NFL FanHouse

Coach Killers, Week 11: The Steelers

Tom Mantzouranis — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:13:00 EST

Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

You're the Pittsburgh Steelers. You won the Super Bowl last year. You're a big-game-ready team that has matched up against the likes of the Patriots and Colts in recent history. The Chiefs are the very definition of a rebuilding project, with 29 players on the active roster having three or less years of experience. Before you stepped on the field with them, they had only beaten two teams -- the Redskins and Raiders. You just lost to the Bengals. You were angry and had something to prove.

So to walk off the field at Arrowhead, 27-24 in overtime to a team far less talented, is not the sign of one player or one coach bringing the team down. It's the sign of an organizational fail.

Here's what it all has come down to: the estimable Steelers site Post Game Heroes says, "Blame Tomlin for this mess." Their rationale being that players on Super Bowl teams are prone to lapses in judgment, discipline, humility, what have you, and that it's the coach's job to keep every man in his place.

Across the course of a season, yes, these issues all compound into one mess that lies at the feet of the head coach. But individual moments with individual faults make up that mess, and in the fourth quarter and overtime against the Chiefs there were a collection of moments that led to the Steelers' downfall.

The Steelers took a 24-17 lead early in the fourth. That should have been enough. Instead, they let the Chiefs march down the field on the ensuing drive. Deshea Townsend let Lance Long get by him for a 30-yard catch on 3rd-and-9. Ike Taylor got smoked on a Chris Chambers' double move on the next play, giving up 47 yards. The Chiefs tied the game four plays later against a defense that had been playing well the entire game up until that point.

Fast forward to overtime. The Steelers win the toss, and Charlie Batch has to step in for Ben Roethlisberger's cloudy head. Perhaps this is what led to the next misstep -- a toss-sweep to Mewelde Moore on 3rd-and-2 from the Kansas City 35. On a day when the Steelers only ran for 3.7 yards per carry, it was a questionable play call by Bruce Arians (who, to be fair, had an otherwise excellent day) not only to run, not only to run with your third-string back (who only had one other carry on the day), but to call a run which requires the time and blocking for the quarterback to toss to the back and the back to get to the line of scrimmage let alone the two yards needed for the first. Unsurprisingly, the Chiefs stopped Moore and the Steelers had to punt.

Still, all could have been well, given a Chiefs offense that currently ranks 30th in the league, if uber-punter Daniel Sepulveda could have pinned the Chiefs inside their own 10. Instead, he punted into the end zone, giving the Chiefs a touchback.

This is where Ike Taylor returns. Matt Cassell went deep down the middle to Chambers, when Taylor got two hands on a sure interception -- perhaps even a game-ending one -- only to drop it. On the very next play, Cassel made Taylor pay for that drop, and for yet another miscue. On 3rd-and-5, Taylor inexplicably played way off of Chambers, who ran a quick slant completely uncovered and took it all the way to the 4-yard-line, where the Chiefs sealed the win.

Give credit to the Chiefs, they stuck with the Steelers while the defending champ's offense was running at full steam all game long. And, yeah, any given Sunday and all that. Still, the Chiefs aren't supposed to beat the Steelers. All things considered, with so much going wrong in the deciding minutes of this game, it's hard to say the Chiefs took the win from the Steelers. Instead, the Steelers -- all of them -- gave the win to Kansas City.

Adam Gretz contributed to this story.

Coach Killers, Week 11: The Steelers originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steelers' Special Teams Flop Again

JJ Cooper — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, Steelers, AFC North

It's fair to blame the Steelers defense for Sunday's shocking loss 27-24 overtime loss to the Chiefs -- Kansas City simply shouldn't be able to drive the length of the field in overtime to beat Pittsburgh. It's also fair to point fingers at a Pittsburgh offense that piled up over 515 yards of offense, but squandered all of it with two interceptions, a fumble and three costly sacks.

But as the Steelers' fans try to figure out what happened in one of the more embarrassing losses in recent Steelers history, the group that once again is most to blame is Pittsburgh's kick coverage unit -- easily one of the worst group of special-teamers in NFL history.

In fact, only one of the Steelers' four losses -- their first loss to the Bengals -- can not be blamed, at least in large part, on poor special teams play.

More: Roethlisberger Suffers 'Concussion-Oriented' Injury

Sunday, Pittsburgh lost by three points in a game that the Chiefs opened up with a Jamaal Charles 97-yard kick return touchdown. Last week, the Steelers lost by six in a game that the Bengals returned a kick for a touchdown. They lost to the Bears in a game that kicker Jeff Reed missed two field goals in the fourth quarter.

They've also managed to survive kick returns for touchdowns against the Browns and Vikings. There have been 13 kick returns for touchdowns this year -- nearly one third of them (four) have happened against the Steelers. There were only 13 kick return touchdowns last season; Pittsburgh is on pace to give up seven this year.

Kick returns for touchdowns are supposed to be such special events. It's like seeing a Ferrari on the interstate -- you don't see one every day so it stands out. Against the Steelers, seeing a kick-return touchdown is like a Toyota Camry at a stoplight. Ho-hum, just a normal part of the day.

At this point, it's hard to see how the Steelers will manage to fix their kick-coverage problems this season. They could hurry up and fire special teams coach Bob Ligashesky now, instead of waiting until after the season. That may make Steelers fans feel a little better, but there aren't any top-notch special teams coaches out there looking for work during the season. They could try to add a special teams ace off the waiver wire, but there aren't really any special teams studs who could fix this problem sitting around waiting for the phone to ring.

So the best answer seems to be that Pittsburgh will have to move some starters back onto kick coverage. Teams don't like to do that because it wears out your starters and risks injury. It's even more of a problem for a team whose defense is filled with guys who are on the wrong side of 30. Mike Tomlin told the CBS crew working this week's game that such a move would be a band-aid when he wanted to fix the problem for good.

But at this point, a band-aid sounds like it would be better than nothing.

Steelers' Special Teams Flop Again originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steelers Should Survive Polamalu's Absence This Week

JJ Cooper — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:54:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, Steelers, NFL Injuries

Pittsburgh has several easy games on the schedule over the final seven weeks of the season, but it's hard to think of a better week for strong safety Troy Polamalu to miss than this week's game against the Chiefs.

Polamalu will miss the game with a knee injury, although the Steelers are saying he should be back before too long. But even without Polamalu, the Steelers' secondary should be able to handle the Chiefs.

Kansas City is without wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, who was suspended four games for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug rules. Without Bowe, Kansas City lacks a viable No. 1 or No. 2 receiver. Chris Chambers, who becomes the team's No. 1 receiver, has only been a Chief for three weeks--he was picked up off the waiver wire when San Diego waived him. No. 2 receiver Lance Long was promoted to the active roster until three weeks ago as well. Tight end Sean Ryan is a true journeyman--he's playing for his fourth team in the past two years.

In other words, if there was ever an offense that is tailor-made for Dick LeBeau's defense, the Chiefs would appear to be the team. The playbook can't get too complicated because the players are either inexperienced (Long) or too new to the club. The Steelers start every game defensively by trying to make their opponent one dimensional by shutting down their running game--they are No. 1 in the league against the run.

If Pittsburgh can do that again on Sunday, it's hard to believe that the Chiefs' passing game will be able to consistently outsmart LeBeau's D even if Polamalu is standing on the sideline in sweats.

Steelers Should Survive Polamalu's Absence This Week originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dwayne Bowe Suspended Four Games

Will Brinson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, Fantasy Football, NFL Media Watch, NFL Rumors, NFL Analysis

Dwayne Bowe has been suspended four games by the NFL for violation of the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances, according to the Kansas City Star's Kent Babb.

The suspension was announced by NFL spokesperson Corry Rush and then confirmed by the Chiefs, although they have yet (and may not) comment further on the matter.

Adam Schefter is reporting on Twitter (although the "Whoa" response is my favorite) that Bowe's suspension is a result of a diuretic used to lose weight. Bowe reported to camp approximately 30 pounds heavier than he should have, and that he and the Chiefs learned about the suspension a month ago, but decided not to appeal it.

This also explains why the Chiefs claimed Chris Chambers off of waivers. What it does not do -- in all likelihood -- is ease the nerves of Chiefs fans who just went through a rough ordeal with former running back Larry Johnson.

Fantasy Spin: Pick up Chambers. Like, quickly. Even though the Chiefs aren't that high-powered, he's the No. 1 option now. Bowe becomes a nice target in trades because he'll miss four games, but he'll be back just in time for the fantasy playoffs. If an owner is fringe on making the postseason, they might be willing to part with Bowe cheaply. Matt Cassel's fantasy value takes a huge hit, naturally.

Dwayne Bowe Suspended Four Games originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No Team Claims Larry Johnson

Michael David Smith — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:05:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs

Larry Johnson is available to any team that wants him. Now the question is whether any team wants him.

Johnson, the former Kansas City Chiefs running back who was waived by the team this week, passed through the NFL's waiver wire without a single team placing a claim on him. That makes him an unrestricted free agent, available to sign with any team.

More: Fed-Up K.C. Ownership Pushed to Act

Johnson 132 carries for 358 yards this season, a stunningly low average of 2.7 yards per carry that raises the question of whether the soon-to-be 30-year-old Johnson has anything left. Combine his age with his lack of productivity and his bad attitude, and it's entirely possible that no NFL team will want him.

But there are indications that some NFL team -- maybe the Texans, maybe the Steelers, maybe the Patriots -- might be willing to give him a shot if he'll agree to a minimum-salary deal. He can negotiate with all 32 teams, starting now.

No Team Claims Larry Johnson originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bernard Pollard Accuses Chiefs of Trying To Have Him Blackballed

Knox Bardeen — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:33:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, AFC West

Bernard Pollard led the Kansas City Chiefs with 98 tackles in 2008, 13 more than his nearest competition. He also had the dubious distinction of being the player that ended Tom Brady's season before it really got started. But the defensive MVP of the Chiefs was a roster casualty in early September as Kansas City trimmed down to meet the 53-man requirement. Now Pollard is claiming that the Chiefs tried to blackball him from signing with any other NFL team.

"I'm not going to sit here and lie to you," he said, "I don't know why I was cut. I can't do anything but assume. I know what was said about me. The things they said about me weren't right and they know they weren't right."

Pollard went into more detail on the things he claims someone from the Chiefs said about him after he was released.

"I don't know who said them. The one thing that disappointed me - I'm not going to go into everything that was said because there were a lot of things that were said but it hurt me - it said I was argumentative and disrespectful to my teammates."

Pollard refutes the claims that he was bad to have in the locker room and goes on to say that had Herm Edwards not called around the league on his behalf, Pollard might not be playing right now.

He says he was unaware of any personality conflict between him and the new front office staff of the Chiefs. Pollard was also unable to pinpoint how he seemed to alienate the coaching staff, especially Todd Haley who Pollard accused of excessive cursing and showing signs of disrespect during practices.

Wildly spoken about was Pollard's deficiency with missing tackles while trying to go for the big play. Fans erroneously blamed him for missing more tackles then he made and trying, too hard, to live up to his nickname of "Bone-crusher".

But it made no sense for a young safety with as much talent and upside as Pollard has, to be cut -- even with the depth the Chiefs had at safety. And there's definitely a problem if the Chiefs did somehow try to keep Pollard from being able to hook up with another team somewhere down the line.

It's too early to tell if the 24-year-old Pollard will live up to his second-round draft status. But he's sure found new life in Houston. His 42 tackles is already good for third place on the Texans, even after missing the first three games of the season. He also picked off Peyton Manning twice last Sunday and had a season-high 12 tackles.

On Sunday, Kent Babb of the Kansas City Star published a statement on Twitter confirming that Pollard was a "bad, bad influence" in the locker room. But he also said he was a much better player than current Chiefs safety Mike Brown.

Name calling and finger-pointing aside, it looks as if the Chiefs loss of Pollard is Houston's gain. And the Kansas City secondary is truly the group that suffers the most from this debacle -- unless you consider their fans.

Bernard Pollard Accuses Chiefs of Trying To Have Him Blackballed originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fed-Up K.C. Ownership Pushed to Act

Thomas George — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:45:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, NFL Analysis

The Lamar Hunt Super Bowl Gallery was dedicated during Hall of Fame weekend last August in Canton, Ohio. Hunt -- the Kansas City Chiefs owner, a 1982 Hall of Fame inductee, and the man who coined the name "Super Bowl'' -- died at age 74 in 2006.

His family attended the ceremony, including his wife of 42 years, Norma. She had many remembrances of her husband, including this one she shared with me: "Lamar always stood for what was right and honorable. I think his friends knew that. Some things he just wouldn't stand for.''

And that goes for Norma Hunt. And that goes for Hunt's children, including his son, Clark, who is now Chiefs chairman.

Thus, look no further than Chiefs ownership to understand why Larry Johnson was booted from the franchise on Monday morning. Sure, Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli had his say and Chiefs coach Todd Haley contributed his views but this was a decision fueled by ownership, two sources within the Chiefs organization said.

More: Chiefs Release Larry Johnson | Redskins Interested?

It is a reminder in the NFL that coaches coach and general managers survey, but ownership sets the final standard, the enduring climate on what will wash and what will not.

And Chiefs ownership said enough of running back Larry Johnson. Enough of his recent bashing of his coaches and his use of a gay slur that embarrassed the franchise and the league.

Johnson was suspended on Oct. 28, a suspension that was scheduled to be lifted Monday. Would he rejoin the team? Would he continue his Chiefs career, one that spanned seven seasons and placed him just 75 yards shy of surpassing Priest Holmes to become the franchise's all-time rushing yards leader?

The Hunts put a halt to any hint of such.

NFL ownership brings its own hammer.

We saw this surface in Tennessee recently, as the Titans seemed content at keeping quarterback Vince Young in the shadows until Titans owner Bud Adams let it be known that Young had a future with the team and that future was right now. Presto! Young has started the last two Titans games.

We saw Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson drive the offseason push to sign wide receiver Terrell Owens and fuel the decision that resulted in offensive coordinator Turk Schonert being fired 10 days preceding his team's season opener.

We saw New York Giants owner John Mara step boldly forward in April and nix troubled receiver Plaxio Burress. Michael Vick became a Philadelphia Eagle only after owner Jeffrey Lurie jumped on board. Last season, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson wanted -- and got -- quarterback Brett Favre.

There are fewer old-school owners nowadays who simply sit back and let their football people run the entire show. NFL owners are increasingly involved in personnel decisions and, certainly, financial ones.

And when it comes to decisions that color the brand, that color the entire franchise, their voices are becoming clear and distinct.

The Hunts made the right call on Johnson.

Actually, Pioli and Haley should have made the decision to move Johnson before the season, or at least before the trading deadline. They should have unloaded him like they did veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez to the Atlanta Falcons back in late April -- in part, due to concerns that Gonzalez was not up to enduring the team's struggles. To ask the immature and moody Johnson to be part of a basement-up rebuilding process and help lead a team that is full of holes was foolish.

They should have realized that Johnson all along wanted no part of the losing, the hard times, the tough road.

He had already been involved in four separate incidents involving boorish behavior with women during his Chiefs career, including waving a gun at one and spitting a drink the in the face of another. Halfway through those four run-ins, in 2007, the Chiefs rewarded Johnson with a $45 million contract extension through 2012.

After all, he produced an NFL-record 416 carries in 2006, along with a franchise-record 1,789 yards that season. No doubt, Johnson at his best was a prominent, dominating running back for the Chiefs.

But one always with issues. Maturity issues. Character issues.

Early on, former Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil saw this. In Johnson's second year, way back in 2004, Vermiel said that the running back needed to grow up "and take the diapers off."

Johnson turns 30 on Nov. 19. How much difference-making football does he have left? What NFL team believes it can grab him and get the best of him off the field, as much as on it?

The Chiefs will leave those questions for others to answer.

The Hunts have responded to their fans, who were howling about the possibility of Johnson holding their franchise's rushing record. The Hunts responded in the climate of NFL ownership today, which is more blunt, more forceful.

And they remembered Lamar by ditching Larry.

Fed-Up K.C. Ownership Pushed to Act originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Larry Johnson Released, Redskins Already Expressing Interest

Will Brinson — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:20:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, Redskins, NFL Rumors, NFL Analysis

Larry Johnson had been a free agent for all of a few hours Monday when it was reported that the Washington Redskins might have some interest in signing the ex-Chief.

Which, really, shouldn't come as a surprise -- mainly because Clinton Portis is injured with a concussion and considered questionable for Sunday's game ... actually, you know what? Check that -- the Redskins are interested in Johnson because he's a big name, he's available on the market and signing him would generate some "buzz," which is something that Dan Snyder is quite fond of.

More Coverage: Chiefs Cut Johnson

Of course, there's no guaranteed that the Skins will ink L.J., but they've obviously been talking about, as noted by the Washington Post's Redskins Insider Jason Reid, who spoke with head coach Jim Zorn following practice Monday.

Zorn said the team will likely sign a running back if Portis can't play -- he specifically mention Quinton Ganther, whom the team released last Friday. As for Johnson, "I don't know," Zorn said.

"I need to have a longer conversation than I've had to make a decision," Zorn said.

Haha -- it's kind of amusing that Zorn still thinks he's in charge of whether or not Washington will sign a certain player. That aside, though, would it be really surprising at all if Washington went after LJ? Absolutely not.

In fact, the only thing that would be more surprising was if the Skins managed to pursue Johnson without a) angering the fans and b) making a giant public debacle out of the whole thing. But both of things will happen, the Skins will likely end up signing Johnson and he'll probably underperform in Washington for a few games before doing something that really makes everyone happy. Like start Tweeting again.

Larry Johnson Released, Redskins Already Expressing Interest originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Larry Johnson Cut by Kansas City

Will Brinson — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:45:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, NFL Coaching, NFL Rumors

Larry Johnson's time in Kansas City is apparently over as the Chiefs announced Monday that they have released the oft-troubled running back into the ether of NFL free agency.

Johnson was, of course, fresh off a suspension based on his recent social media activity and attitude towards reporters, although the official release from the Chiefs doesn't really indicate why he's gone (though it should be obvious):

The Kansas City Chiefs released RB Larry Johnson on Monday. In 75 games (55 starts) with Kansas City, Johnson rushed 1,375 times for 5,996 yards (4.4 avg.) with 55 touchdowns. He also registered 151 receptions for 1,369 yards (9.1 avg.) with six TDs. He concluded his Chiefs career with 30 100-yard rushing games and also added two 100-yard receiving games.

Johnson established an NFL single-season record with 416 rushing attempts in 2006 when he set a franchise single-season mark with 1,789 rushing yards. He originally entered the league as the Chiefs first-round selection (27th overall) in the 2003 NFL Draft out of Penn State.

In all likelihood, the Kansas City front office will discuss this further at some point, but the reality is that this had to happen. Not only is the Chiefs' season all but over at this point, but Johnson was playing the role of the proverbial "team cancer" and simply could not get along with the new regime.

More: Redskins Interested in Trouble-Making Running Back?

Additionally, fans had gone so far as to create an online petition asking general manager Scott Pioli and Co. to make sure that Johnson did not pass Priest Holmes as the team's all-time leading rusher, based simply on his behavior. Add in the lack of any real production from Johnson this year and it's pretty clear that the Chiefs made the right move in cutting bait.

Larry Johnson Cut by Kansas City originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chiefs Petition a Protest From the Heart

Dan Graziano — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, NFL Fans, NFL Analysis

The Chiefs fans who want Larry Johnson off their team aren't your typical angry fans, lashing out over something as unpleasantly common as another losing season. The online petition they started, which was barreling toward 20,000 signatures Thursday afternoon amid a surprising run of national publicity, says nothing about wanting a coach fired or demanding that an owner sell. It is a petition from the heart, whose roots lie not in anger over the team's record or current stretch of on-field futility, but rather in a deep and abiding love of the team and its history.

"People in Kansas City, we don't mind losing," Dan Cataldi said. "We get used to it, actually. But it just gets frustrating when we don't like the team. That's what we can't stand."

Hence, this petition, which is addressed to new Chiefs GM Scott Pioli and makes the simple plea to remove Johnson from the field and/or the team before he collects 80 more yards and surpasses Priest Holmes as the team's all time leading rusher.

"Priest was one of the good guys in the NFL, and we were proud and happy to have him as a Chief," said Andy Phelan, another of the petition's founders. "We have a unique relationship with our players in Kansas City. They're a part of our community. It's not like it is in bigger cities. There's an intimacy there that we really kind of cherish, being Kansas Citians, and what Larry's done over the past few years has really been a slap in the face."

Johnson's rap sheet from prior years includes assault charges, suspensions from the team and the occasional public comment that's made it clear he doesn't have much use for that "unique relationship" between Kansas City and its sports heroes. More recently, he made waves with a Twitter explosion that was derogatory toward new Chiefs coach Todd Haley, used homophobic epithets toward members of the media and now finds himself in the middle of a two-week suspension."People in Kansas City, we don't mind losing. We get used to it, actually. But it just gets frustrating when we don't like the team. That's what we can't stand."
-- Dan Cataldi

So this has been a big topic of conversation among Chiefs fans, as you might imagine. And Cataldi (who now lives in Des Moines), Phelan (Chicago) and Pinsky (Seattle) were having a conversation last Wednesday when Cataldi mentioned that Johnson was 80 yards away from erasing Holmes from the team's record book and must be stopped.

The three friends wrote e-mail letters to Pioli through the teams' Web site, but they kept getting bounced back, so they decided to try the online petition.

"We figured probably 100 or so posts, get it some attention on Facebook, you know, have a little fun with it," Cataldi said.

Then TMZ found it. Then ESPN, Fox News, USA Today ... before they knew it the thing was at 18,428 signatures (as of 4:30 PM ET on Thursday) and climbing.

"It kind of went viral on us," Phelan said.

And good for them, because this really is coming from a place where fandom is deeply and honestly felt. What Phelan said about Kansas City and its sports fans is true. They embrace their teams through good and bad. They continue to sell out Arrowhead Stadium every home game, no matter that the team has won just seven of its last 40 games. When the Royals fielded a surprise contender in 2003, fans flocked back to a ballpark that had once been home to baseball's model franchise. When Derrick Thomas died in a car accident in 2000, it was a community tragedy, intensely affecting people who'd never even met the man.

"We're really loyal people," Phelan said. "I'll always bleed red and gold, and blue and white. No matter what."

As a result, they appreciate when the players reciprocate. They loved Holmes because he was a single dad who drove his daughter to school every day and picked her up, because he stayed and signed autographs for two hours after home games, because he worked in local soup kitchens.

So this guy Johnson? Well, he doesn't really fit in with what the people of Kansas City are looking for in a running back. And it's not just because he's not playing well.

"We won't stand for a player like Larry Johnson," Cataldi said. "I mean, this isn't his first incident -- it's like his fourth incident. We just don't want his name being in the record books forever. I mean, how many strikes does he get before it's enough?"

There remains the chance that these guys get their wish. Even once Johnson's suspension is over, the Chiefs could still release him, or simply deactivate him every week. If they choose to pursue either of those avenues, they're likely to face some push-back from the league, the union, Johnson's agent or all of the above. But who knows? If Pioli can wave tens of thousands of signatures in front of Roger Goodell or an arbitrator and make the claim that his paying customers desperately want the guy off the team ... that could actually help.

"That would be beyond our wildest dreams," Cataldi said. "But if it did, that would be great. We're comfortable now that they're very aware of the petition and the groundswell of support for it. I'll never fault the Chiefs for taking their time. I just hope, in the end, they do the right thing. Whether they cut him, whether they deactivate him, whatever it takes, we just don't want him to carry the ball."

A simple request from a fan base that really doesn't ask for much. These guys aren't whining or pouting or demanding that things turn around right now or else. They just want to be able to be proud of the people they root for. And in an era where impatience, incivility and winning at all costs dominates the sports landscape, the Chiefs fans' humble sincerity really makes you hope they get what they want.

Chiefs Petition a Protest From the Heart originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NFL Oddly Quiet About Larry Johnson, Tom Cable and Personal Conduct

Nancy Gay — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, Raiders, NFL Analysis

Running back Larry Johnson will not be in uniform Sunday at Jacksonville when the Kansas City Chiefs return from their bye and attempt to reverse the damage of a 1-6 start. That in itself is a small victory for a rebuilding Chiefs organization, which did its level best to severely punish a longtime problem player who crossed a line most agree constitutes conduct detrimental to the NFL.

And that disciplinary action -- a two-week suspension without pay imposed by Chiefs management, that was later arbitrated by the NFL Management Council, the NFL Players Association, Johnson and the Chiefs to return a week's salary to Johnson -- was neither endorsed nor encouraged by the league office, multiple NFL sources said.

Rather, the NFL told the Chiefs they should avoid issuing a suspension (and encountering the subsequent hearing, NFLPA involvement, settlement, etc.), and simply fine Johnson $10,000.

More Coverage: Chiefs Fans Petition Against Larry Johnson

That was the punishment doled out by the NFL to then-Steelers linebacker Joey Porter in December 2006, when he twice called Browns tight end Kellen Winslow a "f**" following a Pittsburgh victory over Cleveland.

At the time, an NFL spokesman said Porter was fined for "his vulgar and inexcusable statements." Porter apologized, saying he didn't mean to offend anyone "except Winslow." So we can see how effective that monetary punishment was as a teachable moment.

But Porter's $10,000 fine came before the NFL officially issued its now famous get-tough Personal Conduct Policy in 2008, a set of guidelines so strict and so broad in interpretation that it has given commissioner Roger Goodell great latitude to throw the book at numerous high-profile players.

Johnson, as the Chiefs and their fans know all too well, went above and beyond Porter's on-field slur. The running back used numerous homophobic slurs online in a Twitter page battle with fans, and then made another blatant homophobic reference to the media the following day. Johnson did craft a carefully worded apology afterward, which probably paved the way to the suspension settlement.

In Kansas City, sickened fans have had enough of LJ and his mouth, his temper and his attitude. Johnson, who has previously faced accusations of assaulting women in nightclubs and has undergone court-ordered domestic violence counseling for a 2003 battery complaint by an ex-girlfriend, may have twice rushed for over 1,700 yards in a single season, but he has shamed that community enough.

The one-time NFL rushing leader needs 75 yards to break Priest Holmes' all-time franchise rushing record, and an online petition in Kansas City is imploring Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli to either cut the trouble-seeking back or deactivate him on game days, so that he can't reach that sacred milestone.

But why hasn't the NFL office intervened in the case of Johnson, saying only after the incident, "We are in the process of getting the facts," and doing little else publicly?

And, on top of that, why hasn't Goodell and the NFL office taken action beyond the boilerplate "fact-gathering" process to address the case of Raiders coach Tom Cable?

As we know, Cable's alleged training camp assault of assistant coach Randy Hanson will not be prosecuted criminally in Napa County, Calif. But the head coach's interaction with a subordinate employee during a staff meeting clearly caused a serious injury (Hanson's fractured jaw) to occur -- the Napa district attorney's findings confirmed as much -- and that certainly runs afoul of the league's conduct statutes.

The NFL Personal Conduct Policy is all of four pages long, and includes this very sweeping admonition to all NFL players, coaches and employees of what it considers a violation: "Conduct that undermines or puts at risk the integrity and reputation of the NFL, NFL clubs, or NFL players."

Both Johnson and Cable seem to have done just that.

And isn't it interesting that new NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith has not pressured Goodell and the NFL office to impose punishment on Cable for the training camp incident? The alleged domestic violence accusations against Cable by various women in his past are a whole other matter and may not be applicable for fines or suspension, since Cable's admission that he struck his first wife stemmed from an incident two decades ago, before he was an employee of the NFL.

But Smith has failed to ask why the NFL appears reluctant to discipline an offending coach the same way it does its players.

Could it be that Goodell and Smith have a handshake détente in place, setting aside personal conduct battles for now, knowing they'll tackle other serious problems in the coming months -- such as potentially messy and costly negotiations that will either lead to a NFL-imposed lockout or a new Collective Bargaining Agreement?

Starting in 2006, Goodell made good on his promise to protect the integrity and reputation of the NFL and its brand by suspending Pacman Jones, Chris Henry, Tank Johnson and Michael Vick for various off-field legal entanglements. The commissioner's heavy-handed approach was praised, but also met with some criticism. Many speculated how far Goodell would go.

Now, it seems he's not going far enough.

Jailed wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who is serving a two-year prison sentence in New York under a plea deal to a weapons charge, is suspended while he's in the slammer. Once he's out, the NFL says Burress will be reinstated and may sign with any team.

In August, Goodell did the right thing by suspending receiver Donte Stallworth for one season for admittedly driving while legally impaired and striking a pedestrian in a fatal car accident.

Lately, the commissioner has been strangely silent when it comes to keeping the discipline fair and balanced -- against players with collectively-bargained rights, as well as team employees who signed contracts vowing to abide by the conduct standards.

That leaves it up to the individual teams, and their own brands of justice.

So while the Raiders now say they are contemplating what to do with an increasingly controversial Cable, the Chiefs are probably grateful they were able to get Johnson out of their building for two weeks -- he's eligible to return to the premises on Nov. 9 -- and take a one-week chunk of pay from him (about $315,000).

Kansas City, at least, is taking matters into its own hands. Because the NFL clearly won't.

NFL Oddly Quiet About Larry Johnson, Tom Cable and Personal Conduct originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Larry Johnson Petition Pretty Clear Proof How Much Chiefs Fans Hate Him

Will Brinson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:45:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, NFL Fans, NFL Coaching, NFL Media Watch, NFL Rumors

Larry Johnson is a mere 80 yards away from passing Priest Holmes as the all-time leading rusher in KC history, but if the fans who put together an online petition have their way, he won't get there.

You see, it turns out that LJ's recent actions -- tweeting at coach Todd Haley, calling reporters homophobic names, being suspended by the team -- combined with his past transgressions -- police problems, being suspended by the team (again) -- have created a sort of pent-up anger within the fanbase.

You can read the entire (and quite lengthy) petition here: petitiononline.com/StopLJ, but for those of you who don't care to parse through (deservedly) bitter, Midwestern ranting, here's the skinny: fans of the Chiefs are loyal, which is true, and they care deeply about and want to support their team, even when the Chiefs stink.

The petition seems to insinuate they realize that 12-win seasons aren't happening every year and they're not around the corner -- meaning they're cool with GM Scott Pioli rebuilding -- but that allowing Johnson to permanently etch his name atop a pretty important team record is simply unacceptable.

And you know what? I completely agree with them, at least in the sense that if I were a Chiefs fan, I would have wanted Johnson gone a long time ago, and I would be none too happy (particularly considering his production this season, which they cite in the petition) if he were still on the team despite his repeated efforts to not be a part of it.

Additionally, I salute these fans for taking a stand that doesn't involve eBay or craigslist -- as much as I would enjoy seeing Johnson up for purchase online, it's pretty inspiring to see a downtrodden group of fans take a stand on a moral level.

Larry Johnson Petition Pretty Clear Proof How Much Chiefs Fans Hate Him originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chiefs, Larry Johnson Reach Settlement

FanHouse Newswire — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Kansas City Chiefs, apparently fearful of losing in arbitration, agreed Monday to cut Larry Johnson's suspension in half for making gay slurs.

The agreement saved the running back about $315,000. The Chiefs issued a terse announcement saying they had made the settlement in conjunction with the NFL Management Council and the NFL Players Association. Originally, they suspended the former two-time Pro Bowler two weeks, which would have cost him about $630,000.

He will still miss the game at Jacksonville this week and not participate in team activities until Nov. 9. The Chiefs had said the suspension was for conduct detrimental to the team.

Johnson's agent, Peter Schaffer, told The Associated Press on Saturday the agreement had been tentatively agreed to. Schaffer said Monday that as far as he knew, Johnson would remain with the Chiefs. He needs just 75 yards rushing to become the team leader.

"I've been given no indication other than that," Schaffer said. "There have been no discussions about that."

The Chiefs, as they've done since the controversy erupted on Oct. 25, refused any comment.

Schaffer told the AP that both sides benefited from the settlement and that Johnson had learned from the entire experience. He posted the slur on his Twitter account after also questioning coach Todd Haley's credentials. He then repeated the slur the next day to reporters.

"Larry apologized," Schaffer said. "He learned from it and hopefully other people learned from it. My hope is that people learn that something positive can come out of this and that there are words that should not be used because they demean people."

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Chiefs, Larry Johnson Reach Settlement originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Larry Johnson Suspended Until Nov. 9

Will Brinson — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:55:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, NFL Coaching, NFL Rumors, NFL Analysis

Larry Johnson has (officially) been suspended, according to a press release from the Kansas City Chiefs. The team's front office and the NFL had previously been investigating whether or not Johnson's behavior (which included antagonizing tweets and rumored inappropriate statements to reporters) was worthy of a suspension.

Judging by the Chiefs' statement, it's probably safe to say it was.

The Kansas City Chiefs have suspended RB Larry Johnson for Conduct Detrimental to the Club effective immediately. Johnson will not be permitted to participate in any team activities or be on team premises until Monday, November 9th. The Chiefs will have no further comment on Johnson's status at this time.

Now, that seems pretty straightforward, but at the same time, there's something a little odd about this whole thing -- why won't the Chiefs talk about this anymore? Why until November 9th (which includes just one game and a ton of practice)?

And perhaps more importantly, why on Earth are they trying to put this guy in what amounts to solitary confinement when he's obviously angry (again) at the team? The smarter thing is to do what Oregon did with LeGarrette Blount and keep him within the team's fold, so to speak, so that he can actually try and become a slightly better teammate.

Of course, this is professional football, so it's a different situation, but if Johnson's behavior in the past has shown us anything, it's that he's not afraid to put on the petulant pouty face and bring the team down.

But, hey, the Chiefs could always be planning to do something more drastic, and decided to use a suspension to get the media off their back. It certainly wouldn't be the craziest thing Scott Pioli and crew have done so far.

Larry Johnson Suspended Until Nov. 9 originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Larry Johnson Slur Nets Him Some More Free Time

Will Brinson — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:25:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, NFL Media Watch, NFL Rumors

Recently, Larry Johnson has made waves -- to put it mildly -- not only with his angry tweeting at Todd Haley but also with his recent inappropriate comments to reporters. And now it appears as if he could be suspended by the Kansas City Chiefs sometime soon.

According to a statement from the Chiefs, Johnson has been asked to stay away from team activities while the NFL and Kansas City's front office conduct an investigation into his recent statements. All of this despite an apology from Johnson on Tuesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs and the National Football League are continuing to investigate the alleged comments made by Larry Johnson. Until that review is complete, the Chiefs have instructed Larry to refrain from practicing with the Chiefs or participating in other team activities. A decision regarding Larry's status will be made once the investigation has concluded.

Now, there's a couple of factors to consider here. First, Johnson apologized (you can read it at the KC Star if you want, but it's pretty standard, including a bit about not being a "good role model" and telling his coach, the commish, the fans and his teammates that he's sorry). So he at least deserves some sort of break on that end.

At the same time though, Bob Griese apologized too, and he's still staring down a one-week suspension for talking about Juan Pablo Montoya and tacos. The point there being that, as we all know, there's only so much a standard apology can do when a public figure says something highly offensive.

Additionally, Johnson allegedly referring to a group of reporters in a homophobic manner came directly on the heels of his Twitter freak-out -- it's a bad, back-to-back combination of publicly noted displays that Roger Goodell and Scott Pioli cannot possibly be enthused about.

However, they haven't suspended him yet, so there's always a chance that Johnson could end up just paying a lot of money to the organization and the NFL for his behavior. Of course, some people actually think that would be the best thing for the Chiefs -- Johnson's a distraction, no doubt, but he's certainly keeping people in Kansas City from staring too hard at the team's record.

Larry Johnson Slur Nets Him Some More Free Time originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Between the Lines: Which Tackles Are Starring and Which Are Struggling?

JJ Cooper — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: Broncos, Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, Packers, Panthers, Steelers, NFL Analysis

As we have done since the FanHouse began, I'll be taking a look every week at some aspect of line play. You can read more features in the series here. Check back every Thursday for a new Between The Lines.

If you're a reasonably diligent football fan, it's pretty easy to follow which running backs, quarterbacks and wide receivers are living up to their reputations -- you just check the stats. It's not as easy, but you can also get a pretty good sense of which pass rushers are having big years, by checking out the sacks.

But when it comes to evaluating offensive linemen, it's a lot tougher to know which blockers are starring and which ones are living off reputation.

After logging 401 sacks this season, it's time to start diving into the numbers to try to get a better sense of who has stood out this year.

Thanks the Sunday Ticket Shortcuts and the NFL's easily available gamebooks, I've watched and re-watched all but two of the 401 sacks that have taken place this season in the NFL (thanks to CBS' technical screw-up five minutes of last week's Redskins game was lost forever).

I've logged how many rushers were sent on the play, who gave up the sack, the down and distance, how long the quarterback held the ball before the sack and who was responsible for the sack. Thankfully on most sacks the culprit is pretty clear. Usually it's a sacker simply lining up and beating the man trying to block him. On other plays it can get more difficult, as a blitzer will come free or a stunt will lead to a missed hand-off from one offensive lineman to another. In those cases, I've assigned the block to the blocker most likely to have been responsible for the rusher. If two blockers were both responsible, I assigned them each half a sack. And if the quarterback ran his way into a sack or a play call left no blocker with a chance to block the sacker, that sack was logged as the responsibility of the quarterback or play call (roughly 80 of the 401 sacks fall into that category).

So lets take a look at which offensive tackles have given up the most sacks. Eventually we'll list every offensive linemen, but considering how many centers and guards are still without a sack allowed, that can wait a couple of weeks. But if you're an offensive tackle who has played every week without giving up a sack, you're putting together a pretty impressive season.

OFFENSIVE TACKLES SACKS ALLOWED
Allen Barbre	Green Bay	6
Levi Brown	Arizona	5
Jordan Gross	Carolina	5
Daryn Colledge	Green Bay	5
Jeff Backus	Detroit	4
Erik Pears	Oakland	4
Duane Brown	Houston	4
Demetrius Bell	Buffalo	4
Winston Justice	Philadelphia	3.5
Stephen Heyer	Washington	3.5
Jeromey Clary	San Diego	3.5
Max Starks	Pittsburgh	3.5
John St. Clair	Cleveland	3.5
Ray Willis	Seattle	3
Phil Loadholt	Minnesota	3
Michael Roos	Tennessee	3
Marcus McNeill	San Diego	3
Mike Gandy	Arizona	3
Kyle Williams	Seattle	3
Jake Long	Miami	3
Flozell Adams	Dallas	3
Eben Britton	Jacksonville	3
Donald Penn	Tampa Bay	3
Andrew Whitworth	Cincinnati	3
Anthony Collins	Cincinnati	3
Ryan Harris	Denver	2.5
Michael Oher	Baltimore	2.5
Chris Samuel	Washington	2.5
Brandon Albert	Kansas City	2.5
Vernon Carey	Miami	2
Ryan Clady	Denver	2
Jeremy Trueblood	Tampa Bay	2
Joe Thomas	Cleveland	2
Jeff Otah	Carolina	2
Jermon Bushrod	New Orleans	2
Chris Williams	Chicago	2
Chad Clifton	Green Bay	2
Bryant McKinnie	Minnesota	2
Brandon Frye	Seattle	2
Mario Henderson	Oakland	1.5
D'Brickshaw Ferguson	N.Y. Jets	1.5
Tra Thomas	Jacksonville	1
Sam Baker	Atlanta	1
Ryan O'Callaghan	Kansas City	1
Nick Kaczur	New England	1
Kareem McKenzie	N.Y. Giants	1
Jason Peters	Philadelphia	1
Jon Jansen	Detroit	1
Jared Gaither	Baltimore	1
Eric Winston	Houston	1
Damien Woody	N.Y. Jets	1
David Diehl	N.Y. Giants	1
Cornell Green	Oakland	1
Brad Butler	Buffalo	1
Adam Goldberg	St. Louis	1
Alex Barron	St. Louis	1
Orlando Pace	Chicago	0.5
Jonathan Scott	Buffalo	0.5
Willie Colon	Pittsburgh	0
Tyson Clabo	Atlanta	0
Sean Locklear	Seattle	0
Ryan Diem	Indianapolis	0
Matt Light	New England	0
Mark Colombo	Dallas	0
Jonathan Stinchcomb	New Orleans	0
Ichekuku Ndukwe	Kansas City	0
David Stewart	Tennessee	0
Charlie Johnson	Indianapolis	0

If you're a Packers fan, it probably won't surprise you to see a pair of Green Bay offensive linemen near the top of the list for sacks allowed by tackles.

But no one expected Packers right tackle Allen Barbre or fill-in tackle Daryn Colledge to be anything more than adequate. Barbre is truly the Packers' weakest link now that Chad Clifton is back at left tackle. And as we documented last year, Cardinals right tackle Levi Brown struggles with pass blocking, so seeing him near the top of the list is almost to be expected.

But seeing Panthers' franchise player Jordan Gross among the list of shame is pretty shocking. It seems Julius Peppers isn't the only Panthers star who has struggled at times this year. Gross had a disastrous three-sacks-allowed game against the Redskins as Andre Carter beat him a couple of times on simple speed rushes around the outside. One of those five sacks came when he appeared to miss his assignment on an overload blitz by the Eagles, but he's also been beaten multiple times one-on-one.

At the other end of the spectrum, Indianapolis has allowed only two sacks all season and neither has been allowed by an offensive tackle. The Falcons have also allowed only two sacks -- both in the season opener against the Dolphins. Part of that can be credited to Matt Ryan's quick release, but Tyson Clabo (0 sacks) and Sam Baker (1 sack) also deserve lots of praise.

It's also impressive to see Steelers right tackle Willie Colon among the unblemished. Colon has had pass protection problems in the past (6.5 sacks last year), but he's shown significant improvement this season.

Here are some other notes from watching the lines for Week Six.

-- There is a lot of legitimate criticism of Andy Reid's decision to forget the running game in the Eagles' shocking upset loss to the Raiders. But it's nearly as surprising that the Raiders' leaky offensive line was able to handle the Eagles' pass rush. Oakland's line has had lots of turnovers this year -- three diferent players have started at left guard, there have been two different centers and two different right tackles. Erik Pears, the fill-in left guard and right tackle, has been a weak link with four sacks and the Raiders need to work on their backs blitz pick-up -- the running backs are responsible for four sacks -- but left tackle Mario Henderson (1.5 sacks allowed) is giving the Raiders their first solid play at left tackle in years.

-- The Kansas City Chiefs may need to rethink some of their blocking schemes. Tight end Sean Ryan gave up his fifth sack of the season on Sunday against the Redskins. No other tight end in the league has given up more than two sacks this year.

It's hard to blame Ryan too much for this. He's given up sacks to Osi Umenyiora, Brian Orakpo and Juqua Parker. It's hard to ask a tight end to adequately block three of the better pass rushers in the NFC East. Ryan bounced round to three different teams last year, so he's fortunate to have a starting job, but the Chiefs are asking him to do things that he's not really capable of doing when they ask him to handle defensive ends one-on-one.

-- There's been a lot of explanations given for the Broncos' amazing defensive turnaround. And there are a lot of good reasons to explain why the Broncos have gone from 29th last year in yards allowed to second this year.

You can credit new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan first of all for giving the defense an identity. Last year the Broncos switched back and forth between the 3-4 and the 4-3 like they were changing socks. And even when they did go with the 3-4, they did it with undersized linebackers like Boss Bailey while asking undersized defensive ends like Elvis Dumervill to play up on the line.

This year Nolan has made them a 3-4 team with an identity, and he's done an excellent job of getting pass rushers like Dumervill into situations to create havoc.

But what stood out against the Chargers was Nolan's clever use of delayed blitzes. You don't often see delayed blitzes because they usually take too long to develop pressure against the fast-paced NFL offenses. You have to time it perfectly -- rush too soon and the offense can adjust to pick up the second blitzer, rush too late and it doesn't even matter.

But Nolan pulled out the delayed blitz in perfect situations against the Chargers. San Diego likes to throw deep to Vincent Jackson and the rest of their crew of tall receivers, so the delayed blitz has a little more time to reach Phillip Rivers.

It worked three different times against the Chargers. On the first sack, defensive back Andre Goodman waited until a linebacker had fully occupied the Chargers tailback serving as the quarterback's last line of defense. By delaying his rush, Goodman got a free rush at Rivers for an easy sack. The same approach worked later for a sack by linebacker D.J. Williams. It also worked to a degree on the Broncos' last sack of the night, although defensive linemen Darrell Reid simply beat Louis Vasquez for the sack.

Between the Lines: Which Tackles Are Starring and Which Are Struggling? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are Chiefs Ready to Move Dwayne Bowe?

Chris Burke — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:35:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, Dolphins, Ravens, NFL Rumors

Through the first two seasons of his NFL career, wide receiver Dwayne Bowe looked destined to be a superstar in Kansas City for years to come. In 2007, Bowe's rookie season out of LSU, he had 995 yards receiving, then topped that number in 2008 with 1,022 yards and seven touchdowns.

Year 3, though, has not gone as well. Bowe got off on the wrong foot with new Kansas City head coach Todd Haley -- losing his starting spot in the preseason due to work-ethic questions -- including coming to offseason workouts overweight. He then struggled with a nagging hamstring injury, and has just 15 catches in four games this season.

And with Kansas City 0-5 and apparently in need of a complete overhaul, Bowe's name continues to surface as Tuesday's trade deadline looms.

The speculation kicked up a notch Friday when ESPN claimed that the Ravens were prepared to offer a second- and fifth-round pick for Bowe. Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh did nothing to dispel those rumors, saying that "there are possibilities" for his team on the trade market.

Baltimore has come up in association with just about every available receiver since the offseason -- including Brandon Marshall -- and nearly found itself forced into making a move back in July when Derrick Mason briefly announced his retirement.

The Ravens quelled some of the concerns about their wide receiver group by opening the season 3-0 and scoring 30 points or more in each of those victories. But back-to-back losses to New England and Cincinnati have forced those issues to resurface. The Week 5 loss to the Bengals was particularly troubling offensively, with Baltimore receiver's catching just four of 22 Joe Flacco completions and Mason finishing with no grabs.

From Baltimore's perspective, unloading a pair of picks for Bowe would make complete sense given the Ravens' belief that they can contend for a Super Bowl title this season. Bowe and Mason would give Baltimore a very talented 1-2 punch and further open the ground game for Ray Rice and Willis McGahee.

The deal makes less obvious sense for Kansas City -- it's never that wise to dump a top-flight 25-year-old receiver. Still, the Chiefs are clearly in rebuilding mode (despite the hefty extension they gave Matt Cassel) and Bowe's occasional hiccups with Haley might help label him as expendable.

That said, should the Chiefs opt to move Bowe, it's far from a lock that the Ravens would land him. They aren't the only team searching for WR help, after all.

The Dolphins might be more than willing to unload a second- and fifth-round pick -- or even up the ante slightly -- if the Chiefs dangle Bowe. Miami's current top three of Davone Bess, Greg Camarillo and Ted Ginn has been decent this season, but far from spectacular -- and with Chad Henne now under center, Miami needs some players that can stretch the field.

Miami's interest in Bowe could increase should the Dolphins go into New York and knock off the Jets this week. That would put them at 3-3 and smack dab in the thick of the AFC East race. Even without a victory, taking a shot at Bowe could be worth it -- the Dolphins would have him under contract through at least 2011 and finally have a real No. 1 receiver.

It's not likely that Kansas City unloads Bowe given his natural ability. It's possible, though, and something to keep an eye on as Tuesday closes in.

Are Chiefs Ready to Move Dwayne Bowe? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Should Chiefs Have Gone for Two?

Matt Snyder — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:10:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, Cowboys, AFC West, NFC East, NFL Coaching

With less than 30 seconds left in a home tilt against the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs had the opportunity to win their first game of the season -- which would have also been the first win of Todd Haley's head coaching career. After a Dwayne Bowe touchdown, the Chiefs trailed by the Cowboys 20-19 with a conversion on the way. They could have converted a two-pointer and won the game. Instead, they opted to kick the extra point and tie the game.

The Chiefs eventually lost in overtime to the Cowboys, so let the second-guessing begin. Should Haley have gone for the 2-pointer and the victory?

Yes

The Chiefs are clearly the inferior team. They had allowed the Cowboys to romp for 202 yards on three second half drives, which accounted for 17 of the Cowboys' 20 points. They had no answer for Tony Romo or Miles Austin through the air and weren't exactly stuffing the run (the 'Boys averaged 5.8 yards per carry on the game). Simply put: it was pretty obvious the Chiefs' defense wasn't going to stop Dallas if they were on the field in overtime.

Thus, why not go for two? You are 0-4. It's only two yards. If, heading into the game, someone told the Chiefs you have one play to gain two yards to win the football game, don't you think they would have loved that? I guess not, because Haley didn't go for it. He took the safe way out when he should be doing everything he can to capture that elusive first victory.

No

You are at home and have all the momentum. Why chance losing the game on an unsuccessful two-point conversion when you can go for the sure thing and tie the football game? Plus, the Chiefs had just mounted their most successful drive of the game, going 74 yards in just 10 plays to tie the game. For the first time in three weeks, Bowe and Matt Cassel seemed to be on the same page.

It's easy to sit here and second guess, but what if the Chiefs had gone for two and been unsuccessful? Wouldn't everyone be crucifying them for not taking the tie and heading to overtime at home?

If the Chiefs won the toss in overtime, it seems pretty reasonable that they could have moved the ball into field goal range -- and Ryan Succop had already nailed a 47-yarder earlier in the game.

So, which was it? Vote in the poll to let us know and feel free to argue your case in the comments section.

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NFL Throwback Uniforms

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the American Football League (AFL), several teams have worn throwback uniforms this year. Tom Brady's New England Patriots were one of four teams in retro duds for Week 5. Click through to check out the rest.

Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Image,

NFL Throwback Uniforms

Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Image,

Denver Broncos or Wyoming Cowboys? The Broncos' AFL eyesores looked very similar to those currently worn by Wyoming of the Mountain West conference. Ugly or not, they worked -- Denver upset New England in overtime.

Barry Gutierrez, AP

At first glance, the Kansas City Chiefs' uniforms on Sunday, which they sported for an overtime loss to the Cowboys, didn't look that dissimilar from their current gear. But looks can be deceiving ...

Jamie Squire, Getty Images

... While the Chiefs got to keep their red and white on, they also wore the helmet of the Dallas Texans -- the AFL squad that moved to K.C. after 1962. It made for an odd scene with "Dallas" playing Dallas in Kansas City.

Jamie Squire, Getty Images

The Rams wore what may be the most recognizable of all the throwbacks, suiting up in their well-known yellow and blue jerseys with the ram-horn helmet. It's a look that St. Louis still has in the rotation as an alternate jersey.

Ronald Martinez, Getty Images

Should Chiefs Have Gone for Two? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Miles Austin Makes Pair of Huge Plays, Sets Dallas Receiving Record

Chris Burke — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:52:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, Cowboys

The Cowboys had no choice but to ask fill-in starter Miles Austin to step up after they were forced to leave injured wide receiver Roy Williams in Dallas.

It worked out pretty well.

Austin caught 10 passes for 250 yards -- breaking Hall of Famer Bob Hayes' previous single-game team receiving record of 246 yards -- and scored two extremely clutch touchdowns as Dallas pulled out a 26-20 win at Kansas City.

More: Check Box Score | McNabb, Eagles Roll | Giants Go to 5-0

Austin's first score came just prior to the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter. With the Cowboys and Chiefs knotted at 13 and Dallas facing a third-and-5 at its own 41, Austin caught a Tony Romo bullet in traffic, broke a pair of tackles, and raced to the end zone to give his team a 20-13 lead.

Dallas was unable to hold that edge, though. The Cowboys' defense let Kansas City march down the field and tie the game at 20 in the final 30 seconds.

On the fourth possession of overtime, Austin made sure Dallas got its victory. On second-and-15 from the Cowboys' 40, Austin came back to the ball to catch a Romo pass and freed himself from a defender. He then burst up the sideline, going 60 yards for the game-winning score.

Prior to Sunday's sensational effort, Austin had made just five catches for 81 yards and a score in the first four weeks of the season. Last season, he had 278 yards receiving -- just 28 more than what he put up in Kansas City.

Miles Austin Makes Pair of Huge Plays, Sets Dallas Receiving Record originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dolphins Deal for Tyler Thigpen

Chris Burke — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:07:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, Dolphins, NFL Injuries, NFL Quarterbacks

The Dolphins traded an an undisclosed 2010 draft pick to Kansas City for quarterback Tyler Thigpen, filling Chad Pennington's roster spot on the same day they played their injured QB on injured reserve.

The deal throws a little wrench into the perceived plan in Miami to anoint Chad Henne as Pennington's permanent replacement. Henne, in his second year out of Michigan, still figures to make his first NFL start Sunday when the 0-3 Dolphins host Buffalo. But Thigpen performed decently in 11 starts for Kansas City last season, throwing from more than 2,600 yards with an 18-12 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

His shot to start in Kansas City in 2009 went out the window when the Chiefs dealt for Matt Cassel and signed him to a long-term deal. Thigpen then found himself locked in a battle for K.C.'s backup spot with Brodie Croyle -- and the general consensus was that Croyle had at least matched Thigpen's performance in the preseason, if not surpassed him. The Chiefs also have QB Matt Gutierrez on their roster.

Pennington went down in Miami's Week 3 loss at San Diego, and Monday word came that Pennington had torn a capsule in his throwing shoulder and would likely not be able to play again in 2009. Tuesday, he decided that he would have surgery -- the third time he'll go under the knife for his right shoulder.

Thigpen is under contract through 2010, at which point he would become a restricted free agent.

Dolphins Deal for Tyler Thigpen originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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