Denver Broncos Playoff Hopes Hinge on Exploiting Chiefs Rush Defense

The last time the Chiefs and Broncos played, Denver’s offense ran up and down the Arrowhead Stadium turf like it was their own backyard. In that game, six different Broncos ran the ball 45 times for 245 yards, leading the Broncos to a dominant 44-13 victory over the Chiefs.

Needless to say, the Broncos will be putting their playoff hopes in the hands of their rushing offense again this Sunday at Invesco Field at Mile High. Rookie Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels, already down one playmaking wide receiver in Eddie Royal, has benched Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall and tight end Tony Scheffler for Sunday’s game.

So if the Broncos are to make the playoffs, they’re going to have to do it with defense and their running game. That means if the Chiefs are going to play spoiler, they’ll need a much better performance on Sunday from their defensive front seven than they turned in back on December 6th in Kansas City.

The Chiefs rush defense has been the single most disappointing thing about the team all season. Only the Buffalo Bills defense has allowed more rushing yards this season than the Chiefs’ 2,420, which equates to over 161 yards allowed per game. By contrast, the Chiefs offense is only averaging 107.5 yards per game.

Sunday also marks the last opportunity for players like defensive tackle Ron Edwards and linebackers Corey Mays and Derrick Johnson to make a case for being members of this team next season.

The line of Edwards, rookie end Tyson Jackson, and second-year end Glenn Dorsey has struggled to keep opposing offensive linemen off the Chiefs linebackers. As a result, players like Mays and veteran Demorrio Williams often get swallowed up by lead blocking guards and fullbacks, springing opposing running backs for big gains.

Additionally, in the passing game, the Chiefs front three has yet to produce a single sack this season. In fact, the Chiefs sport the only defensive line in the entire NFL without a single sack by one of its starting defensive lineman.

And since the Broncos won’t likely be throwing much on Sunday, there’s a good chance the group of Jackson, Edwards, and Dorsey will end the season with a goose egg in the sack column. 

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NFL: Top 10 Fantasy Football Busts of 2009

Every season in the world of fantasy football, there are players who surprise everyone and come out of nowhere and sometimes can lead your team to championship glory.

But for every diamond in the rough there is inevitably a group of high profile players that fail miserably to live up to expectations. This season has been no different, as many players drafted in the first two rounds of your fantasy drafts have likely led your fantasy teams to the bottom of the standings rather than the playoffs.

Here is a list 2009’s biggest fantasy disappointments; highlighted by five running backs who likely went in the first round of your draft, a couple of quarterbacks that were supposed to take their teams deep into the playoffs, and three wide receivers who were set to be the focal point of offenses on bad teams.

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Kansas City’s Defense Getting Worse: Clancy Pendergast Needs to Go

The key to football success in Kansas City is, and always will be, defense…a hard-nosed, blue-collar, hit ’em in the mouth, turnover producing defense.

Sure, there were a few years under Dick Vermeil when the franchise tried to change its identity and win with offense, but the team’s success with that formula was short lived and didn’t produce a championship.

Defense is what sold seats 19 years ago, when the Chiefs recently broken sellout streak began, and it’s the reason those same seats were empty in the team’s 41-34 loss to the hapless Cleveland Browns.

Chiefs fans don’t care about their team having a high powered offense. The people of Kansas City want to see a defense that makes opposing teams dread coming to Arrowhead Stadium to play a game.

The problem once again this season is that the Chiefs defense has played awful in most games, and invariably gives up too many big plays. The Chiefs offense, still growing as a unit and in need of help on the line and in the receiving corps, simply can’t overcome the deficits the defense creates for it.

The Chiefs have talent on the defensive side of the ball, including four former first round draft picks (Tyson Jackson, Glenn Dorsey, Tamba Hali, and Derrick Johnson). The unit also boasts three accomplished veterans with experience playing on championship-caliber defenses (Mike Vrabel, Mike Brown, and Demorrio Williams).

The million dollar question is: “So why is this defense so bad?”

The short answer to the question is: “Defensive Coordinator Clancy Pendergast.”

Pendergast’s defenses in Arizona should have clued Chiefs fans into what to expect prior to this season. Pendergast’s units have never been dominant and he utilizes a scheme that can only contain an opponent for so long before inexcusably allowing an 80-yard run or pass for a touchdown. Sometimes, these breakdowns happen several times in one game.  

While Pendergast’s objective is no different than any other defensive coordinator in football, to force turnovers and not let the opponents score; his approach is far different from his more successful predecessors in Kansas City.

In Kansas City, former defensive coordinators Bill Cowher and Gunther Cunningham dominated opponents with an aggressive style of play that allowed it players to play with great emotion and fire. That style of play also served as the catalyst for stirring the Arrowhead faithful into a frenzy each and every home game, and making it difficult for any opposing offense that came to town.

Pendergast’s defense, by contrast, doesn’t unleash the hounds on every play like those great defenses of the 1990s. Instead, he takes a more cerebral approach with his playcalling. As a result, his players are asked to play “smarter” and are therefore more apt to making the mental mistakes that invariably lead to big plays for the opposition.

Unfortunately for Pendergast, his defense isn’t making enough big plays itself to balance things out. With his approach, Pendergast tries too hard to out-coach the offensive coordinator on the other sideline when attempting to put his players in a position to make big plays, instead of just letting them go out there and make big plays.

The Chiefs need to make a change.

If General Manager Scott Pioli and Owner Clark Hunt are interested in once again filling Arrowhead with frenzied fans who have a fiery passion for winning, than they should hire a new defensive coordinator with just as much passion. 

Kansas City wants someone who’s aggressive leading the defense, someone who will turn games into a street-fight, not a chess match.

Then after bringing a new defensive coordinator to town, it wouldn’t hurt to grab a dominant defensive player like Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh or Tennessee’s Eric Berry in April’s NFL draft.

James Adkins is also a syndicated writer for the Sports Page Network. To see James’ recent stories, please visit: http://kcsportscentral.sportspagenetwork.com/Default.aspx

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Chiefs Embarrassment: Kansas City Blacked Out for First Time in 19 Years

It’s official.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ last home game of the season will be blacked out.

It’s the first time the Chiefs have been blacked out since December 16, 1990.

With 5,500 tickets left to sell when the week began, apparently Chiefs fans didn’t think the return of wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and a matchup with the 2-11 Cleveland Browns was worth the price of admission.

Of course, who can blame Chiefs fans?

The Chiefs have been difficult to watch for most of the season, and to fans longing for the success enjoyed by the Chiefs teams of the 1990s and early 2000s, it has been downright unbearable.

In recent home games, Arrowhead Stadium has been a home away from home for opponents’ fans.

For those of you out there that remember Chiefs home games back in the early and mid 1980s, you’ll agree that Arrowhead in 2009 bears a remarkable resemblance despite its cosmetic upgrades.

For those that do plan on spending money to watch this team on Sunday, you have to wonder how many will be pulling for the Browns. 

If the draft were held today, the Chiefs would be picking fifth overall. However, a loss to the Browns on Sunday could move the Chiefs up to as high as the third overall selection. 

And to those hoping for the Chiefs to have a shot at stars like Ndamukong Suh, Eric Berry, Derrick Morgan, or Russell Okung; a loss to the Browns could mean having your pick of the litter, versus taking the next best player available.

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Kansas City Chiefs Avoid Blackout, But Will Fans Even Be Watching?

This Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills will be on television in Kansas City. Up against an extended deadline by the NFL to sell their final 3,000 tickets, an as yet undisclosed business stepped up and purchased the tickets, insuring that the Chiefs would be on television locally this Sunday.

 

Chiefs fans, aren’t you relieved to hear that?

 

Probably not, in fact you could probably care less.

 

The Chiefs, who haven’t been blacked out on local television since a cold and drizzly 39-degree December 16 in 1990, narrowly avoided their first non-sellout in 19 years. In that game, Houston Oilers quarterback Warren Moon threw for 527 yards in a 27-20 defeat of the Chiefs. It was the second-best passing performance in a single game in NFL history.

 

Of course, that 1990 Chiefs team was no where near as bad as the 2009 Chiefs. At the point in which the Chiefs played the Oilers in 1990, they were on a four-game winning streak, and would eventually secure an AFC wild-card berth in the playoffs with an 11-5 record.

 

The 2009 Chiefs may not be playing Warren Moon on Sunday, but as poor as the team’s pass defense has been all season, it’s conceivable that the Bills’ Ryan Fitzpatrick could have a big day nonetheless.

 

The Chiefs defense currently ranks 30th in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing 27.5 points per game. And Sunday, Kansas City will face an offense that scored 54 points against them in November 2008, and has been clicking more since the firing of Coach Dick Jauron.

 

So this Sunday, when the 3-9 Chiefs host the 4-8 Bills, will Chiefs fans tune in to watch a team play that has been error-prone and allowed 44.5 pts per game in consecutive losses?

 

My guess, with only two full shopping weekends left before Christmas, is that many won’t. But to those who decide to sit at home and tune in, one bit of advice: have plenty of adult beverages handy, because this one could be ugly…again. 

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Chiefs’ Derrick Thomas Makes Final Appearance Against Denver Broncos on Sunday

Almost a decade since the last time Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Thomas stepped on the field for the Kansas City Chiefs, his spirit will undoubtedly be in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday against the Denver Broncos.

Thomas, whose number 58 will be retired by the Chiefs on Sunday, sacked Broncos’ quarterback John Elway more than any other quarterback during his 11-year career in Kansas City. Against no other opponent would it be more appropriate for the Chiefs to retire Thomas’ number.

During his career, Thomas registered 126.5 quarterback sacks, the fourth-highest amount in NFL history by a linebacker, including the most sacks in the 1990’s with 116.5.

On Sunday, the 3-8 Chiefs will entertain a Broncos team that is fighting to stay in the playoff race, losing four of their last five after starting out 6-0, and who is struggling to move the ball offensively. The question for the Chiefs is whether someone will be able to channel the energy from the fans, that will undoubtedly be present with the retirement of Thomas’ number at halftime, to turn in a performance that will lead the Chiefs to victory.

When Thomas played, he would raise his hands to encourage the Arrowhead faithful to be as loud as they could. He and his teammates would then, more times than not, rise to the occasion to force a turnover or three-and-out by the opposing offense. That type of presence is something the current Chiefs defense is in dire need of.

On Sunday, a great Chiefs player will be remembered one last time. It will serve as a prime opportunity to see if a current young Chiefs player could seize this opportunity to take his play to a level anywhere near that of Thomas. If someone can, the Chiefs have an opportunity to deliver one more blow to Denver’s playoff hopes, and provide Chiefs’ fans with some hope heading towards 2010.  

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Still a Mystery: Why Won’t Kansas City Chiefs Start Derrick Johnson?

Chiefs head coach Todd Haley must have had a bad experience as a child at the hands of someone with a last name of Johnson.

In addition to the most recent episode with former Chiefs’ running back Larry Johnson, Haley continues to harbor some sort of ill-will towards Kansas City linebacker Derrick Johnson. So much so, that he can’t seem to find a situation or a position on his defense that justifies starting the former first-round selection out of Texas.

Johnson, unlike his former running back teammate of the same surname, hasn’t been critical of his head coach. He hasn’t gotten in trouble with the law. He’s not making a habit of antagonizing Chiefs’ fans when he’s out in public. And he hasn’t gotten into trouble with the league for failing a drug test.

Stated simply, Derrick Johnson has been a class act in his time in Kansas City, and one of the Chiefs most productive players. So why isn’t Haley giving Johnson consistent playing time on a team that is 2-7?

Haley has pointed to issues with Johnson’s work ethic since early in training camp. He also pointed to similar issues with wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. And like Bowe, Johnson was demoted during the preseason.

The difference between Bowe and Johnson however, is that until this week and the suspension of Bowe by the league, Bowe has started all but one of the games in which he’s played this season. Johnson has started only once, and has been relegated to special teams’ duty for the most part this season.

Like Bowe is on offense, Johnson is arguably the most talented player on the Kansas City defense.

When Haley announced shortly after being hired that he was bringing in Clancy Pendergast to be the defensive coordinator, it seemed that his creative blitz schemes would be a perfect fit for Johnson’s athleticism. But instead of Johnson being allowed to flourish in the new system, Haley has only allowed him to play sparingly on defense.

When Johnson has played, he has shown that he can produce in this defense. In his only start of the season at Washington, he had four tackles. In spot time in other games this season, he has produced one sack, defended two passes, forced a fumble, and returned an interception 70 yards to setup a touchdown in week one against Baltimore.

And while Johnson is listed with the Chiefs as an inside linebacker, there is no doubt that he can play outside as well. In fact, if you were to compare him to the Chiefs’ outside linebackers, who include converted end Tamba Hali and veteran Mike Vrabel, Johnson has more speed and is more capable in pass coverage.

If you compare Vrabel’s full season stats of a year ago, when he played with the Patriots, to Johnson’s, Johnson was more productive.

2008-2009 Stats

Mike Vrabel (NE): 62 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 5 passes defended

Derrick Johnson (KC): 85 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 interception, 4 forced fumbles, and 7 passes defended

 

Now, after nine games of finding excuses as to why Johnson isn’t playing, and with the 34-year-old Vrabel out with a knee injury, it would seem the ideal time to get Johnson a start, right? Apparently not.

With Vrabel out for Sunday’s game against the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers, Haley has publicly announced that second year linebacker Andy Studebaker will start in Vrabel’s place.

That’s right, a guy who played at Division III Wheaton, was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth-round of the 2008 draft, picked up off the Eagles’ practice squad by the Chiefs, and has 12 career tackles will start for the Chiefs.

Apparently, Haley is of the opinion that Studebaker, more than a former first-round draft choice who was second on the team in tackles last season, is more capable of blitzing Ben Roethlisberger and covering tight end Heath Miller.

Keep in mind, Miller is the Steelers’ second leading receiver and is tied with wide receiver Hines Ward with four receiving touchdowns. He has been Roethlisberger’s safety blanket in the passing game.

With the Chiefs secondary, particularly the safeties, having difficulties in pass coverage all season long, it would only make sense to play the athletic Johnson in Vrabel’s spot. Instead, Haley has chosen to start a guy with no career starts to his credit to line up Sunday against the defending champions.

Here’s to hoping that Haley wakes up sometime soon, and finally forgives whatever childhood menace named Johnson tormented him in his youth.

Haley’s honeymoon first season as a head coach is almost over, and unless his play calling and personnel decisions start yielding better results in the win column, he’s going to run out of reasons as to why he isn’t playing his defense’s best player.

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Dwayne Bowe Show on Hiatus, Kansas City WR Suspended Four Weeks by NFL

Chiefs head coach Todd Haley can’t seem to catch a break, or maybe he can.

After six straight losses and only one win to his credit, the heat was getting turned up on Haley, as fans and the media became increasingly skeptical of Haley’s decision-making and play calling.

Then three weeks ago, running back Larry Johnson quickly took the focus off of Haley with his open criticism of the head coach on Twitter. Everyone jumped on the LJ media circus, Johnson was released, and Haley escaped public criticism for a couple more weeks.

Now after some sketchy play calls again in Sunday’s narrow win over a bad Raiders team, Haley is facing the difficult task of gameplanning for a very good Steelers team. With another loss likely on the horizon, Haley was bound to have to start answering tough questions about his coaching ability, right?

Maybe not.

Tuesday, the NFL announced that Dwayne Bowe, the team’s best young offensive player, has been suspended for four weeks for violating the league’s policy against performance enhancing drugs.

Bowe, who leads the Chiefs with 33 catches for 466 yards and 4 touchdowns, took all of training camp to get out of Haley’s doghouse, and now it appears he’ll be right back in it. 

Bowe cannot participate in any team-related activities for the next four weeks, and he will miss four game checks due to the suspension.

For Haley, it provides yet another distraction to take the focus off his coaching deficiencies. Rather than having to answer more questions about things such as his affinity to go for it on fourth down, he now has a less difficult task of answering questions about how he can replace Bowe.

As far as the Chiefs’ offense is concerned, losing Bowe takes their best receiver off the field. It means that Lance Long and Bobby Wade will have to fill the void left by Bowe at receiver, a difficult task to say the least.

With opposing defenses now shifting their focus to stop the newly acquired Chris Chambers, the Chiefs will be looking to get more production out of their tight ends and backs. That means running back Jamaal Charles, and tight ends Leonard Pope and Sean Ryan will likely see increased roles in the passing game.

While it may never be known what substance Bowe tested positive for, he has most certainly put himself in a precarious position with the Chiefs and his head coach.

If Bowe can’t get himself back in Haley’s good graces, he may want to call an interior decorator to make that doghouse feel a little more at-home. It could become his permanent residence for the duration of his stay in Kansas City.

Hopefully for Chiefs’ fans, Bowe doesn’t use his extra free time the next four weeks to share his opinions about his head coach on any social networking sites.

Instead, Bowe may want to find a new personal trainer or dietitian who knows what NFL players are not allowed to put in their bodies.

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Forget About LJ, Jamaal Charles Is the Real Deal in Kansas City

Dear Chiefs fans, forget Larry Johnson.

Two weeks ago, it became clear that Johnson would never play another game for the Kansas City Chiefs. What wasn’t so clear was who would replace him as the starter in the Chiefs’ backfield.

Kansas City’s stable of running backs is a who’s-who of mid-round draft picks that includes former college standouts Jamaal Charles, Kolby Smith, and Dantrell Savage.

Charles entered last week’s game in Jacksonville as the starter, but many assumed that Smith would soon replace him, or at least take a majority of his carries away.

But two games into the post-Johnson era it has become abundantly clear who the Chiefs’ feature running back is.

That back is Jamaal Charles.

Charles’ versatility as a runner and receiver has made him the Chiefs’ most dangerous player offensively. In the past two games, Charles has been the team’s most productive player:

• 24 rushes for 139 yards (5.8 yards per rush), and 1 touchdown
• 7 receptions for 33 yards (4.7 yards per catch)

Compare that to Smith’s paltry 2.2 yards per rush on 13 carries, and one catch for 4 yards, and it’s obvious who provides the Chiefs’ offense with the best chance to win.

On Sunday, Charles was key to Kansas City’s win over the Raiders.

He rushed for 103 yards, including his first career touchdown on a 44-yard burst in the second quarter on a 4th-and-1 play.

Charles was also the team’s second-leading receiver, catching four balls out of the backfield for 14 yards.

It couldn’t be more clear to coach Todd Haley who he should start at running back for the remainder of this season, a seven game stretch that includes four games against three of the league’s toughest run defenses in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Denver (twice).

It may be too much to expect Charles to post huge rushing days against those defenses, but his role in the passing game will be vital if the Chiefs’ offense is going to be successful.

Throw in back-to-back home games in December against the league’s worst rush defenses in Cleveland and Buffalo, and Charles should have plenty of opportunities to show Chiefs fans what he can do.

And while Charles won’t be able to lead this team to a spot in the playoffs this season, he can do one more thing that’s almost as important: make everyone in Kansas City forget about Larry Johnson .

That is, if he hasn’t done that already.

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Chiefs-Raiders: Battle Of The League’s Best…Punters

Sunday’s matchup between Kansas City and Oakland won’t be one of two teams battling for first place in the AFC West. Neither team has been very good this season, and each have more problems than solutions at the moment.

However, this game on Sunday between the Chiefs and Raiders will pit two of the NFL’s best punters against one another. 

Raiders punter Shane Lechler leads the NFL in gross punting average at 52.3 yards per punt. In the Raiders trip to Kansas City earlier this season, Lechler had his best game averaging 56.9 yards per punt on seven punts, including a 70-yarder.

Lechler’s punting style is one of power. He drives the football deep into the opposition’s territory and relies upon his coverage team to shut down any returns.

As a result, 34 or Lechler’s 46 punts this season have been returned, for an average of 7.6 yards per return.

The Chiefs Dustin Colquitt averages a respectable 44.8 yards per punt, but is every bit as effective as Lechler.

Rather than driving the ball deep and allowing the punt returner a chance to get a big return against the Chiefs, Colquitt sacrifices a few yards for greater hang-time. Of his 53 punts this season, only 18 have been returned for just 5.9 yards per return.

Colquitt is also second in the league, behind Cleveland’s Dave Zastudil, in punts inside the 20. Colquitt has landed 23 punts inside the 20 yard line, compared to just 14 by Lechler.

In a game between two teams that have continued to have difficulties moving the ball offensively, it’s fair to say that special teams could play a big part in the outcome.

And unless Lechler or Colquitt makes a mistake, it’s not likely you’ll see a big punt return as the deciding factor in this game.

And while the punter isn’t a glamourous position, viewers of this game will likely be watching a competition between the two most likely candidates to be representing the AFC in the Pro Bowl in February.

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