SB Nation - Dante Hall

Chiefs Coach Talks About Charles as a Runner and a Returner

Joel Thorman — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:40:58 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

4 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) stiff arms safety Mike Brown (48) during NFL football training camp in River Falls, Wis., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley met with reporters yesterday afternoon and discussed RB Jamaal Charles.

The second year back out of Texas is currently listed as the club's No. 1 running back and No. 1 kick returner. I don't know about any of you but seeing someone pull double duty like that makes me nervous. I always think of Dante Hall's declining effectiveness once he assumed a larger role as a receiver.

Haley was asked about Charles' workload in the return and run game.

"I think it’s something you have to think about," he said, "but I’m glad we had him back there on the first one. It’s something you have to think about, being aware of and monitor."

The Chiefs had a plan for how many carries they wanted to give Charles on Sunday. Per Haley, Kolby Smith's injury caused them to switch their plans a little bit and give Charles more carries than they intended. There is no timetable on Smith's return but Haley said they didn't think it was serious.

Whew. Charles is a heck of a player, and has demonstrated that the last few weeks, but another running back is a necessity if he's going to be contributing at a high level for several years.

"I think Jamaal is very well coached," Haley continued, "I know that. I know his coach [Mo Carthon] for a long time. I know he’s being coached very well on all fundamentals."

In overtime, Charles had a heck of a run that Haley mentioned in his post-game comments. He bounced off of a couple defenders and, against one of the league's most physical defenses, kept fighting and gained a few more yards.

"You know," Haley explained again yesterday, "that’s a great play and I rewound it about 10 times today just to see 10 of our players doing their job and then hustling to the ball carrier which we teach. You saw all red jerseys in there around the ball and Jamaal took a big-time hit and stayed on his feet and almost pulled out of that for a big play. I thought it was an excellent play and sparked us."

What do you think about Charles being the No. 1 running back and No. 1 returner?

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.

Scott Pioli, Two Former Chiefs Honored By The Sporting News

Joel Thorman — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:25:17 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

3 months ago: FILE -- This is an Aug. 2, 2009, file photo showing Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli during NFL football training camp in River Falls, Wis. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, File)

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Note by Joel: I had this scheduled to run earlier today but realized I didn't, you know, actually schedule it. So here is your belated post.

A Kansas City Chiefs executive and two former players were honored today by The Sporting News. GM Scott Pioli was awarded Executive of the Decade for his work with the Patriots from 2000-2008. Former Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez and kick returner Dante Hall also made the all-decade list.

Here is the complete list:

Athlete of the decade: Peyton Manning, Colts QB, over Tom Brady, Patriots QB
Coach of the decade: Bill Belichick, Patriots
Team of the decade: Patriots
Game of the decade: Super Bowl 42: Giants 17, Patriots 14
All-decade team offense: WR Marvin Harrison and Randy Moss; T Walter Jones and Jonathan Ogden; G Alan Faneca and Steve Hutchinson; C Jeff Saturday; TE Tony Gonzalez; QB Peyton Manning; FB Lorenzo Neal; RB LaDainian Tomlinson
All-decade team defense: DE Michael Strahan and Jason Taylor; DT Richard Seymour and Casey Hampton; OLB Derrick Brooks and Joey Porter; MLB Ray Lewis; CB Champ Bailey and Ronde Barber; S Brian Dawkins and Ed Reed.
All-decade team specialists: K Adam Vinatieri; P Shane Lechler; KR Dante Hall; PR Devin Hester
Executive of the decade: Scott Pioli, Patriots/Chiefs

Scott Pioli's success with the Patriots has been well documented so that's not much of a surprise. He's received various other honors as well.

Tony Gonzalez is far and away the best tight end to ever play the game so this is another non-surprise.

Dante Hall was electrifying during his time with the Chiefs in the pre-Devin Hester era. He scored in four consecutive games, an NFL record. Even more impressive, I remember each one of his touchdowns in those games was eventually the difference maker.

Congratulations to Mr. Pioli and these two former Chiefs.

Previewing the Kansas City Chiefs 2009 Schedule: Week 15

Chris Thorman — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:12:05 -0000

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

3 months ago: Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn (10) passes the ball to Josh Cribbs for a first down under pressure from Tennessee Titans defensive end Dave Ball (98) during a preseason NFL football game at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

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Week 15 brings the Cleveland Browns to Arrowhead Stadium. At this point in the season, and at this point in our predictions, we have the Kansas City Chiefs sitting on a record of 7-6.

Crazy? Yeah, it is a little crazy. But we are after all Chiefs fans, no?

If you're a casual follower of the Browns like I am, you know about Dante Stallworth and his legal issues. You've heard about the Brady Quinn v. Derek Anderson debate. And I'm assuming you know that Eric Mangini is now the head coach.

But beyond that I don't know that much. After the jump, SB Nation's Browns blogger Chris answers some of our questions about the Browns. I've also added the Browns' depth chart as of now for more reference.

Make sure you check out Dawgs by Nature for all things Cleveland Browns.

Pos	1st String (Starter)	2nd String (Backup)	3rd String
QB
RB	Jamal Lewis	Jerome Harrison	James Davis Cedric Peerman
FB	Lawrence Vickers
WR1	Braylon Edwards	Mohamed Massaquoi
WR2	Joshua Cribbs	Mike Furrey	Brian Robiskie
TE	Robert Royal	Steve Heiden	Martin Rucker
LT	Joe Thomas
LG	Eric Steinbach
C	Hank Fraley	Alex Mack
RG	Floyd Womack	Rex Hadnot
RT	John St. Clair	Phil Trautwein
Pos	1st String (Starter)	2nd String (Backup)	3ird String
DE	Kenyon Coleman	C.J. Mosley
NT	Shaun Rogers	Ahtyba Rubin
DE	Robaire Smith	Corey Williams
LOLB	Kamerion Wimbley
ILB	D'Qwell Jackson	David Veikune
ILB	Eric Barton	Kaluka Maiava	Blake Costanzo
ROLB	David Bowens	Alex Hall	Leon Williams
LCB	Eric Wright	Hank Poteat	Marquis Floyd
RCB	Brandon McDonald	Coye Francies	Gerard Lawson
FS	Brodney Pool	Mike Adams	DeAngelo Smith
SS	Abram Elam	Nick Sorensen
Pos	1st String (Starter)	2nd String (Backup)	3rd String
K	Phil Dawson
P	Dave Zastudil
H	Dave Zastudil
LS	Ryan Pontbriand
KR	Joshua Cribbs	Gerard Lawson	Jerome Harrison
PR	Joshua Cribbs	Gerard Lawson	Jerome Harrison

What do the Chiefs have to worry the most about...Jamal Lewis and the running game or Braylon Edwards and the passing game?

This question is tough to answer since our game isn't until Week 15, so I'll try to base my answer as if the Chiefs were facing the Browns earlier in the year. I'd definitely pick Braylon Edwards and the passing game. The media has automatically written off the Browns, but there is still some potency on the offensive side of the ball. Just two years ago, Derek Anderson and Edwards were Pro Bowlers. Sure, last season's struggles "might" have shown their true colors, but how can anyone guarantee that Edwards won't go back to having the same type of season he had in 2007? Brady Quinn will probably be the starting quarterback. Although he doesn't sling it as much as Anderson, Brian Daboll (the Browns offensive coordinator) would be foolish to leave out the deep patterns to Edwards.

On the other hand, the running game appears bound to struggle as long as Jamal Lewis is in the lineup. He had a down season last year and has not shown the same power he used to have throughout this year's training camp. Lewis claims he's just "holding back" for the regular season, but I think it comes down to him not having very much left in the tank anymore. Fans in Cleveland like our sixth-round draft pick James Davis at running back, but I'm not going to sit here and say that he's going to be awesome. He was great in the preseason, but the real evaluation will come when he's against first stringers in the regular season. This lack of assurance in the running game almost makes Edwards and the passing game more of a threat by default.

Will the Browns use Josh Cribbs as a WR more often? The Chiefs did that with Dante Hall and it seemed to ruin him in the return game. Any thoughts/concerns on that?

Not only should the Browns use Cribbs as a receiver more often, he should and will be starting opposite Edwards (according to our depth chart). He started in the preseason and did very well. I don't think you can compare Cribbs to Dante Hall or Devin Hester in their transitions to wide receiver because they have different styles. Hall and Hester rely more on elusiveness, whereas Cribbs finds the hole, powers through it and keeps on going. During the preseason, we saw several plays against first-stringers in which Cribbs caught the ball on a quick pattern towards the sideline and then stiff-armed the first cornerback he met before being taken down a little bit later by another defender. I know the Browns took Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi in round two this year, but if it were up to me, I'd shelve their growth and give Cribbs the starting opportunity -- I'm that intrigued by him.

The Chiefs are just transitioning to the 3-4 defense. Can you talk a little bit about what the Browns transition to the 3-4 was like a few years ago and how it stands now?

The transition was exciting at first. All we could think about is how our defense was going to be nasty like the Ravens defense. And then, something bad happened -- we saw Romeo Crennel's 3-4 defense in action. Ever since then, it's been a nightmare. We never generated any pressure. We never stopped the run. We never stood out from any other defense in the NFL. Most importantly, we barely had any of the type of players we needed for the system. Last year we acquired Shaun Rogers, but one man can only do so much. I think Mangini and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan have done a better job finding players that are comfortable with the 3-4 alignment, but we're several years into the defense and aren't even half as good as the Ravens' defense.

Many thanks to Chris for stopping by and giving us his answers! Read more about the Browns at Dawgs by Nature.

My prediction for this game is, let's say....17 to 13 in favor of our Chiefs. I don't think we'll have faith in this offense very often this year. Current record at this point: 8-6.

Check out all of our season game previews at this link.

The Greatest Kansas City Chiefs, By the Numbers: #20

Chris Thorman — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:15:08 -0000

CB Donald Washington, who currently wears #20 for the Kansas City Chiefs, better read this post for a history lesson on the greats who have worn #20 before him. And no, I'm not talking about Benny Sapp.

S Deron Cherry (1981-1991)
DB Bobby Hunt (1962-1967)
RB Paul Lowe (1968-69)
CB Horace Perkins (1979)
S Benny Sapp (2004)
DB Goldie Sellers (1968-69)
S Mike Sensibaugh (1971-75)

Deron Cherry is easily one of the greatest Chiefs of all-time and when I vote, it's going to be for him. Dante Hall also wore #20 for a brief period in 2000 and 2001 but I figure we'll save him for #82. That seems more appropriate.

Check out some more info on these guys after the jump and make sure you vote.

S Deron Cherry (1981-1991)

via Beckett.com

Originally an undrafted free agent punter, Deron Cherry came to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1981 and had one of the most celebrated careers out of any Chief, ever.

From his Wiki page:

Pro Bowl (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988)
Associated Press First-team All-Pro selection (x3) (1984, 1986, 1988)
Associated Press Second-team All-Pro selection (x2) (1983, 1985)
1986 NFL 101 AFC Defensive Player of the Year
NFL 1980s All-Decade Team

Cherry was selected to the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1996. He had 50 career interceptions, 15 fumble recoveries and 3 touchdowns in his career. He is also one of 16 players all-time to get four interceptions in one game, which he did in September 1985 against Dave Krieg at the Seahawks.

Deron Cherry is truly one of the greatest Chiefs of all-time.

DB Bobby Hunt (1962-1967)

via Beckett.com

If you want a weird connection in this post, Bobby Hunt also had four interceptions in one game like Deron Cherry did. Hunt did it in 1964 and it was also in a game the Chiefs won 28 to 7.

As far as NFL safeties go, we have two of the best in this post today. Bobby Hunt had 42 career interceptions and put up just ridiculous numbers for a safety during his time with the Chiefs. In six seasons with the Chiefs, Hunt had 37 INTs, including a 10 pick season in 1966.

Hunt was a 1st team All-Pro selection in 1962, his rookie season, and a Pro Bowl selection in 1964.

RB Paul Lowe (1968-69)

Lowe had a pretty solid career with the San Diego Chargers before coming to the Chiefs to play the final eight games of his career.

He only had 33 rushing attempts as a Chief.

CB Horace Perkins (1979)

There isn't much out there on Horace Perkins. He was drafted by the Dolphins in 1977 and he's on the Chiefs' roster in 1979 but didn't register any stats.

His name did come up in 1983 though:

In Denver, meanwhile, police said former Kansas city Chiefs cornerback Horace Perkins was arrested tuesday for investigation of stealing 70 grams of pure from a pharmaceutical supply firm where he worked.

Alright. He's not winning this poll.

S Benny Sapp (2004-2007)

via stmedia.startribune.com

Sapp was a run of the mill (sometimes better than that) safety for the Chiefs. High school teammates with Asante Samuel, Sapp was an aggressive nickelback who played on and off for the Chiefs for four seasons.

Sapp is probably most well known for his outburst in a 2007 game against the Bengals.

It was Edwards, you see, who asked game officials to consider ejecting angry Chiefs cornerback Benny Sapp after his defensive holding call. The subsequent personal foul gave the Bengals a first down after they'd been stopped on a third-and-17 play from their own 10 in a tight 10-7 game.

As Sapp argued first with the Bengals, and then with his own teammates and coaches who tried to calm him down, a cool but irritated Edwards showed his ire in a conversation with the officials.

"I asked one, 'Do you want to kick him out?''' Edwards related. "He said they couldn't do that, but I said, 'Sure you can.'

Good 'ole Herm, trying to play it straight. Sapp was cut after that season and currently plays for the Minnesota Vikings.

DB Goldie Sellers (1968-69)

via Beckett.com

Didn't they have some great names back in the AFL/NFL days? Wow.

A Denver Bronco for half of his career, Sellers came to KC as a kick returner and a cornerback. In 1968, Sellers returned seven punts for 129 yards and a touchdown. He returned two kickoffs as well, in addition to snatching three INTs as a cornerback.

During the Chiefs' Super Bowl run in 1969, Sellers contributed significantly less on the field. He only returned two punts and registered no defensive statistics in 1969.

Sellers was cut in training camp in 1970.

S Mike Sensibaugh (1971-75)

An eighth round pick in 1971, Sensibaugh played five seasons in KC before finishing up his NFL career in St. Louis.

Mike had a very solid career with the Chiefs. In those five seasons, he played in 63 games and had twenty interceptions. His best season was in 1972 when he had 8 INTs.

Who is the greatest Chief to wear #20?

S Deron Cherry

854 votes

DB Bobby Hunt

15 votes

RB Paul Lowe

0 votes

CB Horace Perkins

4 votes

S Benny Sapp

38 votes

DB Goldie Sellers

4 votes

S Mike Sensibaugh

9 votes

Somebody Chris forgot

6 votes

930 votes | Poll has closed

List FAIL: ESPN's Aaron Schatz

Nestor — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 18:02:27 -0000

More photos » by Bill Haber - AP

The Posterboy of Over-Rated/Over-Hyped NFL Busts

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Jason King is not the only writer from the traditional media (or the new media) who is cobbling together stupid lists during the long off season of football and basketball. Guess the summer months when everyone is bored out of their minds (baseball doesn't cut it for everyone) writers are under pressure to produce content which results in laughable lists penning Just$C* as a "tradition rich" hoops program. Thankfully for Jason as mentioned at the beginning he is not the only one coming up with joke lists this summer.

WWL's Aaron Schatz tried to come up with a list of "25 most over-rated" players in the NFL from this past decade. Here is how the list went from 10 to 9 (which is posted in an Atlanta Falcons message board):

10. DeAngelo Hall
9. Dante Hall
8. Stephen Alexander
7. Ty Law
6. Reggie Bush
5. Adam Vinatieri
4. Jamal Lewis
3. Chris Chambers
2. Michael Vick

And the number 1 guy in Aaron's "list". A familiar name for all of us:

1. DeShaun Foster: Foster is the platonic ideal of a boom-and-bust running back, who breaks one or two highlight runs a game and then spends the rest of the time leaving his unfortunate quarterback in second-and-9 after second-and-9. Once a year he had a huge game against the Atlanta Falcons, and convince everybody he was a good NFL starter for another 12 months. According to Football Outsiders numbers, he was below replacement level in four out of six seasons. He only managed 4.3 yards per carry (average for running backs) in two seasons, and had no year with more than three rushing touchdowns. In 2007, Foster (3.5 yards per carry) had 100 more carries than DeAngelo Williams (5.0 yards per carry). Good luck explaining that one.

Huh? Riddle me this. How can Foster be the most over-rated player in the NFL from last 10 years considering he was not a top-10 pick? Wait a minute. He was not even a top-20 pick. Oh wait. What's that? Apparently he wasn't drafted in the entire first round. Foster if you can remember was drafted in the second round, after his college career ended abruptly over allegations over driving an SUV. Not only that he also had to battle through a number of injuries. Still he did what he could and considering where he was drafted did pretty well with the Carolina Panthers.

Meanwhile, somehow Reggie Bush is well bellow Foster. Unlike Foster, Bush never had to suffer the consequences of alleged extra benefits (in Bush's cases it involved hundreds of thousands of dollars (alleged) extra benefits going to his family members which would be illegal under NCAA rules), and rode into NBA with LeBron James like hype without producing anything close to match it.

Of course, the names glaringly missing from that list include players such as Alex Smith (I say that as a Niners fan), Tim Couch, Akili Smith, Joey Harrington, Matt Leinart, and to be fair Cade McNown (my favorite Bruin QB of all time).

So the question before publishing this kind of garbage list on a major national network such as ESPN, does it go through some kind of editorial process exercising common sense knowledge? I get it. It's a slow time. So one of the main reasons to write up list pieces like this is to kick up some dirt and get a conversation going. But does that really mean people can get away with writing something that is so dumb?

GO BRUINS.

How Jason Smith spent his summer vacation: Random Ramsdom, 7/8

VanRam — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:59:20 -0000

Yum, some randomness to keep you occupied during the afternoon.

Fox Sports.com's Pete Schrager takes a look at the NFC West today, with five questions for the division. Naturally, he asks about the Rams wide receivers. Yada, yada, yada. This has officially become the storyline for a team all but forgotten by the national media. Making this version of the tired old tale even better is the insinuation that the Rams will miss Drew Bennett and Dante Hall at receiver. Um, did anyone else see how those guys played since coming to the Rams? Sure, we'll all miss Holt and Bruce, but I'll take young and hungry over decreptid and declining any day. Yes, teh receivers are young and unknown, we get it. There's nothing left to beat on this dead horse.

If you're in Waco next week, you might head over to the Chamber of Commerce which is throwing a send-off party for Baylor OT and Rams first round draft pick Jason Smith.

Speaking of Smith, Mike Tomlin's talk at the rookie symposium about winning the Super Bowl had more of an effect on Smith the rest of the scared straight talk...and he won't be strung out on cocaine anytime soon. That's good news for Rams fans.

More Smith...Ross Tucker at SI.com speculates that part of the reason for the Rams starting Jason Smith on the right side is to ease him into facing off against powerful, experienced pass rushers, thus keeping him from losing his confidence. I think it's more about maximizing potential for both Barron and Smith. There's reason to believe the experienced Barron can play LT, and there's confidence that the new coaches can clean up his game, i.e. penalties. With Smith, they have a guy that has skills in both pass and run blocking sandwiched between the top guard, Incognito, and a blocking TE in Billy Bajema. Of course, you'll also remember that head coach Steve Spagnuolo has said that he wants both players to be able to play both OT positions, noting that nothing was set in stone this far out from the start of the season.

Check out the all-decade NFC West team from Mike Sando. A number of former Rams on the list, including the usual suspects: Holt, Bruce, Warner and Pace, along with Adam Timmerman at G (it's little wonder that the last season the Rams offense was decent was Timmerman's last season, 2006), Leonard Little DE, and K Josh Brown.

Under, over and otherwise-rated Rams: Random Ramsdom, 6/29/09

VanRam — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:47:45 -0000

Just when you think it's dead out there...lo and behold, the interweb springs to life with all kinds of goodies for you. Let's jump right in...

Familiar names on the overrated and underrated list from FO
Some former Rams among these players, but no surprises. Dante Hall makes the overrated list. Yeah, we could have told that. He spent most of his time with the Rams injured, which says as much about the front office decision to trade for him as it does Hall himself. On the underrated list, old friend London Fletcher. Since his age-30 season, in 2005, Fletcher has had 8 INTs and more than 400 tackles and started all 16 games in each of those seasons. The full article is protected behind the "Insider" wall at ESPN, but you get a flavor from the to-10 lists.

The Boston Globe had a profile of Mass-native Steve Spagnuolo yesterday. Despite what he's said about his days as a hockey player, he has a real history with football. Also of note, (and I suppose this has been mentioned before) he met Devaney in his first NFL job with the Redskins, and was later hired by Devaney - for the first time - as a scout for the Chargers.

Hey, is that OJ Atogwe with a ball picked off from Anquan Boldin? Sign of things to come?

Josh Brown reveals that part of the reason he came to St. Louis as a free agent was the city's proximity to good deer hunting. Huh, and I though making him the highest paid kicker in the league had something to do with it.

ESPN posts their top 25 players of the decade list. No surprise, but there are a few former Rams among the 25 players. Kurt Warner, Torry Holt, and Orlando Pace all made the cut, deservedly so. Faulk and Bruce did enough of their damage before this list's arbitrary cutoff date, but I'd still take those guys in their prime.

Finally, here's one to warm the cockles of your heart. A fan posting at the PD's online forum reports hearing a Jim Haslett appearance on local radio in which the former interim head coach had plenty to say. The head coach of the UFL's yet-to-be-named Orlando team said there was a troubling amount of inexperience among the coaching ranks in the NFL this year, and, according to the poster, Haslett also made an attempt to link himself to the team's moves this offseason. Anyone else hear this appearance from Haslett?

Former Kansas City Chiefs Hall, Green on Top 25 Overrated/Underrated List

Joel Thorman — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:13:13 -0000

Continuing with ESPN's All-Decade rankings, we look at the most overrated and underrated players of the decade. Trent Green and Dante Hall were each on the list.

Can you guess which player goes with which list?

No Chiefs quarterback put up numbers like Green over a five year stretch (and likely never will). He also only made one playoff appearance (and lost) in his five full seasons with the Chiefs.

Dante Hall was one of the most electrifying returners of all time (came in right behind Devin Hester in special teams player of the decade). Dubbed the human joystick, Hall had a stretch in 2003 where he had four consecutive weeks with a touchdown return - all of them ended up being the game winner.

Click through to find out which player was the 9th most overrated and 25th most underrated player of the decade.

Dante Hall the 9th most overrated player of the decade

According to ESPN, Hall's record setting 2002 and 2003 seasons were a two year flash in the pan before he returned back to being a regular, inconsistent kick returner.

Remember when Dante Hall was "the X-Factor," and ESPN The Magazine had him on the cover as a possible MVP candidate? It turned out he was subject to the same inconsistencies as the rest of the kickoff returners in the league, and he's an average slot receiver at best. Then Devin Hester came along a few years later, and did everything 20 times better than Hall did.

The statistics agree with this assessment. His 2002-2004 seasons were very, very good but the rest of his time in Kansas City (and later St. Louis) was average at best. His career average of 10.5 yards per punt return were only topped in the '02 and '03 seasons while his career average of 24.0 yards per kick return were only topped in '03 and '04. The rest of the time was....average.

Trent Green the 25th most underrated player of the decade

Considering the importance of the quarterback position, and Green's stellar, Pro Bowl caliber play, I would argue that he should be higher on this list. His 2002-2004 seasons were nothing short of spectacular. The numbers he put up in his five full seasons in Kansas City will never be matched by another passer in franchise history.

According to Football Outsiders' DYAR stats, Trent Green is one of the five most valuable quarterbacks of the decade, behind Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Brett Favre and Drew Brees. He ranked among the top three quarterbacks for three years, 2002 to 2004, and was fifth in 2005. Green was also an excellent scrambler, who rarely took off unless he could get a first down.

You learn something new every day. I had no idea Green was such an effective scrambler.

***

Tis the season for rankings. Here are a few places various Chiefs have been ranked this offseason:

ESPN ranks Trent Green as the 25th most underrated player of the decade
ESPN ranks Trent Green as the 25th most underrated player of the decade
The Sporting News ranked the top 20 players at each position
The Toronto News ranked the best North American sports cities
ESPN unveiled their power rankings
Madden '10 came out with their player ratings
FOX Sports ranked the NFL's best organizations
CBS Sports ranked the top players at four key positions
The Sporting News ranked the top 20 offensive and defensive coordinators

Rams trivia answers

VanRam — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:31:15 -0000

First off, top of the morning. it's a Monday, but it is at least 4th of July week. Jumping right into the mix, here are the answers to yesterday's trivia questions.

Marc Bulger, 2006. Bulger threw just 8 INTs in 588 passing attempts for a 1.4% INT%.
That's true. No Rams returner has ever scored a kick return and a punt return TD in the same season. Much of that has to do with different players splitting those duties. Dante Hall did both for a while most recently.
Two Rams kickers tied for the most attempts and FGs made from 50+ yards, but it's not who you think. Tony Zendajas in 1993 made 6 in 8 attempts, and so did Josh Brown last season.
Stan Kroenke owns 40% of the Rams. Will that change in the near future?
1951 was the last championship the Rams won, beating the Cleveland Browns. The last time the Rams went to a Super Bowl prior to 1999 was with that stellar 70s team in 1979, where they lost to the Terry Bradshaw, Mean Joe Greene-led Steelers.
Spags did two stints coaching Europe: in 1992 as the defensive line and special teams coach of the Barcelona Dragons and again in 1998 as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach with the Frankfurt Galaxy.

Congrats to Bond_007x who nailed four out of six. Got a tough question for an upcoming future trivia challenge? Send it to me at the mail link next to my name at the bottom of the page.