The Kansas City Chiefs certainly do remind me of a roller coaster. When you’re up at the top, everything looks great. You can see for miles around and everything below you becomes an afterthought.
For instance, when the Chiefs won the division in 2010 before the last week of the season, it seemed like they were going to be real contenders in the playoffs. That was the top of that part of the roller coaster and that’s when the downswing started. After getting annihilated by the Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens back-to-back, the Chiefs had a questionable training camp and a dismal beginning to the 2011 season, getting outscored 89-10.
The Chiefs went on to lead the division, if only for a little while, after four straight victories. That was definitely a high point because the state of the season would further deteriorate to the point of former head coach Todd Haley being fired.
After that, the Chiefs went on to win two of three games to end the season, falling just short of the playoffs. Since then, the Chiefs had a seemingly-solid training camp with a few bumps here and there and it looked as if the team was ready to begin contending this season for a division title after beating the Arizona Cardinals fairly- handily.
Then we soon find out, as it turns out, that Arizona just isn’t that good–as if we didn’t know that. The St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks rip the Chiefs a new one in back-to-back weeks and Kansas City’s fanbase has to constantly remind itself that the preseason doesn’t count. Although these numerous ups and downs are not exclusive to the Chiefs, it’s an interesting pattern, is it not? The Chiefs hope to come out of this latest negative stretch when they take on the Green Bay Packers in the most meaningless preseason game of the year.
That, in itself, is interesting too. This last game is supposed to be a meaningless game where the starters hardly see the field, if at all. Yet, there’s talk that the Chiefs starters could play a lot more in this game than you would normally expect to see starters on other teams play in a game like this. I find this problematic.
Instead of using this game to answer questions about backup positions, this game is being billed as a tune-up game and a motivator for the starters. A motivator? What exactly motivates you, if you’re the Chiefs starters, about hopefully beating the snot out of Green Bay’s second and third-stringers? If you do win that game, it doesn’t affirm anything except that your starting lineup can hang around and compete against the scrubs of the league, in which case, congratulations? But what if Kansas City manages to lose that game? Wouldn’t that actually serve as a confidence killer?
I’m not exactly sure what to say about this game, except that I can’t wait to get it over with so we can start looking towards the Atlanta Falcons game. The reason I tune in to this game at all on Thursday is to see how the backups are coming along and who likely wins what backup role. I don’t think our starters, like Matt Cassel, Jamaal Charles, Peyton Hillis and so on down the line should be playing in this game at all, especially after what happened last year with Tony Moeaki.
In fact, I’d trot Brady Quinn out there right away to give him as much time as I could out on the field to get his last game reps before the season starts. I understand the confidence thing. You want your guys to gain more confidence in their abilities going in to a very tough season-opener. But do you get that against Green Bay’s backups? I don’t know about that.
Question for the readers: Do you get amped up at all for the last preseason game of the year? Do you tune in at all? Why?
Thank you for reading, and as always, be respectful if you comment.
2012年8月28日星期二
Chiefs notes: Hali to play normal role in last preseason game
In obvious preparation for the Sept. 9 season opener against Atlanta,
the Chiefs withheld linebacker Tamba Hali at times from practice this
week. Hali won’t play against the Falcons that day because of his
one-game NFL suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse
policy.
But coach Romeo Crennel said Hali would play his normal role in the final preseason game Thursday night against the Packers in Green Bay.
“He’s a football player and he wants to play football, so we will let him play, but I think we will keep him on the same schedule that we keep the starters on,’’ Crennel said. “We will not give him any more or any less. Because he is a starter, I don’t think you want to expose him (to injury) more than you want to expose your other starters.
“We’ll deal with his circumstance next week.’’
The Chiefs had a variety of players filling in for Hali on Monday, including Andy Studebaker, Cameron Sheffield and Edgar Jones, who was signed as a free agent shortly after the start of training camp.
Crennel said those other players would still be able to prepare even though Hali will play.
“They’ve been here the whole time,’’ Crennel said. “If it were a guy who has not been here, like Jones, then you might say we should give Jones more work because he’s learning the system and all. But he’s picking up things pretty nicely, and he’s working hard in practice so I don’t think taking Tamba out will increase Jones’ effectiveness that much more.
“We’ve got that group and they all work well together, and (when) Tamba’s not here, those other guys will have to step up.’’
Flowers picks it up
Starting cornerback Brandon Flowers still isn’t practicing and won’t play in Green Bay. Flowers hasn’t played in a preseason game or even practiced with the Chiefs since injuring his foot July 31.
But he was more active at practice Tuesday than he had been since the injury. Flowers did some light jogging off to the side and also did some cutting and backpedaling. That may mean nothing, or it could suggest Flowers is getting ready to try to play in the opener against Atlanta.
Following Thursday’s game, the Chiefs don’t resume practice until Monday.
Flowers has been a consistent observer at practice since the injury but had been reduced to little but standing on the sideline.
A sense of urgency
Crennel acknowledged that the Chiefs, after their dismal game against Seattle last week, need to get more things accomplished against Green Bay than is normal for the final preseason game. Usually, the only goal of that last exhibition game is to emerge without significant injury.
He suggested how long the starters play could be tied to how productive they are.
“If they go out there and they operate efficiently, then I might be inclined to say, ‘Well, we’ve done something good,’ and if we don’t do anything good, I might say, ‘We need to do something good,’ to build up that confidence level,’’ Crennel said.
“You can go out and you can stink the place up and then you can take your starters out, and sometimes that will carry over to the regular season. So, that is one of the reasons that I mentioned to you I want to be efficient and look good, and if we can get that one done, it’s easier to take them out at that time.”
But coach Romeo Crennel said Hali would play his normal role in the final preseason game Thursday night against the Packers in Green Bay.
“He’s a football player and he wants to play football, so we will let him play, but I think we will keep him on the same schedule that we keep the starters on,’’ Crennel said. “We will not give him any more or any less. Because he is a starter, I don’t think you want to expose him (to injury) more than you want to expose your other starters.
“We’ll deal with his circumstance next week.’’
The Chiefs had a variety of players filling in for Hali on Monday, including Andy Studebaker, Cameron Sheffield and Edgar Jones, who was signed as a free agent shortly after the start of training camp.
Crennel said those other players would still be able to prepare even though Hali will play.
“They’ve been here the whole time,’’ Crennel said. “If it were a guy who has not been here, like Jones, then you might say we should give Jones more work because he’s learning the system and all. But he’s picking up things pretty nicely, and he’s working hard in practice so I don’t think taking Tamba out will increase Jones’ effectiveness that much more.
“We’ve got that group and they all work well together, and (when) Tamba’s not here, those other guys will have to step up.’’
Flowers picks it up
Starting cornerback Brandon Flowers still isn’t practicing and won’t play in Green Bay. Flowers hasn’t played in a preseason game or even practiced with the Chiefs since injuring his foot July 31.
But he was more active at practice Tuesday than he had been since the injury. Flowers did some light jogging off to the side and also did some cutting and backpedaling. That may mean nothing, or it could suggest Flowers is getting ready to try to play in the opener against Atlanta.
Following Thursday’s game, the Chiefs don’t resume practice until Monday.
Flowers has been a consistent observer at practice since the injury but had been reduced to little but standing on the sideline.
A sense of urgency
Crennel acknowledged that the Chiefs, after their dismal game against Seattle last week, need to get more things accomplished against Green Bay than is normal for the final preseason game. Usually, the only goal of that last exhibition game is to emerge without significant injury.
He suggested how long the starters play could be tied to how productive they are.
“If they go out there and they operate efficiently, then I might be inclined to say, ‘Well, we’ve done something good,’ and if we don’t do anything good, I might say, ‘We need to do something good,’ to build up that confidence level,’’ Crennel said.
“You can go out and you can stink the place up and then you can take your starters out, and sometimes that will carry over to the regular season. So, that is one of the reasons that I mentioned to you I want to be efficient and look good, and if we can get that one done, it’s easier to take them out at that time.”
2012年8月26日星期日
While there's reasonable hype surrounding the matchup of Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III on Saturday night, "Russellmania" was the highlight of Friday's NFL preseason action.
Rookie third-round quarterback Russell Wilson made a strong case to become the Seattle Seahawks' opening-day starter with his performance against a tough Kansas City Chiefs defense on the road at Arrowhead Stadium. Wilson (13-for-19, 185 yards, two touchdowns, two carries, 58 yards) continued to play like the heady, athletic, super-efficient passer he was in college. He wasn't rattled under pressure and made good decisions spreading the ball around to his receivers.
Wilson looked much steadier than Chiefs counterpart Matt Cassel, and probably even exceeded the expectations of Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. Seattle is looking smart for opening the QB race up early in the offseason. Even though there's good money invested in free-agent addition Matt Flynn, the fact Wilson sparked the team to a 44-14 victory can't be ignored.
Now it no longer will be surprising if Wilson joins Luck, Griffin, Ryan Tannehill and Brandon Weeden as rookie Week 1 No. 1s.
Nick Foles, taken in the same 2012 third round after Wilson by the Philadelphia Eagles, won't be starting again against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 9, but what he did against the Browns in Friday's 27-10 win likely secured his No. 2 job behind Michael Vick.
Given Vick has only made it through one regular season without missing a game, there's a good chance Foles will be thrust into first-string duty that counts at some point. Foles (12-for-19, 146 yards, two TDs) did his damage against a vanilla Browns defensive game plan, but his confidence and command of the Eagles' offense was evident.
He hasn't been the only pleasant rookie surprise in the passing game, either. Undrafted wideout Damaris Johnson (2 catches, 58 yards) will stick and have an impact on both the Eagles' spread-receiver sets and the return game.
Russell Wilson had another big night for the Seahawks and may have locked up the starting quarterback spot. (AP Photo)
Bang for the Bucs' newcomers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were aggressive in opening up their wallets and going after draft picks to help them right away. All their moves look like they will pay off handsomely.
Vincent Jackson keeps dazzling as Josh Freeman's new go-to wide receiver (3 catches for 49 yards in the 30-28 win over New England). The other big addition of Carl Nicks looks well timed, given the Bucs saw fellow Pro Bowl guard Davin Joseph go down with a left knee injury against the Patriots.
Tampa's two rookie first-rounders have already emerged has big contributors. Running back Doug Martin (16 touches, 65 yards from scrimmage) has locked up the feature role, and safety Mark Barron came through with an interception return touchdown against Tom Brady.
General manager Mark Dominik deserves a lot of credit, and new coach Greg Schiano's influence on the team's defense and discipline are also evident.
Vikings have a bumpy Kalil ride
Matt Kalil, the Minnesota Vikings' fourth overall pick at left tackle, has a little way to go before he can nail down the blindside pass protection in front of second-year quarterback Christian Ponder. Kalil got worked by Larry English (two sacks) and the San Diego Chargers' edge pass rush in 12-10 home loss.
Kalil is a strong, athletic lineman, but his footwork and technique are works in progress. He has the potential to be a great one, however, and he will get up to speed quickly facing Jared Allen flying at him in practice from left end all season.
2012年8月20日星期一
Kansas City Chiefs camp outlook
Editor's note: With offseason work across the league coming to an end, the focus shifts to the steamy summer workouts ahead. The countdown to training camp has begun. To get you fully primed for the preseason and beyond, Sporting News provides in-depth looks at all 32 teams leading into camps. Today: Kansas City Chiefs. Tuesday: San Diego Chargers.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Look for the defense to be well ahead of the offense when the Chiefs open training camp this week in St. Joseph, Mo. They went for continuity in the coaching staff as well as the roster on defense during the offseason, so the Chiefs don't have many issues that need to be resolved on that side of the ball.
Things are different on offense, where new coordinator Brian Daboll brings a system that will provide a steep learning curve for quarterback Matt Cassel and the rest of the players. The Chiefs will have to get running back Jamaal Charles and tight end Tony Moeaki back into the mix as well. Moeaki missed all of last season and Charles most of it because of knee injuries.
"I want the offense to be in place and the guys on the offensive side of the ball to know the terminology, to understand the philosophy and be able to execute the offense," coach Romeo Crennel said of his goals for training camp. "Defensively, I want to get to the point where our guys operate more efficiently as a unit."
What's new: Offense
The Chiefs could look different from week to week in Daboll's system, depending on their opponents' strengths and weaknesses. One thing that won't change is their reliance on the running game. The Chiefs led the league in rushing in 2010 and Daboll would like to get back to that level.
In addition to Charles and Moeaki, the Chiefs are integrating several new pieces into their offense. Among them: running back Peyton Hillis, tight end Kevin Boss, right tackle Eric Winston and center Rodney Hudson. This process could take time.
Hillis had his best pro season in 2010 when Daboll was his Cleveland Browns coordinator, so expect Hillis to bounce back from a disappointing season if he can stay healthy.
What's new: Defense
The Chiefs quietly finished last season with one of the league's best defenses. That improvement fueled many of their offseason decisions, the biggest being the one to promote coordinator Crennel to coach.
Crennel remains as the coordinator and the rest of the defensive staff returns intact, so there's reason to believe the Chiefs can have an elite defense again.
Nine starters return and the Chiefs moved quickly to replace those who didn't. Free-agent addition Stanford Routt will replace Brandon Carr at cornerback while Dontari Poe, the first-round pick, is the new nose tackle. Strong safety Eric Berry will return after missing almost all of last season with a knee injury.
Otherwise, the Chiefs will have a familiar look on defense.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Look for the defense to be well ahead of the offense when the Chiefs open training camp this week in St. Joseph, Mo. They went for continuity in the coaching staff as well as the roster on defense during the offseason, so the Chiefs don't have many issues that need to be resolved on that side of the ball.
Things are different on offense, where new coordinator Brian Daboll brings a system that will provide a steep learning curve for quarterback Matt Cassel and the rest of the players. The Chiefs will have to get running back Jamaal Charles and tight end Tony Moeaki back into the mix as well. Moeaki missed all of last season and Charles most of it because of knee injuries.
"I want the offense to be in place and the guys on the offensive side of the ball to know the terminology, to understand the philosophy and be able to execute the offense," coach Romeo Crennel said of his goals for training camp. "Defensively, I want to get to the point where our guys operate more efficiently as a unit."
What's new: Offense
The Chiefs could look different from week to week in Daboll's system, depending on their opponents' strengths and weaknesses. One thing that won't change is their reliance on the running game. The Chiefs led the league in rushing in 2010 and Daboll would like to get back to that level.
In addition to Charles and Moeaki, the Chiefs are integrating several new pieces into their offense. Among them: running back Peyton Hillis, tight end Kevin Boss, right tackle Eric Winston and center Rodney Hudson. This process could take time.
Hillis had his best pro season in 2010 when Daboll was his Cleveland Browns coordinator, so expect Hillis to bounce back from a disappointing season if he can stay healthy.
What's new: Defense
The Chiefs quietly finished last season with one of the league's best defenses. That improvement fueled many of their offseason decisions, the biggest being the one to promote coordinator Crennel to coach.
Crennel remains as the coordinator and the rest of the defensive staff returns intact, so there's reason to believe the Chiefs can have an elite defense again.
Nine starters return and the Chiefs moved quickly to replace those who didn't. Free-agent addition Stanford Routt will replace Brandon Carr at cornerback while Dontari Poe, the first-round pick, is the new nose tackle. Strong safety Eric Berry will return after missing almost all of last season with a knee injury.
Otherwise, the Chiefs will have a familiar look on defense.
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