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Chargers Stat of the Day: Defensive Ratings

John (obviousman) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:05:35 -0000

by Chris Park - AP

The San Diego Chargers defense swarms Brian Westbrook during the Chargers 31-23 victory in a NFL football game Sunday Nov. 15, 2009 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Chris Park)

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Attention all nerds. Do you head straight to Football Outsiders when you're looking for better-than-average stats? Well, I found another website that you're going to want to bookmark. (Editor's Note: This is not a paid advertisement. I've never even talked with the guys from this website. So if this sounds like a sales-pitch, it's not.)

ProFootballFocus.com is a website that football stat-geeks have been dying for without knowing it. Just about any question you have about the team can be answered within their stats. Want to know who has played the most defensive plays for the Bolts? Eric Weddle, with 544. How about which player has the most QB Pressures? It's a tie between Luis Castillo and Shaun Phillips (both have 10). Wondering who the best MLB on the Chargers is? You'll be surprised.

Let's delve into some of PFF's defensive stats and player ratings...

I was taught a long time ago to never argue with someone who was smarter than me. I almost never abide by this rule, but today I'll make an exception. These guys have done such a great job at collecting stats, that I'm going to assume they do just as good of a job comparing them.

In terms of defense, it appears they look at all of the stats (sacks, QB hits, QB pressures, tackles, penalties, missed tackles, stops) and compare them relative to the number of plays the player had played. So a played like Brandon Siler, who has 10 stops on 104 plays, would be looked at as a more efficient player when he's on the field than Stephen Cooper (22 stops in 454 plays).

Each player is rated based upon their work rushing the passer, stopping the run and in pass coverage. Also factored in are things like Penalties being called against that player (surprisingly, leading the Chargers D in penalties is a tie between Shawne Merriman, Shaun Phillips and Larry English) and Missed Tackles.

The missed tackles stat also needs to be looked at proportionally against actual tackles. For instance, Stephen Cooper leads the team with 10 missed tackles to go with his 48 tackles on the season. However, that's probably not as bad as Antonio Cromartie's 6 missed tackles with only 15 tackles to his name.

So, follow me down the rabbit hole as we look at PFF's ratings of Chargers defensive players by position group. The number next to each player is their PFF Rating, which is roughly explained here. In a nutshell, zero is average across the league and any number above that is above average. Any number below is obviously below average. Also, for the sake of this not being too confusing, I'm leaving out any player who has been on the field for less than 75 snaps.

Defensive Line

Travis Johnson -1.5
Ian Scott -3.0
Alfonso Boone -3.1
Ogemdi Nwagbuo -3.1
Jacques Cesaire -9.5
Luis Castillo -10.3

How about that trade for Johnson? The Castillo number is a bit jarring, but appears to be accurate. Although he's near the top on the team in terms of defensive stops and QB pressures, apparently relative to the number of plays he's played it's just not as impressive as it has seemed. Also, according to their individual rankings he's fairly average at rushing the passer and well below average at stopping the run. For those looking for a comparison, Castillo's 2008 was ranked at 0.8 (or just a little above average) and Jamal Williams' 2008 was ranked at 27.4. 27.4! In 2007, Castillo was well above average at 7.7 when he was on the field.

Linebackers

Brandon Siler 5.8
Shaun Phillips 2.7
Kevin Burnett 2.6
Stephen Cooper -2.4
Tim Dobbins -2.7
Shawne Merriman -3.3
Larry English -12.2

I told you this stuff was interesting. As mentioned above, Cooper is killed by his missed tackles and by being below-average (-1.5) in pass coverage. Siler is actually the only LB that ranks as above average against the run and in pass coverage this year. Phillips would probably be #1 if it weren't for the 4 penalties he's picked up this season. This group is greatly improved from 2008, when no LB ranked as average or above average (Wilhelm was -16.9 if you were wondering).

Cornerbacks

Antoine Cason 1.4
Steve Gregory -1.0
Quentin Jammer -3.8
Antonio Cromartie -5.6

Jammer is actually playing better than he did in 2008, when his season ranking was -5.9. The stats seem a little off for cornerbacks in terms of what's "average", but at least they appear to be consistent. Cromartie's 2008 rating? -27.4. He was the anti-Jamal Williams.

Safties

Eric Weddle 3.7
Paul Oliver 0.5
Clinton Hart -1.8
Kevin Ellison -2.7

Before you start screaming about Hart being rated ahead of Ellison, listen up. Here's what I gather as the explanation by looking at the stats they're presenting. Both players are equal against the run (0.5), and the rookie actually better in pass coverage (-2.3 to -3.7), but the main two factors that catapult Hart above Ellison is penalties (zero for Hart, 2 for Ellison) and pass rushing (1.4 for Hart, 0.1 for Ellison). I can't entirely disagree with that, and considering these guys are charting the plays and I'm not....I'm going to believe them.

Still, it was the right move to get rid of Hart. Ellison is an improving player and Clinton was a declining one. Also, it has opened up plenty of playing time for Paul Oliver (who is obviously playing well).

So what do you guys think? Interesting stuff, right? Obviously, like all stats, these are not perfect. From what I can tell, these ratings do not factor in the level of competition being faced (which explains why Gregory would be higher than Jammer and Cromartie) nor do they factor in double-teams (which explains why Luis Castillo is down this year and why Shaun Phillips had such a poor rating in 2008). Still, in terms of judging who is making the most impact with their time on the field....it's intriguing.

Stats and rankings taken from ProFootballFocus.com do not include information from the Week 10 match-up against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Matching up with the Chargers

Emmett Smith — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:30:15 -0000

More photos » by Chris Schneider - AP

Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels salutes the crowd after the Broncos defeated the New England Patriots 20-17 in overtime in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, in Denver. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)

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Living in San Diego now (up north, in Carlsbad), I've had a classic opportunity to follow and spy on the Chargers. Milling around the town, lounging on the beach, watching the newspapers and the tube analysis, as well as breaking down the games, I had a year-long chance to get a little insight into the team. I wanted to share with you some of the things that I've seen over that time. The Bolts are a walking contradiction, just as they are every year, of late. They're starting slow, they have seemed unmotivated and they're been fighting injuries. They are going to be playing for their season, though. It's a great Monday night matchup, and I'm going to enjoy it.

So saying, here's to 5-0, 6-0, and another Monday Night slugfest!

Denver vs. San Diego

This is probably one of the best opportunities that Denver will have this year. They can take this one on the road and put SD in a deep, deep hole - IF they can control the tempo of this game. I've been living in SD for 15 months now, and spying on the Chargers organization the entire time. I have a lot of respect for them. Taking them lightly will get you beaten, but Denver won't do that. In that fact, can lie the road to victory.

Let's take it one area at a time. I'm going to start where every game starts - with the Trench Warfare (dedicated to firstfan):

Denver O-line vs. the Chargers D-line.

This is one battle that I think Denver can win hands down. Again - I'm not suggesting that it will be easy, just that it's very winnable. Ryan Clady is the best in the game. Ryan Harris is healthier, Casey Wiegmann is doing fine and while I'm not excited about Russ Hochstein, I do think that he's up to the job. I also think that Chris Kuper is better than any fans (even Denver fans) give him credit for. Like most fans, I'm worried about Ben Hamilton, but I do think that he's up to this one if he plays. Perhaps he will do better at center, perhaps he's fading a bit. That's why grooming Seth Olsen makes so much sense.

On the Bolts' side of the ball, it's a different story. Jamal Williams is injured; he's also pushing 35, is gone for the year, and (in my mind) probably won't be back next season. He's most likely done, and SD didn't find anyone to get prepared and polished for this moment. Bad planning, A.J. Smith (Chargers GM). Igor Olshansky was uneven in his play and a problem in the locker room last year, so they don't miss him. However, Ryon Bingham was supposed to replace him and he's on injured reserve. Jacques Cesaire, backing up Bingham, has some injury problems of his own. A local rookie made good in Ogemdi Nwagbuo is trying to handle NT.

Luis Castillo has been uneven but can't be overlooked. Monster Vaughn Martin from Canada isn't ready for the NFL game, but he's probably the Chargers' future at NT, at least as the roster is currently set. The Chargers found a warm body in Alfonso Boone, formerly of the Chiefs. If a Chiefs castoff is your option at DL, you're in seriously deep kimchi (Note - Seoul Food, on 6th Avenue, is/was a very fine restaurant for those who like Korean cuisine). Travis Johnson, a recent Chargers acquisition from the Houston Texans, has had issues with motivation and injury; but he will now be back for Monday's game, as will all players except Center Nick Hardwick. The current plan is for Johnson to take some of the reps at NT which he played for 14 games in 2008 for Houston, although that was in a 4-3 line.

Backing up the front line on the Chargers side are the linebackers. Shawne Merriman is still trying to recover from his knee surgery. He won't be fully back until next season (and he may be working for another team by then), but he will be on the field. The rest of the Chargers LBs are good, but not stars; they brought in Kevin Burnett from Dallas, and he's played well. 1st-round draft pick Larry English will be a very good-to-great one, but not this year. Shaun Phillips, Antwan Applewhite, Stephen Cooper, Tim Dobbins, and Brandon Siler fill out the squad. Jyles Tucker spent some time injured last year, but he showed enough for the Chargers to know that he has serious potential. Even so, they aren't a bad squad, but they seem disorganized and unmotivated. The Broncos have a chance here to paste one on them.

Denver's offensive playmakers vs. Chargers secondary:

The first fact that Denver has to face is that one of the trade-offs to Kyle Orton's incredible home record is that he hasn't been as effective on the road prior to this season. That may not be a concern, since everything this year is different, but it's something to watch for. Orton's numbers are good and becoming much more so.

In fact, Orton has a better QB rating right now than Philip Rivers. He's got a much better TD/INT ratio (Orton - 7/1, Rivers - 6/3 in 1 fewer game). Orton also has an INT percentage of 0.6%; Rivers is 12th in the league at 2.0% - not bad, but not as good. Overall, Rivers is a top-5 QB -- in theory. But right now, his playmakers aren't producing like Orton's and that's affecting his numbers.

The Denver running game is better than the Chargers' front 7. Knowshon Moreno is coming into his own, and he's going to be very good indeed. LaDainian Tomlinson has been out, injured. He should be back, but even so - he's been playing like he's getting older and isn't the same. I love Darren Sproles, but he's not an all-game answer.

The Denver WRs could have a stellar day. The secondary of SD is being coached by Steve Wilks, formerly of Chicago a friend of Ron Rivera's who came over to help Ron out. The Bolts are playing in the secondary like they're being coached by Pee Wee Herman.

I speak periodically with Bolts From The Blue Contributing Editor Brian; he got his start on MHR and he's a well-informed, interesting guy who is open about sharing his knowledge. This is what he had to say about the Chargers' secondary following their loss to the Steelers...

I think it's also time to pull Cromartie for Cason; he is just a train wreck out there. And why Rivera stuck with deep zones when they were eating us alive underneath, I have no clue. I still have a lot of belief in the linebackers, but time will tell. We have almost no sacks; from AJ's perspective he is losing a ton of talent this year and these guys look to be mailing it in sometimes. I guess that is the heart of it; they perform exceptionally in spots and weakly in others, it is strange considering how many could be making a play for a starting job.

I don't have a lot to add. He's pretty much nailed it. Eric Weddle was laid out by the Steelers, Clinton Hart was doing so-so but the Chargers released him Wednesday in a surprise move in order to add DT Ian Scott. Antonio Cromartie looks terrible. Steve Gregory is playing alright, but this isn't a group that inspires confidence. At this point, they claim that they're still not sure who will start in Hart's place, but 6th round pick Kevin Ellison is one option. When you consider that they aren't stopping the run effectively and that the line isn't bringing pressure to stop the pass, this could be a long day for the Chargers defense.

Chargers offense against the Denver defense:

Philip Rivers is always dangerous; in fact, he's the only reason that SD is in the race at all. The Chargers O-line has been porous and despite his relative mobility, Rivers has been sacked 10 times in 4 games. His QB rating is down to 90.2 after a year's rating of 105.5 last year. It's mostly because of the O-line, and I'll get to that in a moment.

But there is a strength that I haven't discussed for the Chargers. Before the season I was talking to Brian, of Bolts from the Blue; he noted that Rivers had a lot of skills and strengths, but that he just hadn't mastered the long ball yet. His deep passes were a weakness that other teams could exploit. That's not at all so anymore. Rivers has completed 16 passes of 20 yards or longer, with 4 surpassing 40 yards; both place him among the NFL's leaders despite having been on bye last week.

Look for Rivers to throw mostly out of the shotgun. After going from the shotgun on 16 of his 39 drops (41%) at Oakland Week 1, Rivers was in the shotgun 29 times in 47 drops (62%) against the Ravens and 27 times in 35 drops (77%) against the Dolphins. Rivers needs the extra time since his line has been so weak. The Broncos secondary has been strong thus far; this could be their toughest challenge yet.

Trench Warfare:

LT Marcus McNeill had two surgeries during the offseason. LG Kris Dielman went to his second Pro Bowl last season - he's very good. They did lose C Nick Hardwick until at least November, and he's been replaced by Scott Mruczkowski. They cut Mike Goff at right guard (who then went on to infect Kansas City) and replaced him by drafting Louis Vasquez, who has fought injuries as a rookie but should play Monday. Jerome Clary is uneven at right tackle, and Elvis Dumervil may snack on him as the game wears on. In fact, I do not believe that the Chargers can stand up to our DL over the course of a full game. That is probably our ace in the hole. Like All QBs, Rivers can get frustrated if he's harassed.

Expect the Chargers to feature their TEs and use more max protection Monday. Antonio Gates is still strong and effective, and the Chargers have two young talents in Brandon Manumaleuna and Kris Wilson who are perfect for their roles. Both are good blockers, can run routes, go in motion, and confound opposing defensive coordinators. I see the tight ends as one of the Chargers' biggest strengths.

On the other side of the ball is a Denver group that doesn't have a single well-known household name, but they play like unbridled fury. Ronald Fields and Marcus Thomas are splitting time at NT, and both look good. The starting ends have been surprising players - Ryan McBean (formerly of the Steelers practice squad) and Kenny Peterson, and they are rotated with Vonnie Holliday. Le Kevin Smith isn't back from his knee injury fully, but he is a solid backup. The front seven is rounded out with a big group of linebackers. Elvis 'Doom' Dumervil and Mario Haggan are backed by Darrell Reid and Robert Ayers. At ILB, D.J. Williams and Andra Davis are leading the team in tackles. This isn't an even contest - the Broncos have the advantage across the board. I expect them to notch a few sacks on Rivers. If they can harass him into mistakes, this could turn ugly for the Bolts.

Rushing to Victory

I believe that the Chargers are in trouble here. Tomlinson has already been injured. He's dangerous if he's healthy this Monday, as is predicted, but he's not the player he once was. Like the team overall, I don't recommend underestimating LDT, but he can be stopped, especially behind that line. The Chargers have a potent weapon in Darren Sproles on kickoffs and in relief of LDT. Michael Bennett is also an option. They Chargers surprised me by cutting Gartrell Johnson, who only had one good game in preseason but was a 4th round pick: I believe that admits indicates sloppy drafting.They can hurt Denver here, but the O-line has to step up for that to happen.

On the other hand, Knowshon Moreno is coming into his own and is running behind a very good Denver O-line, which is bad news for the rest of the league. My only concerns with Knowshon were that he might be a little light for the league - he's put in the time in the weight room to counteract that and will continue to get tougher, and that I honestly didn't know if he was the kind of player that Bobby Turner wanted. I wasn't convinced that he wasn't, just interested to see what Denver thought. Could he pick up and play within the system? The answer to both questions is a resounding "Yes". Correll Buckhalter may be back, which would make the game easier. I'm disappointed in Peyton Hillis so far, and LaMont Jordan is a good back for running out the clock and a very good receiver, but his minutes will be limited. The Broncos are near the top of the league in rushing with 139 yards per game and have a nice average of 4.6 YPA. They will be hard to stop and the Chargers haven't been great at stopping the run.

Slow Starts:

What is it with the slow starts in San Diego? Ever since Norv Turner came to town, the trend has been to stink up the beginning of the year and to firm up later. With the Broncos coming into the game undefeated, that just won't cut it in the AFC West. The Bolts need to wake up NOW if they are to have any chance at all in the division, much less in the playoffs.

I did a little checking, and it seems that historically the Chargers have had recurring issues in this regard. In fact, they are the only team since 1970 to make the playoffs after a 0-4 start, having managed that in 1992 (Final regular season record, 11-5 that year). At 2-2, they aren't in that kind of trouble, but unless they pull themselves together, they soon will be.

That's the big potential trap here - the Chargers have had two weeks to game-plan, which puts them almost even with an 8-day Josh McDaniels plan. They are at home, they are coming off a bye week, and they are fighting for the season. A loss at this point could end their Super Bowl aspirations for the year. They may be a very tough team on Monday night; but they are still, without question, vulnerable. Unless they can really put a lot of points on the board early, the Denver defense will probably shut them down in the second half.

A last point on SD:

I've been hearing from some intelligent Chargers fans that there "wasn't anyone out there who could have an impact at NT (and a few other positions)". I've had to bite my tongue before casually asking if they'd looked at Ron Fields lately. The fact is, there were good players at many of the positions that SD now needs sitting out there this past offseason. You can get a good look at most of them on the Broncos roster next Monday night. Blame this one firmly on A.J. Smith, who was too smart for his own good this time.

With all of these factors in mind, this has the makings of another great game. SD will be highly motivated - they're at home, the numbers favor them becuase they're coming off a bye at home and they know that their season may well rest on this game. That and their offense (other than the line) are concerns.

The Broncos, on the other hand, will be prepared.They will be well aware of the dangers. They will be recipients of the McDaniels/Nolan game plans. We have the same offense that has scored when ever it had to and which is looking to break the habit of starting slowly. They can - they know each other better each week. SD isn't, frankly, as good as New England. Could we drop emotionally. Honestly, not on Monday Night Football. I see that as a small benefit - our guys are given a chance to prove, on national and international TV, who they are.

They will. Broncos over the Bolts, 27-24. Rivers has a good night, Doom gets a couple of sacks and Orton continues to do his job and do it well. How's that for playing it safe?

Go Broncos!

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:30:14 -0000

More photos » by Jack Dempsey - AP

2 months ago: Former Denver Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe reacts as he is inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame during ceremonies at half time during the Broncos - Cleveland Browns NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009, in Denver. (AP Photo/ Jack Dempsey )

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Happy Tuesday, friends. We're back with another edition of ST&NO, because this train can't be stopped. Fresh off a weekend full of football, we have a lot to discuss; so read it, ponder it, and share your thoughts.

1. Respect. It's almost as if a whole song could be written about it or something. Picture Eddie Murphy's dad drunkenly hollering "R-E-C-C-C-T-P, mother-%^$er you know how to spell it." The 2009 Denver Broncos have gotten no respect, still, after being 2-0. There have been a tepid acknowledgment or two, but no mea culpas.

From John Clayton at ESPN:

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels is off to an impressive start -- thanks largely to a defense that appears to be much better than last year's version.

From his colleague Bill "Pork Chop" Williamson:

The defense has been a problem area for Denver in recent season. (sic) Yet, the new 3-4 system in Denver seems to be working. If the Broncos can continue to play well, they could have a decent season. So far, it’s been a good start.

Clayton, remember, thought the Broncos would win 3 games this season, that they were in disarray, and that their defense was terrible. It's all right here and here.

DIVISION FINISH: 4 Face it, the Broncos are a mess. They could be a three- or a four-win team if Kyle Orton struggles, the running game gets off to a slow start and Brandon Marshall continues to pout and be immature. To add to things, the defense that gave up 28 points a game is trying a completely new scheme. Ouch.

If you watched any Broncos preseason football, you'd draw a conclusion from all 4 games that the defense was vastly improved, right? I mean, it didn't take a professional scout to see; it was clear as day. And, where I am from, when something is completely broken, you throw it out, and start over. So, I'll take a completely new scheme after giving up 28 points per game, thanks.

No word yet from Adam Schein, Jamie Dukes, or the other disrespectors from the echo chamber.

Today, I am going to hypothesize a hypothesis for y'all. One should never claim to be an NFL expert, because nobody knows it all, or sees it all. For the first 7 weeks of the 2008 NFL season, I watched every snap of every game played, while also working my full-time job. I wanted to be an NFL expert, and I figured, if DirecTV is going to provide each full game in 30-minute-or-less blocks, I should watch them all. I'd been complaining for years that football writers could, and didn't, and hell, I was going to do it. I was also going to launch a website, attract millions of readers quickly, and make long dollars. Well, after 7 weeks, I got really burned out from working 9-10 hours per day at my job, and then watching games and writing for 3-4 more, and I didn't really want to do it anymore. Not too long after that, John Bena approached me about becoming a member of the staff here at MHR, and I decided to do so. It was a good decision for me, and I still get to focus a lot on league-wide stuff, with the thought being that the Broncos don't play in a vacuum, and that everything which happens around the league ultimately affects our team.

The marketplace of football ideas is wide and varied, and you can usually find somebody to take any position on anything. The internet and Twitter have made it so that anybody can contribute to this marketplace, and those ideas which have merit tend to be taken seriously, while those which don't, don't. For my free market capitalists out there, this is the way an efficient market is supposed to work. Consumers are free to judge the quality of the products available, and choose which ones to consume. Quality rules.

Well, this is not a perfectly efficient market, but none of them really are. While this market's barriers to entry are low, (meaning anybody can start a football blog), getting people to want to read your content is the hard part. Those who were first to the party have a built-in advantage, the ESPN's and Sports Illustrated's. If you've always gotten your football opinions from the Boringest Man In America, chances are you will continue to do so, unless some compelling reason to stop emerges.

My view of the football ideas market is this; there are a lot of people shouting, mostly the same, or similar things, and it gets to be the aforementioned echo chamber. The thing is, many of the echoes start from people who don't really know what they're talking about. There are a few flavors of football commentators.

a. The Classically Trained Reporter - These people generally went to journalism school, and instinctively, always revert to wanting to report the news. These are people who cultivate sources, and build relationships with agents, players, coaches, and each other. SOMETHING is happening, and these people are going to find out what it is, and tell everybody. There actually doesn't tend to be a lot of writing talent among this group, and they're given to use of a lot of clichés and bad puns. Also, there is very little real football knowledge, either. These are the classic repeaters of information, which I reference from time-to-time. The gathering of information is value-adding to our marketplace of ideas, but these people don't contribute much else. If you think about it, a sports reporter is to a reporter, as a gym teacher is to a teacher.

b. The Bloviator - I don't have to spell out specifically who I mean, here, right? Every city has these guys (they're nearly all guys), and after years of paying their dues, beating the bushes for information about who the QB is dating, and what he had for breakfast, they have graduated from being mere reporters. They are actually worse than the reporters, because they get far away from the work of actual information gathering, and they just spew their opinions, in as obnoxious and confrontational a manner possible. Those opinions come from 30,000 feet, and are only designed to get people arguing; they're basically agent provocateurs. The bloviators tend to be the slightly more talented wordsmiths, coming up from the ranks of the beat writers, but that still isn't saying a whole lot. Only the local newspapers have these guys, and they're slowly sinking with their papers. In the era of globalization, local institutions quit mattering when they can't compete anymore. Living in Cleveland, you see that firsthand, all the time, as you drive by idled steel plants. These are the people who appear on Around The Horn, and the biggest problem with them is that they work for overtly journalistic enterprises, and act like quasi-journalists, but they make themselves the story. ESPN encourages a few of their reporters to become Bloviators, but they don't go all-in with it, like the local potentate at the money-hemorrhaging newspaper.

c. The Former Participant - The football ideas marketplace is full of these guys, too - former players, coaches, and executives, mostly in the televised space. These people have something general to add, but they tend not to work hard enough to know the teams and players at a very detailed level. They can see how a blitz unfolds, and describe it credibly in general terms, but they think that Todd Lyght is playing Left Tackle for the Patriots. Many of these people struggle mightily with coherent communication of their thoughts, and they tend to contribute very little in the written space, with the notable exceptions being Bucky Brooks, Matt Bowen, Pat Kirwan and Michael Lombardi.

d. The Radio Idiot - Radio is a really strange medium, because you have to be able to communicate entirely verbally to be successful at it. Even in the written form, you can use diagrams, but in radio, you have to just keep talking. It's a rare skill-set, and for the most part, it tends not to accompany great intelligence, knowledge, or command of facts. Radio people tend to be really antisocial on a person-to-person level, and it's almost like you need to have some psychological problems to be good at radio. I definitely couldn't be a radio personality, because I don't speak or think in short, simple, easily digestible soundbites. (For as smart as he is, our fearless leader John Bena does a great job with MHR Radio, which works against my thinking, but no theory is perfect.)

Adam Schein is the classic Radio Idiot, and FOX actually lets him write a lousy column, in which he regurgitates what his Sirius NFL Radio guests told him during the week. He's an "Insider," you know. Colin Cowherd, another MHR favorite, also qualifies, though he is thankfully confined to the airwaves.

Into this landscape entered the sports blog, and they're growing and getting better all over the place. At MHR, we're really lucky to have a tremendous amount of talent and dedication in the community, making the this site a living, self-sustaining thing. With every game, and every post, MHR asserts itself more and more as the preeminent source of Broncos information, discussion, and commentary.

As the marketplace of ideas becomes more and more efficient, our position will continue to strengthen, because quality rules. All members are stakeholders. If you're a frequent contributor, keep up the great work. If you comment once in a while, consider writing a FanPost. If you're a lurker, sign up and join the conversation. And if you have friends who are Broncos fans, encourage them to check us out, even if they start out as lurkers.

As a community, we'll continue to be all over all things Broncos, together, because we all have a stake in the output. And, eventually, we'll defeat the echo chamber, even if they never admit to completely misjudging this team, due to a lack of inclination to putting any effort into understanding it. Who could have seen this coming? We saw this coming, that's who.

I will finish this diatribe by sharing my approach to being knowledgeable, which I am sure is similar to the approach many of you take. Step one is to pay attention to everything at a high level, and wonder about something. Step two is to investigate that specific item I wondered about. Step three is to consider and evaluate the findings, and what they mean in the larger context of my existing understanding. I never trust what anybody says, and if I am going to repeat/agree with something smart that I heard somebody say, I attribute the thought to them. Pretty straightforward, right? This is not what is largely going on, though, throughout the media landscape, sports and otherwise. It's a lot easier to repeat some idiot/blowhard's words when they confirm your own assumptions and leanings, than it is to work, and figure out the right answer. That's not what we do here at MHR, and I am personally proud of that.

2. Information from my eyes on the Broncos game: (From the live broadcast only, as I was unable to watch a second time yet).

a. It was great having Chris Kuper back. He's very underrated and reliable at RG, and the group played much better with him in there.

b. Casey Wiegmann had a pretty tough time with Shaun Rogers, which isn't really a major indictment of him, but it's a fact. Rogers is a great player, and got a lot of penetration Sunday, making him Cleveland's lone bright spot, on either side of the ball.

c. I wouldn't trade Alphonso Smith for any other nickel CB in the NFL. His skill-set is tremendous for that role, and it won't be long before he is taking an interception back for 6 points.

d. I feel a little bad for Matt Prater, because the gusting wind really got a hold of those two missed Field Goals. I think the criticism he is taking is a little bit unwarranted, at least for the moment. He needs to be making his kicks, but 40-mph gusts can move anybody's ball. I was pleased with his kickoff work on Sunday, which was really important, too.

e. How nice is it to have coverage teams that can tackle a return man? Josh Cribbs is as good as it gets in the return game, and the Broncos did a fantastic job of containing him.

f. I would still like to see more of Peyton Hillis with the ball in his hands, on offense. The only time he got it, he scored, but he has a lot to add in the passing and running games.

g. Nobody has mentioned this yet, that I have seen, but Tony Scheffler has grown into a very good blocker. In the second half, particularly, I made a note that the Broncos were motioning him into position to seal the edge of running plays, and he was hitting his man hard, and maintaining his blocks. That 3-TE package (Scheffler, Daniel Graham and Richard Quinn), which we saw a lot of in the second half, was knocking some heads in the running game. The local Cleveland media says that the Browns defense collapsed in the second half, but really, the Broncos started dominating up front in the second half.

h. Knowshon Moreno seems to be a pretty quick study, huh? I think Bobby Turner spent a good amount of time last week "encouraging" him to take one cut and go.

i. I wrote this on Twitter Sunday (@TedBartlett905) but it bears repeating.

Really good things happen when Brian Dawkins blitzes. He made the play, and Dumervil gets the stat.

Elvis Dumervil's first sack was actually caused by Dawkins blitzing, and jumping high into the air in Brady Quinn's throwing lane, which he frequently does. Quinn couldn't throw it, turned to his left, and met Dumervil for the first time.

j. Interesting stuff from Eric Mangini, via Steve Beuerlein, the color analyst for the game. Paraphrasing, he said that he considered it futile to have a good pass rusher try to beat Ryan Clady, because it was practically impossible to do. We all know Ryan is the best offensive lineman in the NFL, because we pay attention to such things.

Len Pasquarelli, not so much:

Young tackles thriving

Surprisingly, given its perceived difficulty, the position that has produced the most opening-day rookie starters over the past two seasons is offensive tackle, with 11. Even more surprising is that seven of the 11 are left tackles, a position that is among the most difficult to fill and is regarded as the most critical spot on the offense line. There were six rookie opening-day starters at tackle in 2008, and there are five this year, all of whom were selected in the first or second round. Arguably the best of the lot might be Ryan Clady of Denver, a 2008 first-rounder from Boise State who started all 16 games as a rookie. Some pro scouts already rate the relatively unknown Clady among the NFL's top 5 tackles and say he has made more progress than Jake Long of Miami, the top overall pick in 2008.

OK, this is not a news flash, that Clady is good. I want to talk to the pro scouts who don't rate him among the top 5 at that position, but I doubt there are any, unless there are some unqualified people in that role. This is what I mean about repeating information. When you talk to 3 pro scouts, and they all tell you Clady is great, you come to "some pro scouts."

As for Jake Long, he is what he is. He's athletically limited, but a solid player who is very valuable in the running game. Against elite pass rushers, he'll always struggle. I watched Dwight Freeney dominate him in the first half Monday night, bull rushing him to the ground several times.

3. Information from my eyes from other games:

.a. The main game I watched in the 1 ET slot was New England against the Jets. Guru's wife and other Patriots fans ought to be pretty alarmed by the Patriots' inability to protect Tom Brady with any consistency, for the second week in a row. It really limits their offense, by wrecking their timing, and I saw Brady looking really frustrated on Sunday.

I was all over picking this game correctly, because I was certain that the Patriots couldn't block the Jets' pressure packages. They are going to need to re-evaluate their protection schemes, and max-protect more often, because what they are doing simply isn't working.

b. Scheme is really important, and can add as much as value as talent, as we've seen from Mike Nolan this season. Rex Ryan's scheme is just outstanding for the Jets, and he gets a lot of pressure from the design alone. It's worth noting that they're doing this without their best pass rusher, Calvin Pace, who is still suspended for two more games.

c. Darrelle Revis is a fantastic player, much better than the football-watching world knows him to be. His game has no weaknesses, and he shut down Randy Moss on Sunday, which is obviously no small thing. He and Lito Sheppard, who is very good on the other side, allow the Jets to blitz so often without worrying too much.

d. I caught a great deal of the Texans-Titans game, too. The biggest impression I took from that game was that the Titans defense is really underachieving this season, especially in coverage. I like Matt Schaub, but he and the Texans shouldn't be slicing up Tennessee like that, especially missing a starting WR (Kevin Walter) and with Steve Slaton continuing to struggle a bit. With the Titans' record at 0-2 now, you have to wonder how long it takes for new Defensive Coordinator Chuck Cecil to come under a lot of fire.

e. From Chris Mortensen on Twitter Monday Night:

Packers have me very confused but 1 thing is clear after 2 games - their O-line is a much bigger weakness than they anticipated.

If they hadn't anticipated it would be a problem, then their anticipators are a problem, too. If Mort means it's a bigger weakness than HE anticipated, okay. He's more or less a repeater of information, and if nobody told him, he probably wouldn't know.

I have been ripping the Packers O-line for two years now, and I beat them up for taking B.J. Raji instead of Michael Oher. It was obvious that the Chad Clifton-Mark Tauscher combination at Tackle was terrible last season, and it's even more clear that Clifton and Allen Barbre are even worse. Clifton got hurt on Sunday, and was replaced by Daryn Colledge, who needs to stick to being an average Guard.

f. What in the world has gotten into Antwan Odom? After two sacks last week against the Broncos, he got five against the Packers. This is a guy who has had a thoroughly average career so far, so it's a little surprising to see this burst of production all of a sudden. He looks bigger and quicker than in the past, so it will bear watching whether he can keep it up.

g. I picked the Lions to beat Minnesota this week, and I admittedly missed on that one. I felt pretty good when the Lions got out to an early lead, though. I think the Vikings are going to really disappoint this season. Brett Favre hasn't looked very good to me in the first two weeks, and hasn't thrown the ball downfield. Going 23-for-27 is good, but 155 yards? That's really un-Favre-like. If I were an opposing defensive coordinator, with two games of film now, I'd be having my corners sit on every short route, and force the guy to beat me deep. I never thought I'd say that about Favre, but I am.

h. Michael Huff seems like he may finally be putting it all together. He has now caused turnovers in each of the Raiders' first two games. He looks much more sure of himself in play diagnosis than in past years. Maybe he is just a late bloomer, but there was some speculation he could be cut in camp this year, if he didn't improve a lot.

i. I have been pretty complimentary of JaMarcus Russell lately, but he played terribly on Sunday, until the final game-winning series. That throw he made on 3rd and 15 is the reason you live with his growing pains. The Raiders could help him out by giving him some higher-percentage options to throw to, but he needs to make plays, too.

j. Really nice throw by Matt Cassel and catch by Dwayne Bowe to give the Chiefs the lead against the Raiders. The Chiefs really dominated the game on offense, but made a lot of mistakes to keep the game close. They held the ball for 38 minutes and 39 seconds, which really goes to illustrate the sometimes-deceiving nature of the time-of-possession statistic.

k. The Eagles missed Donovan McNabb, obviously, but I was a little surprised that they didn't do better on defense. That was a Philly Steamer their defense laid. Incidentally, it didn't help my fantasy team much, in the official MHR League, this week, either.

l. Mario Manningham is really starting to emerge as the best WR for the Giants, and he had a huge game Sunday night against the Cowboys. He ran a slower-than-expected 40 coming out of college, and had some maturity questions, but the guy was a big-time player at Michigan. For a team with a lot of 3rd-WR types, the Giants desperately need somebody to emerge, and it looks like Manningham can be that guy. We'll have to see what happens when teams get some film on him, but for now he is carrying it well.

m. The Cowboys are not a legitimate contender this season. Their defense is very suspect, particularly against the pass, and their only legitimate pass rusher is DeMarcus Ware, at this point. I've never seen anything from Anthony Spencer, either in college or the pros, to convince me that he is the answer on the other side. They had Greg Ellis, and really erred in letting him get away. If you can't cover, and the 'Boys can't, you'd better be getting to the QB. Most teams, other than the Broncos, can't handle Ware one-on-one, but if you double him, you'll almost certainly have time to throw the ball.

n. Felix Jones is downright scary for the Cowboys. They pretty much struck out on Mike Jenkins in the first round in 2008, but hit a home run with Jones. I guess one-for-two isn't that bad, all things considered.

o. Some fool took me to task on YouTube when I did the pilot program for Lighting Up The Scoreboard. Apparently, I should have known that "Kevin Payne is really, really good." Well, this week he got benched in favor of Danieal Manning, and when he did play, he took a really bad angle on Rashard Mendenhall's 39-yard run, which set up a Ben Roethlisberger TD run. Really, really good, indeed.

p. Jay Cutler had a good game for the Bears, and didn't throw the ball to the other team, keeping them in it long enough to benefit from a missed Steelers FG. I think everybody had that impression, and I don't personally care what he does, like the ex-girlfriend I compared him with a few weeks ago. I think some people have me pegged as an Always-Rip-Cutler guy, though, and I am not. I am actually pretty indifferent, and I don't miss him. When he plays well, I will say that he played well.

q. Matt Forte is another story, entirely. The Bears offensive line isn't very good, but Forte really didn't show much individually on Sunday. My brother texted me recently asking me if I'd take Michael Turner, Forte, or Maurice Jones-Drew second overall in a fantasy draft. I told him Turner, but Forte would be last choice of the three. Cutler's arm has a way of seducing play-callers into wanting to use it all the time (we sure know this), and he's nowhere near as apt to check down as Kyle Orton was/is.

r. Circling back to the Green Bay-Cincinnati game, Cedric Benson is extremely talented, and he looks like he is finally coming into his own. He got a reputation for being soft at Chicago, but his teammates never liked him personally, as he displaced locker-room favorite Thomas Jones. Benson is in the top 5 in the NFL, in terms of pure talent at the RB position, and the Bengals really made a good move to bring him to town, and then to re-sign him pretty cheaply in the offseason (2 years, $7 Million).

s. Every week, my glowing reviews of Joe Flacco just look better and better. I got ripped for that a bit, but I knew and continue to know that I was right.

t. The Chargers are in big, big trouble on defense. Losing Jamal Williams was just a killer, even if his play had sharply declined in the last two seasons. The Chargers aren't pressuring anybody, and without Williams, they aren't terribly stout against the run anymore, either. Alfonso Boone isn't the answer, in case anybody was wondering. San Diego can score with anybody, and they're going to need to.

u. You know who looks like a really good young player? Sean Smith for the Dolphins. Yeah, I was all over that one before the Draft. The Broncos value ball skills over size at CB, which is why they preferred Alphonso Smith over any CB in the Draft, but I have love for a tall, fluid guy who can play press coverage. He had Reggie Wayne blanketed on that deep throw near the end of the first half which Gibril Wilson intercepted off of Smith's tip, which seems to have been overturned. (I left the bar I was at right after that play.) Anyway, Wayne was targeted 6 times, catching 3 passes for 37 yards. That's really good work from the RCB position for the Dolphins.

4. I had a power outage at home on Monday night, and it precluded me from watching any of the DVR'd games I was going to watch, making my other games analysis a little lighter than I wanted. I will run Between The Lines Tuesday night as a FanPost, since it's not able to be included in this edition.

I am writing from the library, since I have no power, and it's closing soon, as I write this. If my power has come back when I get home, I will write more. If not, look for at least Between The Lines Tuesday night. Have a great week.

Panther Paw Prints: Roster Cut Down Edition

Jaxon — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 15:28:32 -0000

The Panthers made their roster cuts yesterday, actually going below the mandated 53 man max to 51. HC John Fox is expected to announce a couple additions over the next day or two. The obvious one is a defensive tackle, which leads off this edition of prints.

NFL.com Blogs " Blog Archive Alfonso Boone could end up in Carolina "
Defensive tackle Alfonso Boone was released by Kansas City Tuesday but is expected to sign with Carolina today, according to a league source. Boone, a seventh-round pick by Chicago in 2000, was with the Bears until 2006, and spent the last two seasons with the Chiefs. The Panthers have been in contact with Boone since he was released.

The Panthers want a veteran presence in the middle and Boone seems to fit the bill. Let's hope he's got one good season left.The other roster spot might go to a return guy:

Panthers make their cuts - Home - News & Observer
One possibility might be Mark Jones, cut by the Tennessee Titans on Friday. Jones returned punts and kicks for the Panthers in 2008, but he has been troubled by injured hamstring in the preseason.

Jones though is nursing an injury so that might turn the Panthers off. On a negative note some of the fan base is upset with the poor preseason showing.

Support shrinking in the wake of poor Panthers preseason - CharlotteObserver.com
"I made a promise to myself before the season this year," Rohner wrote in an e-mail to the Observer, "to never again boo my team when things are not going as hoped. I feel the only way I can keep that promise is to stay home."

I'd rather you show up an boo if that is what the team deserves. Of course Fox might think they are saving "Hooov!". Back on a positive note, don't count Jon Beason out of the season opener:

Minutes: Beason ready to run
"I don't have any doubt that I'll be ready for the game," he said. "I've still got nine days." In the meantime, Beason has to start running. "We're going to get out there this weekend when everyone's gone on their break, and I'll be out there running and seeing how this thing feels," Beason said. "But it feels great. "It's not really sore. It's just scarring down. But it feels real good. That's the best way I can put it. We will see."

The defense needs it leader and a shot of adrenaline...or something...please.

It looks like Darin Gantt is not happy with the decision to cut LB Jeremy Leman:

daringanttWhen #Panthers put together practice squad today, it won't include LB J Leman. Apparently 40 times are more important than football plays.

He makes a good point. This team seems to need a guy like Leman but hopefully he'll make the practice squad anyway.

Finally, will there be a player lock-out in 2011? The Pplayers are planning on it no matter what the owners are saying as far as negotiating in good faith:

NFL players told to save in case of 2011 lockout
"Our focus is on bargaining and negotiations and getting a deal," said Jeff Pash, the owners' lead negotiator. "Anyone who says our goal is to lock the players out or shut down our business, that is a view that is really divorced from reality."

Updated Kansas City Chiefs Depth Chart Post Roster Cuts

Joel Thorman — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:34:53 -0000

by Charlie Riedel - AP

Amani Toomer can't stop a pass from being intercepted. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

View full size photo »

I've brought back TheQ's depth chart table and updated it following today's roster cut down. We knew about a few of the roster moves (Darling, Smith), weren't surprised by another (Goldberg) but were somewhat surprised by others (Boone, Toomer).

First and foremost, we need to point out that Chris only got one name right on his predicted cut list and that's Goldberg. 20%? That's about right for him.

Here are a few notes on the updated depth chart.

Defensive End

Previously, this is the way we saw most of the starters at defensive end lining up at one time or another: Glenn Dorsey/Alex Magee at right defensive end and Tyson Jackson/Alfonso Boone at left defensive end.

Now, assuming these players stay on the their respective sides, Bobby Greenwood and/or Dion Gales will be seeing time instead of the released Boone. Are you comfortable with that? I'm not sure I am simply because we haven't seen either of those guys go up against the first team much (if at all).

Wide Receiver

Chopping two more off the receivers - one from the first team, another from the second team according to the unofficial depth chart. I think we raised the expectations for Toomer higher than was realistic but, for many of us, we expected him to make the team.

These moves probably only solidify Dwayne Bowe, Mark Bradley and Bobby Engram in the lineup. It may also have created some room for Ashley Lelie.

***

Complete depth chart table after the jump.


			R. Price		D. Morgan
			J. Page		M. Brown
			J. McGraw		B. Pollard
			*Free Safety*		*Strong Safety*

	P. Walters		C. Smith
	T. McBride		D. Johnson		J. Belcher		A. Studebaker
	T. Hali		M. Beisel		Z. Thomas		M. Vrabel
	*OLB*		D. Williams		C. Mays		*OLB*
			*ILB*		*ILB*			J. Bates
						D. Gales		D. Washington
L. Fryar		A. Magee		D. Lokey		B. Greenwood		T. Daniels
R. Colclough		W. Gilberry		T. Tyler		~~A. Boone~~		M. Leggett
B. Carr		G. Dorsey		R. Edwards		T. Jackson		B. Flowers
*Cornerback*		*Def. End*		*Nose Tackle*		*Def. End*		*Cornerback*

*Wide Receiver*		*Tackle*	*Guard*	*Center*	*Guard*	*Tackle*	*Tight End*	*Wide Receiver*
~~D.Darling~~		B. Albert	B. Waters	R. Niswanger	M. Goff	D. McIntosh	B. Cottam	T. Copper
M. Bradley		H. Taylor	W. Smith	E. Ghiaciuc	T. Washington	B. Richardson	S. Ryan	~~A. Toomer~~
B. Engram		~~C. Goldberg~~	D. Harris	A. Alleman	C. Brown		J. O'Connell	D. Bowe
Q. Lawrence					I. Ndukwe		T. Crabtree	T. Johnson
R. Wright	*Slot Receiver*							A. Lelie
	B. Engram			*Quarterback*
	Q. Lawrence		*Fullback*	M. Cassel	*Tailback*
	R. Wright		M. Cox	B. Croyle	L. Johnson
			J. Collins	T. Thigpen	J. Battle
				M. Gutierrez	J. Charles		*KR/PR*	*Punter*
*Long Snapper*	*Kicker*				D. Savage		Q. Lawrence	D. Colquitt
T. Purdum	R. Succop				~~K. Smith~~		R. Wright
					J. Williams		D. Savage

Chiefs Start Early: Alfonso Boone Released

Joel Thorman — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:49:44 -0000

Certainly a surprise on the first one.

#1 Alfonso Boone

The Kansas City Chiefs begin cut day by releasing defensive end Alfonso Boone per 610 Sports.

Boone has been playing with the first team on and off along with Tyson Jackson, Glenn Dorsey and Alex Magee.

Boone is an eight year veteran playing the last two with the Chiefs and the first six with the Bears. He previously played defensive tackle but was moved to end in the Chiefs 3-4 scheme.

Stay tuned as more cuts come in...

***

Update 12:56 PM: Courtesy of Bob Gretz:

There are 11 players not practicing with the Chiefs: QB Matt Cassel, WR Devard Darling, DE Alfonso Boone, WR Amani Toomer and OT Cameron Goldberg. Working in the rehab area are FS Jarrad Page, SS Bernard Pollard, ILB Zach Thomas, CB Brandon Flowers, TE Jake O'Connell and RB Kolby Smith.

Goldberg doesn't have an injury we're aware of so it's possible he's another one of the cuts.

Lots of Changes to Kansas City Chiefs Latest Depth Chart

Joel Thorman — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:13:35 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

3 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley talks with players during the first quarter of their preseason NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Browse more photos »

Changes, changes and more changes to the Kansas City Chiefs latest unofficial depth chart. The big changes come on the defensive side of the ball. The two new Chiefs are added on the offensive side of the ball.

No time for small talk. Here are the changes. After the jump I've posted the updated QTable.

Tyson Jackson to the first team, Alfonso Boone to the second team

The rookie slides past veteran Alfonso Boone at left defensive end. Definitely a good thing since he needs all the time he can get. From my vantage point the last few games, this is well deserved as well.

Demorrio Williams to the first team, Derrick Johnson to the third team

Demorrio Williams racked up 10 tackles in Saturday night's loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He looked very good taking over for the injured Derrick Johnson. We're not quite sure what DJ's injury is but he's now been relegated to the third team at inside linebacker.

I'm assuming this is injury related though, it does make me wonder. Last week Todd Haley indicated DJ has to "get it going" a little bit.

Corey Mays to the first team, Zach Thomas to the second team

Zach Thomas has been injured the last several weeks of practice so this is no surprise. What's interesting though is that you can definitely make a case that Corey Mays won this job and didn't just have it handed to him because of Thomas' injury.

He's had a great camp.

Jon McGraw to the first team, Jarrad Page to the second team

Jarrad Page was reportedly injured in the Seahawks game so I don't think this one will stick barring the severity of that injury. That's just my guess.

Page has been one of the bright spots. There were some early (false) rumors that he was the first to gain his Arrowhead.

New Chiefs

Ikechuku Ndukwe is listed as the fourth right guard. Andy Alleman is listed as the third center.

In reality, Ndukwe has been seeing time at right tackle. Alleman has been seeing time at right guard.


			R. Price		D. Morgan
			J. Page		M. Brown
			J. McGraw		B. Pollard
			*Free Safety*		*Strong Safety*

	P. Walters		C. Smith
	T. McBride		D. Johnson		J. Belcher		A. Studebaker
	T. Hali		M. Beisel		Z. Thomas		M. Vrabel
	*OLB*		D. Williams		C. Mays		*OLB*
			*ILB*		*ILB*			J. Bates
						D. Gales		D. Washington
L. Fryar		A. Magee		D. Lokey		B. Greenwood		T. Daniels
R. Colclough		W. Gilberry		T. Tyler		A. Boone		M. Leggett
B. Carr		G. Dorsey		R. Edwards		T. Jackson		B. Flowers
*Cornerback*		*Def. End*		*Nose Tackle*		*Def. End*		*Cornerback*

*Wide Receiver*		*Tackle*	*Guard*	*Center*	*Guard*	*Tackle*	*Tight End*	*Wide Receiver*
D. Darling		B. Albert	B. Waters	R. Niswanger	M. Goff	D. McIntosh	B. Cottam	T. Copper
M. Bradley		H. Taylor	W. Smith	E. Ghiaciuc	T. Washington	B. Richardson	S. Ryan	A. Toomer
B. Engram		C. Goldberg	D. Harris	A. Alleman	C. Brown		J. O'Connell	D. Bowe
Q. Lawrence					I. Ndukwe		T. Crabtree	T. Johnson
R. Wright	*Slot Receiver*							A. Lelie
	B. Engram			*Quarterback*
	Q. Lawrence		*Fullback*	M. Cassel	*Tailback*
	R. Wright		M. Cox	B. Croyle	L. Johnson
			J. Collins	T. Thigpen	J. Battle
				M. Gutierrez	J. Charles		*KR/PR*	*Punter*
*Long Snapper*	*Kicker*				D. Savage		Q. Lawrence	D. Colquitt
T. Purdum	R. Succop				K. Smith		R. Wright
					J. Williams		D. Savage

No Changes to Chiefs Unofficial Depth Chart for Seahawks Game

Joel Thorman — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:12:12 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

Jed Collins: Still your #2 fullback. (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)

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The Kansas City Chiefs released earlier today the unofficial depth chart for this weekend's game against the Seattle Seahawks.

(Edit: Funny story, actually. For a short time this morning, the Chiefs accidentally put out the press release from a Chiefs/Seahawks game in 2005. It was quickly replaced but looking at the offensive line depth chart - Roaf, Waters, Wiegmann and Shields - wasn't such a bad thing.)

No changes were made but there will be two, however, by the next depth chart. The arrival of Andy Alleman and Ikechuku Ndukwe mean they'll be added somewhere on the list below.

RG: Mike Goff, Tavares Washington, Colin Brown
C: Rudy Niswanger, Eric Ghiaciuc
LG: Brian Waters, Wade Smith, Daryl Harris

I'm thinking Washington and Brown can fairly easily be jumped. Washington has spent a significant portion of camp in 'No Man's Land' while Brown is just a rookie.

I'll need to wait for a few camp reports before I can decide how the center position might be affected.

Waters, of course, is sticking with the one's but like Washington, Smith has spent some time injured so I can't imagine his spot is secure.

I've got a few more notes on the depth chart after the jump.

Dwayne Bowe on the third team - He's still listed with the third team even though he's clearly been the best receiver on the field in both games. I wouldn't read anything into this - definitely a motivational tool at this point.

Sean Ryan is still ahead of Brad Cottam - We still have no idea where we stand on tight ends. I'm not sure whether to make anything of this.

Damion McIntosh ahead of Barry Richardson - Richardson played with the first team last week and even started Friday's game against the Vikings. He didn't play great, according to more than a few folks, so McIntosh replaced him at the start of the second quarter.

Alfonso Boone ahead of Tyson Jackson - TJ participated with the first team today. He will (hopefully) see a lot more action in game three.

You can view the entire depth chart here.

Chiefs Training Camp Update 8/24 AM

Joel Thorman — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:34:16 -0000

More photos » by Paul Battaglia - AP

The Chiefs focused on goal line situations this morning to avoid a situation like last week against the Vikings. (AP Photo/Paul Battaglia)

Browse more photos »

It looks like Josh Looney at the Mothership and Bob Gretz at CBS Sports are going to be giving us our camp updates while the Chiefs are in Kansas City.

Many thanks to both men for keeping us all informed.

Today the Chiefs continued with their River Falls schedule starting at 8:50 AM. Here are a few general highlights:

After being stopped on four consecutive plays at the one in the Vikings game, the Chiefs focused on goal line action
Tyler Thigpen practiced after having all of last week off
Barry Richardson was still with the first team at RT

More after the jump.

General stuff

Still no Arrowheads on the helmets (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
Full pads this morning (Bob Gretz at CBS Sports)

Offense

Chiefs focused on goal line situations at full contact (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
Larry Johnson jumped high over the goal line - there were arguments from both sides whether the ball popped out before he scored (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
Barry Richardson stayed with the first team at RT (Josh Looney at the Mothership)

Defense

Tyson Jackson worked with the first team at DE (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
With Jackson running with the first team, Alfonso Boone moved to the second team (Bob Gretz at CBS Sports)
Haley paid extra attention to the nose tackles (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
Maurice Leggett picked off a pass that was tipped (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
In goal line work, the Chiefs defense stopped the offense three consecutive times forcing two fumbles (Bob Gretz at CBS Sports)

Special teams

Maurice Leggett took reps as a punt returner and as a gunner (Josh Looney at the Mothership)

Injuries

Kolby Smith and Zach Thomas did not participate today (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
Colin Brown did not participate in the first 30 minutes of practice this morning (Bob Gretz at CBS Sports)
Tavares Washington returned to practice (Bob Gretz at CBS Sports)

Chargers Won't See the Same Starting Chiefs

Chris Thorman — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:50:37 -0000

Week 10 @ SD			Week 14 @ DEN
Offense	Defense		Offense	Defense
WR 82 D.Bowe	LDE 91 T.Hali	*	WR 82 D.Bowe	LE 91 T.Hali
LT 76 B.Albert	LT 93 T.Tyler	*	LT 76 B.Albert	RT 72 G.Dorsey
LG 54 B.Waters	RT 72 G.Dorsey	*	LG 54 B.Waters	RE 94 J.Babin
C 64 R.Niswanger	RDE 70 A.Boone	*	C 64 R.Niswanger	MLB 56 D.Johnson
RG 73 A.Jones	LOLB 59 D.Edwards	*	RG 74 W.Smith	OLB 50 R.Boiman
RT 77 D.McIntosh	MLB 55 P.Thomas	*	RT 77 D.McIntosh	CB 31 M.Leggett
TE 88 T.Gonzalez	ROLB 50 R.Boiman	*	TE 88 T.Gonzalez	LCB 39 B.Carr
WR 83 M.Bradley	LCB 39 B.Carr	*	TE 87 B.Cottam	LT 93 T.Tyler
QB 4 T.Thigpen	RCB 31 M.Leggett	*	WR 81 D.Darling	RCB 24 B.Flowers
TE 87 B.Cottam	SS 49 B.Pollard	*	QB 4 T.Thigpen	FS 44 J.Page
RB 25 J.Charles	FS 44 J.Page	*	RB 27 L.Johnson	SS 49 B.Pollard

What a difference in only five weeks.

The Chiefs have been battling tons of injuries all season long and they seem to have slowed down a bit over the past few weeks. Even still, this weekend the Chiefs will likely field seven starters that did not start against the Chargers in Week 10. The starters who did play in Week 10 who may not play this weekend are bolded in the table above.

WR Mark Bradley is fighting a stingy calf injury that has kept him out the last two weeks and much of the game against the Buffalo Bills.

Center Rudy Niswanger again injured his knee in Week 13 and will likely be done for the year.

G Adrian Jones fully participated in practice yesterday after missing four games with a sprained ankle. He'll likely start actually, if Wade Smith moves to center to replace Rudy Niswanger.

RB Jamaal Charles started in place of the inactive Larry Johnson in Week 10. Larry will get the starting nod this week.

LBs Pat Thomas has missed the last four games and Donnie Edwards has missed the last three. Thomas participated fully in practice yesterday and Edwards was limited. Interestingly enough, the Chiefs only listed two linebackers in their starting line up last week.

DE Alfonso Boone has up to last weekend been starting for the Chiefs in the latter half of the season. He's a player who you never hear about anymore.

The Chargers will likely face seven or so new starters on the Chiefs' team that they didn't face in Week 10. That's one third of the starting lineup.

Advantages of having the new starters? Disadvantages? What new starter makes the most difference, good or bad?