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

10 Thoughts on the Kansas City CHIEFS

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My official Kansas City Chiefs preview comes to you in the form of a grab bag consisting of my 10 biggest thoughts, worries, qualms, predictions, hunches, juxtapositions, and if you're lucky, maybe some conjectures. But first, go ahead and play this song throughout the reading of this piece. If it ends, just restart it. Trust me.



1. This Buffalo Bills opening game scares the dickens out of me. In case you haven't read what I've been saying about the Bills this offseason (here and here), I think they are very dangerous. The Chiefs are still reeling from their shaky preseason, and the Bills might be extra motivated after last season's last second loss (not to mention, Chan Gailey probably hates Todd Haley). However, if the Chiefs were to drop their home opener, I don't like their chances to win at Detroit the next week. At all. And then you're  staring down an 0-2 record with a trip to San Diego looming. Those are season over circumstances there. So the moral of this horror story is - Don't lose to Buffalo!

2. People saying this is a make or break year for Todd Haley are dead wrong. I'm looking at you Randy Covitz! And you Sports Guy (who had this to say in his NFL preview: "Relatively Bold Prediction No. 5: By April 2012, Todd Haley will be the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets"). Look you may not like how Haley approached this preseason (nor do you probably like anything that is unconventional), but he has earned himself a down season after last year. If the Chiefs underperform this season, then he can plop down on the hot seat for the 2012 season, but unless the bottom falls out this season, and the Chiefs go something like 3-13, Todd Haley's job will be safe.

3. I'm worried about Jamaal Charles. And nobody else seems to be, which worries me even more. Look, I've said it before, and I'll say it again (just watch), Running Backs come and go all the time in the NFL. And it happens just like that. One minute you are Chris Johnson (and he'll suck in 2 years) and the next you're Edgerrin James. Or Shaun Alexander. Or Steve Slaton (perhaps the scariest comparison - nearly 1,300 yards as a rookie and barely over 500 yards in the two years since). The easiest way to metamorphose from good to bad is by getting injured. Or getting paid. One of which happened, and one of which I see in my nightmares. Luckily, we have, who I believe to be, the best long term mind in the NFL in Scott Pioli, who seems to be taking the necessary measures to keep Charles healthy for a long God Jam time.

4. Dwayne Bowe takes "The Leap." Last year he took a step and became D-Pro Bowe. I think he takes that next step this season. I'm not sure his stats will necessarily reflect the leap, but consistency is a big part of taking that next step. I expect Bowe to be considered a Top 5 NFL Wide Receiver by the end of the 2011 season. He's in a contract year, which may have played a big part in his offseason conditioning (something the Chiefs will have to take into evaluation following this season when he becomes a free agent). He has looked simply unstoppable this preseason, catching everything thrown his way, and I expect that to continue into the regular season.

5. Charlie Weis was the biggest loss of the offseason. Literally and schematically (oh wait, Shaun Smith is bigger, I think...). Since Chaz Weis announced he was leaving for oranger pastures, Matt Cassel and the passing offense haven't played well against an NFL starting defense. It's possible that the Chiefs got the services of a top flight Offensive Coordinator for only 15 games. And it's also possible that Todd Haley is to blame for that (speculative personality beef). In comes Jim Zorn (who I believe in) and Bill Muir (very skeptical), who takes over as the play caller for the Chiefs. They'll become the immediate scape goats, if my fears of Weis being more important than we're all hoping he was come true.

6. The defense is dependent on the long term health of Kelly Gregg. He appears to be fully healthy right now. But he will turn 35 this season. And his snaps were cut down considerably last season in Baltimore. If Gregg goes down, the Chiefs are forced to turn to 6th rounder Jerrell Powe as a starting Nose Tackle. POWE (right in the kisser) has looked good against 2nd and 3rd teamers in the preseason, but asking him to handle the load as a rookie is a bit of a stretch. And with the Chiefs run defense struggling enough as is, I hate to imagine what it would be like without The Oggre. That is why we all need to pray to 8 pound, 6 ounce baby Jesus that Gregg is lucky enough to last 16 games this season.

7. The defense needs a definitive leader to step up. It could be Eric Berry, Brandon Flowers, Derrick Johnson, or Tamba Hali (my order of likelihood), but I want an individual player for the team to rally around. I want a player that everybody can look to when things are going bad, and they'll get a sense of reassurance. The Ravens have Ray Lewis. The Steelers have Troy Polamalu. The Packers have Charles Woodson. The Patriots had Tedy Bruschi. One look in any of their eyes, and you knew his teammates were completely prepared to respond to adversity. My guess is that Urrrrrr Burrrrrrr (ahem, Eric Berry) steps into that role as this season progresses.

8. I'm atleast mildly intrigued by the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes. I'm not gonna root for the Chiefs to lose all of their games. Atleast, not yet. But if the Chiefs fall out of the playoff hunt early on in the season (read: worst case scenario up at #1), I would atleast entertain the idea of tanking the rest of the season in order to win the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes. I think the Chiefs are set up with young talent across the board right now, but Matt Cassel will never be more than an above average Quarterback, and if you watched the Green Bay - New Orleans season opener, you saw first hand what an elite QB can bring to the table. If the Chiefs were able to acquire an elite level QB (and I think there's a very high chance Luck becomes one), then they would become a league powerhouse for the next 10 seasons (and now I have to quit typing before I convince myself this is a good idea from the get go).

9. The Chiefs will only make the playoffs if Jared Gaither is successfully inserted into the starting offensive line. When predicting a team's fate, especially your own team, I look to the most clear cut reasoning possible. Right now the Chiefs offensive line is piss poor. And Matt Cassel doesn't handle getting pressured very well. That's the absolute easiest observation to make about this team. Barry Richardson not only seems to have regressed this offseason/preseason, he seems to have regressed hard. The only chance at improvement I see right now is Jared Gaither, who must play, and play well for the Chiefs to repeat last year's success.

10. The Kansas City Chiefs will go 9-7. Click here to see how.

His Dirkness

Best & Worst of Chiefs ~ Buccaneers

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Apologies for the tardiness of this article. I could come out at you with a couple of different excuses, but I feel like Roy Munson sums it up best...



This is the formal introduction of my weekly Chiefs reaction articles entitled "The Best & Worst w/ His Dirkness." It's a work in progress and will evolve along with the season, so let me know what you're thinking Crodies.

*Best part of KC-TB game - Well, we got to see the team on the field again. However, most of my fun from Friday night came in the form of tailgating (pregame and postgame), as well as the sights and sounds of Arrowhead Stadium (including Rob Riggle's highlarious antics on the big screen).

*Worst part of KC-TB game - The Chiefs approach to the game made it very difficult to evaluate any of the players on the field. Atleast for me. There's not much to say about our 3rd string offensive line getting owned by the Buccaneers' starting defensive line. Hopefully the coaches were able to get something out of it.

*Best part about the Chiefs' strategy - No injuries. Pioli and Haley seem to value limiting their amount of injuries to the fullest. Haley stressed conditioning in his first two training camps and it led to a very low number of injuries in 2010 (I can't really remember the 2009 season...). I believe Haley changed his strategy for this year's camp because of the lockout, and is steadily easing his players back into the swing of things to assure their bodies are ready to handle it.

*Worst sight - Todd Haley's clean shaven, man-tanned look on the sidelines. That ain't how we reached them playoffs Todd. No sleep for you.

*Best idea - Renaming the first Chiefs preseason game of every year "The Jackie Battle Classic."

*Best play - How would you feel if I told you it was a 3rd quarter incompletion? Is that something you might be interested in? Good, because Johnny Baldwin's juggling catch (albeit out of bounds) was a perfect display of why we drafted this guy. He's got amazing go-up-n-gets-it skills.

*Worst play - I'll go with the sack for a safety where all 4 of the Bucs' defensive linemen seemingly converged on Tyler Palko at the same time. Oh, and Palko fumbled too, right?

*Worst call - How was that play ruled a safety? Clearly, Palko fumbles the ball almost immediately after getting hit and the Chiefs recover it outside of the end zone. This narrowly edges the refs ruling Jackie Battle down on his fumble when it wasn't even close. And this is the point where, if I lacked any originality, I would claim that it's preseason for the officials too.

*Best/Worst play - Tampa Bay QB Josh Johnson jukin' and jivin' his way through our entire defense for a 20 something yard run, which was awful to see, looking like he might score, and then POWE! As in NT Jerrell Powe, who plops himself down right on top of Johnson.

*Best crowd reaction - The booing of every kickoff that sailed deep into the end zone. They weren't booing their team, or the opponents, but instead just the rule, which is brilliant.

*Best analysis (Yes, I manned up and rewatched the game) - After Chandler Williams watched a punt bounce at the 20, and roll inside the 5 yard line, only to scoop it up and get drilled, Brian Billick summed up the situation nicely, "You don't wanna do that..." No you don't Chandler. No, you don't.

*Worst analysis - At one point, Billick breaks down the Chiefs schedule suggesting that the first half is made up of mostly divisional opponents, while the on screen graphics showed that only 3 of the 8 games are within the division. The second half of the schedule includes the same number.

*Best Vegas prop bet - Shane Bannon getting the ball on the Chiefs first play of the 2011 preseason. Paid out 40-to-1.

*Best KC players - Thomas Jones, Justin Houston, Dion Gales, Something Bakhtiari.

*Worst KC players - Jackie Battle, Verran Tucker, Allen Bailey.

Don't freak out until it's our starters who look bad,
His dirkness

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

Kansas City Chiefs: Wha Ha Happen Was....

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Damn I fell asleep and totally missed the Chiefs game yesterday.....what happened?

This game was a direct result of blowing the game in Oakland last week. Part of the reason I was so pissed after that Raiders loss is that I thought we might see a hangover effect from it. And while I wasn't that angry about yesterday's loss (every team has a few bad games in a season), I grew more irritated about the blown opportunities in Houston and Oakland.

The real story of the game was the undeniable force that momentum plays in football. If you don't stop the bleeding, the result of the Broncos-Chiefs game is always a possibility. One stop of the Broncos offense, or one score out of the Chiefs, and the outcome of that game could've been greatly altered. But, they didn't. In fact, the Chiefs have played their three worst games of the year the past three weeks (luckily they escaped with one win out of the three). The Cardinals visiting Arrowhead next week is exactly what this team needs to turn it around. It's a must win if the Chiefs have any playoff aspirations in 2010 (or any hopes of winning another game). Lose? And well, this season is over.

However, I go back to my stated goal for the Kansas City Chiefs 2010 season, said prior to the first preseason game.....

~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.

Sure, the game sucked yesterday. But, get a perspective look at this Chiefs team. They've already surpassed last year's win total, and are playing meaningful games for the first time since 2007. Every time you complain about the Chiefs this year, remember that fact. Don't lose sight of it.

Alright, and now for some comments on the handshake (or lackethereof) after the game. Here it is......



I liked it. I enjoy seeing my head coach pissed off just like I am. I don't think it plays a big effect on the team. What it does is take the attention away from the blowout that just occurred. Less people are talking about how poorly the Chiefs played, and are instead focusing on how classless their head coach is. But isn't that disrespectful towards the other team? Yea. So what? It's a rivalry. I don't want our head coach to be chums with their head coach. You think I like Missouri's Mike Anderson being cool? No, not really. I'd much rather hate him. Plus, who could like Josh McDaniels? Aren't you aware of what he did to those kids? Oh, that story hasn't come out yet....

It's surprising to me that nobody is making a connection between Haley's actions and the cheap shot on Tony Moeaki, seen here.....



And before you call my a hypocrite for calling that a cheap shot, let me stop you. It was a cheap shot. But, no, I didn't have a problem with it. It's a rivalry!!! Plus, it's not my job to play morality police. It is incredibly arrogant to inflict your views of what is right and wrong on somebody else. Everybody is entitled to their own opinions. My belief is that things happen, and public opinion of it's morality is irrelevant. There are no regulations. Damn, is that an anarchist's point of view?

Other thoughts from the game yesterday (too lazy to organize structurally):

• I don't blame Matt Cassel for the loss. Yes, he has to get rid of the football (his #1 problem from last year), but in order to "stop the bleeding" I look to the best players on the team. Well, after taking a look at my midseason grades, I expect Tamba Hali, JamaAL Charles, or Brandon Flowers to be the player to step up and make a play. You hope your QB is "The Guy" on your team, but that's not what Cassel is. You can want to get rid of him if you want, but you can't blame him for yesterday.
• The most disturbing part of the game came from Brandon Flowers and Dwayne Bowe. They came off incredibly ignorant, selfish, and down right stupid for celebrating individual plays while getting annihilated in the game. It angers me because I prefer to like my Chiefs, and these kind of actions make it difficult.
• It's amazing how important Jon McGraw has become to this team. Both Kendrick Lewis (he's still on the team right?) and McGraw missed this game due to injury. It was the worst possible time for it, with how much the Broncos throw the ball. Donald Washington and Ricky Price aren't capable safeties. I didn't know it was possible to miss Jon McGraw so much....
• How bout that replay malfunction? It obviously cost us the game. What if that had been an important play? What if the play obviously needed to be overturned? Does the NFL not have a backup for such malfunctions? I will be cheering for this on every challenge of a positive Chiefs play from now on.
• What are the Chiefs going to do when teams start double-teaming Tamba Hali every week? The Mike Vrabel sucking situation needs to be addressed. This was my biggest need for the Chiefs the entire offseason, but is just now starting to poke through.
• The 3rd down play call from the Broncos' 1-yard line was the worst thing to come from the Chiefs all season. My friends and I dropped every slur stemming from a part of the female's anatomy (Delores!) that we could think of. The quick slant to Bowe from the 1-inch line is what I'm referring to.
• I conclude by drawing more attention to the black eye of the NFL: Pass Interference. Blast! I can't find a video. Here's a link.....Seen at the 1:30 mark. Death to Pass Interference! How many games do horrible pass interference calls have to decide before the NFL addresses the rule? Read my full thoughts here.

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!!!

A Triumvirate of Kansas City Chiefs Thoughts

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Wanna know what it felt like to attend the exhausting, near-tie, ultimately-victorious Chiefs game against the Bills on Sunday?? Check it.......



For anybody who is unaware, I kinda like the Chiefs.

Before getting to the Triumvirate (which I believe means an old wooden ship), a few quips from what Football Outsiders had to say about the Chiefs (on Nick Wright on Wednesday). (Football Outsiders runs league trends and statistical analysis and knows way more about the NFL than any person you'll ever hear on ESPN. Fact). On to the highlights....

• The Chiefs are the 2nd most likely team to make it to the Super Bowl right now (Giants are #1)
• Ranked #1 in adjusted defensive rankings
• Second best chances of any team to make the playoffs in 2010
• A 50/50 chance that the Chiefs would earn a bye week in the 2010 playoffs

The TRIUMVIRATE:

The DE-FENSE: I feel like I'm not hearing enough people shower praise upon the Chiefs defense for the victory over the Bills on Sunday. Yes, the Bills are terrible. No, there is no such thing as a "gimme" in the NFL. Yes, a win is a win. No, our team's confidence wouldn't have been high if we had lost to a winless team. And yes, this win could prove to be crucial come December/January.

Four different times the Bills moved the ball inside the Chiefs' 42 yard line with a chance to win the game. That is dangerous territory, and more often than not, a team scores at least a field goal once it has advanced that deep. Lets take a look at what happened on those four pivotal drives.....

• End of 4th quarter: Quite possibly the worst pass in NFL history, courtesy of Ryan Fitzpatrick, finds its way into the Error Bearer's hands for an interception and end of regulation.
• First drive of OT: After a facemask penalty, the Bills advanced to the Chiefs' 43 yard line, before idiotically throwing two incompletions (HAVE to run the ball there). They followed with a 3rd down run before punting.
• Second drive of OT: Bills advance to Chiefs' 37 yard line, before (stop me if you've heard this already) idiotically throwing two incompletions (yea...). Forced with a 51 yard field goal attempt, Rian Lindell squibbed it off the uprights. Game continues....
• Third drive of OT: Following Succop's crazy missed field goal (not his fault), the Bills drive to the Chiefs' 42, before the Bills not-so-idiotically (clock was winding down) throw three incompletions, with the third resulting in an intentional grounding (thank you Mohammad Hali!). Punt.

That is some seriously clutch defense. Didn't hear enough about it this week, and wanted to make sure they get the credit they deserved from this guy.

Haley's Strategery: Am I the only one that LOVES what Haley is doing on 4th downs? He is risking short-term results for a long-term mentality. He's setting a tone for the 2010 Kansas City Chiefs, which goes something like this: Don't fuck with us. We're gonna do what we want, when we want. The Chiefs are building a reputation of a borderline crazy team. People fear craziness. They fear not knowing what we're gonna do.

Yes, it might cost us a game in the regular season at some point, but it also might gain us a strong advantage in a playoff game, when a defense is on their toes not knowing what to expect. Plus, tons of people way smarter than myself (or anybody reading this blog) claim that going for it on 4th down is oftentimes the right decision. Kent Babb of the KC Star wrote an article that touched on it, but it was too much for him to handle, and has since backed down. I'm sticking with it. 

Our coach has balls, and could possibly be on the cutting edge of the new NFL. We should all live on the edge alongside him and embrace it.

Chiefs Offensive Line: The Kansas City Chiefs' offensive line is not getting enough credit. Much maligned after 2009, they have played at an outstanding level this year. The Chiefs are #1 in the NFL in running the ball. But, there not only the best this year. Take a look at the #1 rushing teams from the past 10 years.....

• 2000- Oakland- 154 yards per game
• 2001- Pittsburgh- 173 ypg
• 2002- Minnesota- 157 ypg
• 2003- Baltimore- 167 ypg
• 2004- Atlanta- 167 ypg
• 2005- Atlanta- 159 ypg
• 2006- Atlanta (they had Mike Vick)- 183 ypg
• 2007- Minnesota- 164 ypg
• 2008- New York Giants- 157 ypg
• 2009- New York Jets- 172 ypg
• 2010- Kansas City- 190.4 yards per game!!!

They have the highest total of any team in the league from the past 10 years as of now! It wouldn't even be close except for the aberration that is Michael Vick with the Falcons. In fact, the all time record for team rushing yards in a season was set by the New England Patriots in 1978 with 3,165 yards (197.8 ypg). The Chiefs are on pace 3,046 yards as of right now. That is amazing!

And yet, I hear everybody praising JamaAL Charles and Thomas Jones, while the big uglies are doing thankless work up there.

That isn't all though. The Chiefs also rank #2 in the NFL in sacks allowed (after ranking 27th in 2009), only trailing the Indianapolis Colts by one measly sack. Credit goes all the way around for that statistic, from Todd Haley and Charlie Weis, to Matt Cassel, to the offensive line.

So remember when you're watching the Chiefs battle the Raiders on Sunday to praise Branden Albert (matured nicely into a solid LT), Brian Waters (The Godfather), Casey Weigmann (the difference maker?), Ryan Lilja (highly underrated pull blocker), Barry Richardson (we might have something here), and even Jon Asamoah (only adding to the 2010 Draft class).

His Dirkness

Quick NFL Picks ~ Week 7 (and Week 6)

I know, I know, I let down all my biggest followers last week by not posting my picks for the games. But you shoun't worry, because the picks were made, was just too phogged over from Nebraska's loss to Texas to even approach a computer that night. And, amazingly enough, I went 14-0 on those picks. No, seriously. Damnit, I'm lying.

I wanna start by reminding everybody to check out my Power Rankings posted this week, because well, it deserves to be read.

A few thoughts on the Chiefs game before we get to the picks. I think Todd Haley should calm down the aggressiveness tomorrow and take points when they present themselves. I was all in favor of it in tough matchups on the road, but you need to be flexible in your strategy based on the opponent, and the Chiefs are superior to the Jaguars. There's little need for over-aggression. With Todd Bouman most likely at the helm for the Jaguars, it could be goodnight sweetheart if the Chiefs get a lead at all. The Jags will come out and run, run, run in effort to hide Bouman's shortcomings and to shorten the game as much as possible. It's been effective for them in the past. This won't be a walkover, but it is a game our Chieves should win.

PreDirktion: Chiefs 24-13

Week 1 record: 9-7
Week 2 record: 12-4
Week 3 record: 11-5
Week 4 record: 10-4
Week 5 record: 5-9 (Ouch!)

Week 6 Picks:
Bears over Seahawks-L
Ravens over Patriots-L
Giants over Lions-W
Falcons over Eagles-L
Steelers over Browns-W
Packers over Dolphins-L
Chargers over Rams-L
Saints over Bucs-W
Chiefs over Texans-L
49ers over Raiders-W
Jets over Broncos-W
Vikings over Cowboyz-W
Colts over Redskins-W
Titans over Jaguars-W

Week 6 Record: 8-6

Overall Record: 55-35 (ick....)

Week 7 picks.........

NEW ORLEANS over Cleveland-L
KANSAS CITY over Jacksonville-W
Washington over CHICAGO-W
MIAMI over Pittsburgh-L
ATLANTA over Cincinnati-W
TAMPA BAY over St. Louis-W
BALTIMORE over Buffalo-W
San Francisco over CAROLINA-L
TENNESSEE over Philadelphia-W
SEATTLE over Arizona-W
DENVER over Oakland-L
New England over SAN DIEGO-W
Minnesota over GREEN BAY-L
DALLAS over New York Giants-L

Thy Sheeveness

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans

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I have returned from my first experience of cheering on my Kansas City Chiefs on the road, in another team's home stadium. Everything about the game was magical up until the final 30 seconds, which was obviously a bummer. It was the kind of trip that doesn't gain true perspective until you're able to look past the result of the game and focus on the total experience. I will offer some lightning quick analysis before telling the story of the game through numerous pictures and videos, sure to entertain you.

Quick analysis: It sucked how well we played as a team for 3 1/2 quarters, but weren't able to close it out. We ran all over one of the top run defenses in the NFL, and Matt Cassel got into his first true rhythm of the season. Dwayne Bowe made me look good for sticking up for him all week by going off for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, the defense, which had played so well this season, gave up four straight touchdowns to the high-powered Texans. It's no shame allowing a lot of points to one of the better offenses in the league, you just wish they could've stopped them one more time, or at least held them to a field goal to set up a game-deciding coin toss. The biggest play of debate was the 3rd and 2 tight end throwback, a play that always seems to work, and one that I didn't mind at the time. However, as time has progressed, so has my hatred for that play call. You're a running team. You'd been running all over them all day. You have a coach that would most likely go for it if presented with a 4th and 1. Unquestionably, you have to run the ball there. My biggest fear now is that the team (particularly the defense) has lost some confidence and/or swagger and carries the end of this game over to the next. If they're able to let it go, and play to the level they've set for themselves, the AFC West is the Chiefs division to lose.

On to the pictures.....

Dirkness' home away from home: The American Airlines Center, home of the Dallas Mavericks.

They had a cool system where you park away from the stadium and ride the Metro.

These Chiefs fans hooked us up with beer and gave us the scoop on where the hottest chicks in the parking lot were.

   

There were Chiefs fans everywhere, especially when walking around the parking lot. Every pack of Texan tailgaters had at least one token Chiefs fans to display proper tailgating techniques. Texans fans were nice, even the one who yelled, "Get a haircut," presumably at some nerd behind us.

Clearly a Donald Washington jersey

This dude's Matt Schaub jersey read "Thanks Atlanta"

Beer for 4 dollars?!? And it was Shock Top on tap.... 

We took the Texans pregame festivities very seriously.

Todd Haley playing catch with Tyler Palko before the game. He had a designated receiver so he wouldn't injure a finger.

A fine looking modern gentleman inside Reliant Stadium

Chiefs cuddle puddle before the game

Scott Pioli paying off the ref and Clark Hunt acknowledging us for yelling like crazy people at him.

President George Bush (the good one). Probably the closest I will ever get to a president. I could have spit on him.

We asked the President to take this picture for us. Fantastic seats.

We sat 3rd row right by the Texans' entrance tunnel. Andre Johnson made love to me with his eyes.

Picture sparked an interesting debate. Mike Vrabel or President Bush?

D-Bowe's touchdown. No shortage of highlight plays for us to cheer about.

Players heading into the locker room at halftime. Some boo's. A nice beard. For some reason I sound like I'm cheering them on. I should've tried to get Pollard to attack me. Yea refs I see YOU!

Demeco Ryans tore his achilles and was escorted out right by us.  He denied my interview request but took my business card.

Pivotal play of the game. Non-call on Andre Johnson was bad enough, but to call Pass Interference on Brandon Flowers may have made this the worst call I've ever seen. Peter King called it the worst Pass Interference call of the year.

Three dejected Chiefs fans after taking the walk of shame around the entire stadium. Needless to say, abuse took place.

And remember kids, Fuck Texas.

Congratulations Chiefs Fans: 3-0

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"The End of the Dark Ages"

In the immortal words of Joe Namath on that painfully repeated NFL Network commercial, "We did it...We did it." Fans that stuck with the Chiefs through these last three seasons have paid their dues and can now sit back and enjoy relevancy once again. We have seen mountaintop (or maybe in this case, mountainbottom) and it was pretty bleak. Ten wins in three seasons (or more specifically. a 3-30 stretch from '07-'09) is enough to turn off even the most devoted of fans. I ask, though, does it not make it all the sweeter? Is success really that enjoyable without the proper context of what failure feels like? For example, ask a Colts fan how much fun the regular season is nowadays. It's more of a process and a waiting period for the playoffs for them. It's like preseason. So I'd like to personally (Dirkally) dedicate this 3-0 start to those fans that stayed loyal to the Chiefs, who gutted out the tenures of Eddie Drummond, Lance Long, Rocky Boiman, and Mike Goff and games like the 2007 13-10 OT loss to the Jets (maybe the worst played game ever), giving up 54 points to the (now unemployed) Trent Edwards led Bills in 2008, and last year's 44-13 home defeat to the hated Broncos (which I don't even remember). Enjoy everything all this week, all bye week, and all season because the Chiefs are back, and most likely here to stay for a while.

The great part about our situation is that the players have gone, and are going, through much of the same things that us, the fans, are. We have this young nucleus of talent that has all gone through the growing pains of the last three seasons together and are now growing up together. Together. And we have Scott Pioli to thank for a lot of that, but we also have to give a secondary thank you to Dr. Herman Edwards for that 2008 draft class (Dorsey, Albert, Flowers, Charles, Carr- Wowza). Combine that with the quickest impacting draft class I HAVE EVER SEEN (Berry, McCluster, Arenas, Moeaki, Lewis), and you might be looking at the most young talent on any team in the league. They seem to all like playing together and seem to feed off each other's energy, which is a unique quality that most great teams have. And it's all happened so unbelievably quickly, that it's hard to remember just how disjointed our team looked at times last year. We went from a faint resemblance of an NFL team to what will be one of three remaining undefeated teams after tonight (KC, Pitt, GB/Chi).

If anybody out there still doubts how important coaching in the NFL is, then they need to closely examine what the Chiefs have been doing this year. Todd Haley took his lumps last year, but he painted Mike Singletary's face white yesterday in the 31-3 victory (wait, they scored a TD?). He embarrassed Singletary by taking advantage of his old school beliefs with a little new age strategery. He played mind games with him on a 4th and 1 before, surprisingly, just going for it (get that man a Guinness!) and converting easily. His next move was a surprise onside kick that would've worked to perfection if not for an offsides penalty. Haley then capped it off with a Wildcat reverse flea-flicker executed beautifully. Checkmate! People have criticized him for his use of the JamaAL/Tom Jones duet this year, but I'd say the #1 rushing offense in the NFL is proof of proper management (he's clearly saving Charles so he can last the whole season while feeding the workhorse that is Jonesy). Haley has grown up as an NFL coach at the same rate as his young nucleus of players. Like a perfect storm.

That paragraph was supposed to include some Romeo Crennel love, but instead, he'll have to get his own, along with the rest of the defense, the most surprising phase of the 2010 Chiefs. Obviously, Colonel Crennel has been the biggest difference maker, but the defensive line has been the most improved aspect of the defense. Ball grabbin' Shaun Smith might be my new favorite player (Check this), and might be in the process of taking Tyson Jackson's job too (more about Smith than Jackson). Ron Edwards seems like a new player and is much improved. Wallace Gilberry is a quarterback pressure waiting to happen. And, Glenn Dorsey, well, he's the best player on the line (hopefully a few years away from Seymour territory). We absolutely owned the line against the 49ers on both sides of the ball (rushing yards 207-43 in KC's favor) against a team with a top 5 fantasy Running Back along with (what was) the #6 rushing defense. Oh yea, and Brandon Flowers is playing at a rate of one outstanding play per game (he is Pro Bowl bound). But, the ring leader is Crennel, who has formed this near identical personnel grouping into the #2 scoring defense in the NFL.

The only thing that hasn't gone our way so far this year is the positioning of the bye week. Why why why can we not get back on the field next week? Can we just challenge another team on a bye to a pickup game to keep our momentum going? The Chiefs face their two toughest games of the year once returning from the bye, at Indianapolis and then at Houston. Nobody will be picking the Chiefs in either contest. But, this just in, the Chiefs haven't been favored in any of their three victories yet this year! If they can come away with a split from those two games, they will be good to go with the next seven games (Jac, Buff, @Oak, @Den, Zona, @Sea, Den) all very winnable. Plus, what if what we saw yesterday was a better representation of what the Chiefs really are, and the first two games were just examples of them winning games while not playing their best (a sure sign of a good team)? Regardless, the Chiefs are relevant once again, and while that carries some value for the casual fans out there, it has an indescribable value to those of us that have stuck around through it all.

His Dirkness

Chiefs Preseason Game #1 Analysis

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~There are two backups that need to be starting right now, and I will quickly sour on Haley if they are not promoted. I am speaking of Jamaal Charles and Derrick Johnson. Thomas Jones could be a good addition and all, but this is Charles' team. Our offense doesn't move without him, as proven last night. With Johnson, I believe Haley continues to play mind games with him, aiming to right his mind into that of a fierce, determined Linebacker. I suspect both of these players to be starting by week 1, and will be vocal in my displeasure with Haley if they are not.

~Dexter McCluster was unreal, literally. Clearly, he's a Madden creation. His two plays consisted of the best working plays on Madden (at least a few years back, anyway) with the sweep around the end and the quick out from the slot position. He was unstoppable, just faster than anybody else on the field. I was a step slow to hop on the McDexter bandwagon, but now I'm sitting shotgun. Our offense has some serious weapons right now, led by Charles and Dex.

~My biggest concerns with the team after one game is stopping the run on defense. We were pushed off the line in the first drive, giving up at least five yards a pop. We will constantly need an 8th player in the box, making us vulnerable to playaction passes over the top.

~My biggest concern with the offense is teams stacking the box due to a lack of a downfield threat. The blame for this goes all the way around the offense. The line struggles to hold blocks to give Cassel enough time to look down field, neither Bowe or Chambers are speedsters, and Cassel tends to overthrow deep balls. This will allow teams to bring 8 or 9 players up, forcing us to find ways to throw over the top.

~My biggest surprise of the game was the effectiveness of Mike Vrabel. My main mane, LBR, made the astute statement that Vrabel will be good as long as we are good, which got me to thinking. I remember being very confident in him at the beginning of last season (and preseason), but was semi-embarrassed by his performance the latter half of the season. This makes sense. He just shut it down, with no real reason to continue pushing. Save it for next year, which is now this year. Our defense has a shot to be mediocre at the least if Vrabel plays like he did last night.

Impressive List:
~Kendrick Lewis- QB pressure, helped blow up a sweep, and blanketed Tony G.
~Javier Arenas- Delivered a stiff arm that would make the Viagra CEO proud.
~Maurice Leggett- A few big hits, including a throw down of Rowdy Roddy White.
~Andy Studebaker- Solid across the board, could provide much needed depth.
~Derek Lokey- Should make this team after a few unsuccessful tries.

Disappointment List:
~Ryan O'Callaghan- Got beat a few times around the edge, we seemingly have nobody better to replace him though.
~Jon Asamoah- Got absolutely roasted on back-to-back plays in the 3rd quarter.
~Leonard Pope- Missed a block on 3rd and short, dropped a pass, and dove for a catch that a normal sized man could've caught and ran with.
~Ryan Succop- Missed two field goals, albeit they were long.
~Tyson Jackson- Have yet to see him fight off a block or do anything.
~Corey Mays- Too slow in the middle. A one-on-one matchup with a Tight End is a guaranteed catch.
~DaJuan Morgan- Was actually afraid of the ball when John Parker Croyle floated a pass right to him.
~Zebras- Nice call on the offensive penalty converting a 3rd and Goal into a 1st and 10. I wish Haley would have just sat on the field in protest and drawn multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

His 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

Kansas City Chiefs 2010 Offseason Priority List

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Now that Owner Clark Hunt and General Manager Scott Pioli have taken care of two of the biggest offseason needs- General Weis and Colonel Crennel- I think it's time to take a look at what else the Kansas City Chiefs need to address in the about-to-begin offseason.


The Chiefs grabbed some headlines by filling both coordinator positions with high-profile coaches, adding to the momentum gained from the beatdown handed to the Denver Broncos in the last game of the 2009 season. This is important as sometimes late season/offseason momentum can lead directly into positive early season results. This will be a unique offseason due to the bigwigs trying to ruin the game we love by arguing over the viable owners of millions of dollars. This will result in the least active free agency in many years because of the fact that players will need six years of experience to become unrestricted free agents instead of the normal four. What does this mean? Teams will need to either sign free agents that are 29 years or older or give up draft picks as compensation to sign players that are in the prime of their careers. I believe this leads to free agency becoming almost inconsequential while we will see a big jump in the number of trades. This is good news for the good teams and bad news for teams needing to improve a lot, which means the Chiefs will have to act swiftly and precisely to make the necessary upgrades to compete next year.

First off, the list needs a few guidelines to follow for legitimacy purposes. It is based on the individual position most in need of an effort to upgrade before the start of next season. Importance of position is a factor, meaning even though Tight End may be the team's worst position in terms of talent, it's not as important as another position in terms of winning. I tried to imagine my feelings going into the start of next season with the exact same personnel of that position from last year. This paragraph was extremely difficult to find the correct wording, so lets just pretend we're all on the same page and get on to the list...


Chiefs Top 10 Positions of Need:

1. Outside Linebacker- Defense will become legitimate once Tamba Hali is the second best outside linebacker/pass rusher, it is THAT important of a position to a 3-4 defense. Mike Vrabel and Andy Studebaker would make a great pair of backup OLB's. Julius Peppers could fill the position, but I can't imagine the Chiefs spending the necessary money for the prize of free agency. Shawne Merriman's freedom gets costly due to the new restrictions, but could be available for the right draft picks. Joey Porter might be the most likely free agent to fill the hole and would provide great leadership to a defense lacking in that area. A few potential early round prospects who I like are Jerry Hughes (TCU-2nd-mean-proved by picture) and Eric Norwood (South Carolina-3rd-quick). I would make a play for Joey Porter and draft Norwood in the third or wait until next year and go after one with a first round pick.

2. Slot Wide Receiver/Returner- I might be suffering from a severe case of Lance Longitis to have this position so high. The receiving corps is set with Chambers (if we resign him) and Bowe (if we don't trade him) on the outside, but has a huge hole to fill with a quick slot receiver to work underneath. I think the draft is the right place to find one and would love to hear any of the following names called: Mardy Gilyard (Cincinnati-2nd), Jordan Shipley (Texas-3rd), or Jacoby Ford (Clemson-4th). The only other option might be to work out a trade for Steve Breaston, who Todd Haley knows well from Arizona.

3. Safety- The first position on the list that will be possible to address with the Chiefs current first round positioning. Eric Berry will most likely be the selection if he is still available, but there is a very good chance that he goes third to the Redskins. The draft is definitely the way to go because of the need to get younger at the position. Chad Jones (LSU-2nd/3rd) is someone I'm really high on. Mike Brown might look better paired with a more talented safety, and would serve as the perfect tutor for either Berry or Jones.

4. Center- Rudy Niswanger does a decent job, but is just too small and gets pushed around too much, especially when matched up against a 3-4 Nose Tackle. This became the weakest spot on the offensive line once Wade Smith solidified the Right Guard position in the second half of 2009. This is a position that I would address through free agency, because it is smart to have an experienced center to deal with all of the line calls.

5. Middle Linebacker- Demorrio Williams and Derrick Johnson would make a mediocre pair of starting Linebackers going into next year. It would be better to have them split time and get actual NFL talent at the position (sorry Corey Mays and Javon Belcher). This brings me to who I would take with the first round pick--Rolando McClain (Alabama-pictured). I feel like he would immediately step in as the defensive leader at the position best designed for leadership. This defense has not had a strong leader since the Mike Maslowski days. Other options include Brandon Spikes (2nd round slide) or a pair of veterans in Antonio Pierce or Keith Bulluck.

6. Nose Tackle- Ron Edwards does an unheralded job playing a little undersized at the nose. He would be a fantastic rotation guy, but doesn't quite cut it full time. Look for the top two tackles to get franchised out of consideration (Vince Wilfork and Casey Hampton). An interesting option could be Ryan Pickett, who will most likely be let go after the Packers drafted B.J. Raji in the first round last year. Draft options would include Terrance "Mount" Cody (Alabama-2nd-Man Boobs) or Cam Thomas (North Carolina-3rd). I'd be very giddy to snag McClain and Cody in the first two rounds of the draft.

7. Offensive Tackle- This is all dependant on if Branden Albert stays at Left Tackle or makes a switch to either Right Tackle or a guard position. We cannot continue to have this conversation every offseason, so a final decision needs to be made once and for all. The most popular prediction for the Chiefs first round pick is an offensive tackle (Okung-Okla St, Davis-'Gers, Baluga-Iowa), which isn't what I'd do per say, but I'm not totally against it. I would keep him at Left Tackle and make him put the weight back on that limited him last year. Ryan O'Callaghan even looked good the second half of the season at Right Tackle (funny how the whole line's play improved once JamaAl replaced L.J.). This will be the most important decision regarding the current personnel of the team to be made this offseason.

8. Big Running Back- Big drop off from the top 7 biggest needs this offseason. The draft is definitely the way to address a viable backup to JamaAl, who's role will be to log 10 carries a game, including 3rd and 1's and goal line carries. He should come from the later rounds and a few names I would like to see include Toby Gerhart (Stanford-3rd), LaGarrette Blount (Oregon-5th), or Stafon Johnson (USC-6th/7th). And I don't want to hear any Ladainian Tomlinson chatter, our team is already classy enough, and he sucks now.

9. Tight End- Very little currently on the roster, but neither Haley's Arizona teams nor Weis' New England teams had star tight ends. Leonard Pope is good enough for now with how many needs there are. I would not be surprised at all to see us go after free agent Ben Watson out of New England. I just don't want to see us draft one in the 2nd or 3rd round (unless Jermaine Gresham slides big time), but Kris Wilson and Brad Cottam have ruined me.

10. Offensive Guard- It will be very interesting to see what the Chiefs do with Brian Waters this offseason. There was some definite turmoil between Waters and the new regime that could end up with him being traded for a draft pick. If that happens, than this position shoots way up the list. Wade Smith did a fairly good job last year but is a free agent himself. This position is a circumstantial need. Getting Mike Iupati in the 2nd round would be great value and would be a rock for a decade at guard.