Kansas City Chiefs: Father Time Is Undefeated

The Kansas City Chiefs have added many new faces to the roster for the 2009 season.

Matt Cassel was acquired in a trade with the New England Patriots to be the quarterback of the future.

Four others added and projected as starters for the Chiefs in ’09 have had great careers, but the rigors of the NFL grind may have started to take its tole on these accomplished players.

They are linebackers Zach Thomas and Mike Vrabel, guard Mike Goff, and wide receiver Bobby Engram.

Zach Thomas 

He has more tackles than any linebacker in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is forth all-time.  At 36 years old, it’s expected that his stats will start to decline.  He had a good season in Dallas with over 90 total tackles in 2008, but he’s also one more concussion away from his career being over.

Mike Vrabel

Not quite the age of Thomas, but at 33 he’s got quite a few miles on his body.  His tackle total has declined in each year following his total of 108 in 2005 for the Patriots. 

Bobby Engram

Engram has had a decent career and had a monster year in 2007.  Last season he was nagged by injuries and didn’t produce half of his totals from the year before.  At 36, it may be too much to ask Engram to start, but the Chiefs apparently will.

Mike Goff 

Goff will be entering his 11th season in the NFL and, after 162 games played, getting 16 out of him him might be pushing the envelope.

Interview With Chiefs’ Quarterback Matt Cassel (Fictional)

As a rookie reporter now following the Kansas Chiefs for NPPR radio, I was lucky enough to get a few minutes to pick the brain of quarterback Matt Cassel.

NPPR: Welcome to Kansas City, Mr. Cassell and first of all, I would like to wish you a productive and healthy season this year.

Cassel: Thanks for the kind words, and you can call me Matt, my man.

NPPR: Cool, I got a few quick questions for you and thanks for your time.

Cassel:  No problem, fire away, I’m just waiting for D-Bowe and Bobby-E to get their tape jobs done.

NPPR:   So how do you like Kansas City, and what’s your early impression of the franchise?

Cassel:  Kansas City seems like a very nice city, although I really haven’t had much time to get out and see everything. 

I think that the franchise is loaded with talented players, and knowing the tenacity of Coach Haley and Mr. Pioli, we will be playing at a high level sooner than some may realize.

NPPR:  It sure sounds like you have adjusted to your new teammates rather well.  After throwing to Randy Moss and Wes Welker last season in New England, what do you think about the receivers on your new team? 

Cassel:  So far in limited work, they look great!  D-Bowe is going to be a beast and E is a veteran who will complement him well.  Bradley and Charles will produce and we’ve got an oak tree for a tight end.

NPPR:  Are you talking about Brad Cottam?

Cassel:  Yeah.  He’s going to surprise you. 

NPPR:  Tyler Thigpen played pretty well last season and is said to be in competition with you for the starting position.  What is your relationship like with him?

Cassel: Ty has been awesome.  We get along well and drive each other to be better.  Our relationship is great and we help each other as much as possible.  He’s a very talented quarterback.

NPPR:  I think it’s safe to assume you will be the starter against the Ravens in Baltimore for the season opener week one due to your rather sizable contract.

You’ve been called the future of the Chiefs’ franchise, how does the pressure of that statement make you feel?

Cassel:  I just play football and let the rest of that work itself out. 

NPPR:  Good point.  Speaking of that, you’ve had a patient road to stardom and played behind some of the most well-known QB’s around. 

Everyone knows about your years as a backup to Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then legend Tom Brady in New England.   If you had three words to describe the key to those players’ successes, what would they be?

Cassel:  Never thought about it that way, but I like your style so I’ll answer the question. 

Leinart: Hollywood Good.  Does that count.

NPPR:  Sure, I’ll take that.

Cassel:  It’s fitting and when Kurt’s time is over Arizona, Matt will be ready to get it done.

Palmer: Poised Rocket Arm

and Brady, hmmmm.  Best There Is.

NPPR:  That’s high praise.  Do you hold any ill feelings towards the Patriots?

Cassel:  Absolutely not.  They gave me a chance by drafting me and allowing me to learn from a Hall of Fame coach and quarterback.  Now they’ve given me a chance to be a starter and I wish Tom all the best.  

NPPR:   I assumed I would get a classy response to that question.  Have you tried the bar-b-que yet?

Cassel:  Oh yeah.  I love it already.

NPPR:  Which do you prefer, clam chowder or a short end of ribs?

Cassel:  Ah, the ribs and it’s not even close.

NPPR:  You got a favorite restaurant to get your BBQ from yet?

Cassel:  There are a lot of them here but Gates and this little place on Merriam Lane in Kansas City, Kansas named Woodyard BBQ is the bomb.  One of the guys took me down there.  Have you been there?

NPPR:  I thought I had been to them all, but look at you.  Here just a few months and already telling locals where to go for their food.   You must adapt quickly?

Cassel:  Yes I do.

NPPR:  Alright, thanks for the interview Matt.

Cassel:  Anytime. 

Breaking Down the AFC West: Lightning Strikes Again in 2009

The AFC West has seen some major changes in 2009. 

Gone are some of the most recognizable faces in the conference.  Jay Cutler, Tony Gonzalez, and Mike Shanahan have moved on.  

They are replaced by Matt Cassel, Josh McDaniels, and Todd Haley to name a few.

The AFC West draws the NFC East and AFC North on the schedule in the upcoming season. 

That means each AFC West team not named the San Diego has at least six games against teams that made it to the playoffs last the season, including the past two Super Bowl Champions. 

The Chargers don’t have to play against themselves, but the Bolts still get the Steelers, Giants, Ravens and Eagles like the rest of the teams. 

Here’s an early and brief prediction of the conference and how the changes might influence it. 

 

SAN DIEGO CHARGES 

Record in 2008: 8-8

Projected 2009:  12-4

Top Player:  Philip Rivers

Head Coach:  Norv Turner

 

Offense:  The Chargers should romp through the AFC West in ’09.  Philip Rivers, Darren Sproles and Vincent Jackson are coming off their best seasons of their careers and if LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates could stay healthy they will be a contender to win it all.

Defense:  Antonio Cromartie is one of the best play-makers in the league and the return of Shawne Merriman will help get the pressure they lacked without him.  Talent on the other side of the ball allows the defense to take more chances.

Overall:  The defense has seemed to have slipped quite a bit from a few years ago, but the offense is on the rise and should light up the scoreboard.  The rest of the conference is rebuilding so they should be pretty easy pickings.  Not a big Norv Turner fan, but he has won some big games recently.

 

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Record in 2008: 2-14

Projected 2009:  7-9

Top Player:  Matt Cassel

Head Coach:  Todd Haley

 

Offense:  The addition of Cassell gives the Chiefs a quarterback for years to come and Dwayne Bowe should blossom with him.  The loss of “Tony G” is huge from many angles.  It’s a stretch to think that Larry Johnson will return to form, so other than Bowe there’s not much to write home about.

Defense:  The 2008 version was historically bad producing only nine sacks as a team for the season. New defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast will play a 3-4 defense and the franchise drafted defensive end Tyson Jackson to anchor the line.

Free agent additions Zach Thomas and Mike Vrabel’s best years are far behind them, but they are still a slight upgrade from last year. Safeties Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page will get torched again if they remain the starters.

Overall:  Everything has changed at Arrowhead and although the results are pending, it appears the franchise is on the right track.  7-9 may be a stretch, but even 6-10 would be a vast improvement from the past two seasons.  The future of the franchise may be reflected through the play of Cassel. 

 

DENVER BRONCOS

Record in 2008: 8-8

Projected 2009: 6-10

Top Player:  Champ Bailey

Head Coach: Josh McDaniels

Offense:  New head coach McDaniels has made a lot of noise with his arrival at Mile High.  No longer with the team is pro bowler Jay Cutler who despite his attitude, is one of the better QB’s in the league.  Kyle Orton gets the nod and has one of the elite wide receiver tandems in the league in Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal. 

Orton has no where near the talent of Cutler and the changes in philosophy could slow the offense to a crawl. 

Defense:  Safety Brian Dawkins is a major upgrade at the position, but not much else has changed from a defense that was down right putrid in ’08.  Seems like every defensive player Shanahan drafted north of Trevor Pryce underachieved so a major rebuilding effort is needed. 

On the positive side, Champ Bailey is still a joy to watch and Mike Nolan is the biggest name at defensive coordinator since Wade Phillips.

Overall:  At first blush I thought it was a powerful message sent by McDaniels as he called Cutler’s bluff and traded him to the Chicago Bears.  Now, I think it was a terrible decision and drafting Knowshon Moreno in the first round at a position that the team actually had some depth at made me question his judgement even further. 

McDaniels might have Moreno pinned for a Kevin Faulk type role going forward which has been highly effective for the New England.  The schedule is brutal and includes games against the Chargers (twice), Colts, Eagles, Giants, Cowboys, Steelers, Ravens, and Patriots.

 

OAKLAND RAIDERS

Record in 2008: 5-11

Projected 2009:  4-12

Best Player: Nnamdi Asomugha

Head Coach: Tom Cable

 

Offense:  If JaMarcus Russell struggles, look for Al Davis, I mean Cable to go to free agent addition Jeff Garcia early.  Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden pack a heck of a one-two punch, but they will need help on the outside to open things up for the them. 

Defense:  Asomugha is one of the best players in the NFL and the defense played well at times last season.  Michael Huff’s struggles have been a major setback for the franchise.  The squad could be a surprise in ’09, but don’t bank on it.

Overall:  Garcia’s grit and a break-out type season from McFadden might give the Raiders enough to sneak up on some teams in ’09.  Team owner Davis made some noise with his draft this season confusing both experts and fans alike.

Five Plays the New Look Chiefs Offense Will Run in 2009.

The 2008 Kansas City Chiefs’ offense was catered around inexperienced quarterback Tyler Thigpen.

The “Pistol” formation made Thigpen more comfortable and the Chiefs actually moved the ball at times to make the best out of a dire situation. 

Former tight end Tony Gonzalez was the focal point of the offense and was once again the best player at his position in the NFL.

In 2009, the Chiefs will have a completely new look on offense under new head coach Todd Haley. 

Haley was the offensive coordinator for the NFC champion Arizona Cardinals last year.

The Chiefs also traded for franchise quarterback Matt Cassel and signed wide receivers Bobby Engram and Terrance Copper to bolster their aerial attack. 

Although Thigpen played surprisingly well when pressed into duty, he either didn’t have the ability or the coaching staff didn’t trust him to make every NFL throw. 

Cassel should allow the Chiefs to vastly expand their playbook in the upcoming season. 

Here’s a list of five plays you will see in 2009 that you didn’t in ’08:

 

Wide Receiver Screen Pass:  Haley and the Cards used this play as an extension of the running game.  Dwayne Bowe is no Anquan Boldin, but he does have good RAC (run after catch) capability.

 

Running Back Draw (4-Wide):  Considering that Devard Darling and Jeff Webb were the teams number three and four receivers just might explain why the Chiefs didn’t go four-wide very often in ’08.   The Cards ran this play a lot with Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower last season.  Larry Johnson and Jamaal Charles are every bit as talented. 

 

Flee Flicker:  Kurt Warner touched up a few defenses for big plays with this one in the past.  If “LJ” were to get it rolling, don’t be surprised if he were to flick it back to Cassel for the deep bomb.

 

Deep Seem Pass:  This play was a staple of Arizona’s run to the Super Bowl.   Larry Fitzgerald may have been the reason why, but the only time the Chiefs went to the seem last season was when Thigpen chucked it up to a double-teamed Gonzalez.  Cassel has the arm for the pass, but will he have a receiver to run the route? 

 

Deep Out:  The deep out is considered the true mark of an elite NFL quarterback.  The Chiefs probably didn’t have that last season, but they do now.  After taking over for an injured Tom Brady ironically against the Chiefs in week one, Cassel proved he can make all the throws while leading the Patriots to 11 victories.

 

Five Positions Battles To Watch for with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009

Rebuilding is tough.  That’s what fans of the Kansas City Chiefs would say about the past few seasons.

The Chiefs have not won a playoff game for 15 years and owner Clark Hunt felt like it was finally time for some major changes.

Long-time VP/GM Carl Peterson was pushed out and head coach Herm Edwards was fired as well.

Hunt hired New England’s Scott Pioli as GM, Arizona Cardinals’ offensive coordinator Todd Haley as head coach and traded for starting quarterback Matt Cassel.

The Chiefs have brought in many other new faces including Mike Vrabel, Zach Thomas, Bobby Engram, Monty Biesel, and selected Tyson Jackson in the first round of the draft. 

Kansas City also traded legendary tight end Tony Gonzalez to the Atlanta Falcons and in doing so, broke thousands of hearts across the midwest.   

With all the new faces on the roster, it’s pretty obvious which players are going to be the starters going into the 2009 season.

Upgrades at the quarterback, wide receiver and line backer positions have created only a few apparent spots that will be decided in the preseason. 

Here’s a list of five intriguing position battles going into the 2009 season:

 

NOSE TACKLE (3-4 Defense): Glenn Dorsey vs. Demarcus “Tank” Tyler

Glenn Dorsey: 6’1″, 297, Drafted No. 5 overall in 2008 , Louisiana St., Age 23.

2008 Season: 46 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 16 games started.

’08 Review: The Chiefs used a very high pick on Dorsey, passing on players like Jared Mayo, Joe Flacco and Chris Johnson, but didn’t quite get the plays expected in doing so.  Dorsey did nothing to prevent NFL teams from running wild on the Chiefs last season.

Fast Fact:  Dorsey is one of NCAA football’s most decorated defensive linemen ever.  In 2007 as a Junior, he won the Lombardi, Outland, Bronco Nagurski and Lott awards, as well as being selected First Team All-American for the second straight year.

 

Tank Tyler: 6’2″, 306, Drafted Third Round 2007, North Carolina, Age 23.

2008 Season: 41 tackles, no sacks, 16 games started.

’08 Review:  “Tank” started every game last season for the Chiefs.  That’s about it.  What’s written above about Dorsey applies to Tyler as well.  Maybe they were allergic to the backfield?

Prediction: Tyler’s size fits the new, 3-4 defense better, but the organizations’ investment in Dorsey will no doubt give him an advantage.  Look for a 70/30 split.

Fast Fact:  Tyler was selected First Team All-Acc in 2007 recording 89 tackles.  

 

WIDE RECEIVER (No. 2 Option)  Bobby Engram vs. Mark Bradley

Bobby Engram:  5’10”, 192, Drafted second round 1996 (Bears), Penn St., Age 36

2008 Season:  47 receptions, 489 yards, no touchdowns, 11 games started.

’08 Review:  After a injury plagued 2008 season, it’s hard not to wonder how much the 36 years old Engram has left in the tank.  In 2007, Engram had a monster season with 74 for 1147 and six touchdowns. In ’08 he never saw pay-dirt.  Engram spent 2001-’08 in Seattle and played for the Bears the four seasons prior. 

Fast Fact:  In 1994, Engram was the go-to receiver for the undefeated Nittany Lions, won the first ever Biletnikoff Award and is the school’s all-time leader in touchdowns and yards.     

 

Mark Bradley:  6’2″, 198, Drafted second round 2005 (Bears), Oklahoma, Age 27

2008 Season: 30 receptions, 380 yards, three touchdowns, eight starts.

’08 Review: Bradley was a second round pick by the Bears, but could never find any playing time in his first couple season there.  In ’08, he was cut by Chicago and picked up in Week Seven by the Chiefs.  He played pretty well as the second receiver in the offense.

Fast Fact:  Bradley was a big part of the most memorable play of the 2009 season for the Chiefs. In week nine against Tampa Bay, Bradley hit quarter back Tyler Thigpen for a 45 yard touchdown on a wide receiver reverse-pass. 

Prediction: Although by no means a game-breaker, Bradley will look around him and like his chances to see a lot of playing time again in 2009.  If healthy, Engram should have at least a semi-productive season. He will benefit more from a lack of talent at the skill positions, than his own at this late stage in his career. 

 

PLACE KICKER:  Connor Barth vs. Ryan Succop

Connor Barth:  5’11”, 193, Undrafted 2008, North Carolina, Age 23

2008 Season:  10-12 field goals, 24-24 extra points.

’08 Review: Barth was cut in the preseason in favor of Nick Novak only to replace later in week eight. Showed some accuracy, but hit for a long of only 48 yards.

Fast Fact: In week 15 against rival San Diego, Barth had his only two misses of the season. The second was a potential game-winning 50 yard attempt.

 

Ryan Succop:  6’3″, 221, Drafted round seven 2009, South Carolina, Age 22

2008 NCAA Season:  20-30 field goals.

’08 Review: Succop had a 66.7  field-goal percentage last season for the Gamecocks. At 6-3, 221 he could possibly be used as a sixth line backer.

Fast Fact: The 2009 “Mr Irrelevant” selection (last player drafted), scored 104 goals as a soccer player at Hickory High in North Carolina. 

Prediction:  A pretty boring position to evaluate, but it will be an important one for the Chiefs as they learn a new offense.  Barth did rather well after taking the job in midseason and should retain the position.

If Succop could put some accuracy with is big leg, he could definitely make it interesting. 

 

TIGHT END:  Brad Cottam vs. Tony Curtis

Brad Cottam: 6’7″, 269, Drafted third round 2008, Tennessee, Age 24

2008 Season: 7 receptions, 63 yards, 16 games, seven starts.

’08 Review:  With the name Tony Gonzalez ahead of you on the depth chart, it’s going to be hard to evaluate how good a rookie tight end could be. Tony is gone now and spending a year under the future Hall of Famer will only help Cottam in securing his turn at the top. 

Fast Fact:  Had four catches for 34 yards in week eighth start.  At 6’7″, Cottam will also come in handy at local charity basketball games. 

 

Tony Curtis: 6’5″, 251, Undrafted 2005, Portland State, Age 26

2008 Season:  8 receptions, 32 yards.

’08 Review:  Curtis was also looking up at a future Hall of Famer in Jason Witten while playing for the Cowboys the past three seasons.  Featured primarily in the goal line and short yardage packages, he should at least fill the same role for the Chiefs in 2009.

Fast Fact: Curtis had three receptions in the 2007 season.  All for touchdowns. 

Prediction:  The competition at this position will be closer than most anticipate. Cottam is widely anticipated as the guy, but I feel like Curtis will compete to the last preseason game. Either way, the Chiefs will use three wide receiver sets under coach Todd Haley so blocking may be the top concern.

 

Center: Eric Ghiaciuc vs. Rudy Niswanger

Rudy Niswanger:  6’5″, 301, Undrafted 2006, Louisiana St, Age 25

2008 Season:  15 games started.

’08 Review:  Niswanger started all but one game last season and was re-signed as an unrestricted free agent this off season.

Fast Fact: While at LSU, Niswanger earned a 4.0 GPA and was accepted to medical school.

 

Eric Ghiaciuc:  6’4″, 303, Drafted forth round 2005 (Bengals), C.Michigan, Age 23

2008 Season, 16 games started.

’08 Review:  “G” started every game in 2008 for the Bengals, increasing his four-year total to 42 with the team. 

Fast Fact:  As a wrestler at Oxford High in Michigan, Ghiaciuc won the heavyweight state championship. 

Prediction:  Neither the Chiefs or the Bengals had much of a running game to speak of in 2008 so predicting who will be the starting center is a question mark.  It’s hard believe that Kansas City would have signed Ghiaciuc without intending on starting him.

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