Saturday Morning Cup O’Chiefs

From Millbrae, California

The Chiefs boots hit the ground in the Bay Area Friday afternoon and when they got to their hotel near the San Francisco Airport, DT Antwon Burton (right) had to wait to get a key to his room.

The newest member of the Chiefs 53-man roster was added Friday, just before the team left Kansas City for their trip here to play the Raiders in Oakland on Sunday.

It was just another example of the constant ebb and flow of the club’s roster this season. It’s gotten to the point that the team’s hotel has to change room assignments at the last minute because there always seems to be somebody new along on the trip.

Bolden becomes the 74th player on the team’s active roster this year. When he plays on Sunday, and right now he’s scheduled to be part of the 45-man active roster, he will become the 69th player who has dressed for a game. If he gets on the field, he’ll be the 68th player to have played this year. It’s unlikely that Bolden will start; there have been 37 different players who have opened the game on offense and defense.

We’ve covered this ground before but it still does not do justice as to how unusual this season has been for the Chiefs when it comes to injuries. Teams that are struggling in the standings always seem to have more injuries than those teams sitting on top of the league’s eight divisions. But what’s happened to the Chiefs has set club records and is probably close to pushing NFL records for players used in a single season.

Last year, the Chiefs had 62 players step on the field.  Back in 1994 they had 63 players who got their uniforms dirty.  No other non-strike season had more players than that ’94 team so the Chiefs have shattered all records.

Here’s how they break down by position:

And the amazing thing is that there are still five games to play in this season. Obviously the ’08 Chiefs defense has had problems since the second week of the season, when the Oakland Raiders ran wild on them. Obviously, having 35 different players dress during the season does not help matters for Gunther Cunningham.

And given the number of starting quarterbacks (3) and running backs (3) the Chiefs have gone through in 11 games, it’s remarkable that the offense has accomplished as much as it has this season.

OPPONENT NEXT/OAKLAND RAIDERS

Raiders TE Zach Miller wishes he could be a tight end like the Chiefs Tony Gonzalez, i.e. catch more than block.

FROM THE PAGES OF CHIEFS HISTORY

On November 29, 1970, the Chiefs beat the San Diego Chargers 26-14 at Municipal Stadium. The Chiefs scored first and never trailed in this AFC West matchup. QB Len Dawson hit WR Morris Stroud for a 50-yard TD pass just two minutes, 20 seconds into the game to give the Chiefs the lead. They added a one-yard TD run by RB Wendell Hayes and four Jan Stenerud field goals, the longest from 43 yards. The Chiefs defense held San Diego to just 196 total yards, as they picked off two John Hadl passes; CB Emmitt Thomas and LB Jim Lynch got the interceptions.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

The NFL has fined Miami LB Joey Porter for some of the things he reportedly said to the New England Patriots last week.  No, I’m not making this one up. Here are the details.

Former Raiders coach Lane Kiffin is going to be the  new head coach at the University of Tennessee; big rumors include the fact he may bring in his father Monte Kiffin to run the defense.  Kiffin the elder is the defensive coorrdinator in Tampa Bay and one of the highest paid assistant coaches in pro football at more than $1 million per season.

AROUND THE REST OF THE AFC WEST

A look at the situaiton facing the Chargers and their beleaguered head coach Norv Turner.

News and notes from BroncoLand, including their penchant for fumbling the ball away when they lose.  They face the Jets, who do a good job of forcing fumbles.