Chiefs Move Closer Towards Top Pick In 2013 NFL Draft With Loss To Raiders

Despite playing the lowly Raiders on Sunday, the Chiefs yet again got embarrassed on the field, getting shut out 15-0. The loss now means that the Chiefs are one step closer towards acquiring the top overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft.

There really isn’t much to be said about Kansas City’s performance on Saturday. Opposing teams know that if Jamaal Charles is contained, the Chiefs have absolutely no shot of scoring many points on offense. The Chiefs only offensive weapon was held to 10 yards on nine carries, and Brady Quinn couldn’t get anything going with a group of young, unproven receivers. While the defense did a good job of keeping Oakland out of the end zone, this one never really felt in doubt.

It is time for Chiefs fans to look ahead to next season, and that starts with the 2013 NFL draft. Currently, the team is tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the worst record in football at 2-12. Philadelphia and Detroit are the next two teams in regards to fewest total wins, but both have four wins on the season. It appears that the race for the top pick in 2013 NFL draft is now solely between Kansas City and Jacksonville, and with both tied at the moment in regards to record, it is important to examine the NFL’s tiebreakers for draft order. Tiebreakers for draft order regarding teams with an identical record go in this order:

• Strength of schedule – The team with lower strength of schedule percentage wins this tiebreaker.

• Divisional record.

• Conference record.

First, let’s examine the remaining games for both teams. The Chiefs finish against the Colts and the Broncos, two teams that are vastly superior to Kansas City. The Colts will be fighting for a playoff spot, and the Broncos may be playing for a first round bye.The Jags play the Patriots next week, which is all but a guaranteed loss, but will get the lowly Tennessee Titans in its season finale. The Jags already beat Tennessee this season, and the Titans won’t be playing for anything. The odds of Jacksonville winning one of its final games has to be higher than Kansas City’s.

At this moment, Kansas City owns all of the tiebreakers and is in the driver’s seat for the top overall pick. If Kansas City drops its next two games, it will be picking first in the 2013 NFL draft.

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Kansas City Chiefs - Oakland Raiders Preview

Throw the records out the window, because it is rivalry week in Kansas City. On Sunday, the Chiefs will host the Oakland Raiders, and kickoff is set for 3:05 p.m.

Earlier this week, Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel announced that Brady Quinn will get the start for Kansas City. Matt Cassel has recovered from the concussion he suffered against Baltimore, but Crennel feels that starting Quinn is an “impactful move to get everyone’s attention.” Basically, Crennel is looking for anything to spark a Chiefs offense that has not played well this season. Most of that is on Cassel, who has accounted for a ridiculous 14 turnovers this season and has completed only 58% of his passes. The Chiefs will have to rely on Jamaal Charles to move the ball, although that may be a tough task against the Raiders defense, which is only allowing 102 yards per game on the ground.

Defensively, the Chiefs have been incredibly inconsistent this season. At times the unit has looked great, and other times it has made bad quarterbacks look like hall-of-famers. Kansas City’s main goal will be stopping Darren McFadden; although McFadden is having a down year, he is capable of breaking a long run at any time. The Chiefs have done a good job against McFadden in the past, and the team’s top priority should be to contain the dynamic back and force Carson Palmer to beat Kansas City through the air. Palmer has thrown for only seven touchdowns this season, and can be prone to turning the ball over.

The Raiders are statistically very similar to the Chiefs – Oakland averages 19 points per game and allows 28 points per game, and Kansas City averages 17 points per game and allows 30 points per game. Both teams rely on their running backs for big plays, and that should be the difference on Sunday. If Charles gets going early, Kansas City will have a good chance to pick up its second win this season. If the Chiefs run game is ineffective and Brady Quinn is forced to make a lot of plays, the team will likely be one step closer to a top-five draft pick.

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Kansas City Chiefs - Baltimore Ravens Preview

After getting blown out last week by the San Diego Chargers, the Chiefs’ backs are against the wall. At 1-3, the team faces a must-win situation on Sunday. Unfortunately, that win will have to come against the 3-1 Baltimore Ravens, who have looked like one of the best teams in the league so far this year.

The Ravens have been traditionally known as a defensive team, however their offense has played well this year. Joe Flacco has slowly turned into one of the better quarterbacks in the league, and he is enjoying a very efficient season so far. Flacco is surrounded by talented skill position players like running back Ray Rice (on his way to another big year) and receivers Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin.

The Ravens’ defense is also playing at a level Baltimore fans are accustomed to, having only given up significant points in one game this year (a close win over the Patriots). The defense’s strengths and weaknesses actually match up perfectly against the Chiefs – Baltimore has struggled with its pass defense but its run defense has been stout.

For Kansas City, everything starts and ends with Matt Cassel. The Chiefs running game has been as efficient as ever this year and Jamaal Charles has produced some big plays. Cassel, however, has struggled more than any other time as the Chiefs quarterback, and has already thrown seven interceptions this year (against five touchdowns). He has also fumbled three times, accounting for two-thirds of the Chiefs league high 15 turnovers.

Defensively, Kansas City has really struggled defending the pass this year, giving up 10 passing touchdowns which is the second highest total in the league. The team will have to worry about both the Ravens’ dynamic receivers and Rice, who is averaging 5 yards per carry this season. The Chiefs defense will have to find whatever magic it discovered in the second half of its comeback win against the Saints.

If the Chiefs want to have any shot of winning this game, they will have to avoid turning the ball over. The Chiefs lead the league in turnovers, and Baltimore has shown a penchant for forcing interceptions and fumbles. Kansas City will have to protect the ball and hope the Baltimore offense has an off game to have a shot in this one.

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Bob Fescoe's Rant On Chiefs Lame, Not Funny



Bob "The Bulldog" Fescoe

Bob Fescoe, radio personality and host of Fescoe in the Morning is making headlines today after throwing a fit on-air regarding the Kansas City Chiefs. Fescoe’s frustrations have seemingly hit a high point after Kansas City got off to an 0-2 start this season while being outscored 75-41.

Fescoe’s frustrations are understandable, as the Chiefs have jumped out to an 0-2 start once again and haven’t even been competitive so far this season. However, the radio personality borders on ridiculous in his rant. Fescoe claims that Chiefs fans are embarrassing their mother, their father, the city, their wives and their children. What?

I’m all for sports rants, as they have given us some of the funniest sound clips you will find and provide YouTube gold. But Fescoe’s rant isn’t funny, and he just seems like a bitter fan. He claims people are tired of spending money on tickets, parking, and refreshments at the stadium. Well Bob, if you are sick of it, stop going. Chiefs fans pride themselves on being one of the “best” groups in the country and making Arrowhead stadium an intimidating place to play. If you want to carry that label, you can’t simply abandon your team when they play poorly after two games.

Fescoe also claims that the Chiefs give people nothing to live for. Really? I mean, seriously?

Maybe there is a much more reasonable argument to be made – Kansas City isn’t that good of a football team, and they have played one of the best teams in the league followed by a borderline playoff team on the road. Throw in that they were missing three key defenders in week one and play one of the toughest schedules in the NFL and an 0-2 start doesn’t seem that far-fetched.

Fescoe tries very hard to make his rant humorous. He claims he could have gone pumpkin shopping or drank cider in Louisburg rather than watch the Chiefs play – which again, isn’t funny. None of this is. This guy hosts a radio show?

It is quite clear what all of this is: an attempt to grab headlines and coverage. Fescoe is simply trying to get attention because the media will always eat up a juicy sports rant. Naturally, there are several articles in newspapers and online this morning about the rant with sound clips. Congrats Bob, you did it!

There is a reason I stopped listening to Kansas City sports radio years ago: it isn’t good. What initially put me off is that the hosts covering college sports all have clear agendas for their local team of choice. Jack Harry, of all people, gets to host a radio and television show – the same Jack Harry who picked the national runner-up and Big 12 champion Kansas Jayhawks to finish sixth in the league in basketball simply because he is a die-hard Mizzou fan. The same Jayhawks that have won the league eight years in a row. This guy has no clue what he is talking about 90% of the time and is a complete homer for one team, yet he is all over the airways. I’d rather watch paint dry than listen to this guy screaming on the air about nonsense.

People like Harry would rather stir the pot than actually analyze and objectively look at teams and matchups. It gets people talking and boosts ratings - but it isn't good radio. Not to me, at least.

Since I no longer listen to the local coverage, I had never heard of Bob Fescoe or his show. Judging by this rant, it looks like I’m not missing anything. Kansas City deserves better sports radio than this.

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Several Questions Following The Chiefs Loss To The Falcons

The Chiefs’ season opener is in the books, and the team will try to regroup after an embarrassing home loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Kansas City still has some major question marks on both sides of the ball in regards to injuries and personnel decisions, and it will be interesting to see how this translates to the team’s second game against the Buffalo Bills.

The biggest question regarding the defense is whether or not Brandon Flowers will be able to play this Sunday. After it appeared that Flowers would be able to go against the Falcons, he was held out of the game due to an ongoing foot injury. Head coach Romeo Crennel has stated that if Flowers can practice, he will play. This week’s practices will be a telling sign on whether or not Flowers is ready to start again for the Chiefs. Flowers’ return is even more crucial because his normal backup, Jalil Brown, is battling a groin injury and barely played against Atlanta. Jacques Reeves got torched by Julio Jones several times on Sunday, showing how crucial a healthy Flowers is to the defense.

One player who was missing Sunday that will for sure suit up against the Bills is Tamba Hali, who has served his one-game suspension and is officially back. Kansas City’s pass rush against the Falcons was weak – while Justin Houston got a sack and pressured Matt Ryan several times, Edgar Jones (who played in Hali’s spot on passing downs) failed to get to Ryan. Hali’s return should make a big difference this Sunday against Buffalo.

Offensively, most Chiefs fans are wondering where last year’s first-round pick Jonathan Baldwin has gone. Against Atlanta, Baldwin did not start (the Chiefs started Steve Breaston and Dexter McCluster) and did not receive a target. It didn’t seem like he even got on the field. For the game, McCluster received ten targets, while Dwayne Bowe and Tony Moeaki each received six. The coaches raved about Baldwin during training camp, and it appeared that he was on the verge of breaking out and having a big season. Not seeing him get much action has to be disheartening for Chiefs fans, and many will wonder if the team has yet again whiffed on a first round pick.

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Derrick Johnson and Brandon Flowers Expected To Play Sunday

Yesterday we reported that while Derrick Johnson will likely play on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, several other key players were still question marks in regards to their availability. Chiefs fans get even better news today, as it appears star cornerback Brandon Flowers will likely be good to go for week one.

Flowers lined up with the starters in practice yesterday, which is a strong sign that he will be used heavily this Sunday. It is unlikely the Chiefs would use Flowers with the first-string defense this close to its first regular season game if he couldn’t play or would receive limited minutes. Flowers has made some big strides in the past couple of days in his recovery from a foot injury he sustained in late July.

While the Chiefs’ cornerback may be rusty after missing the entire preseason and getting limited practice time, Flowers should still be a big boost for Kansas City’s defense. The Falcons have several dangerous wide receivers, and the Chiefs will be missing Tamba Hali due to his one-game suspension.

Flowers’ return is also big because it appears that Kendrick Lewis will not be on the field Saturday. Asking the secondary to play well without Hali missing one starter is already a tall ordeal, and there is no way the unit would stop Atlanta if both Flowers and Lewis were missing on Sunday. Jalil Brown, who had replaced Flowers in the starting lineup, appears to be banged up as well.

Apart from Lewis, it appears that defensive linemen Anthony Toribio and Allen Bailey will not be able to go Sunday. Their absence means the team will depend on first-round pick Dontari Poe to make a difference for the Chiefs’ defensive line. The experience should benefit Poe, but the Chiefs are starting to get paper-thin in terms of depth. Any more injuries, and the defense may be unable to duplicate the success it enjoyed last season.

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Chiefs Injury Report - Several Key Players Uncertain For Week One

The Chiefs 2012 regular season opener is only four days away, and the team is still waiting to see if they will have several key players available for their matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. Cornerback Brandon Flowers, defensive tackle Anthony Toribio, linebacker Derrick Johnson, quarterback Brady Quinn and safety Kendrick Lewis are all uncertain for week one.

It appears that Derrick Johnson has a strong chance to play Sunday, according to head coach Romeo Crennel. The ankle injury Johnson suffered in the team’s final preseason game against the Green Bay Packers appeared to be serious, but the Chiefs’ Pro Bowl linebacker has made great progress this week.

Toribio and Flowers are still major question marks. Toribio is out of a walking boot, but his status is uncertain. If he cannot go, the Chiefs will start this year’s first-round pick, Dontari Poe, at nose tackle. Flowers, the team’s best cornerback, has been battling a foot injury for several weeks.

The least likely to play out of all the injured players is Lewis, who has just started to work out again after sporting a sling for a few weeks due to a shoulder injury suffered in the team’s preseason game against the St. Louis Rams. Crennel mentioned that he doubts Lewis will be ready for week one and his injury could hold him out longer.

Atlanta is a good team, and the absence of any of these players will be a big blow to Kansas City. If Johnson plays, he may have limited mobility, and losing Flowers and Lewis would be a crushing blow to a secondary that is thin on depth. Add in that Pro Bowl pass rusher Tamba Hali is suspended for this game, and suddenly week one doesn’t look very promising for the Chiefs.

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Chiefs Finalize 53 Man Roster and Practice Squad

The Chiefs have finalized their 53 man roster, and recently signed eight of the players they had cut to the practice squad. This means that the team’s roster and depth chart is fully set for the start of the regular season, which begins this Sunday.

After cutting a bevy of young players and veterans, Kansas City recently announced it had signed eight of the players to join the practice squad. The original players signed to the practice squad were:

WR Josh Bellamy

FB Patrick DiMarco

WR Junior Hemingway

DL Jerome Long

OT David Mims

WR Jamar Newsome

OL Lucas Patterson

DB Neiko Thorpe

However, this list was not set in stone, and team has recently made some changes. Hemingway was cut, and Kansas City signed offensive lineman Rich Ranglin. The team is deep at wide receiver and could use some added depth to the offensive line, and Hemmingway found himself as the odd man out. Ranglin has spent the past three seasons in the Arena League, and won the league’s offensive lineman of the year award in 2011 with the Kansas City Command.

There were a few surprises regarding who made the team’s 53 man roster. The team decided to keep four tight ends, which may hint that the Chiefs plan on using a two tight-end set quite a bit this season. The decision to release DiMarco was also interesting, as Kansas City now has no true fullbacks on the roster. DiMarco’s release was likely due to the emergence of Nate Eachus, who ended up making the team as a running back. Eachus saw snaps at fullback in training camp, and ran well as a halfback during the preseason for Kansas City. The Chiefs ended up keeping four other running backs apart from Eachus – Jamaal Charles, Shaun Draughn, Peyton Hillis and Cyrus Gray.

The team also decided to keep third-string quarterback Ricky Stanzi, which has brought the Chiefs some criticism. Many teams only keep two quarterbacks on the active roster, and Stanzi’s inclusion takes up a roster spot that could be used where Kansas City lacks depth. Stanzi did not play well during the preseason, and many feel it is time for the team to cut ties with the former Iowa standout and begin developing another young quarterback.

Defensively, the biggest surprise is likely defensive back Tysyn Hartman, who played his college ball at Kansas State. Hartman’s inclusion means that the team currently has ten defensive backs on its roster. Tamba Hali, who is suspended for week one, does not count against the team’s current 53 man roster, which means the Chiefs will have to release one player when Hali returns. Many feel Hartman may be dropped, and the team will keep nine defensive backs.

Kansas City has placed quarterback Alex Tanney and defensive back De’Quan Menzie on injured reserve. Tanney has a hand injury, while Menzie has been battling a hip injury for several weeks.

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Chiefs Fall To Packers, 24-3

The Chiefs wrapped up another lackluster preseason last night, falling to Green Bay Packers 24-3. After winning its first preseason game in convincing fashion, Kansas City lost its remaining three. The team is now 7-29 in exhibition games since 2004.

Most of the game was a battle of the backups, but the Chiefs first-string offense looked good early on. The team moved the ball consistently, and found a lot of success on the ground. Despite gaining a lot of yards, Kansas City could only muster three points. One drive stalled and Ryan Succop missed a 54 yard field goal, and another drive ended with a Brady Quinn interception when the Chiefs were about to score. From there, things went south in a hurry.

Offensively, Ricky Stanzi and Alex Tanney struggled to consistently move the ball, and the Chiefs got almost nothing through the air. Despite rushing for 247 yards for the game, Kansas City only scored three points, although it should be expected that the team’s third and fourth string quarterbacks would have trouble lighting up the scoreboard.

The biggest concern Chiefs fans should have is how the team’s defense played. Packers backup QB Graham Harrell had been having a terrible preseason, but he absolutely lit-up the Chiefs last night. Harrell finished 13 of 15 with 223 yards, and he led the Packers to a touchdown on all three of his possessions, and all three were long scoring drives. On some plays, the Packers’ receivers were wide open, and while Green Bay boasts one of the most talented and deepest WR corps in the league, most of these players will likely not even make the team for Green Bay.

The entire preseason exposed one of the Chiefs’ biggest weaknesses – the team has a severe lack of depth, particularly on defense. What makes this troubling is that the team still does not know if Brandon Flowers or Kendrick Lewis will be ready for the start of the season, and Tamba Hali is suspended for the first game. Injuries are a regular occurrence in the NFL, and if the Chiefs suffer any more on defense, it doesn’t appear that it has a lot of guys who can step in and play at a high level.

Kansas City’s regular season starts next Sunday at 12:00 p.m. when the team hosts the Atlanta Falcons.

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Chiefs Lose to Texans, Fall to 3-2

Despite a strong effort from its offense and a breakout game from WR Dwayne Bowe, the Chiefs blew a late lead and lost to the Houston Texans, 35-31. Kansas City played well on both sides of the ball, but couldn't hold off a potent Texans offense late. Despite the loss, the Chiefs still find themselves in first place in the lousy AFC West.

Kansas City found themselves leading the entire game, but a stalled late drive gave Texans QB Matt Schaub too much time. After failing to convert a late third and 2, Schaub eventually found WR Andre Johnson wide open in the end zone for the game winning score. The loss wasted both Matt Cassel and Bowe's best games as Chiefs, as well as a strong running attack led by Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles.

A loss is a loss, but Chiefs fans should still remain optimistic about this season's potential. With such an easy schedule, Kansas City should be able to drop a few games on the road against potential playoff teams. With its next two games at home against Jacksonville and Buffalo, and a weak division, the Chiefs still remain in the driver's seat in the AFC East. If Kansas City's offense can continue to improve, there is no reason why this team shouldn't be in contention when January begins.