Like many of you, I was very skeptical when the Chiefs signed RB Peyton Hillis this March to a one-year, $3-million deal. It seemed like he was a pure power back who stood out on a Cleveland team bereft of any real talent and had just come off of an injury-riddled season full of off-the-field problems. He seemed like damaged goods we got off the bargain rack as an insurance policy on Charles, despite the fact he was just as likely of getting re-injured as the guy he was backing up.

I still have some of those doubts, but I finally got around to scouting Hillis a bit. Despite being on the cover of Madden (and taking the famed curse on the nose), playing for the Browns is like being in witness protection. I generally recollected that he was good, but he sounded a lot like Thomas Jones to me.

What I discovered is, first of all, no one was quite as bad as Jones last year. Literally. Jones ranked dead friggin’ last out of 56 running backs in Pro Football Focus’s Elusive Rating, which tracks how well a back does after first contact. Hillis also generally disappointed by that measure last year, but that likely came as a result of being the entire Browns offense in 2010. He played 90 percent of the team’s offensive snaps and was serving as a pass protector even when not getting the ball (Charles was only on the field for 53 percent of the snaps).

At the end of 2010, Brian Daboll left as the offensive coordinator and Hillis got the injury bug, plus he was likely in need of some extra recovery time after being run lame for a season and he took a big step back. So, I decided to put my NFL GamePass account to good use and watched the last game in the 2011 season when Hillis had more than 12 carries – Week 15 against Arizona. I figured this would also be a good game because the Cardinals have a stout defensive front and it would be a good setting to see how he did without counting on his O-line dominating.

I must say, I came away quite impressed. First, I think it is a great misperception that he is just a pounder. He has speed.

In his first two touches of the game he fired through the hole like a gazelle bolting from captivity for gains of 18 and 12. One would think that the biggest running back in the league (6’2”, 250 lbs) would be best when shoving through contact, but actually Hillis truly excels in the open field – so much so that they even split him out wide as a WR on several plays. He’s obviously not very shifty, but if you get him behind the ‘backers, there is simply no one who can take him down. DBs have to try to get low on him to have a prayer of tackling him, and if you watch his highlight reel, you see that he has made an art out of hurdling little guys.

Also, whatever personality issues made him clash with coaches off the field were totally absent from his demeanor on the field. He showed himself to be a fiery competitor and took responsibility for a (literal) slip-up. On a play where he was able to break outside with largely open field ahead, he tried to make a cut with his inside foot and ended up going down without contact. Immediately after the play, the cameras caught him saying to the OC “My fault, it was my fault on that one.”

I’m extremely excited to see what Daboll will do with him. Although I do think some of the things they were doing with him like splitting him out wide were largely gimmicks to mess with the defense and mask the Browns’ dreadful wide receiving corps, I do think he could get great matchups against CBs. While he may not burn them down field, he has the height and body size to fight for position on intermediate routes, and if he gets any separation he will be able to plow through a few guys in the defensive backfield.

He also has great hands for a running back. His one drop among 61 catches in 2010 made him the third most consistent receiving RB in the league. Most importantly for QB Matt “Panic Toss” Cassel, Hillis hauled in 90 percent of all passes thrown at him in 2010 – on target or not. Then, he had 453 yards after the catch.

The big question is how often the Chiefs are going to give him the ball. KC fans were rightfully outraged at the fact Jones got considerably more touches than Charles in 2010, but Hillis is not Jones.

According to an ESPN Insider article (which I, like Paddy, would not recommend you pay for), “the Chiefs likely will lean heavily on Hillis early during the 2012 season while Charles gets his legs under him.”

Pro Fantasy Focus predicts, “with the Chiefs not wanting to overwork Charles, and now not needing to, I’d expect there to be a similar split in the backfield as 2010 between Charles and Thomas Jones. I’m penciling in Hillis for 240 carries for 1013 yards, 35 receptions for 256 yards, and 8 touchdowns, while giving Charles 200 carries for 1149 yards, 40 receptions for 296 yards, and 6 touchdowns.”

I think that might be a bit excessive, but after watching Hillis run, I am convinced he is much better than a short-yardage, third-down back. I think the ratio of carries Hillis and Charles receive will likely depend on the opponent and the weaknesses the Chiefs want to exploit in the opposing defense. When we face teams with heavy-footed, run-stuffing linebackers, we can let Charles dance around them or burn by them. If we’re up against a finesse team with coverage linebackers, we can let Hillis run them over.

Earlier the conversation had been about getting appropriate depth for Charles should he go down again, but I think the Chiefs may have actually gotten what they hoped they would get by picking up Thomas Jones in 2010 – a genuine two-headed monster.

And, since the offense will once again be going through the run again, I think it is very likely that Hillis could end up becoming the free-agent signing – not only of the Chiefs’ offseason – but of the League, if both stay healthy.

John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

The draft is over and with the bulk of free agency in the books as well, the retooled teams that will take the field this September are starting to come into focus.

And that means Power Rankings. Glorious, glorious Power Rankings.

Hey, cut us some slack. It’s May!

NFL.com has released its ranks and predictably, the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants come in at #1, with the defending AFC Champion New England Patriots nipping at their heels.

But what about our beloved Chiefs?

#15.

Even Steven.

Here is what they had to say:

The Chiefs had a good offseason in more ways than one. For starters, they’re getting everybody back healthy. Second, signing Eric Winston and Kevin Boss to go along with another solid draft makes this team look like Denver’s biggest threat in the AFC West. Yes, they signed Peyton Hillis, as well. They needed another slow running back to fill the Thomas Jones void.

First of all, I’d like to address the shot they took at Thomas Jones.

If you’ve been reading this site for any amount of time, you know that the staff here at Arrowhead Addict has been a long-time Jones supporter. It was us who championed the “More Touches For Jones, Fewer For Charles” campaign back in the fall of 2010. It was also us driving the “Punching Out One Rookie Isn’t Enough, Hit Rodney Hudson Too” bandwagon. We here at Arrowhead Addict still believe in Thom Jones and we think the Chiefs will re-sign him this offseason. Like last season, we support an even lighter Jones in 2012. We know that if he can just get down to, say, 106 pounds, he should be swift enough to keep up his intimidating 3.0 yards per carry average. AA staffer Big Matt has already started the process. He’s got Jones locked up in his basement and is feeding him a strict diet of whiskey and cigarettes, while forcing him to watch old episodes of The Golden Girls.

Now that that is out of the way, I like this #15 ranking. I like that nobody quite knows what to make of the Chiefs. I like that the Denver Donkeys are ranked #10 simply because they got an aging QB who hasn’t played football in over a year and has had his neck fused which is something I can’t even picture in my mind’s eye and let me assure you, I have a very keen mind’s eye.

I don’t want the Chiefs to be a favorite heading into the season. In the NFL, the favorites don’t always fare so well. Often, as we’ve seen recently with the Giants and the Cardinals back during the Herm era, it is the solidly built football team nobody is paying much attention to that gets hot at the right time and makes a run of things.

As for the rest of the AFC West, the Faiders and the Dolts came in at #20 and 21 respectively. It seems as though the folks at NFL.com, unlike others in the media, have realized that the Chargers haven’t been good enough to win the division in a couple of years and that the time might have come to stop calling them the most talented, underachieving team in the NFL and to just start calling them what they are.

A mediocre team with a terrible coach.

What do you think Addicts? How does a #15 ranking sit with you this far our from the first game of the season. Furthermore, how much damage do you think a 106 pound Thomas Jones hopped up on Bea Arther reruns can do in today’s NFL?

So, that happened. Another NFL season (and postseason) has come and gone. Forgive my lack of enthusiasm as I watched the New York Giants win the Super Bowl for the fourth time in my lifetime, and the New England Patriots lose it for the fourth time (to go along with their three championships). In fact, in the 38 Super Bowls I have lived through (not that I really remember Super Bowls IX through, oh, XV or XVI), 27 different teams have participated. Not one of them has been the Kansas City Chiefs—their Super Bowl appearances live in other people’s memories.

But the good news, of course, is that as soon as Tom Brady’s last “Hail Myra” pass landed incomplete in the end zone and Super Bowl XLVI officially came to an end, the Chiefs were immediately back in contention. All eyes, and odds, are now focused on 2012-13, and the earliest probabilities are already in. The MGM Grand Las Vegas and at least one leading gaming site have opened betting season with the Chiefs as 50-1 shots to win Super Bowl XLVII, which is as good or better than 13 other teams. Not quite as favorable as the 40-1 odds they were given a year ago, but much better than the one-in-100 chance set before the Chiefs’ 2010 AFC West Championship season.

In other words, the odds-makers don’t really know what they’re doing, at least at this stage—out of last year’s top five preseason favorites, three didn’t even make the playoffs. But for fans, it’s amusing to see just how favorably (or not) our team’s prospects are marked in the books of various distinguished sports-betting establishments, and ask ourselves, “What if…?”

Last year at this time, I made a list of the XLVI reasons the Chiefs could win it all. A number of those “reasons” are now no longer with the team or else tore up their knees within the first few weeks of the season. So I’ve learned my lesson—and I’m not about to try to come up with XLVII reasons now. After all, so many things can happen: the most important players can get hurt, the coach can go crazy, the GM can go crazier…I mean, what are the odds?

Ah. Good question. Why don’t we find out?

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If the Chiefs had just run Jones behind Richardson all season long, 2011 might have turned our differently.

Today the Kansas City Star’s Red Zone blog released the full list of Chiefs players that will become restricted or unrestricted free agents when the new league year begins in mid-March.

Just like last year, I decided to go through the list and give my take on who should be brought back and who should be sent packing (looking at you, Piscitelli).

As always, we want to hear from you so make sure you chime in after the post. Let’s get to business.

RB Jackie Battle (UFA)

Battle proved himself a useful player in my eye this season. He contributes on special teams and can get some things done on the ground as well. He is still young enough to contribute, and he’ll cost absolutely nothing. In the end, keeping Battle could come down to a numbers game and it might depend on how many RBs the Chiefs want to carry. They will almost certainly add a big, complementary back to Charles. It became clear this season that the Chiefs need a guy that can not only help shoulder the load with Jamaal but that is also talented enough to lead a strong running game on his own.

Battle could likely run with Charles, but isn’t good enough to hold things together on his own. Still, he has value.

Keep him.

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I’m liking this Crennel hire more and more by the minute.

According to Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star, one of the first things Romeo Crennel did upon becoming interim head coach of the Chiefs was call out Thomas Jones.

Actually, the first thing he did was bench Tyler Palko.

From Mellinger:

Crennel is 18 years older than Pioli, strikingly comfortable in his own skin and secure in his own accomplishments. He calls his boss Scott, and the first thing he did upon taking over was switch quarterbacks. The second thing was to tell Scott that he switched quarterbacks.

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RB Jackie Battle will not play with a foot injury.

Safety Jon McGraw is doubtful with a high ankle sprain.

I would imagine Battle has done enough to be brought back next season, however, we may have seen the last of McGraw. Jon is getting up there in the age department, however he was still KC’s best SS this season with Eric Berry out. He continued to play the run like a linebacker and was certainly better than Reshard Langford, Shabby Sabby Piscitelli and Donnie Washington.

For depth alone, I think McGraw should be brought back. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Scott Pioli go after safety depth aggressively this offseason. If that happens, the return of Eric Berry may mean there is no longer room for McGraw.

As for Sunday, the Chiefs will likely roll with Langford and a RB combo of Thom Jones and Dex. Looks like Jones could be going out with a bang.

That or two yards and a cloud of dust.

Now that recent Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Todd Haley has been “relieved of his duties” (and, presumably, his salary), it’s time to dust off that resume. This is a tough time to be looking for employment, and prospects are especially grim for a man whose primary job skills are his ability and tendency to yell at quarterbacks and NFL officials (honestly, the only place an NFL coach can get hired right now is Coors Light). Fortunately, it seems that Haley has already been busy revising the top part of his resume to reflect his hard-earned experience as a member of the Chiefs organization. Let’s take a look!

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First things first. Get rid of Jones.

The Kansas City Chiefs may end up having a very disappointing 2011 season but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t begin taking steps now to ensure that they have a successful 2012.

There are a number of moves I think the Chiefs should make as the 2011 season winds down and as the offseason begins that can give them a head start on turning things around next season.

Here are 13 moves I think the Chiefs should make.

1. Cut Thomas Jones

They’ll never do it. At no point would the Chiefs want to lose his locker room leadership or disrespect the veteran RB.

Yet it can’t be ignored that Jones’ biggest contribution to the 2011 Chiefs has been decking Jonathan Baldwin and costing the rookie half of his rookie season.

Despite their love affair with Jones, not even the Chiefs are stupid enough to bring him back in 2012.

So why not cut the cord early? The Chiefs need to get a good, hard look at Jackie Battle, and they have Shaun Draughn on the practice squad who could be brought up to see some action.

Jones is finished. It is just silly to hold back young talent that might actually develop to save the feelings of a millionaire running back whose time in the NFL is up. Especially in what is sure to be a lost season. Draughn could have a future with the Chiefs. KC will likely get a chance to see him in action in games that don’t matter. They should take advantage of it.

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Last year’s victory over Denver was critical in Kansas City’s AFC West title run.

The 10-6 win at Arrowhead ended Josh McDaniels’ coaching tenure in Denver and helped the Chiefs hold strong atop the AFC West despite San Diego’s late push for the division. It was the Chiefs third win in a row after being blown out in Denver, and falling to 5-4, just three weeks prior.

A victory against Denver this weekend could end up being another significant moment for the Chiefs.

From www.kcchiefs.com (share this quote)

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Monday nights are usually when I sit down, reflect on what the Kansas City Chiefs did or didn’t do over the weekend just past, and pull something out of my ass together for my Tuesday post. But on this particular Monday night, it so happens I was a bit distracted by something rather compelling that I was watching on television. I only had time to jot down some observations during breaks in the action as it unfolded. So consider these my Quick Slants. Some of them are even football-related…

• Hey, nice graveyard rendition of Danse Macabre by the Philharmonia of Greater Kansas City during the MNF intro (my friend Kristin was the Zombie bassist on the left).
• Not a big fan of all those not-so-terrible white towels. The idea was lame enough at Busch Stadium during the World Series and it’s no more impressive at Arrowhead. What? Is everyone surrendering? Or just waving their tighty-whities in the air? Hard to tell.
• Is that a five-inch Herm Edwards screaming at a couple of clueless tools to “ice down those Coors Lights, baby?” Finally—a coaching job worthy of Herm’s stature.
• Lamest Halloween costume seen in the crowd: Zach Galifianakis’s “Alan” with beard, sunglasses, and strap-on baby (with sunglasses) from The Hangover. Soooo 2009. (And there’s no good reason to remind Chiefs fans of 2009.)
• Did I hear that right about Chiefs center Casey Wiegmann? 10,502 snaps in a row? I wonder if that statistic about a routine, seemingly mundane element of the game will take on more significance later…
• Newest addition to Todd Haley’s nasty-as-he-wants-to-be ensemble: Navy undershirt with some kind of emblem that resembles either a grease stain or maybe a patch of sweat.

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“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

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If you’ve been a Big Matt reader for long, you probably know I think Todd Haley’s “quarter of the season” concept is, for lack of a better word, dumb.   It’s not that I think it’s doing any harm, but I still cringe every time I hear him reference it.  I had thought this was something he’d talk about in his first year, and then grow out of.  I mean, breaking a season into quarters when the games come every week?  What is that supposed to accomplish?  It is, at best, a pointless exercise.

But hey, if Haley is going to bring this team back from the abyss, I’ll play along.  Because I don’t care that we’re playing awful teams here, three wins in a row is something I never thought I’d see from this team after those first two games.  And really, no matter how bad Kyle Boller is, going into Oakland and shutting them out is awesome.  Much-needed revenge, after last season.  So fine, we’re 2-0 in the second quarter of the season.  Or, the “4-game season” as Haley now likes to call it.  Bring on game 3.  I am now participating in this system.

The best part about this winning streak is that the players will be gaining confidence regardless of who the opponent was.  Do you think when Kendrick Lewis scampered into the end zone he was thinking, “Yeah, but this was against the worst quarterback in the NFL”?  No way!  He was feelin’ it, and rightfully so.  I would imagine the post-game celebration was jubilant, and I seriously doubt anyone was referencing how bad Oakland’s QB situation is right now.

“Justice is blind,” as the saying goes.  Well, I think confidence is blind as well.  Winning feels awesome, no matter whom you beat*.  These Chiefs have won three in a row, they’re fired up, and they’re heading back home with a chance to stake a claim on the division lead.  That’s what matters most about this winning streak, not who we played.

*I played in a gigantic rooftop washers tournament over the summer.  My partner and I, after an early loss, went on a crazy tear to win the thing (double elimination).  7 straight games, or some such.  Most of these were against people who hadn’t played nearly as much washers as I have.  Some were even against guy-girl teams (always doomed to struggle in competitive washers).  Did that matter to me?  Hell no.  I felt like a washers god out there.  Struttin’ around, mocking my opponents, bowing like a Japanese sensei every time I put one in the cup.  I was confident that whomever I played next, I would be able to beat.  That’s what a winning streak, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, can do for you.  And yes, this is the closest comp I could come up with from my own life.

Now we go home thinking we can beat a team that’s had a stranglehold on the division for a long time.  Maybe the Chargers are better than us.  But we’re at home, and we think we can beat them.  That alone gives us a fighting chance.  Such a quick turnaround.  De NFL be crazy, mon.

game notes after le jump (more…)

After much anticipation and anxious clamoring, I return this week with my regular season mainstay. That’s right, Double D’s Double Take on just how well, or poorly, the Chiefs are performing in key areas, courtesy of Football Outsider’s DVOA analysis.

For those of you unfamiliar with the DVOA ranking methodology, I’ll simply provide, after the jump, the same rundown that I gave last year. If you are interested in a more detailed (and perhaps more useful) explanation, go here.

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So let me start by giving the KC defense their just due for a great game yesterday. The secondary was already without Eric Berry and then lost starters Brandon Flowers and Jon McGraw. Despite that, they held one of the best passing games in the NFL in check for most of the day. Rivers was clearly frustrated by the KC defense that picked him off a couple of times and knocked him around a lot. That was a very good sign, especially on the road and coming off back to back games where they gave up over 40 points. Needless to say, the defense was not at fault for the loss to San Diego.

That brings me to the offense.

At the risk of over-simplifying things, I think there were three clear problems yesterday (and this season in general).

1. Matt Cassel: Yes the game sealing interception was a brutal and idiotic failure of epic proportions. The real problem is that for most of this season he has refused to throw the ball down the field and has resorted to “dinking and dunking” almost every play.

2. Thomas Jones: He has looked terrible as the feature runner since Jamaal Charles went down.

3. The play calling: At times the play calling has been dumbfounding and completely ineffective. In addition to the plays being called, the actual process that they are using involving Muir, Haley, and Zorn all being involved in calling the play and getting them to Cassel has resulted in wasted time outs that really hurt KC versus the Chargers.

Now each of these things on their own are a problem, but are not fatal. However, the mixture of these three things make a lethal combination. It’s like a perfect storm of offensive futility.

I’ll explain more and give my possible solutions to the problem after the break.

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It appears those of us who thought the Chiefs preseason was meaningless owe those of you who knew better an apology. I was concerned, but I’ll admit I did not see this coming at all. It seemed impossible that we’d look as bad in the regular season as we did in the preseason. Unfortunately for us, Todd Haley has made the impossible possible.

There is always plenty of blame to go around after any lopsided loss, but from where I’m sitting this is a direct extension of Haley’s ridiculous training camp and preseason. And to his credit, he seems to get that. Our coach certainly has his flaws, but one thing I’ve always liked about him is he doesn’t grasp for excuses. Can you imagine what a Herm Edwards press conference would’ve been like after a loss like that? He would’ve blamed the lockout, mentioned how young we were, referenced injuries, and then closed with his sarcastic “Yeah, blame me, its all my fault.” Haley said to blame him, and he actually meant it. I appreciate that candor.

The problem is that he really is to blame.  He’s taken this team from division champion to, what, worst team in the NFL?  How did that happen?  How can a team with this much talent look SO MUCH worse than literally everyone else?

The hardest part about Sunday, for me, was the insufferable Bills fans. I was surrounded by them. You’d think Bills fans, of all people, would feel a certain kinship with us. I’ve always tactitly rooted for them, or at least felt bad for them. I assumed they felt that way about us, too. But we’ve lost to the Bills thrice since I moved to Brooklyn, and their fans have been total pricks every time.

When the Chiefs are losing badly, I like to bust out the tomahawk chop. I feel like its a good way to show everyone Chiefs fans are good-natured, and don’t take ourselves too seriously. It also takes the sting out when you’re down 30, and it’s good for a laugh. The local Bills fans, unfortunately, aren’t smart enough to understand this. They think I’m being aggressive. And their response to that, unbelievably, is to sarcastically chop back at me the worse the score gets. It’s really something.  Twenty fans of a perennially awful team angrily mocking a man who was only trying to clown around and admit defeat. These are guys who wear ironic mustaches and still think its the funniest thing in the world. It’s like they’re just a little behind the rest of the country. No self-awareness, seemingly. They’ve somehow forgotten their team’s name is synonymous with failure, and has been for 20 years.

But I digress. Chan Gailey, at least, I’m happy for. It’s got to feel good to know you’re a better coach than the guy who fired you. Kudos, Chan.

My pathetic game notes after le jump:

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My favorite bartender went to Vegas last week.   I took the opportunity, as I often do when a friend* is going to Vegas, to lay some bets down at the sports book.  My boy Nick Diaz over GSP?  Check.  Chael Sonnen over Brian Stann?  Check.  Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl?  CHECK. 

*Did I just list a bartender (who I never hang with outside the bar) as my friend?  Shit.  Social life just hit a new low.  Next step down the rung: online gaming.  Check back with me at this time next year.

I’m told there was laughter when the bet was placed, although that may have been a playful exaggeration.  To people on the east coast, the Chiefs are a joke.  Synonymous with the Royals.  I used to bristle at that attitude, but since we haven’t won a playoff game since before The Shawshank Redemption came out and we’re once again leading the league in cap space*, I can sort of see their point.  Whatever.  The odds were 40-1, which is an unbelievably sweet bet for a division champion in my opinion.  If the Chiefs win the Super Bowl, your boy Big Matt will pocket 2 Gs**.  I gotta think that would go down as one of the top 5 best moments of my life.  Pretty sure it would edge out that awesome double filet-o-fish I had at McDonalds last lent.

*REALLY looking forward to 2013 and that cap floor.  I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve got a feeling when Clark Hunt is legally obligated to spend at least 90% of the salary cap, he may very well do it.

**The following people will be receiving  Big Matt fan club t-shirts if I win that 2 grand: Paddy, Double D, Jeremy, Lyle, TIDL, Block Eater, The Centaur, Greens, Jackie Rubbinson, Danny W, Victor’s daughter, my grandma, Clark Hunt, Sweet Ron, Mo-Leg, and Justin Houston.   Also probably the guy at the corner store who’s always smiling like a pervert.  I like the cut of his jib. 

I made the bet because I think the Chiefs can win.  Allow me to repeat that: I think the Chiefs can win the Super Bowl this year.  How’s that for a negative nancy? 

I should clarify here that I don’t think its likely.  But we have the best offensive weapon in the game, a great young secondary and a pass rush that should be incredible if Todd Haley can get out of its way (MORE JUSTIN HOUSTON AND WALLY GILBY PLEASE).  Thats enough to give any team a shot. 

more after le jump: (more…)

Chiefs fans, myself included, are always itching to see each year’s new defense.  Under Vermeil we knew the offense would be good, under Herm bad.  Not a lot of fluctuation there.  The defense was bad throughout the decade, but every year we convinced ourselves they’d be better.  We listed our reasons why.  Even a modest improvement, such as Jared Allen brought, drove us wild.  It was fun.  The yearning for the 90s is palpable in Chiefs Nation.  More than anything, we want our defense back.

Still, any time you take the #1 rushing offense in the league (“I’ll take a thunder and lightning, hold the thunder”) and add significant receiving talent, a fan base will lick its chops.  This is the first time in five years I can remember going into a season with legitimate expectations for our offense.  It’s all in place, right?  Charles is still here, Cassel is coming into his own, Terry Copper got inked to a new deal, our receivers should be A LOT better, and we even have a new fullback.  AA’s own Double D has been quoted as saying we’re one Thom Jones firing away from being unstoppable.  With all of this coming together at the same time, what could go wrong?

the obvious answer after le jump:

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A lot can happen in a week.  While I was fishing Lake Michigan, camping out, and escaping the inferno of Oklahoma the Chiefs were busy continuing to not care about pre-season games, getting into fights, and then snubbing the media.

Let me make it abundantly clear that I could not care less if we win a preseason game.  The outcome of those games doesn’t matter.  It doesn’t matter to the team, it doesn’t matter to the coach, and other than the people that pay to go to the games who probably don’t care about a win either, the fans largely don’t care.  Hell watching the Giants/Bears game last night even the Monday Night Football crew couldn’t completely hide their total disinterest towards the end of the game.  Todd, lose every freaking game in the preseason so long as those boys are ready to play come September.

As far as the Chiefs approach to their training regimen and these games, it’s a gamble.  No surpise here.  We all have become aware of the gambling nature of Todd Haley.  Sure he can tell you that there is statistical data to show that his gambles are sound, but so can a guy in Vegas with notepads full of supposed patterns he’s found in the slot machines by spending his kid’s college fund.  A gamble is a gamble, that’s why they call it “a gamble.”  Last year the Chiefs took a similarly cockeyed approach to their bye week by having players act as coaches during practices.  I conjectured this format was put into place to prepare our boys in the Red and Gold for player ran practices during the lockout, but the world may never know.  The result of this player-coach approach?  Of course the Chiefs lost to the Colts.  So, will the extra time Haley and Friends took to work on conditioning end up being the smart move over focusing on actual football work?  Only if the Chiefs can keep it close enough at the start of games to make the fourth quarter matter.

Like I said, it’s a gamble.

We dig into Thomas Jones going “Larry Johnson” on Jonathan Baldwin after the jump…

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 “As I’ve conveyed over the last three years, everything that happens within these walls is family business.”

— Coach Todd Haley, “responding” to questions about Friday’s alleged
Thomas Jones-Jonathan Baldwin locker-room bout

“I thought I did address it…I addressed it as family business…I’m sorry if you didn’t think that.”

— Haley, when asked about it again three days later

Well, there you have it, Chiefs fans. Just in case you didn’t already realize you weren’t truly part of this “family,”* there are apparently certain things that only “family” gets to talk about—and that doesn’t include you.

*Hey, remember that whole months-long argument over how to divide the “family” finances? And remember how you weren’t allowed to say anything, even though you’ve anted up a chunk of your allowance for who-knows-how-many years?

Yes, the Pioli Administration has always been notorious for its stonewalling, and its newspeak has been well-documented and well-dissected on this site. But am I the only one who feels this “family business” business has taken it up a notch—and, frankly, is just a little creepy?*

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The right 53.  If there was ever a phrase that embodied GM-speak, this is it.  If we bring someone in, he was part of the right 53.  If we don’t, he wasn’t.  Either way, we are 100% correct in everything we choose to do or not do.  “Right 53″ essentially translates to “we are always right.” 

Do other teams have GM-speak catch-phrases like this?  I’m sure some probably do.  I doubt most of them are parroted with such gusto, but the point I’m making is that Scott Pioli is not alone in his use of these tactics.  They’re par for the course in professional sports.  Hell, ”right 53″ isn’t even his only phrase.  He talks about “the right fit” every time he gives an interview.  And I think we’ve all heard “substance over sizzle” a time or two by now.  Both of these are similar to “right 53″ in that what they’re supposed to mean is actually just a blanket justification for anything the Chiefs care to do.  Kelly Gregg over Aubrayo Franklin?  Substance over sizzle.  Passed on a draft pick?  He wasn’t part of the right 53.  Missed out on a free agent?  Bad fit.  League basement payroll?  Right back to substance over sizzle.  Presto, infallibility.  We have always been at war with East Asia. 

For Pioli’s first two years here I snickered whenever I heard “right 53″, but I actually did think it meant something.  Or at least, that he thought it meant something.  Character, work ethic, intelligence, Vrabel, etc.  People he and Haley could control.  Thats what I thought he was really after, and thats what I thought the phrase was supposed to mean.  I was wrong.

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While scuffles between teammates is not an uncommon occurrence in NFL locker rooms, this news is troubling on a number of fronts.

We don’t know the details here or if Wright’s report is even true but if it is, the news will lead to more speculation that Baldwin is a problem child. There were concerns about him having a dive attitude coming out of the draft. Getting into a fight with a team leader right off the bat is not a good sign.

We’ll be giving Baldwin the benefit of the doubt around here until we get the full story (of we ever get the full story).

What do you guys think? How bad is this bad news?

I am a big fan of Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley but his depth chart disrespect of RB Jamaal Charles has got to stop.

Since Haley has arrived in Kansas City, he has continuously placed lesser backs ahead of Jamaal Charles on the depth chart.

In year one, it was a washed up Larry Johnson. That move, at least initially, can be forgiven. Johnson was an established back and Charles was an unknown quantity. Once the season began, however, it became clear that Johnson was finished and that Charles was the better back. Still, Haley just kept feeding Johnson the rock over and over again. It took not poor play but a homophobic Twitter tirade before Johnson was finally jettisoned from Kansas City. Until then, he was still the starter. For eight weeks.

In 2010, despite once again being the team’s best back,Charles sat behind Thomas Jones on the depth chart. He never complained, save for one quote early in the season when he declared that he was the backup and that he accepted that. By the time the season was over, Charles had turned in the second most productive season ever for a running back receiving over 200 carries. He was second in the league in rushing with only 230 carries. Pretty impressive for a backup.

Now the first depth chart of the 2011 season has been released and once again Thomas Jones is listed as the team’s #1 RB. Jamal Charles is still #2.

This is simply ridiculous and it has to stop.

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I think its safe to say the football juices are officially flowing again. I’ve spent most of the past six months writing about either our owner or the owners at large (with some occasional draft coverage, a Big Matt Monday and a Paddy Piece in the mix). I wouldn’t say it was fun, exactly, but I really felt this was an important opportunity to raise awareness in Kansas City. So I beat that drum as loud as I could, maybe a little too loud sometimes. I felt it needed to be done, and didn’t think it would happen anywhere other than AA. I certainly didn’t expect our boy Gretz to get in on the act. That was surreal.

Still, I’m glad its over. When I sat down at my computer today I was overcome by a sense of freedom. I can write about anything now.  So without further ado, 2,500 words on the various similarities between Chiefs players and the crew of the Battlestar Galactica……

Just kidding.  That article isn’t scheduled to drop until the next lockout.  I’ve got it saved for a rainy day.  In case of emergency, break glass.  I thought I’d use this space to list the five reasons this offseason made me smile.  I’m considering doing a “smiles” and “frowns” article after each game this season, but probably won’t.  Twice the work.  Plus Ladner already had the good/evil day*.

*I voted for Evil Ladner.  Liked the cut of that guy’s jib.  Could we maybe bring him back the third Tuesday of every month, or something like that?  I think he could develop a following.

The point is that this offseason, while hard to endure, did have its silver linings.  Even a semi-jaded east coast nerd like your boy Big Matt can see that.  My top five offseason smiles after the jump:

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Kenny Powers: "Kill that (expletive) Patrick Willis!"

First off, I should say that I’m not sure this will happen this year. Jones had a decent season, gaining nearly 900 yards from 245 carries (15 more than Charles got) and 6 touchdowns, but he obviously is no longer a dynamic runner. He only averaged 3.7 yards per carry and had only three gains of more than 20 yards in 2010. He is also 33, and is will be one year slower in 2011. Even if you love Jones, he’s only under contract through to the end of the year and we need to start looking to the future at the #2 spot.

And, although I know his purpose was to provide some veteran leadership and keep Jamaal Charles fresh, every one of those 245 carries took the ball out of Charles’ hands, who, by the way, rushed for 6.4 yards per carry this year. Charles numbers were ridiculous and probably unrepeatable, but I think the Chiefs should think about signing themselves a solid number two runner so that a Charles injury won’t cripple the team. And, this is likely to be a free agency year for that.

Get the goods after the jump. (more…)

Chiefs fans, we’re in trouble.  Our captain has abandoned us.  Who will we look to for leadership now that he’s gone*?  All I can say is thank The Holy Spirit for Thom Jones.  We need him, now more than ever.  Thing is though, he’ll have to play twice as much to make up for the loss of Vrabel.  Looks like its time to get rid of Charles.  We can’t afford to be wasting carries on someone who isn’t a leader right now.

*The dwarves?  They hide in their mountains seeking riches.  They care nothing for the troubles of others. (Master Elrond: October, 3018)

Seriously though, I’m sure some of you are expecting an article full of mockery and snide remarks.  Aside from that first paragraph (couldn’t help myself), you’ll get neither.  Don’t get me wrong, I am happy Mike Vrabel retired.  Ecstatic, actually.  We’re a much better team than we were last week.  Whoever steps into that position will be a thrill to watch, comparatively.

But if you think I really hate Mike Vrabel, you’re wrong.  I do not.  He was a fine player in his day, and even as an elder statesman he could’ve been valuable* if used properly.  The problem, of course, is that the Chiefs weren’t using him properly.  They seemed incapable of it.  As long as Vrabel wanted to play, he was going to be a starter for the Kansas City Chiefs.  That was evident from the beginning.

*I’m talking mainly about theoretical value here.  I place a much, much lower emphasis on intangibles than many football fans, yet I’m not totally blind to their existence.  “Locker-room leadership”, however you want to define it, is most definitely a good thing.  How good?  We simply don’t know.  There is no way to accurately judge that.  But it has a non-zero value, even I admit that.

But the man walked away, and I respect him for that.  Sounds like he’s got a pretty sweet gig lined up, too.  Good for him.  I bear Mike Vrabel no ill will.  It was Todd Haley who kept sending him out there.

more after le jump:

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For most of the time they’ve shared Kansas City, the Chiefs and the Royals have been nothing alike.  They were like the bizarro versions of one another.  When one was bad, the other was good.  The Chiefs ruled the 60s and the 90s, and in the late 70s and most of the 80s KC was firmly Royals country.

It’s not like one team was just a little better than the other at any given time, either.  When the Chiefs were good, the Royals were awful, and vice versa.  The two teams have never been to the playoffs in the same year.  It’s like there was some kind of rule that Kansas City was only allowed to have one competitive team at any given time.

But at least we had one.  In 2007, even that changed.  Kansas City, for the first time in its history, had two consistently terrible teams.  Both were among the worst in their respective leagues for the next three straight years.  Our futility as a sports city was unmatched during this time.  We became a joke, and the fan base became embittered.  Both reacted in different ways.  Royals fans fell back on the self-deprecation they’d honed over the preceding 20 years.  Chiefs Nation, not as used to humiliation and defeat, reacted in a much less mature fashion*.  We shut our eyes, insisted everything was on the right track, swallowed every excuse fed to us, and broke out the torches and pitchforks every time someone dared to suggest all was not well.  It was a dark time in Chiefs fan history.  A dark, shameful time.

Every team has bad stretches, and every sports city goes through disappointing times (except Cleveland, obviously).  What made this stretch so frustrating for me was that our teams were sucking in exactly the same way.  Despicable owners, unintelligent coaches, outdated strategies, bargain-basement payrolls, and underneath it all an inexplicable smugness.  “Uh, we know what we’re doing, Kansas City.  Our eyeballs are never, EVER wrong.”

The free agent signings were remarkably similar:

• Jason Kendall=Mike Vrabel- Old, slow players who perform poorly by all evaluations and yet start every game and receive endless praise from the organization.  Experience, grit, intangibles, blah blah blah.
• Jeff Franceour=Thom Jones- OBP and YPC among the worst in the league, respectively.  But yeah, leadership!
• Horacio Ramirez=Mike Goff- Both brought in to be one starter of five (SP, OL).  Neither lasted close to an entire season.
• Rick Ankiel=Mike Brown- Both were promised their sport’s version of center field in order to lure them here.  Away from their many other suitors, presumably.

more after the jump:

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There seems to be a lot of chatter in these here parts about what all is wrong (and right) with the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line and how to make it better. We’ve all heard ‘em, they generally go something like this:

Branden Albert will never win us a Superbowl at LT; he should be moved to . . .

We need a major upgrade at RT, Barry Richardson shoved a coach.

Even at 74 years old, 110 lb Casey Weigmann continues to play phenomenally well. He anchors our OL dammit!

Don’t dare touch Ryan Lilja, he’s from here and more importantly, he went to K-State!

Brian Waters play has slipped, he’s just getting by on reputation.

Okay, perhaps I exagerated a tad on the matters of Casey Weigmann’s diminutive stature and charter membership to AARP, but are all or any of these statements really valid? I’ll do a little review on all this right after the jump.
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When it comes to judging the Chiefs’ higher-ups, your boy Big Matt can be a hard man.  Too hard, some might say.  I’ve written some pretty strong words over the last five years.  But then, our record during that time is 29-51.  Seems to me a (fake) journalist should have some strong things to say during a stretch like that.

You all know what I think of the owners.  But honestly, I’m just as suspicious of head coaches and GMs until they prove their worth.  Many of them do.  I was a big fan of both Marty and Vermeil and Pioli is winning me over.  Even Carl Peterson had a special place in my heart until he got really, really bad at his job.  Before that I thought his personality was funny.

But the bottom line is that these guys all grow rich and fat off this game we love.  Most of them are accomplished liars, and a great many of them aren’t good at their jobs.  I don’t trust men like this.  And I’m not talking about our guys specifically here, but head coaches and GMs in general.  It’s a weird, murky world where one’s livelihood isn’t necessarily based on the job they do.  You get a foot in the door (often through a relative), make contacts, say the right, safe things, and all of the sudden you’re part of the club,  employed for life no matter how awful your job performance.  Herm Edwards and Matt Millen, perhaps the worst head coach and GM in the history of the sport, are paid handsomely to give expert analysis on television.  Within a few years Herm will be a coach again, and Millen will be a suit in somebody’s front office.  This is pretty much the opposite of a meritocracy.

Jimmy Raye was hired to be the offensive coordinator for the 49ers at the age of 64.  He’d been the offensive coordinator for seven teams over the course of his career to that point, and his offenses were always bad.  Yet he got hired again as an old man.  Eight times he was hired for that job.  The Rams hired him twice.  There are examples like this all over the NFL.  Hell, all over professional sports.  Buddy Bell and Trey Hillman both have jobs with major league teams at this very moment.  We are right to put these guys under close scrutiny, because clearly the people who hire them often don’t.

What we’re not right to do is hate for the sake of hating.

Has the leopard changed his spots?  Find out by clicking that thing.  You know, the one that says “continue reading this post”?  Click that sh*t, son!

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To Help With Relief Text REDCROSS to 90999

Chiefs fans and fellow Addicts, there is an old saying that no news is good news.  The meaning behind this is that if you don’t hear anything, at least nothing bad is happening.  This saying, however, is complete bullshit when it comes to the NFL this offseason.  No news is definitely bad news.  So, with the uber-coverage going on with the lockout and appeals, and the totally unwarranted reports of Al Davis surviving from daily injections of Red Bull and virgin blood,* I am going to look forward and review the multiple story lines forming for the Chiefs’ upcoming season.

*After much research and many phone calls, I have found that without a doubt Al Davis has never been nor will be sponsored by Red Bull.  A spokesperson on the telephone assured me that all reports of Al Davis injecting their product while mixed with the blood of virgins, “May in fact be true, but the effects of injecting Red Bull mixed with the blood of other people is not advised, may be detrimental to your health, and any reported results of extending the life of Al Davis have not been evaluated by the FDA at this time.”

Despite the lack of offseason acquisitions and trades, the more I look into next year, the more I see that there are a multitude of appealing plotlines and unanswered questions old and new that I will be watching for.  So let’s choose to ignore the deafening silence of this offseason and take a look at what’s in store if/when the Red and Gold take the field in the 2011-2012 season.

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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.

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I am a born and bred Chiefs fan out of Topeka, Kan. who had the great honor of playing tight end in high school wearing number 88 through the Tony Gonzales years – I actually have no idea how I was able to keep that number considering I was a perennial JV guy.

Recently, I have had to watch the Chiefs from afar as I have spent three of the last five years living in the former Soviet Union (Russia and now Georgia), but during that time my obsession with team has only deepened, as it’s basically one of the few things keeping me feeling American over here. I suppose that counts as a crazy idea in itself – choosing to move to the Republic of Georgia 10 months after their war with Russia, three weeks out of college and six days before my 22^nd birthday.

Anyways, I hope to use this space now and in the future to play GM and apply my occasional insanity to the Chiefs with an idea you probably haven’t thought of in terms of roster moves, organizational changes, etc. every Saturday at 3 p.m. (midnight my time).

So here it goes.

Crazy Idea #1 – Pick up Reggie Bush

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what positions the Chiefs need to address during the draft and eventual free agency and that is a good thing.

In years past, the Chiefs could have taken on any position and found a need.  Such is not necessarily the case anymore.  We have talent on this team, and just a few spots that need upgrading. Those spots, however, are glaring.  You would have to be an idiot not to see them. (Are you reading this Scott Pioli?)

A Second Wide Receiver

In my humble football opinion, it would be absolute professional malpractice for the Chiefs not to sign a free agent wide receiver or at least spend a top pick (first or second round pick) on a wide receiver.

A quick run down of the second wide receiver position tells you why.  Chris Chambers is toast; Terrance Cooper is a special teamer; Verran Tucker a fourth receiver at best; save one or two plays, Dexter Mccluster was unimpressive in his time (definitely not a second receiver);  Quinten Lawrence (why is he still on this team?), and Kevin Curtis (aging, slowing and injury prone). Dwayne Bowe is the only real deal we have, and without help he tends to disappear in games.

More after the jump…

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At the other end of the scale, we have some predictable faces. Thomas Jones matches his performance from 2009, finishing with the 3rd worst Elusive Rating on the season, despite improving his score from 8.6 to 10.5. It’s fair to say that Jones still has a place in this league and we all know that he isn’t in the least bit elusive at this point, but what stands out most is that he was given 245 carries on the season. Given what the Chiefs have in Jamaal Charles, that is simply an inexcusable work-load for a guy who will get you exactly what is there and nothing more.

Our friends at Pro Football Focus just released their elusiveness ratings for the 2010 season. Very interesting read and a very interesting quote about Thomas Jones above.

The Chiefs are bringing Jones back next season and according to Todd Haley, they have a “secret plan” for Jones. Haley mentioned earlier in the offseason that he was going to get Jones to lose some weight. Do any of you actually think a lighter Jones will be a more elusive Jones?

The secret plan for Jones should be that he only gets on the field when Jamaal Charles is hurt or out of breath.

The 2011 Scouting Combine has come and gone and Big Boards have been shuffled based on Combine results.  Some players’ stock rose.  Other players’ stock fell.  While other players’ performances has scouts quoting Dennis Greens’ line of, “They are who we thought they were.”  However, since there has been a reshuffle of Big Boards, it’s time for another Kansas City Chiefs’ Mock Draft.  It is based on Drafttek.com’s Board so if you want to play the mock draft game, you can use that as your players list.
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Remember when the Chiefs signed Kendrell Bell?  I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.  It seemed like such a great move.  And the fan base, naturally, was psyched*.  Unfortunately, as so often happens in sports, things didn’t go as planned.  Bell had never fully recovered from a season-ending shoulder injury suffered with the Steelers in 2004.  2005 showed us a shell of a man, unable to make plays or even get to them.  He was a total non-factor.  It was unfortunate, but it was obvious: Bell was washed up at 25.

*Check out the official Kendrell Bell website.  Still up-and-running.  “The hardest hitter in the league is now the hardest hitter on the web!”  I got a good laugh out of that.  I also voted in the online poll.  The question was “do you think the Chiefs made good moves in preparation for the 2009 season?”  I voted no.  There are now three votes for no and one for yes, which the site has broken down to 74.4% no and 25.6% yes.  Presumably there is a .6% margin of error.  Also, why does this site have a poll about the 2009 Chiefs when Bell’s last year with the team was 2007?  If it was just a graveyard that would be one thing, but someone was still updating it two years after he left?  Some really weird stuff going on in that site.  I put it in my favorites, and will be visiting once weekly, preferably on the sabbath. If someone is still checking the site’s stat counter I want them to know I’m there.

And then a funny thing happened.  Bell was brought back for another year.  Rather than admit their mistake, the Chiefs embraced it.  They started talking about unleashing him in 2006.  He was referred to as a pass-rush specialist despite getting only one sack in 2005.  Kendrell Bell wasn’t the problem, he was the solution.

Of course that isn’t how it worked out.  Bell was just as bad in 2006.  Hardly surprising considering, you know, he still had the same DNA and everything.  But we went through the motions.  An entire second season full of painful-to-watch starts (and one more sack).  Finally, mercifully, another injury endEd Bell‘s career in 2007.  The Chiefs finally had a way to sweep their horrendous mistake under the rug without having to admit they were wrong.  The perfect crime.  Bell was promptly executed in the dungeons below Arrowhead.

How is this relevant?  Well, I assume you’ve read the title.  Thom Jones will be back in 2011.  And, dig this gang: he’s going to be even better than he was in 2010!  The rest of the league is officially on notice.

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While he is still under contract for 2011, there has been some speculation that Kansas City Chiefs RB Thomas Jones would retire following a 2010 season which saw his production decline as the year progressed.

According to a report by Bob Gretz of Bobgretz.com, the Chiefs expect Jones to return for the remainder of his contract.

I know there are some KC fans on this website that will not be happy to see Jones back. While he was productive early in the season, Jones’ numbers saw a sharp decline toward the end of the year. Jones averaged a healthy 4.1 yards per carry over the season’s first eight games. In the team’s last eight game, however, Jones only managed 3.0 yards per carry. The Chiefs noticed this is and drastically cut down on Jones’ carries. Through the first eight games he averaged 17.1 carries per game and through the last eight, only 13.5.

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Now that the 2010 NFL Season has concluded, it is time to focus on the offseason.  Unfortunately, this offseason will be marred by concern over NFL Labor negotiations.  However, since I can’t go up to each negotiator, slap their face, and tell them to get the deal done; I’ll have to find something else to keep myself busy.  Since the draft is a sure thing with or without a new CBA, I figured I would focus on that.

Before reading this I need you to understand three things.  The first is that I am doing this based on the idea of no free agency.  Second, I am pretending that I’m sitting in the General Manager’s seat.  I am not pretending that I am Scott Pioli.  However, it should be known that he and I share our like for smart, high character guys.  Third is that these choices will change many times before the actual draft occurs.  One of the biggest events leading up to the Draft, the NFL Combine, has not yet occurred and so these players will move up and down the board depending on their performance there.  With that being said, here is my Chiefs’ mock draft.
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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…
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We all want to believe we know what we’re talking about.  We want to trust our instincts, feel secure in our football intelligence, and know that our years of watching this team give us an insight into how it operates.  That should be how it works, right?  And to some extent, it does.  There are definitely varying levels of Chiefs knowledge, and football knowledge in general.  But no matter how much we think we know, or how smart we think we are, we’re still wrong all the time. 

And it isn’t just us.  Talking heads, announcers, journalists, nobody can predict game outcomes with any consistency.  Experts’ preseason predictions are inevitably laughable.  Even GMs, those few choice slimeballs at the absolute top level of the football hierarchy, make horrendous mistakes every year.  The draft has been in existence for over 70 years and its still a total crapshoot.  Check out the car Tyson Jackson is driving if you don’t believe me.

Everyone loves to shout it from the rooftops when they get something right.  Understandable.  But its important to acknowledge the other side too.  I am wrong about many things every season.  The IWW Awards is my annual acknowledgment of that.  So without further ado, here are my biggest Chiefs gaffes from the year 2010:

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“The answer is easy if you take it logically”.  Paul Simon in 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover

If you listened to just about any Todd Haley presser last season, then you know that Coach Haley loves him some Thomas Jones.  Above all other Kansas City Chiefs, he sang the praises of Mr. Jones almost ad nausea.  He loved his work ethic, admired his leadership skills, adored his football smarts and gushed about his maturity.  Haley was in love and there was no doubt about it.

I would even venture to say that we all agree with everything Haley said about Mr. Jones.  He does have a stellar work ethic and leadership skills.    But….shouldn‘t this love affair be over, or has Coach Haley talked himself into a corner? 

More after the jump…

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Dear Coach Haley,

Before the upcoming playoff battle in Arrowhead Stadium, I would like to assume the role as spokesperson for the Chiefs Nation, and more specifically the Addicts here at Arrowhead Addict.  I know that we need no introduction as you probably read our site as often as anyone else, so I will spare rehashing things you already know; for instance that we are the best Kansas City Chief’s blog on the internet.  During your mid week preparation I feel that it is our duty to let you know a few things that we feel very strongly about concerning your organization, and the team you have built these past two years.

First and foremost we would like to say congratulations for the season you and your team have had.  It has been very exciting for all of us to go through the ups, downs, and situational head scratching to ultimately finish the season with an AFC West title that we all take pride in.  It has been too long since we tasted sweet victory over our rivals, and this year has been the light at the end of a long black spiraling tunnel our fan base has traveled through the past several years.  For this we are grateful.

Remember as you read this that although we have no monetary ties to the team other than the countless millions we have invested in Chiefs paraphernalia, tickets, parking passes etc, we have just as much emotional and personal investment in this team (and possibly more) than any one of your players or staff members.  We are the reason that your team exists, and the tax money from Jackson County is the reason you have an awesome newly renovated stadium to play in.  On top of that the legendary home field advantage you gain from us is feared throughout the NFL, and is one of the reasons you and your team will not be watching the playoffs from home this year.  So although this letter contains things you may not want to hear from us, I feel you owe it to the Addicts to continue reading…

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pain don't hurt (source: Three Kings tattoo parlor)

At the beginning of the season I promised I’d get a tattoo if the Chiefs made the playoffs.  I like tattoos (although this is only my second), I love the Chiefs, it seemed like a great match.  Of course, I didn’t actually think we’d reach the land of milk and honey.  Few did.  But that doesn’t mean I had any intention of waffling.  When the Chiefs clinched that spot, I was more than happy to fulfill my end of the bargain.  I felt they’d earned it. 

The first place I went was staffed by a fat, dirty hippy with white man’s dreadlocks.  I stood at the counter for five minutes while he told his co-worker an inane story about swimming in the East River (filth is cool!).  When he finally acknowledged my presence and I told him what I wanted, he scoffed, looked at his equally grotesque compatriot, and disdainfully remarked “that shouldn’t be too hard.”  I turned around and walked out without saying a word.  My God did I hate that guy.  I think I still do. 

The second stop was better.  Cute, friendly girl behind the counter who appeared to have decent hygiene.  I told her I wanted the biggest KC Chiefs Arrowhead $250 would buy.  She laughed.  Then she introduced me to John the tattoo artist, who instantly recognized my LOTR ink.  I was sold.  Two hours later I was walking home with a sore shoulder, an empty wallet, and an inflated sense of pride.  Thanks, Three Kings! (and F you, East River tattoo)

That was last week.  The shoulder is still sore, the wallet is still empty, but the pride took a serious hit yesterday.  It isn’t easy to bask in a division championship after yet another humiliating loss to a rival.  All three AFC West teams own a blowout victory over the Chiefs this season.  The combined score in our six divisional games was 153-90.  Think about that for a second.

I’m not trying to say we don’t deserve our playoff spot.  We do.  For all the Raiders’ AFC West heroics, they lost to some pretty bad teams outside the division, as did the Chargers.  Denver, obviously, was a train-wreck.  If anyone from the West deserves a playoff spot, its us. 

Still, this loss definitely tells us a few things, none of them good.  First of all, it tells us all Haley’s noise about improving every week and giving max effort was essentially whistlin’ Dixie.  This team laid down twice in a month in the midst of a playoff race.  Just absolutely laid down.  When evaluating Haley, how can we possibly overlook that?  I’m not going to act like I know why our team came out flat in important games, but I’m not going to pretend it didn’t happen either.  For whatever reason, on multiple occasions our coaching staff did not have these guys ready to play.   

Big Matt Monday continues after the jump:

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I gotta think at least part of him knows how funny this pic is (source: sportsgrindent.com)

I rose from my post-game coma, and the Chiefs were in the playoffs.  Unless I’m ever woken up by a nude Katy Perry bringing me a Long John Silvers breakfast in bed, that will probably go down as the coolest wake up of my life. 

It feels like we all had a hand in this.  Like its something we’ve all been working towards for years.  And in a way, I guess we have.  We toil during the week so we can spend our Sundays as we will (watching football and worshipping vengeful deities).  And we’ve endured countless losses and endless ridicule on those Sundays in the hopes that one day wins would come.  Now they have, and its time to bask in it.   If anyone has earned that right, we have.

For me, said basking will take the form of having ink etched into my skin.  I made that promise, and I intend to keep it.  I wanted to go to Freaks on 39th, where my LOTR tat (Elvish writing is the ultimate aphrodisiac) was masterfully applied.  But they were closed, as was their Broadway counterpart.  My flight was at 5am this morning, so it appears my homage to the 2010 season will have to be done by a Brooklyn artist.  I’m not thrilled about that, particularly since my current city of residence will likely become enemy territory in about a week.  I’ll have to make sure whoever does it isn’t a Jets fan.  And if they are, I go to the restroom and pee on their toilet paper.  Guerrilla warfare baby!

Further ruminations from your boy Big Matt after the jump:

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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!

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I pity all those other teams. Imagine knowing there's a Governor's Cup, but that it will be forever beyond your grasp? (source: goarrowhead.com)

I had assumed the Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Rams were on roughly the same level.  Young, formerly terrible teams taking advantage of a soft schedule to compete in a weak division.  As such, I figured Sunday’s game would be a real nail-biter.  Obviously I was wrong.  Wasn’t the first time (I once called in to Metro Sports Talk to predict good things from Trezelle Jenkins), and it sure as hell won’t be the last. 

There is only one truly resurgent professional football team in Missouri.  The Rams could still make the playoffs, but it would be the result of being in a division that has become a laughingstock, nothing more.  The NFC West is a joke.  It just keeps getting worse.  I’ve never seen a division this bad.  I’m definitely thanking the football gods (Jesus & The Holy Spirit?) we got to pad our record against those clowns.

The AFC West, on the other hand, has gotten better as the season has gone on.  Winning this division wouldn’t necessarily make us a Super Bowl contender, but it would definitely make us deserving of a playoff spot, soft schedule or not. 

So the prestigious Governor’s Cup comes home.  I’d like to stop and smell that rose for a minute.  There was a time when beating the Rams would’ve made my season.  Now I actually sort of like them, and I think Badford will eventually be Goodford.  But I’m happy for all our KC boys in Columbia, MO (COMO) surrounded by obnoxious St. Louis fans*.  They need this.  They sure as hell aren’t getting any help from those sad-sack Royals. 

* Ah, St. Louis.  The land of suburbs, Catholic high schools, cracker-pizza, uninterested football fans, and bland beer everyone pretends is somehow “the best.”  I will say this for them: they’ve got a hell of a zoo. 

More after the jump from your ol’ pal Big Matt:

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“What’s exciting to me as the head coach is we have a lot of guys that really care…These guys care and that is such a refreshing, positive thing out of this group… I’ve heard so many of our coaches, myself included, say this is a fun group to be around and coach, and it’s because they care.”

— Coach Todd Haley (December 5, 2010)

Yes, it’s true—this team cares. And ’tis the season when we all make a point to tell each other just how much we care. We double-check our holiday-card lists and we send the very best (or, in the case of Shaun Smith, reach out and touch someone). So I dug around in the Chiefs’ outgoing mailbag and here, with apologies to the good folks at Hallmark, are a few of the seasons greetings that I found…

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The Kansas City Chiefs are a solid favorite with a 66% chance to beat the Denver Broncos. Thomas Jones is projected for 68 rushing yards and a 43% chance of having at least 1 rushing TD. In the 33% of simulations where Denver Broncos wins, Kyle Orton averages 1.56 TD passes vs 0.51 interceptions, while in losses he has a ratio of 1.1 TDs to 0.96 interceptions. Knowshon Moreno averages 75 rushing yards and 0.67 rushing TDs when Denver Broncos wins and 44 yards and 0.27 TDs in losses. The Kansas City Chiefs has a 82% chance of forcing more turnovers than they commit. Positive turnover margin helps them win 75% of the time. SPREADS / TOTALS: Current Point Spread is KC -9 — Over/Under line is 48.5

What say you Addicts?  I am a little surprised that we are favored to win 66% of the time, considering they kicked our teeth in just a little while ago.  These inter-division games are always tricky.  I am sure Haley will have the team prepared this time.

I would love to know what is going through Bowe's mind during this picture.....or basically any time (source: yardbarker.com)

By my reckoning, yesterday’s game was our first true must-win since January 6, 2007.  On that day, we lost a playoff game we probably didn’t deserve in humiliating fashion*.  We haven’t been part of a playoff hunt since and thus, haven’t had a must-win game.  I’d forgotten what it felt like. 

*After the game Herm did for the first time what would become his main move in KC: blamed the players.  The quote was “I hope these guys learned something about what it takes to win a playoff game.”  This after Herm’s decision to stick with Trent Green cost us any chance we had.  It was at that point that I knew why Jets fans laughed so hard when we actually gave them something for that idiot.  They’re still laughing.  I can’t blame them.  Imagine if some team had given us something for Herm?  I’d've taken Jamarcus Russell and called it a steal. 

I’m sure the term “must-win” has been used for various games over the last three-and-a-half seasons.  Like, “We’re 3-12, this game is must-win!”  But for me that term implies playoff implications.  We’re just now getting to the point of this season where the playoff picture is starting to clarify.  Our division is heating up, and we were losing momentum just as the other teams seemed to be gaining it.  If we’d dropped to .500 against Arizona at home, it would’ve officially been a free-fall.  Make no mistake, this game was a true must-win.

I thought we’d get it done, but I assumed it would be much closer.  We haven’t looked so hot these last few weeks.  This convincing win combined with Oakland’s convincing loss makes a playoff spot seem attainable again.  Now I’ve just got to have my Phillip Rivers voodoo doll ready for tonight.  Methinks this one calls for an increase in pins to the groinal region. 

Your boy Big Matt talks Dwayne Bowe and coaching after the jump:

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Offensive valedictorian was not a hard choice (source: yardbarker.com)

These grades are sure to be a little more controversial, as the offense has sparked much more debate than the defense so far this year.  Their grades are going to be a little worse on average, obviously.  I gots to call it like I see it, sons.  That’s all a man can do. 

I would encourage those of you who disagree with a particular grade to say what you think that player’s grade should be.  Dorsey’s grade of C+ seemed to be the defensive grade most people disagreed with, but few provided grades of their own.  I’m curious to see what others think.  I like to familiarize myself with what commenters’ leanings are.  Community.

A

Jamaal Charles- When you average 6.36 yards per carry, you get an A.  There is no room for an A-minus on this one.  And those who think Charles is one-dimensional are wrong.  He can do everything.  Even his pass blocking, the few times I’ve seen it, has looked high energy.  Technically sound?  I have no idea.  It looks like he’s trying really hard.  Clearly he didn’t take Larry Johnson’s mentoring to heart. 

I happen to think he can handle more carries.  That’s a personal opinion, and as such doesn’t affect the grade.  Also, for the record, I don’t want him to get all the carries, or even most of the carries.  I like having another back to take pressure off him.  I’d like to see Charles getting 20 touches every game, and a few more if the game is very close.  I feel like that’s reasonable, right?  In blowouts by all means bring on Thom Jones or even the Battle-Axe.  That seems like a good way to limit wear-and-tear to me.  Use Charles when it matters most, save him when it doesn’t.  I guess it could be hard to judge those situations game-by-game.  Maybe we could freeze Charles in between games?  Retard the aging process?  I don’t know, I’m just thinking out loud here. 

A -

Tony Moeaki- He may have dropped a key pass Sunday (and that play was unbelievably well set up, too), but he has been a really pleasant surprise.  I mean, there was some hype in mini-camp, but there’s always hype in mini-camp.  I saw Moeaki’s injury history and thought we were looking at the ghost of Brad Cottam, come back to haunt us while Cottam was apparently still alive and on our team.  It literally seemed like a nightmare. 

I’m exaggerating.  Moeaki has exceeded all expectations though.  He may be the player I’m most excited to watch in the second half.

Ryan Lilja- Lilja has been our best offensive lineman thus far.  I’ve watched him as often as possible, and he has almost always looked really good.  The fans (and Whitlock) wanted him, Pioli signed him, he’s doing great.  Nice and easy.  Now bring me Jamarcus Russell and the wish-list will be complete.

The rest of the offensive grades after the jump:

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 Earlier in the year, I took a lot of heat for writing about my concern over the way the Chiefs were handling the Jamaal Charles/Thomas Jones carry distribution. I suggested that even though the Chiefs were winning, I feared that eventually giving Jones more carries than Charles would backfire and cost the Chiefs a game. I was accused of only wanting to write negative things about the Chiefs. Some accused me of trying to fill the void left in the Kansas City media by the departure of Jason Whitlock. Some even outright insulted me.

As the season wore on, I softened my stance a little. The Chiefs were running the ball like nobody’s business no matter who they handed the ball off to. Sure, Charles was still more productive than Jones but Jones was doing a fine job and if they kept Charles fresh, that was fine by me. I even admitted to my buddy Marshal that I might have been wrong about my early criticism of the way Haley was handling the carry split. When he asked me what changed my mind I said “Well, I mean it’s working. If they both can continue to be this productive and the team continues to run for 150 or 200 yards a game I can’t really complain about how they distribute the carries. But the game that concerns me is the Browns game. It was clear in that game that Jones wasn’t getting it done and Haley refused to admit that fact and try Charles. I’m worried about that happening again.”

Now that it has led to a loss, folks are going bonkers in the comments talking about how stupid it was of the coaching staff to keep giving the ball to Jones when it obviously wasn’t working. Yet I was called a fool for saying after the Chargers and Browns victories that the Chiefs could have made things a lot easier on themselves by just giving the ball to Charles a few more times than they gave it to Jones. It was said I was merely trying to “stir up controversy.”

I hope those of you who gave me crap can now appreciate where I was coming from. That being said, I not THAT upset with Sunday’s Jamaal Charles/Thomas Jones carry distribution.

I don’t know if the carry distribution cost the Chiefs Sunday’s game against the Raiders. For all I know, giving Jamaal Charles five more carries might not have made a difference at all. The Raiders were playing man coverage with both safeties in the box for run support and that, combined with having to deal with Richard Seymour, was the most resistance the Chiefs had faced in the running game all year.

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