Cassel Outstanding in Return From Surgery Chiefs Win 27-13

The Chiefs started a little slow on Sunday in St Louis against the Rams. By the end of the first half, however, the Chiefs had stolen momentum and it was apparent they would go on to a victory. The Rams got off to an early 6-0 lead before the Chiefs woke up on offense and scored 14 unanswered for a 14-6 halftime Chiefs lead and never looked back. Ryan Succop (how would you like to grow up with that last name) added added two field goals, including a 53 yarder to put the Chiefs up by 2 TDs in the 4th Quarter. A Rams score added some drama until this Jamaal Charles outstanding 80 yard run set up an insurance 2 yard TD run by Thomas Jones. Incidentally did you see Cassel's AWESOME spike after Jones's TD - Man he was fired up.

Matt Cassel didn't show any ill effects of his recent appendectomy and was very efficient all day (with the exception of the 1INT he threw). He was 15-29 for 184 yards, and I counted 2 terrible drops by receivers, both on third downs. Cassel also had a gutsy 13 yard scramble in the second quarter. Great performance by a gamer 11 days after invasive surgery.

You also can't say enough about Jamaal Charles. He increased his season yards/carry to an incredible 6.4, more than yard/carry more than anyone else in the league. He probably would have reached the endzone on that 80 yard run if not for legs cramps that had bothered him throughout the game.

The Chiefs still hold their destiny in their hands. Wins at home against Tennessee and Oakland ensure a Division title and a playoff game at Arrowhead. Get some Chiefs!

Chiefs Franchise Tag Bowe - Kansas City Chiefs News

The Chiefs are making some moves in the off season and the biggest one so far happened today when the Kansas City Chiefs put the Franchise Tag on Dwayne Bowe, the Chiefs somewhat flaky but occasionally talented wide receiver. It's pretty sad when a team has to put a franchise tag on a mediocre player, who in the case of the Chiefs hardly gets a chance to make game changing differences. With two mid level quarterbacks on the roster, and an offensive line made of swiss cheese, the Chiefs have MUCH bigger fish to fry than to put a franchise tag on a slightly higher than mediocre wide receiver like Dwayne Bowe.

After an extremely lackluster 2011 Chiefs season, Dwayne Bowe put up a lukewarm 81 receptions for a measly 5 touchdowns - yikes! That's what the Chiefs call franchise tag material? Wow, we must be worse off than we thought. This is a sign that the Chiefs offense still has no direction whatsoever and we could be in for another 10 touchdown season total from this sputtering offense. Here at Kansas City News we have never been fans of Matt Cassel, figuring him to be the NFL's highest paid "back up" quarterback. With the franchise tag, Dwayne Bowe's salary will be 9.5 million dollars in 2012. He is a good back up quarterback, and did lead the New England Patriots to the playoffs when Tom Brady went down - but the fact that we paid this guy almost 60 million dollars to come play for the Chiefs is just plain ridiculous. With mediocre quarterbacks like Matt Cassel and Kyle Orton at the helm, putting the franchise tag on Dwayne Bowe just doesn't make any sense. If there is no one to get the ball to our receivers, then why are we putting such a high priority on them? The Kansas City Chiefs are going to be a defensive team, there is no doubt about it. We've made Romeo Crennel, who will absolutely be focusing on the defensive side of the ball, our head coach. And what is worse, we've brought in a terrible offensive coordinator from Miami in Brian Daboll, who had a miserable offensive season in 2011 with the Dolphins.

The Kansas City Chiefs need to realize where their priorities are and they need to do it fast. Putting the franchise tag on Dwayne Bowe is not the first thing that Chiefs fans wanted to hear in this off season. What we want to hear is that the Chiefs are going to look for a REAL quarterback, invest top draft picks on offensive lineman, and try to find a way to get our offense back on track. Thank God that Jamaal Charles is coming back, that should take some of the spotlight off of our hideous passing game. The Chiefs defense looks great and I think that the defense alone can get The Kansas City Chiefs 7-9 wins in 2012. Let's just hope that they don't put the franchise tag on any more wide receivers - who's next, Dexter McCluster?

Kansas City News announces that the Kansas City Chiefs put the franchise tag on Dwayne Bowe, March 5th, 2012.

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Why The Chiefs Should Sign Alex Smith

Alex Smith, the San Francisco 49ers’ former starting quarterback, has asked for his release before the NFL’s free agency period begins on March 12. Smith was enjoying a strong season for the 49ers before being benched in favor of Colin Kaepernick. The Chiefs are rumored to be one of several teams who are interested in pursuing Smith, which makes sense. Signing Smith would be a great move by new general manager John Dorsey.

First, let’s look at Smith. The former top overall pick struggled early in his career, often getting benched and never living up to his lofty draft status. However, over the past few seasons, he has grown into an efficient quarterback who rarely makes a big mistake. In the eight games he played this season, Smith compiled a 104.1 passer rating. Had that held up for an entire season, it would have finished as the third highest rating in the league this past season behind only Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning.

Smith has been labeled by many as a glorified game manager, but that wouldn’t be a bad fit with Kansas City. With the dynamic Jamaal Charles in the prime of his career, the Chiefs should be a run-first team in the near future. Matt Cassel’s turnovers completely derailed the offense last season, and Smith can provide the Chiefs with efficient, mistake-free football.

Many Chiefs fans feel the team should draft a quarterback with its top overall draft pick, but this simply is not a good draft class for quarterbacks. The team could massively upgrade its offensive or defensive line with the firstoverall pick if it gets Smith in free agency, and then decide to draft a quarterback next year or in the later rounds of the draft. Kansas City could also sign Smith and still draft its quarterback of the future. Smith will likely be available for a decent price, and his presence would allow the Chiefs to bring along its new quarterback slowly.

One of the biggest mistakes Scott Pioli made during his reign of terror as Kansas City’s GM was not investing into the quarterback position apart from his initial signing of Matt Cassel. The Chiefs may or may draft their QB of the future in April, but either way, they should sign Alex Smith.

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Sports Illustrated's Peter King Picks Chiefs To Win AFC West & Roster Updates

The Chiefs have only one preseason game left, meaning that the team’s regular season opener at home against the Atlanta Falcons is less than two weeks away. There have been several interesting updates regarding the team, from where most pundits expect the team to finish to who has won the backup quarterback position.

Despite being in the midst of another horrible preseason, Sports Illustrated’s Peter King has picked Kansas City to win the AFC West with a 10-6 record. Not only does King thing the Chiefs will make the playoffs, he has the team winning its first round game against the Buffalo Bills (the Bills making the playoffs may be even more of a shock) before falling to the New England Patriots in the divisional round. Kansas City has not won a playoff game since 1994, which means should King’s prediction come true, the team will snap a streak longer than 18 years. King also predicted that Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel will win the NFL’s Coach of the Year award. Chiefs fans shouldn’t start celebrating – King picked Kansas City’s rival, the Denver Broncos, to reach the Superbowl before losing to the Green Bay Packers.

In regards to the players on King’s future division champion, Brady Quinn has officially been named the second string quarterback entering the season. Quinn had been in competition with Ricky Stanzi during camp for the right to be next-in-line after Matt Cassel, and ultimately won out due to his game experience. Quinn never lit the world on fire in Cleveland, but he was rarely surrounded by good offensive talent. Should Matt Cassel find himself on the IR once again this season, Quinn should be able to keep the team competitive.

Kansas City will wrap up its preseason tomorrow night at Lambeau field against the Green Bay Packers. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

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Cassel's Injury 2 - 4 Weeks

Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel's mystery injury is a strained medial collateral ligament that will keep him out for 2 - 4 games, announced just minutes ago from Chiefs officials.

Cassel sustained a game-ending injury after just a few plays on Saturday night, leaving the Chiefs with only a stubborn and repetitive running game to show the fans. The Chiefs game plan was going to feature the run and sprinkle in some Bowe, Lelie, Engram and Bradley. When Cassel went down it seemed that the Chiefs abandoned their passing game. This was most likely a knee jerk reaction by the coaching staff as Thigpen actually looked pretty good when they finally gave him a chance in the 2nd half. Instead, the Chiefs literally called the same flat running play 12 times in a row. Seriously, they called 12 running plays in a row. What is this, Tecmo Bowl 1992?

Chiefs fans booed relentlessly throughout the game. Granted, the Chief's best chance to win will be on the ground, but it would have made the fans happy to see a couple of long chucks down the field or a risky trick play.

Kansas City Chiefs - Cincinnati Bengals Preview

After losing to the Steelers in overtime, the Chiefs return home to host the Cincinnati Bengals (4-5), who are currently fighting for a playoff spot in a very even AFC. The game will begin at 12:00 p.m.

Kansas City had a great opportunity to knock off Pittsburgh last week, but several untimely penalties prevented the team from expanding an early lead. After making a brilliant throw to help the Chiefs force OT, quarterback Matt Cassel was picked off in the extra period which essentially ended the game. Turnovers have been the biggest reason why the Chiefs currently sit at 1-8. Jamaal Charles is quietly having another strong season, and Kansas City will need him to have a monster game to score points. The Chiefs receiving unit is very banged up, as Jonathan Baldwin is out with a concussion and leading receiver Dwayne Bowe has been limited by a hamstring injury.

Many Chiefs fans have speculated that Brady Quinn would get another shot at the starting quarterback role, but Matt Cassel has been officially named the starter for Sunday. Head coach Romeo Crennel has stated that Quinn is still recovering from his concussion and has not yet been cleared to play.

The Bengals are coming off their most impressive performance of the year, a 31-13 win over the defending champion New York Giants. Andy Dalton has become a solid NFL quarterback, and receiver A.J. Green has quickly become one of the league’s top wideouts. The Chiefs defense has not lived up to its preseason expectations, but it has the talent to keep the Bengals offense in check. Kansas City will likely need to force a few turnovers to slow down Dalton and Green and give its struggling offense a short field to work with.

The Chiefs proved last week that when they limit turnovers (Kansas City had zero during regulation) they can still compete with anyone. Still, it is hard to see this team repeating that type of performance two weeks in a row, especially with a banged up receiving unit. The Bengals are fighting for a playoff spot and have a lot of confidence, and also may be getting several good players back from injury. The Chiefs will likely need a few turnovers to pull this one out.

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Chiefs Vikings 2011 Kansas City News

We hate to say it, but this game might actually be a win for the Kansas City Chiefs vs the Minnesota Vikings, who suck almost as bad as the Chiefs. Now remember, we do not WANT to win due to the ongoing "Suck for Luck" campaign in which we must LOSE every possible game this season in order to acquire super star quarterback Andrew Luck in the 2012 draft for next season. It is imperative that we lose as many games as possible this season, and just focus on next season, there is no way that we are going to be a playoff (or regular season) competitor this year with Jamaal Charles and Eric Barry missing. Let's not kid ourselves and just throw the rest of the games this year.

810 sports radio has been heard arguing this case by saying that "they won't blow the rest of the season because staff members, players and coaches will risk losing their jobs". That is an ignorant statement - here's why: EVERYONE sits down and agrees that losing the remaining games this year is in the Chiefs best interest and no one will lose their job based ONLY upon the team's record for the 2011 season. Now, with that said, if someone on the Chiefs payroll was going to be losing their job after this season ANYWAY, then so be it. But the team would need to sit down and actually agree not to fire anyone based upon this season's record. That, my friends, is the solution.

We are kidding ourselves if we think that Matt Cassel is EVER going to be the right guy for us at quarterback. The only way that would be possible is if we were to build the BEST defense in the NFL, then you might get a team that resemble the Baltimore Ravens 2000 Super Bowl winning team behind mediocre quarterback Trent Dilfer. We would need the best defense in the NFL to propel us to a Super Bowl win behind Matt Cassel.

In other news, Jared Allen, our former defensive lineman who now wears a Minnesota Vikings jersey, has requested that the fans at Arrowhead Stadium please not "boo" him this Sunday.

Top Fantasy NFL Draft Picks 2011

Here are the top NFL fantasy draft picks for 2011 in total, brought to you by Kansas City News, September 6th, 2011:

1 Arian Foster* HOU RB 11
2 Adrian Peterson MIN RB 9
3 Ray Rice BAL RB 5
4 LeSean McCoy PHI RB 7
5 Jamaal Charles KC RB 6
6 Aaron Rodgers GB QB 8
7 Andre Johnson HOU WR 11
8 Chris Johnson TEN RB 6
9 Rashard Mendenhall PIT RB 11
10 Roddy White ATL WR 8
11 Maurice Jones-Drew JAC RB 9
12 Darren McFadden OAK RB 8
13 Steven Jackson STL RB 5
14 Calvin Johnson DET WR 9
15 Larry Fitzgerald ARI WR 6
16 Matt Forte CHI RB 8
17 Frank Gore SF RB 7
18 Michael Turner ATL RB 8
19 Tom Brady NE QB 7
20 Hakeem Nicks NYG WR 7
21 Philip Rivers SD QB 6
22 Drew Brees NO QB 11
23 Mike Wallace PIT WR 11
24 Peyton Manning** IND QB 11
25 Michael Vick PHI QB 7
26 Vincent Jackson SD WR 6
27 Shonn Greene NYJ RB 8
28 Greg Jennings GB WR 8
29 Reggie Wayne** IND WR 11
30 DeSean Jackson PHI WR 7
31 Mark Ingram NO RB 11
32 Antonio Gates SD TE 6
33 LeGarrette Blount TB RB 8
34 Dwayne Bowe KC WR 6
35 Jason Witten DAL TE 5
36 Dallas Clark IND TE 11
37 Dez Bryant DAL WR 5
38 Ahmad Bradshaw NYG RB 7
39 Miles Austin DAL WR 5
40 Jermichael Finley GB TE 8
41 Ryan Mathews SD RB 6
42 Peyton Hillis CLE RB 5
43 Santonio Holmes NYJ WR 8
44 Mike Williams TB WR 8
45 Brandon Marshall MIA WR 5
46 Brandon Lloyd DEN WR 6
47 Wes Welker NE WR 7
48 Vernon Davis SF TE 7
49 Matt Ryan ATL QB 8
50 Tony Romo DAL QB 5
51 Jahvid Best DET RB 9
52 Felix Jones DAL RB 5
53 Anquan Boldin BAL WR 5
54 DeAngelo Williams CAR RB 9
55 Ben Roethlisberger PIT QB 11
56 Matt Schaub HOU QB 11
57 Cedric Benson CIN RB 7
58 Marshawn Lynch SEA RB 6
59 Knowshon Moreno DEN RB 6
60 Jospeh Addai IND RB 11
61 BenJarvus Green-Ellis NE RB 7
62 Austin Collie** IND WR 11
63 Mario Manningham NYG WR 7
64 Jeremy Maclin PHI WR 7
65 Marques Colston NO WR 11
66 Julio Jones ATL WR 8
67 Kenny Britt TEN WR 6
68 Steve Johnson BUF WR 7
69 Percy Harvin MIN WR 9
70 Eli Manning NYG QB 7
71 Joe Flacco BAL QB 5
72 Beanie Wells ARI RB 6
73 Sam Bradford STL QB 5
74 Sidney Rice SEA WR 6
75 Santana Moss WAS WR 5
76 Josh Freeman TB QB 8
77 Matthew Stafford DET QB 9
78 Reggie Bush MIA RB 5
79 Daniel Thomas MIA RB 5
80 Brandon Jacobs NYG RB 7
81 Brandon Pettigrew DET TE 9
82 Jimmy Graham NO TE 11
83 Fred Jackson BUF RB 7
84 James Starks GB RB 8
85 Mike Tolbert SD RB 6
86 Ryan Grant GB RB 8
87 Mike Thomas JAC WR 9
88 Jacoby Ford OAK WR 8
89 Jonathan Stewart CAR RB 9
90 Tim Hightower WAS RB 5
91 Roy Helu WAS RB 5
92 C.J. Spiller BUF RB 7
93 Danny Amendola STL WR 5
94 Lance Moore NO WR 11
95 Pierre Garcon** IND WR 11
96 Montario Hardesty CLE RB 5
97 Michael Bush OAK RB 8
98 Willis McGahee DEN RB 6
99 Pittsburgh DST PIT DST 11
100 Jay Cutler CHI QB 8
101 Green Bay DST GB DST 8
102 Marcedes Lewis JAC TE 9
103 Owen Daniels HOU TE 11
104 Steve Smith CAR WR 9
105 New England DST NE DST 7
106 New York Jets DST NYJ DST 8
107 Ben Tate HOU RB 11
108 Davone Bess MIA WR 5
109 Deion Branch NE WR 7
110 Chad Ochocinco NE WR 7
111 Philadelphia DST PHI DST 7
112 Chicago DST CHI DST 8
113 A.J. Green CIN WR 7
114 Greg Little CLE WR 5
115 Kevin Kolb ARI QB 6
116 Arrelious Benn TB WR 8
117 Plaxico Burress NYJ WR 8
118 Rob Gronkowski NE TE 7
119 Javon Ringer TEN RB 6
120 Pierre Thomas NO RB 11
121 Kyle Orton DEN QB 6
122 Aaron Hernandez NE TE 7
123 Tony Gonzalez ATL TE 8
124 Kellen Winslow TB TE 8
125 Braylon Edwards SF WR 7
126 Colt McCoy CLE QB 5
127 Nate Burleson DET WR 9
128 Roy Williams CHI WR 8
129 Brandon Gibson STL WR 5
130 Mike Sims-Walker STL WR 5
131 Lee Evans BAL WR 5
132 Johnny Knox CHI WR 8
133 Devin Hester CHI WR 8
134 Earl Bennett CHI WR 8
135 Delone Carter IND RB 11
136 Mark Sanchez NYJ QB 8
137 Ryan Fitzpatrick BUF QB 7
138 Matt Cassel KC QB 6
139 Steve Breaston KC WR 5
140 Malcom Floyd SD WR 6
141 Jordy Nelson GB WR 8
142 Victor Cruz NYG WR 7
143 Michael Crabtree SF WR 7
144 Emmanuel Sanders PIT WR 11
145 Harry Douglas ATL WR 8
146 Dezmon Briscoe TB WR 8
147 Jacoby Jones HOU WR 11
148 Robert Meachem NO WR 11
149 Kendall Hunter SF RB 7
150 DeMarco Murray DAL RB 5
151 Danny Woodhead NE RB 7
152 Darren Sproles NO RB 11
153 Detroit DST DET DST 9
154 Thomas Jones KC RB 6
155 LaDainian Tomlinson NYJ RB 8
156 Zach Miller SEA TE 6
157 Jared Cook TEN TE 6
158 Dallas DST DAL DST 5
159 Jason Campbell OAK QB 8
160 Donovan McNabb MIN QB 9
161 Tampa Bay DST TB DST 8
162 Atlanta DST ATL DST 8
163 Dustin Keller NYJ TE 8
164 Jermaine Gresham CIN TE 7
165 New York Giants DST NYG DST 7
166 Stevan Ridley NE RB 7
167 Ronnie Brown PHI RB 7
168 Justin Forsett SEA RB 6
169 Jason Snelling ATL RB 8
170 Chad Henne MIA QB 5
171 Marion Barber CHI RB 8
172 Bernard Scott CIN RB 7
173 Earnest Graham TB RB 8
174 Isaac Redman PIT RB 11
175 Deji Karim JAC RB 9
176 Matt Hassellbeck TEN QB 6
177 Baltimore DST BAL DST 5
178 Nate Kaeding SD K 6
179 Heath Miller PIT TE 11
180 Benjamin Watson CLE TE 5
181 Greg Olsen CAR TE 9
182 Mason Crosby GB K 8
183 Kansas City DST KC DST 6
184 Mike Williams SEA WR 6
185 Derrick Mason NYJ WR 8
186 Hines Ward PIT WR 11
187 Eddie Royal DEN WR 6
188 Eric Decker DEN WR 6
189 Sebastian Janikowski OAK K 8
190 Houston DST HOU DST 11
191 New Orleans DST NO DST 11
192 Stephen Gostkowski NE K 7
193 Matt Bryant ATL K 8
194 Andre Roberts ARI WR 6
195 Chris Cooley WAS TE 5
196 Todd Heap ARI TE 6
197 Kevin Boss OAK TE 8
198 Lance Kendricks STL TE 5
199 Kyle Rudolph MIN TE 9
200 Jordan Shipley CIN WR 7
201 Brian Hartline MIA WR 5
202 Jason Hill JAC WR 9
203 Jabar Gaffney WAS WR 5
204 Antonio Brown PIT WR 11
205 Jerome Simpson CIN WR 7
206 Cam Newton CAR QB 9
207 Andy Dalton CIN QB 7
208 Ryan Torain WAS RB 5
209 Tashard Choice DAL RB 5
210 Mike Goodson CAR RB 9
211 Toby Gerhart MIN RB 9
212 Jamie Harper TEN RB 6
213 LaRod Stephens-Howling ARI RB 6
214 Josh Brown STL K 5
215 Neil Rackers HOU K 11
216 Rob Bironas TEN K 6
217 Alex Henery PHI K 7
218 Adam Vinatieri IND K 11
219 James Jones GB WR 8
220 Danario Alexander STL WR 5
221 Torrey Smith BA: WR 5
222 Titus Young DET WR 5
223 Blair White IND WR 11
224 Donald Driver GB WR 8
225 Nate Washington TEN WR 6
226 Jonathan Baldwin KC WR 6
227 Dexter McCluster KC WR 6
228 Edmond Gates MIA WR 5
229 Cecil Shorts JAC WR 9
230 Steve Smith PHI WR 7
231 Denarius Moore OAK WR 8
232 Anthony Armstrong WAS WR 5
233 Brent Celek PHI TE 7
234 Visanthe Shiancoe MIN TE 9
235 Evan Moore CLE TE 5
236 Fred Davis WAS TE 5
237 Ed Dickson BAL TE 5
238 Anthony Fasano MIA TE 5
239 Nick Folk NYJ K 8
240 John Kasay NO K 11
241 Lawrence Tynes NYG K 7
242 Robbie Gould CHI K 8
243 San Diego DST SD DST 6
244 Oakland DST OAK DST 8
245 Golden Tate SEA WR 6
246 Devin Aromashodu MIN WR 9
247 Legedu Naanee CAR WR 9
248 Vincent Brown SD WR 6
249 Randall Cobb GB WR 8
250 Mewelde Moore PIT RB 11
251 Jacquizz Rodgers ATL RB 8
252 Donald Brown IND RB 11
253 Cadillac Williams STL RB 5
254 Derrick Ward HOU RB 11
255 Tony Scheffler DET TE 9
256 Jacob Tamme IND TE 11
257 Alex Smith SF QB 7
258 David Garrard JAC QB 9
259 Vince Young PHI QB 7
260 Leon Washington SEA RB 6
261 Jordan Todman SD RB 6
262 Joe McKnight NYJ RB 8
263 Ricky Williams BAL RB 5
264 Anthony Dixon SF RB 7
265 Mohamed Massaquoi CLE WR 5
266 Brian Robiskie CLE WR 5
267 Michael Jenkins MIN WR 9
268 Louis Murphy OAK WR 8
269 Chaz Schilens OAK WR 8
270 Shane Vereen NE RB 7
271 Jake Locker TEN QB 6
272 Christian Ponder MIN QB 9
273 Blaine Gabbert JAC QB 9
274 Colin Kaepernick SF QB 7
275 John Beck WAS QB 5
276 Rex Grossman WAS QB 5
277 San Francisco DST SF DST 7
278 Minnesota DST MIN DST 9
279 Tennessee DST TEN DST 6
280 Jeremy Shockey CAR TE 9

*If Arian Foster's hamstring injury turns out to be a tear and he misses the first three-four games, he would drop to 27 in the rankings.
**If Manning's neck injury keeps him out four-five games, he would drop to 100 in the rankings, Reggie Wayne drops to 67th, Austin Collie to 109th, Pierre Garcon to 141st.

Brought to you by Kansas City News. September 6th, 2011

2013 NFL Draft - What If The Chiefs Don't Take A Quarterback With Their Top Pick?

With only two games remaining in the 2012 NFL season, Kansas City is guaranteed to have one of the top two picks in the 2013 NFL draft and is a heavy favorite to land the top overall pick. Many draft experts feel the Chiefs will take a quarterback with their first-round pick, as the team desperately needs an upgrade over Matt Cassel and Brady Quinn.

While the Chiefs will certainly address the QB position this off-season, they may not do it via their top draft pick. Geno Smith and Matt Barkley are the consensus top two QBs in the draft, however many feel that both are not worthy of being the top pick in the draft. The combination of Smith and Barkley doesn’t appear to be in the same league of Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, the quarterbacks who went one-two last year and are both enjoying fantastic rookie seasons.

So what are the Chiefs’ choices? For starters, they could bring in a veteran QB for this season and take a shot on a QB later in the draft or wait until next year. Seattle used this strategy last off-season, signing veteran backup Matt Flynn from the Green Bay Packers and drafting Russell Wilson in the third round. Several veteran quarterbacks such as Alex Smith or Michael Vick will be looking for a new starting opportunity this off-season, and the Chiefs might feel better about grabbing one on a bargain deal and finding a QB later in the draft or taking a chance on one next season.

If the Chiefs do elect not to take Smith or Barkley at number one, they would have several options. First, they could attempt to trade down and a quire more picks, however it might be hard to find a suitor. The team could massively upgrade both its offensive or defensive line with Texas A&M OT Luke Joeckel, Utah DT Star Lotulelei, Ohio State DT Johnathan Hankins or Florida State DE Bjoern Werner. The team could also acquire a pass rusher, although this may be a lower priority with former pro bowler Tamba Hali and Justin Houston on the team (the latter has developed into a good NFL starter).

The question for the next Chiefs General Manager will be this: Is Smith or Barkley worth taking with the top pick in the draft? Chiefs fans will have to wait until the end of the season to see which direction the team is leaning.

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Cassel wants more big plays from Chiefs

Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel has gone on record that the chiefs need to throw the ball down the field more, and I couldn't agree more. The Chief's lack of a big play threat has been a big fat albatross hanging on the neck of an offense that has shown promise but has yet to break through and find consistency.

Cassel indicted that part of the Chief's problem was that the team hasn't shown much of its playbook this preseason, although last year's offense hardly struck fear in opposing defenses when it had the ball and was using its full array of plays. Getting the ball to running backs Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles is the primary focus of the offense, and rightfully so, but the Chiefs must be able to stretch the field to give its backs running room and keep safeties away from the line of scrimmage.

While no one is expecting the Chiefs to put up its Dick Vermeil era numbers, the team will need more points per game while its defense continues to experience growing pains. The problem the Chiefs face is it lacks a Randy Moss type receiver that can stretch the field. Dwayne Bowe has looked promising in spurts, and Chris Chambers can do this. Hopefully Charlie Weiss can use his creativity to keep defenses off guard with a few big plays so Kansas City's real strength, its rushing attack, can be effective.

Comments?

Chiefs Beat Chargers

After a season filled with close (and not so close) loses, unanswered questions and a somewhat promising finish, the Kansas City Chiefs made starting out the 2010 season on the right foot a priority. The team did just that, upsetting AFC West juggernaut San Diego in the rain, 21-14.

The Chiefs hadn't won on opening day since this guy was in office, and more importantly, had lost to San Diego in its last five meetings. After falling to the Chargers by a combined 59 points last year, the Chiefs win was essential for the team to prove it will be, at the very least, no longer a guaranteed win for other teams around the league.

While the Chiefs played well, two aspects of the team are still troubling. First, the Chiefs continue to underuse Jamaal Charles. Despite showing his big-play ability time and time again, Charles continues to split carries with Thomas Jones. Jones is a steady, productive back, but Charles must be given more touches a game with his home run ability. Also troubling is the continued poor play from quarterback Matt Cassel. If the Chiefs are to make a push for the playoffs, it is important for Cassel to make plays and limit mistakes.

The good news for the Chiefs is the team is loaded with young playmakers to go along with Charles, most notably Dexter McCluster and Javier Arenas. Both have big-time return ability and have given the special teams a much needed boost. If the Chiefs can continue to run the ball effectively, find a few big plays from its special teams and Cassel can start playing like he gets paid to, a shot at the playoffs isn't out of Kansas City's reach.

Kansas City Chiefs-Seattle Seahawks Preview

The third preseason game is considered by football fans and players to be the most important, as teams traditionally play their starters for the majority of the game and treat the contest more like the regular season. The Chiefs third preseason game is tonight, when the team will host the Seattle Seahawks.

It has been an up-and-down preseason so far for Kansas City - the team looked very sharp in its opening game win against the Arizona Cardinals yet struggled in its second game in a loss against the St. Louis Rams. The biggest story line for the Chiefs is the newly-signed Dwayne Bowe and what role he will play. Bowe recently signed his franchise tender after skipping the team’s entire offseason program and the first two preseason games, so he has had only a few days to learn the new playbook. While he likely will only see a few series, head coach Romeo Crennel has indicated that Bowe will see the field.

Bowe isn’t the only big story line for tonight’s game. The Chiefs are still sorting out some position battles, particularly at back-up quarterback. Brady Quinn and Ricky Stanzi have been battling for the number two spot all preseason, and it appears that Quinn likely has the upper-hand to be next-in-line after Matt Cassel. Cassel has had some injury problems in the past, which makes the team’s QB2 battle intriguing.

Seattle raised a few eyebrows this week when it announced that rookie quarterback Russell Wilson would start the all-important third preseason game. Wilson, a third-round draft pick out of Wisconsin, has played well this preseason, and it appears he has a legitimate shot to win the starting job in Seattle. Most thought that Matt Flynn, who was signed as a free agent to a lucrative deal, would earn the position. Flynn has spent his career spelling NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, and looked impressive filling in for the Rodgers when he was hurt for a game in 2011 and didn’t play the team’s regular season finale last year as they had already locked up the top playoff seed. The Seahawks will likely be watching both very closely tonight, with the regular season only a couple weeks away.

Game time tonight at Arrowhead Stadium is 7:00 p.m. The Chiefs will wrap up their preseason next Thursday, when the team travels to Lambeau Field to play the Packers.

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Don't be Confused by some of the Chiefs Moves...yet

In watching Herm Edwards fill in on Mike and Mike this morning on ESPN, I thought about how much I respect the man as a person, but how much I also like to see him on the ESPN sets instead of our beloved sidelines. Even the least passionate Chiefs fans know that there has been a ton of needed change at 1 Arrowhead Drive. It started, of course, with Scott Pioli and Todd Haley. In their wake, there has been a continued effort to add more people to create more competition, as per their promise.

The off-season began with the acquisitions of Matt Cassel and Mike Vraebel from New England. Despite his success, I think a guy that hadn't started a game since High School may not be the guy we need behind a swiss cheese offensive line and weak receiving core. Vraebel tags up with Bobby Engram and Zach Thomas to start their farewell tour from the NFL. All three have been potent threats in the past, but those days are well behind them. Trust me.

That being said, the Chiefs did need some senior leadership. The past few years showed Carl Peterson and Herm Edwards running most of the veterans and team leaders out of town. Don't get me started on Jarred Allen. With the recent trade of Tony Gonzalez to the Atlanta Falcons that would leave...um...Brian Waters. So, I guess these player/coaches could be of some value.

My confusion comes with the addition of Amani Toomer and most recently backup Quarterback Matt Gutierrez. But hey, they released Ingle Martin at QB to make room for Gutierrez. Yeah, I wouldn't make out the flashcards trying to remember either of these guys names any more than they should be purchasing property while employed in the NFL. Still, I see the method in the madness as Gutierrez backed up Cassel in New England. In addition, if we have Brodie Croyle battling Tyler Thigpen for the number two and three spots respectively, I really get it.

This brings me to the well dressed Amani Toomer. I have a ton of respect for this guy, but I think he rounds out the number four spot on the "All-will-be-retired-by-the-end-of-the-season-team." That is, of course, assuming they see time on the field. That brings the Chiefs tally to two receivers that should be watching football on television on Sunday and ten receivers total in camp. DWAYNE BOWE...DO WE NEED TO SPELL IT OUT? CATCH THE DAMN BALL!!

All that said, my opinion is that the Pioli and Haley are trying to bring as much talent as can be acquired at this time of the year to create as much competition as possible in camp. Don't be surprised if half of these guys don't make the team this year. If you will recall, we had Fred "Fred-X" Mitchell on the team last year for a few weeks before the season started. As some of these trades happen, please keep in mind that we have a GM and Coach with winning traditions. Let's not call these moves bad...yet.

Kansas City Chiefs News

Chiefs Complete Deal To Acquire Alex Smith

It is official – the Chiefs and 49ers have reached a deal that will send quarterback Alex Smith to Kansas City. In the deal, the Chiefs gave up their second round pick (No. 34 overall) in this year’s NFL draft as well as a conditional pick in the 2014 draft.

 

Smith’s career got off to a rough start, but he has played well recently. In the 2011 season he threw 17 touchdowns against only five interceptions, leading the 49ers to the NFC title game. Smith was having an even better season in 2012, with a 104 QB rating through nine games before suffering a concussion against the St. Louis Rams. After he got hurt, Colin Kaepernick played well, and 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh stuck with the talented Kaepernick through the team’s run to the Super Bowl.

There is no question that the Chiefs needed help at quarterback, and Smith provides an upgrade to the position. The big question Chiefs fans are now wondering is this: did the team give up too much to acquire Smith?

The answer is yes. Smith is a good player, but the Chiefs are not in win-now territory. The team was the worst franchise in football last year, and will need a year or two of rebuilding to get back to playoff contention. The 34th pick in the draft is extremely valuable, as well as a mid-round pick in 2014.

The move to get Smith makes sense – there aren’t any great QB prospects in this year’s draft. The staff likely felt Smith gave them the best chance of winning over Geno Smith or Matt Barkley, and Alex will be 29-years-old when the season starts (so he has several years of football left in him). It just seems like the Chiefs could have acquired Smith at a cheaper price, especially since it has become clear he is firmly the backup to Kaepernick in San Francisco.

The Chiefs could still take a quarterback in the draft and groom them for the future. The team may gamble on Geno Smith with the top pick, or attempt to trade down several spots in the first round and take a quarterback then. Kansas City also could take a chance on a project later in the draft, but losing their second-round pick gives the team less flexibility. Most feel that the team isn’t sold on any QBs in this year’s draft, and will instead take a player like Texas A&M tackle Luke Joeckel and attempt to find a young QB in the future.

With the acquisition of Smith, it appears that Kansas City will release Matt Cassel. Cassel is due $7.75 million in 2013.

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Texans Over Chiefs in 4th Quarter Rally

Going into Houston on Sunday, we knew the Texans offense could score in a hurry. No lead would be safe. Matt Schaub and Company wore down the Chiefs defence, and absolutely shredded them in the 4th Quarter scoring 21 points. A Chiefs offense that had success all day couldn't keep up and another game slips away. This loss hurt, to have a 2 TD lead in the second half on a good team and blow it - yes, we should have, could have, would have won. You could blame the refs (the really only egregious mistake was the false start call on the Chiefs on 4th down), but, hey, you gotta stop the other team. The Chiefs did not come close in the 4th Quarter to stopping the Texans.

That's not to say there wasn't some encouraging play. Dwayne Bowe looked like a First Round pick for the first time this year. Jamal Charles and Thomas Jones both look nearly unstoppable. Matt Cassel had his best game in a Chiefs uniform. If the passing game finds some consistency, this could still be a great year for the Chiefs. I think the Defence will come around - Crennel will get it figured out.

With two home games in a row coming up, and the reset of the AFC West sucking eggs, we can be optimistic, and this division is ours for the taking. Yes, this one hurt, but that's a good thing - because we care once again in Kansas City about our Chiefs.

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.

Chiefs Preseason Home Opener 2011

No surprises here, just as last year, The Kansas City Chiefs aren't going to give away any secrets during the preseason. Arrowhead filled up about half way on Friday night with fans eager to see the first NFL action since our playoff debacle last season vs. the Ravens. The pregame show was lackluster, with a rag-tag little tribute to the troops (done before often?), and then the torture began. Almost like a boxer taking a dive in the 1st round, The Kansas City Chiefs showed no signs of running any real plays, or even starting most of the top players that the fans came out to see. Matt Cassel, who the fans in our V.I.P. section have dubbed "the league's highest paid back up quarterback" didn't throw a single pass - not that Matt can exactly WOW us with his passing skill, but it would have been nice to see at least one ball get up into the air. No such luck, it was run for 1 yard, punt, watch the other team score, run for another 3 yards, fumble, watch the other team score, then...they took out the starters.

This is typical Chiefs preseason football under it's new leadership regime, and though last year's preseason shocked many Chiefs fans into a deep depression, this year we were ready. We know that coach Haley and Pioli have no intention of revealing any of the Chiefs real playbook to the public until the Chiefs home opener on September 11th, 2011. While other teams in the NFL took to the air and put up touchdowns and defensive sacks, the Chiefs gave all of their bench players ample playing time and seemed to have no game plan whatsoever. Which is fine!

One thing that was fun to watch was backup QB Tyler Palko's performance. There is something very unpredictable and exciting about the play of any left handed quarterback. Left handed people are more intelligent as a whole and much more crafty. Palko is ranked in the top 3 quarterbacks of all time at Pittsburgh where he attended college - another member of the top 3 at Pitt is none other than Dan Marino - and Palko finished only 254 yards behind Marino in passing yards at Pitt. On Friday night Palko gave an athletic performance, scrambling to buy time, and winging the ball with skill and purpose.

Chiefs-Seahawks Game Recap

After a disappointing showing against the St. Louis Rams, the Chiefs were looking to make a statement against the Seattle Seahawks in the all-important third preseason game. Rather than turn things around, things went from bad to worse for Kansas City, as the team got embarrassed by Seattle, 44-14.

The Chiefs had no answer for Seattle’s Russell Wilson, a rookie third-round pick out of Wisconsin who recently won the team’s starting job over Matt Flynn. Wilson threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns while also running for 58 yards, leading the Seahawks to scores on their first six possessions. The absence of cornerback Brandon Flowers and safety Kendrick Lewis was noticeable in the passing attack and the Chiefs front seven mustered little pressure on the QB and routinely gave up big plays on the ground. Kansas City had one of the better defenses in the NFL last year, but the unit has not looked sharp this preseason. With Tamba Hali suspended for the first game of the regular season and Flowers and Lewis continuing to fight nagging injuries, head coach Romeo Crennel is going to have to get creative and find a way to improve the defense while it is missing some key players.

Offensively, Kansas City struggled all night long, including going three-and-out on the team’s first four drives. The Chiefs had one impressive drive in the second quarter, marching 80 yards and scoring on a Dexter McCluster reception, but the rest of the night was pretty dismal. Matt Cassel threw an interception that was returned 75 yards for a touchdown, and the team failed to hit on any big plays once it got down by a couple of scores.

Even special teams were troublesome for the Chiefs, as Seattle’s Golden Tate returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter.

It is still only the preseason, but Kansas City played its starters well into the third quarter and looked overmatched by an average Seattle team. Injuries on defense have been a major problem, and the team will have to find more consistency on offense. Hopefully the return of Dwayne Bowe will ignite a spark for the offense, and Flowers and Lewis can return from injury soon to aid the defense.

The team’s final preseason game will be this Thursday, when the Chiefs travel to Lambeau Field to play the Green Bay Packers. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

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Chiefs Close To Acquiring 49ers Quarterback Alex Smith

According to multiple reports, the Kansas City Chiefs have a deal that is nearly completed to acquire San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith. Any deal involving Smith cannot officially take place until March 12, when the new league year begins.

Smith’s story was well documented this past season due to the emergence of Colin Kaepernick during the 49ers run to the Super Bowl. After a strong 2011 season in which he threw 17 touchdowns against only five interceptions, Smith was having an even better season in 2012 – enjoying a 104 QB rating through nine games before suffering a concussion against the St. Louis Rams. Kaepernick played well in Smith’s absence, and head coach Jim Harbaugh stuck with the young QB instead of Smith all the way up through the 49ers loss in the Super Bowl to the Baltimore Ravens.

The Chiefs’ most glaring need is at quarterback, and many thought the team would draft a QB with its top overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft. However, this draft does not have any quarterback prospects that deserve to go number one overall, and many reports have indicated that Kansas City is moreinterested in drafting Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel.

If the Chiefs trade for Smith, there are two paths the team can take. Kansas City could make Smith the starting quarterback and still draft a QB like Geno Smith or Matt Barkley with the top pick, grooming the young signal caller for the future similar to how the Packers brought along Aaron Rodgers. The Chiefs could also make Smith the starter and spend its top pick on an impact offensive or defensive lineman, and select a QB later in the draft or next season. Acquiring Smith certainly gives the team options.

Is Smith a good fit for Kansas City? He rarely turns the ball over and has excelled in a scheme in San Francisco that emphasizes conservative passes and running the football. With the dynamic Jamaal Charles, the Chiefs are built to be a run-first offense, and Smith could give the Chiefs just what they need – a steady quarterback who limits mistakes. The downside to Smith is that he struggled his entire career in San Francisco until a championship-level team was built around him. As Matt Cassel proved, an average QB can look good with a strong team around him, and Smith will not have the talent supporting him that he enjoyed in San Francisco.

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Will The Chiefs Take A QB In The First Round Of The 2013 NFL Draft?

With both the college football and NFL seasons past their halfway point, Chiefs fans can begin to think about the upcoming draft. Currently, Kansas City is one of three teams with only one win this season (tied with the Jaguars and Panthers) and appear to be a lock for a top pick.

The biggest position Kansas City fans will be focused on is quarterback. Matt Cassel has been a disaster this season, and Brady Quinn failed to play any better in his limited playing time. In today’s NFL, you simply cannot win without a good quarterback – the most recent Superbowl winners include Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Really in the last 20 or so years, the only two quarterbacks who won the Superbowl that weren’t considered “elite” were Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer, and both were efficient, mistake-free players who had the top defense in the league. The Chiefs haven’t drafted a quarterback in the first round since 1983, when the team famously picked Todd Blackledge over future hall of famers Jim Kelly and Dan Marino. While Kansas City has had some success bringing in veterans, such as Joe Montana and Trent Green, many feel it is time for the team to draft and develop a quarterback.

At QB, two names have dominated the discussion – Geno Smith and Matt Barkley. Earlier this season, it appeared that Smith was the frontrunner for the Heisman trophy, however West Virginia has struggled since getting blown out by Kansas State. Still, Smith has completed an astonishing 74 percent of his passes while only throwing two interceptions, and his athleticism could be a weapon at the next level. While there are some questions about his accuracy, Smith is extremely talented and will go early in the first round.

Barkley is considered to be more of a finished product, playing in what is his third season as USC’s starting quarterback. Barkley has played well, however many believe he should have done more this season with a bevy of future NFL players around him. USC has struggled this season and Barkley has been given a lot of blame for the team’s failure to meet expectations.

If the team picks up a few wins down the stretch and can’t get either Smith or Barkley, Arkansas’ Tyler Wilson would be an option. Wilson has become arguably the best quarterback in the SEC and has good size and an NFL-caliber arm, and is expected to go somewhere in the top 10 after Smith and Barkley.

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