SB Nation - Wallace Gilberry

Kansas City Chiefs Defense: Who Stays? Who's Gone? Who's on the Bubble for 2010?

Jon Yoon — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:40:33 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

As promised, this week I'm going to focus on the Chiefs' defense. Who goes? Who stays? Who's on the bubble?

Before I do that, I'm going to make some small adjustments to my prior analysis on the Chiefs' offense. First, Brad Cottam. I don't know where he's been for two years, but he has stepped it up at just the right time. The fact that Cottam has played third-fiddle to the stone hands twins, Sean Ryan and Jake O'Connell, for most of the season is appalling and it makes me seriously question Haley's ability to evaluate talent. Second, Dwayne Bowe. Of all the players on this roster, he's the one that worries me the most. I don't lose sleep over scrubs playing like scrubs. I lose sleep over talented players like Bowe who you want to keep on your roster long-term, but who may always be a liability at the wrong times. You can't afford to part ways with Bowe on a roster this shallow, but the question you have to ask is: on a key third down in a playoff game three years from now, how comfortable do you feel about any pass that goes Bowe's way?

Anyway, I digress. Let's start talking some defense.

Defensive End:

I wanted to start here because it's a really easy position to evaluate. I would be shocked if the Chiefs made a big play for a 5-Technique DE. The Chiefs have a lot of money and a lot of draft value invested in Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson, and with Wallace Gilberry and Alex Magee on the roster, they're also pretty deep at the position. Regardless of your opinion on how good any of these guys are, this front office is smart enough to know that the fan base would absolutely revolt if they used a lot of resources to add yet another 5-technique. That rules out Ndamukong Suh. That rules out any DT with any value in free agency or the draft. Quite honestly, unless there is a 5-technique available that is an absolute highway robbery steal in the later rounds, I would be shocked if they drafted anybody at this position. As for who the Chiefs already have, Dorsey has improved by leaps and bounds and we saw on Sunday how ineffective the Chiefs are on run defense without him. Tyson Jackson is starting to play a little bit better. He's nowhere near where he needs to be, but you can't judge a guy like him until his second or third season. Magee has the potential to be a decent depth DE, but his play on Sunday really highlights how much further he needs to go. Gilberry is a guy you'd like to keep on the roster, but his role will likely be limited to third down or rotational depth situations.

Stays: Dorsey, Jackson, Gilberry, Magee
Pick-up: Nobody

Defensive Tackle:

Ron Edwards stinks. That's all you need to know about what the Chiefs have. And Edwards' stink-ti-tude is affecting everyone around him. Edwards doesn't drive blockers back into the pocket. He doesn't occupy that many blockers. He's just sort of... there. It affects the Linebackers because Edwards is letting blockers get to the second level and he's not sealing the middle as well as he should. It affects the pass rushers because when an edge rusher like Tamba Hali gets to the quarterback off the edge, the quarterback can easily and comfortably slide into an enormous pocket. Edwards would be okay as a backup, quality depth option, but the Chiefs need to make a major move for a Nose Tackle this offseason. That's no reason to panic. Some people will have you believe that finding a quality Nose Tackle is as tough as finding a franchise Quarterback. It's not. If it was such an impossible position to find, you'd see 3-4 teams using top 10 picks and showering them with expensive contracts. That's not the case. Assuming that the CBA doesn't fall through, you might see a good Nose Tackle like Vince Wilfork hit the market. You might also see a 4-3 DT castoff who might be better suited for a 3-4 NT position. More likely than not, we'll probably be using a pick anywhere between the 2^nd and 4^th rounds to bring in either a starter or quality depth at the position. I'm not saying that any of these will be easy. However, I do believe that if the Chiefs are very tight in their evaluations both on the Pro Personnel side and on the college scouting side, the Chiefs could easily find a replacement. The good news is that they can't do a whole lot worse than Edwards.

But I'll tell you what, if Dorsey continues to improve a little, Jackson improves a lot and plays to his potential, and the Chiefs find a legit Nose Tackle, opposing running backs are going to have a really, really difficult time running past this wall of defenders.

On the bubble: Ron Edwards
Pick-up: A starter (this is non-negotiable)--probably in rounds 2-4 or through Free Agency

Outside Linebacker:

This is a position I really struggle with because there's a part of me that really likes Tamba Hali and there's another part of me that believes he'll never really be the kind of elite OLB you want in a 3-4 Defense. I do think he's a strong force as a pass rusher. I just worry that he can't cover or stop the run as effectively as you would hope for in a 3-4 OLB. On the other side, Vrabel needs to be replaced. I still like him as a backup and a leader, but the Chiefs need to start focusing on giving a younger, longer-term OLB much more quality reps. I'm not sure if his replacement will be or should be Andy Studebaker. I was really impressed with the way Studebaker played several weeks ago. From a pass rushing standpoint, he has a long way to go, and I think his two INTs were more a reflection of being in the right place at the right time. But what I liked about him was the way he stood his ground against the run.

I realize that this analysis didn't really say much of anything about anything. I would say this is a position where you just play with the cards you're dealt. If you have a can't-miss player in the Draft, then you take him. If you can get a strong option in Free Agency, then overpay him. But this isn't necessarily a position to lose sleep over because the other thing to keep in mind is that the overall play of all the OLBs will improve as the big uglies up front start to get better at their jobs.

Stays: Tamba Hali (#1 or #2?), Andy Studebaker (#2)
On the Bubble: Mike Vrabel (#2 or #3)
Bring in: A strong option without reaching

Inside Linebacker:

Maybe I'm alone on this, but I think that Inside Linebacker is one of the least important positions in a 3-4 Defense. They're role players more than anything else. Kendrell Bell was a star in a 3-4 because his only assignment was to attack, attack, attack. Don't think. Just attack. You also have other ILBs who are more coverage specialists. My feeling has always been that if you have an outstanding defensive line, you won't need your ILBs nearly as much in run support. If you have an outstanding secondary, particularly at the Safety position, you don't need to become overly reliant on the coverage backer. A great ILB is more a luxury than a necessity. I'm not a big fan of any of the Chiefs' ILB options. Demorrio Williams is adequate, DJ is too much of a freelancer, Mays is quality depth but mostly unspectacular, and Belcher has decent upside but has a long way to go. This is one of those positions where the strategy is to replace these guys eventually within the next 2-3 years. However, I would not make any concerted effort to do so immediately.

Keep: Begrudgingly keep as many as you can
Pick-up: A later draft pick without reaching. A whole flurry of undrafted rookies. Or a strong free agent option (like most positions, it's okay for the Chiefs to overpay)

Cornerback:

So, finally a position the Chiefs can build off of. I have always liked Brandon Flowers. I've been very pleasantly surprised with Brandon Carr's progress this season. These two guys make a really solid 1-2 punch. At some point, the Chiefs need to start adding extra bodies for nickel packages as well as for quality depth. I'm not confident any of those guys are currently on the roster. The Chiefs' coaching staff seems to be transitioning Leggett to Safety. Donald Washington is extremely raw, but so far mostly unimpressive. You probably wouldn't draft a Nickel Back early in the draft, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Chiefs pretty aggressively pursue some options toward the middle of the draft and/or through free agency.

Keep: All CBs
Pick-up: Later round or Free Agent Nickel Back (no need to break the bank)

Safety:

I still believe that it is a huge asset for a 3-4 defense to have a playmaker at the Safety position. That player is not currently on the Chiefs' roster. I know Todd Haley really likes Mike Brown and while I certainly think he's improved throughout the season, he just doesn't have the playmaking ability he used to. In the passing game, I rarely see him smell out plays. He always seems to get there a few steps too late. John McGraw is a great depth guy and someone you want to keep on your roster for special teams purposes, but he's not a guy you want as your long-term starter. Jarrad Page has been by far the biggest disappointment on defense, in my eyes. I've been very unimpressed with his closing speed, which is scary for a Safety whose strength is supposed to be his coverage ability. And oh, by the way, I have no idea if Dajuan Morgan is the answer in KC or not, but I wish the Chiefs' coaching staff would make a little more effort to find out. New flash: the Chiefs aren't making the playoffs this season. Give the young kids a chance to play (that goes for Studebaker too). At least Morgan's starting to get reps now, but it came a few games too late. There just isn't enough information for me to really know what the kid is made of.

Long story short, the Chiefs have Safeties who have little talent, but don't really screw up a whole lot. They let plays come to them and then they can generally make them. Playmakers anticipate plays and blow them up-they can smell a playcall the minute the ball is snapped. I honestly don't think the Chiefs will ever become the defense they want to become until they can get a real playmaker here. Based on my limited draft knowledge, if Eric Berry is the playmaker scouts say he is, then you don't pass on him for a second. If Taylor Mays tests out well, he should receive strong consideration too. I know a top 5 pick may sound high for a Safety, but the importance of the Safety position has increased significantly over time. Especially for a 3-4.

Keep: John McGraw (#2), Mike Brown (#2)
Pick-up: High draft pick

I know the defense put up one of the most embarrassing performances in recent memory on Sunday, but they're not that far away from fielding an adequate defense. At minimum, if the Chiefs bring in a legit Nose Tackle and a playmaker at Safety, get more consistent play from their young DEs, and bring in a new Defensive Coordinator, the defense could actually be halfway decent in 2010.

Dantrell Savage Back on the Chiefs Injury Report

Joel Thorman — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 01:11:53 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

Dantrell Savage Back on the Chiefs Injury Report. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Yesterday, the Kansas City Chiefs listed four players on their practice report. Today, they list five.

The new addition is running back Dantrell Savage, who appears to still be recovering from an ankle injury suffered a month ago. Savage was listed as a full participant in practice all of last week with the same troublesome ankle. With the emergence of Jamaal Charles as a full time running back, the need for Savage has decreased in recent weeks.

The only other change to the injury report was an upgrade to Wallace Gilberry. He dealt with a sore back last week and the issue continued yesterday. Today, however, he was listed as a full participant in practice.

Other Chiefs injuries:

G Brian Waters (hamstring) - Limited
S Jon McGraw (hand) - Limited
DE Glenn Dorsey (knee) - Limited

All these players are expected to be available on Sunday.

Gilberry Lands on Chiefs Injury Report

Joel Thorman — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:46:12 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

about 1 month ago: Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell, center, is sacked by Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Wallace Gilberry (92) and defensive end Tamba Hali (91) in the second quarter of an NFL football game in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

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The Kansas City Chiefs started out the week in healthy fashion once again with just one player limited in practice.

DE Wallace Gilberry is suffering from a sore back. At 270+ pounds, I'm surprised more Chiefs linemen aren't missing time with sore backs.

The Chiefs also listed three other players as full participants in practice:

G Andy Alleman: Suffering from a knee injury, he hasn't seen game action since Oakland three weeks ago. He's been participating in practice but Wade Smith has been getting the first team reps.

LB Justin Rogers: Thigh injury.

RB Dantrell Savage: The big question mark. Savage hasn't seen a carry in three weeks because of an ankle injury. Last week he participated in practice but was downgraded on a Friday. He had a boot on his ankle today.

***

That's it for the official practice report today. I must say that the Chiefs are very healthy considering we're 13 weeks into the season. Maybe that offseason conditioning paid off?

Tamba Hali, Wallace Gilberry Vying for Chiefs Sack Title

Joel Thorman — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:39:37 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

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So far this season the Kansas City Chiefs have clearly shown progress rushing the passer (relative to last season). Last year's NFL record low 10 sacks was a miserable experience and while the Chiefs progress in 2009 certainly isn't elite or even above average, it makes this team at least semi-watchable.

Two players have emerged as the sack leaders through nine games. Tamba Hali and Wallace Gilberry have combined for seven of the team's 12 sacks.

Entering today's game, Hali and Gilberry were tied for the team lead with three sacks. Yesterday they were each contributed with a half sack. Fittingly, it came on the same play.

On a 3rd and 16 in the second quarter of Sunday's 16-10 victory over the Oakland Raiders, Gilberry and Hali got penetration and brought QB JaMarcus Russell to the ground.

Each player actually has a good story and it would be nice to see them receive some recognition if one is able to become the team's sack leader. I know, I know, they're on pace for about six sacks, which wouldn't be very impressive for the team leader. But these Chiefs have issues, remember?

Hali of course is converting from defensive end to linebacker in the 3-4 scheme. He stopped speaking to the media and focused solely on getting better in the predator role of Clancy Pendergast's defense. It's been a good fit, which has been surprising to more than a few of us.

He combined for 16.5 sacks in his first two seasons before dropping off dramatically in the debacle known as the Chiefs 2008 season.

Gilberry is an undrafted free agent that caught on with the Chiefs last season. He was a holdover with the new regime and largely an afterthought in any talk of the Chiefs defense. However, he's changed that with 3.5 sacks so far this season. He's on pace for about 7 sacks which would be encouraging from a player many of us wouldn't have noticed leading up to the season.

The Kansas City Star had a nice article on Gilberry yesterday.

Entering week ten, the Chiefs were 22 sacks behind NFL leader Minnesota so the pass rush is nowhere near it needs to be. In fact, it currently ranks above only Jacksonville. However, Hali and Gilberry are getting a little jumpstart on their teammates which is a good thing. I don't see a game-changer in the Chiefs pass rush so it'll have to be production from a variety of sources, like Hali and Gilberry, to consistently rush the passer.

On Paper, the Chiefs Beat the Raiders in Week Two

Chris Thorman — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:48:52 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

3 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (82) catches a touchdown pass as Oakland Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt (26) defends during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

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In almost every aspect of the game except for that pesky final score box...

Yes, I know the Kansas City Chiefs lost that game. But each week, as my eyes scroll past those Raider game stats, I keep asking myself, "Wait, how did we lose that game again?"

Here's what I'm talking about from Week 2. The Chiefs' offense had:

409 yards of offense, by far the best performance of the year
173 yards rushing on 38 rushing plays
236 yards passing, five yards less than Matt Cassel's best game of the year
Only given up two sacks, the lowest sack total of the year

Somehow, the Chiefs only managed three points in the first three quarters. How did the defense fare? Really well actually. Here's what the Chiefs gave up to the Raiders on defense:

166 total yards
11 first downs
Two sacks
67 yards rushing
99 yards passing
Jamarcus Russell only completed seven passes
The Raiders were only 3/13 on third downs

Exactly how did the Chiefs lose this game?

The Raiders emphasized stuffing the run and it for the most part it worked. The Chiefs rushed for quite a few yards but it was never a consistent threat that KC could rely on. It was more about random rushes that succeeded than the Chiefs imposing their will.
Matt Cassel had two INTs, one at the beginning of the third quarter and one at the begining of the fourth.
DE Wallace Gilberry's personal foul (a bogus call by pretty much every account) on Jamarcus Russel with just over two minutes left gave a struggling Raiders' offense new life. On that go ahead scoring drive for the Raiders, they would commit three penalties themselves but Gilberry's late hit call was on 1st on 15 and gave the Raiders the ball at the Chiefs' 48-yard line.
On the Chiefs' final drive of the game, Cassel was sacked on 3rd and 1, pretty much ending any hopes for a win.
The Chiefs were tackled three times behind the line of scrimmage running the ball. The first TFL created a 3rd and 15, killing that drive. Might as well have been a drive killing sack.

And these points bring me to my cliched "keys to the game:"

Win the turnover battle. It was huge against the Raiders in the first meeting and will probably be huge again.
Minimize the penalties. Even though Wallace Gilberry's late hit call was BS, the Chiefs still had seven penalties for 70 yards. Jamarcus Russell's career is still alive because of free yards like that.
Eliminate those periods in the game where two good minutes by an opposing offense or a couple of big plays make the difference in the game. The Raiders played terribly except for their final scoring drive of 78-yards. They can't do much consistently on offense so they'll live and die by the big plays we give up.

We really should win this game today Chiefs fans. If I'm looking at Todd Haley right now I'm telling him....You better win today.

Who Plays When for the Kansas City Chiefs Defense

Chris Thorman — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:06:30 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

2 months ago: San Diego Chargers running back Darren Sproles (43) is tackled by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Mike Vrabel (50) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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Position	Player	% Run	% Pass	% Coverage
DL	Glenn Dorsey	50%	50%	0%
DL	Tyson Jackson	57%	42%	0%
DL	Ron Edwards	50%	50%	0%
DL	Tank Tyler	48%	52%	0%
DL	Wallace Gilberry	48%	52%	0%
DL	Alex Magee	32%	68%	0%
DL	Kenny Smith	71%	29%	0%

We've got a whole new set of statistics that we'll be giving you and they're from a fantastic new site we've just discovered - Pro Football Focus.

Pro Football Focus has play percentage stats (as you can see), special teams tackles, run and pass blocking stats and more...It's really an amazing site. Check it out.

To get us started taking a look at these stats, I've posted the percentage that each Kansas City Chiefs defensive player plays on either running plays, passing plays and on special teams.

I've got the linebacker and secondary stats for you after the jump.

If you include special teams, S Mike Brown is actually leads the team in playing time.

I know it sounds geeky but I'm very excited about the possibilities of mining Pro Football Focus for interesting stats. We'll have a lot more of their stats for you over the weekend and coming weeks.

It's Friday, so my laziness is showing through in the lack of analysis on this post. After the jump, the linebackers and secondary playing time stats.

Linebackers

Position	Player	% Run	% Pass	% Coverage
LB	Mike Vrabel	45%	31%	24%
LB	Tamba Hali	45%	40%	15%
LB	Corey Mays	58%	9%	32%
LB	Demorrio Williams	58%	6%	37%
LB	Jovan Belcher	28%	12%	59%
LB	Derrick O. Johnson	29%	15%	57%
LB	Monty Beisel	19%	3%	77%
LB	Andy Studebaker	100%	0%	0%

Secondary

Position	Player	% Run	% Pass	% Coverage
DB	Mike Brown	46%	3%	51%
DB	Brandon Carr	45%	1%	54%
DB	Brandon Flowers	46%	2%	52%
DB	Jarrad Page	45%	1%	55%
DB	Maurice Leggett	33%	4%	62%
DB	Jon McGraw	32%	9%	59%
DB	DaJuan Morgan	56%	0%	44%
DB	Mike Richardson	16%	4%	81%
DB	Donald Washington	26%	5%	68%
DB	Ricardo Colclough	11%	5%	84%

Anything interesting stand out to you?

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 11/9

NJ Chiefs Fan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:56:42 -0000

via media.kansascity.com

Without knowing the facts of the game, someone would look at the final score and figure the Chiefs must have been in quite a struggle. Save for the last three minutes of the game, they would be wrong. When Jacksonville RB Maurice Jones-Drew scored with four minutes, 26 seconds to play in the game, the Jaguars led 24-6 and obviously began celebrating.

That’s when the Chiefs scored a pair of touchdowns and recovered an onside kick in the span of 91 seconds. A second onside kick was not successful and the Jags stumbled off the field with a three-point victory.

Comeback Falls Short, Chiefs Lose Again from Bob Gretz

KC Star Photo Gallery: Jaguars 24, Chiefs 21 | Sunday, Nov. 8

The Chiefs spent two weeks working on tweaking the offense, working on fine-tuning, working on improvement. The play calls and approach looked different. The result did not.

Kansas City lost again Sunday, and it did it the same old way: poor pass protection, questionable play calls, and the appearance of a disorganized unit that couldn’t adjust quickly enough. Coach Todd Haley took a magnifying glass and scalpel to his offense for two weeks. Time was supposed to help the Chiefs swerve back onto the road toward progress. But this didn’t look much like progress: a 24-21 loss to Jacksonville, a team with problems and a fan base that seems leery that improvement is taking place.

Chiefs get going too late in 24-21 loss to Jaguars from KC Star

"I expect him to make every one," said punter Dustin Colquitt, who is the holder on field goals. "But (56 yards), going into the wind? That’s a tall order."

The encouraging thing for the Chiefs is that such a task is reasonable enough for Succop to try it. In the past, when Kansas City cycled through a new kicker seemingly every few months, Colquitt said the decision would have been easy on what to do in a long-range situation.

"We would’ve had to have a short punt," Colquitt said. "You can depend on him (Succop) from just about anywhere."

That’s something the Chiefs just haven’t had. So, even in an impossible situation, Kansas City gave Succop a shot. Coach Todd Haley saw the snap and the kick. Haley thought it would be good, too.

"When it took off," Haley said, "it looked like it had a chance. But the wind caught it. That would’ve been a tremendous kick. It really got knocked down at the end. It looked like it was going to have a chance."

Succop gives Chiefs a chance on field goals from KC Star

Mike Brown did not lose this game himself; he had a lot of help from a lot of his teammates and coaches. If Brown plays this game at an All-Pro level there’s a good chance the Chiefs would have still found other ways to lose.

It’s just that right now, the margin of error for the Chiefs is so thin they can’t overcome a bad day from one of their safeties, especially when his poor play leads to a pair of scores.

Column: Mike Brown Takes The Blame from Bob Gretz

Offensively, the Chiefs continue to have their problems. The running game produced just 60 yards, they didn’t convert a third down until late in the fourth quarter and Cassel was sacked three times by what has been an anemic Jacksonville pass rush.

So anything Chambers can provide will be welcome, like what he did in the last minutes of the game.

First, was the 54-yard score, which is the longest pass play and scoring play of the season for the Chiefs. In fact, it’s the longest touchdown pass the Chiefs have thrown in five years, since RB Priest Holmes caught a 60-yard TD throw during the 2005 season from QB Trent Green.

OFFENSE: New Addition Clicks, But Too Late from Bob Gretz

It took eight games and countless wide-receiver combinations, but the Chiefs finally hit on one that worked in Sunday’s 24-21 loss to the Jaguars.

The most recent additions to the group, Chris Chambers and Lance Long, led the way. Chambers, who joined the Chiefs only last week, scored two touchdowns — both in the last 3 minutes of the game.

Chambers, Long catch on quickly for Chiefs from KC Star

That’s the story of the 2009 Kansas City defense: some good things, but too many bad.

For instance, they put at a lot of pressure on Jaguars QB David Garrard throughout the game. But they were able to sack him only once.

They had a large number of negative plays, as they spent a lot of time in the backfield and forced nine minus plays for the Jaguars, including a fumble that was recovered by the Chiefs.

Yet, they gave up another handful of big plays, as Jacksonville had 10 plays of 12 yards or more, including a 61-yard touchdown pass and a 28-yard TD run. There were also plays of 45 and 33 yards.

"It appeared we were out of position on a couple of those plays," said Todd Haley. "We’re not going to win games or have chances to win many games when we’re giving up big plays and that has been the big problem on defense."

DEFENSE: Same Old Story from Bob Gretz

The Chiefs were happy enough with their running game their first time without the suspended Larry Johnson.

His main replacements, Jamaal Charles and Kolby Smith, combined to average more than 5 yards a carry.

The problem is that the Chiefs gave them the ball a total of only 10 times in a 24-21 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday. The game quickly became unbalanced for the Chiefs. They handed the ball to their running backs — including Dantrell Savage — 12 times while Matt Cassel threw 39 passes.

The Jaguars, who had been playing a 3-4 defense, surprised the Chiefs by playing mostly a 4-3.

Charles, Smith run well in limited opportunities from KC Star

Succop’s kick actually looked pretty good as it left his foot and started to rise. But right around the five-yard line, the wind knocked it down and it was short. The kick fell into the hands of Jaguars CB Rashean Mathis and that’s when the fun started.

Mathis brought the ball out of the end zone and headed right; he broke past several Chiefs, and was then in open field, chugging down the sidelines towards a possible touchdown. Finally, at the Chiefs 15-yard line, punter and holder Dustin Colquitt knocked him out of bounds. The return was 91 yards total, but ended up being just forgotten yardage.

Way downfield, the Jaguars were hit with an illegal block in the back penalty, so even had Mathis scored the TD would have been wiped out by the flag.

Colquitt would have liked to have had that information before he threw himself at Mathis.

"You’ve got to do what you have to do at the time," said Colquitt, who banged up his shoulder a bit on the play but returned in the second half.

Jaguars Change Defensive Spots & Other Notes from Bob Gretz

Consequently, what’s the point in analyzing the team? What’s there to look for that would offer any reason to have hope? You know you have severe problems when your best punter is your punter, your best tackler is your punter and your best player is your punter!
Chiefs - Jags Wrap from Upon Further Review

Jacksonville had four plays from scrimmage of more than 25 yards plus a 44-yard punt return.

"They did some things we really didn’t go over in practice," Brown said. "You prepare for things, but we hadn’t seen those things all week, so there was some miscommunication."

The plays ruined what otherwise could have been a big day for the Chiefs’ defense. Tamba Hali and Brandon Flowers were continually disruptive, and Wallace Gilberry had a third-down sack that pushed Jacksonville to the edge of field-goal position. Josh Scobee was then wide left on a 53-yard attempt.

Derrick Johnson also forced a fumble that put the Chiefs on the Jaguars’ 20, but the Chiefs settled for a field goal in that instance.

"It’s always the same thing," cornerback Brandon Carr said. "We play well and we play well but there’s always a few big plays and we let the game get away from us."

Chiefs’ defense gives up too many big plays from KC Star

Finally, some good economic news: The Kansas City Chiefs have lowered the price of their logo shot glasses to just $7.00 at the team store on their Web site. A gift that makes watching the Chiefs more tolerable - 2 ounces at a time. Chiefs garden gnomes are still $25, however.

Anyway, we think it was a sound business decision to lower the shot glass price as booze consumption is up 821% on Sundays in the greater Kansas City area this year. Or so we hear. Sunday, the Chiefs coughed up 426 yards of offense to Jacksonville, held the ball for just 23:00, didn't convert a third-down until the fourth quarter and, despite a frantic yet unfulfilled rally in the fourth, exited the game as the lone NFL team without a rushing touchdown this season. Just to update, that's 30 losses in their last 33 games and 14 of the last 16 on the road.

K.C. is at Oakland next week and with a loss to the Raiders, we just may get drunk enough with our new shot glasses to order the garden gnome. Maybe two.

Goin' Deep: Intrigue from around the National Football League from NY Daily News

The 3-4 is dead. Long live the 3-4, just not in Jacksonville.

Sunday’s it-wasn’t-as-close-as-the-final-score-would-indicate, 24-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs saw the Jaguars return to their familiar 4-3 defense, and the results were stunning.

The Chiefs were held to 60 yards rushing, a week after the Jaguars allowed a franchise-record 305 yards rushing by the Titans.

Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel was sacked three times, by a team that had just five sacks through seven games.

Jaguars return to 4-3 roots from Jaguars.com

Player Tweets

almighty31 thanx to my supporters that came to duval. Valdosta state c u soon

MrKolbySmith @mrbigplay850 good luck tomorrow. Look forward to facing off with you on the 22nd. What up tho

Media and Fans

kb_kcstar Of all the reasons for the Chiefs' offense to be good, it seems that only desperation can motivate this group.

dussery: @goatboytim the chiefs tried the last three minutes of the game

BrentMichael06: @Adam_Schefter funny play Chiefs Leonard Pope gave a first down sign when he was 10yds short on 3rd down

midacoll: the chiefs stink, but you already knew that...

justd913: bummed the Eagles lost, but did the announcer HAVE to call the Chiefs bottom feeders?! Give us a damn break, we are in "rebuilding phase"

jhailos: Awesome day for the Chiefs. We play like garbage and are now tied for the worst record in football. Can we earn the #1 pick??

moneydesignz: #worldsthinnestbooks How to win a football game - by the Bucs, Raiders, Redskins, Lions, Rams, Bills, Chiefs

Dorsey, Gilberry Options For Chiefs Nose Tackle Depth

Joel Thorman — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:05:47 -0000

More photos » by L.G. Patterson - AP

Wallace Gilberry (right) sure doesn't look like a nose tackle. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

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I caught something interesting in Todd Haley's press conference yesterday afternoon. He was asked who might spell nose tackle Ron Edwards now that Tank Tyler is gone.

"We’ve been giving reps to a couple of different guys that have nose (tackle) possibilities. I think any number of guys: Glenn Dorsey could play in there if need be, Wallace Gilberry’s got some reps, so we’ve got a plan if something were to happen significant."

Dorsey and Gilberry are defensive ends in the Chiefs 3-4.

Dorsey is listed at 6'1", 297 pounds while Gilberry is a slim (?) 6'2", 268 pounds. Not exactly the 6'3", 330 pound nose tackles we see across the league.

We talked a little bit about Kenny Smith yesterday but Haley did acknowledge that he or possibly a practice squad player (Marlon Favorite) could be seeing some time pretty quickly. Haley also said he's encouraged by what he's seen from Smith in just a couple of days but qualified that statement with IF he can stay healthy, which has been a major concern for him over the last six years.

It's hard for me to see Smith playing this weekend but, then again, that wouldn't be the first time I was wrong. If Smith isn't a contributor this weekend, then look for Dorsey and/or Gilberry to possibly fill that role.

(H/T stagdsp for the link!)

A Few Chiefs Might Be Seeing More Playing Time

Joel Thorman — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:48:18 -0000

More photos » by Mel Evans - AP

2 months ago: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, from right, passes under pressure from Kansas City Chiefs linebackers Demorrio Williams and Jovan Belcher in the second quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

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In this afternoon's session with the media, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley indicated a few reserve players will begin to see some more playing time.

Speaking on Jovan Belcher, who took over Corey Mays' LB spot in the second half, Haley said he's liking what he sees so far.

"Yeah, I think you’ll see more of 59," Haley said. "I think he’s a guy that’s impressed us all from early on and I think we’ve got a potential player there. Whenever you’ve got a guy who can run and hit and shows up around the football and has done a good job on special teams it helps. That’s a guy that needs to be on the field. It was his first real action. He gives us some speed and is a run-and-hit guy."

Belcher is an undrafted free agent out of Maine so this is great news for him. It seems that every year there's an undrafted free agent that makes an impact. It looks like that player might be Belcher this season.

Another defensive player, DE Wallace Gilberry, caught Haley's eye.

"He made a couple of effort plays," Haley said when asked about Gilberry. "He didn’t have very many plays but I think he showed up, but I like some things that Wallace has done. He’s a high-effort player that seems to play hard and likes it. I would say for the amount of plays that he played he showed up."

Last week the Eagles' DeSean Jackson caught a 64 yard touchdown pass, which prompted Donald Washington to replace Maurice Leggett as the nickelback. The depth chart remains the same at that position but Haley indicated he'll have no hesitation making changes like that.

"We’ll see," Haley said when asked about Washington seeing more playing time. "We were running out of bodies at one point. When you’re not seeing what you want to see I’m not going to be afraid to change any of those guys. They know it and it’s pretty clear we’ve got to get better and it’s not going to stay the same. It’s not going to stay the same. Whatever it is, that won’t be accepted. In my mind it can’t stay the same if it’s not going the way you want it to."

H/T stagsdp in the FanShots for the link

The Chiefs Defense Did (Almost) Everything It Could Against the Raiders

Chris Thorman — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:02:24 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

3 months ago: Oakland Raiders running back Michael Bush (29) gets past Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Mike Vrabel (50) during the fourth quarter of a NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009 in Kansas City, Mo. The Raiders won the game 13-10. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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Say what you will about the Oakland Raiders offense and JaMarcus Russel, the Kansas City Chiefs defense played a spectacular game.

With the exception of the Raiders final go-ahead scoring drive in the fourth quarter. Which accounted for 42% of their offensive yards, as Josh Looney noted.

The Raider had eleven drives on offense on Sunday. On seven of them, they didn't record a first down. The Raiders only had eleven total first downs for day. (The Chiefs racked up 25 first downs which is just awesome to see)

Just how dominant were the Chiefs on defense on Sunday? Read more, after the jump.

Pass defense

Even though Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell was 7/24 for only 109 yards, I'm not going to say that was because of the Chiefs D hard play. I mean, it was. But those are Russell's normal numbers so we'll take a pass for now.

Russell was lucky he didn't throw a pick six to Brandon Flowers, which would have been the icing on the cake of his terrible numbers today.

The Chiefs had 7 pass deflections too, which were a big part of Russell's 17 incompletions. Most notable of those deflections were a tipped deep pass by Maurice Legget after the Bowe TD and Glenn Dorsey batting down a Russell pass near the Oakland goal line.

Final Raider stats: 109 passing yards, 7/24, 7 pass deflections

QB pressure

Forget about any comparison's to last season's year of futility pressuring the quarterback. The Chiefs had two sacks and two QB hurries against the Raiders. Derrick Johnson's sack in the first quarter was a drive killer but the Chiefs second sack was negated by a Wallace Gilberry personal foul. That personal foul negated what would have been 2nd and 18 for the Raiders. On their final scoring drive.

Chiefs QB pressure stats: 2 sacks, 2 QB hurries

Run defense

Last season in Week 2, the Chiefs gave up 300 yards rushing to Raiders. Today, the Chiefs run defense stifled Darren McFadden and Michael Bush for a Raider total of only 67 yards rushing.

Final Raider rushing stats: 61 yards on 25 attempts

Third down conversions

The Raiders were looking like the Chiefs on third downs - 3/13 (23%). Here's how the Raiders third downs went, well, down. It's more than 13 plays because I counted the penalties, which are actually tallied as no play.

Incomplete pass (7)
DJ sack
1st down pass
KC penalty for 1st down
Oakland penalty
1-yard run
1st down run
Oakland penalty
28-yard first down pass
Kneel for -1 yards

Each incomplete pass and Derrick Johnson's first quarter sack were drive killers. The Chiefs dominated the Raiders on third down.

Total domination

Before I get into the one drive that actually beat the Kansas City Chiefs, here is a chart comparison of all the areas of this game the Chiefs led in .I'm literally going stat by stat on the game book, with no bias whatsoever.

	Chiefs	Raiders
First downs	x
3rd down %	x
Total yards	x
Total off. Plays	x
Avg. gain per play	x
Rush yds.	x
Rush plays	x
Tackles for loss		x
Pass yds	x
Pass comp. %	x
Punt avg.		x
Penalities	x
Field goals		x
Red zone efficiency		x
T.O.P	x

(Sigh)

The Raiders only needed one drive

It was so sad that as well as the Chiefs' defense played against the Raiders, it was one Oakland scoring drive in the fourth quarter that lost the game for KC.

With 2:30 left in the football game and the Chiefs up by four points, all they needed to do was what they had been doing pretty much all day - frustrate JaMarcus Russell, stop the run.

Three plays in a row really put the Raiders into Chiefs territory and gave them hope that they could score a TD.

On the third play of the drive, JaMarcus Russel hit Louis Murphy for 19 yards. Immediately after that, the Chiefs sack Russell on 1st and 15 but Chiefs DE Wallace Gilberry committed a personal foul. And a questionable one at that.

1st and 18 just disappeared into a 15 yard gain. I almost got sick to my stomach at that point.

An 11-yard pass to Darren McFadden after that and boom, the Raiders are in Kansas City territory. Only took twenty seconds too.

A couple of incompletes and an Oakland false start later, the Chiefs had the Raiders right where they wanted them - 3rd and 15.

And, as I just watched this next play, I can't believe how open WR Todd Watkins was to get that 28-yard catch that put the Raiders on the Chiefs' 14-yard line.

Just a total breakdown across the middle and it costs the Chiefs the game. Wow.

You know the rest. McFadden. McFadden. Touchdown. Chiefs lose.

Question

If the Chiefs stop JaMarcus Russell from completing that 28-yard pass to Todd Watkins, do the Chiefs win? Oh yes, I think they do.

What happened on that play?

Football games come down to a handful of plays that win or lose them for teams. The Chiefs had more losing plays than the Raiders.

Defense is pretty darn good

The pass rush is there and developing. Brandon Flowers is emerging as a top corner. I like how our defensive line is playing together as a unit. There aren't any stars yet per se but it's easly.

So, the Chiefs defense does almost everything it can to win the game for KC. Almost. Unfortunately, almost isn't good enough.

Poll

The defensive position group that played the best was....

Corners

90 votes

Safeties

16 votes

Interior defensive line

375 votes

Defensive ends

76 votes

Linebackers

135 votes

692 votes | Poll has closed