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NFL Football Players Draft Injuries Rookies Season SuperbowlPublished: August 25, 2009
The average fan finds the preseason to be utterly meaningless. For a handful of athletes in the camp of every NFL team the preseason is the stage for a ferocious, intense battle. Rookies, veteran journeymen, and the occasional local-hero walk on are in the fight for roster spots.
Kansas City has several position battles playing out in the final two weeks of the preseason. This article will provide three points of examination to help Kansas City fans enjoy the remainder of the preseason.
Now there are two kinds of position battles. One is the struggle to simply make the roster. Most of these guys have to make plays in special teams while also showing the ability to fill in on either side of the ball should catastrophe strike any starters. Second, are the players lobbying for a higher spot on the depth chart.
What’s great about the preseason is that fans can choose what storylines they want to follow. Beyond who wins or loses, a devoted fan has a “choose your own adventure novel” of stories to look out for. This is just a few of them.
Examination I: Players who are fun to watch in the preseason, are likely to make the team, and you’ll be proud to recognize for the few plays a game he takes the field.
Defensive End/Outside Linebacker Andy Studebaker played very strong football against the Texans in week one of the preseason, but was largely inactive against the Vikings in game two due to a minor injury.
The transition to the 3-4 defense in Kansas City opens doors for players built like the 6-3, 248 pound Studebaker to fill one of the extra linebacker spots and the coaching staff likes the guy.
Middle Linebacker Corey Mays has had a lot of time with the first team defense in the absence of NFL dinosaur and tackle machine Zach Thomas. Thomas is part of the Pioli influx of veterans.
Thomas is a seven-time pro-bowler, but is on the downside of his career. The emergence of Mays allows for a nice rotation to pair with Derrick Johnson as the Middle Line Backing duo in the 3-4.
Examination 2: Which one makes the cut?
Does quarterback Tyler Thigpen still have a home on this team? Thigpen had a touchdown in the Chiefs preseason opener, but didn’t take a single snap against the Vikings in game two.
Instead, presumptive Chiefs’ starting quarterback, Matt Cassel’s backup in New England, Matt Gutierrez took duty as the Chief’s No. 3 quarterback. Is Thigpen, last year’s starter, simply trusted to be talented enough to step in if needed, or, does Coastal Carolina’s only NFL athlete have his days numbered?
Is there room on the team for both Running Backs Jackie Battle and Dantrell Savage? Both were signed by the Chiefs as undrafted free agents. Battle came out of Houston and got a contract in 2007. Savage came out of Oklahoma State and signed in 2008. Kansas City fans may remember Battle for having a touchdown on his first NFL carry, but his potential appears limited.
Savage has evolved more as a player. Initially showing an upright, lanky running style that is prone to injury and fumbles, Savage has shown better tendencies this preseason. Besides, how can you not like the name Savage for a football player?
Examination 3: Who is the starter?
What’s the order of the Chiefs’ Wide Receiver hierarchy? In terms of talent, Dwayne Bowe is the indisputable No. 1 receiver, but Head Coach Todd Haley has questioned Bowe’s work ethic, the reliability of his hands, and most of all his unwillingness to block in the run game.
As a result Haley demoted Bowe to the number three receiver spot. Against the Texans Bowe was active in aiding the run game and by season start he will be catching the majority of Cassel’s passes.
The Chiefs’ No. 2 receiver job is up for grabs. A number of veterans could emerge. Last year’s No. 2 receiver Mark Bradley should vie for significant playing time. As will recent veteran acquisitions Amani Toomer, the Giants’ all time leader in yardage, and journeyman Bobby Engram, who had some strong years with the Seattle Seahawks.
Finally, the Chiefs signed former Denver Bronco and Hawaii Rainbow Warrior jump-ball specialist Ashley Lelie prior to the Vikings game and he may become a key red zone option in the absence of former Chiefs Pro Bowl Tight End Tony Gonzalez.
Finally, rookie Quinten Lawrence, a sixth round draft pick out of McNeese State, has shown promise and is likely to make the team.
The rotation of this mixed bag, and the distribution of snaps and looks, is anyone’s guess at this stage of the game. In fact Haley’s background as a Wide Receiver coach leaves the possibility of incorporating all these talents a very real possibility.
Fans will have the opportunity to choose favorites in this horse race.
Lastly, Right Tackle Barry Richardson is strongly challenging incumbent starter Damion McIntosh to line up with the first team offense. Richardson, last year’s sixth round pick out of Clemson is a youngster challenging the aging McIntosh.
The team was quick to demote McIntosh to Right Tackle with the emergence of Branden Albert at the Left Tackle spot and it’s very possible he will continue to slide down the depth chart. The question remains though, is Richardson truly a better option?
Published: May 29, 2009
Smash-mouth, back to the basics, “Marty-ball,” (circa Schottenheimer success), are all nicknames for a commitment to the ground game. When a team has a high-priced first-round draft pick at running back this commitment is hard to escape.
However, in 2008, with quarterbacks getting hurt Kansas City’s ground game grew less prominent with the emergence of Tyler Thigpen and his success in the spread offense.
By the end of the year, the Chiefs had no thousand yard rushers and despite a partial season, Thigpen was in the top fifteen among quarterbacks for passing touchdowns.
Enter Todd Haley. The offensive coordinator for an explosive air attack in Arizona his 2008 resume boasted the No. 2 and No. 16 ranked NFL receivers in total yards and the No. 3 quarterback in passing yards,
The script seemed designed for Thigpen to step-up as a rising talent, but Haley has already voiced that a great offense begins by working with the pieces available.
This means all the pieces, so back to the ground game.
Given the NFL’s trend toward tandem backfields the Chiefs will be wise to feature Larry Johnson not in a lessened role, but a more creative one.
Johnson needs to split carries with speedster Jamaal Charles. One dilemma is that Johnson insists more carries equal built up momentum and that he needs every carry to get to maximum output. However, Johnson and Charles pose different and complementary threats.
Running backs often have short-lived success in the NFL because of the beating their bodies take over the course of a 16-game regular season. Exceptions include anomalies like Barry Sanders, who had 10 consecutive stellar seasons prior to retirement, but the “workhorse” running back is becoming an endangered species.
Two of the top three teams in rushing yards, the New York Giants (No. 1) and the Carolina Panthers (No. 3) feature multiple backs.
The Giants pull off the “thunder and lightning” duo with the bruiser Brandon Jacobs and the shifty Derrick Ward, who both finished the season with over a thousand yard on the ground.
Carolina paired DeAngelo Williams with then-rookie Jonathan Stewart. Both backs finished in the top 25 of all running backs for rushing yards, and Williams managed a startling 5.5 yards-per-carry.
Still, one can’t ignore Haley’s history as a wide receiver coach with multiple teams before his stint with the Cardinals. A passing attack will remain and with the departure of Tony Gonzalez to Atlanta the Chiefs will rely on their receivers pick up the slack.
Now for why Thigpen’s feel-good story was canned before ever reaching production. The talented athlete is tied to the spread offense. This lead to the pistol formation, which featured the quarterback in the shotgun with the running back lined up directly behind him as if in the I-formation.
While the pistol has the running back lined up nearly as far as a punter it is not without potential. Multiple receiver formations spread the defense and bring in extra corners. This opens up the potential for successful underneath screens and delayed hand-offs.
Still though, needing to run everything out of the shotgun is more restrictive than most coordinators desire.
Enter Matt Cassel, a burst-onto-the-scene phenom who ranks in the top ten of all quarterbacks in quarterback rating. Somewhat the product of a great supporting cast, some questions linger, but he has shown he can make the throws and provides greater versatility.
This does not mean a total deviation from the perks of the pistol though. Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey has shown the ability to help an offense adapt and he will be challenged to conjure up plans that resemble Haley’s adoration of the passing game and utilize a two-time pro-bowler in the backfield.
Now let’s get new-age with the game. While I am fond of the selfless, traditional fullback, let’s take him out for a few plays and in his place put another true running back.
Spread the defense by going three-wide with a two-back pro-form backfield. Out of this formation there is potential for a standard pass play, the delayed hand-off to Johnson up the middle on a small defense, or the underneath screen to Charles if he is covered by linebackers that stay in to cover the threat of Johnson.
The Chiefs will likely move toward a balanced offense and run out of atypical formations. Fans will still see that second tight end from time-to-time, but it will be interesting to note what percentage of run plays in 2009 are run out of formations with more than two receivers.
The pistol is not extinct, but it will be as rare as the “workhorse” running back.
Published: May 27, 2009
When shopping for produce people want their food to be fresh. If shopping for wine age is desired. When building a football team it is wise to invest in both the fresh and young, and the old and wise.
As both a team and an organization the Chiefs are on a divergent path this season compared to last. With no pun intended let’s examine both the old and new.
OUT: General Manager Carl Peterson.
In 20 years at the helm of personnel for the Chiefs football organization King Carl built teams that claimed the AFC West title four times. The 1993 team reached the AFC championship game, but otherwise the Chiefs went winless in the playoffs.
IN: Scott Pioli.
Pioli was hired as a pro personnel assistant by eventual two-time AP NFL coach of the year Bill Belichick while Belichick was coaching for the Cleveland Browns. Pioli would follow Belichick to the New York Jets where as Director of Pro Personnel he would carve an identity as a man who built a team identity with veteran free-agent signings as the cornerstones.
He aided the Jets in earning their first division title since 1968. However, it is with the success of the New England Patriots for which Pioli is most acclaimed. Still in tandem with Belichick, the two won three Super Bowls in four years.
OUT: Head Coach Herm Edwards.
One of Pioli’s first actions was to fire Herm Edwards. Edwards’ approach of flooding a starting lineup with an influx of youth is in direct conflict with Pioli’s team-building philosophy.
Edwards twice inherited moderately successful teams, once from Bill Parcells when Herm coached the Jets, and in Kansas City where he took the reins from Dick Vermeil. Both times Edwards squeaked into the playoffs in his early seasons as head coach before the records of each franchise took a nosedive.
The charisma of a Herm Edwards press conference will be missed by fans of Kansas City, but hopefully the woeful records will not be.
IN: Todd Haley
The trade of Tony Gonzalez is a statement that the Chiefs will move the focus of their passing game to the wide receiver position. The hiring of Todd Haley is directly related to this team transition.
Haley had stops with the Jets, Chicago Bears, and Dallas Cowboys as a wide receiver coach prior to becoming the offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals.
While Haley was only the offensive coordinator of the Cardinals from 2007-2008 and has less than a year of actual play-calling experience the flash of brilliance that the Cardinals had in their Super Bowl run is directly tied to the innovation of Haley.
Common logic will spark fans to assume that the Chiefs offense may resemble the spread offense with which they had success last year. However, with the addition of Matt Cassel at quarterback the team will not be limited to the spread offense and Haley has already stated that the key to offensive success is working with the pieces available.
Using Haley’s mindset it is safe to assume that a number of three-wide receiver formations are likely as the team will call on the continued growth of star receiver Dwayne Bowe to be complimented by last-year’s acquisition, the late-blossoming Mark Bradley, and recent free-agent signing Bobby Engram.
This receiving trio is a combination of old and young that fits the past Pioli mold of success. Engram is a wily veteran who can produce, but whose career is winding down. Bradley is the nomadic veteran who never reached his potential because he never found a true home. Bowe is the talented youngster of the group who while confident doesn’t yet recognize his own potential.
OUT: Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham
“Gun” was the defensive coordinator for some very successful Chiefs’ squads in the nineties and later served two seasons as Chiefs head coach where in both seasons he finished at .500 before he was replaced by Dick Vermeil.
Cunningham boasted such gaudy stats as a +30 turnover ratio in his first stint as defensive coordinator with the Chiefs, but his return was not so glorious. The “bend-but-don’t-break” philosophy led to all-time, NFL-worst 10 sacks over the course of a whole season.
IN: Clancy Pendergast.
Many NFL teams are moving toward the 3-4 defense and with the hiring of Clancy Pendergast as the Chiefs defensive coordinator it became clear the Chiefs are undergoing a similar transformation.
As the Cardinal’s defensive coordinator from 2004-2008 Pendergast was often in the shadow of the high-flying air-attack of the Cardinal’s offense. Yet, with great ingenuity in his play-calling it was the schemes of Pendergast that played a vital role in Arizona reaching Super Bowl XLIII.
The fundamental challenge of incorporating the 3-4 defense is the need for uncommon physical specimens who have both the size to rush the quarterback as a defensive end and the speed and agility to drop into coverage as a linebacker.
This challenge has led to recent gambles on high draft picks by organizations such as the Jets who in 2008 drafted DE/OLB Vernon Gholston with the 6th overall pick. In 2008 Gholston ate up a huge chunk of salary cap space while amassing 16 tackles with 0 sacks.
Now the Washington Redskins face a similar risk in selecting DE/OLB Brian Orakpo. Both Gholston and Orakpo stand roughly 6’3 and weigh in the 260s. Current Chiefs DE Tamba Hali is 6’3 and weighs 275. With his measurements he is the likely candidate for conversion to the two-point stance, which he actually ran out of to great success at Penn State.
Hali will be complimented by a true 3-4 defensive end in this year’s No. 3 overall pick Tyson Jackson. At 6’4 and 296 pounds Jackson is built like a small defensive tackle and has drawn physical comparisons to Richard Seymour, the star defensive end of the New England Patriots acquired under Scott Pioli’s time with the Pats.
So, what to choose; young and fresh or old and wise?
A balance of savvy veterans who have learned to compete in the NFL despite being past their prime and youngsters who are ripe for career years is the key to a successful team.
Veterans feed off of a youthful energy and young players excel from the insight of their older peers.
The most memorable teams are high on character. This does not mean the flashy hairstyles, flamboyant clothes, or the popular choice of becoming a preacher after one’s playing years, but rather possessing the traits of a quality individual who believes in the team concept.
Chief fans are witnessing a great deal of change these days. Only time will tell if it’s change we can believe in.
Published: May 17, 2009
It was the season of false hopes, and my devotion flourished despite crushing disappointment. The Chiefs boasted one of the winningest records of any team in the ’90s, but playoff success had not come.
In 1997, the team battled to a 13-3 record and clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs. At first glance, this was the edge that had been missing from previous playoff appearances.
Behold the power of the 12th man. Fueled by a cornucopia of tailgate meats for which the city is notorious, the sea of red at Arrowhead stadium is recognized as one of the most disruptive forces to opponents in all of sports.
Beware the attempt to audible or change the snap count, as fans are sure to disrupt your futile efforts.
Confidence pulsed in the hearts of Chief fans as the red and gold rumbled to an undefeated home record leading up to the playoffs.
However, with the Denver Broncos coming to play in the divisional round many actually considered the Chiefs underdogs. The two teams split games that year each winning at home.
While John Elway was already a dirty word around town, it was a two touchdown performance by Denver running back Terrell Davis that knocked the Chiefs from an optimistic pedestal.
Despite the sour turn of events in the playoffs, the 1997 Kansas City Chiefs is a squad to admire as a fallen gladiator among the heap of too-oft forgotten non-champions.
It’s a pleasure to highlight the team time forgot, but I will always remember and drew me to the Chiefs forever.
While most remember the season as inciting a quarterback controversy between Elvis Grbac and Rich Gannon, the success of the team was embodied in its voracious and wily defensive play.
Where the ’97 Chiefs defense seemed to be a crystal ball of the future was in the secondary.
Current trends in the NFL show great emphasis on having at least one “shut-down” corner. The catalyst and prime example of this trend was Denver trading premier running back Clinton Portis to the Washington Redskins for Champ Bailey.
Not only did both Chiefs starting corners, Dale Carter and James Hasty, make the Pro Bowl, but nickel back Mark McMillian, a testament to the underdog as the smallest player in the league (5’7” 148 pounds) had eight interceptions of his own, returning three for touchdowns.
Carter was a model for athleticism and Hasty a crafty veteran who proved that great corners extend their careers by being students of the game.
The defense was further bolstered by the presence of Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Thomas, but there were unsung heroes in the trenches.
Blue collar veteran journeyman Defensive Tackle Joe Phillips was the presence in the middle that embodied the “go-to-work” mentality of the defense and allowed Thomas and an “undersized” up and comer Donnie Edwards to make plays.
Tough and gritty are not often words associated with the primadonnas of the NFL, the wide receivers. These egomaniacs are the focus of today’s passing game, but it wasn’t always so.
Offensive linemen seldom get their due credit, but Chiefs fans witnessed weekly that the behemoths on the line fueled the offense. The unit was highlighted by local heroes, guards Will Shields and Dave Szott, and center Tim Grunhard.
At other positions, true Greg Hill was the starting running back, but fans were just waiting for future Hall-of-Famer Marcus Allen to take those goal-line carries and leap the pile for six.
Tony Gonzalez was still a backup, but the connection of Grbac (or Gannon) to Andre Rison was good for over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns on the year. Living up to the pressure for end zone celebration, Rison topped off every score by mimicking Spider-Man.
The year was more than simply successful in total wins, but the wins were earned in thrilling duels.
A Pete Stoyanovich 50-yard field goal to beat the Broncos during the regular season was only outdone by a Monday night game with the Oakland Raiders.
With no timeouts and 58 seconds to play Grbac took the team 80 yards completing a corner of the end zone pass to Rison for the win as time ran out.
I not only fell in love with the team, but the game.
People like to win. Witnessing one’s team win is the utopia of every fan. However, in sport there must be a loser for every winner.
By emotionally investing in this group of people who don’t even know me I submit to a rollercoaster of adrenaline, glee, and depression. Remembering 1997, I know why I became the fan I am today.