Red and Gold Comeback Special

After watching the Chiefs and Saints play for 3 hours and 20 minutes, after seeing the Chiefs come back from down 24-6 to cut it to a 3-point deficit on their final drive, after seeing them convert a 4th and 5 and get into field goal range...

the CBS feed in Denver switched to the kickoff of the Broncos-Texans game.

I understand. There's not really a good solution. I would be ticked if I was in Kansas City and I couldn't watch the first quarter because some other AFC game was in overtime. And with a game going into overtime, there's not really anything CBS could have done. But it's a shame that the reason the game was dragging was because the officials took forever and had five challenges overturned. And it's defeating to invest your entire Sunday afternoon into a game that is now tied in overtime and you can't watch it.

So I kept an eye on my fantasy window. I saw the Chiefs punt to the Saints 3. And force a 3 and out. I saw they had the ball at their 47. And then I saw Saints touchdown. Fumble. 57 yard return. Game over. 30-24.

So I went to the basement. I played with H. I thought about how the comeback was such a waste. I blamed the Chiefs for all the times they kicked field goals instead of getting touchdowns. I blamed them for not even trying to score on their last possession, settling for a long field goal attempt to go to overtime.

And I thought about how the Chiefs were 0-3.
My fantasy team would be 0-3.
My college team is 1-2 against Division I, and their only win was against a MAC team. And their two losses were blowouts.

I told myself: You need to get a new hobby. Football just isn't for you.

After a good 15 minutes I came upstairs. I checked my latest fantasy loss in progress. And I saw that the Chiefs had won, 27-24.

- - -

And suddenly, the Chiefs are tied with the Lions in the burger standings. They're tied with the Broncos, who just two weeks ago had the local news thinking Super Bowl plans. And they have a home game this Sunday for first place in the division.

Peyton seems human. The Raiders haven't impressed. And the Chargers started strong but showed up flat on Sunday. Beat them and all of a sudden things are different.

So two questions.

1. How did the Chiefs struggle to score touchdowns?
2. How did they come back to win?

- - -

Let's look at the Chief's possessions.

#1. Advanced to 1st and 10 at NO 11. Run. Pass. Incomplete. Field goal.
#2. Three and out. Punt.
#3. Advanced to midfield. Penalty. Punt.
#4. Advanced to 1st and 10 at NO 30. Run. Incomplete. Incomplete. Field goal.
#5. Advanced to 1st and 10 at NO 45. Cassel sacked and "fumbled" with two seconds left in the half. (I was convinced that it should have been an incomplete and the Chiefs should have gotten another chance at a hail mary. But the refs ran to the locker room and that was that.)

#6. Fumble.
#7. Advanced to midfield. Punt.
#8. Interception.
#9. 91-yard touchdown run on 1st down.
#10. Advanced to 1st and 10 at NO 13. Run. Pass. Sack. Field goal.
#11. Advanced to 1st and 10 at NO 15. Penalty. Run. Incomplete. Penalty. Incomplete. Field goal.
#12. Three and out. Punt.
#13. 2nd and 4 at NO 33 at the two-minute warning with one timeout. Run. Def penalty. Sneak. Run. Run. Field goal on 3rd down from NO 25.

Scoring summary:
1 touchdown from own 9
3 field goals from red zone
2 field goals from outside red zone
safety

I can't sit here and argue against the playcalling in the red zone, that a pass would have been better. But just generally when you get the red zone three times and score 0 tds, that's not a recipe for success in the NFL. (Aside: The networks always show red zone scoring percentage and I HATE that stat. That stat is worthless. Red zone TD percentage is 100x better. I would rather my team get two td's and turn the ball over on downs once, then get three field goals.)

But the other thing that irks that shit out of me, is the playcalling after the two minute warning. 4 run plays. No sense of urgency. Not trying to get the touchdown at all. You have a chance to win the game. Try for it. At least get your kicker closer. In two minutes you picked up 8 yards. 5 of those yards was an offsides penalty. It's almost as if the Chiefs forgot why you play the game.

- - -

How did the Chiefs win?

Play #1: The Saints are up 10-6 in the 2nd. This play happens. It was called a touchdown on the field. You tell me if there's indisputable visual evidence that it wasn't a touchdown. Because I don't see it. Anyways it was overturned. The Chiefs sack Brees for an 11-yard loss and Hartley pushes a 38-yarder wide.

The Saints were jobbed out of another touchdown in the 2nd half, but got it back five plays later, so no big deal.

Play #2: The Chiefs are down 24-6 in the 3rd. Then #25 goes untouched 91 yards. The only touchdown on the day for KC. Good thing they didn't get into the red zone.

Play #3: On the ensuing drive, new CB Routt picks off Brees at the goal line.

Play #4: The fourth quarter defense. Here are the Saints posessions in the 4th and OT:
3 and out.
3 and out.
Safety.
In overtime: 3 and out.

When the Chiefs couldn't afford any mistakes, the defense stepped up and SHUT THEM DOWN.

Play #5: The Chiefs are down 24-21 with only 2:26 to go in the game. They have a 4th down and 5 at the New Orleans 46. They line up to punt.

Are you serious? They have two timeouts and a two-minute warning, but you're in New Orleans territory. The time is now. Crennel calls timeout. And sends the offense on the field. Don't convert this play and the game is over.

Cassel to Bowe for 7 yards.

The drive stays alive and Succop hits the 43-yarder to go to OT.

- - -

1st win of the season? Let's hand out some game balls.

#3: Ryan Succop

Their kicker: 1 of 2.
Our kicker: 6 of 6.

43-yarder to tie. 31-yarder for the win.

#2 Justin Houston and the 4th quarter defense

I already elaborated on the 4th quarter D. Houston, in his 2nd season, had 3 sacks on the day. The first to push the Saints back that led to a missed field goal. The second was on 3rd down on the drive before the safety. And the third was the safety. We should keep this guy around.

#1: Jamaal Charles

Here are the all-time Kansas City Chiefs single-game rushing records:

3. 211 yards - Larry Johnson
2. 233 yards - Jamaal Charles (Sunday)
1. 255 yards - Jamaal Charles (2010 vs Broncos)

His 91-yard touchdown run was the longest in franchise history and sparked the comeback.

He scored 37 fantasy points.

All the people that won this game for the Chiefs, RAISE YOUR HANDS.

Chiefs won't go 0-16

I've already established that the Chiefs are a garbage dump. 

So I was thinking about the possible outcomes for the Chiefs season.

A. The CEILING for this team is a wild-card berth and losing in the first round.
B. A respectable 7-9 finish.
C. 4-12 or 5-11, picking #5 in the draft.
D. 2-14 and the first pick in the draft.

So obviously, I'll take A over the rest. And if B would win the burger bet, I'd jump at that too. But this year it won't. They're on pace to go 4-12, and at this point are not the front runners in the Luck sweepstakes.

But, this year, with Luck waiting in the wings, is C better than D? It's hard to make that case.

Though it doesn't matter what I think is the best outcome--they'll play the games and it doesn't matter if I'm screaming WIN, or if I'd be happier if we got Luck, or if I'm not watching at all.

- - -

Anyways, it was nice to get a win. There are still 4 teams that haven't done that, including the Rams who I thought had a bunch of promise. And they have the same record as the Eagles and the team with Cam Newton's record-breaking performances. And they've assured they won't tie the Lions for the worst record in all of sport.

- - -

I better hand out some game balls, might not have that many chances this year.

#3: Matt Cassel

260 yards and no picks. Fired the team up at halftime. Seemed like he made some good down the field throws. But his one touchdown was all this guy...

#2: Dwayne Bowe 

Over 100 yards and the touchdown that won the game, and it was Bowe doing all the work.

#1: Ryan Succop

When you go 5/5 that's a game ball. And when you hit two 50+, including a 54-yarder to take the lead late in the 3rd quarter, that's your MVP. Succop's 54-yarder

Chiefs Clinch Division!

Editor's Note: I took a holiday from blogging, mostly because I need the home-field advantage of my own computers. So I'm a little behind on handing out the Chiefs game balls from week 16. So just imagine this is December 27th.

- - -

The Kansas City Chiefs are the AFC West Champions. The last time that happened was 2003.

This year was the greatest one-year turnaround in franchise history. They reached it by having the 3rd best first half in franchise history.

Here were their possessions in the first half against the Titans.

Touchdown
Touchdown
Field Goal
Touchdown
Punt
Missed Field Goal
Pick Six on defense

31 points in 30 minutes--game over.

Cassel goes for 314 yards and 3 scores just weeks after his surgery.
Charles scores twice on passes. Bowe goes 6 for 153 with a 75-yard score.
Eric Berry scores his first NFL touchdown.

Limit the Titans to 3/12 on 3rd down. Chris Johnson under 60 yards.

The Chiefs came in and kicked ass. And thanks to the Chargers bumbling on the road, that's the division.

The Chiefs will host a playoff game. Again, first time since 2003. Am I awake?

- - -

#3: Dwayne Bowe


The Chiefs were already up 17-0 but facing a 3rd and 19 from their own 25. Most teams including KC usually, dial up a draw play or something to get about 10 yards. Cassel goes deep to Bowe who cuts through the entire Tennessee defense, taking it 75 yards to the house. 24-0 and it's over. PUT IT ON THE BOARD!

#2: Jamaal Charles


There's a secret in the Kansas City rushing attack. They're billed as a two-headed monster. Thunder and lightning, smash and dash. But Thomas Jones has lost what he had early in the season.

Jones is averaging 3.7 yards a carry. Charles is at 6.4.

The vaunted running game is really just Charles. He makes this team go and he made big plays to get the Chiefs up 14-0 early.


#1: Matt Cassel



Cassel came to kick ass today. He started something like 10/11 and was on fire stretching the field. And now he gets to play in the playoffs for the first time. Actually, first time for Bowe and Charles as well. Let's hope they show up like this.

Chiefs in Driver's Seat to Playoffville

Chiefs get their third road win of the season and now only have two home games standing in between them and their first Division title since 2003.

They take the Governor's Cup and proceed to finish 4-0 against the NFC West in the process.

Coming into the year, I predicted the Chargers would finish 11-5 and the Chiefs 7-9. Some would have thought 7-9 and was optimistic. Once they started 2-0, I still was expecting a 7-9 season. This really is fantastic. They're 6-0 at home (Undefeated at the "new" Arrowhead)--close it out and host a playoff game. Let's do it.

- - -

The Chiefs are 9-4 with Cassel starting and today's game showed how much of a difference he makes. His numbers were pedestrian, but he made some key scrambles in the first half, extending drives. The offense got off to a slow start, mostly due to some receiver drops. But scored 20 in a row, and then put it on ice when it was 20-13 with 4 minutes to go.

Oh yeah, and the Chiefs fans took over the Edward Jones Dome.

#3: Jamaal Charles


Charles was limited to 11 carries, due to some leg cramps. Throughout the game he was important to moving the ball, 6 yards here, first downs there. But when we needed someone to step up and seal the deal, he stepped up. 80 yards up the gut. Jones comes in for the vulture score. And just like that it's a 14-point win on the road.

With the long run he averaged over 11 yards a carry today. He should finish averaging over 6 yards for the season, blowing away every other running back in the league.


#2: The Defense



The offense struggled early. Drops, a rare interception. But the defense played complementary football. Held the Rams to field goals, didn't give up any points off the turnover. Decent pass rush, limited Jackson to 67 rushing yards, forced two interceptions off Bradford. Didn't allow the Rams into the endzone for the first 55 minutes of the game.

With the offense's slow start, if the defense had given up 14 or 17 points early, it would have put the Chiefs in possibly too big of a hole, changing our strategy.

#1: Matt Cassel


Just because he played the week after his appendix surgery, doesn't automatically make him the hero. But the way he came back, breaking free and running for first downs, popping right back up after getting hit, and energizing the team, he lifted the Chiefs today. I think the defense played much better than last week, knowing that we had a leader on offense that was going to win if the D did their job.

When the Chiefs were 3-0 but Cassel had weak numbers, you wouldn't believe how many Arrowhead Pride commenters were calling for Croyle. Cassel has that Brady-like intensity that has never made me doubt that he is the general of this team. Welcome back.

Two Game Division Lead with Four to Play

This was the most frustrating, ugly win of the year. And that's saying something considering the two-point win over the Browns and the Bills overtime win that depended on icing their kicker.

But there were so many penalties, an uncharacteristic turnover, game management errors, and general mistakes that the Chiefs offense is lucky they got out with a win.

And now that Denver is becoming my #1 rival, and considering the beatdown they gave the Chiefs four weeks ago, I was hoping for an offensive explosion. I wanted fireworks.

Instead I got sparklers.

What Went Wrong

Up 7-0 in the second quarter, Haley faced a 4th and 5 from the Denver 33. To me, if you don't think you can make the field goal, you go for it. From the 33, there's a decent chance that a punt only nets you 13 yards of field position. Later in the half, Succop easily makes a field goal from the Denver 29. You can't say that Succop would have made the 51-yarder, but I don't see how punting makes any sense.

First drive of the third quarter, up 10-3. On 2nd and goal from the 2, Charles runs into the end zone. Called back because Moeaki lined up a foot behind the line of scrimmage. It has to be called, but it's not a like a holding penalty that helped the play, just a frustrating mistake. On 2nd and 7, we run for four yards, but on 3rd and 3 there's a false start penalty. On 3rd down from the 8, we run Charles to the 2.

Now it's 4th and 2. This is not a 35-28 shootout. We are up 10-3. Take the points. Go up 10 in the second half. It's a no brainer. OR if you must go for it, go up and over the top and at worst Denver gets the ball at the 1. Instead Cassel drops back and gets sacked at the Denver 16.

Next drive, McCluster runs for 57 yards down to the Denver 9, but it's called back for holding by a receiver. Borderline call that could have gone either way. Chiefs punt.

Next drive, McCluster fumbles. Leads to a Denver field goal. 10-6.

Next drive, 3 and out.

Next drive, Bowe offensive interference, 3 and out.

Next drive, Chiefs get a first down then fumble a bad snap. Chiefs punt.

Next drive, Chiefs run some clock, then punt with 20 seconds left.

What Went Right

After giving up seven touchdowns at Mile High, the Chiefs kept the Broncos out of the endzone.

Limited Orton to 9/28 and 86 net passing yards (minus sacks).

With 10 minutes left, down 6-10 the Broncos had the ball at the KC 29. Tamba Hali came in sacked Orton, stripped the ball, and recovered it.

The Broncos had 10 real possessions: 7 punts, 1 fumble, 2 field goals.

The Chiefs didn't let Denver get in the red zone in the second half.

Looking Forward

Thanks to the Chargers blowing a home game, the Chiefs control their own destiny. The next game is the biggest of the season--a win would almost secure the AFC West. But even with a loss at San Diego, the Chiefs could beat the Rams on the road, and then win two more home games and finish 11-5 and division leaders.

#3: Jamaal Charles

A ho-hum 116-yard performance by Charles. Despite the offense committing mistakes and penalties, Charles again shined and gave our defense time to rest.


#2: Brandon Carr

His name doesn't show up in the nfl.com box score. He didn't record a tackle or an INT. But on a day when our #1 corner (Flowers) was banged up, Carr was all over the field making plays. He had 5 deflected passes and Lloyd only had 31 receiving yards.

#1: Romeo Crennel


Simply put, this a win for the defense. Holding an explosive offense to 6 points, forcing a turnover, coming up big in the 4th quarter.

The biggest difference in the Chiefs from 2009 to 2010?

Last year, Chiefs were 29th in points allowed.
This year, Chiefs are 9th in points allowed.

If Romeo doesn't deserve the credit, I don't know who does.

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo!

Bowe Takes Bow; Makes History

Through week 7, the Chiefs were

#1 in rushing yards/game
#6 in net points
#1 in sacks given up
#7 in defense points allowed/game
the Vegas favorite for winning the AFC West

- - -

Through week 12, the Chiefs are

#1 in rushing yards/game
#9 in net points
#4 in sacks given up
#14 in points allowed
but #4 in points scored
are not the favorite for winning the division

For what's worth, the headline for that post was "Chiefs 4-2, Chargers 2-5." Now the Chiefs are 7-4, but the Chargers are 6-5. They could finish 11-5.

If the Chiefs lose at San Diego (likely) then even if they finished 11-5, or 10-6, they probably won't win the division. Every win counts, both for the division race and for wild-card spots.

Oh yeah, and the rushing yards...it's not close:


5-0 at home, Denver, Tennessee, Oakland remaining
2-4 on road, San Diego, St. Louis remaining


Chiefs finally get their second road win. And in style.

Rushing yards: 270 to 20.

That's not a misprint. Matt Cassel had more rushing yards on five scrambles than the entire Seahawks team.

Jones gets 20 attempts = 68 yards.
Charles gets 22 attempts = 173 yards and a key touchdown via stiff-arm.

So based on those stats, the running game must have been the difference...

Cassel 4 TDs and no INTS.
Bowe 13 for 170 and 3 TDs.

And yet the Seahawks were only down 4, with the ball at their own 38 with 7 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter. What turned out to be a blowout in the 4th, could have been a nailbiter. The Seahawks special teams bailed them out, blocking a KC field goal and then blocking a punt and returning it for the score.

The Chiefs D forced Seattle to be one-dimensional, and even thought they got burned for a deep play, KC had two interceptions and another that was overturned by replay.

- - -

Game balls were easy this week: same as last week.

#3: Jamaal Charles



Fantastic day, could have been #1 here, but people already know about him. What people don't know is that he's the best running back in the NFL this year. 2nd in yards to Arian Foster, but look closer.

Foster: 5.1 yards/carry
Charles: 6.3 yards/carry


#2: Matt Cassel



Best TD-to-INT ratios in the league? Vick with 13/1 and Brady with 23/4. Next best? Matt Cassel with 22/4.

By comparison, Rivers with MVP chatter is at 23/9.

#1: Dwayne Bowe


He's #1 in TDs, #5 in yards. So far this year, the best receivers have been White, Lloyd and Bowe in some order.

And the 7-game stretch that he's on (13 touchdown and still active) has only been matched by two players since the merger.

Jerry Rice: 16 touchdowns (strike-shortened 1987 season)
Sterling Sharpe: 13 touchdowns

This has been a special season for Bowe and the most enjoyable as a fan in a long time.

Game Balls: I Was There Edition

I'd love to sit here and talk about how great the first-place Chiefs are, or how dominant they are at home, now 5-0. But this game was really more about how the Cardinals aren't very good and didn't show up.

The Cards got the ball first and drove into field goal position on their first drive. They could have had a touchdown, but Doucet couldn't bring it down. Then the Chiefs punted on their first two posessions. So the Cardinals O had the ball three times in the first quarter, with their defense holding strong. But they couldn't make plays.

All day their receivers were open, several times open deep past the last Chiefs defender, and the ball was overthrown or just inaccurate. A better quarterback would have made this one a shootout.

A couple thoughts about watching it in person. The Chiefs corners always play on the same side: Flowers (#1 CB) on the defense's left side, Carr (#2) on the right. And the Cardinals would move Fitzgerald around. What I don't understand is why they didn't put Fitz up against Carr and keep throwing it there. Their run game was effective and our safeties were coming up to play the run and biting on fakes. It seemed like Arizona should have been able to move the ball better throw the air.

Another thing that was easier to visualize in-person was the field position battle. On the Chiefs 2nd posession, they started at the KC 20 and got to the ARI 49 before punting. The punt was fair caught at the ARI 8. The defense forced a 3 and out and a punt on 4th and 12 that Arenas returned to the ARI 38. So Thomas Jones got the ball to midfield, Succop pinned them deep, the defense held, and Arenas returned it past the point where the Chiefs punted previously. Next play, crossing pattern to Bowe, who runs after the catch to the 1 yard line.

This game was 31-6 until the final play, but it was only 14-3 at halftime. And late in the 3rd it was only 21-6. Down two posessions, the Cardinals had a 3rd and 2 at the KC 35. Not that far from making it a 8-point game. Incomplete to Fitz and now it's 4th and 2 and they're going for it.
The crowd, which was super loud from the very beginning--much better than the 2007 crowd, kicks it up a notch. This place is rocking. Arizona hikes the ball, some people stop moving, and it looks like KC sacks the QB. Ref comes in and says that KC took a timeout before the play, so it's still 4th and 2. And now there's a flag. I'm thinking it must be a roughing the passer penalty even though there wasn't a play. The call was a personal foul, unsportsmanlike conduct against Derek Anderson. So now it's 4th and 17 and they're punting, and that was their last chance.

- - -

As for game balls, you'd think when the defense keeps them out of the endzone for 59:57, they did something great. But Anderson had 295 passing yards and should have had more if he could have hit wide open receivers. I found a picture of what I was talking about:


On to the game balls:

#3: Jamaal Charles

Not a huge fantasy day, but he had a 25-yard catch and run that set up the Chiefs 2nd TD and a 39-yard run that set up the Chiefs 3rd TD. And he had a couple of nice plays to extend drives on third down. On a run-first team, he's the star running back.

#2: Matt Cassel

This is his first ever HC game ball--I'm sure he'll treasure it always. Don't look now, but Cassel is 7th in the NFL in passer rating, ahead of Rodgers, Romo, Manning, Brees, Ryan, Freeman, Fitzpatrick. And in the group of QBs with 100 completions, only 4 players have 4 or less INTs: Vick, Brady, Roethlisberger, Cassel. Of QBs with 200 attempts, it's only Brady and Cassel. His TD to INT ratio is second only to Brady.

He's not at the top of the list in passing yards, but he's doing exactly what this team needs him to. Move the ball, protect the ball, get touchdowns instead of field goals.

#1: Dwayne Bowe

He's 12th in receiving yards, #1 in touchdowns. And he just set a franchise record:


- - -

So the Chiefs are back in first, but can they win the division? Here's how I see their schedule playing out:

L @ SEA

W vs DEN

L @ SD

W @ STL

W vs TEN

W vs OAK

That puts the Chiefs 10-6 and 3-3 in the division.

The threat for the division is the Chargers. Here's their schedule, with my projections:

L @ IND

W vs OAK

W vs KC

W vs SF

W @ CIN

W @ DEN

That puts San Diego 10-6, and 4-2 in the division. Which, according to this, would mean the Chargers are the AFC West champs.

There's a lot of football yet to be played, but the Chiefs are going to keep playing great at home and step it up on the road if they want to be playing in January.

Chiefs get a treat on Halloween

This is why football is the best sport. Each game is 6.25% of the season and could be the difference between making the playoffs. For a team like the Chiefs, each of these kinds of games are must-wins. They aren't as good as a team like the Colts or Steelers--those teams go on the road against great teams and feel good about their chances.

A team like the Chiefs needs to take care of the teams they're supposed to beat, because there are going to be some games where they're not supposed to win.

It goes back to Vermeil's plan to go 12-4. Win your 8 home games and 4 of your road games. Well, so far the Chiefs are 4-0 at home and 1-2 on the road. They might not seem like a 12-4 team, but we're sticking to the plan.

Here's the remaining schedule...

Home: Cardinals, Broncos, Titans, Raiders

I'll be at the Cardinals game. The Titans game looks the toughest but it will be week 16, and who knows how their QB will be doing. And the Raiders are 4-4 now, but by week 17? And if it's a game that decides the division, I like the Chiefs chances at home. 4-0 is a possibility here, but even 3-1 seems reasonable.

Away: Raiders, Broncos, Seahawks, Chargers, Rams

After the Chargers, playing at Qwest field is the one that scares me the most. And even though the Broncos are a mess, the Chiefs have historically had a hard time at Denver. Which means, if the Chiefs want to scrape together 4 road wins, it starts next week in Oakland.

If they can beat the Raiders and the Rams, that's 3 road wins. Add in 8-0 at home, that's 11-5. I'd take that in a heartbeat.

- - -

Through the first 58 minutes of this game I kept thinking, "This is a game that the Chiefs should win." Not as in we should have because we got screwed by a bad call, but as in we are pounding the ball on offense and have shut down Fitzpatrick.

More directly: the Chiefs ran for 274 yards. Also, you could basically add Charles' 61 receiving yards, since he did all the work. When you are moving the ball at will, over 6.1 yards a carry, and having a good defensive day, and are +1 in turnovers, you SHOULD NOT LOSE.

The Chiefs did pull it out, but it was back and forth so much that no one knew how this was going to end.

And I'll show you what I mean. First, here's some context. This is a normal game, the Patriots over the Vikings. The Vikings started out in the lead, than the Pats took over. Here's the Chiefs-Bills game.
Also, you can see that the Bills went from a 44% chance of winning to a 52% chance of winning after they sacked Cassel in the 2nd quarter.

So how did this get to be a close game at the end?

First Chiefs drive: 3rd and 8 from the BUF 33. An incomplete pass followed by a punt into the endzone. I've heard Haley's stance on 4th down calls--he makes his mind up early on the drive so the playcalling can support it. My take on this one, if you weren't confident kicking from their 33, try and get some more yards. Instead a net of 13 on on the punt.

2nd quarter: 3rd and 3 from the BUF 20, still scoreless. Jones gets 1 yard on 3rd down, bringing up a 4th and 2. So here's what Haley is talking about. They ran on 3rd down, planning on going for it on 4th down. But it's the 2nd quarter and there's still no score. And it's not like it's 4th and goal from the 1. From the 20, even if we pick up the first down, a touchdown is not certain. And when running is a strength and passing is a weakness, we dial up a pass play on 4th and 2. Cassel's sacked.

Chiefs do get a touchdown before halftime on a 6-play, 71-yard drive. Charles took over, getting 67 yards on 4 plays.

Halftime: Chiefs 7, Bills 0.

Second half goes: Bills FG, Chiefs punt, Bills punt, Chiefs FG. Due to long drives, the ensuing Bills' possession is late in the 4th.

With 4 minutes left it was ruled on the field that the Chiefs recovered a Lee Evans fumble on the KC 13. But Vrabel's elbow touched out of bounds before he had control, so Buffalo retains possession after the challenge.

At the two-minute warning, it's tied at 10, but the Chiefs have the ball for a 2nd and 3 at their own 27. At this point I'm feeling good about driving down the field and getting a Succop field goal. Two plays later, the Chiefs punt and Buffalo returns it to their own 48. And I'm feeling bad.

Under a minute remaining, the Bill have it at the KC 41. And Fitzpatrick gets some bad luck, the ball slips out of his hand, possibly on a pump fake, and it floats right to Eric Berry. Chiefs takeover and we're headed to OT.

After one play, the Bills move to the KC 43, but end up punting from the KC 40.

Chiefs take over and it's Charles for 10 and Charles for 13. At this point I'm yelling "pound the ball" and feeling good. Then it's Jones for 3, incomplete, Cassel for 5 and a punt.

Then Fitzpatrick hits a couple passes and from the KC 37 just overthrows a wide open CJ Spiller in the endzone. The Bills settle for a field goal attempt from the KC 34. Lindell kicks the 53-yarder up and through the uprights. But not so fast! Haley called timeout! On the second attempt, it's a knuckler that starts out low. I thought it would be short, but it had the distance. It just ends up bending to hit the right upright. Haley looks like a genius.

After a pass to Moeaki and some more solid runs by Charles the Chiefs advance to the BUF 21. Out comes Succop (who is 10/11 lifetime from 30-39) and it starts out right down the middle...and hooks left at the last second. He can't believe it. (Gus Johnson, "He hooked it! HOLY MACKEREL!")

And now the Bills have it with under 4 minutes to go, and I'm thinking I just watched 4 hours of football and the best case scenario is a 10-10 tie.

The get down to the KC 42 and I'm thinking here we go again. But Hali forced intentional grounding and the Chiefs get the ball back with 1:13 to go.

And wouldn't you know, out comes Super Matt Cassel. 16-yard pass to Charles, incomplete out of bounds to stop the clock, 18-yard pass to Moeaki (Bills penalty, declined but stopped the clock, 11-yard pass to Moeaki, spike at the BUF 24 with 21 seconds left. Charles runs for 8 and they spike it again with 5 seconds left. Cassel was 3 for 3 on intended passes, setting up a 35-yard attempt for Succop.

From the right hash...it starts out wide right...and then at the last second it hooks left, right down the middle. It's over. The Chiefs are 5-2, the Bills 0-7.

- - -

Yes, it was quite windy out there. So those two-field goal opportunities in the first half were not sure things. And I like an aggressive coach who goes for touchdowns inside the 5, and in general going for in on 4th and short, especially when you're just outside field goal territory. But in a scoreless game, I'm taking the 3-point try from the 20-yard line.

But Haley made it for up with the icing the kicker timeout. There's really no reason why it should work. Lindell could have just as easily missed the first attempt, gotten a second chance and nailed it. But he didn't. And that timeout saved the game. So I'll just say these last two paragraphs cancel each other out, and I'm glad KC is walking away with the W.

- - -

And I didn't even mention that on the Bills' first drive of the game, and the Bills' last drive of the game, Derrick Johnson had a pass hit him in the hands. This happens all the time. The first one would have been a pick-six and changed the game completely.

- - -

Time for some game balls.

#3: Accepting on behalf of special teams, Ryan Succop


Hits the game-winner in heavy wind. Would have been nice had he made the first one, but he's a good kicker and these things happen. Glad we got him a second chance. Really glad he nailed it.

#2: Accepting on behalf of the defense, Tamba Hali

(There wasn't a picture of Hali. Good picture for the defense though.)

An all-around good day for the defense. Allowing only 10-points will only help their top-5 defensive rankings. On a team with 14 sacks this year (middle of the pack), Hali has 7 and is 4th in the league. He was Herm's first draft pick and seemed to be a mediocre DE in the 4-3. Once the Chiefs moved to a 3-4 with Haley, a lot of people thought Hali didn't have a future. But he's thrived in the 3-4 and has been the only consistent pass rusher. The Chiefs defense really shut down the Bills, who last week put up 34 on the Ravens.


#1: Accepting on behalf of the offense, Jamal Charles


He had 22 rushes for 177. That's...wait for it...over 8 yards a carry. What makes it really special is the only long rush he had was a 32-yarder. Which means that every time he touched the ball, he really was running for 10 here, 11 there. Add in 4 receptions for 61, and today he was the offense.

22 is a good number of carries, so I can't say they didn't use him well enough. But when he has such a good day, you'd think Weis and Cassel should be able to dial up more than 13 points. And you'd think that with such a good day, you wouldn't be one timeout away from losing.

The Chiefs are far away the #1 rushing team at 190/game. The next closest? The Raiders at 168.

He leads all running backs with 6.5/carry on the season. I think he's only behind Chris Johnson and Adrian Peterson for who you'd want on your team. And at 4.1 and 4.9 respectively, Charles has been better this year.

Here's the list of best seasons for yards/carry, and it's topped with quarterbacks and old-timers.
For halfbacks in the modern era, the benchmark would seem to be Mercury Morris with 6.4 in 1973, and then Barry Sanders with 6.1 in 1997. So he's on pace to set a single-season record, depending on how you qualify it.

And for fun, here are some career numbers:

Jim Brown 5.2
Barry Sanders 5.0
Gale Sayers 5.0
Chris Johnson 5.0
Peterson 4.9
OJ Simpson 4.7

Through the first 3 years of his career, Charles is at 5.8.

Chiefs 4-2, Chargers 2-5

Through week 7, the Chiefs are

#1 in rushing yards/game
#6 in net points
#1 in sacks given up
#7 in defense points allowed/game
the Vegas favorite for winning the AFC West


This game was closer than the final score suggests. And yes, the Chiefs were playing Todd Bouman, 3rd-stringer for the Jaguars.

But hey, Chiefs score 6 touchdowns, limit Jags to 2. On to the game balls...

Hon. Mention: Matt Cassel

Not a huge game, but did what the Chiefs needed him to. 13/18 for 193, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Chiefs were 6/11 on 3rd down.

#3: Derrick Johnson


Jaguars were only down 20-21 with the ball late in the third when Johnson picked one off and ran it back for six. He has a nose for the ball and insert other tired cliche here.


#2: Dwayne Bowe


Only 3 catches, but two touchdowns. One was a deep one that he turned into a 53-yard score with good moves after the catch. His celebration move was spike that didn't come out of his hand, because now his hands are so secure--perhaps a bit premature, but I like the confidence.

#1: Rushing Attack (Offensive Line, Thomas Jones, Jamaal Charles, Dexter McCluster)


When the Chiefs had the number one offense in the early 2000's, a well-known factor was the stout offensive line. During the Herm era, that line crumbled and the Chiefs couldn't run the ball or protect the passer. Last year, they were 27th in sacks allowed and 10th in rush yards per attempt. This year, they are 1st in sacks allowed and 2nd in rush yards per attempt.

I don't know how they're doing it--they have the same offensive line coach and I think the same players. Credit Charlie Weis? I don't know.

But the #1 rushing attack in the league starts with great blocking and ends with not 2, but 3 explosive running backs that can be elusive and run with power.

Now this team has an identity. A top-10 defense, top rushing attack, with aggressive play calling and winning the turnover & penalty battles. It's not enough to win the Super Bowl yet, but it's a start.

Chiefs Blowout 49ers, 3-0 for first time since 2003

I didn't get to watch much of this game, but there were some great highlights. To help me process and understand exactly how the Chiefs dominated the 49ers, I'm going to breakdown how each drive ended:

KC punt
SF punt
KC punt
SF punt
Cassel throws interception
Smith throws interception
Cassel to McCluster, 31-yard TD pass
Nedney 51-yard FG
Succop misses 38-yard FG
SF punt
Succop 32-yard FG

Halftime

SF punt
KC punt
SF punt
Direct snap to Jones, handoff to McCluster, pitch to Cassel, bomb to Bowe 45-yard TD pass
SF punt
Cassel to Moeaki, 18-yard TD pass
SF turnover on downs
KC punt
SF punt
Jones 3-yard TD run (57-yard drive: 7 runs, 0 passes)
SF punt
KC turnover on downs (with 3rd string trying to run out clock)
Smith to Morgan, 12-yard TD pass on last play of game.

Wow. So despite a Cassel interception and a Chiefs missed field goal, the Chiefs were up 31-3 with 3 seconds to go. Let's take a look at this Chiefs' defense.

San Francisco had the ball 12 times.
8 punts.
1 interception.
1 failed 4th down.
1 field goal from 51-yards.
1 garbage time touchdown.

Last year the Chiefs had the 2nd-worst rush defense = 156 yards/game. (TB 158)
They were 30th in total yards on defense, and 29th in total points on defense.
That's not good.

Through three games, the top defenses in points/game are Steelers, Jets, Chiefs, Vikings.
And right now they are 6th in rush defense = 75 yards/game.

And really, the front seven hasn't changed. We brought in Eric Berry at Safety, but you'd have to think that Romeo deserves the credit for the run defense's improvement.

What about on the offensive side?

Last year we had the #11 rush offense. This year? #1. 160 yards/game. Best in the NFL.

Let's look at yards/carry (minimum 10 carries):

1. Jamaal Charles 7.0
2. Tomlinson 6.3
3. McCoy 6.1
(Peterson 5.6, C. Johnson 4.0)

Charles -- 34 carries for 238
Chris Johnson -- 75 carries for 301

- - -

Let's get back to today's game. The turnover battle was even. The Chiefs didn't get any huge plays on special teams. And it was scoreless after one, and close at the half. How'd this get to be a blowout?

Well it helped that we sacked them 5 times, and gave up 0.

Last year we sacked opponents 22 times, and gave up 45. (Coming after the year which we broke a record, only sacking opponents 10 times in 16 games in 2008.)

The first score came following the Flowers interception: Cassel to McCluster in the flat, spin move, speed burst up the sideline, cut it back and dive in the endzone.

The second touchdown came on a possession starting at the SF 45. (Chiefs punted from KC 19 + SF penalty and 49ers start on own 12. SF punts from SF 15 + KC return to start on SF 45--that's winning the field position battle.) This was the fleaflicker from Jones to McCluster to Cassel. Previously in the game the Chiefs converted a 4th and 1 with a handoff to McCluster. That play forced the 49ers to key on the McCluster handoff, leaving Bowe wide open deep. Great play design. I'll take deep touchdown passes anyway we can get them.

Up 17-3, the Chiefs finally had their first solid touchdown drive of 2010. 8 plays, 61 yards. 6 runs, 2 passes. First pass was on 3rd and 4, short pass to Charles that he turns into a 22-yard pickup. Second one was a 3rd and 5 from the 18, pass to the endzone and Moeaki makes a spectacular one-handed touchdown grab.

Up 24-3, with 8 minutes left in the game, the Chiefs run the ball 7 times in a row, eat up 4:30 and get a touchdown. Seals the game.

Who deserves game balls? Just about everyone.

Cassel gets 3 TDs for first time as a Chief.
Jones and Charles are two-headed monster.
McCluster made key plays, turned a short pass into a touchdown, and set up the fleaflicker.
Bowe made the big deep catch that broke the game open.
Moeaki is the team's leading receiver and had a huge one-handed catch.
O-line gave up ZERO sacks and paved the way for over 200 rushing yards.
Flowers created an interception out of nothing.
Hali had three sacks and a forced fumble (even though it wasn't recovered)
Romeo's D shut them down.
Charlie's O had 21 first downs, 50% on 3rd down and even had a few tricks.
Haley has turned this team around. The players believe and they show up at home. This team may not be guaranteed a playoff spot, but Arrowhead is back (at least for now).

Everyone came together for a blowout. I'm not singling any one out, this was a team win.

Another Ugly Win, Chiefs Are 2-0

Against what some considered the worst team in the league, Cassel threw for 176, zero scores and two picks. The Chiefs did get 140 on the ground, but couldn't punch it in. This was a two-point game that included the Browns missing a 42-yard field goal, and the Chiefs benefiting from a Browns fumble that seemed like it wasn't, even thought it was reviewed.

The Browns had the lead at halftime, scoring on a 98-yard drive and a big play over the top to Cribbs. The Chiefs' only touchdown was a pick six by Brandon Flowers. But Succop was 3/3 on field goals and the Chiefs defense had a shutout in the second half to win.

Here's a look at the Browns' possessions in the second half:

6 and out, punting from KC 44
8 and out, punting from CLE 32
5 and out, punting from CLE 43
3 and out, punting from CLE 8

So what does this tell us? Only 4 times with the ball, means the Chiefs were sustaining drives, running the clock out. The Chiefs offense & punter won the field position battle, giving the defense room to make a stop without giving up a field goal. And the Chiefs defense was good enough to hold them when it mattered. (It didn't help the Browns to get some holding penalties either.)

But hey, it's a road win. The Chiefs are 2-0 in close games. Two weeks in a row the defense has held on to win the game. And I would gladly take a team that is built on a great defense, has playmakers on special teams, and has a competent, game-managing offense. Unfortunately, I think our defense is in the okay-good range, and our offense hasn't shown they can execute a touchdown drive.

So what kind of team is the 2010 Chiefs?

My first thought, based on the quarterback play, was that maybe they were the 2006 Bears. Led by Rex Grossman, they reached the Super Bowl, and on Monday night they showed that the Bears are who we thought they were.

Yes, the Bears did win games with defense and special teams. But two problems: that Bears defense was elite, these Chiefs are nowhere near that yet. And if you look at that Bears offense, they were hit or miss. Sure some nights, Rex had turnover problems, but they also put up 30+ in 8 games. And 26 in 3 others. Right now the Chiefs offense seems to just be poor.

Okay, maybe they could be the 2009 Jets? They finished 9-7, got the wild card, and snuck into the AFC championship. The level of QB play from rookie Sanchez to Cassel seems fair, and the running game is comparable. But the Jets had the #1 defense. Right now the Chiefs D is 9th in points allowed and 24th in yards allowed. So a fair statement might be, the 2010 Chiefs are the 2009 Jets with a mediocre defense. And that's not saying much.

Or...they could be the 2009 Broncos. A hot sleeper pick in the AFC West with new coaches from New England, with a considerable home field advantage. They both had fluky wins in week one (moonsoon & Stokley's catch). And Orton to Cassel seems fair. Denver had a hot start but after the bye, fizzled out, finishing 8-8 and out of the playoffs.

Based on these comparisons, a 7-9 Chiefs campaign seems likely. (Should be good enough for a burger bet though!)

On to the game balls.


#3: Ryan Succop

Not often a kicker gets a game ball, unless he makes a game winner with less than 5 minutes to go. But he was 3/3 on a day when the other kicker was 0/1. And we needed all 9 of those.


#2: The Defense

The offense scored 9 points, 3 of which were set up by a fumble. The only touchdown came from the defensive side. When the offense can only muster 6 points on their own, and you hold on for the win, that's a game ball. (No good photos of the defense, when in doubt, the coach represents the team.)


#1: Brandon Flowers

Easy choice. The only player that made a big play. Last year, he had a couple of these that he dropped. This time he hangs on and makes the difference. He's been really good for a while now, good to see him win a game, basically on his one play.

Chiefs Open 2010 By Taking Down The Division Champs (Game Ball Edition)

Last night was a big game for a lot of reasons.

First game in the newly renovated Arrowhead.
First MNF in 4 years, first time ever opening the season on MNF in Chiefs' history.
The one home game you get against the division champ Chargers.

I thought that if the Chiefs couldn't win last night, in a perfect storm (excited home crowd, Chargers start slowly and missing key players) that there's no way they could keep up with teams like the Chargers throughout the season. This was a litmus test, no doubt about it.

Coming into the game, I thought that Kansas City had a decent chance to win. But I thought it would take a good performance on offense, great performance on defense, and getting a big play on special teams or a turnover, and a lucky break or two.

I didn't think there was a way to beat the Chargers by getting a poor performance on offense.

Here's what we know:
The Chargers are a better team than the Chiefs.
The Chiefs' offense didn't do anything to deserve a win.

So how'd they do it?

They had 3 big plays, and got touchdowns out of all 3.

1. Down 0-7, Charles ZOOMS behind the left guard for 56 yards, spinning the safety around in the open field.
2. Tied 7-7, Derrick Johnson RIPS the ball away from Mathews, giving Kansas City the ball at the SD 12.
3. Up 14-7, McCluster catches a punt on his own 6 and BREAKS it all the way. (longest in KC history, breaking Dante's 93-yard record vs Denver)

Sure, but Hoagie Central takes you deeper.

Sproles had 5 punt returns with an average of 6 yards on the return.
Arenas had 2 punt returns with an average of 30 yards, McCluster 3 returns, average of 33 yards.

Chargers yards: 389. Chiefs yards: 197. But Chiefs had 0 turnovers, Chargers 1. Chiefs had only 3 penalties, Chargers 5. Red Zone: Chiefs 1/1, Chargers 1/2. Cassel sacked once, Rivers twice.

Chiefs a miserable 1/11 on 3rd down, but Chargers only 4/15, and only 1/3 on 4th down.

Okay, but Hoagie Central takes you deeper.

The Chargers had 13 possessions. How did they only get 14 points?

Punt - KC 20
Touchdown - Gates
Punt - SD 32
Punt - KC 41
Fumble - SD 12
Punt - KC 33
Punt - return TD
Punt - KC 29
Punt - KC 20
Punt - KC 20
Touchdown - Nanee
Turnover on downs
Turnover on downs

The Chargers scored on 2/13.
The Chiefs defense & special teams scored/set up scores on 2 of the Chargers 13 possessions.
11 times the Chiefs forced the Chargers to fumble, punt, or late in the game held on 4th down. And look at that field position. The defense & special teams fueled the offense, and they still sputtered with 3 and outs. But it was enough.

But enough stats. Let's hand out some goddamn game balls.

Honorable Mention: The Crowd at New Arrowhead

The announcers wouldn't shut up about how electric it was inside the stadium. Which is all fine and dandy. But when it's so loud that the Chargers get 3 delay of game penalties, and burn an early timeout, that's when the crowd is helping you win football games.

Honorable Mention: The Rain

I can't believe the announcers didn't mention how the weather impacted the game. At kickoff it was dry and the Chargers took an early 7-0 lead. The rain started coming down and Charles gets past falling defenders. The defense rips the ball out, and McCluster races by slipping defenders. Credit to the equipment manager, the Chiefs weren't falling nearly as much as San Diego. It also hindered the passing attack of the Chargers, and while it might explain Cassel's throws, it didn't hurt our running attack. It dried up in the 4th, and the Chargers get another touchdown. But then I did a rain dance in Burnsy's apartment and on the final play of the game, the rain was back and the open receiver slipped. KC +21 when wet, SD +14 when dry.

#3: Jamaal Charles


You had 11 carries, the same as Thomas Jones who got the start. But you made the most of yours. We needed a spark on offense and you made it happen.

#2: The Rookie Class, especially McCluster


Arenas had two great punt returns and played solid defense. McCluster had the big return TD and some crucial screen passes. Moeaki caught some key passes including the TD set up by the Mathews fumble. The one player that looked like a rookie at times, was the #1 pick Berry. But Gates does that to everyone. He held his own for the most part. For what it's worth, McCluster had the winning points, in the 2nd quarter.

#1: Romeo's Defense, especially Derrick Johnson

The forced fumble was crucial, but overall the defense won the game. Two huge fourth down stands, more sacks than we allowed, hardly any penalties, only one big play given up. I'll take a team built around a solid defense any day.


- - -

You know, as good as this looks...


...last night wasn't about a win that ignites a march to the playoffs.

Last night was good enough on it's own. A better, more established team came into our house on national TV and we played well enough for 60 minutes, offense, defense, special teams, coaching, to send 70,000 in red and gold home with a smile on their face.

CHIEFS BLOW OUT BRONCOS

or CHIEFS KNOCK BRONCOS OUT OF PLAYOFFS

or WE CAN BUILD ON THIS!

With two games to go in the 2009 Campaign, Jamaal Charles had gained 759 rushing yards. To be fair, he only had 145 attempts at that point, averaging over 5 yards a carry. There was talk of him getting to 1,000 yards. It seemed like a nice goal, but something that was a little too ambitious.

And then he went out and got 102 rushing yards against the Bengals. He needed 139 against Denver. He got 259.

The best day a Chiefs running back has ever had.

He didn't just get a 1,000-yard season. He got a 1,100-yard season. The first RB to ever get that many on less than 200 carries. In the history of the NFL.

So good for Charles...but what about the game itself. The Broncos started 6-0 and needed to beat the Chiefs to keep their playoff hopes alive.

At halftime it was 10-10. After a few back and forth drives, up 20-17, Derrick Johnson broke the game open with a 45-yard pick six.

Then when it was 30-24, he did it again, a interception return for touchdown, this time from 60 yards. And for good measure, Charles ran a 56-yard touchdown, his second of the day.

He finished with 259 rushing, and 2 tds, for 37 fantasy points. 4.5 more if you play with bonuses and .5 ppr.

So who gets the game balls?

Well I can't give one to Cassel because of his zero scores and the bad pick. I can't give it to the defense as they gave up tons of yards, and I won't credit Haley for having a linebacker getting two pick-sixes.

So...

#3: Offensive Line

They've been criticized over the past few years, but they showed up today. They wanted to get a 1,000 yard rusher and they did just that. You don't have a running back set a franchise record without having a good day.

#2: Derrick Johnson


The draft pick from Texas who started the year on the bench has been making big plays all year. I don't know what Haley doesn't like about him, because he always seems to come up big. Without him, this defense could have squandered and soured the career day by Charles.

#1: Jamaal Charles



The draft pick from Texas who started the year on the bench...just had his coming out party. This guy is a star. Here are just his highlights from today. Go watch them now.

At least just to see if he can dance at the end.

Eric Dickerson set the single-season rushing mark (in a 16-game season) with 2105, coming on 379 carries. That's a tremendous average of 5.554.

Charles got 1120 yards on 190 carries: 5.895/carry.

- - -

I will give Coach credit for braving the elements on a cold day in Denver. Herm would have been in Constanza's Gore-Tex parka.


- - -

This was a nice way to end the season--to make sure that the Broncos don't make the playoffs, spoiling their good start.

(I hate the Raiders a 10, the Broncos a 9, and the Chargers about a 4. The Raiders is a nasty, bitter rivalry. The Broncos is a mutual respect but solid animosity. And the Chargers, they have nice weather and don't get to riled. They're only mildly annoying compared to the other two.)

This ensured that the Chiefs have made the playoffs more recently (2006) than either the Broncos (2005) or the Raiders (2002). And not only did we knock out Denver, we also prevented the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers from advancing to the playoffs, with an overtime win on my birthday. And the Chiefs won the burget bet fair and clear. For a 4-12 season, not too bad.

chiefs game balls: first of Haley era

I started the Chiefs Game Balls series in 2007, the point being to celebrate the wins during the rebuilding era. The Chiefs went 4-12 in '07 and I wrote posts for every game. Last year, they went 2-14 and by the time they beat Oakland to get to 2-10 I didn't think the team's effort was worth it.

This victory was the third of the season, but the first two were ugly wins over the Redskins and Raiders, games where neither team really deserved to win.

The last time I gave out game balls was 9.29.08: KC was 1-3 coming of a victory over Denver.

- - -

The Steelers were 9.5 favorites at Arrowhead. They've beaten the Chargers, Broncos, and the only team to beat the Vikings. These are still the defending champs and they've got the fans that travel the best. This is not a team like the Redskins or Raiders.

I read the theory that the Chiefs followed the Bengals blueprint for beating the Steelers. They did not. The Bengals played solid defense and played them close throughout, splitting the time of possession. The Chiefs gave up over 500 yards and got dominated in T.O.P. (44min-22min) The Bengals only forced one turnover. The Chiefs forced three turnovers, only giving up one. The big similarity was that they both got kickoff return touchdowns in the first quarter.

So how did the weak Chiefs beat the Steelers?

- - -

Hon. Mention: Matt Cassel 15/30, 248 yards, 2 td, 0 int, 1 fumble

These are typical Cassel/KC QB numbers. But we improved in one big area: 3rd down conversions. Up to 40%, down from our previous lows. He made the right plays at the right time, including a double move deep ball and even when throws a pick or fumbles, he never makes you doubt that he is THE quarterback for the Chiefs.

Hon. Mention: Jovan Belcher. Who? Rookie linebacker. He made the play that set up the winning drive. With the Steelers having a 3rd and 2 from the KC 35, a overtime field goal is moments away. And then Belcher comes up with a game saving tackle, pushing the Steelers back to the KC 38. On 4th and 5, they could have tried a long field goal, or went for it, but they punted.

Hon. Mention: Andy Studebaker. Who? Basically rookie linebacker in for injured Vrabel. Gets two interceptions and half a sack. Might have gotten a game ball if he had stayed along the sideline taking it to end zone. He cut back in and got tackled inside the 10, and the Chiefs only got a field goal.

#3: Chris Chambers


This is his third game with the Chiefs. He grabbed two 4th quarter TD's in a loss to the Jaguars and had solid games in back to back wins. He caught the over the top deep ball for a 47-yard gain to setup the Charles game-tying touchdown. And then in overtime he caught a ball over the middle and got all the yards after the catch setting up the game winning field goal.



#2: Jamaal Charles

The Chiefs scored three touchdowns. One was Cassel to Pope. The other two were Charles. Starting the game with a kickoff return and sending the game to overtime with a touchdown reception, he made the plays that made everyone forget about Larry Johnson and kept us in the game.

#1: Todd Haley

Along with Pioli, he got rid of LJ and got Chris Chambers. He designed the new Charles TD play this week and called all the right plays at the right times. This is his first signature win and it feels like, for the first time, that the players have really bought in and the team is going in a solid direction.

- - -

More good pictures:

Chambers with the fingertip grab on the overtime catch and run.