The Kansas City Chiefs' Competitive Disadvantage?

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My Best & Worst article went up on Arrowhead Pride today, a website that I'm very honored to write for. However, a large portion of a take I was very proud of was edited out (and understandably so, editor Joel Thorman knows what's best his for site better than I do). But I'd like for the take to be heard because I believe it is original, thought-provoking, and relevant.

Here is that excerpt...


Worst way to watch your team go down - Not at full strength. However, it's not the injuries that bother me (although it's somewhat maddening to feel like it's happening AGAIN). Those are just a part of the game though. What really grinds my gears is the suspension of Tamba Hali for his alleged involvement with a soon-to-be decriminalized plant that serves actual medicinal purposes. Look, we all know the Pro Smoke A Bowler was busted for the hippy lettuce in one way or another. Now, regardless of if you think marijuana should be legalized or not (a debate that has zero place in this forum), I'd like you to consider the following scenario:

Imagine Tamba Hali played for the Denver Broncos (ducks), and was caught doing whatever it was that he got caught doing here in Kansas City. What would the penalty have been for the exact same "crime"? To the best of my knowledge, Hali would've received a citation at most, avoided any arrest, and thus, would've foregone any punishment via the NFL. Therefore, aren't Kansas City players at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to their recreational drug habits? Is this fair? It pisses me off to think this may have played a vital role in the Chiefs eventual 0-1 start to this season. End rant.

I'd love to hear anybody's thoughts on this matter via the comments on here, Facebook, or Twitter.

Holla back,

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

All Hail Scott Pioli

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It's easy to forget how lucky we are.

It's easy to forget how far we've come.

It's hard to forget the man who's responsible.

Scott Pioli: What a Difference 3 Years can Make

The signing of Jared Gaither on Thursday marks, what I would consider, the conclusion of the Kansas City Chiefs 2011 offseason. It was a somewhat quiet, yet very effective 2 weeks for Kansas City that mostly flew under the national radar. Yet, the Chiefs were able to keep their own (Tamba Hali - really don't need Shaun Smith), while improving in most of their weak points (FB, WR, NT, OT, ILB - only OLB left unscathed). It almost resembled a Madden offseason where you can easily identify your weaknesses by overall ratings, and make your free agent acquisitions accordingly.

This all got me to thinking. Have the Chiefs filled all of their holes now? Now obviously they haven't with elite talent at every position, but it's hard to look at this team and say they have a definite need right now. Which brought me back to 2-3 years ago, when it was hard to find a position that you could say WASN'T a definite need And, well, that got me concluding...

Scott Pioli is the fuckin' man.

(To be completely fair, the turnaround began with that 2008 Draft class, which has the potential to go down as one of the best of all time.)

Lets take a look, position by position, at how this team has evolved from their 2-14 season in 2008 to where they stand heading into 2011...

Quarterbacks:

2008 - Tyler Thigpen, Damon Huard, Crodie Broyle, Quinn Gray (!) - Pu pu extradionaire. I got love for Huard because of his magical 2006 season (yea I said it), and Thigpen because he atleast entertained me. The only inspiration I ever got from Cruddie was to write this.

2011 - Icy Matt Cassel, Rick Stanz, something called a Palko - While we may not know Cassel's ceiling, we know that, at worst, he is average. The big question is if can he be the QB on a Super Bowl caliber team?

Running Backs:

2008 - Larry Johnson, infantile Jamaal, Kolby Train - I couldn't be happier that LJ is no longer the face of the organization. My lasting memory of him will forever be him sitting in his New York penthouse on Hard Knocks, in his holdout, wondering if Jay-Z really likes him or not. And hittin' bitches.

2011 - God Jam Chauls, Thomas Jones, LeRon McClain (4 capitals!) - What might be the best backfield in the NFL. I hope the Chiefs stick with the plan of limiting Jamaal's carries, keeping him healthy and prolonging his career.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:

2008 - Tony Gonzalez, Dwayne Bowe, Mark Bradley (!), Devard Darling (!!) - Tight End is the only position I can see that was better in 2008 than what it is in 2011.

2011 - D-Pro Bowe Show, Jonny Baldwin, Steve Breaston, Tony Mohee-yahki - The Bee's Knees, B3PO, The B-Headed Monster, The B Musketeers > Killer B's. For real analysis read this.

Offensive Line:

2008 - Baby Branden Albert, Brian Waters, Rudy Niswanger, Wade Smith, Damion McIntosh - They got Brodie Croyle killed. He never stood a chance behind this line!!!

2011 - Grown man Branden Albert, Jon Asamoah, Casey Wiegmann, Ryan Lilja, Barry Richardson/Jared Gaither - The overachievers of last season got rid of their underachiever and added a potential monster at RT (literally - he's 6'9), and will rely on the potential shown by Asamoah. But leave Albert alone at Left Tackle, it annoys me to hear people discuss moving him to RT so much.

Defensive Line:

2008 - Tamba Hali, Jason Babin, Tank Tyler, Turk McBride, Glenn Dorsey, Alfonso Boone - This was the year the Chiefs registered an NFL all time low of 10 sacks. These are the men responsible. Funny looking back that Tamba was playing out of position then.

2011 - Glenn Dorsey, Kelly Gregg, Ty Jax, Wallace D. Gilberry, Allen Bailey, Tony Toribio, Jerrell POW! - Dorsey is solid, Gregg is a mentor, Jackson will improve, Gilberry is the man, my buddy Bill is gay for Bailey, Toribio has a cool name, and Powe is a house.

Linebackers:

2008 - Derrick Johnson, Pat Thomas, Demorrio Williams, Rocky Boiman (!), Weston Dacus (!!), the corpse of Donnie Edwards - Possibly one of the worst linebacking units of all time? This is probably when DJ's depression began.

2011 - Muhammad Hali, Derrick Johnson, Jovan Belcher, Brandon Siler, Andy Studebakez, Justin Houston - The best positional battle this preseason should be between Jovan Belcher and Brandon Siler at the ILB position opposite DJ. Hopefully Houston develops anger management issues when he quits the ganja.

Defensive Backs:

2008 - Brandon Flowers, Brandon Carr, Bernard Pollard, Jarrad Page, Patrick Surtain, Gavin McGraw, something called an Oliver Celestin - A phenomenal mixture of washed up vets, young promising corners, and overrated safeties.

2011 - Brandon Flowers, Brandon Carr, Errrrric Berrrrrrrry, Ken Lewis, Javier Bardenas, Jon McG, Italian Stallion Piscatelli - If Kendrick Lewis pans out, this might be the best secondary this side of the Philadelphia. Flowers, Carr, and Berry will all make visits to Hawaii in their career (or wherever the Pro Bowl is played now).

Pioli rules.
Happy Chiefsmas,
His Dirkness

Chiefs Need to Upgrade at OLB

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Uncertainty runs amuck within the Kansas City Chiefs defense at the OLB position.

The most important position in the 3-4 defense.

The number one mission of a defense is to disrupt the play of the opposing team's quarterback. That's the easiest way to obtain victory. In a 3-4 defense, that responsibility falls mostly on the backs of two players - the 2 OLB's (with a splash of Wallace Gilberry). A good goal for any NFL defense is 40 sacks in a season (Chiefs finished 2010 with 39, good for 10th in the NFL). In an ideal world, you want your two starting OLB's racking up 20-25 of those sacks (Tamba tallied 14.5 last year, while Vrabel put up a goose egg - that's right, 0 sacks). This amounts to anywhere from 50-62% of the pass rush's production. That's a lot of...PRESSURE on two individuals (see what I did there?).

Lets first take a look at what the Chiefs have at OLB, and see why the position is in such disarray right now...

Projected Starters:

*Tamba Hali - Currently franchised and we're really not sure how happy he is about it (hasn't signed his tender yet). Hopefully, there isn't any kind of holdout in his future plans. There's no reason to fret until August 4th, which is the first day he could actually practice with the team. However, if we haven't heard from him come August 5th, it's time to panic.

*Andy Studebaker - Could be THE key to the Chiefs defense this season. Along with Tyson Jackson, Studebaker is 1 of 2 relatively unknowns projected as starters right now. We've seen flashes from 'Bakes before (3 sacks last season), but nothing that would significantly indicate how he'll perform as a starter this season.

Projected Backups:

*Justin Houston - Despite rumors that the Chiefs have placed Houston on the Mentally Unable to Perform (MUP) List, nobody knows for sure what's going on with the Chiefs 3rd round draft choice. He's MIA. My best guess is that he's serving some sort of disciplinary action right now due to his failed drug test from the NFL Combine. Whatever the story is, I'm writing off Houston for the season as of now, because the practices he's missing right now are crucial for a rookie.

*Cameron Sheffield - A 2010 5th round pick that we know absolutely nothing about. He missed all of last season after sustaining a neck injury in a preseason game. While the team hopes he can provide something this year, he certainly cannot be counted on.

That's it, that's the list. There are question marks up and down the Chiefs current depth chart of Outside Linebackers. This isn't a position you can take for granted and/or go into the regular season shorthanded. I think it's absolutely necessary for the Chiefs to add somebody off the Free Agent market. There are 3 names that jump out, and outside of these names, I'm not sure where else help could come from.

Survey says...

*Tully Banta-Cain - Seems the most likely choice because of his history with Scott Pioli in New England. After 2 horrible seasons in San Francisco, he's put up 14.5 sacks over the last 2 seasons with the Patriots. Seems like a perfect fit, however the word on the street is that injuries played a role in his release from New England this offseason (despite playing in 31 of 32 games the last 2 years).

*Matt Roth - Discussed him before in my 10 Free Agents for the Chiefs to Pursue article. Despite never putting up more than 5 sacks in any season, Roth has good QB pressure numbers and is stout against the run. While that doesn't necessarily sell me on him either, the good people at ProFootballFocus.com have him rated highly.

*Manny Lawson - Stay on that same link, and you'll see this name appear 2 spots lower than Roth's. Lawson isn't a premier pass rusher (6.5 sacks in 2009, 3 in both 2008 & 2010), but is considered a good run defender. It should be noted that he was oftentimes taken off the field on 3rd downs in 2010, leading to his dip in sacks (but a sign of his pass rushing shortcomings).

I've been chirping the importance of the 3-4 outside linebacker for the past 2 years now, and am a big proponent of adding 1 of these 3 names to the long list of question marks the Chiefs currently have at the position. If I had to put money on it, I'm betting that Tully Banta-Cain ends up a Chief in 2011.

His dirkness

2010 Kansas City Chiefs Midseason Report

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We are halfway through the season, which means it's time for some midseason reporting on this Kansas City Chiefs team. Yes, this would've been 20x funner (it's a word) if the Chiefs had made a play to win the game at five different junctures against the Raiders on Sunday. But whatdyagonnado? Fuhgeddaboutit!

But everybody, please quit pretending like the Raiders are good. Did you see how bad they looked on Sunday? I have zero fear in losing the division to them. Only the Chargers. People picking the Raiders to win the division is obsurd. Talk to me after the Chiefs stomp that ass at Arrowhead.

So how's this gonna work? I'm going to grade each and every player's contribution to the team so far, followed by the lasting thought of them from the first half of the 2010 season. Expectation is somewhat of a factor, so if you see a good player who is struggling low on the list, do not freak out. I will be listing them in order of performance, starting with who I consider the Chiefs' best player to be on the year.

Without further ado, lets boogie....

"A's"

• Jamaal Charles (96)- Gets nod at #1 because running game has carried us this year. Been the best player since his 56-yard touchdown run against Chargers in the opener.
• Tamba Hali (94)- I've been telling everybody since the 2009 preseason that he would thrive at the Outside Linebacker position. He's making me look good. Earning his Muhammad Hali nickname.
• Brandon Flowers (93)- The team's best player for 7 weeks may have been the worst player on the field in the 8th game.
• Ryan Lilja (92)- Selected as All-Pro by both ESPN and Sports Illustrated. Hadn't caught my eye that much, but there must be something there.
• Glenn Dorsey (91)- Chiefs' most improved player will be our very own Richard Seymour in two years.
• Branden Albert (90)- Will be the Chiefs' left tackle for the next 10 years.

"B's"

• Derrick Johnson (89)- Must have finally learned his vocabulary word handed to him before every season: Consistency.
• Wallace Gilberry (88)- Officially launching my campaign to get noticed by Gilberry, my favorite Chief. Would love chance to interview or just hang out with him. If you know him, tell him I'm his #1 fan.
• Tony Moeaki (88-not an accident)- Shocking that he has been the best rookie on the Chiefs team.
• Casey Wiegmann (87)- I thought he was the biggest difference maker on the Chiefs' line until Lilja's accolades started rolling in.
• Ryan Succop (87)- The missed kick in OT against the Bills was entirely not his fault. Trust him in the clutch.
• Thomas Jones (86)- Love everything he's done except for inability to pick up 3rd-and-1, which is starting to become a real problem for this team.
• Shaun Smith (86)- Crotch-grabbing stats are down, production is down. Coincidence?
• Brian Waters (85)- Still the man despite being owned by Richard Seymour on Sunday.
• Dwayne Bowe (84)- Take away two drops and Chiefs fans are calling him D-Pro-Bowe.
• Jovan Belcher (84)- Been spectacularly solid this year. Big time upgrade over Mays from last year.
• Brandon Carr (83)- Some good games, some bad games. Gets a ton of balls thrown his way because of Flowers on the opposite side. Still only in his third year. Still worthy of starting.
• Dexter McCluster (82)- Offense has sputtered since The Ole Missile was injured two weeks ago. Alright Seinfeld fans, "Get well, get well soon, we wish you to get well!"
• Jon McGraw (81)- A surprisingly big factor on the Chiefs' defense this year.  Tied for the team lead in INT's. Needs to pitch it to Berry after his next pick though. Seriously.
• Eric Berry (81)- Chiefs' most improved player throughout the year. Shuts down outside sweeps like he is shot out of a cannon. Still vulnerable to playaction though.
• Barry Richardson (80)- Thought to be a weak link on the line before the season, may come out of the season as a big part of the Chiefs future.

"C's"

• Andy Studebaker (79)- Would like to see him on the field more the latter part of this year. I think we will.
• Ron Edwards (79)- Better than last year probably due to playing less snaps. Crucial part of solid run defense.
• Mike Cox (78)- Running game seems to flow better with him at fullback. Unsure why he was replaced by Castille for the Raiders game, but our running game seemed to suffer.
• Matt Cassel (77)- Read this.
• Jon Asamoah (77)- Had a funny dream that Asamoah got pulled over and was performing offensive line drills in full pads as part of a sobriety test, which I was watching on ESPN. Thought this was true for the better part of a week.
• Javier Arenas (76)- With his punt return for a TD leaving my conscious mind, his mistakes in the return game are piling up. May have cost us the Raiders game with flubbed kick return. Made some plays at cornerback though.
• Tyson Jackson (75)- How he responds to being benched this year will foreshadow how the rest of his career in Kansas City will go. Dorsey's development gives me faith in Tyson.
• Terrance Copper (75)- Made a hell of a catch against Jacksonville for a crucial 3rd down conversion. Could he be the best blocking receiver in the NFL? I'm secretly a big Terrance Copper fan.
• Thomas Gafford (75)- Don't remember a single bad snap this year. Kendall Gammon Jr.
• Mike Vrabel (73)- Should maybe be listed under coaches. Love his intangibles, but a better pass rusher is too crucial for his position. 0 sacks.
• Kendrick Lewis (73)- Has disappeared since the first few games. I think he's been injured. Bright future though.
• Dustin Colquitt (72)- Is tied with his brother (Britton-Denver) in net punt average this year, unfortunately they're tied for 21st in the league.
• Verran Tucker (72)- One play. One catch. One foot?
• Demorrio Williams (71)- Seems to get a lot of special teams penalties, no? Would be solid filling in for injury's sake. Love his passion.
• Brodie Croyle (70)- Sure does make a much better backup QB than starting QB.

"D's"

• Anthony Toribio (69)- I questioned who #98 was three weeks in a row in my notebook. Then I learned.
• Donald Washington (68)- Victim of god awful defensive holding call on final drive against the Raiders. Also, had his ankles broken against the Texans. Better than our last #27 though.
• Jackie Battle (66)- Keep seeing his highlight of reaching the ball over the goal-line. Could he be a potential solution to our 3rd-and-1 problems?
• Leonard Pope (63)- He's tall.
• Jake O'Connell (62)- He got popped by Bernard Pollard, which was followed by Pollard staring down the Chiefs' sideline.

"F's"

• Tim Castille (58)- Wasn't his first name Quentin?
• Rudy Niswanger (50)- More about his last year's play than this year's.
• Ryan O'Callaghan (50)- See Niswanger, Rudy.
• Corey Mays (50)- See O'Callaghan, Ryan.
• Travis Daniels (42)- Played the Raiders kickoff return TD horribly. He was the guy on the edge backpedaling all the way up until Jacoby was way past him.
• Chris Chambers (37)- Apparently doesn't care anymore.

Incompletes:

• Justin Cole- Leads the list of linebackers that I didn't know we had.
• Cory Greenwood- Was watching the whole preseason under the assumption he was somebody else.
• Mark Simoneau- Happy Veteran's Day.
• Charlie Anderson- Isn't he part of the Dave Chapelle team?
• Jackie Bates- Gotta be Jackie Battle's cousin.
• Reshard Langford- Gotta be Keith Langford's cousin.

Coaches:

• Todd Haley (91)- As previously stated, I love his 4th down gambles and the effect it will have on the team for the future. Since he is the long-term guy, it is impossible to give him a bad grade given where the team was last year, and where it is this year. But, run Jamaal Charles more.
• Charlie Weis (79)- Gets all the credit for the progression of the offensive line this year. Gets all the blame for the disaster that 3rd-and-1's have become for the Chiefs. Shouldn't the best running team in football dominate 3rd-and-1's? I don't get it. Also, run Jamaal Charles more.
• Romeo Crennel (97)- Would probably get my team MVP vote if possible. He should be in the running for NFL Assistant Coach of the Year. Somehow, he shored up our run defense and 3rd down defense (two favorite defensive statistics) into top-10 units. Now if we could just get them to run Jamaal Charles more.

Team Awards:

MVP: Tamba Hali

Offensive Player of the Year: JamaAL Charles

Defensive Player of the Year: Brandon Flowers

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Tony Moeaki

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Eric Berry

Most Improved Player: Glenn Dorsey

Most Surprising Player: Casey Wiegmann/Shaun Smith

Most Disappointing Player: Dustin Colquitt

Most Schizophrenic Player: Dwayne Bowe

Most Underrated Player: Wallace Dean Gilberry

His dirkness

Go Chiefs!!!

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 Thought Conglomeration 8-4-10

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***EDIT: Click on the Post title for a deeper look***

With the Chiefs a few days into training camp, thoughts have been percolating and circulating throughout my dome. I have yet to make it up to St. Joseph, but plan on doing so very soon, and will let everybody know of my observations while up there, as long as Pioli and Haley's Third Reich team allows it.

~I'll start off with my overall goal of the year for this Chiefs team: I want a realistic shot at the playoffs going into the last quarter of the season. I want to play games that matter come December of this year. We don't even have to win those games, I just want them to exist. I almost can't even remember what it's like to watch meaningful games, and that's not a good thing. This goal is brought upon by the lack of meaningful football played the last two seasons (both seasons lost meaning after Week 2 home losses to the Raiders). Defiant numbers on this goal would depend on the conference's well being, but if I must declare, I'd say 6-6.

~I think this goal is very attainable due to how easy our schedule is. I spy only three games that it's hard to imagine us winning (@Indy, @SD, @Hous). And my Houston pick should prove my objectivity in that process. Our matchup with the NFC West brings very little to the table, and we get the best two teams at home (SF, Ariz). This easy path might lead to us sneaking into the playoffs. It might also lead to us getting slobberknockered in the playoffs. I'll take it!

~As far as individual players go, I'm predicting that Tamba Hali makes the Pro Bowl this year. Last year was his first year at a new position, and while 8.5 sacks isn't too shabby, a handful of others slipped out of his hands, and he drew numerous holding penalties that were leading to obvious sacks. Comfort in the position, the addition of Romeo Crennel, and capitalizing on last year's missed opportunities will lead to 13 sacks and the Pro Bowl this year.

~We have amazing youth in the secondary right now. Flowers and Carr are the staples (and both are only in their 3rd years!), with an incoming rookie class of Error Bearer, Kendrick Lewis, and Javier Arenas. These could be our top five players making up the secondary this year. There will be some growing pains in the immediate future, but if they reach their full potential, we could be looking at one of the league's best in a few years.

~I don't understand Jarrad Page's holdout. He's not good enough to hold out, nor is he good enough to be traded. A continued hold out from him will be a career ender. Could he possibly be thinking baseball?

~The idea of Glenn Dorsey not being good was greatly over-reported. People were so down on Dorsey for a couple of reasons. First, the lingering memories of past defensive line busts like Ryan Sims, Eddie Freeman, and Junior Siavii are too fresh in the mind. It felt as if everybody was just waiting for Dorsey to flop. Secondly, all the talking heads saying how NFL-ready he was coming out of college made his rookie struggles shine brighter. Then he had to endure a position change. He was vastly improved last year, and I look for the same improvement this year.

~I feel like our defense is one player away from becoming potentially dominant. Unfortunately, it is a huge hole that needs filling, and the difference between having it and not having it could be average and dominant. I am talking, of course, of the rush linebacker position opposite of Hali. I believe the other aspects of our defense are filled with the necessary components to begin striking fear in the minds of opposing offenses. Our biggest hope on our current roster to fill that position is Andy Studebaker, making him a very important player going into this year.

Boom, this concludes the conglomeration of thought attained through the first week or so of training camp. More thoughts are sure to come over the next few weeks, and cannot wait to see our team take the field for the first preseason game on August 14th at Atlanta.

Ze Dirkness