Week 3 Thoughts: Red All Over

Due to being out of town last weekend, I didn't get to sit down and watch the Chiefs/Eagles game all at one time. I had to bite it off a piece at a time, which was about all one could handle in that game anyway.

I had originally hoped to go deeper on one key stat in the game: the Chiefs were 0/11 on 3rd down. The deeper was to see how often they were in third and long. I didn't have time to go back and count specifically, but I know it happened the majority of the time. So that tells me that what has been happening to the Chiefs on 3rd down is really the byproduct of what has not been happening on first and second down.

Another problem that's mounting is making more and more mistakes. Penalties hurt us big time last week, and as I've said before we're not talented enough at this point to overcome very many mistakes.

Today they play the Giants, another gift of their brutal opening schedule. Outside of the Chiefs' locker room I'm sure no one is giving them a chance to win. For the record, I am not. But last week's game proved what is beginning to become a regular problem for the Chiefs: dealing with that guy who throws the ball. We can't protect our quarterback and we can't get to theirs.

If the Chiefs are to have any hope of winning today, they have to do a few things. First off, they have to gain more than one or two yards on first down. Ideally it would be great to see them throwing more on first down rather than being so predictable with the run. I expect the Giants to do like the Eagles did and pack their defense close to the line of scrimmage. It sure would be nice to see us take some shots down the field early to exploit that. No, we don't have the greatest receiving weapons in the league, but can we at least try?

Second, our defense has got to create some turnovers and give the offense a short field to work with. Our return game is not good and our offense will very rarely be able to go 80 yards for a TD. Unfortunately we're not good at the thing that often leads to turnovers: putting pressure on the QB. Perhaps today will be the day that we get something figured out there. Playing at home may help a bit.

Third, we've got to continue to be strong against the run. This has been one bright spot so far this season and was something that really surprised me against the Raiders. We're doing a good job overall here but haven't been able to get off the field enough on 3rd down. While the QB pressure needs to increase, we can't afford to get soft against the run.

So in the end I guess I'm saying the same thing all over again: we've got to protect our QB and get to theirs. There's not a real convincing reason why that will happen today, so try and have some realistic expectations as you watch the game and don't let a frustrating loss ruin the rest of your day!

I wanted to get this out quick before the game today so I can come back with some postgame thoughts later this evening.

Week 2 Thoughts: Seeing Red

Matt Cassel fired up the crowd early with his enthusiasm after scrambling for a first down.

Well, the outcome was as I expected, but for all the wrong reasons. I figured we would struggle to run and the Raiders would tear us up with their three-headed running back monster. Last year McFadden, Bush and Fargas combined for 297 yards rushing and I figured we'd have a tough time stopping them today. Fargas didn't get any carries, and McFadden and Bush combined for just 70 yards in 21 carries. When you consider that JaMarcus Russell was a pitiful 7/24 for 109 yards, you'd think the Chiefs would come out on top. Unfortunately that was not the case, as we fell 13-10. Here's my take on the game:

• The Raiders aren't very smart. What was the deal coming out and throwing all over the place? I'm guessing they saw what the Ravens did to us last week and figured they could do more of the same. First of all, we didn't have Brandon Flowers last week - that makes a HUGE difference. Secondly, um, you're not the Ravens. You don't have a good quarterback and you don't have very good receivers. But more importantly, you don't even have an okay quarterback. Considering the Raiders ran all over us last year, I was really surprised they put the ball in Russell's hands so often early.
  
  
• JaMarcus Russell is bad. I'm so glad the Raiders drafted this guy first overall in 2007. That means they'll continue to play him, hoping he lives up to his "potential." That also means several more years that the Raiders will suffer for it. Yeah, throw it in my face that Russell beat the Chiefs today, but it's not because he's good. It had more to do with the two best players on their team (see next two items). As for Russell, he simply cannot throw accurately enough to be a good NFL quarterback. He definitely has the arm strength to go deep, and I would argue that his accuracy goes up the deeper he throws. But he consistently whiffed on short passes, and you simply can't miss those in the NFL.
  
  
• Shane Lechler is my least favorite Raider. First of all, I am not a fan of this guy because he'll consistently keep Dustin Colquitt out of the Pro Bowl. But even worse is the fact that he bombed ridiculously long, high punts all day. The main reason we lost this game is because we never got a short field to work with.
  
  
• Sebastian Janikowski is my second least favorite Raider. Yeah, he's automatic from around 50 yards and in, but his kickoffs drive me insane! It's probably for the best since we don't have a good kick returner anyway, but we hardly ever got a chance to return a kickoff. Nope, just start at the 20. Every. Single. Time. We don't have the firepower to go 80 yards very often, and the two kickers for the Raiders kept us from winning the game.
  
  
• Clock management killed us in the first half. This one is obvious and everyone will be talking about it, but we gave up three points at the end of the half because we wasted two time outs earlier in the game. One of those time outs was key, though, because it allowed us to convert on fourth and two. Failing to get the field goal at the end of the first half still could've been avoided if Cassel had thrown to the end zone instead of tossing it out in the flat. I think that's a pretty straightforward issue: don't throw short of the goal line if you've got no time outs and less than 20 seconds on the clock. Huge mistake.
  
  
• Let's go easy on Brandon Flowers. Yes, he missed the pick six. Yes, we really could've used those points. But the guy is a second year player and was in his first game of the season. I think he's an outstanding cornerback and he and Brandon Carr are two guys that Herm did great in drafting. (Incidentally, they also play the same position Herm played. Coincidence? Hmmm.) It's too tempting to not pull out the cliche: "That's why he plays defense, not offense." He still had a great game but will likely be thinking about that one for a while to come.
  
  
• Throw it down field! I know Matt Cassel isn't the best at throwing the deep ball, but come on! At some point you've got to take some shots! He missed the one that was beautifully intercepted, but came back and hit Bowe with a 29 yard strike near the end of the fourth quarter. When you're trying to go 80 yards at a time, you've got to pick up some chunks of yardage somewhere.
  
  
• Was that us running the ball? We had 173 yards rushing, which is a huge improvement from last week's embarrassing 29 yards. Larry Johnson looked really good and may have a much better year than I expected. Dantrell Savage also had some great plays as a change-of-pace back. Those guys playing well will go a long way in helping Cassel succeed.
  
  
• Bobby Wade: the good and the bad. So he made some great catches, dropped some passes and fumbled a punt return (which we recovered). He finished with 6 catches for 72 yards and was Cassel's favorite target. I'm not sure if Bowe was just getting owned by Asomugha, but Cassel rarely even bothered to look in his direction. I do think it's telling that one week after twice coming up just short for a first down, Mark Bradley didn't even step on the field today. Very funny, since I saw a fantasy site earlier this week that said he should get plenty of looks this week with Bowe having a tough matchup. Oops.
  
  
• Todd Haley will do whatever it takes. I really like Haley and his no nonsense style. I was a fan of Herm, but I see now that his style wasn't going to get this team going. I'm surprised that Derrick Johnson is still not starting, but I think Haley knows what he's doing. He's certainly setting a culture of "play-my-way-or-else" and it seems the players are responding. Hopefully that turns into some wins soon... It was nice to see him go for it on some key fourth downs.
  
  
• Too bad we couldn't get the stop we needed. I really didn't think the Raiders would drive down for the winning TD. I still think we got seriously hosed on the late hit against Russell on that final drive. The guy fell down but hadn't been touched! He can get up and keep running! And he's a 260 pound quarterback! One of our guys jumping on top of him should not have been a penalty and definitely hurt us at the end. Penalties definitely hurt us this week. Like I said after the last game, we're just not good enough to make mistakes and win. (Cassel was also picked twice, which didn't help either.)
  

I still enjoyed the game and am glad I can walk away watching the Raiders come from behind and not have it ruin the rest of my Sunday. I'm sure Karin is happy about that too =) I imagine many Chiefs fans are pretty ticked off right now and are definitely Seeing Red. There may not be any moral victories - certainly not when you allow a game-winning drive - but at least our defense looked a lot better than they did a week before.

I know Haley and company want to win, but I'm very much viewing this as a building season and am more concerned that we improve week-to-week. But this was our best chance for a win, and we might not see one for a while... I'll be on the road next weekend, so I'll set the DVR and hope to have an exciting win to sit down and watch! Either way, I'll be back for more.

Week 1 Thoughts: Red Herring

* Before I get going, I just want to say that I really really enjoy having DVR. I didn't start watching the Chiefs game until 1:45 or 2:00, and yet I finished just a little after 3pm. There were several sweet plays that weren't shown a second time, so it was a wonderful bonus to go back and watch them as many times as I wanted. DVR FTW!

Saying I am going to try and blog more is probably pointless, as I've said it before and it didn't necessarily work out that way... but a guy can hope. One of those will be sharing my brilliant, insightful, thought-provoking opinions about my favorite football team. I picked the title Red Herring this week because I think a few key plays distracted us from what was really going on. Here are random thoughts:

• We sure missed Brandon Flowers. Wow, who knew the Ravens would come out all pass-happy like they did? Not the Chiefs. Mike Vrabel admitted, "I would say we had planned for a running game." The person most affected in this aerial assault was Maurice Leggett. It seemed like the Ravens either A) didn't want to throw Brandon Carr's way or B) Didn't need to even THINK about it. Flowers may not have made enough of a difference, as Todd Heap was also torching our linebackers, but he sure would've helped. I like Leggett as a third corner, and in his defense at least he improved as the game went on. But boy was he giving their receivers a big cushion.
  
  
• Our 3rd down defense was rough. Wow. I don't know much about the Ravens, but I think the commentators talked about them having a very good o-line. I hope so, because our pass rush was non-existent. Even when we blitzed we had a hard time getting through.
  
  
• He's not as irrelevant as some thought. Ryan Succop is gaining fans by the boatload. His 53 yard FG was fantastic and might have gone in from 60. But even better than that in my book was his kickoffs. One of them landed nine yards deep in the end zone! Yay for not dropping the kickoff just inside the ten!
  
  
• Special teams were half special. The coverage units were great, the return units were awful. Leggett muffed a punt and the kick returners didn't look much better. I sure do miss the Dante Hall days.
  
  
• Great job limiting mistakes. We had very few penalties (just 3 for 15 yards) and no turnovers. That's how you stay in the game when playing on the road against a team like the Ravens. We have to do this week in and week out, we're not talented enough on offense to overcome very many mistakes.
  
  
• Mark Bradley needs to move the chains! On third down, he twice ran a route across the middle, made the catch, and ended up about a foot short of the first down. Why do players do this? I realize I don't have any experience as a receiver, but it just seems like a simple thing to fix. I hope he gets it right next week. In his favor, his 50 yard reception was pretty impressive, since he was getting completely mugged by the d-back but didn't get the call.
  
  
• Sigh. Our o-line just isn't very good. I know the Ravens have a great defense, but I'm afraid things aren't going to get much better. It will probably just be a tough season with the line, at least on the right side. 29 yards rushing for the game is abysmal, Ray Rice nearly had that much in one play. In a related note, I also think it's going to be another tough year for Larry Johnson.
  
  
• The offense managed to make some adjustments. The first half was terrible for the offense, not getting their first first down until late in the first half. I'm not sure what changes were made exactly, but Haley was able to get Brodie Croyle going a little bit and put some points on the board. The offense even had an 80 yard TD drive in the second half. Good work, even if it wasn't enough in the end. On a QB-related note, I think the Chiefs would love to trade Tyler Thigpen.
  
  
• The bottom line: I think a few key plays (blocked punt for TD, INT + long return by Derrick Johnson) are the red herring. Without those plays the Chiefs absolutely get crushed in this one. Sure it was tied 24-24 late in the game, but that was really a fluke. If they played this one 4 more times, I expect the Ravens would win each of those in a blowout. Our offense isn't very good, which is going to consistently leave our defense on the field far too long. Time of possession was 2:1 in favor of Baltimore, which is nuts. The defense didn't help themselves by giving up third down conversions, but they're going to be facing this same challenge all year. It could be another long season, but at least they played with fire and intensity and were fun to watch. I'll definitely tune in again next week.
  
  

Quick Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Go Royals! - when I signed up for DVR last spring, I only did it because the Royals had a new deal with Fox Sports KC that would put almost all of their games on TV. Last year was fine, but this year it's really turning out to be a great decision. I don't know what's going on with the team, but it's a lot of fun! They're winning games they never would've won in the past, including last night's slugfest against Chicago. I was really tired and went to bed at the end of the 10th, but I'll catch the 11th on DVR here real soon. Great job out of the pen last night by Jamey Wright!


• Greinke Fun Facts - If you read my blog, you know by now that I'm a big fan of Joe Posnanski. Much of what he writes is must-read in my book, but you've got to check out these stats on Greinke so far. I especially like 5, 6 and 8.


• Worth Repeating - I hope to see a few more of these this season, but the other night Billy Butler had an outstanding game: a single, a double and two home runs. Once again, Joe Poz comes through in splendid fashion, giving me a genuine laugh-out-loud moment, terming such an accomplishment as a "Billy Cycle." To quote Joe, "Billy is a terrific young hitter but, to be brutally frank, that triple probably isn’t happening." I'll take a Billy Cycle any day!


• Cool Hand Luke? - Like many others, I'm wondering what in the world Sydney Ponson is doing as a continuing member of the Royals rotation. Interesting stat today: Royals without Ponson = 16-6. Meanwhile, Luke is tearing it up in AAA with a 5-0 record and a 1.13 ERA. What I really don't get is this quote from Trey: "I’m thrilled for Luke. I hope at some point we do get to see him, but I don’t want it to be because somebody is not performing or because we have an injury." Uhhh, is there a third option? Death? Abduction by aliens?


• Idol Rocks - Last night was Rock Night on American Idol, and it was AWESOME! I definitely enjoyed it more than any other Idol so far, I think it was enough to completely wash the taste of Country Night out of my mouth. I agree with Randy that Kris and Danny sounded AMAZING together in their duet, even if they didn't do so well individually. Hard to guess who goes home tonight. Danny's never been in the bottom three and is probably safe. Adam was in his element last night and is probably safe. At this point I actually like Kris more than Allison, although that's like saying you like peanut butter cookies more than chocolate chip. They're both really, really good!


• New Project Today - We spent a sizable amount of money yesterday on laminate flooring, and today the project begins! We ended up getting a great deal, so we decided to go ahead and do the kids' rooms as well. We've heard of many, many people that have done this themselves, hopefully it goes as easily as we are expecting it to. It will be nice to have some guys helping out, too, especially Kevin who has a background in flooring.


• Spoils of War - I got my new set of Wow Minis, and I'm really excited about these figures. Even better was the fact that I got several loot cards I could sell on ebay. One went for over $100! I don't know why someone would pay that much for a Foam Sword Rack, but it's a great trade for me!!

Wednesday Bullets

Some random thoughts on this overcast Wednesday:

• A Good Morning - It's really been quite an interesting day. At the start I was very discouraged and frustrated, which tends to happen this time of year. As the school year ends, my schedule undergoes shock as I try to figure out what to do with myself without the structure that I've had for the past nine months. I've been feeling that for a few days, wondering what I should be doing, feeling quite useless and unmotivated to do much of anything.
  
  This morning I had a good heart-to-heart with the Lord, and as He always does He Himself encouraged me before dropping someone in my path who did a great job with more of the same. It sure is great to know the Lord.


• Whitlock Suggests Adding Barry Bonds - As I've said before, I know his primary job is to stir the pot. In my last commentary on a Whitlock article I pointed out that very little journalism seemed to be happening. Well, in his most recent work, he actually appears to have talked to a lot of Royals players. Good job! It was very interesting to read different players' takes on Barry Bonds and the possibility of him joining the team. While I may have missed on my Tony G prediction, I feel quite confident in this one: Barry Bonds will never play for the Royals. There's simply nowhere for him to play, as he'd be a major liability in the outfield and the Royals are already stuck with two DH's that barely play passable 1B defense (Mike Jacobs and Billy Butler).


• Zackkkkk Greinkkkkke! - Man, this guy is really becoming a national story. He's going to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated (which hasn't happened to a KC Royal since David Cone in 1993!) and there probably aren't any good adjectives to describe his season thus far. If it weren't for an unearned run, the best word would likely be "perfect."
  
  Anyway, if you don't know anything about Greinke then you need to do some reading. Great story. But today I simply wanted to share a quote from him that I found both refreshing and extremely encouraging:
  

  “We’re not even a month in, not even a month. Everyone has hot streaks. (Mike) Aviles was the best player for a week a couple times last year. (Brian) Bannister was the best player for a month a while back. The good players do it all year long, and then all year long the next year, and the next year after that. The key isn’t one week or one month. You have to do it longer.”

  
  Here's hoping he can do it for a lot longer. Both he and Royals fans deserve it!


• Deep Thoughts - I have way too many half-written blog posts sitting here, waiting to be finished. I will try and get those done before I leave the country on May 17!

That Figures...

"I have no idea what will happen, but I expect Tony to stay and retire as a Chief. Just wanted to get that out there in case he's part of a blockbuster trade tomorrow and I'm way off." - Me, February 24, 2009.

Well, the trade didn't happen the next day, and it didn't turn out to be a blockbuster either. A second round pick in next year's draft is a little frustrating in exchange for Tony G. I like the idea of getting a second round pick, we clearly are a team in building mode. It's just too bad that pick won't come until 2010.

I can't say I'm all that on board with this trade. Tony still has a few quality seasons in the tank and would be a great target for new QB Matt Cassel. The fact that we didn't acquire any picks in this year's draft* means we don't even get anything in return this year. That's a gaping void to fill, and taking Michael Crabtree means you don't address your offensive line or your defense.

* Of course Pioli seems to be a major wheeler/dealer, so it's quite possible the Chiefs will still move around in the draft this weekend and pick up some additional picks. And maybe they'll even move that pick they just got from Atlanta. I hope so.

I understand that Tony is disgruntled and wants to play for a winner. It's arguable how many wins he'd add to the team right now given the state of last year's defense, but he was an absolute blast to watch play. I understand that if he had retired here you would've gotten nothing in return for him, and maybe he wanted out so badly that he left the team with no other choice. Either way it's no fun for the fans. Maybe I'm just more attached to Gonzo than I was to Jared Allen, because that trade really didn't bother me too much. But then again, guaranteed first ballot Hall of Famers are rare for any team, especially the Chiefs.

Great pick up for Atlanta, I'm sure it will be a big boost to their offense and fantasy football players better target Matt Ryan early. The only thing I know for sure is that I'll miss Tony and hope to pick up my first ever Atlanta Falcons jersey before the season starts!

Sweet Mexicutioner

While the weather in April is a constant source of frustration for me, there is one thing that's always a certainty: the return of baseball. I'll admit that while I've always maintained allegiance to the Royals, it's been pretty tough to be excited about the team in the past. Since Dayton Moore came on board things have been getting better, and there are legitimate reasons to be excited about the team and the direction it is heading.

As you probably know, the Royals were postponed on Opening Day due to bad weather in Chicago. So Tuesday was their first game, and I managed to watch the first 7 1/2 innings. Meche was great, and the offense showed some signs against Buehrle, even though they were unable to capitalize with runners in scoring position.

The Royals held a 2-1 lead going into the eighth inning, and as all current fans know, Jim Thome hit a three run bomb off of Kyle Farnsworth to ruin the game for us all. Yes, it nullified Meche's great performance. Yes, it displayed some questionable decision making by manager Trey Hillman. But the worst thing of all: it kept us from watching Joakim Soria.

So last night, while unable to watch the game live, I did get to watch Soria pitch thanks to DVR. I've never enjoyed watching a pitcher as much as I like to watch this guy. He's absolutely unshakable and relentlessly attacks hitters. The other Royals pitchers will almost guarantee that every first pitch of Soria will be a strike. I expect the ones that aren't are on purpose too, just to throw off the hitters!

There were a few Soria stat gems last night from Ryan Lefebvre that have to be passed along:

1. Soria had more saves last year than hits given up. That's crazy! He notched 42 saves while only giving up 39 hits. So he was more likely to save the game than even give up a hit. Not a run, a hit. Outstanding!


2. This is even crazier, and is tied to the first. Last year's saves leader (which was an MLB record) was Francisco Rodriguez, with 62. In those 62 saves, he had a 1-2-3 inning 21 times. That's 34% The NL leader, Brad Lidge, accomplished that feat 25 times in 41 saves (61%). Not bad! So how about Soria? Oh, just a meager 36/42. That just blew me away. 86% of the time he just mowed them down, 1-2-3. No walks, no hits, just pitching dominance.
   

Naturally he locked down his first 1-2-3 save of the '09 season last night. But even that's not the best part of watching Soria. No, the best part is when he gets two strikes on a hitter. The first two guys he faced last night, Carlos Quentin and Jim Thome, popped out before getting to two strikes. That's probably a wise thing to do, because getting that second strike typically spells disaster for a hitter.

But Jermaine Dye was not so lucky. I love what Rany wrote about last night's encounter between Dye and Soria: "When Soria worked the count to 2-2 on Dye, it was clear that the Mexicutioner was about to unleash the Guillotine, as I call his vicious (and delicious) slow curveball that he dispatches his victims with. I knew it was coming, you knew it, I imagine Dye knew it, and we all knew that there was nothing Dye could do about it anyway." Yes, I knew it, and I couldn't wait to see it. It was a thing of beauty.

As I said earlier, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the Royals this year. Meche is very good and Grienke could be amazing. The lineup has considerably more pop this year and the team has a newly renovated stadium to play in. But the best thing will still be hoping for a close game in the ninth and seeing the Mexicutioner dispatch his victims with ease.

Congratulations, AD

As a sports fan, there have always been players that weren't really stars but nevertheless caught my attention and became favorites for a wide variety of reasons. Tom Goodwin, Tamarick Vanover, Lake Dawson, Tony Richardson, Keith Cash... I could go on.

Anyway, another one of those guys was Anthony Davis, who played linebacker for the Chiefs from '94 to '98. (Ah, those days of Super Bowl dreams!) What I remember about him right now was just how he seemed to overachieve and always played his hardest. Today I found an article about him on the Kansas City Star that's worth reading:

Ex-Chief Davis is moving on to the next play.

Stirring the Pot

Oh, the drama! It appears that the latest buzz in Chiefs-land is whether or not Brian Waters has been mistreated by his new GM or head coach. Bill Williams, who blogs on the AFC West for ESPN.com has declared this to be bad news for the Chiefs. As a fan with a blog, I am required to share my incredible insight on this matter.

I want to be as delicate and kind as I can in this first point, so let me simply point out that this article was written by Jason Whitlock. Having read nearly all of Whitlock's articles since he first came to Kansas City, I think he most excels in stirring the pot. Outside of that I'm really not sure what the point of this article is. There isn't a single quote from Pioli, Haley or even Waters! It doesn't feel like objective journalism, but rather an attempt to paint Pioli and Haley as bad guys.

I think the two of them have plenty to do without discussing all of their plans with one of their players. Is Waters good? Certainly. Does Pioli need to fill him in on what's going on? Not at all. There's a new sheriff in town and things are going to work differently.

As for Haley's comment that 22 players off the street could win 2 games ... THAT'S HILARIOUS! (And I think some of last year's players were actually off the street.) Reality check: the Chiefs were horrible last year. Absolutely horrible. Pioli and Haley were given the reins to turn the franchise around. Will Waters be a part of the team in five years? Not a chance. But Clark Hunt has made it clear that he wants stability at the top, and the plan is for Pioli (and Haley unless he bombs) to be around a lot longer than five years. I'm going to side with Pioli and Haley on this one. Waters needs to focus on being ready to play in the fall and let the GM and head coach focus on the direction the team is headed.

It's great to have a star tight end or pro bowl left guard, but neither of those guys is Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. If Brady or Manning were playing for the Chiefs right now, it's possible Pioli would be interested in letting them in on the plan. But they don't play for the Chiefs. Instead Pioli has to try and find one of those guys. I'd rather he spend his time working on that than run things by Brian Waters to see if he approves of the direction the team is headed.

Quick Prediction

The Chiefs just cut Surtain, Edwards and Huard - all moves I'm on board with. Now folks are wondering what they'll do with Larry Johnson and Tony Gonzalez. I'm sure they'll try to trade Johnson, although I don't see them getting much in return.

The real question is, "What happens with Gonzalez?" Will he be traded? He certainly has value, and might net the Chiefs a second or third round pick in the upcoming draft. With a new regime in place, it's understandable that they might cut ties with the past in an attempt to turn the page on the franchise and hopefully move it in a positive direction. Tony even requested to be traded last season.

That being said, I predict Tony will be a part of of the team next year. His departure might mean more talent on the defensive side of the ball, but I think he's more important than whoever that player might be. I have my doubts as to whether or not Tyler Thigpen will start on opening day (although I'm not against it!), but Tony is a great asset to any guy playing QB. I finally finished watching the first half of the Pro Bowl, and even the great Peyton Manning was looking for Tony G to pick up key receptions - which he did perfectly.

I have no idea what will happen, but I expect Tony to stay and retire as a Chief. Just wanted to get that out there in case he's part of a blockbuster trade tomorrow and I'm way off.

As you were.

That Took Forever

Wow. Just ... wow. All I can say is that the Chiefs season is finally over. 2008 ended up to be much messier than I (or anyone else) imagined. Today there are all kinds of interesting stories in the Star of what different players are saying, as well as a great season summary by Poz:

• LJ wants out - and that's probably what needs to happen.


• Thigpen thinks he deserves to start next year - going so far as to say we shouldn't even draft a QB. Give him a break, he hasn't had a chance to watch film of yesterday's game yet.


• Joe Posnanski analyzes the end of the game - I think he sums it up pretty well. It was rough.

Before I say anything else, I want to share my respect for Herm one last time. He said, "You anticipate the best, but it didn’t turn out like we’d like for a lot of different reasons. I’m not going to state the reasons. I don’t need to do that." It's pretty clear to me that Herm will be gone, and I expect he's inclined to think the same. How can you not when you've lost 23 of the past 25 games?

So if there ever was a time to throw someone under the bus - this is it. A single poor play by a DB has twice cost us a game this year. Another was lost because Bowe couldn't hang on to an on-side kick - and the Chargers should send him something nice today. I know Herm is the coach, but it's still settled on the field. Good for him to take the high road when a lot of people wouldn't.

That being said, I will finally relent and say he's got to go. For me it's not just about Herm, it's about Gunther as well. They are both defensive guys and yet they just finished putting the worst defense on the field in team history. Are you kidding me?? Worse than what we watched in the Chiefs/Colts playoff game that featured zero punts? Yep. You've given them time to draft and develop some defensive talent and they finish the season by laying an egg against the Bengals. On top of that, they still don't have a clue how to use Derrick Johnson. Will he ever be a play maker?

The season was going to be judged on how well the young guys developed, and it just doesn't seem to be enough. If you haven't read Posnanski's article, you really should. When Herm challenged that play of Bowe's - I felt the same way. It was as if Herm knew we couldn't score with 1st and Goal from the 1. And he was right. We stink at short yardage, and that's got to be fixed. I imagine the spread experiment is over.

Herm has helped out the future of the team by giving playing time to a lot of young guys, especially in the secondary. Flowers, Carr, Leggett, Pollard and Page could be good for quite a while. But the defensive line is suspect and the linebackers stink. Herm also tied his future to a quarterback who has been injury-prone his entire football career and will likely never take another snap for the Chiefs. That blew up in his face big time.

I am thankful to be much less of a fanatic than I used to be, the losing doesn't bother me nearly as much as it used to. I feel bad for the people who post at the end of the Star's articles - there are some really unhappy folks in this world. It will be an interesting off season for the Chiefs, hopefully the franchise can only go up from here.

Fast Forward

Time to get caught up again, so this morning it's a bullet list:

• Daily Proverb - I'm still spending my morning quiet time in Proverbs, today was chapter 26. I really love this chapter, it's one of my favorites and has challenged me a lot in the past. I'll throw out verse 10 for now: "Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or any passer-by." Sometimes we so want to fill a position or vacancy that we'll lower our standards in order to find someone to take the job. That can definitely be true in church circles, where almost everyone is a volunteer.
  
  I've run across this at BSU in seeking future leaders, and once while considering a candidate the Lord brought this verse to my attention. It might give us a warm feeling to have all of the blank lines filled in with names, but in the end the results will prove our decision was foolish. It's probably better not to have a position than to have one that's filled with the wrong person. I don't know who all this applies to out there, but I encourage you to keep it in mind.


• Merry Christmas! - I didn't get an official Christmas post in (although obviously updates have been lacking a bit recently). So here's a little something to pass along to you all. How many of you are familiar with Tim Hawkins? He's a comedian who was an all Big 8 baseball player at MU and is also a Christian. I borrowed a DVD of him from Tate several months ago and just got around to watching it this week. He's got lots of stuff on YouTube. This one looks to be straight from the DVD, I don't know how long it will be active, but go ahead and watch, it's short:
  
  


• New Chief at the Top? - Apparently Carl Peterson is resigning. I think that's a good thing, although I'm not jumping up and down for joy and didn't honk my car horn in excitement like some did when they heard the news. I was at the game against the Chargers, the day before his resignation was announced. That was downright cold, but I still had lots of fun! I hadn't been to a game in several years, I still can't pinpoint how long it's been. I was joined by Allen, Gary and Bob:
  
  
  
  
  
  There were some irritating clock management problems at the end of that game, and it was even more apparent to those of us sitting there freezing in the stands. This past Sunday against the Dolphins was more of the same - playing well enough to just lose a close game. Unfortunately I had a bit of a DVR mishap and missed the last five minutes or so. Oh well, maybe it was for the best.
  
  I'll watch with interest to see how the off-season unfolds. A case can be made for bringing Thigpen back as the starter next year, although that's still probably tied to keeping the spread offense around. If we get a new coach then I don't think that will happen. I'm expecting to see Herm stay another year, that's just my gut feeling right now. Blah blah blah, this is the part where Karin checks out... probably the other three of you that read this as well. :)


• Divorce Averted - It seemed to be a case of irreconcilable differences. My lawyer had the papers all written up. But in the end, I just can't bring myself to get rid of Pippin. It's mainly just a matter of annoying things that he does, and that seems like a pretty lame and selfish reason to get rid of a dog. It probably also has to do with Cooper - before we got him I didn't know just how cool a dog could be. Either way, he's going to live with us until the end of his days. (Hey now, don't read into that!)


• Turkey Approaches! - Next Monday I'm heading to Turkey, with an expected return of January 9. I think I've got my laptop and home computer all set to video chat and my outlet adapters should arrive tomorrow. I've needed some better snow shoes for a while, and a few days ago picked up a pair of waterproof/steel toed shoes. I fully intend to tromp around Turkey in those and my big brown coveralls. I won't stick out at all :)
  
  Assuming I can secure some Internet abilities, I'll try to add plenty of updates here while I'm overseas. I would certainly appreciate prayer for myself and my family during this time. Thanks!

Winning is Overrated

For the frangible faithful out there, blogging will resume this week. I was living in the land of slow dial-up (not a redundant statement, by the way. There are varying degrees of dial-up, and this was very slow) and was unable to post for the past week or so. Naturally, the first thing to discuss is the Chiefs end to a seven game losing streak.

I find it quite amusing that now that the Chiefs finally won a game, some people are saying we only won because the Raiders gave the game to us. Are you kidding me? A win is a win, right? How many games have the Chiefs given away this year? The other team didn't get an asterisk next to those games, why should we? So quit the whining about getting a tainted win. Now, on to the bulleted game items:

• Thigpen Gets a Win! So What? Several of the stories in today's KC Star point out that Thigpen finally got his first win as a starter. Good for him. However, it came in possibly his worst performance of the last five games. So what does that stat really mean? Could it be that he's lost several of those past games, not because of his performance, but because the defense and special teams have been terrible? Why does the QB have to get all the credit for a win or all the blame for a loss? Is Larry Johnson ever judged by a win/loss record? How about Derrick Johnson, or even Derrick Thomas for that matter?
  
  Folks will rave about Ben Roethlisberger's rookie season or even how Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan are doing this year. True, they're making plays and avoiding mistakes, but aren't they surrounded by quality players? They have good running games (ATL - 2nd, BAL - 3rd), or pretty good defenses (PIT - 1st, BAL - 2nd). The Chiefs are actually 12th in rushing (no doubt helped by Thigpen himself), but are dead last in defense.
  
  To me it's a bit like the win/loss stat for starting pitchers. They have no control over what kind of run support they get, which goes a long way in determining whether or not they win, not to mention the bullpen's ability to hold a lead. ERA is a much better stat for a pitcher, although it sounds like advanced stats like ERA+ are even better. Yesterday's win was nice, but it had more to do with the defense avoiding big plays and JaMarcus Russell playing horrendous.


• Thanks, Russell! It's an obvious point, but wow did JaMarcus Russell look bad. He had all day to throw (again, little pressure on the QB!) and looked like the early season version of Tyler Thigpen, badly overthrowing wide open receivers. I haven't watched any other Raiders games, but I would question whether he's made any progress. Again the Chiefs failed to notch a single sack, but Russell managed to fall down all by himself. I'm guessing he'll get another year to prove himself, since the Raiders have so much invested in him. One more season for the Chiefs to reap the rewards!


• Missing the Mark Am I the only one that thought the passing game really suffered without Mark Bradley in the lineup? Or did he actually step on the field? Maybe he was there and just never got any looks ... but his presence definitely stretches the field and opens things up for Bowe and Gonzalez. Gonzo certainly had a monster day, but Bowe was MIA and had another ball bounce off of his hands. I imagine it's the sophomore slump striking again, and still expect Bowe to be a quality number one for years to come.


• The Most Irritating Offensive Play Back in the days of good defense, I always hated it when the Chiefs would have everyone covered and get some pressure on the quarterback only to watch him take off and run for a first down. It sure is nice to have a guy who can do that for us instead. For the game, Thigpen had 11 carries for 48 yards, some of which were short gains that prevented sacks. There was a nice QB keeper in the red zone where Charles ran as a lead blocker - I think Thigpen would've scored if he had followed him to the end zone rather than cutting off to the left.


• Field Goals Make Me Want to Barth Do we finally have a kicker we can rely on? Is this what the Chiefs expected from their last rookie, Justin Medlock? (And did I just curse Barth by bringing up that name in the first place? Nah, a curse would involve mentioning Lin Elliot. Ooops...) So far he's 8/8 on the season. That's enough to cause me to overlook the fact that he's a Tarheel.


• Say What? Just something I read multiple times today in the Star: the Chiefs have 17 rookies on their roster. Wow. Nothing to add... just... wow.


• Injury to Insult Did anyone else see the hit Bernard Pollard laid on Justin Fargas just after Rocky Boiman had caused him to fumble? I'm glad I have DVR - I watched that play four or five times in a row. O U C H. Unfortunately it does seem like Pollard often goes for the big hit rather than wrapping up. It's hurt us before, but this time it was highlight material.


• Still Not Pro-Bowl Material Earlier in his career, Donnie Edwards wondered aloud what he needed to do to get to the Pro Bowl. The response was that it wasn't enough to post 100 tackle seasons and play every game, he also needed to make game-changing plays. For at least the second time this season, Derrick Johnson had a potential pick-six bounce off of his hands. Until he starts making plays like that, he'll continue to be a guy playing way below his potential and the expectations that come with being a first-round drafted linebacker.


• Marty Said There'd Be Days Like This Of course we save the best for last. Marty Schottenheimer had a theory that if you just wait long enough, eventually the Raiders will do something stupid to lose the game. The Chiefs didn't actually have to wait that long, as the Raiders ran the craziest fake FG attempt in the second quarter.
  
  It was 4th and ten, and it appeared that C-Bass was supposed to run for the first down. Are you kidding me? He might have the best leg in the history of the NFL but he certainly doesn't have two of them. The Chiefs may have the worse record, but that play right there defines the Raiders. Of course the "pitch" was bad and Maurice Leggett picked it up and returned it for a TD.
  
  That play was unbelievably dumb, and it turned out to be the difference in the game. Maybe the Raiders should've been watching the Nebraska-Colorado game on Friday to see how a fake field goal could blow up in your face?

Monday Bullets

Every once in a while I think I'll just write a post with some random tidbits that wouldn't support a full blog post and aren't really related to each other. Today is one of those times! I thought about using the term "quick hits" but didn't want to step on Bill's toes.

• Bitter Sweet Sunday - Yesterday was my last Sunday as interim pastor at Grant City Baptist Church. I am happy for them that they will have a full time pastor for the first time in over a year. However, I will miss having the opportunity to preach there and also to have a slight involvement in the lives of the church body. I would have preferred the title of interim preacher, as that's mostly what I did. Living 40 miles away and having a full time ministry at the BSU simply didn't allow any more than that.
  
  It was a great opportunity and I think I caught the briefest glimpse of what it might look like to be a pastor. I'm very content where I am now and believe wholeheartedly this is where God wants me to be, but I can see why some campus ministers leave collegiate work to be church pastors instead. I was genuinely surprised when I was presented with a gift by the church - a sweet Penn State hoodie and hat. It's the first Penn State clothing I've ever owned (except for my old hat) and I love it. I'm glad I will still have the opportunity to see those people again, there are some great folks out there and God is truly doing some cool things in their midst.
  
  



• Doom and Gloom?! - I'm amazed at how much impact one football game has on the outlook of NFL prognosticators and fans. Today the Kansas City media is all over Herm, Carl, and how the plan to build through the draft has failed. Admittedly I'm a fan of Herm (although I don't support him blindly, I have my reasons) and therefore am likely much more patient and understanding than many fans. It's just hard for me to get too up or down about this season.
  
  First of all, a loss is a loss. Yesterday was a blowout, the recent ones have been close. The season is still all about evaluating the young talent, and that will continue to happen regardless of the losses or how bad they are. Miami is in the thick of the playoff hunt this year after winning one game last year, so it can be done. But with so many positions decimated by injuries, I just don't see how you can get too depressed about what's been happening lately. This team still needs two new starting linebackers, some help on the offensive and defensive lines, and more depth at cornerback/quarterback/running back. It's not going to happen overnight, and setbacks will happen. It's not the end of the world, people!



• Sweet Technology - I've gotten a technological boost lately, and it's been making a big impact in my life. For once I don't feel inclined to say, "Technology is a tool of Satan." (Too often it tends to malfunction when I can least afford it to.) My new Blackjack II has been a great help in reminding me of appointments and being a portable notepad any time I need to jot down some thoughts, as well as being incredibly convenient when I need to text someone.
  
  My new laptop has freed me completely from my office, allowing me to easily work on campus or even from home. Plus, with its 3GB of RAM, I can boot it up and be ready to use Vista in about 45 seconds. Outstanding! Last December we finally got high speed internet, and just last week I added a wireless router so I can get online with lappy from anywhere in the house. It's actually allowing me to spend more time with Karin, as we can be in the same room and I can still get some things done, whether she's working in the kitchen or watching TV in the bedroom. Technology: it has redemptive value after all!



• New Hobby Developing - if any of you have known me for long, then you're familiar with the toy/game of Attacktix. I have my own strategy website Master Attacktix that I ran for a while, and I even took a road trip all the way to Toledo, OH with three other guys in order to play in a tournament. Hasbro did a poor job of marketing the game and now it is dead... along with our interest in it.
  
  Well, a new game has come along that is ready to take its place. World of Warcraft Miniatures has a few of the same strategy elements of Attacktix without any of the fun spring-loaded attacks. It's a much more involved game and has a high level of strategery involved. I initially told Michael I wouldn't get into it, but at this point I've accepted the fact that I'm in.
  
  Attacktix gave me some great opportunities to connect with people I never would have otherwise, and I hope this game does the same thing. It's also been a lot of fun to play with Meghan. She really enjoys it and we've already played four games against each other. Once I have some disposable income I'll definitely be making a few purchases here.

50 Dollar Bills

What can you say about the Chiefs' "game" today? Allowing the Bills to hang 54 points on the board certainly was rough. In the fourth quarter with a huge lead, I was shocked to see the Bills running play-action passes and throwing deep. I admit I was secretly hoping one of their star players would get hurt for such shenanigans. I suppose it's the NFL and it's your own fault if you can't stop someone. Oh well, at least it's over now.

Given the minus-four turnover ratio, it's no surprise that our defense was on its heels all day. Even when we didn't turn the ball over, it seemed like the Bills got the ball on our side of the field via special teams just as often. Our defense simply can't handle that much pressure, although they did have a nice goal-line stand in there at one point.

As far as Thigpen's performance, I'd like to highlight the positive and overlook the negative. He's a very young player and will have days like this. I remember a much older Rich Gannon having five turnovers (2 INTs, 3 fumbles, I think) in one game ... maybe against the Jags in '97. The offense still managed to put up 31 points, so one could certainly argue that without the turnovers it's a different game.

On the bright side, Maurice Leggett seemed to be everywhere and showed a lot of improvement from just a few weeks ago. It was also good to see Brandon Flowers back.

In the end it was another loss, and for the first time in several weeks it wasn't much of a contest. Herm seems to be doing well motivating the troops, so I expect them to come out fired up next week, ready to play hard and hopefully secure their second win of the season. It would be nice to get it against Oakland.

Rough Draft

In my moments of being distracted I like to read up on my beloved but struggling Chiefs. Right now I see a debate developing that centers around what they should do with their first round draft pick. The fact that it's even an argument is encouraging in itself, as the play of Tyler Thigpen has soothed some of the QB-NOW! feelings.

Adam Teicher of the KC Star argues that the Chiefs' number one need is a pass rusher, and I am inclined to agree. The fact that the team only has six sacks ten games into the season is laughable. Time and time again the opposing quarterback has enough time to make a sandwich before delivering a pass. The last few weeks it's been the defense's inability to make key stops that has cost the team the game, not the offense's inability to move the ball or score points.

I want to throw out two questions that I find very interesting. First of all, should the Chiefs adopt the spread offense permanently? Obviously they will continue to run it with Thigpen at the helm, but what would happen if Thigpen got hurt before the end of this season? Would they return to a more traditional NFL offense? Or is this the wave of the Chiefs future?

Supposing that they decide to adopt the spread permanently, how might that affect the drafting of a quarterback? It seems to me (and my unresearched opinion) that quarterbacks who run the spread in college aren't highly desired by NFL teams. There are knocks against them being able to run a pro offense and they are either passed over entirely (except perhaps for the exceptional few, I would have to research to say for sure) or are relegated to very late round draft picks.

Again, assuming this is true, doesn't this play right into the Chiefs' hands? Since no other team in the NFL runs a spread offense, shouldn't the Chiefs have an easier time finding a good spread offense quarterback in next year's draft? I mean, if Tyler Thigpen and his Coastal Carolina background can succeed, imagine if we picked up someone from a high quality college program that ran a more sophisticated spread? (I hear you Chase Daniel fans clamoring already!)

I don't know how any of those thoughts play out in the real world of the NFL, but it leads me to think that we are much more in need of an improved defense than a new quarterback. And that a new quarterback that could run this offense could be found later in the draft - while all teams covet quality pass rushers.

The spread might even affect what type of running backs we want to add in the future - Charles is certainly more suited than LJ. Anybody care to share their opinion?

Passing This Along

In my daily readings this morning I came across this little gem by Ladd Biro, a guy who writes a fantasy football piece for the Kansas City Star. You can read the entire article here if you like, but I wanted to reproduce this opening section that genuinely made me laugh out loud in places (especially the one about Marvin Harrison). It's already been pointed out in the comments section that this may not be completely original, but I don't care - it's still funny.

******************************************
Willis McGahee called last night and asked me to pass along this message to his fantasy owners: “Yes, I hate you.”

I got a letter from Michael Vick, postmarked from Cell Block D, last week. Said he led his prison league in rushing, but had completed only 40 percent of his passes. Is hoping Matt Jones will be there in time for the playoffs. “I’ll bet the Falcons can’t wait to get me back!,” he mused. “Haven’t seen any games, but they must be dog-awful with a rook under center…”

I texted a note to Ricky Williams congratulating him on his first 100-yard game since 2005. “Yeah, man, I was smokin’!” I couldn’t hit delete fast enough.

Jake Delhomme shot me an email this morning asking why I hadn’t responded to his text messages last night. “Didn’t get them,” I said. “Must’ve been intercepted.” He didn’t think that was funny.

Brett Favre left a voice mail for me. He sounded depressed because his wideouts wouldn’t make eye contact with him after the game. “I could hear Cotchery and Coles across the locker room, griping about scoring 47 points and only getting one catch each. Wide receivers are so dang sensitive these days!”

Speaking of which, I heard the Colts enrolled Marvin Harrison in an 11-step program. When I asked why it wasn’t 12, they said he’d already lost a step.

I ran into Tony Romo over the bye week at a local travel agency. He had just booked a surprise vacation with Jessica leaving right after New Year’s. “But that’s the first week of the playoffs,” I said. “So?” he replied. Uh oh.

My cell phone rang as I was writing this. Someone named “Culpepper” was calling. Figured it had to be a wrong number. Haven’t seen that guy in years.

I called Chris Chambers to see how he was feeling. “I’m great, man. I’ll be back right after the bye.” When I reminded him the Chargers were off in Week 9, all I heard was “Oh, sh…”, before the line went dead.

I rang the Seahawks training facility the other day looking for D.J. Hackett. The receptionist told me he had moved to Carolina in the offseason. Who knew?

Shot Mike Singletary a note wishing him well on his Monday Night Football debut tonight. He sent back a picture of his rear end and told me he didn’t have time to chat with some silly columnist. “I’ve got a game to win. Grrrrr!”

I sent Kerry Collins an email, asking him how it felt to be 9-0. “It’s great,” he replied, “but Coach Fisher got mad at me for ignoring the game plan. He said the next time I throw a pass in the red zone, he’s trading me to Detroit.”

You Play to Win the Game!

Okay, so it's a little less than original to quote Herm in the title of this blog post. Before things get too far out of my head, I want to throw some thoughts out there on the latest Chiefs loss.

A lot has been said about Herm deciding to go for two, and I think it was the right call. We can argue the play call, but deciding to go for the win was definitely the way to go. The defense was decimated with injuries (really, I couldn't tell you the names of three or four of those guys) and San Diego had marched up and down the field all game. We did a decent job of stopping the run - especially not giving up the big run - but Rivers was completing passes all over the place. And we continued to struggle putting any pressure on the quarterback.

Given all of that, what are the chances our defense would've stopped them if they had gotten the ball to start overtime? Some say that the Chiefs might have won the toss, which is true. However, they had three straight three-and-outs in the second half and weren't moving the ball until that last drive. Even then it took a lucky pass interference call (sorry, Chargers) to set up the touchdown. If you can get two yards, you win the game and avoid all the rest of that. Herm played to win. He put the game in the players' hands, which they all expected him to do. It just came up short.

Something I don't hear anyone talking about it is the play of the Chiefs offensive line. The Chargers usually only rushed four, but even when they blitzed the line gave Thigpen plenty of time to throw. That's a welcome change from how they did when Huard was back there earlier in the year. They even opened up a few running lanes, but it's tough when you're down to your fourth string running back. Not having LJ or Kolby Smith really hurt in short yardage situations, and I'd love to see what a healthy Jamaal Charles could do in this spread offense.

Mark Bradley continues to look like a solid number two option, and Bowe and Gonzalez were nothing short of fantastic. I am really liking the routes that have Bowe dragging across the middle - once he catches the ball with the defender trailing he is very tough to bring down. He just needs to make sure he catches it before he runs with it.

Once again the Chiefs were plus in turnovers (+2) and couldn't pull out the victory. That's +8 for the last three games. Ug. And the Chargers had several unforced errors in there, like Rivers missing a wide open Tomlinson on a key third down play close to the Chiefs' end zone.

After watching our punter (forgot his name) constantly booming punts into the end zone last week, it was nice to finally get Colquitt back yesterday. He did a good job of pinning them inside the 20 several times and limiting what they did in the return game.

Too bad there was the botched extra point in the second quarter. If that is taken care of, the game winning drive just requires another PAT for the win. It seems like this team just can't catch a break. But they keep playing hard, which speaks well for Herm. They're definitely showing progress, which means Herm's job is secure. Sounds good to me, even though some of you are less than thrilled about that possibility.

Who Was That Masked Man?

I have a lot of different thoughts today, so expect several blog updates soon. Here's the first one to get out of the way - I feel obliged to write about my favorite football team.

So, like everyone else, I was astounded at how well Tyler Thigpen played yesterday. Wow! As I wrote earlier, he makes good decisions with the ball. But yesterday he finally was able to get his arm to work in conjunction with his brain, and the results were both impressive and inspiring. If he can continue to develop and they build the offense around his abilities, the rest of the year may not be lost after all. Perhaps Brittle Croyle getting hurt will turn out to be a major blessing for the team.

The fact that they went with a no-huddle spread offense was very encouraging. There had been a lot of talk of allowing Brodie to roll out of the pocket, employing bootlegs and so forth, but then it just didn't seem to materialize. I've long felt that you have to play to the strength of the players that you have (in any sport - and I think that is part of what makes Tjeerdsma a great coach) and maybe the Chiefs will actually do that now. It is interesting, however, that the spread doesn't fit in with Herm's idea of a ball control offense. I wonder how that will play out if Thigpen continues to start and perform well enough to keep the job.

Related to Thigpen's good game were two "breakout" performances by previously unknown Brad Cottam and Mark Bradley. Bradley is a former second round pick of the Bears who put up pretty good numbers in ten starts for the Oklahoma Sooners. I would love for him to emerge for us like another team's castoff - Eddie Kennison. Cottam isn't so much of an unknown, as the Chiefs took him this year in the third round of the draft, but he made his first receptions of the season and showed that he can be a legitimate weapon. It's probably no surprise that Bowe and Gonzalez had good games as the ball was actually spread around to other players. It sure would be nice to see it happen again.

It was also nice to see our young defensive backs play well. I've been saying all along that they're the strength of our defense and I'm a big fan of both Flowers and Carr. Unfortunately our run defense is so bad that teams rarely have the need to pass the ball (and we just about NEVER have a lead late) and therefore we don't often force teams into major passing situations. I'm glad they played well yesterday, even though reserve nickel back Patterson gave up the game winning TD.

All of those positives being said, I feel like the near-win was a bit of a mirage. The Chiefs were plus three in turnovers - one of those was returned for a TD and the other set one up. Without those it may have been a blowout. I know Derrick Johnson dropped a pick six, but so did one of their guys. Furthermore, the Jets had some bizarre play calling ... that deep bomb on third and one was mind boggling. Why do that? And really, why did they go so pass happy? I guess they weren't afraid of our pass rush, which actually led to one (or more?) of those turnovers. Yes, the gunslinger pulled it out in the end, but it was a questionable game plan against a team that gives up over 200 yards (!!!) rushing a game.

We still have problems with the run, both offensively and defensively. The big third down run for a TD came when we were in a nickel defense, I wonder how often that has been the case this season. Larry Johnson might be our best smash mouth runner, but I think Jamaal Charles is best suited to run out of the spread offense. I hope his injury doesn't keep him out for next Sunday, I'd really like to see what he can do.

Overall I was very pleased with the game and that's about all I ask for any more. It's there for my entertainment, and I was entertained. And more than anything else, I'm glad I didn't have to use the phrase "cover-your-eyes-awful" anywhere in this post!

The Weekly Train Wreck

In the past, this sort of football season would've driven me absolutely insane. I used to take Chiefs football very seriously and would (it's silly, I know) carry a tough loss with me for the first few days of the week. In fact, early in our marriage Karin would pray that the Chiefs would win just so I wouldn't be so miserable to be around!

Coming into this year, I fully expected things to be rough. I'm 100% behind Herm's plan to rebuild through the draft - I even had the chance to tell him so personally back in June. The unfortunate thing is that the team doesn't seem to be showing any progress as the season continues to unfold.

So here are some random thoughts after yesterday's latest debacle.

It sure is hard to win without a quarterback.

• It's amazing to me the trickle down effect of having zero confidence in your quarterback. The Chiefs rarely throw the ball downfield (although Bowe and Gonzalez both had some nice gains yesterday when we actually TRIED it) and this seems to be so by design. Often the quarterback will immediately look to dump the ball to a running back without ever looking down field. Defenses simply don't have to worry about us even TRYING to stretch the field, so they can keep all of their defenders close to the line which also makes it impossible for us to run.


• If you were able to combine the two young Chiefs quarterbacks into just one guy, you might have a decent option. Brodie has a cannon for an arm but obviously cannot stay healthy and will no longer be viewed as the answer. He also makes questionable decisions at times. Thigpen, on the other hand, seems to nearly always choose the right receiver to throw to. Unfortunately, he is the most inaccurate quarterback I have ever seen play in the NFL. He throws so far off target that even the defensive players can't catch it. He does seem to have some durability and can make some things happen when he runs with the ball. As for Damon Huard, I don't see a single positive in him. He rarely throws deep, he has a weak arm and isn't much more durable than Croyle. On top of that he seems completely unable to throw the ball away rather than take a sack.

Is it possible to show a little creativity on offense?

• Coming in to the season, I really thought Chan Gailey would be able to make an impact on the offense. Having former offensive line coach Mike Solari as coordinator the past few years was downright awful. I recognize that Chan doesn't have the greatest offense to work with, and the quarterback carousel has to make things difficult, but man this is bad! I don't understand why we regularly run two tight ends out there, line up in a power formation, and try to run the ball. It's not working! How about going with four wide receivers to spread the defense out and THEN try to run? We have a hard enough time blocking the standard defensive line, why line up in such a way that there are even more guys to block?


• I recognize that the quarterback play has been awful, but can't you use that to your advantage? Since teams know we can't throw and are trying to lean on the running game, why not run more play action on first down? I hear commentators say that play action only works if you're running the ball effectively. I've wondered if it can still be effective as long as the defense is expecting you to TRY and run the ball - which the Chiefs do no matter what. I was really hoping for them to run play action when they had first and goal (and settle for three points). Instead, they tried to run (which was EXPECTED!) and got stuffed. So naturally they tried play action on second down, one play too late, and Thigpen nearly got decapitated.

Where is the defense??

• There is a lot of young talent on the defensive side of the ball, and I really don't understand why they are playing so poorly. I will concede that we have no one at middle linebacker right now, and that hurts a lot in stopping the run. I will also acknowledge that the Titans are a good team (the only ones left undefeated) and were not a good matchup for the Chiefs to begin with. But this season we've already seen a pattern of huge runs given up - at some point this has to fall on the coaches not adequately getting the young guys ready to play. I still have hope for the future, especially concerning Flowers and Carr. A veteran middle linebacker has got to be added in the off season.


• It's also difficult to win when you get absolutely no pass rush. It's crazy that Hali still doesn't have a sack. I really thought he would do fairly well this season. I don't know if he's injured, but he certainly isn't making much of an impact. Teams are killing us on third and long - I heard yesterday on the radio that teams convert third and long against the Chiefs almost 50% of the time. The league average is 19%. Wow. The opposing QB has all day to throw, although some of those long conversions have been on simple draw plays. On the other side, Turk McBride seems to be improving, which makes Hali's play all the more confusing to me. I think Glenn Dorsey will be an impact player at his position and certainly am not willing to label him a draft bust, defensive tackles generally don't make a great splash at the start of their careers.

When rebuilding is this painful, how long can the coach survive?

• As I said before, I knew this would be a tough process. Now that Croyle is done, it's even scarier to imagine the possibility of Thigpen playing for the rest of the year. The youth movement is the right way to go, but will Herm be around to see it to the end? A franchise quarterback is absolutely crucial to the plan, and we're certainly back to square one in that regard. Clark Hunt has publicly backed Herm, while giving considerably less love to Carl Peterson. I wonder what the chances are of having a new president and a new GM next year (very likely), as well as seeing Bill Cowher's trademark grimace on the Chiefs sideline?


I'll eagerly watch the rest of the year and see what decisions Clark makes. But regardless of the outcome, it won't ruin any of my Mondays.