SB Nation - Amani Toomer

'Kudos & Wet Willies:' Missed opportunities edition

Ed Valentine — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:19:02 -0000

More photos » by Henny Ray Abrams - AP

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) fumbles the ball after sliding head first in the third quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. The play was ruled a fumble and the Eagles recovered. The play pretty much sums up the night, and the season, thus far.

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I hardly know where to begin in discussing Sunday's 45-38 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles by our New York Giants.

The Giants gift-wrapped a couple of scores for the Eagles with turnovers and mistakes. They made some big plays of their own, but not nearly enough. Opportunity knocked everywhere, both offensively and defensively, much of the night. Too often, though, the Giants could not get the job done.

It was one of the craziest, most exhausting regular-season games I can remember watching. In the end, though, just another bad loss in what is becoming a season filled with them.

The Giants are now 7-6. Their path to the playoffs is clear, though treacherous. The Cowboys are 8-5, and it is pretty obvious the final NFC playoff spot will go to either Dallas or the Giants and the Giants own the tie-breaker advantage. Somehow, some way the Giants need to win one more game than the Cowboys during the final three weeks.

Otherwise, no playoffs for the first time since 2004. On with the 'Kudos & Wet Willies,' which look a little bit unusual this time around.

Kudos to ...

Eli Manning: Eli was brilliant Sunday night. In my mind, he played as well as a quarterback can play. The stats (27-of-38, 392 yards, three touchdowns) don't begin to describe it. Of his 11 incompletions there were nine -- yes, nine -- balls Giants receivers could have or should have caught. The fumble when he fell awkwardly and lost the ball as he hit the ground was a freak play. He had made an uncharacteristically nity run on the play. Can't kill him for it.
DeSean Jackson: It's not often I will give 'Kudos' to an opposing player, but this guy is just phenomenal.
Ahmad Bradshaw: Following a theme we seem to have developed here, Bradshaw stepped up and made some big plays. A 17-yard run. A 31-yard pass reception. The Giants didn't get enough of those from other guys Sunday night.
Big Blue View Nation: More than 2000 comments between the two Game Threads. The Giants couldn't step up and make big plays, but you guys did.

Kwillies to ...

A 'Kwillie,' for those who don't know, goes to players who did things that kept both teams in a game. Half 'Kudo,' half 'Wet Willie.'

The Giants receiving corps: There were a lot of great plays by Giants receivers Sunday night. But, an incredible number of opportunities they failed to take advantage of. Let me summarize.

Hakeem Nicks -- A 68-yard touchdown catch and run. Nice, sure. But, three drops. Including one on a long ball when he was 5 yards behind the defense.

Steve Smith -- Seven catches and broke the Giants' single-season receiving record previously held by Amani Toomer. But, two missed opportunities. Both on catches that were difficult, but plays a No. 1 Pro Bowl receiver needs to make. Particularly the one in the end zone where he had both hands on the ball and could not corral it.

Kevin Boss -- A career-best seven catches. But, Boss could not corral a beautiful throw by Manning in the second half that he had both hands on. In the fourth quarter of a game with so much at stake, you have to make that play. By the way, guess what? If Boss makes that catch the Giants have first down at Philly's 17. The next play was the 3rd and 5 draw any of you are killing.

(I am saving Mario Manningham for later. You know what that means.)

Brandon Jacobs: Fifteen carries for 60 yards, and lots of hard, knock defenders over, running (where has that been, Jake?). But, an uncharacteristic fumble that ended up being returned for a touchdown.
Michael Boley: Eleven tackles, but a huge missed opportunity when he had a potential game-tying interception in his hands toward the end of the first half and could not corral it.
Osi Umenyiora: A sack and forced fumble in his role as pass-rush specialist. That's the good stuff. But, several times when Osi was in the game the Eagles took advantage by running right at him for big gains.
Kevin Gilbride: You have to give your offensive coordinator some credit when a team compiles an astounding 512 yards of total offense, which the Giants did Sunday night. But, you also can question taking the ball out of Eli's hands on the failed 3rd and 5 draw play in the fourth quarter. It may have been his only bad play call of the night, but as many of you have already pointed out the failure to score points there was a killer. Taking the ball out of Eli's hands, especially the way he was playing, was the wrong choice.
Domenik Hixon: A 61-yard catch and run for a score. That's the good stuff. Losing contain on Jackson's 72-yard punt return and a pair of fumbled kickoffs is the bad. When does D.J. Ware get a crack at being the primary kickoff return man?

Wet Willies to ...

Aaron Rouse and Aaron Ross: Both guys got burned down the field by DeSean Jackson, Ross for an easy, back-breaking 60-yard touchdown. Rouse would have given up one, as well, but Donovan McNabb missed a wide open Reggie Brown.
The defense as a whole: Missed opportunities, blown coverages, little pressure on Donovan McNabb, and a complete inability to make a stop whenever one was needed. The inspired effort against Dallas gave me hope. This one left me feeling, again, that this group just isn't good enough.
Bill Sheridan: See all of the above about the defense. I couldn't argue with more than one or two of Sheridan's calls Sunday night. But, the overall performance of this group has to fall on his shoulders. And it just has not been good enough.
Special teams: Bad penalties, a punt return surrendered for a touchdown, two fumbled kickoff returns, less than adequte kickoff return coverage, ineffective returns all night. Yes, Fred Robbins blocked an extra point, but that's about the only thing the special teams did right. At some point, special teams coach Tom Quinn has to answer for the fact that week after week the Giants' special teams don't measure up.
Mario Manningham: How difficult is it for an NFL receiver to learn to run down the field and stay in-bounds? Manningham should have scored two touchdowns Sunday night. Instead, he ran himself out of bounds on both plays. He has done that consistently this season, and it is largely what has cost him his starting job. He is an exciting player, but he has to learn how to run a pass route on the sidelines. Otherwise, how can Eli trust him and throw the ball out there?

(E-mail Ed at bigblueview@gmail.com)

Final - 12.13.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Philadelphia Eagles	14	16	7	8	45
New York Giants	3	14	14	7	38

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Mike Holmgren's Greatest Managerial Achievement

John Morgan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:45:48 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

Even in red, a Seahawk.

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Mike Holmgren selected Steve Hutchinson 17^th overall in the 2001 NFL Draft, seven picks after selecting Koren Robinson and 23 picks before he selected Ken Lucas. If Robinson could have kept off the bottle, that would have been a hell of a start to a draft. He swapped first round picks with Green Bay for Matt Hasselbeck, drafted Heath Evans, Alex Bannister, and John David Booty's older brother, Josh.

Holmgren built the 2005 offense that weekend. He won the draft. In a draft that produced someday Hall of Fame candidates: Richard Seymour, Drew Brees, LaDainian Tomlinson, Steve Hutchinson, Casey Hampton, Steve Smith, Reggie Wayne and Adrian Wilson, Holmgren won. The Panthers picked Dan Morgan, Kris Jenkins and Steve Smith with their first, second and third round selections, but still Holmgren's was better. He built the unit that would lead Seattle to its first and only Super Bowl.

Well, not quite.

The Bears cut Bobby Engram August 29 and Holmgren signed him August 31. Engram signed a two-year contract that paid him less than $500,000 annually. He was the 101^st highest paid receiver in 2001.

Engram received a 60k raise his second season and took on punt return duties to compensate. He averaged 10.7 yards per return and returned one to the house. That was the season Engram became the darling of Football Outsiders metrics. Targets to Engram ranked 26^th in total value and 13^th in value per target. He was ninth and second in 2003.

Holmgren struggled to fill out a roster and his teams were notoriously thin and talent poor defensively, but man did that man know early 21^st-century offense. He squeezed maximum value from slot receivers. Engram wasn't some schlub. He won the first ever Biletnikof trophy in 1994 and still holds most of Penn State's receiving records. Unlike Deon Butler, Engram wasn't a steady four-year starter with time to burn. Joe Paterno suspended him for the entire 1992 season after he was caught burglarizing an apartment and stealing a stereo with teammate Ricky Sayles. All charges were dropped against Engram after police determined Sayles convinced Engram the two were allowed to take the stereo.

The 1996 draft class included Keyshawn Johnson, Terry Glenn, Eddie Kennison, Marvin Harrison, Eric Moulds, Terrell Owens, Muhsin Muhammad, Amani Toomer and Joe Horn. Engram was the eighth wide receiver selected, behind Johnson, Glenn, Kennison, Harrison, Moulds, Alex Van Dyke, Bryan Still and Muhammad. Engram never broke through with the Bears, struggling to receive for 38 year old Dave Krieg, Eric Kramer, Rick Mirer, Steve Stentstrom, Cade "AIDS" McNown and Shane Matthews, but he was good. Engram ended his career with Chicago with consecutive seasons of over 900 yards receiving before an ACL tear ended his 2000 season.

Holmgren didn't cash in a high pick or find a serviceable safety in the second, the kind of feats any GM can stumble into, he did that thing that separates the best general managers from the merely competent: found freely available talent and turned it into a long term asset.

Engram is a free agent after Kansas City cut him earlier this season. His time with the Chiefs was a tornado-obliterated double wide in a Rolls Royce career. Or maybe an efficient Elise is more Bobby's style. His short stop in the nation's dust mite might and probably will end Engram's fourteen-year career.

But maybe week 17, should the Tennessee Titans be out of it, Seattle can IR Patrick Kerney and sign Engram for one last perfectly-timed, Hasselbeck-to-Engram curl route for eight and the first.

New York Giants News & Notes: Ugly Loss Hangover

cjmulrain — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:00:26 -0000

I've remained pretty optimistic about the Giants all season, thinking there was no way that the team which looked so good in going 5-0 could really be as bad as they looked against the Saints and the Eagles. Tough losses to the Cardinals and Chargers didn't even bother me as much as they otherwise would, because the Giants easily could have won those games. But the loss to the Broncos is the worst yet, and has me doubting whether the Giants are even a playoff team, let alone a Super Bowl team. The Giants have 10 days until a make or break game against the Cowboys with their season quite literally on the line.

Tom Coughlin was not happy with the loss. He seems most disappointed in the Giants inability to control the running game on both sides of the ball:

"As I said last night, football to me is that you have to run the ball and stop the run. Those are the first things you do have to do to put yourself in a position to be able to take advantage of the various aspects of your plans and your talent. When you don’t do that you’re really putting a magnifying glass on some of these other aspects of the game. It’s not surprising sometimes that it doesn’t come out well. As I said last night, we did not stop the run. We didn’t give ourselves opportunities to run the ball because there really wasn’t much continuity. We didn’t have a lot of opportunities. We didn’t make a lot of first downs, we didn’t do a lot of the things that we knew were the reasons that people had defeated Denver in the last four games were because of, we didn’t do those things."

Shaun O'Hara thinks the problem is that the Giants aren't running the ball enough:

"The only way, in my eyes, to get back on track is to keep doing it and do it more. I think, as offensive linemen, we are always going to complain that we aren’t running the football enough. That is kind of our M.O. We want to run the ball more. Quarterbacks and receivers, we are going to have discussions with them every single day, they want to throw it, we want to run it. That is a constant battle. I am not going to be happy until we have 35-40 carries in a game."

On the defensive side of the ball, Barry Cofield thinks the problem is individual responsibility, not the coaching scheme:

"I’m a guy who always leans towards individual accountability. Guys just have to make plays. Guys have to be in their gaps. There were instances last night where guys weren’t where they were supposed to be. Guys weren’t necessarily making the plays on the ball that they should have. Guys weren’t beating their guys upfront."

Tim Smith of the Daily News says that the Giants are becoming a disgrace. Hey, it could be worse - they could be one of the NY/NJ area basketball teams.
Danny Ware's fumble cost the Giants big time on Thursday.
Antonio Pierce saw a neck specialist who confirmed that he has a bulging disk, meaning his season still hangs in the balance.
On the coaching front, Gary Myers says that the Tom Coughlin must be held accountable for the Giants collapse, and Jay Greenberg thinks the Giants should fire Bill Sheridan immediately. I have to say that I can't totally disagree with either of them.
Giants (and apparently De La Salle) great Amani Toomer has seemingly called it quits. I liked his quote about his short stint with the Chiefs:

"I played 13 years in a great organization like the Giants. I was in a preseason game with Kansas City and it felt like it wasn't pro football to me"

Toomer Feels It Was a Mistake To Go To Training Camp With the Chiefs

Joel Thorman — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:56:07 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

4 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Amani Toomer catches a pass during NFL football training camp in River Falls, Wis., Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009. It was Toomer's first day in camp after signing with the Chiefs. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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Veteran receiver Amani Toomer recently talked with Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com and admitted the likelihood that his career is finished.

Toomer was released by the New York Giants, the team he played 13 years for, and signed a one year contract with the Chiefs at the beginning of training camp. He was released on September 1st, the first cutdown day.

Toomer feels like he shouldn't have even made the trip to Kansas City.

"I feel like it was a mistake going to Kansas City," Toomer told Marvez. "I played 13 years in a great organization like the Giants. I was in a preseason game with Kansas City and it felt like it wasn't pro football to me. It kind of made it easy for me (to walk away)."

Now, keep in mind that he isn't saying anything bad about the Chiefs. It was pretty clear they were in a rebuilding phase at the time so Toomer's signing never really made sense in the first place.

I think Todd Haley knew what he brought to a locker room and would be a good fit for training camp.

Even if he had made the team and contributed, he would've always been a Giant. Sorta like being a Falcons fans with Tony Gonzalez.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 11/6

NJ Chiefs Fan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:07:54 -0000

via media.kansascity.com

Running a bit behind today. Gotta skip the Twitter stuff. I'm sure you guys will get by somehow. Go Chiefs!

"The break was great," Cassel said on Thursday as the Chiefs continued their preparations for Sunday’s game in Jacksonville. "To get a few days away from here, to re-energize, come back focused, ready to go. We need to start getting on a roll here and hopefully we can start putting some wins together."

One of the ways the Chiefs can get the roll going that Cassel is talking about would be more production at the start of the game from the Chiefs offense. So far this season, they have been ineffective and unproductive on the first play, first possession and first quarter. There isn’t anything where the Chiefs rank first near the middle of the 2009 season.

It’s a pretty gruesome offensive picture early in these games:

Going Faster At First … Friday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz

Bowe said this week that his first months as coach Todd Haley’s whipping boy were humbling, demeaning, confusing and …

"Interesting," he said. "Very, very interesting."

Bowe smiled.

"Now it’s better," he said.

Bowe entered this season as an overconfident, unreliable and supremely talented receiver. Haley approached Bowe and, perhaps for the first time in his career, forced him to forget the show and just catch the ball. That wasn’t easy. Bowe likes to put on a show.

"One of the first things I said to Dwayne was: ‘Don’t give me your numbers,’ " Haley said. "If a receiver is on a losing team and has a thousand yards, it really doesn’t count in my mind."

Bowe continues to be a work in progress from KC Star

Whitlock Alert

You might think the sign is intended for Larry "Tweet Tweet" Johnson’s edification. Not true. Larry isn’t around. He’s still suspended. You might think it’s simply a hostile reminder to players to keep their mouths shut about any glaring errors made by Egoli and Haley. There’s some truth in that.

But Pioli and Haley were thinking big picture when they hung the sign. It was for everyone’s edification.

Don’t buy Haley’s Thursday excuse that the hallway where the sign was posted is "sacred" and that the media shouldn’t have reported what the sign said. A Chiefs employee tweeted a picture of the sign. At one point Thursday, Haley said he didn’t even know what Twitter is.

These guys are in over their heads. Haley is taking the bullet for a sign that I’d almost guarantee came from Egoli’s head. No way the sign went up without Pioli’s approval. It took 24 hours for Pioli and Haley to figure out the sign makes them look Mickey Mouse and hypocritical.

Sign in Chiefs’ locker room is a childish distraction from KC Star

Quarterback Matt Cassel said Thursday that it hasn’t been a distraction for him, and it has not upset his own pursuit of rhythm, as the Chiefs continue to audition new wide receivers — which they have done since the early days of training camp.

Kansas City brought in veterans Amani Toomer, Ashley Lelie and Bobby Engram before the regular season began, before signing Bobby Wade and, this week, Chris Chambers. Toomer and Lelie were released during final roster cuts.

"My job is to go out there and execute the offense," Cassel said. "Whatever players are out there, whether it’s the offensive line or receivers, you go out there and you try to do your best and try to execute what the coaches give you. And you try to take care of what you have to do as an individual."

Chiefs notebook: Signs, LJ suspension a coincidence from KC Star

Now Minnesota defensive end Jared Allen has to show he can get sacks against somebody other than the Green Bay Packers.

Allen, the former Chiefs star, leads the NFL with 10 1/2 sacks, although 7 1/2 of them have come in two games against the Packers. At the halfway point of the season, it’s not unrealistic to start projecting Allen with not only his first 20-sack season, but he’s got a chance to break Michael Strahan’s NFL-record 22 1/2 sacks set in 2001.

"As an individual stat, that’s amazing," Allen said after the Vikings’ 38-26 win at Green Bay last Sunday. "Would I take a Super Bowl over that? Any day of the week. Twenty sacks would be great, but it’s way too early to be thinking about that.

"I hope to get one more against the team we play next after the bye week."

Allen enjoying a stellar season with Vikings from KC Star

Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel has taken a beating at times this season, but he remains confident that he has an advantage when it comes to avoiding a concussion.

His mouthguard.

It was developed by Gerald Maher, the team dentist for the New England Patriots. Cassel spent the first four seasons in the NFL with New England before being traded to the Chiefs earlier this year. The Patriots are believed to have had the fewest concussions of any NFL team last season.

"Dr. Maher’s work with the Patriots is pretty well documented," Cassel said. "The guys in that locker room trust the protection that his mouthguards provide, and once I tried it, I won’t wear anything else. As quarterback, you want a mouthguard that not only gives a high level of protection, but is also comfortable and still allows you to speak audibly. Dr. Maher’s mouthguard gets an ‘A+’ in all of those respects."

Cassel’s secret weapon against concussions from KC Star

The Chiefs Women’s Organization (CWO) has been busy this season visiting various agencies throughout the metro. Earlier this week, a group of over a dozen CWO members volunteered at Operation Breakthrough. While there, the CWO’s responsibilities included reading books, playing games, and making crafts with the children. A highlight of the CWO’s outreach schedule each year, this visit once again provided plenty of interaction between the center’s youth and the CWO.
Chiefs CWO Visits Operation Breakthrough from The Mothership

For the most part, Jacksonville hasn’t stopped opposing quarterbacks. At this point, the Jaguars would be pleased with merely containing the field general.

I’m waiting for the evening when I’m watching Jeopardy and Alex Trebek says, "OK, NFL teams for $400 – This NFL squad nearly guarantees an opponent’s quarterback to go untouched, be as on target as a sharpshooter and throw at least one touchdown per game."

Trebek waits no more than two seconds as a contestant confidently states: "What is the Jacksonville Jaguars?"

The question is broad, but Jacksonville has a better likelihood of lifting a television blackout than containing a quarterback.

Trebek knows it, and you and I know it.

Stopping the Quarterback – It’s a Commitment from The Jacksonville Observer

In the wake of the Tennessee Titans' record-setting 305-yard rushing performance against the Jaguars last Sunday, much of the focus this week has been on improving the tackling and the run defense.

But another important factor in the game against the 1-6 Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday might be the Jaguars' ability to put heat on quarterback Matt Cassel.

Kansas City's overall offense and passing offense rank 30th in the league in yardage gained.

The Jaguars' run defense figures to improve this week because Rashean Mathis is back practicing with a cast on his broken left index finger and has said it's not giving him any problems. His return enables Reggie Nelson to switch back to his safety spot after struggling at corner in Tennessee.

Jaguars aim to rev up pass rush from Jacksonville.com

The Chiefs are 21st in the league in rushing with 101.3 yards per game as Johnson has gained a career-low 2.7 per carry. Jamaal Charles, averaging 5.0 yards in limited action, could make his fourth career start.

Dantrell Savage, who has 41 yards on eight carries, could also see increased playing time.

"Our running game is something we know we have to have to have a chance to win," Haley said. "We're not going to beat people throwing it 50-60 times a game right now. Our running game is one of those areas that has to improve, specifically eliminating minus-yardage runs. So that's where our focus has been, and that's where it will continue to be."

Kansas City will face a Jacksonville team that ranks near the bottom in most major defensive categories. The Jaguars were burned for a franchise-worst 305 rushing yards in last week's 30-13 loss at Tennessee.

Jaguars vs. Chiefs from CBS Sports

It's not a total loss. But it's not far off.

Though the Jacksonville Jaguars at times have resembled the league's worst team through seven games of the 2009 NFL schedule, they nonetheless find themselves just two games shy of the existing wild-card lead in the AFC with half a season left to right the ship.

This week yields a golden opportunity.

Rather than the reigning Indianapolis juggernaut in their own division, or one of the conference's other powerhouses from Foxboro, Denver or Pittsburgh, the Jags are instead faced with a representative clearly bogged down on the other side of the spectrum - the one-win Kansas City Chiefs.

Then again, such a tonic proved useless last week.

NFL Preview - Kansas City (1-6) at Jacksonville (3-4) from The Miami Herald

Somewhere along the line, other more progressive NFL teams passed the Chiefs. Under Clark Hunt, the team seems to be wandering in the wilderness. Clark has a substantial soccer background, not football. Fans may feel that Pioli and Haley are in over their heads but the young owner may be as well.

I know this idea is sacrilegious in Kansas City, but the franchise is beginning to hurt in all areas. The team itself speaks the obvious.

To attend a Chiefs game and tailgate your heart away is no longer the thing to do. The December games at Arrowhead will be hard pressed to sell out. The consecutive non-blackout string in Kansas City will probably end this year.

For the first time in decades you see Chiefs ticket commercials on every media outlet. The atmosphere at the stadium no longer has that positive buzz of excitement.

Chiefs' Failures Start at the Top from The Examiner

Todd Haley coached in last year’s Super Bowl as offensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals. But several years ago, Haley couldn’t even land the job as head golf coach at Jacksonville University.
Now running the show with the Kansas City Chiefs, who face the Jaguars on Sunday, Haley discussed his experiences in golf, his father Dick (arguably one of the best personnel evaluators in NFL history) and the difficulty of leading a 1-6 team:

Would you say that this is sort of a homecoming for you?
No. I love Jacksonville. I love the Jacksonville area. I always have since I spent a lot of time there. I always look forward to getting back there. But you know my home is Pittsburgh.
Jaguars vs. Chiefs: Chiefs’ Haley once coached golf at UNF and JU from Jacksonville.com

The Jacksonville Jaguars took away David Garrard's radio show early in the season, then stripped him of the authority to audible Sunday.

What's next? His starting job? Not quite. The Jaguars (3-4) have made it clear they need Garrard to play better to have a chance to compete on a consistent basis.

Garrard has no touchdown passes, four interceptions and two fumbles in the last three games. He also has been sacked 10 times in that span behind a shaky line. The Jaguars, who have lost two of three, face Kansas City (1-6) on Sunday.

"They can't look over here and say, 'Well, this team is firing on all cylinders,"' Garrard said Wednesday. "We have to be able to execute. In the NFL, whoever you're playing, you've got to go out and execute and make the plays necessary."

Jaguars need more consistency and fewer turnovers from quarterback David Garrard from The Canadian Press

Maurice Jones-Drew vs. Chiefs

With petitions to Scott Pioli apparently all the rage in Kansas City, perhaps a Chiefs fan should circulate one regarding that run defense. People saw what Jones-Drew was able to do against the Titans in Week 8, and the Chiefs actually give up 18.6 more rushing yards per game. Jones-Drew had a bit of a lull in production in Weeks 4 and 5 (14 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee, 34 yards and no touchdowns against Seattle), but the small back is more than back on track. The UCLA product has compiled a whopping 310 yards and five touchdowns combined over his last two games. Odds are that he will feast on this Chiefs defense, and if you can’t wait for his next big game, he has the Bills in Week 11. This is going to be a tremendous stretch for Jones-Drew owners.

Can’t-Pass-Up Matchups — Week 9 from WEEI

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 11/4

NJ Chiefs Fan — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:52:28 -0000

via media.kansascity.com

(Photo above: Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli and tight end Leonard Pope helped load some of the 30,000 pounds of protein products donated by Tyson Foods. The players, and other volunteers, transferred the food to vehicles from approximately 60 area relief organizations.)

The Chiefs continued what has been a futile search for help at wide receiver when they claimed Chris Chambers off the NFL waiver wire on Tuesday.
Released by the Chargers on Monday, Chambers is just another attempt by Pioli/Haley to add some firepower to their passing game. To this point, they’ve failed miserably.

Bobby Engram, Quinten Lawrence, Rodney Wright, C.J. Jones, Terrance Copper, Amani Toomer, Ashley Lelie, Bobby Wade and now Chambers. That group combined has provided the Chiefs offense with 27 catches for 298 yards and two touchdowns. Almost all of that belongs to Wade, with his 20 catches for 226 yards and both scores.

More WR Juggling … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz

KC Star Photo Gallery: Kansas City Chiefs players join volunteers to distribute food at Arrowhead Stadium

The changes won’t be as glaring as the overhaul the Chiefs underwent in 2008, when Gailey reshaped the offense mid-season to customize the scheme to quarterback Tyler Thigpen’s strengths. Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard suffered season-ending injuries in the same game, and Thigpen was forced into a starting role. It was important to keep him healthy, and to do that meant shifting to the spread. That allowed Thigpen to expand the pocket and improvise, if necessary, and it worked. The Chiefs aren’t planning to reintroduce the spread or any kind of gimmick offense — just a more finely tuned scheme that allows Cassel to release the ball faster and get plays in quicker.

"We’re always going to play to our players’ strengths," Haley said.

Chiefs use bye week to fine-tune offense from KC Star

KMBC's Karen Kornacki reported that the district will gut Southeast high School stadium, which is about 50 years old, and build a new multi-sports complex.
It will cost $3.5 million but there is talk of increasing it to $10 million, Kornacki reported.

The stadium will be paid for with grants, sponsorships, private donations and fundraising.

Kansas City School District Athletic Director Kimble Anders said they have applied for an NFL grant and they have the support of the Chiefs team.

KC Schools Plan To Build New Stadium from KMBC.com

There's more. The NBA is exploring a fan's accusation that Dallas Mavericks player Drew Gooden mumbled a gay slur in his vicinity. Last week, Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson reportedly did the same, twice in two days.

Do any of these incidents require a congressional hearing? Nope. Do they indicate that we've become so supersensitive about what famous people say and do that nobody with more than 10 entries on Google should ever open his mouth or leave her house without first clearing it with a publicist? Probably.

But the controversies are also a sign of society's robust health. We debate these words and behaviors -- are they heinous and unforgivable or just dumb and obtuse? -- because we don't really know just how to feel about them. And sports is both mirror and lamp. The mirror shows us where we are; the lamp leads us up and out.
Chicago Blackhawks' blackface forces the issue from The Chicago Tribune

It’s gotten to the point where my favorite week of the football season is the Chiefs’ bye week. Why? Because I get a break from the constant reminder that my favorite team just isn’t that good.

During the bye week, I don’t have to worry whether GM Scott Pioli is the most overpaid, overhyped executive in the history of football. I don’t have to worry whether Matt Cassel will tear his rotator cuff after Branden Albert blows another blocking assignment. I don’t have to worry whether coach Todd Haley will pull a Tom Cable on Larry Johnson.

The Blessed Bye Week from National Football Post

There is no doubt that, particularly after 2003, there was a good amount of evidence pointing towards Chris Chambers’ becoming a star WR; since then, though, he has basically fallen off of a cliff...

...Simply put, regardless of how ugly a quarterback or how decrepit a team a WR is surrounded by, elite WRs simply catch a higher percentage of the balls thrown to them than Chris Chambers does.

Chris Chambers, the Worst WR in Football from Patriots Daily

Scouts from the Kansas City Chiefs were present at today’s Notre Dame practice in South Bend. Joining them were representatives from the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts.

There are a handful of very interesting NFL prospects playing for the Irish and the Chiefs currently hold 8 draft picks (and counting!) so it’s never too early to keep tabs on the players of note at each school Kansas City is scouting.

Chiefs Scout Notre Dame Practice from KCChiefsBlog

Player Tweets

studie32 Had a great time with @douggieboomer today. . . . Back to the grind tomorrow.

Media and Fans

ArrowheadPride RT @robmikesh Year to date, I have as many #NFL rushing touchdowns as the entire Kansas City Chiefs running back corps.

ArrowheadPride As I sift through today's news, I realize LJ is soo last week.

Adam_Schefter Bengals terminated the contract of veteran G Scott Kooistra.

Tomahawkkid88: Just launched a brand new awesome ALL POSITIVE chiefs forum. Chech it out and sign up as a member at www.barryskoolaid.com GO KC!

BillKempin: Sportscasters bashing the Chiefs for signing guys released by other teams seem to be unaware it' illegal to sign dudes playing elsewhere.

QueenJerrica: Dude on Jimmy Fallon says he is a chiefs fan lol

No Country for Old Receivers, Part Deux

BigBlueShoe — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:42:42 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

New England Patriots wide receiver Joey Galloway (13) was cut today (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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Remember all the grief Marvin Harrison took from people because he refused to take less money and play a lesser role on another team? People said he was "washed up", "finished", and "over-valuing himself." Well, it turns out that Marvin has this thing many folks call "pride." And while pride is not always the best trait in a person, it can sometimes help an individual stand by their principles.

Yes, I know. That sounds mushy and silly in our cynical world were principles are bought and sold every minute of every day. But what Marvin Harrison felt was that if teams were not going to give him his asking price and use him as a starting receiver, then he had no interest in playing for anyone.

This meant that he wasn't going to take less money so he can be a third or fourth receiver for some crap team. Why would he hold firm on this?

Because he didn't want to end up like Terrell Owens (languishing with the Bills), Amani Toomer (cut by the Chiefs), or Joey Galloway (the "splash" free agent signing by the Patriots this off-season who was cut today because he hasn't done squat for the team).

Such is the fate of old wide receivers in a league which seems to favor younger, more dynamic players. Veteran receivers, once viewed as a prized commodity (like Tim Brown, Cris Carter, and Jerry Rice back in the day) are now shoved aside in favor of the Jeremy Maclins, Austin Collies, and Johnny Knoxs of this league.

So, while it probably would have been smart for Marvin to stay with the Colts, I do applaud him for not "going out like a chump" the way some of these other veteran receivers are going. As I have long said, Marvin Harrison the best wide receiver this league has seen not named Jerry Rice. He is a first ballot Hall of Famer. If by some silly, petty, ignorant reason he isn't, the Hall of Fame is a sham and a farce and not worthy of fan attention or respect. By not signing with some other team just so he can collect a paycheck and pad some worthless stats, my perception of Marvin is reinforced.

He has nothing left to prove. I'm glad he's staying out of football.

It's Friday, so Ernie P. is in the house

Ed Valentine — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:09:13 -0000

Time for my weekly Q&A with long-time New York Giants beat writer and current fellow blogger Ernie Palladino. As always, we are answering the same set of questions. You will find my answers over at Ernie's Giants Beat.

1. If Eli Manning does play against Oakland, how effective will he be on that injured right heel?

Ernie's Answer: "As tough as Eli has shown in the past, having an injured heel is an entirely different situation than, say, a shoulder. Most people think a passer's strength comes from his arm. But in reality, those deep throws are a function of a solid base to throw off of. Without that, the passes either float or lose distance. So unless an anti-inflammatory injection indeed relieves the pain enough for him to move unfettered, expect a shortening up of the game plan to accommodate the injury. Also, the offensive line will have to hold their blocks a lot longer since he won't be able to move around in the pocket very well. Still, having Manning in there at 75 percent efficiency is, to me, still better than the alternative in David Carr. I think if the running game can get going and Steve Smith can get open in the middle zones, Manning can still have an effective passing game. You just won't see as many long shots as you've seen in previous games."

2. With Michael Boley sidelined for approximately four weeks following Tuesday's arthoscopic knee surgery, is Chase Blackburn or Bryan Kehl the best option to replace him at weakside linebacker?

Ernie's Answer: "Thanks to Kehl's broken finger, which he has had repaired surgically, Blackburn will be starting. That's not a bad thing because the kid's got a great motor and he can get into the backfield. Though he's not the great cover linebacker around, you have to love his intensity. But Kehl's status bears watching. He was in the process of driving the trainers crazy, trying to convince them that a mere two screws surgically implanted in a left index finger is no reason to miss a game or two. If his argument is successful, I wouldn't be adverse to seeing him at WLB for a couple of series. He's earned the time with his special teams play, having gotten the special teams game ball two games in a row now. He proved he can be around the ball with his fumble recovery of the opening kickoff, and his recovery of the on-side kick that opened the second half showed he has good hands. On top of that, he, too, has had experience at WSL, having started two games there after original starter Gerris Wilkinson went down injured. And like he said this week, "I've got another hand." I think there's a good possibility that he'll be active, despite predictions that he'll miss two games.

3. With a quarter of the season gone, what is your assessment of the Giants. Are they truly an elite team, or can't we tell because they've been beating up on inferior competiton?

Ernie's Answer: "Oh, I think we can tell. The phrase "beating up" is key here because, in past seasons, the Giants would often play down to the level of their competition. In fact, had this recent road stretch against two of the NFL's have-nots come, say, two years ago, the Giants might have dropped one, if not two of those contests. Remember the life-and-death game against a bad Bears' team in Chicago in 2007, where only a circus catch by Amani Toomer in the end zone won it? Or the last-minute goal line stand in FedEx Field that same year that saved their season against a decidedly mediocre Redskins squad. Those occurrences aren't happening this year. They're blowing bad teams out now, which is the hallmark of an elite team. You expect them to go down to the wire in Dallas. But the easy victories over Tampa and KC show the real strength of this team. Now, a lot depends on the health of Eli Manning, but if they can get through the Oakland game and then head to the Superdome for even a tight, hard-fought loss to the Saints, the Giants must be considered a legitimate power. I already consider them one. A few more injuries, though, and you might see this power sink to also-ran status quickly."

4. Now that the Giants are sticking with Lawrence Tynes, how long can Tom Coughlin put up with him missing makeable field goals?

Ernie's Answer: "Not long, apparently. Although Matt Bryant was not deemed an answer in his tryout Tuesday, it was obvious that Coughlin has just about had enough. Perhaps the tryouts were simply a way of sending a message to Tynes that he'd better get himself straightened out quickly. But the fact is, Tynes still hasn't cost the Giants a game with his misses. As annoying as those misses are, Tynes still leads NFL kickers with 41 points. And let's face it, the only kick he missed when it was still a game was the one in Dallas as the Giants led 20-17. His miss in Tampa came at 14-0, and the one against KC came at 20-3. Annoying, yes. But not a big deal. Had last year's robot, John Carney, hit the market this week, it might have been a different story. But until he comes free from New Orleans, I wouldn't expect any panic moves from Coughlin. Another miss, though, and that might change."

Chiefs' Cassel on Giants: 'They're not scared to come up and hit you'

Joel Thorman — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:35:47 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

3 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel (7) is sacked by Oakland Raiders defensive end Greg Ellis (99) while pressured by defensive tackle Trevor Scott (91) during the fourth quarter of a NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009 in Kansas City, Mo. The Raiders won the game 13-10. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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The Kansas City Chiefs next opponent, New York Giants, have only accumulated 3.5 sacks this season but, as I'll tell you more in our interview with Big Blue View tomorrow, that shouldn't be taken out of context. Their defensive line is one of the best in football and consistently harasses the quarterback causing opportunities for the entire defense.

The New York media spoke with Chiefs QB Matt Cassel today and he offered up a few of his thoughts on the Giants defense line. As Cassel notes, there are a handful of players that the Chiefs have to watch out for.

"They just have a number of great players over there from Tuck and Osi and their three-technique as well," Cassel said in a conference call today. "So they have Cofield – so you have a number of guys up there that can play ball and push the pocket and do such a great job."

More reaction from Cassel on the Giants tough defense after the jump.

The best thing about a solid front seven, as the Chiefs learned last year (or more accurately didn't learn), is that it can help out the secondary. The Giants are banged up and missed a few of the key guys including Aaron Ross and Kenny Phillips. Still, though, Cassel noted their physicality when asked what he was looking for from the New York secondary.

"They’re an active group, they are a physical group. And they are not scared to come up and hit you. The corners do a great job of getting into your face and trying to disrupt your pass patterns."

As I was saying above, Cassel recognized how much the front seven helps everyone else on the team. What Cassel says next I think is an example of what the "right 53" is.

"Obviously a lot of these quarterbacks – when you watch film against the Giants – you know that their front four is the heart and soul of their defense," he said. "They put a tremendous amount of pressure on the quarterback. You don’t have much time back there. You have to get the ball out quick. And I think the corners do a good job of recognizing that and understanding that they need to do their job. And so they play well together."

While we're talking about the Giants, here's a quick note from Cassel on former Giant and Chief Amani Toomer.

"I don’t make the decisions in terms of personnel or anything like that," he said when asked about Toomer. "I think Amani is a great player and he has proved that for a long time. And he is a veteran guy who came in, worked hard and did a great job for us and showed some veteran leadership. And for whatever reason sometimes it just doesn’t work out. And they went in a different direction. But I have a lot of respect for Amani and he is a friend of mine and I think he is a great player."

Read the entire conference call here.

Who Wants to be a Chiefs WR? Anyone? Anyone?

Joel Thorman — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:00:26 -0000

With the addition of Bobby Wade reportedly happening today, I thought it would be a good time to do a quick review of how we ended up with the receivers that we did. Obviously, this position has been a revolving door the last nine months with the exception of Dwayne Bowe and Mark Bradley, the only two leftovers from the '08 squad.

There have been players entering their second season that were released (Franklin), veterans that were signed (Toomer) and released and even a few veterans that made it on the 53 man roster (Engram).

All in all, there have been 14 players that have been seen on the Chiefs roster at one point since Scott Pioli's January hiring.

Four were cut from last year, a few more came off the street and a bunch in between.

Still on the Roster from Last Year
Dwayne Bowe
Mark Bradley
On the Final Roster Last Year But Not Now
Will Franklin
Jeff Webb
Devard Darling (IR)
Kevin Robinson
Signed and Released Between January and Today
C.J. Jones
Rodney Wright (PS)
Amani Toomer
Ashley Lelie
Taurus Johnson
Jeff Webb (Re-signed)
Signed Over the Offseason, Still on the Team
Bobby Engram
Terrance Copper
Quinten Lawrence (Draft)