SB Nation - Branden Albert

The Dude Abides...The Stats That Don't Lie, Week 12

TJ Johnson — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:30:11 -0000

More photos » by Jack Dempsey - AP

Giving Thanks!!!!

The Stats don't mean what they say on Thanksgiving, Mom. You know that. That's what the day's supposed to be all about, right? Torture.--Holly Hunter

Thanksgiving and football. It didn't get much better in Week 12. Like you and your family, some teams greedily feasted on the mashed potatoes (Dallas on Oakland), some teams kicked up their feet and loosened their belts (Green Bay feeling fat and bloated as they coasted over Detroit), and some teams simply went straight for the pumpkin pie (New Orleans tasting a sweet victory over New England).

Your Denver Broncos stuffed the New York Giants like turkeys.

Welcome to the Week 12 edition of The Stats that Don't Lie. These stats are your extra gravy. They are the statistical whipped cream that you squirt into your mouth right from the can. They are the stats that you think about as you ignore your in-laws and fall asleep on the couch. As always, they are Turnovers (giveaways to be truthful), Field Position, Time Of Possession, and 3rd-Down Efficiency.

Before we jump in, you might have noticed that you are getting this edition on Tuesday rather than the normal Wednesday. That's because Ted Bartlett was feeling a little under the weather, so we decided to switch days. Ted should be well enough to bring you his Shallow Thoughts and Nearsighted Observations tomorrow.

Until then, you're getting stats. And you're going to like it. Don't make me send you to eat at the kids' table.

The View From the Airplane

The Turnover-Margin-Bar Graph rarely lies. I enjoy putting this up each week because if you take nothing else away from these columns (and that's quite likely), simply take this picture and burn it into your brain:

As always, I point out that I "normalized" the New England game to take away the Hail Mary interception.

Quick, go grab the dork in your office or dorm or cell (for fans of the Raiders) that knows nothing about football and show them this graph. Tell them that a positive margin is a good thing. Then ask them how many of these games they think the Broncos might have won. They will certainly guess six, at a minimum. And they'll wonder if New England was a tie. If there's one thing we've learned about this year's Denver Broncos, it's that they are going to live and die by turnover margin. While this is true of most teams, Denver seems to be particularly suited to the influence of turnovers (more on this later). In the case of the Giants game, if a team has a plus-2 turnover margin, they win 78% of the time. It's little wonder Denver took Eli and Company to the woodshed.

Here is where the Broncos stack up against the rest of the league with respect to turnovers (giveways, but I hate this word more than the word "Cutler"), field position, time of possession, and 3rd-down efficiency:

Denver has improved in most areas from last week, in which they were 10th in turnovers (giveaways), 27th in field position, 22nd in time of possession, and 21st in 3rd-down efficiency.

As the greatest poet of his generation (or at least his after party) Bret Michaels, once said, "Every rose has its thorn." 3rd-down efficiency is the thorn for Denver. This is precisely one of the reasons the Broncos are a team that, unlike Indianapolis, can't overcome turnovers. Notice that Indianapolis leads the league in 3rd-down efficiency. It's this high percentage that allows them to overcome turnovers in the first half like they did against both New England and last week against Houston. If the Broncos can't improve this percentage on 3rd downs, a minus-1 turnover margin could doom them (and I don't mean Dumervil).

This brings me to the New Orleans Saints. Look at their rankings. They are 16th in turnovers, 3rd in field position, 9th in time of possession, and third in 3rd-down efficiency. How are they 11-0 with such a high turnover (giveaway) number/game?

It's because that are a clone of the Indianapolis Colts, only with better field position. In the case of both Indianapolis and New Orleans, time of possession really is incidental to their yards/play average. They are both quick-strike offenses (look for my Quick-Strike Index coming soon in another piece). Their drives are generally quicker, take less plays, and are deadlier to the other team. So the fact that they commit a turnover (or two) early in the game is not as big a deal as it would be for another team (hello, Denver!).

Turnovers, as we have noted, are not all created equal. A turnover committed early in the game is less valuable to the opponent than a turnover late (less time in the game means less options, obviously). So as long as Peyton Manning and Drew Brees aren't throwing picks in the 3rd and 4th quarters (which they are not), their teams' ability to get down the field quickly can easily overcome these early turnovers.

Some of you might be quick to note that last week I said I believed Minnesota was a better team than New Orleans. I still feel this way. Minnesota won't be at all intimidated by playing in a dome, and I really am inspired by Jared Allen's mullet. As far as the AFC goes, it's time that I accept the fate that is the Indianapolis Colts.

This weekly piece wouldn't be complete without again pointing out the Bears' ranking of field position. This week they rank 1st. Imagine what damage they could be doing if Jay Cutler's arm wasn't such a wishbone.

Week-12 Summaries:

There were several games worth mentioning, but let's start with Denver's. We've already noted the turnover margin, but it's also important to talk about field position. Remember, field position is fluid, so as the ball is advanced up the field, the expected points value changes. Denver essentially kept the Giants on their side of the field for most of the game. The Giants only entered Denver territory three times in the entire game and one was on the last drive when the game was essentially over. Mitch Berger and Matt Prater both had their best games of the season. All of this kept the Giants on their side of the field where the expected point values were much much lower (for those that are looking for an in-depth analysis of the fluidity and point expectation of field position, it's coming). This certainly contributed to Denver's victory.

Another game was Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore, but only because the stats lied again. Pittsburgh won all four categories, but Baltimore escaped with the victory in overtime. This is again a lesson in the context of turnovers. The later a turnover happens in a game, the more valuable (or damaging) it is. Again, a turnover in the first quarter can be overcome, especially with a quick-strike offense. However, in this case, the interception that Pittsburgh threw as they were entering Baltimore territory was in overtime (as late as you can get), and thus, the key to this game. Just how much was that turnover worth? Stats guys will tell you a turnover, no matter where it's committed, is worth 4 points. Given Pittsburgh's season at this point, one could argue from the heart that it was worth a lot more.

The final game of note was the Monday night affair between New Orleans and New England. First, New Orleans coach Sean Payton thinks so much of the 3rd-down efficiency stat that he decided to shove the stat for this in Suzy Kolber's face at halftime. As a stats guy, I think it's cute. Beats Joe Namath. Second, on the Patroit's second drive, they were seizing momentum until Brady threw the interception. From that point forward, things seemed to snowball on New England. The impact of turnovers on momentum can't be overstated. Third, on New Orleans' touchdowns, they had drives of 59, 75, 76, 74, and 75 yards. They averaged only 5 plays/per drive on these drives, and finally, their average yards/play was 14.36. In other words, the Saints can get the ball down the field in a BIG hurry. Talk about a quick-strike offense.

2-Turnover Rule (Explained Here)

5 teams had 0 turnovers. 3 won (60%); For the season, 56/70 (80%)
12 teams had 1 turnover. 9 won (75%); For the season, 57/99 (58%)
6 teams had 2 turnovers. 3 won (50%); For the season, 43/94 (46%)
5 teams had 3 turnovers. 1 won (20%); For the season, 13/50 (26%)
3 team had 4 turnovers. None won (0%); For the season, 4/24 (17%)
1 teams had 5+ turnovers. None won (0%); For the season, 0/9 (0%)

Week 12 - Big Picture

The team that won the turnover battle won 14 of 16 games played (88%).
In the previous category, remove the ties (2 games) and this changes to 75%
The team that won the time of possession battle won 11 of the 16 games played (69%).
The team that had better third-down efficiency won 10 of the 16 games played (63%).
The team that had better average starting field position won 11 of the 16 games played (69%).
There were 7 games this week in which a team won all four categories. In 7 of the 8, the same team won on the scoreboard (100%). For the season, this stat is 59 out of 64 games. In only 3 games, however, has a team won outright in all four categories (no ties in the turnover battle) and lost.
The winning teams this week averaged 1.13 turnovers, 32:07 in time of possession, 40.09% on 3rd downs, and their average starting field position was the 29.55 yard line.

Top 5 in Week 12:

Top 5 in giveaways: Dallas, Cleveland, Cincinnati, San Francisco, and Arizona are all tied with 0
Top 5 in time of possession: 1.Minnesota 2.Cincinnati 3.Pittsburgh 4.Denver 5. San Diego
Top 5 in 3rd downs: 1.Minnesota 2.Green Bay 3.San Francisco 4.Houston 5.Washington/Cincinnati
Top 5 in avg. starting field position: 1.Washington 2.Chicago 3.Cincinnati 4.Seattle 5.San Diego

Running Totals, Season (through 12 weeks):

176 games have been played this season
80.68% were won by the team with less turnovers (counting ties as wins)
67.61% with a better time of possession
65.91% by the team who won on 3rd down
71.02% by the team that won the field-position battle.

12-week League Averages:

12-week running average/game, turnovers (all teams): 1.69

12-week running average/game, time of possession (all teams): 30:11 (thanks to numerous OT games)

12-week running average/game, 3rd down efficiency (all teams): 37.81%

12-week running average, starting field position (all teams) 29.68 yard line

The Look Ahead

Looking ahead to Kansas City, here is how the two teams stack up in the four statistical categories (keeping in mind these are averages/game):

Team Turnovers/Game Time of Possession Field Position 3rd-Down Efficiency

Denver 1.36 29:31 28.12 35.51%

Kansas City 1.36 29:10 30.11 22.21%

I'm downright giddy to watch Denver's defense destroy Kansas City on 3rd downs. Despite the fact that Kansas City generally doesn't turn the ball over, they also can't sustain drives. And unlike the Colts or Saints, they don't have the quick-strike ability to avoid 3rd downs. If Denver's 3rd-down defense holds true, they should be in excellent shape. As always, Denver must avoid turnovers.

What about playing in December in Kansas City? Is it the early gamet ime? The humidity? The crazy fans? I don't know. But Brian Dawkins is immune to it. And Josh McDaniels hasn't heard about it. And most important, the fans are probably still napping off their Thanksgiving, wishing Marty Schottenheimer had never left. Lucky for Bronco fans, he did. Playing against his teams was always tough.

Hail, Kyle Orton!!

Last stat: 100% (percentage chance that Ryan Clady is a better draft pick than Branden Albert).

Todd Haley: Brilliant Personnel Guy? Or Just a Guy?

Jon Yoon — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:00:13 -0000

In writing this column, I know exactly what I want to write. The problem is, I don't. On the one hand, some of Todd Haley's personnel decisions have been really confusing. There have been plenty of surprise cuts throughout the year and some players have started in the place of others who seemed more deserving. On the other hand, Haley's been right on several occasions. The good news is, as time passes by, more and more of his personnel decisions appear to be pretty good ones.

This may sound like a pretty small issue, but there are many that would argue that New England's success in the past was largely due to a partnership between Scott Pioli and Bill Belichick. It will be immensely helpful if Haley can help Pioli make good personnel decisions.

Let's start with the bad and then look into the good:

The Bad: Win Now? Or Build Through Youth:

I understand that there is a delicate balance between winning for now, and rebuilding for later. For as much as Herm Edwards has been mocked for his comment: "You play to win the game," the answer isn't always that obvious. Sometimes you have to play the lesser player that gives you less of a chance to win today, in the hopes that he will put your team in better shape to win tomorrow. Sometimes you don't play to win the game. Helloooo.

For the most part, Haley doesn't seem to mind playing young guys. That doesn't mean he's been perfect. Jamaal Charles is playing better and better and better every week. Let me ask the obvious question: why wasn't he playing all along? I understand that LJ was the Chiefs' primary back and that the Chiefs were committed to his contract and ultimately his playing time. But I think in looking at Charles' success right now, there are more than a few people who wonder why he wasn't seeing more carries earlier in the season, if only as a change-of-pace back. Charles was barely getting about five carries a game and his role was largely limited to return and receiving duties. Had LJ not made a few stupid comments on Twitter, we'd still be wondering today if Charles had anything to offer in this league. Judging by his recent success, that would have been an outrageous oversight.

How about another classic example: Andy Studebaker. I really liked what I saw out of this kid on Sunday. I'm not sure that he can be an every-down OLB and he still has a lot to prove as a pass rusher, but I was really impressed with his play on run defense. There were several plays where I saw him trail an outside runner and slip between two blockers to influence the play. Now, this isn't as clear-cut of a case because Vrabel didn't play that poorly and because Studebaker wasn't exactly a prospect that made people do cartwheels. But it goes back to the idea that Haley needs to let his young guys play. Studebaker should have gotten more reps earlier in the season.

I wonder if the same situation is developing with their Safeties. John McGraw and Mike Brown are not answers at Safety. I like the idea of McGraw as a depth guy, but as a long-term starter, he's not a guy you can continually depend on. And don't let Brown's recent Defensive Player of the Year accolades fool you---he's still not a very good player. Two games ago, he benefitted from a few tipped passes where he happened to be in the right place at the right time. Last game, he got credit for making a nice sack at the right time. That doesn't change the fact that he is not a playmaker. As I said in an earlier column, he lets plays come to him; playmakers like Polamalu anticipate plays and blow them up before they get to them.

Hopefully, you see where I'm going with this. Neither McGraw or Brown have anything to offer this team in the long-term. And it's not like they're offering anything much in the short-term. They're in there because they don't make a lot of mistakes. I want the Chiefs to win now, but I would much rather watch Morgan make mistakes and see if he improves over time than watch two Safeties with zero upside play mistakeless football at an average level. If this was a 5-4 team, I can understand what Haley's doing. But this is a 3-6 football team. You have to give the young player with upside some in-game reps. Even if you don't start him the whole game, you do not keep him inactive on the roster or let him rot on your bench. McGraw or Brown are not going to be starters two years from now. Morgan could be. I don't know if Morgan will shine as Charles has, but it's hopefully a lesson to Haley that his young guys might surprise him.

Haley got lucky on Charles and Studebaker. The problem is, he only found out what they're made out of because he had no other choice. When LJ mouthed his way off of the team and Vrabel fell to injury, Haley didn't have much choice but to go with youth. I want to see Haley become more proactive about evaluating young players during the rebuild. It's time to see what Morgan is made of. If he fails, he fails. At least you know he isn't the answer. If he succeeds, well, then suddenly you have one less need to fill in the upcoming offseason.

The Good: Haley's Smarter Than We Give Him Credit For

I've been critical about a lot of moves Haley has made so far this season. And you know what? In many cases, I've been flat-out wrong.

The most glaring example is Derrick Johnson. I couldn't understand why DJ was in Haley's doghouse. As he's gotten more and more playing time, I'm beginning to understand why. He's not really that good. I know some people will point to his "improved" play on Sunday against Pittsburgh as a validation that he's getting better and should have been getting more playing time in the first place. I would have to disagree. DJ made a lot of big, flashy plays. Some of them came at key moments. But if you actually watch him snap for snap, you'll find that he still makes way too many mistakes for a player of his experience level. I don't like the angles he takes to make tackles. In many cases he overruns his gap. In other cases he whiffs on his assignment. The commentators on Sunday very aptly pointed out that DJ's missed assignment led to a receiver waltzing into the end zone untouched. I sense that Haley doesn't like DJ because he freestyles too much. Like a Lavar Arrington, he'll make a few big plays, but he'll make some headscratchingly bad ones too. Haley wants consistency. DJ doesn't give him that. I get that.

The other glaring example is Dwayne Bowe. There were some who wondered if maybe his struggles were due to the fact that he's getting separation but Cassel isn't hitting him quick enough. I'm starting to understand now why Haley has been so tough on Bowe. Thusfar this season, he hasn't been very good. Maybe some of that is on the quarterback, but given Cassel's recent success with Chris Chambers in the lineup, you have to think it's not all on Cassel. I don't agree with Haley's decision to play musical chairs with his receiver corps in the offseason and strip Cassel/Bowe from quality reps. But I do agree more and more with his decision to be tough on Bowe.

Tough Decisions Ahead:

Haley's going to have some very tough decisions to make. His job will actually be much tougher next year than it was this year. In many instances, Haley had to choose between crap and crap. And in many of those instances, it seemed pretty clear that Haley chose to scrap certain players because they weren't "Haley guys." Yet in other instances, as with Charles and Studebaker, he lucked into the right decisions by players getting injured. Arguably, the only position where he's installed a ton of accountability is at the Wide Receiver position, a position that he knows very well from his assistant coaching days.

Next year, he'll need to make much tougher decisions. He'll have to decide whether to play a late-round rookie or to bench one of the veteran Haley guys. It was easy for Haley to bench a Derrick Johnson or a Tank Tyler or a Bernard Pollard who either didn't fit his system or didn't fit his player profile. I wonder if he'll find it nearly as easy to bench a guy like Lance Long or Mike Vrabel. The same applies to guys he likes a lot because they bought into the program---what if Branden Albert doesn't get much better? When do you pull the plug on him? What if Matt Cassel doesn't improve with a better supporting cast? What if Tyson Jackson doesn't improve over time? How do you justify starting a 7^th round rookie over a player who's playing average,

Remember, Dick Vermeil made a lot of sweeping changes after his first season as a head coach for Kansas City. Once he got his guys in the door, he was loyal probably to an extreme. It's easy to push a guy like Tyson Jackson onto the starting roster, given his draft credentials, but is it going to be nearly as easy to put in a raw 4^th round guy with upside to replace an average veteran who doesn't make mistakes? That's going to depend heavily on Haley's ability to see things in practice that he believes will translate onto the field. His inability to see potential in Charles or Studebaker make me pause at this question. They don't make me panic, but they do make me hesitate to answer that question with any kind of certainty.

If Haley can get the personnel side right, that is going to go a very long way to shaping the Chiefs into a team that has a chance to go places.

The First Pick for the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2010 Draft is... Not an Offensive Lineman

Jon Yoon — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:00:37 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

about 1 month ago: Tennessee's Eric Berry, left, intercepts the ball intended for Marcus Rucker (18) who was hit by Tennesse's Dennis Rogan (41) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Browse more photos »

I have really enjoyed contributing to the Arrowhead Pride community so far. One viewpoint that has taken me completely by surprise is the overwhelming cry for the Chiefs to draft an Offensive Tackle in the first round.

I’ve been as vocal as anyone about how poor the talent is on this year’s offensive line and I still believe it was inexcusable for the Chiefs to pass on an interior linemen in the early rounds of the 2009 draft, but in the first round, we have to think about the problem a little differently. And I’m going to use the next few minutes of your time to try to convince all of you to think differently by attacking this viewpoint from several different angles.

Draft Philosophy:

I want to first start with draft philosophy, because there seem to be very different opinions about optimal draft-day approaches. The two most popular strategies are to draft BPA (Best Player Available) and to draft for Need. My personal opinion is that it needs to be a little bit of both with a much heavier emphasis on BPA in the earlier rounds. When I think about drafting in the first round, particularly in the top 5, I like to lump players into talent categories. You have your "can’t miss" players, your solid and consistent but unspectacular players, and your raw with upside players. That, of course, needs to be weighted with positional value—an average quarterback is going to receive just as much consideration as a very good linebacker—and with a team’s specific needs—Matt Stafford would obviously not be on San Diego’s target list with a young Philip Rivers on the roster.

I know I’m dumbing that analysis down a bit, but I wanted to make the following point as clearly as possible: with a top 5 pick, you do not pass up a top-tier player for a second-tier player unless you are convinced that a very good long-term player already exists on the roster.

I realize that we can’t really create these draft boards until we get into the heart of NFL Draft season, but unless something drastic changes over the next few months, there aren’t any can’t miss players at offensive tackle (the only position on the line with high first round positional value). Russell Okung looks to be the top OT in the draft, and he isn’t a player I’d take with playmakers still on the board. Reaching for a player is one thing; passing up on a playmaker in order to fill a need is a whole other animal. So from a BPA standpoint, it doesn’t appear that an offensive lineman is in the cards.

And look, here’s another reality we have to face. As much as I like Matt Cassel, he’s probably not going to engineer the same kind of explosive offense that Drew Brees or Peyton Manning engineer. I wouldn’t want for the Chiefs’ entire future prospects to revolve around Cassel’s ability to take over games from start to finish. The Chiefs are probably going to be a defensive team first. That doesn’t mean that you completely ignore offensive weapons, but it does mean that you place a little more weight on defensive players over offensive players.

The Big, Unappreciated Nasties

Another point to consider is that the biggest holes on the Chiefs’ offensive line are at positions that carry very low positional value. The Chiefs desperately need to upgrade at Center and Right Guard, as well as to groom Brian Waters’ eventual replacement. Ryan O’Callaghan hasn’t been bad at Right Tackle, but the Chiefs could probably do a lot better there too. These are three positions where the highest positional value tends to be in the late first round or early second round.

The Chiefs will likely have an early second, a later second, and an early third round pick. If two of those picks are used on upgrading one of those offensive line positions, then there is a good chance the offensive line improves by leaps and bounds without having to waste a high first round pick. Why waste a top 5 pick on an offensive linemen when there are so many opportunities to bring in top-level talent at 2-3 other positions on the line later in the draft?

Incremental Value

Let’s go back to the discussion that a player you draft would have to be significantly better than the guy you already have or a guy you can get in later rounds or free agency. In the Chiefs’ case, it could be too soon to write the book on Branden Albert. He’s playing at a new weight in a new offensive scheme. I thought it was really interesting when Haley a few weeks back spoke about how Albert’s weight loss has forced him to play with better technique, which is evident, because a lot of the mistakes he’s making are technique-related. Because he played Guard in college, his learning curve is higher than most young Left Tackles, which means that he deserves a little more leeway to make mistakes. Call me crazy, but I still like Albert’s upside. He has terrific feet and athleticism for a left tackle, so his ceiling is really high.

If you use a top 5 pick on a tackle, you better be sure that he’s going to be better than Albert and that he carries the same amount of upside. And you better hope that it’s by a fairly significant margin. Otherwise, you’re drafting a Left Tackle and bumping Albert to guard. Basically, you’d be draining a top 5 pick to draft a Guard, and that is simply unheard of. Drafting a Guard in the top 5 is a monumental reach.

Re-looking at Positional Value

I’ll let my bias show here. The three guys that intrigue me so far are players who play positions of traditionally low positional value. And given the talent in this year’s draft, as of now, the player who would make the biggest impact on the Chiefs today is Eric Berry or Taylor Mays. If you would prefer not to take those guys, then the next logical choice is probably Terrence Cody.

Nobody doubts the importance of the Nose Tackle position and yet, it carries such low positional value. It’s arguably the most important position on a 3-4 defense. The reason it carries such low draft positional value is: 1) in the past, there weren’t that many 3-4 defenses; 2) most 3-4 defenses were happy with their current Nose Tackle; 3) most teams that ran the 3-4 defense were playoff teams, so they tended to draft lower in the first round. That’s not the case today. There are less teams running the 3-4, so finding a quality Nose Tackle is going to become a little more difficult. We saw that in the last draft when the Chiefs drafted a 5-technique Defensive End. The demand for 3-4 players has lifted most of those players’ positional value.

At the Safety position, we also need to re-think positional value here too. Offenses are opening up their passing games. Years ago, you could have a dominant 1-2 punch like Jerry Rice and John Taylor. In order to beat this 1-2 punch, you had to bring in shutdown corners and bring in enough of a pass rush to force the QB to make poor decisions. In today’s league, things work a bit differently. Lots of teams like to spread the offense out. If we can’t beat you with Colston, we’re going to beat you with Lance Moore. And if you don’t like that, we’re going to dump off to a running back in open space.

When I watch Safeties like Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed, they can see a play develop almost as quickly as the Quarterback can. One of the best defenses against an aggressive pass offense is a Safety that can anticipate a pass play before it develops. The Chiefs’ Safeties wait for plays to come to them. They don’t go toward the plays like the elite playmakers do. Against San Diego, Rivers would dump off a short pass to Darren Sproles and there wouldn’t be a player within miles of him. Watch Troy Polamalu on screen passes—he blows up screen passes like a speeding bullet. Against both Jacksonville and San Diego, watch how many teams are safeties aren’t exploding to the right gap or how many times they take a poor angle to make a tackle. The Chiefs’ safeties make way too many mistakes and even if they didn’t make mistakes, they just don’t have the nose for the ball to disrupt offenses as much as a playmaker would.

They say the Safety has become the Quarterback of the defense and there’s a lot of truth to that. Your Defense can do just fine with a solid but unspectacular Safety, but bringing in a playmaker at Safety can bring your defense to the next level.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 11/5

NJ Chiefs Fan — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:58:18 -0000

via www.kcchiefs.com

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, a petition aimed at stopping Johnson from breaking Holmes’ record had collected more than 5,300 "signatures," or users who submitted their names in favor of preventing Johnson from becoming the most prolific rusher in Chiefs history.

Two of the three men who started the petition told The Star on Wednesday that it started as a discussion among friends — before it became clear the three Olathe natives and longtime Chiefs fans weren’t alone.

"The fans are speaking in loud numbers. It doesn’t grow like this without fans really caring," said Dan Cataldi, who lives in Des Moines and posted the petition last Thursday.

Messages from team and fans directed at Larry Johnson from KC Star

Branden Albert celebrated his 25th birthday on Wednesday with a nice two-hour practice at the Chiefs facility with his teammates.
But there really wasn’t time to have any type of party. There was game preparation to handle, a game where Albert will finally get back on the field.

"Best present I could have is to get a chance to play again," Albert said after the team’s Wednesday practice. "That’s what I’ve been working on for three weeks."

Albert Celebrates Return … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz

"We’re trying to get him ready," Haley said after Wednesday’s practice. "He took some (snaps) today and made a couple of plays."

Chambers is the fifth wide receiver to join the Chiefs since the start of training camp. Wade, second among the Chiefs with 20 catches and two touchdowns, has helped.

Toomer and Lelie, who were cut before the start of the season, didn’t. It’s too early to tell about Lance Long, who has played in only one game since being promoted from the practice squad.

Their continuing efforts to upgrade at wide receiver speak to the Chiefs’ offseason inadequacy of stocking the position.

Chiefs believe Chambers can help them from KC Star

Roster overview: At one point, the Jaguars relied heavily on free agency, but this current team is home grown, with 30 of the 53 players being Jacksonville draft choices. Of that 30, there are 22 from the first, second and third rounds. Among the team’s 24 starters (offensive, defense, kickers), 21 are Jags draft picks, including five first rounders: LT Eugene Monroe, TE Marcedes Lewis, DT John Henderson, DE Derrick Harvey and FS Reggie Nelson. Jacksonville has only two UFAs on the roster, both in backup roles: OT Tra Thomas and S Sean Considine. Veteran Rams WR Torry Holt signed on before this season after he was released by St. Louis.
Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars from Bob Gretz

Inside linebacker Derrick Johnson, who has undergone an inconsistent season in which he has lost his starting job and has yet to earn it back, at least has won back some good favor with Haley.

But favor isn’t yet enough to unseat Demorrio Williams, who Haley said was a bright spot for the 1-6 Chiefs.

"Demorrio Williams is not a reason why we’re where we’re at," Haley said. "He’s played as good of football as anybody on this team. I have no problem with how Derrick is preparing, practicing and playing. I have no problem at all with Derrick and what he’s doing. He’s continuing to get himself ready, so when an opportunity — a bigger opportunity presents itself, he’s ready for that."

Chiefs notebook: Page placed on injured reserve from KC Star

Lance Long is one of several new wide receivers for the Kansas City Chiefs. The second-year pro spent five weeks toiling on the Chiefs’ practice squad before being activated for the Chiefs game Oct. 25 against the San Diego Chargers. He played in one game for Arizona in 2009 after spending the entire 2008 campaign on the Cardinals’ practice squad. He had two catches for 12 yards in his first game, a loss to San Diego.

1. So how did it feel out there against San Diego trying to help the team win? It felt good, man. It felt real good just coming out here trying to make plays for the team and doing whatever it takes to help the team out. I’m just thankful and I look forward to (the next game).

Quick Five: Chiefs Wide Receiver Lance Long from The Examiner

Former Pro Bowl receiver Chris Chambers went from one AFC West Division team to another this week in part because of an ongoing off-the-field situation involving his ex-girlfriend and his wife.

The issue dates back at least seven months and includes an extramarital affair, a pending divorce, Chambers' request for a restraining order against his ex-girlfriend and several lurid text messages from the woman to his wife, court records show.

Ultimately, Chambers — who admitted the Chargers had told him they had concerns about his personal situation — was released Monday, during a season in which his production was significantly down. He was claimed by the Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday.

Chambers, 31, said Monday that "I guess it created a distraction upstairs. ... They know a little too much of my life, and they used it against me."

Chambers sought legal help vs. ex-girlfriend from The San Diego Union-Tribune

South Park’s latest episode could have been written by Chiefs suspended running back Larry Johnson instead of the show’s normal writing team. "The F Word" pokes fun at the use of fag and faggot as common put downs and derogatory terms for homosexuals. The overall theme being that the words have had many meanings over time and don’t necessarily mean homosexual when used now. Harley riders also took a shot from the show as seen in the South Park’s new definition for fag: "An extremely annoying, inconsiderate person most commonly associated with Harley riders or a person who owns or frequently rides a Harley."

Trey Parker and Matt Stone are known for mixing sports into South Park episodes. The two best examples are the time they ripped Jay Cutler and when they destroyed Bill Belichick. In "The F Word" the duo relive a quarterback vs. talk show host moment.

South Park Uses Jim Rome to Tackle Fag from You Been Blinded

Player Tweets

80bobbywade Check out my latest blog on giving back to the community: http://bobbywade80.com/blog...

Media and Fans

kb_kcstar Sweet Lord, I hate the Yankees.

Adam_Schefter OK, now that baseball season is behind us, we can put all the focus back where it belongs - on football. Three days till Sunday.

claypatterson: Yeah, like the Chiefs really need a petition to prevent them from getting rushing yards http://bit.ly/rgEnL

tstout1: So Yankees win. Isn't that like saying "the Chiefs lost?" #notnews

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 11/4

NJ Chiefs Fan — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:52:28 -0000

via media.kansascity.com

(Photo above: Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli and tight end Leonard Pope helped load some of the 30,000 pounds of protein products donated by Tyson Foods. The players, and other volunteers, transferred the food to vehicles from approximately 60 area relief organizations.)

The Chiefs continued what has been a futile search for help at wide receiver when they claimed Chris Chambers off the NFL waiver wire on Tuesday.
Released by the Chargers on Monday, Chambers is just another attempt by Pioli/Haley to add some firepower to their passing game. To this point, they’ve failed miserably.

Bobby Engram, Quinten Lawrence, Rodney Wright, C.J. Jones, Terrance Copper, Amani Toomer, Ashley Lelie, Bobby Wade and now Chambers. That group combined has provided the Chiefs offense with 27 catches for 298 yards and two touchdowns. Almost all of that belongs to Wade, with his 20 catches for 226 yards and both scores.

More WR Juggling … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz

KC Star Photo Gallery: Kansas City Chiefs players join volunteers to distribute food at Arrowhead Stadium

The changes won’t be as glaring as the overhaul the Chiefs underwent in 2008, when Gailey reshaped the offense mid-season to customize the scheme to quarterback Tyler Thigpen’s strengths. Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard suffered season-ending injuries in the same game, and Thigpen was forced into a starting role. It was important to keep him healthy, and to do that meant shifting to the spread. That allowed Thigpen to expand the pocket and improvise, if necessary, and it worked. The Chiefs aren’t planning to reintroduce the spread or any kind of gimmick offense — just a more finely tuned scheme that allows Cassel to release the ball faster and get plays in quicker.

"We’re always going to play to our players’ strengths," Haley said.

Chiefs use bye week to fine-tune offense from KC Star

KMBC's Karen Kornacki reported that the district will gut Southeast high School stadium, which is about 50 years old, and build a new multi-sports complex.
It will cost $3.5 million but there is talk of increasing it to $10 million, Kornacki reported.

The stadium will be paid for with grants, sponsorships, private donations and fundraising.

Kansas City School District Athletic Director Kimble Anders said they have applied for an NFL grant and they have the support of the Chiefs team.

KC Schools Plan To Build New Stadium from KMBC.com

There's more. The NBA is exploring a fan's accusation that Dallas Mavericks player Drew Gooden mumbled a gay slur in his vicinity. Last week, Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson reportedly did the same, twice in two days.

Do any of these incidents require a congressional hearing? Nope. Do they indicate that we've become so supersensitive about what famous people say and do that nobody with more than 10 entries on Google should ever open his mouth or leave her house without first clearing it with a publicist? Probably.

But the controversies are also a sign of society's robust health. We debate these words and behaviors -- are they heinous and unforgivable or just dumb and obtuse? -- because we don't really know just how to feel about them. And sports is both mirror and lamp. The mirror shows us where we are; the lamp leads us up and out.
Chicago Blackhawks' blackface forces the issue from The Chicago Tribune

It’s gotten to the point where my favorite week of the football season is the Chiefs’ bye week. Why? Because I get a break from the constant reminder that my favorite team just isn’t that good.

During the bye week, I don’t have to worry whether GM Scott Pioli is the most overpaid, overhyped executive in the history of football. I don’t have to worry whether Matt Cassel will tear his rotator cuff after Branden Albert blows another blocking assignment. I don’t have to worry whether coach Todd Haley will pull a Tom Cable on Larry Johnson.

The Blessed Bye Week from National Football Post

There is no doubt that, particularly after 2003, there was a good amount of evidence pointing towards Chris Chambers’ becoming a star WR; since then, though, he has basically fallen off of a cliff...

...Simply put, regardless of how ugly a quarterback or how decrepit a team a WR is surrounded by, elite WRs simply catch a higher percentage of the balls thrown to them than Chris Chambers does.

Chris Chambers, the Worst WR in Football from Patriots Daily

Scouts from the Kansas City Chiefs were present at today’s Notre Dame practice in South Bend. Joining them were representatives from the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts.

There are a handful of very interesting NFL prospects playing for the Irish and the Chiefs currently hold 8 draft picks (and counting!) so it’s never too early to keep tabs on the players of note at each school Kansas City is scouting.

Chiefs Scout Notre Dame Practice from KCChiefsBlog

Player Tweets

studie32 Had a great time with @douggieboomer today. . . . Back to the grind tomorrow.

Media and Fans

ArrowheadPride RT @robmikesh Year to date, I have as many #NFL rushing touchdowns as the entire Kansas City Chiefs running back corps.

ArrowheadPride As I sift through today's news, I realize LJ is soo last week.

Adam_Schefter Bengals terminated the contract of veteran G Scott Kooistra.

Tomahawkkid88: Just launched a brand new awesome ALL POSITIVE chiefs forum. Chech it out and sign up as a member at www.barryskoolaid.com GO KC!

BillKempin: Sportscasters bashing the Chiefs for signing guys released by other teams seem to be unaware it' illegal to sign dudes playing elsewhere.

QueenJerrica: Dude on Jimmy Fallon says he is a chiefs fan lol

State of the AFC West Week 8

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

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

AFC West Standings

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

(updated 11.3.2009 at 1:44 AM PST)

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

Read the rest after the hop!

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

Kansas City Chiefs Injuries

Probable

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

Questionable

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

Doubtful

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

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

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

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

Oakland Raiders Injuries

Questionable

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

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

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

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

Denver Broncos Injuries

Questionable

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

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

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

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

San Diego Chargers Injuries

Questionable

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

Doubtful

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

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

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

GO CHARGERS!

Poll

Can the Chargers come back and win the division?

Yes

482 votes

No

155 votes

637 votes | Poll has closed

Chiefs Trying to Stay Healthy, Fill Running Back Void

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

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

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

Browse more photos »

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

Offensive line

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

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

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

Running back

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

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

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

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

Safety

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

Wide receiver

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

State of the AFC West

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:57:09 -0000

Hello Bolts From The Bluers. Most of you know me as " 'tec". Now, apparently, I have a real name that appears next to my previous anonymous user-name. Incidentally, good news everyone!

I had the idea to do a weekly write-up on the state of our conference. For those that don't know, the Chargers play in the AFC West. This division consists of the San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and Denver Broncos. What I will be doing is updating everyone on the status of the division: standings, notable good and bad performances, significant injuries, upcoming match-ups, etc. I'm just going to give it a go the first time around; everyone should add suggestions in the comment field below to make this better since site is for the fans!

Catch the rest AFTER THE JUMP!

AFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
Denver	6	0	133	66
San Diego	3	3	161	143
Oakland	2	5	62	177
Kansas City	1	6	105	181

(updated 10.27.2009 at 1:30 AM PDT)

As we all painfully know, Denver is leading the division at 6-0 while the Chargers are trailing behind in second at 3-3, which is 3 games back. With 10 games to go, and both teams done with their bye, there is still significant time left for the Chargers to catchup. Of course, we all know that we came back from 3 games down with 3 games to go last season, so anything is possible. Oakland is only 4 games back and Kansas City is only 5 games back, but nobody expects them to make any noise in the division. (Sorry AP don't ban me).

DENVER BRONCOS

The Broncos were on a bye this week so there isn't much to say except that, if it is even possible, they got even healthier. The Broncos currently have no players on the injury report for their upcoming game against the Ravens. The only downside to their bye is that their schedule get's much tougher from here on out. 5 of their next 7 games are against tough opponents: @Baltimore, vs. Steelers, @Washigton, vs. San Diego, vs. New York, @KC, and @Indianapolis. That is a tough schedule for any team to play, regardless of how well they are playing. It will be tough to get out of that stretch with a winning record and a healthy roster. The Chargers, on the other hand, have a much easier schedule. Here is a look at the Broncos' injury report.

Denver Broncos Injuries

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Nick Greisen	knee	08/05/2009

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Another team's recent exploits that Charger fans are familiar with is the Kansas City Chiefs. As we saw, the Chiefs aren't doing anything well. Things aren't clicking on offense or defense. Matt Cassel isn't panning out so far to what the Chiefs had hoped; the argument could be made that the players around him aren't very good, but his play isn't helping matters. It appears as if he is the "system QB" that everyone thought he was, surrounded by excellent players. Only time will tell. The running game, with Jamaal Charles and Larry Johnson, isn't doing much either. Add in the "twittergate" message from Johnson criticizing his coach, who knows how much longer he'll be around. This is compounded by injuries to the offensive line. The Chiefs only scored once on Sunday, to WR Dwayne Bowe, the only bright spot on the team it seems. Center Rudy Niswanger was injured during our game last Sunday and looks to be out for week 9. Left tackle Branden Albert had to sit out the game against the Chargers as well. The good thing is, the Chiefs are on a bye this week, so they will have time to rest and heal up. The bad news is, they still have 9 games to play.

Kansas City Chiefs Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Rudy Niswanger	knee	10/26/2009
Jarrad Page	shoulder	10/26/2009
Branden Albert	ankle	10/26/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

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

OAKLAND RAIDERS

The losers of 11 or more games over the past 6 seasons look like they will continue that streak. The Raiders can look decent one game and then look like absolute crap the next. Their game on Sunday represented one of the later. The Raiders got pasted 38-0 playing at home against the New York Jets in a game that was blacked out because they failed to sell out the game. Raiders fans are usually pretty loyal, so it says a lot that the Raiders are so bad that even Raider fans can't watch them. Most of this has to do with the horrific play of former first round draft pick Jamarcus Russell. In fact, he played so poorly in the first half of the game (2 INTs and a lost fumble), he was benched and replaced by journeyman Bruce Gradkowski. Speaking of first round picks, brilliant selection Darrius Heyward-Bey continued his ho-hum season with 2 catches for 28 yards. It isn't pretty on the defensive side of the ball either; the Raiders gave up 447 yards of offense including a whopping 316 yards on the ground. Chaz Schilens, a SDSU product WR whom the Raiders had high hopes for, has been sidelined the whole season, while other injuries to the offensive line have weakened the run offense. However, the Raiders problems run much deeper than injuries, as it is painfully obvious to everyone in the NFL except for a few lone stragglers.

Oakland Raiders Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cornell Green	calf	10/26/2009
Ricky Brown	ankle	10/26/2009
Chaz Schilens	foot	10/26/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
John Bowie	knee	09/30/2009

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

I don't need to rehash anything about the Chargers so I will focus on our next division match-up which is of course the Oakland Raiders, this Sunday, at Qualcomm stadium. Of the aforementioned games where the Raiders looked decent, the Chargers game on MNF to open the season was one of them. The Raiders played us tough on both sides of the ball which resulted in numerous Charger injuries and a close call in Oakland. Fortunately, I don't think our 13th straight win over the Raiders will be as tough as the 12th. For one, the Raiders always play us tough at home and struggle at Qualcomm. Second, LT and Sproles are both healthy and the Raiders run defense is struggling mightily. The Chargers are going to continue to use the run game, especially since the Raiders have a decent secondary. Third, I don't think the Raiders will play with the same intensity they did the first time around. This team has been beaten down all season, gotten pushed around at home and on the road, and are coming off the Jets game in which they scored zero points and their starting QB was benched. Additionally, the Charger pass rush and defensive line play has looked much improved over the last two games. Raiders coach Tom Cable has said that Jamarcus Russell will start on Sunday; he is terribly inaccurate with all day in the pocket, if the Chargers put pressure on him I expect a game similar to the one Matt Cassel managed against us last Sunday. For the first time in awhile, the Chargers are mostly healthy except for All-Pro center Nick Hardwick, who is expected back in December.

San Diego Chargers Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Kevin Burnett	ankle	10/27/2009
Buster Davis	other-illness	10/26/2009
Vaughn Martin	hamstring	10/26/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

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

Chiefs' Page, Niswanger and Albert Highlight Injury Talk

Joel Thorman — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:30:22 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

about 1 month ago: Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley walks off the field following an NFL football game with the San Diego Chargers Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chargers beat the Chiefs 37-7. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Browse more photos »

The Kansas City Chiefs have been relatively lucky this season in terms of injuries. Whether it be because of the conditioning or pure luck, the Chiefs have consistently had few players on the injury report.

This week, injuries are a topic of conversation. Before we get onto a few of the injury situations, I wanted to share this quote from Kent Babb of the Kansas City Star yesterday morning:

But the tallest challenge for Haley has been establishing a philosophy that injuries, which he says are occasionally unavoidable, are sometimes viewed as a sign of weakness. Free safety Jarrad Page faced doubts after he suggested during the preseason that an injury should keep him out of the Chiefs’ third exhibition game. Johnson has endured several nagging injuries that kept him on the sideline during practices and threatened his job security.

Haley has made it clear that the way players react to injuries might determine their futures in Kansas City. If players nurse their wounds too long or report minor issues as long-lasting problems, Haley takes mental notes.

Interesting stuff. Check out the full article here. Definitely worth the read.

More on Rudy Niswanger being carted off, Jarrad Page's healthy scratch and an inactive Albert after the jump.

Niswanger carted off

Chiefs C Rudy Niswanger went down in the second quarter with an apparent knee injury.

On a 4th and one, QB Matt Cassel ran a quarterback sneak over center Rudy Niswanger. After the failed attempt, trainers had to help Niswanger off the field where he was walking with a heavy limp.

He went to the bench where a few trainers gathered around him. A few minutes later, he was brought off the field on a cart.

All we know at this point, is that it's a knee injury and he did not return. I could tell from my seat that he was in quite a bit of pain when he was trying to walk.

Wade Smith, who started at left tackle in place of the injured Branden Albert, slid over to center. Barry Richardson, who was just promoted from the practice squad last week, took Smith's spot at left tackle.

Quite the shuffle. My guess is that a few centers might be worked out today and tomorrow.

Page is a healthy scratch

Safety Jarrad Page appeared on the injury report as a full participant in practice and probable for Sunday. Per head coach Todd Haley, Page was a healthy scratch.

"I think he was healthy enough to play," Haley said.

Safety Jon McGraw started in his spot.

"I thought McGraw had played very well the last couple weeks when he's been in there," said the head coach. "Again, it's a roster deal there where we're trying to juggle a lot of different spots and who we think can help us any given day."

McGraw started last week when Page was out with a shoulder injury. McGraw had been running with the first team during practice.

Albert is inactive

Left tackle Branden Albert was inactive yesterday Multiple reports as the week progressed suggested the odds didn't look good for him, and they were right.

The Chiefs were especially thin at tackle yesterday when Smith had to move over to center so his presence was missed.

Like I've said before, I'm not privy to the details on his injury but you've gotta wonder whether Haley had the bye week in mind. If Albert sits now, that'll be three consecutive weeks of resting the ankle.

Albert Officially Questionable, Three Other Chiefs Probable

Joel Thorman — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:19:39 -0000

And our first "official" diagnosis of Branden Albert for the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday matchup with the San Diego Chargers: Questionable.

Per the NFL injury report, this means he has a 50/50 chance of playing.

He did practice today for the first time this week, and has been out of the walking boot all week, but he was not with the first or second team. Multiple outlets have speculated that his outlook for Sunday is not good.

"Getting better every day," head coach Todd Haley said in comments nearly identical to what he says about Albert everyday. "It’s probably going to go down to the wire with him. He’ll be listed as questionable."

The Chiefs will have to announce their inactives about 90 minutes prior to Sunday's game so that's when the next set of information will come out on Albert. He did practice today, so he's passed Haley's "gotta practice to play" test.

The coach also indicated that Albert could be active and not start.

Haley said Ryan O'Callaghan looks to be healed from a shoulder problem that landed him on the Thursday injury report.

Brian Waters, Jarrad Page and O'Callaghan were all listed as probably which means it's a virtual certainty they'll play.

If Albert can't go, expect Wade Smith to step in at left tackle.

One thing to think about, though. The Chiefs have a bye next week so Haley and Co. may be inclined to let Albert sit this game, and have next week off in order to prevent this ankle problem from lingering all season. I'm not privy to any details on Albert's medical situation but that may be the right move in order to protect him for the long run.