KC Chiefs Rumors + News + Blog + Draft 2012: Chiefs Mix

Week 1: Chiefs 7, Bills 41

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Tellez) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 03:51:00 +0000

by Eric Tellez

Not too long ago I made a statement that the Chiefs managed to turn a weak schedule in a weak division into a playoff birth. I caught a lot of grief from it in emails and comments. Nothing wrong with that, sometimes being a sports writer will create more than its share of enemies.

But did anyone think it could get THIS bad? Even someone like me was caught off guard by the week one handling we took and I'm at best skeptical and at worst,,,well, seen to many Chiefs games that we should have won. Because chances are when you got a hold of your schedule for this season and looked at Week 1 you very likely put a "W" in the Bills column. I know I did. We had every reason to.

The Bills added nobody of importance. The Bills aren't even the 3rd best team in their division. We are a playoff team. We are moving in the right direction. We finally have some offensive weapons. Oh, and look, we're going-up against Detroit in Week 2. Detroit? We're 2-0 and we haven't even played a down.

There's an old saying that says "If you want to make God laugh, just tell him your plans." The NFL is the same way. And to make it worse, Detroit is looking great. Who would have thought that after Week One we'd be in a must win again Detroit in Week 2? I didn't, and I'm known for being negative. I really hope things aren't this bad.

Eric Tellez is an independent football journalist from Las Cruces, NM. He has contributed to NFLMIX.com for two season and writes for CHIEFSMIX.com every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. You can reach him by email at cover4@rocketmail.com to talk football anytime.

All About Depth

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Tellez) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:29:00 +0000

by ERIC TELLEZ for NFLMIX.com
28 April 2011

This weekend's draft is going to be one of the most important the Kansas City Chiefs have had in years. Looking back the Chiefs won the division by benefiting from a weak schedule in a crazy division but should this draft go down as a success this team will have made a very crucial step towards becoming an elite team.

The Denver Broncos still need help in a lot of areas, the San Diego Chargers are showing signs that their Super Bowl window may have closed, and the Oakland Raiders....well, let's just say that nothing can destroy momentum the way a Raider draft and off-season can. The Chiefs are easily in the best shape of any team in the AFC West.

Here's what I expect to happen.

Round 1: NT Phil Taylor from Baylor. Also could be Stephen Paea from Oregon State or Corey Liuget from Illinois but this is a huge need. In order for the 3-4 defense to work it all revolves around the nose tackle.

Round 2: WR Jerrel Jernigan from Troy. I just hope they take a receiver here, I really don't care who it is or from where he is from. If the Chiefs don't like Jernigan all that will likely be available at this point will be either Titus Young from Boise State or Jon Baldwin from Pittsburgh and they are all pretty much a Dwayne Bowe copy's. Jernigan is a little more solid, not such a speed threat, and can catch the ball in traffic.

Round 3: OT Nate Solder from Colorado. Do you take a 3rd round chance on 1st round size? Why not? The Chiefs can use all the line help they can get and Solder has a reputation as a hard worker and a learner.

Round 4: LB Casey Matthews from Oregon. Solid player from a big time program. I know there's a lot of talk about his name making him overrated but I'm ok with that. I would like to see a player of Matthew's caliber taken with this pick so why not get the real deal with the name as an added bonus?

Round 5: OG Justin Boren from Ohio State. Another solid player from a big time program. I'd love to see Boren and Solder develop properly and just based on size alone they could resemble the Dallas Cowboys of the early-mid 1990's. Ball control in December, brings back warm memories of cold days.

Round 6: WR Dane Sanezenbacher from Ohio State. Another solid, catch the ball in traffic and keep the chains moving kind of receiver.

Round 7: OT Adam Grant from Arizona. Saw this guy play in person and he was a lot of fun to watch. If he's still available I hope the Chiefs make the call.

Eric Tellez is a team reporter from Las Cruces, NM. He has been contributing to NFLMIX.com for 2-years. Email him at footballfreepress@yahoo.com to talk football anytime.

Chiefs Division Crown A Fluke

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Tellez) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:32:00 +0000

by Eric Tellez for NFLMIX.COM

It would be easy to assume that Scott Pioli brought some New England magic to Kansas City when he took over the front office and the Chiefs went from 4-12 in 2009 to the 10-6 with a divisional title in 2010. Those of us less likely to believe in "magic" could just point to head coach Todd Haley, coordinators Charlie Weiss and Romeo Crennel, and quarterback Matt Cassel as evidence that "Patriots West" had finally settled in at Arrowhead. But when you look closer at the details last season's triumphant return to the top of the AFC West may not be a sign of things to come but a 1-year result of luck and chance.

In 2010, the Chiefs benefited from the NFL's easiest schedule that had them playing only 2-teams that qualified for the playoffs; the Indianapolis Colts and the Seattle Seahawks. It gets worse when you remember that they lost to the Colts and the Seahawks fell into the post season with the amazing record of 7-9 with five combined wins coming against the 49ers, Rams, and Cardinals whom all had terrible seasons. Look a little closer and you will notice that the Chiefs themselves also benefited from a weakened NFC WEST beating all four teams in that division.

Kansas City in their own division is a somber a picture when you consider that the Chiefs went 2-4 against the AFC West with a record of 1-2 at home. Three of those loses were pretty lopsided losing 31-0 against San Diego, 31-10 to Oakland, and 49-29 to Denver in the forever infamous "People Have Said A Lot of Things About You" game.

Looking at the big picture I do not believe the Chiefs to be as bad as they looked in their 1st round loss to Baltimore. But I also do not believe they are as good as people are being led to believe. At the end of the season, against Oakland and Baltimore, this team got beat-up and pushed around the field. For all the accomplishments that 2010 held the Chiefs were just flat out not physical enough for Baltimore.

The Chiefs need to draft offensive and defensive line help, need to create more turn overs, and most importantly, need to see last year as either a stepping stone to division dominance or a 1-year wonder.

Eric Tellez is a team reporter from Las Cruces, NM and has been a writer with NFLMIX.COM for 2-years. Feel free to email him at footballfreepress@yahoo.com to talk Chiefs or your favorite team.

Chiefs Need To Draft Receiver

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Tellez) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:36:00 +0000

by Eric Tellez for NFLMIX.COM

There are 3-things consistent in the life of a Kansas City fan; death, taxes, and trying to win with only one good wide receiver. Don't ask me why, but since I started following football in the 1980's the Chiefs have always gone into battle with a big time back carrying the load, a solid receiver on one side and a collection of spare parts on the other.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to insult the talents of guys like Eddie Kennison, Robb Thomas, JJ Birden, Lake Dawson and the others. But it's hard to imagine a defensive coordinator staying-up late worrying about having to cover both Dwayne Bowe AND Dexter McCluster.

I'll be the first to admit that the AFC West is not without its faults but if there's one thing this division can do is cover your best receiver. Denver still has Champ Bailey, Oakland has Nnamdi Asomugha, and San Diego can roll the dice with either Antoine Cason or Quentin Jammer. Put any of them on Bowe and what you end-up with are a lot of 8-man fronts salivating to get at Jamaal Charles.

But that's nothing new for Kansas City. Just off the top of my head I can remember Christian Okoye, Barry Word, Marcus Allen, Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson all faced with the same destiny that awaits Jamaal Charles; too many carries and not enough help. As for Dwayne Bowe? Do the names Carlos Carson and Stephone Paige ring a bell? Has anyone in the organization noticed that the 2nd leading receiver on last year's playoff team had only 22 receptions?

In order to have a chance the Chiefs need to get help at wide receiver. I can't think of any team, with the exception of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, that was able to win any big games with less than three offensive threats. And yes, while I do realize that Tony Gonzales was perhaps the greatest tight-end in this, or any other, era I have a hard time considering him to be in that ultimate difference maker category. Why? Because if you look at today's greatest tight-ends; Tony Gonzales, Antonio Gates, and perhaps Jason Witten you see a lot of similarities. A lot of catches, a lot of yards, a lot touchdowns, and very few playoffs wins.

What about tight-ends with multiple Super Bowl rings? Brent Jones had Jerry Rice & John Taylor, Jay Novacek had Michael Irvin and Alvin Harper, Shannon Sharpe had Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey, and Heath Miller has taken the field with Hines Ward and a cast of thousands. If Dallas Clark and Indy get that 2nd ring he'll be surrounded by a handful of quality receivers also.

The Kansas City Chiefs need to get help at wide receiver in the 2011 draft. Matt Cassel needs another target, Dwayne Bowe needs someone to take the pressure off, and Jamaal Charles needs to occasionally catch his breathe. Otherwise, we're just passing on success.

email me at footballfreepress@yahoo.com anytime you want to talk football! Et

28 February 2011

Cassel: Million Dollar Bust or Gem II?

noreply@blogger.com (Bryce Bade) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 05:57:00 +0000

By Bryce Bade

Last year I wrote an article, Cassel: Million Dollar Bust or Gem, talking about Chiefs starting quarterback, Matt Cassel and his accomplishments, or lack thereof, to date.

It's not many places that a college quarterback, who never started a game, and only threw 33 passes and only completing 20 of them for 192 yards, then in their fifth year in the league sign a six-year $62.7 Million contract with $28 Million guaranteed. Matt Cassel was brought in as the savior to the franchise, hoping to turn around what has been a dismal 3-4 years including all of Herman Edwards tenure (I don't count his first year in which he went 9-7('06) his true team, he was slightly changing Dick Vermeil's team until he completely dismantled them i 2007). Following starters, Brodie Croyle, Damon Huard and Tyler Thigpen, Matt Cassel took over the reigns of Kansas City's offense in 2009.

Matt Cassel has yet to prove himself as an NFL starter, in 17 regular season starts Cassel is 6-11 dating back to last season. This year, Cassel has completed only 26 out of his 50 passes for a measly 244 yards (on pace to throw 1700 yards and only 7 TD's). But somehow he keeps winning, is it the running game? Or possibly the lackluster defense that has been the laughing stock of the NFL for the last 4-5 years?

Matt Cassel has big shoes to fill in Kansas City where they have always gained good starting quarterbacks through free agency and trades. Len Dawson signed with the Chiefs after spending five years between Pittsburgh and Cleveland; Dawson went on to finish his career with the Chiefs and become the winning-est quarterback in Chiefs history, also leading them to their only Superbowl victory in 1970.

Following Dawson, a few sad attempts at finding a replacement until 1988 when the Chiefs made a trade with TB Buccaneers for Steve DeBerg. DeBerg went on to spend four great years statistically with the Chiefs including 2 postseason appearances. DeBerg compiled 11,873 passing yards, 67 touchdowns and 50 interceptions with the Chiefs with a 81.8 passer rating.

In 1993, the Chiefs traded for Joe Montana and only completing two out of three years he agreed to in his contract still lead the Chiefs to many exciting games. He took the Chiefs to their only AFC championship appearance in 1993 and a few stunning duels with Denver Bronco's quarterback John Elway.

Following Montana, the Chiefs had a revolving door of quarterbacks: Steve Bono, Elvis Grbac and Rich Gannon before trading for Trent Green in 2001. Green like Cassel received a lot of flack from the media and fans, believing his time was gone with the injury in St. Louis and that he was washed up. But Green showed everyone he had fight left. Green had the most consecutive starts in Chiefs history, the only Chiefs QB to throw a "perfect game" and leading the Chiefs to their first postseason appearance in over six years.

With the departure of then head coach Dick Vermeil and incoming coach Herman Edwards the team decided to go with a career backup quarterback to take over their offense, Damon Huard, while grooming their "franchise" quarterback 2006 3rd round draft choice Brodie Croyle. Croyle, in no way shape or form will be the quarterback of the Chiefs franchise, he is too injury prone and soon rather than later his career will be cut short. In highschool, Croyle tore his ACL, at Alabama he separated his shoulder and crack two ribs (only sat out one game), then he tore his other ACL. Croyle's first season with any sort of chance, 2007, he not only played badly in the preseason to let Damon Huard start, but also hurt his back and later bruised his hand. Then in 2008, Croyle was named as the starter, but bruised his shoulder, then later in the season got hurt again. He started the 2009 opener, but since has never started a game under center.

Looking at possible reasons that Matt Cassels plays the way he does here in KC rather than he did in NE in 2008: the offensive line is a big part, Cassel clearly doesn't have long enough to get the ball out without having to take a hit or make an errant throw. Also look at his receiving corp here in KC compared to NE. Here his big time stars are Chris Chambers and Dwayne Bowe, an old man and a druggie. In NE he had Wes Welker, Randy Moss among others.

Matt Cassel has the inexpiable ability to become great, here in Kansas City he has the perfect chance to make sure that no one will forget his name. He can take a team that has been part of a laughing stock group and turn them around to greatness. It won't happen this year and probably not next year, but before Cassel's contract is up he will have made a major impact in Kansas City, he will have to work hard with dealing with Clark Hunt's pocketbook, not wanting to use the money to sign those big name stars, and the only thing that will hinder him is a)himself b)Todd Haley c)Scott Pioli.

Next up, San Francisco 49ers. San Francisco will be heading to Arrowhead this weekend, and with the way the Chiefs have been playing SF will have to work hard because those fans will be ready for them. The defense needs to keep up what they have been doing and contain Frank Gore. Eric Berry needs to step up and show he deserves that big payout and take on the vet Alex Smith, he is a simple man with lots of inexperience.

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KC Chiefs vs. SD Chargers

noreply@blogger.com (Bryce Bade) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 06:03:00 +0000

By Bryce Bade

There, the Kansas City Chiefs have done something that they haven’t done since 2005 against the New York Jets, win in the first week; start the season at 1-0. The last time they won their home opener was in the third week of 2007 against the Minnesota Vikings. Look on the Brightside, if the season ended today, the Chiefs would win the division and end the season undefeated. Overall, they played well, not great. They have many errors to fix, but they have some bright spots to build upon.

The Chiefs passing game was a complete joke, maybe Matt Cassel is still the quarterback of the future, but for how long? If he continues to play like he did against San Diego and all of preseason should the Chiefs look to replace him? He only completed 10 of his 22 passes for only 68 yards! But looking at the Chiefs depth chart, will the injury prone Brodie Croyle be a better replacement, or should they sign Tyler Palko from the practice squad and give him a shot…look at Tyler Thigpen two years ago.

The Chiefs running game is still looking good, Jamaal Charles is still dominating just like he did in the second half of last year, if he continues like he did against San Diego he is on pace to rush for over 1400 yards and have 16 TD’s. Thomas Jones only had a mere 3 yards, but are the Chiefs really entrusting their running game to an 11-year vet.

The Chiefs special team was the shining star in the game against the San Diego Chargers; it’s hard to decide who the second coming of Dante Hall is: Dexter McCluster or Javier Arenas? Both put on great shows returning kicks, Arenas had 3 kick returns for 59 yards, all with the look of breaking one for the end zone and punt returns for 60 yards with one that he got stopped by THE PUNTER!!!! McCluster didn’t return kickoffs but had 3 punt returns for 100 yards and one was the record setting TD return. The coverage units are some of the best in years and look to only improve as the season goes on.

The defense was better than last year, but still has steps to move forward, by the season end they could be playing like a well-oiled machine and within in a year or two they could be one of, if not, the most feared units in the league. Their pass coverage lacks a lot still, but they are still learning Crennel’s zone coverage, the much revered Eric Berry was shown up a few times, but with practice makes near perfect. Some of the most improved is the running defense, holding the always elusive speedster Darren Sproles to a measly 3 yards.

The Chiefs will lose some and of course win some more this season, this is neither a Superbowl season nor a Superbowl team, but with practice makes near perfect and a few minor player changes the Chiefs could be great in the next year or two. They have almost all the right players in their places; they just need to get experience underneath them.

Next up the Cleveland Browns…who’s going to show they deserve a spot in the NFL this week?

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Measuring the Chiefs' 2009 Season

noreply@blogger.com (Sean DeCoursey) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:59:00 +0000

So the season ended with a surprising victory over the Denver Broncos that featured a pair of historically significant performances. A lot of the coverage of the team seems to have focused on this 44-24 win and the solid performances turned in by several young players during the game.

I don’t blame them, after watching this disaster of a season, it’s nice to have a happy fantasy of a team making progress to warm yourself with during the offseason. However, if you really look at the Denver game, it provides even more reasons for sadness than for joy. Let’s start with Derrick Johnson. Two interceptions returned for touchdowns, five tackles and one assist. A great day by any measure, and it came at a position that has been a weakness on the defense all season long. Which begs the question: why was DJ sitting on the bench all season when the starting linebackers weren’t getting the job done?

Next we move on to Bernard Pollard who had an interception, a fumble recovery, five tackles and one assist… for the Houston Texans. Pollard was cut at the beginning of the year for no apparent reason other than, well, we really don’t know why actually, but he was cut, and now he plays for Houston, and we have a gaping hole at safety – which, coincidentally, is where Pollard played. So basically what the Denver game tells us about the Chiefs defense is that the teams’ best defensive players at two positions that were dramatic weaknesses were either benched or cut because the coach decided to throw multiple hissy fits. How many other players who should have been starting didn’t see play for the same reasons? We don’t know, but being able to point out two obvious examples with such ease, its likely there were more instances of this.

Now on to the offense. Jamaal Charles had a great day, a historic day, and didn’t fumble once, which is sort of historic in and of itself. I don’t think his numbers would have been nearly as good if the Broncos had actually managed to show up for the game, but good players are supposed to dominate in situations like that, and it’s nice that Charles did. That said, the Chiefs really need to get another back to supplement Charles or they’re going to end up with another LJ/Priest situation where they’ve got a dominating back who’s hurt a fair amount and done after 2-3 years of excellence. And just so this paragraph actually gets to some kind of point, expecting this kind of performance out of Charles on a regular basis is crazy. A 4.5-5.0 yds/carry average with 0-1 fumbles a game is more in line with what we can realistically expect from him going forward.

Matt Cassel continues to inexplicably earn more money than Best Buy while playing like Circuit City. The guy throws one of the most uncatchable balls I’ve ever seen. Seriously, I don’t know if there’s a stat or metric for this but it just seems like ¾ of Cassel’s passes are about a foot off the mark. I don’t know if this is his fault or the receivers’, but something is seriously wrong there. I think this has something to do with the high number of drops, although by and large, the Chiefs’ receivers do suck. Although the musical chairs Haley plays with the position as apparently directed by his Ouija Board certainly don’t help matters. I think Cassel would be a very nice backup QB, much like Brodie Croyle, and I think that casting him as a starter is just a horrible, horrible mistake that the entire organization is suffering for now. I mean, for heaven’s sake, the guy has had three games where he completed less than half his passes and six games where he averaged less than five yards per attempt. Those numbers are positively Jamarcusian.

A good reality check for where this team stands at the end of year one of the Pioli/Haley rebuilding project is to compare it to the team as it stood at the end of the Peterson/Edwards era (ie last year). At the end of last year the team had a new Arrowspread offense in place tailored to the skills of a young, raw (extremely raw), QB guided by a veteran offensive coordinator with head coaching experience. At the end of this year the team has just hired a veteran offensive coordinator to build a new-ish offense around the skills of a young-ish QB. At the end of last year the team had a young secondary that looked to be full of breakout stars. At the end of this year the team has a young secondary that looks to be full of breakout stars – except at safety which is now a gaping hole. At the end of last year the team had a suspect offensive line that seemed to play better after the QB change and the implementation of the spread. At the end of this year the team has a suspect offensive line that seemed to play better after the change at RB and the accompanying shift in the offense. At the end of last year the team had an unhappy, washed up running back and an all-pro TE. At the end of this year the team has a young, exciting RB and several all-no TEs. At the end of last year the team had a crazy washed up egotistical GM who loved leather trench coats way more than any man should. At the end of this year the team has a crazy young egotistical GM who loves making trades with his father in law way more than any man should. At the end of last year the team had a head coach who gave goofy press conferences and was widely respected around the league and widely disliked in KC. At the end of this year the team has a head coach who is widely mocked around the league after firing his offensive coordinator at the end of the preseason.

The point of all this is pretty simple. For every area where you can point to progress on this team, you can point to several more where there isn't progress or where there has been backsliding. For every positive development (No more LJ!) there are negative ones (Lance Long? No more Chan Gailey?) The really troubling thing about all of this though, is that almost all of the problematic developments stem from erratic behavior on the part of the head coach and front office. That’s the kind of thing that’s likely to continue and get worse, not better, as time goes on.

No Bowe, Who Steps Up?

noreply@blogger.com (tonybotts) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:24:00 +0000

By Tony Botts

Just when the Chiefs began to figure things out, Dwayne Bowe figured out a way to set them back.

In a season filled with many disappointments, a quiet two game win streak gave fans something to get excited about during the holiday season. Bowe's four game suspension however, brought back a wave of dreary days and memories. The former first-round draft choice has been incredibly inconsistent during his first three seasons, but as of late he has been a big play maker in the Chiefs unexciting offense.

However, the Chiefs are not out of options. In the last three games, a rejuvenated Chris Chambers has caught the attention of Matt Cassel late in games, and Bobby Wade has proven to be a reliable pass catcher by grabbing 23 passes and two touchdowns. Jamaal Charles has also electrified fans with his break away speed and versatility in both the passing and running game, his breakout game coming against conference rival Oakland.

With the offensive play makers starting to establish themselves, the defense is not far behind. Second-year player Glenn Dorsey seems to have found a suitable spot for his at the right end position, and rookie Tyson Jackson appears to be fitting into the defensive scheme just fine. Some of the pleasant surprises for the Chiefs defense have been rookie line backers Jovan Belcher and Andy Studebaker have both made big plays at big moments this season, while second-year defensive end Wallace Gilberry has helped the Chiefs improve on their dismal 10 sack performance last year by contributing 3.5 sacks.

Over the course of the next four games, the Chiefs will know what they have, and more importantly; what they don't have. The release of Johnson was a breath of fresh air. Bowe's suspension will be a learning tool and an opportunity to evaluate our depth, or lack there of.

I am sure that many fans expressed how thankful they were for the thrilling win against Pittsburgh at this years Thanksgiving table. Who knows? Maybe after Bowe's suspension is up we'll be thanking Santa for the early stocking stuffer.

Questions? Contact Tony Botts @ s504451@nwmissouri.edu

Clouds Over Kansas City by Ryan Tackeberry

noreply@blogger.com (Irish_Ryan22) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:26:00 +0000

We all remember with a great fondness that epic 2003 season in which our beloved Kansas City Chiefs, for the first time in 35 years, made a strong run at the Super Bowl. With Trent Green leading our troops through a 13-3 regular season posting an astounding 4,039 yards with only 12 interceptions. We also remember, sadly, the gut-wrenching loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the playoffs, but we marched on swearing that it would not be the last time you saw Kansas City within the realms of greatness.

We stand now a far cry from that place of prestige. With a combined record of 36-55 in the years since, it seems that the fire that once burned in the hearts of Chiefs fans and players alike has been extinguished, replaced now with a sort of shame. The once thunderous Arrowhead Stadium has been reduced to nothing more than a light rain, fans that once filled this notoriously rowdy bowl, would now rather watch at home so they can switch the channel when things get ugly. In place of pride we find excuses. Giving reasons why we lost instead figuring out ways to win. It seems to me that if we don’t see that silver lining promised us, we will join the ranks of Lions and Browns fans scattered throughout a mostly empty stadium with paper bags over our heads. Fortunately for the Chiefs loyal, that lining may be closer than expected.

Last week at home the Chiefs squeaked by the heavily favored Steelers with a 27-24 win in overtime. This win breathes new life to the once rotting corpse that has been Kansas City football. With former Patriots back up Matt Cassel at the helm and newly acquired Chris Chambers as his go-to receiver, we now see that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, a new hope for the future. After a shaky start Cassel seems to have found his stride with a meek, yet respectable 55% completion average and only 6 interceptions. The biggest problem now is the offensive line. With an embarrassing 34 sacks in 10 games the big men upfront are causing big problems. This, however, is a problem that can be solved. Strategic picks and trades in the forthcoming off-season could bring a well deserved sigh of relief to young head coach Todd Haley. Filling in for the now absent Larry Johnson is young newcomer Jamaal Charles. Averaging nearly 5 yards a carry, and boasting 313 total rushing yards in only 64 attempts (compared to Johnson’s 377 yards in 132 attempts) Charles promises to be an outlet for offensive leaders Cassel, Bowe, and Chambers to catch their breath. Not forgetting the defensive side of the ball, powerhouses such as Demorrio Williams, Mike Brown, Glen Dorsey, Tamba Hali, and Derrick Johnson are sure to continue smashing heads in the style and manner in which they’ve grown accustomed.

So for those die-hard Chiefs fans wincing with each snap of the ball, look to the future and see the potential in a team who’s seen ups and downs throughout its entire existence. When things get rough, however, keep this in mind: it could always be worse, you could live in Detroit.

Chris Chambers: New #1 WR by Bryce Bade

noreply@blogger.com (Bryce Bade) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:49:00 +0000

On Tuesday, November 17, 2009 Dwayne Bowe was suspended for four games without pay for violating the leagues substance abuse policy. Bowe used took a diuretic for weight loss is what his agent stated; diuretics are used to increase the excretion of urine from the body.

Bowe’s presence has been somewhat of a disturbance on the Chiefs wide receiver squad since the beginning of the season. He likes the attention and flash of showy catches, but uncharacteristically drops easy and simple catches. At the beginning of training camp head coach, Todd Haley, dropped Bowe to third string before clawing his way back to the top receiver spot.

The Chiefs have had a rotating door with their wide receivers, in the off season the Chiefs signed Pro Bowl receiver Armani Toomer and Bobby Engram, releasing both in the following weeks. After week eight the San Diego Chargers placed former Pro Bowl wide receiver on waivers allowing the other 31 teams to pick up his contract; two days later the Chiefs picked him up and added his experience to their lackluster squad.

This season, Bowe has lead all Chiefs receptions with 33, yards with 466 and touchdowns with 4. But with this recent suspension it looks like Chris Chambers may have a new home with the Chiefs. He is a nine year man out of Wisconsin and a former Pro Bowler. With the Chiefs alone in two games thus far he has six receptions for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns, he is on pace to have 36 receptions for 707 yards and ten touchdowns.

In the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars Chris Chambers showed he still had some life left to play in the NFL. He caught three passes for 70 yards and had two touchdowns; the following week against the Oakland Raiders he had three receptions for 60 yards.

With Bowe out of the picture for at least the next four weeks Chambers will be allowed to possibly step into the number one receiver slot and push this struggling team over that hump that they have teetered on for the past three years. His new position will allow Chris Chambers to mentor the younger receivers such as Lance Long, Marc Bradley and even cross over into the tight end rankings with Sean Ryan.

Cassel: Million Dollar Bust or Gem? by Bryce Bade

noreply@blogger.com (Bryce Bade) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:45:00 +0000

On September 7, 2008 Tom Brady took a shot from then Chief, Bernard Pollard, and allowed Matt Cassel to finally climb off the bench and prove that he had a place in the NFL. But was it just a fluke being lined up behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL? Or has Matt Cassel’s talent been hidden for so long behind other great leaders?

Cassel has had a life of hidden talent that has had time to come to fruition. In 1994 the little league team that he was a part of reached the Little League World Series, as a senior at Chatsworth High School he was ranked number eight and in ESPN’s Tom Lennings Top 100 he was ranked number fifty-three overall. Later at USC he was the back up behind future Heisman and fellow NFL quarterbacks Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart. Due to his back up role, Cassel gain some playing time by lining up at wide receiver, tight end and special teams. Cassel played baseball while at USC and was selected in the 36th round by the Oakland A’s in 2004. In college, Cassel never started a game behind center and only completed 19 of 33 passes for 192 yards and no touchdowns.

One of the main reasons that Matt Cassel has a job playing in the NFL was his workouts at USC’s 2005 Pro Day, which landed him on several NFL teams draft radar. In the 2005 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots chose Cassel with their second to last pick, almost making him that years “Mr. Irrelevant.”

In 2008, Matt Cassel took over one of the most powerful and feared offenses in the NFL and lead them to an 11-5 mark, in the off-season the NE Patriots placed the franchise tag on Cassel and soon there after traded Cassel and Mike Vrabel to the Kansas City Chiefs for only a second round draft pick. Cassel took over a dreadful offense under the direction of rookie head coach Todd Haley.

Matt Cassel hasn’t proven that he is a franchise quarterback just yet. One year ago, then head coach, Herman Edwards, was building a football team around his franchise quarterback, Brodie Croyle, but today Croyle is Cassel’s backup. In New England, Cassel was lined up behind one of the best offensive lines in the league and in Kansas City, Cassel has a rotating offensive line week in and week out from veterans to rookies that Haley keeps mixing up to find a winning set.

Behind his failing offensive line, Cassel is on pace to throw for 817 less yards than he did while in New England in 2008. But he is on pace to throw 24 touchdowns, three more than in 2008.

Cassel's time in Kansas City will be a long and tenured one according to his six year deal he signed before the beginning of the 2009 season. If Haley and current General Manager, Scott Pioli can find a winning offensive line, a running back that can run like Larry Johnson of the past and a set of receivers that are even slightly comparable to New England, Cassel and the Chiefs will be unstoppable in the years to come.

If Trent Green’s time in KC is any indication with the right set of players a banged up veteran can break franchise records and throw for over 4000 passing yards in multiple seasons, then Cassel could be the next Len Dawson and have #7 retired on the ring of honor.

Goodby and Good Riddance, LJ by Bryce Bade

noreply@blogger.com (Bryce Bade) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:30:00 +0000

This past week the Kansas City Chiefs released their once star running back Larry Johnson, after six and a half years with the team and only 74 yards from breaking Priest Holmes record as the leading rushing in Chiefs history.

The question now circulating the community is whether or not the Chiefs made the right move in releasing their disgruntled back. Looking at his backups while with the Chiefs the move could possibly go down as a terrible mistake, but taking Larry Johnson out of the equation opens up many opportunities for Kolby Smith, Jamaal Charles, Dantrell Savage and Jackie Battle.

The best possible replacement to take over the number one running back spot would be the most tenured back, Kolby Smith, but looking at the numbers the four backs have put up in the last few years it would be a mistake not to include Jamaal Charles in the mix. Jamaal Charles is leading the team with an average of 5.2 yards per carry, but still with a meager 152 rushing yards. Kolby Smith, recently returned to the lineup from an injury occurred earlier this season, could be a multi down back with the correct front line, with Jamaal Charles splitting the hand-offs.

In the off-season the Chiefs should look to the draft to boost their running game, as of now in the season the Chiefs look to be a top ten draft pick if not top five, the top running back the Chiefs should look to in the 2010 Draft is Toby Gerhart out of Stanford with a 2nd in the NCAA 16 touchdowns and total 1217 rushing yards on 233 attempts. If he is taken earlier than the Chiefs get then a close second would be Ryan Matthews out of Fresno State with 14 touchdowns on 205 attempts for a total 1459 yards. Then with at least next two picks the Chiefs need to take offensive lineman to fix their line because these running backs aren’t going to make a difference without front support. The last picks should all be defense to fix the terrible defensive backs that the Chiefs have.

Was it a good or bad thing getting rid of Larry Johnson? Only time will tell, but with this move it does not only get rid of the bad moral within the locker room, but also give other players a chance to showcase some talent that has been kept under lock and key for the last two or three years.

Johnson: So long, fair well...

noreply@blogger.com (Jdog84) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:28:00 +0000

There comes a time in every professional’s life where he or she must say goodbye to one job and move on to another. The problem Larry Johnson might face is the moving on to another part.

Since 2005, Johnson hasn’t had a successful season; perhaps because of losing three offensive linemen or maybe it was the loss of Tony Richardson. Or maybe it’s because Johnson received a massive paycheck, and decided he just wasn’t going to exert as much effort. Larry Johnson, however, was not released from the Kansas City Chiefs because of poor performance on the field but due to his behavior off the field. He isn’t a professional.

There. I said it.

I am sick and tired of professional athletes not acting like professionals. I am a teacher and a writer, and if I called my principal or my editor a “fag” I would be reprimanded severely, possibly even terminated. But Johnson raised holy hell over being suspended and the money he would lose, and the administration for the Chiefs gave in, cutting both his fine and game suspension in half. What was he doing to earn $330,000 a game? Prancing around in the backfield and falling down after two yards? The point is he claimed it was never his fault. He didn’t get the ball enough. The line wasn’t blocking enough. After every game we would lose, he would blame it on the play calling or the coaching or the offensive line. He could never accept that HE was to blame as well. Because he is not a professional. In any other career, his actions on and off the field would not be acceptable. A salesman who doesn’t sell anything, and complains about what he is selling everyday. A police officer that doesn’t make arrests, but complains about the crime everyday. A teacher who doesn’t teach anything, but complains about the kids being stupid. You get the idea, only in professional sports this been allowed to continue on.

Spitting drinks into girls faces while getting hammered at Kansas City night clubs is not being a professional. Calling the head coach of your team a derogatory term is not being a professional. There is no room for Larry Johnson’s poor performance and poor attitude. Kansas City residents don’t want him, they have had enough. Websites have been started to get him out. The Chiefs released Johnson when he was a mere 80 yards away from breaking the all time rushing record for them, and I agree with their decision to do so.

Larry Johnson, I wish you the best of luck. I just hope that wherever you end up you have a great offensive line, a pro bowl fullback, and an excellent set of coaches. Just remember to keep your drink in your mouth and your gay slurs to yourself.

53 and counting By Charles Sollars

noreply@blogger.com (Sollars85) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:00:00 +0000

The 53 man roster has been announced and well I just don’t get it. We are keeping 4 qbs but letting Pollard go? This doesn’t make much sense to me. Tell one of the three other than Cassel to pack their bags and keep Pollard.

Yes, we will all agree that he sometimes goes for the big hit and misses but he is a good young player. We need a big hit guy because this defense has no hit. I don’t like this move at all. I think that we will see Pollard get picked up by the end of the day.

Now lets turn our attention to players that were released. Garcia and Feeley are now out there to be had and lets face it both are better than anyone we have that is healthy on our roster. Other moves I would hope to see is at least one tackle be picked up. The Pats released a guy so we will most likely pick him up but there are also several other serviceable tackles out there now that would be an improvement to our depth.

I am still wondering why Lelie was cut. I know he isn’t great but he looked better than the rest of the bums in the last preseason game. I thought it was worth a shot to let him stay a game or two but he is gone so we move on. I do think that Curry would be a good pick up from the waiver wire along with a trade of some kind for Branch.

What is going on in KC? By Charles Sollars

noreply@blogger.com (Sollars85) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:47:00 +0000

The season is fast approaching and there seems to be nothing but questions coming out of Kansas City. We now have no clue who our opening day QB will be after the knee injury to, the newly acquired, Matt Cassel. On top of the questions at QB there is now a question of what will the offence look like now that it is under the control of Haley not Gailey.

The question that is on my mind is why do you fire the Offensive coordinator one game before the regular season? I understand that the offense was not playing well but is that a reflection of the coordinator or of the personnel? I personally was not a fan of Gailey being hired but I am also not for sure if I like the idea of Haley trying to be coach and Offensive coordinator in his first year. Secondly I don’t know if it will matter who the coach is running the offense if we can not stop the rush. The offensive is going to struggle this year for the simple fact that we have ignored our offensive line. We have a patch work of older players and cast offs from other teams trying to protect our $64 million dollar, unproven, Quarterback and as long as that is case we might as well indefinitely place Cassel on the DL because he is going to get hit hard and often behind these guys.

Offensive scheme is not at the top of my list of major concerns. I think that Haley will quickly realize that this is not the Cardinals. We don’t have a plethora of talented WRs that are being thrown to by a future hall of fame guy. We have one WR with talent/attitude problem (see Bowe) and a bunch of other guys that were walking the streets a week ago.

This team has major issues that have been overlooked for too long. If there is going to be any hope for this season we have to get the quarterback protection and if we can’t do that we need to make sure we have a list of Qbs that is a mile long on speed dial.

The biggest question is will Haley be the correct person to run this offense? The answer to this question is yes but just not this season. I think that no one is a good fit for this offense because they are lacking true talent at so many positions. I also feel that if Haley thought this was the a good idea now he should have realized it two months ago but in the end I think Haley will be able to remake this offense into something that we will all enjoy watching for years to come.

noreply@blogger.com (topofstep) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:49:00 +0000

Chiefs vs Raiders, Live Score, TV Time

noreply@blogger.com (topofstep) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:14:00 +0000

Chiefs vs Raiders
Time:4:15
TV:FOX

Chiefs-Saints|Preview, Chiefs Game Score,TV,Recap

noreply@blogger.com (topofstep) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:14:00 +0000

The Chiefs at home vs Saints- game time Sunday, November 16, 1:00 PM ET. Get the latest live Chiefs game score on this page. TV coverage of the Chiefs vs Saints is on FOX. Find Chiefs game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest Chiefs blog talk and rumors. Always get the latest Chiefs game preview,score, news and more at Chiefsmix.com!
Wanted Chiefs Fan Talk! Are you a big Saints fan with something you want to share, we will post all civil items submitted to FanTalk@Sportsmixed.com in the Chiefs blog section. Wanted Chiefs Featured Writers! Chiefsmix.com is looking for 3-5 writers to write on a more regular basis about the Chiefs, if interested please contact us at Writers@Sportsmixed.com

Chiefs vs Chargers|Preview,Chiefs Game Score,TV,Recap

noreply@blogger.com (topofstep) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 07:04:00 +0000

The Chiefs at Chargers- game time Sunday, November 9, 4:15 PM ET. Get the latest live Chiefs game score on this page. TV coverage of the Chiefs vs Chargers is on CBS. Find Chiefs game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest Chiefs blog talk and rumors. Always get the latest Chiefs game preview,score, news and more at Chiefsmix.com! Submit all game talk for the Chiefs to FanTalk@Sportsmix.com, all submissions posted.

Chiefs vs Buccaneers Preview,TV Time|Live Chiefs Game Score

noreply@blogger.com (topofstep) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:08:00 +0000

Chiefsmix.com - The latest live Chiefs Score,News and Talk! The Chiefs at home vs Buccaneers- game time Sunday, November 2, 1:00 PM ET. TV coverage of the Chiefs vs Buccaneers is on FOX. Find Chiefs game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest Chiefs blog talk and rumors. Also find the opponents game spin.

Chiefs-Jets|Chiefs Live Score,TV,Time,Preview

noreply@blogger.com (topofstep) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 05:00:00 +0000

The Chiefs at Jets- game time Sunday, October 26, 12:00 PM ET. Get the latest live Chiefs score on this page. TV coverage of the Chiefs vs Jets is on CBS. Find Chiefs game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest Chiefs blog talk and rumors. Always get the latest NY Jets game preview,score, news and more at Chiefsmix.com!

Chiefs-Titans|Preview,Chiefs Game Score,TV,Recap

noreply@blogger.com (topofstep) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:59:00 +0000

The Chiefs at home vs Titans- game time Sunday, October 19, 1:00 PM ET. Get the latest live Chiefs game score on this page. TV coverage of the Chiefs vs Titans is on CBS. Find Chiefs game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest blog talk and rumors. Always get the latest Chiefs game preview,score, news and more at Chiefsmix.com!

Chiefs Bye

noreply@blogger.com (topofstep) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:43:00 +0000

Chiefs Bye
Next Game
Chiefs vs Titans

Chiefs-Panthers| Chiefs Score Live,TV,Game Preview, Recap

noreply@blogger.com (topofstep) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:08:00 +0000

Always get the latest Chiefs score, preview, news and more at Chiefsmix.com! The Chiefs at Panthers - game time Sunday, October 5, 1:00 PM ET. Get the latest live game score on this page. Also find game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest blog talk and rumors. TV coverage of the Chiefs vs Panthers is on CBS.

Chiefs vs Broncos Score -Preview, Game Stats, Time, TV

noreply@blogger.com (topofstep) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 04:32:00 +0000

The Chiefs at home vs Broncos - game time Sunday, September 28, 1:00 PM ET. Get the latest live score on this page. Also find game previews and recaps for the game instantly updated from local and national news in addition to the hottest blog talk and rumors. TV coverage of the Chiefs vs Broncos is on CBS. Always get the latest Chiefs score, news and more at Chiefsmix.com!