,” McGraw said. “I don’t really know what happened. Nobody touched me that I could tell.”

That’s correct, he got touched after the ball was already out, but no member of the Lions knocked it out of his possession. Detroit TE Tony Scheffler fell on the fumble and his team had the ball back.

In the end, the interception and fumble cost the Lions 10 yards in field position, but it was first down. They score the first of six touchdowns three plays later when Stafford found WR Calvin Johnson for the score. Johnson beat CB Brandon Flowers who was expected some help over the top from McGraw.

“We needed to play better this week and I can tell you that I did not play better,” McGraw said. “I failed to do that.”

Column: This Boat Has Sprung A Leak

From Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan

In the more than three decades that I’ve covered the NFL, I don’t think I’ve seen a football team blow the effect of an appearance in the playoffs the year before like the 2011 Kansas City Chiefs.

They’ve gone from AFC West champion to AFC chump. Last week, we said they weren’t the worst team in the league, they just played like it. In week No. 2 against Detroit, they are the worst team in the league.

A team goes 0-2 and that happens in the NFL. Victories are hard to come by in this league and the Chiefs knew that the 2011 season was going to be a tough one. The schedule alone was evidence of that.

But what has happened over the last eight days is so unexpected, so jarring; it’s leaving a lot of people in the Chiefs locker room speechless.

“I don’t know what to say,” said veteran SS Jon McGraw. “It’s hard for me to have a big picture view. I just know things are not good. They aren’t good at all.”

No, they are bad. They are very bad, like six turnovers and eight penalties bad. Those turnovers and a roughing the punter call against the Chiefs that returned the ball to the Lions set up 41 of the 47 points. …Read More!

Charles Done For The Season

From Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan

The security personnel cleared a path outside the Chiefs locker room for Jamaal Charles. He was on crutches, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled down over his face and his left knee wrapped in a brace. As his teammates were showering after getting smacked by the Lions 48-3, Charles was headed for one of the team’s buses.

The official word waits for an MRI on Monday morning back in Kansas City, but all indications are that RB Jamaal Charles suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in the first quarter on Sunday’s game against the Lions and is done for the season.

Charles would join SS Eric Berry who tore his ACL last Sunday and TE Tony Moeaki who tore an ACL in the final pre-season game. All three players suffered tears in their left knees.

The injury occurred on the Chiefs first possession of the game, when they were already down by a touchdown. They came out running the ball and having great success. It was a third down run and the Chiefs needed four yards for a first down. …Read More!

Another Butt-Kicking For Chiefs In 48-3 Loss

From Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan

It is a nightmare that nobody with the Chiefs ever expected. Coming off a division winning season, everyone in the World of Hunt knew it would be tougher in 2011 than it was last year.

But there isn’t a soul that would have predicted that after two games of the season the Chiefs would be the worst team in the league. There’s no other explanation, no other definition after the 48-3 pounding they took from the Detroit Lions here on Sunday.

Combined with last week’s 41-7 thumping from the Buffalo Bills, the Chiefs are 0-2 and down 89-10 on the scoreboard. They’ve played two games and have achieved very little.

“Football is a funny game; that ball bounces different ways,” said veteran RB Thomas Jones. “Things can happen that you don’t expect. I can assure you, nobody around this team thought we would be in this predicament. No way.”

Last Sunday was the worst opening day loss in Chiefs history. This Sunday now provides the worst opening two games in Chiefs history. Plus, it’s the worst beating the franchise has taken in consecutive games. In 1983 they lost to Dallas 41-21 and then Seattle 51-48 in overtime. That was 92 points, but at least the Chiefs scored 69 points in those games, losing by a total of 23 points. The 79-point difference in the last two weeks is the worst back-to-back beatings in club history.

And none of that even includes the possible loss to a serious knee injury of RB Jamaal Charles. He went down in the first quarter and did not return, with no word on his prognosis.

“You can’t do certain things and win in the NFL or even have a chance to win,” said head coach Todd Haley. “Once again, we did a bunch of those things. We have to clearly make a bunch of changes in what we are doing in order to have a chance to be ready to play San Diego this weekend on the road.” …Read More!

Practice Report/Update – 9/15

From the Truman Sports Complex

If Todd Haley said it once, he’s said it a dozen times this week to his players, to the media, probably to his kids.

“One week does not form an identity of a team,” Haley said Thursday, after the Chiefs wrapped up their second practice session of the week. “I think after four or five games you’ll start to recognize an identity. But I think it’s very important that everybody understands one week you aren’t able to draw a whole bunch out of that other than last week, we didn’t play very good and we need to be better this week.”

Haley was willing to admit what might have been askew with his team last week that led to the Buffalo loss.

“I think there’s a better understanding on the team that we have to be a lot better, that we aren’t there yet,” Haley said. “We weren’t there last year, even though we did some good things. We weren’t really as good as we thought we were. So we need to make sure we understand that. When you do understand that, and take that step towards humility, that helps you coming back and saying ‘We have a lot of work to do.’

“The biggest difference we’ve seen is the sense of urgency from the guys getting ready.” …Read More!

UFL, Marty Kickoff Delayed Season

The next chapter in Marty Schottenheimer’s football life will be on display tonight in Omaha, as the United Football League kicks off its delayed 2011 season.

Marty’s Virginia Destroyers will face the Omaha Nighthawks in the UFL’s first game of the season. They face off at 7 o’clock at TD Ameritrade Park. Unfortunately, there’s no live television coverage of the game. But for anybody that just has to know and would like to listen, here’s a link to the Destroyers radio broadcast in the Norfolk area. In the Omaha area, there’s a broadcast on KOZN-AM 1620.

Schottenheimer’s team is a first-year operation, with the remnants of last year’s Florida Tuskers team and additional players that have been added in the last month. The Destroyers, like the rest of the league, was supposed to start in early August, but financial difficulties in the league pushed the start time back. They’ve had just 15 practices. …Read More!

Pre-Game: Chiefs vs. Lions

From Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan

11:30 a.m. CDT – Both teams have completed their pre-game warm-ups and have headed to the locker room. Remember, we’ll be posting after the game all night on every angle of the game, so come back often.

11:20 a.m. CDT – Coming into the game, there was some mystery as to the starting right tackle spot with the Lions. Head coach Jim Schwartz wouldn’t commit to one on Friday. As the Lions go through their pre-game, it looks like the starter will be Corey Hilliard, replacing Gosder Cherilus. Hilliard is a five-year veteran out of Oklahoma State and is a bit smaller than Cherilus in both height and weight.

11:15 a.m. CDT – Todd Haley and Jim Schwartz are exchanging pleasantries at midfield. These guys took their jobs in the same season (2009). Haley’s record is now 14-20 with a loss in the playoffs. Schwartz’s record is 9-24. Also chatting it up are GM Scott Pioli and James “Shack” Harris, the former top personnel man in Jacksonville who is now working for the Lions.

11:05 a.m. CDT – The Lions declared this game a sellout early last week, but they were still selling tickets today for the game. It will be a big crowd if the parking lots around Ford Field are any indication. Plenty of cars, people and a lot of tailgating going on. The parking price tag where you could actually see the stadium was $50. Three blocks away, the price was $30. All the lots were filling up fast.

10:55 a.m. CDT – OT Jared Gaither will get his first game as a member of the Chiefs today. Gaither was inactive for last Sunday’s opener. As for the Chiefs 46-man roster for the game, they are light at wide receiver, with only four active. New TE Anthony Becht is active. It would not be a surprise to see the Chiefs come out trying to pound tyhe ball on the ground. …Read More!

Reaching Back For Help … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

That’s Rod Woodson on the left, and Merril Hoge on the right. What are a couple of Steelers doing at the top of a story from the Chiefs? Read on and you’ll come to understand a bit more about the never ending imagination of Chiefs head coach Todd Haley.

——————————

Today, it’s one of the toughest parts of being a head coach in the National Football League – communicating with your team on a daily basis.

Think about it – for six months a head coach stands in front of his team at least six days a week. So much of what he says sets the tone for the day, the week, even the season. But how does a coach capture the attention of his players when he’s giving 150-plus speeches? How does he get messages across that will grab the team’s attention?

On Wednesday, Todd Haley reached back into his own memories and along with help from the world wide web, came up with an angle that he hopes will focus his players on the task at hand.

Haley recalled for his team during their Wednesday meeting the story of the 1989 Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s not a Steelers team that won a Super Bowl. In fact, it was the next to last season of Chuck Noll’s career as the team’s head coach and the Steelers finished 9-7 that season. …Read More!

Practice Report-Update – 9/14

From the Truman Sports Complex

Reshard Langford is back with the Chiefs, signed to take the roster spot of starter SS Eric Berry who was officially placed on the injured-reserve list on Wednesday.

Langford was with the team through the 2010 season and into training camp and the pre-season this year before he was released as part of the Chiefs roster cut to 53 players.

During the open media window to Wednesday’s practice, the secondary was working in the nickel defense, and Sabby Piscitelli and Donald Washington were working in Berry’s spot. Veteran Jon McGraw figures to be the starter in the base defense.

All 61 players on the active roster and practice squad were on the field for Wednesday afternoon’s session. WR Jonathan Baldwin continues to be a limited participant because of that broken right thumb. He was back in the rehab area once the receivers started catching passes. He continues to wear a brace on the right wrist and hand. Of course, no word from the Chiefs on how far away he may be from being a full-time participant in practice, let alone playing in a game.

OT Jared Gaither (knee) appeared to be taking part in the practice while the offensive line worked in position drills. He was inactive for last Sunday’s game because of that injury.

The Chiefs also made moves on their practice squad roster. They brought back FB Shane Bannon and OL Butch Lewis, who were released from the practice squad last week. To make room for them on the eight-man team, they released TE Kyle Nelson and OL Lucas Patterson, who they signed last week.

In fact, Patterson was added to the practice squad on Saturday and was released on Wednesday, without taking the field for a practice. It’s an odd move by the Chiefs. Nelson was a “Lookie Lou” because of his ability as a long snapper.

On the Chiefs injury/practice report only Baldwin was listed as did not practice. For the Lions, listed as did not practice were S Louis Delmas (hip), DT Nick Fairley (foot), T Jason Fox (foot), WR Calvin Johnson (ankle) and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (not injury related). CB Alphonso Smith (foot) and WR Maurice Stovall (hand) were limited in practice.

No Arrowhead Edge … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

Yes, they’ve now lost two of their best players. Yes, not a single part of their team performed at a winning level in the season opener.

But the Chiefs do have something going for them when they play Game No. 2 of the season this coming Sunday:

They will not be at Arrowhead Stadium.

Whatever home-field advantage the Chiefs built at the New Arrowhead during the 2010 season has been frittered away. After going 1-1 in the ’10 pre-season and then winning their first seven home games last year, the Chiefs have now lost five straight at Arrowhead, and three of those have been games that counted: to Oakland in the ‘ 10 regular season final, to Baltimore in the playoffs and then this past Sunday in the ’11 opener against Buffalo.

The Chiefs not only lost those three games that count at Arrowhead, they got blasted, losing 31-10, 30-7 and 41-7. They failed on offense and defense and special teams provided no extras to help overcome the deficiencies in the other areas. …Read More!

Gun Loading Up For Chiefs

Good morning Gun. We are posting this Monday afternoon, but I know it will be Tuesday morning, long before the Motown sun comes up, that you will find this post in your morning cull of the worldwide web. Have a great day and as always, get some rest.

It doesn’t seem possible that it’s now been three years since Gunther Cunningham has been with the Chiefs. Could it possibly be 11 seasons since he was the team’s head coach?

That history alone would have made this Sunday’s visit by the Chiefs to Detroit one of those special moments for Cunningham. It would have gotten his competitive juices rolling and he would enjoy getting his team ready to pound the Chiefs offense.

But there is more to this game at this time. Forget the competitive juices: Gunther’s blood is boiling and if you doubt that, then listen to what his players were saying Monday in Detroit, after opening the season with a victory over Tampa Bay.

“I am sure there will be some extra (motivation) for him this week,” defensive end Cliff Avril told the Detroit News. “And I am pretty sure it will be for us, too. He’ll be real intense and definitely want to get after them.” …Read More!

Numbers Game: Bills & Chiefs

As expected, the Chiefs’ numbers are almost exactly as bad as you would expect after a 41-7 gobsmacking from the Buffalo Bills in the opening game of the season. The Chiefs couldn’t run, couldn’t pass, couldn’t defend and couldn’t hang onto the ball.

So where to start? With the quarterback and the offense, although the defense wasn’t exactly stellar either.

QB Matt Cassel had an abysmal day, one that will have an impact on his statistics for the remainder of the season. His opening game against the Bills was almost a carbon copy of his opening game in that deluge against San Diego last year. In that downpour, Cassel completed 10 of 22 passes for 68 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. His average gain per pass play was even lower than this year’s horrific performance.

TE Tony Moeaki was missing in action, but replacement Leonard Pope was a nice-enough sub for at least one afternoon with three catches and more big plays than any other receiver on the roster. WR Dwayne Bowe was Cassel’s favorite target, but the quarterback’s inability to connect with his big-play receiver led to only two completions in eight throws in Bowe’s direction. Of the 38 pass plays (including the two sacks as pass plays), the Chiefs had just six completions of 10 or more yards. …Read More!

Lady Luck Moves Out … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

Lady Luck is quite a tease. One minute, she will rub your neck and whisper sweet nothings in your ear. The next minute, she’s moved on to another sucker without even saying good bye.

During the 2010 NFL season, the Lady hung out with the Chiefs. She stood between the team and serious injury. Off-season programs and well-conditioned athletes are a must, but in a collision sport like football, staying away from major injury also requires a long visit from the lucky Lady.

She left town on the 2011 Chiefs, leaving in a huff and with recriminations. After not losing a starter due to injury for more than five games last year, the Chiefs are but one game into the regular season and they’ve now lost a pair of starters.

By any measure, if the best players in the Chiefs franchise were listed it would include these names:

• OLB Tamba Hali.
• ILB Derrick Johnson.
• CB Brandon Flowers.
• SS Eric Berry.
• WR Dwayne Bowe.
• RB Jamaal Charles.
• TE Tony Moeaki.

What might be the criteria for making that list? There’s one major element – those players make the teammates around them better players. …Read More!

Berry Out For The Season

From the Truman Sports Complex

Chiefs SS Eric Berry is done for the season because of a left knee injury that he suffered in Sunday’s game against Buffalo.

Berry was injured in the first quarter on a low block at his knees by Bills WR Stevie Johnson. He left the field for two plays, returned and played two more, before he left the field for good.

Berry played all 16 games last season as a rookie and earned Pro Bowl honors for his performance.

He joins TE Tony Moeaki as two starters who are lost for the season because of injury.

Sunday’s Best – 9/11

LONGEST PLAYS

• 108 – Green Bay returner Randall Cobb kick return for TD vs. New Orleans (W).
• 105 – Minnesota returner Percy Harvin kick return for TD vs. San Diego (L).
• 102 – San Francisco returner Ted Ginn kick return for TD vs. Seattle (W).
• 89 – Arizona returner Patrick Peterson punt return for TD vs. Carolina (W).
• 80 – Tennessee WR Kenny Britt TD catch vs. Jacksonville (L).
• 79 – Houston returner Jacoby Jones punt return for TD vs. Indianapolis (W).
• 78 – Tampa Bay WR Sammie Stroughter kick return vs. Detroit (L).
• 77 – Carolina WR Steve Smith TD catch vs. Arizona (L).
• 72 – New Orleans returner Darren Sproles punt return for TD vs. Green Bay (L).
• 70 – Arizona WR Early Doucet TD catch vs. Carolina (W). …Read More!

Bills Run Over Chiefs In Opener, 41-7

From Arrowhead Stadium

As opening games go, it was the worst in the 52-season history of the franchise.

With an offense stuck in the mud and a defense unable to cover the Buffalo Bills receivers and a special teams unit that provided no help, the Chiefs were smashed 41-7 in the 2011 season opener.

There was a nice, big crowd in the building, there to see if any improvement had been made after a 0-4 pre-season. The 60,000-plus that enjoyed a sun-splashed afternoon found out that this edition of the Chiefs has a long way to go. They were dominated by a football team that looked like a contender for the playoffs, as the Bills controlled the game from the opening kickoff when they forced a fumble and started the game with great field position.

The Chiefs had but 213 offensive yards. They turned the ball over three times. They gave up four passing touchdowns to Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, as the Bills put up 364 offensive yards.

The domination was whole and complete. Here’s what we saw:

• GAME STORY: Pre-season performance continues.
• COLUMN: Haley says blame him. We should.
• SIDEBAR: Short passing game dies on the vine.
• SIDEBAR: Iowa TE stuns Chiefs.
• SIDEBAR: The TD that wasn’t hurts Chiefs.
• SIDEBAR: Bills run defense is huge.
• SIDEBAR: Eric Berry and his injury.
• NOTES: Opening fumble costly for Chiefs.
• REPORT CARD
• 4 THINGS CHIEFS NEEDED TO DO - RECAP
• GAMEBOOK
• PRE-GAME COVERAGE.

Coming Out Fast … Game-Day Cup O’Chiefs

From Arrowhead Stadium

Since the four-month NFL owners’ lockout came to an end, the world of the NFL has been rolling past at breakneck speed.

Signing draft choices … signing undrafted college players … signing free agents … holding brief get-ready camps and meetings … training camp … pre-season games – it all came down in 47 days that tested the patience of players, coaches and fans.

Today, that sprint is officially over, as the first Sunday of the NFL season kickoff around the country. At Arrowhead it’s the Chiefs hosting the Buffalo Bills in a noon kickoff. TV coverage is on CBS.

Every team playing today and the four that finish up with a Monday night double-header all have the same thing in mind – start fast. They want to keep the pace of the last month and a half going. Pedal to the metal, full speed ahead – they think that in this unusual 2011 season, the fast the start, the more margin for error as the teams come together and try to make up for the lost off-season.

Certainly, that’s the goal of the Chiefs. …Read More!

4 Things Chiefs Must Do To Beat Buffalo

HISTORY

• This is the 43rd meeting between these original American Football League franchises.
• The Bills hold the edge in the series at 18-23-1.
• The most recent meeting between the teams was last Halloween, when the Chiefs won 13-10 in OT.
• Buffalo’s last victory at Arrowhead was in 2008, a 54-31 victory thanks to 5 Chiefs turnovers.

4

RUN THE BALL

The Chiefs passing game is still coming together from Matt Cassel to his receivers, and with the pass protection in front of him. TE Tony Moeaki is done for the season and that’s a valuable force removed from the passing offense. Thus, the Chiefs need to fall back on what was their best mode of offensive transportation last year – the running game. The pre-season did not provide an effective run game. It’s time for the Chiefs to buckle up the chinstrap and get physical. …Read More!

Week #1 Appetizers – Buffalo Wings

It’s been a long time since the Buffalo Bills have been a contending team in the AFC.

The last time the Bills made the playoffs was 12 years ago. They’ve had one winning season in that time. Since then, they’ve gone through four coaches, three general managers, numerous starting quarterbacks and a list of failures in the first round.

Just in the last 12 months, Buffalo has said goodbye to seven high draft choices – WR James Hardy (2nd/’08), RB Marshawn Lynch (1st/’07), DT John McCargo (1st/’06), S Donte Whitner (1st/’06), LB Paul Posluszny (2nd/’07, WR Lee Evans (1st/’04) and DE/OLB Aaron Maybin (1st/’09) – all among the top 41 picks in the NFL Draft. …Read More!

Chiefs-Bills Potpourri – Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

Chan Gailey is a southern gentleman. He’s a God fearing family man who loves his wife, his country and his job, and it’s in that order. His idea of salty language on a daily basis is throwing out a gosh or a darn.

But when the game is on, and he’s calling the plays for his offense, Gailey turns into a polecat, liable to surprise opponents with all sorts of offensive shenanigans, plays of misdirection and trickery.

Gailey has always been one of the offensive guys that looks at the talent on his roster and finds ways to use them that tend to surprise opponents. His first foray was with Pittsburgh, when he took a seldom used young quarterback Kordell Stewart and turned him into Slash: a thrower, runner and catcher. When Slash came into the game, anything could happen. …Read More!

It’s a Free Country … That’s the Point

With the 10th anniversary of the tragedy of September 11, 2001 coming up on Sunday there has been a great deal of chatter about how Chiefs fans should react to our national anthem.

Years ago, and I can’t remember exactly when, fans at Arrowhead Stadium started substituting “Home of the Chiefs” at the end of the anthem for the original “Home of the Brave.”

For some reason, that’s always disturbed some people who claim it is disrespectful. Those people have come out of the woodwork this week, calling for Chiefs fans to save their “Chiefs” and say “Brave.”

“Should the Arrowhead faithful end the National Anthem as they usually do on Sunday: “and the home of the Chiefs”?” wrote the Kansas City Star’s editorial writer Yael T. Abouhalkah. “No, they shouldn’t. It should be sung as written: “the home of the brave.” It’s always disrespectful to end with “Chiefs” in place of “brave” …”

Here’s my take: if you want to say “home of the Chiefs”, then say home of the Chiefs; if you want to say “home of the brave”, then say home of the brave.

It’s not disrespectful at all to substitute the team for the brave, and there hasn’t been a Chiefs fan that’s done so that was doing it to insult anyone, including the military that serve and protect us. They have stood and honored their country and their favorite team.

The fans that have done so over the years are enjoying their freedom to do so, which is the point of all of this. We have not a dictatorship in this country that determines that everyone must say “the right thing.” The military that served and protected us over hundreds of years, worked to protect the right of fans to substitute the Chiefs for the brave. This virus of political correctness continues to infect our relationships and leaves people afraid to express themselves, to use the freedoms that have been won and protected for them. Freedoms that if kept under wraps make them disappear.

America is about having an opinion, a love, a passion, a joy, and being allowed to speak publicly and express that feeling.

So sing out “home of the Chiefs” if that’s how you feel. If you neighbor sings “home of the brave”, then slap him on the back, shake his hand and enjoy being part of the greatest country in the world.

Numbers Game: Saints vs. Packers

We all loved the opening game of the NFL season – Green Bay’s 42-34 victory over the Saints at Lambeau Field on Thursday night. For fantasy players it was a points orgasm.

But let’s look at it from the sheer numbers point of view using the Pulliam Scale: runs have to gain 4 or more yards, gain a first down or score a touchdown to be deemed a successful play; passes have to gain 7 or more yards, gain a first down or score a touchdown to be successful.

For the game Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers made successful plays just 51 percent of the time. Saints quarterback Drew Brees was successful on 48 percent of the pass plays called. So when we start analyzing the Chiefs numbers after the open the season, keep these figures in mind.

In the offensive show to open the NFL season, two of the best quarterbacks in the league were successful less than 50 percent of the pass plays that were called. Rodgers completed 27 of 35 passes, was sacked twice and scrambled four times. So there were 41 pass plays actually called; ergo 27 of 41 for our purposes. Only 22 of them met the successful criteria.

Ditto for Brees, who was 32 of 49 for the game, sacked three times, scrambled once and spiked the ball to stop the clock once. So we’re counting that as 52 pass plays (adding the sacks and scrambles as pass plays, discounting the spike). Brees had 25 successful pass plays. …Read More!

Practice Report/Update – 9/9

From Arrowhead Stadium

Backup OT Jared Gaither was not practicing with the Chiefs during their Friday morning workout inside the stadium and he’s been listed as questionable for Sunday’s regular season opener against Buffalo. That’s not good news when it comes to offensive line depth.

The big man did not immediately head to the rehab area, but after the stretching period Gaither joined the offensive linemen as an observer. Since he signed in the first week of camp, Gaither has had knee problems. The injury report lists knee as his problem and said he did not practice on Friday.

The only other OT on the active roster is recently claimed on waivers Steve Mareni, who has not yet played in an NFL regular season game. On the practice squad is rookie David Mims, who has not played in a regular season NFL game. Should either Branden Albert or Barry Richardson go down during the game, it would be a real scramble to see who would take his place. Other than Mareni, the only other blocker on the active roster is rookie Rodney Hudson.

Also popping up on the injury report on Friday was WR Steve Breaston, who was limited in Friday’s practice by a hamstring problem. He’s listed as probable, as is QB Matt Cassel with his cracked rib. WR Jonathan Baldwin is officially out of Sunday’s game;  Baldwin continues to be a non-participant in practiced due to his broken right thumb.

There were 61 of 61 players on the field for the practice. LG Ryan Lilja was back and Cassel didn’t appear to be any worse for the wear of the week on that cracked rib suffered last week.

For the Bills, LB Arthur Moats (knee) is out, with NT Troup Torrell (lower back) and WR Marcus Easley (illness) were listed as questionable.

Are The Chiefs Better or Worse?

You know what I think, now let’s hear what you think is the answer to the question: are the Chiefs as they are now constituted better or worse than they were last season?

The standard is the same one I applied to my conclusion: it’s either yes or no. There’s no maybe, might or could be. Based on what you’ve seen and what you know, do you think the Chiefs are better or worse right now? They key here is right now. Obviously things can and will change, but as they open the season, what’s the level or your optimism or pessimism about the 2011 Chiefs.

Tag it on to this post.

How Good Are The 2011 Chiefs? … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

The progress of the Chiefs from last year to this one will be gauged by how they start the season on Sunday, facing a Buffalo team that pushed them to overtime last year.

The Bills finished the 2010 season with one of the worst records in the NFL, while the Chiefs made the playoffs. But on that Halloween Sunday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium, they were pretty even teams that played to a 10-10 tie in regulation before the Chiefs won in overtime by a Ryan Succop field goal.

What have the Chiefs done to improve themselves since last year? What evidence is there that they are a better football team? What evidence is there that they are worse? Now that the 53-man roster has taken shape, how good can the Chiefs be?

There are any numbers of ways to evaluate the team and roster to come up with answers to those questions. We’ve decided to look at the new faces on the Chiefs roster, players that were not part of the regular season last year. How have they elevated the talent level, whether it’s in 2011 or down the road? It’s an evaluation on little and big picture fits for those 18 players.

My conclusion: this team did not improve enough. Of those 18, two are going to be huge upgrades – FB Le’Ron McClain and OLB Justin Houston. But there are five players of those 18, or nearly one-third that figure to have an impact down the road, not in 2011: WR Jonathan Baldwin, CB Jalil Brown, DE Brandon Bair, QB Ricky Stanzi and OT Steve Maneri. The other players could fit in both categories. Some will; some will not, both in the next few months, or next few years. That’s simply not a big enough infusion of talent in 2011.

Agree or disagree, let me know what you think. …Read More!

Notes & Quotes – First Play Killer For Chiefs

From Arrowhead Stadium

RB Dexter McCluster was not around in the Chiefs locker room after the game. But his words were not needed to describe how backbreaking his fumble of the opening kickoff was for the Chiefs on Sunday against the Bills.

“Coach, what moment did you sense Buffalo was more prepared for this game than the Chiefs?” one of the media horde asked Todd Haley after the game.

“Probably the first kickoff return,” the Chiefs head coach said.

McCluster took Rian Lindell’s line drive kickoff just a step inside the end zone. After a pre-season where there were so many touchbacks because of the new kickoff rules, a kick like this was welcomed by the Chiefs kickoff return unit. McCluster got the kick out to the 26-yard line where he was smacked from behind by Buffalo LB Chris White. The ball came loose and was eventually recovered by another Bills LB Kelvin Sheppard.

Five snaps later, the Bills had their first touchdown and the game’s momentum, which they never gave up.

“That was huge,” said Bills head coach Chan Gailey. “You can never minimize how important a play like that is, and then to go put it in the end zone on top of that. That was big not to settle for a field goal there.”

SPECIAL TEAMS NOT SO SPECIAL

It was part of a rough afternoon for the Chiefs special teams. K Ryan Succop missed a 49-yard field goal wide right with as little wind in Arrowhead Stadium as he will ever see. P Dustin Colquitt kicked eight times and averaged 41 yards a kick, but he also had kicks of 27, 34 and 36 yards. That 36-yarder was returned 28 yards by Buffalo’s Roscoe Parrish and set up the Bills in great field position. They scored their fourth TD on the possession.

Brad Smith had a 21-yard kickoff return and Succop had one touchback. McCluster and Javier Arenas averaged 21 yards on seven kickoff returns, with the longest return being 35 yards. Arenas had one punt return for 15 yards.

“We weren’t ready to go,” Todd Haley said of his kicking game. “That is my responsibility. I will have them more ready to go next week.”

ATMOSPHERE REPORT

The Chiefs announced a paid crowd of 68,755 and I’d say most of those butts were in the seats. It was the best “actual” crowd the Chiefs have had in some time. It was a sea of red as it appeared just about everybody in the building was wearing a red t-shirt or a Chiefs jersey.

At no point did the crowd actually affect the game, because the Bills got the lead so early and the Chiefs did not get close.

“When you get a turnover and put it in the end zone, it gives them very few opportunities to get riled up,” Gailey said. “That was a concern for us. After we scored a couple times, they were more concerned about getting on their own team than they were about disrupting us.”

By the start of the fourth quarter, down 34-7, most of the fans were already headed to the exits or back at the tailgate.

ZEBRA REPORT

Scott Green and his crew ran a fairly clean game, as just six penalties were walked off against the teams.

The Chiefs saw three flags:

There were two replay reviews, one by the booth, the other asked for by Todd Haley. The Chiefs saw a TD pass from Matt Cassel to Leonard Pope overturned when the booth reviewed the score. It was a good call.

Later, Haley threw the red challenge flag on a fumble by Jamaal Charles that was recovered by the Bills. At that point in the game, it was worth a shot although the replay was pretty clear that it was a fumble.

PERSONNEL NOTES

Serving as captains on Sunday were QB Matt Cassel and RB Thomas Jones on offense, LB Derrick Johnson and SS Eric Berry on defense and WR Terrance Copper and LB Demorrio Williams on special teams.

There were 12 players that made their first official appearance in a Chiefs uniform in Sunday’s game: WR Steve Breaston, WR Jerheme Urban, NT Kelly Gregg, OLB Justin Houston, S Sabby Piscitelli, FB Le’Ron McClain, LB Cameron Sheffield, OL Rodney Hudson, WR Keary Colbert, DL Allen Bailey and DL Amon Gordon. New OT Steve Maneri was active, but he did not play.

One surprise in the defensive starting lineup was rookie Houston jumping ahead of Andy Studebaker at the LOLB spot.

Inactive players for the Chiefs were: QB Ricky Stanzi, DB Donald Washington, CB Jalil Brown, OT Jared Gaither, WR Jonathan Baldwin, DE Brandon Bair, NT Jerrell Powe. Among the inactive players for the Bills was former Chiefs draft choice G Colin Brown.

Saturday night the Chiefs made a move with their practice squad, signing OL Lucas Patterson who was part of their roster during the pre-season. Patterson originally signed with the team as an undrafted free agent defensive lineman, but was moved after the first practice of training camp to the offensive line. To make room for Patterson, they released FB Shane Bannon from the practice squad.

MISC.

SS Jon McGraw led the Chiefs defense in tackles with 8 total … OLB Tamba Hali had the Chiefs only sack … ILB Demorrio Williams contributed two tackles on special teams … former Chargers LB Shawne Merriman was not a factor in the game, as he was credited with just one tackle … Bills CB Terrence McGee left the game after the first Chiefs offensive play with a hamstring injury. He did not return … Field position was good for Buffalo – the Bills average starting spot was their 43-yard line. For the Chiefs, it was their 20-yard line. That’s a huge difference.

Berry’s Out – For How Long?

From Arrowhead Stadium

The injury bug continues to bite the Chiefs and it got SS Eric Berry on Sunday against the Bills.

Berry left the game with 9 minutes, 54 seconds to play in the first quarter with a left knee injury.

No question his departure hurt the Chiefs defense. He was replaced in the base defense by veteran Jon McGraw. When the Chiefs used their sub-defense, which they did most of the game, Berry’s spot was played by Sabby Piscitelli.

“Any time you lose somebody that is a big part of your team and plays a lot of plays, that’s going to be something that affects you,” said Todd Haley, providing no further information on what the prognosis is for Berry’s recovery. “How much it affects you is up to us to have guys ready to fill in.

“Injuries are part of the game. If you lose somebody, you have to have somebody ready to step in and fill the void. Today, obviously that didn’t occur.”

The injury came when on a running play by RB Fred Jackson. Buffalo WR Stevie Johnson came downfield about 15 yards away from the point of attack and blocked Berry at the knees in a borderline cheap shot. Berry sat on the field for awhile and then walked off on his own power. He missed the next two plays, but was back on the field for the TD pass from Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to TE Scott Chandler. In fact, Berry had coverage on Chandler at the goal line.

When Buffalo got the ball back, Berry came out for first down, but was on the ground again after the run by C.J. Spiller. His leg appeared to give out on him as he stopped to cut and tried to get involved in the tackle on Spiller. This time he limped off under his own power but went to the locker room and did not return to the field.

“Guys have to step up; injuries happen in football,” said FS Kendrick Lewis. “The next guy comes in and has to step up. We can’t miss a beat.”

In this case, the Chiefs missed a beat without Eric Berry. The question now is how long will they be without him.

EARLY SEASON TOP 32 COLLEGE PLAYERS

It’s week No. 2 of the college football season coming up and before we let too much more time passed, we needed to post our early list of top players who should be available in the 2012 NFL Draft.

This is a compilation of thoughts and ratings from several NFL personnel sources that were surveyed over the last month. There is little doubt that Stanford QB Oliver Luck will be the top player in the ’12 draft class. Right now, Luck is considered a “can’t miss” prospect. One NFL team we talked with has given him a preliminary grade that’s the highest in team history.

There are another three quarterbacks that could go in the first round. Otherwise, the top 32 is pretty well spread between offense and defense.

Here’s our list. RS stands for redshirt. Players eligible to be drafted next spring are redshirt-sophomores and any juniors and seniors; any player three years removed from high school. …Read More!

BILLS CORRAL CHARLES, RUN GAME

From Arrowhead Stadium

One need not be Vince Lombardi Einstein to do the math that shows how important the Buffalo defense against the Chiefs running game was on Sunday.

• October 31, 2010 – Chiefs run for 274 yards against the Bills in 13-10 overtime victory.
• September 11, 2011 – Chiefs run for 108 yards against the Bills in 41-7 season opening loss.

Chan Gailey’s defense against the run improved by 166 yards and it was a major reason the Bills were able to guard their big early lead and walk away with a huge victory.

“I think our guys are taking a lot of pride in being a good run defense rigt now,” Gailey said after the game. “We’ve emphasized it. We’ve made a big deal about it. They want to be good against the run and I thought it was good to be able to out there and play good against the run.

“We let them get a couple of them out of there, but I think those problems are solvable.”

Gailey was speaking of a 23-yard run by Dexter McCluster and a 22-yard run by Jamaal Charles. Otherwise 16 runs went for 3.9 yards per carry.

Last year Charles had his breakout game of the season when he ran for 177 yards against the Bills. This time he managed 56 yards on 10 carries.

“They just wanted it more than us,” said Charles. “We came out here with a mindset of winning the game, but we didn’t execute and that’s on all of us. We didn’t come through as players and coaches.”

In the second half, the Chiefs called back-to-back running plays only once – on the final two plays of the game when they were down by 34 points. The scoreboard was against them at the time, but at some moment doesn’t it make sense to get the run game some work and forget about the score?

“There are so many things that happen,” said Todd Haley. “It’s how the offensive plays go in; some of them are run-pass, some of them are pass-run, some of them are just calls, some of them get checks, some of them get alerted. Sometimes in the end you see some of that happen. It wasn’t going to make a difference in the outcome today. We just need to be a lot better.”

The unfortunate fact for the Chiefs was that no matter the score, there was not room to run. Buffalo had safeties Bryan Scott and George Wilson racing to the line of scrimmage to plug any holes that might pop open. They led the Bills defense in tackles, Scott with eight and Wilson with five. FS Jarius Byrd had five tackles as well.

“The secondary has support,” said Gailey. “I saw George Wilson flying up out of the secondary making several plays. Everybody knew where the ball was going. We had a great scheme against their run game. We were able to get a lot of hats to the ball. If one guy is making the tackle in the open field too much, you’re going to be in trouble. But we had several guys around the ball it seemed like each time and that’s what it takes to be a successful run defense.”

4 Things Chiefs Needed To Do/Recap

4
RUN THE BALL

The Chiefs passing game is still coming together from Matt Cassel to his receivers, and with the pass protection in front of him. TE Tony Moeaki is done for the season and that’s a valuable force removed from the passing offense. Thus, the Chiefs need to fall back on what was their best mode of offensive transportation last year – the running game. The pre-season did not provide an effective run game. It’s time for the Chiefs to buckle up the chinstrap and get physical.FAILED – The Chiefs got nothing going with the run game in the first half and then were so far behind in the second half they had to throw. Last year vs. Buffalo = 274 yards. This year vs. Buffalo = 108 yards.

3
HANDLE THE WILDCAT

Who knows what type of tricks Chan Gailey has up his sleeve with the Bills offense, but we know this – there’s something and the Chiefs are going to see it. More than likely, it will involve former Mizzou QB Brad Smith and some form of the Wildcat offense. Smith can run, he can throw and he can catch. It brings a flavor to the Wildcat that not a lot of other teams can touch. Romeo Crennel must have his boys primed, educated and ready to handle the unexpected. SUCCESSFUL, for what that’s worth. Gailey barely used Smith. He ran three times for six yards. He threw one pass late in the game that was intercepted. Why he was throwing I do not know. Buffalo didn’t do anything unusual with Smith – just direct snapped him the ball and let him run.

2
MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN IN THE RETURN GAME

One of the reasons the Chiefs selected Dexter McCluster and Javier Arenas in the second round of last year’s NFL Draft was the effect they could have on the return game. McCluster made it happen in the season opener with a 94-yard punt return against San Diego. After that, neither was able to produce any type of game turning return. It is time for them to pay off on that second-round investment. This opening week figures to be as good a time as any to break through. Just look at what happened Thursday night in the New Orleans-Green Bay game. FAILURE. The Chiefs got nothing from their kick and punt returns handled by Dexter McCluster and Javier Arenas. In fact, McCluster fumbled away the opening kickoff.

1
BE SMART

The Chiefs are not the most talented team in the league. They are not even the most talented team in the division. For them to win, they must do things right. They can’t contribute to their opponents’ efforts to win. They have to win the battle of turnovers, penalties, field position and opportunities. They can’t beat themselves. They did that all through the pre-season and thus went 0-4. A lot of the players responsible for those mistakes and blunders have now gone off to their life’s work. It’s time to clean up their mess of August. They can’t make it two against one. COMPLETE, UTTER FAILURE – The Chiefs gave the Bills more help than Buffalo needed to beat them. With three giveaways and a host of other mistakes on defensive pass coverage and blocking assignments on pass protection, the Chiefs were a dumb team on Sunday, and dumb teams lose.

Report Card: Bills vs. Chiefs

From Arrowhead Stadium

RUSHING OFFENSE: D – The score of the game got out of hand and made the run game less relevant in the second half. Jamaal Charles and Dexter McCluster broke runs of 22 and 23 yards.
Otherwise, there’s was not much that was successful on the ground and there weren’t a lot of places to run. Thomas Jones – two carries for three yards. Not good.

PASSING OFFENSE: F – This was a complete failure from the scheme, to the plays, to the execution. Allowing Matt Cassel only short throws is sad testament to not only what the coaches felt about their offensive line, but the lack of an experienced backup to play for Cassel if he was not 100 percent and able to throw any pass. In this case, bad decisions all the way around.

RUSHING DEFENSE: D – The Bills have a couple of nice backs in Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller, but they aren’t the kind of guys that are going to break through the league’s top 10 rushers. Yet, the Chiefs allowed Spiller to gash them for 5.6 yards per carry and the Bills as a team ran for 163 yards. Surprisingly, only three of those yards came from running QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.

PASSING DEFENSE: F – 26 passes and one sack? Ridiculous. A tight end that had one career catch before Sunday, grabbing two touchdown passes? Ridiculous. Giving up four TD passes to the Bills? It’s easily the hardest thing to swallow. There was nothing good here.

SPECIAL TEAMS: F – Give up the football by fumbling the opening kickoff and presenting the Bills with great field position and there’s no way to salvage the day. It didn’t get any better either. P Dustin Colquitt struggled and Ryan Succop missed a very makeable 49-yard FG attempt. The return game produced nothing.

COACHING: F-minus – Normally, the grading scale doesn’t go any lower than F, but we are going to make an exception here for the Chiefs coaching staff and their performance against Buffalo. Without even getting into Todd Haley’s training camp and pre-season plan, the plan for Sunday was horrible and the game’s outcome is all the evidence one needs to fail this staff for their efforts.

The TD That Wasn’t A TD Kills Momentum

From Arrowhead Stadium

Down 14-0 early in the second quarter, the Chiefs offense was making noise that they were finally getting on track. With a 2nd-and-8 play at the Bills 19-yard line, QB Matt Cassel lofted a ball toward the right side of the end zone and TE Leonard Pope.

Working the sideline, Pope had the ball, juggled it, seemed to have it again, and tumbled out of the end zone.

Touchdown, at least that’s what the official on the field who was about five-feet away from Pope called.

What that official couldn’t see from his angle was that Pope never really secured the football while he was inbounds. A review by instant replay saw that and the call was overturned; it was just an incompletion.

It turned out to be a huge incompletion for the Chiefs. A touchdown at that time would have made the score 14-7 and the Chiefs would have been right back in the thick of things. If everything else remained equal, they would have ended the first half down 20-14 rather than 20-7. Based on their second half play, it maybe didn’t matter much, but the overturned score hurt momentum and confidence.

“It’s definitely a momentum changer,” said QB Matt Cassel. “We didn’t even walk away with points from that drive (Ryan Succop missed a 49-yard FG). At the end of the day when the score is so lopsided you’ve got a lot more issues than just one overturned call.”

Yeah, but it was big.

“We didn’t come back (from that),” said Todd Haley. “We had a chance to make some plays and we didn’t make them. That play wasn’t going to make a difference in that game, at least judging by the final results.”

Pope felt he controlled the ball long enough for the score, but realized when he saw the replay on the big screens at Arrowhead that it was probably going to get overturned.

“You’ve just go to move on,” Pope said. “When the officials make their ruling, there isn’t anything you can do about it but move on.”

Oh, but what might have been.

“It would have been nice with that touchdown,” Pope said. “But we still had a lot of game to play.”

A Different Iowa Tight End Hits The End Zone

From Arrowhead Stadium

Coming into the game there was attention on a former University of Iowa tight end, Tony Moeaki. The Chiefs starter and former Hawkeyes star was out for the season with a knee injury and everyone knew his absence was going to hurt the K.C. offense.

After Sunday’s opener, there was another former Iowa tight end in the headlines, a guy that only a true fan of the Hawkeyes could even name. Bills TE Scott Chandler caught five passes, pulled in two touchdowns and ended up the game’s leading receiver in Buffalo’s 41-7 dismantling of the Chiefs and their defense.

“I thought we had something in Scott Chandler that creates something food for us in the passing game,” said Bills head coach Chan Gailey. “I was really proud of him. He deserves it. He works hard.”

Gailey’s plan was obvious from the start. The Bills No. 1 offensive mind wanted to spread the Chiefs defense out. He wanted to see what he could do about creating space in the middle of the defense for his passing game. The running game was not his top mode of attack; it was the passing game with QB Ryan Fitzgerald.

Oh, did that plan work. Hard to say it worked to perfection, but it was more than enough to keep the Chiefs on their heels defensively.

“We just couldn’t seem to get into any kind of rhythm,” said DE Wallace Gilberry. “We did a good job at times, and then we gave a few things up.”

With four receivers on the field, the Chiefs went to their sub-defense. It’s a dime defense (six defensive backs) that’s really a nickel, since S Jon McGraw basically plays a linebacker role. In this situation, it takes off the field NT Kelly Gregg, DEs Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson, OLB Justin Houston and ILB Jovan Belcher. Coming in are Gilberry and DE Allen Bailey, LB Cameron Sheffield, and DBs McGraw and Javier Arenas.

That allowed Chandler plenty of space in the middle of the defense, including a second half touchdown where he ran down the hashmarks and was wide open in the end zone for a touchdown.

“It was bad communication with the defense,” FS Kendrick Lewis said of the score. “It happens. They made a big play on it.”

Gailey thought there were some physical mismatches there for the Bills to take advantage of with Chandler (6-7, 263) and WR David Nelson (6-5, 215). Nelson caught four passes for 66 yards, including a 35-yard play. Combined those two big guys had nine catches for 129 yards and Chandler’s two scores.

“We knew there was a possibility that we could get some of the mismatches that we did have and I don’t really know that we knew they weren’t going to guard me down on the goal line. That’s one of the advantages of being a big guy down there. You’re able to use your body and when (Fitzgerald) puts it right on your body, it’s easy for you.”

Coming into the game, Chandler had caught one pass in the previous four seasons he spent with San Diego, New York Giants, Dallas and Buffalo. One catch for eight yards – it came last year for the Bills against Denver. In the just completed pre-season, Chandler had three catches for 22 yards.

But all the sudden he was making fans of Iowa tight ends forget about Tony Moeaki.

Passing Game Falls Flat

From Arrowhead Stadium

How bad was the Chiefs offense against Buffalo on Sunday?

This bad … after they scored their only touchdown of the game with just over two minutes to play in the second quarter, they never ventured back into Bills territory. In fact, they never went deeper than their own 41-yard line. On that play, Matt Cassel threw an interception.

And this bad … the Chiefs had 38 passing plays against Buffalo. Out of that total, eight lost yardage. That’s two sacks for minus-14 yards and six completions for minus-15 yards.

Ultimately, this bad … they scored just seven points, a number that will give you a chance to win about one half of one percent of NFL games.

“Obviously, we struggled just a little bit,” said TE Leonard Pope in the understatement of the day from the Chiefs. “We’ve got a lot of stuff to work on.”

For whatever reason, whether it was the cracked rib of QB Matt Cassel, the presence of a potential sacker like Bills OLB Shawne Merriman, lack of confidence in the offensive line, the Chiefs offensive game plan did not include going long. Only late in the game, when the outcome was well decided, did Cassel throw anything long. …Read More!

Column – Haley Says Blame Me. OK Coach

From Arrowhead Stadium

Let’s establish this right off the top – the Chiefs are not the worst team in the National Football League.

And let’s add this – in their season opener on Sunday, the Chiefs played like the worst team in the NFL.

Seriously, consider the other games that were played on this opening weekend. No other team got smacked by 34 points. No other team looked and played as poorly at home as they did against the Bills. With the exception of the game’s coming up on Monday night, the absolutely ugliest opener belonged to Todd Haley and his team.

And, Haley says blame me. No … I don’t mean me. Blame him.

“I am taking 100 percent responsibility for our team not being ready to go,” Haley said after the 41-7 loss. “You can point the finger at Todd Haley.”

Don’t worry coach – everybody already had their bull’s eye out and projected on your back. …Read More!

Regular Season Starts – Chiefs Missed The Memo

From Arrowhead Stadium

The memo went out last week. The 2011 pre-season was over. The real season was to begin on Sunday. Everybody was put on notice.

Based on what happened at a sun-splashed Arrowhead Stadium, the Bills got the memo. The Chiefs did not. They played like they had in a 0-4 pre-season, failing to understand the significance that the outcome of these contests counts in the standings.

Buffalo 41, the Chiefs 7. Seldom in the history of the franchise has the red and gold been between as badly as they were by the Bills to open the 2011 regular season. Chan Gailey brought his team to town and they dominated every aspect of the game, starting with the opening kickoff that was fumbled away by Dexter McCluster.

From there, it was all Bills and all downhill for the Chiefs. Buffalo was in total control. It was the most dominating opening game performance by the Bills in 35 years and it was the worst opening day beat down the Chiefs have experienced in 52 seasons of football.

The star of the game was Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who threw for four touchdown passes and 208 yards on the afternoon. He got help from RB Fred Jackson, who picked up 112 yards in 20 carries, most of that coming in the second half when Buffalo was looking to kill the clock. …Read More!

Chiefs Finish Last In Looks Says WSJ

At this time of the year, every media outlet is trying to find an angle to use in their coverage to kickoff the NFL regular season and what the season may hold for the league and its fans.

One would figure The Wall Street Journal to do some sort of financial analysis of the 32 teams and use that as a predictor to the Super Bowl teams.

Not so fast. The Journal went in the other direction – the superficial. At the request of the financial newspaper, researchers at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania analyzed the facial structures of 320 NFL starters (5 on each side of the ball) and two of the most photographed personalities on the team.

The most attractive sample of players according to this Journal-Ursinus College research was the Buffalo Bills.

The least attractive team was the Chiefs!

From the Journal article: …Read More!

Pre-Game – Bills vs. Chiefs @ Arrowhead

From Arrowhead Stadium

10:18 a.m. CDT — Early throwing session is going on with a lot of activity. All the bodies that should be out there are, and QB Matt Cassel appears to be throwing without problems.

10 a.m. CDT – Good morning from a sun splashed Arrowhead Stadium. It looks like a great day for the opener. Certainly, Chiefs fans have reacted much differently, despite the ugly pre-season. More than two hours before kickoff, the parking lots are about 80 percent full and traffic into the Truman Sports Complex is at a crawl. Whether or not Arrowhead will be full remains in question, but it will certainly be a crowd far better than anything seen in the pre-season.

But, among the inactives for the Chiefs is OT Jared Gaither, leaving the offensive very short-handed on the O-Line. The rest of the Chiefs inactives: QB Ricky Stanzi, DB Donald Washington, CB Jalil Brown, WR Jonathan Baldwin, DE Brandon Bair and NT Jerrell Powe.

Inactive for the Bills will be: DB Justin Rogers, LB Arthur Moats, OT Sam Young, G Colin Brown, WR Marcus Easley, TE Lee Smith and NT Torell Troup.

Keep an eye on WR Steve Breaston. In the throwing session his right leg was heavily wrapped and he ran only a limited number of routes, most of those coming in the red zone. He was not moving very well.

Bills are the only team in the league that changed uniforms for this season. They are in all white, including new white helmets with a revamped Bills logo on the sides. They might be the only team in the league that can come out in all white.

Kicking to towards the east uprights, Ryan Succop drilled his warm-up kick of 53 yards. It was right between the pipes and about 10-feet up the netting. Looks like Succop is starting the season with a strong leg. Kicking toward the west uprights, he was one of two from 56 yards away.

Former Chiefs director of college scouting Chuck Cook is on the field talking with Bills head coach Chan Gailey. This is one of the few times during the season where Gailey will see Cook; Chuck is the Bills director of college scouting. He and the family are living in Mississippi as he travels the college circuit so he gets little face time at this point of the year in Buffalo.

Some 75 minutes before kickoff each week is time when the human side of GM Scott Pioli comes out. He’s on the field with his daughter, strolling the sidelines hand-in-hand and introducing here to various people.

Focus On The Play Caller … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

I’m not sure when the first time it happened that television pointed its unblinking eye toward the top of stadiums to focus on the offensive or defensive play caller. Once that curtain was pulled back and the “wizard” was exposed, the guy punching the buttons during pro football games became the rock stars of coaching.

Whether the play caller is in a box hanging from the highest reaches of the stadium, or on the sidelines close to the crush of bodies, the coordinators are under the microscope.

The only problem with that is frequently, the coordinator isn’t the guy making the play calls. The formula and method for making decisions and then getting offensive plays and defensive schemes communicated to the players on the field is as varied as the number of teams in the league.

Everyone has wondered who was going to call the plays for the Chiefs offense this year, ever since Charlie Weis rode the Gator Express out of town to the University of Florida. That’s when the play caller job popped open on the offensive side of the ball. On Wednesday, Todd Haley said that offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Bill Muir would be dialing up the selections for the K.C. offense in the 2011 season.

But … and there’s always a but in stories about deciding who has responsibility for calling the plays … it’s not so simple as Muir sitting in the coaching booth and communicating a selected play to the field and QB Matt Cassel. …Read More!

Cassel Says He’s Ready

From the Truman Sports Complex

QB Matt Cassel said Wednesday after his second practice of the week with his broken rib that he’s ready and able to play on Sunday in the season opener against Buffalo.

“No doubt in my mind,” Cassel said of his playing status. “I feel good. I feel like I’m ready to go. It feels good that the season is finally here.”

Cassel said he did everything in practice that he normally does, and teammates confirmed that he was participating and everything appeared normal.

“He’s out there moving around like he always does,” RB Dexter McCluster said. “If he’s hurting it doesn’t show.”

On the Chiefs injury/practice report on Wednesday, Cassel was listed as a full participant in practice.

The only other player listed was WR Jonathan Baldwin, down as a did not practice with this thumb injury.

Practice Report/Cassel Update – 9/7

From the Truman Sports Complex

If there was anything bothering QB Matt Cassel in the first part of Wednesday afternoon’s practice at the Chiefs facility, it wasn’t noticeable.

Cassel and his rib injury took part in all the early stages of the session, or at least that part where the media is allowed to watch. The only part where he did not seem fully engaged was in the team stretching, where he continued to sit out some of the movements.

But once Cassel got up on his feet and start throwing the ball, he did so with more authority than he did in Monday’s practice. Working on play-action fundamentals with QB coach Jim Zorn, he seemed to move without being restricted in faking handoffs away from his body, movements that would certainly rile up a sore rib cage.

Later, Cassel was throwing some red zone passes and again, showed more zip on the ball than anything he displayed 48 hours before.

All 61 players were on the field for the workout. WR Jonathan Baldwin headed to the rehab area once the quarterbacks joined the receivers for some pitch and catch. It appeared that he was wearing a smaller brace on his right wrist/hand area than he’s been sporting since breaking his thumb.

All other players appeared to be fully taking part in practice. The team will release a participation/injury report later in the afternoon.

Situations Add Up … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

As the clock ticks down to Thursday’s start of the 2011 NFL regular season, we are left to wonder how things may be different in what we see on the field due to the unusual circumstances of the most recent off-season.

The owners’ lockout left the league in a lurch and there has been just six weeks since the doors were opened and the players and coaches could work together again.

“It’s the same for everyone in the league,” said New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan this week to the New York media. “But it’s going to turn out different for every team.”

The major factors in victory or defeat are not going to change, because they are so engrained in the fiber of the game. Field position, ball possession, limited mental mistakes , defense, the running game … those will remain the major elements in deciding a winner, and that’s not going to change no matter a lockout, strike or any other labor action that can be thrown in front of the players and coaches.

While the playing field with what happened in the lockout remains the same for all 32 teams, as Ryan said, the aftermath will not work out evenly. Todd Haley thinks it will be the teams that handle the game’s special situations that will have an advantage over teams that may not have been able to spend as much time on situational football because of the lockout. …Read More!

Answer Bob – 9/6

Here’s a second batch of answers to questions. Thanks for your interest.

Matthew says: Who is Brandon Bair? How did he make this team? I don’t understand how this guy came out of nowhere and got one of the 53 spots.

Bob says: Bair is a great story, a 26-year old rookie, who is married, the father of one child and another on the way. He spent two years on a church mission right out of high school and he says that changed his life and made him the man he is today. He owns his own used car business. He’s also has the potential to turn into a poor man’s Jared Allen. At Oregon, he finished his career there with only six sacks, far below the number that Allen had during his college career. At 6-6 and change, just a shade over 250 pounds, Bair is not a prototypical 3-4 defensive end and it’s unlikely he’ll stay in that position down the road. He’s an outside LB who can rush the passer. He may yo-yo on and off the 53-man roster and practice squad. I’ve got to imagine the Chiefs feel somebody would have been interested in Bair if he landed on the waiver wire, probably whatever team they beat out to sign him as a free agent.

—————————— …Read More!

A King-Sized Second Guess … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

It’s one of the things that make sports so attractive to fans – the second guess.

No matter the size of the ball used, or even if it’s a puck, the decisions made by team owners, presidents, general managers, coaches, coordinators, assistant coaches, managers, players are all out there to be second guessed. It’s all analyzed, dissected, twisted, turned and shaken to produce either agreement with what was done, or consideration that the decision was a complete failure and the person that made it is without a definable IQ.

Todd Haley is getting second guessed a lot these days. That’s nothing different there, since as an NFL head coach and a play caller in the league, there’s always the little birdie sitting on his shoulder cheeping away. “You should have done this? That was a bad decision. Don’t you know what you are doing?”

The great thing about the second guess is that it comes with 20-20 vision. The results are already known, something that makes the decision process just a tad bit more tidy and understandable.

But right now Haley is being second guessed on the way he handled the team’s training camp and pre-season. He went outside the box so to speak when he put together his plan. We’ve heard about it over a month now, but it comes down to this – strength and conditioning were the No. 1 priorities for Haley in preparing for the 2011 season. Football was on the back burner. The playing time the Chiefs players got was largely decided by what kind of shape they were in. …Read More!

NFL MOVES – 9/5

The waiver wire activity slowed down a bit on the holiday Monday. Only two players were claimed off waivers, one of those by the Chiefs when they grabbed OT Steve Mareni from the Patriots.

Detroit had the only other claim, DT Corey Irvin grabbed off the waiver wire from the Panthers.

Here’s the personnel update:

• BEARS – released CB Josh Moore.
• CHIEFS – claimed OT Steve Mareni on waivers from the Patriots; released TE Anthony Becht.
• COWBOYS – released OT Sam Young.
• DOLPHINS – signed TE Dante Rosario (released by Broncos) and OT Ryan Cook (released by Vikings).
• LIONS – claimed DT Corvey Irvin on waivers from Panthers.
• PANTHERS – signed OL Geoff Hangartner (released by Bills) and OL Max Jean-Gilles (released by Bengals); released S Sean Considine and OL C.J. Davis.
• REDSKINS – named Rex Grossman the team’s starting QB for the season opener.
• SEAHAWKS – released DE Pierre Allen.
• TEXANS – released LB Jesse Nading.
• VIKINGS – signed LB Chad Greenway to a 5-year, $41 million contract extension, with $20 million in guaranteed money.

Waiver Claim – OT or TE?

From the Truman Sports Complex

The Chiefs claimed OT Steve Mareni on waivers from the Patriots on Monday.

The move gave the team eight offensive linemen on the active roster. But they only have a pair of tight ends, with veteran Anthony Becht released on Monday to make a roster spot available for Mareni.

But are the Chiefs short on tight ends now? Did they add another offensive lineman?

…Read More!

Chiefs Claim OT, Waive Becht

From the Truman Sports Complex

Just an hour after veteran TE Anthony Becht spoke to the media at length about how happy he was to be with the Chiefs, the team handed him walking papers.

Becht was released on Monday afternoon to make room for OT Steve Maneri, who was claimed on waivers from the New England Patriots.

And how about this for six degrees of separation – Maneri was on the waiver wire because the Patriots released him on Sunday when they signed former Chiefs G Brian Waters.

As the dominos fall, it may be just the first of several moves. With Becht off the roster, that leaves the team with just two tight ends – Leonard Pope and Jake O’Connell, and neither one is much of a receiving threat. There’s always a chance Becht will return.

The 6-6, 290-pound Maneri entered the league last season as an undrafted rookie free agent with Tennessee. He was released by the Titans and landed with the Patriots practice squad, where he spent 13 games. He was activated to the 53-man roster but was inactive for three games.

Maneri played his college football at Temple.

Cassel Was “Full Participant” In Practice

From the Truman Sports Complex

Todd Haley said his starting quarterback was a “full participant” in the team’s Monday afternoon practice.

“He was out there, he practiced, he was moving around,” Haley said. “I thought he did a good job.”

Haley did not comment or acknowledge Cassel’s rib injury that he suffered last Thursday night in Green Bay. But there was no question that in his tone and the way he answered questions, the head coach was happy that his QB was able to do as much as he could in the workout.

That’s right down to the fact he said Cassel was a “full participant.” Ordinarily, that would be information Haley wouldn’t provide the media, especially since the NFL’s official practice/injury info does not begin until Wednesday. “Because I’m so nice, he was a full practicer today,” Haley said with a smile.

Cassel was a no show in the period where the locker room was open to the media after practice, but backup QB Tyler Palko (right) said Cassel took a normal practice turn. “It was a normal practice,” he said.

…Read More!

Practice Report/Cassel Update – 9/5

From the Truman Sports Complex

QB Matt Cassel was on the field with his teammates Monday afternoon, dressed and taking part in the first segment of practice.

To say that Cassel was an enthusiastic participant would not be true. When the team ran its opening gassers (back and forth across the field), he finished among the last players finishing. Normally, he’s among the first.

As the team went through stretching, Cassel did some of the movements, but not others. Those that he did, he did in slow motion. Most of the time he sat on the turf and talked with head coach Todd Haley.

Once they moved into position work, Cassel threw some passes, but they were short ones and without a lot of power.

That’s when the window to practice closed as the Chiefs went into regular season rules for the media. It’s 20 minutes and the media sees stretching and a bit of the position drills.

As for the other players, they were all present and accounted for in the early moments. WR Jonathan Baldwin continues to sport a splint on his right wrist and hand and when the receivers started working with the QBs on running routes and catching passes, he left for the rehab area.

Others who have been injured were working with their positions, but that does not mean they were part of the entire practice. That would be G Ryan Lilja, RT Barry Richardson, and TE Jake O’Connell.

All 61 players (53 roster, 8 practice) were on the field.

Number changes for the Chiefs showed up during Monday’s practice: WR Steve Breaston is now #15, changing from #19. TE Anthony Becht is now wearing #88. DL Allen Bailey is now #97 and DL Amon Gordon is #99. S Sabby Piscitelli was wearing #42.

Answer Bob – 9/5

Here’s the first batch of answers for Ask Bob post-cutdown day. The box remains open, so if you’d like to throw in any questions, do it by midnight on Monday and we’ll have our answers on Tuesday.

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Slide says: Hey Bob, I see Moeaki’s injury as being a huge one for the Chiefs. Last year he exhibited athletic receiving skills and blocking skills that let us disguise our play calling a little bit more. My questions are: Do you think the Chiefs are going to utilize more 4 receiver sub packages, spreading the field a little more, and a shift in a run dominant (sometimes even on 3rd and 6 last year) philosophy to one similar to Indy and New England? If so, do you see the Matt Cassel having the decision making skills or accuracy to succeed especially given the offensive line being slightly questionable and with only two extra players for depth at 5 starting positions? Do you see O’Connell as being able to make an impact, I think we know what were getting in Becht and Pope (blocking and maybe a 4-9 yard catch every once in a while)? …Read More!

Chiefs Luck With Injuries Dies … Monday Cup O’Chiefs

Brandon Siler/Achilles … Tony Moeaki/ACL … Matt Cassel/Ribs … Jonathan Baldwin/Thumb … Ryan Lilja/Unknown … the Chiefs training room has been a very busy place already in 2011, and the regular season is only now set to begin.

Injuries are a major part of every NFL team’s season. It’s a factor with players lost. It’s a factor with players who are on the field but aren’t right physically. It’s a factor with how teams react when they lose outstanding pieces of their puzzle. Injuries are a factor in game planning, execution, drafting, working the free agent system … they are part of everything in the NFL.

Professional football is not a contact sport. Ballroom dancing is a contact sport. Football at its highest level is a collision sport. It can be a violent car wreck on every single snap of the ball.

Last year, the Chiefs had one of those seasons where injuries were kept at bay. Not a single starter or important contributor ended up going on the injured-reserve list and being lost for the entire schedule, or even half the season. The most games missed because of an injury were the five games that Dexter McCluster sat out with his ankle injury. McCluster wasn’t a starter.

Those days are over with the Chiefs. The good luck with injuries last season has already been chased away and they haven’t even played a regular season game. Siler and Moeaki have been lost for the season due to injuries. It’s the same for rookie and draft choice OLB Gabe Miller, who we hadn’t seen much from in the 2011 pre-season.

Baldwin’s broken right thumb is still healing. Lilja has an ailment that the Chiefs aren’t willing to discuss, or even acknowledge, so his status for next Sunday’s season opener against the Bills is only a guess.

Now there’s Cassel, and reportedly a broken rib that he suffered in Thursday night’s game at Green Bay. He may not be able to play against Buffalo. …Read More!

NFL MOVES – 9/4

There was a lot of waiver wire action around the NFL on Sunday, as teams claimed players released by other clubs in the move down to the 53-man roster.

But the biggest move for Chiefs fans did not come with their team – it came when the New England Patriots signed former long-time Chiefs G Brian Waters to a two-year contract that reportedly could bring him as much as $5.5 million if he plays both seasons. He will be moved to right guard and he’s got a chance to claim the starting job. Starter Dan Connolly had a foot injury and unknown backup Ryan Wendell is also injured. Waters may end up being a starter in the season opener without training camp. That would make Waters day – he was never a fan of camp.

The Chiefs and Waters parted ways before training camp started back in July in a move that while not unexpected, still was a surprise. Waters made the Pro Bowl last season, although he certainly did not play to the level of his best seasons. The Chiefs wanted to get Jon Asamoah on the field, but there’s little question Waters would be a helpful addition to the K.C. line that has struggled in the pre-season.

Waters will now get a chance to play for the Patriots. Speaking of New England, eight different players that were released by Belichick were claimed on waivers or signed with another team on Saturday and Sunday.

 Here’s the NFL activity log: …Read More!

Chiefs Fill Practice Squad

For the first days of the 2011 season, the Chiefs have decided to fill their 8-man practice squad with their own players – guys they cut on Saturday. No surprise there, since most teams do that. But the Chiefs have always left one or two spots open to sign players who had been in camp with other teams. More than likely for practice purposes, they decided to start with a full boat of players that know the team.

The practice squad is:

• Former draft choices – FB Shane Bannon (7th-2011) and CB Quinten Lawrence (6th-2009).
• College free agents – LB Justin Cole (signed in ’10), WR Jeremy Horne (’10), OT David Mims (’11), OL Butch Lewis (’11), OL Darryl Harris (’09).
• Waiver claim – NT Anthony Toribio (2010).

ASK BOB – ON THE MOVES TO 53

I know there are a lot of questions about what went down over the weekend with the Chiefs and around the rest of the NFL.

Over the next 24 hours, give or take a few hours, I’ll be taking your questions about the move to 53. Just attach your question with this post and as I go through the next two days, I’ll try to answer as many of these questions as I can, as quickly as possible.

Let’s chatter about the Chiefs roster.

Former Chiefs Out Of Work

HERE’S A COMPLETE LIST OF NFL ROSTER MOVES TO 53

Any time there are as many players hitting the waiver wire as came down over the weekend, there are bound to be a few red and gold alumni that pop up falling off some teams roster.

That was certainly the case in the 2011 race to 53-man rosters, as various former Chiefs are now out of work again.

The most noteworthy was RB Larry Johnson, signed just a few weeks ago by the Miami Dolphins. Johnson played last week against Dallas, but ended up on the street. That’s four teams now for the Chiefs former No. 1 draft choice.

Led by former draft choices here are others now searching for their next stop in the NFL:

•   …Read More!

NFL Rosters Moves To 53

CHIEFS – placed TE Tony Moeaki (knee), OLB Gabe Miller (hamstring) on the IR list; released DL Harold Ayodele, LB Justin Cole, FB Mike Cox, DL Dion Gales, OL Bobby Greenwood, G Darryl Harris, WR Jeremy Horne, LB Amara Kamara, DB Quinten Lawrence, G Butch Lewis, FB Shane Bannon, TE Charlie Gantt, OL Chris Harr, OL Mike Ingersoll, ILB Micah Johnson, FS Reshard Langford, WR Zeke Markshausen, LB Pierre Walters, OT David Mims, OL Lucas Patterson, S Ricky Price, TE Cody Slate, DT Anthony Toribio, WR Verran Tucker, DB Demond Washington (27).

BEARS – released RB Chester Traylor, TE Desmond Clark, TE Andre Smith, WR Kris Adams, DT Jordan Miller, S Anthony Walters, OT Levi Horn, G Ricky Henry, DT Marcus Harrison, LB Patrick Trahan, RB Robert Hughes, C Alex Linnenkohl, CB Ryan Jones, WR Onrea Jones, LB Deron Minor, G Johan Asiata, WR Andy Fantuz, LB Tressor Baptiste, CB Antareis Bryan, LS Jake Laptad, WR Jimmy Young, OT Josh Davis, FB Eddie Williams, P Spencer Lanning, LB Chris Johnson (25).

BENGALS – placed Pacman Jones on the PUP list; placed TE Bo Scaife on the IR list; placed LB Keith Rivers on the NFI list; released CB Jonathan Wade, DE Victor Adeyanju, CB Brandon Ghee, FB Fui Vakapuna, QB Dan LeFevour, CB Rico Murray, TE John Nalbone, DT Jason Shirley, FB James Develin, CB David Pender, DE James Ruffin, WR Calvin Russell, DT Cornell Banks, RB Jay Finley, LB DeQuin Evans, G Max Jean-Gilles, WR Andrew Hawkins, K Thomas Weber, G Chris Riley, OT Matthew O’Donnell, CB Korey Lindsey, DB DeQuin Evans (26).

BILLS – released LS Danny Aiken, WR Kamar Aiken, QB Levi Brown, FB Jehuu Caulcrick, TE Mike Caussin, LB Antojnio Coleman, CB Reggie Corner, SS Jon Corto, WR Craig Davis, DE Lionel Dotson, DB Sidney Glover, C Geoff Hangartner, LB Brandon Hicks, G Cordaro Howard, WR Felton Huggins, NT Michael Jasper, LB Jammie Kirlew, DE T.J. Langley, CB Doyle Miller, OT Ed Wang, TE Shawn Nelson, DB Joshua Nesbitt, WR Naaman Roosevelt, C Michael Switzer, OT Jason Watkins, OL Mansfield Wrotto (26).

BRONCOS – placed WR Jamel Hamler, RB Brandon Minor, CB Syd’Quan Thompson on the IR list; released WR David Anderson, DE Jeremy Beal, CB Brandon Bing, LB Alvin Bowen, DT Ronnell Brown, G Jeff Byers, CB Perrish Cox, G Stanley Daniels, WR Britt Davis, WR D’Aundre Goodwin, T Adam Grant, TE Dan Gronkowski, K Steven Hauschuka, DT Jeremy Jarmon, RB Jeremiah Johnson, S Kyle McCarthy, G Eric Olsen, WR Greg Orton, DT DeMario Pressley, WR Eron Riley, LB Lee Robinson, TE Dante Rosario, RB Austin Sylvester, QB Adam Weber (27).

BROWNS – placed RB Brandon Jackson on the IR list; released OL Dominic Alford, QB Jarrett Brown, RB Tyler Clutts, LB Archie Donald, RB Quinn Porter, DL Brian Sanford, OL Jarrod Shaw, LB Brian Smith, WR Rod Windsor, OL Brandon Braxton, DL Andre Carroll, WR L.J. Castille, OL Carlton Ford, DB Coye Francies, TE Evan Frosch, DB Carl Gettis, LB Eric Gordon, DL Travis Ivey, WR Chris Matthews, LB Steve Octavien, DL Ko Quaye, DB Ramzee Robinson, DB DeAngelo Smith, LB Sidney Tarver, OL Phil Trautwein, WR Demetrius Williams (27).

BUCCANEERS – released S Ahmad Black, RB Armando Allen, C Matt Allen, OT Will Barker, OT Cory Brandon, G Thomas Claiborne, QB Jonathan Crompton, G Marc Dile, WR Ed Grant, TE Daniel Hardy, S Dominique Harris, LB Brandon Heath, LB Simoni Lawrence, DE Alex Magee, LB Tyrone McKenzie, TE Nathan Overbay, WR Maurice Price, TE Ryan Purvis, FB Nick Reviez, K Jacob Rogers, DT Al Woods, QB Rudy Carpenter, LB Derrell Smith, RB Mossis Madu, DT John MCargo, DE Kyle Moore (26).

CARDINALS – placed G Floyd Womack and WR Sean Jeffcoat on the IR list; released S Matt Ware, P Ben Graham, C Ben Claxton, QB Brodie Croyle, C Kris O’Dowd, OT Cliff Louis, RB Reagan Maui’a, WR Aaron Nichols, G Tom Pestock, RB William Powell, TE Stephen Skelton, WR Isaiah Williams, OT D.J. Young, DB Jared Campbell, DB Fred Bennett, OLB Will Davis, DB Marshay Green, DE Kenny Iwebema, DL Ricky Lumpkin, DL Jeremy Navarre, DB Bryan Nnabuife, OLB Cyril Obiozor, LB Kendall Smith, LB Pago Togafau, DB Thad Turner (26).

CHARGERS – NT Ogemdi Nwagbuo, WR Laurent Robinson, WR Kelley Washington, WR Seyi Ajirotutu, LB Kevin Bentley, RB Isaac Odim, S Quinton Teal, CB Ramon Broadway, TE Charles Davis, DE Mike Blanc, S Nick Polk, FB Dean Rogers, CB Traye Simmons, C Colin Baxter, OT Steve Schilling, DE Charlie Bryant.

COLTS – activated QB Peyton Manning from the PUP list; released DB Al Afalava, P Travis Baltz, WR Chris Brooks, DE John Chick, LB Chris Colasanti, G Kyle DeVan, TE Tyson DeVree, DT John Gill, WR David Gilreath, DB Michael Hamlin, DB Brandon King, OL Jake Kirkpatrick, G Jacques McClenson, WR Larrone Moore, LB Kerry Neal, DT Ollie Ogbu, OT Michael Tepper, OT Michael Toudouze, LB Nate Triplett, LB Vuna Tuihalamaka, WR Marshall Williams, DT Tommie Harris, DT Ricardo Matthews, DE John Chick, RB Javarris James, QB Dan Orlovsky, TE Michael Matthews, WR Taj Smith (27).

COWBOYS – placed WR Raymond Radway on the IR list; released LB Mike Balogun, QB Tom Brandstater, CB Mario Butler, FB Shaun Chapas, LB Kenwin Cummings, FB Isaiah Greenhouse, WR Manuel Johnson, P Chris Jones, LB Orie Lemon, WR Lyle Leong, G Pepa Letuli, RB Lonyae Miller, S Askwasi Owusu-Ansah, WR Tysson Poots, CB Chris Randle, DE Jimmy Saddler-McQueen, S Andrew Sendejo, CB Josh Thomas, LB Brandon Williams, S Collin Zych, DL Igor Olshansky, FB Chris Gronkowski, WR Teddy Williams, K Shayne Graham, K Dave Rayner, FB Jason Pociask (27).

DOLPHINS – placed OT Lydon Murtha on the IR list; released QB Kevin O’Connell, RB Larry Johnson, CB Will Allen, TE Dedrick Epps, S Gerald Alexander, S Mark Restelli, FB Lousaka Polite, OT Ray Willis, NT Ronald Fields, CB Vincent Agnew, TE Brett Brackett, WR Patrick Carter, G Garrett Chisolm, QB Pat Devlin, LB Jonathan Freeny, RB Nick Grigsby, OT D.J. Jones, OT Matt Kopa, WR Phillip Livas, WR John Matthews, CB Nate Ness, LB David Nixon, WR Julius Pruitt, LB Robert Rose, TE Mickey Shuler, LB Quinton Spears (27).

EAGLES – placed DE Brandon Graham on the PUP list; activated OT Winston Justice from the PUP list; released OT Ryan Harris, S Jamar Adams, RB Eldra Buckley, WR Chad Hall, WR Johnnie Lee Higgins, OT Austin Howard, S Marlin Jackson, TE Donald Lee, LB Greg Lloyd, G Mike McGlynn, DE Daniel Te’o-Nesheim, OT Fenuki Tupou, OL Reggie Wells, G Max Jean-Gilles, CB Joselio Hanson, WR Sinorice Moss, DL Anthony Hargrove, DL Derek Landri, DE Philip Hunt, S Jamar Adams, DL Jose Acuna (21).

49ERS – placed TE Nate Byham on the IR list; released S Curtis Taylor, QB Josh McCown, WR Joe Hastings, WR Dominique Zeigler, S Chris Maragos, QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson, FB Jack Corcoran, RB Xavier Odom, WR Ronald Johnson, WR Chris Hogan, WR Lance Long, TE Nate Lawrie, TE Konrad Reuland, OL Tony Wragge, OL Chase Beeler, OL Kenny Wiggins, OL Derek Hall, DL Sealver Siliga, DL Brian Bulcke, LB Monte Simmons, LB Kenny Rowe, LB Alex Joseph, CB Philip Adams, CB Phillip Davis, CB Cory Nelms, S Anthony West (27).

FALCONS — released TE Marquez Branson, FB Lucas Cox, DE Chauncey Davis, C Paul Fenaroli, S Matt Hansen, WR Brandyn Harvey, RB Gantrell Johnson, DT Trey Lewis, DE Tom McCarthy, CB Kamaal McIlwain, C Ryan McMahon, S Rafael Priest, DE Kiante Tripp, S Susaesi Tuimaunei, QB John Parker Wilson, C Brett Romberg, S Rafael Bush, WR Kevin Cone, WR Drew Davis, G Andrew Jackson, LB Robert James, DE Emmanuel Stephens, OT Jose Valdez, TE Ryan Winterswyk, LB Coy Wire, LB Bear Woods (26).

GIANTS – placed QB Sage Rosenfels on the IR list; released WR Michael Clayton, C Chris White, K Rhys Lloyd, S Brian Jackson, Lb Phillip Dillard, QB Ryan Perrilloux, RB Andre Brown, RB Charles Scott, TE Christian Hopkins, OT Jamon Meredith, OT Jarriel King, C Jim Cordle, NT Gabe Watson, WR Darius Reynaud, G Ikechuku Ndukwe, DE Adrian Tracy, DE Craig Marshall, DE Alex Hall, DE Justin Trattou, DE Dwayne Hendricks, DB Joe Burnett, DB David Sims, DB Jerrard Tarrant, TE Daniel Coats, P Matt Dodge, DE Ayanaga Okpokowuruk (27).

JAGUARS – placed Rashad Jennings, David Jones, Aaron Morgan, Richard Murphy, D’Anthony Smith on the IR list; acquired DB Dwight Lowery in a trade with the Jets; released DE Larry Hart, CB Terrence Wheatley, CB Jalil Johnson, OT Daniel Balridge, WR Armon Binns, LB Scott Lutrus, DT Andrew Lewis, CB Scotty McGee, WR Dontrelle Inman, TE Joey Haynos, TE Tommy Gallarda, RB Albert Young (17).

JETS – traded S Dwight Lowery to the Jaguars; acquired G Caleb Schlauderaff from the Packers; released TE Josh Baker, QB Drew Willy, RB Chris Jennings, WR Michael Campbell, WR Dan DePalma, WR Scotty McKnight, WR Patrick Turner, TE Keith Zinger, OL Trevor Canfield, OL Pete Clifford, OL Matt Kroul, OL Dennis Landolt, OL Nevin McCaskill, OL Zane Taylor, DL Jarron Gilbert, DL Lorenzo Washington, LB Matt Berning, LB Eddie Jones, LB Joey LaRocque, LB Brashton Satele, DB Byron Landor, DB Ellis Lankster, DB Davon Morgan, DB Julian Posey, DB Tracy Wilson (25).

LIONS – placed OT Johnny Culbreath on the IR list; released LB Caleb Campbell, WR Dominique Barnes, OT Kirk Chambers, RB Matt Clapp, DE Keyunta Dawson, TE Joe Jon Finley, DB Aaron Francisco, C Dan Gerberry, DB Anthony Madson, DB Prince Miller, DT Quin Pitcock, TE Gijon Robinson, QB Zac Robinson, G Donald Thomas, WR Tim Toone, DB Nathan Vasher, WR Derrick Williams, DE Narada Williams, RB Ian Johnson, DT Robert Callaway, WR Nate Hughes, C Rudy Niswanger, CB Paul Pratt, LB Cobrani Mixon, P Nick Harris, S Ricardo Silva (27).

PACKERS – traded FB Quinn Johnson to the Titans; traded G Caleb Schlauderaff to the Jets; placed DE Lawrence Guy, WR Shaky Smithson on the IR list; released DB Brandon Underwood, FB Jon Hoese, WR Kerry Taylor, CB Brandian Ross, WR Diondre Borel, G Sampson Genus, S Anthony Bratton, WR Tori Gurley, WR Chastin West, NT Jay Ross, S Anthony Levine, OT Chris Campbell, OL Ray Dominguez, NT Chris Donaldson, LB Ricky Elmore, QB Graham Harrell, LB Cardia Jackson, DE Eli Joseph, LB Elijah Joseph, OL Nick McDonald, RB Dimitri Nance, RB Brandon Saine (26).

PANTHERS – played OL Garry Williams on the IR list; placed CB Brandon Hogan on the PUP list; released CB Kendric Burney, RB Tyrell Sutton, DT Corvey Irvin, DT Nick Hayden, WR Darvin Adams, OL John Gianninioto, DE Malcolm Tatum, DT Deljuan Robinson, DB C.J. Wilson, DE Ugo Chinasa, LB Lawrence Wilson, LB Sean Ware, WR Jamorris Warren, OL Ryan Pugh, OL Jacob Bender, K Adi Kunalic, FB Tony Fiammetta, S Michael Greco, CB Chevis Jackson, WR Charly Martin, CB Robert McClain, TE Greg Smith, RB Josh Vaughn, WR Wallace Wright (26).

PATRIOTS – placed OL Rich Ohrnberger on the IR list; placed RB Kevin Faulk, DT Ron Brace and DL Brandon Deaderick on the PUP list; placed OT Marcus Cannon on the NFI list; released WR Brandon Tate, S Brandon Meriweather, RB Sammy Morris, DE Eric Moore, LB Markell Carter, DE Aaron Lavarias, WR Tiquan Underwood, DE Alex Silvestro, DL Landon Cohen, LB Niko Koutouvides, RB Eric Kettani, OL Thomas Austin, DB Ross Ventrone, TE Lee Smith, TE Will Yeatman, LB Ricky Brown, DT Darryl Richard, C Jonathan Compas, OL Corey Woods, TE Carson Butler, OL Mike Berry, DB Buddy Farnham, RB Richard Medlin (27) .

RAIDERS – placed QB Terrelle Pryor on the reserve/suspended list; released WR Shawn Bayes, TE Kevin Brock, DE Mason Brodine, DB Stevie Brown, DT Jamie Cumbie, LB Chris Francis, LB Bani Gbadyu, NT Derrick Hill, DE Tommie Hill, WR Chad Jackson, LB Jeremy Leman, DB Walter McFadden, WR Eddie McGee, DB Sterling Moore, P Glenn Pakulak, G Alex Parsons, RB Louis Rankin, G Roy Schuening, RB Manase Tonga, DB Jeremy Ware, WR Shaun Bodiford, QB Trent Edwards, DB Matt Giordano, G Daniel Loper, CB Lito Sheppard and LB Sam Williams (27).

RAMS – placed WR Mark Clayton on the PUP list; released TE Fendi Onobun, WR Donnie Avery, DB Tim Atchison, TE Demarco Cosby, DB Tae Evans, DT John Henderson, OT Kevin Hughes, QB Thaddeus Lewis, WR Greg Matthews, OT Ryan McKee, DT Daniel Muir, G Quinn Ojinnaka, RB Keith Totson, RB Chase Reynolds, S Jonathan Nelson, WR Mardy Gilyard, OLB Zac Diles, OT Renardo Foster, DT Marlon Favorite, DE George Selvie, FB Van Stumon, DE Damario Ambrose, LB Pete Fleps, OT Cody Habben, G Randall Hunt, CB Jeremy McGee (27).

RAVENS – placed OT Ramon Harewood on the IR list; released RB Jalen Parmele, C Tim Barnes, LB Prescott Burgess, TE Davon Drew, LB Tavares Gooden, S Nate Williams, NT Lamar Divens, WR Brandon Jones, TE Johdrick Morris, G Justin Boren, DT Derek Simmons, RB Damien Berry, WR Marcus Smith, LB Josh Bynes, QB Hunter Caldwell, DB Danny Gorrer, WR James Hardy, DT Bryan Hall, CB Talmadge Jackson, FB Ryan Mahaffey, C Jason Murphy, G Andre Ramsey, LS Patrick Scales, LB Chavis Williams, CB Josh Victorian (26).

REDSKINS – released RB Evan Royster, DT Anthony Bryant, QB Matt Gutierrez, RB Shaun Draugh, WR Isaac Anderson, TE Derek Schouman, OT Artis Hicks, DL Doug Worthington, LB Thaddeus Young, CB Reggie Jones, S Chris Horton, S Davonte Shannon, WR Aldrick Robinson, S Anderson Russell, G Clint Oldenburg, G Maurice Hurt, C Donovan Raiola, LB H.B. Blades, DE Jeff Stehle, TE Tony Curtis, OT Selvish Capers, RB Keiland Williams, QB Kellen Clemens, LB Edgar Jones (24).

SAINTS – placed RB Chris Ivory on the PUP list; placed RB Patrick Cobbs, WR Joe Morgan and S Paul Oliver on the IR list; released OT Jordan Black, S Quincy Butler, OT George Foster, TE Tory Humphrey, CB Trumaine McBride, S Pierson Prioleau, S Chris Reis, FB Chris Taylor, WR Montez Billings, DT Dexter Larimore, TE Tyler Lorenzen, LB Dwight Roberson, LB Clint Ingram, QB Sean Canfield, WR Andy Tanner, CB Terrail Lambert, LS Kyle Nelson, LB Nate Bussey, C Cecil Newton, WR Jarred Fayson, TE Michael Higgins (25).

SEAHAWKS – placed TE John Carlson, WR Isaiah Stanback, DL Jimmy Wilkerson on the IR list; placed WR Deon Butler, CB Roy Lewis, TE Cameron Morrah on the PUP list; released DE Pierre Allen, FB Dorson Boyce, WR Chris Carter, RB Thomas Clayton, DT Colin Cole, CB Kennard Cox, G Paul Fanaika, DL Maurice Fountain, OL Mike Gibson, DE David Howard, LB Michael Johnson, LB Jameson Konz, FS Mark LeGree, WR Ricardo Lockette, LB Mike Morgan, S Josh Pinkard, OT William Robinson, DE A.J. Schable, WR Owen Spencer, RB Vai Taua, WR Patrick Williams (27).

STEELERS – placed QB Byron Leftwich on the IR list; released LB Baraka Atkins, DE Mario Harvey, LB Chris McCoy, LB Mortty Ivy, DT Corbin Bryant, DB Brett Greenwood, CB Macho Harris, CB Donovan Warren, DB Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith, RB James Johnson, OL Colin Miller, OL Kyle Jolly, OL John Malecki, OL Trevis Turner, OL Keith Williams, WR Armand Robinson, WR Wes Lyons, WR Tyler Grisham, TE Jamie McCoy, K Swayze Waters, CB Crezdon Butler, OL Tony Hills, TE John Gilmore, P Jeremy Kapinos, DL Jarrett Crittenton (26).

TEXANS – released DT Damione Lewis, S Quintin Demps, S Shiloh Keo, S Torri Williams, LB Xavier Adibi, DE Steven Friday, DE Stanford Keglar, LB Matt Marcorelle, DT Scotter Berry, DT Guy Miller, DE John Graves, WR Dorin Dickerson, KR Trindon Holliday, WR Jeff Maehl, WR Derrick Townsel, RB Chris Ogbonnaya, RB Zac Pauga, RB Javarris Williams, P Brad Maybard, OT Andrew Garner, TE Anthony Hill, C Scott Albritton, OT Pete Hendrickson, G Howard Barbieri (24).

TITANS – acquired FB Quinn Johnson in a trade with Packers; released WR Justin Gage, DE Jacob Ford, S Vincent Fuller, S Robert Johnson, DE Panel Egboh, CB Frank Walker, WR Kevin Curtis, OT Adam Terry, S Myron Rolle, LB Rennie Curran, RB Herb Donaldson, RB Stafon Johnson, WR Yamon Figurs, TE Riar Greer, TE Cameron Graham, G Thomas Gray, RB Kestahn Moore, CB Lequan Lewis, WR Michael Preston, FB Joe Tronzo, DE Hall Davis, WR James Kirkendoll, G Pat McQuistan, DE Julian Hartsell (22).

VIKINGS – released WR Stephen Burton, WR Juaquin Iglesias, WR Emmanuel Arceneaux, RB Matt Asiata, FB Ryan D’Imperio, RB Alexander Robinson, LB Heath Farwell, TE Tremaine Johnson, OLB Ross Homan, TE Jeff Dugan, CB Tony Carter, RB Caleb King, G Chris DeGeare, OT Ryan Cook, OT Thomas Welch, RB Tristan Davis, DE David Akinniyi, G Byron Isom, CB Devon Torrence, De Stylez White, WR Jaymar Johnson (21).

Quick Hits On 53-Man Roster

Whether the Chiefs stay with this 53-man group as their roster for the opener against Buffalo next Sunday or not, they’ve established the foundation for their 2011 season.

Here are a few quick thoughts on what they have wrought going from what was once 89 players, to the 53 they finished up with on Saturday, including 27 moves:

• They went one heavy on defense with 26 players and 24 on offense.
• Offensive line is short, with just 7 players on the roster right now. Seven blockers were released on Saturday and expect 3 maybe 4 to return on the practice squad.
• Defensive line is where they went heavy, with 8 players on board for the 3 positions.
• Split in the secondary was interesting, with 6 safeties and only 4 cornerbacks.
• There are 8 rookies on the roster – WR Jonathan Baldwin, C/G Rodney Hudson, OLB Justin Houston, DL Allen Bailey, CB Jalil Brown, QB Ricky Stanzi, DT Jerrell Powe and DE Brandon Bair. That’s 7 of 9 draft choices and 1 rookie free agent.
• Along with those 8 rookies are 7 other first time Chiefs – FB Le’Ron McClain, WR Steve Breaston, WR Keary Colbert, TE Anthony Becht, OT Jared Gaither, DL Amon Gordon and S Sabby Piscitelli. So that’s a total of 15 new players.
• Who needs to play? All three players the Chiefs signed after the start of training camp that did not play in the 2010 season made the final roster: Gaither, Colbert and Becht.
• Surprise player in – probably Bair. He’s got great potential, but whether that pays off in 2011 is doubtful.
• Surprise player out – free agent rookie G Butch Lewis, based on the playing time he got all pre-season and the fact he could play G and T.
• Not sure what this says about the Chiefs roster or depth of talent, but among the 25 players released, only two started games last season for the Chiefs – FB Mike Cox and WR Verran Tucker. They combined for four starts.
• Practice squad predictions: Shane Bannon, Verran Tucker, Cody Slate, Butch Lewis, Mike Ingersoll, Bobby Greenwood, Demond Washington, Justin Cole.

Chiefs Moves To 53

Here are the moves the Chiefs announced early Saturday evening as they trimmed the roster to the NFL limit of 53.

Injured-Reserve List (2)

• TE Tony Moeaki
• OLB Gabe Miller

Released (25)

1. DT Harold Ayodele
2. FB Shane Bannon
3. LB Justin Cole
4. FB Mike Cox
5. DL Dion Gales
6. TE Charlie Gantt
7. OL Bobby Greenwood
8. OL Chris Harr
9. OL Darryl Harris
10. WR Jeremy Horne
11. OL Mike Ingersoll
12. ILB Micah Johnson
13. ILB Amara Kamara
14. FS Reshard Langford
15. CB Quinten Lawrence
16. OL Butch Lewis
17. WR Zeke Markshausen
18. OT David Mims
19. OL Lucas Patterson
20. S Ricky Price
21. TE Cody Slate
22. NT Anthony Toribio
23. WR Verran Tucker
24. OLB Pierre Walters
25. CB Demond Washington

Slowly, Chiefs Moves Are Slipping Out

In today’s world of 24-hour media, Twitter and Facebook, it’s pretty hard to keep under wraps moves that change people’s lives.

From various Twitter accounts, conversations with agents and media reports, here’s what appears to be a partial list of some of the moves the Chiefs have made to reach the NFL roster limit of 53 players:

TE Tony Moeaki to the injured-reserve list with a knee injury he suffered on Thursday night in Green Bay.

Released: OL Chris Harr, OL Mike Ingersoll, ILB Micah Johnson, FS Reshard Langford, WR Zeke Markshausen, FB Shane Bannon, TE Charlie Gantt, and LB Pierre Walters.

That’s nine … only 18 more moves to leak. Stay tuned.

Understanding The Practice Squad

At this time of year there are always plenty of questions about how the practice squad works. Here’s as best as it can be explained based on the new labor agreement between the league and its players.

Let’s start with who can be on the practice squad. Eligibility comes down to whether or not a player has been on a team’s roster and how many games he might have been on the active game-day roster. Essentially, any rookie or first-year player is eligible for the practice squad. Players with two years in the league or longer can be on the practice squad if they were on the game-day active list for fewer than nine regular season game over their careers.

A player can spend two seasons on the practice squad. He can gain a third season only if his team had at last 53 players on its roster during the time he was on the team.

OK, so looking at the Chiefs roster going into cutdown day, there are:

…Read More!

The Waiting Game … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

What a stressful time in the NFL year it is on the Thursday-Friday-Saturday of the week before the season opening game. Everything is so topsy-turvey, like ILB Jovan Belcher (on the right).

There are so many decisions to make, so many careers on the line and lives in a state of suspended animation as players wait for the word on whether they still have a locker and uniform on Sunday, or whether they are unemployed and possibly going on to their life’s work.

The deadline for NFL teams to reach the 53-man limit is Saturday afternoon, but many teams already got to work on Friday. Arizona and Pittsburgh pretty much have finished up their moves. There weren’t any surprises among those 50-plus decisions.

The Chiefs were busy on Friday as well, but as is their way, they were not releasing any names of those removed from the roster. Still, we know two of the players they cut – FS Reshard Langford and ILB Micah Johnson. Both players used their Twitter accounts to announce their time in Kansas City was over.

“So it’s been fun KC,” Langford tweeted. “Maybe I’ll see you on the other sideline in time. Thanks for taking me in. Much love to the fans Thanks for the support.”

There will be 27 names on the final list. Most will be on the waiver wire. A few others may end up on the injured-reserve list. Five or six of those names on the wire will return to the team as part of the practice squad. 

How many new faces will be on that 53-man roster?

…Read More!

NFL MOVEMENT – 9/2

There was activity on the waiver wire Friday as teams starting slicing their rosters to reach the NFL’s roster limit of 53 by Saturday afternoon.

No real surprises among those released. The Bears cut undrafted rookie CB Ryan Jones out of Northwest Missouri State. The Titans released RB Kestahn Moore who was with the Chiefs last year.

Pittsburgh backup QB Byron Leftwich was placed on the injured-reserve list, ending his season.

Here are the moves from Friday: …Read More!

LOOKING AT THE ROSTER WITH CUTS AHEAD

OK, the evaluations are complete and on Friday afternoon the Chiefs are slicing and dicing that 80-player roster and trying to get their number down to the league limit of 53.

This is one man’s look at the roster and what I think will happen. Going into the discussions on Friday, I think 40 players are locks including the three special teamers and three quarterbacks.

That leaves 40 players fighting for those last 13 spots. Position-by-position, here’s the lay of the land and thoughts on where the Chiefs may go with their decisions. …Read More!

No Victory, But Much Better Performance By Chiefs

From Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Yes, the Chiefs dropped another one, losing 20-19 in the pre-season finale to the Green Bay Packers.

But this loss was far different than the first three the team suffered in the last month. The Chiefs actually got things done in this game, with the No. 1 offense scoring a touchdown and the No. 1 defense forcing turnovers like they haven’t done through the pre-season schedule.

Todd Haley played this game to win, as starters like WR Dwayne Bowe, LT Branden Albert, CB Brandon Flowers, CB Brandon Carr and others were still playing deep into the fourth quarter.

It was a night of better performances, but also some injuries that the Chiefs must deal with. QB Matt Cassel, TE Tony Moeaki, RT Barry Richardson, SS Eric Berry all left the game and did not return. None appeared to be serious – Cassel had the wind knocked out of him – but it’s one of those things coaches worry about when it comes to the final exhibition game. Sports medicine schools have info for people interested in how to help these injured players. Team doctors are very important parts of the team.

As always, a lot to talk about and cover:

• GAME STORY – No. 1 units got something done for a change.
• COLUMN – Evaluations are over, it’s time for decisions.
• SIDEBAR – Cassel make a few things happen.
• SIDEBAR – Flowers enjoyed the extra work.
• SIDEBAR – Charles fumbles away too many chances.
• SIDEBAR – Injuries up with more time for starters.
• GAMEBOOK
• PRE-GAME COVERAGE
• 4 THINGS CHIEFS NEEDED TO DO/RECAP

4 Things For The Chiefs To Do At Lambeau

From Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

It was an odd off-season and it has been an odd training camp and pre-season for the National Football League.

And especially for the Kansas City Chiefs.

All that will be put behind them tonight after four quarters of play against the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers. Or, at least some guys wearing the Packers uniforms. It would be a surprise if guys like QB Aaron Rodgers gets on the field tonight. Green Bay opens the regular season a week from tonight against New Orleans.

Even as the end of the pre-season is near, there are items on the to-do list that the Chiefs need to get done to make entry into the regular season smoother and with more confidence. They are:

 4

Score Some Damn Points

It’s the No. 1 statistic in any game or sport and the Chiefs need to figure out how to get on the scoreboard with a bit more frequency than the 7.7 points per game they are averaging in the 2011 pre-season. It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that they are the lowest scoring team in the league. Under Todd Haley’s direction, the pre-season Chiefs have never topped 17 points. They’ve reached that “height” twice, both times last year and they did it against the Packers, in the only pre-season game the team has won under Haley. If this team lost the game 24-21 would make it a step forward. RESULTS – The 19 points they scored against the Packers is the most pre-season points the Chiefs have scored under Todd Haley in 12 games. Successful – sort of.

3

Defensive Front Needs to Establish Line of Scrimmage

There are as many philosophies on playing defense in the NFL as there are coordinators. Whether the coach wants the defensive front to play on the opponent’s side of the line of scrimmage, or to hold firm at the snap and then read and react, the idea is to take over. The Chiefs haven’t been able to do that, not with No. 1 defense, or the second and third team. Until that gets straightened out, this defense will be suspect because opponents will be able to run the ball. That’s got to stop and Thursday night is a good a time as any to get that done. RESULTS – Overall, they allowed only 3.8 yards per carry and picked up a pair of sacks. Green Bay had only 133 total offensive yards. But 56 yards came on the first possession against Green Bay’s No. 1 offense. Successful – sort of.

2

Don’t Overreact To Bad Offense

There’s no question that the very poor offensive performance of the pre-season causes some concerns. The Chiefs should take every opportunity to work on the problems. But, the final pre-season game is not a time to go overboard. Todd Haley has resisted the urge to change things and he should continue to do so against the Packers. Yes, the starters should get on the field, including QB Matt Cassel, RB Jamaal Charles and C Casey Wiegmann. But their play time should match the first pre-season game. A series, maybe two, and then out. The offense needs fixed, but it won’t happen in one night at Lambeau. RESULTS – Haley said the plan all along was to play the veterans into the fourth quarter. We’ll take him at his word, but there were too many starters out there in the fourth quarter that should not have been there. Failed.

1

Just Win Baby!

Sorry to steal the identification line of Darth Raider, but a victory would be a wonderful thing for the Chiefs, whether it was against the 2011 Packers, or the Vikings of nearby St. Norbert College. In 51 seasons of play, the Chiefs have gone winless in the pre-season only four times, in all cases their record was 0-4:

Yes, Thursday night’s game and outcome will quickly be forgotten. But there’s nothing wrong with winning. It’s a habit and one the Chiefs need to establish. Counting the last regular season game of 2010 and the playoffs, they have now lost 5 in a row. RESULTS – make that six in a row now, with Oakland, Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, St. Louis and now Green Bay. Todd Haley is 1-11 all-time in the pre-season. Failed.

Charles Coughs It Up Twice

From Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

When he arrived in 2008 on the Chiefs roster as a third-round draft choice, Jamaal Charles had the reputation coming out of the University of Texas of being a fumbler.

But in his time with the Chiefs, fumbles have not really been a major problem for the shifty running back. If you add up all of his touches since ’08 in the pre-season, regular season and last year’s post-season game, he’s had the ball in his hands 678 times. He’s lost 12 fumbles, or one every 56.5 times he touches the ball.

It just so happens that Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers, Charles fumbled the ball away twice, killing a couple of opportunities for a Chiefs offense that has not had many of those in this pre-season.

“I made a couple of mistakes and I wish I had them back,” Charles said. “But in the pre-season, you have to learn from your mistakes and that’s what I have to do. I need to learn from this and get ready for next week.”

Charles could easily use the excuse that his fumble fingers was because he came into the game with so little work; in the first three pre-season games he touched the ball just six times. By the time the game against the Packers was over, he had 11 touches (9 runs, 2 catches) and produced 37 yards.

Plus the fumbles; both came in scoring territory and took at least six points off the board for the Chiefs. In the first quarter, he went around right end and picked up two yards to the Green Bay 19, before the ball came out on a hit by LB Vic So’oto and was recovered by CB Pat Lee. Although that one cost the Chiefs at least a field goal, the K.C. defense was able to get safety out of the Packers next possession.

Then in the third quarter, Charles went off the left side and picked up 7 yards to the Packers 15-yard line when the ball was knocked out by CB Brandian Ross and recovered by Lee, who then returned it 67 yards to the Chiefs 26-yard line. Green Bay had to settle for a field goal.

As it is, Charles finished the pre-season with 17 touches (15 runs, 2 catches) for 53 total yards. His longest play was 12 yards, his longest run was 10.

“I try to break one every time I get in the backfield,” said Charles. “But I’m still trying to get used to the line and it’s still coming together up there. That’s what it’s all about for me. They got a lot of reps tonight and I think they’ll be ready to go next week.”

Here are Charles fumble numbers since joining the Chiefs, with total fumbles and/fumbles lost:

Bumps & Bruises Dominate Post-Game

From Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

There’s one reason most teams do not play their starters for many minutes – if at all – in the final pre-season game. It’s one word – injuries.

Thursday night, Todd Haley decided to gamble. In a continuation of his approach to the pre-season that came without an off-season, Haley went for the whole bundle in Game No. 4. Starters and key contributors saw the most playing time of the four games.

And there were some injuries that came out of it, and all at times when ordinarily those players would not be in the game.

At the top of the list was starting QB Matt Cassel, who was injured with 8 minutes, 50 seconds to play in the second quarter. Packers starter Aaron Rodgers took his last snap with 7:24 to play in the first quarter. Cassel ended up getting sacked by 340-pound DT Howard Green. All 340 of those pounds landed on Cassel and his right shoulder. Afterwards, he said he just had the wind knocked out of him. If that’s all that happened, then he was a lucky man.

“He wanted to go back in,” Haley said of Cassel. “He was scheduled to play more, but it seemed the right move to sit him down for the rest of the night.”

Earlier in the first half, starting TE Tony Moeaki caught a pass on the sideline and went sliding out of bounds and suffered a left knee injury. That much information from the Chiefs in the pre-season was quite an upset.

In the second half, RT Barry Richardson and SS Eric Berry both left the game and did not return. Berry was off the field for almost the whole third quarter, coming back on the field at the start of the final period. That’s frequently a sign of waiting to visit the x-ray room. There was no word on his problem. The Chiefs said Richardson suffered a left leg injury.

And there were some moments Thursday night that caused Haley and his staff some worries. QB Matt Cassel, TE Tony Moeaki and RT Barry Richardson all left the game with injuries. None appeared to be serious, but they will provide some anxious moments in the preparation and run up to the opener.

Flowers Enjoys The Work

From Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

The best cornerbacks in Lambeau Field in the pre-game warm-ups were Green Bay’s Charles Woodson, followed by the Chiefs’ double-Brandons, Flowers and Carr.

But when the teams came back out for the start of the game, Woodson was in sweats and a cap. His day was done, as he could begin preparations for next week’s regular season opener against New Orleans.

Flowers and Carr? They weren’t resting for the Chiefs season opener against Buffalo. Far from it. They left the field with 2 minutes, 14 seconds to play in the fourth quarter. The starting duo was in the game from start to finish.

That didn’t much help the backup guys like rookie Jalil Brown and veteran Travis Daniels. But the work helped Flowers and Carr.

“I’m glad it worked out the way it did,” said Flowers, who finished the game with an interception, a tackle and two passes defended. “I know it’s different than most teams did things, but I like it.

“We got into the game against Buffalo with a real idea of where we are and what we can do at this time. I think that’s momentum and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

In fact, Flowers liked the idea that the Chiefs and head coach Todd Haley approached things in a different manner than just about every other team in the league. The Packers had five defensive starters who did not dress, including Woodson. The Chiefs had only two defensive players in street clothes and neither one figured to be a major contributor – rookie OLB Gabe Miller and NT Anthony Toribio.

“The way he (Haley) approached it, there was some initial hesitation about how it was going to work,” said Flowers. “But I know it didn’t take long for everybody to get on board and now, I think it was the way to go.

“I just think after tonight, we are better prepared for playing next week and we are prepared to play the whole season.”

Flowers picked off a throw by QB Matt Flynn on a route he saw on tape as he studied this week. “I saw it (on tape) and I filed it away because I figured he would come back to it. He did and I was able to get the ball.

“That’s key for me this year. As a defense, we need to create turnovers and we didn’t get many in this pre-season. I’m happy we changed that tonight. That’s going to be key for our defense and our whole team.”

“We did some good things” says Cassel

From Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

By the time Matt Cassel got done in the shower, dressed and met briefly with the media horde, Packers starting QB Aaron Rodgers was likely already home, in his jammies and catching up on the shows on his DVR.

That Cassel was upright and able to speak was good enough, after he left Thursday night’s pre-season game against the Packers after taking a full belly flop on his right shoulder from 340-pound DT Howard Green.

“He’s all that and more,” Cassel said with a wry smile of Green’s poundage.

The Chiefs starting QB said he just had the wind knocked out of him and there was nothing serious and no long-term problem from what happened in the second quarter.

“I could have gone back in, I wanted to go back in,” Cassel said. “Coach (Haley) decided against it.”

Cassel always wants to play, but Thursday night he got the most playing time of the pre-season and certainly the best production. He finished the game hitting 15 of 17 throws for 129 yards and a touchdown, his first of the pre-season. It was a pretty 10-yard throw to RB Dexter McCluster.

“In certain circumstances, we played well tonight,” Cassel said. “But there were too many mistakes and we can’t turn the ball over the way we did (five times). We hurt ourselves on some of those drives. That’s been something that has happened throughout the pre-season.”

After the game, both Cassel and Haley expressed no concern about his injury, and the coach agreed that his quarterback could have gone back in the game.

“He was fighting to try to get back in,” Haley said. “The plan was to play more. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do that.”

But he was able to get some work done, and that helps in Cassel’s mind heading to the season opener against Buffalo.

“All in all, I think we moved the ball pretty efficiently, and we’ve got to continue to do that,” Cassel said. “Everything starts for real this next week and none of these pre-season stats will matter at all.

Column: Evaluations Done – It’s Decision Time

From Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Ordinarily, the last weeks of an NFL pre-season are a time when a team’s coaches and decision makers spend hours in personnel meetings trying to evaluate about 30 players who are working hard to earn one of about a dozen open spots on the roster.

But this has been no ordinary pre-season for the NFL and especially the Chiefs. Intent on making sure his team was in the type of physical condition he demands for the rigors of a 16-game schedule played in 17 weeks, Todd Haley was more concerned about conditioning than drilling football schemes and plays.

Even through this week leading up to the pre-season finale here against the Packers, the Chiefs were in full pads, banging into each other and throwing weights around and running like they were at Missouri Western rather than their own facility. While other teams were ramping down as they normally do during the final week before the regular season, the Chiefs were pushing along oblivious to the calendar.

Whether Haley’s plan works in the Chiefs favor is something that will take months to distinguish. But one factor that was visible before Thursday night’s game was the lack of normal evaluation time for this roster. And, it wasn’t so much for the second or third teamers, but for the starters and another handful of players that figure to be major contributors to the team week-after-week.

The fact is the No. 1 units looked like crap and played that way. There was a lack of execution and no consistency. The offense couldn’t stay on the field long enough to put together enough plays to evaluate. The defense couldn’t get off the field, and that’s not a good situation to judge players on that side of the ball. There was a “no problems” air publicly, but privately there were frustrations on the part of the players and even some of the assistant coaches. Nobody was quite sure they were ready.

Well, Thursday night the Chiefs showed they were a bit more ready than maybe even they thought. Forget the matter of the Packers sitting so many of their starters, especially on defense. It was a night that had nothing to do with Green Bay, and everything to do with the Chiefs and their internal confidence.

And it provided a good tape to sit down and make evaluations on just what type of roster the Chiefs have. Key performers got mucho playing time, even working into the fourth quarter. Yes, they were playing against Packers that will soon move on to their life’s work.

That didn’t matter to Haley, because he was looking only at the Chiefs. Same for his coaching staff; nobody on the Chiefs charter flight home was raving about this game and this performance. But it did accomplish two things: got the first teams more ready for the start of the season, and it helped the evaluation process on the top of the roster.

Consider that there was competition at just about every position of the roster for the last spots on the 53-man list, save quarterback. Here’s an overview of what decisions must be made. While not set in stone, use this math: 25 players on offense, 25 on defense. The other 3 spots belong to the special teams. The usually breaks down to 3 quarterbacks, 3 tight ends, 11 running backs/wide receivers and 8 linemen on offense. Defensively, it’s 6 on the line, 9 at linebacker and 9 in the secondary, with one wildcard that could come at any of the three position groups.

Here’s a look at what evaluations must be made by Haley and his staff:

• RUNNING BACK – Will it be Mike Cox or Shane Bannon, or neither? That’s the decision that must be made in the backfield with a second fullback. Neither one of these guys played much at all against Green Bay.
• TIGHT END – The ankle injury of Jake O’Connell leaves doubt as to the third spot here. Cody Slate and possibly veteran Anthony Becht may factor in here. The Chiefs could end up taking four TEs until O’Connell is fully healed.
• OFFENSIVE LINE – Behind the starters, there are Rodney Hudson and Jared Gaither. That leaves one, maybe two spots. Rookie free agent Butch Lewis looks like a favorite to get one of those.
• WIDE RECEIVER – The fifth spot looks like it’s going to go to Keary Colbert. That leaves Terrance Copper and Verran Tucker fighting for the sixth spot. Special teams work will be huge on this decision.
• DEFENSIVE LINE – Amon Gordon really stepped forward in the last few weeks and seems to have jumped ahead of Dion Gales for the sixth spot on the defensive front. Gordon was very active Thursday night against the Packers and worked with the first team defense and the first sub-defense.
• LINEBACKERS – The health of rookie Gabe Miller (hamstring) will likely cause debate on the ninth and 10th spots at linebacker. The discussion figures to be Miller and Pierre Walters on the outside and Micah Johnson and Justin Cole inside.
• DEFENSIVE BACKS – There’s a log jam for the two safety spots behind starters Eric Berry and Kendrick Lewis. It appears by his status on the No. 1 sub-defense that Jon McGraw should be safe. That leaves Reshard Langford, Donald Washington and Sabby Piscitelli fighting for one spot.

Good & Bad Leaves Chiefs One-Point Short

From Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

That big puff of wind coming from the north woods Thursday night was not a cold front cooling off the hot summer night down in Kansas City.

It was the sigh of relief generated by the Chiefs, from their owner to their general manager, the head coach and even the roster. After three pre-season games of stumbling and bumbling around, Todd Haley’s team came out and put forth their best effort of the year. They still could not win the game, losing 20-19 to Green Bay Packers and finishing the pre-season with a 0-4 record.

This was not the Packers team that won the Super Bowl back in February. There were five defensive starters who did not suit up. There were a host of others that saw limited snaps, including Super Bowl MVP QB Aaron Rodgers (eight plays).

Throughout the days leading up to the game, Haley said he was not overly concerned with the results of his team’s three games and the he had seen progress in practice and there was no reason to overreact to No. 1 offensive and defensive units that had gotten nothing done.

But Thursday night, Haley showed there was very definitely some concern about where this team was some 10 days ahead of the regular-season opener. The starters played longer than they normally do in the final exhibition affair. Late in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs had Dwayne Bowe, Jamaal Charles, Branden Albert, Jon Asamoah and the entire No. 1 defense still on the field.

The coach said that was all part of the master plan.

“We went from the start on this thing pointing towards this game as the one where we would give our regulars more playing time,” Haley said. “For the most part, that all went to plan.”

Starting cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Brandon Flowers, playing in the last defensive stand of the final pre-season game was part of a plan? Flowers expected it to be that way and he had no problem still being on the field when defensive backs of his ability were out of the shoulder pads and wearing baseball caps.

And none of it had anything to do with winning the game? “No, we wanted to win the game,” said Haley. “We played that way.”

He sure did. Haley opened up the playbook and the bag of tricks. They ran a fake punt – it worked and helped lead to a touchdown. They tried an onside kick; that didn’t work. The defense threw a bunch of blitzes at the Packers and their backup QB Matt Flynn. The offense had some motion and shifting, something different than in the past three games.

“I thought we did a lot of things to get better tonight,” Haley said. “We were trying to build to this game, knowing that we have limited time, five practices to get ready for the Buffalo Bills and September 11. There were a lot of good things out there.”

All in all, it looked closer to an effort of a defending division champion and certainly set a much nicer table for what’s start next Sunday with the regular season.

“I think it’s a good way for us to get ready to start the first week of the regular season,” said RB Jamaal Charles. “We were able to get some things done.”

They also had a host of mistakes and several were directly responsible for the loss. They turned the ball over five times and that set up 13 of Green Bay’s 20 points. They had eight penalties and they gave up four sacks. It was not a clean effort.

“I’ve said this a bunch, we just are not to the position yet as a team where we can afford to turn over the ball and penalties at inopportune times, we are not going to win many games like that,” Haley said. “Luckily our defense forced some turnovers as well.”

By the time half-time rolled around, Haley and everyone invested in the Chiefs was feeling a lot better about the team’s ability to get things done. The offense was able to move the ball against the Packers second defense and the No. 1 offense put up its first touchdown of the pre-season. The defense was contributing as well, forcing two turnovers and controlling things after the Packers scored on the first possession of the game.

Super Bowl hero Rodgers was directing the offense in that first Green Bay possession and he was accurate and on the money. The drive started with a 23-yard run by RB Ryan Grant, as he gashed the left side of the Chiefs defense (DE Tyson Jackson and OLB Andy Studebaker). The Packers kept the ball on the ground, as Grant ran four straight times for 30 yards before Rodgers threw an incomplete pass. He then connected on his next three throws, hitting former Chiefs-now Packers TE Tom Crabtree for eight yards and a score. Crabtree beat ILB Jovan Belcher in the coverage. The PAT by K Mason Crosby gave Green Bay the 7-0 early lead.

The Chiefs offense got the ball back and finally started to move down the field, moving into Green Bay territory and then Charles made it inside the scoring zone before he coughed up the ball on a late fumble. The Packers recovered at their own 15-yard line. An offensive holding call cost them 10 yards, but backup QB Matt Flynn connected with WR Tori Gurley for what appeared to be a 25-yard gain over Flowers. Haley threw the red challenge flag and the replay review showed that Gurley did not get both feet inbounds. The play was reversed and it was a long incompletion.

Two plays later, facing 3rd-and-17, Packers C Nick McDonald snapped the ball over the head of Flynn and it rolled into the end zone. Flynn fell on the ball and the Chiefs picked up a safety when DE Allen Bailey touched him down. It was the first points they scored in the opening period in the 2011 pre-season.

The Chiefs took the free kick and held on for nearly seven minutes, as the No. 1 offense put its first touchdown of the year on the scoreboard. The field position was hurt when Studebaker was flagged for holding on the return by CB Javier Arenas; that had the Chiefs starting at their 25-yard line. The offense had troubles and ended up on 4th-and-9, but P Dustin Colquitt threw a pass out of punt formation to WR Terrance Copper for 12 yards and a first down.

The clock ticked over into the second quarter and Cassel connected with WR Dwayne Bowe for a 29-yard pass across the middle on third down. Two plays later, he found RB Dexter McCluster at the goal line, where he took a big hit from Green Bay’s CB Josh Gordy, but held onto the ball and fell into the end zone for the score. The PAT kick by Ryan Succop gave the Chiefs a 9-7 lead with 11 minutes, 25 seconds to play in the half.

Later, the defense provided the offense with more opportunities. Flowers picked off a pass by Flynn and the officials tagged another 15 yards on to the end of the play for a horse collar tackle by Green Bay. On that next possession is when Cassel got hurt, as he was sacked by 340-pound DT Howard Green and landed on his right shoulder. He left the game and did not return and the Chiefs said he had the win knocked out of him.

Possession of the ball went back and forth a few times. Green Bay’s offense was in Chiefs territory when CB Brandon Carr came screaming off the right side of the defense on a delayed blitz and sacked Flynn, causing a fumble. OLB Tamba Hali recovered the ball, setting up the offense again at their 47-yard line.

With Tyler Palko leading the way, he moved them 53 yards down the field on 11 plays and found Bowe open in the end zone for a two-yard TD pass where he got his heels down in the end zone on a nice, nice catch. Succop’s PAT kick gave the Chiefs a 16-7 lead as they went to the half-time locker room.

Green Bay was able to add an early third quarter field goal after a fumble by Charles – his second of the game. This time it was recovered by CB Pat Lee who returned the ball 68 yards before a hustling Bowe was able to run him down from behind. The Packers ended up getting a 43-yard FG from Crosby and it was 16-10.

The Chiefs gave the ball right back, when Palko and McCluster messed up a handoff, and the ball was recovered by the Packers. It was the second time in the game that Palko stumbled out of taking the snap and had trouble with the handoff.

The defense held against a Green Bay defense with Graham Harrell at quarterback and Crosby kicked another FG, this one from 32 yards. The Chiefs still led 16-13.

It was only a kickoff and three plays later before the Packers were back in the lead and they held it for good. LB Vic So’oto picked off an ill-advised pass by Palko and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown. Crosby’s PAT kick after the pick six gave the Packers the lead.

The Chiefs got a 31-yard fourth quarter FG from Succop to make the score 20-19 and then with 2:03 to play in the game, Palko moved the offense down the field with his arm and his legs and got the Chiefs to the Green Bay 38-yard line with three seconds to play.

Succop came in and missed a 56-yard field goal wide left as the game ended, and so did the Chiefs pre-season.

Now, it’s onward to the regular season.

“I think we are ready,” said Flowers. “I think we have another week to get ready and then it’s on for real.”

Pre-Game – Chiefs vs. Packers

From Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

It’s the first of September and it looks like it will be a beautiful night for football here at the NFL’s most iconic stadium.

Despite the game meaning nothing to their beloved team, there figures to be close a full house tonight as the Packers host the Chiefs. Kickoff is 7 p.m. and the game is being televised on Channel 5 in Kansas City.

Here’s one of many things that makes Green Bay and the Packers special. Sitting here in the press box of Lambeau Field; i’s not Cheese Makers Field, or Fill-in The Blank Stadium. It’s Lambeau, for one of the icons of the franchise, Curly Lambeau. From the top of the stadium, one can see over the edge to the Packers training facility, the Don Huston Center. It’s not the Bay Bank Center, or the Cheese-Wiz Center or the Northern Wisconsin Hospital Center. It’s named after former Packers great and Pro Football Hall of Famer Don Hutson, one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history.

They live and thrive with the approach of small town/big business mentality. In the Packers Hall of Fame here on the ground floor of the stadium resides the Vince Lombardi Trophy, given to the winner of the Super Bowl. Green Bay has the most recent edition. It’s a story that’s unmatched in professional sports – Green Bay (104,057 population in the city) is just a shade smaller than the St. Joseph, Missouri metro area (126,359). The team is owned by the citizens and those stock certificates are passed down from generation to generation. They are planning a stadium expansion starting next year, and they are not asking for a single dollar of taxpayer money to make it happen.

So much of the NFL changes on a regular basis. Let’s all hope that doesn’t happen in Green Bay. If it does, then we will know the apocalypse is upon us.

On to pre-game items. Here’s the weather report for Thursday night: hot, humid, with hazy sunshine. Wind out of the south/southwest at 7 to 11 mph. Kickoff temperature expected to be 80 degrees with a heat index (temp plus humidity) of 85 degrees.

No word yet (at 5:30 p.m.) on who will play and who won’t, but there figures to be plenty of players on the sidelines. Special teams coach Steve Hoffman is already on the field with his notebook, working among the offensive players out for early throwing and updating them on their status in the kicking game.

Not dressed for the Chiefs this evening are the following players: LB Gabe Miller, LG Ryan Lilja, C/G Darryl Haarris, TE Jake O’Connell and NT Anthony Toribio. No pre-game word on what players who are dressed will not play.

For the Packers, they announced 14 players who will not play against the Chiefs, including five defensive starters: DE Mike Neal, LBs Clay Matthews and A.J. Hawk, CB Charles Woodson and FS Nick Collins. On offense, started WR Donald Driver and TE Jermichael Finley will not play, along with backup receivers James Jones, Jordy Nelson and rookie Randall Cobb.

4 Things For The Chiefs To Do At Lambeau

From Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

It was an odd off-season and it has been an odd training camp and pre-season for the National Football League.

And especially for the Kansas City Chiefs.

All that will be put behind them tonight after four quarters of play against the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers. Or, at least some guys wearing the Packers uniforms. It would be a surprise if guys like QB Aaron Rodgers gets on the field tonight. Green Bay opens the regular season a week from tonight against New Orleans.

Even as the end of the pre-season is near, there are items on the to-do list that the Chiefs need to get done to make entry into the regular season smoother and with more confidence. They are:

…Read More!