SB Nation - Dwayne Bowe

State of the AFC West Week 15

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:49:58 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

3 days ago: San Diego Chargers NFL football coach Norv Turner gestures while talking about calling a timeout during a news conference Monday, Dec. 21, 2009 in San Diego. The San Diego Chargers clinched a playoff spot while still playing the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, then secured the AFC West title with a 27-24 victory. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

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Hello my people. Breaking AFC West news:

The San Diego Chargers have won their 4th straight AFC West title! Congratulations! As jbox and dex would say, hi-fives all around!

In light of this information, I'm going to shorten this column until the off-season, at which time I will probably update bi-weekly or so to all the big news going on in conference. Further, I'm going to come up with some other columns and editorials to do, if anyone has any suggestions or requests let me know in the comments. There may be a hint on this post about my next one.

Let's talk about the bottom two teams in the division first. Ok, the Chiefs are just awful. Any momentum they might have had from their big win over the Steelers is gone. Yeah, their offense put up big numbers this week, but it came against a very lousy Browns defense. Not only that, Brady Quinn had only 66 yards passing and two interceptions and the Chiefs still lost. The best receiver EVAR, Chris Chambers, had another big game for the team that leads the NFL in drops. The return of Dwayne Bowe, who led the team with 3 drops on Sunday, didn't help matters much. So yeah, the Chiefs are looking at another high round draft pick. They better hope that pick makes a bigger impact than Tyson Jackson who has been nearly invisible. The Chiefs gave up THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY ONE yards rushing. Oh ya, Josh Cribbs had TWO 100 yard+ kick returns.

The Raiders. Their WRs drop a lot of passes too. It doesn't help that they have 13 different QBs who all may play at any given moment. To tell you the truth, I think the Raiders are playing the best football in the division out of all teams not named the Chargers. They are really streaky and inconsistent, but I think they are only a few pieces away from being competitive. I don't think they are as far away as people might think. They really need a franchise QB that isn't a bust; perhaps Sam Bradford will be in their future. Knowing Al Davis though, he'll probably draft Tim Tebow. Or Ryan Leaf. The Raiders had 241 yards rushing against the vaunted Denver defense; they probably need a few big pieces on defense still, but I don't think they'll be pushovers next season.

The other trendy, inconsistent team in the division is the Broncos. Except of course, they are trending downward not upward. Surprised? I thought this Broncos team was different than last year. I thought they weren't going to choke this year. New coach, new QB; same old Broncos. The passing was average and they weren't able to get any rushing game going against the Raiders. The Raiders ran the ball down their throats. The Broncos will probably sneak into the playoffs by the skins of their teeth, but I don't think their is anyway they win a road playoff game. The defense is old and has gotten weak and tired as the season dragged on like I expected. This was a division game and they are generally tougher than usual, but I just don't see it happening. The defense is built to compete this year and the offense, while decent, just isn't good enough to outscore any good offensive teams; and the Raiders aren't a good offensive team. Just sayin.

Ya'll know what's up with the Bolts. The game on Christmas is a must win for the Titans but is not a must win for the Bolts. I wouldn't be too upset if we lost. I don't except us to lose though, because of the history between the teams and what I've heard from the players. It seems like the players want to win this game just as bad as any other and this isn't a team that is going to back down or not give it 100% just because it isn't a must-win game. The Titans defense is terrible and I expect CJ to get a lot of yards but I also expect for the Chargers to trade FGs for TDs just like the strategy has been for every other game.

Kansas City Chiefs Defense: Who Stays? Who's Gone? Who's on the Bubble for 2010?

Jon Yoon — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:40:33 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

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As promised, this week I'm going to focus on the Chiefs' defense. Who goes? Who stays? Who's on the bubble?

Before I do that, I'm going to make some small adjustments to my prior analysis on the Chiefs' offense. First, Brad Cottam. I don't know where he's been for two years, but he has stepped it up at just the right time. The fact that Cottam has played third-fiddle to the stone hands twins, Sean Ryan and Jake O'Connell, for most of the season is appalling and it makes me seriously question Haley's ability to evaluate talent. Second, Dwayne Bowe. Of all the players on this roster, he's the one that worries me the most. I don't lose sleep over scrubs playing like scrubs. I lose sleep over talented players like Bowe who you want to keep on your roster long-term, but who may always be a liability at the wrong times. You can't afford to part ways with Bowe on a roster this shallow, but the question you have to ask is: on a key third down in a playoff game three years from now, how comfortable do you feel about any pass that goes Bowe's way?

Anyway, I digress. Let's start talking some defense.

Defensive End:

I wanted to start here because it's a really easy position to evaluate. I would be shocked if the Chiefs made a big play for a 5-Technique DE. The Chiefs have a lot of money and a lot of draft value invested in Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson, and with Wallace Gilberry and Alex Magee on the roster, they're also pretty deep at the position. Regardless of your opinion on how good any of these guys are, this front office is smart enough to know that the fan base would absolutely revolt if they used a lot of resources to add yet another 5-technique. That rules out Ndamukong Suh. That rules out any DT with any value in free agency or the draft. Quite honestly, unless there is a 5-technique available that is an absolute highway robbery steal in the later rounds, I would be shocked if they drafted anybody at this position. As for who the Chiefs already have, Dorsey has improved by leaps and bounds and we saw on Sunday how ineffective the Chiefs are on run defense without him. Tyson Jackson is starting to play a little bit better. He's nowhere near where he needs to be, but you can't judge a guy like him until his second or third season. Magee has the potential to be a decent depth DE, but his play on Sunday really highlights how much further he needs to go. Gilberry is a guy you'd like to keep on the roster, but his role will likely be limited to third down or rotational depth situations.

Stays: Dorsey, Jackson, Gilberry, Magee
Pick-up: Nobody

Defensive Tackle:

Ron Edwards stinks. That's all you need to know about what the Chiefs have. And Edwards' stink-ti-tude is affecting everyone around him. Edwards doesn't drive blockers back into the pocket. He doesn't occupy that many blockers. He's just sort of... there. It affects the Linebackers because Edwards is letting blockers get to the second level and he's not sealing the middle as well as he should. It affects the pass rushers because when an edge rusher like Tamba Hali gets to the quarterback off the edge, the quarterback can easily and comfortably slide into an enormous pocket. Edwards would be okay as a backup, quality depth option, but the Chiefs need to make a major move for a Nose Tackle this offseason. That's no reason to panic. Some people will have you believe that finding a quality Nose Tackle is as tough as finding a franchise Quarterback. It's not. If it was such an impossible position to find, you'd see 3-4 teams using top 10 picks and showering them with expensive contracts. That's not the case. Assuming that the CBA doesn't fall through, you might see a good Nose Tackle like Vince Wilfork hit the market. You might also see a 4-3 DT castoff who might be better suited for a 3-4 NT position. More likely than not, we'll probably be using a pick anywhere between the 2^nd and 4^th rounds to bring in either a starter or quality depth at the position. I'm not saying that any of these will be easy. However, I do believe that if the Chiefs are very tight in their evaluations both on the Pro Personnel side and on the college scouting side, the Chiefs could easily find a replacement. The good news is that they can't do a whole lot worse than Edwards.

But I'll tell you what, if Dorsey continues to improve a little, Jackson improves a lot and plays to his potential, and the Chiefs find a legit Nose Tackle, opposing running backs are going to have a really, really difficult time running past this wall of defenders.

On the bubble: Ron Edwards
Pick-up: A starter (this is non-negotiable)--probably in rounds 2-4 or through Free Agency

Outside Linebacker:

This is a position I really struggle with because there's a part of me that really likes Tamba Hali and there's another part of me that believes he'll never really be the kind of elite OLB you want in a 3-4 Defense. I do think he's a strong force as a pass rusher. I just worry that he can't cover or stop the run as effectively as you would hope for in a 3-4 OLB. On the other side, Vrabel needs to be replaced. I still like him as a backup and a leader, but the Chiefs need to start focusing on giving a younger, longer-term OLB much more quality reps. I'm not sure if his replacement will be or should be Andy Studebaker. I was really impressed with the way Studebaker played several weeks ago. From a pass rushing standpoint, he has a long way to go, and I think his two INTs were more a reflection of being in the right place at the right time. But what I liked about him was the way he stood his ground against the run.

I realize that this analysis didn't really say much of anything about anything. I would say this is a position where you just play with the cards you're dealt. If you have a can't-miss player in the Draft, then you take him. If you can get a strong option in Free Agency, then overpay him. But this isn't necessarily a position to lose sleep over because the other thing to keep in mind is that the overall play of all the OLBs will improve as the big uglies up front start to get better at their jobs.

Stays: Tamba Hali (#1 or #2?), Andy Studebaker (#2)
On the Bubble: Mike Vrabel (#2 or #3)
Bring in: A strong option without reaching

Inside Linebacker:

Maybe I'm alone on this, but I think that Inside Linebacker is one of the least important positions in a 3-4 Defense. They're role players more than anything else. Kendrell Bell was a star in a 3-4 because his only assignment was to attack, attack, attack. Don't think. Just attack. You also have other ILBs who are more coverage specialists. My feeling has always been that if you have an outstanding defensive line, you won't need your ILBs nearly as much in run support. If you have an outstanding secondary, particularly at the Safety position, you don't need to become overly reliant on the coverage backer. A great ILB is more a luxury than a necessity. I'm not a big fan of any of the Chiefs' ILB options. Demorrio Williams is adequate, DJ is too much of a freelancer, Mays is quality depth but mostly unspectacular, and Belcher has decent upside but has a long way to go. This is one of those positions where the strategy is to replace these guys eventually within the next 2-3 years. However, I would not make any concerted effort to do so immediately.

Keep: Begrudgingly keep as many as you can
Pick-up: A later draft pick without reaching. A whole flurry of undrafted rookies. Or a strong free agent option (like most positions, it's okay for the Chiefs to overpay)

Cornerback:

So, finally a position the Chiefs can build off of. I have always liked Brandon Flowers. I've been very pleasantly surprised with Brandon Carr's progress this season. These two guys make a really solid 1-2 punch. At some point, the Chiefs need to start adding extra bodies for nickel packages as well as for quality depth. I'm not confident any of those guys are currently on the roster. The Chiefs' coaching staff seems to be transitioning Leggett to Safety. Donald Washington is extremely raw, but so far mostly unimpressive. You probably wouldn't draft a Nickel Back early in the draft, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Chiefs pretty aggressively pursue some options toward the middle of the draft and/or through free agency.

Keep: All CBs
Pick-up: Later round or Free Agent Nickel Back (no need to break the bank)

Safety:

I still believe that it is a huge asset for a 3-4 defense to have a playmaker at the Safety position. That player is not currently on the Chiefs' roster. I know Todd Haley really likes Mike Brown and while I certainly think he's improved throughout the season, he just doesn't have the playmaking ability he used to. In the passing game, I rarely see him smell out plays. He always seems to get there a few steps too late. John McGraw is a great depth guy and someone you want to keep on your roster for special teams purposes, but he's not a guy you want as your long-term starter. Jarrad Page has been by far the biggest disappointment on defense, in my eyes. I've been very unimpressed with his closing speed, which is scary for a Safety whose strength is supposed to be his coverage ability. And oh, by the way, I have no idea if Dajuan Morgan is the answer in KC or not, but I wish the Chiefs' coaching staff would make a little more effort to find out. New flash: the Chiefs aren't making the playoffs this season. Give the young kids a chance to play (that goes for Studebaker too). At least Morgan's starting to get reps now, but it came a few games too late. There just isn't enough information for me to really know what the kid is made of.

Long story short, the Chiefs have Safeties who have little talent, but don't really screw up a whole lot. They let plays come to them and then they can generally make them. Playmakers anticipate plays and blow them up-they can smell a playcall the minute the ball is snapped. I honestly don't think the Chiefs will ever become the defense they want to become until they can get a real playmaker here. Based on my limited draft knowledge, if Eric Berry is the playmaker scouts say he is, then you don't pass on him for a second. If Taylor Mays tests out well, he should receive strong consideration too. I know a top 5 pick may sound high for a Safety, but the importance of the Safety position has increased significantly over time. Especially for a 3-4.

Keep: John McGraw (#2), Mike Brown (#2)
Pick-up: High draft pick

I know the defense put up one of the most embarrassing performances in recent memory on Sunday, but they're not that far away from fielding an adequate defense. At minimum, if the Chiefs bring in a legit Nose Tackle and a playmaker at Safety, get more consistent play from their young DEs, and bring in a new Defensive Coordinator, the defense could actually be halfway decent in 2010.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:30:15 -0000

More photos » by Chris Schneider - AP

3 days ago: Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels, right, talks to quarterback Kyle Orton during a break in the action during the third quarter of of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders in Denver on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)

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Happy Tuesday, friends, and welcome to Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. I am writing this lead-in on Black Monday, and I'm still not in a very good mood, as you can imagine. I'm going to try to make the best of it, and drop a good column despite the bad feelings. We'll see, because I still haven't watched this infuriating game a second time yet. No guarantees. For now, let's get on with it. Ready..... BEGIN!!!!

1. So, I am not too thrilled, as you might imagine. I don't think anybody particularly is, but this game solidified a thought in my mind about the Broncos, that I've been close to, but never fully there this season. It kind of makes me feel like a fool actually, because way back, when I was the only credible analyst in the world predicting 11-5 for the Broncos, my main reason for thinking it is what I had wrong.

The Broncos offensive line is the weakness of the team, and I thought it was the strength. When I envisioned beating Baltimore and Pittsburgh, it was because I thought the Broncos would be able to block them. I've frequently observed the struggles of one guy or another, but the real conclusion we need to reach is that this group leaves a lot to be desired. Nice Thing to Say About Jay Cutler Alert: I think we all underestimated how much his quick release, mobility, and pocket awareness helped prevent sacks last year.

This year, they've given up sacks at key times, often when it's been obvious that they had to throw the ball. That has been the minor part of the problem. The major part is that they've struggled to drive-block all season, and lately, they've struggled to effectively zone-block, too. Russ Hochstein is terrible, and really hasn't been any kind of improvement over Ben Hamilton. Casey Wiegmann has regressed this year from his previously high standard and gets pushed backward too much. I haven't been too thrilled with the play of Chris Kuper over the last month either, and Tyler Polumbus has proven to be just a backup and special teams player.

I think this season turned when Ryan Harris got hurt. He's one of the best RTs in the NFL, and between he, Kuper, and often Daniel Graham, the Broncos had a good ability to open holes in the running game to the right, outside. Now, the Broncos get pushed backward too much, and are very susceptible to run blitzing against their zone schemes. In the short term, they can help themselves with plays like backside smoke screens off outside play action, inviting/exploiting the run blitzing. In the long term, though, they interior of the line badly needs to be upgraded, because the Broncos will always struggle against physical fronts if it doesn't.

Now, the Broncos do still control their own destiny, even after losing two in a row. They can beat Philadelphia too, if they can protect Kyle Orton, and run the ball effectively. I really think that the Eagles' tendencies toward throwing the ball a lot play to the Broncos' strength on defense. Like Kima Greggs said, sometime things gotta play hard. The Broncos wiped the field with the Giants, who are very similar to the Eagles, so let's not lose hope that they can do it again. Remember, every game is an independent event, and what happened last week is irrelevant to what may happen this week. Go Broncos!

2. Information From My Eyes, Raiders at Broncos-

a. This is kind of information from my ears, but I can't stand Gus Johnson. I know a lot of people like him, but to me, he sounds like he learned his technique from the WWE's Jim Ross (whose name I had to look up, in case you're wondering). Can't you just picture Gus wearing a cowboy hat and yelling "He hit him with a steel chair?!"

b. While I am dogging CBS announcer team guys, Steve Tasker sucks pretty bad, too. He lacks a command of the rules, and it just doesn't seem like he prepares very hard. He makes blanket statements like, "The Broncos have lost 5 of 7 since Kyle Orton's finger got healthy, and they started throwing more." No reasonable person in the world would blame those losses on Kyle Orton, but there goes Tasker, joining the Peter King train.

PK: In six of the past eight weeks, Kyle Orton hasn't put up more than 17 points on the board. Yikes.

It's like the rest of the team is just McNulty's breathing machine. Tasker played the game for a long time, as a spunky, high-effort, overrated special-teams gunner. He should know that a lot is going on on the field that has nothing to do with the QB, and he should be the first person making that point. Hell, there are people who think he belongs in the Hall of Fame (PK evidently being among them, unlike his take on Floyd Little). Tasker should be the "look at the little things" guy, and instead, just mostly stays quiet as Gus Johnson announces the next elbow drop from the top rope, only opening his mouth to mention correlations where there's no causation.

c. Mitch Berger's punt at the end of the first quarter may have been the ugliest in NFL history. It was just atrocious, for those who didn't see the game.

d. Casey Wiegmann had his worst game as a Bronco on Sunday, in my opinion. He was on roller skates all day, going backward. I appeciate the guy's durability and smarts, but I don't think the coaching staff will want to go into next season with him as the starter.

e. The officials let Chris Johnson get away with a clear pass-interference penalty on a key 3rd down in the 3rd quarter. He facegaurded Jabar Gaffney downfield, and rode him out of bounds with his body. Let Tasker tell it, it was a perfectly legal play. He didn't remember the 5-yard chuck rule, I guess. This play was egregious.

f. Andra Davis played great on Sunday, especially on the goal-line stand. He was all over the field all day, and made a bunch of plays.

g. Mario Henderson played better than I've ever seen him play for the Raiders, especially in the running game. He was downfield driving Broncos defenders backward. He also held up very well in pass protection, but was helped by Charlie Frye's focus on getting the ball out quickly.

h. Vonnie Holliday was very good in the pass-rushing game for the Broncos, and Robert Ayers had good moments, too. The only really good rush Elvis Dumervil had, he got called for roughing the passer.

i. Don't let me see anybody blaming Alphonso Smith for the winning TD. He was picked, clear as day, by #86 for the Raiders. In a poorly officiated game, it was another obvious penalty that wasn't called. It was offensive pass interference all the way, and he was out of position for the tackle, making it very difficult. It's true that Smith has struggled as the season has gone on, but that play wasn't his fault.

j. Finally, a word about JaMarcus Russell. He can make every throw a QB ever has to make. When he came into the game Sunday, I was actually worried about it, because he has much more physical ability than Charlie Frye. I'm not ready to say he turned a corner, but I'm sure he engendered some additional belief in his coaches and teammates than he'd been previously seeing. He got it done, given the circumstances, so all you can do is tip your hat to the guy.

3. Information From My Eyes, Other Games-

a. I continue not to care whether the Colts go 16-0, and I didn't get to see much of the game, due to a 10:30 PM ET conference call with some guys who work for me in Pune, India on Thursday. Ho hum, the Colts won.

I was all over the Cowboys beating the Saints, though, and I did watch that game. The Cowboys had to be tired of hearing all this stuff about how they can't win in December, and the Saints had been trying to give away a game for about a month. The Saints had a really hard time protecting Drew Brees, especially LT Jermon Bushrod. For the guy who shares a hometown with him, the jury is in for me. He's an RTO playing out of position on the left side. I think the Saints were too greedy, and didn't do enough to help him with DeMarcus Ware.

b. I made some Cowboys fan mad back in October when I proclaimed Anthony Spencer to be just a guy. Cowboys fans need to be told when their players aren't as good as the hype around them - because the hype is so strong, most of them believe it. Anyway, Spencer was fantastic on Saturday night. He was setting the edge in the running game, and he got Drew Brees 3 times, losing one to a questionable penalty in the secondary. It was the best I'd ever seen Spencer play in the NFL, and if he can keep playing like that, the Cowboys are suddenly really difficult to handle in the playoffs.

c. I was very impressed with Tony Romo's play Saturday, and it's nothing new lately. He's been playing terrific football, with 8 TDs and 0 interceptions in his last 4 games. Lazy, uninsightful MSM idiots who fixate on meaningless trends were falling over themselves to say that Romo couldn't win in December. To most of these people, the other 52 guys on a team are like garnish on the side of the plate. It's obscene how stupid that all is.

d. The Cowboys did the right thing, cutting the cord with Nick Folk. He's been terrible this season, and when you can't count on your kicker to make a 27-yard field goal, you have big problems. Of course, the guy they replaced him with, Shaun Suisham, lost his last job for missing a 20-something-yard FG against New Orleans, to put the game away, too. Kicker seems to be an issue for Dallas every year, and they really need to address it on a going-forward basis.

e. The Lions are still playing hard, I'm sure try to secure jobs for next season. They really gave Arizona a run for their money on Sunday, but came up short, to the disappointment of my buddy Chris Dillon, who was in attendance. I was pretty impressed with the play of Maurice Morris, but I've seen him flash like this a lot of times in his career, and then do nothing a week later. The guy I always like the look of is Drew Stanton, who was a second-round pick, but never got a chance to play for some reason. He had some good moments Sunday, and looked more useful than Daunte Culpepper.

f. The Cardinals can't be blowing double-figure leads if they want to get back to the Super Bowl. I was telling my brother the other day that I thought the NFC Champion would once again come down to Arizona against Philadelphia, but the Cardinals lacked crispness for a second week in a row. They'd do well to get their act together.

g. There were a lot of interesting things to see in the Cleveland-Kansas City game, which was surprising. I had no intention of paying any attention to it this weekend, but it ended up being the first game I watched when I got home Monday evening. First things, first. I've never been a big Jerome Harrison fan, but he obviously played out of his mind on Sunday for the Browns. I have seen a lot of him over the last few years, so I remain skeptical of him. Prior to Sunday, if I had to describe Harrison in a sentence this would have been it: "He's a third-down back who lacks much power, speed, or explosiveness, and shouldn't particularly scare anybody." I think his career day was equal parts the best day of his life and the significant inflation factor that comes from running against the Chiefs.

h. The Chiefs had to feel pretty good about most of their offense's performance Sunday. Matt Cassel looked outstanding, and was hurt by about 10 drops by his receivers. Dwayne Bowe was particularly feeling in touch with his inner dropsies. Maybe it was rust from his steroid vacation? Anyway, Cassel was a positive sign again, after a couple bad weeks, and the good things he did had the look of things that would work against good teams, too.

i. If you'd asked me six weeks ago about Jamaal Charles, I'd have questioned his size and power, and also his running instincts. I always saw him as a guy who missed creases and ran into tackles. The coaching he's presumably been getting seems to have clicked lately, because he's making tacklers miss more than I've ever seen. He looks really good running out of the shotgun, which he did a lot of in college at the University of Texas. He's not a bell-cow RB, but teams aren't looking for those so much anymore. He can be a very effective 50-50 tandem guy, especially if the Chiefs could find a Michael Bush-type player to complement him.

j. You know how you can look at somebody and tell when they seem to be physically uncomfortable? That's how Mark Sanchez looked to me on Sunday, in the cold of New York, kind of like a woman looks when she's constipated. I thought his ball traveled a bit better through the wind than it did a month or so ago, when he played in his first bad weather, but his clear lack of physical comfort worries me, and should worry the Jets. Sometimes, a guy who grew up in warm weather embraces the cold, and has success in it. Brett Favre immediately comes to mind. If Sanchez goes back to SoCal in the offseason to chill out, that will be a bad sign in my mind. He ought to stay in New York, and get used to the weather. You may think I am overstating this, but he's going to have to play a ton of games in the cold throughout his career if he's going to be a 10-year Jet.

k. The Shallow Thoughts fantasy team continues to save its best work for the playoffs in the Official MHR League, and was dominant Sunday, led by Aaron Rodgers' huge day. I'm now one game from a championship. Not bad for a guy who doesn't like fantasy football, and a team which was counting on Larry Johnson and Derrick Ward to be stud RBs. I've gotten solid work from both Laurence Maroney and Jason Snelling at times, which has helped. I thought of Snelling, because I have really come to like his game on the real field. He runs hard, catches the ball well, and picks up the blitz. He's a good backup to Michael Turner, and when they're both healthy, they can really alternate physically pounding a defense.

l. I'll tell you right now, Falcons FS Thomas DeCoud is going to be on the All-ST&NO Favorites team I'll be releasing next week. He ought to be in the Pro Bowl for the NFC, but that's almost certainly not going to happen. He's very mobile and smart, and he always is in great position. What sets him apart from other good safeties, though, is that he can catch the football, and he did once again on Sunday, with his third interception of the season. I like matchup safeties, and I'm a big fan of DeCoud, going back to the 2008 Draft.

m. Kerry Rhodes got benched recently, and he looks to me like he's playing with a lot more ferocity and toughness lately. Rex Ryan had him coming on a bunch of blitzes Sunday, and the Jets did a great job all day against the Atlanta offense. If they had gotten better play from Sanchez this season, the Jets would have run away with the AFC East, because that defense is real. Assuming Sanchez improves in the future, this is going to be a team to be reckoned with in the years ahead.

n. I said something nice about Jay Cutler earlier, and now I'm going to go into semi-apologist mode for him, ever so briefly. Neither of the first two interceptions he threw Sunday were really his fault. On the first, Devin Aromashadu failed to get across the face of Domonique Foxworth on a slant route, which is his job. That's 100% on the WR to execute, especially when the play called for Cutler to look right first, and come back left on time, semi-blindly. On the second pick, the RT failed to cut Jarret Johnson on a 3-step drop, and Johnson jumped up in the passing lane and made a play. I've made this point before recently, but on a 3-step drop, the DE must be cut to the ground to clear the passing lane, and the player (I think it was Kevin Shaffer, but couldn't tell for 100% sure) failed to execute. Cutler's third pick was on him, but it was a tough throw moving to his left. He threw that one right to Foxworth. If the Bears want to do a smart thing, they'll try to hire Jeremy Bates away from USC. I don't necessarily think Bates can coach Cutler out of his well-established bad habits, but he at least knows how to put him in position to be most successful.

o. It's so difficult to deal with the height of the Chargers WRs and Antonio Gates. I don't know if I really know the right answer for stopping them. I think you need to play physical with them, and try to cover them man-to-man, but that's easier said than done. It's got to be better than letting them run the sideline against cover-2 with no re-route from a CB, though. I think Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall did pretty well Sunday, and the Chargers still got the win when it counted. San Diego is overrated in some areas, but they're underrated at WR.

p. I'd be shocked if LaDainian Tomlinson is back with San Diego next season. He was obviously a great player for a long time, but he's noticeably not the same guy he used to be. When a RB starts to lose it, you can see it in his leg drive when somebody hits him. LDT is going down a lot easier than he ever did in the past. He's like Arizona Cardinals-era Emmitt Smith right now, despite having a much shorter career than Emmitt.

q. I really liked Mike Tomlin's reasoning behind his onside kick strategy Sunday. I'm taking this from Peter King's MMQB, as I'm not sure if these comments were said exclusively to him, or were something he picked up from the team's PR people.

"I'll be very bluntly honest with you, based on the way the game was going in the second half, first of all I thought with the element of surprise we had a chance to get it, but if we didn't get it and they were to score, then we would have necessary time on the clock to score or match their score. Plan A didn't work, we got the ball but we were illegal, that was the correct call, but it kind of unfolded the way you envisioned it.

"We had 30 minutes of evidence that we could drive the ball on them, we also conversely had 30 minutes of evidence to show they could also drive the ball on us. That's why we took the risk when we did. We were just trying to win the football game. There was time left in that game that had we kicked that ball away and the half had gone the way that it'd gone, they were converting third downs. They would have moved the ball down the field on us, we wouldn't have had necessary time to respond. I'm just being honest, but it starts with feeling pretty good about the element of surprise and having a good chance to get that ball, but that part of it didn't work out.''

That makes sense, right? Even if you don't get the ball, you're cutting down the amount of time the Packers will take to score, and leave your own team enough time to answer. I generally can't stand the Steelers or their highly-ignorant fan base, but I have Tomlin's back on this one. After all, it played out exactly like he thought it would, if they didn't recover the kick. Nothing proves you right like being right, right?

But then PK chimes in with his commentary:

How the mighty defense has fallen. Wow. Mike Tomlin throwing his D to the wolves.

Sigh. Like they say on ESPN, C'MON MAN! You know what you are if you trust a defense that hasn't gotten it done all day? You're a moron who deserves to lose. I really think that this is the most idiotic conventional wisdom in football, that you have to trust your defense, no matter what. The Steelers got sliced up all game, and didn't deserve to be trusted. Tomlin had the pulse of the game exactly right. Hell, if I am him, I want my defense to know that I don't trust them in that moment, and step it the hell up in practice, and in the next game. Trust is earned, not freely given.

r. Here's a news flash for Peter King. Bryant McKinnie is not a very good player, especially in pass protection. You should never judge the quality of an offensive lineman on whether they get voted to the Pro Bowl, or were picked in the first round of the draft. McKinnie is solid against the run, but he's slow-footed, and he struggles to protect against good pass rushers. Julius Peppers did dominate McKinnie Sunday night, but it's less of a special feat than PK would have you believe.

s. I think the Panthers might have something with Matt Moore. He's not the most polished player, but you can tell he has some real talent. I'm not basing that on his results, per se, but more on the way the ball leaves his hand and flies through the air. If I were John Fox, Jake Delhomme wouldn't see the field again this season unless Moore got hurt.

t. Don't worry about Brett Favre arguing with Brad Childress on the sidelines. It doesn't matter, and these things happen all the time. I don't think the Vikings quite have what it takes to win a championship, but it has nothing to do with Favre and Childress not seeing eye-to-eye in one game. I think the only good player on their offensive line is Steve Hutchinson, and the rest of them are average to below-average. I also think Adrian Peterson isn't playing very well lately, and I wonder if he's banged up, because I don't see the suddenness and power I am used to from him lately.

u. The Giants really got their defensive line going Monday night. I guess it helps to play the Redskins, who can't block anybody. I was pretty surprised by the bad play of the Redskins defense, which has been tough all year. This game was so lousy, I barely paid attention to it after the first half.

v. Why couldn't the Redskins have run THAT variation of the Hunter Smith pass against the Broncos? That was a charlie foxtrot from the start.

4. For a straight single man, I'm a pretty good dresser. I figure I'm average looking, and I could stand to drop a few pounds, so I try to help myself by making smart wardrobe decisions. I have some common sense rules, I favor versatility and have a good feel for matching, and I never, ever wear trendy, overpriced crap like Ed Hardy. I'd give myself a B-plus to an A-minus.

So I am watching the NFL Network pregame show Sunday, and I can't help but notice the gear of the well-known sartorialist Michael Irvin. He had a pretty bad suit, and I remembered a draft a few years ago, maybe 2006 or 2007, when Irvin was working for ESPN. My ex-wife walked in, and saw him, and she was all about fashion. He was wearing a brown suit, with a brown shirt, and Christine says, "He looks like a big piece of poop." I couldn't help but agree.

So, horrible suit back then, pretty bad suit Sunday, funny memory. Then, the crew took off their jackets to do a technique demonstration, and I saw the worst part of Mike's gear. His shirt had epaulets!!! (I generally hate multiple exclamation points, but epaulets make it appropriate.) If you were in the military, chances are you know what epaulets are - if not, check it out here, where they spell it differently than how I learned in the Navy.

Okay, Mike? Unless you're going to a Troop Meeting, and making Eagle Scout, no epaulets, okay? There's no good reason in the world for a normal man's shirt to have them. Just say no to pretentious clothing. I wouldn't be surprised if Ed Hardy toolbag-in-chief Christian Audigier designed Irvin's shirt, too. The orange oompa loompa spray tan would look weird on Irvin, so it would be hard to carry the complete look.

I bet those guys' shirts have epaulets. By the way, I got that pic from the coolest Facebook fan page ever.

5. So there's big news that I have to share. I am retiring ST&NO. Next week, on December 29^th, 2009 I will post my last one ever, at least as far as I am planning now. New Year, new ideas, new LASIK eye surgery on January 15^th, so I won't be nearsighted anymore. The title just wouldn't make sense anymore, and like Russell Jones, I keeps it real. I plan to move my work in a bit of a different direction in the next year, and beyond.

Since I started writing ST&NO last January, I've tried to make it league-wide. Some MHR people have expressed appreciation for that, and I think some would like my work better if it was all Broncos, all the time. It's gotten more and more league-wide in nature during the course of this regular season - at first, kind of by accident. Later, I started to realize that I wanted to position myself for a more national platform, and I've gone with it more intentionally. I thank John Bena for always letting me write whatever I want, as I've been able to drop stuff that makes me happy.

In the marketplace of ideas, there's been a lot of evolution in how fans get football information. It used to be, you could watch your local market game, the Cowboys (America's Team), and a West Coast game, and then whatever was on Monday night. Now, you can watch any game you want, if you're willing to pay $400 a season for the privilege. Twenty years ago, you had your local rag newspaper, picking up some AP reporting, and having a couple Woody Paige-style columnists. I remember sitting in the front hall of my mom's house every Monday morning, reading the recaps and poring through the box scores. Now, you can go on the internet and read whoever you want. It's a brave new world, that continues to change all the time, and a guy like me has to continually evaluate my best positioning in it.

When there were just the rags, the strong written content was at the micro (team) level, mostly because it was the only particular written content, outside of a multi-sport skimmer like Sports Illustrated or The Sporting News. With the wide proliferation of the internet in the mid-90s, your average Len Pasquarelli and John Clayton emerged at ESPN.com, and the Worldwide Leader threw a ton of resources at football, taking the quality back to the macro level. In the early to mid 00s, it became much easier for people with no access to players and coaches to get information, and also to self-publish. Web 2.0 gave some people with real talent the chance to take the quality back to the micro level, where it really belongs, to a large degree.

Well, I'm a macro kind of guy who has been working at a micro level. I actually have personal friends who've told me explicitly that they won't read ST&NO because it appears on a Broncos site. It's just too much for some people to get past. You'll remember the story about the "repugnant" guy/girl from a couple weeks ago. The person's biggest burn was:

If you were as brilliant and talented as you think you are you'd be doing something other than running a niche website no one other than diehard Broncos fans gives a damn about.

As I told the critic in my response, I am very, very proud of MHR. It's the best Broncos site in the world, and I'm really proud to have been part of its rise, and call myself a member/alumnus of the site. From John, to the staff, to the community, it's really incredible what we have here, and I will always support and promote it. I'm struggling a bit to cut to the chase, which is unlike me, but you can probably tell by now that I am announcing my departure from the MHR staff.

I've decided to launch my own football site, with a stated goal of bringing MHR-style quality to the macro level. I looked at trying to convince a lousy MSM site like CBSSports.com to pay me for running my content on their site, and even went so far as to ask a friend to make an inquiry on my behalf. I've backed away from this idea, however, as I read about Bill Simmons' frustrations with ESPN's penchant for censoring his work. Everybody knows that wouldn't work for me. I'm taking the Oprah approach, instead, and owning my own outlet. I'm pretty close to being ready to launch, but not quite close enough to share details yet. Tune into next week's triumphant ST&NO finale, and you can get all the information about it.

There's such widespread suckitude at the national level, that I feel like I have to step directly into their arena, loudly and with both feet, if I really want to go after them. I'm here to tell you, I've got something for Peter King, Mike Florio, Clayton, Pasquarelli, Don Banks, Pete Prisco, and all the rest of them. Let there be no ambiguity. I am in it to win it at the national level, and I'll be applying everything I learned here at MHR, and every other resource I can muster to help make it happen. Sound the horns, because it is most definitely on.

It's Tuesday morning as I write this last part, time to post ST&NO, head to the office, and do another call with Kuldeep and Suresh in India. Have a great week, friends, and I'll see you next Tuesday for the final edition of this column. The ST&NO concept will definitely live on at my new site, but I'll be excited to have each of you with me next week, as we close this chapter of the story, and start writing the next one. Thanks for being MHR community members, and for reading my work every week. This site is going to continue to be great, and I'm just hoping to expand the universe a little faster than the reputation of the Most Interesting Man in The World, for a change. Thanks in advance for your support. :)

Chiefs Receivers Say Drops Are "Contagious"

Joel Thorman — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:14:28 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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Depending on who's count you use, the Kansas City Chiefs dropped around nine balls on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. Coming into the game, they were hovering just below 40 for the season, well above the NFL average. If you take Todd Haley's count, who is admittedly a tougher judge on the receivers, the Chiefs were over 50 for the season.

Simply put, the drops on Sunday were inexcusable. The frustration was clearly manifested in Haley's demeanor after the game. Livid. Frustrated. Pissed. All words that could be used to describe Haley in his post-game press conference.

"Nine dropped balls, I believe it is - five for first downs and five or six in the third quarter which were critical plays for us," an obviously upset Haley said after the game.

On several occasions, he held back and declined comment for fear of saying something he might regret.

"You convert half of those drops or a reasonable amount and that makes a difference," Haley said.

"It's contagious," Dwayne Bowe said of the problem. "Once one guy does it, the next guy's going to do it."

"It's contagious," Mark Bradley said echoing Bowe. "When you have a group of guys out there fighting everyday and one guy drops a ball, it's very contagious. Very streaky."

Haley said he's known this was a problem all season and that the coaching staff has been working with them before practice, after practice, on the jug machine - everything. Yet, the problem appears to be getting worse as the season goes on and the lack of tangible results appeared to be confusing for Haley.

Like he has in other games marred with drops, Haley defended his quarterback. Cassel completed over 50% of his passes but, according to Chris Chambers, put the receivers in a position to make plays.

"Matt, to me, played an excellent game," he said. "He gave us opportunities to make plays."

"As a quarterback," Cassel told reporters after the game, "you just keep pushing forward. I’m going to have throws that I want back and that I’m going to miss. That’s just part of football.

"The receivers know when they don’t catch the ball when they’re supposed to and it’s part of football and you just keep moving on."

Chiefs Activate Bowe, Make Other Roster Moves

Joel Thorman — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:31:20 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

(AP Photo/ Charlie Riedel, File)

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The Kansas City Chiefs are busy this evening. Tonight, Josh Looney of KCChiefs.com announced the Chiefs had activated Dwayne Bowe off the reserve/suspended list. This move was expected, no matter how coy the Chiefs head coach and quarterback approached it.

To make room for Bowe, the Chiefs placed Dantrell Savage on IR. He's been on and off the injury report since injuring an ankle against the Oakland Raiders on November 15th.

The Chiefs also activated guard Daryl Harris from the practice squad. This was likely done in response to Brian Waters' designation as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns.

Harris is a 6'4", 300 pound rookie with no NFL experience. He comes from Mississippi where he logged eight starts at left guard last season.

To make room for Harris on the 53 man roster, rookie WR and sixth round draft pick Quinten Lawrence was released. Lawrence was released earlier in the season only to be re-signed to the practice squad. With Harris' promotion, there's currently an open spot on the practice squad. I'm not sure we've seen the last of Lawrence.

So, to recap:

Additions

WR Bowe reinstated
G Harris from the practice squad

Subtractions

RB Savage to IR
WR Lawrence released

GOT NUMBERS? Previewing the Browns vs. the Chiefs.

Ryan Kelsey — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:21:20 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

We must stop the Charles. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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Since my computer blew up and the replacement has yet to come in, this article comes to you by way of a public library computer. That means slow connections and time limits. And a shorter version of my Got Numbers? weekly preview. It also means I won't be able to comment on this DBN until Monday and cannot edit this story, like I usually do. (I can read DBN from my phone, but I haven't successfully posted from it). So, sorry for any typos, spelling mistakes or blatant errors or omissions.

Not that anyone will mind. This week's game features two terrible teams with a combined record of 5-21 this season and 6-26 last year. And very, very few people will even know it is going on. It is blacked out in Kansas City. And it won't be shown in most of Ohio. These two proud franchises and fan bases now have little to cheer for and struggle to make their way to the games.

The Browns are coming off their second win of the season and have played, generally, better football since the bye week. But, let's see just how ugly we can expect this game to be.

As always, all DVOA, DYAR and sack rate numbers are thanks to Football Outsiders.

When the Chiefs have the ball:

Kansas City's offense is bad. They rank 32nd (yes, that's last) in the league in weighted DVOA for offensive efficiency (-28.4%). That means they don't pass well (28th, -23.5%), don't run well (32nd, -14.9%) and have been even worse lately because the weighted stats weight the most recent games more than earlier games in the year. The Browns defense has had borderline great games (Steelers II, Ravens II, Bengals I, Bengals II, Bills) and flat out disgustingly bad games (San Diego, Detroit, Chicago, Green Bay). Some of that is due to injuries, but some is just plain confusing. After dominating the Steelers in the wind and cold last week, the Browns rank 30th in weighted DVOA (up from 32nd). The Browns are 31st against the pass and 27th against the run in DVOA.

Kansas City's passing game is "lead" by Matt Cassel. Cassel has had an awful season. He has been less valuable overall this season than every quarterback with at least 100 passes, except Jamarcus Russel. That's right. Cassel has less total value than Derek Anderson in DYAR this season (-639 for Cassell, -406 for DA). On a per play basis, it is a little better, he is 39th of 44 qualifying QBs (-34.4% DVOA). Still, that's really, really, really bad. And while they haven't played the whole season (because they were midseason acquistions or injured) the Chiefs are not without decent receivers. Both Chris Chambers (-3.7%) and Dwayne Bowe(-3.0%) are right around league average on a per play basis. Though their "other" WRs kind of stink (Mark Bradley -38.8% DVOA and just a 40% catch rate; Bobby Wade, -26.8% DVOA). And they dearly miss Tony Gonzalez. Their best TEs, Leonard Pope and Sean Ryan have been non-factors. This is good news for the Browns because they remain the worst team in the league at defending passes to TEs. Part of the Chiefs problem is protecting the QB. They rank near the bottom of the league, allowing 40 sacks, about 9% of all their drop backs. And if the Browns can build on success in rushing the passer from last Thursday, this could be a big part of the game. The Browns ranked 17th in the league in getting to the quarterback on a per-dropback basis, but that has not been updated by Football Outsiders for last week's games. I'm sure the Browns are now near the top ten.

The Chiefs rushing game is an interesting story. While they rank last in the league in DVOA (mainly due to Larry Johnson's ineffectiveness- but he isn't on the team anymore), Jamaal Charles has broken out as a force on the ground. Despite not being a starting back until week 10, Charles has the 21st most value of all RBs and is 13th on a per play basis (7.7% DVOA). That's largely based on his really good 5.2 YPC. He is also coming off a career game against the Bills, where he rushed for 143 yards on 20 carries (7.2 YPC) and a TD. (Not to mention 7 catches for another 38 yards).

When the Browns have the Ball

The Chiefs are average against the pass, 17th in the league. Particularly, they are good against #1 WRs (8th in the league. As Brady Quinn plays more and more games, he is settling in around just below-league average. He is at -18% DVOA currently.

The Browns rushing game is also confusing to figure out. No current RB on the Browns qualifies for the league leaders on Football Outsiders. Jamal Lewis still leads the team in carries and he was horrible, dragging down the stats. Now that he is on IR, it is tough to gage how good or bad the run game really is. We just don't have much data on Chris Jennings (who has been pretty league average on a per play basis, -4% DVOA) or Jerome Harrison (who has been decidedly worse-20%DVOA). But the real X factor is Josh Cribbs. Football Outisiders classifies him as a QB. His runs come by the way of end-arounds, wild-cat formations, reverses. The creativity has lead to some good-to-great results. He has 305 yards on 42 carries, good for 7.3 YPC. The Browns ground game is key because KC is bad against the run. 29th in the league (8.0% DVOA).

Special teams

Josh Cribbs is awesome. KC has good coverage teams, so don't expect too much.

Conclusions and Questions

There are some rising starts and interesting things to watch, maybe not as ugly as I thought.

Three questions that will determine the outcome:

1.) Can the Browns get to Cassel like they got to Roethlisberger? And if so, will we take the next step and start forcing turnovers?

2.) Will the Browns play with a level of passion and intensity that is anywhere near the level they had for the Steelers at home at night?

3.) Will Jamaal Charles take another step to becomming the next NFL star runningback for the Chiefs?

For the first time since doing this column, I actually like the matchup. I think our strengths and their weaknesses are in the right areas (namely, our pass rush vs. their pass protection; their run game vs. our run defense).

Browns 28

Chiefs 20

Status of Chiefs' Bowe Against Browns is a "Coach's Decision"

Joel Thorman — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:29:55 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

(AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

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Reports have floated around that the Kansas City Chiefs have a roster exemption for Dwayne Bowe until Monday, December 21st. This means that Bowe can practice with the team, like he is now, as the 54th player on the roster. The Chiefs will not have to make a roster move until Monday.

They can make a move earlier and reinstate Bowe, which many of us expect to happen.

We all expect Bowe to play on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. There's no doubt about that. With only three games left in the season, and the Chiefs receivers still trying to familiarize themselves with Matt Cassel, I think it's very important that he suits up and plays on Sunday.

Cassel said Bowe's return is "huge" and it "will be great to have him back on the field." Of course, he declined to say whether he would actually be on the field this weekend.

"You know, I don’t know," Cassel said today when asked about Bowe's availability. "That’s probably coach’s decision right now. I think he’s still trying to get caught up to speed, we’re doing a lot of different things now from when he left, so it’ll just kind of be up to the coaches to see how far he progresses throughout the week."

Head coach Todd Haley was also asked if Bowe would be on the field Sunday.

"He made it through yesterday and I think he’s done a good job of keeping himself in shape while he was away. Just as important he’s picking up a handful of new stuff that we’ve evolved into since the suspension. I’m encouraged by where he’s at after two days."

Josh Looney of KCChiefs.com argues that the Chiefs "likely aren't trying to keep Bowe's status as a starter a secret."

I would disagree with this assertion because there's no reason for the Chiefs to give any information out on him. This regime has demonstrated on multiple occasions that if there's even the slightest competitive advantage to be gained from keeping something a secret, then they'll do it.

Learning the playbook is important, yes. But I can't imagine that much has changed that would preclude him from playing on Sunday, or even starting. If Chris Chambers can come in on a Wednesday, with no prior knowledge of the playbook, and play on a Sunday, then Bowe should be out there. Just my two cents.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 12/17

NJ Chiefs Fan — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:59:02 -0000

via KansasCity.com

Happy Thursday! Here is your daily dose of Kansas City Chiefs News. Long day at work today. Tomorrow is our holiday party (half non-work day) then vacation for me. Sunday will be my last post until Tuesday the 29th. I'm lucky enough to be spending the holiday on a cruise, and I'm not sure what my internet access will be. I'm looking forward to it. The last time I was on a cruise in the Caribbean, the boat was haze gray and launching aircraft. This should be better.

The Chiefs offense continues to struggle. It was abundantly apparent last Sunday when they played a mediocre Buffalo defense.

While they were able to produce 354 yards – their second best yardage day of the 2009 season – they were able to score but 10 points and one touchdown. They turned the ball over four times. They allowed four sacks.

In all, they had 20 negative plays, a number they should reach over three or four games, not just one. They are 80 percent through their season and they are still making a remarkable number of mistakes. That total of 20 included four sacks, four interceptions, four offensive penalties, three passes for minus-yardage and five running plays for minus-yards.

Essentially the Chiefs big offensive day came down to a 76-yard touchdown run by Jamaal Charles

Working The Offense … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz

"I count drops and always have, and have been a pretty critical judge in that area," said Chiefs coach Todd Haley, a former wide-receivers coach. "I do feel like if a receiver gets his hands on it, he should come up with it. That’s what they get paid for. We’ve had way too many.

"There is no trick to it. You’ve got to (work on catching the ball) before practice and after practice. You can’t catch enough balls and practice your craft, whoever it is, tight ends, receivers or backs, because everybody has a hand in it. We need to do a better job. Those are things this young team can’t overcome. We’ve shown that. We can’t overcome dropped balls. The games that we’ve done a good job of catching the ball, we’ve been pretty competitive. When we haven’t, it’s been an additional thing that’s been too hard for us to overcome."

Chiefs in bad hands with their receivers from KC Star

Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe returned to practice Wednesday and worked with the first-team offense, picking up where he left off before a four-week suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Bowe wouldn’t answer reporters’ questions after the workout, instead saying that he’d have something to say after Kansas City’s home finale Sunday against Cleveland.

Coach Todd Haley said that Bowe, who reported to the team’s offseason conditioning program last spring about 30 pounds over his target weight, maintained his fitness during his four weeks away from Chiefs headquarters. Haley said he spoke with Bowe before the suspension but the team couldn’t be in contact with him during his punishment.

Chiefs notebook: Bowe works with first-team offense in return to practice from KC Star

Not that anyone needs extra time to prepare for the Chiefs -- they are 3-10, including losses to both Denver and Buffalo. But the extra days provide fresher legs and give bodies additional time to heal up from injuries. Those become late-season edges.

But the Chiefs are a small-market team and the NFL pays little regard to the wants and needs of small-market teams when drawing up its schedule.

Unfair scheduling: Chiefs' rested opponents from The Dallas Morning News

It was November 15, and Kansas City had not only beaten the Oakland Raiders 16-10, it might have been their most complete game of the season. The Chiefs threw for over 200 yards, ran for over 100 and Bowe was in the middle of it all, catching six passes for 91 yards, his second-best total in 2009.

Even without Bowe, the upswing continued a week later against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a thrilling 27-24 win. It might have been Matt Cassel’s best game this season, as he threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. At the time, it appeared as if the Chiefs perhaps didn’t need Bowe as much as some had previously thought.

Three weeks later, that hypothesis has been smashed to bits.

Can Bowe Save The Chiefs? from WPI

In the old days, the Romans used career soldiers called centurions to indoctrinate the men in the ranks. Among the new centurions in the NFL is Mike Vrabel, of Walsh Jesuit, Ohio State and the Browns' opponent this Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs.

Before New England's coaching staff made Vrabel a central element of three Super Bowl champions, he was a spare part in Pittsburgh. After New England, he and Matt Cassel, who baby-sat the quarterback position when Tom Brady was hurt last season, were traded to Kansas City for a second-round draft pick.

Cassel is the player of the future; Vrabel is the veteran exemplar.

Wins (for now) aren't the measure of Mike Vrabel's leadership with Chiefs: Bill Livingston from The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Todd Haley compared Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel's situation in Kansas City to that of Brady Quinn's here.

"Matt is a young quarterback experience-wise," said Haley. "Even though he was a backup there in New England for a few years, he's not had a lot of game experience -- even the well-documented college experience where he was a backup at USC. He's no different than a lot of these young guys, Brady Quinn included. They need game experience and the bullets have to be flying.

Chiefs equate Cassel's growth with Quinn's: Browns Insider, with Tony/Mary Kay video from The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Quarterback Brady Quinn:
(On the Kansas City defense)- "Besides their record, they have a lot of talented guys up front. They have (Tamba) Hali coming off the edge. I played against guys like Glenn Dorsey in college. I know that they are tremendous players. I played against Corey Mays, obviously, I was on the same team as him. You know they are talented across the board and across the secondary as well. They do a great job of getting turnovers in the red zone as well as applying pressure. They have some crafty veterans too, guys like Mike Vrabel, who are able to make plays and do some good things in there."

Cleveland Browns: Wednesday open locker room quotes; David Bowens, Josh Cribbs, Brady Quinn from The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Chiefs personnel czar Scott Pioli and Mangini got to know each other as young grunts on Bill Belichick’s 1990s Browns staff, then found themselves moving to Baltimore in 1996.

"Scott actually is responsible for me meeting Julie," Mangini said Wednesday. "On the relocation weekend to Baltimore ... Scott was friends with Mark (Shapiro). He was going out and he said, ‘Hey, do you want to come out? We’re going to meet my buddy’s sister and her girlfriends and, look, you can talk to any of the girls ... just don’t talk to my buddy’s sister.’ "

The buddy was Mark Shapiro, now the general manager of the Cleveland Indians.

"Of course, I sat next to her," Mangini said. "We ended up talking, and now we’re married. He’s responsible for that, and I thank him for that."
Browns Notebook: Chiefs' Pioli Introduced Mangini to Future Wife from CantonRep.com

Cleveland at Kansas City - Wow … I … can't … wait … for … this … game. … It … doesn't … get … any … more … exciting … than … this. Guru: Chiefs 12-7; Vegas: Chiefs by 1.5.
Jr. attempts to pull a Sergio in Sr.'s stead from The Durango Herald

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 12/15

NJ Chiefs Fan — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:59:09 -0000

via Boston.com

Your daily dose of Kansas City Chiefs news from across the internet. Welcome back D-Bowe!

Todd Haley was happy with what he saw when No. 82 walked back into the building.

"He looked good," Haley said late Monday afternoon. "It looks like he did a good job of keeping himself in condition. You’re always happy to get back one of your best players."

Throughout his career, Bowe has dealt with weight problems during periods of inactivity. It happened to him after last season, and even during the five-week vacation the players had between the end of the Chiefs off-season program and the start of training camp.

D-Bowe Returns … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz

KC Star Photo Gallery: Chiefs vs Bills Tailgating

The last time he played for the Chiefs before his four-week NFL suspension, Dwayne Bowe had one of his best games of the season, catching six passes in a win over the Raiders.

The Chiefs welcomed Bowe back Monday and are eager to get him back in the lineup for this weekend’s game against Cleveland at Arrowhead Stadium. They aren’t necessarily expecting him to pick up where he left off.

"It’s unreasonable to expect him to come in and play as good or better as he was before he left," wide receiver Bobby Wade said. "The hardest thing about missing games during the season is the speed of the game. It’s going to be a challenge for him to play within his own realm and make the plays that come to him, but he’s capable of handling it. He’s got to let the game come to him and not stress about making a big play. He just has to play solid."

Bowe's back with Chiefs after suspension from KC Star

Matt Cassel had another shaky game. A mediocre rushing team ran all over the Chiefs' defense. The offense kept tripping itself up. Coach Todd Haley made a questionable call or two. Receivers dropped crucial passes.

The 10th loss was not a whole lot different from the others. It's almost as if the Chiefs are stuck in a "Three's Company'' marathon - each episode looking a whole lot like the last.

"I don't have any doubt we're making progress,'' Haley said. "It's tough when you look at the record and see that. I just go on what I see on a daily basis, during the game, after the game, certain responses by players, desire of the players to get better. We're making progress.''

Chiefs Still Making Same Mistakes from Sports Illustrated

Missed opportunities, questionable decision making and a half-full Arrowhead Stadium dominated the conversation following the Kansas City Chiefs 16-10 loss Sunday afternoon.

Twice Mark Bradley had his man beat in the end zone, and twice quarterback Matt Cassel overthrew the wide receiver; twice the Chiefs had the ball inside the 10 and came away empty handed on an unsuccessful Cassel run on fourth-and-one and an interception; and a team that needed to sell 3,500 tickets Friday witnessed countless empty seats as Arrowhead looked more like the site of a preseason game than a regular season contest.

Mistakes, Decisions Cost Chiefs Another Chance at Win from The Examiner

The Buffalo Bills had a big day running the ball on Sunday, rushing for 200 yards in a 16-10 win at Kansas City.

The Bills' maligned offensive line had a strong day blocking, as did other players as they paved the way for running backs Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch to have their best game as a tandem this season.

Jackson and Lynch also helped themselves with some smart, instinctive running.

It's been rare to see the Bills run the ball this well, so it is worth reviewing.

Bills replay: Running backs finally run wild from The Buffalo News

Valentine, a Pleasanton resident who runs a capital asset management company in San Ramon, has been an avid Denver Broncos fan since childhood, and had never met the Thomas family previously. But he had purchased at least a dozen footballs signed by Thomas, as well as other collectibles, shortly after Thomas died in 2000. The former Kansas City Chiefs player succumbed to complications related to injuries from an auto accident.

Eight years after purchasing the Thomas items — most of which had sat in storage — Valentine finally realized what the items were meant for when he saw the Thomas family, in particular the player's 12-year-old son, Derrius, at the Hall of Fame induction.

Valentine's generosity with the Thomases struck a chord with White.

Boss's Hall of Fame gesture wins admiration from The Oakland Tribune

Chiefs Coach Says Dwayne Bowe Looks Ready To Go

Joel Thorman — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 01:05:41 -0000

More photos » by Gail Burton - AP

Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe returns from suspension this week. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

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As you all know, Kansas City Chiefs receiver Dwayne Bowe returns from a four-game suspension this week. Chiefs head coach Todd Haley was asked about his receiver today and said it appears he's ready to go physically and the challenge will be getting him ready to go mentally.

"Just in looking at him it looks like he’s done a pretty good job of keeping himself in condition. We’ve got to get him up to speed in any of the new stuff we’re doing."

Per league rules, Haley nor any of the players were allowed contact with Bowe while he was on suspension.

He also said he was "personally excited" for Bowe's return because he's one of the Chiefs best players and, prior to the injury, he was making good strides in his development.

"As far as I know there are no physical limitations and it will all be a matter of getting him up to speed mentally and getting him back into the mix," Haley explained. "I know he’s a professional and from the looks of what I can see today and talking to him he’s done a pretty good job of keeping himself in condition and says he has. It’s what I expected him to do."

This is good to hear, especially when you consider that Bowe was suspended for taking a diuretic partly due to the fact that he wasn't in shape over the offseason. I imagine this entire experience has demonstrated to him the importance of staying in shape.

"I know he’s excited to be back and we’re excited to have him back. When we get a chance to get one of our better and more productive offensive players back I think that’s a big thing for us."