Chiefs Lose To Broncos, Now Have Sole Possession Of NFL's Worst Record

The Chiefs put up a fight yesterday, but ultimately lost to the Denver Broncos, 17-9. The loss drops Kansas City’s record to 1-10 on the season.

The Chiefs were able to limit turnovers in this one, and the only time the team threw an interception was on the final play of the game on Brady Quinn’s Hail Mary attempt. Despite this, the offense could simply not get anything going all game. Quinn struggled all game, and the team committed several untimely penalties that stalled drives. The Chiefs have now not scored a touchdown since the first quarter of their overtime loss to Pittsburgh – a span of 11 quarters and 173 minutes.

Head coach Romeo Crennel’s conservative approach to games is also frustrating. Kansas City’s defense played well yesterday, preventing Peyton Manning from having a big game and coming up with a big interception in the first half. After Broncos kicker Matt Prater missed two makeable field goals, the Chiefs had a shot to win the game. Despite having only one win on the year, Crennel routinely opted to kick field goals and not go for it on fourth and short opportunities, despite being deep in Denver territory. Ryan Succop was able to hit two chip shot field goals that gave the Chiefs an early 6-0 lead, but when you are a losing team facing a hall-of-fame quarterback, you need to get aggressive and play to win. Even more mind-boggling was the head coach’s decision to punt late in the game with a fourth and six near midfield, with the team only down 14-9. Naturally, Kansas City didn’t get the ball back until there was nearly no time left on the clock. Crennel has had an overly conservative mindset all season long, and it cost his team yesterday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars picked up their second win of the season yesterday, knocking off the Tennessee Titans. This is good news for Chiefs fans, as Kansas City is now the NFL’s only one-win team and currently is in the driver’s seat to land the first overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft next year.

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Chiefs Fall To Steelers In OT

Despite owning the worst record in the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs continue to fight. The team took the Pittsburgh Steelers to overtime last night, eventually falling 16-13.

The weather was downright terrible for this one, which had a big effect on both teams’ offenses. Kansas City took advantage of Pittsburgh’s stalled offense early, grabbing a 10-0 lead off a Jamaal Charles touchdown run and a chip shot field goal from Ryan Succop. However, the Steelers would answer with 13 consecutive points despite losing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to injury. The Chiefs had plenty of chances to extend their lead – Dwayne Bowe had a touchdown reception called back due to a questionable holding call, and Succop missed a short field goal moments later.

Kansas City put together its best drive of the season at the end of regulation, as Cassel converted a couple of clutch throws to move the chains. It appeared that Kansas City was finished after tight end Tony Moeaki was called for offensive pass interference, and the Chiefs faced a fourth and long around midfield. However, Cassel made one of the best throws of his career, stepping up in the pocket and drilling Bowe which gave Kansas City a first down and moved them into field goal range. Succop drilled a low field goal through the wind to force overtime, and it appeared that the Chiefs had all the momentum heading into the extra period.

In overtime, Cassel quickly went from hero to goat, as the maligned quarterback threw an interception on the Chiefs second play that Pittsburgh returned to the five yard line. The Steelers quickly booted the short field goal and escaped with a win, as Kansas City moved closer to the draft lottery.

The story for the Chiefs all season long has been turnovers, and it is no surprise that Kansas City was ultimately beaten due to a Cassel interception. Before Cassel’s overtime pick, the team hadn’t turned the ball over once against Pittsburgh, despite the rainy conditions. The Steelers are a playoff team that hasn’t lost at home all season, so the Chiefs deserve a lot of credit for putting up a great fight and nearly stealing a win. When this team doesn’t turn it over, it can still be competitive. Unfortunately, that seems to be asking a lot from Cassel.

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Chiefs vs. Falcons Recap

The Kansas City Chiefs’ 2012 season got off to a rocky start yesterday, as the team fell to the Atlanta Falcons, 40-24. A disastrous second half ultimately did the Chiefs in, and the team is once again starting the season off with a loss.

Atlanta was the favorite, and the Chiefs were hit hard with injuries to key players that impacted the game. It appeared that cornerback Brandon Flowers was going to play, however the team decided to hold him out of Sunday’s game. With injuries to safety Kendrick Lewis and defensive tackle Anthony Toribio, as well as Tamba Hali’s absence due to a one game suspension, the Chiefs entered the game missing several critical components to its defense.

Despite being out-manned, Kansas City hung right with Atlanta throughout the first half. The team consistently moved the ball and found themselves only trailing 20-17 at the break. However, the third quarter proved to be disastrous for the Chiefs. Ryan Succop missed a field goal, and the Falcons answered with a touchdown minutes later to take a 27-17 lead. On the team’s next possession, Cassel fumbled while getting sacked, giving Atlanta another short field to work with. Former Chief great Tony Gonzalez hauled in a seven yard touchdown catch to give the Falcons a commanding 34-17 lead. After a couple more Atlanta field goals, Kansas City found itself down 40-17 in the fourth, and a Shaun Draughn touchdown in the game’s waning seconds made the game look closer than it really was.

Offensively, the team managed to run the ball effectively, and Jamaal Charles looked like his old self in the first half. Unfortunately, the team was unable to overcome Matt Cassel’s up-and-down performance. Cassel made some good plays, but his three turnovers gave Atlanta a short field, which the Falcons exploited every time. Cassel has to make better decisions and limit his turnovers, especially while the defense struggles to get healthy. Expect the Chiefs to rely on the ground game even more in the future, especially now that Charles has proven that he is fully recovered from his ACL tear.

It is hard to judge the Chiefs defense after this game because so many key players were missing. Kansas City was without its top pass rusher, top corner and a starting safety, and Matt Ryan took advantage and had a field day. Hali’s return will give this unit a significant boost, but the team has got to get Flowers back soon. He should be close to returning, and a healthier Chiefs defense should look a lot better in week two.

Next up for Kansas City are the Buffalo Bills, who got blown out by the New York Jets in week one. The game is in Buffalo, with a 12:00 p.m. kickoff.

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Chiefs Survive Scare From Buffalo

This one was supposed to be easy. With the red-hot Chiefs facing lowly Buffalo, everyone predicted an easy Kansas City victory. In the end, the Chiefs were lucky to escape with a win, as Ryan Succop nailed a field goal as overtime expired to give Kansas City a 13-10 victory.

Many thought the Chiefs would coast to an easy win given their favorable matchup in the run game. Kansas City entered the game leading the game in rushing, while the Bills boasted the worst rush defense in the NFL. The Chiefs took advantage of the matchup, rushing for over 270 yards including a 177 yard effort from Jamaal Charles. Matt Cassel delivered a steady performance, and the Chiefs defense looked good all night.

Despite the positives, something was missing all game for the Chiefs, and the Bills were able to keep it close. Facing a fourth and four late in the game, the Bills scored to force a wild overtime that was much more exciting than regulation. The Bills had a chance to win it, and Rian Lindell did just that. Only Todd Haley called timeout before the kick, and Lindell's next attempt hit the upright, giving the Chiefs the ball. Only Kansas City, after an impressive offensive drive, missed a FG of its own. However the Chiefs' defense held, and Succop finally delivered and helped the Chiefs avoid a rare overtime tie.

It was an ugly game, but even good teams have poor showings against bad teams. Kansas City won, and took a giant step towards a post-season birth by improving its record to 5-2.

Chiefs Show Improvement, Concerns Against Bucs

The Chiefs' second preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offered reasons to be both optimistic and pessimistic for the upcoming season for Kansas City fans. The offense looked to finally be establishing a rythem, while it was the same old story for the Chiefs' defense.

After looking like a high school team on offense against the Atlanta Falcons in the team's first preseason game, Matt Cassell and his receivers showed promise yesterday. The team's receivers got open and hung on to the ball, two glaring problems against Atlanta. Cassell seemed to settle down a bit, and the team developed some rythem on scoring drives. The Chiefs will be able to run the ball with the steady Thomas Jones and electric Jamaal Charles, and if the passing game remains steady, the offense could put some points on the board.

Another boost to the team has been the special teams, most notably Javier Arenas. The rookie had a long kickoff return to help set up one of the team's scoring drives, and has shown game-changing return ability the team has lacked since Dante Hall. The Chief's already boost reliable kickers in Ryan Succop and Dustin Colquitt, and with a strong return game, the Chief's special teams could be a difference maker this season.

However, with the good comes a lot bad, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The front seven continues to struggle with almost no pass rush and poor defending of the run. The secondary, which was viewed as a strength entering the season, has struggled with tackling and drawing penalties. While the secondary's problems can likely be corrected, it is starting to appear that the Chief's front seven lacks the personel to get the job done at a consistent basis. Romeo Crennell is one of the best defensive coordinators in the game, but he certainly has his work cut out for him.

The Chiefs showed much needed improvement from its starters in its second preseason game. The team still has a long way to go, luckily there are two preseason games still remaining. The team looks better, but it will need every second of its next too exhibition games to move back towards being a competitive team.

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