SB Nation - Tony Gonzalez

The Linc - 4th & 26 one of the decade's 10 best plays

JasonB — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:00:31 -0000

The 10 best plays of the decade - Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
Among them... none other than 4th and 26.

DeSean Jackson of Philadelphia Eagles says he blacked out after concussion, unlikely to play vs. Atlanta Falcons - ESPN
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, in his first public comments since suffering a concussion last Sunday against the Washington Redskins, says it is extremely unlikely he will play this Sunday in Atlanta against the Falcons. "I don't think I can go," Jackson said. "I blacked out."

Rookie Focus: Eagles' McCoy rewarding team's faith in him - USATODAY.com
The Philadelphia Eagles acted at an opportune time when they drafted running back LeSean McCoy in the second round, taking him 53rd overall, to back up Brian Westbrook.

Paul Domowitch: McNabb's final stop is likely to be Canton | Philadelphia Daily News | 12/02/2009
This being America, everybody's entitled to their opinion, including me. When the subject is Hall of Fame-worthiness, though, my opinion matters a little bit more than Joe from Roxborough's because I'm one of the 44 members of the Hall's board of selectors.

More after the jump

Vick going back to Atlanta as spectacle and afterthought | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
Michael Vick "returns" to Atlanta this Sunday as an NFL player, but what does that mean? Simply that Vick will be in the Georgia Dome, dressed in his No. 7 jersey, when the Philadelphia Eagles play the Falcons.

The Atlanta Falcons' loss of Matt Ryan shouldn't hurt other Falcons fantasy options (Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White, Michael Turner) - ESPN
I can't think of many cases in which I call an injury a "good thing" in fantasy football, but the fact is, those who have been relying on Matt Ryan shouldn't be too upset about the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback already being ruled out for the team's Week 13 game against the Philadelphia Eagles because of turf toe. If you noticed the trend in our rankings, we weren't counting on Ryan for much anyway, as he's been struggling for much of this season and rarely approaching his draft-day value. Now you have no choice but to sit him, which you should have been doing anyway.

The Chiefs Start the Second Half of the Season at 0 - 0

Jon Yoon — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:32 -0000

by Orlin Wagner - AP

about 1 month ago: FILE - In this Sept. 20, 2009 photo, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson (56) tackles Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell (2) during the first half of a NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo. For six weeks, Johnson has been benched, taken out of the lineup for reasons that have never been made public. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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I realize that the second half of the Chiefs' season doesn't officially start until next week, but given the bye week, it really feels like the second half of the season started on Monday. Doesn't it?

I know the idea that the Chiefs are now 0-0 starting today is cliché and may seem like a worthless statistic, but it's actually a pretty crucial measure in a rebuild. Before the season started, there were many that said they would be okay with a 4-12 record as long as the team looked like it was improving throughout the year and as long as the bulk of those wins came in the second half of the season. Hopefully that second half momentum would carry through to 2010.

Because to me, the second half of the season in a rebuilding year is a pivot point. The first half of the season revolves around testing and learning. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. You throw a lot of young guys into the fire and some hop out of the fire, while many of them smolder. You give players time to buy into a new offensive and defensive philosophy, to buy into a new coaching staff and a new culture. In the case of the Chiefs, you have to coach players to play in entirely different schemes. Not just the 3-4. It's a completely new blocking scheme. It's a completely new offense.

The second half of the season should represent a point where players either get it or they don't. You can't dangle the same excuse that players are still learning. Todd Haley gets that. He was pretty out of character in his last press conference. I was expecting him to rant and rave about what a lousy performance his team put in against the Chargers. They certainly deserved the criticism. Instead, Haley focused on the positives. Haley was obviously more excited that his players were starting to "get it," even if his team got routed in that effort. As a motivational tool, it gives the players a fresh start. When the playoffs are out of reach, it's very easy to lose motivation, especially when the first half of the season was so frustrating. If the Chiefs play solid football for the rest of the season, they'll celebrate their improvement and that will carry over week after week.

Another reason the Chiefs' second half should technically start this week is that there is also a major pivot in terms of schedule strength. Their remaining schedule is significantly weaker than it was in the first half. They got the entire NFC East out of the way and they've already taken on one of the AFC North's behemoths. In the second half, the Chiefs get Jacksonville, Buffalo, Oakland, and Cleveland. While none of those games are shoo-ins, they are winnable games. Contrast that with the first half of the season, when the Chiefs only really had two (Oakland and Washington).

Don't get your hopes up. If the Chiefs win 4 games or more in the second half of the season, that would be pretty remarkable. Rather than obsess over wins/losses, here are two things you can look out for: 1) are the Chiefs improving as a team? 2) are the Chiefs getting a lot of improvement from their foundational guys or from their stopgaps? Here are some things to watch for in the second half of the season:

Can they get 3 to 4 wins? If the Chiefs win 3 to 4 more games, that will be a huge accomplishment for a Chiefs' team that is currently on pace to match their pathetic 2-14 record from last season.
Watch Branden Albert's progress. I haven't given up on Albert. People forget that he's learning to play at a completely different weight in a completely different blocking scheme. I wouldn't pay too much attention to the rest of the line. Remember, we're focusing on improvement that can carry over to next season. I hope that Mike Goff improves his pass protection only because it helps Cassel develop as a pocket quarterback, but who really cares about how that impacts the Chiefs in the long-term? Goff and Niswanger aren't a part of the answer after this season, and I'm not entirely sure if O'Callaghan does either.
We need to resign ourselves to the fact that Matt Cassel will probably never have great protection this season. It is what it is. You'd still like to see him improve his accuracy on intermediate routes. I personally believe he has improved markedly at getting rid of the ball faster, but he'll need to get better at that too. That means picking up blitzes. All of those things.
Consistency on the Defensive Line. Forget about tackles and sacks. When you watch Glenn Dorsey and especially Tyson Jackson, hopefully you'll see some fundamental improvements in each of these guys. Jackson, as expected, is horribly inconsistent as a 5-technique Defensive End, but with Vrabel helping Jackson to understand the position, you hope he'll start to get it. Once Jackson and Dorsey both start to consistently get it, you're going to see some major improvements in both the run defense and our pass rush.
The running game is an interesting situation, because it feels like they might have one piece, but it's unclear whether they have the full puzzle. Jamaal Charles has the upside to be a nice complementary back. And that back is probably not Kolby Smith, nor is it any other back on this roster. Consider the primary back in KC to be a stopgap and pay close attention to Charles. Charles has flashed potential, but he hasn't shown it with any consistency. The Chiefs will hopefully use the rest of the season to see how high that ceiling actually is.
Unless Dajuan Morgan kicks some serious butt, none of the Chiefs' safeties have played well enough to justify keeping their job in 2010. That includes Page, as sad as that it is to say.
This might turn a few heads, but I think Dwayne Bowe has a lot to prove over the course of the season if he wants to be this team's go-to receiver threat. With his inconsistency, his knack for dropping key passes on key third downs, and his knack for disappearing in stretches, one has to call into question whether he has any future as the Chiefs' primary target. He would undoubtedly make an outstanding #2 receiver. I can't help but wonder if much of his previous success was due to the presence of Tony Gonzalez. However, no matter which way you slice it, the Chiefs will need wide receiver help at some point. After all, Chris Chambers isn't going to be any kind of a long-term solution.
Mike Vrabel. Yeah, that sounds weird, because he's clearly not in the Chiefs' long-term plans. But one of the key foundational elements to the Chiefs' defense is the progression of Tyson Jackson. If Jackson does his job, you never notice it, but you might see Vrabel get progressively better as the season goes along. So on the one hand, you can pay attention to Tyson Jackson and see how he progresses; on the other hand, if that's too boring for you, then watch Vrabel instead and see if he's getting absorbed by blockers.
The offensive line is what it is. I just don't see any long-term options on the line outside of Albert. The starters aren't very good and the backups don't have any real upside. You hope Waters can milk out a few more productive years. You hope Albert continues to improve. The rest of the line, you just hope that they can become as "not horrible" as they can possibly be. That's a sad reality that we have to face.

The Chiefs need to start fresh and forget about how frustrating the first half of 2009 was. You can't walk in to the second half of the season with the expectation that the Chiefs will somehow, magically pull a playoff season out of their back pocket. However, if the Chiefs see some improvement in the above areas and steal a few wins along the way, that's a very good thing for the team.

Falcons And Saints Recap: Losing Is Never Easy

Dave the Falconer — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:15:36 -0000

I believed.

At various points in last night's game against the Saints, I really believed the Falcons were going to roar back and win it. All the signs were there. The defense was buckling down. The offense was moving efficiently. We looked nigh invincible some drives. It was a beautiful thing.

And then, as Chinua Achebe wrote, things fall apart.

It was a real gut punch of a game in that way. We weren't widely expected to be able to hang with the Saints, perhaps the league's toughest team, and yet that's exactly what the Falcons did. Losing a close game against a division rival is rough enough, but this loss may also have squashed our hopes of winning the division. I'm getting bummed out just typing that.

Still, as many of you pointed out, there's so many things we can take pride in after Monday. Not just that we kept the score close, but that we picked Drew Brees, managed a respectable defensive effort and finally unleashed Michael Turner. The fact that we played them so well that a win at the Georgia Dome in a few weeks suddenly seems eminently possible. The realization that we can hang in there with the very best is a comforting one as we continue our hunt for a playoff spot, and it's enough to make those losses against the Patriots and Cowboys sting a bit less. This is still a mighty interesting season, and I for one am looking forward to seeing how it plays out.

HIGHLIGHTS

Those who have thought that Michael Turner was due to break out at any moment can feel free to crow now. With Jason Snelling and Jerious Norwood out, Turner was operating without a safety net, and he absolutely destroyed the Saints on the ground all day long for 151 yards and a touchdown. You can't overstate how good he looked today and the confidence boost this had to have been for him, so hopefully he's returned to his world-annihilating form for good. Glad to have you back, Burner!
While we're at it, huge props to Roddy White. That 68 yard touchdown was a thing of beauty. Props also to Tony Gonzalez, who managed to make Matt Ryan's job a little easier Monday.
Coy Wire was awesome. His forced fumble almost gave us a chance to get back into it, and he managed to scoop another. A huge props to the Falcon defense in general for their ability to generate some turnovers, and Thomas DeCoud continues to win my heart by showing up to play every single time.
Speaking of turnovers, did you see that Brent Grimes interception? Kid scooped up a little cloud with his football on that one. Made me feel pretty good about the secondary for a few minutes, at least.
Curtis Lofton got hurt, came back and piled up stops. Can't knock his hustle.
Michael Koenen wins the field position battle most of the time. With two punts inside the 20, he was a limiting factor for the Saints offense more than once. You have to appreciate that.
The day I stop praising Eric Weems in this section is the day he runs to the moon.

LOWLIGHTS

Contrary to your likely first impression, I'm not putting Matt Ryan here because of the picks. Those were largely a combination of bad luck and a little bit of questionable decision-making. Ryan's here because he looked downright awful under pressure at times, and he never got into a rhythm. How much of that is on the New Orleans defense and how much of it is on Ryan I'll leave up to you, but it's clear this wasn't his finest hour. All part of the growth of a young quarterback, I guess.
Michael Jenkins has to go here despite an otherwise solid game because he had a critical, critical drop that earned him the temporary scorn of every Falcons fan in the country. That's right around the clinical definition of a lowlight.
All that talk about our secondary being a weakness and our cornerbacks being too short is, I think, somewhat overblown. That said, our biggest critics will point to last night and crow. Way too many passes where a guy either wasn't in the right spot or simply couldn't get up in the air enough to stop Marques Colston & Co. from hauling in the pass.
Up until the final quarter of the game, tackling was spotty at best. Harrumph!
I have a lot of respect for Jason Elam. I think he's a good guy and a great kicker. That said, it's time to give him some rest or figure out exactly what issue is causing these misses, because they were a game-changer Monday night. With some strong-legged young kickers ripe for the picking out there, it might be time to bring in a stopgap until Elam can work it all out. Tough break for him and the team, though.

THE WRAPUP

Game MVP: I'll give an approving nod in the direction of Coy Wire, but Michael Turner was a beast and deserves his due. Congratulations, Touchdown Vampire!

Game Theme Song: We went the distance!

One Thing To Take Away: We're good and tough and gosh darn it, people like us!

Next Week: Head over to Canal Street Chronicles one last time before saying hello to the Washington Redskins. The Redskins are capably represented by our very own Hogs Haven, so give 'em a visit.

Final Word: Soclose.

Colts v. Cardinals Game Review: Putting the Pieces Together

Colts Homer — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:09:14 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

2 months ago: After making a catch, Indianapolis Colts' Pierre Garcon, left, tangles with Arizona Cardinals' Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009 in Glendale, Ariz. Both received penalties on the play. The Colts defeated the Cardinals 31-10. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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This was a fun game. My favorite games are the ones when you know that your team is going to win throughout the entire game, and it makes it even better since I didn't think that the Colts would be able to beat the Cardinals with all of the things stacked up against them (No Brackett, Hayden, Gonzalez or Sanders, short week, tired defense, etc.). The Colts had a lot of adversity for this game. They even made the Colts underdogs. That's unbelievable. Obviously, the Vegas people aren't going to make that mistake again. Right now the Colts are probably going to be favored by double digits for the Seahawks game. I'm very happy that they're back playing on Sunday afternoons. I know that it is better for the Colts fans outside of the Midwest, but I'm a greedy person and I enjoy sleeping. The analysis is below.

QBs-Peyton Manning is unbelievable. He has lost two of his top three receivers from 2008, and he is better than ever. Besides Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, his other top receivers are a second-year player out of D3 Mount Union and a rookie out of BYU. Most QBs wouldn't be able to make that work. Peyton does. The Brady v. Manning debate is on hold. We are seeing what Peyton does with only two top targets and a bad right side of the line. Peyton is second in the league in passing touchdowns and passing yards. If we are going to be making early predictions, I'll say that number 4 is not out of the stretch of the imagination. After the Saints start to look human, Manning will emerge past the Brees hoopla. Bursa sacs were holding Manning back.

The rest is after the jump.

RBs-This was a huge concern of us all after the Chargers loss. It was clear that Addai-Rhodes was not going to cut it. Rhodes was a decent back but nothing special and Addai was always banged up. Fast forward 8 and a half months, and the running attack is lethal. Addai is amazingly consistent. On first down he seems to always get 5 or 6 yards at least. Joseph Addai has come back with a vengeance. He is proving haters wrong and he is looking like the Addai of old. And then there's Donald. Donald Brown looks like a future star. There is no questioning this draft pick now. Brown is very explosive when he gets in the open field. That 70 yard reception was brilliant! He breaks tackles which honestly surprised me as I thought that wasn't going to be a part of his game. For people wondering why he isn't starting right now, look at the differences pre-snap with him in the game. On multiple occasions Sunday night Brown had to be moved around by Peyton to get into position. Once Brown gets a hold of the playbook he will be the main back.

WRs/TEs-This is why Polian is a future Hall of Famer. Somehow he found Pierre Garcon out of Mount Union. Mount Union plays in a nearly century old football stadium that seats 5,000. Mount Union is a dynasty, but the fact that Polian found this diamond in the rough just shows his genius. Garcon is emerging as a great third receiver. He's very explosive, and to say he is a big play threat is an understatement. My guess is that once Anthony Gonzalez returns they will continue to give Garcon playing time on the outside with Gonzalez in the slot. That's why he didn't take Hakeem Nicks or Kenny Britt. Austin Collie has become a nice receiver. He's not the Stokley big play threat yet, but he has good hands and can get the first down. On third down, going to Collie is a great idea. He plays smart and he knows where the first down line is. Garcon is the better receiver right now, but Collie definitely has a future on this team. Reggie Wayne is also pretty good I've heard. He's leading the league in receiving yards right now and he makes the most ridiculous plays. He's working his way onto the All-Pro team. Speaking of All-Pros, Dallas Clark is the best tight end in the league. He's left John Carlson, Jason Witten, Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez in the dust. Clark is reaching his prime, and I would not be surprised to see a nice 1,000 yard, 10 touchdown season out of him. Once Gonzalez gets back, Clark is going to be even tougher to guard. Peyton has the weapons to win yet another MVP.

OL-Left side good, right side bad. That's the best way to describe this line. You could use better grammar, but that is as simple as it gets. Charlie Johnson has been a pleasant surprise and has proven doubters like me wrong. He's a good run blocker and so far he hasn't given up a sack this season. Ryan Lilja is reminding us on why he got that contract instead of Jake Scott. Lilja is a great run blocker. Running to the left side is better than ever with Lilja back. He's a sleeper for the Pro Bowl this year. Saturday is Saturday. He's been great this year and he did well last night. No one is doubting him. The right side is getting ugly. Whenever a former 2nd round pick is rotating with a former center that most recently was seen with the Boise Burn of af2, it's a bad sign for that former first day pick. When that former 2nd round pick is in his second year, it's embarrassing. Kyle DeVan is a good player and there is a reason why he is still with the team, but Pollak was a second round pick. He's not good at all. His play resulted in the interception, and he is clueless on the stretch play. Pollak is a liability, and Diem isn't much better. Running to the right is a death sentence for the drive. There is absolutely no blocking at all. This is the biggest need going into the 2010 draft. I'm perfectly content with Charlie Johnson starting at left tackle down the line, but I do not want Ryan Diem. I would support them moving Ugoh to the right tackle position and grooming him into a future starting job.

DL-Talk about a nice recovery. Against Miami the defensive line was pretty bad. Obviously Dwight Freeney played well in Miami, but no one else really did. Ed Johnson looked lost (and high), and Antonio Johnson was always getting pushed off the line. On Sunday night, I was almost sure that Big Ed was starting in the backfield. How a man that big can get off the line that fast is beyond me. Eric Foster is also becoming a nice rotation player. He played some defensive end as well as defensive tackle last night, and he did great at both positions. He is probably the best at batting down balls on the defensive line, and of course he is great at stopping the run. Antonio Johnson was not as impressive as Foster or Ed, but he didn't do anything to hurt the Colts, which is better than what we could say about the defensive tackles from 2007 and 2008. Without Dwight Freeney for the next two to three weeks, the defensive end position will be very different. As we saw Sunday night, Freeney is superhuman. On almost all 51 passes he hit Warner. He embarrassed Mike Gandy out there. With Freeney out, we will see more of Raheem Brock. Robert Mathis will take over for Freeney in the "Embarrassing Offensive Tackles" department, but there will have to be a rotation. Philip Wheeler played some defensive end Sunday night, and I have always thought that he would be a nice fit at defensive end. Throw in Keyunta Dawson and I can go two games without Freeney.

LBs-Freddy Keiaho didn't suck last night? I know, surprising. He didn't do anything terrible. I am still stunned. Everything I've seen from him would suggest that Kurt Warner would have torn him apart. Keiaho still should not be playing, but it does make Gary Brackett's injury less scary. On the outside, I am very content with Tyjuan Hagler and Clint Session. There is a reason why Hagler is starting over Wheeler, and Session has continued to play well. They are doing very well in stopping the running game. Obviously right now they are no David Thornton or Marcus Washington, but I feel fine with them back there. Jordan Senn did not impress me at all last night. If they have to play a backup linebacker, I would prefer to see Ramon Humber.

DBs-Once Kelvin Hayden and Bob Sanders get back, this will be the best secondary in the league. Jerraud Powers didn't play as well last night as he did against Jacksonville, but he is still the future of the cornerback position along with Hayden. Marlin Jackson did well as the nickelback last night. Is he worth re-signing? I'm not sure. Without a salary cap next year, I say go ahead. It pains me to say this, but Jennings did not suck last night. I still do not want him out on the field since we've all seen what happens when he is sucking. With Hayden hopefully coming back, it won't be a problem. Jacob Lacey is becoming one of my favorite rookies. He was very clutch Sunday night. His stop at the one yard line was HUGE. The next play was the Bethea interception. If Lacey can keep it up, he will work his way into the 4th spot above Tim Jennings. At safety, Antoine Bethea has played well this year. He still isn't the Pro Bowler from his second season, but he is a very good player and a quality starter. Melvin Bullitt has always played well in place of Bobzilla, but he isn't Bob Sanders. Once this team gets Sanders back, it will be even better in pass and run defense. Hopefully Bob will practice this week.

STs-Adam Vinatieri may be losing it. He is very, very close to being 2-5 this year, and he doesn't even kick off anymore. I think that this is the last year for Vinatieri. Next year Andrus will be the kicker. Vinatieri has not looked good this year. In fact, the whole field goal unit has looked bad. The blocking is weak and Vinatieri has been weak. On the other hand, McAfee is still great. On 11 kickoffs, he has 3 touchbacks. McAfee is still punting well. He's averaging about 45 yards per kick and he has 2 kicks inside the 20 on 9 punts. The return game is as expected. Simpson cannot return kicks and Rushing is a decent punt returner.

Top 5 players from the Colts-Cardinals Game

5. Pierre Garcon: Garcon is definitely stepping up when he has to. With Marvin Harrison and Gonzalez gone, he needed to become an acceptable target for Peyton. He's gone above and beyond that. Garcon had his great touchdown where he burnt the corner, and he played well for the rest of the game too. Garcon will end up getting more targets as the year goes on.

4. Reggie Wayne: Wayne is leading the league in receiving yards at this point, and last night he made one of the best catches of his career for a touchdown. He is a big target, and he has shown that he can get it done without Marvin on the other side of the field.

3. Joseph Addai: On 13 carries he got 63 yards and he made two big catches. One was the touchdown screen and the other was when he had to extend his body to come down with a pass that easily could have been a pick. Addai is getting back into 2006 form.

2. Peyton Manning: Manning is the best QB in the league. He is a favorite for the MVP again this year, and he is on pace to throw over 35 touchdowns and 4900 yards. He's pretty good, and Sunday night was his best game so far. He is doing this without Anthony Gonzalez. WOW.

1. Dwight Freeney: Even though Peyton was phenomenal, holding a very good offense to 10 points is a great feat, and Freeney was the main reason. His constant pressure got Warner to make bad throws and it got some sacks too.

Next up, Seattle Seahawks.

Is it Time to Panic or Not?

Stephen (shaynes41) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:16:58 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sakuma - AP

3 months ago: San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson, right, fumbles the ball and is brought down by Oakland Raiders defensive end Greg Ellis (99) during the first quarter of their NFL football game Monday, Sept. 14, 2009 in Oakland, Calif. The Raiders recovered the ball. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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All right, so on Monday I was a big proponent of panicking. I have had a few days to cool off and I thought I should take a look at this a little more methodically. After all, if we're going to start panicking, at least we should have a reasonable justification for it.

We began the season with high hopes, but we did have some areas of concern after the off season and through the preseason. I figured I'd start by looking at each one of those areas of concern after two real games against a decent opponent and a very good opponent.

Area of Concern #1 - The right side of the Offensive Line

Jeromey Clary had received his fair share of lumps, and the unknown of the RG position was a little concerning. We all agreed that losing Mike Goff was going to help a bit, but were we not sure how much. Was Kynan Forney an upgrade? Could the rookie Louis Vasquez learn the ropes in time to contribute? How much of Clary's problems last year were due to Goff's inadequacies and how much were due to his own abilities and ceiling?

Turns out Vasquez did come along quick enough to earn the starting job in week 1. Vasquez's ability, Forney's average play, and some injury problems in camp actually lead to Forney surprisingly not making the 53 man roster. Unfortunately Vasquez didn't last past the 1st half of the first game and we have seen Mruczkowski and Dombrowski in that spot since them. Surprisingly, the right side of the line has held up pretty well. Clary has done pretty well against some decent pass rushers. He had a little trouble in the Raider game, but overall has done well. It will be interesting to see him against the Steelers in a few weeks to compare his play to his lackluster playoff game last year. Dombrowski has taken the majority of the snaps at RG and has looked really good, especially considering he is a second year guy who was on the practice squad all last year. All in all, I'd say this area of concern isn't worrying me too much right now. I may change my might after the Steelers game (even the Dolphins have Joey Porter and Jason Taylor and will present a good challenge)

more after the jump...

Area of Concern #2 - Running Game

Last year we couldn't run the ball if our life depended on it. Despite a moderately successful season from LT, we were in the bottom half of the league in rushing. A lot of reasons contributed to that including a relative shortage of offensive plays, playing from behind, the emergence of the passing game, etc., We were hoping some improvements along the offensive line, a healthy LT, and another year under the belt of Hester would contribute to a reemergence of the vaunted Charger running game.

It hasn't quite worked out like that. LT is injured again, and didn't look that good for the 1.5 quarters he was healthy. It is still early and we have faced two relatively strong teams against the run, but I think this is still an area of major concern. We are all happy to see Rivers have 400+ games, but more often than not, you end up losing those games. Without a strong rushing attack, you will have trouble in the red zone and in short yardage situations (like 4th and 2, for example). I know the offense as a whole is explosive, but I'm afraid that we are going to have an easier time scoring from the 40 yard line than we will from the 10 yard line.

Area of Concern #3 - Pass Rush

We all hoped The Return of Shawne Merriman would solve all our pass rush woes. Plus, the evil genius of Ron Rivera would employ Larry English in new and exotic packages that would bring wreak havoc on opposing QBs. Perhaps we were a bit ahead of ourselves.

Well, Shawne has yet to get a sack and English's motor has been apparent even if his rudder has not been as he has appeared somewhat lost at times. However, there has been good pressure if not a lot of sacks to show for it. There has been lots of blitzing and exotic blitzes at that. Last year we rarely saw the ILBs involved in blitzes. This year (and especially last week against Baltimore) the inside guys were blitzing a lot. Lot's of twist and 6 man rushes. I feel that this area of concern is not so concerning anymore. Aside from the lack of actual sacks, I think it has been going pretty well, and I think one week soon, we are going to get a bunch of sacks.

One surprising development has been Luis Castillo getting pressure from the LDE spot. I think part of it has to be due to the flurry of activity around him. With all the twists and blitzes from different angles, it has been easier to Luis to get some pressure. He has 1 sack so far and I've seen him chasing QBs from the pocket on several occasions.

Area of Concern #4 - Safety Play

Clinton Hart should be shipped out of town. Steve Gregory is too slow to play safety. We should start Kevin Ellison, the rookie 6th round pick simply because he has not yet disproven himself. Eric Weddle is a bust. Or so the preseason talk went. An interesting development in the preseason was Hart playing SS on the running downs and Gregory playing SS on the passing downs. Same as at the end of last season, but it seemed to work much better. Weddle's role was able to change because we had an ILB who can cover people (Kevin Burnett), so Weddle can play more of a "center field" position, rather than the "in the box" safety position he played last year on passing downs.

So far, this seems to have worked. It's a little hard to tell if our improved pass defense is truly because of improved safety play, combined with a little more pressure, or if it's simply because other teams find it easier to run on us. I will say that I have seen Hart making plays in the running game that I haven't seen him make in a few years. And I think Gregory has played a decent coverage SS. I am going to tentatively say that this area of concern has been addressed. I don't think it will really get tested anytime soon by the Dolphins or Steelers so I'm not going to worry about it until it actually shows itself as a problem.

Area of Concern #5 - We can't cover TEs

Stupid TEs. Last year I was offended at first when the fantasy football experts told you to start any TE facing the Chargers. Then I came to the realization that it was actually sound advice. We all loved to blame Wilhelm for the TEs having career days against us, but I wasn't so sure. Burnett is a clear upgrade, plus an improved pass rush and improved safety play was how to improve this.

Did it work? Well, Oakland's TEs put up over 100 yards on us in week 1. Todd Heap had one catch for 9 yards and 1 TD, plus a 30 yard PI call that put the Ravens at the 1 and lead to a walk in TD. Overall, I'd say this is still a concern. If we make Anthony Fasano look like Tony Gonzalez this week, I am officially going to be picking up/trading for the TEs going against the Chargers in fantasy football every week from here on out.

Area of Concern #6 - the Defense can't get off the field

Last year the Chargers were 29th in total offensive plays. This is partly because our offense was explosive and scored quickly, and partly because our defense gave up a lot of long drawn out drives. It is really way too early to judge here. I think in general we've looked pretty good, but we've face two offenses that were not highly regarded before the season began and they have looked pretty good against us, which is not a good sign. As far as plays from scrimmage so far this year, we are middle of the pack, so that is an improvement. I'm still going to worry about this, especially when we pick up dumb running into the kicker penalties that give the opponents a fresh set of downs (I don't care if it was a blown call by the refs, if you aren't close to blocking the punt, you need to never touch the kicker... period).

Area of Concern #7 - Cromartie of 2008 or of 2007

Cromartie was hottest thing ever after 10 picks in just over 1/2 a season of starting in 2007. Expectations were off the charts for 2008 and he proceeded to stink the joint up. Who is the real Cromartie? Well, so far the jury is still out, although by this time last year, Cromartie had already been exposed twice, and so far this year we haven't heard his name much (although there was that Raider TD where he and Hart decided not to cover Murphy). I'm going to go on record as saying a good CB is the one who you never hear of. I will gladly live with 3-6 picks and 16 solid games from Cromartie, as opposed to him making SportsCenter highlights with a few athletic interceptions and a bunch of spectacularly bad outings.

Places we thought were not a concern, but actually are a concern... Go Figure

The left side of the offensive line... What happened here? Last year we had Hardwick's and McNeill's injury excuses. This year, between our healthy offensive line and LTs healthy toes, we were going to run the ball again! Everyone take LT high in your fantasy drafts, he is a man on a mission... I'm beginning to think it's not LT degrading as much as it is the left side of the offensive line not being as good as advertised. Even for the 2 quarters where everyone was healthy, these guys were getting pushed around. They single handedly made Al Davis look like a genius with the Richard Seymour trade (and that is saying something). And listen, I can understand that McNeill is never going to be a dominant run blocker, he is a pass blocker, a 350lb man with the feet of a ballerina who is able to go an entire season without giving up a sack to the league's elite, so I don't really blame him. But Kris Dielman is playing like a very mediocre player. Such is not what we expected from our all-pro. Honestly, I think it has been going on for longer than just this year. I think last year he was little soft too. He gets beat too often on pass rushes and isn't the dominant LG you need for a dominant rushing attack. I'm not sure why... Did he get figured out? Has his technique slipped? Some injury we aren't aware of? Half a dozen baby-mamas demanding his time and financial support? I don't know, but he hasn't been the same since signing that big contract (there... I said it).

Places we thought we were strong, but we are actually much stronger...

We knew our passing game was nails; Rivers, Jackson, Gates, etc. But it has been even better than I thought it was going to be. As expected, Rivers has kept up his game. But somehow Vincent Jackson has picked his up to another level. His game against Baltimore was ridiculous. RIDICULOUS. How many times did he have three guys around him and he came down with the ball anyways? I'm reminded of that old NFL films clip of the Chargers' OC talking to Fouts about his pass progressions and what to look out for on a third down play. Don Coryell steps in, interrupts, and yells, "Just throw it to JJ!!" (John Jefferson). That is exactly how I feel with Jackson, just throw it to VJ!

And Antonio Gates. I do believe he is back from his injuries and is as good as ever. I had almost forgotten what is was like to have a dominant TE. The only thing that is going to keep him from putting up all-world numbers are the other options around him.

So, that's about all I can think of. I think there are only two things that really concern me: 1) complete and utter lack of a running game, and 2) inability to get off the field on defense. I can't seem to muster up a lot of concern about other areas and even the injuries don't strike me as an insurmountable problem. Those two concerns are the things that are going to keep this team from going deep into the playoffs, and of those two, the running game is the biggest problem. I know some of us were calling for more passes and shootouts, but those won't take you far once the playoffs come around. We need a balanced offense, and by that I don't mean we need to have equal run and pass plays, but that we need the threat of a run, and we need to be able to get 2 yards when we absolutely have to have 2 yards. If that doesn't get fixed, we can go ahead and panic.

Former Colts Ben Hartstock and Von Hutchins cut from Falcons; Lonnie Harvey cut

BigBlueShoe — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:48:01 -0000

DT Lonnie Harvey was cut by the Panthers today. Photo: www.panthers.com

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Never let it be said that we Colts fans don't care about players who once wore the blue shoe on their jerseys and helmets. From The Falcoholic:

The Falcons released Ben Hartsock, our best blocking tight end, along with cornerback Von Hutchins and defensive end Willie Evans. I don't need to tell you that Hartsock's release is a huge surprise, and must indicate that Tony Gonzalez and Justin Peelle have shown a lot as blockers this off-season. With the acquisition of Tye Hill, the Falcons are announcing a complete and total youth movement at cornerback by releasing Hutchins, who was kind of off everybody's radar this off-season. Evans was not expected to make the roster.

I'm actually kind of surprised Von Hutchins is still in the league. He was a mediocre CB for the Colts, drafted in the 6th round in 2004. However, by sticking around as long as he has, it shows Hutchins has some staying power in this league. He's also played for the Texans during his career. Hartstock is yet another failed third round selection by Bill Polian. He was drafted #68 overall in '04, just ahead of Chris Cooley and Bernard Berrian.

Hey, even an eventual Hall of Fame GM like Polian is human.

Even though Hartstock clearly is not in the same league (talent-wise) as Cooley or Berrian, he's a decent blocker, and may land with another team needing a back-up TE.

In other news, the Carolina Panthers have released big rookie defensive tackle Lonnie Harvey. You might remember Harvey from our pre-NFL Draft coverage. He was someone Colt Homer had on his radar as a late-round pick or possible rookie free agent. The Colts were very interested in Harvey prior to the draft. Now that he is a free agent, it is possible that Polian may swoop in and snatch him up.

Falcons 20, Rams 13: Lessons from a hard loss

VanRam — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 12:56:38 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez, left, catches a 14-yard touchdown pass against an outmatched St. Louis Rams cornerback Tye Hill. Can the Rams learn from this loss?

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It's cheesy, but somebody has to say it: deja vu all over again. Missed tackles, poor run blocking, passes thrown away...it was a very familiar sight for, a little too familiar, as the St. Louis Rams flopped in their preseason home opener against the Atlanta Falcons. Ok, one more analogy, the curtain came up on the Ed Jones Dome facelift, but things on the field looked exactly the same (huh?).

Lessons learned

You can't be a power running team, if you can't run block

The Rams can run block better this. They did so just last week. Jason Smith struggled to move defenders off the line and open lanes. At times, it looked like the Falcons linebackers could just sit and wait for the run, with the DL easily tying up the Rams front five. FB Mike Karney was out there, but he's there to burst through the lane and remove LBs. You can't do that if there are no lanes to burst through.

Everyone's talking about Jason Smith because he's a first round pick, but I'm bothered more by the fact that runs up the middle were such a problem. The Falcons just stacked the box, taking away the middle to an extent. Still the starting three of Setterstrom, Brown and Incognito should have been able to make some room and get to second level better than they did.

When the offensive line gives you time in the pocket, you have to complete passes

If there's a ray of hope in the offensive line's night, it was that did well in pass protection. That might signal that the run blocking can improve, like the grievous errors in pass protection we saw last week that were noticeably absent last night. Boller reminded everyone watching last night of the knock on his decision making. He connected nicely with Laurent Robinson, who already looks to be quite a get for Devaney and Co., but missed some sure things. And was he just getting a game feel for his arm again after shoulder surgery last season, or was he overthrowing receivers like he used to? Bulger looked sharp last week, and you can see the drop off the Rams will face if he's not playing.

Aside from Boller, our receivers look good, not at all like the big red flag they were projected to be. If the running game had been working, they could have had an even better night. I'll be anxious to see what Bulger can do with them. Once Donnie Avery returns, this could be a unit that surprises many...of course, the running game will have to get working for that to truly happen.

Tackling matters

Sounds easy enough, right? Rams defenders missed tackles all over last night, which made the run defense even worse. It wasn't just the rookies either. Veterans like Will Witherspoon (who otherwise had a good night) whiffed. There's another lesson in the run defense's poor showing, and I'm not sure how to put it. Besides some bad tackling, or complete lack thereof, the Rams defense found itself out of position and/or misreading plays. Turner's 43-yard run came between the end and a gaggle of Falcons blockers tying up the front seven. Where was the safety? The CB? Why were they all bunched like that?

Whatever Spagnuolo is putting in the Kool-Aid, the second teamers and beyond are drinking it

The starters may have been a little lackluster, but the guys rotating in and competing for the future once again impressed. Yes, there's the caveat that they are not playing against starters. However, these guys are playing really tight, tough, and mostly mistake free football. I particularly like Larry Grant and David Vobora. Grant had 4 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Vobora had five tackles and continued to look tough as nails. And, hey, how about that sack from Darell Scott? Nicely done rookie.

Cornerbacks need more than speed

Very rarely do our cornerbacks get out run. They got beat time and again by not knowing where the ball was and misreading the receiver. Then, of course, there's just the plain mismatch, like Tye Hill on Tony Gonzalez. Back to the tape guys.

More later...

Carl Peterson's Derrick Thomas Hall of Fame Speech

Joel Thorman — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:04:03 -0000

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

4 months ago: Darrion Thomas, left, son of former Kansas City Chiefs player Derrick Thomas, and presenter Carl Peterson, right, stand with a bronze bust of Darrion's father during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

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Carl Peterson gave a great speech last night at the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony honoring Derrick Thomas. Throughout the 26 minute speech, you could see the former Kansas City Chiefs general manager holding back tears and emotion.

The full transcript of Carl Peterson's Hall of Fame speech is after the jump.

Ladies and Gentleman, to present and enshrine Derrick Thomas, please welcome Carl Peterson and Derrion Thomas....

In the spring of 1989, myself, Marty Schottenheimer and Bill Cowher went to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to work out a player we hoped to consider for our #1 draft choice. He was an extraordinary person and his head coach at Alabama, said 'Great player, great person and you'll never tire the young man out.'

Derrick Thomas didn't work out for us at the NFL Combine and we were a little hot about it. It was a very hot day in Tuscaloosa on the astroturf and Bill Cowher began to work him out. He worked him out, and he worked him out.

He gave him every LB drill he knew. He came back to Marty and said, 'What do you think?' After every drill, Derrick would come back, give us that smile, that unbelievable smile, and say, 'Coach what else would you like to see?'

I said, 'Let's see some more.' Bill gave him all the defensive line drills, one drill after another after another. And every time, after the drill, Derrick would come over and smile at us and say, 'What else would you like to see?'

There were four of his teammates working out with us at that time too. And by now they had fallen away totally exhausted. Bill Cowher came back and said, 'I'm running out of drills.' I said, 'Let's just see some more.'

He drilled him with all the defensive backs drills that he knew. Bill came back and said, 'I'm all out of drills and I'm exhausted.'

We knew we had a special guy here.

When Derrick Thomas passed from us in February of 2000, I commented to our media that a light had gone out in the city. Today, Derrick Thomas joins the finest to have ever played the game, the game of professional football.

It's appropriate he takes his place with the two other great Kansas City linebackers who are here, Bobby Bell and Willie Lanier.

And I know that the other Chiefs Hall of Famers, some are passed, welcome Derrick also. And I am very thankful to the Thomas family, particularly Edith Morgan, for giving me the opportunity to speak about her son.

And I'd like to have the Derrick Thomas family stand. Thank you for your guy.

You see Derrick and I had a special connection forged by the fact that we both came to Kansas City about the same time. And Derrick was my first draft pick when I came to the Chiefs prior to the 1989 season. For the next decade, he was the cornerstone of the success of the Chiefs franchise.

A decade in which our team, the one in which Derrick starred on, accounted for more than 100 victories. Derrick Thomas' career was meteoric and became a symbol for our team's success.

Certainly we had other outstanding players at that time, Neil Smith, Christian Okoye, Deron Cherry, Marcus Allen, Joe Montana, Will Shields and Tony Gonzalez to simply talk about a few of the prominent ones. But Derrick was there the entire decade.

I need to tell one other story about a young Bill Cowher and Marty.

Derrick, in his first year as a rookie, had 75 tackles, 10 sacks, three fumbles caused, two fumbles recovered, and was the defensive rookie of the year.

Later in the spring of 1990, Bill Cowher came to Marty and said, 'Marty, I've got a great idea. Why don't we do this on defense...Get Derrick lined up in his three point stance at his normal position, right outside linebacker. Then on the snap of the ball, we'll drop him into coverage and bring a couple of guys on the other side.'

Marty pondered that and said, 'Bill that's an interesting concept. Just answer me one question, why would we have our best pass rusher run away from the quarterback?'

Derrick that year had 20 sacks and I think without question that's called great coaching. For me, the definition of a Pro Football Hall of Famer is that he must be a game changer, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. He must be able to create and change the course of the game, create a play or a series of plays, that swings the momentum of that game in the favor of your team.

In my personal opinion, there are only a handful of such defensive players in the modern era - Lawrence Taylor, the late Reggie White, being honored here tonight in this class a guy by the name of Bruce Smith and Rod, 71 interceptions, I may have to include you there too. But yes, the late, great Derrick Thomas.

Early on in our friendship, Derrick confided in me that he had a number of things he wanted to accomplish in his life and as a pro football player. And I think we can say today that he accomplished almost every one.

Derrick has aspirations beyond the football field. He wanted to earn his degree from the University of Alabama.

And coming to the Chiefs, I can tell you he was a long way from that. But in his 11 years, he spent time during the season and during the offseason, attending classes at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. A Lamonte Winston on our staff provided the needed assistance.

And a few months after his passing, I, my wife, Lamonte and a number of Kansas City Chiefs people, traveled back to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to watch his mother, Edith Morgan, and his beloved grandmother, Annie, walk across the commencement stage at the University of Alabama to receive Derrick Thomas' graduation diploma. It was a great day for everyone.

Another primary goal for Derrick that he set for himself was to become the finest football player he can be and hopefully, with a legacy that someday might be rewarded with NFL's highest honor, the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We can think back to the closest moments of close games how the Arrowhead stadium crowd would chant his name.

While all eyes may have been on Joe Montana or Steve young in the closing minutes of a key regular season match up between the Chiefs and 49ers in 1994, it was Thomas' three sacks that propelled the Chiefs to a 24-17 win.

That included a key safety which Derrick called in the east end zone before the snap. He did that again two other times in his career.

All totaled, 46 different NFL quarterbacks became a victim of a Thomas sack, led by John Elway who was taken down 17 times.

Appropriately, Derrick got his 100th career sack off of John in a thrilling 24-22 win over the Broncos in 1997. What defensive player made as many plays to preserve wins or generate points or field position for his team? When games were on the line, and the Chiefs defense was on the field, it was Derrick Thomas that his coaches, teammates and fans looked to for a stop and a chance to stop the opponents momentum.

In his 11 years with the chiefs, the Chiefs were a combined +120 turnover ratio. The second team were the New York Giants with a +67. And Derrick Thomas was responsible for 65 of those takeaways.

In his 11 seasons with the Chiefs, the Chiefs defense ranked in the top 10 nine of those years. And those stats were because of the catalyst Derrick Thomas. Those stats tell part of the story. Those who have played against him tell even more. Let me borrow some of their words.

Hall of Famer Jackie Slater maybe provided the best definition of a Hall of Famer. "He affects the 11 guys across the line of scrimmage and the other 10 guys playing with him." Slater said, "That was Derrick Thomas."

Hall of Famer, Jim Kelly. He talked about how the Buffalo Bills would game plan for Derrick Thomas. "I don't recall planning for another player like we did for Derrick. If you overlooked him, it was disaster."

Hall of Famer and later teammate, Marcus Allen. "I do not think I feared any player on the football field. But I came close with Derrick Thomas. He made life miserable for offenses trying to block him."

Hall of Famer Art Shell, who both coached with and against Derrick Thomas in his career. "A sack with a turnover. That's as devastating play as there is in a game and that was Derrick Thomas."

Hall of Famer John Elway. "Derrick wasn't just satisfied with a sack. He wanted a turnover, he wanted the fumble. He had more on his mind than killing the quarterback. He wanted the ball."

Lastly, Hall of Famer and former Chief Warren Moon. "I played with him and against him. And I can tell you playing against him was a chore. He had to be accounted for every single snap."

A final goal of Derrick Thomas during his pro football career was to be the best philanthropist possible. He wanted to give back to the community, especially the youth of Kansas City.

When we drafted him and I met with him in my office back in the spring of 1989. I told him this, "I need two things from you. I need you to be a great football player for this franchise and help turn this organization into a winner.

"But I also need you here in this community. I don't want you living in Miami, living in Tuscaloosa, I want you living in Kansas City all year round. Can you do it?" He said he would do it and he did. And he did it ike he does everything, with greath enthusiasm and great energy.

And Derrick always had a special feeling for our troops. The military personnel that protect and defend this country. He never turned down a request.

He never, ever turned down a request to visit the troops. Whether it while he was in Hawaii playing in one of his nine Pro Bowls or while with the Chiefs in one of our American Bowl games in Germany, Japan and Mexico. Or visiting Fort Leavenworth or Fort Reilly, KS, or Whiteman Air Force base in Missouri, Derrick was always generous with his time to meet and greet our finest, the United States Military.

We know how proud he was of his father, Robert, a B-52 pilot, whom he lost in 1972. We also know how much he loved those flyovers and when we did that at Arrowhead, unbelievably his performance stepped up another notch.

I would share with you that I tried to get a flyover every single week but the United States Air Force wouldn't let me do it.

As much as anything Derrick did on the football field, beyond the NFL record of seven sacks in one game, and yet with all the sacks in his career and all the fumbles caused and recovered, and all the tackles, touchdowns and safeties he made, it was his contributions off the field that stamped his time here on Earth.

He was certainly not a perfect man, but I would ask whom of us is?

But he was absolutely a committed man. Committed to helping others his list of accomplishments off the field have been widely chronicled, but among some of the most prominent are the Walter Payton award as the NFL's Man of the Year, the NFLPA's Byron Whizzer White humanitarian award, and something that no other professional football player has ever received from President George H. Bush, the 832th point of light.

Derrick's continuing legacy is the Third and Long Foundation, a reading program he established soon after coming to Kansas City and to which he devoted countless hours and finances.

Some of the students from the Third and Long are here today and I'd like for them to stand and be recognized.

I would tell you that over 1,000 children have gone through that program since it's inception. And here today are 17 of the 24 Third and Long board members and I'd like for them to stand and be recognized.

Ladies and gentleman, for a foundation to succeed and continue on nine years after the loss of its founder speak volumes about these people. And three of them I need to recognize publicly, long time President Betty Brown, legal counsel and close friend of Derrick Thomas Kevin Regan, and Derrick's partner on and off the field, who is volunteering his time for the Third and Long in Derrick's absence, Neil Smith, please stand.

Derrick was extremely proud of the work of his foundation and perhaps he saw what a helping hand meant to him when he was a troubled youth growing up in Miami. Indeed in 1992 Derrick saw his middle school English teacher, Mary Anne Williams, named the NFL's first teacher of the year.

At the time of Derrick's tragic death, I also stated at the memorial service that something good would come of this because a good man has left our presence. Perhaps that good is recognized in the opening of a charter school that bears his name, the only professional athlete that has been honored this way, the Derrick Thomas Academy located in downtown Kansas City.

Some of those children, faculty and administration are here in Canton also. Would you please stand and be recognized.

I know that if Derrick were here tonight, there would be a number of people he would want to thank beginning with his family and his lovely mother, Edith. And I know he would like to give an especially large thank you to the late Lamar Hunt and his lovely wife Norma is here.

He would want to thank the Hunt family, Clark and Tavia, Lamar Jr. and Rita, Sharon and David and Daniel, and he would like to thank the Chiefs family, many of whom made this trip to commemorate this occasion. Denny and Carmen Thum, Lynn and Mary Jean Stiles, Lamonte and Clair Winston, Brenda and Bob. Mike Davidson and Allen Wright are not here but I know they're looking down as well as Chuck Cook and Terry Bradway. Two trainers that worked with Derrick in Dave Kinde and Bud Epps.

As well as two special doctors who are very important to Derrick right to the last moments of his life, Dr. John Brown and Dr. Joe Wagerly.

To some terrific people in the PR office, Bob Moore, Peter Moris and Jimmy Carr. And to a very fine journalist and his wife, Bob and Anita Gretz. Bob presented Derrick's nomination each year to the Hall of Fame voters.

And I would also for Derrick want to thank Lee Steinberg, Dave Dunn and Jeff Norad, his player agents. Derrick, that one was a little difficult for me, I hope you understand.

And quite obviously, Derrick would want to thank his coaches and amazingly almost all of his coaches from the Kansas City Chiefs are here tonight. I'll start with, and I'd like for them to stand and be recognized, Marty and Pat Schottenheimer.

Just to be sure and win the crowd over, in case you don't know it, Marty played in the AFL for the Buffalo Bills.

Kurt and Colleen Schottenheimer, Bill and Kate Cowher, Dave Adolph, Gunter and Renee Cunningham, John and Dawn Bunning, and all of his other coaches from his high school and the University of Alabama including Bill Curry, Woody Lowe and John Guy, now of the Buffalo Bills.

And to all of his teammates, plus the fellow NFL players, many of whom are here tonight, he would say to each and every one of you, thank you. And as a personal thank you, I have to say to my Lori, thank you. She loved Derrick as much as I did and she allowed me to share our time together.

And finally, a special thank you to you, the fans of Derrick Thomas. You who have traveled here today from the community of Kansas City and from around the country, Derrick would say thank you.

Derrick Thomas loved football and he loved people and he loved life. He loved them all with a gusto and a style that was infectious. And he never did anything in a slow way, except make meetings on time.

He made everyone around him pick up the pace and yet, Derrick Thomas always had time for everyone because he had a huge heart and a smile that was as big as Derrick himself.

That smile could melt the biggest critic, the angriest coach, the most upset general manager and the fiercest opponent. Derrick Thomas was a unique and gifted player but he was also a unique and gifted human being. He was fun to be around and he made the game and life around him exciting.

A Chiefs fan at the ceremony wipes away tears as Carl's speech winds down.

Today, we say, Derrick this is your day, along with your classmates of 2009. You have earned this day because of the way you played our great game of football. You deserve this one last, wonderful honor. And all of us that knew you, celebrates this day with you and your family.

For all Derrick Thomas fans, the light has gone back on. And it will not burn brightly in the community of Kansas City, in the middle of America, and it will also burn here very brightly in the shrine to pro football, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. And it will burn forever.

From the fans of the Kansas City Chiefs, from his teammates, from his coaches, from the players everywhere the knew him and everyone who competed with or against him, and from all the Derrick Thomas fans, we thank the Hall for recognizing who he was. A worthy recipient of the status as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

And yes, today does culminate the life of a great NFL player, who did so much both on and off the field for his community. A life that ended too young.

It must be said, my son, Derrick you have fought the good fight, you have finished the race, you have kept the faith. Derrick you're in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and no one can take that from you.

Thank you and good night.

Chiefs Training Camp Update 8/2

Chris Thorman — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:28:12 -0000

via Josh Looney

Updated 6:32 PM

Day two and practice number three of the Kansas City Chiefs training camp are underway. We've got updates from Bob Gretz at CBS Sports for you after the jump.

Before you check that out, today's Matt Cassel press conference is up at the mothership. Here is a snippet about Cassel being in Coach Haley's ear all the time:

"There is no doubt. I am one of those people who is not very patient, so I try to get out there and get into his ear as much as I can with any input that I can give him. If he needs to tell me to shut up sometimes but that is fine, I just need to keep coming at him."

We'll be updating this post as more info comes in.

General Stuff

Activated from the NFI List and participating in Chiefs practice are G Brian Waters, G Mike Goff and DT Ron Edwards. (CBS Sports)
Starters who aren't in Chiefs practice on Sunday are RT Damion McIntosh and ILB Derrick Johnson. (CBS Sports)
Rookie T Collin Brown’s family has made the trip up from Missouri. His little brother is showing some Mizzou Tiger Pride. (The Mothership)
An impressive feat…one of the grounds guys is painting the numbers free hand on the stadium field…they look just like the stencil. Outstanding work. (The Mothership)
Chiefs LT Branden Albert on the return of guards Brian Waters and Mike Goff to practice: "It was great having the two wisemen back." (CBS Sports)
There were about 200 fans seen at the Kansas City Chiefs third practice. While most of the fans lined the fences, some fans continued to assume their spot in the bleachers. (UW-RF)
Tight end coach Bob Bicknell caught a little grief from Head Coach Todd Haley when Bicknell sent his tight ends to the wrong drill. "Come on Bob, wake up!" yelled Haley. (UW-RF)

Offense

Chiefs coach Todd Haley is spending extra time in practice with wide receivers working on body control coming out of breaks. (CBS Sports)
WR Devard Darling is running with the Chiefs' No. 1 offense opposite Dwayne Bowe. (CBS Sports)
Chiefs TE Brad Cottam had a Tony Gonzalez-like catch down the deep middle, snagging it with one hand over his head. (CBS Sports)
Three practices…three daily periods devoted to RB pass blocking/blitz pickup. Think this might be a point of emphasis with RBs/assistant head coach Maurice Carthon? (The Mothership)
Chiefs WR Rodney Wright had a nice catch on a deep ball under good coverage. (CBS Sports)
LJ diving over the top on goal line session...no holding back this camp. (Josh Looney)
During the drill, running back Jamaal Charles was able to score a touchdown in the northwest corner of the endzone. Members of his offensive team congratulated him, saying, "Good job, Charles." and "Good job 2-5." (UW-RF)
Running back Kolby Smith, tight end Jake O’Connell and tackle Damion McIntosh were not suited up for practice this afternoon. Guards Brian Waters and Mike Goff were both in full pads for the first time today. (UW-RF)
Off a good handoff from quarterback Tyler Thigpen during 7-on-7, running back Jackie Battle fumbled the football. This was much to the dismay of Offensive Line Coach Bill Muir. (UW-RF)
Quarterback Tyler Thigpen looked really sharp in his 7-on-7 session. Thigpen was 6-6 on the day. (UW-RF)
Haley’s most notable comments were: "We are not half (butt)-ing this!" and "You are mentally soft, Williams!"Haley was yelling at rookie running back Javarris Williams. (UW-RF)

Defense

Chiefs G Brian Waters struggled in pass protection against NT Tank Tyler. (CBS Sports)
Chiefs ILB Zach Thomas knocked down a pass in deep zone coverage during the 7-on-7 drill. (CBS Sports)
Chiefs OLB Tamba Hali showed good pass rush off the edge against the first-team offense. (CBS Sports)
Defensive end Glenn Dorsey and linebackers Demorrio Williams and Derrick Johnson were not in full pads as the rest of the team was. (UW-RF)
Seeing time with the first-string during 7-on-7 was: defensive ends Alfonso Boone and rookie Alex Magee, defensive tackle Ron Edwards and linebackers Monty Beisel, Zach Thomas, Tamba Hali and Mike Vrabel.(UW-RF)
After quarterback Matt Cassel completed a pass to wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, Defensive Coordinator Clancy Pendergast said he expected more out of linebacker Tamba Hali. "Finish, Tamba," he shouted. (UW-RF)
Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie got frustrated with defensive tackle Tank Tyler when Tyler didn’t sprint back to the line of scrimmage after the whistle blew. Krumrie threatened the rest of the players that if they didn’t hustle back after the whistle blew, they’d be running the drill all night. (UW-RF)

Special Teams

Chiefs K Ryan Succop was 4 for 4 in field goals. (CBS Sports)

Injuries

DE Glenn Dorsey and RT Damion McIntosh did not practice again because they're out of shape (Kent Babb Twitter)
During a special teams drill, cornerback Londen Fryar complained about a hurt right middle finger. (UW-RF)
Brian Waters, Mike Goff and Ron Edwards practiced today after spending Saturday in conditioning drills for failing to pass a part of their physicals. Kolby Smith, Damion McIntosh, Jake O’Connell, Derrick Johnson, Demorrio Williams and Glenn Dorsey spent practice working with strength and conditioning coaches (WPI)

The Best-Case Scenario Stories From Chiefs Training Camp

Matt Conner — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:28:08 -0000

As the final dates of training camp descend like a NASA rocket launch, the expectations and interest of fans across the NFL truly takes off. So with our beloved Chiefs enjoying the last bits the off-season, we thought we'd take a closer look at some of the story lines we HOPE will emerge out of training camp from the outset:

Tyson Jackson and Alex Magee Sign Before Camp - Getting our new-look defensive line as much time together as possible should be a top priority for the new front office, so let's hope the agents involved make it a consideration as well. Early word is that Eugene Parker (Jackson's agent) is busy with Michael Crabtree's deal, but getting practice reps together on-field and working daily on Clancy Pendergast's schemes will make a big difference in readiness for the upcoming season.

Check out more hopeful stories below...

Brian Waters Publicly Endorses the New Regime - Of course, much has already been made of this and things are quiet for the most part. So as long as no one is making a fuss, we should be happy. But a veteran like Waters has been around enough to know the best thing he can do is actually to speak out and simply own his position as a veteran Pro Bowler and leader in the locker room. There won't be any trades this late in camp and Waters must learn to drink the Kool-Aid like everyone else and buy in fully. His silence is one level of support and going along with the program but a sincere public statement could go a long way with his teammates.

Todd Haley Continues to Prove Doubters Wrong - The OTAs brought a new level of respect from those of us who are leery of Todd Haley's emotional outbursts. He handled the team with class by demanding the most of his players yet also revealing a soft side by giving them days off. It was a solid mix that seemed veteran in its approach and it's something we hope continues with training camp.

Larry Johnson Shows Old Self - So far so good on the Johnson files this off-season. He's been a class act in the media and around the team and it seems like he's ready to have a strong season. With the loss of Tony Gonzalez, a new offense and quarterback, it's vital for Johnson to provide the stability he can bring to the offensive side to relieve the pressure on everyone else. A focused training camp will bring higher morale and expectations for the Chiefs this upcoming year.

What are some of the other stories you hope will emerge this off-season?