SB Nation User Blog: chiefs8288

Bowe said a few weeks ago that he has worked long and hard to improve his clear weakness in his...

chiefs8288 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:00:12 -0000

Bowe said a few weeks ago that he has worked long and hard to improve his clear weakness in his game. Todd Haley said he'd hoped, upon his first times seeing Bowe drop a pass, that there was something perhaps wrong with Bowe's vision. An easy fix. But, alas, Bowe's vision is fine. It's his hands and concentration that remain the problem. Haley has deemed Bowe one of the coach's pet projects, and the Chiefs coach being a former longtime wide receivers coach and all, Bowe will get lots of attention.

Chiefs Blog - KC Star

a couple changes can make all the difference....(defense)

chiefs8288 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:16:49 -0000

Then the Chiefs have alot of work to do. its no secret that the chiefs were ranked at the bottom on defense, however, what may be suprising is just how bad the chiefs were statistically. while the chiefs were competitive in alot of games it is clear to see why those games got away and we ended the season with a 2-14 record.

Chiefs 2008 Defensive stats

Opponents yards/game- 393.2 (AFC West rank- 4th/ NFL rank- 31st)

Opponents rush yards/game- 158.2 (AFC West rank- 3rd/ NFL rank- 30th)

Average gain- 5.0 (AFC West rank- 3rd(tie)/ NFL rank- 31)

Opponents pass yards/game- 234.3 (AFC West rank- 3rd/ NFL rank- 28th)

Pass completion %- 66.7 (AFC West rank- 2nd/ NFL rank- 28th)

1st down %- 34.4 (AFC West rank- 4th/ NFL rank- 31st)

3rd done %- 47.4 (AFC West rank- 4th/ NFL rank 31st(tie))

Sacks-10 (AFC West rank- 4th/ NFL rank 32nd)

Pretty depressing huh? Two major problems are two obvious ones that we have been talking about since the end of the season. 1) pass rush and 2) rushing yards/game. K.C. needs to find a way to stop the run, especially in the AFC West. With L.T, Darren McFadden/Michael Bush, and Knoshawn Moreno all on rival teams in the divison, Kansas city will have their hands full but it shouldnt be anything they cant handle. Hopefully this is where a 3/4 or 4/3 under should help to free up linebackers to stuff the holes and make the tackles.

Kansas City had 10 sacks total as a team last year.

Hali- 3.0

Babin-2.0

Johnson- 1.5

Boone/Dorsey/Edwards- 1.0

Thomas- 0.5

in the offseason we really didnt do much in the way of a pass rusher. but what is interesting is that the two linbackers that came to the chiefs in Vrabel and Thomas together had 5.0 sacks on the season. those two alone would have held half of the sack total for the chiefs, which means that the linebacker spot will definately bring more pressure this year( say good bye to the tampa two).

Another thing that needs to be corrected is the Red Zone defense. (NFL rank 19)

67 possessions, 36 touchdowns allowed, 20 field goals allowed, .836 scoring %, .545 TD %

compare this to Pitsburgh who ranked #1.

42 possessions, 14 touchdowns allowed, 19 field goals allowed, .786 scoring %, .333 TD %

Kansas city's Red Zone defense wasnt that bad considering, however, when looking at teams that have consistantly makde the playoffs this needs to improve. especially the Touchdown percentage. allowing a touchdown over half the time any team is in the red zone has to be unnacceptable. i know what you might be thinking, comparing K.C. to the better defenses in the leauge is unfair, however, it gives good indication to what needs to improve.

There is a brght spot for the chiefs defense. the secondary for the chiefs are young and have alot of talent. the secondary boosted the team in the next category i will bring up

Interceptions

Page- 4

Flowers- 2

Carr- 2

Surtain-1

Leggett- 1

Johnson- 1

McGraw- 1

Pollard- 1

the one stat that was actually in favor of the chiefs last year was the turnover ratio. the chiefs were +5 for the season. thats not as good as miami at +17 but is shows what the chiefs secondary can accomplish in the years to come when Flowers/Carr have matured and Gained experience. last year was a great start for them, but things cam only go up.

Several things happened last year that could have contributed to the defense being so bad last year. from injuries and pulling people off the street to fill the holes to coaches not changing gameplan at half time. but after hearing the stories this offseason i think that one major reason is the conditioning. if guys arent conditioning all the time then they get tired. and when they get tired they dont concentrate on the game which leads to missing plays or becoming injured. With Todd Haley getting the whole team in shape and losing weight, the defense can be prepared for anything that comes their way. EXPECT the chiefs to be a MUCH better defense in 2009!

GO CHIEFS!!

A couple changes can make all the difference. (offense)

chiefs8288 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:31:45 -0000

I was sitting at work last night looking at Yahoo sports/ Pro Football weekly's NFL preview magazine for 2009. after looking at the broken down stats on the chiefs last season, its clear what the chiefs have to correct in order to be able to really suprise some teams this year.

looking at the offense first:

2008 averages per game:

Net Yards- 308.6 (4939 total) 3rd in AFC West

Rushing (plays)- 23.6 (375 total) 4th in AFC West

Rushing (yards)- 113.1 (1810 total) 3rd in AFC West

Passing yards- 195.5 (3129 total) 4th in AFC West

sacks(allowed) - 2.3 (37 total) 3rd in AFC West

Int. thrown- 1 (16 total) 3rd in AFC West

Fumbles lost- .5 (8 total) 1st in AFC West

yards penalized- 40.3 (739 yards total) 1st in AFC West

punts- 5 (82 total) 3rd in AFC West

what do the chiefs need to do?

1) The Chiefs need to find a way to run the ball more in games. running the ball keeps the clock moving which will help to keep the defense off the field and not be exhausted in the fourth quarter. when you run the ball only 375 times in a season, after L.J. ran for 416 in a season is just pathetic (my opinion). L.J was sidlined four games last year, but here is why they needed to run the ball none the less

Larry Johnson - 193 rush yards, 874 yards, 4.5 avg., 65yard run(longest run), 5TD's

Kolby Smith- 35 rushes, 100 yards, 2.9 avg., 19yard run(longest),1TD

Jammal Charles- 67 rushes, 357 yards, 5.3 avg., 30 yard run(longest) 0TD's

Tyler Thigpen- 62 rushes, 386yards, 6.2 avg., 32yard run (longest) 3 TD's

with L.J in the game and J.C in a change of pace, the chiefs were able to move the ball. the problem is that Herm Edwards/ Chan Gailey wouldnt run the ball. now i know you have to pass more when playing from behind, however, you cant abandon the run when your in the lead or even close to taking the lead. for example in week 7 vs. NYJ, we were in the lead in that game but lost 28-24. the chiefs only ran the ball 20 times! how in the hell can you confuse an opposing defense with only 20 running plays in a game? point is that Todd haley and his staff need to run the ball a little more that Herm and his staff did last year.

2) With Tony Gonzalez being taded to ATL, the chiefs need to have someone step up as a #2 reciever. D-Bowe did drop crucial passes last year, however, his stats still werent that bad. the problem is the drop pff behind him. with T.G gone Bradley, Webb, and Engram need to show up in games or D-Bowe will be irrevelant. here is a comparison with D-Bowe and the Drop off of production after him.

Bowe- 86 catches, 1,022 yards, 11.9 avg. 36 yard(longest catch) 7TD's

Bradley- 30 catches, 380 yards, 12.7 avg., 56 yard(longest catch) 3TD's

if bradley can stay healthy this year, he will be the #2 reciever. Engram will play slot (chifs version of Wes Welker for cassel). recievers need to step up, if they do and cassel can distribute the ball to all recievers both Bowe and Bradley could have a great year.

in my next post i will break down the defense. let me know what you think.

lets correct some things

chiefs8288 — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:48:51 -0000

After Reading NJChiefsFan's post about the Raiders being the second best team in the AFC West, and after reading all of your comments i decided to so some research. what i found is actually a bit of a suprise.

take this for instance- Chiefs and New England stats here (from ESPN.com).

Chiefs-

Passing Statistics
NAME	CMP	ATT	YDS	CMP%	YDS/A	LNG	TD	TD%	INT	INT%	SACK	YDS	RAT
Tyler Thigpen	230	420	2608	54.8	6.21	75	18	4.3	12	2.9	26	162	76.0
Damon Huard	50	81	477	61.7	5.89	68	2	2.5	4	4.9	9	56	65.7
Brodie Croyle	20	29	151	69.0	5.21	22	0	0.0	0	0.0	1	10	81.3
Quinn Gray	7	8	76	87.5	9.50	26	1	12.5	0	0.0	0	0	145.8
Mark Bradley	1	1	37	100.0	37.00	37	1	100.0	0	0.0	0	0	158.3
Marques Hagans	1	1	5	100.0	5.00	5	0	0.0	0	0.0	1	1	87.5
Larry Johnson	1	1	4	100.0	4.00	4	1	100.0	0	0.0	0	0	122.9
Totals	310	541	3358	57.3	6.21	75	23	4.3	16	3.0	37	229	77.5

New England-

Passing Statistics
NAME	CMP	ATT	YDS	CMP%	YDS/A	LNG	TD	TD%	INT	INT%	SACK	YDS	RAT
Matt Cassel	327	516	3693	63.4	7.16	76	21	4.1	11	2.1	47	219	89.4
Tom Brady	7	11	76	63.6	6.91	26	0	0.0	0	0.0	0	0	83.9
Kevin O'Connell	4	6	23	66.7	3.83	12	0	0.0	0	0.0	1	2	73.6
Kevin Faulk	1	1	-2	100.0	-2.00	-2	0	0.0	0	0.0	0	0	79.2
Totals	339	534	3790	63.5	7.10	76	21	3.9	11	2.1	48	221	89.1

What i found interesint in these stats when you compare the is the sack totals. Matt Cassel was actually sacked more that Tyler Thigpen. you may be thinking so what? NE still had a better line. that may be the case, however NE had a better run game last year and a strong run game helps out any offensive line.

more after the jump.

A look at the two teams starting QB's

Chiefs-

Tyler Thigpen

386

6.2

New England-

Matt Cassel

270

3.7

What some people may not know (until now) is that Tyler Thigpen were one and two respectively in rushing yards for QB's. you may think that this doesnt change anything as far as the QB battle, and honestly it doesnt. but what it does to is bring another element to the chiefs offense. matt cassel under center and tyler thigpen spread out wide creates a whole host of problems for defenses. even if its a bluff play they have to worry about covering two QB's( both of which can obviously run the ball) the recievers the runningback. m not saying it will happen but its a possibility.

Randy Moss VS. Dwayne BoweRandy Moss-

YEAR	TEAM	G	REC	YDS	AVG	LNG	TD	FD	FUM	LOST
1998	MIN	16	69	1313	19.0	61	17	51	1	0
1999	MIN	16	80	1413	17.7	67	11	52	1	1

Dwayne Bowe-


YEAR	TEAM	G	REC	YDS	AVG	LNG	TD	FD	FUM	LOST
2007	KAN	16	70	995	14.2	58	5	51	0	0
2008	KAN	16	86	1022	11.9	36	7	49	0	0

Not alot to say here really, i just wanted to show you Randy moss's first two years in the leauge compared to Dwayne Bowe's. i was actually supresed at how clost the stats really are and give me alot of hope for Dwayne Bowe, as long as he keeps ahold of the ball.

Expect the 2009 chiefs to be alot more determined to show what kind of team they truly are. we all know they have the talent to succeed, and the stats seem to support it. with all the conditioning and more uptight practices this year i expect the chiefs to close out games and be more Mentally tough. with the additions in the offseason this team has some true leadership. i can see the chiefs making major strides through out the 2009 season. the Chiefs WILL NOT allow the raiders to be second in the AFC WEST.

GO CHIEFS!

USA Football, the sport's national governing body on youth and amateur levels, today announced that...

chiefs8288 — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:42:07 -0000

USA Football, the sport's national governing body on youth and amateur levels, today announced that Carl Peterson will serve as the independent non-profit's new chairman. Peterson, a successful football scout, coach and NFL team executive for more than 40 years, assumes the organization's leadership role following the death of former chairman Jack Kemp.

USAfootball.com

3. Glenn Dorsey, Kansas City: Dorsey could be a much different spot in next year's rankings. He...

chiefs8288 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:53:26 -0000

3. Glenn Dorsey, Kansas City: Dorsey could be a much different spot in next year's rankings. He could reach his potential and be the top ranked defensive linemen in the AFC West. Or the No. 5 overall pick in 2008 could struggle in the Chiefs' 3-4 defense and fall down the list. I don't think that will happen. Dorsey has too much talent to not make a big impact.

4. Tyson Jackson, Kansas City: Jackson is ranked high for a couple of reasons. The Chiefs are high on him (he was a surprise pick with the No. 3 choice) and there aren't many other people to choose over him. The Chiefs hope Jackson and Dorsey, teammates at LSU, will make up for a nasty tandem. Jackson is more of a run stopper, but he has an imposing body and has good skills.

Ranking the Defensive Linemen - Bill Williamson

On the final day of OTAs, the Chargers got a little tricky. The San Diego Union Tribune reports...

chiefs8288 — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:29:34 -0000

On the final day of OTAs, the Chargers got a little tricky.

The San Diego Union Tribune reports San Diego practiced a form of the Wildcat offense, with running back LaDainian Tomlinson taking the snap from center and quarterback Philip Rivers lined up wide.

Bill williamson- espn.com

Former NFL defensive end Simeon Rice has taken his quest to return to the league directly to the...

chiefs8288 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 05:17:24 -0000

Former NFL defensive end Simeon Rice has taken his quest to return to the league directly to the web site owned by the league.
Rice conducted a chat today at NFL.com, and he once again acknowledged that he wants to return to pro football.
He said that he has had some contact with the Jets, but that "nothing happened."

Pro Football Talk

Center LeCharles Bentley, whose career has been derailed by injuries, could potentially play this...

chiefs8288 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:33:32 -0000

Center LeCharles Bentley, whose career has been derailed by injuries, could potentially play this season. It wouldn't be a total shock if Kansas City looked at Bentley if he decided to play at some point this summer.

Evening AFC West News and Notes - Bill Williamson - ESPN

The Kansas City Star breaks down the Brian Waters situation. My Take: The video take by Chiefs...

chiefs8288 — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:58:04 -0000

The Kansas City Star breaks down the Brian Waters situation.

My Take: The video take by Chiefs beat writer Adam Teicher is right on. Waters may want out, but unless Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli wants to trade or release him, Waters will be stuck. Pioli will hold his ground. If he wants Waters in Kansas City, Waters will stay in Kansas City no matter how the Pro Bowl guard feels about it.

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afcwest/0-3-2239/Denver-and-Kansas-City-headlines.html