Change is long overdue posted by Chris Burrill

Anybody who watches NASCAR will agree that change for the number 88 crew is long overdue.  They have proved it time and time again Dale Jr and Tony Eury Jr go together about as well as oil and water.  Mr Hendrick did well to replace him.  Dale Jr is a great driver however the point has been proven time and time again a great driver is only mediocre if his Crew chief is a moron.  Look at past champs Johnson and Stewart, without their crew chiefs they would have finished in the top 12 but not as champs.  Now only time will tell if the change can help Jr make a run at the chase or if it will only lead to another disappointing season.  Only one thing is certain right now the number 88 team can only improve.Continue reading "Change is long overdue"

Todd Haley has his plate full. Luckily it's not full of leftovers. posted by Chad Martin

Todd Haley has chance this year to prove to everybody he can be a head coach in the NFL.  However the chance he took is on a team that went 2-14 last season and couldn't ever seem to find rythem offensively.  I've got to give them man credit.  He's got a lot courage and confidence in himself to take the reigns over for a team that most coaches shyed away from leading last year.  Haley was in the spotlight last year around the time that him and wide reciever had gotten into on the sideline.  Haley seemed to handle the matter with good authority and that is exactly what we need in the Chiefs organization.

Last season Todd Haley and the Cardinals offense orchestrated an attack on the Steelers that I'm not sure they were ready for.  After the outcome they couldn't quite get the job done but that offense that Arizona ran in the 4th quater was a high powered, gun slinging, pass happy squad that nearly brought down the Steel Curtain.  Granted they did have maybe the best reciever in the game on the field, Larry Fitzgerald.  But just because the Chiefs don't posses some of the high talented tools that Haley had in Arizona we still have quite a few that could get us started out on the right foot such as Dwayne Bowe, Larry Johnson, and Jamal Charles.  With Haley's "in your face" approach to the game he could kick these young players into the shape they need to be to compete at a level he had the Cardinals at last season.

Haley won't get an easy start at his new job by any means this season.  His first test will be in Baltimore against the legendary Ravens' defense. He really did take on a tough job.  But at least if he wins more than two games he'd being doing better than the horrid Herm Edwards.  The Ravens defense lost a couple of their key players this offseason Bart Scott and Chris McCallister and their mastermind behind the stout defense, Rex Ryan.  However, the Ravens' D has remained impectable over the past ten years so I wouldn't be surprised to see them just as tough as ever.  But this is the year folks, I say it every year and I not going to stop now.  With all the additions to the organization, I can't help but to my head up high with optimism for next year when we'll have an offense that isn't as slow and defense that decides to move on third down.  Yes, ladies and gentleman you may call me crazy but I don't care because if there's one thing you have to call me it's a fan. A real fan. And I hope you all are as well and will be there with me this year yelling and screaming.  Through the good times and bad.  But no matter what stay loud and proud because no matter how good they'll be this year they'll always need they're 12th man.

The Center Conundrum posted by Justin Bahr

While the Bengal’s cut their most experienced Center in Eric Ghiaciuc, there seems to be some hope in the younger more inexperienced centers as well as the potential for an old favorite to return to Cincinnati.

The Kansas City Chiefs picked Ghiaciuc off of waivers after he wasn't re-signed by the Bengal’s, and like many Bengal’s fans the Chief’s are apprehensive about this “seasoned” center. Ghiaciuc’s slow footwork and size have come into question for the Chief’s scheme, yet due to the fact that he has started 42 games at center the Chiefs are also excited that he could help their offense.

With Ghiaciuc gone who will start for the Bengal’s at center this season? Chuck Ludwig seems to think an old Bengal favorite in Eric Steinbach will return to the starting guard role for the Bengal’s and possibly push Bobbie William's into the center role. He believes that the Browns new management, along with the expensive contract of Steinbach’s may cause him to be cut by the start of this year or potentially before the 2010 season.

 While I would love this to come true there are many holes in this theory. Steinbach is simply too good of a player for a team to simply drop, also if he were to be dropped why would he ever come back to a team that pretty much drove him out of town? Every Bengal fan now realizes that by re-signing Willie Anderson and Levi Jones to expensive long contracts and by keeping up no communication with Steinbach, was a humongous mistake. Yet the past is the past and we would definitely love to have him back, but why would he ever want to be a Bengal when many teams would also love to have his services?

Running Back Wish List… posted by Justin Bahr

With the release of Edgerrin James by the Arizona Cardinals, the Bengal’s may have a shot at picking up a veteran back that can backup Cedric Benson. Will they pull the trigger on this deal?... probably not. After the draft and release of Chris Perry, I highly doubt the Bengal’s will chase after a potentially washed out running back, yet I would applaud him being a Bengal.

If for some odd reason the Bengal’s chose to pick him up, it would probably mean that Kenny Watson’s days in Cincinnati are over. I would see the Bengal’s with a rotation of Benson, James, and Bernard Scott. DeDe Dorsey could potentially stay on the team for special teams and as a 4th option if needed.

James is definitely worth a gamble of picking up though, and ahs been a proven back for many years. In fact since 1999 (year he was drafted) he is 2nd in all yards from line of scrimmage only trailing LaDamian Tomlinson. Thus he would be one of the best backs the Bengal’s have ever seen on their team.

Yet, the Bengal’s wouldn’t be the only team interested in signing James. It appears a few Chief’s fans would welcome James to replace Larry Johnson, which if that would in fact take place I’d also take a chance at Larry Johnson joining the Bengal’s. Either way the Bengal’s would benefit form having an experienced “Boom” rusher in our backfield to help Benson carry the rushing load.

Breaking Down the Ravens Schedule, part I posted by Brent Englar

I haven't blogged since the Super Bowl, and I probably won't blog again for a while (at least not until the draft), but the 2009 schedule was just released, and it's worth taking a quick look at the way the upcoming season breaks down for the hometown team. One thing you can count on, there are games that look easy right now that will look a lot tougher when they get here, and there are games that look tough now that will end up looking much easier. The most one can do, therefore, is to say: IF LAST SEASON'S RESULTS CARRY OVER INTO NEXT SEASON ... which of course they never do.

Still, IF LAST SEASON'S RESULTS CARRY OVER INTO NEXT SEASON, here's how things look right now for the purple and black:

WEEK 1: VS CHIEFS (2008 record: 2-14): There aren't many sweeter ways to open the season than at home against the woeful Chiefs. Matt Cassel gets his first test right away, and even with our aforementioned caveat, a Chiefs win here would qualify as a major upset. Were this game in November or December I might temper my confidence (slightly), but in Week 1, for a team that last played in the AFC Championship game and blew out nearly every inferior team it played in 2008, anything less than total domination by the Ravens would be inexcusable.

WEEK 2: at San Diego (2008 record: 8-8): San Diego's no slouch, last year's .500 record notwithstanding. Presumably Shawne Merriman will be healthy, and they have the talent on both sides of the ball to win this convincingly. But the schedule-makers may have done the Ravens a big favor: In two years under Norv Turner the Chargers are 3-5 in September. They'll talk all summer about starting strong, but it remains to be seen whether they can do it.

In the Minority about Matthews Jr posted by Randolph Charlotin

I’ve already completed my second edition mock draft. And just like the first one, I have the Patriots selecting LB Clint Sintim from Virginia. The selection makes complete sense. He played outside, but scouts project him as an inside ‘backer. If he can play both, he has the versatility that head coach Bill Belichick wants. 

But whenever I look around at other mock drafts, there’s a name that frequently appears next to the 23rd pick: Clay Matthews Jr.

For months I’ve seen this player predicted as the Patriots’ first round selection. It’s hard to argue with the logic of these reporters and scouts. Matthews played for USC, arguably the best program in college football at producing pro talent. Not only did Matthews play OLB, but he would line up as a DE, indicating he can rush the passer. Most people compare him to LB Mike Vrabel, a Belichick favorite until Bill traded Mike to Kansas City with QB Matt Cassel for the 34th pick overall.

Based on the viewpoint of these experts, Matthews would be a perfect fit in New England.

I’m not so sure.

I won’t argue his talent or ability. I think Matthews will become a great pro. I have doubts that Matthews will be a great LB in a 3-4 defense.

USC runs a pro-style team on both sides of the ball. And the head coach is Pete Carroll, a man who made a name for himself as a defensive coordinator in the NFL before two head coaching stints, one year with the New York Jets and three seasons with the New England Patriots. If anyone can coach defenders, I fully believe that Carroll can and do it better than many.

Back in the Patriots-Blogging Saddle posted by Mike Dussault

In honor of the first day of April I am making my first post in over a month and a half. While my break from Pats-related writing was mostly due to the overwhelming nature of my real job, I continued to keep a close eye on all things Pats.

But now that Draft month has arrived I will be easing back into things, starting today. So first, a quick hit catchup on my thoughts of the off-season so far...

The Vrabel/Cassel Trade: It seems pretty clear that the Pats had to open up some cap space in a hurry to make the number of free agent signings they wanted to. Vrabel probably still has a couple years of solid play left in him, but clearly he had lost something, and on the Patriots you can't lose anything.

Throughout 2008 the nagging question was who was more at fault for all third down conversions that were given up: pass rush or coverage. I think the trading of Vrabel and the signings of Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs answers what Bill Belichick thought. It was more due to a lack of playmakers in the secondary. This brings us to the second big off-season storyline...

Julius Peppers/Jason Taylor: I'm not sold that either Peppers or Taylor will be on the Patriots in 2009. And clearly Bill Belichick wouldn't have traded Vrabel under the assumption he would get Peppers or Taylor to replace him. Does that mean one of the young OLBs on the Pats will take over for Vrabel? At this point I think so. You've got Pierre Woods, Shawn Crable, Tully Banta-Cain and Vince Redd all set up for a depth chart battle in training camp. We have no way of knowing what Belichick really feels about any of them, but more likely than not I'd say one of them will be starting on opening Monday Night. Put me down for Pierre Woods as the favorite.

3 More Issues With The Kansas City Griefs posted by John J Savala

In my previous blog i talked about the three things that i saw as the biggest problems plauging the Chiefs throughout the 2007 season: Tackling, lack of offensive production and the increasing number of big plays given up on defense.  Since this is clearly a rebuilding year, i saw fit to post another blog illustrating three more issues that caused us Grief: The Offensive Line, The Quarterback Situation and the Coaching Staff Crisis.

1.  Offensive Line:  In 2003, the Chiefs offensive line gave up only 21 sacks with an aging and immobile Trent Green behind the center.  This year we surrendered 55 sacks and our play callers had much younger legs under them.  It seems like the opposing D Line spent as much time in the backfield as any particular player on the Chiefs squad.  Other than C Casey Wiegman and G Brian Waters, our offensive line is populated with hold-happy non-blocking lineman.  Don't be suprised if this problem is addressed in the 2nd or early 3rd round of the NFL Draft.

2.  The Quarterback Situation:  This one is pretty obvious.  Our journeyman starter Damon Huard was largely ineffective long before LJ was injured.  He compiled 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions before becoming injured himself and being replaced by 2nd year man and Chiefs quarterback of the future Brodie Croyle.  Brodie did only slightly better with 11 interceptions and 11 touchdowns while leading the Chiefs to six losses as a starter.  We need an offensive playcaller who is also a leader in the huddle and on the sidelines, not one that yells at his offense (Huard) or one that hides on the bench next to the kickers (Croyle).  Hopefully this too will be addressed early in the Draft (Matt Ryan

Parting is such sweet sorrow... posted by John J Savala

    Well, it's finally over.  My beloved Kansas City Chiefs closed out the season with their ninth  consecutive loss on sunday, this one coming againts the equally hapless Jets.  It seems like only yesterday that we were 4-3 and sitting atop the AFC West, with at least 5 "sure win" games ahead of us.  But alas, how quickly everything falls apart.  While the New England Patriots were making a run at history with a 16-0 record, so too were the Chiefs chasing their own piece of history, finishing with their worst single season record since 1978. In the recent past, teams dreaded the day they came to Arrowhead to face the Chiefs on their own turf, but now, most teams mark their calendar excitedly with a W long before the game actually takes place. I remember a time, (granted i am only 25) when the Chiefs were renowned for being the only team to make it to the playoffs every year in the 1990's.  And now we are seen as the butt of many jokes around the NFL.  What caused this decline in prestige and wins in recent years?  Here are just a few reasons we went from the Chiefs to the Griefs:

1.  Offensive Production:  Actually, I should say lack of offensive production.  This year the Chiefs were ranked 31st in points, barely beating out the San Francisco 49ers by one touchdown.  Even if you count the yards gained by both of our leading rushers, we still did not break the 1000 yard rushing mark.  As far as the passing game goes,  we had 17 touchdowns and 20 interceptions and an average quarterback rating of 55.1 (not including Larry Johnson's one pass for an incompletion).  You simply can not win games without scoring points.

Looking Great for '08 posted by Jeffrey

Wow so the Broncos didn't go 6-10 they went 7-9. Still a bad record for the type of team the Broncos claim to be. All I hear in the post game interview is "We've go so much talent on this team...we're too good to be playing like this...its just about making plays." Geez if I could get paid on how many times that was said in a post game interview I wouldn't have to work my $7.50 an hour job...heck I might even be getting paid a hundredth of what those guys rake in each year. Anyway, I think I'll be looking forward to the '08 season though its quite a long way away from right now. Some thoughts on the Minnesota game: Did any one else have a horrid feeling in their stomach when in the 4th quarter, the Broncos opted not to kick that field goal, then failed to convert on that 4th down play? Somehow it seemed everyone in that multimillion pleasure plex knew that Minnesota Vikings would come alive. Classic momentum changer. Also, Is Javon Walker starting to sound like a whiny money monger? Yes he is. If he acts that way in Green Bay hes going to act that way around here. And thirdly, I think Brandon Marshall will follow suit. He's a great receiver but I predict he plays the old "Grumble about my contract when there's a year left" card. Ok well its been a challenge to be a Broncos fan this season but hey at least they're not the Chefs- I mean Chiefs.Continue reading "Looking Great for '08"

Ex-Chief Baldinger won't face charges (AP)

Former Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Rich Baldinger will not face charges in a traffic accident that left a 61-year-old woman dead. Jackson County (Mo.) prosecutor's office spokeswoman Velda Cook said Monday that investigators have determined that a car collision Saturday in Blue Springs between Baldinger and Marilyn Walters of Grain Valley was accidental. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Baldinger involved in fatal car crash (AP)

Richard Baldinger, a former lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs, was involved in a traffic accident that left a woman dead. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said Marilyn Walters, 61, of Grain Valley was killed when the car she was in collided with a car driven by the 49-year-old Baldinger. The accident happened about 2:15 p.m. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Chiefs sign former Pro Bowl safety Brown

The Kansas City Chiefs added depth to the defensive backfield, signing former Pro Bowl safety Mike Brown.Terms of the deal announced Thursday were not disclosed.Brown played nine seasons with the Chicago Bears, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl in 2005. He holds team records with seven defensive touchdowns and three fumble return TDs, and his four interception returns for touchdowns matches the team record. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NFL

Chiefs sign veteran S Mike Brown (AP)

The Kansas City Chiefs added depth to the defensive backfield, signing former Pro Bowl safety Mike Brown. Terms of the deal announced Thursday were not disclosed. Brown played nine seasons with the Chicago Bears, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl in 2005. He holds team records with seven defensive touchdowns and three fumble return TDs, and his four interception returns for touchdowns matches the team... [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Chiefs, K Succop agree to terms

The Kansas City Chiefs have signed kicker Ryan Succop, one of the team's three seventh-round draft picks.Succop, taken with the 256th overall pick in last month's NFL draft, played 50 games in four seasons at South Carolina, hitting 71 percent of his field goals with a long of 55 yards. He hit 66 percent his senior season and converted all 30 of his PATs. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NFL