SB Nation - Rudy Niswanger

What do the Chiefs do with Haley, Assistant Coaches, and the Offensive Line in 2010?

Jon Yoon — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:12:35 -0000

More photos » by Reed Hoffmann - AP

Last week, I spoke about some of the moves the Chiefs need to make this offseason on offense, but the Quarterback and Receiver issue pretty much hijacked the entire discussion. I want to use this part of the column to round out that discussion by focusing on the Chiefs' offensive line. I also want to talk about the coaching staff and special teams.

What's really interesting about the scope of this discussion is that two months ago, the fans were stressed about the state of the offensive line but pretty psyched about the progress of the coaching staff. Today, it seems like the fans have flipped opinions.

Special Teams: Let me just get this part out of the way. Ryan Succop and Dustin Colquitt are clearly safe. Steve Hoffman has also quietly built an outstanding coverage unit around them and that coverage will only get better as the roster becomes deeper with talent (remember, when there is a lot more uncertainty on a roster, it becomes tougher to keep dedicated special teams specialists like Gary Stills on your roster). I sense that as the roster gets better, you'll see more Terrence Coppers on this team and that will make an already outstanding special teams unit even better. At the Kick Returner position, given that the Chiefs have a need for both a speed threat at wide receiver and a returner, don't be surprised to see the Chiefs try to kill two birds with one stone by bringing in a guy who can do both.

Offensive Tackle: I know there's been a lot of uproar about how the Chiefs must get the best offensive lineman on the board with the top pick, no questions asked. I couldn't disagree more. With a top 5 pick, the only position that carries any positional value is Left Tackle and while I am not a draft expert, I'm not really that wow'ed by the top Left Tackles on the board and I'm pleased enough with Branden Albert's progress over the last few weeks. If Branden Albert is indeed the answer at Left Tackle, then you absolutely, positively do NOT move him to any other position. Especially with your top 5 pick. On the right side, I don't see Ryan O'Callaghan ever progressing to the point where he would be considered a franchise Right Tackle. However, given the Chiefs' high urgency needs at multiple positions, I would have to think that finding O'Callaghan's replacement is pretty low on the priority list. That's a position that the Chiefs could probably fill through the later rounds of the draft. I am all in favor of bringing in a whole truckload of competitive options; I just don't think the Chiefs need to reach to get any specific one. The Chiefs should try to do better than O'Callaghan, but if he is the Chiefs' option in 2010, that's not a decision that will come back to haunt them.

Stays: Branden Albert (#1 LT), Ryan O'Callaghan (#2 RT), Barry Richardson (#2 LT)
Pick up: New starting RT either through free agency or around rounds 3-7/undrafted

Center: I don't know who will play Center for the Chiefs in 2010, but it had better not be Rudy Niswanger. Wade Smith might be an option, but I doubt it. There really isn't an option on the team that makes you do cartwheels. If I was to prioritize offensive line positions, I would have to say that bringing in a top-flight Center is easily at the top of the list. However, Rudy Niswanger will have a secure roster spot because he's fine as a backup and you have to like his flexibility to play both Guard and Center

Stays: Rudy Niswanger (#2 Center)
Pick-up: A higher draft pick (2nd-3rd round) or highly touted free agent

Guard: Guard is a position that I see as a pressing need, but not a pressing priority. Brian Waters isn't the Left Guard we thought he was when he was playing next to Willie Roaf, but he's still a good option. At Right Guard, Wade Smith really isn't a terrible option and there are some players on the roster who might make for interesting competition. I still think Rudi Niswanger could make a decent Guard, and you have two young players on the practice squad---Colin Brown and Darryl Harris---who might be able to compete in the offseason for the starting job. The Chiefs need to start thinking about bringing in a better player than Smith and an eventual replacement for Waters, but for now, the position is such a low level of priority that the Chiefs shouldn't consider an upgrade unless there is a Best Player Available (BPA) option in the 3^rd through 7^th round of the draft or a clear upgrade who slips into free agency.

Stays: Brian Waters (#1 LG), Wade Smith (#1 RG)
Potential In-house Replacements: Colin Brown, Darryl Harris
Pick-up: Either drafted potential #1 RG or free agent #1 RG, Potential replacement for Brian Waters at LG in 2-3 years via draft

Head Coach:

There's been a lot of talk about Todd Haley being a target for firing. I really hope that's not the case and given his contract, I don't think that will happen. Coaches need time to establish their program. It always reflects badly on an organization when they play musical chairs with their coaches. Oakland and Washington are two NFL markets that can never seem to establish continuity because they're continually changing systems and philosophies. Haley has made a lot of mistakes for sure, but most rookie head coaches do and I still think he would make considerably less mistakes if he wasn't wearing so many hats. The Chiefs need to hire an Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach and that's non-negotiable.

However, the clock has started to tick for Haley. The mistakes he's making now are unforgiveable in 2010. He has to become a better game manager. In his defense, a lot of his game management mistakes are situational. Haley has been over-aggressive on fourth down situations, but who's to say he'll be just as aggressive when this team is a little better? When you have an offense that struggles to put points on the board, sometimes you take a few more risks to score touchdowns. When you have a defense that can implode at any given second of a game, sometimes you have to be more aggressive about going for 7 to create some cushion for the defense.

I'm also becoming increasingly concerned about the team's lack of discipline. Haley was hyped up to be a disciplinarian and yet his team plays without any shred of discipline. Maybe the team has started to give up, but it's also quite possible that they don't buy what Haley is selling. Sometimes when you overthink, you become more prone to mistakes.

Assistant Coaches:

I've said from the beginning that the stupidest move the Chiefs made this offseason was to enter the season without an Offensive Coordinator or a Quarterbacks Coach and they are paying a price for it. How many times have we watched another team's sideline and saw a Quarterback make a mistake, then immediately consult with one of the Assistant Coaches. Cassel hasn't had that luxury. He's had to figure that all out on his own. He's a young QB who's had to coach himself, not only on mechanics, but on how to think through the game. It might also help Cassel to have a fall-back guy. When Haley tears Cassel apart for making a mistake, sometimes it helps to have another coach on the staff to turn to for help. I imagine Cassel doesn't have the same access to good coaching off the field either. The Chiefs bought a $60M product and didn't even equip themselves with a training manual. Unbelievable.

On other levels, rather than go into painstaking detail about each and every coach, let's just talk about the ones whose job security might be called into question. The two names that most often come up in discussions are Tim Krumrie and Bill Muir. In my opinion, Krumrie is a scapegoat of convenience. It started several years ago when he got negative publicity for running what many consider to be a useless combine drill. That escalated into hatred when he coached one of the worst defensive lines in football. In the fans' defense, Krumrie probably should have been canned along with Herm Edwards. But I was okay with keeping him on board because Scott Pioli, a completely neutral set of eyes with no tie to Herm Edwards or Carl Peterson, thought Krumrie was good enough to keep on his staff.

The question is, has the Defensive Line improved under Krumrie? My answer is "yes." Don't get me wrong. The Defensive Line still stinks, but you have to be careful about understanding why that's the case. We shouldn't judge Krumrie based on his ability to coach up players who don't have talent to play their respective position in the first place (Ron Edwards) or rookies who might not see improvement until 2010 (Tyson Jackson). Krumrie has taught his linemen to operate in an entirely different defense, and he has improved several of the players within it. Dorsey went from a non-factor last season to a fairly consistent disruptive force at a position that I still don't believe best fits his skill sets. Tamba Hali has improved by leaps and bounds in his role as a 3-4 OLB. Even Wallace Gilberry and Alex Magee have looked pretty good from time to time. In other words, when he has talent and the time to develop them, he hasn't done a poor job and maybe the 3-4 Defense is his sweet spot. If Dorsey and Hali continue to play at a high level, if Jackson plays better in his second season as Dorsey did, and if the Chiefs bring in a legit Nose Tackle (which they have to), the Defensive Line will be a strength for the Chiefs.

As for Muir, that's also a tough call to make. I never really liked him because I was never a fan of the offensive lines that he coached in the past. But like Krumrie, he's actually made a lot of progress with virtually nothing to work with. The Chiefs have horrible players on the offensive line. No amount of coaching is going to fix that. I do think Muir has done a surprisingly admirable job making a bad unit look increasingly better over the past several weeks.

At Wide Receivers coach, I'd expect a change here too. The Chiefs demoted Dedric Ward earlier in the season and plugged in Richie Anderson. I would be surprised if the Chiefs looked at Anderson as anything more than a stopgap, unless they plan to keep him as an Assistant coach somewhere else.

Finally, Clancy Pendergast. I don't like his defense. Behind all the shifts and moving people around, the defense still seems pretty vanilla. To this day, I still wonder if he was hired because he was the guy Pioli wanted or because he was the only one left late in the season. I sense it's the latter. I actually think Pendergast would make a terrific assistant coach, but more likely than not, he's not going to accept a demotion.

Stays: All Assistant Coaches except Pendergast
Goes: Clancy Pendergast, Dedric Ward
Pick up: Offensive and Defensive Coordinator, Quarterbacks Coach, Wide Receivers Coach

I know it sounds like I'm not pushing for change. Between keeping continuity on the coaching staff

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 12/3

NJ Chiefs Fan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:16:12 -0000

via media.kansascity.com

Good morning Chiefs fans. Looks like it's cold as all get out in KC, and I can tell you it's raining like no one's business out here in Jersey. Here's today's Chiefs news.

Winter arrived in Kansas City on Wednesday. Temperatures were in the 30s, with the wind blowing from the north-northwest, gusting at times to 20 mph. That pushed the wind chill down into the 20s.

But there were the Chiefs, a perfectly good – and heated – practice facility sitting empty as they practiced in the winter conditions.

And, there was there head coach Todd Haley, not a child of the beaches of southern California or the hot house of Florida, but of western Pennsylvania where it gets plenty cold, walking around during the nearly two-hour practice wearing shorts.

Putting Chill In The Chiefs … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz

Eventually, false perceptions in the NFL get pancaked.

Brett Favre is too creaky to throw. Josh McDaniels is too young to coach.

And now there's this: The Kansas City Chiefs are difficult to beat at home in December.

Favre and McDaniels already have done their part to expose untruths pertaining to them. But for all the talk this week of how difficult it is to beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in the season's final full month, the truth is they haven't won a December home game in almost three years.

True, the Chiefs once were all but unbeatable in December at Arrowhead. Starting with the 1983 season, otherwise known around these parts as the beginning of the John Elway era, the Chiefs have gone 37-10 at home in December.

Chiefs no long December darlings from Denver Post

Former Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil used to say he wanted to give more rest to his smallish featured back, Priest Holmes, but rarely removed him from the lineup in fear the play he missed would be the one Holmes would have made to win the game.
Vermeil and Holmes are long gone, but current coach Todd Haley knows the feeling. He’s suddenly facing a similar dilemma with his new featured back, Jamaal Charles.

The Chiefs have quickly become addicted to Charles and not just as a runner.

Chiefs find using Charles a lot harder to avoid from KC Star

The Chiefs just added a player to their practice squad who may never play in a game.

But the signing of offensive lineman Jermail Porter is intriguing.

Porter, who originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with New England (where else?) this year, did not play college football but was an All-American wrestler at Kent State.

He finished sixth at the 2009 NCAA championships after winning the Mid-America Conference heavyweight title as a senior and going 31-4.

Daily download: Porter is a fascinating pickup by Chiefs from KC Star

NFL teams now have new, stricter instructions for when players should be allowed to return to games or practices after head injuries, guidelines that go into effect this week.

In the latest step by the league to address a hot-button issue, commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to the 32 clubs Wednesday saying a player who gets a concussion should not return to action on the same day if he shows certain signs or symptoms. Those include an inability to remember assignments or plays, a gap in memory, persistent dizziness, and persistent headaches.

NFL changes return-to-play rules for concussions from KC Star

Chiefs coach Todd Haley said the team has studied center Rudy Niswanger’s bad snaps from last weekend’s 43-14 loss at San Diego, and Niswanger will spend this week trying to correct those mistakes.

Niswanger delivered two errant snaps to quarterback Matt Cassel, who was in the shotgun formation.

Haley indicated that there was a "common denominator" in Niswanger’s poor snaps, but he wouldn’t reveal the specific problem. Niswanger said he didn’t know what caused the problems, but both he and his coach said the episode was enough to elicit extra work to prevent future mistakes.

Chiefs notes: Team works with Niswanger on snaps from KC Star

Although Cassel said he never talked to anyone from the Broncos during that period and was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs instead, he was unwillingly linked to one of the biggest offseason stories in Broncos history.

"It was crazy, because I was watching ESPN like you were and saying ‘How the heck did my name get thrown in here?’" Cassel said.

Cassel was unwilling participant in Broncos drama from The Colorado Springs Gazette

The Chiefs immediately proffered a six-year, $63 million contract because, clearly, Cassel was a franchise quarterback.

Today, Cassel ranks 24th in the NFL by passing yardage, 22nd by passer rating, 26th by completion percentage and 28th by yards per pass attempt. The Chiefs, whom the Broncos play Sunday, are 3-8.

Cutler and Kyle Orton, who were eventually traded for one another, haven't exactly set the world on fire either, but at least Orton can claim a winning record.

The best thing you can say for Cassel is that it's too early in his Kansas City tenure to say anything.

Krieger: Chiefs' investment in Cassel falling short from The Denver Post

With his team in the middle of the playoff race, quarterback Kyle Orton wants the Denver Broncos to be playing their best football from here on out.

The Broncos hope to fix some mental errors and get their offense in sync Sunday when they visit the Kansas City Chiefs in the first meeting of the season between these AFC West rivals.

Denver (7-4) appeared to be well on its way to the West title after opening with six consecutive wins, but four straight losses dropped the Broncos one game back of San Diego for the division lead.

Denver finally returned to the physical style of play it displayed earlier this season in a 26-6 win over the New York Giants on Thanksgiving. It was the Broncos' first victory since beating the Chargers 34-23 on Oct. 19 and came four days after a 32-3 home loss to San Diego.

Chiefs vs. Broncos from CBS Sports

The Chiefs were driving for what looked like it might be a tying TD in the first half at San Diego when Charles, fighting for extra yardage, had the ball stripped away.

"It hurt. Its not like I got hit hard, or wasn't trying to protect the ball,'' he said quietly, his gaze fixed on the carpeting of the Chiefs locker room. "There was like five people around me and the dude just came around and stuck his arm in. He made a play.''

The Chargers went on to a 43-14 rout. It was similar to the 27-16 loss the New York Giants handed them after recovering Charles' fumble of the opening kickoff and driving in for a quick score. Being fumble-prone already sent Charles to the bench for one game this year.

One of his worst days as a college player at Texas was a close loss to Oklahoma. He was running for the end zone on one play when he was stripped of the ball on the 5. On another, he let a pass slip through his hands for an interception.

But he was touched when the great Earl Campbell sent word he wanted to talk. The two met in the Texas weight room. The older man, the one whose statue stands watch over the stadium, did most of the talking.

Butter Fingers: Chiefs' Charles Must Stop Fumbling from Sports Illustrated

The Abilene Ruff Riders have announced on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 that the organization has acquired former West Virginia University and Kansas City Chiefs defensive linemen, Johnny Dingle, for the 2010 IFL season.

Ruff Riders Acquire Former Kansas City Chiefs DL Johnny Dingle from Our Sports Central

KC Star Video: Matt Cassel continues to make progress

Kim Constantinesco's intriguing argument about the dangers of looking past a mediocre squad playing at a stadium that's seldom been kind to Denver sent me to the Chiefs' official website to look for bulletin-board material -- and it didn't take me long to find it. The page devoted to KC Wolf, the team's mascot, features the dorky, tennis-shoe-clad furball taking out Denver's own Barrelman with a flying kick.
Kansas City Chiefs mascot seen kicking the Barrelman: That prick! from Denver Westworld

Player Tweets

almighty31 wat up to my homies on the eastside

almighty31 so tired but cant sleep

Media and Fans

ChiefsPR #Chiefs QB Matt Cassel has thrown 8 fourth-quarter TDs, the highest total of any NFL QB this season.

jcneedham: ...The Chiefs will win at Arrowhead this weekend. Chiefs 27 Broncos 16

jennarader: I am going to the Chiefs/Broncos game on Sunday...the perfect way to celebrate being done with all these ridiculous group projects.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 12/1

NJ Chiefs Fan — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:30:02 -0000

via KansasCity.com

Happy December! Here's your Chiefs roundup from across the internet.

Haley, in his first season with the Chiefs, is serving as the offensive coordinator after firing Chan Gailey during the preseason. That’s Haley’s background and training, having spent the previous two seasons as offensive coordinator for the high-scoring Arizona Cardinals.

But Haley indicated that in his ideal world, the Chiefs would have an offensive coordinator who assembles a weekly game plan and calls the plays on game day. That would free Haley to concentrate on the numerous duties of a head coach.

"It’s fun calling plays," Haley said. "I’ve also said my job is to be the head coach of the team. If and when (hiring the right offensive coordinator is) possible, in my opinion, that’s the best way to run the operation."

Haley, like most coaches, has particular ideas about how an offense should be run. He said the firing of Gailey wasn’t a sign that he couldn’t hire an offensive coordinator and be comfortable in letting him make the calls.

"It’s still the right thing to have done at the time for this team and for this offense," Haley said, referring to Gailey’s firing. "In this case, this is the way (for the Chiefs) to be the most efficient right now. You get the right situation, and I don’t have any problem whatsoever knowing I could handle it."

Chiefs’ Haley knows Weis well from KC Star

The number stood out on the stat sheet after the Chiefs were blasted by the Chargers:
The Chiefs defense hit San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers once in the 28 times he went back to pass.

That’s just touching him; that doesn’t mean sacking him. The Chiefs were shutout in the sack department. It’s the third time this season they were not able to get the passer on the ground at least once. It happened in the first game between these teams and also against Philadelphia.

Based on the sacks alone, the Chiefs have shown improvement in their pass rush from last season when they set an NFL record for sack futility with just 10 in 16 games. This year, the Chiefs have 14 in 11 games.

However, that’s the second fewest sacks in the league. Only Jacksonville has less at 10.

Pass Rush Problems … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz

The hard cold truth is that this team is getting the crap beat out of them far more often than any other team in the club’s history. I would not be surprised to see them lose the rest of their games. But, you figure there could be a Pittsburgh fluke in there somewhere, so 4-12 looks likely to me.

As to how KC compares to the other 3-8 (or worse) teams in 2009, here you go.

Chiefs are MUCH WORSE than you think from Upon Further Review

The Kansas City Chiefs thought the worst was behind them when they beat defending champion Pittsburgh. Maybe they were wrong.

The overtime upset of the Steelers on Nov. 22 was the Chiefs' second victory in a row — their first two-game winning streak in two years. Everybody said their confidence was soaring and that maybe, finally, the long-struggling franchise and its rookie head coach had turned the corner.

Then came Sunday's shellacking by the San Diego Chargers, who won their sixth in a row, and a shaken team returned Monday to that old familiar drawing board, the one that says they're 5-31 in their last 36 games.

How much of a setback has the Chiefs' fragile psyche suffered?

"It will be how do we respond to that," coach Todd Haley said Monday. "You're going to lose games, especially us early on here as we're fighting our way to find a way to be consistent, and it's hard to be consistent every week."

Whipping saps KC's hard-won confidence from The Associated Press

As a lifelong Pittsburgh Steelers fan, I made the trip to Kansas City to watch the Nov. 22 Steelers-Chiefs game. I didn’t come away with the victory I wanted, but I did gain a real appreciation for the Chiefs fans.

After the game, a man wearing a Chiefs jacket came up to me, shook my hand and said, "Wasn’t that a great game?" I allowed as how it was, with the exception of the final score.

Chiefs fans are winners from Unfettered Letters (KC Star)

The Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Rams NFL football teams are struggling. The Chiefs are 5-31 in their past 36 games, and the Rams are 1-10 after finishing last season 2-14. In 2007 they were 3-13. And yet, two die-hard fans in Columbia won't be selling their season tickets anytime soon.

St. Louis Rams fan Jacob Glazer and Kansas City Chiefs fan Theresa Musket have a loyalty that runs deep. They have endured traffic, rain and freezing temperatures to see their teams. Every home game, they make the four-hour round-trip to the stadium, often leaving in disappointment.

They hear the jokes, and they dismiss them.

Columbia NFL fans dedicated despite down years for Chiefs and Rams from Columbia Missourian

The game at Kansas City scares me. What do the Broncos have to do to avoid the Washington game all over again?
-- Maxwell, Albuquerque

Maxwell - Your concern is justified. When it comes to the NFL, the phrase, "Any Given Sunday" is more fact than cliché. New England lost to the Jets. The Eagles and Bengals lost to the Raiders. The Packers lost to Tampa Bay. The Steelers lost to the Chiefs and Bears.

To avoid an upset at Arrowhead -- the Broncos are favored by 4 to 4 1/2 points for one of the few times this season -- keeping Kyle Orton healthy is paramount. There has been much talk about how the Broncos regained their swagger against New York, but they have to make sure they didn't lose it during their long break and upcoming short road trip.

Broncos Mailbag: Giants Caught Napping? from The Denver Post

4. Rudy Niswanger, Center, Kansas City Chiefs. Niswanger (prounounced "nice-wonger") accepts this award on behalf of every Chief who turned the ball over yesterday, which seemed like about every Chief on the roster. Nice Wonger's contribution was a shotgun snap that looked like a Ricky Vaughn fastball before he got glasses. Cassel didn't even get close to getting a hand on the ball. Larry English pounced on it for the Chargers.
Yesterday's five least valuable players: Not acceptable, Schaub from Yahoo! Sports

Player Tweets

almighty31 jus took a shower by myself in my condition. that was the most painful and difficult one i had. i need some help ladies.

almighty31 hav u ever tried sleepin sittin up. that sucks

almighty31 back up but countdown to back out. pain is my rival rite now.

Media and Fans

spursincharge: http://twitpic.com/ro2kt - Hanging with Former UT Running Back and Kansas City Chiefs Star Priest Holmes..

melsite1: I got that beat, I'm a Chiefs fan! @newfederalistla @LAEric99 Saints are a great team - fun to watch. I am actually a Chicago fan - pity me

yahtzee58: watchn football. cant wait til sunday to be in kc. even tho my team sux i still love my chiefs

JustMakenna: Hey hey. Patriots fan still here. How is one ashamed losing to an undefeated team? Now if this was the chiefs...wait, we're not the steelers

John__Cullen: @BrianMcGannon The Patriots have as many road wins as the Chiefs, not a good sign for a "Super Bowl contender"

JoshWebb29: I just flipped my Chiefs calendar to December and guess what player is now on the wall of my room?? Freakin Larry Johnson. Fail.

OrbSurge: HAS 1000000000000% faith in Todd Haley He will get KC where they need to be watch for an upswing and playoff run next year Chiefs 4 LIFE!!!

Chiefs Coach Haley Has No Answer For Fumbled Snaps

Joel Thorman — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:00:25 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

23 days ago: San Diego Chargers cornerback Paul Oliver, left, and linebacker James Holt celebrate a sack on Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel, lower right, as Chiefs center Rudy Niswanger (64) looks on during the third quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Browse more photos »

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said going into the game that his team had a few focal points. One of those was minimizing turnovers. Haley said that's always an emphasis with his team but especially yesterday against a good offensive team like the San Diego Chargers.

Problem is, the Chiefs didn't execute that point of focus. Four turnovers were the result of the Chiefs extra emphasis on protecting the football. Two of those lack-of-focus plays were errant snaps from center Rudy Niswanger.

The center-to-quarterback exchange isn't something the Chiefs have had a problem with during the regular season.

"I've not seen a problem with Rudy until today," Haley said. "Clearly, there were a couple of those that really hurt us. To this point, that's something that I've never seen as an issue with Rudy. It kinda came out of nowhere, I don't know. We'll have to study it.

"We've talked to him a little bit and he's a stand up guy. He's willing to take anything.

"But we're going to look at it and see if we put him in a compromising spot or what the deal was. So, that's that on the snaps."

Center's kind of a unique position in that teams generally don't shuffle them in and out during the season. Part of the reason behind a successful center-to-quarterback exchange is repetition, which you get throughout the course of a season.

I don't suspect Niswanger goes the way of other Chiefs that have screwed up and been deemed replaceable. The only other center option on the team is Wade Smith, who's also a backup for virtually every other line position, so that's not a likely scenario.

For now, I would imagine the Chiefs stick with Niswanger as the snap problem is hopefully correctable.

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

Steelers C Hartwig Talks About Nearly Signing With the Chiefs

Joel Thorman — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:04:30 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

Steelers C Justin Hartwig talked about nearly signing with the Chiefs. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Browse more photos »

The Kansas City Chiefs offensive line has been perhaps the biggest disappointment this season. From the running game to the passing game much of the blame is being heaped on the guys up front. For most of us, an offensive line upgrade usually includes the center, right guard and right tackle, in varying order of important.

Chiefs C Rudy Niswanger is one of the tougher players on the team but he has repeatedly been referred to by pundits as a player who could potentially be upgraded via the draft or free agency.

It almost wasn't like that though. Last year, veteran center Justin Hartwig entered free agency and narrowed his list down to two teams: Chiefs and Steelers.

"When I hit the free agent market," Hartwig told 610 Sports today, "it pretty much came down to the Chiefs and the Steelers. The Steelers persuaded me to come to Pittsburgh."

Hartwig is a KU grad so he had local connections.

"It would have been nice to be in my backyard in Kansas City but, obviously, things really worked out for me last year," he said.

Hartwig played all 16 games last season for the Steelers Super Bowl season. Prior to that, he had been on four consecutive losing teams.

He also said he's hoping the Steelers run the ball more against the Chiefs. The Pittsburgh offense has gone 82 rushing attempts, dating back to week six, without a rushing touchdown.

That's currently the longest streak in the NFL....now that the Chiefs finally scored a rushing touchdown last week.

A Few Chiefs Players Weigh In On Concussions in the NFL

Joel Thorman — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:29:38 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

Chiefs S Mike Brown (30) and C Rudy Niswanger discussed concussions. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Browse more photos »

A few Kansas City Chiefs weighed in on concussions in the NFL, which has become a pretty publicized issue in recent years. The NFL has put in a lot of measures to protect the players but how do you protect a guy that doesn't tell anyone he has a concussion?

"I've known of players hiding concussions," Chiefs C Rudy Niswanger said in quotes distributed by the other AP. "...Sometimes players aren't real sure. They hit their head, they get a little cuckoo for a little while. It happens all the time."

Chiefs S Mike Brown was also quoted as saying, "We're trained to play no matter what."

Brown says its possible some players play not even knowing they have a concussion. I've never played at that level but I would imagine adrenaline kicks in at some point and you could play through a concussion, or at least try to play through.

"If you can run, and you're able to focus and know your responsibilities," Brown said, "you're usually out there playing. You wouldn't have enough players if no one played hurt. Especially if you're, like, on special teams, you're going to do everything you can to stay in the game."

Chiefs receiver Bobby Wade has seen players suffering from the effects of concussions.

"You see guys with their eyes rolling in the back of their heads," Wade said. "You see guys shaking their head trying to get it together. If there was a doctor evaluating them, I'm sure they would say, 'Your brain has taken trauma."

Mike Wright, a defensive lineman for the Patriots, would disagree when it comes to concussions.

"I would not hide that," Wright said according to the other AP. "That's not something you hide. That puts you in a terrible position, as well as the team. I think that would be the worst thing you could do in a situation like that. So if I ever got a concussion, I would definitely tell. I don't know how you could hide a concussion."

Indeed there are two sides to this issue.

Kent Babb of the Kansas City Star wrote an article about a month ago that suggested the Chiefs head coach views injuries as a weakness, which would then for the players create a fear of revealing injuries.

I can't think of many concussion issues with the Chiefs this season. A few players have missed a practice or two because of head trauma. Then there are players like Brian Westbrook whose entire is in jeopardy because of concussions.

State of the AFC West Week 8

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:59:14 -0000

Good afternoon BFTBers, it's your old pal 'tec. We have 3 of the 4 AFC West teams in action during week 8, including the one inter-division game between the Raiders and our Chargers. The Chiefs had their bye this week, and the Broncos traveled to the east coast to take on Joe Flacco and the Ravens. Of course, we beat the Raiders 24-16, the Chiefs managed not to lose during their bye, and the Broncos are undefeated no more as the Ravens solved the Broncos enigma with a 30-7 beat-down. Let's take a look at the current standings.

AFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
Denver	6	1	140	96
San Diego	4	3	185	159
Oakland	2	6	78	201
Kansas City	1	6	105	181

(updated 11.3.2009 at 1:44 AM PST)

The Chargers are now 2 games back of the Broncos with 9 game to go. As we know, the remaining schedules for both teams favors the Chargers in terms of difficulty. The Chargers are 3-1 in division games (the one loss vs. Broncos) with 2 division games left (vs. Chiefs and @ Broncos). We travel to New York this week to face the Giants. The Broncos are 2-0 in division games with 4 left (vs. Chargers, @ Chiefs, vs. Chiefs, vs. Oakland). The Broncos stay at home to face the Steelers.

Read the rest after the hop!

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs spent the week on their bye after a beat-down by the hands of the Bolts. Of course, it was a pretty eventful week after all thanks to Larry Johnsongate. This has to be a huge distraction for a team that has already had a tough year. The good thing is that there is nowhere to go but up and perhaps suspending Johnson might bring him to his senses and allow the team to come together. (I doubt it). He will be suspended one week. In former Chargers news, it appears that WR Chris Chambers, cut by the Chargers on Monday, was claimed by the Chiefs today. It looks like Chris will play one more game at Qualcomm Stadium this season. The Chiefs travel to face the Jaguars this week. Their next division game is week 10 at the Raiders.

Kansas City Chiefs Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Branden Albert	ankle	11/02/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Jon McGraw	undisclosed	11/02/2009
Lance Long	concussion	11/02/2009

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Rudy Niswanger	knee	11/02/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Devard Darling	knee	09/01/2009
Jackie Battle	shoulder	10/14/2009
Colin Brown	undisclosed	09/05/2009

Oakland Raiders: The Raiders are another terrible team with additional off the field issues, with ESPN's OTL reporting Head Coach Tom Cable's past nefarious exploits with his lady friends. It is up to the emperor of the Raiders Al Davis, whether he stays or goes, but the Raiders say they will be investigating the allegations. We will have to wait and see how much longer Cable lasts and continue the coaching carousel by the bay. Meanwhile, the actual football team (and I use the term lightly), is taking their bye this week. It is a good time for the team to rest up, as we saw last week they had major injuries, including Robert Gallery who is a big part of their offensive line. WR Chaz Schilens also remains out. It's not like it matters much, since nobody is watching the games; mostly because the poor attendance at the games are creating local blackouts. The Raiders next division game is week 10 vs. the Chiefs. Look at that injury list! Who do they think they are, the Chargers?

Oakland Raiders Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cornell Green	calf	11/02/2009
Tony Stewart	chest	11/02/2009
Gerard Warren	toe	11/02/2009
Jon Alston	shoulder	11/02/2009
Ricky Brown	ankle	11/02/2009
Robert Gallery	fibula	11/02/2009
Tommy Kelly	elbow	11/02/2009
Chris Johnson	groin	11/02/2009
Chaz Schilens	foot	11/02/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
John Bowie	knee	09/30/2009
Oren O'Neal	ankle	10/14/2009

Denver Broncos: After a 6-0 start, the Broncos are undefeated no more after a 30-7 road loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Broncos will face another tough team this week, a MNF meeting with the Steelers at home. The Ravens seemed to solve the mystery of beating the Broncos, so we should look at this game in preparing for our second match-up with the Broncos. The Broncos special teams continued to struggle, allowing another kick-off for a touchdown, but we already knew that was a weakness. The Ravens were able to pressure Kyle Orton early, and apparently that threw him off of his game, which spread to the rest of the team. The Broncos seemed to be off all day, not executing like they had been in the rest of their games. The Broncos crossed over into Baltimore territory only 3 times all game, and got into the red-zone only once. The Denver defense is good, but not that good, and eventually they are going to get scored on. The key seems to be being able to disrupt the offense which starts with pressuring the QB. Orton isn't going to make many mistakes, but he's not a world beater either. With the Broncos D giving up 30 points on Sunday, the Colts take over as the best defense in football. The Broncos next division game is week 11 at home vs. the Chargers. The Broncos remain ridiculously healthy.

Denver Broncos Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Renaldo Hill	leg	11/03/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Nick Greisen	knee	08/05/2009
J'Vonne Parker	knee	08/08/2009

San Diego Chargers: First of all, apparently LB James Holt has been promoted from the practice squad. Now, you're going to have to find out from someone else who that is, because I have no idea. Maybe that Sliderockmpc guy, he seems to be pretty sharp. Anyhow, we all know that the Chargers front office pulled off yet another team shakeup, releasing Chis Chambers, who has already been picked up within the division by the Chiefs. These shakeups seem to be working, notwithstanding a closer than expected victory over the Raiders. Like Coach Hoke says, there are no good losses and there are no bad wins. Let's focus on our game this weekend in New Jersey. I bet there's probably at least one person that didn't know we were playing in New Jersey on Sunday. Over their three losses in a row, I've seen two big things about the Giants. First, Eli is still being bothered by his foot, in which he has plantar fasciitis. From what I know, this is not an injury that one gets over easily. Padre fans know that Kyle Blanks got it and was forced to sit out the last part of the season. Eli has been more inaccurate than usual because of the injury, which has been compounded by the fact that the Giants have been unable to get a running game going during the losing streak. Second, the Giants running defense has struggled, especially with runners up the middle. I posted a stat earlier in the week, but during the losing streak the Giants have allowed something like 7.6 YPC up the middle. Unfortunately, both of these weaknesses don't exactly translate to the Chargers strengths. We also have struggled this year with running offense and defense. On the bright side, at least I think LT has shown some substantial progress lately, and Shawne and Shaun also seem to be about to step up their game in a serious way. The Chargers next division game is week 10 at the Broncos. Tim Dobbins is going to be out a few weeks, maybe he'll come back the same time as Nick Hardwick. I'm hoping Kevin Burnett is healthy enough to play on Sunday, but I haven't heard anything.

San Diego Chargers Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Tim Dobbins	knee	11/02/2009
Nick Hardwick	ankle	11/02/2009

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Kevin Burnett	ankle	11/02/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Ryon Bingham	arm	09/05/2009
Jamal Williams	triceps	09/19/2009
Antwan Applewhite	hamstring	10/20/2009
Brandon Hughes	knee	09/02/2009

GO CHARGERS!

Poll

Can the Chargers come back and win the division?

Yes

482 votes

No

155 votes

637 votes | Poll has closed

Chiefs Center Returns to Practice While Two Safeties Are Absent

Joel Thorman — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:16:25 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

about 1 month ago: San Diego Chargers running back Darren Sproles (43) gets past Kansas City Chiefs safety Jon McGraw (47) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo. Sproles ran 58 yard for a touchdown on the play. The Chargers beat the Chiefs 37-7. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Browse more photos »

Kansas City Chiefs center Rudy Niswanger was a surprise return to practice this afternoon. Niswanger was carted off the field last week against the San Diego Chargers. Per Josh Looney, there are reports out there that it was a MCL sprain, which is the same injury that caused Matt Cassel to miss week one.

Depending on the severity, the injury usually takes 2-4 weeks to recover. Looney reports that Niswanger was "rather limited" on the field.

Looney also reports that both of the Chiefs free safeties, Jon McGraw and Jarrad Page, were absent from practice.

McGraw is still recovering from a leg strain last week. His timetable isn't known at this point. Page had a shoulder injury a few weeks ago but the reason for his absence isn't entirely known at this point (Update 4:15 PM: Haley says it's an injury, updates coming).

With the safeties out, nickelback Maurice Leggett and Ricky Price filled in. Price was signed to the practice squad last week.

Branden Albert was back on the field, as well, and appears ready to finally play this Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

As Looney points out, today is sort of a bonus day. Usually the Chiefs don't practice until Wednesdays, but with no game yesterday they're getting a jump start.

Chiefs Trying to Stay Healthy, Fill Running Back Void

Joel Thorman — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:27:28 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

about 1 month ago: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel (7) is hit as he passes by San Diego Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips (95) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chargers beat the Chiefs 37-7. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Browse more photos »

The Kansas City Chiefs are trying to stay healthy but that plan has been interrupted for the time being. Here are where the Chiefs stand with a few injuries and how they lined up in practice today (practice info courtesy Josh Looney of KCChiefs.com)

Offensive line

Wade Smith continues to take first team snaps at center as Rudy Niswanger misses his third consecutive practice.

Niswanger injured his knee on a quarterback sneak play last Sunday. The injury looked painful and he was ultimately carted off. Head coach Todd Haley indicated that he would be back this season and might even be back in time for the Chiefs next game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on November 8th.

Branden Albert continued to take first team reps at left tackle but, as Josh Looney of KCChiefs.com pointed out, he had a heavier limp than yesterday.

Running back

All other spots on the offensive line were business as usual but who will be running behind that line with Larry Johnson's set to miss at least the Jaguars game?

Jamaal Charles took reps as the first team running back. As we pointed out yesterday, Charles has had more than ten carries just once in his NFL career. I'm sure the Chiefs have a plan for the running game but I would guess that the plan doesn't include Charles taking all the snaps LJ used to get.

Dantrell Savage and Kolby Smith split time as Charles' backup. Savage, like Charles, has never been asked to consistently take the full load so it will be interesting to see how he fits in. Smith isn't technically on the active roster yet but with each day it looks like he will be come next Sunday.

Smith is the only running back with a history of taking a large grunt of the work.

Safety

Jon McGraw skipped out on the team portion of practice today as he continues to rehab what Haley called a strained leg.

Wide receiver

Interestingly, Bobby Engram took first team reps as the slot receiver. Lance Long was promoted from the practice squad last week and filled that role. He left last week's game with a head injury but appeared to be fine. He missed practice earlier this week, which appears to be a precautionary move.