NFL FanHouse

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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Hangartner's Snaps Left Edwards Running for His Life

JJ Cooper — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:55:00 EST

Filed under: Bills, Browns, Chiefs, Eagles, NFL Analysis

This year I'm logging every sack and taking notes along the way. Here's some plays that jumped out while watching the Week 3 games.

o. Center Geoff Hangartner is one of the few veterans on a young Bills line, but he was the one who looked out of place late in the Saints game. When the Bills got the ball with under three minutes to play needing two scores to win, Hangartner helped ensure it didn't happen.

On second down, Hangartner gave Trent Edwards a bad shotgun snap -- it almost scooted on the ground -- then compounded his error by being driven back by Sedrick Ellis. Thanks in part to the snap, Ellis was able to grab Edwards for a sack.

On third down, Hangartner's snap hit the ground halfway to Edwards. Thanks, in part, to having to bring his head down to find the ball and scoop it up, Edwards didn't get the ball off before Charles Grant beat right tackle Jonathan Scott for a sack.

And then on fourth down, Hangartner again snapped it to Edwards' feet, although Edwards was able to get rid of this one for a short gain that turned the ball over on downs.

o. When quarterback Jim Everett was a Ram, his reputation for softness really seemed to solidify when he ducked down for a sack one time when no one was around to hit him. It wasn't that bad, but Browns quarterback Derek Anderson came close to pulling an Everett against the Ravens. After driving the Browns down to inside the red zone, Anderson dropped back to pass and was given plenty of time. But with no one around him yet (Trevor Pryce had just been pushed past him), Anderson pump faked, then ducked and fell to his knees. He tried to get up, but by that point Pryce was able to come back from Anderson's back side for one of the easiest sacks of his long career.

o. The more sacks I watch, the more I think that max protection is usually a bad idea. The best example of this came in the Chiefs-Eagles game. Facing a third and 25 early in the game, the Chiefs decided to keep a pair of tight ends in to block. Philadelphia sent only four rushers, so Kansas City had what would seem to be an advantage--seven blockers to block four.

But because the blockers were all coming from the outside what actually happened was the Eagles managed to get two pass rushers running past tight end Sean Ryan on one side while Juqua Parker beat tight end Brad Cottam on the other side. While this was happening both Chiefs offensive tackles were left with no one to block. The play turned almost comical. As three Eagles pass rushers come flying past the tight ends for pressure, four of the Chiefs five offensive linemen are blocking no one. By going max protect, the Chiefs did force the Eagles defensive ends to take a wider path to the quarterback, but in return they got to go against significantly worse pass blockers, which is a trade the Eagles will take.

Parker got the sack although an unblocked Trent Cole played a big part in it by forcing Matt Cassell to scramble.

Hangartner's Snaps Left Edwards Running for His Life originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Vick Relatively Quiet in Win

Bruce Ciskie — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:40:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, Eagles, NFL Quarterbacks

All that talk about the Philadelphia Eagles using Michael Vick in the wildcat may have been just that. While Vick was eligible, active and playing against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, the Eagles didn't use him a whole lot.

Instead, rookie LeSean McCoy was been the star of the wildcat, and it worked pretty well. The Eagles took a 24-7 lead into halftime, rolled to a 34-14 win, and did most of that while riding McCoy's running and the arm of Kevin Kolb.

Kolb threw for 327 yards and two touchdowns -- one each to DeSean Jackson and Brent Celek, who each topped 100 yards receiving. McCoy, filling in for injured starter Brian Westbrook, racked up 84 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

The story of the day, however, was Vick, and he didn't do much. The Eagles used him a few times in spread formation sets, but Vick finished with just one rush for seven yards and two incomplete passes. He looked like a quarterback who hadn't played in a long time when he threw the ball, but he looked very comfortable taking a shotgun snap and running off right tackle on a keeper.

Michael Vick Relatively Quiet in Win originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pocket Presence: Kolb, Garcia Wait for McNabb; Quinn Still Shaky

Bruce Ciskie — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Browns, Chiefs, Dolphins, Eagles, Lions, Panthers, NFL Quarterbacks

It's often said that a team with two quarterbacks really doesn't have any. With that spirit in mind, FanHouse will keep you updated weekly on NFL teams facing potential quarterback controversies.

Things are looking interesting in Philadelphia, although Donovan McNabb can come back and ruin all the fun. Meanwhile, there appears to be no end in sight to the situation in Cleveland, where the Browns have looked generally awful when they have the ball.

Philadelphia Eagles: Kevin Kolb and Jeff Garcia

As mentioned, McNabb could return, take the job, and relegate both to the bench. As long as McNabb isn't playing, Eagles coach Andy Reid is faced with a tough decision. Kolb looked shaky, inaccurate, sometimes indecisive, and not very good overall in a loss to New Orleans Sunday. It's not the kind of performance the Eagles can afford to see again, but is it enough to get Garcia a chance to start?

Let's face it: Garcia is rarely a happy backup. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, because no one should want to stand on the sideline in a baseball cap. But it isn't really easy on the head coach or the starting quarterback. Garcia knows the Eagles offense, is obviously capable of running it, and has already won over Philly fans as their starter once. He could do it again.

Then again, he could also end up as the inactive third quarterback when McNabb returns.

Status update: Very warm, until McNabb is ready

Cleveland Browns: Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson

The Browns have scored 26 points in two games. Yes, it's more than the Rams have, but it's still not very impressive. They got six in four quarters against the once-maligned Denver defense Sunday, as the Broncos whipped Cleveland 27-6.

Quinn has been the ringleader of the Browns offense so far. He hasn't done much of anything. He's not throwing with great accuracy, as was advertised. He isn't moving the chains, and he isn't making any big plays.

Yes, Eric Mangini wants his "guy" to succeed, but how long can he watch Quinn struggle without giving Anderson a shot? The Browns are 0-2, and the schedule isn't magically going to get any easier, especially when you consider that the Browns have yet to play a game against an AFC North rival.

Status update: Very warm

Miami Dolphins: Chad Pennington and Chad Henne

It's hard to get a read on this one, but the Dolphins can't be terribly fond of Pennington's play so far. He has been his normal accurate self when it comes to shorter passes, but the Dolphins have had issues putting up points, in part because the passing game has too many moments of ineptitude. Plus, there were already some rumblings that Pennington would be replaced in 2010. If the offense sputters more, will the Dolphins accelerate Chad Henne's timeline?

Status update: Lukewarm

Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford and Daunte Culpepper

Yes, head coach Jim Schwartz has said Stafford is his guy. No, Stafford isn't hurt. However, the Lions are 0-2, have not looked good on offense, and are going to get Stafford killed if they don't protect him better. Culpepper is a veteran who could have a steadying influence on the offense. Stafford isn't going to be destroyed if the Lions sit him for a few games. In the end, he'd be grateful for the chance to clear his head.

Status update: Lukewarm

Others Worth Watching

Kansas City (Matt Cassel and Tyler Thigpen); Carolina (Jake Delhomme, A.J. Feeley, Matt Moore)

Pocket Presence: Kolb, Garcia Wait for McNabb; Quinn Still Shaky originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Matt Cassel to Start For Kansas City

Adam Gretz — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:55:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, Raiders, NFL Injuries

After missing Kansas City's season opening loss in Baltimore with an MCL injury suffered in the preseason, Matt Cassel is expected to make his Chiefs debut on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders, according to Jason LaCanfora of the NFL Network.

Cassel was the big offseason addition in Kansas City, coming over in a trade that sent a second-round draft pick to the New England after the Patriots designated the 27-year-old signal-caller as their franchise player. The Chiefs then signed him to a long-term contract extension in July reportedly worth over $60 million.

More Coverage: Wes Welker Out for Patriots

In Cassel's absence against the Ravens last Sunday, Brodie Croyle earned the start and managed to keep the Chiefs in the game well into the second half, completing 16 of 24 passes for 177 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.

For his debut with the Chiefs, Cassel will be going up against an Oakland defense that raised quite a few eyebrows in a 24-20 loss to the San Diego Chargers for its relentless physical play. The Raiders intercepted Phillip Rivers once and sacked him three times, including a pair from the newly acquired Richard Seymour, before surrendering a pair of touchdowns in the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter.

Cassel started 15 games for the Patriots in 2008 following Tom Brady's season-ending knee injury and completed over 63 percent of his passes while throwing for over 3,600 yards.

Matt Cassel to Start For Kansas City originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sorting the Sunday Pile, Week 1: Must-Win Games

Ryan Wilson — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Chiefs, Giants, Ravens, Redskins

Sorting the Sunday Pile looks back at the NFL weekend that was. It's also an unofficial Brady Quinn blog.

A year ago, Matt Cassel got his chance to be an NFL starting quarterback when then-Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard blew up Tom Brady's knee. Cassel led the Patriots to 11 wins, and played well enough for the Chiefs to trade for him in the offseason.

Smash cut to Cassel tweaking his knee during Kansas City's third preseason game (God's sense of humor is underrated), which forced him to miss the first Sunday of the 2009 season. Any chances the Chiefs -- an outfit that won six times in their last 32 games -- had against the Ravens were out the window with Cassel on the bench.

Except that Brodie Croyle, who got his first start since October 19, 2008, actually looked like he knew what he was doing. It was refreshing, frankly. He finished 16 of 24 for 177 yards, 2 TDs and no interceptions. And that was against one of the league's most menacing defense.

Yes, the Chiefs lost 38-24, but it was tied 24-24 with just over five minutes to go. Not sure if that says more about Todd Haley's R. Lee Ermey coaching style, or that the Ravens might not be quite ready to challenge the Steelers in the AFC North, but if there's ever a reason to be pumped about a moral victory I think this is it.

More than that, though, does Croyle, the Chiefs' 2006 third-round pick, deserve more playing time? Maybe. But here's the thing: Croyle's a Carl Peterson-Herm Edwards guy. Cassel's a Scott-Pioli-Haley guy. And even though he struggled in preseason, there's no way Cassel doesn't get on the field as soon as he's healthy. That's one of the benefits to playing for a team with absolutely no short-term expectations: you can make all the mistakes you want. At least until the guys who brought you in get canned.

Redskins-Giants Play First Must-Win Game of '09

I suspect we'll start hearing about "must-win games" by the end of the month, which is akin to putting up your Christmas tree on July 5th. With that in mind, let me be the first to declare the first must-win game of the 2009 season: the Week 1 Redskins-Giants get-together. I don't really believe that, but I can envision Washington fans, heads in hands, lamenting their plight after watching Sunday's debaclement.

Last year, then-first-year head coach Jim Zorn was accused of conservative play-calling -- something Joe Gibbs had to deal with early in his second stint with the team (that was before Al Saunders and his 700-page playbook showed up in Ashburn and everything magically got better*) -- and he promised that things would be different this time around. Maybe the changes were subtle because the '09 Jason Campbell looked a lot like the '06-'08 version.

But just like last season, it's not completely Campbell's fault. The offensive line deserves some blame, as does the defense. But Campbell's an easy target, except that now, with Colt Brennan on injured reserve and Chase Daniel on the Saints' practice squad, it's not clear who the anti-Campbell contingent would want to take over the job.

Todd Collins briefly enjoyed the Colt Brennan treatment following the 2007 season, when he led the 'Skins into the playoffs after Campbell was injured. As it turned out, that had more to do with Collins' familiarity with Saunders' scheme than his quarterbacking skills. He looked just as lost as everybody else last preseason in Zorn's version of the West Coast Offense.

So now what? Washington appears as unremarkable as ever, and Zorn's future is tied to Campbell, who is in the last year of his rookie contract. Obviously, the 'Skins need to find a way to get Hunter Smith more involved in the offense. In the meantime, here's your silver lining, 'Skins fans, courtesy of Jim Zorn: "The positive thing is we played hard the whole game. We just didn't have the poise in situations that we needed to."

So there's that.

Michael Crabtree, Somehow Less Relevant

There were plenty of reasons to think that the Cardinals might not repeat as NFC West champs: Kurt Warner is 38 years old and routinely takes a beating during games; Matt Leinart was no closer to winning the starting gig, and he was apparently battling Brian St. Pierre for the backup job early in the preseason; the Seahawks are improved -- and more importantly -- healthy. Plus, before the final month of the 2008 season, when the Cards caught fire and made their Super Bowl run, they were wildly inconsistent.

So despite the expectations, it's not completely surprising that the 49ers came into Glendale and won. But Arizona is a veteran team and, truth be told, this game probably meant more to San Francisco.

Mike Singletary is in his first full year as head coach, and Shaun Hill is the quarterback, beating out the eminently beatable Alex Smith. Hill played the part of game manager (usually considered a pejorative, in this case, it's a compliment), throwing a touchdown and avoiding interceptions, and somehow managed to do it without first-round pick Michael Crabtree.

Part of me hopes Crabtree does decide to re-enter the draft next April and he gets drafted by the Raiders. In the fourth round.

* better = worse, more complicated

Sorting the Sunday Pile, Week 1: Must-Win Games originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday Snippets: Delhomme Is Bad, Even in His Good Minute

Dave Goldberg — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:20:00 EST

Filed under: Bengals, Broncos, Chiefs, Colts, Eagles, Jets, Lions, Panthers, Saints, Vikings, NFL Quarterbacks, NFL Notebook

It got so bad for Jake Delhomme Sunday that, even when he was good, he was bad.

Was he ever good in Carolina's 38-10 loss to the Eagles, in which he threw four interceptions and lost a fumble that was returned by a touchdown? Well, the Panthers took the opening kickoff and moved 70 yards for a score of their own to take a 7-0 lead on DeAngelo Williams' 11-yard run. But it was ugly -- two plays before the TD, the Panthers had a first down at the Eagles 1, but Ryan Kalil jumped on the first play and Jeff Otah on the second.

Williams took care of the rest, but those two penalties -- probably some sort of messed-up count by Delhomme, since it was that kind of day -- simply were a precursor of what was to come. Worse, the same thing happened in Delhomme's last game, when Carolina was upset at home by Arizona in its first playoff game last season.

OK, not quite as bad -- Delhomme had six turnovers in that one, five INTs and a fumble. In any case, he now has nine interceptions in his last 51 passes and 11 turnovers in his last two games.

And he got a five-year contract extension worth $42 million in the offseason. Actually, it's probably more like $25 million up front, but it means they're saddled with him until 2012, when he'll be 37. He'll probably play next week -- his backup, Josh McCown, left with knee and foot injuries."I hope so," Delhomme said when asked about it. "I'm not looking for the easy way out."

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Latest NFL Photos

CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 13: Chester Taylor #29 of the Minnesota Vikings rushes against the Cleveland Browns on September 13, 2009 at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. The Vikings beat the Browns 34-20. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chester Taylor

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GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 13: Runningback Tim Hightower #34 of the Arizona Cardinals walks with teammates to the lockerroom prior to the NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on September 13, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 20-16. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tim Hightower

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GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 13: Arizona Cardinals team president Michael Bidwill speaks before the NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on September 13, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 20-16. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Bidwill

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GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 13: Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald #11 of the Arizona Cardinals stands on the sidelines during the NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on September 13, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 20-16. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Larry Fitzgerald

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GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 13: Quarterback Shaun Hill #13 of the San Francisco 49ers is sacked by Darnell Dockett #90 of the Arizona Cardinals during the NFL game at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on September 13, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 20-16. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Shaun Hill;Darnell Dockett

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GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 13: Runningback Tim Hightower #34 of the Arizona Cardinals leads teammates onto the field prior to the NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on September 13, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 20-16. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tim Hightower

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GREEN BAY, WI - SEPTEMBER 13: Jay Cutler #6 of the Chicago Bears walks off the field following a loss to the Green Bay Packers on September 13, 2009 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Bears 21-15. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jay Cutler

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CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 13: Kevin Kolb #4 of the Philadelphia Eagles passes against Charles Johnson #95 of the Carolina Panthers at Bank Of America Stadium on September 13, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Kolb;Charles Johnson

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CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 13: Donovan McNabb #5 of the Philadelphia Eagles heads off the field after being injured against the Carolina Panthers at Bank Of America Stadium on September 13, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Donovan McNabb

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GREEN BAY, WI - SEPTEMBER 13: Matt Forte #22 of the Chicago Bears runs against the Green Bay Packers on September 13, 2009 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Bears 21-15. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Matt Forte

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GREEN BAY, WI - SEPTEMBER 13: Brian Urlacher #54 of the Chicago Bears awaits the start of play in the 1st half against the Green Bay Packers on September 13, 2009 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Bears 21-15. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Brian Urlacher

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Delhomme got company in the Sunday night game from Jay Cutler, who threw four interceptions in his regular-season debut for Chicago. Three came in the first half, when both teams struggled. The fourth came on a play that started with 1:11 left after Green Bay had taken a 21-15 lead.

In the first half, Cutler was clearly uncomfortable with Dom Capers' 3-4 defensive schemes, which are more aggressive than most. Next Sunday, he gets to see another difficult 3-4 -- Pittsburgh's -- when the Steelers visit Soldier Field

QUARTERBACKS (a few of them): Delhomme was lucky in a way. Donovan McNabb broke his ribs in the same game, taking some attention away from his disastrous day and raising questions -- facetious ones -- about whether Roger Goodell might let Michael Vick come back a week early. No, of course Goodell won't, so Kevin Kolb will almost surely be the QB when the Eagles play host to the Saints next week.

Kolb may do OK -- the Saints don't play much defense. On the other hand, the Philly defense, which was handed all those gifts by Delhomme, will meet a very different guy -- New Orleans QB Drew Brees, who had six TD passes against Detroit. Of course, the Detroit and Philadelphia defenses are at opposite ends of the spectrum. (No pun intended, although the Spectrum parking lot is next to Lincoln Financial Field)

Brees was so good Sunday in a 45-28 win that Jeremy Shockey actually caught two TD passes, his first since November, 2007. Shockey says there are more to come. We sort of believe it, although the Saints don't get to play the Lions anymore.

Brett Favre played his first game for the Vikings, who beat the Browns 34-20. Brett was -- horrible phrase -- a "game manager.'' Stats: 14 of 21 for 110 yards while Adrian Peterson was rushing for 180. That's likely to be Minnesota's way all season.

Then there are the rookie QBs,

Mark Sanchez, the fifth-overall pick, threw for 272 yards and an a touchdown in New York's 24-7 win, but it was easy because Rex Ryan's defense held what was supposed to be a high-powered Houston offense to 183 yards. Houston had one shot at getting in the game, but Donald Strickland knocked the ball away from Steve Slaton on an 18-yard pass completion, the Jets recovered and that was it.

Matthew Stafford, No. 1 overall, demonstrated why he should be watching and letting Daunte Culpepper absorb the punishment. As Detroit lost its 18th straight, 45-27 in New Orleans, Stafford was a 16 of 37 for 205 yards and was intercepted three times. "Some of those balls I was throwing, I was just trying to get rid of it and not take a sack.,'' he said.

That's life with the Lions.

NEW PHILOSOPHY?: Jim Caldwell, who replaced Tony Dungy, as the Colts' coach, obviously trusts his defense (and his special teams).

With the Colts leading 14-12 with 7:42 left, they had a fourth-and-1 at the Jaguars 44. Caldwell elected to kick it away and rookie punter Pat McAfee dropped the ball on the 1.

The Jags never got out of the hole. A decision like Caldwell's wouldn't have always been the right one with a team that's depended so heavily on Peyton Manning and the offense, which lost receiver Anthony Gonzalez to a knee sprain that will probably cost him four-to-six weeks. Defensive coordinator Larry Coyer also showed some new wrinkles -- blitzing middle linebacker Gary Brackett a couple of times to disrupt David Garrard late in the game.

The Colts rarely blitzed when Dungy was the head coach and Ron Meeks the defensive coordinator and the bend-but-don't break Tampa Two was the defense of choice. On the final Jacksonville possession, Brackett broke through twice, forcing an incomplete pass and then letting Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney clean up.

Other notables: The play of the day, of course, was the game-winning TD for Denver in Cincinnati, when the Bengals' Leon Hall deflected a desperation pass with 28 seconds left into the air, only to see it come down to Brandon Stokley. Stokley completed an 87-yard TD play to give the Broncos a 12-7 win after the Bengals had scored with 38 seconds left to seemingly win it.

It was the first win for Josh McDaniels, who is a smart guy. Stokley is a smart guy too -- he wasted an extra five or six seconds running parallel to the goal line before stepping into the end zone.

"I've played football since I was 7 or 8 and I never saw anything like that,'' said Carson Palmer.

Actually, he's played for the Bengals since 2003, so he's seen a lot of odd things.

o. Kansas City, with Matt Cassel out with a knee injury, started Brodie Croyle at QB, replaced him with Tyler Thigpen and then brought back Croyle when Thigpen was hurt. The Chiefs went without a first down until just over two minutes was left in the half, but trailed just 10-7 at that point because they scored on a blocked punt.

For the game, the Chiefs were outgained 501-188, although they were tied at 24-all when the Ravens finally scored with 2:06 left.

Sunday Snippets: Delhomme Is Bad, Even in His Good Minute originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ravens Run Over Chiefs for Opening Win

Adam Gretz — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, Ravens

Heading into Sunday's game in Baltimore minus their starting quarterback, Matt Cassel, and trotting out a backup, Brodie Croyle, who entered the contest with an 0-8 career record, it appeared as if a blowout loss was in store for the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite a lackluster offensive performance in the first half that netted less than 60 yards of total offense and only three first downs, though, the Chiefs found themselves in position for a potential win in the fourth quarter, only to fall short, 38-24, in Todd Haley's head coaching debut.

Every time the Chiefs managed to sneak back into the game, and either tie the score or take the lead, their defense was worn down by the Ravens' punishing rushing attack -- Baltimore gashed K.C. for 198 yards on 41 carries throughout the game.

Ravens 38, Chiefs 24: Read Recap | Check Box Score

Second-year back Ray Rice led the way for the Ravens with 108 yards, while Willis McGahee and Le'Ron McClain added touchdowns on the ground.

Following a 70-yard interception return by linebacker Derrick Johnson, Croyle found Dwayne Bowe in the back of the end zone to give the Chiefs their only lead of the day, 14-10, early in the third quarter. It would be short-lived, however, as the Ravens picked up chunks of yardage at will against the Chiefs defense for the remainder of the second half.

Second-year quarterback Joe Flacco set a career-high with 307 yards passing on 43 pass attempts, which were also a career-high. Just for comparison's sake, Flacco never threw more than 40 passes a season ago, and only three times attempted more than 30.

After Croyle led the Chiefs on an impressive six-play, 80-yard drive to tie the score at 24, Flacco and the Ravens responded with an 8-play, 74-yard drive of their own. The drive was capped when Flacco -- on a third-and-long and facing an all-out blitz from the Kansas City defense -- lofted a pass down the center of the field to Mark Clayton who beat his man into the end zone for the game-winning score.

Croyle, who was on the losing end for the ninth consecutive start in his brief NFL career, didn't play all that bad considering the circumstances (not a lot of talent around him, playing on the road against an elite defense in a hostile environment) as he completed 16 of 24 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns, most of which came in the second half. The Chiefs running game was a disaster, accounting for just 29 yards on 17 carries.

Ravens Run Over Chiefs for Opening Win originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kansas City Remains in Game Despite Terrible Offensive Showing

Adam Gretz — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, Ravens

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley had to know his first test in the NFL was going to be a large one, seeing as how his team was heading into Baltimore to take on a Ravens team that was just one game short of the Super Bowl a season ago.

Add in the fact his starting quarterback, Matt Cassel, was inactive due to injury, and, well, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that the Chiefs have struggled mightily on offense. For the opening 28 minutes of the first half, the Chiefs were limited to zero first downs and no offensive points, yet somehow remained in the game thanks to a bend-but-don't-break defense and a blocked punt recovered in the end zone by Jon McGraw.

The Chiefs finally started to move the ball on their final drive of the first half, picking up three first downs before allowing the clock run out, and headed into the break down by three.

Meanwhile, for Baltimore, second-year quarterback Joe Flacco is 16 for 25 for 175 yards and a touchdown, a 3-yard pass to Willis McGahee.

UPDATE: Following a 70-yard interception return early in the third quarter by linebacker Derrick Johnson, Brodie Croyle connected with Dwayne Bowe on a two-yard touchdown pass to give Kansas City its first lead of the day.

Kansas City Remains in Game Despite Terrible Offensive Showing originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saints Top Worst-to-First Power Rankings

Dan Graziano — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:39:00 EST

Filed under: Bills, Browns, Chiefs, Jaguars, Lions, Rams, Redskins, Saints, NFL Power Rankings, NFL Analysis

Amid all these NFL predictions flooding the web this week there are few certainties. But if recent history is any indication, we know for sure that at least one of this year's division winners will be a team that finished in last place a year ago. At least one team has turned the trick every year since the NFL went to the current eight-division format -- 10 teams total in six seasons. The Dolphins did it last year, the Buccaneers the year before, and the Eagles and Saints the year before that.

The reasons for this phenomenon are obvious -- overall parity, four-team divisions, a scheduling system that (basically) makes life easier for the teams at the bottom and tougher for the teams at the top. The only question as the 2009 season dawns is which of last year's last-place finishers will be among this year's division winners. We ranked all eight of them in order of their chances to continue the trend:

1. New Orleans Saints (8-8 in 2008): First place seems like an easy call. The Saints weren't bad last year. They have a big-time offense (assuming Pierre Thomas gets healthy and holds up). And you can see where each of the other three teams in the NFC South could take steps backward. Many are even picking New Orleans as division champ this year.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11): Those who like the Jags point to upgrades on the offensive line and at wide receiver, their two trouble spots from a year ago. Those of us who aren't buying it point to the Colts, Titans and Texans all also playing in the AFC South. But hey. You never know.

3. Washington Redskins (8-8): If Jacksonville's AFC South is a meat grinder, then Washington's NFC East is a bone-crusher. It takes a lot to imagine the Redskins being better than the Eagles, Giants and Cowboys. But if Clinton Portis can hold up all year and Jason Campbell takes that big leap forward and Albert Haynesworth plays as well in the first year of a contract as he did in the last...that's how these things work.

4. Buffalo Bills (7-9): The idea that anybody but New England can win the AFC East is predicated on the assumption that the Patriots somehow fall apart. Even if that happens, it's hard to see the Bills, who have spent the past couple of weeks in roster and coaching disarray, being the team to jump up and swipe the division title. But nobody saw the Dolphins coming a year ago, either. Now, if only the Bills can think up some dazzling new offensive scheme that tricks the entire rest of the league and becomes the hot trend a year from now...

5. St. Louis Rams (2-14): They were abominable a year ago, and in spite of our high opinion of Steve Spagnuolo, there's no reason to think they'll be any better this year. But the NFC West was won with nine wins in 2008, so the Rams don't have to make much of a jump to get into contention. This ranking says more about the Cardinals, Seahawks and 49ers than it does about the Rams.

6. Kansas City Chiefs (2-14): Everything's new in K.C., which is great. And if the Chargers don't take off the way everybody's expecting them to, the AFC West will be there for the taking. The problem is, thanks to their offensive line, so will the Chiefs' quarterbacks. All year.

7. Detroit Lions (0-16): We believe they will be better this year. This is not a difficult prediction to make. They only need to win one freaking game, and they'll be better. But in an NFC North that might feature the three best teams in the conference, their chances of going worst-to-first look pretty dismal.

8. Cleveland Browns (4-12): Both of last year's AFC Championship Game combatants play in the AFC North. The Browns' new coach is a paranoid whack-job. They didn't know until four days before the season started who was going to play quarterback, and they still don't know who's going to catch the ball when that guy throws it. We say they're the worst team in the league. But again, the whole point of this exercise is...you never know.

Saints Top Worst-to-First Power Rankings originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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