SB Nation - Kansas City Chiefs

GM Pioli Says Chiefs Spending is About Average in the NFL

Joel Thorman — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:25:27 -0000

Kansas City Chiefs GM Scott Pioli conducted a sitdown interview with Josh Looney of KCChiefs.com. It's nice work by Looney as Pioli has some interesting things to say.

Here's a link to the full video (tab down to the "Ask the GM" segment).

One nugget of information regarding the Chiefs spending habits is interesting from our perspective. A fan question asked about some reports out there that say the Chiefs are near the bottom of the league in salary cap spending.

"I think the impoirtant part is the numbers according to the media," Pioli began. "Sometimes, there's perception and there's reality."

There were reports in the offseason that the Chiefs were "allegedly $30 million under the cap" Pioli says and some recently that say $20 million.

I've heard a little differently. Last I heard, the Chiefs had gotten over the minimum (about 86% of the cap) with the Chris Chambers signing. Pioli suggests that some accounting methods don't show all the money that's going to be hitting the cap in the future and the media doesn't necessarily get that part of the process.

"At this point in time," he continues, "at the beginning of this week, we're right in the middle of the league. We're somewhere between 14th, 15th and 16th in the amount of cap space we have."

Pioli related the organization's philosophy to an old saying: Just because you have a lot of money in you pocket, doesn't mean you have to let it burn a hole in your pocket.

"There aren't going to be times when this organization goes out and spends money on marquee names because they aren't necessarily marquee players. What we're looking for is good football players."

"Our obligation in the organization is to bring in good football players to win games."

"Will Shields from a national perspective, even though he went to 12 straight Pro Bowls, wasn't a marquee name. He was here locally. He's one of the best guards to play in the NFL. Here's a guy who didn't have a marquee name outside of Kansas City necessarily and he was a great player."

Pioli said that the organization feels comfortable with the way they handled free agency earlier this season. The free agency process, Pioli says, lasts all season and they will continue to bring in good football players.

Chargers vs. Chiefs Feature Two Teams Turning the Corner

Matt Conner — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:46:26 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

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The last time we were getting ready to play the Chargers, the Bolts were 2-3 and looking quite vulnerable. They were old in the wrong places, Shawne Merriman was a shell of his former self (and there also went the defense) and the running game looked completely overrated. Now five games later, jump-started by the Chiefs 37-7 win, the Chargers are hot at the right time and have overcome their early season struggles to chase the division lead or playoffs.

In those five games, LaDanian Tomlinson has displayed signs of life with five touchdowns in his last three games. More importantly, the high powered passing game has gotten over some early season woes (marked by low completion %) with some remarkable performances from Philip Rivers. In fact, the last two games have featured an efficient machine capable of having his way with the Eagles' and Broncos' secondary and his last five games boast a 10-3 TD-to-INT ratio.

Not only does that side look better, but Shawne Merriman and the defense have roared back to life - at least to some degree on the stat sheets. While he's a shell of his former self, Merriman does have four sacks in the last four games. Shaun Phillips is holding down the opposite pass rush with six sacks. Overall, the defense held Philly to 29 rushing yards, held the Broncos to 14 first downs (in Denver) and seem to find ways to stop the offense enough to give their own offense a chance to win. It's not all pretty but with this offense, you just need 'enough.'

With San Diego looking as good as they have, do the Chiefs stand a chance? Well, the spirits are much higher after the Chiefs recent two-game streak and defeat of the Steelers. And what you have here are two teams looking like they've turned the corner toward greater things out to make their case even bolder against one another.

Chiefs Promote WR Quinten Lawrence from the Practice Squad

Joel Thorman — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:34:37 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

6 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Quinten Lawrence, right, catches a pass while covered by cornerback Jackie Bates (22) during rookie camp at the team's football practice facility in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, May 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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As expected, the Kansas City Chiefs have promoted a player from the practice squad. WR Quinten Lawrence will be on the 53 man roster against the San Diego Chargers.

Lawrence is a rookie 6th round pick out of McNeese State.

Lawrence was with the team until being waived on October 24th. Two days later, the Chiefs brought Lawrence back after he went unclaimed in the waiver process.

He was then placed on the practice squad.

Promoting a receiver means the Chiefs will enter the game with just three safeties. Ricky Price, safety on the practice squad, was another player many thought the Chiefs would promote.

This also means the Chiefs have an open spot on the practice squad. Lawrence could be waived and re-signed to the practice squad or the Chiefs could keep him on the active roster.

Chargers Sellout Breaks Chiefs Road Blackout Streak

Joel Thorman — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:11:41 -0000

More photos » by Chris Park - AP

2 months ago: Qualcomm Stadium during team introductions prior to the final NFL preseason football game between the San Diego Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers at Qualcomm Stadium on Friday, Sept. 4, 2009 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Chris Park)

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The Kansas City Chiefs second game against the San Diego Chargers has officially been deemed a sellout according to a release from the Chargers.

The Chiefs last two road games have been blacked out in their respective markets. Jacksonville and Oakland did not televise the game locally.

The Chargers had previously received two extensions to sellout this game. As of yesterday, they were over 1,300 tickets away and as many as 7,000 last week.

The Chargers haven't had a blackout since November 7th, 2004 against the New Orleans Saints.

Some people say the reason San Diego has a tough time filling Qualcomm is that the city itself has a lot more to do. The weather is nice and the water is near so people have other, better options than sitting around watching a NFL team on a five game winning streak (I would disagree, personally).

Plus, it hurts that Qualcomm Stadium has been called the armpit of the NFL.

The Chiefs are still on track to sell out the next home game against the Denver Broncos. After that, though, Arrowhead's nearly 20 year long sellout streak could be in jeopardy. A win against the Chargers in Qualcomm tomorrow could go a long way to helping that.

No Former Chiefs Make Hall of Fame Semifinals

Joel Thorman — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:40:06 -0000

Name	Position	Years/Team(s)
Bobby Beathard	Administrator	1966-1967 Kansas City Chiefs, 1968-1971 Atlanta Falcons, 1972-1977 Miami Dolphins, 1978-1988 Washington Redskins, 1990-1999 San Diego Chargers
Rich Gannon	QB	1987-1992 Minnesota Vikings, 1993 Washington Redskins, 1995-1998 Kansas City Chiefs, 1999-2004 Oakland Raiders
Albert Lewis	CB	1983-1993 Kansas City Chiefs, 1994-1998 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders
Nick Lowery	K	1978 New England Patriots, 1980-1993 Kansas City Chiefs, 1994-1996 New York Jets
Leslie O'Neal	DE	1986, 1988-1995 San Diego Chargers, 1996-1997 St. Louis Rams, 1998-1999 Kansas City Chiefs
Michael Dean Perry	DT/DE	1988-1994 Cleveland Browns, 1995-1997 Denver Broncos, 1997 Kansas City Chiefs
Mike Pruitt	RB	1976-1984 Cleveland Browns, 1985 Buffalo Bills, 1985-1986 Kansas City Chiefs

No player, scout or administrator that has been associated with the Kansas City Chiefs was chosen to be one of 25 finalists for nomination into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Back in September, the HOF introduced 131 preliminary names for nomination. The seven folks listed above were the the ones with Chiefs connections.

The HOF website says, "Other than the four first-year eligible nominees, each of the remaining 21 nominees on the Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee’s list of nominees has been a semifinalist at least once prior to this year. The list of 25 includes a coach, Don Coryell, and two contributors, Art Modell and Paul Tagliabue."

Those first year candidates are some juggernauts: Tim Brown, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith and Aeneas Williams.

After the jump, I've listed the 25 preliminary nominees.

Cliff Branch, WR – 1972-1985 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
Tim Brown, WR/KR – 1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cris Carter, WR – 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002 Miami Dolphins
Don Coryell, Coach – 1973-77 St. Louis Cardinals, 1978-1986 San Diego Chargers
Roger Craig, RB – 1983-1990 San Francisco 49ers, 1991 Los Angeles Raiders, 1992-93 Minnesota Vikings
Terrell Davis, RB – 1995-2001 Denver Broncos
Dermontti Dawson, C – 1988-2000 Pittsburgh Steelers
Richard Dent, DE – 1983-1993, 1995 Chicago Bears, 1994 San Francisco 49ers, 1996 Indianapolis Colts, 1997 Philadelphia Eagles
Chris Doleman, DE/LB – 1985-1993, 1999 Minnesota Vikings, 1994-95 Atlanta Falcons, 1996-98 San Francisco 49ers
Kevin Greene, LB/DE – 1985-1992 Los Angeles Rams, 1993-95 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1996, 1998-99 Carolina Panthers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers
Russ Grimm, G – 1981-1991 Washington Redskins
Ray Guy, P – 1973-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
Charles Haley, DE/LB – 1986-1991, 1999 San Francisco 49ers, 1992-96 Dallas Cowboys
Lester Hayes, CB – 1977-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
Rickey Jackson, LB – 1981-1993 New Orleans Saints, 1994-95 San Francisco 49ers
Cortez Kennedy, DT – 1990-2000 Seattle Seahawks
Art Modell, Owner – 1961-1995 Cleveland Browns, 1996-2003 Baltimore Ravens
John Randle, DT – 1990-2000 Minnesota Vikings, 2001-03 Seattle Seahawks
Andre Reed, WR – 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins
Jerry Rice, WR – 1985-2000 San Francisco 49ers, 2001-04 Oakland Raiders, 2004 Seattle Seahawks
Shannon Sharpe, TE – 1990-99, 2002-03 Denver Broncos, 2000-01 Baltimore Ravens
Emmitt Smith, RB – 1990-2002 Dallas Cowboys, 2003-04 Arizona Cardinals
Paul Tagliabue, Commissioner – 1989-2006 National Football League
Steve Tasker, Special Teams/WR – 1985-86 Houston Oilers, 1986-1997 Buffalo Bills
Aeneas Williams, CB/S – 1991-2000 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, 2001-04 St. Louis Rams

Chiefs Usually Winning the Turnover Battle

Joel Thorman — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:06:27 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

6 days ago: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) tries to get control of the ball after his pass was broken up by Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Wallace Gilberry, right, during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs won the game 27-24. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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The Kansas City Chiefs surrendered a season high three turnovers to the San Diego Chargers in their earlier meeting this season. The Chiefs also lost by the largest margin of the season partly because the defense did not create any turnovers.

In eight of ten games this season, the Chiefs have created a turnover.

When they WIN the turnover battle, the Chiefs average about a three point loss. So, creating turnovers is obviously a major key in the Chiefs keeping it close with teams that I think a lot of folks would say are much better (Ravens, Cowboys, etc).

When the Chiefs LOSE the turnover battle, they average about a 16 point loss. However, that's a tiny sample size because the Chiefs have only lost the turnover battle two times this season (and one tie with the Eagles).

Turnovers are usually one of those stats that can predict success fairly well. If you're consistently winning the turnover battle, you're usually winning games.

Not these Chiefs. They have ranked well in the +/- turnover ratios the last couple seasons but don't have much to show for it.

In 2008, the Chiefs were 8th in the turnover margin. In 2007 they were 28th. The difference? Two more wins on the 28th ranked team. It's really kinda strange.

This season, the Chiefs are ninth in turnover margin. After the jump, I included a game by game breakdown with a chart.

Opponent	Turnovers	Score
Ravens	+1	-14
Raiders	-2	-3
Eagles	0	-20
Giants	+1	-11
Cowboys	+2	-6
Redskins	+2	+8
Chargers	-3	-30
Jaguars	+1	-3
Raiders	-1	+6
Steelers	+2	+3
Total	+3	-70

Horse Tracks 11/28/09 - No update on health of Royal, Woodyard, Thomas, Law

Douglas A. Lee — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:58:56 -0000

DPP - Moreno flexed his muscles against Giants - Mike Klis
"Moreno has averaged 88.3 yards rushing in the Broncos' last three games, on 5.6 yards per carry. His 688 rushing yards are nearly 200 more than the next-best rookie, Arizona's Beanie Wells."

DPP - Broncos can't go cold in December - Jim Armstrong
"December hasn't been kind to the Broncos lately. Their famed draft class of 2006 has played 14 games in the month and won five."

DB - The Morning After: Week 12 - Zach Eisendrath

LTC - Broncos filled a big need with win - Brian Howell

DP - Tirade certainly no surprise - Jim Armstrong

CSG - Broncos WR Marshall puts on a show - Frank Schwab

AP - Broncos Relieved To End Four-Game Slide - Arnie Stapleton

NFP - DMN: Two teams, different directions - Mike Lombardi
"They were the better team all night long, and if the Broncos can play at this level for the rest of the season, they’ll make the playoffs." Big "if", of course...

DPP - Larger than expected audience catches cussing - Mike Klis

NYT - Fruits of Bill Belichick’s Coaching Tree Are in Danger of Spoiling - William Rhoden

AFC West News

ESPN - Final Word: AFC West - Bill Williamson

PFW - Keeping Rivers clean key to Chargers' turnaround - Michael Blunda

SDUT - In a snap, Binn reaches 250th - Chris Jenkins

SDUT - Lineman to play yet another position - Chris Jenkins

KCS - Chiefs showing improvement on offense - Adam Teicher

KCS - Haley reserves judgment on giving team midweek break - Kent Babb

OT - Raiders coach Tom Cable sees improvement among receivers - Steve Corkran

NFL News

NFL - Week 12 injuries

NFL - Roethlisberger may sit out; decision on Saturday

NFL - Vikings' Peterson sits out with illness, expected to face Bears

NFL - Lewis says Benson ready to play, but is questionable

NFL - Lions TE Pettigrew out for season after knee injury vs. Packers

NFL - Hall Out, Haynesworth Questionable

NFL - Chris Polian promoted, will oversee football operation of Colts

NFL - Warner questionable after going through full Friday practice

NFL Opinion

NYT - Week 12 N.F.L. Matchups - Mike Tanier

NFP - Player's Picks: Week 12 - Matt Bowen

ESPN - 10 Spot: 'Perfect' reasons to worry - Adam Schefter

ESPN - Sunday Countdown online: Your weekly NFL guide - Week 12

SN - Five NFL contenders brace for difficult December - Vinnie Iyer

FOX - Schein 9: Lions should stay on Thanksgiving menu

CBS - Meyer going to NFL? Believe it, numbskulls - Mike Freeman

CBS - Peek at the Week: Brady-Brees battle a Monday night special - Clark Judge

NFL - As vets show youthful exuberance, division tilts take center stage - Pat Kirwan

NFL - NFC South title can wait, as Saints' focus (for now) is beating Pats - Steve Wyche

NFP - Coaching carousel: Remember Mike Martz? - Robert Boland

Poll

How many wins do you expect the Broncos to finish the regular season with?

Chiefs Scouting Director, Other Scouts Head Down to Florida Today

Joel Thorman — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:57:47 -0000

More photos » by Phil Sandlin - AP

Brandon Spikes is the scariest college football player. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin, FILE)

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The Kansas City Chiefs scouts will be out in full force today. We know Chiefs scouts will be represented at at least two games in Florida this afternoon.

Florida State vs. Florida

First up, Florida takes on Florida State and the Chiefs will have a representative at the game.

This is the second time (that we know of) the Chiefs have gone down to Gainesville to check out the Gators so, to me, that's an indication that they're taking serious looks at a player (or multiple players). Big name possibilities include QB Tim Tebow, DE Carlos Dunlap, CB Joe Haden and LB Brandon Spikes.

Those are the big names.

This game is at 2:30 on CBS.

Miami vs. South Florida (in Tampa Bay)

Chiefs scouting director Phil Emery will be attending the Miami vs. South Florida game in Tampa Bay.

Possibilities from South Florida include FS Nate Allen, DE George Selvie, CB Jerome Murphy and DE Jason Pierre Paul. And for Miami it includes Jason Fox and LB Daryl Sharpton.

The Chiefs second round pick could be in play here.

This game is at 2:30 on ABC (regional).

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

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

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

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

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

The Bad: Win Now? Or Build Through Youth:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tough Decisions Ahead:

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

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

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

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

No Experts Pick the Chiefs to Beat the Chargers

Joel Thorman — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:28:21 -0000

Last time the Kansas City Chiefs played the San Diego Chargers, Chris Mortensen was the only ESPN expert to pick the Chiefs. This time, he joined his fellow analysts and picked the Chargers.

Your experts are: Eric Allen, Mike Golic, Merrill Hoge, Ron Jaworski, Mortensen, Adam Schefter, Mark Schlereth and Seth Wickhersham. AccuScore also picked the Chargers to win.

This is no surprise. The line on the game is nearing two touchdowns and the Chargers are on a five game roll. Plus, it's being played at the armpit.

NFL Network also unanimously picked the Chiefs to lose. Brian Baldinger, Sterling Sharpe and Joe Theismann picked the Chargers.

Once again, everyone's picking against the Chiefs.