9 posts tagged “dwayne”
I’m going to open this by admitting that I was wrong. I was wrong! It seems Tamba Hali cannot even win against a back up offensive tackle. And it also seems Larry Johnson is being paid millions of dollars because he earned two whole yards. Yet he’s upset that the Chiefs put Charles as the running back in the fourth quarter. I have a lot I want to get off my mind, so I’m not wasting any time.
Let’s all admit the fact that today the Chiefs were awful on all three phases of the game. Offensively, this team either turned the ball over, or went three and out. The only time this offense began to get things going was in the fourth quarter in which the game was already over and the Panthers were just playing prevent defense. I won’t get on Gunther Cunningham’s back because this defense had to play for nearly 39 minutes and it’s been like that all year. While Dustin Colquitt competes with Tony Gonzalez to be the team MVP, Dantrell Savage gets a -10 yard punt return. Savage can make players miss, but he tries too hard as he keeps going side to side.
I have to credit the defense for their play. They gave up two some touchdowns early in the game, but they made up for their errors by forcing a fumble and intercepting a pass in the endzone while the Chiefs still had a chance to get back in the game. However, the Chiefs offense could not come up with anything as the score speaks for itself.
Let me start with Larry Johnson and let me remind you that he is coming off of a successful week while gathering 198 yards. Herb Taylor stepped up for Branden Albert as well. I felt that Carolina’s defense was as similar to Denver’s. It didn’t seem that way as Johnson only gained two yards off of seven carries. Johnson had tripled the amount of carries compared to the yardage he earned. Heck, Tony Gonzalez had more receptions than Johnson had total yards.
Damon Huard didn’t like he was prepared in this game as he threw two interceptions for 86 yards as he got beat up by the Panthers defensive line as well.
The only highlight in this game was Tony Gonzalez setting the record for most receiving yards by any tight end in NFL history. I have yet to see a congratulatory statement from Shannon Sharpe, even though we should not expect one out of him.
Overall, this team was just awful. This is the first time the Kansas City Chiefs got shut out since December of 2002 against the Oakland Raiders in the season finale. And there could have been a possibility that the Chiefs could have been shutout more than once this year. I have a lot on my mind to share throughout the week with you all. One thing I will say is, Herm Edwards no longer earns the right being the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. I’ll talk more about Edwards tomorrow. But for now, this is an embarrassing loss and Herm Edwards could find himself out of town before the next game as the Chiefs head into the bye week. I’ll have more tomorrow.
Huge win last week for Kansas City Chiefs fans. However, the Chiefs are 1-3 and have won one of their last 13 games. It’s time to get back on track as the Chiefs are getting ready to face a very fierce Panthers team as they currently hold a 3-1 record. Let’s see if the Chiefs can build off of what they did last Sunday.
Jake Delhomme has been the story for the Panthers so far this season. Despite only completing 60% of his passes, he has only thrown one interception. Delhomme also has four receivers with at least 10 receptions who all have over 100 yards. The hottest receiver, Steve Smith who is coming off of a two game suspension, has really been good as he has 10 receptions for 166 yards. He has an average of 16.6, better than anyone on the team. However, Delhomme may realize that he will need to get the ball out of his hands quickly as offensive tackles Jordan Gross and Jeff Otah are both out for this game. This gives the Chiefs defensive line to step up and put Delhomme under pressure. Quarterbacks realize that it’s safer to take the sack rather than throw the ball way. But they do it anyway. In Delhomme’s case, he is dealing with a minor thigh injury. Therefore, chances of him taking the sack are low as he’ll most likely throw the ball away, and you know what happens next. The rookie corners, Brandon Flowers and Brandon Carr have a chance to take over the spot light again. Don’t forget about Demorrio Williams either, who is replacing Donnie Edwards. Williams did a great job applying pressure on Jay Cutler forcing him to get rid of the ball quickly forcing incomplete passes. Expect a play from Gunther Cunningham’s play book which has Williams going after the QB. The Chiefs scored 13 points off of three of their four turnovers against the Broncos. The Chiefs have a very good shot at repeating what they did last week.
As much as I like Damon Huard and the way he comes through, I feel he will be limited in this game as Carolina as one of the best in the league against the pass. But never doubt Huard as he has Dwayne Bowe and Tony Gonzalez. However, like last week, the key to victory will be running with the football. I don’t know if we should expect another 198 yard performance, but we should very well expect another great game from LJ.
If both defenses have a hard time containing the offense, we may be in for a shoot out in Charlotte.
Key to victory:
--Turk ‘N’ Tank ‘N’ Tamba and Dorsey. Defensive line needs to take advantage as the Panthers offensive line is banged up.
--LJ. Despite Branden Albert is out, Herb Taylor has shown that he will make sure the value of this offensive line does not go down. Expect the Chiefs to run a lot. Herm won’t give the ball to LJ 30 times, at least I hope not. So expect Kolby Smith and Jamaal Charles to be involved in this game.
Chiefs win 34-31
I will be doing power rankings a little bit differently this time. Instead of ranking all 32 teams, I figured it’d be more interesting to just do the top 10 teams.
(last week)
1-Titans (2): This team is on fire right now and it’s going to take a lot of fire power to beat this defense. They are leading the NFL in interceptions and forced fumbles and third in sacks. The offense earns credit as well as the passing game is currently in an incipient phase.
2-Giants (3): Despite a no show last week, this team will move up since no other team really deserved this spot.
3-Bills (5): You really have to show the Bills some love as they’ve yet to lose a game when many predicted that this team would be on bottom of the AFC East.
4-Cowboys (1): The Cowboys are no longer the best team as they lost to a divisional opponent, who seems to always have the Cowboys number. The Redskins.
5-Chargers (4): They won, but it wasn’t a pretty win.
6-Redskins (16): I’ve been wrong about the Redskins and it’s time I give them credit. Jim Zorn has really done a great job so far as he’s lead this team to three straight victories.
7-Panthers (18): Now with Steve Smith back into action, this Panthers team is more dangerous as Jake Delhomme has a complete set of weapons.
8-Steelers (6): What seemed like a second straight loss, ended up being a comeback win into overtime.
9-Jaguars (13): The Jaguars look like they’ve found a rhythm after a slow start to the season.
10-Eagles (7): Tough loss to the Bears who were able to limit Donavon McNabb.
Goodbye to the—
Colts: What happened to this team? Is age really starting to get them? Let’s see how Tony Dungy used the bye week.
Vikings: The pass defense has improved, but it’s not enough as this team has only one win this year.
Patriots: This team looks desperate without Tom Brady
Another tough week for me as there were a lot of close games, here are my predictions.
Last week: 7-6
Season: 28-30
TEN @ BAL – TEN
KC @ CAR – KC
CHI @ DET – CHI
ATL @ GB – GB
IND @ HOU – HOU
SD @ MIA – SD
SEA @ NYG – NYG
WAS @ PHI – PHI
TB @ DEN – DEN
BUF @ ARI – BUF
CIN @ DAL – DAL
NE @ SF – NE
PIT @ JAC – PIT
MIN @ NO – MIN
Hope you guys enjoyed the read. I’ll post after the Chiefs game with some post-game comments.
So this was the scene heading into week four. The Chiefs were 0-3, coming off of a 12 game losing streak since last October and the Broncos were 3-0. However, the Chiefs were able to win against all odds while hosting their bitter rivals. And anytime you pull the upset against your bitter rivals in front of your fans, the level of confidence will sky rocket. I’ll tell you what, as a die-hard Chiefs fan, yesterday felt like Christmas in Kansas City. I almost forgot what winning felt like until yesterday afternoon.
While the Denver Broncos were the hottest offense, they also had the coldest defense. This past Sunday, they were cold on both sides of the ball. After a huge block by Damien McIntosh, an offensive lineman who hasn’t been so bright for Kansas City, Larry Johnson earned himself 65 yards, the longest of his career. The Chiefs got a field goal off of that long run. Not bad so far.
After a nice pass to Brandon Marshall, Turk McBride’s hustle forced Marshall to fumble to football to allow rookie Brandon Carr recover the ball. The Chiefs were able to get another field goal following the turnover. Jay Cutler did not let the Chiefs smile for long as he started to get the Broncos going on a hot drive, which eventually lead to a Brandon Marshall touchdown over Brandon Carr. Cutler tried to get the offense to click again after a short pass to Marshall, but Derrick Johnson tackled Marshall hard popping the ball out as the other rookie cornerback, Brandon Flowers picked up the ball and took it to the two yard line. The Broncos were able to bounce back and get themselves a field goal before halftime.
The score was 13-10 heading into the half as the Broncos should have tied the game if it wasn’t for a chip shot missed field goal by Matt Prater. After a field goal by both teams, the action picked up in the boring third quarter as Derrick Johnson picked off Cutler. Despite Larry Johnson fumbling right after the Derrick Johnson fumble, Cutler threw two straight interceptions, this time to rookie Carr. The Chiefs were able to pull off a victory with a Tony Gonzalez touchdown, who is three yards shy of breaking Shannon Sharpe’s record for most receiving yards by any tight end in NFL history. Larry Johnson also got back into the endzone twice for the first time since 1/1/07 in Dick Vermeil’s final NFL game. “It felt good,” said Johnson. “At first I was thinking I should have been in there the first couple of drives. But we kept fighting and T Herb Taylor did an excellent job coming in filling in for T Branden Albert. To be able to put the ball in there twice, especially at that crucial time in the game, that’s how you want to end the game.”
Johnson also had a total of 198 rushing yards off of 28 carries with a 7.1 yard per carry average. This is the old Larry Johnson all the fans wanted to see, and their money was worth it as Larry Johnson is leading the entire AFC in rushing yards. LJ also is third overall in the NFL in rushing.
Larry Johnson did an outstanding job, but he didn’t do it all alone. The rookie cornerbacks and the rest of that defense were on fire as well limiting Jay Cutler to his success despite his 361 yards passing. “I thought our corners did a pretty good job on the receivers,” said head coach Herm Edwards. “Denver passed the ball some but (CB Brandon) Carr and (CB Brandon) Flowers – two rookie corners – did a good job. The one touchdown pass (by Denver) in the end zone was a big time catch and the young (corner) came back and intercepted one later.” Brandon Flowers was also going up against a close friend of his from college, Eddie Royal.
The locker room was full of smiles as the music was playing during the celebration. Even former Chief who got cut this past week, Jason Dunn, showed up to visit his teammates.
Like I said earlier, many Chiefs fans including myself forgot what it felt like winning a game. Kansas City finally won by snapping our 12 game losing streak against our undefeated rivals at home. Larry Johnson is now on top of the AFC in rushing. Could this have played out any better?
Winning was a huge Christmas gift that came early for Chiefs fans this year. The reason Kansas City hasn’t won a game in a while is because of the dull performances of Tyler Thigpen and Brodie Croyle. Anytime Damon Huard starts a game and finishes, the Chiefs find success. Unlike last year, Huard is working with improved and better football players than last year. This was his first time starting a game and playing all the way until the end. There is no question in my mind that if he started and finished the games against New England and Oakland, that this team would be in talks of possibly winning a division. I never want to hear Herm Edwards say that “Tyler Thigpen gives us the best chance to win.” That is not the truth as we all know. I would be really stunned if Croyle replaces Huard if this team continues its success.
Overall, awesome win for Kansas City and I hope each and every Chiefs fan is smiling right now.
—I normally don’t tell you what I will write about next time, but this will be one of few times. Tomorrow I’m going to write about Shannon Sharpe and why I’ve had enough of his pompous attitude.
This has been an ultra busy week for me and I apologize for you readers. This is my first year trying out a writing blog. I use to be active with doing video blogs on youtube, until I learned how to do a podcast/internet radio shows. But I’m trying to expand myself as much as possible and I appreciate you guys bearing with me. And some good information you might want to know: There is a possibility I may begin blogging for a certain website that I will not name incase things do not go as planned.
In this entry, I will have my Chiefs and Broncos preview as well as my power rankings and week four predictions.
So the Chiefs have lost their first three games of the season. Going back to last years nine game losing streak, they are on a 12 game losing streak. No matter who starts at the quarterback spot, it seems they either get hurt, or they are just awful, or in Brodie Croyle’s case, both. And they are going to host their bitter rivals, the Denver Broncos who are 3-0 and the hottest team offensively. Do I expect the Broncos to win like most people? Yes, however, I think this will be somewhat of a respectable game.
While the Chiefs defense has not been able to keep games close, they haven’t really gotten blown out yet. They’ve played against teams who have young and inexperienced quarterbacks. This week is not the case as Jay Cutler, who is second in passing yards with 914 and has a QB rating of 110.6 which is the third best in the NFL after three weeks. Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page better be ready to play good coverage, because if they can’t, then this will be a long game for the defense. And if you thought their performance against Matt Ryan was awful, just wait until you see this game.
The Chiefs offense currently is under construction as they’ve had three QB’s start in three games. Damon Huard will get his second start of the season as he started in week two against Oakland. Huard went two for four and threw a pass to Devard Darling, who could not contain possession of the ball as it got intercepted by the Raiders. Huard left the game early because of an injury. No one knows what the injury really was because it seems everyone in the locker room is saying something different. Huard as the quarterback puts a smile to many faces in Kansas City, and it also gives Tony Gonzalez some faith as he as stated before that he has a decent history playing with Huard as they have a ‘connection’ on the field. While the Broncos have been impressive on offense, their defense has been ugly this year. Denver is the worst team against the pass, and with a quarterback like Huard, I expect Huard to have an easy time getting the ball to Gonzalez and Dwayne Bowe. The Broncos are 15th in the NFL against run, so the Chiefs will need to work hard on creating holes for Larry Johnson.
Overall, I can see this game turning into a shootout as Damon Huard and Jay Cutler show off their arms at Arrowhead Stadium. Despite the poor play of the Chiefs lately, I think Chiefs fans who plan to attend the game this week are in for a good one. I don’t expect the Chiefs to pull an upset, but I do expect them to make this a close contest. If they end up getting throttled by the Broncos defense, then that will send a message that this team will not be able to capture a victory. Broncos win it 38-31.
( ) = Last weeks ranking
1-Cowboys (2): Welcome to the number one spot Dallas! The Cowboys have stepped up as a team as all their playmakers have been playing with a swagger. The Cowboys went to Green bay and defeated the Packers as they’ve made it clear that they are the best team in the NFC. Are they the best in the NFL? I think so.
2-Titans (4): I really have been impressed with the Titans this year. I’ve always been afraid of the defensive line, and with the addition of Jevon Kearse, this line is more freighting with Vanden Bosch and Haynesworth. While Cortland Finnegan and Michael Griffin combine for seven interceptions (best in the NFL), the guys in front have 11 sacks (third best in the NFL.) Offensively, this team has a great rookie at running back in Chris Johnson. Don’t forget about LenDale White either. As far as the QB position, as long as Kerry Collins is winning, there is no need to wait for Vince Young.
3-Giants (5): The defending Super Bowl champs have been doing the same thing all year as John Carney kicked the game winning field goal in overtime to continue the success.
4-Chargers (8): After two tough losses, the Chargers came out this week with a message against Brett Favre and the New York Jets.
5-Bills (9): This has been the team that has surprised me the most. I never ignored the fact that they have two very good running backs, but it seems many people, including myself, were not aware that this Buffalo team had a secret weapon in Trent Edwards.
6-Steelers (3): This defense is starting to slip after being the best last year. If you thought the Eagles and offense was good, wait until they meet Baltimore, Jacksonville and many others. The offensive line also needs to recover after that awful blocking game from last week.
7-Eagles (10): The Eagles have been very impressive as they were able to limit the Steelers last week. McNabb did not have his greatest game, but the defense was their to make up for it all.
8-Colts (6): When it seemed like they were about to win, Josh Scobee was the hero for the Jags. Peyton Manning also needs to regain himself as he has more interceptions than he has touchdowns at the moment.
9-Vikings (11): With Gus Frerotte leading the way, this team might begin to win some games. The defense is also starting to come together as well.
10-Patriots (1): At home, against the Miami Dolphins, the Patriots simply got beat up by Ronnie Brown. Is Matt Cassel going to be able to help the Patriots this year?
11-Packers (7): What was expected to be a big prime time game turned into a blowout at Lambeau Field. Aaron Rodgers suffered his first career loss as a starter.
12-Broncos (15): Jay Cutler is emerging as the Broncos are one of the hottest offenses right now. But this team can be defeated if they play a team with a better offense.
13-Jaguars (16): When everything looked dim, Josh Scobee brought a bright light for Jaguar fans winning their first game of the season on the road.
14-Buccannears (19): Scored 27 points against a good Chicago defense and survived a close one.
15-Saints (12): It’s nice to see that Drew Brees can be a valuable fantasy player, however, it did not help the Saints this week against the Broncos. This defense needs to step up if they want to win.
16-Redskins (20): Won against an unproven Arizona Cardinals team, now lets see if they can beat Dallas, a team that has proven themselves.
17-Seahawks (18): A win is a win, but it may not be much to brag about. They beat the Rams after all.
18-Panthers (14): Blew a lead against the winless Minnesota Vikings, allowing them to win their first game of the season.
19-Jets (13): The future hall of fame QB, Brett Favre, has not been a big asset to the Jets so far. However, he is not the only one struggling.
20-Cardinals (17): Despite the tough loss, they are still on top of the NFC West along with the 49ers.
21-Falcons (23): Matt Ryan and Michael Turner continue to impress the world as they win two games. Do the Falcons have a nice future? I think so.
22-Ravens (25): The offense has been doing pretty well with Joe Flacco under center, but the defense deserves more credit for this strong start.
23-49ers (26): Great start to the season, lets see if they can keep it up.
24- Dolphins (30): This team has gone through so much pain and misery. For them to go at New England and destroy the Patriots is just huge. Ronnie Brown should be proud of himself and so should every Dolphin fan. But was this major luck, or are the Dolphins beginning to step up?
25-Texans (21): I guess I was wrong about this team, but there is no question in my mind that Andre Johnson is a monster when given a good QB.
26- Browns (22): Derek Anderson might have been a one year wonder. Is the Brady Quinn era about to be reticent?
27-Lions (29): A major loss to the 49ers, but Lions fans have a reason to celebrate as Matt Millen has finally been fired!
28-Bears (27): Chicago could not hang on against Tampa Bay. At least the Cubs won the division.
29-Bengals (24): Chad Johnson seems like he knows numbers in Spanish. Does he know how to say 0-3 in Spanish?
30-Raiders (28): Lost a very close one to the Bills. I just wanted to see the Raiders win so I can see everyone in the media freak out for the Raiders being above .500.
31-Rams (31): The Rams have Trent Green starting this week, who is very familiar with the Al Saunders offense. Last year with the Redskins, Todd Collins stepped up and had to play an offense he was familiar with as a backup and he succeeded. I expect Trent to help the Rams win a game.
32- Chiefs (32): This team needs a new coaching staff as the current staff really has no idea what they are doing. And they are the team with the best draft. What have any of the rookies done so far?
I recovered well after a nightmare the previous week
Last week: 10-6
Season: 21-24
ATL @ CAR—CAR
CLE @ CIN—CIN
HOU @ JAC—JAC
DEN @ KC—DEN
SF @ NO—SF
ARI @ NYJ—NYJ
GB @ TB—GB
MIN @ TEN—TEN
SD @ OAK—SD
BUF @ STL—BUF
WAS @ DAL—DAL
PHI @ CIN—PHI
BAL @ PIT—PIT
Tom Brady goes down, but the Patriots still survive a tough one. In this blog entry, I run down the game and after that, I’ll give you my opinion on this game from top to bottom. I also have a message for Randy Moss!
Heading into this game, the Chiefs were heavy under dogs and many felt the Patriots would win and cover the point spread. That wasn’t the case early in the game as Wes Welker fumbles in the first drive of the game recovered by the Kansas City. In the second drive of the game, Brady threw a pass to Randy Moss. However, Moss trips and fumbles on his own and Kansas City took advantage of the fumble and took over again. As Brady got the pass off to Moss, safety Bernard Pollard applied pressure on Brady and knocked him down by the foot, causing an injury. Many, including Moss himself, felt Pollard’s hit was dirty. I taped the game and watched it in slow motion and I have to say, the hit looked clean. According to Yahoo.com and NFL Network, Brady is out for the season as the Patriots are bringing in some QB’s Monday for a work out. The Patriots offense also had six fumbles last year, they had two tonight.
Despite the Chiefs recovering the two fumbles, they could not score in either of the two drives as they were given a pair golden opportunities to get a head start. The Chiefs punted on 4th down as Dustin Colquitt does what he does best when he is told to punt the ball. Bernard Pollard picked up the punt at the two yard line. After two running plays for negative yardage, Matt Cassel, Brady’s replacement, comes in on 3rd down and throws a 51 yard pass to Randy Moss. Eventually, Cassel found Moss in the endzone to score the first points of the game. Moss also hit the 100 yard mark in the second quarter. After Nick Novak’s 40 yard field goal, the Chiefs were heading into halftime trailing 7-3. Dwayne Bowe had a tough time in this game as he dropped many passes including a key pass thrown to him on 3rd down and a screen pass attempt to him. The Chiefs play calling was ludicrous as it seemed the plan was run, run, pass and punt, like last year. Not to mention a lot of Larry Johnson’s run was up the middle. Anytime Johnson ran to the outside, which rarely happened, he made a lot out of that. Also in the third quarter, Brodie Croyle was taken away from the game after taking a big sack. Damon Huard was his replacement as Croyle is expected to be out 2-4 weeks.
The Patriots continued to attack the Chiefs with Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris run the ball finding the Chiefs weak spot on defense. Morris scored a touchdown on the ground extending the lead for the Patriots making it a 14-3 game. After dropping many passes, Bowe made up for his errors after a touchdown pass from Damon Huard in the following drive. Late in the fourth quarter, Stephen Gostkowski got a 37 yard field goal to extend the lead by a touchdown. The Patriots were able to get the field goal off of an interception by Huard thrown into double coverage. Huard finds former Baltimore Raven, Devard Darling for 68 yards as the Patriots stopped him at the five yard line, being his only catch the entire game. The Chiefs had 4 chances to get a touchdown. Damon Huard throws a beautiful pass to Bowe, but Bowe cannot hold on to the ball. The Chiefs run it with Johnson and for no gain which makes me want to ask, is Mike Solari still on the team? Huard throws a pass, but was incomplete as the Patriots almost intercepted it. On one final play, Huard throws right to Dwayne Bowe, but was beautifully covered by Delta O’Neal, sealing the game in Foxboro.
Offensively, the Chiefs put up a good fight (with Huard) against a very good defense. However, the play calling is still no different than last year. It felt like watching Mike Solari run the plays. I thought in the pre-season Chan Gailey proved to everyone that this is not going to look anything like Solari. Johnson and Charles did well together, but they could have been explosive together if the coaching staff was smarter. Dwayne Bowe was the weakest link as he dropped many passes as the biggest dropped pass came in the fourth quarter. I’ve always supported Damon Huard because anytime Croyle gets hurt, it seems like Huard comes in and finds the door to success. I loved Branden Albert’s blocking ability as well.
I’m not going to judge this defense so much since Brady did not play, but for a team that has Moss, Welker, Maroney and Morris, the Chiefs did great holding this team to only 17 points. How many teams did that last year? Brandon Carr and Brandon Flowers both were average in this game as both made rookie mistakes and got burned a couple times. That’s just something they will have to learn from and move on with. The same goes to Glenn Dorsey who did not have a big game.
Randy Moss was pretty upset with the hit on Brady and called it a “dirty” hit. He followed up by saying that he has NEVER been dirty. Well folks do I need remind you how dirty Moss can be? Remember the time he went out of bounds on purpose during a Vikings game? What about the time he pretended to pull his pants down and mooned the Green Bay fans in a playoff game? And if those aren’t dirty, how about the time Moss was accused of battery before the Super Bowl? That was the second time he was accused for an incident like that. Mr. Moss should think twice what he says next time. He has no room to go calling Pollard or Pollard’s hit “dirty.” I can keep going ladies and gentleman, but hopefully you get the picture.
Overall, not bad by the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that was expected to be one-sided with or without Brady. The Chiefs had four chances to score in the endzone at the end of the game on the five yard line, and could not do anything. The play calling needs to change because it’s no different than last season. This is the tenth straight loss for Herm Edwards and the Kansas City Chiefs. Will it be 11 in Oakland?
I just want to say, Christmas has arrived!
The Patriots will aim for their 20th straight win in the regular season. Their last loss in the regular season was at Miami in a 21-0 shutout. The Dolphins defense pounded Tom Brady all day as he played very poorly, which you rarely see out of the MVP. Coming off of a 16-0 season as Super Bowl runner ups after failing to go 19-0, the Patriots will come into this game with a statement to re-attempt their undefeated streak. Tom Brady has said that he will start tomorrow against the Chiefs. The Chiefs second first round pick, Branden Albert, has been practicing and will be ready to start as well.
Let’s face it as Chiefs fans. The Patriots will win the game and the main reason for that is because of the amount of inexperienced players the Chiefs have. Their will be many players starting for the first time in their career tomorrow at Foxboro. The Patriots have a strong defense and will put Brodie Croyle under a lot of pressure, unless this Chiefs offensive line can protect Croyle. If Croyle has the time and protection, then he will get the ball to Tony Gonzalez and Dwayne Bowe as Ellis Hobbs and Terrence Wheatley will have a lot to worry about. If the line can block, then that means Larry Johnson has a shot to get 100 rushing yards for the second time on opening day, his first against the Jets in 2005 with 110 yards rushing. However, my expectations are not very high for this offense line. It will be up to the offensive line if the Chiefs want to be a threat on offense.
Switching to the other side of the football, you have a young, but physical group of defenders against the number one offense. With Brandon Flowers making his debut, Tom Brady should not have a tough time getting the ball to Randy Moss. Glenn Dorsey and Tamba Hali will try to mimic the New York Giants into putting Brady under pressure. If they can do that, the Patriots offense might be in trouble. If Dorsey and Hali (and Turk McBride and Tank Tyler) continue to physically attack Brady, then there is a chance Brady might leave the game, giving the Chiefs a chance to win!
The Chiefs are 16.5 point under dogs and that should not come as a surprise to anyone. But if the Chiefs defensive line can put Brady under pressure and if the Chiefs offensive line can block, then we have ourselves a game at Gillette Stadium.
There are several things you can make judgments on when you watch preseason games. For example, the play calling last week against Chicago was beautiful. It was better than anything last year. In the first drive, Brodie Croyle helped the Chiefs dominate in the first drive going five for five on third down. Croyle could not do it on his own, so he needed some help. Rookie players made an impact on that first drive. Croyle completed a pass to running back Jamaal Charles, tight end Brad Cottam and wide receiver Will Franklin. Croyle also found Dwayne Bowe in the first drive. After all the success in the first drive, the “centaur,” Larry Johnson got in the endzone after missing eight games from last season. However, there was a pretty big negative I need to point out that I think is okay to judge on despite it’s a preseason game. Larry Johnson’s blocking. It’s clear that LJ shows little to no effort while blocking. The good part is, Larry still has three games to improve in that area before it really matters.
See, you can make some clear assumptions for preseason games. Yes, preseason DOES MATTER! Do the wins? Absolutely not. For teams like Indianapolis, New England, Pittsburgh and several other teams, preseason is not a big deal to them as they only have few players to evaluate. And a majority of the players are from the third unit. Teams like Kansas City, a team that lost nine straight last season to finish the season, need the preseason to evaluate a lot of players. A couple wins in the preseason would be nice. But I know people who think the Chiefs will go 10-6 because of their performance against the Bears. So can I assume the Ravens will go 16-0 after beating the Patriots in a preseason game?
My point is, preseason victories are not a big deal. However, the performances of the players who are battling for a key spot on the team do matter. That’s why coaches like the preseason. They use that time to evaluate their players.
As for Chad Pennington, I said this on my show but, he would not come to Kansas City because it would not fit Herm’s youth movement and the fact that this has been shaped as Brodie Croyle’s football team. He is already given the spot. I would like Pennington still as I feel he would benefit the Chiefs as a backup, but Pennington wants to start and he will get that shot in Miami. And good job by the Packers for trading Favre. They promised Rodgers the starting spot and he has waited long enough.
I’ll talk to you guys tomorrow to talk about other Chiefs topics. Have a nice day!
About a week ago, NBC Action News reporter and anchor, Lance Veeser was standing outside of the Chiefs practice facility talking about Dwayne Bowe and how he continues talking about the “Bowe Show.” Before the package rolls, Veeser says “check it out.” He pulls a remote from his back pocket, points at the camera and pushes a button to lead to the Bowe package.
The package shows interviews with Bowe on the field at Arrowhead after the open mini camp to the public and an interview in the locker room. Bowe was being funny, as always, saying he did not want to get a lot of attention his rookie year, that way he will get better in his second year. Bowe lead all first year receivers in receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns and several other receiving categories in 2007. Bowe was also a candidate for rookie of the year. The former LSU standout did not play football until he was a junior in high school. Lately, you hear a lot of stories of athletes that have never played a sport until their junior year of high school and they become so successful now these days. You have to be on heck of an athlete to dominate with less experience. Many pro athletes knew they would be in the big leagues when they were about five or six. Bowe did not play until his junior year because he was taking care of his younger siblings until he felt they could take care of them selves.
Last season, Bowe had two touchdowns in week two at Chicago. One got called back because of an illegal shift on offense. The following week, the Chiefs trailed against the Minnesota Vikings 10-0. After two Dave Rayner field goals, Huard threw a fifteen yard pass to the left side of the end zone towards Bowe. Bowe was very successful in the same drive so far, now all he had to do was end the drive successfully. Cornerback Cedric Griffin leaped in the air thinking he was going to intercept the pass. Bowe jumps up in the air behind Griffin to snag the ball away, as Griffin falls to the ground as Bowe catches his first and only touchdown at Arrowhead Stadium. Bowe was voted as NFL rookie of the week on NFL.com by the fans as the Chiefs won scoring thirteen unanswered points and winning their first game of the season. Heading into week four, the Chiefs were traveling to San Diego to face their rivals, the Chargers. The Chiefs were also the biggest underdogs out of any other NFL team heading into the week. The Chargers took a 10-0 lead. This 10-0 start occurred against the Chiefs in the first five games of the season. But things began to change as Huard throws a long pass to Tony Gonzalez. Larry Johnson also had his first 100-yard game of the season. The Chiefs and Chargers were tied at sixteen a piece, not until Huard throws a short slant to Dwayne Bowe who god held and ran for fifty-one yards. Mitch Holthus, voice of the Chiefs yelled “Touchdown KAN-SAS-CITY” followed by a “Hello D-Bo!” Tyron Brackenridge, a rookie free agent also recovered a fumble and took it all the way for a touchdown to put away the Chargers, as Charger fans started chanting “Marty” who got fired by the Chargers. The Chiefs went on to pull the upset and on top of that, Dwayne Bowe was the second best receiver out of ANY NFL wide receiver!
Bowe continued being a dominant player as he continued to throttle the opponents secondary. Bowe was also open many times in the end zone, but his quarterbacks were not aware of him being available to throw to in the end zone. But with a better offensive line, there is no excuse for Brodie to miss Bowe. Bowe has continued working hard this off season. He has had the opportunity to meet his fans in several events as the fans have given him a lot of support, and Bowe loves his fans. At the first Chiefs Total Access Tour at the Nelson Atkins Museum, Bowe said he is going to catch ninety passes, for 1300 yards and grab nine touchdowns. Dante Hall was a great 82 and everyone will remember him. But there is a new 82 in town who will be a big impact player for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Darren McFadden has been signed to a 6 year deal in which he’ll earn $60 million. McFadden might not have been the best selection for the Raiders, but he will still be a big force on that rebuilding offense. The Chiefs on the other hand have yet to sign the pair of first rounders they got.
Carl Peterson has said that he is in talks with Glenn Dorsey’s agent, but it’s just talk, no agreements yet. It’s really important Dorsey, Branden Albert, Brandon Flowers and all the other draft picks get signed before July 25th, the start of training camp. The Chiefs obviously had the best draft this year, so it’s really important that Peterson signs these guys before camp. Especially since this is going to be a rebuilding year. You want all your players in attendance, or else the rebuilding process will be slow.
Dwayne Bowe had an outstanding season last year, but he did hold out for a small part of training camp. If he took part in all of training camp, chances are he would have had a better year and maybe over 1’000 yards. Bowe was just five yards shy of 1’000.
The way Peterson has handled contracts and players in the past brings fear to others that the Chiefs may not have Dorsey by the start of training camp. Call me crazy, but I think Peterson will sign everyone before the kickoff of camp. Peterson has to realize he’s in the hot seat and there is no question in my mind that Clark Hunt is keeping a close eye on Peterson. When your team is known as the team with the best draft, you have to have all your players ready by day one. The Chiefs could not have asked for a better draft and it’s important that they take advantage of this. If Peterson wants to see this franchise make a big turn around from last season, then it’s up to him to sign his players!
Tomorrow I will be at Arrowhead Stadium for the big practice. I will take a camera with me and try to get some photos. There is going to be an interview session with Herm Edwards so I will also try to get that. No talk about a player yet. I also have interviews with several rookies and free agents who joined the Chiefs this past off season such as Brandon Flowers, Brad Cottam, Nick Novak, Devard Darling and more. To hear all of those interviews, check out the “Chiefs Endzone Show” on TheSportsStuff.com and on the itunes music store. I will come back tomorrow with a report giving a review of the practice session from Arrowhead. Everyone have a good weekend.
