Two of the most talented players on the Kansas City Chiefs roster are in Hawaii tonight for the 2013 Pro Bowl.

So are four of their teammates.

Linebacker Derrick Johnson and safety Eric Berry sat down to talk about various topics on the the NFL Pro Bowl pre-game show on Total Access on NFL Network tonight before the game.

We jotted down what the to stars had to say:

On the hiring of Andy Reid:

Johnson:

Obviously, we’re very excited about Andy Reid and what he brings to the table. He’s a very proven coach in this league. He did a lot of great things with the Philadelphia Eagles. We’re just excited to get on, I guess the right foot, starting 2013.

Berry:

We just need everybody to buy in. Whatever philosophy, whatever plan he has for us, we just need to get everybody on the same page and just work toward that one common goal is getting to the playoffs and getting some rings. I think right now, the whole team is hungry. And we don’t want to go through anything like we went through last year. Right now we’re just focused on one mission so I want to stat early.

On the talent on the roster vs. the letdown last season:

Johnson:

This game of football is about chemistry. It’s a big team game so if you don’t play together, you know, your wins are not going to stack up like they should. We’ve got a good core of guys right now and we just need to add a few guys and we’ll be on our way.

On who needs to step up as a leader in the locker room:

DJ:Johnson:

Well that’s a good question. Veteran guys like myself, Eric Berry, young players that take a lot of initiative on the field. We have a lot of confidence in our players around us. At the end of the day, when things go bad, we’re going to have to forget about it, have a short-term memory and let that play go and go on to the next one. Too many times during the season we had a snowball effect and that snowball effect hampered the whole year for us.

On how difficult it is to stay composed when things go poorly:

Berry:

I mean, it’s tough but at the same time t could be worse. We went through so much, not just on the field but off the field as a team. So I feel liek a lot of stuff made us stronger as a unit, and right now we’re just going to let that carry over into next year. Like I said, we hungry right now, man. We had two wins last year. I don’t want to go through that again so I’m putting a lot on myself, I’m putting a lot on D.J., he’s putting a lot on me and the rest of the leaders of the team just to get Kansas City back to what it used to be. Because me, I’m a competitor. I love to win. I always want to win. I don’t want to come second to no one. Right now, we hungry. We’re gonna get it.

What they think about this Pro Bowl possibly being the final one because of poor player effort:

Johnson:

First of all, we’ve got to play harder. Playing against Adrian Peterson, he’s going to set the tempo right away so we’ll see how that goes.

Berry:

Me, I’m going full speed. I’m not taking anything for granted. I sat a whole year out, you know what I’m saying, not playing football, this is a privilege, a blessing. I’m going to take full advantage of the opportunity. I’m thankful to be here. So I’m going in.

Last Friday, a shot rang out through Chiefs nation – one that meant hope, credibility and a lot of change.

By firing GM Scott Pioli and bringing in head coach Andy Reid, Clark Hunt has set the franchise on an entirely new path.

Firstly, he has done away with the team’s traditional hierarchical structure that seats a powerful general manager above the coaching staff. Make no mistake, going forward, for better or worse, Reid is going to be calling the shots during the offseason, the draft, et cetera.

Four years ago, the Chiefs hired a highly reputed front office wiz from the New England Patriots. Although everyone knows that Bill Belichick is the mastermind behind New England’s success, this guy was a vital cog in his machine and it was believed that the numbers guy could be brought in to reproduce it. That failed, and Hunt learned his lesson. This time around, by hiring Andy Reid, he didn’t get Pioli, he got Belichick.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Having secured a lucrative contract that gives him wide-sweeping authority, make no mistake, Reid is going to make a lot of changes. He comes with a distinct philosophy, working style and mold for a successful team.

Reid is definitely going to make his imprint on this team during this offseason, which means several players are going to get their walking papers while others are going to see their role increase. We still don’t know exactly who Reid will take on with his staff or whether or not he will be keeping the Chiefs’ 3-4 defense, but judging by the way he built the Eagles, I think we can say which players should be happy and which should be nervous.

Offense

Extremely Happy:

WR’s Steve Breaston, Dexter McCluster and Devon Wylie

Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Andy Reid loves small receivers that are great route-runners. McCluster has come on has an effective slot guy and I have a feeling that Reid will find something to do with Breaston who was criminally underused this season. Meanwhile, Wylie showed up late as another developing tool in the Chiefs passing game.

Happy:

RB Jamaal Charles, LT Brandon Albert

It’s been widely said that Reid doesn’t like to run the ball, but that’s not really true. The Eagles were 19^th in rushing attempts per game this year, 12^th last year and 15^th in 2010. In other words, they’re pretty much in the middle of the pack. Charles will still be getting fewer touches on runs out of the backfield (largely because the Chiefs have been one of the most run-happy teams in the league), but he will make up for that with more screens and quick passes thrown his way per game. Charles is a good route runner and could easily become a faster version of Brian Westbrook.

Reid also highly values the offensive line and doesn’t mind spending big to keep it shored up. This is good news for Albert, whose contract is up.

Extremely Worried:

RB Peyton Hillis and WR’s Jonathan Baldwin and Dwayne Bowe

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Hillis is gone. His fantastic game against the Colts notwithstanding, Hillis was a disappointment, only rushing for 309 yards this season for a 3.6-yard average. Like Hillis, Baldwin and Bowe also don’t really fit Reid’s scheme. Bowe is a great outside, move-the-chains threat, but Reid doesn’t typically utilize such receivers. He prefers getting the ball into the hands of smaller, more dynamic players in the middle that have the chance to make big plays. Baldwin has done next to nothing in the league and doesn’t fit this new mold. Bowe will probably be allowed to walk this offseason in favor of a free agent like Mike Wallace. Baldwin will probably get his last chance to prove his worth in the 2013 preseason.

Defense

Extremely Happy:

S Eric Berry

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Reid made great use of safety Brian Dawkins early in his time in Philadelphia as a jack-of-all-trades blitzer, run stuffer and cover guy. Berry has the physical tools to do the same, and I can’t wait to see the creative ways Reid decides to use him.

Happy:

OLB’s Tamba Hali and Justin Houston

Although nothing is certain at this point, it is likely that Reid will want to move back to a 4-3 defense and use both Hali and Houston as edge rushers on the line. Hali is originally a defensive end and will likely be happy to return. Although Houston has done admirably in picking up coverage skills, I personally think it is a waste to make him drop back on passing downs when he truly excels at getting after the quarterback. In a Reid defense, he likely to be able focus on doing just that.

Worried:

The rest of the front seven

Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Especially if the team abandons the 3-4, DE’s Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson are likely toast. Both are overpaid and underwhelming and I don’t see Reid wanting to keep reinvesting in those projects. Poe will likely stay a bit longer because he is still developing and would likely be effective in a 4-3 as well.

Unfortunately for the guys behind them, Reid has never heavily prized the linebacker position. In his years in Philly, he always invested high picks and free agent signings in defensive linemen and DBs while allowing the linebacking corps to be filled by a revolving door of journeymen.

Although we know Derrick Johnson can excel in the role of a 4-3 middle linebacker, it is still unclear whether Reid will want to pay him big money to continue to do so when his contract is up.

This list will change as we find out more about what Reid plans to do with this team, and I’ll try to keep you all updated as we all find out more.

So, after Paddy put together a great piece on the crucial offseason question: “If Chiefs Were Characters from the Wire,” I felt it necessary to move this important thought-experiment beyond the realist, Dickensian epic about the failures of city institutions to the world of fantasy. If there are any of you out there who still haven’t gotten hooked on Game of Thrones, get on it (but watch the first two episodes before passing judgment; the first one is a bit scatter-brained).

Furthermore, if you aren’t acquainted with the show, STOP READING THIS NOW, this is going to be chalk-full of spoilers.

Tamba Hali as Sandor Clegane, “The Hound”

"I smell Philip Rivers."

Tamba Hali is a big, scary, not-particularly-pretty man. He has been loyal to the Chiefs through leadership changes, which have included a variety of eccentric characters on the throne. Although he terrifies everyone around him, everyone that serves at his side realizes he is a man of honor who lives to massacre quarterbacks – just don’t get fire anywhere near him or he’ll go all Frankenstein on you.

Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

Todd Haley as Joffry Baratheon

"We shall go forth on 4th down a 4th time!"

Egotistical, sadistic, deluded and an awful tactician when it counts. On the plus side, um … cool crossbow?

David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE

Matt Cassel as Daenerys Targaryen

"You're not just going to throw out my appendix after the surgery, right? Whew, what a waste that would have been."

Essentially sold in a marriage-trade that was meant to allow the Chiefs to reconquer Westeros, Cassel spent 2009 powerless, being repeatedly raped behind a horrid offensive line with no friends or allies to throw to. But, after facing down trials and tribulations, Cassel grew in strength and confidence, giving birth to dragons and … breaking his hand and watching his division rival ride out his team to the lost year’s best victories … this metaphor needs some work.

John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

Casey Wiegmann as Ser Rodrik Cassel (absolutely no relation to Matt Cassel)

"Roadkill is the new black."

Old, wizened and dependable. If it wouldn’t have gotten in the way for Casey’s gameplay, these two men would have undoubtedly shared the same hairstyle as they held down the fort defending the House of Stark. However, despite their reliability, at some point, it was time for some young gun to behead them both.

Michael Hickey-US PRESSWIRE

Jon McGraw as Tywin Lannister

"I just one deep back safetied your mom."

Although respected and decorated, these veterans have been outfoxed by younger, faster competition. However, with the game on the line, these old hands know how to pull out a victory.

Rob Grabowski-US PRESSWIRE

Dwayne Bowe as Bronn

"Right back at you Cassel. No, I don't think I'm going to aim for your 'general vicinity' with this one."

Not everyone likes him, his style or his attitude. But, everyone agrees, this man is damn effective at what he does.

Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

Scott Pioli as Petyr Baelish “Little Finger”

"As a matter of fact, yes, I do run a whore house."

The ultimate man behind the curtain, Pioli has used his suspicious seduction and mischief to build a winning team in record time. Everyone has to watch their back around this man.

Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

Dontari Poe as Gregor Clegane, “The Mountain”

"Ok, yes. I may have eaten one or two practice squad kickers. But, if you don't want me to eat special teamers, why do you leave them lying around all the time?!"

He is big, strong and furious. He can behead a horse with a single blow, and yet we’ve seen him do little more than lose jousts to effeminate challengers and guard a burnt-out prison camp. Will his amazing strength and power actually come to use on the battlefield?

Douglas Jones-US PRESSWIRE

Romeo Crennel as Tyrion Lannister

Seriously, why has no one made a similar mural for Crennel yet?

A master strategist with a heart of gold. While he has rarely gotten credit for his work, Crennel has been an essential part of the family and saved it from total destruction at the end of the season.

Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

Chan Gailey as Balon Greyjoy

"I left potato salad in the workroom fridge. I will take back what is mine."

What, you don’t see the resemblance? Aside from that, these two are bitter men who live in their cold miserable bitterness in the North, waiting to strike back revenge in Week 2.

Robert Mayer-US PRESSWIRE

Derrick Johnson as Khal Drogo

"My helmet protects you."

The Horse King will hurt you, and he will do it in the most badass way available to him. But, please, Chiefs medical personnel, do not resort to black magic to cure his infections.

Rob Grabowski-US PRESSWIRE

Barry Richardson as Samwell Tarly

"Time for my signature move -- Contagious Incompetence!"

Fat, whiney and utterly useless. I hope the White Walkers got ‘im at the end of last season.

Michael Hickey-US PRESSWIRE

First off, an explanation of how I am approaching this: I don’t look at this list as the 10 most productive players necessarily, but rather how important they are to the team and how much their loss would be felt. This is not a list of the Chiefs best players. A way of looking at it is, “who could we least afford to lose to a season-ending injury.”

1.) OLB Tamba Hali

This one may be a shocker right out of the gates. I know many people would put RB Jamaal Charles as the most important player to the Chiefs if they want to make a playoff run, but I get to differ. The Chiefs still managed to come within a blocked field goal of the playoffs without JC (and a whole lot else) last season. The Chiefs still had the 15^th best rushing attack last year behind Jackie Battle, Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster – not an inspiring bunch.

However, the Chiefs also only had 29 sacks (3^rd least in the league) – 12 of which were Tamba Hali. Hali also probably deserves an assist on most of the other sacks that Chiefs players racked up, as opposing teams shifted their pass blocking to eliminate the pressure from #91. OLB Justin Houston should continue to up his game this year, but it’s hard to know how many sacks he would have gotten in 2011 if teams weren’t so focused on Hali. One thing we know for sure – if Hali goes down, our pass rush will be less than half as effective as it is when he is on the field.

Tamba Hali tackles Chiefs -- err -- Broncos Quarterback Kyle Orton, forcing a fumble in the process.John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

Furthermore, the AFC West quarterbacking got a heck of a lot better this year. We won’t be playing against FB Tim Tebow twice a year, Rivers will surely bounce back from his worst season on record, and we won’t be so lucky as to catch Carson Palmer straight off the couch. We’re going to be playing Peyton Manning, Rivers and Palmer in late-season games for the division title. We will need Hali for that, hands down.

2.) SS Eric Berry

To my great surprise, the Chiefs have not addressed the team’s dreadful safety depth with anything more than a 5^th-round CB who projects to the position and a handful of low-level journeymen and UFA’s. Berry going down last year spelled doom for the Chiefs defensive backfield, despite the fact that we have very talented corners. McGraw is dependable as a smart, slow veteran, but with both he and Berry out of the line up, Kendrick Lewis cannot make up the difference. The idea that Donald Washington might see the field for anything other than special teams this season keeps me awake at night.

3.) LT Brandon Albert

Our tackle depth is a mystery right now. While the Chiefs have a bunch of young bodies behind their bookends with Albert and Winston, there are no proven commodities among them. While LT’s are generally looked at as the guys who keep their QB’s healthy, Albert has also been vital to the Chiefs’ run blocking. The team was massively better running to the left than the right last year. If Albert were to go down, they would likely move Winston to LT, a position he is not ideally suited for, and we would be leaving a question mark at RT that could very likely be worse than Barry Richardson – as hard as that is to imagine.

4.) CB Brandon Flowers

What? Three out of the top four are defensive players? But our defense was strong and our offense was weak! True. But, with the exception of the Chiefs, the AFC West is going to be a passing division in 2012. Rivers is poised for a bounce-back, Peyton Manning is in Denver, and Oakland is going to be forced to pass due to the fact that they now have bad running back depth and they will be in shootouts with opponents because their pass defense was decimated in the offseason.

I still think Berry is more important than Flowers overall to the Chiefs pass defense, but losing Flowers would also put KC in a pinch. I am high on Routt, but he did not fair well as the #1 CB in Oakland and Javier Arenas and Jalil Brown should really stay in the slot. Travis Daniels could fill in for a game of two as the #2 CB, but he’s not athletic and would be a liability long-term.

5.) WR Dwayne Bowe

Jon Baldwin has yet to prove he can take on the #1 role. The Cassel-to-Bowe connection remains the entire passing offense.

6.) RB Jamaal Charles

Finally, you’re thinking, he gets around to mentioning our franchise player. I put Charles 6^th because we unfortunately don’t know what we’re getting out of him this year and because the Chiefs now have killer RB depth. Our offense is indisputably more dangerous with him on the field, but we will be able to soldier on without him. Still, out of the ‘backs in the Chiefs stables, he is the only one with true home-run ability and that is something that the offense lacks all around. If the Chiefs want to be a contender, we have to make some big plays.

7.) QB Matt Cassel

He may not be Canton-bound, but he can be very productive with the guys the Chiefs have on the roster. Quinn has been inconsistent in his career and Stanzi is a mystery box.

8.) LB Derrick Johnson

Rob Grabowski-US PRESSWIRE

DJ is the rock to the Chiefs’ defense. He’s a tackling machine and is a mean run-stuffer. He also can be counted on to make 1-2 phenomenal head’s-up plays per game.

9.) RT Eric Winston

Winston is here for the same reasons as Albert — he would be extremely difficult to replace. But, we also need to him to cover the Chiefs right side because effective pass blocking there will allow Moeaki and Boss to release and be additional targets for Cassel or to block downfield for Charles and Hillis.

10.) NT Dontari Poe

While I don’t think expectations should be too high, I’m betting that Poe ends up contributing for us this season. If we don’t get production out of Poe we will be relying on Amon Gordon – a decent starter at DE, but a substandard NT. Poe has the chance to make the entire defense stronger, or weaker.

John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

The NFL is running down their top 100 players as voted on by the players and the first Kansas City Chief has made the list.

It is Derrick Johnson, coming in at #78.

Some fans might get mad that Johnson isn’t rated higher but I think 78 seems pretty fair. Remember, we’ve been watching him closely for years but he didn’t make his first Pro Bowl until this year. He’s always been a pretty good player but I think he is just now starting to realize his potential.

I think we’ve yet to see the best that Derrick Johnson has to offer. If I’m right, we could be in for a hell of a ride in 2012.

And DJ could be on a ride to a much higher number on this list.

photo by The Centaur, FJH

I, like most of you, have spent an inordinate amount of time in my life thinking about the KC Chiefs. I’ve been alive for three decades, and I think it would be accurate to say I’ve been closely following them for a full two. I may not have seen many playoff victories in that time, but the Chiefs have still provided me a rich history to draw from. So many memories. Endless memories, really.

Remember Benny Thompson acting like he was a dog peeing on a fire hydrant? Remember Marcus Allen as “Mufasa” and Greg Hill as “Simba”? Remember Chester McGlockton dumping a live ball behind his head as he trotted out of bounds? Remember Sean LaChappelle?

I could go on forever. We all could. So many players, so many laughs, so many tears. This is the first in a series of posts I’ll be doing this offseason, in which we revisit interesting moments and times from the Chiefs’ recent history.  I’ll be attempting to find current relevance in these glimpses of the past, although that will probably be a bit of a reach sometimes. This is mainly about remembering.

So come along, friends, and hop aboard (Ghost voice) Big Maaaaaaatt’s Tiiiiiiiiime machiiiiiiiine……….

(more…)

“I want [my players] to be strong, I want them to be tough, I want them to be physical, I want them to be aggressive, I want them to be tenacious….did I forget anything? Smart? Yes, that should’ve been at the forefront.”

—Romeo Crennel, upon accepting the job as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs
January 9, 2012

Yep, the Kansas City Chiefs and Romeo Crennel made it official. This interim is over, and yesterday they got together to let the world know: They are in love. For now, at least. Even when you’ve started out as friends, any serious relationship takes work—What’s the give and take? How do we want to raise our family? Who will be our starting quarterback?—and this partnership might take more work than most.

The Chiefs, of course, are at a crucial juncture. Some think one small tweak* could lead them to the Super Bowl. But the possibilities are downright Shakespearean. Will we see tragedy, as we did for too many recent years, or comedy—you know, the good Shakespearean kind that always has a happy ending but for some reason isn’t really funny at all? Or just another comedy of errors?

*Peyton Manning?

Crennel has said all the right things publicly—he is here to win a championship and thinks it can happen and soon—but what is he really thinking?

At times when I feel like I don’t have nearly as much as others to add to this ongoing Chiefs conversation in terms of facts, figures, and analysis (these times include the off-season, the pre-season, the post-season, and, occasionally, the regular season), I opt to have some fun and squeeze my ramblings into rhyme or rap or greeting cards or even Mad Libs.

So here we go: In tribute to Romeo Crennel’s namesake* and with apologies to Bill Shakespeare (or whoever really wrote Romeo & Juliet and those other plays that bear his name) and to all of you, I offer our fair Romeo’s first inner monologue as Chiefs head coach—yes, in iambic pentameter (except, you know, when it’s not)…

*Seriously, Crennel is named after Shakespeare’s Romeo. He even has a sister named Juliet.

(more…)

The Kansas City Chiefs have named Derrick Johnson their team MVP, according to Josh Looney.

This makes a tremendous amount of sense. There were some nice performances all around the defense but DJ was clearly the most consistent player the team had all season.

It’s taken a while but Johnson finally seems to be living up to the expectations KC fans had when the team drafted him in the first round. DJ has always been a solid player but he has taken his game to a new level in the 3-4 defense under Romeo Crennel.

Congrats to DJ. Well deserved.

Johnson figures to be the emotional leader of the defense as the Chiefs enter a new era of defensive football in 2012.

Kansas City Chiefs linebackers Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson have been elected to the Pro Bowl.

The teams were announced tonight. Neither Johnson nor Hali were leading in the fan vote. Thankfully, the fan vote accounts for only one third of the process. The NFL coaches and players also get to cast a ballot.

It’s kind of sad that typical NFL fans aren’t aware of how good Johnson and Hali are. The Chiefs had plenty of prime-time games this year so you think more folks would take note.

Ah, well.

The rosters are not set in stone. Since the Pro Bowl is now played before the Super Bowl, players on the teams that make the championship are taken off the rosters. That means we could see one or two Chiefs added to the mix before the Pro Bowl is played.

Is there anyone else on the team that you think was deserving of a Pro Bowl bid?

Apparently, the Chiefs don’t do so well against AFC East opponents at home in 2011. That is one thing we did learn this weekend. Not only did the winless Miami Dolphins’ streak of, you know, being winless come to an emphatic end with a 31-3 exorcism at Arrowhead, but a couple of other streaks fizzled out on Sunday, too, starting with K.C.’s own recent undefeated stretch. So it looks like there will be no unprecedented 13-3 season after an 0-3 start, no 16-game run to a Super Bowl title. Oh well.

Perhaps, too, this marks the conclusion of Head Coach Todd Haley’s days as a bedraggled, unwashed sideline hobo. “I want to take my hat off to Miami,” he said after the game, effectively announcing an end to the streak in which he has worn the same streaked cap since the autumnal equinox.

But what’s weird, or not so weird, is that—other than dropping the Chiefs back to 4-4 for the first half of the season (and, hey, who saw even that as a strong possibility back in mid-September?)—the unfortunate events of November 6, 2011, tell us almost nothing about what is coming next for this team in the second half of the season.

Will these Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos at home this Sunday? I have no idea. Probably? Maybe not?

Will these Chiefs win the AFC West? I have no idea. Maybe? Probably not? It is possible. Of course it’s possible. They are currently in a three-way tie for first, and as rough as their second half looks, the road facing each of their divisional compatriots looks just as tough. This team could still end up 6-10 or 8-8 or even 9-7, but which nine? Which seven?

So, at the midway point, I might as well make one semi-bold prediction:

The Kansas City Chiefs will beat the Green Bay Packers.

That’s right. You read it here first. Unless, of course, you’d already read it somewhere else, and that’s okay, too.

(more…)

The Kansas City Chiefs can’t rush the passer.

That is a fact.

Tyson Jackson goes out and Allen Bailey comes in on passing downs. Wallace Gilberry comes in too!

That…is speculation.

We got into a bit of a debate yesterday about the Chiefs’ pass rush and how to fix it. AA senior staff writer Big Matt suggested that the team needed more Wallace Gilberry and less Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey. As the debate wore on, folks seemed to be getting confused as to who is on the field when.

It’s understandable. The Chiefs use more substitution packages than Matt Cassel uses cliché phrases in press conferences!

So what is really going on? Who is on the field for how many snaps? Who is rushing the passer and who is dropping into coverage?

We’ll use Pro Football Focus to find out. After the jump.

(more…)

Peter King from SI.com has a great writeup on the team’s recent turnaround with some great quotes from ILB Derrick Johnson.

Here is a sample:

“We thought there was going to be a lot of yelling,” said Johnson. “We thought we’d get ripped. But actually, the coaches just went back to teaching. I think Todd has grown a lot as a head coach. He’s patient, easier to listen to now. He’s still a disciplinarian, but there’s a different aura about him. Everybody’s bought into him.”

From sportsillustrated.cnn.com (share this quote)

Check out the rest of King’s article on SI.com
 

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson has been named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week by the NFL for his performance against the San Diego Chargers on Monday night.

Johnson was sensational for the second straight week, racking up 13 tackles, a sack and an interception. The honor comes a week after Johnson basically single-handedly stuffed the Raiders on four consecutive plays on the goal line.

Johnson has 57 tackles and an interception through seven games.

Congratulations to DJ.

courtesy yardbarker.com

Now that we’ve discussed the five keys to a Kansas City Chiefs victory over the San Diego Chargers, it is time to single out five players we think can help put the hammer down on the Lightening Dolts.

Here are five players to watch this Monday night.

Jackie Battle

Can the Battle-Axe make it a hat trick? Battle will look to produce his third strong outing against the Chargers. San Diego has had difficulty stopping the run and KC currently ranks 7^th in the league in that category. If the Chiefs can pound away at the Chargers defense with Battle, they could find themselves tied for first place in the AFC West.

(more…)

The Kansas City Chiefs got a big win over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday and it is no secret that linebacker Derrick Johnson was a big contributor to the win.

While Johnson did have a very good game, his performance was not actually as solid as some are claiming.

What most folks remember from the game is DJ’s play on the goal line. With the Chiefs leading 14-0, Raiders RB Michael Bush broke off a big run. It looked as though Bush would score until Johnson caught up with him and pulled him down just yards from the end zone. The Chiefs then stuffed the Raiders four straight times and Johnson was responsible for three of those tackles, and he assisted in plugging up the hole on the other.

(more…)

“This, then, is the mark of the man, the beard. By this, he is seen to be a man. It is older than Eve. It is the token of the superior nature… It is therefore unholy to desecrate the symbol of manhood, hairiness.”

— St. Clement of Alexandria, circa 180

After the Kansas City Chiefs came back from 17 down to notch their first-ever win in Indianapolis two weeks ago, Head Coach Todd Haley declared to the world (or, at least, to a glaringly lit room full of sports reporters) that he would ne’er desecrate his symbol of manhood so long as his team continued to reap victories on the football field. “As long as we’re winnin’, I’m not shavin’,” he said of his decision, supposedly made during the game in San Diego.

I’ll be honest—I didn’t really believe Haley at the time; it seemed like this could be another one of his, you know, jokes.* But when he emerged before Sunday’s game against the Raiders, it was clear: the man ain’t shavin’. Nor, it would appear, is he bathing, at least not effectively, or changing or washing his nasty off-red cap and hooded velvet man-blouse, which over the last few weeks has turned from a dark gray to a splotchy black.

*Like the one time two times he put Jamaal Charles behind Thomas Jones on the depth chart. That was hilarious!

But the accoutrements of genius will always look like signs of madness to the unqualified eye, just as credit and blame are often a function of who’s doing the assigning. In the last several days, some of Haley’s decisions over the past couple of years—such as who to bench, and when—have inspired a few rounds of the passionate, highly confrontational, and only vaguely mean-spirited debate that the devotees of this site can take pride in. But aside from the effect of Haley’s direct interventions in the playing time of LJ, DJ, and JC, for example, let’s look at the coach’s repertoire of general-purpose motivational devices:

• Dividing the season into “manageable” quarters
• Liberal use of obscenities
• Yelling at players
• Starting sideline fights with quarterback, receivers, and/or others as needed
• Turning routine post-game handshakes into newsworthy morsels for the media
• Introducing bean-bag games—the kind normally played by senior citizens or drunken tailgaters*—into the locker room

And now…

• Not shaving, bathing, or doing laundry

*Or drunken senior citizens, who may or may not be tailgating

(more…)

photo courtesy yardbarker.com

The Kansas City Chiefs will look win their third straight game this Sunday by going on the road to take on the Oakland Raiders.

A win would help ease the pain of KC’s 0-3 start to the season and would pull Todd Haley’s squad back to .500. To do so, however, the Chiefs will have to defeat an Oakland ream that swept them in 2010.

Here are five Chiefs players to watch that could have a major impact on the game’s outcome.

1. Matt Cassel

Matt Cassel had perhaps his best game as a Chief in the team’s last game against the Colts. He’ll have to continue his high level of play against a physical Oakland defense that will likely crowd the line looking to stuff the run and create pressure. If Cassel can take care of the favorable match ups, he is likely to get on the outside the Chiefs will have a chance.

But if he crumbles, it could be a long day in the Black Hole.

(more…)

To be honest, my hand has been hovering over the Chief’s panic button pretty much since the 2011 schedule was announced. Even as the Chiefs signed their draft picks and free agents — when every team is feeling pretty good about itself — I tried to temper that enthusiasm. Now, after three humiliating preseason showings, the protective cover is off, I’ve gotten code confirmation from Paddy, it’s time to push the damn thing.

After the jump, here’s three things I think we now know about the Chiefs with the preseason nearly over: (more…)

Hey! What in the heck are you guys doing without me?

Matt Cassel, Dwayne Bowe, Jamaal Charles, Brian Waters, Branden Albert, etc. all know the offense.

Eric Berry, Derrick Johnson, Brandon Flowers, Ron Edwards, etc., all know the defense too.

In fact these players have been involved in football for so long, (most of their lives), I am absolutely sure they can design and implement a few, or maybe even a lot of, plays on their own.  They can coach, and apparently are coaching, themselves.  And they should…

More after the jump…

(more…)

Source: Yarkbarker.com

The Kansas City Chiefs 2011 NFL schedule was released November 19th, and to no one was surprised the Chiefs are slated to face much stiffer completion in 2011.  This increase in competition will mean that the Chiefs players, particularly the starters, will have to come ready and prepared when the season starts.

I’ll give you my preliminary take on how I see it all shaking out after the jump.

(more…)

Four weeks after the Kansas City Chiefs played their last game, the 2010 NFL season is finally, officially over. Super Bowl XLV* has come and gone, and though it wasn’t mentioned during the broadcast, you probably, at one point or another, noticed that the Chiefs weren’t in it.

*As a friend tweeted Sunday night, “Why not just VL?”

But so what? Yesterday formally marked the first day of the 2011 campaign. Bodog.com has already set the opening odds, and the Chiefs are a 35-to-one shot to get to Super Bowl XLVI and win it all. Not quite as sure a bet as, say, the Packers (seven-to-one) or Patriots (15-to-two), but to quote the distinguished Canadian-American actor Jim Carrey as Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber: “So…you’re tellin’ me there’s a chance!”

With that in mind, I thought it might be fun to see just how optimistic I could be (while testing my knowledge of Roman numerals). So, without further ado and in no particular order, here are XLVI reasons why next year could be the year…
(more…)

The Kansas City Chiefs seem to be racking up the awards and accolades this season. Jamaal Charles, Matt Cassel, Brian Waters and Dwayne Bowe are all going to be playing in the Pro Bowl this Sunday. Tamba Hali was selected to replace James Harrison but had to bow out due to injury issues. Charles and Bowe were named All-Pro’s and now, Derrick Johnson and Ryan Lilja have been named All-Joes.

USA Today has released their annual All-Joe team and two Chiefs made the grade. The All Joe team was created in 1992 to and named after who else, a Kansas City Chief by the name of Joe Phillips. USA Today felt Phillips was overlooked for his grunt work in the trenches while stats like Derrick Thomas and Niel Smith got all the glory. Thus, they decided to do a yearly honor of the guys who make a difference but don’t always get noticed.

It makes it all the more fitting then, that this year Derrick Johnson and Ryan Lilja will represent the Chiefs on the All-Joe team.

(more…)

Don't let the playoff loss get you down. Source: Rich Sugg/kansascity.com

For the second straight week the Kansas City Chiefs were destroyed on their home field. Last week the Chiefs could use the excuse that they already had the AFC West (and the playoffs) locked up. This week there are no excuses. Baltimore walked into Arrowhead and proved beyond any doubt that they were the better team.

As Kansas City Chiefs fans, many of us had held out hope that the Chiefs would prove the pundits wrong and bounce the more experienced Ravens from the playoffs. After the 30-7 blowout many of us felt like the guy in the picture above. As the dust settles we are beginning to start the process of appreciating the Chiefs’ turnaround season.

Popular “pick me ups” include:

“We won as many games this season as we had the previous three years combined.”

“Not even most die hard Chiefs fans thought we’d break .500 this year, yet alone win the division.”

I could go on, but you get the picture.

I’m here to tell you that the reason for optimism goes beyond that. After the jump I’ll explain to you why the Chiefs have the 10 most important pieces of a Super Bowl winning team already in place.

(more…)

The Kansas City Chiefs are hoping to get a late Christms present from the Cincinnatti Bengals tomorrow but first, they have to reward themselves by beating the Tennessee Titans.

That will be easier said than done. The Titans may have a 6-8 record but they have a number of talented players that could hurt the Chiefs if KC lets their guard down.

After the jump, let’s take a look at my 5 keys to beating the Titans.

(more…)

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson has been awarded the NFL Defensive Player of the Week award.

Johnson, who had sort of dropped off the radar for a few weeks there, had a spectacular game in St. Louis, racking up 17 tackles and 4 pass defenses.

Johnson joins Kendrick Lewis and Jamaal Charles, who are also up for weekly awards.

Lewis was nominated for the Rookie of the Week award for his 2-interception performance Sunday and Charles is up for the Fedex Ground Player of the Week honor for his work running the ball.

Congratulations to DJ on a fantastic game. Hopefully he can stay hot because the Chiefs are going to need strong play from everyone to finish the job and win the AFC West.

STUFFED! (Source: arrowheadpride.com)

Looking for that perfect last-minute gift for the Kansas City Chiefs fan—or, say, fifth-year outside linebacker—in your life? Well, with only a few shopping days left until the Big Day (December 26 at Arrowhead, of course), you might want to consider one of these stocking-stuffers, guaranteed to please even the season-ticket-holder or journeyman wide receiver who has everything!

(more…)

The Kansas City Chiefs took cart of business in a must win game over the St. Louis Rams Sunday.

The Chiefs needed to win to continue to control their own destiny in the AFC West. They now lead the the Chargers by one game with just two games to play.

Kansas City will return home for their final two games of the season. If they win both, they will be playoff bound.

When the Chiefs win it is usually a team effort and that was no different today. It is time to hand out our game balls for the Chiefs’ 9th victory of the 2010 season!

Offense:Matt Cassel

I know Jamaal Charles had a ton of yards on the ground but Matt Cassel is the reason the Chiefs won this game. He demonstrated fantastic pocket presence and made more than a couple of beautiful passes. He showed incredible guts by getting back on the field a mere 11 days after having his appendix removed and there should no longer be any doubt about who the leader of this Chiefs team is.

Cassel’s only mistake came on an interception that, while squeezed into some tight coverage, likely wouldn’t of happened had TE Tony Moeaki not ran into the intended receiver.

The Chiefs needed Cassel to not only play but play well and he delivered. Cassel showed remarkable guts (minus an appendix), heart and passion out there today. Make room for me on the bandwagon boys, I’m climbing on.

(more…)

Source: Yardbarker.com

The Kansas City Chiefs thrashed the Seattle Seahawks Sunday 42 to 24 in a perfect example of a team victory.

We usually give out game balls to the standout offensive, defensive and special teams players each week and we follow that up with the “Earning Their Arrowheads” series to recognize the other solid performers. This week, however, we’re going to do away with the game balls and just give out arrowheads. The reason for this, other than the fact that the old way was slightly redundant, is because to reach their goals the Chiefs are going to have to continue to work together as a team and that is going to take more than just 3 players a game.

With that being said, let’s take a look at the players who earned their arrowheads Sunday.

Matt Cassel

Let’s start at the top. Cassel has his second outstanding game in a row Sunday and this time he did it on the road. What is most impressive about Cassel’s performance over the last couple of games isn’t his touchdown totals or his yardage (although those help) but his completion percentage, his yards-per-pass and his poise. Cassel has looked like a much different QB than the guy we saw struggle in the Cleveland game and even as recently as the loss to Oakland. He has been calm in the pocket, he has made smart decisions with the football and his throws have been crisp and on target. By my count Cassel has only thrown 3 poor passes in his last two games, a massive improvement for a guy who I often criticized for accuracy problems.

Cassel is taking a big step forward and there is no denying it. He is working with a skeleton crew of receivers and he is still making plays. His career completion percentage is now over 60% and his career QB rating now stands at 99.7.

(more…)

I was mildly concerned we might see a few players dropped down a peg due to last week’s loss to the Oakland Raiders, however, there have been few changes this week and they are all good.

I think the Bowe ranking is fair. Dwayne has been playing pretty well this season, especially in the red zone.

For all you franchise players, the DJ contract extension should be some welcomed news.

What do you think Addicts? Should any other Chiefs have received a ratings boost after last week’s performance?

Derrick Johnson has greatly improved his play on the football field and the Kansas City Chiefs have greatly improved his contract.

 From Adam Caplan of Fox Sports:

 The Kansas City Chiefs and starting ILB Derrick Johnson have agreed to terms on a five-year contract extension worth just over $34 million with $15 million guaranteed, FOXSports.com has learned.

Johnson, who would have become an unrestricted free-agent next year, was playing on a one-year restricted free-agent tender worth $2.475 million, which he signed in March.

This is a great move by the Chiefs. 

Not only does it lock up a key defensive player it also shows the rest of the players and the league that the Chiefs will reward players who get the job done on the field.

It should also encourage fans that the Chiefs will be willing to spend money this year in free agency as long as they are spending it ont he right player.

It took a little longer than we might have liked but it appears Derrick Johnson has finally arrived for the Chiefs.

What do you think Addicts? Are you happy with DJ’s contract extension?

Source: yardbarker.com

The Kansas City Chiefs are having success this season and a big reason for that success is the play and development of some of their younger players.

One guy who has been around for a while but has underachieved has been linebacker Derrick Johnson. After spending last season on the bench, DJ is playing very well and the Chiefs have taken note.

Check out this tweet from Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports:

YahooSportsNFL Charles Robinson

An AFC West source tells me a nice contract extension is coming for Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson. He’s not going anywhere.

Hopefully his source is solid. Signing DJ to a big extension would go a long way toward proving to fans that the Chiefs will spend the big bucks to keep their marquee players.

What do you think Addicts? Does DJ deserve a big deal?

Source: Yardbarker.com

 The Kansas City Chiefs are playing some pretty good  football right now and as a result they have many players that are earning their Arrowheads.

We like to recognize those players going above and beyond the average each week here on Arrowhead Addict. This post is normally earlier in the week but we ran up against some technical issues yesterday that kept this post from going up.

With our last word on the Jaguars game before we hit the Bills full force, here are the Chiefs that earned their Arrowheads Sunday.

Matt Cassel

I have got to give Cassel some love here. The last two games he has been getting the job done, pure and simple. It isn’t just that he is taking good care of the football but I have actually seen his accuracy improve from the beginning of the season. Early on, I wasn’t seeing any improvement over his play from 2009. The last two games however, Cassel has looked sure of himself in the pocket, he is getting the ball out before the pressure can get to him and he is, for the most part, making pretty accurate throws.

The Chiefs are bringing Cassel along and he is showing that he hasn’t reached his ceiling yet. Hopefully he continues to improve but last week against Jacksonville at least, 72.2% completion percentage and his two touchdowns were more than enough to earn his arrowhead.

  (more…)

The Kansas City Chiefs took care of their home field Sunday and spanked the Jaguars 42 to 20. There were great performances all over the field for the Chiefs so giving out game balls to only three players is going to be tough but I’ll do my best.

Offense:

Dwayne Bowe

This one was tough because both Matt Cassel and Thomas Jones had nice games but Dwayne Bowe came up with two huge plays that helped hold off the Jaguars.

Bowe had two touchdown passes and both were equally impressive. The first was his second catch and run touchdown in as many weeks. Bowe reeled in a pass from Matt Cassel and then broke three tackles on his way to the endzone.

Bowe’s second touchdown came on a beautifully designed fade route where WR Terrence Copper threw an “incidental pick” on the man covering Bowe. Matt Cassel’s throw was just a tad high but Bowe went up, caught it, tucked it, turned his body and got both feet down for the score.

On the day Bowe had three catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns. He is very deserving of this game ball.

Honorable Mentions:

Thomas Jones, Matt Cassel and Terry Copper for climbing the ladder and making his only catch of the game a beautiful one for a first down.

(more…)

Source: Yardbarker.com

The Kansas City Chiefs may have lost on Sunday to the Indianapolis Colts but there were still players who did a good job.

And they are earning their Arrowheads.

Let’s take a look at five Chiefs who earned their Arrowheads in the 19-9 loss.

1. Tamba Hali

Tamba, Tamba, Tamba. The heart of the Chiefs defense once again showed he is one of the best in the business. Hali was constantly putting pressure on Manning, eventually taking the QB down for a strip sack. Hali as usual, showed a lot of heart, playing with a busted chin and covered in his own blood, the Chiefs OLB never let up. He earned 2 arrowheads Sunday.

More after the jump.

(more…)

The league's defensive MVP contemplating his next awesome play (source: yardbarker.com)

My apologies to those of you who stopped by yesterday expecting a Big Matt Monday (grandma, mom, whoever).  I had the post written and scheduled to be published at 1 Eastern like always, but for some reason it never went up.  I suspect sabotage.  Was it Randy?  Jeremy?  Merlin?  All three, working together?  The only option, as I see it, is to have them followed (I’ve been having Paddy followed ever since he hired me).  One of them has something to hide, I know it.  Jeremy may say he’s a “lawyer”, but out in Cali thats code for “I rob old people.”  I’m watching you, Hanson.

Seriously though, sorry gang.  Computers, am I right?  Maybe AA would be better as a monthly newsletter.

We’ve discussed Matt Cassel and the running back platoon ad nauseum around here, and rightly so.  Both are huge issues without a consensus opinion.  Is Cassel good?  Bad?  Boring?  Handsome?  Nobody can agree.  Ditto for the running back split.  Some people want the better back to get the ball, others want to have faith in the coaches’ decisions.  Ask any fan worth his salt about either of these things, and they will have a definitive opinion, one way or the other.

The defense has been more cut-and-dry.  It’s been very good.  Much better than expected.  Romeo Crennel is doing an excellent job.  We can all agree on that.

Here’s a loaded question: is a defensive regression inevitable?

I hope this query doesn’t make anyone bristle.  But this group has performed a lot better than literally anyone thought they would.  Can they possibly keep this up?  When faced with a competent quarterback in decent weather, will they revert to what we’ve become familiar with this past decade?

(more…)

What have you done for me lately? Sure, DJ had to picks in the final game of the 2009 season but Demorrio Williams has 3 sacks and a productive preseason in 2010. Who should start? (Source: Yardbarker.com)

It looks as though one of the biggest questions concerning the Kansas City Chiefs heading in to the season opener has finally been answered.

Derrick Johnson will start at ILB.

Adam Teicher has the story in his latest entry for the Kansas City Star.

Teicher nabbed a couple of quotes from Demorrio Williams, who understandably is not pleased with the news.

“They said Derrick is going to start out the first game,” he said. “I’m just going to come to work every day and do my job.”

While a majority of fans seemed to want Johnson to start over Williams most of the off season, Demorrio’s productive preseason is likely to cast some doubts about which player is the best option.

More from Teicher:

Williams led the Chiefs in sacks in the preseason with three. Asked if he played well enough in the preseason to win the job, Williams said, “I don’t have to answer that question. You already know the answer to that question. What do you think?”

Check out Adam’s entire article here.

What do you think, Addicts? Is DJ the right choice to start at MLB? Should Haley change his thinking and start both Williams and Johnson? Or should he stick with the Belcher/Johnson combo?

Source: Yardbarker

There’s a dirty word in professional football. No, it’s not the word, “steroid”. No matter how tightly the NFL polices its substance abuse policy, there will continue to be players who get caught using a banned substance from time to time. Nor, is it one of the words which might be heard on HBO’s “Hard Knocks,“ which apparently offends Tony Dungy. It’s the one word coaches avoid, and players rarely acknowledge, although some veterans will jump ship if they suspect it might be used to describe their team. We’re talking about the “R” word: rebuilding.

The major complaint: it takes time. Fans don’t want to sit through every game wondering when their team will be competitive again. Players in the peak of their careers don’t want to waste their few remaining football seasons on a mediocre team. These are a couple of the reasons the Kansas City Chiefs waited so long to get the process started as they hoped for a couple key players to turn around the franchise — but those individuals didn’t show.

So, here we are — like it, or not — in year two of a rebuilding project, most likely with more to come. Once we take the first step and admit that the Chiefs are rebuilding, it doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the ride. We can expect to see the Chiefs beat a team, or two, they aren’t supposed to defeat this year. We may even see a dominant performance here and there. Seeing the flashes of what a team is becoming can be exciting.

Read about the light at the end of the tunnel after the jump:
(more…)

Source: Yardbarker.com

I said yesterday that I believe the Kansas City Chiefs need to make a statement this Saturday night in Tampa. To do that some individual players are going to need to step up and make plays.

Here is a look at five guys I think need to step up this Saturday and help the team move forward.

1. Matt Cassel

It all starts with the quarterback. While the Chiefs didn’t really open up the passing section of the playbook in Atlanta, Matt needs to make the most of the opportunities he does get. Cassel is running out of excuses. He has some weapons out there and he needs to step up and show he knows how to use them.

2. Ryan O’Callaghan

Big O looked pretty good at times last year at RT for the Chiefs, however he struggled mightily in pass protection against the Falcons. While the rest of the offensive line seemed to be doing a pretty good job giving Cassel time, O’Callaghan was giving up pressure way too fast. On one occasion his play led to a strip of Matt Cassel and a turnover. The Chiefs resident Irishman did a good job of solidifying the RT position last season but he needs to take his game to another level to avoid being fingered as the weak link on an improved offensive line.

(more…)

Source: Yardbarker.com

Todd Haley has shed a little bit of light on his plans for inside linebacker position. They don’t include Demorrio Williams and Derrick Johnson playing side by side.

One could argue that Williams and Johnson are the Chiefs 2 best inside backers. Yet according to Haley, it isn’t likely they will be on the field at the same time.

“I would say that would be more unlikely for that scenario to happen,” Haley said.

Williams and Johnson both play weak side inside backer. The Chiefs want their strong side inside backers to be more of the hard hitting type and while Johnson is heavier than all the inside backers except for Mays, Haley doesn’t see him as that type of linebacker.

“That inside strong linebacker is taking on big bodies much of the time and has to be much more of a downhill player,” Haley explained. “(Derrick and Demorrio) are not the image that you, as a coach, have in your head as an inside strong-side backer in the 3-4. It’s no issue with them; it’s that you need a little bigger body to hold up to the pounding.”

It looks like it is down to DJ vs. Williams and Belcher vs. Mays.

I for one am rooting for DJ and Belcher. DJ has more play making ability and though he is young, Belcher couldn’t possibly be worse than Mays was last season.

Who are you rooting for Addicts?

(Source: Yardbarker)

The Kansas City Chiefs are intensely focused during training camp on finding the right 53 players to complete their roster. This search includes finding a vital subset within the squad, which if successful, could quickly help turn a bad team in 2009 into a seriously competitive one in 2010.

Two years ago, the Chiefs announced they were a 3-4 defensive team, although they lacked the three linemen, or the four linebackers, needed to make it work successfully. The secondary has garnered recent attention by adding quality draft picks to play along side its talented, young corners. The verdict is still out for the defensive line with two first round prospects, but without a dominating nose tackle.

So, what about the guys in the middle of the defensive unit? Are the Chiefs any closer to finding the right four to stabilize the defense for years to come? They may not have the right four for a championship team yet, but there’s good reason to believe the Chiefs will start four LB’s this year who will make the defense better.
(more…)

Orton eating some of DJ's dust. (Photo Source: Yardbarker.com)

If you’re at all like me, or Paddy, or anyone else blogging about or even thinking about the Chiefs, you’ve spent a significant portion of the last year complaining about Todd Haley’s misuse of Derrick Johnson.  Rightly so.  DJ is clearly our best inside linebacker, yet spent much of last season on the bench.  All in the name of some vague motivational plan that clearly didn’t work*.  The closest we got to an explanation was Haley’s insistence that Demorrio Williams and Corey Mays were doing a great job.

*Did any of Todd Haley’s motivational plans work?

Both the stat sheet and the eyeball test agreed that wasn’t the case.  Mays in particular looked like a total stiff out there.  It felt like watching Pat Thomas with dreads.  And although I like Demorrio Speedwagon, he really wasn’t much better.  Sometimes on running plays they’d fill the same lane.  I half-expected them to bonk heads like Curly and Larry.  Neither recorded a sack (despite the estimated 6.3 billion blocks Tin Man and Dorsey devoured), forced a fumble or made an interception.  DJ, on the other hand, did all of these things.  In less playing time.  But The Patriot Way means no explanations, so we’ve all spent the entire off-season wondering just what happened to Derrick Johnson, and, more importantly, if it will happen again.

Well, there may be some news on that front.  Not necessarily good news, but news nonetheless.  A week or so ago I stopped by Royals Review to post a comment or two hating on Willie Bloomquist and Jason Kendall when I discovered an interesting Chiefs nugget in a fan post by commenter 306008.  It was about a Q & A he attended with none other than Dayton “intangibles beats tangibles” Moore.  Moore said about what you’d expect.  Praised Kendall, mentioned injuries, used the phrase “developmental plan” several times, and said rebuilding is an 8-to-10 year process (snicker).  You know, classic bad GM sound bites.  What really caught my eye were some comments from Mitch Holthus (apparently he spoke too):

“Mitch said they have to be very careful how they use DJ because if he gets too many snaps he can’t breathe effectively and becomes an ineffective player.  Because of that, the Chiefs are trying to figure out the best times to use him and how often to use him so that he is at peak performance……It seems as though Mitch thinks we’ll see him more in the second half than the first half.”

I don’t know about you, but those words definitely raised my eyebrows.  True, it’s a blog commenter paraphrasing the words of a radio announcer.  But Holthus does work for the Chiefs, and DJ having respiratory issues would certainly explain a lot.  Namely, how he can look brilliant in the first quarter and then totally disappear.  It also may explain why Haley kept him on the bench throughout last year.  The only thing I can’t figure is if DJ was having trouble breathing, wouldn’t Herm and Gunther have figured that out years ago?

(more…)

Source: Yardbarker.com

After all the improvements the Kansas City Chiefs made in the offseason, one area that seemed to be neglected was the linebacker position.

The 2009 Chiefs were very inconsistent when it came to linebacker play. The starting group included a defensive end turned outside linebacker in Tamba Hali, the unspectacular Demorrio Williams and a career backup Corey Mays at middle linebacker and aging veteran Mike Vrabel at the other outside linebacker slot.

Hali revitalized his career by using his motor and pass rushing abilities to get to the QB. Still, he struggled in pass coverage as he adjusted to his position change. He recorded 62 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 8.5 sacks and a number of QB hurries. He seemed to get better as the season progressed.

Williams led the team in tackles but did not record a single interception, forced fumble or sack. No, all the 29 year old Williams turned in was 117 tackles. By comparison, 35 year old Ray Lewis had 134 tackles, 3 sacks and 2 forced fumbles for the Ravens. Williams claims he was injured last year but I think we have seen his ceiling. He is 29 and this is as good as he is going to get.

Corey Mays was a hit in the 2009 preseason. He displayed a high motor and always seemed to be near the ball. He was also used in a couple of blitz packages and delivered a memorable hit on Brett Farve. Chiefs Nation was buzzing.

Yet during the season, Mays looked in over his head. He was often out of position, getting swallowed up by blockers allowing  runners to break free over the middle. He never recorded a sack and finished with only 85 tackles, no forced fumbles and no picks.

More after the jump.

(more…)

Source: Yardbarker.com

The Chiefs went through OTA #7 today and they will be followed by 2 more Wednesday and Thursday.According to Josh Looney at KCChiefs.com, the Chiefs will hold 12 practice sessions over the next 14 days. The goal is to simulate training camp as much as possible.

Once all the practice sessions are used up, we will enter the dark ages that are the 2nd half of June and all of July. For the Arrowhead Addict, this means 5 weeks of hell and little Chiefs news. However, once we reach the other side, it is football season. Training camp will kick off at the end of July and before you know it the Chiefs will be lining up for their first preseason game against Tony Gonzalez and the Atlanta Falcons.

What you can count on, is that during those 5 or so miserable weeks where the Chiefs are all playing golf and spending time with their families, we’ll be here at AA, posting content multiple times a day. You see, we have no lives. Covering the Chiefs is what we do so if you need a place to get your fix, AA is it.

That said, lets get on with today’s OTA highlights.

After the jump.

(more…)

Belcher deals with Fargas. (Photo Source: Yardbarker.com)

A lot is going in the Chiefs favor this offseason. They had (in my opinion) a very good draft. They assembled a very talented and experience coaching staff. They landed key free agents Thomas Jones and Ryan Lilja and they didn’t overpay. Their schedule appears to be their most favorable in years and the team landed it’s first Monday Night Football slot since 2005.

The entire team has been present for the offseason OTA practices, save Jarred Page, who is dragging his feet signing his tender offer. With all the positive energy at Arrowhead, the Chiefs have perhaps a golden opportunity to reverse their fortunes with a winning record and a climb back to respectability.

To accomplish this task, however, the Chiefs are going to need contributions from unexpected places. It is a given that guys like Cassel, Bowe, Waters and Chambers have to show up but the veterans can’t do it alone. It is time for the Chiefs young players to step forward and make a name for themselves.

Here are 5 players that I think could be the key to a 2010 Chiefs playoff push:

(In no particular order)

1. Jovan Belcher

Jovan Belcher is my dark horse to be a starter at MLB by the time the Chiefs debut on MNF. Belcher was a huge surprise last season. The Chiefs signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Main following the 2009 draft. Belcher worked hard and began the season on the special teams unit. By the end of the season, he was playing middle linebacker alongside Derrick Johnson in passing situations. His season highlight was making a first down saving tackle in the Chiefs thrilling OT victory over the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. He finished the season with 47 tackles, 45 of which were solo!

Keep in mind, Belcher, like Andy Studebaker, was a small school prospect. Guys coming out of the smaller college programs often need time to develop. James Harrison for instance, played college ball at Kent State. He was cut and resigned by the Steelers multiple times before he finally got it together. Belcher is ahead of curve. He adapted very well to the pace and competition at the NFL level and he could be poised to make a gargantuan year 2 jump. I am very excited to see how a year at the NFL level and in an NFL conditioning program will do for Belcher.

Right now, the only person standing in Belcher’s way is Corey Mays. If Belcher shows improvement in training camp he could very well unseat Mays as the starter. Personally, I think the only think Mays had on Belcher last season was experience. I know a lot of people were upset with the Chiefs lack of interest in linebackers in the draft but the team has some talented young guys that should be ready to step up. Jovan Belcher is one of them.

(more…)

Source: Yardbarker.com

Derrick Johnson has been frustrating Chiefs fans ever since he was drafted. The former first round pick never seemed to live up to the expectations that came with his draft stock. Every year, just before the season, we heard talk that this was the do or die season for Johnson. The break out year never came.

Now it is the Chiefs who are frustrating Johnson. Todd Haley came to town in 2009 and viewed Johnson not as a first round pick loaded with potential. No, Haley viewed Johnson as just another linebacker. The new regime had no ties to any of the existing players on the roster and they showed it fast, cutting and demoting players left and right. Some demoted players, like receiver Dwayne Bowe, eventually worked their way back in to the starting lineup.

Johnson never did.

Still, Johnson went about his work in 2009, still believing he belonged on the field as a starter. He worked his way in to some defensive sub packages and often teamed with rookie Jovan Belcher for passing downs. He ended the season with a bang, picking off two passes in the finale against Denver, returning both for touchdowns.

A restricted free agent, Johnson was tendered at a 2nd round level by the Chiefs. He signed for the 2010 season and is practicing with the team. If a new labor agreement is signed, 2010 may very well be a do or die season for Johnson, not just to show is potential but to keep his job with the Chiefs.

(more…)

Source: Yardbarker.com

Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal is reporting that Chiefs LB, Corey Mays has signed with Priority Sports.

Mays came to the Chiefs from the Bengals where he played a very limited role. His hard work and willingness to do things the way Haley wanted helped him to unseat Derrick Johnson to obtain the other starting LB position opposite Williams.

Still, while the effort may have been there, the production was not. Mays was often out of position and while he racked up a lot of tackles, he didn’t make any big plays for the Chiefs. He was also atrocious in coverage.

My guess, is that he thinks because he started for an entire year that he deserves starters money and his old agent wasn’t getting it done.
I like Mays and I like his effort and I think he would be a fantastic backup but I don’t want him on the field starting again for the Chiefs this year. He is too much of a liability and that is probably why the Chiefs don’t want to pay him.

I have always said that if DJ is on board with the program and is doing things the way Haley wants him to, he should start. Even if he is just as inconsistent as Mays, he still has the ability to make the big play that can swing a game in KC’s favor. Mays doesn’t have the ability to make up for his mistakes. Johnson does.

Start DJ.

Thanks to Arrowhead Pride for the tip.

 We had the 31^st ranked rushing defense last year and what have we done to remedy the situation?  Not much at all.  Is Scott Pioli in denial?  Is he seriously going to go into next season with the same players as last (save Shaun Smith)?  The same rushing defensive players who ranked next to last a year ago and the year before that?  He really wants to tie his legacy to Derrick Johnson, Corey Mays, Ron Edwards and the like?  It is like a bad dysfunctional relationship that you hope will get better but never does; which brings me to the topic of your girlfriend(s):

 ILB Derrick Johnson reminds me of the girlfriend who is a tease.  Year in and year out, she flashes potential, but is never consistent, and sometimes even fails to show up.  You keep telling yourself to let her go, and when you do, that is when she shows you her best.  You bring her back, only to find that she really is not that great; you let her go again and boom she surprises you once more, you bring her back, and she fails you again. Rinse and repeat you might say.  This girlfriend drives you crazy.

More after the jump.

(more…)