SB Nation - Trent Green

Opponent History: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs

sireric — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:00:22 -0000

Buffalo Bills (4-8) at Kansas City Chiefs (3-9)
Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 1:00 PM EST
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO

Two long-time rivals get re-acquainted this week when the Buffalo Bills travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs. This will be the 41st all-time meeting between these two storied franchises, dating all the way back to November 6, 1960, when the Bills lost to the Dallas Texans 45-28 in their first-ever meeting. The Bills hold the all-time series lead 22-18, even with this being the sixth time in the last seven meetings that the Bills have had to travel to Kansas City. Recaps of the last five meetings between these two teams are after the jump.

November 19, 2000: Bills 21, Chiefs 17
Elvis Grbac and Tony Gonzalez beat up on the Bills' defense in this one. Grbac finished with 341 yards and two touchdowns, and those two touchdowns were both hauled in by Gonzalez, who had nine total catches for 76 yards and the two scores. The Bills countered with Rob Johnson. Yes, you read that correctly. Johnson only had 196 yards passing, but he did throw two touchdowns - one each to Jay Riemersma and Eric Moulds - and he was the leading rusher with 42 yards, including a score of his own. The rushing score came with under three minutes to play and gave the Bills the win. If you can believe this, Grbac was sacked more than Johnson, too. The Bills had five sacks - two each by Sam Rogers and Marcellus Wiley, and one by Keith Newman. Chris Mohr even hit Daryl Porter for a 44-yard gain on a fake punt.

November 17, 2002: Chiefs 17, Bills 16
Almost exactly two years to the day after their last meeting, the Chiefs again scored 17 points against the Bills; this time, however, their defense holds the Bills' offense to only 16 points in victory. In the battle of the running backs, Travis Henry got the better of Priest Holmes. Henry finished with 126 yards on 24 carries and added another 38 yards on four catches. It is a safe bet that he went out and fathered another child to celebrate his good day. Holmes finished with 104 yards on 31 carries and added 23 yards on three catches. Holmes, however, put the ball into the end zone, while Henry did not. Mike Hollis hit three field goals and Moulds brought in a nine-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe for a score, but it was a nine-yard scramble by the ever fleet-footed Trent Green that proved to be the decisive score. Chidi Ahanotu recorded the only Bills sack.

October 26, 2003: Chiefs 38, Bills 5
The Bills started the game by blocking a punt out of the end zone for a safety; it was pretty much all downhill from there. Three straight Kansas City touchdowns - two by Priest Holmes - would provide all the scoring Chiefs needed. After Rian Lindell hit a meaningless field goal, Gonzalez and that Holmes guy each scored to put the game away. Holmes was again out-rushed by Henry, 83 to 124 respectively, but again it was Holmes who put it in the end zone. Henry again fathered a child after the game as per his post-game ritual.

November 13, 2005: Bills 14, Chiefs 3
After Lawrence Tynes opened the scoring with a field goal for Kansas City, the Chiefs' offense went and hid. The Bills didn't do much better, and were in fact out-gained on the day 316-209. The Bills, however, benefited from two J.P. Losman-to-Lee Evans touchdown passes to get the win. The Bills sacked Green six times, with Aaron Schobel (2.0), Justin Bannan, Angelo Crowell, London Fletcher and Ryan Denney doing the honors.

November 23, 2008: Bills 54, Chiefs 31
Turnovers were the story of this game. The Chiefs had five turnovers and the Bills had none. Neither defense could stop the other offense, but Leodis McKelvin's two interceptions, one of which he took back 64 yards for a touchdown, helped put the Bills over the top. The Bills kicked the ball off eleven times. Think about that - when was the last time the Bills kicked the ball off ten or more times in a game? I also have to throw some love Trent Edwards' way. He had his best day as a pro in this game, completing 24 of 32 passes for 273 yards and two touchdown passes. He also scrambled for 38 yards and two more scores.

Former Chiefs QB Coach: Cassel Experiencing 'Learning Curve'

Joel Thorman — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:13:35 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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I know there are a few of us out there that believe Matt Cassel can perform like a top 10 quarterback when the rest of the offense, namely the offensive line, begins to protect him on a consistent basis.

According to former Chiefs quarterbacks coach Terry Shea, Cassel is experiencing a "learning curve" because of the new situation with new playbook, new language, new players and so on.

Shea told Roger Twibell of 610 Sports this morning that Trent Green had a great run with the Chiefs (Shea was there for five years) but when he came to the Dolphins, where Shea was a coach, the language in the offense was different even though the philosophies were the same. That made it become a difficult transition for the 15 year veteran.

Cassel is experiencing a similar situation joining the Chiefs this season.

Shea also goes on to say that Green didn't necessarily have a strong arm but "a very accurate arm, much like Drew Brees."

He says a few things need to happen before Chiefs QB Matt Cassel can reach that level.

"I see the consistency in his mechanics and right now he has to have a chance to settle down because he's probably moving mentally before he's ready to throw because of all the sacks and pressures he's received."

Shea said the quarterback gets the "brunt" of the blame for sacks, when it's really an entire offensive concept.

"Right now," he says, "I bet he is going through a real time of decision making where he's hurrying himself. Again, the mental part of the game for Matt is experiencing that learning curve and if [they] just give him another year of experience he might settle down and become the quarterback everybody wants him to become."

Shea also had some interesting thoughts on quarterback coaches since he is, or was, a quarterbacks coach. Most importantly, he believes the quarterbacks coach should be a former player who knows the position.

"A quarterback coach probably has to be someone who has played the position, probably moreso than any other coaching segment of the NFL."

Of course, the Chiefs quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator/head coach is Todd Haley.

"And one who can anticipate things for his quarterback that he needs to hear on a conscious level during the course of a game or practice."

The Future of Matt Hasselbeck is the Future of the Seattle Seahawks, Pt. 1

John Morgan — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:47:55 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Wheeler - AP

Every plan has risk. Investing in Matt Hasselbeck is the quickest path towards competing again. It also risks the longest, most painful path towards competing again.

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Last post for a few days. Enjoy the holiday if you celebrate. I know I can't count my blessings with every bone in a newborn baby's body.

This is the first in a multipart series examining how Seattle can determine its future by determining its quarterback of the future. The second part should be up on black Friday.

The Matt Hasselbeck Plan

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Matt Hasselbeck started the season 25 of 36 for 279 yards. He wasn't well ahead or living on RAC. He wasn't Admiral Checkdown commanding the Y-wings to martyr themselves against the turrets of the opposing defense's Death Star. Hasselbeck was a capable quarterback, leading his team back from his own blunders to a shutout slaying of the St. Louis Rams.

Then Hasselbeck dropped his deflector shields and threw himself bodily down the 49ers exhaust shaft and towards the team's reactor core. He was stopped short by Patrick Willis' superlaser elbow smash.

Everything that has followed has sucked. Broken down Hasselbeck is not much more valuable than General Sack-Himself, Seneca Wallace. Hasselbeck has had broken ribs, and still suffers from a throwing-shoulder injury of unknown origin. The injuries, we must conclude, have taken their toll.

When Shaun Alexander slowed, his decline was inexorable. The smartest, most skilled back in the world can not overcome zero burst and swampfooted cutting ability. Hasselbeck and his fans are enduring a more complicated but no less painful decline. Unlike Alexander, Hasselbeck is not cooked, done, debilitated and embarrassing himself.

Matt Hasselbeck could recover and be a good quarterback again. His marginal arm strength is likely to decline, but not so badly he can no longer make his bread and butter mid-range throws. Hasselbeck can not do that today, but when he's healthy, he can.

In this plan, Seattle accepts what it has and does not have at quarterback. It sticks with Hasselbeck and attempts to build itself around what he can do. It improves the line and run game to keep Hasselbeck healthy and keep Hasselbeck viable when he is inevitably injured. Tim Ruskell continues to build the defense towards elite.

The plan might be enacted thus:

Rework and extend Hasselbeck's contract in the offseason. This will free immediate cap dollars and preempt a quarterback controversy.

Cut Patrick Kerney and Walter Jones.

Be players in free agency and in the trade market. Target undervalued backs from teams with depth, and attempt to buy elite free agents like Julius Peppers, Elvis Dumervil, Carlos Rogers and Richard Seymour. Seattle is no longer an attractive destination for players that want to win, but Paul Allen's money is no less green.

Approach the draft from a best talent available standpoint, but understand the need for talent at offensive line, running back and potentially wide receiver.

Tap Mike Teel as the long term replacement, or acquire young talent to contest him for the position.

How it works: Hasselbeck regains arm strength as his health improves, but, more importantly, Hasselbeck the signal caller comes to fore as Hasselbeck the quarterback recedes. The team builds around Hasselbeck's intelligence at the position and compensates for his deteriorating tools.

The Seahawks continue to redefine themselves as a defense-minded team. It doesn't panic and pour resources into the offense, attempting to remake an elite offense around a quarterback not capable of helming such an attack, but buttresses the offense and improves and stabilizes the offensive line. The Seahawks young talent gels, perhaps pushed over the top by a Peppers, Berry or Dunlap, and begins a run of dominance over a still very weak NFC West. If things break right, one February night in the coming decade, Robert dies of joy. We spread his ashes accross Qwest hiding our barely stifled smiles.

How it fails: Hasselbeck is never fully free of routine football abuse and therefore never free of debilitating injuries. The team invests in Matt Hasselbeck's skills and leadership and get Trent Green, Jake Delhomme, Mark Brunell, etc: A once very good quarterback at his body's end. The discord on offense prevents major gains by a talented defense, or, what gains are made, are wasted because of the Seahawks untenably bad offense.

Having invested in Hasselbeck and otherwise ignored the quarterback position, the team is stuck between stations, improving on defense as the offense crumbles--seasons away from any chance of renewal. Seattle spends its coming seasons betwixt good and bad, often settling into mediocre, but never a true contender. The upshot: The Seahawks can't collapse enough to rebuild.

Prospective Seahawks General Managers: Randy Mueller

John Morgan — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:13:53 -0000

by Don Wright - AP

Randy Mueller traded Chris Chambers to San Diego for a second round pick. Chambers was recently released by the Chargers.

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I am saving Sunday's tape analysis for the offseason. Just like last offseason and the two that preceded it, I will scout every important player on the Seahawks roster, cite specific plays from the season that exemplified that player's strengths and weaknesses and project their future within the organization.

Yesterday was filled with so much defeat, complete, non-competitive, Brett Favre benched in the second half, defeat, Seahawks fans deserve a respite. Let us escape from our escape through our escape.

The Tim Ruskell-Mike Holmgren dichotomy is media created foolishness. Holmgren wants back in football. A smaller team, a team that needs the recycled hype and distraction, that is mired in failure and needs anyone, anything to steal the headline from griping and finger pointing, will hire Holmgren.

Paul Allen is a progressive and invested owner. That doesn't put him beyond hiring a general manager he is comfortable with. That is why I start this series with a former Seahawk, Randy Mueller.

Randy Mueller

Mueller cut his teeth with Seattle, working his way up from pro personnel assistant, 1983, to player personnel director, 1990, and finally Vice President of Football Operation in 1995. The signing of Holmgren signaled the departure of Mueller. The two worked together on the disastrous 1999 draft before Mueller became the general manager of the New Orleans Saints.

Mueller drafted Joey Galloway, Shawn Springs, Pete Kendall, Phillip Daniels, Walter Jones, Anthony Simmons and Ahman Green for the Seahawks. He was integral in Seattle escaping Rick Mirer. Mueller traded Mirer to Chicago for a first round pick in 1997.

He went on to work for the Saints starting in 2000. There he helped clean up another coach-executed disaster, flipping Ricky Williams to the Miami Dolphins for two first round picks in 2002. In three season with the Saints, Mueller drafted Marc Bulger, Darren Howard, Kevin Houser, Deuce McAllister, Moran Norris, Donte Stallworth, Charles Grant and LeCharles Bentley.

From 2002 to 2005, Mueller worked for ESPN as an analyst. He signed with the Dolphins in 2005, but then-coach Nick Saban was in charge of personnel decisions. Mueller was in charge for the short period between Saban's resignation January 3, 2007 and Bill Parcells appointment December 19, 2007. The 2007 Dolphins finished 1-15 and Mueller was fired December 31, 2007.

His larger record speaks better of him than his recent work. Mueller might best be described as a fixer. He helps teams escape bad situations and has succeeded at turning high round picks into successful players. He traded Chris Chambers for a second round pick, Wes Welker for a second and seventh round pick (when Welker was a return specialist and part time receiver) and, as mentioned, freed the Seahawks from Mirer and the Saints from Williams. Mueller does not have much experience picking quarterbacks. He did find Marc Bulger in the sixth, and acquired Trent Green for a fifth round pick. Before a brain scrambling hit essentially ended his career, Green was a serviceable quarterback in 2007.

If Seattle is looking to blow up the roster and exchange some of its more valuable players for picks, Mueller is the right guy to dismantle and liquidate. He isn't young, but he is connected. He isn't fresh or sexy, but his record is pretty strong. Mueller is a bridge, and I would think, appeals most to fans that think the Seahawks are not close, not rebuilding, but collapsing; years from contention.

New Orleans Saints @ St. Louis Rams: Game Preview

Saintsational — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:00:42 -0000

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (8-0) AT ST. LOUIS RAMS (1-7)

SERIES

	SAINTS	RAMS
SERIES LEADER		38-29
STREAKS		3 of past 4 & 10 of past 15
COACHES VS. OPP.	Payton: 0-1	Spagnuolo: 0-0
LAST WEEK	W 30-20 vs. Panthers	Bye (Week 8: W 17-10 at Lions)
LAST GAME	11/11/07: Rams 37 at Saints 29. St. Louis rattles off 34 unanswered points to post 1st victory of season. Rams have 409 yards of offense & maintain possession for 39:42.
LAST GAME AT SITE	10/23/05: Rams 28, Saints 17. St. Louis DB Mike Furrey has 67-yard INT-TD with 1:55 remaining, completing 4th-quarter rally. Rams RB Steven Jackson runs for 2 TDs.
BROADCAST	FOX (12:00 PM CT): Chris Rose, Trent Green, Rob Desir (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 122 (NO), 130 (StL.). XM: 108 (NO).

STATS

PASSING	Brees: 181-265-2,336 (1C)-17 (T1L)-7-106.1 (1L)	Bulger: 95-170-956-3-4-68.2
RUSHING	P. Thomas: 83-455-5.5-5	Jackson: 165-784 (T1C)-4.8-1
RECEIVING	Colston: 37-596-16.1-6	K. Burton: 25-253-10.1-0
OFFENSE	426.9 (1L)	287.6
TAKE/GIVE	+8 (T3L)	-7
DEFENSE	331.6	373.4
SACKS	Smith: 6.5	Little: 5
INTs	Sharper: 7 (T1L)	J. Butler, Laurinaitis (R): 2
PUNTING	Morstead (R): 43.6	D. Jones: 46.0
KICKING	Carney: 69 (3C) (36/38 PAT; 11/14 FG)	Jo. Brown: 29 (8/8 PAT; 7/10 FG)

NOTES

SAINTS: Are 8-0 for 1st time in team history. Average 37.9 points per game, most in NFL...QB DREW BREES has averaged 326.5 yards per game (5,550) in past 17 indoors & has 14 300-yard games (82.4 pct.). Has 42 TDs, 12 INTs & 110.3 rating in those 17. Since joining NO in 2006, leads NFL with 16,246 pass yards. Has 2,413 yards (344.7 per game), 22 TDs, 5 INTs & 121.9 rating in past 7 vs. NFC...RB-PR REGGIE BUSH had TD run in last meeting. Has 28 career TDs (16 rush, 8 rec, 4 PR) & is only Saint to score via rush, rec. & PR. RB PIERRE THOMAS has 9 TDs (7 rush, 2 rec.) in past 7 indoors...WR MARQUES COLSTON has 10 TDs in past 11. Had 8 catches for 129 yards in only meeting. WR ROBERT MEACHEM had 5 catches for 98 yards last week, incl. 54-yard TD. TE JEREMY SHOCKEY has TD in 2 of 3 vs. Rams...Last week, DE ANTHONY HARGROVE had FF & 2 FRs, incl. FR-TD. Was drafted by StL in 2004. S DARREN SHARPER leads NFL with 317 INT yards & 3 INT-TDs. DE WILL SMITH had sack in last meeting. Had 2 sacks last week...

RAMS: QB MARC BULGER has completed 59 of 82 (72 pct.) for 660 yards with 3 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 107.8 rating in 2 starts vs. NO. Aims for 3rd meeting in row with 300+ yards. Has 0 INTs in 82 career att. vs. NO...RB STEVEN JACKSON has 216 scrimmage yards (108 per game) & 3 TDs in past 2 vs. NO. Has 283 rush yards (141.5 per game) in past 2 games. Has averaged 125 scrimmage yards per game since 2006, tops in NFL (5,998 yards, 48 games)...WR DONNIE AVERY has TD in 2 of past 4. In past 5, all 12 of Avery's catches have resulted in TD or 1st down. TE DANIEL FELLS caught 36-yard TD from K JOSH BROWN in last game. Fells leads team with 3 rec. TD. WR KEENAN BURTON has catch in 16 consecutive games & had 5+ catches in 3 of past 4...S OSHIOMOGHO ATOGWE has 7 FF & 4 INT in past 12 in Nov. Has 14 INTs since 2007, 4th most in NFL. Had INT in last meeting. DE LEONARD LITTLE aims for 4th meeting in row vs. NO with sack. Rookie LB JAMES LAURINAITIS has INT in 2 of past 4.

The Five Best Games of Larry Johnson's Career

Chris Thorman — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:40 -0000

Photo source

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Just think. In a couple of weeks, all of this Larry Johnson drama will have died off and then what will we have to talk about?

So we're riding this Larry Johnson media blitz for all it's worth and giving you some more remembrances of #27 that may have slipped your memory.

I know, I know. It's not fashionable right now to talk about anything positive that Larry Johnson did but amidst the dark times, there were bright rays of light here and there.

I'm talking about the games when it was fun to cheer for Larry Johnson and the Kansas City Chiefs. You know, going back to 2004ish the Chiefs were pretty darn good. I know, my memory is foggy too. Tough to remember those times nowadays.

For a period of about two seasons, Larry Johnson and the Chiefs crushed opponents on the ground. It just wasn't fair. It got to the point when I would check the box score and it was completely normal to see LJ rack up 150+ yards rushing. Those were the days.

So let's step out of our I Hate Larry Johnson Attack Mode for a minute and remember some of the best games LJ ever had as a Kansas City Chief. These are good memories after all.

It's all there in chronological order, after the jump.

#1 12/19/2004 - LJ's coming out party against the Broncos (box score)

I don't think this is from 2004 but it's the best I could find (via MSNBC)

Larry Johnson had a couple of nice games before the Chiefs' Week 15 match up with the Denver Broncos. But this week was his coming out party - 30 rushes, 151 yards and two touchdowns. Dante Hall added one carry and Omar Easy had four. The Chiefs destroyed the Broncos 45 to 17.

Included in those yards was a 32-yard TD run by Johnson.

From CJOnline.com on 12/20/2004: Surging Johnson is trade bait for Chiefs

"No one's ever doubted he could play," Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said. "He needed a better opportunity, and he needed to grow up."

#2 11/20/2005 - Larry destroys the Houston Texans (box score)

Richard Carson / Reuters

Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson is lifted into the air by teammate Jason Dunn after Johnson's touchdown in the first half on Sunday. Johnson rushed for a team-record 211 yards. (via MSNBC)

This is still back when the Chiefs offense was murdering opposing defenses. And Larry Johnson took great advantage of the talent around him.

Against the Texans on the road, LJ rushed for 211 yards on 36 attempts and tacked on a couple of rushing touchdowns. This was the third game into Larry's forthcoming string of amazing games at the end of the 2005 season. He finished the '05 campaign with 1,750 rushing yards and twenty-one total touchdowns.

From ESPN on 11/20/2005: Game recap

Johnson was supposed to come into the interview room after the game, but then told Chiefs officials he wouldn't talk.

"We were looking for big things from him," Chiefs quarterback Trent Green said. "It's very important for him to come up big. When Larry's had opportunities to play, he's played well."

#3 12/17/2005 Another workhorse weekend against the Giants (box score)

At this point, in Week 15 of the 2005 season, we knew we had a special running back on our hands. LJ rushed for 167 yards on 31 attempts. He ran it into the end zone twice in what would become his characteristic workhorse fashion. Larry averaged 30 attempts per game through the final seven games of the '05 season.

The Chiefs would lose this game to the Giants 27 to 17. But it wasn't because of Larry Johnson. It was because the Chiefs forgot how to tackle and gave up 220 yards rushing to Tiki Barber. Yeah, it was that game.

From The Sporting News on 12/30/2005: The punisher: Kansas City's Larry Johnson has been virtually unstoppable

Johnson has done the same thing for the Chiefs as their feature back. Since a season-ending injury to Holmes, he has seven straight 100-yard rushing games--including a 211-yard performance against the Texans-and is establishing himself as a big-time runner and the force who is keeping the Chiefs on the outskirts of playoff contention.

It's hard to find fault with Johnson as a runner. He is aggressive and seeks confrontation. Unlike Holmes, Johnson can make his own hole when one isn't provided for him.

#4 1/1/2006 2005's punctuation mark (box score)

via Sports Network

In the Chiefs' tenth win of the season, LJ angrily stomped all over the Cincinnati Bengals. He rushed for 201 yards on 26 attempts. That's an eye-popping 7.7 yard per carry average.

Larry would also have three touchdowns and if you remember one of those was a 49-yard run. That was LJ's first of two touchdowns in the first half. This is possibly LJ's most dominating day on the football field.

From the Mothership's post game notes:

On a nine-yard run in the second quarter RB Larry Johnson set the Chiefs single-season rushing record, bypassing the previous mark of 1,615 yards established by RB Priest Holmes in 2002. Johnson finished the season with 1,750 rushing yards. He also produced 2,093 yards from scrimmage, the fourth-best seasonal total in Chiefs history.

#5 10/29/2006 The Chiefs ride Larry Johnson to victory (box score)

It's the middle of the 2006 season. We're in full on, survive with Damon Huard mode. It's the Chiefs and Seahawks. What do you do?

Hand the ball off 53 times, 39 of those to Larry Johnson. LJ would rush for 155 yards on four total touchdowns on that day - three rushing one receiving.

Larry would rush for 172 yards the next week against the Rams and would have a handful of great games after this one. But it's tough to top a game where the coach basically rides you to a one touchdown victory under less than ideal quarterback conditions.

Conclusion

Yeah, I'm glad Larry Johnson isn't a Chief anymore. It got to the point where keeping him around was disrespectful to what the Kansas City Chiefs stand for.

But...for a couple of seasons, Larry Johnson was one of the most dependable, consistently producing running backs in the NFL. And that's what this post is about - looking back at the days when it was fun to cheer for Larry Johnson, not against him.

Reminisce away AP readers. I know a lot of these games won a lot of fantasy football games for you guys.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 11/7

NJ Chiefs Fan — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:30:09 -0000

via media.kansascity.com

Losers assemble in small groups and complain about the coaches and other players. Winners assemble as a team and find ways to win.

Nothing earth shattering there, but for some reason it has created a maelstrom with the pundit class. Words like stupid, childish, clownish, distraction have all been thrown out in reaction to those words.

And the reaction has more to do with those screaming than it does with the sign itself, or the people who hung it on the wall.

First, the origin of the sign: it’s a quote from a Hall of Fame member of the New York Giants. Todd Haley said the same sign was up in the facility of the New York Jets when he worked there and the Dallas Cowboys when he was working there. The common denominator in both of those places was the head coach – Bill Parcells. Remember, that Parcells first was the head coach of the New York Giants.

Lost In Signage … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz

It doesn’t take injuries to a couple of veteran safeties to summon visions of long touchdown runs by Jacksonville’s Maurice Jones-Drew against the Chiefs on Sunday.

The Chiefs already were capable of allowing long runs with Jarrad Page or Jon McGraw in their starting lineup. They’ve allowed a run of more than 35 yards in each of the past three games.

But the odds that the elusive Jones-Drew, one of the league’s rushing leaders, could burn the Chiefs in Jacksonville seem to improve because neither Page nor McGraw will play.

Chiefs need Morgan to mature quickly, limit big plays from KC Star

Smith to return Sunday

Long forgotten by seemingly everyone but the Chiefs since he injured his knee midway through last season, Kolby Smith will play for the first time in more than a year in Sunday’s game against the Jaguars in Jacksonville.

The Chiefs planned to activate Smith today.

Smith started nine games during his first two seasons with the Chiefs. He was their featured back for a time as a rookie in 2007 after injuries knocked out Johnson and Priest Holmes.

Smith had a 150-yard, two-touchdown game against Oakland that season.

Controversial locker-room sign isn’t unique to Chiefs from KC Star

It was a remarkable day in Buffalo on November 6, 1960 for Walt Corey.

Little did he know that many years later, he would enjoy many wonderful Sunday afternoon’s in western New York as the defensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills from 1987 through 1994 with four consecutive trips to the Super Bowl.

But in the first season of the American Football League, Corey led a tough Dallas Texans defense in a 45-28 pasting of the Bills on a Sunday with cold temperatures and a biting wind from the north.

Defense Leads Texans To .500 Mark from Bob Gretz

This will be an interesting game to watch, as the Chiefs have one of the worst offenses in the league, while the Jaguars have one of the worst defenses. Kansas City has not played in Jacksonville since 2004 and this will be the first game against the Jaguars since 2007.

Kansas City is coming off their bye week. The last game they played was not pretty as they were beaten badly by the San Diego Charges, 37-7. That is the game that prompted the off field actions of suspended running back Larry Johnson.

Chiefs In The Sunshine State from Missourinet

Imagine playing football with former Kansas City Chiefs long snapper and Pro-Bowler Kendall Gammon as your head coach.

Then add teammate and former Chiefs quarterback Trent Green as your passing instructor and current Chiefs wide receiver Bobby Engram teaching you how to run routes.

Sounds like a fantasy football team?

It’s been the reality for more than two dozen 10-year-old boys playing for the Blue Valley West Jaguars team of the Football & Cheerleading Club of Johnson County. Gammon, Green and Engram’s sons all play on the team.

10-year-olds remind Chiefs why they got into game from KC Star

Love 'em or leave 'em, it is apparent that social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook have added a compelling, instant dimension to following and connecting with NFL players — as with celebrities at large, media personalties or the guy next door.

In the NFL vein, the bursts on Twitter (140 characters, maximum), for example, have offered active, media-savvy players such as Ochocinco, San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman and New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush a tremendous marketing platform.

"I'm on there, 24/7," Ochocinco, who has more than 350,000 followers on Twitter and has posted more than 10,000 tweets, told me via an old-school communication tool — the telephone. "It gives me a voice, the ability to reach people directly and for people to see who I am without the filter of the media, the critics or whomever.

"And people wouldn't have any other way to get to me directly. That's why social networking is so dangerous."

On the other hand, we've learned that tweets can also blossom into a heap of trouble.

The Bell Tolls: Twitter a Boon and a Burden for Savvy NFL'ers from USA Today

It seems like a long time ago, but once upon a time when the Kansas City Chiefs were a competitive bunch, Pellom McDaniels was a key part of a strong defensive line. But now, the former defensive end has a new job title: history professor.

FOX 4's Rob Low sat down with McDaniels, who is now a professor at UMKC and a well-known leader in the community.

MyStory: Ex-Chief Goes from Huddle to the Classroom Video from Fox4KC

Player Tweets

JWilliams48 Chillin in my bed talk to me world

ToonIcon "My way of joking is to tell the truth. That's the funniest joke in the world."-Muhammed Ali

almighty31 jus woke up. y cant i go back to sleep. if u up, hit me up or go to bed. lol

Media and Fans

JoshLooney Savage could get a shot/but 2X duty for JC could happen RT @NICKx84: do we know who is going to be handling the KR w/ jamal starting at HB?

JoshLooney Love the lamar mojo! RT @bemonteer: Lamar Hunt loved the white on white look. Im willing to be our record is better on road w white on white

AlishaOnline: My weekend: filled with friends, the fair, an airshow and some Chiefs football! And I am not even leaving Jax - love it!

AlexsAlias: So excited that finally the KC Chiefs will play a game with Larry Johnson NOT in the building. Not that lj even cares. Good Luck Charles!!

LJ Compares Matt Cassel to Former Chiefs QB Trent Green

Joel Thorman — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:57:08 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

2 months ago: FILE -- This is a Sept. 20, 2009, file photo showing Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel leaving the field after an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders, in Kansas City, Mo. The Raiders won 13-10. One game into his career as quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, Matt Cassel finds himself surrounded by angry fans, criticial media and a head coach who says, "sign me up," if Cassel's backup starts looking like he would give his team a better chance to win. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

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We've heard the Matt Cassel/Trent Green comparison from players before but, if you're like me, you can't hear it enough. Green was one of the best quarterbacks in franchise history and his five full seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs were one of the best runs in NFL history.

On Friday, Larry Johnson talked about the Cassel/Green comparison.

"I look at him as a young Trent Green because that's how Trent was at an old age," LJ said. "He was knocked down and beat up and used to always get back up. For me, I always took pride in making sure he was never touched agin. I think it's the same way for Matt.

"As long as he keeps getting back up, it makes you be on your ones and twos making sure no one touches him and taking shots like that in the game."

Click through for the difference on Cassel and Green being knocked down.

There's one big difference between Green and Cassel when it comes to being knocked down. Green's career high was 39 sacks in one season, or an average of about 2.5 a game. In five games this season, Cassel is being sacked at a rate of nearly four times per game.

In 2003, Green was sacked 20 times in 16 games. Cassel has been sacked 19 times through week six.

A knock on Cassel is that he holds the ball too long and, while I think that's a valid criticism, it should be noted that in 2006, when the Chiefs line was in decline, Green was sacked 24 times in eight games, which isn't too far off from Cassel's sack-rate right now.

Moving on, LJ also talked about practicing in the rain on Friday. You can tell in these post-practice press conferences with Haley that he loves working them in the rain.

"He got pumped up," LJ said of Haley. "When we started going making plays and catching the ball down field he was getting going. He was getting excited. He was like 'That's why we stay out here in this rain and why we do this' so it got him excited that his plan was working. It was good for him to crack a smile because he always walks around with a 'Who is going to get chewed out first' type of face. It was a good day for us."

LJ said the team is excited after it's first win. Haley is working them extra hard this week to keep the momentum going. Like-wise, LJ said he and the other players are putting in a little extra this week to build off of last week's victory over the Washington Redskins.

Last Time Chiefs Played Cowboys is a Painful Memory

Joel Thorman — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:01:14 -0000

I think a lot of you remember. I try to forget but, unfortunately, I remember. The last time the Kansas City Chiefs met the Dallas Cowboys was the continuation of a trend. The Chiefs did two things that were very typical of the 2005 team, and the Dick Vermeil era in general: The offense scored a lot of points and the defense gave up a lot of points.

Remember those days? Trent Green threw for 340 yards and a score while Larry Johnson added 143 yards and another three scores. But that defense....

To help jog your memory, here are a few highlights:

Good memory: Before the game, Lamar Hunt did the coin toss and was honored with a video tribute.
With the Chiefs up 14-3 in the second quarter, Drew Bledsoe hit Terry Glenn for a 71 yard fleaflicker pass.
On the next possession, the Chiefs drove all the way down to the Dallas nine yard line looking to punch it in. Green dropped back to pass, LJ missed a pass block, Scott Fujita forced a fumble on the quarterback and Marcus Spears picked it up and returned it 59 yards. What a change of momentum. I still remember how big that play was to this day.
With 3:55 left in the fourth quarter, and the Cowboys holding onto a 24-21 lead, Green hit Eddie Kennison on a 47 yard touchdown pass. Ball game, right?
Wrong. The Cowboys drove back down the field, with two third down completions, they faced a fourth down near the end zone. Drew Bledsoe threw to Jason Witten, who missed the pass. But...
....there was a pass interference call on Greg Wesley, who at the time said, "I was celebrating thinking it was over. Then I see a flag. I thought, ‘Wow, way to give them a second chance.’ … I made a great play and they were bailed out by the referees." Bailed out because replays showed the interference was clearly on Derrick Johnson.
The Chiefs weren't done yet, though, as Green drove them down the field to get Lawrence Tynes in position for a 41 yard field goal, aided by an awesome pass and catch by Green and Dante Hall. Ball game, right?
Wrong. Tynes missed the kick after a low snap and the Chiefs three-game winning streak ended.

Ugh. Painful memories. Here's the box score if you can stomach it.

Former Chiefs QB Trent Green Hired by NFL Network, Too

Joel Thorman — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:00:48 -0000

Despite retiring from his primary place of employment for the last decade and a half, Trent Green takes on another TV gig, this time being hired by NFL Network according to Randy Covtiz of the Kansas City Star.

He is scheduled to appear regularly on NFL Total Access, the evening show on six nights a week.

Green is also scheduled to work for FOX Sports calling games on Sundays. On opening weekend, he'll be with Chris Myers calling the Lions and Saints game. Two more stints with Myers and then four games with Chris Rose will wrap up his season.

Since the FOX gig will require his entire weekend (and some), he'll likely be on NFL Network earlier in the week.

He's previously been on NFL Network. After he was released by the Rams earlier in the year, he made a few appearances on NFL Total Access.

On the move to the broadcast booth, he said, "I was blessed to play a long, long time. I realize that.

"I always thought that I’d get into coaching. And as much as I think I would enjoy coaching, the amount of hours that they put in (is amazing). Family time is something that’s very important to me, and TV allows me to still have a family life and keep me in the game. So hopefully, it works out."