It’s Over; Chiefs Drop Finale to Bengals
From Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati
Last week, the Chiefs were able to score four touchdowns against a Miami Dolphins defense that was fighting to go to the playoffs. A week later on the final Sunday of the 2008 NFL season, they were able to score only a single touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals, losing 16-6 and finishing the season with a 2-14 record.
After playing well for the better part of the last two months, the Kansas City attack was stymied and held to just 220 yards by a Bengals defense that was allowing 332.5 yards per game.
QB Tyler Thigpen struggled all afternoon, finishing the day completing 19 of 36 passes for 191 yards. The running game produced just 31 yards. The Chiefs had 14 first downs, but six came on their final possession in the fourth quarter that produced the Chiefs only score: a five-yard TD pass from Thigpen to TE Tony Gonzalez. The offense also lost the ball on a fumble in the fourth quarter.
And the Bengals had just enough offense to put a touchdown and two field goals on the scoreboard. RB Cedric Benson had the TD, running in from two yards away in the second quarter. K Shayne Graham added a pair of field goals and Cincinnati finished the season at 4-11-1 and with three straight victories.
The Bengals won the toss but elected to defer their selection until the second half. So the Chiefs got the ball first and Thigpen hit his first two passes, going nine yards to WR Devard Darling and eight yards to WR Dwayne Bowe. But the drive stalled and P Dustin Colquitt booted the ball away.
Cincinnati’s first drive picked up three first downs, but the Chiefs defense stiffened and held on a fourth-and-six play when CB Brandon Flowers knocked down a pass from QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to WR Glenn Holt.
But the next time the Cincinnati offense got the ball, they put together the only scoring drive of the quarter, moving 63 yards on 11 plays with four first downs. The big play in the drive was a 14-yard run by Benson. Again, the Chiefs defense stopped the march towards the end zone and Graham hit a 38-yard FG to give the Bengals a 3-0 lead.
The Bengals started a drive early in the second quarter that produced the game’s first touchdown. Fitzpatrick led the Cincinnati offense on a six-play, 87-yard march with five first downs. The big play was a 31-yard pass interference call against CB Brandon Carr who was covering Bengals WR Chris Henry. Benson eventually scored on a two-yard run over right tackle. Graham’s PAT kick pushed the Cincinnati lead to 10-0.
The Chiefs offense couldn’t get anything going in the second period, as they had the ball three times and twice went three plays and out. Their eight plays gained a total of 17 yards and they held the ball for just three minutes and five seconds. The one that hurt the most was the first possession when they were unable to move the sticks on a third-and-one run by RB Larry Johnson.
Cincinnati got the ball back and began the possession at their seven-yard line. Fitzpatrick moved his group 81 yards on 16 plays, picking up five first downs along the way. The big play in the drive was a 16-yard screen pass from Fitzpatrick to Benson. Facing first-and-goal at the 10-yard line, the Chiefs defense held the Bengals to minus two yards on three plays. Graham kicked a 30-yard FG and the Bengals held a 13-0 lead.
Cincinnati got the ball first in the third quarter and put together a drive with three first downs, but eventually punted the ball away. The Chiefs offense finally got something going, as they picked up three first downs and 49 yards in offense. That was just one-yard short of what they had in the entire first half. But they had to punt the ball away when the drive stalled.
The Bengals went three plays and out and given a second opportunity, the Chiefs moved into Cincinnati territory for the first time on the afternoon. They ended up turning the ball over on downs, when a Thigpen throw to Darling did not connect.
The Bengals added three more points in the fourth quarter, set up by a fumbled exchange between Thigpen and RB Jamaal Charles. The Bengals recovered and four plays later, Graham hit a 43-yard FG.
The Chiefs offense turned around and finally got something going, moving the ball down the field and picking up six first downs along the way. The key combination was Thigpen and Bowe, as they combined for three completions, including a 32-yarder. Gonzalez got the TD and the Chiefs try for two points was stopped. Bowe finished the game with 10 catches for 103 yards.
The onside kick attempt was recovered by Cincinnati and five plays later the Chiefs 2008 season was over.
It sure was a sad ending to a long year. Come on draft.
Attention haters Get out you instamatic cameras and ask you boss off for a day. Everyone remember ED. Well he stated he would drive to KC and kick herm if the chiefs lost today. ENOUGH SAID. ED just tell us when and where so we can be there in force. It is always good to see a rah rah guy say anything…..about herm other than what a successful head coach he has been in KC.
Keep up the great work Coach Edwards. ALL of KC is behind you and we know that you will lead us back to glory very soon now.
AND NOW, Clark Hunt has RE-RE-affirmed – and so does Rin – Herm’s The Man!
See you back as KC Chiefs Head Coach in 2009 Herm!
Another game that the Chiefs didn’t show up to play. I count 5 such games in the 2008 season: Atlanta, Carolina, Tennessee, Buffalo and Cincinnati. That is not the result of being young. That is poor preparation by the coaching staff. Herm and the crew should be relieved of their duties today regardless of hiring a new GM. 2008 was an unacceptable representation of the Kansas City Chiefs organization.
I think Herm should and will go for defensive help in both the draft and free agency when he returns as Head Coach of the KC Chiefs in 2009!
Now I want to hear what IDIOTS like petro and all the other Chicken Sh!% press is going to use for positive spin…. CAN NOT SAY the Chiefs didn’t quit today, cuz they NEVER showed up to quit!!!
COME ON PETRO! LETS HEAR how hard the team is playing for herm!
PFFFFFFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah Ed I am the moron that told you that Herm was terrible I ask you this “Did they play hard today?” Did they look fully prepared? If so then why did it take seven times for them to score and if was not for the penalty this would have been a solid 0 . To the Bengals THA BENGALS!!!!!Good bye Herm and that entire coaching staff and to you Ed bring in the excuse be the man and tell us why you would keep this coach .And Rin we say GOODBYE TO HERM BYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Herm Edwards is already starting to plan how his KC Chiefs will draft & sign free agents in 2009! Keep up the grrrrrrreat work Head Coach!
heh heh heh
ESPN reporting Marty offered a “Parsells like” position.
ED where are you ole boy?????
Guys if herm leave today the team is so ill-prepared for the NFL we are still looking for at several losing seasons. At least without herm there would be hope for 2011.
By whom tm1946?
If Schotteneheimer comes, Herm definitely stays! Rin wants Herm but Rin does NOT want Marty.
Wow…thats the effort you give for your coach. There is little respect. Herm is toast. What a mistake he turned out to be. Flat out ridiculous. What is more scary is that its quite possible these players are really this bad. So in the end it could be a double hit from Herm’s genious. Carl has to be laughing out loud. But…the bad news for Carl is no one will hire him now.
Marty would retain Herm and Gun so I like that hire!
ESPN also reports that Parcels may be available.
Carl can pretty much do what ever he wants to do. He has a great reputation in the NFL.
The Chiefs were a disappointment do doubt. But they were hardly the underachievers of many teams this year. No one expected the Chiefs to be a playoff team this year. Herm’s biggest mistake was putting his job status on the shoulders of one QB.
Any prospective GM that breaks this season down will not find as much fault in Herm as the fans do. We only get a peephole view of what is actually going on.
Chin up folks, it will be a fun off season.
Well, I hope there is a good plan, Thigpen still scares me a bit, very athletic, I still like going linebacker after a tradeback in the first, however I guess if Suggs is signed by KC, I would be ok with any major upgrade but QB will be a big pill to swallow…I think this team needs more picks, to take a few interior offensive lineman, a speed reciever a few linebackers and a pass rusher.
herm stays although today was a poor effort on all phases next year will be different even though we get in the playoffs through the division we still get in with herm as our coach
Did Herm actually challenge the catch and out of bounds??!!!??? Why not challenge the spot of the ball? That means replay has to check whether it was a touchdown on Bowe’s catch and the spot was obviously god awful! Bad challenge on what should have been a winable challenge and it cost a time out! Any thoughts from anyone else?
Keep up the great work Coach Edwards. We are looking forward to your draft and free agent acquisitions as Head Coach of the 2009 KC Chiefs!
I love you true red and whatever. It is obvious to you the chiefs are on the correct path. herm has been in to many superbowls to suggest he is not the finest coach ever. Many stupid sources have said it was a waste of time to rebuild without some veterans to help, but herm knows best. You and herm are two genius’s of course, Good Luck.
Come on, am I misinterpreting what happened or was that a bad challenge?
Well I’d say ED needs to step up and eat big fat piece of crow pie. I won’t even say what Rin should eat.
Hopefully they don’t hire Marty in ANY capacity but I’d take just about anything over what we had for the last three years.
ummm, Larry if they challenged weather it was a TD or not would also cover the spot of the ball.
The challenge was did the ball break the plain of the goal line.
I have supported Herm’s decision to gut the roster and go young, but today’s game was even harder to watch than either the Atlanta, Carolina or Tennessee games. This was an opportunity for this team to show what they are made of (I guess they did). This team absolutely quit on Herm today and nothing good can come out of his return next season. Although a decent foundation has been started this season by Herm and his staff, there’s no reason this team can’t be better with different leadership.
That’s why I was asking. The wording of the challenge by the official sounded asinine. “KC is challenging the ruling on the field as a catch and out of bounds….” Still, I think challenging the spot would have won and not risked the time out….
If they had won that challenge it would have been spotted at the .5 ‘ line. I don’t think the terminology mattered in this case.
Larry with hindsight it is hard to understand. But in the emotion of the game herm is usually a little lost.
If you want to go crazy about herm, read his after game quotes in the chiefs website. He STATED the defense had the chiefs in the game. I watched it from the beginning and never felt the chiefs were EVER in this game. Also LJ says he is gone, and no quotes from Tony G about staying. The team is lost at sea and hopefully the new GM can right the ship and not take 4 or 5 years.
ED where are you??? You did not commit sepuku over one game?
But, they could have had a chance at the TD without risking the time out…right?
ED is missing in action! EeeeeEEEeedddd, where are you, time to go kick herms ass.
Herm’s Head!!!!
On a Pole!!!!!
Before this season started they had a chance for the playoffs, no, forgot herm wanted only young hungry player, no vets so they really did not have a chance.
Sunday they did not do much until they remembered they had Tony G on the team. Why would they scored a TD? They could not score from 1 yard out with LJ, one of the best RB in football (sorry cheap shot).
Well tm1946….. Did you get a big screen from momma?
Man. yes, Thigpen’s helmet was as big as a stop sign. Happy guy women’s volley even looks watchable.
LMAO….. Good For You!
How’s momma feel about back slidin, after you get what you want?
She left the family room and have not seen her since. Sometimes you have to settle for little victories
LOL, I Know That’s Right!
I can not believe the support for Herm! We have lost 23 out of 25 games. Terrible!!! I agree that we have some good young talent, but they don’t resect him or they wouldn’t have laid down today. You never here any support for Herm coming from the locker room. We need to get things changed now or we will be rebuilding for the next 5 years.
I was watching NFL Fox postgame and Jay Glazer has said that Clark did talk to Marty but it looks like it’s not going to happen and they will tell who the new GM will be. And LJ has said he wants out of KC because the fans are tired of him and he needs a fresh start. Guys we will know at 11:30 am tomorrow a press conference will be held it could be the announcement of the new GM or Herman Edwards termination we will know tomorrow.
The only people talking about Marty and retaining Herm are those who know nothing else about football. Their list of candidates consists of former Chiefs because they don’t know anyone else. Bob has a page on this site dedicated to the Chiefs GM search from an insider perspective that includes very few former Chiefs. I’m going to lay money that the new GM is someone who has never held a high position with the Chiefs and probably has no previous employment by the Chiefs at all. And after reviewing the Chiefs 2008 season, no GM in his right mind would retain Herm Edwards. Too many games that the team didn’t compete and too many game day blunders.
Herm Edwards, KC is not behind you. huh huh, huh huh
No announcements tomorrow. Herm will be let go as will all his coaches. That announcement is 2-3 weeks away. It will get real interesting with New England because they are out of the playoffs. Pioli is probably the first domino to fall. I do not think he will go to the Chiefs. I think Tuna stays at Miami.
If you are correct, js, Pioli and Cowher will be gone to Cleveland. Saw on the reader strip on ESPN. Pioli had ties to Cleveland, worked there before. Cowher might like it there, Paul Brown syndrome.
Not sure if that is good or bad. We have to believe clark has a plan hopefully not the same one that started this season.
this game was embarassing. I’ve been big on supporting Herm, but when players come out and play a game like that. Basically means they’ve given up on Herm and rightfully so. You don’t play good football against better teams and then lay an egg against the Bengals. Herm has got to go. Because he’s lost the team and losing has become an habit for this team. Its time to clean house nothing I can say to defend the lost. It hurts like HELL
Keep up the great work Herm Edwards – Head Coach of the KC Chiefs in 2009!
I was at the game in Cincy today. The Chiefs were NOT prepared to play this game. That is on the coaching staff! I also talked to a number of Chiefs fans and none thinks Herm and staff should be kept. FIRE “EM ALL. Plus we finished 3 games behind the Raiders, the most dysfunctional pro franchise in sports. That is sad…
A very sad ending, indeed. When players don’t show up for the last game, when they look like all they want to do is get on the bus and leave, with their head coach on the iffy list, that says it all.
There’s a lot of good, young talent on this team, but new leadership is needed to get it going the right way.
Losing is expected now by the players. I was fearful of that when Herm said he was just looking for progress at the beginning of the season. It will take a new regime to fix this.
There has been zero progress.
Keep up the great work Coach Edwards. ALL of KC is behind you and we know that you will lead us back to glory very soon now.
AND NOW, Clark Hunt has RE-RE-affirmed Herm’s The Man!
Remember when we had a running game?
Remember when Priest or Larry would follow FB Richardson up the gut?
Remember how the running game used to lead to a play action pass, which in turn would lead to a touchdown?
Remember when Rin wasn’t being dp’d by Peterson and Herm?
Well, the good news is that the season’s over, Herm will be gone, and Gunther and possibly Chan ( I hope).
The bad news: we may have lost Tony and L.J.
Thank you Herm for destroying this team, for getting rid of Tony Richardson and Jared Allen. Good luck in your next job.
P.S. Take your bitch RIN with you.
AND NOW, Clark Hunt has RE-RE-affirmed that Herm’s d*** has been in RINS butt all along.
Keep up the grrrreat work Coach Edwards. Only Rin is behind you (careful how u stoop) and we know that you will be fired very soon now.
AND NOW, All of KC has RE-RE-affirmed Rin’s Not a Man!
Congratulations ED, for seeing the reality that most of us have been seeing all year, and for the last 3 years for that matter. It’s time for Herm to follow Carl out the door, and for the Chiefs to continue the rebuild with competant people in charge. Hopefully the GM search goes quickly, and Herm is fired/resigns quickly, so we know we’re on the right path.
As you prepare the KC Chiefs in your image as we plan our 2009 season Herm, keep up the great work Coach. ALL of KC is behind you and we know that you will lead us back to glory very soon now.
AND NOW, Clark Hunt has RE-RE-affirmed Herm’s The Man!
How come anybody never challenges Rin on his statement: “AND NOW, Clark Hunt has RE-RE-affirmed Herm’s The Man!”
Clark made this statement in January 2008:
“I’m not saying this team’s got to win 10 or 11 games next year. But I expect us to be competitive for a playoff spot. Certainly, if we’re 4-12 again that would be a failure, or anywhere close to 4-12.”Â
By Clark’s own words, this season was a failure. He has also said since Carl resigned that he has the final say on who will be the coach of the Chiefs but hat the new GM will have significant input into who that man will be.
Not hardly a ringing endorsement for Herm. I like Herm. He seems like a decent guy. I believe he truly cares about his players and he works hard. However, this is not working. Time to rebuild from the coaching staff along with the new GM.
We are all passionate about the Chiefs, otherwise we would not be posting here. But facts are facts. Time to move on.
I can’t wait for the chiefs to hire Rod Marinelli, he hasn’t had any relationship with the chiefs… LOL…
>>”We are all passionate about the Chiefs, otherwise we would not be posting here.”<<
Disagree. Rin is just here to be an antagonistic old B*st*rd. This has run many good people from the site who brought intelligent perspectives. Instead we get Rin’s copy-and-paste comments over-and-over again. What a corn holer.
You may be right aPauled. But my mom raised me to try and think the best of people.
Just heard Chiefs Head Coach Herm Edwards press conference – sensational! What a refreshing and positive outlook – I’m already stoked for 2009! Man, it’s gonna be GRRRRREAT having Herm return as Chiefs Head Coach for year 2 of the rebuild come next season!
heh heh heh
Rin may be “an antagonistic old B*st*rd”, but, from his more informative posts, he’s a KC fan from way back. Fire away Rin! After yesterday, I could use a laugh.