SB Nation - Keith Davis

Feeling Danger at Strong Safety

Rafael Vela — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 01:00:26 -0000

More photos » by Chris Schneider - AP

The Cowboys may lean heavily on Ken Hamlin the next month. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)

NFL teams can absorb injuries when they are spead out. Coordinators cringe when the injuries blow a single position off the depth charts. That happened to last year's Cowboys team at several positions.

Think left guard. Kyle Kosier goes down. Montrae Holland is supposed to spell him but takes three quarters of the season to get fully prepared. Then, he injures an ankle four quarters into his time in the lineup. Wide receiver had the same issue. Miles Austin and Sam Hurd lost a lot of time to injury. Then Dallas acquired Roy WIlliams, who suffered plantar fasciitis just two games after Tony Romo returned to the lineup.

The bogey position on the defense was strong safety. Roy Williams went down early. His backup Pat Watkins tried playing with an injured neck and finally had to be pulled. Dallas had to claim Keith Davis off waivers from Miami and play him for significant time. Then, he went down against Baltimore, meaning the Cowboys had to play much of that critical game with street free agent Tra Battle, their fourth option. Given Davis' marginal status, one can reasonably claim Dallas didn't have an NFL caliber strong safety on the field last year.

The team cut ties with Davis and Williams and then acquired Gerald Sensabaugh through free agency and Michael Hamlin in the draft. Four games into this still-young season, Cowboys strong safeties again resemble Spinal Tap drummers.

Hamlin broke a wrist on a special teams play in the 49ers preseason game and has been absent every since. Sensabaugh broke a thumb early in the Denver loss and had surgery early this week. The Cowboys are gain working with a third teamer, this time the last-stand Watkins, and the early impressions are not pretty.

Watkins took a lot of grief from Bill Parcells his head-first tackling technique. The Tuna warned Watkins that he was risking serious injury by diving low at runners and receivers. Pat is still taking those risks. He missed a couple of tackles near the line by diving at Knowshon Moreno's ankles. Moreno easily stopped over Watkins and continued up the field.

In the open field, Watkins' tackling technique can be described as grab-the-shoulder-pads, fall-backwards, and hope-the-two-of-you -and-short of the first down marker. He may be the softest defender I've ever seen. He's just as tentative forcing play and tackling now as he was when he played with a disc problem last year.

Josh McDaniel didn't attack Watkins too much but he did isolate tight end Tony Scheffler on Watkins three times by lining Scheffler as a wide receiver. Denver completed two of those passes for two first downs. When Denver threw to Scheffler a fourth time Mike Jenkins had coverage responsibility.

Dallas can probably get past Kansas City with Watkins at strong safety. Sean Ryan is a Pat Watkins-caliber tight end, who has bounced around the bottom quarter of several NFL rosters. The matchups will get considerably tougher after the break. Seattle has John Carlson, and Cowboys fans will recall how he toasted Keith Davis to a crispy brown last Thanksgiving. Atlanta will then bring Tony Gonzalez to Cowboys Stadium. Do I need to explain him? The following week, Philadelphia will match Brent Celek against whomever the Cowboys play at the strong. He's not great, but if your safety isn't up to the matchup, he will make you pay. The Eagles started their second half comeback in last year's NFC Championship game on Celek's catches.

What you see are three speed tight ends who can be focal points of passing attacks, with head coaches who know how to use them. The Cowboys corners have had two strong games and have played the way they did in the preseason. The opposition will ignore then and go at the safeties and linebackers if the matchups present themselves there. These games should be competitive and one mismatch could be what throws a game against the Cowboys.

I don't think Wade Phillips puts his season and his job at Pat Watkins' disposal. If Sensabaugh can't make a quick return, I would not be surprised to see Ken Hamlin slide into the box while Alan Ball sits in centerfield. The Cowboys played a lot of 11 vs. 10 last year. I don't think they'll tolerate this again.

Do the Chiefs Have Anyone in for Free Agent Workout Day?

Joel Thorman — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:06:25 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

2 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley, left, and Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh talk at mid field after the Ravens won 38-24 during an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009, in Baltimore. The Ravens won 38-24. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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Tuesdays are generally the day of the week that teams bring in free agents for workouts. Presumably, the Kansas City Chiefs are doing the same today. There's usually quite a bit of movement on Tuesday and today is no exception.

The Tyler Thigpen trade today means there is an opening on the 53 man roster. The early favorite, per speculation earlier this week, is Lance Long being promoted from the practice squad.

Here are a few moves that may be of interest:

Former Chief WR Taurus Johnson tried out for the Lions today. He was signed as a UDFA (and the Chiefs worked him out pre-draft) by the Chiefs and released on the final big cutdown day.
T Levi Jones worked out for the Packers. The team isn't in a whole lot of need at left tackle so we assume this was for a shot as a right tackle.
S Keith Davis tried out for the Titans today. The Chiefs reportedly worked him out way back in March but there's been no movement on this. He's a special teams guy as well.
CB Roderick Hood tried out for the Titans as well. The Chiefs have reportedly worked out a few defensive backs in recent weeks.
The Patriots released LB Prescott Burgess yesterday. As we've noticed, the Chiefs like former Patriots. (As butchcassidy pointed out in the comments, Burgess was only a Patriot for a few weeks. He was previously with the Ravens, who play the Patriots this season)

Here's a list of official transactions.

This certainly isn't a comprehensive list of players that might interest the Chiefs. The Tuesday workout players are rarely reported but last week we found out the team worked out two defensive backs, Corey Ivy and Lewis Sanders, as well as return man Justin Miller.

We'll stay on top of any reports that come out regarding the Chiefs free agent workouts.

The VRR: Potential at WR Goes Through Miles Austin; Cowboys Have Biggest Fan Base

Aaron Novinger — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:00:14 -0000

The Cowboys' wide receiver position has definitely seen its fair share of media attention this offseason. Its point of emphasis always seems to build around the who-is-going-to-replace-T.O. theory. Other than spending a seventh-round pick on Manny Johnson, the team has stuck to a plan of building the position from within.

Dallas will depend on players such as Roy Williams and Miles Austin living up to their potential. Unless something drastic happens, Williams will be the starter. It is Austin who can make the position dynamic.

While JJT focuses the pressure of playing wide receiver for the Cowboys on Williams, NFP's Matt Bowen looks at Austin as the guy who really needs to progress.

Miles Austin was strictly a deep-ball receiver in 2008 and finished the season averaging more than 21 yards a catch for the Cowboys – but that was on only 13 receptions. We can talk all we want about how he’ll step into the No. 3 role for the Cowboys, but until we see him develop into a third-down receiver who can also contribute in the intermediate passing game, he’s still question mark – and not a sure thing yet in my mind.

The Cowboys are counting on Jason Witten, Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton to make up for the loss of production from the departed Terrell Owens, but this is a huge training camp for Austin because his role will dramatically increase. If he’s nothing more than a deep threat, then the Cowboys will struggle on third downs. However, if he can develop his overall game, they’ll forget quickly about T.O.

We know Austin can run down the field, but we don’t know what else he provides. Training camp will be the first time he’s asked to provide more than a big play to this offense.

Obviously, Austin has to stay healthy through camp and preseason. If he does, the experience he gains could further his development enough to start against Tampa, or at the very least, solidify himself as the third guy.

More VRR after the jump.

The aforementioned WR Manny Johnson is looking forward to training camp.

"I feel good. I just want to stay in shape while I have these two weeks off going into camp," Johnson said. "I think everybody starts on the same slate, so whoever impresses coaches at training camp will go from there."

He's also looking forward to seeing Stephen Hodge on the other side of the field again.

Johnson will join former Tatum and TCU standout Stephen Hodge, a sixth-round Dallas pick, at Cowboys training camp in San Antonio. The experience is yet another the duo will have shared over the years.

"We've played against each other since the seventh grade. Most people go in where they got drafted not knowing many people, but me and him have known each other for a long time, so at least we had somebody there that we knew and could be a little more comfortable with," Johnson said. "We're both from East Texas. Everybody (with the Cowboys) I'm sure knows we're from East Texas because we talk about it all the time."

No, Asaph Schwapp is not a ninja, but the rookie free-agent fullback is one strong dude. It will be interesting to see how his strength translates onto the field in training camp. Here's part of the Q & A he did recently with the Star-T:

What do you need to do to make this team?

Again, it’s more of a learning period right now and all of the physical aspects take place during fall camp. I just have to try as hard as I can to make this team and just do whatever I do best, which is blocking and special teams.

Have you been able to show off your strength yet?

We don’t have any pads on yet so I can’t really hit anybody or anything like that. I mean we work out and I’ve impressed people with the numbers I put up on the bench, but nothing too serious.

S.A. Express-News' Tom Orsborn explores the pros and cons of training camp.

The Dallas Cowboys: You either love 'em or hate 'em. Apparently, that statement is true. A recent ESPN SportsNation poll resulted in the Cowboys (36%) edging out the Patriots (34%) as the NFL's most hated team. Um, did we ever cheat? The good news: the Cowboys have the biggest fan base at 22%. The Steelers (20%) come in at a close second. Ha!

Another SportsNation fan poll predicts that RB Felix Jones will have a breakout year.

The Cowboys' running back commanded 37 percent of more than 24,000 votes when SportsNation asked which emerging NFC player would enjoy a breakout season in 2009. Percy Harvin (24 percent), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (22 percent) and Pierre Thomas (18 percent) rounded out the voting.

Mike Freeman, a columnist at CBSSports, hops on the anti-Bennett bandwagon.

Bennett says the video was just "all fun and games".

In other non-football football news, I like thought that you all would like to know that Jessica Simpson canceled her Ken and Barbie-themed birthday party. Okay...so, either this sounds like 'splitsville' is for real, or like Romo just didn't want to chance having to drive around in a pink convertible.

Well, it looks as if Keith Davis will be available to the Cowboys after all - just in case. The Raiders released the veteran safety on Monday.

Raised by educators, Bradie James is helping to give 10 lucky students a chance to succeed academically through his James Gang Back-to-School Jam Pack Contest.

Barry Switzer was honored Tuesday night with the Knights of Columbus John F. Kennedy Community Service Award for his work with the Special Olympics.

Going Back To The Future With the Dallas Cowboys

Carl Shelton (GloryDayz88) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:00:16 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips instructs one of his quality control coaches at a recent practice. "Great Scott son! Get me some gull-danged plutonium, dad-gummit! It's right over there!"

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As many of you may know, DC.com is running a series on the 50 greatest Cowboys of all time. The countdown currently stands at #15, where DC.com has named wide receiver Drew Pearson as the 15th greatest Cowboy of all time. Reading about all of the Cowboys of old brings back some fond memories, and also invokes a little imagination. As I continue to read through the series, I continue to mull over one question. If I had an ‘85 Delorian, a flux capacitor, and a little plutonium, what former Cowboy would I travel back in time to kidnap and add to the current unit?

Offensively it is easy to go with one of the all-time greats. Sure, any of us would probably love to have Roger Staubach or Troy Aikman to come in and guide the ship. Both are Hall of Fame quarterbacks with Super Bowl rings. But with Tony Romo on board, I personally would not spend my one and only pick on a quarterback, however important the position may be. It is natural to blurt out a name like Drew Pearson, Michael Irvin, Tony Dorsett, or Emmitt Smith. For this particular post, I wanted to dig a little deeper and tag players who would fit need areas for the current Cowboys.

My list is not by any means all-inclusive. There have been too many great Cowboys over the years to include them all, so forgive me if I left out your guy.

Wouldn’t Bob Hayes be the perfect speed complement to Roy Williams? No offense to Miles Austin, but I’d jump at the chance to have the former Olympic 100 meter champion who almost single-handedly changed defensive schematics forever. I know that people don’t initially associate the name Raghib Ismail with the Dallas Cowboys, but the guy put up some respectable numbers when he was here. Ismail would be an awesome fit with today’s Cowboys because he has a skill set that no other current Cowboy receiver has. Ismail is the smaller, shiftier, deep threat type who was great after the catch, and would also be a great help on returns.

If I could fit a '96 Larry Allen into my ‘85 Delorian, he just might be the guy to grab. The still-ailing Kyle Kosier and the questionably-motivated Montrae Holland are currently scrapping for the starting left guard position. A young Larry Allen would be a huge (no pun intended) addition to the Cowboys line. Could you imagine the sheer girth the Cowboys would have on the interior with Allen, Andre Gurode and Leonard Davis all inside? Frightening.

It would be nice to have the Moose back. I love the Cricket (Deon Anderson) but Daryl Johnston is one of the greatest blocking fullbacks of all-time… Does anyone else think as highly of Kelvin Martin as I do? I always thought Martin was fantastic slot receiver, and was likely skilled enough to wrestle the job away from Patrick Crayton… I don’t see running back as a need area for the current Cowboys. I love Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice, but I would probably take the Minnesota Vikings route and trade all three of them for Herschel Walker. I know Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett are among the all-time greats, but Herschel Walker was a once in a lifetime talent. I would love to see how great Walker could be surrounded by the current Cowboys’ cache of offensive weaponry.

Defensively, guys like Deion Sanders, Randy White, Bob Lilly and Chuck Howley are no-brainers. But again, let’s dig just a bit deeper.

Chuck Howley was probably the greatest Cowboy linebacker of all time, but he would have probably played the same position as Bradie James. I am in no way insinuating that Bradie James is better than Chuck Howley. I’m just saying that James is solid, and I would rather let him stay put, and pair him with Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson. Henderson was the rangy, athletic linebacker that is the perfect fit for the weak inside spot in a Wade Phillips defense. Henderson’s athleticism would be the perfect complement to James’ nastiness.

Want to improve the already scary Cowboys pass rush? How about a pair of #94’s screaming off the edges playing ‘meet you at the quarterback?’ A young Charles Haley was easily athletic enough to stand up in a 3-4, and if memory serves me correctly, i think he did a bit of that in his San Francisco days. Ware and Haley together would be unblockable.

Another former Cowboy who could possibly benefit from a position change with today’s squad would be Leon Lett. A tackle in his Cowboy days, Lett’s size, strength, long arms, and inside rush skills would make him the perfect penetrating 5-technique end for Wade Phillips’ scheme… I like Ken Hamlin and Gerald Sensabaugh, but there are no less than four former Cowboys safeties who could probably force either of them to the bench. Darren Woodson, Cliff Harris, Charlie Waters, Mel Renfro. Take your pick…With Keith Davis gone, how about bringing back Kenny Gant or Billy Davis to bolster the special teams units?

Again, this post was purely intended for fun. I could go on and on for days about the Cowboys of old. The guys I mentioned are just a few of my own personal favorites. So, if you could go back in time to grab any player who has ever sported the star on his helmet (at his best), and add him to today's roster who would it be?

The Valley Ranch Review: DeMarcus Ware and Jason Witten Rank in the League's Top 50

Aaron Novinger — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 02:38:45 -0000

Pete Prisco of CBSSports ranks the top 50 players in the NFL. He places DeMarcus Ware just behind QBs Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

3. DeMarcus Ware, OLB, Cowboys: One number says it all: 20. That's his sack total from 2008. He's the best pass-rushing linebacker in football.

Jason Witten also made the list.

33. Jason Witten, TE, Cowboys: He's a great threat in the middle of the field and has improved as a blocker. Tony Romo loves him and with T.O. gone he might be even more of a factor.

Just a bit outside were Tony Romo and Andre Gurode.

Mike Perrin at The Birmingham News agrees with Prisco's ranking of Ware.

If Prisco's list weren't intended to spark arguments, then you might not argue his choice. Ware had 20 sacks last season for Dallas, his fourth in the NFL after earning All-America honors for coach Larry Blakeney's Trojans.

The Cowboys are doing a top 50 list of their own, counting down the best players in their history to celebrate the 50th anniversary season. Ware is No. 23 on that list - which is at No. 21 today.

That's pretty impressive.

More VRR after the jump.

Jerry Jones says all those injured Cowboys receivers will be ready come training camp. Hallelujah!

"My expectations are that all receivers that were limited, maybe not [Travis] Wilson [knee] — he might not be ready — but other than him, all the rest should be ready for training camp," Jones said.

Scout.com blurbs about one of the Cowboys' rookies who is making an impression.

LB Stephen Hodge is making the transition from college safety. He is a little small but he is very instinctive and aggressive. Hodge will make his biggest impact for the Cowboys on special teams. That was his forte in college and that will be his forte in the NFL. He is expected to be the next standout special team player in the line of Bill Bates, Kenneth Gant and Keith Davis.

The Johnson City Medical Center in Tennessee will rename its children's emergency department in honor of Jason Witten, who has donated $200,000 to the hospital.

Cowboys legend Randy White did a Q & A during an annual Salvation Army Dinner. Here's what he had to say about today's Dallas team:

I’m still a fan. I root for them and I go through the ups and downs with them. Obviously at the end of last season I was very disappointed like everybody else and I’m looking forward to bigger and better things."

"This year, we really don’t know what we’re going to get. Two years ago they looked like a playoff team that was going somewhere and last year, they kind of struggled. I don’t know what we’re going to get this year."

The 'Manster' will be running a football camp this Saturday in Corpus Christi.

Jazmyn Reynolds-Dorsett, "Touchdown" Tony's daughter, will be a Cowboy--an Oklahoma State Cowboy, that is. She recently agreed to play basketball for OSU.

The 5-foot-11 shooting guard is considered one of the top shooting guards in the country, by ESPN's scouting service. The daughter of former Dallas Cowboys and Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett averaged 14.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in her junior year at Frisco (Texas) High School.

It looks like Dorsett will be playing against Jim Jeffcoat's daughter, Jacqueline, who says she will commit to the Oklahoma Sooners.

Jeffcoat, a 6-2 center, averaged 7.6 points and 6.5 rebounds – both team highs – last season. Jeffcoat plays AAU basketball for the Fort Worth Frogs.

Cowboys Stadium: the Ring of Honor, trees, and tailgating. Jerry Jones said no new Cowboys will be inducted into the ROH this season.

"We are of course excited about the Ring of Honor. We won't be doing anything in the Ring of Honor this year, as far as any new inductees but it will be every bit as emphasized in our new stadium as it was at Texas Stadium."

[snip]

12 trees were planted on the west side of the stadium. The trees were rescued from Texas Stadium as the site will be converted for other uses.

"These trees were a part of the stadium property and they were going to more than likely just be removed and be dealt away with and its a great honor to share in a kinship with the City of Arlington" explains Irving Mayor Herbert Gears.

In addition to the Cowboys adding shade and scenery to the parking lot, some parking spaces at the new stadium specifically include a grassy area for tailgaters to park. Arlington's Greene Park is also being transformed into an area for fans to gather before and after events, complete with picnic tables and walking paths.

Stadium tours, anyone?

Stadium tours, at $15 for adults and $12 for children, will be conducted every half-hour and last up to 75 minutes.

The tour includes the high-tech scoreboard control room, the press box, the Cowboys locker-room and limited field access.

DC.com posted some vids of Michael Jackson's halftime performance during the 52-17 smackdown the 'Boys put on the Bills in Super Bowl XXVII. Pourin' some out for you, "King of Pop".

Previewing the Kansas City Chiefs 2009 Schedule: Week 2

Chris Thorman — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:49:32 -0000

OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 30: Larry Johnson #27 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the second half against the Oakland Raiders during an NFL game on November 30, 2008 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

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On September 20th, the Oakland Raiders (5-11) will travel to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Kansas City Chiefs (2-14). This will be the Chiefs first AFC West opponent of the year, while Oakland will be in the middle of three straight divisional games to start off the season. They play San Diego in Week 1 and Denver in Week 3.

Last season, when the Kansas City Chiefs played the Oakland Raiders in Week 2, the fans got their first indication that something was seriously wrong with our football team. On 47 rushing attempts that day, the Raiders ran for 300 yards and 14 first downs. QB Jamarcus Russell only completed six passes on seventeen attempts. The Chiefs didn't even score until there was four minutes left in the game. And we gave up a Raider touchdown after that, making the final score 23 to 8.

Needless to say, it was a rough day to be a Chiefs fan.

But as a consolation, the Oakland Raiders 2009 off season has made it tough to be an Oakland Raider fan. It hasn't been the comedy of errors that we've seen play on in Denver but we're talking about Al Davis here. We're talking about the league's second worst run defense and an owner who has done virtually nothing to address the problem.

After the jump, we take a look at what the Raiders have done this off season to improve their team and then we'll examine how this Week 2 match up in Kansas City may go down.

2008 Season Snapshot

The 2008 Oakland Raiders finished the season ranked 29th in both points and yards gained per game, 32nd in passing yards and 10th in rushing yards per game. Their defense didn't fare much better over the long haul. Oakland finished 2008 24th in points allowed; 27th in yards allowed; 10th in passing yards allowed; and finally 31st in rushing yards allowed.

Where the Raiders excelled was rushing the football. They rushed for more than 150 yards in five contests and went over 100 yards rushing in nine games total last year. The rushing combo of Michael Bush, Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas was a potent one, as the team split carries mainly between those three players and amassed nearly 2,000 yards rushing for the season.

With Jamarcus Russell throwing the football last year, the Raiders were absolutely terrible in the passing game. Russell passed for over 200 yards only three times and passed under 150 yards a game nine times.

Much like the Chiefs did, the Raiders got killed in the running game last year on defense. The Raiders gave up over 2,500 yards rushing on the ground and had a middle of the season stretch where nearly every team destroyed Oakland on the ground.

2009 Off Season Roster Moves

Veteran Signings: QB Jeff Garcia, RB Gary Russell, FB Lorenzo Neal, OT Khalif Barnes, OT Erik Pears, G Marcus Johnson, C Samson Satele, DE Greg Ellis, DT Ryan Boschetti, S Keith Davis.

Draft Picks: WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, SS Michael Mitchell, DE Matt Shaughnessy, WR Louis Murphy, OLB Slade Norris, DE Stryker Sulak, TE Brandon Myers.

Offseason Losses: FB Justin Griffith, WR Ronald Curry, WR Drew Carter, WR Ashley Lelie, OT Kwame Harris, C Jake Grove, DE Kalimba Edwards, OLB Robert Thomas, SS Gibril Wilson, S Rashad Baker.

While Al Davis continues this off season to sign guys with serious knee problems, let's go straight to the source of Raiders fandom over at Silver and Black Pride to get their thoughts on the team's first round pick, WR Darrius Heyward-Bey:

40 YARD DASH TIMES ARE NOT EVERYTHING

This is why we will never win until al davis goes away. if you want fast guys there’s plenty of skiny sprinters in the olympics. WE ARE THE WORST RUN ORG IN THE NFL.

Even if he turns out to be descent picking him at 7 is terrible imo. We could have grabbed a 4th rounder and traded down a dozen spots to snag him. Bah being a Raiders fan on draft day is rough.

So, without going into too much more detail, Raiders fans are quite upset with Al Davis not properly addressing the team's needs through the draft. Through the draft, Oakland did bolster what is quickly becoming one of the best secondaries in the NFL. Despite being a reach, second round pick S Michael Mitchell is highly talented. Top corner Nnamdi Asomugha makes #2 CB Chris Johnson's job that much easier as well.

The team did address part of their offensive line needs through free agency by adding OT Khalif Barnes. As you can see though, the Raiders did pretty much nothing to address that terrible defensive line. Al Davis, at it again.

Darren McFadden #20 of the Oakland Raiders carries the ball as Derrick Johnson #56 of the Kansas City Chiefs defends during the first half of the game on September 14, 2008 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Why the Chiefs Will Win

It was clear last season that teams knew what to do against the Raiders - run the football. And with Al Davis doing virtually nothing to fix that problem this off season, the Chiefs' best chance to beat the Raiders in Week 2 is to pound, pound the football. Larry Johnson and Jamaal Charles are going to have to combine for at least thirty rushing attempts this game to ensure a Chiefs win. It would make no sense not to attack the Raiders biggest weak point.

Couple that terrible run defense with what will hopefully be an improved and more efficient passing game with Matt Cassel leading the way and the Chiefs should definitley have the Raiders' number on defense. If the team can't produce yards and points against this Raider defense in Week 2, it's going to feel a lot like last season's Week 2 loss in Oakland - demoralizing, depressing and a sad indication of things to come in KC.

The lack of a decent Oakland passing attack will also help the Chiefs win this game. Jamarcus Russell still hasn't impressed really anyone and the addition of WR Darrius Heyward-Bey hasn't exactly put the Raiders over the top in the receiving talent category. If you take a look at the Raiders roster, tell me who exactly besides Heyward-Bey is Russell going to throw to? Javon Walker? TE Zach Miller should see an increase in his production this year. He may end up being Oakland's most reliable target.

Why the Raiders Will Win

By far the biggest reason the Oakland Raiders were able to win one of their two games against the Chiefs last year was their ability to run the football. The Raiders may have been 31st in the NFL in rushing yards allowed but the Chiefs were 30th (and not far behind Oakland's average). The Raiders will be looking to do what the Chiefs will be looking to do against them - run the football all day long.

Quarterback Tyler Thigpen #4 of the Kansas City Chiefs is sacked by Derrick Burgess #56 of the Oakland Raiders during the first half of the game on Saptember 14, 2008 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

I'll admit it. A new defensive scheme with hopeful but unproven younger guys makes me scared against Darren McFadden, Michael Bush and Justin Fargas. Those three destroyed the Chiefs last year in Week 2 and there really isn't a whole lot, besides the addition of Tyson Jackson, that makes me think the Chiefs will have solved their rushing problems by Week 2.

Also, I know I'm not in the minority when I emphasize how much different this offense is going to look without Tony Gonzalez. I really have no idea what to expect without TG lining up for the Chiefs. I suspect that the loss of TG is going to hurt much more than any of us really want to admit right now. We'll be finding out very early in the season, and especially during Week 2, just how well the Chiefs are going to function without the Hall of Fame tight end.

Finally, the Raiders have a big edge on special teams. Sebastian Janikowski will continue to be a top notch kicker, even if the last few seasons haven't reflected that. Shane Lechler is the NFL's best punter. Plus, Oakland has two great return men in Justin Miller and Johnnie Lee Higgins. Miller returned two kickoffs for TDs last year and Higgins took three punt returns all the way back for scores. One big return by either one of those guys, resulting in a field goal or a touchdown, could be the difference in what I predict is going to be a close game.

My Prediction

I hate admitting this but the Chiefs and Raiders are pretty close in talent level right now. Things could easily change if say our rush defense gels quickly in 2009 but for right now, these two teams are pretty even.

I don't believe that either one of these team's defenses are going to be markedly improved by Week 2. With that said, I'm not predicting a shootout either. Both secondaries could be considered team strengths, which will limit both team's relatively weak passing games. I predict a sloppy game that is decided by one or two defensive breakdowns that result in points for the opposing offense. Looking at last year's Chiefs/Raiders point totals, I predict a 20 to 17 Chiefs win. The Arrowhead Advantage pulls the Chiefs through in a close divisional game.

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Previewing Week 1: Baltimore Ravens

Building a Winning Game Plan, Part II: Dallas' Defensive Turnovers

Rafael Vela — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 05:43:38 -0000

In part two of this series, I examine Dallas' effectiveness at creating turnovers, and how the team can return to its 2007 levels.

The Incredible Shrinking Interception Totals

The '08 Cowboys offer a paradox. How can a team whose passing defense ranking rose from 13th in '07 to 10th, and whose sack totals jumped from 46 in Wade Phillips' first year to a league-leading 58, see its turnover totals drop 24%, with its interception total dropping 58%?

Dallas Defense	2006	2007	2008
Fumbles recovered	13	10	14
Interceptions	18	19	8
Turnover total	31	29	22
TD passes allowed	25	19	19
Pass defense rank	24th	13th	10th

Let's focus on that black number eight. How could a defense with a top-drawer rush and fewer yards allowed intercept just eight passes? Comparing Dallas' '07 and '08 coverage metrics, two explanations emerge.

The first is age. Right corner Anthony Henry's success rate dropped from 48 to 35% and his yards per attempt allowed jumped from 6.6 to 7.7. As Henry's closing speed eroded, his interception total plummeted from six to one.

The second is sub-par strong safety play. We've beaten this subject to death, but Roy Williams' injuries, and Keith Davis' physical limitations dropped the SS's overall performance down. What's more, it had a detrimental effect on Ken Hamlin's play,and contributed to his drop from five picks in '07 to just one last year.

Long-time readers of my old site know Keith has been a secondary scapegoat for years. That's because Davis posted the worst YPAs of any starting free safety in '05 and '06. That's not Davis' fault. He's always been better suited to play in the box and was badly miscast playing in center field in Bill Parcells' last two defenses.

Hamlin offered an immediate and immense upgrade in '07:

Ken Hamlin	2007	2008
Direct Coverage YPA	4.9	9.7
Dir. Cov. Success %	59.1%
Deep Assist YPA*	6.0	10.0
Deep Asst. Scs%	85.0	60.0

*(Deep assists catalog the plays where a safety helped a corner in double coverage.)

Hamlin's numbers dropped a fair amount last year, but those are still respectable totals. Remember, Pat Watkins' YPA and success percentage in '06 were 15.1 and 53.3%. Davis' were even worse the year before.

Let's now take a look at Roy Williams' coverage numbers from his healthy'06 an '07 and those the gimpy Roy, Davis and Pat Watkins amassed in their three man SS rotation last season:

	2006	2007	2008
Direct Coverage YPA	10.3	7.8	15.8
Direct Coverage %	60.9	31.0	15.0

Roy offered two half-a-loaf seasons in '06 and '07. His success rate was very high in '06, but he gave up a large number of yards when he surrendered a catch. Wade Phillips promised his scheme would limit the number of times Williams was exposed in deep coverage. Williams posted a career best 7.8 YPA in '07, a result of playing in shallow zones. His success rate dropped almost 50% however, showing that his short-zone coverage skills were nothing to brag about.

Last year, the Williams-Watkins-Davis trio was the worst of all worlds. They could not stop passes and they gave up big gains on a regular basis.

That might be overlooked if they offered strong run support, but they did not. KC Joyner's new run metrics have a category called sky tackles, which measure the number of tackles a team's safety made in the backfield or within five yards of the line of scrimmage. It measures a safeties effectiveness at filling the lane on tosses or isolation runs:

Williams-Watkins-Davis sky tackles: 16
Hamlin sky tackles: 13

Hamlin almost had as many sky tackles starting twelve yards deep at the free as the strong safeties did playing in the box. This says that Hamlin had to cover a lot for the strong safeties: Roy L. had 92 tackles in '07. He and Davis combined for 45 last year.

Hamlin was trying to defy the laws of physics last year; he played a lot closer to the line of scrimmage in run support while trying to maintain in deep patrol. His single interception shows he failed.

The early reports on Gerald Sensabaugh have been glowing. He was signed for his coverage skills, which appear to supercede those of the three guys he's replacing. We won't know until the full pads come on in August, but he could well be the most important roster addition this year. If he's half as good as the coaches claim, the turnovers which went missing last year will return.

The Valley Ranch Review: Greg Ellis on the Move?

Aaron Novinger — Fri, 22 May 2009 09:00:18 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones answers questions after a news conference to unveil the world's largest 1080p HDTV video board at Cowboys Stadium, Thursday, May 21, 2009, in Arlington, Texas. The screens, weighing 600 tons, stretch from nearly one 20-yard line to the other.

Browse more photos »

A Greg Ellis trade may be in the works, says Fanhouse's Calvin Watkins. Watkins, earlier this month, had a source tell him that the Jets were interested in Pacman Jones. This time he has multiple sources, suggesting that Anthony Spencer could soon be clear to start opposite OLB Demarcus Ware.

Dallas is serious about a potential move because on Thursday, the final day of this week's organized team activities, the team sent Ellis home, not allowing him to practice. The Cowboys did this last year during some OTAs, and coach Wade Phillips said then it was to not wear Ellis down. He turns 34 in August.

This week the team held a team meeting with several of its veterans including Tony Romo, Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware and Marcus Spears. Ellis, who is tied with left tackle Flozell Adams with the longest tenure on the team, was not invited to the meeting by the coaches. Ellis took that as a sign he might not be wanted.

[snip]

The Cowboys have targeted New England and Cincinnati as potential teams for Ellis. The Patriots have been interested in an outside pass rusher and were in the market for Jason Taylor, who has now signed with Miami. But the Pats have no interest in Ellis, according to one of the sources.

Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was Ellis' coach in Dallas from 1999 to 2006 and there is a comfort level there between them.

Hat tip to cowboy78 for the Fanshot.

Todd Archer also wonders about Ellis' future with the team.

The Cowboys would free up more than $5 million in salary cap room in 2009 with a trade. If they cut Ellis, they would save $4.15 million because he has a $1.5 million guarantee that was added to his contract in 2007.

"He's looking forward to being a Dallas Cowboy," Ellis' agent, James Williams, said. "Now, if that's going to happen, we don't know. That's not in our control."

Williams said he has not asked for or been told by the Cowboys that he could seek a trade partner.

More VRR after the jump.

Igor Olshansky hit TheSportingNews' Top20 for the league's best defensive ends by bench pressing his way up to an overall ranking of 11.

11. Igor Olshansky, Cowboys. His move to Dallas reunites him with Wade Phillips, the defensive coordinator during Olshansky's first three years with the Chargers. He knows the 3-4 well, has great strength and has learned to use his hands well and play with leverage.

Former Cowboy end Chris Canty wasn't on the list, but perhaps will be included in TSN's defensive tackle rankings, seeing that the Giants' website lists him as a "DT".

Cowboys fans aren't the only fans who think their team will be linked to the name, Michael Vick. A bunch of other SBNation pro football sites have the same anxiety, e.g. Cincy Jungle and Pats Pulpit.

Besides, Jerry Jones backs his guy.

"(Tony) Romo is our guy," said Jones, who was in Arlington Thursday for the unveiling of a video board in the new Cowboys Stadium.

Here are some vids of the new stadium's super large videoboard, rollin' and ready for action. Can Marion Barber look any bigger?

Thanks for your leadership and pinch-safety hitting. Keith Davis will now play in the Bay Area with the silver and black. The former Cowboys safety and special teams dynamo signed with the Oakland Raiders.

Will the Pioli/Parcells/Haley Connection Bring Any Remaining Free Agents to the Chiefs?

Joel Thorman — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:37:19 -0000

Note: Primetime did the leg work on the tables and I did the writing. -Chris

If you're been reading Arrowhead Pride for a little while now, you know that Scott Pioli and Todd Haley are big on bringing in coaches and players that they've worked with before. Which makes perfect sense. It's a natural human instinct to take the known over the unknown.

It's gotten to the point where as soon as we hear of a new player the Chiefs have signed or are interested in, we look for the Pioli/Parcells/Haley connection and it's inevitably there.

Why look for a Bill Parcells connection in addition to a Pioli/Haley connection?

Well because the legendary coach has had some big time influence on the Chiefs current GM and head coach.

Todd Haley began his career as the New York Jets' wide receivers coach under Parcells in 1997. Haley also coached under Parcells from 2004 to 2005 as the wide receivers coach for the Dallas Cowboys, while Parcells was the head coach.

Todd is the son of Dick Haley, who is the current Player Personnel Analyst for the Miami Dolphins and former Director of Player Personnel for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets. Haley, his father Dick and Parcells all worked together in New York from 1997 to 1999. Haley was the Jets wide receiver coach; Parcells was the head coach; and Dick Haley as the Personnel Director.

Haley and Scott Pioli worked together from 1997 to 2000, when Pioli was the Director of Pro Personnel for the New York Jets.

As far as Parcells and Pioli go, both worked together in New York for the Jets in the late 1990s while Parcells was the head coach there. Oh, and Scott Pioli also married Bill Parcells' daughter. They're probably pretty tight.

So it's one big happy family over there at One Arrowhead Drive nowadays.

Every single coach hired by the new Kansas City Chiefs' brass has had some sort of Scott Piloli/Todd Haley/Bill Parcells connection.

Special teams coach Steve Hoffman (Parcells)
WR coach Dedric Ward (Haley, Parcells and Pioli)
Defensive quality control coach Pat Perles (Haley)
Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast (Haley)
Offensive line coach Bill Muir (Pioli and Haley)
LB coach Gary Gibbs (Parcells and Haley)
Joel Collier (Pioli)

It's the same thing with the free agents the Chiefs have signed this off season:

LB Monty Beisel - Played for Arizona in 2008 under Chiefs' DC Clancy Pendergast
QB Matt Cassel - Former New England Patriot under Pioli
WR Terrance Copper - Signed to the Cowboys by Bill Parcells when Todd Haley was working with the wide receivers
CB Travis Daniels - Former Cleveland coach Romeo Crennel, who coached under Belichick and Pioli in New England, traded for him prior to the 2008 campaign
WR Bobby Engram -Played for the Bears when Todd Haley worked with wide receivers
LB Darrell Robertson - New England practice squad in 2008 and a former Georgia Tech player under Chan Gailey
TE Sean Ryan - Played last year in Miami for Bill Parcells and for Haley and Parcells in Dallas from 2004 to 2005
TE Tony Curtis - Played for Haley and Parcells in Dallas from 2005 to 2006

Is that enough evidence that these guys prefer working with people they've worked with before?

It makes sense to take a look at who the top remaining free agents and see where the Pioli/Haley/Parcells connection is. It's likely that any future free agent signings will come from this group.

The top offensive and defensive free agents connected to Pioli, Haley and Parcells are after the jump.

Offense
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Age	Pioli	Haley	Parcells
Rex Grossman	QB	6'1"	222	28		CHI 03-04
Lorenzo Neal	FB	5'11"	255	39		NYJ 97	NYJ 97
Marty Booker	WR	6'0"	212	32		CHI 01-03
Kelley Washington	WR	6'3"	218	29	NE 07-08
Jerame Tuman	TE	6'4"	255	33		AZ 08
Brandon Gorin	RT	6'6"	308	30	NE 03-05
Rob Petitti	RT	6'6"	347	26		DAL 05	DAL 05
Terrence Metcalf	G-T	6'3"	325	31		CHI 02-04
Evan Mathis	G	6'5"	304	27			MIA 08
Grey Ruegamer	G-C	6'4"	310	32	NE 00-02
Matt Lehr	G-C	6'3"	300	30			DAL 03-04
Edgerrin James	RB	6'0"	219	30		AZ 07-08

Back on Monday, I asked you what was the biggest positional need for the Chiefs after the draft. You responded by saying that wide receiver, offensive tackle and outside linebacker were the Chiefs' biggest needs.

WR Marty Booker has already had a workout with the Chiefs and left without a contract offer (We assume).

Former 3rd round pick Kelley Washington is an option too I guess, although I'm not sure what he would bring to the table considering his poor career numbers.

At best, I think any of the offensive line free agents out there would be back ups to our current crop of linemen.

The defensive free agents are pretty slim pickings as well. Check them out.

Defense
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Age	Pioli	Haley	Parcells
La'Roi Glover	DT-NT	6'2"	285	34		DAL 05	DAL 03-05
Chris Cooper	DT-DE	6'5"	275	31		AZ 07	DAL 04
Vonnie Holliday	DT-DE	6'5"	290	33			MIA 08
Rosevelt Colvin	DE-LB	6'3"	250	31	NE 03-08	CHI 01-02
Ebenezer Ekuban	DE	6'3"	265	32			DAL 03
Derek Smith	ILB	6'2"	245	34			MIA 08
Junior Seau	ILB	6'3"	250	40	NE 06-08
Willie McGinest	OLB-DE	6'5"	270	37	NE 00-05
Mike Brown	S	5'10"	210	31		CHI 01-04
Rodney Harrison	S	6'1"	220	36	NE 03-08
Lawyer Milloy	S	6'0"	210	34	NE 00-03
Roy Williams	S	6'0"	235	28		DAL 05-06	DAL 03-06
Keith Davis	S	5'10"	193	30		DAL 05-06	DAL 03-06
Terrence Holt	S	6'2"	208	29		AZ 07
Cameron Worrell	S	5'11"	199	29		CHI 03-04
Mike Green	S	6'0"	195	32		CHI 01-04
Deltha O'Neal	CB	5'11"	194	32	NE 08
Jason Webster	CB	5'9"	187	31	NE 08
R.W. McQuarters	CB	5'10"	198	32		CHI 01-04
Lewis Sanders	CB	6'1"	190	29	NE 08
Aaron Glenn	CB	5'9"	185	36		NYJ 95-00, DAL 05-06	NYJ 97-99, DAL 05-06
Roderick Hood	DB	5'11"	198	27		AZ 07-08
Travis LaBoy	DE	6'3"	250	27		AZ 08

Considering that the top remaining linebackers are all over 34-years old and that the Chiefs have already signed two veteran LBs, I don't see the Chiefs signing Junior Seau, Willie McGinest or Derek Smith. McGinest could theoretically fill at defensive end in addition to linebacker but his age prohibits most investments in him.

S Keith Davis left KC without a contract offer after a private visit to KC back in March.

DE Travis LaBoy, like Primetime wrote this morning, really does seem to be the most viable option for the Chiefs on this list, although I'm not sure what the odds of him coming to KC truly are.

Last year, we would have crossed off any one on this list that was over the age of 27 but that's no longer the case. Now, with the draft over and compensation for many of these players at a minimum, we could be looking at more signings.

Would you like to see any of these free agents signed by the Kansas City Chiefs?

Poll

How many of these free agents will the Chiefs sign?

0

52 votes

1

108 votes

2

212 votes

3

154 votes

4

71 votes

5+

86 votes

683 votes | Poll has closed

Orlando Scandrick: "I'm not playing safety at all"

Dave Halprin — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 04:23:06 -0000

Earlier this offseason, there was a lot of talk about moving CB Orlando Scandrick to safety, at least on a part-time basis in certain formations. With the departure of Roy Williams (RW1), the Dallas Cowboys were short at the position and were thinking about creative ways to get their best players on the field. They discussed the possibility of Scandrick playing the "Star" position, a role Darren Woodson once played back in the day.

The Cowboys also traded CB Anthony Henry to the Lions in the Jon Kitna deal and that opened up a starting CB spot opposite Terence Newman. Would Mike Jenkins claim that spot by default while Scandrick was learning a hybrid safety spot along with his slot-corner duties in the nickel? Or would Scandrick get his shot at the position on the outside?

I decided to go to the source and see what he said about it. I was able to get a few minutes on the phone the other day with Orlando Scandrick and posed those questions to him.

I asked if he thought he would be competing with Jenkins for the outside CB spot vacated by Henry or if the Cowboys were going to use him in the slot, and would they be using him any in the safety spot as earlier reported.

On the question of competing for Henry's spot, Scandrick replied, "I don't see any reason why I wouldn't." He went on to say that he was basically the third corner last year, practically a starter playing the slot in the nickel, so he thought he would definitely be competing for the position with Jenkins.

On the question of playing the ‘hybrid' safety role, Scandrick indicated that was no longer in the plans. "I'm staying at corner from what I know. They signed a safety, Gerald Sensabaugh, an athletic, young safety," said Scandrick. I pressed a little further for clarification sake. "I'm not playing safety at all," was his reply. A final ‘you'll definitely be at CB this year' question was met with a simple "Yes."

Given that the Cowboys have little depth behind Ken Hamlin and Gerald Sensabaugh (who still has a lot to prove to be a starter), and given that Scandrick thinks there's no way he'll be at the position even part-time, the Cowboys will need to acquire help in the draft. Pat Watkins has yet to show he's the presence they need back there and has injury issues, Courtney Brown hasn't lessened the Cowboys' anxiety about the position in his short time. They could always resort to bringing Keith Davis back, which would surely help special teams. But in reality, the Cowboys need to stop looking at stop-gap solutions and get serious about a safety of the future alongside Ken Hamlin. Maybe Sensabaugh can grow into that role, but the Cowboys would do well to get another option in the draft.

I had a little time to discuss a few other subjects with Scandrick. When I asked him to describe secondary coach Dave Campo's style, he said with a slight chuckle, "Outspoken." He followed up by saying, "He wants the best for all of us. That's a huge benefit, a good guy to work with."

I asked if he noticed much difference between Wade Phillips' play-calling later in the year and Brian Stewart's earlier in the year. Scandrick didn't really notice much difference and said he was just running the play and looking for any hand-signals from coach Campo on the sideline.

When I poked into the ‘chemistry' question of the locker room during the year and his thoughts on the changes made in personnel, he spoke as the wisest of Cowboys should speak. He relayed that he just kept his head down during the season because he was still grasping everything as a rookie, he kept quiet and went about his job and that he trusts the organization is making the right moves for the team in the offseason. Now there's an answer worthy of emulating!

He also made sure to note that he is currently working out at Valley Ranch in their 12-week offseason program that will lead right into training camp.