First Win for Kansas City Chiefs

Todd Haley the coach of the Kansas City Chiefs is now on the win column. He earned victory No. 1 with the help from the last player taken in the draft this year.  Ryan Succop kicked in four field goals in Sunday’s victory 14-6 over the Washington Redskins.  The Redskins season is sinking toward oblivion because they are loosing to winless teams.  In the Chiefs locker room, the quarterback gave the game ball to the rookie head coach, who was still wet from the ice bath he got from the sideline celebration.  

The coach then passed the ball to Mr. Irrelevant, a player who should now change his nickname.  Succop, came from South Carolina, converted from 39, 46, 46 and 24 yards.  While Tamba Hali added a safety, sacking Todd Collins in the end zone in the last minute. The Chiefs (1-5) was able to avoid the first 0-6 start in team history.  They lost 28 of their previous 30 games.

Haley Sees Chiefs’ Brutal Schedule as a Learning Experience

Even in the face of a condition Todd Haley called a “worst-case scenario” on Sunday; the Chiefs’ first-year coach is trying to stay optimistic and poised. The Chiefs are 0-4, and Haley acknowledged this week that there’s no altering that. There is one dynamic thing to do, though: Look toward a potentially more forgiving outlook with, as the coach hopes, a team strengthened by having to play an atrocious schedule to begin the season. Baseball players sway a weighted bat in the on-deck circle, sprinters train with ankle weights before of an important race, and the Chiefs played three heavyweights in the first four weeks. Haley expects the team to have become stronger as an effect.

Haley has tried to make this season seem more convenient for players by breaking it into a series of four-game segments. Like a game, Haley tells his team, the season is composed of four quarters. And in this season’s first quarter, the schedule couldn’t have been much more difficult. Other than a depressing 13-10 home loss to Oakland, the Chiefs have played — and lost to — two teams, Philadelphia and Baltimore, which participated in last year’s conference championship games and another, the New York Giants, which won the Super Bowl two seasons ago.

Derrick Johnson Not Complaining About Not Starting

Derrick Johnson still hasn’t asked why. He said he doesn’t care to distinguish why he was demoted from the Chiefs’ starting linebacking corps six weeks ago and has been a high-dollar, high-expectations bench player in the time since. He said he’ll will keep waiting and practicing the way he knows how. And instead of asking coach Todd Haley on the subject of being benched and what Johnson might do to work his way back into the starting lineup, he said he prefers to explicate himself with his play, limited as it has been.

While Johnson has kept his silence, with injuries overtaking him and the distance growing between his outstanding performances — four tackles, an interception and a sack in the Chiefs’ first and second games — veteran Demorrio Williams has taken and kept Johnson’s starting job. A player with less speed and fewer athletic gifts is taking Johnson’s playing time, and Johnson said Wednesday that he doesn’t let that bother him.

Haley Might Have Help Designing Chiefs’ Offense

Chiefs coach Todd Haley, who has faced scrutiny since firing Chan Gailey as offensive coordinator and appointing himself as the team’s primary play-caller, said Thursday that he’s willing to give someone else a chance at offering suggestions. Haley said he’s open to quarterback Matt Cassel designing some plays, particularly if that means Cassel is paying such close attention during film studies that he has noticed weaknesses in an opponent’s defense. Haley said the suggestion might be something simple, such as a route adjustment, but he said he’s willing to listen. Cassel said he’s willing to try, risky a venture as that might sometimes be.

Cassel said that he’s as ready as anyone to have that breakthrough game and establish himself as a frontline NFL starter.Cassel’s opponent on Sunday, the Cowboys’ Tony Romo, had his breakout games in 2006 and has been a two-time Pro Bowler in the time since. Romo was an undrafted free agent, and Cassel, an ex-seventh-round pick and longtime backup, said he saw similarities in his course compared with the one Romo took.

LJ says it’s time for offense to move forward

Even for a 0-4 team that long ago lost its way; the Chiefs spend an inordinate amount of time going backward. Including penalties, negative runs and sacks, the Chiefs have lost yardage on an astounding 19 percent of their offensive snaps. In that light, Larry Johnson’s feeble per-carry average of 2.6 yards makes sense. So does Johnson’s frustration, which boiled over after last week’s loss to the Giants. Johnson rushed for only 53 yards, which was once far less than a game’s work for him, and was largely an afterthought as the Chiefs tried to score when near the New York goal line. Afterward, Johnson appeared to blame Todd Haley’s play calling for their offensive failures.

Johnson was in a better mood Thursday after practice. He declined to explain his insistence that “ego” was responsible for the Chiefs’ problems but did agree it’s time for them to move forward instead of in reverse.

Winless Chiefs Facing Many Woes

Just as the Kansas City Chiefs were running out of the passageway onto the field this past Sunday, a horse used in pre-game ceremonies did what usually horses do. While many in the crowd cheered, a man in a dazzling red shirt came running out and cleaned up the untidiness. Just a few minutes later, Jamaal Charles fumbled the kickoff and the New York Giants grabbed a hasty 7-0 lead in a game that suggests the guy trailing the horse and Chiefs coach Todd Haley have something in general. Haley is also trying to fix a mess as fast as possible. The Chiefs are 2-29 going back to 2007 and last in the NFL in 3rd-down conversions. The problems here run deep, really really deep.

The defense seems to have been better by a bit from last year’s 2-14 record with the addition of linebacker Mike Vrabel, who came over from New England along with quarterback Matt Cassel. But a destroyer for the offense game after game has been an incapability to convert on third downs. It’s a statistic in which the Chiefs rank dead last among the 32 NFL teams.

Chiefs Commits to its Coaches

The Kansas City Chiefs extended the contract with its offensive coordinator Chan Gailey and hired a new defensive coordinator in the person of Gary Gibbs as the team coaching staff was being completed. Gibbs comes in at the behest of new Chiefs coach Todd Haley and was the former defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints.

Also newly included in the staff is Bill Muir, the offensive coordinator and line coach at Tampa Bay. The new staff includes Joel Collier, Pat Perles, Steve Hoffman, Dedric Ward and Clancy Pendergrast. The staff carried over from former coach Herman Edwards were Bob Bicknell, Joe D’ Alessandris, Brent Salazar, Tim Krumrie and Cedric Smith.

The new coaching staff came as a result of the sacking of Herman Edwards by the team management. During the tenure of Edwards, the Chiefs had their worst record in franchise history at two wins and fourteen losses after season ending injuries to its top two quarterbacks at the start of the season. The Chiefs’ offence was able to move the ball but the defence sputtered. The coaching staff assignments would be announced at a later date.

Rebuilding the Chiefs

For quite sometime, the Kansas Chiefs haven’t been performing well and there are currently on the path to rebuilding their team. One of their first move to turn their organization around is to recruit the Arizona Cardinals’ offensive coordinator, Todd Haley, as their head coach.

While Todd Haley is a great addition to their team, there still is a lot to do to improve the team. It’s just a beggining of a team rehabilitation program.

Another thing that they have to deal with is running back Larry Johnson. They still don’t know what to do with him, and a trade would be difficult. His age, along with what comes with him off the field would make him of less value, and the Chiefs wouldn’t get much in return. A better option for them would probably to release him.

They also need to fill the quarterback position. They have the number 3 pick, so they would be able to get someone like Mark Sanchez. If ever Tom Brady is able to play, then they probably have a chance of getting Matt Cassell.

Why Have You Forsaken me?

It has been a big question so far whether or not Kurt Warner would continue to play football. He’s been aching to retire for quite a while now, and every little thing could push him to do so.

The Cardinals had a great ‘08 season. For the first time in history, they have reached to Superbow but the problem is that it might take a long time for them to return. One of the most important pieces that made them so successful was offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Now, he was hired by the Kansas Chiefs as their new head coach.

As a quarterback, it’s important that you get along with the offensive coordinator you are working with. Especially if you’re a veteran like Warner, it would be difficult to adjust your game according to someone else’s style. Warner says that he wouldn’t want to take a step back and that if ever he retires, the departure of Haley wouldn’t be the main reason, but surely a big factor in his decision.

Hopefully all goes well for the Cardinals because as of now, it seems as though they are slowly losing their personell, in spite of having the most cap room in the NFC.

New Head Chief

Just like with everything, we have to move on and look if there are greener pastures out there.  The Cardinals had an amazing run last season, and it was thanks to their unstoppable offense. This could easily attributed to Warner, Fitzgerald, Boldin, and the others but the one that had orchestrated it all it non other than offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

It was during the NFC championships that we witnessed how fired up Haley can get, when he had a moment with Boldin; but that’s ok and it’s all part of the game. Now that the Superbowl is over, everyone is hiring galore.

For the past 2 seasons, the Kansas Chiefs have only won 6 games and are looking to rebuild their team. One of their moves is to hire Todd Haley as their head coach. This is a great idea, considering what he had shown the NFL during the last few seasons, and he will be enough to turn around the  Chiefs.

So what will become of the Cardinals? It really is difficult to say at this point in time. Hopefully Warner does not retire, and Boldin does not leave the team when his contract expires in two years.

The Emotional Coach

Finally, after decades of being the laughing stock of the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals are finally able to reach the Superbowl. There is no question that they have reached the place that they are in right now because of their overwhelming offense. The most obvious front runners of this offense is Kurt Warner, and Larry Fitzgerald. There are also people in the sidelines that are responsible for their amazing offense.

One of the most emotional coaches out their is the cardinals offensive coodrinator, Todd Haley. Thanks to him, the Cardinals now have a chance of getting a Superbowl Championship. When he called out his team and gathered them around before their game against Carolina, he planned on giving them words of encouragement. This is the usual thing he would do before a game, but this time he just could not talk. Instead, he fell silent and went into tears.

During the second half of their game against the Steelers, his emotions went on running again as cameras caught his heated arguement with Anquan Boldin. Boldin was really upset about being taken out of the game, and they went at it but Haley was able to immediately brush it off and concentrate on the game.