There Isn't Just One Way to Win in the NFL

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If you're like me, you've spent your past four months' days off waking up around 2, flipping on Nick Wright and scouring Twitter and Arrowhead Pride for the latest Chiefs news, opinions on how the Chiefs could turn (sh)it around, and updates on Brodie Croyle's marriage (no way that lasts right?). Well, you might find yourself as perturbed as I am listening to the exhaustive rhetoric that the only way to win in the NFL is to field an elite QB. I do not believe this to be true. Here's why...

There are all kinds of ways to win in the NFL. Why? Because, by definition, you only have to be one point better than your opponent on that given day. Bad quarterbacks win, good quarterbacks lose, bad defenses trounce, good defenses get trounced, yada yada yada. There's no proven formula for success here.

That's the lesson of this Divisional Round weekend.

~The San Francisco 49ers advanced to Championship Weekend behind a Guinness defense, an unblockable force in Justin Smith, a freak of a tight end, some questionable playcalling, and an amazing display of heart from their QB (who nobody, including me, thought could get it done when it mattered).

~The New England Patriots advanced to Championship Weekend by jumping to an early 14 point lead on a team who, according to most people, is quarterbacked by a 4'9 Jewish carpenter, over-celebrating every defensive play made against that hairy man in sandals (given, it was the first time many of these defenders had actually made a play), and by whipping their Gronks out and slinging them around. And their QB is alright.

~The Baltimore Ravens advanced to Championship Weekend by slowing down the league's best RB in the second half (Ray Lewis and Arian Foster's postgame, futbol-style trading of jerseys was the coolest thing that happened this weekend), growing lucky handlebar mustaches (how else do you explain playing TJ Yates in an NFL playoff game?), and taking advantage of two huge breaks (muffed punt and Yates' conundrum numero uno) that they're also gonna need come next week.

~The New York Giants advanced to Championship Weekend behind a QB who hangs in the pocket as well as anyone, playmaking wide receivers, a defensive secondary that dominated the game long before their feared pass rush did (their defense is built similarly to the Chiefs), outlasting the referees, and taking advantage of a 15-1 (seriously, how did the Packers go 15-1?) team that peaked much too early in the season. (Side note - Brother Eli's success this postseason could provide even more drive/inspiration for Brother Peyton come next year, yet another reason I hope the Chiefs make a play for him.)

The song remains the same - How do you win in the NFL?

The most simplistic answer, and the one that makes my ears bleed, is to employ a great quarterback. However, this might be the most difficult of all strategies to successfully pull off. Elite quarterbacks are an endangered species. By most accounts, there are precisely five ON THE ENTIRE PLANET.

I know some people would like the process to be as simple as losing a bunch of games, getting a top draft pick, and then BAM...Eli Manning (yeah, I said it). It's not though. Even if it were, ask Dan Marino if that's the only necessary ingredient for a gourmet Bowl of Sup.

So some teams get there with great QB play, some teams get their by not making mistakes, some teams get their with an intimidating defense, some teams advance purely because of circumstances or a favorable matchup.

So what's the key then? How do you build a winner if you can't just turn over a rock and find a great QB? And how does that apply to our Chiefs? Well...

• Build around what you DO have (great defense, potential defensive mastermind, dynamic WR's, and hopefully a great RB in God Jam Charles).
• Take what you can get when you can get it (yes, Kyle Orton is eons better than Matt Cassel, a fact I feel so strongly about that I stood on top of a mountain and screamed it at the top of my lungs - IN DENVER, no less). 
• Keep your known valuable quantities (Dwayne Bowe and Brandon Carr are 2 of the 5 most important Chiefs on the roster right now - don't let money be an issue).
• Keep improving the team (beef up that defensive line, build some depth along the offensive line, snag a new tight end, add another RB to the mix).
• Take a chance on one of them danged endangered species (you never know when one might turn up, so keep your eyes open and have a contract ready. That means finding new homes for the domesticated pets - and bring your playbook with you, Tyler/Matt.)

We're not as far off as you fear, folks. The Kansas City Chiefs have a good team. We've seen it in bits and pieces. They can win, and I think they can win next year. There are no dominant teams in the NFL right now like we saw in New England and Indianapolis five years ago (and if there is, then we just manhandled them last month). So keep your heads up Chiefs Nation, ignore this phone tapping story that will be forgotten by the first big snowstorm, and enjoy the final three games of The Beautiful Game (that is, the NFL sans pass interference - notice how it wasn't called this weekend? Mmmm, poetry).

His Dirkness

Should the Chiefs Consider Jimmy Clausen?

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We've slowly but surely come to the realization that Matt Cassel isn't the right quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. While his heart is in the right place, God's plan for him is not. He's killing us all softly, one dump off to SafeDex at a time.

So I begin to look towards who could be the next quarterback for the Chiefs. There is no more important position in sports (although the goalie in hockey sparks an interesting debate), and there's no better time than right now for Kansas City, with a bevy of rising talent on the team (even if 1/3 of them are nursing torn ACL's). Find the right quarterback and the franchise could be set up for the next 10 years.

My biggest fear right now is that the Chiefs are bad, but not quite bad enough to earn themselves the #1 pick in the NFL Draft, and declare victory in the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes (although these next two weeks will show just how serious of contenders we really are).

But before I swan dive into the NFL Draft pool, and convince myself that Landry Jones and his mustache could make even a decent NFL quarterback, I wanted to look around the rest of the NFL for an available, young quarterback. Which brought me to Jimmy Clausen. The former Golden Domer was drafted in the 2nd round in 2010, but will never sniff the field in Carolina now because of The People's Champion, Cam Newton.

So Jimmy Clausen is definitely available, but would he be worth giving a shot? Lets take a closer look...

Clausen's 2010 stats: 13 games, 10 starts, 1-9 record. 157-299 (52.5%), 1,558 yards (5.2 YPA), 3 TD, 9 INT, 9 fumbles. Click here for his game to game stats.

Obviously, those are some rather putrid numbers. However, it was the kid's rookie season and he was throwing the ball to David Gettis, Brandon LaFell, and Steve Smith (at 50% effort). John Fox was a lame duck coach, and there offensive coordinator was somebody named Jeff Davidson (who's past history was as an offensive line coach - sound familiar Chiefs fans?).

Clausen might not be the slam dunk that Luck is, but you can't expect to find a quarterback like that already in the league. You'd have to take a chance on a guy and coach him up. I'd feel stronger about either side of this argument if I had actually watched Clausen play at the professional level, but I have not (I spent my time last year actually focusing on my team - novel concept, eh?).

Jimmer will definitely get his shot in the league at some point. Quarterbacks with talent inevitably do. It would be real interesting to see what he could do with some playing time this year if Cam were to get nicked up at any point and time. Clausen could earn himself an immediate chance with a good game or two.

Conclusion: I'd definitely consider the option of acquiring Jimmy Clausen, and would be interested to see what the Panthers asking price was, however I don't think I would pull the trigger on a quarterback that hasn't shown much at the pro level, at a time when rookie quarterbacks are performing better than ever.

Although, this post was written more for the point of creating discussion on the topic, so I'd love to hear if any of you think Jimmy Clausen is worth giving a shot?

His Dirkness

Chiefs/Bills Rewatch Thoughts

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Enough time had passed, and with a little help from my green friends, I was able to stomach a rewatch of the Kansas City Chiefs opening day massacre. I had a multitude of thoughts from watching the game, as anybody who follows me on Twitter noticed around 3 am last night. And since I'm too unmotivated to organize them, I'm simply going to regurgitate them to you all on here.

But first, some of the broader points I took away after the rewatch:

~Everybody is being too harsh on Todd Haley. Yes, this game completely falls on him. His preseason plan completely backfired, and the team, and the young players in particular, were unprepared to take the field on Sunday. But the dude was coach of the year last year. He took us from nowhere to the playoffs in two seasons, so give him some due. The biggest knock on him is a horrific preseason, which, in the grand scheme of things, seems kinda silly. Now, if this effort continues throughout the entirety of this season, I'll be singing a different tune. But for now, I'll back off.

~People aren't being harsh enough on Matt Cassel and Bill Muir. In the heat of the game, I failed to realize the ridiculousness of the offensive gameplan. I'm not sure if they were worried about Cassel's injured ribs, but the number of short passes was mind boggling. The offensive line actually did a decent job, but Cassel looked completely incapable of pushing the ball down field. This can't continue (And yes, I realize the hiring of Muir falls on Haley, and that is most certainly a negative, but I choose to keep a long term open mind on the head coach).

Now to the quick hitta's:

• The Chiefs best play of the opening 4 of the game was getting destroyed on a 9 yard run
• Miss a tackle, take a seat #YoureUpFirstSheffield (Could not believe the excessive missed tackling. This falls under the team being unprepared, and/or lack of testicular fortitude)
• Javier did absoutely nothing on their TD. This guy has yet to make one positive play on defense in his career. Am I wrong? (I actually was wrong, Arenas put a good hit on Fitzpatrick later on in the game)
• 2nd kickoff: Dexter hesitates, #Chiefs hold, Bills facemask. And it goes to spot of Chiefs penalty? Is that a correct call? @MikePereira (Mike still hasn't gotten back to me)
• Bill Muir's first time calling plays in his career. You shouldn't be hiring a first timer unless he's 35 or younger. (Close to moving on from Muir after one game)
• Chiefs who have responded to early adversity: Leonard Pope, Jamaal Charles (list grew to include Tamba Hali, and that's it really)
• Cassel REALLY wanted to hit Terrence Copper on that slant. Cassel takes abominably bad sack. #Thesearethedaysofourlives (opening plays by our offense)
• If I were a Raiders or a Broncos fans I would call us the Kansas City McGraws (hope this doesn't catch on)
• Replacing Eric Berry with Jon McGraw is like replacing Scarlett Johansson with Glen Rice (Scar Jo nudes were a little disappointing. Frankly, she seems hotter with her clothes on)
• Ryan Fitzpatrick > Jay Fiedler (Ivy Leaguers)
• Why so many rollouts in Chiefs gameplan? Did they run any successful rollouts last year? (Really didn't understand the continuous Popey rollouts)
• That 3rd and 7 swing to Jamaal was maybe the worst play I've ever seen. 4 Bills running at him unblocked. FireMuir.com? (starting to see my turn on Muir)
• Gilberry pressure. Carr breakup. +1 a piece
• I couldn't yell Fuck Shawne Merriman loud enough on Sunday #Oneofthebettermemories
• 3rd down pass to Bowe was PI. Defender grabs his arm. Should be called way more than tiny body contact. #Ihateyoupassinterference
• BIG PLAY FROM JON MCGRAW! #NoReally
• Big 3rd and 6 - McGraw 1 on 1 with Something Nelson. #ThatOneIsOnCrennel
• Fitzpatrick absolutely pinpoints 2 passes for Bills to score 2nd touchdown (Chiefs were playing good defense at this point outside of the Caucasian Invasion at safety)
• Richardson destroyed on a draw, minus 1
• Nick Barnett sure would look nice in red #32millaintsobadClark
• If Jake O'Connell would've dropped that pass, he would've become the quickest cut player in NFL history. #Grammar
• How could Leonard Pope celebrate after clearly not catching the TD?
• Interesting shot of Todd Haley screaming into headset after Pope's overturned TD. Can't make out what he's saying. Tried over and over. (Even tried slow motion)
• Cassel went down like a pocket vagina in his first 2 sacks (Yes, I'm running with that nickname if this season falls apart)
• Cassel had a terrible game in Week 1 last season. And the final week. He struggles with firsts and lasts.
• I feel like it has been an overreaction, in large, to Week 1. Lack of response is worrisome. Perhaps more telling of mentality than talent. (This may have been my biggest takeaway from the game. A lot of the team's shortcomings were due to circumstances that you will not see every week. The most troubling part was the lack of response from 95% of the team. They were completely unable to man up.)
• Our pass rush isn't getting it done. Interior push is nonexistent.
• Kendrick just got punked (Coulda said this 4 or 5 times. Possibly the most disappointing player of the game)
• Gilberry with 2 first half pressures. You still my boy @Gilberry92! (He knows, he knows)
• Appeared to have a reverse called on the kick return there. Never got close to happening. (At least we were trying some things to mix it up)
• So we have no idea if Jamaal actually fumbled that football? (Camera angles were completely unable to capture when the ball came out)
• Flowers becoming a little too vulnerable to a soft push off (B-Flow either has to bulk up or play more physical because he got pushed around a little bit)
• I see absolutely nobody even attempting to rally the Chiefs in the first hlaf. Who are the leaders on this team? (I only feel comfortable saying that Tamba Hali was trying to fire up his teammates during this debacle)
• No reason for Cassel to rush that play before the 2 minute warning. -1 Time management.
• Just ran our 2nd and goal play for Jake O'Connell (-1 for Muir)
• Chiefs only touchdown was inches away from being a pick 6. And you thought 41-7 was bad...
• Piscitelli cheering for himself way too much on his only good play
• Big play - Bills 13 yards on quick slant to get to 3rd and 1. Chiefs not allowed to add more points before half.
• 3rd and 1 perfect display of Chiefs awfulness. DJ missed tackle. Just out of Tamba's reach. Flowers gets manhandled.
• Gannon almost at a loss for words after our multitude of dumpoffs to Pope (Went on quite a rant talking about how you rarely see teams call the exact same play repeatedly. Muir.)
• Master Kim alright! (If you know, you know)
• Tamba trying to get the team fired up. Noted. (See, I told ya)
• Horrible coverage from Kendrick (Rinse. Repeat.)
• Encouraged by the play I've seen from Charles and Tamba (Less worried about Charles after this game)
• Belcher with a good play on the goal line.
• @getnickwright Your boy Amon Gordon was a manimal on a couple goal line plays in 3rd Q (Look for more playing time out of this man)
• I'd fine the Chiefs defensive players for giving up that TD after 2 false starts (And give it to season ticket holders)
• Pretty sure tight end was wide open because Kendrick blew his coverage (Either he or Javier, couldn't pinpoint)
• Thought for sure Jamaal was seriously injured on the awkward hit he took (Would've been the icing on the cake)
• 3 Offensive PI's the Bills got away with by my count. Probably why we lost.
• Just noticed the KC Wolf dressed up like a cheerleader. Its pretty disturbing. (He looked like Sabby Piscitelli)
• Even tho Flowers got beat some, I feel good about how he played
• Is there any doubt LeRon McClain hates being a Chief right now?
• The tackling was piss poor. The rookies looked shell shocked. Both due to being unprepared. This falls on Haley.
• Studebaker didnt really play at all on defense. Why?
• Bills Chiefs got so out of hand that Rich Gannon was talkin Super Bowl rings with Ryan Fitzpatrick (Got to lovvvvve The Fitz)

Fin

Kansas City Chiefs (8-4) Thoughts

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(This post was somewhat inspired by Sports Illustrated's Peter King who writes the Monday Morning Quarterback, which is so epic I need to devote an entire night to read, comprehend, and properly analyze it. Tis incredible.)

My Arrowhead experience was filled with a little bit of everything on Sunday. We were wrongfully directed away from fancy-boy parking towards common-folk parking, which was tough for our pinky-extending carload to accept, until some nice Kansas City tailgating folk filled our bellies with baked potato soup. Then, we cut it too close to game time by trying to pound the last of our Red Dogs, forcing me to sprint through the concourses with juke moves that JamaAL would envy, while listening to this. Then while trying to ignore the "F-you Mays" and "F-you club level" chants being hurled from over my shoulder, my Chiks-appeal took full effect with a Denver fan sitting next to me offering to take me home in his suitcase. Not so fast my friend, you're gonna have to wait in line behind this Chiefs fan next to me, who's making moves I tend to only accept from Asian philly's. Luckily, I was wearing multiple layers of protection.

I was not surprised to see Josh McDingleberry (not to be confused with Wallace Dean Gilberry, who has been too busy playing peacekeeper to get after the QB - he will get a sack against San Diego) fired after the game on Sunday. His inexcusable decision to punt on a 4th and 5 with under 3 minutes to play reeked of McDude giving up on his team. It almost makes me wonder if he knew of his fate prior to the game. They faced a 4th and 4 and their own 39 yard line with the score at 10-6. Even if you don't convert, a Chiefs field goal doesn't end the game. However, one Chiefs first down DOES end the game. This was the single worst in-game coaching decision I've seen this season. Gary Pinkel was screaming at his TV.

On the other end, Todd Haley really has his hand on the pulse of this team. His players love him. When Mike Vrabel and Shaun Smith enter the game on offense, the entire Chiefs sideline gets invigorated, while the Arrowhead crowd goes from diesel truck loud to rock concert loud (I'm picturing a Gwar concert). The same goes for his 4th down decisions. Young NFL players love going for it on 4th downs. Harvard educators love going for it on 4th downs. Old conservative people dislike going for it on 4th downs. Well I say put down the Kentucky Gentlemen old man, and get yourself a Four Loko, because this is a new generation of Kansas City Chiefs football.

This leads me to the Barry Richardson situation. He threw a Dirkness-like (Taylor Martinez-induced) tantrum on the sidelines. He even pushed special teams coach Steve Hoffman (wait, I know Steve Hoffman! You bastard!). Instead of villainizing Richardson after the game, Todd Haley stuck up for him. He spoke about how he loved the passion he was seeing from his players in the middle of a playoff race. It was pretty special to listen to. Again, Kansas City's players love him.

Jack Harry didn't think so though, nah-unh! He makes a ridiculous analogy in the following video that I can't make any sense of. Go to the 1:00 mark of this video and tell me if you understand....



Yea Jack Harry! Way to set sports journalism back another 10 years! Moving on....

Matt Cassel is starting to look more and more like Tom Brady. No, it's not the awesome haircut. And no, it's not the game winning drive that we're going to see from him in the Super Bowl this year. It's the way he's perfecting the art of the checkdown. Brady is the checkdown master, oftentimes converting 3rd and 7-10's by way of accurately swinging the ball to a running back (used to ALWAYS be Kevin Faulk, now it's more the rich man's Rex Burkhead- Danny Woodhead). This play is wildly effective if you hit your running back in stride, who should have a decided speed advantage on a linebacker in man coverage. These can be the easiest yards in football to gain.

To conclude my Chiefs thoughts, the best two players on the field on Sunday were Champ Bailey and Brandon Carr. It was hyped as a game between two top-flight receivers Dwayne Bowe and Brandon Lloyd. Cha(u)mp Bailey shut down the NFL's hottest player, holding Bowe to 0 catches (should have had one that was called back due to a ridiculous offensive pass interference call). Carr helped limit Lloyd to only 2 catches, while tallying 5 pass breakups, an incredible number. Big props to Carr, who's worst games of his career have come against the Denver Broncos. Well, he made up for it on Sunday, turning in the best game of his career.

For those of you clamoring for my thoughts on Nebraska's defeat in the Big 12 Championship, read this.

His Dirtyness

What do we have in Matt Cassel?

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The Kansas City Chiefs' starting quarterback has been everything we've been asking for over the past month. In fact, no NFL quarterback has posted a higher QB rating since the calendar page flipped to October. Matt Cassel has given us two of his best performances of his career the past two weeks to silence the critics that were growing louder by the week. All you heard the first four weeks of the season was how good the Chiefs could be if they had a good QB. Cassel has quietly put together some solid stats though, and there has never been any question about his dedication to the team or his passion to win.

Tell me if this picture, combined with his recent behavior, reminds you of anyone?

The feistiness. The fire. The fist pumps. The over-exuberance. The dorkiness. It could only be one man: Jake Delhomme. Look, Delhomme was not the most talented quarterback to come along, but he inspired his teammates and they believed in him. They went to battle with him because they knew how much he wanted to win. Jake the Snake came into the league under similar circumstances as Cassel (Delhomme undrafted, Cassel a 7th round pick). Delhomme didn't get his first chance to lead a team until 28 (Cassel at 26). They were both counted out and have both shown an incredible amount of heart. Delhomme, paired with a strong running game and stout defense, led his Carolina Panther team to a Super Bowl. Can Matt Cassel be our Jake Delhomme?

The three main responsibilities of a quarterback are:

1. Be efficient on 3rd downs.

2. Avoid mistakes like interceptions, fumbles, and sacks

3. Be at your best in the 4th quarter.

So how is Cassel fairing in these three categories? Let's dive into it....

1. Third Downs:

• Cassel's stats on 3rd downs: 25-47, 328 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 89.7 QB rating.
• Chiefs 3rd down conversion rate: 29-77, 37.7%, 21st in NFL.
• Chiefs 3rd down conversion rate (last 2 games): 15-27, 55%, would be good enough for #1 in NFL.
• Analysis: Cassel has shown improvement over the last two games. The third down stats are a bit skewed because of our inability to run for 3rd and short yardage (which is perplexing given our gaudy rushing game stats). This is, and will continue to be, the ultimate judgment stat on Cassel in my eyes.
• Grade: C+ (would've been D two games ago)

2. Avoid Mistakes:

• Cassel's fumbles: 1 fumble (you might remember this as the play he fumbled twice), 0 fumbles lost: Chiefs have fewest fumbles and fumbles lost in the NFL.
• Cassel's INT's: 3 interceptions: Tied for 3rd best in NFL
• Cassel's sacks: 5 sacks (fewest in the NFL!).
• Analysis: Cassel's worst trait coming into this year was his affinity for getting sacked. Leading the league in that category is astonishing and speaks for both Cassel and the offensive line's improvement. The lack of interceptions and fumbles is just gravy on top. I had no idea the Chiefs were that effective in these categories until I looked them up.
• Grade: A+

3. 4th Quarter:

• Cassel's 4th quarter stats: 23-42, 225 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 78.0 QB rating.
• Cassel's 2nd half stats: 43-72, 586 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT, 108.9 QB rating.
• Cassel's stats in last 2 minutes of half: 15-25, 196 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 81.4 QB rating.
• Analysis: Cassel has been good but not great in the 4th quarter. He played mistake free in the 4th against San Diego (partial credit). He put together somewhat of a game-winning drive in the 4th quarter against Cleveland (full credit). He couldn't come up with a play against Indianapolis (full blame). The Texans game came down to a called pass play on 3rd and 2, where I'm not sure how much choice Cassel had in the matter, with the primary receiver smothered (partial blame). Jacksonville and San Francisco games were already decided. Adding it up, it's a complete wash.
• Grade: C

Other intriguing situation stats from Matty Ice (geek alert!):

• When throwing "Wide Left" (2010): 11-30, 143 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 46.9 QB rating.
• When throwing on 4th down (2010): 3-4, 31 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 136.5 QB rating.
• When throwing on 4th down (career): 18-24, 186 yards, 7 TD, 2 INT, 101.7 QB rating.
• When throwing with a lead in the game (2010): 108.0 QB rating.
• When throwing when behind in the game (2010): 65.9 QB rating.
• All 3 INT's of 2010 have happened in the 2nd quarter.
• Cassel actually posts his lowest QB rating on 1st down (71.9), universally considered the friendliest QB down.

His Deyirknessssss

2010 Kansas City Chiefs (3-1) Thoughts

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I'd like to start by saying the Chiefs satisfied all of my expectations against the Colts, a Super Bowl team in a near must-win situation at home. I sense people freaking out a little bit today, perhaps because we had such a good chance to win the game, but I assure you we need not. Lets just dive right into the thoughts....


~Most people are fretting over our unconventional wisdom used in attempt to win the game. I liked (didn't love) the opening onside kick (which would've been recovered if not for a bad bounce and backwards roll-possibly the first thing that didn't go our way this season). I didn't like (but understand why) we went for it on 4th down on our opening drive, believing that field goals weren't going to be enough to win this game. Haley may have felt a bit overmatched in the game, and found it necessary to take those risks to give us a chance. If we learned anything from the game, it was that we weren't inferior to the Colts. Haley was incorrect in his thinking prior to the game although I don't fault him for thinking that way. I thought the same way. And the fact that we weren't overmatched is great news.

Next I'll address the two goats from Sunday...

~Goat #1- Matt Cassel- He is what we thought he was. All of Cassel's problems stem from a lack of experience. Remember he didn't play a lick in college, so he's entering his third season as a starter since high school, which is behind where most rookies are when coming into the NFL. Is this a defense of him? Kinda. He needs experience. The problem is, if we give him the experience, I don't think the payoff is worth it. So I'm ready to move on from him, only a solution isn't to be had until the season is over. This means constantly complaining about him isn't the answer. As fans, supporting him is all we can do. Despite the temporary enjoyment booing provides, it isn't the answer. If things got bad enough, and they'd have to be pretty bad, I would consider giving Crodie Broyle a shot, but we'd have to be pretty desperate.

~Goat #2- Dwayne Bowe- Obviously, the drop was a killer for this game. Obviously, he needs to make the catch. Should we stop throwing to him? No. I'd throw it to him more. Almost inexplicably, I believe D-Bowe is going to make up for it. Just call it a hunch. We will be singing Bowe's praises before the end of this season. We can't afford to get rid of him, he's all we've got. You would really see a lack of a passing game if we ridded ourselves of him. The troubling part of his drop was how well he went through all of the motions prior to (not) hauling it in. It's just a matter of concentration. I know he's on everyone's last nerve, but sometimes patience can pay off dearly.

How about some heroes from the game, most of whom reside on the defensive side of the ball...

~Glenn Dorsey- This man has developed into a beast. He's all over the field. I'm convinced he is the next Richard Seymour. Remember, this is only his second year at this position, and he has been rapidly improving. A few more years of that and he'll find himself at a Pro Bowl. Romeo Crennel is a defensive line guru, given the improvement of all the linemen from last year to this year. This should also give us hope for the future of Tyson Jackson, who has been less than impressive in his year and a game thus far.

~Tamba Hali- Searched frantically for a picture of Hali bleeding profusely and rubbing it all over Peyton Manning while screaming, "You don't know where I've been!" ala Tyler Durden. Couldn't find it. I'm not sure if he was chewing glass during the game or ceremoniously bit the head off of an animal during halftime, but he should keep doing it. The man singlehandedly rattled Peyton Manning and dominated the 3rd quarter. Also, he has finally earned the nickname that I've been saving for him, Muhammad Hali.

~Branden Albert- The question mark has been detached from Albert's label as a Left Tackle. He dominated Dwight Freeney on Sunday. Freeney made a nice play on a Charles draw (which wasn't Albert's fault) and drew a (bogus) holding penalty on Albert. Don't remember hearing his name another time. Also, Albert didn't mind me interrupting his quiet dinner with three lovely ladies following the NBA game in KC on Monday night, which you have to respect.

~Brandon Flowers- It's time for this kid to start getting mentioned along the top cornerbacks in the game. Does he even allow completions anymore? If he's not playing the week before the Super Bowl this year, it'll be a crime. I could not be more excited about his matchup with the best WR in the NFL, Andre Johnson, next week. Can he handle his height and strength?

~Other unsung bright spots from Sunday's game:

• Jon McGraw- Usually saved for punchline status, he filled a nice role shutting down Dallas Clark most of the day. He even picked off a pass and then searched for the first Colt to softly coddle him to the ground.
• Brandon Carr- Did a solid job opposite B-Flow, almost had a one-handed INT in the end zone, and played a few passes as well as he could before they were ultimately caught.
• Brian Waters- Anybody notice him step in at Left Tackle when Albert missed a series due to injury? I believe we ran to the opposite side of the line on those plays, but the versatility is awfully impressive.
• Wallace Gilberry- Is it me or does this dude make a big play every game? LOVE me some Wallace Dean Gilberry (eh eh?)
• Derrick Johnson- He done played good.

I love where the Chiefs are at and loved watching the team take part in a nationally relevant game. And I love how mentally soft the San Diego Chargers proved to be in their loss to Oakland, making our loss all but a wash in the division. I saw more things to like out of our team on Sunday than things not to like. My biggest question now is how do we respond to a loss? Can we keep our confidence about ourselves? I'll be in Houston, to find out for sure, in a very winnable game against a struggling Texans team.

Dirkness

Kansas City Chiefs 2010 Madden-ness Ratings

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Since so much of my football knowledge has been attained from simply playing the video game, Madden, deep into the hours of the night, I thought I'd take a stab at playing Jesus (Spanish dialect) and rating the Chiefs assets going into the 2010 NFL season.

A quick tangent on the Madden series of football games: Once upon a time I always prided myself on the fact that no matter how old I grew, I would never stop playing video games, especially Madden (and to a lesser extent NCAA Football). Painstakingly, I am now one of these yaps that just can't find the time to sit down and enjoy an hour of scheming and exercising my instincts to the fullest en route to a Madden victory. Where have I gone wrong? What is this phenomenon that separates adults from video games? Is it an imagination drought? I find myself missing it, but don't reach near the same level of satisfaction as I once did. In spite of this, I still find little John Maddens coursing through my veins. In fact, a good majority of my football knowledge (mostly random and useless), whether it be play design, name recognition around the league, or specific players' Alma Maters, comes from my Madden anthology, ranging from 1999 to 2009.

The results of this exercise are two-fold: a. A quick action judgment on all of the Chiefs players and playettes, b. My prognostication on what the final 53 man roster will look like after training camp has subsided. The ratings are based on a 1-100 scale ranging from Jamarcus Russell's work ethic to Ndamukong Suh's barbarity.


Quarterbacks:
Matt Cassel- 81
Brodie Croyle- 71
Tyler Palko- 57

Running Backs:
Jamaal Charles- 88
Thomas Jones- 85
Jackie Battle- 73

Fullbacks:
Mike Cox- 64
Tim Castille- 62

Wide Receivers:
Chris Chambers- 83
Dwayne Bowe- 82
Dexter McCluster- 74
Jerheme Urban- 73
Quentin Lawrence- 60

Tight Ends:
Leonard Pope- 77
Tony Moeaki- 73
Jake O'Connell- 41

Offensive Line:
Brian Waters- 88
Branden Albert- 84
Ryan Lilja- 80
Ryan O'Callaghan- 76
Casey Wiegmann- 72
Rudy Niswanger- 69
Colin Brown- 68
Barry Richardson- 64
Jon Asamoah- 64
Ikechuku Ndukwe- 61

Defensive Line:
Glenn Dorsey- 86
Ron Edwards- 75
Wallace Gilberry- 74
Tyson Jackson- 71
Shaun Smith- 68
Alex Magee- 65
Garrett Brown- 62

Linebackers:
Tamba Hali- 90
Demorrio Williams- 78
Derrick Johnson- 76
Andy Studebaker- 75
Mike Vrabel- 72
Jovan Belcher- 69
Corey Mays- 69
Cameron Sheffield- 67

Cornerbacks:
Brandon Flowers- 91
Brandon Carr- 85
Javier Arenas- 74
Maurice Leggett- 70
Donald Washington- 64

Safeties:
Eric Berry- 80
Jarrad Page- 75
Kendrick Lewis- 71
Jon McGraw- 70
Dajuan Morgan- 62

Specialists:
Dustin Colquitt- 93
Ryan Succop- 90

Thy Dirkness

Chiefs' 5 Biggest Questions Pre-Training Camp

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1. Does Matt Cassel have any Trent Green in him?

Cassel went through his share of struggles last year, but was consistently guided along with the understanding that he didn't have much help. That will not save him this year. I don't think the offense, or maybe I should say the passing game, was improved upon a whole lot from last year, but continuity and cohesiveness should be elevated. Trent Green went through the same struggles his first year with the Chiefs, leading the league in interceptions, before coming into his own his sophomore season. The team's success, as well as Cassel's future in the league, will hinge on his performance this season. Pairing Thomas Jones with Jamaal Charles should provide an astute running game to help keep the pressure off of him, while it remains unclear how much immediate help Jerhame Urban, Tony Moeaki, and Dexter McCluster will provide in the passing game this year. The weight of the offense will come down to Cassel, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, and head coach Todd Haley, with Cassel being the leader in the clubhouse for scapegoat if things falter.


2. Is Branden Albert a legitimate NFL Left Tackle?

Albert's struggles seemed to have stemmed from his enforced diet plan handed down by authority last training camp (which is starting to seem like more of a tone-setting message from Haley with long term implications with a few accepted short term pitfalls- Albert being one of them). His performance improved as the season went on (and as Grandma Larry got further away) along with the rest of the offensive line. Most pundits had the Chiefs selecting an offensive lineman, presumably a Left Tackle, with their first pick in this year's draft. They put a lot of faith in Albert by ignoring the supposed best Left Tackle prospect in Oklahoma State's Russell Okung. Interior help was added in free agents Ryan Lilja (projected starting RG) and Casey Weigmann (I envision him in a backup role), which puts the pressure on the outside pair of Albert and Ryan O'Callaghan. Best case scenario is that Albert was playing below preferred weight, which Haley figured out and now knows how to use him best (remember he was ahead of schedule as a rookie). Worst case scenario is that he is playing out of position and they waited one year too long to pull the trigger (which might seal Cassel's fate in the process).


3. How quickly can Eric Berry develop?

Look, I think Berry is going to eventually become a stud (most highly drafted safeties do, plus the fact of working with defensive guru Monte Kiffin at Tennessee last year), the only question in my mind is when. The defense is undeniably void of playmakers. Tamba Hali is probably one, and well, lets just leave it at that. The success of our defense may be dependent on his development rate (due to the inexplicable decision to not target another rush Linebacker). The other hope is that defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel will implant more exotic schemes to help hide the lack of talent in the front seven. Otherwise, it may be up to Error Bear, which is an awful lot to ask out of a rookie, no matter how promising he may appear to be.


4. What position will Glen Dorsey play?

Rumblings in the offseason revolved around a potential position switch moving Dorsey to the Nose Tackle position of the three down linemen. It doesn't make sense to me. I get that they might be trying to make room for 2009 draftee Alex Magee (remember him?) at Defensive End, but Dorsey simply isn't big enough. We have a position to fill at the Nose, and this move might maximize our talent on the field, but I think the negatives still outweigh the positives. We were pushed around enough with much bigger Ron 'The Dawn' Edwards squatting up the gut. The fact of the matter, is that everybody at One Arrowhead Drive is praying that Dorsey and fellow first round disappointee, Tyson Jackson, make significant improvements this year, or changes will have to be made. There is entirely too much money tied up in the two of them for what little production they are providing. It's tough to tell whether the rumors of the switch were a media creation or actual thinkings of the Chiefs brass, but there is little question that improvements along the defensive front are essential to the Chiefs' chances of fielding a defense worthy of contention.


5. How much of an impact will Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel make?

Championship experience. That's what General Weis and Colonel Crennel bring to the table. They have designed schemes, made gameplans, and called plays in the biggest game of them all (multiple times). If there was one thing the Chiefs were missing last year, it was an ignorance of what it took to win games. The team is/was young, the coaching staff new, and the veterans that have been around haven't seen many games go their way. Weis and Crennel could bring a sense of culture shock to the team. There is absolutely zero question that these two will be an upgrade from who we had dialing up plays in 2009, but how quickly will we see the results? I almost wander if Pioli threw Haley into the fire by overfilling his plate with responsibilities to show him exactly what it took to be successful, and to shrink his head in the process. It's entirely possible that 2009 was completely thrown away to lay a foundation for the future, which I'm totally cool with since last year is long gone, and we're on to 2010. I'll put it this way- If I were a casual observer of the NFL as a whole, Weis and Crennel would be the line of reasoning for projecting the Chiefs to be a surprise team this year.

El Jeffeness

2009 Kansas City Chiefs thoughts

As tough as this is right now, I'm gonna try and put out some words on what I'm seeing from the Kansas City Chiefs this year (tissues are nearby).

First, I need to get something off my chest though. I was offered free tickets to each of the last two games. I didn't go either Sunday. Warp back to three years ago, and this was unheard of to me. I would feel embarassed to even call myself a fan. Here's the thing though: I don't feel like I'm in the wrong. I liken it to a friend becoming an alcoholic (analogy alert!). Lets call him Nate. Now, Nate (The Chiefs) has recently started drinking too much (Carl + Herm + Haley), and gets irrational when he does (bad drafts in the 2000's). I don't really want to to see Nate when he gets like this (not going to the games), but I still want to support him (watching them on TV). So what do you do? You lie to yourself, tell yourself its not that bad, keep an eye on the situation from afar and wait for it to pass over. Now is this being the best friend in the world? No, but its atleast keeping you sane. I don't want to see the joke that his life (Arrowhead Stadium) has recently become, and want to remain naive to preserve his friendship (sacredness of Arrowhead). Arrowhead just needs some time to itself and a bottle of Hennessy.

Now on to actual thoughts about the team...

Charlie Weis- It seems to make too much sense for it not to happen. He's familiar with Scott Pioli and Todd Haley. He seems to run a similar offense to what Haley runs and likes. He's been a good coordinator in the past, and will most likely be looking to return to that position. Haley needs to hire an offensive coordinator to get better control of the game (and if he doesn't want one, then he needs to go). Pioli will need to make some sort of move before free agency starts to get this season off the fans' minds. I see a strong chance of this happening.

Matt Cassel- He has looked shaky at best the last couple of weeks. His biggest problem is that he seems to get uncomfortable at times. This is the exact problem you'd expect from a quarterback without much game experience. He needs games under his belt. The good news is that we can give him that experience. Remember how bad Trent Green was in his first year with the Chiefs (led the league in INT's)? How did he turn out? Green lacked experience the same way Cassel does. Now I don't envision Cassel becoming as good as Trent (Top 10 quarterback) was, but he could be in the 10-15 range in the league, and I do think we can win with him. His biggest asset is that he performs well in crucial moments. He has led successful drives at the end of games against the Raiders (first game), Cowboys, and Steelers (twice). He makes plays to win games (his teammates don't always respond, i.e. Chambers vs. the Bills). I remain sold on Cassel for now, and would like to see him with a better offensive line. However, next year will be his last year as the undisputed starter if he continues to stuggle.

Defense- The Chiefs defense lacks the same thing it has since Derrick Thomas: Leadership. They try to appoint people as leaders (Shawn Barber, Kendrell Bell, Derrick Johnson, Mike Vrabel, Mike Brown), but leadership needs to be earned, not given. We have three solid pieces to build around: Hali, Flowers, and Carr. We have some overpaid underachievers: Dorsey, Jackson, and DJ. We have some role players that would be good not playing every down: Edwards, McGraw, Brown, Page, Mays, and Belcher (too many). I just noticed that I named every starter except Mike Vrabel/Andy Studebaker. There's our answer. Vrabel is best off becoming co-defensive coordinator and Studebaker is best off starring in preseason games. So what's the solution?

Shawne Merriman- But, Nic, isn't he your most hated player in the league?? Yes, yes he is. That is until he leads the Chiefs in double-digit sacks. I learned years ago with Freddie Mitchell that I can learn to like anybody that puts on a Chiefs uniform. Merriman will become a free agent after this year and has a pretty rocky relationship with general manager A.J. Smith that will in all likelihood lead to his departure. Merriman is having a down year (4 sacks), but we all know that he has the potential to be a force. He is coming off a major knee injury suffered last year, which can take a year or two to overcome (perfect timing), or could possibly be the end of his career (Lights out!). The Chiefs would be forced to overpay which makes the move somewhat risky. I, however, feel in favor of taking the chance because I know I'd be getting a player fully motivated (Lights on!) after switching teams to a division rival.

This will be the first of many posts on the Chiefs franchise, and completes the trifecta of writing about "my teams" (Chiefs, Nebraska Football, KU Basketball). I hope this comforts some of the hopelessness felt by a beaten down, once proud, Chiefs fanbase. Stay tuned for what I think the Chiefs need to address in the upcoming draft (only 5 months away!) and how I see the NFL season playing out.