Bleacher Report - Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs-Pittsburgh Steelers: Three Key Matchups for Sunday

Russell Fike — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:19:21 -0500

The Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off of very different 2008 seasons.

The Steelers, of course, were the Super Bowl Champions, whereas Kansas City finished with only two wins and their second consecutive top-five pick in the draft. A dichotomous matchup between these two teams takes place in week 11 of the NFL season.

The Steelers have “struggled” to a mark of 6-3, in a relative downward spiral from their place atop the NFL. It would be nice to say the Chiefs are also moving in the opposite direction from last year. However, Kansas City mirrors last year’s record with only two wins.

Despite the hoopla surrounding the “Pittsburgh collapse,” and the flurry of commotion regarding the upheaval of the Chiefs organization, this is still a matchup of an elite NFL team versus a basement dweller.

Despite the difference in talent between these two teams, there are still some intriguing matchups that might play a factor if a major upset is in the works.

Brandon Flowers-Hines Ward

Neither of these players is the most physically gifted, meaning, neither of these players would blow someone’s socks off with eye-popping combine numbers.

Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers saw his value drop in the draft due to a poor 40-time and Steelers receiver Hines Ward is never in a conversation of the fastest receivers in the league. However, both are arguably among the premiere players at their respective positions.

Ward established himself long ago as a crafty, savvy veteran who exceeds the expectations of him merely based on a physical examination. The former Super Bowl MVP is the Steelers all time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns.

Flowers is a youngster who is quickly making a name for himself. Flowers has hung with the speedsters like Darrius Heyward-Bey of the Raiders and is an exceptional open-field tackler. He is emerging as a potential lock-down corner that may see several Pro Bowls in his future.

Flowers' seemingly sub-par speed means he exceeds as a student of the game and the almost intellectual matchup with Ward may prove a lesson for Flowers, who hopes to show he is ready to be more teacher than student.

Ben Roethlisberger’s Tendency to Hold on to the Ball too Long-The Struggling Kansas City Pass Rush

Pittsburgh’s quarterback is a big man. Ben Roethlisberger, or Big Ben, stands at 6’5", 241 pounds. He is known for his ability to tear away from many would-be tacklers, which seems to inflate his confidence in holding the ball, to let plays further develop in the secondary.

Kansas City has seen mild improvement in their pass rush, but improvement doesn’t say much, as last year the Chiefs set an NFL record for fewest sacks in a season. Still, with Roethlisberger's tendency to hold on to the ball, Kansas City may have an opportunity to add to their total of 12 sacks on the year.

Matt Cassel-The Steelers Defense Sans Troy Polomalu

Troy Polomalu, a safety out of USC, has made five consecutive Pro Bowls and is considered the best in the league at his position.

A Steelers defense without Polomalu, is like the Colts offense losing Peyton Manning. Polomalu’s presence, or lack thereof, cannot be overemphasized.

In recent weeks, Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel has been given more time to stand in the pocket and make plays. Despite the fact that number one receiver Dwayne Bowe is out of the game because of suspension, Kansas City has accumulated a varied body of pass catching weapons. Without having to face Polomalu, Kansas City’s best chance to hang with the reigning Super Bowl champs may be through the air.

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The Chiefs Blueprint To Beat The Steelers

Steve Swearengin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:45:49 -0500

I know what you're thinking, there's about as much chance for the Chiefs to beat the Steelers on Sunday as there is that Todd Haley and Mark Mangino were in the same Home-Ec class together.

It may not be a big chance or even a realistic chance, but there is a chance....there is always a chance.

Therefore, I am going to make the exact blue-print for what should be the Chiefs' game plan going into Sunday's battle in Arrowhead. If this list, or you can think of it as a schematic is followed exactly I can guarantee a Chiefs win.

If this were Facebook and Todd Haley was my only "friend", my status would read: "The Gauntlet Has Been Thrown".

The following is a simple 'to-do' list for a Chiefs' victory against the Steelers on Sunday:

Stop thinking Lance Long is the next Wes Welker. He's not the next great slot receiver....get over it. To this point what would make anyone think that?
Design more screen plays for Jamaal Charles. He's explosive but not a between-the-tackles kinda guy. Give him the ball in the open field and let his quickness open up the field.
Let Derrick Johnson play the entire game. It sounds like Vrabel might not play, get over the personal issues with DJ and let the man play.
More no-huddle. Our O-Line is too weak to consistently set up plays. Keep their devastating defense on their toes because we seem to only be able to play when we're in a hurry.
Stop playing stupid. Thank God the Raiders are about as disciplined as a T-ball team. The only thing that made the Chiefs look not as dysfunctional as they were last Sunday, were the Raiders and something called Jamarcus Russel. Stop with the penalties, bad hand-offs, fumbles, etc.
More pressure on Roethlisberger. Yes, we are EXTREMELY succeptible to giving up the big play, but 'Big Ben' will pick us apart all day long if we let him. It doesn't always have to be a full-blitz or even blitzes at all, but get consistent five-man pressure on the man.
With that said shutting down Mendenhall wouldn't hurt either. The Bengals beat the Steelers last week in Pittsburgh by keeping Mendenhaal in check with only 36 yards.
Have Brandon Flowers blanket Santanio Holmes. Holmes is their big play guy, and Flowers is the Chiefs only solid member in the secondary.
Cause some turnovers. Probably wouldn't hurt....c'mon secondary let's see it. I know its possible. We can't always rely on Darrius Heyward-Bey handing a safety the ball and the win.
Stop getting down early. Besides the Raiders, have the Chiefs ever been ahead in a game in the first 3 quarters?
Get the ball down the field. Take more chances down the field with Bradley and Chambers. If there was ever a week to do this, this would be it. With Polamalu out, Chambers may have a chance.
Open up more running lanes for Smith and Charles. Easier said than done but it has to happen for a win.
Linebackers have to be heard from. Other than Tamba Hali, where are our other linebackers at? The Chief's are running a 3-4, and out of the four only Hali is making his presence known.
Crowd has to be heard. I know its been ugly. There is the potential for this season to be the worst Chiefs season of all time. I also know first-hand that it is next to impossible to continue to cheer for this team for 60 straight minutes in most games. However, the Arrowhead crowd has to be relevant for the entire game.
Hope for some good luck. Pretty self-explanatory.
And finally - Summon the power of Grayskull. It really couldn't hurt.

That's it! That's all that's needed....if Todd Haley and the Chiefs follow this blue-print exactly you might as well go ahead and put a check mark in the "win" column.

However, if they don't it could be a long Sunday filled with multiple, disturbing, Todd Haley nostril flaring, public chew-out session close-ups.

And nobody wants that.

If you're a Chiefs' fan check out my work at ChiefsHouse.com or if you're interested in starting your own blog check out SportsPageNetwork.com . Thanks for reading!!

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Kansas City Chiefs: Dwayne Bowe, Larry Johnson, and Other Thoughts

Ron Tepper — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:35:35 -0500

KC News: Dwayne Bowe has been suspended by the NFL for four games for substance abuse. Just what this team needs, another setback. To say that Bowe made a mistake is putting it mildly. Why does Bowe, the strongest WR in the NFL, feel he needed anything to add strength and in doing so, feel it would make him a better WR?

Stupidity may be a good word to describe his actions. As a result of his stupidity

Suspension.

So now what? We can only speculate. One would hope that Bowe will remain a Chief for years to come. One also may notice how important he is to this team's future. It will be interesting to see how this plays out with Haley four weeks from now. My suggestion to Bowe-get used to chewing on bones and maybe chase a cat every now and then.

Todd Haley's position? The king of cliche's told the press "I refuse to comment"

In other words, he is leaving the press covering this story to fill in the lines with speculation and speculation in the hands of creative writers might fuel a fire that will be very hard to put out, as research has shown that 90% of the public believes what they read. Its human nature.

There is no love loss between these two. As I had written months ago Bowe has played well over these last few years based on athletic ability alone. He is not a student of the game or a hard practice player. But there are many players who don't knock themselves out at practice and that doesn't make them "bad guys". In addition, Bowe has always produced when it matters most.

Having said that Bowe did fuel Haley's anger when they had to use up a timeout this past weekend because Bowe lined up on the wrong side of the field on one key play in the game. Attention to detail is important to Haley. Bowe should know that by now.

Bowe was in Haley's doghouse throughout the preseason, being demoted to third string on their depth chart, he has missed a few meetings, he was even warned by Haley two days before the trading deadline that he might be dealt. This is hardly a ringing endorsement for a player who has enough talent to build around.

But lets face it, this team needs Dwayne Bowe. The loss of Tony Gonzalez made Bowe their only true passing option. Although Chambers, Wade, and Bradley have looked good lets not forget they were all unemployed before the Chiefs signed them.

The trading of Tony Gonzalez was the first shock. The cutting of three second round draft picks raised more than a few eyebrows (By the way, Tank Tyler is now in the top five in Tackles in the NFL at DT with Carolina). Then there was the release of Larry Johnson, who WAS one of the premiere RB in the game. Now this. My guess is Haley plans to put Bowe back in that doghouse regardless. What that accomplishes I'm not sure. Needless to say this is yet ANOTHER distraction hurting the focus of what Haley is trying to establish. And so it goes........

Larry Johnson is now a Cincinnati Bengal. Doesn't surprise me. They have a head coach who is used to reforming troubled players, they need another back with Cedric Benson suffering an injury, and they are a team that has beaten Pittsburgh twice and is very much in the playoff hunt. What surprises me is what they plan to do with him.

He'll be their No. 4 Running Back and special team player. They even went as far as to suggest him being their Gunner. Are you kidding me? Johnson, a back that even KC had to remove on third downs because of his weak pass blocking working his way up as a special team player? I admire the coach's level of integrity but c'mon. I'm surprised LJ said yes. Somehow i don't believe it.

If Benson goes down he's your starter. If not why even sign him in the first place? Cincinnati has too much at stake here. They are a contender and no matter what Johnson has done there is very few Bengal Fans who would tolerate keeping him on the bench, not if winning games is their objective.

Other thoughts, Jamal Charles has looked like he has a bright future in KC providing he can hold on to the football. There have been plenty of promising RB with fumbling issues that are now out of football. So far, he looks great.Too bad he is an Unrestricted Free Agent after next season. If he is the answer, would they go as far enough to Franchise him at the end of next season? If not he will have a short lived Kansas City career.

You don't have to be a genius to know what the Chiefs have to do to beat the Steelers this week. They need to protect Cassel and they need a pass rush to put pressure on Big Ben. I doubt they will do either and now without Bowe it seems next to impossible. But it isn't. Miracles happen sometimes. Facing a pissed off Steeler team who must win won't be easy, but how Kansas City plays under adversity might tell us a lot about the fortitude of this team.

Finally Kudos to Mike Brown for his two interceptions and his game saving ankle tackle of Michael Bush in leading the Chiefs over their arch rivals. He had a rough season before this game and needed a strong showing to assure the team that this was not a position of need.

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Dwayne Bowe Suspended Four Weeks: Fantasy Football Impact

kevin roberts — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:27:05 -0500

Kansas City Chief's star receiver Dwayne Bowe has been suspended for four games after violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy.

He will be unavailable for use by the Chiefs (and fantasy owners) immediately, and won't be back until Week 15.

While this probably drops quarterback Matt Cassel's fantasy stock a bit, the real question is, how high can Chris Chambers' and Lance Long's stock climb?

Odds are, fairly high .

The Chiefs have found a new starting running back in Jamaal Charles, that is, if Todd Haley actually sticks with him, and while having Bowe around would surely help, both Chambers and Long were showing signs of coming along in the offense and connecting with Cassel.

Chambers scored two touchdowns and had 70 yards in his debut two weeks ago. This past week, he caught three passes for 60 yards for the second game in a row.

His catches will undoubtedly rise, and his potential production should be viewed as an extremely solid WR3, which should quickly rise to a WR2 status if he is successful in Week 11.

Long, on the other hand, is a relative unknown who burst onto the scene with eight catches for 74 yards in Chambers' debut game, and quieted down for just two catches and 18 yards last week, as the Chiefs ran the ball more in Week 10.

Week 11 won't be so friendly to Kansas City's ground attack with a date against the run-stifling Pittsburgh Steelers, so we are almost guaranteed to see plenty of Matt Cassel. Bank on both Chambers and Long to see more looks.

Both players are at the very worst solid additions to your roster if you are hurting at receiver, and even especially more so if you are a Dwayne Bowe owner.

For more NFL and Fantasy news, go to NFLSoup.com

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Dwayne Bowe Show on Hiatus, Kansas City WR Suspended Four Weeks by NFL

James Adkins — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:48:20 -0500

Chiefs head coach Todd Haley can't seem to catch a break, or maybe he can.

After six straight losses and only one win to his credit, the heat was getting turned up on Haley, as fans and the media became increasingly skeptical of Haley's decision-making and play calling.

Then three weeks ago, running back Larry Johnson quickly took the focus off of Haley with his open criticism of the head coach on Twitter. Everyone jumped on the LJ media circus, Johnson was released, and Haley escaped public criticism for a couple more weeks.

Now after some sketchy play calls again in Sunday's narrow win over a bad Raiders team, Haley is facing the difficult task of gameplanning for a very good Steelers team. With another loss likely on the horizon, Haley was bound to have to start answering tough questions about his coaching ability, right?

Maybe not.

Tuesday, the NFL announced that Dwayne Bowe, the team's best young offensive player, has been suspended for four weeks for violating the league's policy against performance enhancing drugs.

Bowe, who leads the Chiefs with 33 catches for 466 yards and 4 touchdowns, took all of training camp to get out of Haley's doghouse, and now it appears he'll be right back in it.

Bowe cannot participate in any team-related activities for the next four weeks, and he will miss four game checks due to the suspension.

For Haley, it provides yet another distraction to take the focus off his coaching deficiencies. Rather than having to answer more questions about things such as his affinity to go for it on fourth down, he now has a less difficult task of answering questions about how he can replace Bowe.

As far as the Chiefs' offense is concerned, losing Bowe takes their best receiver off the field. It means that Lance Long and Bobby Wade will have to fill the void left by Bowe at receiver, a difficult task to say the least.

With opposing defenses now shifting their focus to stop the newly acquired Chris Chambers, the Chiefs will be looking to get more production out of their tight ends and backs. That means running back Jamaal Charles, and tight ends Leonard Pope and Sean Ryan will likely see increased roles in the passing game.

While it may never be known what substance Bowe tested positive for, he has most certainly put himself in a precarious position with the Chiefs and his head coach.

If Bowe can't get himself back in Haley's good graces, he may want to call an interior decorator to make that doghouse feel a little more at-home. It could become his permanent residence for the duration of his stay in Kansas City.

Hopefully for Chiefs' fans, Bowe doesn't use his extra free time the next four weeks to share his opinions about his head coach on any social networking sites.

Instead, Bowe may want to find a new personal trainer or dietitian who knows what NFL players are not allowed to put in their bodies.

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Fantasy Football: End of Dwayne Bowe

Ryan Lester — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:29:16 -0500

OK, it’s not technically the end for Kansas City WR Dwayne Bowe, but he will be out for four weeks after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. This failed test could also ensure that he won’t be back with the Chiefs next year as he already was in Coach Todd Haley’s doghouse earlier this year.

Bowe is set to return in Week 15 against the Browns. While it would be hard to use him in the fantasy playoffs after a month-long hiatus, it is the Browns. He finishes up against Cincinnati. No way I’d gamble on Bowe in the fantasy championship against the Bengals.

If you can afford to sit on him for four weeks I suggest you do so for that Browns game. If you can’t, start shopping the waiver wire. Here are some possible replacements.

Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers
Kevin Walter, Houston Texans
Patrick Crayton, Dallas Cowboys
Laveranues Coles, Cincinnati Bengals
Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis Colts
Donnie Avery, St. Louis Rams
Chris Chambers, Kansas City Chiefs

Originally published at LestersLegends.com .

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Forget About LJ: Jamaal Charles Is the Real Deal in Kansas City

James Adkins — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:53:28 -0500

Dear Chiefs fans, forget Larry Johnson.

Two weeks ago, it became clear that Johnson would never play another game for the Kansas City Chiefs. What wasn't so clear was who would replace him as the starter in the Chiefs' backfield.

Kansas City's stable of running backs is a who's-who of mid-round draft picks that includes former college standouts Jamaal Charles, Kolby Smith, and Dantrell Savage.

Charles entered last week's game in Jacksonville as the starter, but many assumed that Smith would soon replace him, or at least take a majority of his carries away.

But two games into the post-Johnson era it has become abundantly clear who the Chiefs' feature running back is.

That back is Jamaal Charles.

Charles' versatility as a runner and receiver has made him the Chiefs' most dangerous player offensively. In the past two games, Charles has been the team's most productive player:

24 rushes for 139 yards (5.8 yards per rush), and 1 touchdown
7 receptions for 33 yards (4.7 yards per catch)

Compare that to Smith's paltry 2.2 yards per rush on 13 carries, and one catch for 4 yards, and it's obvious who provides the Chiefs' offense with the best chance to win.

On Sunday, Charles was key to Kansas City's win over the Raiders.

He rushed for 103 yards, including his first career touchdown on a 44-yard burst in the second quarter on a 4th-and-1 play.

Charles was also the team's second-leading receiver, catching four balls out of the backfield for 14 yards.

It couldn't be more clear to coach Todd Haley who he should start at running back for the remainder of this season, a seven game stretch that includes four games against three of the league's toughest run defenses in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Denver (twice).

It may be too much to expect Charles to post huge rushing days against those defenses, but his role in the passing game will be vital if the Chiefs' offense is going to be successful.

Throw in back-to-back home games in December against the league's worst rush defenses in Cleveland and Buffalo, and Charles should have plenty of opportunities to show Chiefs fans what he can do.

And while Charles won't be able to lead this team to a spot in the playoffs this season, he can do one more thing that's almost as important: make everyone in Kansas City forget about Larry Johnson .

That is, if he hasn't done that already.

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Kansas City-Oakland: If You Build It, They Will Run

Russell Fike — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:34:53 -0500

An eye-for-an-eye, going blow-for-blow, what goes-around-comes-around.

All are slogans that surmise the season series between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders.

Slain by the big play too many times this season, it appeared the Chiefs would fall victim to the bad habit yet again in week 10.

Oakland went 70 yards on four plays that included a 60-yard run by Michael Bush. This was answered by a 44 yard scamper for a touchdown by Chiefs back Jamaal Charles, for the team’s first rushing touchdown of the year.

These big plays aside, the Chiefs simply outplayed the Raiders and didn’t shoot themselves in the foot, despite three turnovers. The season series is split 1-1, both winning on the opposing team’s turf.

For an analysis, here’s what jumps out:

Jamaal Charles Looks Like an Upgrade from Larry Johnson

Charles played a key role in several Kansas City firsts for the season. He scored the team’s first rushing touchdown, notched the team’s first 100-plus yard rushing performance (the second of his career), all on the way to aiding the team’s first victory within the AFC West.

As was anticipated, the back’s best runs came on extended plays to the outside, where if Charles can find a seam or hit the corner he is a threat to break the play for a touchdown.

However, it was the speed and power with which Charles hit holes between the tackles that was surprising. He showed an ability to fight for the hard yards, running with an authority that doesn’t match the player’s physical build.

Most exciting is the patience Charles shows, reminiscent of Priest Holmes. This is a weapon with a lot of potential who now has a regular opportunity to make plays as he did in week 10.

The Football Gods Aligned the Cosmos

Twice, plays were not overturned in favor of the Chiefs.

The first was a Mark Bradley catch and run on 3rd-and-23 where Bradley dove and extended the ball to earn the first. In a call the commentators disagreed with, the referees upheld the ruling on the field of being just short, forcing a punt.

Late in the fourth, with Oakland driving and looking to tie the game, or win given the extra point, Oakland’s number one pick of 2009, Darrius Heyward-Bey, caught a 22-yard pass tiptoeing to stay inbounds.

Again, the controversial play fell in favor of the Raiders after review. Any Chiefs fan watching the game will adamantly insist the play was out-of-bounds.

Yet if you subscribe to the idea of the football Gods, NFL equilibrium was achieved as Heyward-Bey would juggle the ball as he attempted to receive a pass on the very next play.

Chiefs safety Mike Brown plucked the ball out of the air and wisely stepped out of bounds to seal the victory for the Chiefs.

Matt Cassel Will Not Win Games for the Chiefs

This isn’t to say that with Cassel at quarterback the Chiefs are going to lose. Rather, it has become increasingly clear that Cassel is not quite the savior of the franchise that many fans and commentators had hyped him to be this past offseason.

Cassel is more than a functional quarterback as at times he looks very good. However, he has been given more time to throw these past two weeks and he is far from lighting it up.

He throws his receivers jump balls that come in too low, hits running backs with bullets they can’t hold onto, and his accuracy is just a little off.

However, to learn this may be a relief as he can now be another piece of this team’s puzzle instead of having to be the cog upon which all things rely.

Instead of a criticism, this truth can be seen as a step toward a cohesive team identity that fans hope will be synonymous with winning.

In spite of all of this, it was enormously encouraging to see the Chiefs pass downfield on first down.

Where Cassel does shine is his knack for leadership both in the huddle and on the sideline.

It’s clear that Cassel is physically tough with how many times he’s been hit this season, but enduring the barrage of criticisms and comments from head coach Todd Haley as he goes to the sideline has proven Cassel’s mental toughness as well.

Play of the Game

Down by seven and with a 1st-and-10 at the Kansas City 26, Oakland was looking to potentially tie the game. Bruce Gradkowski had replaced JaMarcus Russell at quarterback for the Raiders and had looked good at the helm of the silver and black’s offense.

After hitting rookie receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey for a 22-yard gain on 3rd-and-1, Gradkowski looked to the receiver again.

Heyward-Bey got open, but couldn’t receive the ball cleanly as he juggled the ball, which floated into the air and was grabbed as gently as a one might catch a falling baby by Chief’s safety Mike Brown to ensure a Kansas City win.

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Chiefs-Raiders: Battle Of The League's Best...Punters

James Adkins — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:20:19 -0500

Sunday's matchup between Kansas City and Oakland won't be one of two teams battling for first place in the AFC West. Neither team has been very good this season, and each have more problems than solutions at the moment.

However, this game on Sunday between the Chiefs and Raiders will pit two of the NFL's best punters against one another.

Raiders punter Shane Lechler leads the NFL in gross punting average at 52.3 yards per punt. In the Raiders trip to Kansas City earlier this season, Lechler had his best game averaging 56.9 yards per punt on seven punts, including a 70-yarder.

Lechler's punting style is one of power. He drives the football deep into the opposition's territory and relies upon his coverage team to shut down any returns.

As a result, 34 or Lechler's 46 punts this season have been returned, for an average of 7.6 yards per return.

The Chiefs Dustin Colquitt averages a respectable 44.8 yards per punt, but is every bit as effective as Lechler.

Rather than driving the ball deep and allowing the punt returner a chance to get a big return against the Chiefs, Colquitt sacrifices a few yards for greater hang-time. Of his 53 punts this season, only 18 have been returned for just 5.9 yards per return.

Colquitt is also second in the league, behind Cleveland's Dave Zastudil, in punts inside the 20. Colquitt has landed 23 punts inside the 20 yard line, compared to just 14 by Lechler.

In a game between two teams that have continued to have difficulties moving the ball offensively, it's fair to say that special teams could play a big part in the outcome.

And unless Lechler or Colquitt makes a mistake, it's not likely you'll see a big punt return as the deciding factor in this game.

And while the punter isn't a glamourous position, viewers of this game will likely be watching a competition between the two most likely candidates to be representing the AFC in the Pro Bowl in February.

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Todd Haley's Choice: Kolby Smith?

Steve Swearengin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:20:15 -0500

If you've listened to any of the Todd Haley press conferences in the past two weeks, you can sense the inner-struggle with the Chiefs head coach to remain positive regarding recent headlines. You can also sense who he wants to be the Chiefs starting running back.

More losses, turmoil surrounding the ex-Chiefs Larry Johnson, and a coach struggling to find any answers on the field are just a few of the topics that Haley has to address in most press conferences.

In recent weeks Haley's emotional spectrum has traveled anywhere from disappointed, to confused, to happy. Haley, who is known for his fiery outbursts on the sidelines, keeps his temper in check when indoors. In fact, he's almost dull when it comes to answering the media's questions. That is except for when asked about Kolby Smith.

It's happened a few times now, a Kansas City media member asks something to the extent of how Jamaal Charles is looking as a primary ball carrier. Haley always answers in his best Ben Stein voice something close to "I think Jamaal is finally starting to get it. He had some struggles in training camp and in the early part of the season, but is starting to come together." This answer is essentially the PC answer for "He's OK".

Then that same media member will ask the coach about Kolby Smith. Immediately you can hear Haley's voice raises a couple of octaves. He becomes almost giddy when talking about Charles. You can just tell Haley prefers Kolby Smith. You can hear it in his voice. He is genuinely excited when talking about Smith. With a man who doesn't even crack a smile over the holidays, his getting excited gets me excited about Smith.

Smith saw his first in-game action last week, in over a year since his patella tendon injury. He totaled only four carries for 17 yards, but then again Chiefs only ran the ball a total of 12 times against Jacksonville.

Smith is undoubtedly not in "game" shape yet, and will most likely take at least a handful of games to get his strength back in his legs. However, Haley likes his progress enough to possibly start this week against Oakland, according to the Kansas City Star :

“He’s worked very hard. He’s practiced now four weeks, so I would say he’s getting better. But I would still say that, given the circumstances, it’s still asking too much to feel like this guy is going to be the best he’s going to be right now.” - Todd Haley

I still think the Chiefs should give Jamaal Charles this week. I don't feel like Charles has been given a true opportunity to see how he would handle being the primary ball-carrier. If he has a breakout game, Smith could be a perfect complement to Charles by filling some of the "between-the-tackles" plays.

Smith is built more like a NFL running back who can carry the majority of the load. Smith and Charles are both 5'11" but Smith outweighs Charles by 20 lbs. In Haley's eyes, Smith's body type and work ethic may have already won over the starting job over Charles. And the only reason that Charles may get the start for a second straight week is because Smith is still not 100 percent.

If Smith comes back and proves that he is in "game" shape this week, look for Haley to give Smith the starting job from this point on.

If you're a Chiefs fan you can find more of my work at ChiefsHouse.com . If you're a blogger or want to start your own blog check out SportsPageNetwork.com . Thanks for reading!!

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