SB Nation - Dustin Colquitt

Potent Quotables - McDaniels Monday Meet-up

John Bena — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:14:33 -0000

10 days ago: Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels calls in a play during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo. The Broncos won 44-13. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

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Opening statement

"After evaluating the film, we certainly did some things that we identified as keys for us to win the game yesterday. I think it started with our performance in the kicking game. We knew that that had been a strength of Kansas City's, and we felt like we really challenged them in every phase of our special teams. (WR) Eddie (Royal) did a nice job returning the football. He handled every ball against a punter (Dustin Colquitt) who certainly has given returners some fits. Credit him for doing that. There were a few that were over his head, and he went back and got them and had a big day returning the football. (K Matt) Prater kicked the ball well. (ILB/FB) Spencer Larsen had four tackles (on special teams). All in all, we just really handled the kicking game well.

"Defensively, obviously, any time that you force turnovers and you can turn them into points, that's a huge help on the road. We did a nice job of creating some three-and-outs, which I know a lot of the time the offense gets credit for time of possession, but when the defense forces 10 three-and-outs or better, that certainly lends itself to the offense having the ball for a long time. The defense certainly gave it back to the offense yesterday.

"Offensively, we did a nice job in the running game at the line of scrimmage. We only had one negative run in 45 carries, which we've talked a lot about that this year. We really did a nice job of controlling the line of scrimmage (and our) backs ran well. We improved our red-zone production as well. It's been something that's been a little bit of an Achilles heel for us. We got down in there six times and came away with four touchdowns. (There's) still room to improve and get better, but (it was) much better than what it's been. We scored on a screen play, which was a big deal to us.

"All in all, (we are) happy with the way our team approached the game yesterday. We are excited for the opportunity to get ready for the Colts this weekend."

On ILB/FB Spencer Larsen's contribution on special teams

"Toughness, consistency, effort (and) attitude. He works at his craft. He does his job every time he's out there. He's a great leader for that group. We've got a lot of leaders who play a lot on special teams, (ILB Wesley) Woodyard, (OLB/DE Mario) Haggan, Larsen, (S Darcel) McBath, (S David) Bruton and (S Josh) Barrett. There are a lot of them, (OLB/DE Darrell) Reid, who are out there all of the time on those kicking units. They enjoy it. They accept the challenge. They want to be out there. I think a lot of times in the kicking game, that's part of it is wanting to be out there and run down on the kickoff, block people and sometimes take on double teams. It isn't always pretty, but Spencer attacks all of those challenges head on. It's great to have him out there."

On starting CBs Champ Bailey and André Goodman contributing on coverage units

"Those plays are just as important as the other plays in the game that they may be on the field for. We knew going into yesterday-they've been playing that role for a while now. I think that just shows our team how important we feel the plays are, and it also shows the rest of our players that those guys are out there working hard to try to help us in any way they can. We've got a very unselfish team. I don't think there is any player on our team who wouldn't do anything we asked of him in the kicking game. Those two are good examples."

On if it is unconventional to have two defensive starters on coverage units

"I don't think so. There are some teams that have maybe more starters than others (on special teams), but (Kansas City RB) Jamaal Charles was right beside the kicker on the opening kickoff yesterday. Each coach and each team has a different set of players and a different set of philosophies on that, but I think the kicking game is a huge phase for us and is very important. We don't treat it as any less than offense or defense. We would like to have the best players we can on the field."

On Bailey, a potential NFL Hall of Famer, being willing to play on coverage units

"Like I said, I don't think he would consider it ‘willing to play.' I just think he would consider it as we asked him to play that role, and he's saying yes. I don't think it's one of those things where we present it like, ‘Hey, would you mind?' We don't do that. We try to put the best 11 (players) on the field every time we can, whether it's an extra point, a field goal, a field goal block, punt team or whatever it may be. The guys we feel like can give us the best opportunity to win that play, we hope, are out there all the time, within reason. There are certainly plays where you can't have a whole bunch of starters out there because they just played 12 plays or something. We, again, appreciate everybody's attitude and effort in the kicking game here in Denver."

On RB Correll Buckhalter carrying 10-15 times a game

"We don't call the game offensively based on who's in the game at the running back spot. I'm not going to say I don't know who's in the game, but I almost don't care who's in the game. It's not like we're running a bunch of different plays because ‘Buck' is in there, and then when (RB) Knowshon (Moreno) goes in there, it's a whole different set of plays. We don't do that. I just think both of them had a good day. (RB) Peyton Hillis had another good day, too. He ran the whole six-and-a-half minutes off the clock in the four-minute offense. It doesn't really change what we do. We feel comfortable with both of them in there. (‘Buck') did have a good day. He was close (to breaking a big run) on a couple of those."

On factors influencing his decision to run the ball more late in the season

"I think it is a combination of a lot of things. I don't think it's just that year (2007), but I think every year that I've been in the National Football League, the weather, obviously, plays a role. What you do at the end of the year if you're an east-coast or cold-weather climate team that's going to have to deal with those conditions, you certainly are going to have to be able to do more of that, maybe, later in the year. I think all defenses and all offenses and all coaches at this point kind of know you better than what they maybe did Week 2 or Week 3 of the season, certainly. Whatever their plan is going to be, it may dictate that they want to play with more defensive backs, they want to play with the safeties back, with the safeties down, more man coverage or whatever it may be. There are a lot of circumstances that go into what you do. You've just got to take it for what it is that week and try to do the best thing you can with your game plan."

On the Broncos' offensive identity

"It's week by week, I think. Our identity, I am not big on saying what our identity is, but we try to do whatever we think is in the best interest of beating the opponent we have on the schedule this week, which changes quite a lot. A few weeks ago, it was more four-wide receiver (sets), and yesterday, it was none of that. It might be a bunch of blitzing one week and not much the next week depending on who you're playing and what you think you have to do to beat them or what you think you can be successful with. That goes back to the players being able to handle those adjustments. Sometimes the swing is huge from one week to the next. Sometimes it's not. We just try to put them in a good position to be successful and hope that we can execute our plan against whoever we play."

On wanting to keep Indianapolis from finishing the season 16-0

"My big focus this week is beating them because it'd mean we're 9-4. I think that's the most important thing for me and our team. If in some way it can derail history, then it is what it is."

On beating Indianapolis

"This is a very talented team that doesn't make mistakes, is very well coached (and) a great organization. I've had the opportunity to play against them a number of times in New England. It's always been a great challenge to get ready for them. They give you a lot of different things to get ready for. Certainly, the offense with (QB) Peyton Manning and their ability to throw the ball and score a lot of points certainly poses a huge challenge. Defensively, I think they're leading the league in points allowed. They get to the quarterback. In their kicking game, they're fast, they do a good job of kicking the football, they return the ball well, they cover well (and) they've got great speed. This is, to me, kind of the ultimate complimentary football team. They get ahead of you, and then they send rushers at you and don't give up many big plays on defense, which forces you to go a long distance and run a lot of plays to score on them. I think they count on making a few negative plays along the way, and if they get you in second-and-15 or third-and-13, it's hard to convert on them. Once you get behind and you start making it a passing game, it becomes a problem."

On Indianapolis' ability to win

"They've won a lot of different ways. They were behind 17-0 to Houston a couple weeks ago. Miami had the ball for 45 minutes. They were down by 17-20 points in the second half to New England, and they win that one. I don't think this team ever flinches. They don't lose their composure. They're confident and focused on what they need to do. They have a tremendous amount of playmakers on their team, not just on their offense, on their team. They have two of the best pass rushers (DE Dwight Freeney and DE Robert Mathis) in all of football on their defensive line. They have quite possibly one of the best receivers in all of football in (WR) Reggie Wayne, one of the best tight ends in all of football in (TE) Dallas Clark and one of the best quarterbacks in football in Peyton Manning. I could go on and on. They're not even playing with (injured DB) Bob Sanders. It's a talented football team that you have to play a really solid football game in all three phases, but I think one of the things you really have to do is you've got to play 60 full minutes because it doesn't take them long to make big plays. You just pointed out the Miami game. They don't need 32 minutes of time of possession to score a bunch of points."

On comparing all-time great quarterbacks as a youth

"Certainly, I grew up in what I would call an exciting time to be a kid who loved football (with) (former Denver QB) John Elway, (former San Francisco QB) Joe Montana and (former Miami QB) Dan Marino, among others. There were a lot of guys that you could really appreciate and kind of fall in love with if you liked football and liked quarterbacks. I think it's very similar now. There are a lot of guys that you can really appreciate and could talk about up there with the best of all time. Who am I to say who the best of all time is, but I know the guy who we're playing this week is right there at the top of the list."

Chiefs P Colquitt Quietly Has Big Game Against Broncos

Joel Thorman — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:17:18 -0000

Photo Source

A week after breaking the Kansas City Chiefs franchise record for punts inside the 20, punter Dustin Colquitt quietly had one of the better days of his career yesterday against the Denver Broncos.

Colquitt's gross punting average of 53.71 yards was the fourth best number in franchise history. Here's how Colquitt's punts broke down:

Punt	Start	Finish	Yards	Return
1	KC 24	DEN 16	60	21
2	KC 35	DEN 20	45	0
3	KC 22	DEN 33	45	6
4	KC 16	DEN 21	63	14

A couple of those returns hurt the Chiefs but Colquitt has consistently put his the return team in opportunistic situations.

To recap, Colquitt leads the NFL in punts inside the 20 (and set a franchise record). He's second in fair catches. He's No. 1 in total punts but is 8th in number of returns. Shane Lechler of the Raiders is tied with Colquitt for the most punts but is also No. 1 in number of returns. He's also first in the NFL (by a wide margin) in number of downed punts.

So, congrats to Mr. Colquitt for quietly putting together a very nice day.

Broncos Coach Says Chiefs Colquitt Could Be One of the Best All Time

Joel Thorman — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:20:20 -0000

I'm starting to think Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels is a bigger Dustin Colquitt fan than I am.

(Photo courtesy)

Speaking with reporters, McDaniels singled out Colquitt, as a major part of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday.

"Their punter is certainly one of the best, maybe of all time, and does a great job changing field position," McDaniels said according to the Colorado Springs-Gazette. "We have to do a good job trying to limit that and we can’t let them swing the whole field on one play."

Maybe of all time? Man, high praise from an opposing coach. I don't think I'd go as far to say all time....yet.

Currently, Colquitt ranks 3rd in the NFL in net punting yards. For his career he is averaging 43.9 yards per punt which is 12th among active punters and 20th all time. He usually ranks high in punts inside the 20, as well.

(Josh Looney of KCChiefs.com points out that Colquitt is second in career net punting yards average.)

Chiefs coach Todd Haley entered training camp with an emphasis on special teams. Steve Hoffman has done great work with rookie kicker Ryan Succop but it's Colquitt's leg and the Chiefs special teams coverage unit that worries McDaniels.

"This week it’s going to be huge," McDaniels said. "I don’t know if we’re going to play a team that wins field position quite the same as Kansas City does."

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 11/30

NJ Chiefs Fan — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:17:11 -0000

via media.kansascity.com

You go away for a little bit and... wow. The only good I can find from yesterday is the fact that I had to board my plane back to Jersey during the game, so I wasn't forced to see the whole mess. Was the Pitt game our Denver game from last year? Lets build on that?

Tweet-free version today. Got in late and squeezed out every drop of sleep I could. Got to get to work.

At times, the Chiefs were more inept in this game that at any time this season. Twice, C Rudy Niswanger snapped balls over the head of QB Matt Cassel in the shotgun. Another time, Cassel lost the handle on an attempted pass and the fumble was returned for a touchdown by San Diego.
In all, the Chiefs turned the ball over four times and the Chargers turned all of them into points. There was a fifth turnover, when San Diego got a safety. It was that kind of game.

San Diego doesn’t need that kind of help. QB Philip Rivers threw for 317 yards and scored two touchdowns and had all day to throw, as the Chiefs were not able to muster any type of pass rush. The great RB LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 42 yards and two touchdowns. TE Antonio Gates caught seven passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Rivers-LT-Gates, the names that have sparked the Chargers for the last several years. There were no surprises in this game.

Chargers Blast Drowning Chiefs 43-14 from Bob Gretz

KC Star Photo Gallery: Chargers 43, Chiefs 14 | Sunday, Nov. 29

"In the NFL, every week there’s another one coming at you," Haley said. "I just don’t think we handled that. Whatever it was, whether it was coming off Pittsburgh, I can’t say exactly what it was without putting some more time into it.
"From my vantage point, it was an opportunity to see if we could take another little baby step. We didn’t, clearly. If you turn the ball over, it’s going to get out of hand quick. Then it gets ugly."

Chiefs get zapped by Chargers 43-14 from KC Star

There’s no question the Chiefs ability to hang with the Steelers and eventually end up with a victory was a high in what has been three seasons of football disaster. But if the ‘09 team took a step forward with that outcome, it got knocked back three steps on this Sunday by the San Diego Chargers.

It’s nice to beat the defending Super Bowl champions, but the Steelers are old news and do not look like they have much of a chance to repeat. In light of the Chiefs performance at Qualcomm Stadium, last week’s victory may have said more about the ‘09 Steelers than it did about the ‘09 Chiefs.

This was going to be an afternoon where the Chiefs could show how much progress they’ve made since San Diego smashed them by 30 points in late October at Arrowhead Stadium. Todd Haley hoped to see if his team could take another "little baby step" forward as they played the division leaders.

Instead, they actually were worse than they played that day in October. This wasn’t one tiny baby step for the Chiefs; it was one giant leap backwards for the Chiefs Nation.

COLUMN: One step forward, two steps back from Bob Gretz

With Jamaal Charles, the Chiefs have learned they’ve got to take some bad with the good.

There was plenty of good from Charles, Kansas City’s offensive star Sunday in a 43-14 loss to the San Diego Chargers. Charles rushed for 93 yards in just 14 carries and scored on a 4-yard run in the third quarter.

He also caught three passes for 54 yards, including a 49-yarder.

But Charles also lost a fumble at a crucial juncture in the second quarter. With the Chiefs trailing 14-7 and driving beyond midfield, Charles had the ball torn from his grasp by the Chargers’ Quentin Jammer.

San Diego recovered and padded its lead with another touchdown.

Charles makes good plays — and a bad one from KC Star

"The fumble really hurt us because we were trying to answer a score by them and we were moving down field pretty well," said head coach Todd Haley. "If we can get points there, something positive there, we might have been able to hang in the game.

"Minus that, I think Jamaal is showing that he could potentially be a pretty good back."

Charles was productive, running for 93 yards on 14 carries, including a 31-yard run. He caught three passes for 54 yards, including one for 49 yards. He returned two kickoffs for 61 yards, including a 45-yard return. Those were the three longest plays on the day for the Chiefs.

In total, Charles’ day was 19 touches for 208 yards.

"The situation we are in right now, every time I touch the ball I try to make something happen," said Charles. "It’s real frustrating. We just have to come together as a team. We were fighting as a team at the start. After I fumbled the ball, everything just went downhill.

"I believe we can still win the rest of our games. I’m not giving up."

Offense: Ups & Down For Jamaal from KC Star

Cassel defended Niswanger, saying, "Everything we’ve asked of Rudy he’s done. He directs (the offensive line) all day. Unfortunately there are a few plays he’d like to have back. I think you can ask plenty of guys and they could all say they’d like to have a few plays back."

Chiefs coach Todd Haley said the Chiefs would attempt to discover the source of the problem.

"I’ve not seen a problem with Rudy until today," Haley said. "That’s something I’ve never seen as an issue with Rudy. It kind of came out of nowhere. We’ll kind of have to study it. We’ll talk to him a little bit."

Chiefs blitz | Niswanger has bad day snapping the ball from KC Star

Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt set the team’s single-season record for punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line when he twice pinned the Chargers inside their own 20. Colquitt broke Louie Aguiar’s 1995 record of 29 punts inside the opponent’s 20. Colquitt has 29 of those punts this season. …
Chiefs notes | Haley may rethink future holiday breaks from KC Star

"You want to be playing your best ball at this time of the year," said QB Philip Rivers, who had a big afternoon, completing 21 of 28 for 317 yards and a pair of touchdowns. "Hopefully we can continue this in December like we have. We didn’t feel like we would be in this position in this division. We are going to worry about ourselves and not worry about anybody else. We’ve got to keep growing strong. We can get a lot better.

"No reason Denver can’t get as hot as they were earlier in the year. We have to stay on our streak."

That winning streak is now six games and the Chargers are 8-3, a game ahead of the Broncos. Not bad for a team that was 2-3 back in October when they arrived at Arrowhead and started their run with a 30-point victory.

Chargers Continue Hot Streak & Notes from Bob Gretz

Chris Chambers didn’t miss the restaurants or the social scene. He didn’t pine over the laid-back Southern California atmosphere or even the coastline. The Chiefs wide receiver didn’t go out Saturday night in San Diego. He didn’t need to. It was the weather he missed most.

"A receiver’s paradise out here," he said.

That and the familiarity of home. Chambers was released four weeks ago by the Chargers. He’s 31 years old and hadn’t been productive. It was time for San Diego to move on. Since the day after he was waived, when the Chiefs claimed him, Chambers was looking forward to his return to San Diego and Qualcomm Stadium.

Chiefs receiver Chambers proves something to his former team from KC Star

Of all the things the Chiefs have worked to improve this season, few points of emphasis have received the attention coach Todd Haley has given to surrendering fewer big plays.

Haley said Sunday night that he thought Kansas City was responding. He thought that before more big plays led to another blowout, this time a 43-14 loss to the Chargers.

"I didn’t have any delusions that we all of a sudden went from one thing to another," he said. "But I did feel like we were making progress. Today, it didn’t show."

Not only that, it appeared that one of the AFC West’s most poorly guarded secrets is that the Chiefs’ secondary has become a weakness too tempting for opponents to resist.

Chargers burn Chiefs secondary with big plays from KC Star

This was too easy.

The San Diego Chargers turned four turnovers into touchdowns, including a 40-yard fumble return for a score by safety Paul Oliver, to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 43-14 on Sunday and run their winning streak to six games.

LaDainian Tomlinson scored two touchdowns and moved into 10th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list. Philip Rivers threw two touchdown passes to Antonio Gates as the Chargers improved to 8-3.

The Chiefs (3-8) lost a week after stunning the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime.
Chargers roll up and over Chiefs from The Pueblo Chieftain

"That's my goal every game, to score," Chambers said. "And I've been having opportunities, more opportunities to make plays since I've been here.

"Definitely, it was a great start for me. I love getting my hands on the ball early in the game and built some momentum for myself."

His scoring play was one of the few highlights for the Chiefs in a 43-14 loss, giving the Chargers a sweep of the season series with their AFC West rival.

CHARGERS: Chambers plays well, Chiefs don't in return to 'Q' from The North County Times

LaDainian Tomlinson had just 39 rushing yards (on 13 carries), but it was enough to move him into 10th place on the league's all-time rushing list with 12,257 yards. He moved past Marcus Allen (12,243) and Edgerrin James (12,246) and is now 23 yards from passing Marshall Faulk and 56 from passing Jim Brown.
Tomlinson keeps movin' up, passing Allen and James from The San Diego Union-Tribune

Critics are going to say the Chargers' 43-14 thumping of the Chiefs yesterday at Qualcomm Stadium was nothing more than their second rout this season of a poor Kansas City club, and while it wouldn't be inaccurate, it also wouldn't be fair. Are they supposed to lose intentionally?

The Chargers, winners of six straight, have finished AFC West play for the year with a 5-1 record, and it's not their problem that two of the division teams they've beaten twice — the Chiefs and Raiders — stink. It is not up to the Chargers to see that bad teams improve. It is up to them not to allow the dregs to spoil what they have going.

The Chiefs may smell, but they came to town having defeated the Steelers the previous Sunday. It may make you wonder if Pittsburgh sent its scout team to K.C., but nonetheless, it happened. The NFL may be more bottom-heavy, filled with more terrible clubs than at any time in memory, but every one of them have beaten somebody.

That loss may end up haunting the Steelers, but the Chargers haven't had such problems during this winning spell because they're not only beating the tougher fighters, they're beating the teams they should beat.

Facing losers, it's time to prey from The San Diego Union-Tribune

En route to what figures to be his sixth Pro Bowl, Gates caught seven passes and scored two touchdowns during the Chargers' 43-14 conquest of the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday. He then explained that his recent resurgence can be traced to a series of injuries that caused him to study his craft instead of simply trusting his talent; to anticipate rather than react.

"I had to learn a lot about myself and I had to learn a lot about the game of football," Gates said. "It forced me to learn coverages. It forced me to learn the game itself.

"I think that was one of my problems because I always just used my athletic ability and with the (2007 toe) injury and then the high ankle sprain and so forth, I had so many different injuries, it forced me to become a football player in the classroom."

Gates learned through pain from The San Diego Union-Tribune

Some observations from Sunday's game involving the Broncos' next opponent: the Kansas City Chiefs, who visited San Diego where they were pummeled 43-14.

1) The Chiefs' defense is as bad as advertised. San Diego QB Philip Rivers was just as methodical and effective against the Chiefs as he was against the Broncos. Rivers hit 21-of-28 passes for 317 yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs appear vulnerable to the deep ball especially. Rivers connected on a 53-yarder to WR Malcom Floyd that fell a yard short of a third TD pass. Rivers also just missed on other throws for long bombs.
Chiefs' porous defense should be target for Broncos next Sunday from Examiner.com

And oh-so-similar to the one thrilling thousands in the late 1970s and early 80s.

The Chargers tipped their helmet to those good ol' days with an offensive onslaught that would have made Don Coryell proud.

"I think so,'' said LaDainian Tomlinson, who's among 11 current Chargers on the 50th anniversary squad. "With all the different gadgets and throwing the ball downfield and seeing guys jump up in the air and catch the ball, I think we did honor him."

Some Chargers legends delivered back slaps to the current players before the game, while waiting to be introduced. So what if many have a hitch in their giddy-up or are slowed by ailments this violent game never fails to deliver? Their presence was felt.

"It definitely inspires me,'' linebacker Shaun Phillips said. "It's hard work to make that team, so it was definitely motivating to me to go out there and play to their level. I love the challenge at hand in continuing to get to that level.''

JAY PARIS COMMENTARY: Past and present players embrace thumping of Chiefs from The North County Times

As recently as two weeks ago, some were writing that Larry Johnson's once-lustrous NFL career appeared to be over, killed in part because of his lack of productivity, in part because he had lost his desire and in part because he's a bad guy.

Interesting.

"I think the people who were writing that were mostly people in Kansas City," Johnson said. He wasn't sitting in a La-Z-Boy with a TV clicker, but was standing in front of his locker in the Cincinnati Bengals' locker room. "And we're winning and they're not. I'll just keep grinding and doing whatever they ask me to do."

All the Bengals asked Johnson to do when he signed two weeks ago was to serve as an insurance policy against Cedric Benson's good health. The Bengals were on their way to the playoffs and Benson, another supposed bad guy who turned his career around in this NFL halfway house, had become a workhorse for the offense.

Bob Hunter commentary: Maybe Johnson isn't such a bad guy after all from The Columbus Dispatch

Chiefs P Colquitt Still Showing He's One of the Best in the NFL

Joel Thorman — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:15:54 -0000

Punter Dustin Colquitt currently leads the Kansas City Chiefs, and the NFL, in a few important punting categories. Ranking 16th and 22nd in punt and kick return coverage last season, the Chiefs are now one of four teams that rank in the top ten of both.

An impressive turnaround I must say.

This weekend, Colquitt and the Chiefs will face one of the better punters in the NFL. Mike Scifres of the Chargers is about a tenth of a yard ahead of Colquitt for career net punting average, since 1970.

Here are a few other areas Colquitt leads or is near the top in the NFL:

Net punting average

3rd - 41.3 (Leader: Shane Lechler 44.5)

Punts inside the 20

1st - 29

Fair catches forced

1st - 18

Punts downed

1st - 15

Some of the numbers are even more impressive once you put them into context. For example, Colquitt's 29 punts inside the 20 is already a franchise record for a season.

He has had 15 punts downed, which is tops in the league. Second place has 9.

So, truly an impressive season for Colquitt. Hopefully he continues to be an elite punter.

Father Son Duos Highlight Chiefs and Steelers Connections

Chris Thorman — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:48:42 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

"I love Oklahoma Joe's BBQ!" (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Browse more photos »

It's that time of the week, wake up, wake up....

Yes, that time of the week for checking out the connections to the opposing team. This week, it's the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chiefs have a solid Pittsburgh pedigree.

Haley, Perles and Colquitt all have dad's that played/coached for the Steelers at some points.

And this week, we have an opposing player who was actually born in KC.

Chiefs head coach Todd Haley attended Upper St. Clair HS in Pittsburgh. His father, Dick Haley, served as Steelers Director of Player Personnel (’71- 90) and played DB (’61-64). He was a RB at the University of Pittsburgh.
KC def. quality control coach Pat Perles attended Upper St. Clair HS. His father, George Perles, coached with Pittsburgh (’72-81).
Chiefs P Dustin Colquitt's father, Crag Colquitt, played seven seasons with Pittsburgh (’78-84), winning Super Bowl XIII and XIV rings.
Chiefs LB Mike Vrabel spent four seasons with Pittsburgh (’97-00).
Pittsburgh off. coord. Bruce Arians coached RBs for KC (’89-92).
Steelers LB Keyaron Fox played four seasons with KC (2004-07).
Kansas City COO Mark Donovan, OL coach Bill Muir and CB Maurice Leggett were all born in Pittsburgh, PA.
Chiefs asst. OL coach Joe D’Alessandris is a native of Aliquippa, PA and coached at the University of Pittsburgh (’96).
Kansas City LB Tamba Hali played collegiately at Penn State.
KC asst. coach Nick Sirianni coached at Indiana (PA) from 2006-08.
Chiefs C/G Andy Alleman played collegiately at Pittsburgh.
PIT OL coach Larry Zierlein coached at Ft. Hayes State (’70-71).
Steelers C Justin Hartwig played at Kansas, while DE Ziggy Hood played at Missouri.
Pittsburgh K Jeff Reed was born in Kansas City, MO.

And with that, I am seriously considering going to bed now. I woke up at 2 AM this morning and for the life of me could not go back to sleep. That has to be one of the worst feelings in the world.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 11/16

NJ Chiefs Fan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:17:25 -0000

via KansasCity.com

In the history of the rivalry between the Chiefs and Raiders there have been many great games and moments over 50 seasons.

This was not one of them.

What went down at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on a sun-splashed Sunday afternoon was 60 minutes of mistakes, blunders and poor football.

Afterwards the Chiefs did not care a lick. They stole out of the East Bay with a 16-10 victory, their second of the season. It was the seventh consecutive victory for the Hunt family over the Davis clan.

Chiefs Win In Oakland Again, 16-10 from Bob Gretz

KC Star Photo Gallery: Chiefs 16, Raiders 10 | Sunday, Nov. 15

Jamaal Charles wasted no time claiming ownership of the newly vacant Chiefs running back job.
Charles delivered the Chiefs’ first individual 100-yard game of the season Sunday against the Raiders. He provided their first rushing touchdown, a brilliant 44-yarder on a fourth-down play.

The Chiefs needed every one of his 103 yards and that touchdown to take their second win of the season, 16-10.

Charles leads Chiefs to 16-10 win over Raiders from KC Star

After being the victim on a couple of key plays in last week’s loss to Jacksonville, Chiefs safety Mike Brown promised coach Todd Haley he would make up for it Sunday against the Raiders.

Brown was good on his word in the Chiefs’ 16-10 win. He intercepted two passes in the fourth quarter, both on tipped balls. The last one came at the Chiefs’ 10-yard line with just 30 seconds left.

"I had the feeling," Brown said. "I told him I was going to get at least one.

"You know what they say. You’d rather be lucky than good. I just happened to be in the right spot."

Brown and defensive reserves make big plays for Chiefs from KC Star

I’m not sure what Ralph Nader is doing these days but I think he should investigate and sue the National Football League in the name of anyone who paid money to see the Chiefs and Raiders play on Sunday.

To call what happened on the field at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum "professional football" qualifies as fraud, bait and switch, deceptive advertising and assorted other crimes against the consumer and humanity.

Of course, with two bad teams facing off, it wasn’t like we were expecting a brand of football that would remind anybody of the playoffs. It certainly did not. There were so many negatives in this game, so many mental errors, so many dropped passes, poor passes, bad decisions and penalties.

COLUMN: THEY CALL THIS FOOTBALL? from Bob Gretz

“It was a toss outside and I saw everybody coming and they didn’t have anybody inside,” Charles said of the touchdown run. “I saw a hole and I just ran. I saw Chris (Chambers) make a good block and I just ran to the pylon.”

The run and his overall performance in the game continued a maturation process that Charles has shown in the last month. A lot of people forget that Charles won’t celebrate his 23rd birthday until next month. He’s still the guy who likes to slide down the railing on the steps the players use coming off the practice field and returning to the locker room. He still has those moments where coaches and teammates aren’t quite sure he’s focused in the way he should be.

But he’s getting better and growing according to Todd Haley.

Offense: Larry Who? from Bob Gretz

JaMarcus Russell said he was confused by being benched Sunday against the Chiefs. He said he thought he was being productive, if not perfect.

Whether Russell, Oakland’s starting quarterback, was putting an optimistic face on another sour performance — or testing the limits of denial — he and his replacement, Bruce Gradkowski, were as responsible as anyone for the Chiefs’ 16-10 victory.

Russell overthrew receivers and underthrew them. He threw to their left, to the right and far above their heads. Russell, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NFL draft, was as erratic as ever Sunday, and it helped cost Oakland the win — and possibly Russell’s job.

Chiefs benefit from struggles of Raiders’ QBs from KC Star

Chiefs rookie kicker Ryan Succop made three of his four field-goal attempts Sunday, missing only from 52 yards. He made kicks from 50, 25 and 31 yards.

Succop has made 14 field goals this season, and he trails only Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud’s 21 field goals for the team’s record among rookies.

Chiefs blitz: Succop again proves he’s a weapon from KC Star

“There is going to be some bad, and there is going to be some good,” Brown said. “Hopefully there is more good than bad. At least that’s the way I look at it. I want to play perfect, but have I ever played perfect? No. It will probably never happen, but you still strive to be perfect.

“I just try to play hard and let the chips fall where they may.”

The chips fell into Brown’s hands on this afternoon, especially that final interception that ended a late Raiders attempt at a comeback victory.

DEFENSE: Redemption For Mike Brown from Bob Gretz

It’s hard to win the special teams phase of any game against the Raiders since they have one of the best kicking tandems in the league in Sebastian Janikowski and Shane Lechler.

And while the Chiefs may not have won the kicking battle, they at least broke even on Sunday and that helped seal the victory.

Nobody was busier than Lechler, who kicked 11 times and averaged 48.3 yards a boot. He put five of those punts inside the 20-yard line and his long punt was 57 yards.

But Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt punted six times, for a 47.2 average and a net average of 47.5 yards. He knocked four of his six punts inside the 20-yard line and his long punt was 61 yards.

Raiders Have Problems & Other Notes from Bob Gretz

As the most inconsistent and frequently upgraded position group inches toward noticeable rhythm, the two Chiefs receivers are benefiting from the other’s presence. Bowe finally has a wingman, and Chambers has a receiver who relieves pressure while he proves he still belongs.

Bowe, the young receiver, was immature. Bullied by coach Todd Haley. Miles from his potential. Chambers, the old guy, was given up on by San Diego. He’s 31. That’s ancient in his universe. Now they’ve landed in the same wide-receiver corps, and both already are seeing benefits.

“We’re just trying to find out what pieces work together,” Chambers said, “and trying to build an identity.”

Bowe, Chambers give Chiefs some stability at receiver from KC Star

It’s difficult to know what to make out of this win over the Raiders because the Chiefs played against such a horrific quarterback in JaMarcus Russell. Sunday he had at least a dozen wide open receivers that he missed by throwing the ball too short or too high. Russell was eventually benched in favor of Bruce Gradkowski, but the game still dragged on and on.

It’s a good thing that the Raiders weren’t coached all that well on Sunday. Tom Cable had the Chiefs on their heels against Oakland’s running game, and had Russell been benched earlier, we might be talking about a different outcome. Even without a passing game, the combination of Michael Bush, Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden proved deadly.
Chiefs Show Life Signs In 16-10 Win from WPI

The Raiders' latest exhibition of self-hatred, a 16-10 loss to the equally young and defective Kansas City Chiefs before more than 20,000 empty seats Sunday at the Oakland Coliseum, captured in full a team caught in a web of despair, operating under a thin and paralyzed management and an increasingly distant or uninterested ownership.

In between, we find a coaching staff completely bereft of answers.

Not much has worked all season, and not much worked Sunday. It's beginning to look as if nothing the Raiders try, no matter how great it looks on paper or how well it works in practice, will translate into productive performance on game day.

For Raiders, Web of Gloom on Full Display in Loss to Chiefs from San Jose Mercury News

The JaMarcus Russell experiment needs to end. It needs to end as of today. He is not an NFL quarterback right now and he never will be an NFL quarterback. He is a failed experiment, a dud, a $30 million washout. You know it and I know it.

The only person who doesn’t know it is Al Davis, Al who lives in a parallel universe where Russell has solid mechanics and makes good throws that hit the crummy Raiders’ receivers in stride and never sail over their heads or nose-dive at their feet. In the real world, JaMarcus Russell is a catastrophe, one of the worst football signings in world history.

JaMarcus Russell an unmitigated disaster from The Press Democrat

Conner Barth Update for UC. =)

Connor Barth kicked himself into the NFL and Bucs record books Sunday. As a result, the likelihood of Barth getting the boot from the Bucs anytime soon has been greatly diminished.
"That was a glowing positive for us today," Bucs coach Raheem Morris said of Barth's performance, which included going 3-for-3 on field-goal tries, all of which were 50 yards or longer.

Barth kicked field goals of 51, 50 and 54 yards to set a franchise record and tie a league record and keep the Bucs in what proved to be a 25-23 loss to the Dolphins at Land Shark Stadium.

Barth kicks his way into record book from Tampa Bay Online

“[expetive deleted] you!”

Todd Haley, to his assistant head coach, Maurice Carthon, CBS
GH: Another assistant coach positioned himself in front of Haley after his outburst and walked him in the opposite direction from Carthon, who was not seen saying anything but was clearly the target of Haley’s f-you. I’m no purist and cursing on the athletic field has never bothered me. But cursing at your assistant head coach, in front of your players and staff, shows poor leadership on Haley’s part. Haley’s game-day conduct continues to make him look like an immature coach who is in over his head.

OTC: Haley F-Bombs His Asst. Coach & QB And Beats Raiders from KC Confidential

Player Tweets

almighty31 got that victory. wat should I do now?

Media and Fans

kb_kcstar Mike Brown ... torched someone else.

JoshLooney Raiders run all over the chiefs, decide to pass on 3rd and 3...result = INT...silly Raiders. Mike Brown with BIG INT

Adam_Schefter This is as hard to imagine as San Diego winning AFC West last year - Denver and San Diego tied for first this year

RockStarHoney08: RT @ACookOfficial: YES!!! WAY TO PLAY CHIEFS!!! Too bad i had to work but hahaha to all those who doubted

KodaFett: The Chiefs won and the Cowboys lost. What a WONDERFUL Sunday.

SomeHugeRetard: Chiefs won. But they still suck.

iWantnext: IntereSTATing: "the chiefs have won only 5 of their last 35 games (!), 3 of them have been in Oakland." thanks for the info @richeisen

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 11/9

NJ Chiefs Fan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:56:42 -0000

via media.kansascity.com

Without knowing the facts of the game, someone would look at the final score and figure the Chiefs must have been in quite a struggle. Save for the last three minutes of the game, they would be wrong. When Jacksonville RB Maurice Jones-Drew scored with four minutes, 26 seconds to play in the game, the Jaguars led 24-6 and obviously began celebrating.

That’s when the Chiefs scored a pair of touchdowns and recovered an onside kick in the span of 91 seconds. A second onside kick was not successful and the Jags stumbled off the field with a three-point victory.

Comeback Falls Short, Chiefs Lose Again from Bob Gretz

KC Star Photo Gallery: Jaguars 24, Chiefs 21 | Sunday, Nov. 8

The Chiefs spent two weeks working on tweaking the offense, working on fine-tuning, working on improvement. The play calls and approach looked different. The result did not.

Kansas City lost again Sunday, and it did it the same old way: poor pass protection, questionable play calls, and the appearance of a disorganized unit that couldn’t adjust quickly enough. Coach Todd Haley took a magnifying glass and scalpel to his offense for two weeks. Time was supposed to help the Chiefs swerve back onto the road toward progress. But this didn’t look much like progress: a 24-21 loss to Jacksonville, a team with problems and a fan base that seems leery that improvement is taking place.

Chiefs get going too late in 24-21 loss to Jaguars from KC Star

"I expect him to make every one," said punter Dustin Colquitt, who is the holder on field goals. "But (56 yards), going into the wind? That’s a tall order."

The encouraging thing for the Chiefs is that such a task is reasonable enough for Succop to try it. In the past, when Kansas City cycled through a new kicker seemingly every few months, Colquitt said the decision would have been easy on what to do in a long-range situation.

"We would’ve had to have a short punt," Colquitt said. "You can depend on him (Succop) from just about anywhere."

That’s something the Chiefs just haven’t had. So, even in an impossible situation, Kansas City gave Succop a shot. Coach Todd Haley saw the snap and the kick. Haley thought it would be good, too.

"When it took off," Haley said, "it looked like it had a chance. But the wind caught it. That would’ve been a tremendous kick. It really got knocked down at the end. It looked like it was going to have a chance."

Succop gives Chiefs a chance on field goals from KC Star

Mike Brown did not lose this game himself; he had a lot of help from a lot of his teammates and coaches. If Brown plays this game at an All-Pro level there’s a good chance the Chiefs would have still found other ways to lose.

It’s just that right now, the margin of error for the Chiefs is so thin they can’t overcome a bad day from one of their safeties, especially when his poor play leads to a pair of scores.

Column: Mike Brown Takes The Blame from Bob Gretz

Offensively, the Chiefs continue to have their problems. The running game produced just 60 yards, they didn’t convert a third down until late in the fourth quarter and Cassel was sacked three times by what has been an anemic Jacksonville pass rush.

So anything Chambers can provide will be welcome, like what he did in the last minutes of the game.

First, was the 54-yard score, which is the longest pass play and scoring play of the season for the Chiefs. In fact, it’s the longest touchdown pass the Chiefs have thrown in five years, since RB Priest Holmes caught a 60-yard TD throw during the 2005 season from QB Trent Green.

OFFENSE: New Addition Clicks, But Too Late from Bob Gretz

It took eight games and countless wide-receiver combinations, but the Chiefs finally hit on one that worked in Sunday’s 24-21 loss to the Jaguars.

The most recent additions to the group, Chris Chambers and Lance Long, led the way. Chambers, who joined the Chiefs only last week, scored two touchdowns — both in the last 3 minutes of the game.

Chambers, Long catch on quickly for Chiefs from KC Star

That’s the story of the 2009 Kansas City defense: some good things, but too many bad.

For instance, they put at a lot of pressure on Jaguars QB David Garrard throughout the game. But they were able to sack him only once.

They had a large number of negative plays, as they spent a lot of time in the backfield and forced nine minus plays for the Jaguars, including a fumble that was recovered by the Chiefs.

Yet, they gave up another handful of big plays, as Jacksonville had 10 plays of 12 yards or more, including a 61-yard touchdown pass and a 28-yard TD run. There were also plays of 45 and 33 yards.

"It appeared we were out of position on a couple of those plays," said Todd Haley. "We’re not going to win games or have chances to win many games when we’re giving up big plays and that has been the big problem on defense."

DEFENSE: Same Old Story from Bob Gretz

The Chiefs were happy enough with their running game their first time without the suspended Larry Johnson.

His main replacements, Jamaal Charles and Kolby Smith, combined to average more than 5 yards a carry.

The problem is that the Chiefs gave them the ball a total of only 10 times in a 24-21 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday. The game quickly became unbalanced for the Chiefs. They handed the ball to their running backs — including Dantrell Savage — 12 times while Matt Cassel threw 39 passes.

The Jaguars, who had been playing a 3-4 defense, surprised the Chiefs by playing mostly a 4-3.

Charles, Smith run well in limited opportunities from KC Star

Succop’s kick actually looked pretty good as it left his foot and started to rise. But right around the five-yard line, the wind knocked it down and it was short. The kick fell into the hands of Jaguars CB Rashean Mathis and that’s when the fun started.

Mathis brought the ball out of the end zone and headed right; he broke past several Chiefs, and was then in open field, chugging down the sidelines towards a possible touchdown. Finally, at the Chiefs 15-yard line, punter and holder Dustin Colquitt knocked him out of bounds. The return was 91 yards total, but ended up being just forgotten yardage.

Way downfield, the Jaguars were hit with an illegal block in the back penalty, so even had Mathis scored the TD would have been wiped out by the flag.

Colquitt would have liked to have had that information before he threw himself at Mathis.

"You’ve got to do what you have to do at the time," said Colquitt, who banged up his shoulder a bit on the play but returned in the second half.

Jaguars Change Defensive Spots & Other Notes from Bob Gretz

Consequently, what’s the point in analyzing the team? What’s there to look for that would offer any reason to have hope? You know you have severe problems when your best punter is your punter, your best tackler is your punter and your best player is your punter!
Chiefs - Jags Wrap from Upon Further Review

Jacksonville had four plays from scrimmage of more than 25 yards plus a 44-yard punt return.

"They did some things we really didn’t go over in practice," Brown said. "You prepare for things, but we hadn’t seen those things all week, so there was some miscommunication."

The plays ruined what otherwise could have been a big day for the Chiefs’ defense. Tamba Hali and Brandon Flowers were continually disruptive, and Wallace Gilberry had a third-down sack that pushed Jacksonville to the edge of field-goal position. Josh Scobee was then wide left on a 53-yard attempt.

Derrick Johnson also forced a fumble that put the Chiefs on the Jaguars’ 20, but the Chiefs settled for a field goal in that instance.

"It’s always the same thing," cornerback Brandon Carr said. "We play well and we play well but there’s always a few big plays and we let the game get away from us."

Chiefs’ defense gives up too many big plays from KC Star

Finally, some good economic news: The Kansas City Chiefs have lowered the price of their logo shot glasses to just $7.00 at the team store on their Web site. A gift that makes watching the Chiefs more tolerable - 2 ounces at a time. Chiefs garden gnomes are still $25, however.

Anyway, we think it was a sound business decision to lower the shot glass price as booze consumption is up 821% on Sundays in the greater Kansas City area this year. Or so we hear. Sunday, the Chiefs coughed up 426 yards of offense to Jacksonville, held the ball for just 23:00, didn't convert a third-down until the fourth quarter and, despite a frantic yet unfulfilled rally in the fourth, exited the game as the lone NFL team without a rushing touchdown this season. Just to update, that's 30 losses in their last 33 games and 14 of the last 16 on the road.

K.C. is at Oakland next week and with a loss to the Raiders, we just may get drunk enough with our new shot glasses to order the garden gnome. Maybe two.

Goin' Deep: Intrigue from around the National Football League from NY Daily News

The 3-4 is dead. Long live the 3-4, just not in Jacksonville.

Sunday’s it-wasn’t-as-close-as-the-final-score-would-indicate, 24-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs saw the Jaguars return to their familiar 4-3 defense, and the results were stunning.

The Chiefs were held to 60 yards rushing, a week after the Jaguars allowed a franchise-record 305 yards rushing by the Titans.

Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel was sacked three times, by a team that had just five sacks through seven games.

Jaguars return to 4-3 roots from Jaguars.com

Player Tweets

almighty31 thanx to my supporters that came to duval. Valdosta state c u soon

MrKolbySmith @mrbigplay850 good luck tomorrow. Look forward to facing off with you on the 22nd. What up tho

Media and Fans

kb_kcstar Of all the reasons for the Chiefs' offense to be good, it seems that only desperation can motivate this group.

dussery: @goatboytim the chiefs tried the last three minutes of the game

BrentMichael06: @Adam_Schefter funny play Chiefs Leonard Pope gave a first down sign when he was 10yds short on 3rd down

midacoll: the chiefs stink, but you already knew that...

justd913: bummed the Eagles lost, but did the announcer HAVE to call the Chiefs bottom feeders?! Give us a damn break, we are in "rebuilding phase"

jhailos: Awesome day for the Chiefs. We play like garbage and are now tied for the worst record in football. Can we earn the #1 pick??

moneydesignz: #worldsthinnestbooks How to win a football game - by the Bucs, Raiders, Redskins, Lions, Rams, Bills, Chiefs

Chiefs P Dustin Colquitt the Best in the NFL

Joel Thorman — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:21:28 -0000

You were wondering if the Kansas City Chiefs had something to hang their hat on? Well, they do.

Punter Dustin Colquitt is the best punter in the NFL a month into the 2009 season.

Colquitt's 26 punts are second in the NFL and that's not a good thing for the Chiefs offense. But he's taking advantage of those opportunities.

His 44.5 net yard average is No. 1 in the NFL. His 2.5 yards per return is also No. 1 in the NFL.

Only one punter has created more fair catches. His nine punts inside the 20 is good for third in the NFL.

Punting isn't a statistic that makes the headlines but it's one of those little parts of the game that, when combined with the appropriate offense and defense, can make the difference over the course of a season.

So, congrats to Mr. Colquitt for being the best punter in the NFL through the first quarter of the season.

Chiefs Players Respond to 34-14 Loss to the Eagles

Joel Thorman — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:23:40 -0000

More photos » by Mel Evans - AP

2 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel, center, is tackled by Philadelphia Eagles defensive ends Trent Cole, clockwise from lower left, Darren Howard and Chris Clemons in the second quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Browse more photos »

A few Kansas City Chiefs players spoke with reporters following the game. KCChiefs.com has video of a few post-game comments.

Tank Tyler on the defense

"As far as rushing the passer and preventing them from catching the ball...they were able to complete a lot of passes today and they were able to get a lot off. The wildcat kinda hurt us a litlte bit. But we prepared for everything they did.

Dustin Colquitt on his punting

"I think it's doing good. I think I had a 43.5 net or so so that means the coverage guys are getting down there. I think we've had nine yards before going into this game, of returns on the season so that's good so we're keeping thme from getting their return guys in the game so we hope to keep that up.

Mike Brown on being frustrated

"Most definitely. You can't give up the amount of yardage we did and the points and expect to win. That's the way it is. It's the NFL and when you get a good offense like that going they're hard to stop.

Matt Cassel on surprises from the Eagles defense.

"Not really. We knew they were going to bring some pressure and we anticipated that. They did a good job. A lot of times they were bringing one more than we could block. We just gotta keep working hard, keep our head down and come out of this thing on the other side."

Bobby Wade on when the team will compete

"It's strictly up to the will of the players. We're going to have to, as individuals and a team, decide when we're ready to compete. I think Coach Haley is doing everything in his power to get us prepared to do that. It's going to be up to us as individuals and as a team to decide to make it happen."