Showing posts with label KC Chiefs schedule. Show all posts
Showing posts with label KC Chiefs schedule. Show all posts

Friday, October 5, 2012

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.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Kansas City Chiefs - San Diego Chargers Preview

The Chiefs had a disastrous start to their 2012 season, losing its first two games in convincing fashion. Last week, Kansas City was able to save its season and turn things around in a thrilling overtime victory over the New Orleans Saints. If the Chiefs want to keep their momentum going and pull to .500 on the season, they will need to take down a familiar foe: the San Diego Chargers.

The first two weeks were a complete opposite for the Chargers, who cruised out to a 2-0 record. However, last week the team got absolutely shut down by the Atlanta Falcons, losing at home 27-3. Atlanta looks like one of the best teams in the league this year, but it was a disheartening effort for Chargers fans who thought the team’s early season struggles were a thing of the past. The biggest cause for concern with the Chargers is turnovers – Phillip Rivers threw two interceptions against Atlanta and has three this season. Rivers threw a whopping 20 picks last year, and has three so far this season. After taking good care of the football throughout his career, Rivers has been shaky lately, and the Chiefs’ secondary should have some chances to make a play. San Diego also has running back Ryan Mathews back from injury, although he lost a fumble last week and has a bad reputation of coughing up the football. The Chiefs should have a good chance to force some turnovers on Sunday, which could be the biggest factor in the game.

The Chiefs have been battling injuries all season, and this game will be no different. Dexter McCluster, Peyton Hillis and Kevin Boss all got hurt against the Saints, and Hillis and Boss both have missed practice this week (while McCluster has been very limited). The team also lost starting center Rodney Hudson, who broke a bone in his leg and was placed on injured reserve. Ryan Lilja will move from guard to center to replace Hudson, while rookie Jeff Allen will start at guard. Kansas City already had some key injuries on defense, and now will have to rely on several rookies and inexperienced players to contribute.

The last two meetings between these two teams were decided by a field goal, and this game has all the makings of another nail bitter. The Chiefs must take advantage of San Diego’s tendency to turn the ball over to pull this one out, and simply cannot afford to lose any more starters to injury.

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Monday, September 17, 2012

Chiefs Blown Out By Bills, Start Season 0-2 Once Again

The Kansas City Chiefs were no match for the Buffalo Bills yesterday, getting blown out on the road, 35-17. The loss means that the team has a 0-2 record for the sixth time in the last seven years.

The final score makes the game seem closer than it actually was – Kansas City scored 14 points in the fourth quarter when the Bills had already put the game away and inserted their backups into the game (most notably former Chief Tyler Thigpen at quarterback). The team trailed 21-0 at halftime and 35-3 at the end of the third quarter. The Chiefs had several opportunities to get back into the game throughout, but costly mistakes and a failure to execute limited the team to three points. The most painful of these blown opportunities came late in the first half, when Peyton Hillis fumbled at the goal line and the ball was recovered by Buffalo.

It was expected that the Chiefs’ defense would get a significant boost with the return of Tamba Hali and Brandon Flowers, but that wasn’t the case on Sunday. Buffalo’s C.J. Spiller ran all over the Chiefs’ defense for 123 yards and two touchdowns, and Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for two scores in an efficient outing. Even Kansas City’s special teams let them down, as Buffalo’s Leodis McKelvin returned a punt 88 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter.

The Chiefs’ offense was just as bad, putting together one of the ugliest first halves the team has seen in quite some time. The team gained only 71 yards on its first five possessions, looking overmatched by a Bills defense that had gotten dominated by a poor New York Jets offense last week. Things were so bad that Spiller nearly out-gained the entire Kansas City offense by himself in the first half. Matt Cassel ended up throwing for 301 yards and two touchdowns to Dwayne Bowe, but most of his production came late in the game when things were already decided. Cassel’s play in the first half was borderline terrible, and he has yet to show any consistency this season.

The bottom line is that once again, the Chiefs were not ready to start a regular season. For two straight years, the team has had a terrible preseason followed by two blow-out losses in weeks one and two, proving that Kansas City simply is not ready to play. The Chiefs have a very difficult schedule, facing the Saints, Chargers and Ravens in their next three games. An 0-5 record is a distinct possibility after the first two weeks.

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Friday, September 7, 2012

Kansas City Chiefs - Atlanta Falcons Preview

The Chiefs’ 2012 regular season kicks off this Sunday with a 12:00 p.m. home game against the Atlanta Falcons. Currently, Vegas favors the Falcons by three points.

There is good news and bad news for Chiefs fans entering this game. The good news is that it appears that both Derrick Johnson and Brandon Flowers will be able to play on Sunday. Johnson had injured his ankle, and Flowers has been sidelined with a nagging foot injury before returning to practice on Wednesday and seeing snaps with the first-team defense. Stopping the Falcons without these two players would have been nearly impossible, and if they are close to full-strength, it is a huge boost for Kansas City’s defense.

The bad news is that the Chiefs are still missing several key players for this game. Tamba Hali is serving a one-game suspension, and starting safety Kendrick Lewis is also out. The team has several other players banged up on defense, and as we saw this preseason, the Chiefs’ defensive depth is nearly non-existent. The team cannot allow Matt Ryan to have all day to throw, and Kansas City may have to get a bit creative with their blitz schemes to pressure Ryan and try to force some turnovers.

The game will also serve as a homecoming for legendary tight end Tony Gonzalez, who is likely entering the final season in his hall-of-fame career. Gonzalez was traded to the Falcons in 2009 for a second round pick, which the team used on defensive back and kick returner Javier Arenas. Gonzalez holds the Chief team records in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches, and this will be the first time he has faced his former team.

Atlanta enters this season with huge expectations, and the biggest question mark surrounding the team is whether or not it can take the next step and contend for a championship. The Falcons have lost to the eventual Superbowl champion in the last two playoffs, getting blown out by the Packers two seasons ago and falling 24-2 to the Giants last year. Matt Ryan is a good quarterback, and he is surrounded by talented playmakers. Ryan played very well in the second half of last season, and if he is on against a depleted Chiefs defense, Kansas City might not have much of a chance.

Defensively, the Falcons added four-time pro bowl cornerback Asante Samuel this offseason, pairing him with Brent Grimes and Dunta Robinson to form a dangerous secondary. The Falcons’ biggest question mark on defense will be whether or not it can effective rush the passer and contain the Chiefs’ running game. Atlanta’s front seven may very well determine the outcome of the game.

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Thursday, August 30, 2012

Kansas City Chiefs - Green Bay Packers Preview

The Chiefs will wrap up their preseason tonight, as they visit Green Bay to take on the Packers. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

Kansas City is looking to turn things around after an embarrassing performance against the Seattle Seahawks in its last preseason game. After opening the preseason with a rare victory, Kansas City has reverted back to struggling in its exhibition games. In fact, since 2004, the team is 7-28 in the preseason, however these exhibition games have often given little indication on how the team will perform during the regular season.

It is unknown how long the Chiefs starters will play. Head coach Romeo Crennel indicated that he will go by feel. The Chiefs played most of their starters for quite a while in last year’s final preseason game, although Crennel may elect to play his reserves more to prevent any more injuries from occurring. Cornerback Brandon Flowers and safety Kendrick Lewis continue to be held out, and the team will also likely be without CB Jalil Brown, DT Toribio, WR Terrence Copper and DL Allen Bailey for tonight’s game. Toribio has been used as the starting nose tackle, so his absence means first-round pick Dontari Poe will have an opportunity to play with the starters and prove himself to the coaching staff. Another player who has something to prove is the recently-signed Dwayne Bowe, who may see a lot of action as the coaches try to get him up to speed before the regular season starts.

The Packers may have revenge on their minds entering this game, as the Chiefs were the only team to defeat them in the regular season last year. If Green Bay wants to avenge last year’s loss, they will have to do so with their backups – head coach Mike McCarthy indicated that the starters will play only one series, and many starters will not see the field at all. Graham Harrell, the Packers second-string quarterback, has struggled mightily this preseason, and the coaching staff will likely try to give him as much game time as they can.

Since Kansas City will be facing Green Bay’s backups for almost the entire game, this will be a good opportunity for the team to gain some confidence and erase the memory of the Seahawks game. However, the Chiefs simply cannot afford to lose any more key players to injury, so Crennel may have to pull his starters early as well. We may see an ugly battle-of-the-backups tonight at Lambeau field.

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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Chiefs 2012 Tickets Now Available

The Chiefs have just made 2012 single game tickets available to the general public. Earlier this week, Jackson County residents were able to buy tickets, and now all Chiefs fans can reserve their seats for the upcoming season.

Tickets may be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, by phone at (800) 745-3000, in person at a Ticketmaster outlet, or at the Arrowhead Stadium Ticket Office. Tickets start at $30. For a full listing of Ticketmaster outlets, please click here.

Aside from single-game tickets, fans can also purchase a Pick 5 plan or a Divisional 3-Pack plan. The Pick 5 plan lets fans pick four regular season games of their choice paired with a preseason game, while the Divisional 3-Pack provides a ticket to all three AFC West home games.

The team has several marquee home contests that will likely determine how far the Chiefs will go this year. Kansas City opens the season hosting the Atlanta Falcons, and also has early home dates with the San Diego Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens in back-to-back weeks. The Chiefs have a critical three-game home stand that starts in late November, when the team will host the Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers in consecutive weeks. This stretch could very well determine the Chiefs’ playoff fate, as the team will be fresh off road contests against San Diego and Pittsburgh. Kansas City’s final home game comes in week 16, when the team hosts the Indianapolis Colts and recent top overall draft pick Andrew Luck.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Chiefs Announce "Rock The Mic" Sideline Reporter Contest

The Kansas City Chiefs have just announced the “Rock The Mic” Sideline Reporter Contest in which one lucky fan will get to serve as the sideline reporter for the Chiefs final preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. The winner will be chosen by other Chiefs fans, who can vote on the best video performance online.

The competition will take place as part of the Chiefs’ celebration of 50 years in Kansas City. The grand prize winner will join Trent Green, Paul Burmeister and the 65 Toss Power Trap Productions crew. The game will take place in Green Bay at Lambeau Field, one of the most storied and historic venues in all of sports. The winner will announce during the second half of the game.

Contestants 18 and older can register by filling out a form at http://www.kcchiefs50.com/. To be considered, all entrants must submit a one minute demo reel that showcases their sideline reporting ability. A panel of judges will then select the top three entries based on their performance, before fan voting will decide the winner. Fans can vote between August 17 - 23.

The “Rock The Mic” competition is just one of many festivities taking place to celebrate the Chiefs’ 50th year anniversary in Kansas City. Other events such as a Chiefs fan tour, personalized Nike jerseys, a stadium art project and more will take place this season. For a full list of the initiatives the team will undertake as part of the anniversary celebration, please click here.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Chiefs Sign Tamba Hali To Five Year Deal

The Chiefs have signed OLB Tamba Hali to a new five year deal worth 60 million, making the Chiefs star one of the highest paid pass rushers in the league. According to sources, 35 million of the contract will be guaranteed.

This has been a long time coming for Hali, who has quietly developed into one of the best pass rushers in the league. Hali led the AFC with 14.5 sacks last season, and has been extremely consistent since being drafted 20th overall from Penn State in 2006.

The deal was absolutely necessary for Kansas City, and the Chiefs were smart to lock up Hali for the rest of his prime. The team doesn't have much of a pass rush without Hali - Wallace Gilberry placed second on the team in sacks last season with seven. As we learned last season, teams cannot reach the Superbowl without a strong pass rush, and a player like Hali makes the entire defense better.

Hali could join the team's practice today, as could Gilberry, who also recently signed. Kansas City has signed all of its top defensive players but two - CB Brandon Carr and rookie LB Justin Houston.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Breaking Down the Chiefs' Schedule

Kansas City surprised the NFL last season with a remarkable turnaround, transforming from one of the league's worst teams into the AFC West champions. Kansas City has made a lot of good moves this offseason, and its younger players will be more experienced when the 2011 season starts. Despite all the signs that this could be a special year for Kansas City, many NFL pundits think the Chiefs won't even be back in the postseason, and for good reason: the Chiefs face a brutal schedule.

Many NFL coaches like to break down their teams' schedule into four segments, so that is what we will do here. In the first segment, Kansas City has two winnable home games against the Bills and the Vikings, and two tough road games against the Chargers and Lions. If the Chiefs want another shot at a playoff run, the team likely needs to win three of these games (since the later portion of the schedule is chalked full of playoff teams). Kansas City should take care of Minnesota and Buffalo at Arrowhead, and a split of San Diego and Detroit doesn't seem that far-fetched.

In Kansas City's second schedule segment, the team faces three AFC opponents it hasn't had very much luck against recently. Apart from a bye week, the Chiefs play the Colts and Raiders on the road, and San Diego at home. Kansas City will likely need to win two of these games to sniff the postseason, which could be asking a lot. The team finishes this portion with a home game against Miami, who will have one of the best defenses in the league. A winnable game, but the Dolphins will be a tough out next season.

Kansas City opens its third schedule segment hosting Denver, a game the Chiefs should win. However, things get a lot tougher, as the team then travels to New England to face the Patriots and hosts last season's AFC champion, Pittsburgh. Next, Kansas City travels to Chicago to take on the NFC runner-up Bears. The Bears have had a poor offseason and were a lucky team last year, and the game in Chicago should be one Kansas City can steal. If it can split between New England and Pittsburgh, the Chiefs could be in great shape. That is a gigantic"if" though.

The final portion of the Chiefs schedule could be even tougher than the third segment, as Kansas City opens with a trip to New York to face the Jets. You may not like all the talking New York does, but the team will have one of the best defenses in the league, and there is a reason why they have made the last two AFC championship games despite starting one of the worst QBs in the league. After the Jets, Kansas City hosts last year's Super Bowl champion. Being in Kansas City gives the Chiefs a better shot at knocking off Green Bay, but the Packers could very well be even better next season. The Chiefs final two games are both winnable, which is good because Kansas City could very likely need to win both to qualify for the playoffs. The team hosts Oakland before wrapping up the regular season on the road in Denver.

The Chiefs will likely be a better team next season, however the team's win-loss record may not reflect that. On paper, Kansas City's schedule looks like one of the toughest in the league, and the team will likely need to pull a few upsets for another shot at a postseason run.

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