FOXSports.com News for Chiefs

Cheat Sheet: Detroit ready to turn corner?

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:06:52 GMT

The Cardinals could use other choices for QB.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Fri, 08 Oct 2010 03:04:20 GMT

How much does a coach mess up chemistry when he gives an injured starter his job back, even after his replacement played so well and the team won? That's the situation Todd Haley will face probably this week or next as first DE Tyson Jackson and then RT Ryan O'Callaghan come off the injured list. Jackson has been there for the past two games because of a sprained left MCL. O'Callaghan has been out for five pre/regular season games with a right groin injury. Both were starters. But the Chiefs are 3-0 without O'Callaghan as Barry Richardson has started and played every down at right tackle, improving from week to week. Journeyman Shaun Smith stepped in when Jackson was injured in the second half of the season opener. Against the run, Smith has done a good job and the Chiefs defense hasn't noticed Jackson's absence. Haley will say only that the player that gives his team the best chance of winning will be on the field. We will soon see what that means. PLAYER NOTES --DE Tyson Jackson is on pace to return to the field on Sunday against the Colts. Jackson has missed the last two games because of a sprained left MCL that he suffered in the second half of the season opener. He returned to full practice work on Thursday and without a setback, he'll likely be active in Indianapolis. --OT Ryan O'Callaghan finally got back on the practice field Thursday, after missing six weeks with a right groin injury. Whether O'Callaghan will be active against Indianapolis is unknown, but it's very doubtful he'll be moving back into his starting spot at right tackle this week. Barry Richardson will start there and try to slow down the Colts pass rushers off the edge of Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. --S Reshard Langford appears to be a scratch for Sunday's game in Indianapolis because of an ankle injury. Langford did not participate in practice during the week. He is the Chiefs leader in special teams tackles with four. --CB Javier Arenas should be on the field and working at nickel back in the Chiefs defense against Indianapolis. Arenas suffered a right ankle/foot injury on Sept. 26 and missed all the practice during the bye week. But he's been a full participant in all practices this week. --TE Tony Moeaki figures to be a big target for Chiefs QB Matt Cassel on Sunday in Indianapolis. With the pass rush pressure coming off the edge, Cassel will be looking to get rid of the ball as quickly as possible. That increases Moeaki's chances of having a big day. GAME PLAN: The Chiefs have one thing that appears to be a key in beating the Colts -- Kansas City can run the football and they can do it with more than one back in Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles. There's no question the Chiefs hope to limit the opportunities for Peyton Manning and the Colts offense by keeping the ball themselves. That strategy only works if K.C. puts the ball into the end zone, rather than taking field goals. The offense scored six times in the first three games; they'll need more points to be the Colts. MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Chiefs LT Branden Albert vs. Colts DE Dwight Freeney. Albert has put together a strong season over three games, as he seems much more comfortable with what's being asked of him from the Haley-Weis offense. But he faces his biggest challenge to date with the game against Freeney. In three starts against the Chiefs, the Colts DE has seven tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. In a game in the '03 playoffs, Freeney disappeared when he went against Willie Roaf. Three years later, facing LT Jordan Black, Freeney had three tackles and two sacks with that forced fumble. Chiefs SS Eric Berry vs. Colts TE Dallas Clark. It's been a bit of a roller coaster for Berry over his first three NFL games. There have been moments of excellence as he's been more than willing to throw his body around against the run. It's been not so good in the coverage, as he's been caught out of position several times. Berry has the athletic ability and quickness to cover Clark; the question will be whether he can handle the situation mentally in dealing with the connection between Manning and Clark. INJURY IMPACT: Coming off their bye week the Chiefs are as healthy as they've been during the 2010 regular season. They will likely be without OT Ryan O'Callaghan who can't seem to get over a right groin injury that he suffered back on Aug. 24. He's missed the last five pre/regular-season games because of the injury and is unlikely to get his starting spot back when he can play because replacement Barry Richardson has played so well. Also very questionable is S Reshard Langford with an ankle injury suffered on Sept. 26. His contributions were coming on coverage in the kicking game. DE Tyson Jackson looks like he has a chance to be back and ready to play against the Colts, although it's doubtful after missing three weeks with a sprained left MCL that he'll contribute more than working on a rotating basis with Shaun Smith.

Restricted free agent - Bobby Wade - Linebacker - Mike Goff - Andy Alleman

NOTES, QUOTES

Fri, 08 Oct 2010 03:04:14 GMT

--The Chiefs and Colts have played three games in the playoffs against each other, with Indianapolis winning all of them, including two at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs finished the 1995 and 2003 seasons with 13-3 records, but dropped their first game in the postseason to the Colts each year, by three and seven points. The last time they met in the playoffs, the Colts grabbed a 23-8 victory in Indianapolis. --Since the Colts moved to Indianapolis, the Chiefs have beaten them just twice. The first time came in 1985 when the Chiefs grabbed a 20-7 victory. That other win was in the 2004 regular season when they won 45-35 on the strength of QB Trent Green's 389 passing yards and three TD throws. Both of those games were played at Arrowhead Stadium. Overall, the Chiefs' record against the Indianapolis Colts is 2-9 and they are 0-4 in Indy. --The most memorable game between the Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts was played in the divisional round of the 2003 AFC playoffs. In an offensive tennis match where neither team's punter kicked even once, the Colts grabbed a 38-31 victory. Peyton Manning threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns, while RB Priest Holmes ran for 176 yards and two touchdowns for the Chiefs. Dante Hall added a 92-yard kickoff return TD for Kansas City. The teams combined for 842 total yards of offense and 51 first downs. --There will be some handshakes and hugs before the Chiefs-Colts game when head coach Todd Haley sees Indy assistant coach Tom Moore. When Haley was a kid back in Pittsburgh and worked the locker room and sidelines for Steelers home games, it was Moore who would pick him up every Sunday morning and drive him to the pre-game meal and then Three Rivers Stadium. "He only lived a couple of streets away from us," Haley said of Moore. "I have some great, great memories of those times and those rides." --The Chiefs are seeking their first victory against the Colts in Indianapolis, the only NFL city where over 50 seasons and three games they have not won. They were 0-4 at the old Hoosier/RCA Dome. This is their first visit to Lucas Oil Stadium. The Chiefs are 0-6 against the New York Giants at the Meadowlands, but have won games in that stadium against the Jets. BY THE NUMBERS: 0 -- that's the number of times the Chiefs have beaten the Colts in Indianapolis since that team left Baltimore before the 1984 season. That's a 0-4 record in Hoosier Land for the Chiefs. QUOTE TO NOTE: "Obviously this will be a real big test for the Kansas City Chiefs. First and foremost, I want to see that we can be competitive. If we can be competitive, then I'll feel pretty good." --Chiefs head coach Todd Haley on his team playing the Colts in Indianapolis.

Restricted free agent - Bobby Wade - Linebacker - Mike Goff - Andy Alleman

INSIDE SLANT

Fri, 08 Oct 2010 03:04:07 GMT

Quarterback Matt Cassel did not hesitate with his answer when asked if he felt that he had to raise his level of play going against a quarterback like Peyton Manning. "Well, it should," Cassel said. "You try to get yourself up for the challenge. There is no doubt about that. You know you are going against one of the best and you have to embrace that challenge because what is what we are all here for -- to play against the best." Cassel faces the chance to play against the best when the Chiefs face the Colts in Indianapolis on Sunday. This will not be Philip Rivers in the rain, or Seneca Wallace in Cleveland or a struggling Alex Smith with the 49ers. This is the man who is in the discussion when it comes to the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. If the Chiefs are able to go 4-0, it will only come with a good performance from Cassel. No one expects Cassel to match Manning's numbers. That's a bit out of reach for the Chiefs offense at this point in its development. The numbers that will be important for Cassel will be improving his completion percentage, successfully throwing the ball on third down and making sure he does not throw an interception. To beat Manning, an opponent can't provide him with more opportunities with the ball. "Everything goes around this quarterback, Peyton Manning," said head coach Todd Haley, in one of the great understatements of the season. Cassel knows how good the Colts quarterback is. He's watched him for years, even pretended he was Manning for three years when he was a backup quarterback with the Patriots and became No. 18 in practice. "I think the main thing I always take away is his consistency week in and week out," Cassel said of Manning. "He is consistent, he knows where he wants to go with the ball, he makes good decisions and he is accurate and he wins. That is all you can ask for from a quarterback. "He is a great player and it is always fun to watch him on film and see him," Cassel said. "I remember being a young quarterback trying to emulate him." --Romeo Crennel has seen plenty of Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts offense. And that experience is going to be very valuable for the 2010 Chiefs defense when they meet No. 18 and his offensive mates on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. "We've got our coaching staff and coordinator who worked against them a lot," said rookie safety Eric Berry. Added linebacker Derrick Johnson: "I think we know that he (Crennel) has spent a lot of time in his career preparing to play the Colts. I'm looking forward to seeing what he has planned for us on defense against Manning ... Peyton keeps a lot of defensive players up at night. He has a tremendous arm, he's a smart guy and he doesn't make many mistakes. When he does make mistakes, we have to capitalize off it." In eight games where Crennel was defensive coordinator of the Patriots and head coach of the Browns, Crennel's defenses forced a lot of mistakes from Manning, with 13 interceptions. That's an INT percentage of 4.6. His career percentage is 2.7. But most of all, Crennel's defenses were on the winning side six of the eight games, losing only during his two games when he was in Cleveland with the Browns. Manning's numbers in those eight games were 171-of-278 for 1,893 yards, nine touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. He was sacked twice. There's no doubt that whether it was the Patriots or the Browns, Manning had trouble against the defensive approach employed by Crennel. Even in those two victories over the Browns, Manning threw three interceptions to no touchdown passes. Over his career, Manning has completed 64.9 percent of his passes. Against Crennel defenses, his number is 61.5 percent. Manning's career TD percentage is 5.6 percent; vs. the Pats and Browns it was 3.2 percent. His interception percentage overall is 2.7 percent, while against Crennel it has been 4.6 percent. Obviously one cannot ignore the influence of Belichick in those six meetings between the Colts and Patriots. The New England head coach is one of the finest defensive minds in the game's history. In all those meetings against Manning that involved Crennel, the Patriots got the job done more with coverage than sending waves of pass rushers. New England employed a 2-4-5 defensive alignment, much like the nickel defense the Chiefs are currently using. They would line up two big bodies on the line and then have Willie McGinest and Mike Vrabel on the ends, sometimes down, sometimes standing. Ultimately, it was the trade of a defensive lineman for a quicker defensive back. The idea over the years has been to make Manning as uncomfortable as possible. Allowing him to stand behind his protection and survey the field and the defense is asking for trouble. Defenses have to keep his feet moving, force him to readjust, destroy his rhythm with the receivers and bounce him out of the pocket a few times. That approach works especially well when combined with a defense that stuffs the run and cornerbacks who can get physical with the wide receivers. Then, the wildcard is tight end Dallas Clark, who has a great ability to find open spots in the coverage and is without a doubt Manning's security blanket. What can really light the fuse on the Colts offense is the no-huddle offense. Playing at home, where the crowd noise won't interfere with Manning and his play calls makes it difficult for the defense. It becomes even more difficult for a defensive unit that hasn't been playing together in the scheme for a number of years. It's going to take a great deal of communication on the Chiefs defense to be able to react to the no huddle. That defensive communication was one of the items that Todd Haley had his team work on during the bye week. "With the teams we are playing in multiple formation sets and different spots at different times and different calls that are being made, you have to be able to communicate and part of this past week was some of that," Haley said. "The point I made to our new coaches last week was communication was what I wanted to focus on defensively. We are trying to create more communicators and clearer communication. It is something we work hard on and we will continue to and it will be a big part of the defense." SERIES HISTORY: 17th regular-season meeting. Colts lead the series, 9-7. The last time the teams met was in 2007 when Indianapolis beat the Chiefs 13-10 at the now gone RCA Dome. The Chiefs last victory over the Colts came on Halloween 2004 with a 45-35 victory at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City has never beaten the Colts in Indianapolis; the Chiefs last victory on the road against the Colts came in 1980 at Baltimore.

Restricted free agent - Bobby Wade - Linebacker - Mike Goff - Andy Alleman

Buzz: Latest from the NFL

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:23:20 GMT

Buzz: Latest news from around the NFL.

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Rotter's rankings: Week 5 Quarterbacks

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:03:36 GMT

Predicting Week 5's top quarterbacks.

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Rotter's rankings: Week 5 Running Backs

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:03:51 GMT

See where the runners place for Week 5.

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Rotter's rankings: Week 5 RB/WR flex

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:04:36 GMT

Check out the RB/WR flex rankings to help with your lineup decisions.

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Rotter's rankings: Week 5 Wide Receivers

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:04:07 GMT

View the formation of Week 5's best wide receivers.

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Behind Enemy Lines: Indianapolis Colts

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 18:57:43 GMT