SB Nation - Bobby Wade

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 12/15

NJ Chiefs Fan — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:59:09 -0000

Your daily dose of Kansas City Chiefs news from across the internet. Welcome back D-Bowe!

Todd Haley was happy with what he saw when No. 82 walked back into the building.

"He looked good," Haley said late Monday afternoon. "It looks like he did a good job of keeping himself in condition. You’re always happy to get back one of your best players."

Throughout his career, Bowe has dealt with weight problems during periods of inactivity. It happened to him after last season, and even during the five-week vacation the players had between the end of the Chiefs off-season program and the start of training camp.

D-Bowe Returns … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz

KC Star Photo Gallery: Chiefs vs Bills Tailgating

The last time he played for the Chiefs before his four-week NFL suspension, Dwayne Bowe had one of his best games of the season, catching six passes in a win over the Raiders.

The Chiefs welcomed Bowe back Monday and are eager to get him back in the lineup for this weekend’s game against Cleveland at Arrowhead Stadium. They aren’t necessarily expecting him to pick up where he left off.

"It’s unreasonable to expect him to come in and play as good or better as he was before he left," wide receiver Bobby Wade said. "The hardest thing about missing games during the season is the speed of the game. It’s going to be a challenge for him to play within his own realm and make the plays that come to him, but he’s capable of handling it. He’s got to let the game come to him and not stress about making a big play. He just has to play solid."

Bowe's back with Chiefs after suspension from KC Star

Matt Cassel had another shaky game. A mediocre rushing team ran all over the Chiefs' defense. The offense kept tripping itself up. Coach Todd Haley made a questionable call or two. Receivers dropped crucial passes.

The 10th loss was not a whole lot different from the others. It's almost as if the Chiefs are stuck in a "Three's Company'' marathon - each episode looking a whole lot like the last.

"I don't have any doubt we're making progress,'' Haley said. "It's tough when you look at the record and see that. I just go on what I see on a daily basis, during the game, after the game, certain responses by players, desire of the players to get better. We're making progress.''

Chiefs Still Making Same Mistakes from Sports Illustrated

Missed opportunities, questionable decision making and a half-full Arrowhead Stadium dominated the conversation following the Kansas City Chiefs 16-10 loss Sunday afternoon.

Twice Mark Bradley had his man beat in the end zone, and twice quarterback Matt Cassel overthrew the wide receiver; twice the Chiefs had the ball inside the 10 and came away empty handed on an unsuccessful Cassel run on fourth-and-one and an interception; and a team that needed to sell 3,500 tickets Friday witnessed countless empty seats as Arrowhead looked more like the site of a preseason game than a regular season contest.

Mistakes, Decisions Cost Chiefs Another Chance at Win from The Examiner

The Buffalo Bills had a big day running the ball on Sunday, rushing for 200 yards in a 16-10 win at Kansas City.

The Bills' maligned offensive line had a strong day blocking, as did other players as they paved the way for running backs Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch to have their best game as a tandem this season.

Jackson and Lynch also helped themselves with some smart, instinctive running.

It's been rare to see the Bills run the ball this well, so it is worth reviewing.

Bills replay: Running backs finally run wild from The Buffalo News

Valentine, a Pleasanton resident who runs a capital asset management company in San Ramon, has been an avid Denver Broncos fan since childhood, and had never met the Thomas family previously. But he had purchased at least a dozen footballs signed by Thomas, as well as other collectibles, shortly after Thomas died in 2000. The former Kansas City Chiefs player succumbed to complications related to injuries from an auto accident.

Eight years after purchasing the Thomas items — most of which had sat in storage — Valentine finally realized what the items were meant for when he saw the Thomas family, in particular the player's 12-year-old son, Derrius, at the Hall of Fame induction.

Valentine's generosity with the Thomases struck a chord with White.

Boss's Hall of Fame gesture wins admiration from The Oakland Tribune

The Lowest of the Lows for Chiefs WR Bobby Wade

Joel Thorman — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:00:24 -0000

The question was simple: Has it ever been this bad for you?

Bobby Wade seemed to struggle with the answer searching for the right words.

"No, not...no, not on this level. I had a couple losing seasons in Chicago early as a young player but after that second year the worse I've ever been is 8-8."

It's easy to forget sometimes that this is the lowest of the lows for a large percentage of the Chiefs players out on the field every Sunday. Not many teams lose on the level the Chiefs have this season and only a handful of teams lose this consistently over three seasons.

"This is a business," Wade said, "but it's also a sport. It's a game and it's meant to be fun."

"If you can't find a way to get back to work, be a professional, then get back on Sunday and find a way to perform then it's going to be a rough three weeks. I guess that's the challenge for everyone: find the love of the game, be professional, get better, and progress. Obviously, playoff hopes are out the window and we have to find a way to build going forward."

Wade was also asked in this tough time if any of the players quit.

"I can't evaluate that without looking at the film and even looking at the film it's not my job to evaluate it. I'm going to leave that to the coaches and let them do that."

"We had some guys out fighting and scratching, most of us."

Who Should the Kansas City Chiefs Cut, Re-sign, and Keep for 2010?

Jon Yoon — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:00:17 -0000

by Charlie Riedel - AP

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It's hard not to let my frustrations get the best of me when writing about this year's lowly Chiefs. Rather than vent and curse and scream, I'm going to instead focus my frustrations on a few specific players who I believe are bringing the team down. Some have played their way off the roster and probably out of the NFL; others have played their way out of a starting job; still others have been monumental disappointments.

Let's look at this position by position, starting with the offense.

Quarterback: I've been very patient with Matt Cassel. I understand the situation he's in--his supporting cast isn't great, his receivers are dropping easy passes, and his offensive line has been shaky and inconsistent in pass protection. I get all those things.

That being said, there are a few things that scare me about Cassel. Despite improved protection over the past few games, he is still inconsistent with his downfield throws. In many cases, he's not hitting his receivers in stride and he's making far too many goofy mistakes for a player of his experience level. The excuses are over. His pass protection has gotten better and he is now surrounded by a decent running game. Yet, we're not seeing much improvement from him. All that Cassel has done this season is prove that he's a lousy quarterback for three quarters, but a pretty decent one in the fourth quarter (assuming the Chiefs are still in the game).

I'm not saying Cassel has played his way out of the job, but he certainly hasn't done anything to justify keeping it or securing his place as the QB of the Future. It would be reckless for the Chiefs to enter this offseason without bringing in another strong option at QB. Worst case, Cassel ends up playing really well and the Chiefs can trade their backup away. If the Chiefs don't bring in a strong young option now, it could set the franchise back two or more years.

Because if there is any QB who can push Cassel for a starting job, he's not currently on the roster--Brodie Croyle is too injury prone and Matt Gutierrez is as big of a longshot as you'll find in the NFL. Cassel's poor performance this season has led me to question whether Pioli's loyalties might be clouding his judgment. I like Cassel. I like his work ethic and I want him to succeed, but if he becomes the indisputable starter going into 2010 with no competition, it will really compromise Pioli's no-nonsense, high accountability environment he's building toward. If Pioli is gung-ho about sticking with Cassel next season without bringing in a competitive option, he better be right, or else it could be a decision that haunts him for the rest of his career.

Stays: Matt Cassel (#1 QB), Brodie Croyle (#3 QB)
Bring in: Strong competing #2 QB Option
Dump: Matt Gutierrez

Running back: The good news is that Jamaal Charles is a legit primary back. He's done an incredible job of doing a lot with very little help up front. The play that sticks out in my mind was the toss sweep against the Broncos where he almost made it out to the edge, but couldn't make it there. From what I recall, the guy that got in his way was weakly blocked by Mike Cox. I remember thinking to myself: "Man, if that was Tony Richardson a few years ago, that guy would have been leveled!"

With better blocking up front, Charles has the potential to be a very good "lightning back" who can take on about 15-20 carries a game. He needs to be more careful with the football, but hopefully he can do that with some better awareness and maybe a little bit of strength training. The problem is, Charles is not a primary back in the way LJ was. He shouldn't be a workhorse back nor should he be an all-purpose back. We saw that on Sunday. The Chiefs seemed scared to pound the rock on the goal line. It's because they don't have a "thunder" back to bulldoze forward on short yardage situations. The Chiefs need one of those backs--a big bowling ball that wears out defenses and can muscle a few tough yards on short yardage situations. It would provide more balance to their running game and create a great change of pace for Charles' shifty running style.

Kolby Smith has had a nice little career for the Chiefs, but I wonder if he'll ever play a full season ever again. Outside of Charles and Smith, the options at halfback are not good. Almost everyone in this spot is expendable. However, it's possible the Chiefs keep one of them on the roster, simply because they just have too many needs to fill. At fullback, Mike Cox has effectively played himself off the roster. He doesn't block well, he doesn't run well, and he's been invisible in the passing game. What is it you'd say... he does here? There isn't a shred of a doubt that he will be out of a job in 2010. The Chiefs must bring in a legit Fullback. Must, must, must. And it's not like it's that hard. You can get a top-notch Fullback in the late rounds of the draft.

Keep: Jamaal Charles (#1 HB)
Dump: Mike Cox, Kolby Smith, Tim Castille, Javarris Williams
Possibly retain: Dantrell Savage
Bring in: "Thunder" back. Fullback. Both can be found late in the draft. A "thunder" back might be found on another team's scrap pile

Wide Receiver:

Boy oh boy. You would think that a team coached by a Wide Receivers coach would have receivers that were better at catching the football. You would think that players like Mark Bradley and Bobby Wade, who are hanging on to their roster spot by a very thin thread, would be trying just a little bit harder to compete for their jobs.

Dwayne Bowe is a given, though based on the way he's played this season, I'm not convinced he's a legitimate #1 receiver. Chris Chambers has probably earned his spot on the 2010 roster, although we should prepare for a potential sophomore slump as he had in San Diego. If the Chiefs can find a younger receiver with #1 playmaking capability, they need to break the bank and bring him in (which might mean cutting ties with Chambers). I don't think that will happen, so for now, Chambers is a solid stopgap option. Apart from that, no receiver has played well enough to justify keeping their job.

Bobby Wade, on the whole, has not been terrible. He played like he didn't care to be there against the Broncos, but in most games, he's been a relatively solid slot option. I can't see a situation where Mark Bradley is on this team next season. He has dropped way too many passes in key situations. Lance Long, as it turns out, is not Wes Welker. He's not Ricky Proehl. He's just a guy---pretty good at getting open, but wildly inconsistent at making the catch.

Keep: Dwayne Bowe
Likely keep: Chris Chambers
Bring in: Either a #1 receiver to replace Chambers, or a strong rookie prospect to be groomed to replace Chambers
Very on the bubble: Bobby Wade, Lance Long
Dump: Mark Bradley

Tight End:

Based on the way Haley likes to use Tight Ends, I tend to think he wants a multi-dimensional tight end moreso than a one-dimensional one. He may not want a Tight End who is only stellar at receiving. I don't think he'd mind having a Tight End who was primarily a blocker. Ideally, though, I think he would like a Tight End who was equally good at both.

Leonard Pope has been the sole bright spot at the position and that's not even saying much. Pope's role should really be more situational--a great backup, but not someone I'd like to see as an every-down starter. Sean Ryan does not belong on this roster. I have no idea why he's been here this long in the first place. He can't catch. He's a horrendous blocker. What exactly is his value to the offense? Brad Cottam isn't much better. You can't tell me there aren't better options on the street than these guys.

Keep: Leonard Pope (#2 TE)
Dump: Sean Ryan and Brad Cottam
Bring in: Anyone who isn't named Sean Ryan or Brad Cottam.

Broncos Thoughts and Musings 1.0

Emmett Smith — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:07:22 -0000

by Charlie Riedel - AP

13 days ago: Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton (8) passes while offensive tackle Ryan Clady, right, blocks Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Tamba Hali (91) during the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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This week brought some colder, wetter autumnal weather to southern California. It put me in the perfect mood to watch a lot of film and to take in all of the facets of a massive, overwhelming Broncos beatdown of the Kansas City Chiefs, right on their own turf. Despite all the press about the past, this is a new team and they took the opportunity to prove that to KC and anyone else who was willing to watch. It was close right up to the end of the first quarter, and quickly turned into a rout during quarter 3. I enjoyed every minute of it. While I wanted to have the Broncos put a headlock on the Chiefs I didn't expect Ryan Clady (photo) to take it quite so literally.

I also continued to look at past film, spending a little extra time on special teams. I'll talk more about them on Thursday, but this was plenty to get us started. Hats on? Goggles in place? Let's do it. In fact, let's start in Indianapolis.

Defense Wins Game

Did anyone catch the way that Indianapolis won over Tennessee? Tennessee was a hot as any team in gootball, but they fell short when they came up against the Indy defense. The Colts had not one but two goal line stands in a game that brought about a 27-17 win over the Titans.

As usual, they had help. Vince Young fumbled at the one on first and goal. A Titans guard, Eugene Amano (another of the great football names, being mano Amano) committed a holding penalty, but Indy held on all tries and a perfect fade route in the corner of the endzone one fourth down was foiled when rookie Jerraud Powers pushed fellow rookie Kenny Britt out of bounds before he could get both feet down. Clint Session had 12 tackles to lead the Colts and he was joined by a crew that just didn't let up.

I bring this up for a simple reason. When Kansas City was sitting at the one yard line on 1st and goal at the end of the 1st quarter, I wasn't even phased. No chemicals were involved in my level of calm - for once, finally, for the first time in years, I awaited not how KC would score but how Denver would beat them back. Despite the ease with which the Chiefs moved the ball to the one, I knew that they were 17 plays into their drive and that the more opportunities you give Mike Nolan up in the booth, the more likely it is that he'll solve what's happening and that one or more of the Broncos will make a play. That went strangely errant during the losing streak, but that feeling was back again on Sunday, as it had been against NY. The Broncos held KC to a FG. My only surprise was that they didn't just take it away entirely.

The Post said:

"Perhaps Elvis Dumervil, Bailey and the Broncos' fifth-ranked pass defense can negate the Colts' strength. Dumervil ran down Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel in the second quarter for his NFL-best 15th sack of the season. Unlike the Broncos' teams that took trips to Indy earlier this decade, Dumervil offers the chance to apply pocket pressure on Manning, and Bailey appears to have considerably improved secondary mates.

Ty Law has provided us with a veteran's skills at the cornerback blitz. He hits like a particle accelerator, giving us the Denver version of the Big Bang. H was a great pickup. I don't know the issues of contracts that well, so I'll assume that he was let go due to excessive dollars for expected performance, but here's his contract with us:

1/6/2009: Signed a one-year, $800,000 contract. The deal included a $200,000 signing bonus. Another $400,000 is available through incentives based on performance and playing time. 2009: $600,000

That's cheap for what he's bringing to us. He'll be a free agent in 2010, if the Broncos don't sign him to another 1 year contract. Based on what I've seen so far, they should.

Goodman and safety Renaldo Hill each picked off Cassel passes in the third quarter to set up scores. Brian Dawkins blew up a Kansas City first-and-goal-from-the-1 chance in the second quarter by tackling Jamaal Charles for a 3-yard loss and then delivering a blindside blitz to disrupt Cassel's third-down pass attempt. The Chiefs didn't have an answer.

"It's not for one guy," Dawkins said. "Champ does not have to be all over the place. Elvis doesn't have to make five sacks. There's always going to be somebody to make the play. To me, that's a telltale sign of a good defense.""

It is, and that's what I loved about watching the KC game. in every quarter, someone else stepped up. Orton had a 'bad' game but ended up with a 90+ QB rating for his efforts by making two nice TD passes, moving above 60% on his passing completions and by the team going 4 of 6 in the Red zone and nailing those other two as FGs. This is a team that can put together a whole game. Indy is as tough as there is in the NFL, but every team can be beaten. It will take a near perfect effort, though. Are the Broncos up to it?

There's another side to our preparation this week: Denver will be going up against Larry Coyer, who was fired as the defensive coordinator in Denver. While most such individuals claim that it's just a game, theey understand the business and that there is nothing personal in their feelings few of us believe taht and for good reason. It's the nature of the competitive individual to compete, to assert oneself and to repay old slights. Coyer had trouble making the adjustments that kept the Broncos competitive during some of the games and over the course of the season. He will be looking to show Denver that he's learned those lessons and put them to good use.

Two side notes -- Bobby Wade was the best Denver player to wear a Chiefs uniform on Sunday, contributing drops and misses to keep drives from scoring. Ti's always appreciated, but don't expect Indianapolis to be as accommodating. And if you didn't enjoy watching Peyton Hillis show folks that he's not done with Denver, you just aren't a fan. I don't know where they keep the 'yards after contact' stats for RBs, but I'd love to see how his stack up. Great power running against an exhausted KC defense.

Special Teams Fun

A most of you know, I've been tearing apart film recently in an attempt to get a better idea of why the losing streak was happening. Today is the start of some discussion of special teams. Much of today's info came from the KC game. I've got some more coming on Thursday. Theser are some qustions that I wrote down before hitting the film:

Who is blocking on the KO and punts, who stands out? Give me some names

I'll go with 4 - on KOs, Spenser Larsen and Peyton Hillis. I can add Robert Ayers - the more film I watch, the more he's in on the blocking. Quinn? You bet. He's been in on the blocking frequently, on the ST. Against the fake punt play in KC, which could have been another TD if complete, he made a veteran read and play. By the way, calling that play at your own 28? Wow. It seemed that Darcel McBath was caught out of position, following where he thought that play was going, which left the receiver, a center who lined up as an eligible receiver, wide open. Quinn made a totally heads-up play. Nice work, rookie. Quinn also blocked well, not letting up on his man, on the drive following Andre' Goodman's perfect INT on Cassel later that quarter.

For what it's worth, that seemed to be a badly thought-out play. It's a huge gamble, your offense is failing to make any yardage but you're still only down 14-6. Aren't you throwing in the towel when you do that? It lead to a FG that made it 17-6 and would later prove to put the game out of reach.

Who is standing out as a gunner?

David Bruton, Darcel McBath and now Spencer Larsen stand out, as does Richard Quinn, but Darrell Reid (who had 3 ST tackles on Sunday at KC) was also a factor in many plays. It's a nice thing when you need to list 5 good players. Josh Barrett also seems to always be around the ball - not yet making the tackle but fillig the right lanes and keeping the runbacks contained. Champ Bailey had a nice play on the kickoff following Prater's FG at 13:30 of the 3rd Q. He was there along with Spencer Larsen, who didn't get credit for that tackle but who was in on it. Wes Woodyard had two ST tackles of his own. There was a lot of praise to go around, and all of it deserved.

Did anyone notice that when Eddie Royal had some space to move in and come blocking that he was repeatedly able to gain significant yardage? The pattern of not stopping the offense until they are in the area of the 40s and then having Royal backed up to the goal line was broken by our defensive play and the difference was obvious.

He may not have caught a lot of passes but they had to account for him all day and his combined yardage was a thing of joy. The man can block, too. You might also want to go back and rewatch the Marshall TD from the 10 yard line - Marshall started on the right side of the formation, went in motion to the left and received the pass on the right. If Eddie Royal doesn't seal off #39, Brandon Carr, on that play, Marshall maybe gains 2. Instead, Royal drove his man out of the play for just long enough to let the Broncos start celebrating.

On the following KO, Alphonso Smith, Robert Ayers, Josh Barrett and Andra Davis were ready to tackle if Wesley Woodyard hasn't made a perfect takedown on the ball carrier. The Broncos were swarming on STs, and that's nice to see. They need to continue that level of play. They didn't, for 4 games, but have stepped up for the late season run.

Royal's runback at 13:00 of the 4th Q was a thing of beauty. I thought that he was going to waste another return by running vertically, but he faked that and turned upfield into a seam, pounding across into Chiefs territory and nearly breaking a final tackle at the end before being brought down by the kicker. Such a great job...getting the kicks with room to run makes it all work.

By the way, on the 44 yard FG kick following the fake punt, I loved hearing Dick Enberg say of Prater, "Oh, he's got a big leg.." Yes, he sure does. Both of our kickers seem to be gaining in strength as the season is moving along. That's always a nice feeling. By the way, just how the heck did Berger manage to get that punt off with Jovan Belcher in his face? Picked up a penalty, but managed to roll the ball along the sideline for long enough to make that punt a keeper. When you're on, you're on...

Team Game

Renaldo Hill made a great catch on a Matt Cassel throw for an INT but the real hero of the play was none other than Elvis Dumervil. Doom hit Cassel just as he released, driving him slightly backward and causing the pass to sail on him, leading to the INT. Great pressure creates great plays.

Buckhalter takes the rock for 12 to start the Denver drive after that play, but the heroes of that play were Ryan Clady and Spencer Larsen. Clady sealed off his man and Larsen free-lanced to the outside, taking the RDE (91, Tamba Hali) out of the play. Buck ran on past them and picked up 12, the last 3 by sheer force of will. On the next play, it was Larsen, Daniel Graham and Clady. Buck put on an amazing show. 113 yards on 10 carries? I don't recall seeing a performance like that recently , off the top of my head.

Talk about team - did you see Kyle Orton, blocking downfield for Marshall on the reverse? Sure, Marshall didn't make it to that second level, but you have to chuckle when your QB is finishing his blocks. I loved it.

If you blinked, you might have missed it so I'll pass it along. On the fumble forced by Mario Haggan and picked up by Andre' Goodman, in the background you could see Vonnie Holliday hammering his man into the turf so that he couldn't have a shot at getting to the ball or to Goodman. In a single heartbeat, Holliday went from fighting with his man to get to the ball carrier to fighting to drive him into the ground. Great job, heads up play. And, on the following KO, the Broncos filled their lanes to perfection, not permitting any chance of a good runback. The STs stepped way up last Sunday.

Rotating players - Darcel McBath and Marcus Thomas seem to make their presence known every time they step into the rotation. Kudos to both of them.

I'm embarrassed to admit that by the time Cassel completed a nice pass to Bobby Wade over the middle at the end of the third quarter, I found myself actually rooting for him to get one. It was that much of a beating - I knew that he couldn't beat us. I just didn't want to see the Broncos keep slaughtering him. In a few moments, the feeling passed, but it gives an idea of the kind of game it was. Vonnie Holliday sacked him on the next play anyway. The final play of that abortive drive was a hot route out of the shotgun, incomplete to Chambers. If Cassel had put it on the money it would have been intercepted by Renaldo Hill. The overage was as compete as the snow on the Divide. By the end of the 3rd Q, it was time for the mercy rule to kick in.

Variety is the Spice...

On the following series for Denver, backed up to their own 6 yard line. The Broncs came out with a nice little formation that should look familiar to those who read last year's Magic 3 article by Steve Nichols or my own followup to it. Denver brought Spencer Larsen up to just behind the LOS, to the right, with Daniel graham on the line to Polumbus' right and Tony Scheffler outside both of them, towards the right sideline. Moreno was in the backfield, Orton under center and Marshall split out wide to the left. It was essentially a Magic 3 formation, and Denver played with several variations of Multiple TE formations over the course of the game. I saw Quinn in for one of the other Magic 3's. They seem to be running out of it so far, which is fine. I await them using it to throw more - it will give the defensive coordinators fits. It's hard enough to step as a power running option.

Back to the Future

Does it seem familiar that Brandon Marshall is doing so well that teams are obligated to try and stop him, leaving the running game more room to maneuver and Royal a Chance to catch more balls? It should. The more that Marshall catches, the more that other players come open and the more big plays we will see. It was true las year and it is this year as well.

Speaking of the future - I loved that the Broncos when for the big play on 4th and inches at the start of the 4th Q. Moreno could have had 80 yards as easily as 18. Both Graham and Larsen handled their men perfectly. They caught KC in the perfect defensive formation for the playcall and the blocking was once again perfect. Complementary football is a beautiful thing, and watching Moreno make TDs is likely to become something of a habit.

On the following KO, Champ Bailey filled the middle, forcing the returner to pause and giving Mario Haggan (who wasn't credited) and Larsen (who was credited with the tackle) a chance to pounce. That's the kind of thing that only a film review really permits you to enjoy. Quite often, the player who makes the play possible isn't the player who makes the play. That's Broncos football in a nutshell.

Reader Mail

I heard back from Joel Griffin after last BT&N. Nice fellow. He had this to say:

I really enjoyed reading your film breakdown of the Denver Broncos. Without even reviewing the film I could have pointed fingers at Hochstein & Polumbus - but you did an excellent job of highlighting their ridiculous errors. Graham was called for 2 more holding calls on Thanksgiving that resulted in 38 rushing yards coming back for Moreno so I wouldn't go letting him off the hook for his inconsistency yet...

Good points, Joel. Daniel Graham is a huge player, a game-changer when he's on. When he takes a play off by committing a foolish penalty I want to growl at him but he always rebounds for us. That's been a pattern with him for a long time, and he's worth the aggravation of a few plays, although I still hope the grows out of it. I loved his TD play at KC and that's typical of his abilities. Scheffler had a big drop, but also got a PI call that moved the chains and he added a 19 yard reception. I loved seeing Peyton Hillis taking people apart in garbage time. I still think that there's a place for that man in the RB rotation, but time will tell. Buck seems to be chewing up the field again - a 9.4 YPC AVERAGE? Ok, he was a prescient pickup by McD and Co. Nice work by Knowshon Moreno, too. A team ypc of 5.1 really does help the game along...

A Final Thought

One of the things that is being lost in all the perspectives of the last couple of weeks is this: Denver is finally getting to the point where they can be more of a 'big strike' team. No, that doesn't mean that they will change from the short yardage offense that they began with, but it does mean that they have other options when they need them. Marshall's 47 yard run is one example, the increase in longer plays is another. This is a team that is still finding out how good it is. The players needed to get used to the schemes and to each other, but that's happening much as I and many others predicted early in the season. It's great to see.

I'll be back for the usual Thursday Broncos Thoughts and Musings, but too much happened this week to summarize quickly. Let's hope that the injuries are minor, that Denver realizes that they can compete with anyone if they play at their best and that a surprise awaits Indianapolis when we travel there next weekend.

Go Broncos!

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 12/7

NJ Chiefs Fan — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:43:19 -0000

via KansasCity.com

Your Kansas City Chiefs News. Got to warn you guys, it ain't pretty. Today's Arrowheadlines will be tweet free. I have to freeze my tail off on a train platform in a few minutes. At least I'll get to swing by and see the tree at 30 Rock. Happy Monday.

87-27
In the last two Sundays, the Chiefs have played the two best teams in the AFC West. They lost both games. They didn’t just lose them, they got smacked by the Chargers last Sunday and then by the Denver Broncos on this Sunday.

The Chiefs 44-13 loss was complete; all three phases of the game contributed to the 31-point beatdown. It’s the worst home loss for the Chiefs since the Chargers blasted them by 30 points (37-7) back in late October. The trip through franchise history for a worse home loss goes all the way back to 1976, when the Pittsburgh Steelers won at Arrowhead by 45 points (45-0).

The frustration meter in the Chiefs locker room was pegged after this game.

Top Of AFC West Falls On Chiefs Again; Broncos Win 44-13 from Bob Gretz

KC Star Photo Gallery: Broncos 44, Chiefs 13 | Sunday, Dec. 6

The Chiefs’ 44-13 loss to Denver at Arrowhead Stadium — the first time in 26 years the team allowed 40 points in consecutive games — hid any progress that Kansas City seemed to have made as of last month, when the Chiefs upset Pittsburgh for their second win in a row.

The locker room is a bleak place after days like this. Players shower, pack and depart without saying much. Another loss. Not many fresh ways to describe it. But there was a question that needed to be asked Sunday: Do players see progress?

Chiefs’ 44-13 loss to Broncos makes progress hard to detect from KC Star

On a day when they honored the great Derrick Thomas, the Chiefs did not live up to his memory in any fashion. If D.T. was watching, he certainly at some point had to say WTF!

Every week, Todd Haley likes to talk about the progress his team is making. He should check his eyes, because any sign of progress on Sunday against Denver was but a mirage.

"We took a big step back the last two weeks," said QB Matt Cassel, who got benched in the fourth quarter because he was having such a miserable day. "Last week against San Diego got out of hand and this week got out of hand."

The Chiefs never had any hand on this cold, cloudy day. They have played some awful football in the last three seasons, but nothing matched what they did in the second half of this 44-13 loss to the Broncos. It was an embarrassment of the highest football order as the Broncos scored 20 points in the third quarter and blew open a game that were likely to win anyway.

Column: A Difference In Approach from Bob Gretz

"He had a perfect game," Dorsey said. "He applied pressure and was in their backfield all day. I told Tamba I have to take him out to eat or something. Every time he was getting back there, I was getting a fumble (recovery)."

Thomas’ No. 58 was retired Sunday in conjunction with his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year. At halftime, the Arrowhead crowd was treated to highlights of Thomas’ career, only moments after Hali replicated the way Thomas terrorized quarterbacks.

On the second play after the 2-minute warning in the second quarter, Hali roared in from behind and sacked Orton for a 7-yard loss. On the next play, Hali reached Orton again, and not satisfied with merely getting the sack, he stripped Orton of the ball — much as Thomas did in his heyday.

Hali does a good Derrick Thomas impression against Broncos from KC Star

It’s not hard to understand why Todd Haley would say yes to the fake punt play that his special teams coach Steve Hoffman drew up. The Chiefs record was 3-8 at the time and they were down 14-6 to the Broncos and had just come off a very unproductive first half.

That lack of efficiency and production continued on the first possession of the second half. RB Tim Castille ran for two yards. QB Matt Cassel threw away the second down pass because of pressure. A third-down pass to TE Leonard Pope fell incomplete.

As far as the head coach was concerned, it was time to take a chance, roll the dice, nothing to lose but another game.

Fake Failure Starts Disaster from Bob Gretz

Will Matt Cassel be the Chiefs starting quarterback next Sunday when they host the Buffalo Bills?

"Yes," said head coach Todd Haley.

How long that might continue is now something that will be debated from tap rooms, to discussion boards and talk shows.

Cassel was simply awful on Sunday against the Denver Broncos. His numbers reflected that, as he completed 10 of 29 passes for 84 yards, with two interceptions and no touchdown passes. His passer rating of 14.6 is the worst of his 26 NFL starts. His completion percentage of 34.5 percent is the worst of his 26 NFL starts. His 2.9 yards per attempt was the worst … you get the picture.

Cassel’s Season Goes From Bad To Worse from Bob Gretz

Your Whitlock Alert (though you should read it)

Cassel’s 14.6 QB rating for the afternoon wasn’t all his fault. His receivers, particularly Bobby Wade, dropped numerous passes, failed to complete routes and generally conducted themselves as if they had little interest in risking a Brian Dawkins mouth shot.

So much for the myth that this Haley-coached team never quits. His players don’t care that he yells and screams anymore, if they ever did. He’s getting tuned out. In the first quarter, Wade shouted back at his coach and had to be restrained by his teammates.

The scare-and-intimidation tactics by Haley and Pioli aren’t a viable long-term plan. This "process" is immature. You can see it in the players’ uneven performance and demeanor. Even a proud, distinguished veteran like Mike Vrabel is beginning to crack.

When the Broncos converted a fourth-and-inches into a fourth-quarter touchdown, Vrabel flipped his middle finger to the Denver bench as he walked off the field.

"I was frustrated," said Vrabel, the former Patriots star. "I’ve been on the other end of one of those (blowout victory) and it’s a lot of fun. Well, now I’ve been on the other side, and it’s not good."

Chiefs are going the wrong direction from KC Star

Tamba Hali wasn’t talking to the media after Sunday’s game. It’s something he’s done all year. He wants his play to speak for him.

Well, on Sunday against the Broncos, Hali’s play was shouting. In a lost season, Hali continues to play at a level far above the 3-9 record that he’s part of with the ‘09 Chiefs.

His teammates spoke up for him on Sunday after Hali had 10 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles.

"Frustrated by the game," OLB Mike Vrabel said in the Chiefs locker room. "You don’t envision it going the way that it goes. We’ve got good players. It’s sad that we couldn’t win for a guy like Tamba who played his ass off.

"We just need to try and play up to what Tamba and guys like him are doing. If we win, it’s a great story. Instead, we’re all just frustrated and upset."

Tamba, Broncos & Notes, Oh MY from Bob Gretz

"It was such a special time for all of us in the organization," said Schottenheimer, 101-58-1 in 10 seasons as Chiefs head coach. "We had some terrific people, not only just players, but people throughout the organization, and it was a terrific time."

Derrion Thomas, one of Thomas’ children, attended the ceremony even though his team, Fort Scott Community College — where he is redshirting — was playing in the junior college national championship game on Sunday.

"It was a nice experience … a little cold," Derrion said of the halftime ceremony. "But it was a pretty good turnout (despite) the weather."

Chiefs blitz | Derrick Thomas honored at halftime from KC Star

As for the Chiefs, Schottenheimer said he’s confident Todd Haley can revive a club that has lost 32 of its last 37 games.

"There are things to be done, and they’re working on them," Schottenheimer said. "I’ve known Todd Haley for years through his father, Dick, and I think they’re going to get it headed in the right direction.

"These things don’t turn around … it’s not like taking a little 26-foot deck boat and turning it around. It’s like taking an ocean liner and turning it around."

Chiefs notes | Schottenheimer to coach East-West game from KC Star

When this dismal season comes to a merciful end, the Chiefs will have plenty of misery to look back on.

None will stand out more than a 12-minute stretch to begin the third quarter of Sunday’s 44-13 loss to the Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium. Nothing the Chiefs did worked as they allowed the Broncos to outscore them 20-0 and increase their halftime lead of 14-6.

"It was a pretty rough stretch," said Chiefs backup quarterback Brodie Croyle, a prominent figure in the play that sent the quarter spiraling downward. "Once it starts, we can’t let it snowball."

It started with coach Todd Haley’s decision to order a fake punt on fourth and 8 from the Chiefs’ 28 early in the period. Croyle was sent into the game in punt formation.

Third quarter turns into nightmare for Chiefs from KC Star

Bumped and bruised after a day under intense scrutiny from the Denver Broncos, Jamaal Charles finally got the full feeling of what it’s like to be the featured back for a woeful team.

It’s no wonder that after the Chiefs were routed 44-13 on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, Charles sounded a lot like Larry Johnson might have.

"Somebody besides me," Charles said, "has got to step up and make plays."

Charles scored the Chiefs’ only touchdown on a 4-yard run in the fourth quarter. But he had little help from his teammates and was obviously frustrated by another day of his team’s offensive futility.

"This is happening a lot around here," Charles said. "It’s embarrassing."

Loss leaves Charles feeling sore from KC Star

Bobby Wade Is Upgraded on Chiefs Depth Chart

Joel Thorman — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:02:28 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

20 days ago: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Chris Chambers, left, reaches over the goal line with a seven-yard touchdown while being tackled by San Diego Chargers' Antonio Cromartie during the second quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday Nov. 29, 2009 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Browse more photos »

Last week, Mark Bradley was listed as the receiver opposite Chris Chambers. This week, Bobby Wade slides on up to that spot.

Wade had two receptions for 20 yards yesterday. He was inactive for the first two games of the Chambers era but coach Todd Haley was quick to emphasize that it was just a numbers game at the time.

Bradley registered no catches in yesterday's game. He was remembered for a drop near the first down marker.

The other changes are minor.

Safety: DaJuan Morgan is the No. 2 FS and SS with Maurice Leggett to IR

Kick returner: Quinten Lawrence takes Dantrell Savage's No. 2 spot on kick returns.

Early in the season, the Chiefs depth chart had been talked about because there were so many changes week to week. But as the season progresses there are few (if any) changes.

Injuries and the NFL

Emmett Smith — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:34:36 -0000

More photos » by Jack Dempsey - AP

22 days ago: Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) makes a catch while being defended by New York Giants cornerback Corey Webster (23) during the third quarter of an NFL football game in Denver, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009. Denver won 26-6. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Browse more photos »

Hidden Injuries and Concussions: The Direction of Healthcare for Players

"A man's own observation, what he finds good of and what he finds hurt of, is the best physic to preserve health." Sir Francis Bacon

It isn't news that football is a rough, hard-hitting sport. Our modern combination of the stratagems of chess and the violence of unarmed territorial warfare has a bare-knuckle history, in which simply being willing to use the forward pass was once considered a sign of weakness; in which playing hurt was and is a mark of excellence rather than a failing and which sometimes pits the health of the players against the financial and strategic considerations of the teams and the league itself. Football is still constantly finding and reinventing itself, just as it has over the past 100 years. One thing that has changed over those scores of years is the perspective of players and fans alike: We are discovering that while we will cheer on anything that brings victory a step closer, fans and the league increasingly also want the best for the health of the players. It's leading to a sea-change in the way that we observe and handle the issues of injury in the NFL.

The owners and players alike are also embroiled in a burgeoning snare on the subject of healthcare practices by the teams. The NFL has been guilty of fighting a rear-guard action against the rights of the players to obtain a fair and unbiased diagnosis when problems don't respond to the normal or entrenched processes of diagnosis and treatment. This has long been a serious concern within the league, but both the owners and the players' sides have generally avoided any actions that could threaten their own situations. While I'd prefer to see an even higher level of leadership on the issues of player healthcare, certain steps are being taken, and I don't minimize that fact. It's a welcome change, and it is getting more central to the situation each day.

In the past year, the AFC has brought forth a couple of prime examples of the difficulties and the contradictions that are created by this problem. Denver fans were treated to this up close as Brandon Marshall, last summer, chose to vent in the media about his issues regarding his hip injury. In San Diego, Antonio Cromartie also dealt with the subject of a hip injury that tainted his last season. The two cases, while similar on the surface, seem somewhat different as we dig deeper.

Marshall's case tells us something that is often hard for fans to understand. In medicine, even if everything is done properly there is no assurance that the league's doctors (or any others) will ever be able to spot and treat every problem, every time. Marshall complained of pain in his hip during the 2008 season, but despite two series of MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging, one of the most advanced diagnostic tests currently available) nothing appeared on the films. Marshall felt betrayed by this turn of events. While Brandon's disquietude about last year's injury is understandable, he was also ignoring something that people may misunderstand: Our current levels of diagnostic testing simply don't show all injuries. The magnetic resonance imaging process is a remarkable and valuable tool most of the time, but there are many kinds of joint injuries that simply don't show up on that scan. He received two such scans, and both came back 'clean', making it impossible for the team doctors to make a further diagnosis at that time. Marshall is expecting all tests to show accurately and fully the problems that he experienced, and that just isn't reasonable. But there is a precedent here that entitles him to wonder and to need reassurance on this subject: The NFL has been complicit in the past regarding poor diagnosis and care of injuries.

As is sometimes the case, Marshall should also reflect on the fact that he has a history of being less than fully concerned with his practicing and playing time. Ironically, this time he was actually injured. In 2007, Mike Shanahan had to threaten him to get him back to practice during training camp. It seems likely that his previous incident influenced the coaches inappropriately but understandably. Moving forward, it's worth noting that neither side was at fault when he had physical issues last summer, and that's exactly what both sides want.

It was a very different case regarding Cromartie's hip-injury situation. As Michael Silver noted in his June 2, 2009 column, Cromartie suffered a broken hip in the second quarter of SD's Week 2, 2008 game against Carolina, yet he played out the season on that fracture. Cromartie's performance suffered greatly that season, and he's been on record as feeling that the hip injury was at the heart of that drop-off. The team, in degree, countered that it was up to him to make it clear how bad his situation was becoming. While it's fair to say that he needed to step up and be more proactive regarding his health, there are at least four reasons why that wasn't done:

Because the owners and management don't want to hear it. Right now, the team's physicians are paid for by the individual teams. As long as that's true, the diagnosis can always be suspect if it later appears that everything necessary wasn't done. Since every team has to have a medical staff, those same dollars could be provided by an independent medical house operating within, but not as a part of the league. That would go a long way to creating at least an appearance of propriety. There isn't going to be a perfect solution to this one, but we can at least make an effort.
Because the fans don't want to hear it. Spend a little extra time this season paying attention to the waves of accusations on the internet that this player or that one is 'soft'. People are people, and the willingness to believe that others should live up to a standard that none of us would want to is just an aberrant part of human tendencies.
Because the coaches don't want to hear it. Coaches famously believe that letting another team know what your weaknesses are will mean more losses, and in a league where the coaches keep their jobs by winning, anything that smacks of a lost edge is going to be ignored whenever possible.
Because the players themselves don't want to hear it. Players don't get points or paychecks for sitting on the bench or in the whirlpool. They lose their jobs. Just as difficult, the players who feel themselves to macho to admit how much pain they're in will often later argue that their pains should have received greater credence. They also are in a Catch-22 - if they don't say something, later that can come back on them. If they do, they run the risk of incurring the team and/or the coaches discomfort, as well as it influencing their own professional self-image. There is no perfect solution for human nature, but improvement should be possible with a better dialogue among the parties involved here.

Concussions and the Players

The most most important coverage that the players have been receiving of late has centered on the issue of head injuries. Long misunderstood, traumatic brain injuries have been a thorn in the side of healthcare because we have tended to take a particular position regarding them. In medicine, we have often been guilty of trying to apply 'scientific' standards that are contrary to common sense and personal respect. We have often claimed that if our testing doesn't clearly show a particular symptom or disease state, the problem doesn't exist. Because our testing abilities have lagged behind the severity of the problem in the past, we lacked a definitive test for head injuries. Doctors have too often used this as a crutch to claim that we can't observe the symptoms and believe the patient regarding them. Problems with pain have presented us the opportunity to avoid the problem, rather than a chance to improve our diagnostic abilities. That has led to problems, since we like to claim that the players are 'faking' their problems. It's been a neat way to avoid accepting responsibility to the damage that the game has done to thousands of retired players. Finally, testing and research have improved, and the problem is being approached more directly. We are beginning to see that change.

Dr. Ira Casson has become a lightning rod for anger on the part of the players and the public. He was formerly the co-chair of the concussion committee. Casson has consistently taken the perspective that we can't diagnose mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injuries, that the major concussions are not the problem that many now feel that they present and that the NFL has done everything possible and reasonable under the circumstances. The only problem with his position is that he reached it before sufficient research was done and he has maintained that position despite mounting evidence that he's wrong. He's the problem in miniature, a perfect example of why not enough has been done, but things are happening that show people like him for the paid shills that some of them are. As a result of public opinion and even congressional distaste for their position, the owners are accepting of the fact that the status quo won't stand. On Tuesday, Casson and another doctor, Dr. David Viano, both offered their resignations. Goodell has promised to replace them with individuals whose agendas are based in medicine, rather than politics.

Even with the improvement offered by the replacement of these two men, it's important to note just how it was that they came to be heading this committee. They were brought in to replace Dr. Elliot Pellman, who resigned in 2007 after strong criticism of his work and indications that he had exaggerated several aspects of his medical education and professional status in official biographical sketches and a résumé prepared for Congress. Since the NFL let him go to bring in two more doctors whose professional ethics seem less than optimal, you can understand if the players don't embrace the new hires with open arms..

The Concussion Dilemma

When treating a problem, the first thing that you have to do is to be able to diagnose it. One of the problems in doing so is the crying lack of understanding of the concussion problem on the part of the coaches and players. Consider these quotes from AP, posted on nfl.com:

"You know how a bell vibrates? That's how my brain was going at that time," Cartwright said. "I think five minutes later, I came back to myself. I went back out there and played football."

"You get back up, and things are spinning," Giants backup quarterback David Carr said, "but you don't tell anyone."

Now the NFL wants players to keep tabs on each other and tell their teams if they believe someone else has a head injury.

"Part of the game," Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend said.

"We're obviously concerned by the data and by the information," NFLPA assistant executive director George Atallah said. "We believe that there's more relevant data and information that the league has on these issues that we'd like for them to share with us in confidence."

During the AP interviews, some players quickly replied that they never had a concussion, then realized they weren't sure, such as Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Chris Hovan a 10-year veteran, who said: "I probably was just too young and too dumb to realize it."

Not that it's necessarily easy to miss -- or mask -- the symptoms.

"Everyone can clearly see that you have a concussion: You are walking around like you are drunk," Seattle Seahawks' defensive back Roy Lewis said.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Bobby Wade told the AP he has never tried to hide a concussion but is sure it happens frequently in the NFL.

"You see guys with their eyes rolling in the back of their heads," he 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.'"

In addition to these quotes, Vonnie Holliday, defensive end for the Denver Broncos stated, "(It's like) being in a car crash 20, 30 times a game. I do often think about the damage I'm doing to my brain and my nervous system. When does it catch up with you?"

What these quotes show concerns me deeply: There is still a great deal of misinformation out there. Contrary to what Roy Lewis and others believe, everyone cannot see that you have a concussion. Quite the contrary - one of the great problems with concussion is that many of them have hidden perils. People who know you may not understand why you've begun to become less focused or more irritable, but the symptoms may be hard to separate out from day to day life. Players believe that if they had a concussion they'd know it, but the reality is that most concussed individuals really can't tell at all. As the number of concussions - and this includes the so-called 'minor' concussions, which can easily become cumulative - the player himself may not have a clear way to tell if he's not improving or is getting worse.

One part of the solution has been identifying cutting-edge clinical environments like the University of Pittsburgh, where first Michael Westbrook and then Clinton Portis went to have their concussions checked and their future play considered. There is no lack of good facilities that can help the NFL with this problem. The problem has been getting the NFL to make use of the independent programs that are already in existence. By adding their expertise to the formula, the players can be assured of getting high-quality, independent healthcare advice. That provides a precedent that should be widely applied.

A Word from The Dude: Gambling, Fantasy Football, and Injury Reports

The NFL is no stranger to gambling. Even its founders had links to legal gambling with the likes of bookmaker Tim Mara (grandfather of Giants owner John Mara) and Art Rooney, who, in part used his winnings from gambling to buy the Pittsburgh Steelers (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124511421029417367.html). The recent NFL, however, has tried to distance itself from the gambling industry, while at the same time benefiting outrageously from the NFL's popularity with gamblers. In any given year, there can be in upwards of $100 million wagered on the Super Bowl alone. And there are hundreds of millions more being wagered during the season.

The somewhat recent popularity of fantasy football has also provided a boon to the NFL. It's estimated that almost 20 million people play fantasy football and it's annual revenues are somewhere in the range of $3 billion (http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201804513). Fantasy football encourages fans to watch more games until the final whistle, and follow more teams and players--all in turn benefit the NFL's lucrative TV deals.

Which brings us to the weekly injury reports each team puts out during the season. Have you ever asked yourself why they exist at all? Sure, on one level, they exists to make sure each team has a "level playing field" as they prepare for each other. But that's hardly the real reason. The real reason injury reports exist is for fantasy football and for gambling, not for player safety.

Before we assume nefarious behavior on the part of the NFL, there's a legitimate reason for this. As Mike Sliver points out in his excellent column from Yahoo Sports from June 2nd, 2009, "...the NFL's [injury] policy isn't a principled stand for truth and transparency. Rather, the league is looking out for the interests of gamblers - not altruistically, but in an effort to keep them at bay. If injuries are reported in a uniform and reasonably accurate manner by all teams, there is a far lesser chance that high-stakes gambling interests might be empowered to purchase inside information from, say, an assistant equipment manager in the know."

In other words, the NFL is the ultimate want-your-cake-and-eat-it-too league. On one hand, they are happy to gorge themselves on the TV deals, advertising revenues, and merchandise sales that are driven by a gambling and fantasy football crazed populace, but at the same time, they don't want to be influenced directly by these powerful concerns. Unfortunately, player safety hasn't been included with the cake. That is slowly starting to change. - TJ

NFL Spine Centers

There are good steps being taken that I want to support and publicize. In one, the NFL has opened a series of what are being called Spine Centers. Spinal impacts also can have extended neurological effects. Given the nature of the sport, that is going to happen in some cases, but such problems have to be expertly diagnosed and extensively monitored. I wanted to take this opportunity to extend my thanks and appreciation to the new NFL Spine Centers. These centers may end up providing a partial template for addressing concerns like the one's listed here.

The NFL Spine Centers are a response to the adage that an ounce of prevention will save a ton of greenbacks, not to mention a life of pain. Early diagnosis and treatment is the cornerstone to an effective approach to minimizing the difficulties of living with long-term spinal damage by the retired NFL players. Each medical center provides an orthopedic spine surgeon who serves as a program director and coordinates the services of a team of healthcare professionals in the evaluation and treatment of the former players. The team includes a neurosurgeon and a physiatrist as well as a wide spectrum of other professionals. While the next step can and should be the formation of similar centers for current players, I want to applaud all sides for putting together and funding this project.

It's a good first step and it may provide a template for a way to improve the situation. Each team currently maintains its own staff of paid doctors who are responsible for decisions regarding the players' health. Since those physicians are paid by the teams, questions of conflict of interest are inevitable. Anytime you see a situation like Marshall's or Cromartie's, you have to question whether or not the doctors involved let their loyalty to their source of income overcome their oath to the profession. Since you cannot fully discern where such a line gets drawn, it becomes necessary to consider the possibility of having a neutral party in on the decisions. In this case, the Spine Centers provide that party. Congratulations, folks. Well done!

Solutions

There has been considerable movement on this group of subjects, those that involve the health and healthcare of the players. Rodger Goodell has been making an attempt to be fair in his handling of this circumstance. A committee of current and former coaches, led by legendary former coach John Madden, a master of malapropisms, speaks by phone with Goodell every three weeks about safety issues and reports to the league's competition committee. Madden's group will make formal recommendations in February.

Tony Dungy has also stepped in -- The league selected the former player and coach to coordinate the Player Advisory Forum. Dungy, who brings an instant air of respectability, will select players to attend meetings in various cities around the league to receive input, comments and criticism about various league matters, including the NFL's player conduct policy and player safety issues. Among those whose knowledge he is drawing on are Broncos safety Brian Dawkins, linebacker Ray Lewis and quarterback Kurt Warner.

USA Today's Jarrett Bell has reported that the NFLPA has formed its first committee on head injuries just in the past few weeks. While long overdue, I applaud the steps that are being taken. Their committee is being headed by Arizona Cardinals special teams ace Sean Morey. The NFLPA has identified head injuries as a priority that they will continue to address during the new CBA negotiations. The recent congressional hearings also have shown a public spotlight on the problem and that makes it less likely that the owners and management group will be able to sweep this under the mat any longer.

The plight of retired NFL players has drawn increased scrutiny as well. Former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka has been instrumental in getting this problem into the public spotlight. Punch-drunk ex-players, many (most) of whom are also suffering rheumatic and degenerative physical conditions are a substantial and growing problem and that has now been accepted as fact by all but the most recalcitrant doctors and authorities. Funding the solutions will be a constant fight, but the simple agreement that a problem exists is a step in the right direction.

All parties will now agree, at least in principle, something needs to be done to address this. The NFL has drawn a lot of well-deserved flack for the fact that they battled against admitting this problem to exist, but they have been exposed recently. House committee hearings served to remind the owners that they have an anti-trust exemption at the whim of Congress and that violations of the public trust can lead to changes in that exemption.

Where Do We Go from Here?

As the Collective Bargaining Agreement lapses, this is a good time for the NFLPA to bring the subjects to the bargaining table. Otherwise, fully funding insurance, health care costs and retirement for players whose bodies have been decimated by the game of football could eventually bankrupt the sport. Look at the situation with General Motors for a down-the-pike, real-world example of the issues that the NFL may end up facing. It is essential to the long-term health of the sport as well as its players that the situation be looked at objectively and that steps must be taken to solve this growing problem.

Making sure that players have access to outside, neutral second opinions is a minor step in this process. Establishing protections for players who admit to the severity of their injuries will at times be difficult, but initial steps in that direction should be considered. The game is tainted when players are forced to play when dangerously injured. Giving them a chance to deal appropriately with their injuries when they occur (rather than after the site of injury has been increasingly damaged by playing through them) would save big dollars down the road. It would also permit those athletes the recognition of a measure of decency and humanity.

Since the dollars are going to be spent on doctors and equipment which have the responsibility for giving unbiased diagnosis and rational treatment to players when the players are injured, it behooves the sport to lock into the next agreement a provision that will establish a system that is independent of the owners purse strings. We know from history that such system are flawed from their inception: healthcare has to be independent of financial rewarding of the doctors by one side or the other if it is to be accurate and fair. Whose pockets this comes from is an important question: the players will benefit the most from such a change and they should look at their own responsibility in funding part of the costs. The owners now cover such costs and they should not be permitted to foot-drag in donating a similar percentage to the solution. Again, the Spine Centers have provided a basis to discuss this further. We also have the growing influence of Sean Morey's group, Dungy's group and John Madden's committee. Ditka and other have brought the problems of retired players into the public eye. There is a growing sense of optimism regarding the direction the circumstances are going it.

Whatever the final solution or solutions may be, it should live up to the following standards: It must be financially independent of either side. It should take advantage of facilities, clinics and programs that already exist and which are considered at or near the top in their fields. There must be a high level of transparency, with the results available to all appropriate parties. Last, all new research must be openly explored and embraced in an attempt to continue to improve the quality of care for the players, past, present and future.

You can see the change beginning. The NY Times had this to say:

"George Atallah, the players union's assistant executive director for external affairs, said in an e-mail message that his organization had been speaking with N.F.L. officials for two weeks about implementing some sort of independent scrutiny for players who receive concussions - perhaps including an outside doctor present at every game. He said that the union's medical director, Dr. Thom Mayer, "has personally approved and reviewed doctors for roughly one-third of the teams," suggesting that the union would cooperate on the program."

In addition, Commissioner Roger Goodell has agreed that bringing in more outside specialists is in everyone's best interest. These are decisions that are going in the right direction for the players and for the sport.

On Monday, November 23, 2009 Thom Mayer announced that 1/2 the NFL teams, plus the players union have agreed upon independent specialists (up from 1/3) to evaluate head injuries. While the other half of the teams need to get on with their obligations, this is a wonderful step in an important direction. Using this same approach to redesigning the medical system in the NFL is an ongoing challenge, but moving in the direction of independent examination and treatment is a huge step.

Whatever decisions are made will influence the lives, health and happiness of generations of NFL players. For their sakes, the sake of their families and for our own moral responsibilities, we have an obligation to get this one right. The enjoyment that we receive from watching this dynamic and remarkable sport should not be diminished by a realization that we are skimping on the quality of care that the players receive.

Finally, we have to see this as an opportunity as well as an imperative. Individual opinions will vary in different situations, but the overall road map to the future should not be drawn, as it often has been, in the blood of the players themselves. Our willingness to demand, as fans, a quality system for caring for the players will influence Congress, balance the preferences of the ownership and management groups and provide an impetus for the improvement of the current system to improve and to emphasize an openness to future changes as well. The field of healthcare is moving rapidly and many changes are being made that will provide a higher level of care for everyone in the future. We must demand that such advances be implemented whenever they are discovered.

Finally, the players themselves must see that they are a great resource for further research into the problems created by trauma and impact. They should make themselves available for such testing as may provide clues to better methods of diagnosis and treatment as time unfolds. This hasn't been employed sufficiently to date, but the demise of the Collective Bargaining agreement will inevitably create an opportunity for improving the lives and care of the players and for the rest of society, which may benefit from what we learn by studying the problems that players experience.

Fans, doctors, owners, management and players all bear a responsibility in this circumstance. Each group needs to step up and to provide the best effort they can, so that the game can be enjoyed for generations yet to come. I salute their efforts.

Many thanks to The Dude for his contributions to this article

Poll

Is the NFL doing enough to protect its players' health?

Yes

42 votes

It's hard to achieve, but they're trying

176 votes

They're dragging their feet, but they're starting to move forward

140 votes

No, they're not doing enough

76 votes

434 votes | Poll has closed

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 11/23

NJ Chiefs Fan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:23:25 -0000

via media.kansascity.com

First thing. Holy crap! Between my ear I know we won, but I'm still not totally feeling it. Haley called a solid game for the most part, and the team played like they knew they could win. It was a great job. Also, despite all I have read about the Steeler-heavy crowd, it didn't look anywhere near as bad on TV as I thought it might, so a special thanks to those who went out and supported the team.

"Obviously it’s a big win for this team," head coach Todd Haley said. "We’re a young team and I really feel like we’ve been making progress. I felt like going into this game this would be a great opportunity to measure where we are as a team."

This wasn’t a victory over the horrid Raiders or the bumbling Redskins. These were the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers, the 6-3 on the season Steelers. That Pittsburgh is now 6-4 on the season and the Chiefs are 3-7 was testimony that yes, the red and gold are improving.

"That’s what we’ve wanted to show everybody, that we are getting better as a team," said WR Bobby Wade. "Sometimes when you are losing it’s hard to see the improvement, but everyone in here knew it was happening. Now, everybody knows, the fans, the media, the rest of the league."

Gutty Chiefs Beat Steelers In Overtime from Bob Gretz

KC Star Photo Gallery: Chiefs 27, Steelers 24 | Sunday, Nov. 22

Todd Haley stepped to a microphone and let out a sigh. What a relief it was to do the impossible and upset the Pittsburgh Steelers. Somehow, the Chiefs did it with a group of no-names, short-timers and a coach who might have come closer than ever to proving some of that progress he has talked so much about.

"A big step," Haley said.

Chiefs get much-needed 27-24 overtime victory against Steelers from KC Star

You will probably read, see and hear a bunch of malarkey about how it was a kinder, gentler Todd Haley directing his team on the sidelines Sunday as the Chiefs faced off against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Don’t believe it. Todd Haley was the same guy watching his team upset the Steelers as he was last Sunday when his team beat the Oakland Raiders, or the Sunday before that when the Chiefs lost in Jacksonville.

He was a week wiser and smarter, but he was the same Todd Haley.

"I’m going to be me every day," said Haley.

COLUMN: Haley’s Comet Falls On Steelers from Bob Gretz

If the Chiefs have learned anything through this unusual season, it is that Matt Cassel is capable of stunners and letdowns, and his place on that spectrum seems dictated by time and circumstances.

When immediacy matters, Cassel is terrific. When he has time, he needs help. He proved both of those things Sunday, when he led two terrific scoring drives late in a 27-24 overtime win against Pittsburgh.

Cassel comes through under pressure again for Chiefs from KC Star

There could be no more of a dramatic symbol than Sunday’s opening kickoff for how fortunes have turned for Jamaal Charles in the last few weeks.

Charles brought the kick back 97 yards for a touchdown, sparking the Chiefs to a 27-24 overtime victory against Pittsburgh at Arrowhead Stadium.

It was only last month on the very same field when Charles fumbled the opening kickoff and helped the New York Giants score the first touchdown of what would become a lopsided Kansas City defeat.

Charles was then a bit player stuck behind Larry Johnson. He is their featured back now, and the Chiefs expect him to deliver big plays.

Charles delivers big plays for Chiefs from KC Star

A Division III defensive end gets switched to outside linebacker with a new coaching staff installing a new defensive scheme. With 15 games of NFL playing experience, almost all of it on special teams, this young man gets his first NFL start. It comes against the defending Super Bowl champions.

And all Wheaton College’s Andy Studebaker did was earn himself the defensive star of the game, as he grabbed two interceptions, was credited with five tackles and shared a sack of Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He also helped knock Big Ben out of the game in overtime with a hit.

In the Chiefs improbable 27-24 victory over the Steelers, Studebaker said hello to the NFL.

"That was a blast," Studebaker said. "What an afternoon."

Defense: Remarkable Day For Studebaker from Bob Gretz

It does not happen often that a kickoff gets returned for a touchdown; especially for the Kansas City Chiefs. In 49 previous seasons of football, there had been 18 kick return scores by the Texans-Chiefs. That’s about one every three seasons or so.

The Chiefs were due. They were long overdue. They had gone 70 games without a kickoff returned for a touchdown.

Jamaal Charles took care of that. All he needed was 16 seconds. It just so happens it was the first 16 seconds of Sunday’s game between the Chiefs and Steelers.

Play Of The Game: Charles kickoff return TD from Bob Gretz

The throw from Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wobbled after he was hit by Tamba Hali. Studebaker, two yards deep in the end zone, had plenty of open field ahead of him.

He was hauled down from behind by running back Rashard Mendenhall after covering 94 yards. The play set up a 27-yard field goal by Ryan Succop and allowed the Chiefs to tie the score 17-17 late in the third quarter.

"One hundred yards looked a lot like 200 yards at that point," Studebaker said. "It was a long ways away. I don’t even know who caught me. I don’t even know where he ended up catching me."

Studebaker makes the most of his first start for Chiefs from KC Star

Losing in overtime to a 2-7 team is not something that happens much to the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is a franchise that has won 100 regular season games in this decade.

Maybe that explained the stunned atmosphere of the Steelers locker room after the Chiefs beat them 27-24 in overtime.

"I have to have this football team better prepared to play and ultimately we have to play better than what we played today," said Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin. "We are capable of much m ore than that. You have to tip your hat to the Chiefs because they played well enough to win.

"But that’s not what we are capable of and that is not us. It won’t be us. It was us today."

Stunned Steelers & Other Notes from Bob Gretz

"It was a concussion-oriented thing, so I doubt he was going to come back into the football game," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. "I don’t have a lot of information in terms of where he is or his level of availability."
Chiefs notebook | Roethlisberger knocked out from KC Star

Pittsburgh (6-4) remained a game behind the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North after the Bengals were stunned by the Oakland Raiders 20-17. Kansas City improved to 3-7.

Tomlin said he would "accept responsibility" for the loss to the Chiefs.

"We were highly penalized, we turned the ball over in the red area, we gave up big plays, we gave up a kick return," he said.

"When you do those things, regardless of time of possession, yards, whatever, you open yourself up to defeat and that's what happened in that football game."

Steele rs shocked by Chiefs in overtime 27-24 from Reuters

If the Steelers appeared confused or looked out of position on Chris Chambers' 61-yard catch-and-run that set up the winning field goal, they were. At least three members of the secondary said they didn't hear the defensive call when the Chiefs went without a huddle. Still, safety Ryan Clark had a chance to tackle Chambers near the Steelers' 35 and failed to do so. "I got to make that tackle," Clark said. "That is a tackle I make every game. I had an opportunity to make the tackle and I didn't. That's what I get paid for."
Gerry Dulac's Two-Minute Drill from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The first thing Tomlin and his offensive staff have to ask themselves is whether they trust Mendenhall to win a game for them, because even though he nearly had done exactly that without authorization in 60 minutes of 600 Steelers mistakes, they still utilized him in the overtime like he was Plan 9 From Outer Space.

Mind you, there would have been no overtime without Mendenhall.

Without Mendenhall, the Steelers lose in regulation.

It was Mendenhall, lest anyone forget, who had the cardio and the will to gallop more than 100 yards to chase down Chiefs linebacker Andy Studebaker at the Steelers' 8 late in the third quarter. Studebaker, making his first career start, had taken off on a coast-to-coast flight with a misdirected Ben Roethlisberger pass he had collected 2 yards deep in his own end zone.

Steelers forgot about Mendenhall late from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

DE GLENN DORSEY

When you hit QB Ben Roethlisberger, he’s got that elusiveness that he was able to get away from you guys. How important was it, not just for the first guy to get there, but also for that second and third defender to get there and try and take him down?

"It’s real important. He’s big. He’s strong. He’s a great QB and he makes a lot of plays on the run, so the more guys you have back there trying to [bring him down], the better off you’re going to be."

Chiefs Postgame Comments - Steelers from The Mothership

Kansas City Chiefs RB Kolby Smith leads the charge this season as he rallies all Red and Gold faithful for the 12th-Annual Chiefs Blood Drive with the Community Blood Center.

Smith will make an appearance during a special Chiefs Tailgate for donors at the Midtown Kansas City, MO Community Blood Center location (4040 Main St.) from 12:00 PM (Noon) – 1:00 PM on Tuesday, November 24. There, the third-year veteran will sign autographs, greet donors and laude the benefits of these individuals’ actions as they prepare to give blood.

Chiefs Host 12th Annual Blood Drive from The Mothership

Player Tweets

JWilliams48 Chiefs Win in OT!!!Great Game Chiefs...

Media and Fans

ArrowheadPride CHIEFS WIN! CHIEFS WIN! CHIEFS WIN!

mitchholthus Wow....its been a long time coming....huge win for our FANS...the people who have hung in there and bleed RED WHITE and GOLD

JoshLooney winning in SD is a tough task, but how can't u be a believer after today? RT @kelsshae45: think we can go 3 in a row? or is that pushing it?

andyphelan45: @NFL Best moment has gotta be the Chiefs winning their second straight since releasing Larry Johnson!

LooneyonFox: What a great WEEK 11! Glimmers of hope for Detroit and Cleveland ... The Raiders upset of the Bengels, Chiefs of the Steelers. WOW

CaramelFanGurl: #chiefs They F-ing rule. Get over it.

clintonINC: #Chiefs getting some nice air time on the Blitz

tylersterchi: RT: @tommybowman dude on the Chiefs just picked off Roethlisberger and it's his first start out of Wheaton College! Go Thunder!

Jcruz707: #Raiders & #Chiefs both Won today. Hasn't happend since sep 2007 & Every team in the AFC North Lost #Bengals #Steelers #Ravens #Browns

blondielpn80: Glad the Chiefs won. I was afraid that Mitch was going to forget how to say "TOUCHDOWN KANSAAAS CITY"

DisneyFrankness: @GreenyAndGolic Why can't you give respect to most complete game by Chiefs. ST scores, Offense scores & Defense had turnovers!!!

Chiefs WR Wade Experienced Similar Issues Surrounding KU's Mangino

Joel Thorman — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:00:14 -0000

by Alex Brandon - AP

Chiefs WR Bobby Wade experiences similar situations surrounding KU head coach Mark Mangino. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

View full size photo »

I don't venture outside of the NFL very often. The majority of my news sources are focused on the NFL and other than catching a score here or there, or checking out future NFL players, I can't say I'm a big college football junkie. However, I have been following the tail end of this mess with KU and head coach Mark Mangino.

The story's been hot on sports talk radio in Kansas City but here's a quick version: KU athletic director Lew Perkins held a meeting with the KU football players concerning some stories of verbal and physical abuse from current and former players. An independent and unbiased person will conduct an internal investigation into the allegations.

The allegations have the majority of afternoon radio time devoted to determining what will come of this.

Chiefs WR Bobby Wade played under head coach John Mackovic at Arizona and experienced a similar situation from the players view. Mackovic was under similar circumstances to Mangino where former and current players were complaining of verbal abuse from the coach.

Wade talked about these experiences on 810 WHB.

Wade points out that when new coaches come in, "a lot of them start to second guess themselves with where they're at and talk about transfers and stuff like that." Just like a new head coach in the NFL, there's a lot of change in the program with a new head coach.

"The players felt it was getting ridiculous. He thought it was more about him and not the program," Wade said.

Mackovic reportedly told one of the tight ends that he was a disgrace to his family. This led to a backdoor meeting with some of the players and the school president.

"It was a players only thing," Wade explained, "and the players went in there and talked to the president and told them what they felt about it."

Sound a little familiar? Yeah, that's pretty similar to the situation in Kansas. Wade says that it got to the point that some players, mainly the younger ones, let Mackovic "take a lot of the love of the game out of them."

Chiefs Coach Haley Says WR Bobby Wade Will Return to the Lineup

Joel Thorman — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:27:10 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

Chiefs receiver Bobby Wade will see increased playing time with Dwayne Bowe out of the lineup. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Browse more photos »

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley confirmed today that receiver Bobby Wade will return to the lineup in light of Dwayne Bowe's four game suspension. Wade had been inactive since Chris Chambers was signed but Haley had said on multiple occasions that it was just a numbers game with Wade.

"I think Bobby Wade will be back playing and I think that’s good for him," Haley told reporters today.

Since coming on in week two, Wade had been the Chiefs No. 2 receiver. Despite that, he was the odd man out when the Chiefs reached a deal with Chambers. Haley appears to be high on Wade so I imagine they would have found a way to get him back in the lineup regardless of Bowe's suspension.

"That was more roster-related two weeks in a row," Haley continued. "I tried to make that clear to you and to him. It’s tough decisions and last guy and somebody has to sit tight.

"Bobby’s been chomping at the bit and he helped us a bunch when he got here and now he’s looking to help us again."

Haley wouldn't get into specifics but I imagine Wade has a large role on Sunday. Chambers admitted within the last week that he's still adjusting to the playbook so it'll be interesting to see how Wade fits into that.

Wade called the situation "tough" but appears ready to assume a larger role once again.

"Obviously there are a lot of moving parts to this team," Wade said today via KCChiefs.com," and coach Haley is just trying to find the right guys that he wants to keep around as core guys. Whatever that calls for, that’s always been my take on it."

Wade being active also means there is an open spot on the inactive list in the coming weeks.