Chiefs vs. Ravens: In-Depth Analysis and Game Plan For Week One

The Ravens don’t have what you would call a “high powered offense.” If the Chiefs can put some points up on the board (17 or so), they have a shot at winning this game.

The Chiefs are really hoping Matt Cassel is going to be healthy enough to play Sunday, as that gives them a lot more options throwing the ball. If he is not ready to go, more than likely Brodie Croyle will get the start.

Even if Cassel’s leg is ready to go, the game plan will be the old cliché—“Run the ball, and stop the run.”

The left side of the offensive line (Brandon Albert, Brian Waters, Rudy Niswanger) has been together for a year now, and they have developed some chemistry with each other. Look for the Chiefs to take advantage of this and run left much more than they run right.

Running the ball effectively will keep the Baltimore defense on the field more than they want to be, and while they are very good, they are also old. Wearing them down will be easier now than in past years.

The biggest offensive key to the game for the Chiefs will be to protect the QB, and there are several ways to do this.

1. This is probably the easiest to do, while still keeping the play calling relatively simple: keep the tight ends in to block more often than they are out running routes, in an effort to help the struggling offensive line.

The Ravens also run a 3-4 defense, and are among the best at doing so; their outside linebackers are very good at getting to the quarterback, and our young tackles might need some help.

2. Get the QB out of the pocket. Calling bootleg plays, especially off of play-action, will hold the linebackers, and give Cassel (or Croyle) more time to throw the ball.

Both of them are young quarterbacks, and need that little extra time to find the open receiver.

3. No seven-step drops for the quarterback. For most passing plays, the quarterback takes either three, five, or seven steps back after the ball is snapped. Obviously, the more steps backwards, the longer it takes for the QB to throw the ball, and the easier it is for the pass rush to get in the backfield.

Limiting these long drops, and mostly having only three-step drops and quick reads will get the ball out of his hands faster, neutralizing the pass rush.

 

The defense has played well in the preseason, especially against the run. We will see if they are for real this weekend, as the Ravens had the fourth best rushing game in the NFL last season.

The defense should prove to be more aggressive this year than under Herm Edwards, and should result in more turnovers.

The keys to the game on the defensive side are easily thought of, but harder to execute.

1. Stop the run. Easier said than done, right? The easiest way to do this, is to call run blitzes much more often than normal.

The Ravens’ offensive line is very good, and keeping the linebackers up at the line of scrimmage will be advantageous in stopping the run. Also, keeping eight defenders in the box, that is, keeping a safety near the line of scrimmage also, will aid in stopping the run.

2. Put pressure on Joe Flacco. While Flacco played well last year (for a rookie) he still threw almost as many interceptions as he did touchdowns.

Blitzing him in passing situations will make him uncomfortable in the pocket and force him into making mistakes. Getting turnovers will greatly help out the Chiefs offense by giving them a short field.

 

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Chiefs – Ravens: A Look Ahead to Week One

Finally, the NFL season is officially about to begin.

The smell of bratwurst and football is in the air, and tailgating can officially begin outside of Arrowhead Stadium (well next week, anyway). This week, your Kansas City Chiefs are taking the trip up to Baltimore to face the Ravens.

B-more had a great turnaround season last year, going 11-5 after a disappointing 5-11 season in 2007. The key to this turnaround was the addition of rookie quarterback Joe Flacco. His steady play at QB, coupled with a reinvigorated running game, was just what the doctor ordered for them. This retooled offense stayed on the field, scored points, and allowed their feared defense to return to past form by keeping them fresh until the end of games.

With a full year under young QB Joe Flacco’s belt, Ravens fans this season are hoping for even bigger things than the AFC Championship game they got last year.

For the Chiefs, it is all about change this year. General manager “King” Carl Peterson is out, Scott Pioli is in; head coach Herm Edwards is out, and wide receiver genius Todd Haley is in. The biggest change in terms of personnel, however, is the offseason trade for quarterback Matt Cassel. Larry Johnson, once disgruntled, has taken a liking to the new regime and now seems primed for a return to star status.

Pioli and company have done almost everything they could to make this team competitive in 2009 and beyond—brought in a star QB, signed free agents to the offensive line, and created competition at every position.

 

Key Losses

The Ravens lost several key players on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. On the offensive line they lost center Jason Brown, who was one of the best young ones in the league, and tackle Willie Anderson.

On the defensive side, star linebacker Bart Scott was lost along with defensive coordinator Rex Ryan to the Jets, and cornerback Chris McAlister had his contract terminated. Long-time Ravens kicker, Matt Stover, was also lost this offseason.

The Chiefs biggest loss, by far, was the trade of future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez to the Falcons. Also on the offensive side of the ball, former starting right tackle Damion McIntosh was released this past Saturday. Other losses include starting safety Bernard Pollard and key reserve defensive lineman Alphonso Boone.

 

Key Additions

Don’t be fooled by all of the losses, the Ravens did an excellent job of reloading and replacing those players that left, just like the great teams usually do. Losing OT Willie Anderson was negated by drafting Michael Oher in the first round of the draft. Oher looks promising and the Ravens and their fans have high expectations for him starting on the right side.

Drafting defensive end/outside linebacker Paul Kruger may not take the place of Bart Scott immediately, but he will be learning a lot from Terrell Suggs this year and has a lot of talent. The Ravens also signed center Matt Birk to counter the loss of Jason Brown.

The Chiefs did a lot of adding since the end of the 2008 season, and additions were made on every level. The most important additions, besides star quarterback Matt Cassel, were Scott Pioli and Todd Haley.

Bobby Engram was brought in as a slot receiver and a leader for the WRs. Safety Mike Brown was brought in from Chicago and has taken over Bernard Pollard’s starting spot. The Chiefs also brought in two linemen from the Dolphins for an undisclosed late-round draft pick.

Andy Alleman can play both guard and center, and Ike Ndukwe can play guard and tackle. By season’s end, both Alleman and Ndukwe may end up starting at guard and tackle, respectively, on the right side. Mike Goff was signed to fill the starting right guard spot but has shown his age during the preseason games.

First-round pick Tyson Jackson will be anchoring the defensive line at the left defensive end spot. Jackson is a crucial player in the switch from the 4-3 defense to the 3-4 defense, and has been playing well thus far.

 

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After The Cuts: Players Kansas City Chiefs Need to Sign

All 32 teams have paired their rosters down to 53 as of yesterday afternoon, and there were surprising cuts for every team.

For the Chiefs, it was the release of safety Bernard Pollard; for the Raiders, it was quarterback Jeff Garcia (everybody but Al Davis knows he is a better QB than JaMarcus Russel).

At this point in time, most writers for teams are making “lists” of players their own teams should look at, just like we all did when free agency started.

The biggest thing for the Chiefs is the fact that the 54th player on teams like the Steelers, Patriots, and Ravens might be better than the 35th player on our team. Because of that, this period is more important for us than a lot of teams.

We still have a lot of holes in this 53-man roster; most notably, right tackle and punt returner.

**As of about 3 p.m. Sunday, KCChiefs.com is reporting the Chiefs have claimed former Patriots offensive tackle Ryan O’Callaghan off of waivers. To make room for O’Callaghan, the Chiefs waived former sixth-round pick, Barry Richardson. As of now, it looks like he might be starting at right tackle come Monday’s practice, as Richardson was listed as the starter at that position before this move.

 

Tony Pashos – OT

Everybody and their mother is lobbying for their team to pick up Pashos as either a backup to push for the starting job, or as an outright starter. We would need him as a starter. The main reason he was cut was because he refused to receive a pay cut, so he still has starter-potential in him for a few more years.

ESPN insider rates Pashos as a 68, while last year’s starter Damion McIntosh was a 61. ESPN’s scouting says this about Pashos:

“Pashos has been with two teams during his seven year career, four seasons with Baltimore and the past three with Jacksonville. He started all 16 games at right tackle for the Jaguars in 2008 and does a good job of anchoring that side of the offensive line. He is a massive tackle with long arms, excellent strength and adequate athleticism. He is a powerful drive blocker that often simply engulfs opponents and uses his long arms to lock up opponents and drive them off the line. He is not a natural knee bender and has to work to keep his pad level down to leverage his blocks. He tends to grab wide to engulf opponents and has just enough foot agility to work his way around and seal opponents off. He has limited lateral range in pas protection and often has to turn his hips to run rushers on by the pocket. He is susceptible to counter moves but can sink his hips to hunker down versus the bull rush.”

 

Shaun Smith – DT

Smith was cut by the Lions yesterday, and while normally when players are cut from the Lions teams want to stay away, Smith might be the exception. At 6’2″ and 325 lbs., he is quite a load and can provide much-needed playing experience at nose tackle, formerly playing in Cleveland in a 3-4. Neither Tank Tyler nor Rod Edwards are playing outstandingly, and Smith could come in and immediately compete for a starting job.

Not only has he played NT before, he’s nimble enough that he rotated in as a DE while in Cleveland as well, so he brings the versatility that Pioli craves. Smith would more than likely take Wallace Gilberry’s spot on the roster.

 

Joe Zelenka – TE/Long Snapper

Zelenka has been the long snapper for the Jags for the past eight seasons, and has been a pretty consistent one at that. ESPN scouting says this about his snapping:

“He has excellent size for the position, and is very accurate with the punt, PAT, and field goal snaps. He has good velocity on his snaps, and consistently delivers a good spiral, but can be a bit inconsistent with his accuracy.”

The biggest appeal of Zelenka is that he also can be the third tight end on the roster, taking Jake O’Connell’s spot on the team. Having Zelenka play both third TE and long snapper opens up a spot on the 53-man roster. This roster spot can be used for a ninth offensive lineman, as we are only carrying eight at the time.

 

Brian Brohm – QB

From potential No. 1 overall pick to second round pick to being cut by the Packers Saturday, Brohm is still loaded with talent. This is an obvious match for the Chiefs, as other than our $60 million man Matt Cassel, our quarterbacks are pretty weak. Brian Brohm failed to impress the Packers’ coaching staff, but I have a feeling he would be an upgrade over Tyler Thigpen and probably even Brodie Croyle.

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2010 NFL Draft: Players Kansas City Chiefs Should Target (Day Two)

A few days ago, I wrote an article about the players the KC Chiefs should look at in the first few rounds of the draft. Now I’m going to look at some players the Chiefs should target in the last half of the draft.

Even though offensive linemen should be a priority in this draft, I left them out in my list to target in the first three rounds of the draft.

I feel this can be a very high impact draft. By this, I mean players of high impact positions are plentiful this year. Because of this, NT, WR, and TE were the targeted positions in rounds one through three.

Additionally, unless drafting a franchise left tackle, the value is not there for drafting any other position on the offensive line that high in the draft. Most starting interior linemen in the NFL weren’t picked in rounds one and two, rather, they were drafted in the mid rounds or free agents. Same goes for most right tackles in the league.

 

Chris Scott

Scott is the kind of player I love on the offensive line. First, he is massive—6’5″ and 346 lbs. Second, he plays with a nasty streak. National Football Post’s college scout Wes Bunting says he has a “nasty punch on contact” and “he fights and scraps for every inch and usually gets his man on the ground.”

The right tackle I want on my team is exactly that—he should be a road-grader who packs a punch and can push the pile in the running game. He obviously cannot be a liability in the passing game, but should be more suited for the run.

From what I’ve read, Scott will need minor work with his hand placement, but when he does get good hand placement he doesn’t let go, and usually wins the battle.

Scott is continuing to improve after starting 26 straight games so far, and head coach Lane Kiffen called him the most improved player this spring.

Scott can expect to be drafted between rounds three and five.

Damion McIntosh clearly is not even an average starting right tackle in the NFL, and is more suited for back-up duty. With that being said, starting in the third round, the Chiefs need to start looking for a quality RT, and Scott is just the guy we’re looking for.

 

J.D. Walton

Another lineman that plays with a mean streak, this Baylor center learned a lot from No. 2 overall pick Jason Smith over the past few years. He was selected for honorable mention All-Big 12 last year, and is on the Rimmington Award preseason Watch List.

At 6’3″ and 305 lbs., he is the prototypical height and weight for an NFL center, and while strong enough to hold his own at the point of attack, isn’t so strong that he can overwhelm the big 3-4 nose tackles by himself. This isn’t that big of a problem, as most NFL centers can’t manhandle good 3-4NTs.

Walton has good hand placement in pass protection and can both mirror defensive linemen, and withstand a bull rush.

As a fairly athletic center, he is able to chip at the line and move up to latch onto a linebacker on run plays.

The Chiefs haven’t had a good center since Casey Wiegmann, and haven’t had a great one for even longer. Niswanger may be the future at the position, but he hasn’t shown signs of it yet.

With another year of playing center under Niswanger’s belt, the coaching staff will be able to fully evaluate him and decide whether we need to draft one this upcoming April. If they decide we need to, this is our guy.

 

Carl Ihenacho

While Ihenacho is not the most highly touted prospect from San Jose State this year, fellow defensive end Justin Cole is, I think he has the chance to wind up the best after he has a few years to develop in the league.

At only 6’3″ and 248lbs., he is too light to play defensive end in the NFL, and is a perfect candidate to make the switch to outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. He’s quick, has decent enough strait-line speed (will run around the 4.6-4.7 range) and just simply is a gifted pass rusher. Last year he had 18.5 tackles for loss on top of seven sacks.

Remember what made the defensive end from Penn State, Aaron Maybin, such an intriguing prospect? It was his killer first step. Ihenacho has the same gift, and is very adept at timing the snap count, which only aids his quick first movements.

The second thing that makes him such a good pass rusher, other than his first step, is his short area change of direction skills. He can deke and fake and dip under the offensive lineman to get around the corner.

The Chiefs currently have nobody who can rush the passer like this guy can. We will see what Tamba Hali can do this upcoming season, but Mike Vrabel will need a replacement soon anyway, and we might as well start grooming one now.

Not sure exactly when Ihenacho will be available, it will greatly depend on how he does this year, but look for him teams to start looking at him around the fourth round.

2010 Draft: Players Kansas City Chiefs Should Target (Day One)

It is never too early to start looking ahead to next year’s draft, especially if you’ve been a Kansas City Chiefs fan the past several years.

Now, this year has brought some optimism and a reason for excitement around town with the hiring of general manager Scott Pioli and head coach Todd Haley, but how big of a turnaround can you honestly expect after going 2-14? Miami’s 10-game turnaround is a fluke and cannot be expected for most teams.

In all reality, the Chiefs will win somewhere around six games this year, and be picking in the bottom half of the top 10. With that in mind, here are some players the Chiefs should target that will not only pay dividends immediately and push for starting time as rookies, but can be stars down the road.

 

Terrence Cody

Cody is a massive 6’5″, 365-pound nose tackle from Alabama. The nickname “Mount Cody” was given to him at an early age, as even as a freshman in high school he was 6’2″ and almost 280 pounds. In fact it was that year that his football coach called Cody’s mother and said that her son would be in the NFL in eight years.

Alabama runs a 3-4 defense, so Cody is already used to playing directly over the center, and he could be just the clogger the Chiefs need in the middle of that line.

“He’s a beast,” said Georgia coach Mark Richt. “No one’s blocked him. No one man has blocked him, and I haven’t seen many double-teams block him, either.”

“He’s a problem, and probably the reason they are so outstanding against the rush. When you talk about guys who can push a pocket back in front of a quarterback, he can do it.”

That is a glowing endorsement from an conference arch rival and music to Alabama fans’ ears. He is a force to be reckoned with for sure, and could team with Tyson Jackson, Glenn Dorsey, and Alex Magee to form the best, young, defensive line rotation in the NFL.

On size and athletic ability alone, Cody should be expected to be taken in the first round.

 

Dezmon Briscoe

Briscoe is a Texas kid now attending Kansas University. He is a big, imposing wide receiver at 6’3″, 210 pounds, and can beat press coverage with ease. He, like Dwayne Bowe, is not a burner down field, but is deceptively fast and can get over the top of coverage when given the chance.

Briscoe displays excellent body control when going up for a reception, able to contort his body whichever way is needed to make the catch. He also does a very good job of timing his jump and high-pointing the ball (pic) much in the same way Larry Fitzgerald does (pic). Last year, he set school records in both receiving yards (1,407) and touchdowns (15) for a season.

Briscoe is a junior this season, so it’s possible he stays in school for another year, but it is expected that he will enter the draft along with junior wide receivers Arrelious Benn and Dez Bryant.

Depending on how he does this year, Briscoe should be available in either the first or second round. If his production drops off from last year, and he runs in the mid-4.5’s at the combine, look for him in the second round. Getting him there would be a steal.

 

Anthony McCoy

At 6’5″, 255 pounds, McCoy is a big target to hit. But he’s different than Brad Cottam in that he’s a much more natural pass catcher, and a great athlete on the field (pics). He came on strong at the end of last year for USC, catching 15 balls for 170 yards in his last four games.

He is also an accomplished in-line blocker, the National Football Post calls him a “coordinated blocker whose hands and feet consistently move in sync.”

While it was expected that Cottam would be the starting tight end this year, it appears as though journeyman Sean Ryan is outplaying him right now. Even if Cottam is the starter for the season opener, it’s not a ringing endorsement for him.

The trade of future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez to the Atlanta Falcons left a gaping hole in this offense, and McCoy won’t necessarily fill that void, but he sure can help.

 

Stay tuned for Day Two players the Chiefs should take a close look at.

The 2-5-4 Formation, Corey Mays, and Other Preseason Week One Ramblings

With the exception of Dwayne Bowe, the stars were not out on Saturday night. Judging by that game only, the Kansas City Chiefs should have a starting lineup without their newest multimillion dollar player Cassel, and instead have guys like Jovan Belcher, Rodney Wright, Brodie Croyle, and Dantrell Savage playing on a regular basis.

While its fairly well reported that Dwayne Bowe was being sent a message by being demoted to third team this past week, this message hurt more than just Bowe, it hurt his new quarterback, Matt Cassel, who clearly was being punished having to play with the likes of Terrance Copper and Devard Darling.

Matt Cassel’s loss was Brodie Croyle’s gain, as he had the opportunity to play with the two starting wide receiver from last season, Bowe and Mark Bradley. Croyle made the most of his fortune and went 12 for 18 for 145 yards.

While his playing time only led to one field goal, that was more due to Haley going for it on two consecutive fourth-down’s than it was Croyle’s inability to move the offense.

In fact, he seemed to do a very good job getting into a rhythm and threw the ball accurately to his wide receivers. He was already in the lead for the No. 2 spot behind Cassel, and if he has another game like this, he may lock it up for good.

 

2-5-4 Formation

For all teams, most preseason games follow the same type of mold—get the starters in just long enough to get some reps, and get them out before anyone is injured.

There is also an unwritten rule for coaches that you don’t show any complex blitzes or formations before the games count for anything. You didn’t see Miami running the Wildcat formation in preseason last year did you?

Because of this, I was expecting the Chiefs to run a base 3-4 defense for most of the game, and maybe show a 4-3 look every once in a while. But they didn’t.

They did indeed run base 3-4 most of the game, but instead of showing the 4-3 a few times, I counted at least four times they showed a 2-5-4 formation, and a 1-5-5 formation once at the end of the game.

The Chiefs showing these formations really surprised me, and had me wondering what else they had up their sleeve scheme-wise that they are waiting for the regular season to unveil. While I’m not here to speculate exactly, it is an interesting subject nonetheless.

With the 2-5 formation, they mixed up the personnel quite a bit.

They showed it three different times on the second defensive series of the game, twice on back to back plays—first and 21 followed by second and 18. The two down linemen for these two plays were Ron Edwards and Tyson Jackson.

The third time that series they showed the 2-5, it was Edwards and Alphonso Boone as the linemen.

One the next defensive series, the third of the game, they showed the 2-5 once with Jackson and Alex Magee with their hands in the dirt.

Every time the Chiefs showed a 2-5 formation it was a passing down-and-distance for obvious reasons, and clearly with only two linemen, they both need to be stout against the run just in case the offense runs a draw play.

As far as the 1-5-5 formation goes, it was third and nine, at the end of the game, and I believe Houston had a 4WR set. I couldn’t get a good look at the formation, as the camera was zoomed in, but there was one down lineman with three linebackers on the line rushing, with two more standing slightly behind them.

Seeing these formations immediately called to mind the Patriots, as Belichick is famous for running insane formations like the 2-5, 1-6, and even the 0-7 a few times. Pioli is clearly familiar with these, as Pendergast and the Cardinals did not run these formations last year.

As fans, expect to see the 2-5 on obvious passing downs, as Haley clearly believes the linebackers are a strength on this team, which is a drastic change from last year’s squad.

 

Corey Mays

Mays is no longer just competing for a roster spot on this team, he might be in a dead heat competition with Zach Thomas the starting spot next to Derrick Thomas. Since mini-camp he has impressed the coaches, and this past Saturday he was all over the place making plays.

In the short amount of time he was in, he accumulated five tackles, and one pass deflection. It seemed as though the announcer was calling his name every play.

Mays originally signed a contract with the Chiefs expecting to compete for a roster spot as a special teams ace and a backup linebacker. He has far exceeded those expectations thus far, and continues to impress everyone involved.

In the two seasons he’s been in the NFL with Cincinnati and New England, he accumulated 38 special teams tackles, and that’s exactly what he was planning on doing here.

Evidently though, there was something inside of him that neither of those coaching staffs saw, something that has come out of him since he has been here in Kansas City.

Zach Thomas can be a valuable asset for the Chiefs whether he starts or not. If Corey Mays keeps playing this well, there is no way he should not be starting at the strongside inside linebacker position next to Derrick Johnson.

The New Look for Tamba Hali and Kansas City Chiefs

Switching to the 3-4 defense creates many problems for a team built to run a 4-3, it also makes some things easier.

By the end of the last season, it became very apparent that the team’s No. 1 need was a pass rushing DE. With the switch in defensive schemes, this specific position is no longer needed. Instead, the need for a pass-rushing linebacker arose.

Lucky for the Chiefs (and the fans), Tamba Hali took the challenge head on to drop weight and work on his linebacking skills, and Mike Vrabel came in a package deal with Matt Cassel from the Patriots for our second round pick. 

Hali has indeed been hard at work dropping the necessary weight to play on his feet instead with his hand in the dirt.

Hali commented back in May about losing the weight, “I don’t really need to be 275 pounds. I don’t even need to be 260. Maybe I can be 250 like James Harrison or Shawne Merriman. I’m more comfortable at that weight anyway. Right now, We’re looking for speed.”

“I went to the (weight machine) the other day,” head coach Todd Haley said, “and there was a pool of sweat around it the size of a small lake and I knew Tamba had been there.”

He also said Haley was “a hungry kid that wants to be really good. There isn’t a time that you don’t see him working.”

Hopefully losing up to 25 pounds will bring a lot of speed and quickness to Hali’s game, doing so could be pivotal to this season.

Another crucial part of the position switch is the mental side of the game. Hali has to learn everything anew with his new position, and Haley mentioned in a press conference something the new linebacker has done to aid in this process.

“With his own money he purchased a football station that he can watch tape. He’s doing all the things to try to be really good.”

This kind of enthusiasm and initiative is exactly what we need from Tamba at this stage in his career.

After the announced switch to the 3-4, Tamba Hali was the player most worried about in dealing with the switch of positions. If he can fully acclimate to playing out of the two point stance, and return to his old ways when Jared Allen was playing opposite of him, Hali could get between 10 and 15 sacks this year.

“I think he’s starting to look like a linebacker,” Haley said. “Just saying that I think is pretty positive.”

If Depth Chart Stays, Chiefs Are in Trouble

The Chiefs released a preliminary depth chart on Monday, and there were a few surprises, even excluding Dwayne Bowe playing with the third team offense.

For this team to be successful this season, there are a few key players who need to play well. Unfortunately for Chiefs fans, most of those players don’t seem to be off to a good start.

 

Defense

Starting with the third overall pick this year, Tyson Jackson is going to have to play up to his potential for this switch to the 3-4 defense to work out. Even keeping in mind that defensive linemen traditionally take longer than most to adjust to the NFL, Jackson must have at least as good of a season as Glenn Dorsey did last year to be considered a good year for a rookie.

Drafting Jackson as high as the Chiefs did was solely to ease along the switch to the 3-4 defense, and if he doesn’t earn a starting spot, the Chiefs organization missed badly on another high first round pick.

Tank Tyler is another defensive lineman that needs to earn a starting spot. The released unofficial depth chart currently has Ron Edwards starting at the nose tackle spot, and he would barely deserve to be a rotational guy on a team like the Steelers. If this team is going to be good, Tyler has to step up his game and take that spot.

Tyler played some nose tackle at NC State, and has said that he “likes to be over the center,” which is good, because that is exactly where he needs to be for this team to succeed. He has incredible strength, getting 42 bench press reps of 225-lbs at the combine coming out of college, his technique is a little rusty though and needs to improve in order for this d-line to be worth anything.

 

Offense

Starting at receiver right now, the Chiefs have Terrance Copper, and Devard Darling. Who? Terrance Copper was an undrafted free agent picked up by the Cowboys in 2004, and has played with now four different teams in the six years after. Darling was drafted in the same year by the Ravens in the third round, and came to the Chiefs in 2008.

Both Copper and Darling are speed guys, and apparently have been playing well in camp. Darling would be a good number three WR, but it seems like he might win the starting role opposite Dwayne Bowe come season’s start.

While this release of the depth chart has Dwayne Bowe with the third string offense, he’ll most likely be back in the starting lineup by week one’s game against Baltimore regardless of whether or not he deserves it.

This demotion is head coach Todd Haley’s latest attempt to send a message to Bowe. Adam Teicher, of the Kansas City Star, has reported Bowe has been dropping a lot passes in training camp so far, and has been practicing with the second and third-string offenses for the past few days. While Bowe may start opening day, if he doesn’t improve his focus and fix the drops, Chiefs fans are in for another rough season.

Glenn Dorsey: From Tradable Asset To Key To The Defense

A few months ago, when Scott Pioli and the Chiefs first decided they would run the 3-4 defense this year, Glenn Dorsey seemed destined for one of two things: a trade, or failure.

Dorsey’s skill set and body type just do not fit what most people think about typical 3-4 defensive lineman; he is not heavy or squat enough to play nose tackle, and he is not tall and athletic enough to play defensive end. (For an in-depth article on this, click here)

3-4 linemen are supposed to take up blocks and let the linebackers do the work, not penetrate and blow things up in the backfield, and that is exactly what Dorsey is best at doing.

We weren’t the only one’s who made this connection—that Dorsey’s unique skill set would go to waste in the 3-4—the Chiefs realized this too, and made adjustments.

“A lot of people are thinking this is a straight 3-4 defense and it’s not,” said Dorsey. “Being at an end is a new place for me, but it’s not going to be a classic 3-4 end on every snap.”

“There’s a place for me on this defense.”

So here’s the plan, the Chiefs will be implementing some sort of 3-4/4-3 hybrid that was run in Arizona last year by defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast that was called the “4-3 Under” by the Cardinals linebacker coach, Bill Davis.

Glenn Dorsey won’t be lining up heads up over the offensive tackle, in the five-technique, on most downs. Instead, he will be shaded slightly inside, between the guard and tackle.

Lining up in this manner will allow Dorsey to play a more typical 4-3 defensive tackle role and shoot the gap when the ball is snapped. Disrupting the offense in this way allows Dorsey to utilize his unique skill set to the fullest extent.

Playing outside of him in the DE/OLB role will most likely be Tamba Hali, who on most snaps will solely be rushing the passer. He mainly will be left one-on-one with the left tackle and is expected to be able to beat him on most snaps, especially given he will start from a two point stance most of the time.

With Hali occupying the left tackle, and nose tackle Tank Tyler most likely double teamed by the center and right guard, Dorsey will be left one on one with the left guard. Dorsey left one-on-one with a guard is a match up I will take any day of the week.

This combination of rare positions side by side will not only confuse the defenses, but will apply pressure on the quarterback’s blindside from two different positions, causing even more chaos.

Getting this kind of pressure from a defensive end in a 3-4(ish) scheme is very unique, and is sure to cause confusion for the opposing offensive line. Only the Cardinals have run this scheme before, and is still very new to the NFL.

Hopefully the Chiefs will be able to exploit this new fad to the fullest, much like the “Wildcat” formation has done thus far.

2009 Breakout Player Of The Year: Dwayne Bowe

I know what you are thinking: “Can he really be considered a ‘breakout candidate’ if he’s averaged over 75 catches and 1,000 yards his first two seasons?”

Yes.

Up until this point in his career, he has just been considered “good.” This year, he has the chance to join the “elite” category of NFL wide receivers. There are several reasons that can lead us to this conclusion, the first of which is the widely known fact that wide receivers generally reach their peak during their third season.

 

Quarterback

The biggest change personnel-wise for the Chiefs this offseason, other than trading away future HOF tight end Tony Gonzalez, was the addition of star quarterback Matt Cassel from the Patriots. The inclusion of Cassel into the Chiefs offense will benefit Bowe greatly.

Not only will the Chiefs have a stable quarterback for an entire year (something that has yet to happen during his short career), but he will finally have a legitimate NFL-caliber QB sitting back in the pocket throwing him balls.

Cassel, while still without a great deep-ball, has the ability to hit Bowe on deep-post and fly patterns much more accurately than any other quarterback on the roster. Where Cassel really flourishes though, is in the short-to-intermediate passing game. Coincidentally, this is where Bowe works best also, and the increased accuracy and ball placement on these throws means No. 82 will have greater opportunities for yards after catch.

 

Throwing Opportunities

The Chiefs defense was among the league’s worst last year, and for the majority of the season, looked like a college scout team out there trying to stop the opposing offense. The Chiefs were actually in most of the games last year, and lost them in the second half.

This dreadful defense will keep the Chiefs throwing early and often to keep them in games, and should average around 35 passes per game. I would assume that somewhere between a quarter and a third of these passes will make their way toward DBowe, which would put him on pace for somewhere around 11 targets per game, and will be up from his 9.8 from last year.

Bowe had 157 total targets in 2008 (according to STATS, inc.), which put him at third in the league. Tony Gonzalez finished with 155 targets, good for fourth in the NFL, and these targets have to go somewhere. Bowe figures to get some of them, should be thrown to at least 165 times, maybe upwards of 170, and should turn those into between 100 and 110 catches.

This is of course assuming he gets rid of the case of The-Drops he had last year, but either way his numbers will go up. Bowe ended the 2008 season with 13 drops and at his yards per catch at 11.9 last year that would have given him over 150 extra yards had he quashed the stone-hands.

 

Dropped Weight

The most underrated change that is happening with Bowe this offseason, is the fact that new head coach Todd Haley mandated he drop weight, just like Larry Fitzgerald was told last season.

Bowe had been playing around 228, and Haley told him at the beginning of mini camp he needed to drop a significant amount of weight. As of August 2, Bowe was down to a svelte playing weight of 210 pounds. “I just feel better,” he said. “I feel like I can run faster and jump higher.”

This is a very good sign for Bowe, who has not played at 210 since high school. Bowe worked out with Larry Fitzgerald this offseason, who had to drop from 229 to 213 pounds last year. That dropped weight helped Fitzgerald have his statistically best year as a pro, and rack up 96 catches for 1,431 yards and 12 touchdowns.

John Lott, the Arizona strength and conditioning coach, said because of the lost weight Fitzgerald, “gained a step in speed, increased his vertical jump and combined improved fitness with breakthrough toughness that has resulted in him fighting and gaining more yards after the catch.”

 

Prediction

So what can we expect from Dwayne Bowe this year? Well, his stat line should look something like this:

Catches—105     Yards—1250     Touchdowns—10

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