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NFL Draft 2012: Russell Wilson Makes Compelling… |
Read More: Kansas City Chiefs As the NFL Draft approaches, various prospects are going to be taken off of draft boards for various reasons. Players with character concerns or spotty backgrounds might find themselves passed over despite their obvious talents. Other players might come with questions about their work ethic or selfishness, so they will be ignored as well. But others are forgotten because of their measurements, and that’s the case for Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson, who measured in at the Senior Bowl this week at just under 5-11. That’s bad news for Wilson who had a strong senior season after transferring in to the Badgers program from North Carolina State. This year, Wilson went 225 for 209 for an incredible 72.8 completion percentage for 3,175 passing yards. He also threw 33 touchdowns against 4 interceptions. It was quite a year. But NFL quarterbacks also have to have a certain look and Wilson lacks the stature for that. Yet Wilson is also one of those players who will just have to impress one team only to get him the look he desires in the draft. For a team who might take a flier on a quarterback in the draft while likely not one early, Wilson could provide that spark. Mike Mayock raves about him and praises his abilities, saying he reminds him of a young Doug Flutie and it’s possible he’s a mid round choice. Wes Bunting of the National Football Post disagrees and says, “Wilson is a plus athlete who can spin the football and gives you a nice run/pass threat. However he’s undersized, is going to struggle to consistently make plays from the pocket and is still learning how to work his way through defenses. He is worth a pick late, but I don’t see the guy as a potential starter in the NFL. Reserve only.” But divisive quarterbacks are nothing new in the NFL. Ask the numerous NFL personnel who laughed when the Broncos took Tim Tebow in the first round. If the Chiefs are going to roll with Matt Cassel for another year as the starter, they should still reach for at least a developmental quarterback. Wilson could make things interesting. Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news. Posted in chiefs-news | Comments Off
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Kansas City Chiefs turning red zone to dread zone |
The Chiefs know why they’re not going to the playoffs: Once inside the 20-yard line, they struggle to find the end zone. KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Through something less than intense film study, Romeo Crennel found a theme to the Chiefs’ offense when inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. “The fact we haven’t scored,” said Crennel, the Chiefs’ interim head coach. “That’s the common thread.” Wasted chances in the red zone have been a season-long problem for the Chiefs. They have found the end zone just 12 times in their 36 trips, and that .333 percentage is the worst in the NFL. It’s the biggest reason the Chiefs are next to last in the NFL in scoring and why, at 6-9, they’re playing for nothing but pride in Sunday’s season finale against the Broncos in Denver. The problem is even worse in their two games with Kyle Orton at quarterback. The Chiefs have just two TDs in nine trips inside the 20, or 22 percent. They were able to survive with one touchdown in five trips inside the 20 against Green Bay because they got four field goals from Ryan Succop. But their 1-for-4 performance in last weekend’s overtime loss to Oakland was more damaging. One sequence in the second quarter, as it turned out, wound up knocking the Chiefs from playoff contention. From the Oakland 13, Dwayne Bowe dropped a pass in the end zone, and on the next play Orton threw an interception. In the third quarter, Orton had Jackie Battle open in the end zone on a third-down play from the 2. But his pass was knocked down at the line of scrimmage, and the Chiefs had to kick a field goal. “I was somewhat encouraged last week because we had two opportunities to score that we haven’t had in the past,” Crennel said. “We dropped a ball in the end zone and then we had another guy open (on a different play). If we can just get the ball over the outstretched hands of a defender … we didn’t make the plays. “But because we were down there and those plays were open, that was somewhat encouraging. When we get down there again, hopefully we can correct those mistakes and get touchdowns.” A catch by Bowe would have given the Chiefs a 10-3 lead, a huge advantage the way their defense was playing. Instead, the Chiefs never led in the game. “He’s our best receiver,” offensive coordinator Bill Muir said. “You throw that ball to him 10 times, he’ll catch it nine. As you look back over the season, that’s what you’re going to lament is that you had opportunities and you didn’t take advantage of them.” Every offensive player, it seems, has a similar tale to tell. “We’ve been beating ourselves when we get down there,” said tackle Branden Albert. “There was one running play where if I did a better job on my man in a one-on-one block, we would have scored. It’s things like that that are killing us. It’s time we cleaned that up.” That would help the Chiefs beat the Broncos and perhaps keep Denver from winning the AFC West title and making the playoffs. But it would be too late to help the Chiefs save their season. Thanks for reading! . Posted in chiefs-news | Comments Off
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Five Things to Watch for with Chiefs Vs. Broncos:… |
The Kansas City Chiefs close out the 2011 NFL season with a trip to Colorado to take on the Denver Broncos. Here are five things to watch for as the Chiefs battle the Broncos. Kyle Orton Versus Old Team Kyle Orton was let go by the Broncos in late November. The Chiefs picked him up to stand in for injured Matt Cassel. Orton had two decent games against the Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders. If he has the same type of game against his old mates, it will be a long day for Denver. It will help that Orton should have some kind of working knowledge of the Broncos’ defense. Tim Tebow Versus Chiefs’ Defense In the first game between the Chiefs and Broncos back on Nov. 13, quarterback Tim Tebow ran for a touchdown and threw for another. He completed just two passes all game long and had 43 yards rushing. Surely the Chiefs would know how to handle the offense by now. Shut down the running game of Denver and then let the vaunted secondary take over after that and the Chiefs will win. Head Coaches Interim head coach Romeo Crennel is trying to prove he’s head coaching material. John Fox is trying to avoid another late-season disappointment for the Broncos. Despite not making the playoffs just a year after winning the AFC West, the Chiefs can spoil the postseason hopes of Denver. Ryan Succop Placekicker Ryan Succop had a miserable game against the Oakland Raiders Dec. 24. He had two kicks blocked that could have won the game. In the thinner air of Denver, a kicker’s dream exists. Earlier in the season, Sebastian Janikowski of the Raiders tied an NFL record with a 63-yard kick way back on Sept. 12 in Denver. Succop needs to have a good game in the thinner air to regain his confidence. Momentum A win for the Chiefs will give them momentum going into the offseason and a positive vibe with the draft and in the front office. With all of the major players coming back next year from their injuries, a season-ending victory may help nudge the team along as they start workouts for next season. William Browning is a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs after latching on to the team during the lean years of St. Louis football. Born in the gateway city, he is also a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan. He currently resides in Branson, Mo. Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content. There is the quick update of the day. Posted in chiefs-news | Comments Off
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Chiefs may be playing for Crennel in finale |
That doesn’t mean they don’t have something to play for in their finale. The Chiefs might well be playing for the future of interim coach Romeo Crennel, who led them to a victory over the Green Bay Packers a couple weeks ago. The defensive coordinator has provided a calm, cool presence in the locker room after the firing of Todd Haley spun the team into turmoil. Kyle Orton might also be auditioning for a job. The quarterback is a free agent after this season, and general manager Scott Pioli might try to sign him to create competition for Matt Cassel, who went down with a season-ending injury to his throwing hand earlier this season. Crennel, who was 24-40 in four seasons as head coach in Cleveland, has said he wants the Kansas City job on a permanent basis, and Pioli has already indicated he will be formally interviewed for the position after the season ends next Sunday at Denver. If it were up to the guys in the locker room, the formal interview would be a formality. “He’s very motivating. He treats us like men,” star linebacker Tamba Hali said. “He does expect a lot from us, but he knows what it takes to work this business and how the body feels and we’re people, too. We love Romeo. If that’s the question you asked, then we love Romeo.” Crennel isn’t the only one who could earn a job in the finale. Orton has been solid, though somewhat inconsistent, in the two games he has started since being picked up off waivers from Denver. He threw for 299 yards without a turnover in the 19-14 victory over the Packers, and 300 yards and a touchdown against the Raiders, running the two-minute drill flawlessly to set up a potential winning field goal by Ryan Succop on Saturday. The 49-yard attempt at the end of regulation got blocked. Orton also threw two costly interceptions, though, reminding many fans why the Broncos waived him. Orton downplayed next week’s matchup against Tim Tebow and the Broncos. It was Tebow who supplanted him as the starting quarterback earlier this season, which ultimately resulted in Denver coach John Fox’s decision to waive him. Tebow has gone on to become the face of the franchise, helping the Broncos climb into playoff contention. Chiefs up nextAt Denver 3:15 p.m. Sunday There is the quick update of the day. Posted in chiefs-news | Comments Off
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Chiefs’ playoff hopes gone |
[unable to retrieve full-text content]KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Steve Breaston heard at the start of overtime that Denver was going to lose to Buffalo. All the Kansas City Chiefs needed to do was find a way past Oakland to potentially set up an all-or-nothing game against the Broncos next week. Leave any suggestions in the comment box. Posted in chiefs-news | Comments Off
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