KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Chiefs hired Brian Daboll as the team’s new offensive co-ordinator Monday, bringing in a familiar face for new head coach Romeo Crennel.

Daboll spent last season in the same job for the Miami Dolphins, and the previous two years serving as Cleveland’s offensive co-ordinator. He worked with Crennel when both were with the Patriots.

“Brian is a fine football coach and offensive mind,” Crennel said. “I worked with him when he was a young coach in New England and I am proud of the way his career has developed. We had a very thorough process for this position and it was clear to me that Brian was the right choice. He was coveted by multiple teams and I am glad he will be joining our staff.”

Daboll replaces Bill Muir, who announced his retirement last week. Others known to have interviewed for the job were quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn and former Raiders offensive co-ordinator Al Saunders.

Daboll also has connections to Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli after spending time in New England, where Daboll coached wide receivers and Crennel was defensive co-ordinator. Daboll later spent two seasons as the New York Jets’ quarterbacks coach before taking over as offensive co-ordinator in Cleveland. The Browns were last in the NFL in total offence during his first season and 29th in Year 2, after which he departed for Miami.

The Dolphins were 22nd in total offence this past season, though there was marked improvement over the second half of the season. Miami also piled up 31 points in a victory over the Chiefs.

A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Daboll was a safety at Rochester before he got into coaching.

“This is a great opportunity,” Daboll said. “After meeting with Romeo, it was clear to me Kansas City was a good fit. I have a lot of respect for Romeo and a strong appreciation for the Kansas City Chiefs franchise. Romeo and I have similar ideas on the direction of the program and we have a good core group of players to get started with. I’m ready to get in as soon as possible and start working to be a part of something special.”

Daboll would be taking over a potentially potent offence in Kansas City.

All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles is expected to participate in off-season workouts after missing all but the first two weeks of the season with a knee injury. Tight end Tony Moeaki will also be back after sustaining a similar knee injury during a pre-season game, and quarterback Matt Cassel will return after hurting his hand during Week 10.

There are still questions surrounding the offence. Top wide receiver Dwayne Bowe is a free agent, though the Chiefs are considering whether to use the franchise tag on him.

Pioli also has promised that there will be competition for Cassel at quarterback. Kyle Orton became a free agent after finishing out the season for Kansas City, which means fifth-round draft pick Ricky Stanzi is the only other quarterback currently under contract.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Chiefs are in discussions with Brian Daboll to become their new offensive co-ordinator.

Team spokesman Ted Crews told The Associated Press on Saturday that Daboll has not been hired, but the two sides remain in discussions. The former Dolphins offensive co-ordinator could be introduced as soon as Monday, when Chiefs executives return from the Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

Daboll would take over for Bill Muir, who announced his retirement Wednesday.

Kansas City coach Romeo Crennel had already interviewed candidates for offensive co-ordinator before Muir’s retirement. Others known to have interviewed were quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn and former Raiders offensive co-ordinator Al Saunders.

Daboll has connections to Crennel and Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli after spending time in New England, where Daboll coached wide receivers and Crennel was defensive co-ordinator.

Daboll later spent two seasons as the New York Jets’ quarterbacks coach before taking over as offensive co-ordinator in Cleveland. The Browns were last in the NFL in total offence during his first season and 29th in Year 2, after which he departed for Miami.

The Dolphins were 22nd in total offence this season, though there was marked improvement over the second half of the season. Miami also piled up 31 points in a victory over the Chiefs.

Daboll would be taking over a potentially potent offence in Kansas City.

All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles is expected to participate in off-season workouts after missing all but the first two weeks of the season with a knee injury. Tight end Tony Moeaki will also be back after sustaining a similar knee injury during a pre-season game.

Quarterback Matt Cassel will also be back after hurting his hand during Week 10.

The Chiefs still managed to play themselves into a position to defend their AFC West title despite struggling on offence. But their playoff hopes were dashed when they managed only 13 points in an overtime loss to Oakland in the penultimate game of the season.

There are still questions surrounding the offence. Top wide receiver Dwayne Bowe is a free agent, though the Chiefs are considering whether to use the franchise tag on him.

Pioli also has promised that there will be competition for Cassel at quarterback. Kyle Orton became a free agent after finishing out the season for Kansas City, which means fifth-round draft pick Ricky Stanzi is the only other quarterback currently under contract.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Longtime NFL assistant coach Bill Muir followed through on his plans to retire, informing the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday that he wouldn’t return for a 35th season in the league.

Muir joined the Chiefs in 2009 as offensive line coach under Todd Haley, and was elevated to offensive co-ordinator last season. But the Chiefs struggled with injuries and inconsistency, which resulted in the firing of Haley and the hiring of Romeo Crennel as head coach.

The 69-year-old Muir is considered one of the best offensive line coaches in football, though he wasn’t expected to remain as the Chiefs’ offensive co-ordinator if he stayed on the staff.

“It has been an honour to be a part of this great league for so long,” Muir said in a statement issued by the Chiefs. “Over the years I’ve made a lot of great friends and worked with many talented players and coaches. This was a personal decision for me, the timing was right.”

Muir played tackle for Susquehanna University, a small liberal arts college in central Pennsylvania, and got his start in coaching there in 1965.

He bounced through stops at Delaware Valley, Rhode Island, Idaho State and SMU before getting his break in professional football with Orlando of the short-lived Continental League.

His first job in the NFL was as a scout for Tampa Bay from 1978-81, and he returned to the Buccaneers more than two decades later, helping the franchise win its only Super Bowl.

In between, he spent time working with the offensive lines in Detroit and New England, and as defensive co-ordinator and offensive line coach in Indianapolis. Muir also spent seven seasons with the New York Jets as offensive line coach before returning to the Buccaneers.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Bill,” Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli said. “I have worked with him for a long time and have witnessed him develop a number of very good football players. His contributions are very much appreciated and he will be missed.”

Not by every fan in Kansas City, though.

Muir bore the brunt of criticism for the Chiefs’ poor performance on offence last season, even though there were always questions about whether he was truly in charge. Haley’s background on offence and tendency to micromanage led many to believe he was calling the shots.

It didn’t help that Kansas City lost tight end Tony Moeaki and All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles to season-ending knee injuries in a span of three weeks at the start of the season.

Quarterback Matt Cassel joined them on IR with a hand injury sustained in Week 10.

The Chiefs still managed to play themselves into a position to defend their AFC West title despite struggling on offence. But their playoff hopes were dashed when they managed only 13 points in an overtime loss to Oakland in the penultimate game of the season.

Kansas City failed to score at least 20 points in its final nine games.

Crennel has been tight-lipped about Muir’s potential replacement, though quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn and assistant head coach Maurice Carthon are considered internal candidates.

Crennel has indicated that it could be after the Super Bowl before he makes a decision.

“I’m excited for Bill as he moves into retirement,” Crennel said. “I’ve known him for a long time and he is one of the finest coaches I’ve ever been around, and an even better person. Bill is a very good friend and I have a great deal of respect for the way he worked.

“It was a privilege to work alongside him.”

Read More: Jamaal Charles (RB – KAN), Kansas City Chiefs

The latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft from Draftek has the Kansas City Chiefs finding an incredible gem in the third round in Miami running back Lamar Miller. While it’s not surprising to see a running back tumble in the draft, it’s nice to see one of the draft’s most heralded running backs available fall to the Chiefs in the third round — much like Jamaal Charles did a few years ago.

It’s also fortuitous because the Chiefs would likely make the move with Charles coming off of Injured Reserve from a torn ACL. Miller would not only provide the necessary complement but insurance as well for the Chiefs running game in 2012. Charles will take some time to get back into exemplary game form even if he’s 100 percent healthy. Thus, Miller becomes an immediate help to the Chiefs’ offense.

Miller had 227 carries for 1,272 yards and 9 touchdowns this season for the Miami Hurricanes.

Read More: Kansas City Chiefs

It’s hard to say that there’s ever a ‘good’ situation for a first-year head coach in the NFL. Obviously there are varying degrees of how bad things are for each particular situation, but it’s never great. Romeo Crennel may already have head coaching experience from his time coaching the Cleveland Browns, but his particular situation right now with the Kansas City Chiefs isn’t on the tougher end of the spectrum. He’s inheriting a roster that has enough talent to compete, which they showed last year when they won the AFC West division with a 10-6 record.

Even this year with all of the injuries the Chiefs were still just one blocked field goal away from defending their AFC West title and heading back to the playoffs again. They finished the season with a 7-9 record and did that without their star running back, Jamaal Charles, and Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry, who were put on injured reserve just two games into the season. Throw in an injured Tony Moeaki and Matt Cassel and you have the recipe for a tough season, but also for a bounce back season in 2012.

A healthy Chiefs team in 2012 is going to be right there in the discussion as being one of the favorites to win the AFC West. All of this had to be a part of the discussion when Scott Pioli and company decided to bring back Romeo Crennel as head coach heading into next season. The cupboard wasn’t bare in Kansas City and the roster isn’t in need of major changes.

Therefore one thing that became vital for the success of the Chiefs in 2012 and that was continuity. The players and assistant coaches already know Romeo Crennel, or RAC, as they call him. They know his personality, his temperament, his expectations, and he’s knows them. This is often overlooked or as seen as something that isn’t that important but it is very important. These players might not know Crennel as head coach yet, but they do know some about him and they do respect him.

Crennel was the right choice for the Chiefs heading into the 2012 season. While it may prove to not be a long-term thinking type of hire, it has already proven to be the right decision at the time.

If you’re like most, there is honest intention toward your New Year’s resolutions. I have two for the Kansas City Chiefs, but unlike me, I think they can keep them.

Win at home and win in the division.

In the past 13 seasons, Kansas City has had four playoff appearances. Better than none, but nothing past the first round. We’re long removed from Marty Schottenheimer and his six playoff appearances in 10 seasons. The 1993 season was the closest I’ve seen the Chiefs get to a Super Bowl.

But, I have hope.

WIN AT HOME: In 2010, Kansas City went 7-1 at home. That’s what claimed the division and put the Chiefs back in the playoffs. The Chiefs went 3-5 at home this season, but despite the injuries and a head coaching change, the Chiefs nearly repeated as AFC West champions. Good on the Chiefs, but not the norm.

The NFL standings say different, because dominant teams usually finish 6-2 or better at home.

In the ’90s, Schottenheimer emphasized winning at Arrowhead and inside the division.
Schottenheimer never had a losing record at Arrowhead. He was 62-18 in games played in Kansas City. Your house is important, especially against division foes, but Kansas City has had losing records at Arrowhead in six of the 13 seasons since Schottenheimer.

Since 1989 when Kansas City has had six wins or more at Arrowhead, they’ve made the playoffs 11 times. But seven came with Schottenheimer. Dick Vermeil went 7-1 at Arrowhead in 2005 and finished 10-6 but missed the playoffs.

Folks talk about the mystique of Arrowhead fading. I agree that since 2003 it’s waned greatly, but the Chiefs have quality players and coaches. Like Tamba Hali mentioned after the season-ending win over the Denver Broncos, they need help. But with a few additions, plus what Kansas City already has, I can see the Chiefs reviving Arrowhead.

WIN IN THE DIVISION: Kansas City dominated the AFC West in the ’90s by going 5-3 or better six times against the West.

In three seasons Todd Haley was 6-11 against the AFC West. Prior to Haley, Herm Edwards was 8-10 (2006-2008). Kansas City finished 3-3 against the West in 2011, but from 2007-10 Kansas City was 8-16 against the division.

The division is open, it’s available and it’s something the Chiefs can claim in 2012. Kansas City has the talent and I expect a lift to the offense once Jamaal Charles and Tony Moeaki return. With Eric Berry also returning, the defense will be better, which is exciting.

Putting the meat hooks back into the division is doable for the Chiefs.

THE FORMULA DOESN’T CHANGE: It’s proven and fans saw the results during the ’90s. Dating back to 1989, when the Chiefs finish 7-1 or better at Arrowhead their overall record is 70-32.
So there are two of my Kansas City Chiefs 2012 resolutions.

For me, it’s not so much about beating the New Orleans Saints or Baltimore Ravens next season as it is about Arrowhead and the division. The aim is the Super Bowl, but the Chiefs are stalled in the pit looking for the racetrack.

Implement a couple Schottenheimer ideals – win at Arrowhead and against division teams – and I’m confident Kansas City can take the lead.

Good day, Chiefs fans!

The Kansas City Chiefs’ first three trips inside Green Bay’s 20 two weeks ago netted them a pair of field goals. So did their first three trips against Oakland last Sunday.
     Suffice to say, Kansas City’s red-zone offense has interim coach Romeo Crennel seeing red.
     There is little rhyme or reason to the Chiefs’ ability to move the ball downfield, then have everything come undone when they’re on the doorstep of scoring touchdowns. But their inability to come away with seven points instead of just three might be the biggest reason they’re playing for pride, rather than the AFC West title, when they visit Denver on Sunday.
     “It’s never one guy in this business. It’s always part of a team effort,” Crennel said. “We’ve been able to get down to the red zone, we just haven’t been able to produce.”
     It proved especially costly in an overtime loss to the Raiders.
     Kansas City marched to the Oakland 12 late in the first quarter before a short pass completion and a pair of runs by Jackie Battle and Thomas Jones gained just 7 yards. Ryan Succop came on for what amounted to an extra-point try, though the Chiefs would have preferred that to be the case.
     At least they got three points out of that trip.
     Their next one was even uglier.
     Kansas City had second-and-1 at the 8 when Jones was called for a false start. Now with a more substantial distance for a first down, Kyle Orton was forced to throw. His first pass was dropped by Dwayne Bowe in the end zone, and the next was intercepted by Matt Giordano, the second time in two weeks the Chiefs’ didn’t score any points on a drive inside the red zone.
     Late in the third quarter, the Chiefs faced first-and-goal at the 6 and managed another field goal, leaving them in a 10-6 hole rather than a tie game.
     “If we were able to get that touchdown, just a score sometimes changes the mentality on your team for that particular game. Instead of guys saying, ‘Here we go again,’ guys say, ‘OK, we made it happen,’” Crennel said. “Getting down there is encouraging, so now what we have to do is refine some things so we can get points on the board rather than coming away with nothing.”
     It’s unlikely the Chiefs will solve their red-zone woes before facing Denver on Sunday. After all, it’s hard to figure out exactly who or what is to blame.
     Besides, the problems have existed all season.
     Kansas City has scored a touchdown on red-zone trips just 33 percent of the time; the league-leading Jets have doubled that rate. By comparison, the Chiefs scored touchdowns on 59.62 percent of their trips last year, when they went 10-6 and won the division.
     Inexplicably, the Chiefs are even worse at home, where they don’t have to deal with hostile crowd noise. They’ve scored TDs on only 23.81 percent of their red-zone trips at Arrowhead Stadium.
     Going deeper inside the numbers, Kansas City ranks 25th in the league in red-zone attempts at 2.4 per game. That’s roughly half the number of trips of the league-leading Saints.
     No wonder the Chiefs’ are 31st in the league in scoring.
     “We’ve done a lot of good things,” Orton said, “but we have a lot to improve on.”
     It’s easy to blame the play-calling of new offensive coordinator Bill Muir, or the direction of former head coach Todd Haley, who was fired a few weeks ago. It’s also easy to blame general manager Scott Pioli for not building enough depth to deal with season-ending injuries to Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Cassel, All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles and starting tight end Tony Moeaki.
     But there’s still enough blame left over for the guys actually on the field.
     The Chiefs’ running game, which led the league last season, has produced only four TDs rushing all year, and one of them was by defensive back Javier Arenas out of the wildcat formation. There are 37 players in the NFL with at least four touchdowns rushing, four of them quarterbacks.
     Kansas City’s ground game averages 4.02 yards per carry outside the red zone, but that mark dips to 3.0 yards once the Chiefs cross the opponents’ 20. Jones is averaging just 2.3 yards on a team-high 19 carries inside the red zone, well below his career mark of 4.0.
     The struggles aren’t limited to the running game.
     Orton is completing 47.2 percent of his passes inside the red zone. Bowe has only seven catches for 49 yards and three scores after piling up an NFL-best 15 touchdown catches last season, and free-agent acquisition Steve Breaston has four catches for 30 yards in prime scoring territory.
     “Guys have to look in the mirror and know they’re giving their best effort,” Crennel said. “Like I said, it’s never one guy. It’s not always players. Coaches have to do some things better, put guys in better position, better technique. All those things come into play.”

Read More: Jon McGraw (S – KAN), Casey Wiegmann (C – KAN), Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs have the slimmest of playoff hopes entering Week 16. They need to topple the Oakland Raiders and have the Denver Broncos lose to stay alive in the AFC West, and don’t control their own destiny. Fortunately, though, their injury situation is at least relatively quiet.

The Chiefs have just two players listed on the Week 16 injury report: safety Jon McGraw, who is out, and center Casey Wiegmann, probable with a calf injury. Every other player on Kansas City’s active roster is at least healthy enough to escape being listed before Saturday’s game.

Of course, season-ending injuries to players like Jamaal Charles, Eric Berry, and Matt Cassel aren’t reflected in the injury report, as all three players have been placed on injured reserve.

Here’s the rest of the Chiefs injury report for Week 16:

OUT: S Jon McGraw (ankle).

DOUBTFUL: none.

QUESTIONABLE: none.

PROBABLE: C Casey Wiegmann (calf).

For more on the Chiefs, head to Arrowhead Pride; for more on the Raiders, visit Silver and Black Pride.

He had just fired coach Todd Haley after a miserable 5-8 start, leaving the Chiefs’ general manager to explain the organization’s failures.

Pioli pointed his finger right at himself.

“We have a locker room that has talent. We also have a good makeup of character in that locker room,” Pioli said, “but it’s abundantly clear that we’re not in a spot we need to be with our record where it is and our team in a position it is. I need to do a better job.”

Kansas City has lost five of its last six games to fall from a tie for first in the AFC West to the brink of another losing season. After winning the division title last year, devastating injuries and discouraging losses have quickly turned the environment surrounding the team toxic.

The Chiefs’ 37-10 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday culminated in the decision to fire Haley, once a rising star in the NFL, and the appointment of defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel as interim coach for the final three games of the regular season. The Chiefs host the unbeaten Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

There was no shortage of blame to heap on Haley, from an unorthodox approach to training camp that left the team woefully unprepared to the decision to stick with journeyman Tyler Palko as his quarterback once Matt Cassel went down with a season-ending injury. But there has been just as much reason to blame Pioli for the shortcomings, something he was quick to acknowledge.

“I do believe in the players we have here,” Pioli said. “We need to continue to improve this roster and improve the depth of this football team.”

Palko has led the offense to two touchdowns in four games. Jackie Battle and Thomas Jones have been unable to fill in for Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles, who was lost for the season with a torn ACL. The tight end position has been virtually non-existent since Tony Moeaki sustained the same injury, and Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry’s torn ACL has left an enormous void in the secondary.

Original Print Headline: Chiefs GM vows to ‘do a better job’

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Vs. Green Bay • Noon Sunday

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The Kansas City Chiefs website unobtrusively announced Dec. 12 that head coach Todd Haley was “relieved of duties.” General manager Scott Pioli cited a “lack of meaningful progress” when dismissing the third-year coach. Then a press conference was held later in the day.

A lack of consistency in the season was also a factor in the firing. Injuries are a huge reason why the Chiefs haven’t played well. However, it was how Haley handled the preseason and lack of training camp that also may have been a reason for his firing.

Haley’s “plan” was to work on strength and conditioning during drills and preseason practice. Instead of having normal football practices like other teams, Haley went easier on his players. It showed up on the field later in the season.

Kansas City is 5-8 on the year despite the major injuries to key players like Eric Berry, Jamaal Charles and Matt Cassel later in the season. Haley may or may not have deserved to be fired mid-season. Clearly there is plenty of frustration to go around in 2011. When it comes to the general manager’s job or the head coach, the GM is the boss. He’s going to save his butt first.

If the next head coach doesn’t pan out, then Pioli’s own job may be on the line. Yet his firing may have more to do with a personality conflict than anything else. Take the counter example of the Indianapolis Colts. They haven’t won a game yet this year and head coach Jim Caldwell is the still head coach. ESPN reported Nov. 29 that Caldwell fired his defensive coordinator just days before facing the New England Patriots.

USA Today reports defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel will take over the team for the next three weeks.

Haley’s dismissal came at a perfect time, if there is such a thing for an NFL head coach’s mid-season dismissal. The Chiefs are all but out of the playoff hunt. They are about to play the undefeated Green Bay Packers on Dec. 18. If Crennel can pull off a miracle and win three games, there just might be a case for him to be hired as the head coach.

I feel bad for Haley in a way. He had some brilliant move and yet was never truly a good enough head coach. More often than not, his plan would backfire whether he had a game plan with too many passing plays or tried inexplicable trick plays to get ahead.

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.

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The Kansas City Chiefs have had a disappointing year in 2011. Most of the reason was due to a slew of injuries to key players starting with Tony Moeaki, Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry. Later in the season it was Matt Cassel who went down with a season-ending hand injury.

It could always be worse. Here are five reasons why.

Not the Indianapolis Colts

The Chiefs are 5-8 after 13 games. The Indianapolis Colts, without their star quarterback Peyton Manning all season long, are winless at 0-13. Even though the Colts will likely get the top pick in the NFL Draft next year, at least the Chiefs haven’t sunk to their level.

Nine Teams Lower

Nine out of 32 NFL teams have a worse record than Kansas City. The Chiefs are at the bottom of the heap in the AFC West, but at least they have more victories than nine other franchises. If you count other teams with a 5-8 record, Kansas City is even or better than 11 teams, a full third of the league. Believe it or not, Kansas City is a middle of the pack team overall.

Steady Improvement

The Chiefs were steadily improving at one point in the season. Even without Cassel, former backup Tyler Palko has also gotten better with each game this year. The difficulty is that football is a team sport. Granted the quarterback is an important position, but clearly that player isn’t everything to the Chiefs organization.

Young Guys

Many of the players on the team are younger and will only get better in the next few seasons. The Chiefs will be a very skilled team by 2013 and 2014 when last year’s draft picks mature into better players. Unlike other franchises that never seem to get better even with draft picks, the Chiefs have a load of quality, young players around which to build a future.

St. Louis Rams

Perhaps the St. Louis Rams have deflected some of the problems with Kansas City this year. The other Missouri team is 2-11 and scores even fewer points than the Chiefs. Two bad teams in one state doesn’t bode well for NFL fans in Missouri, but at least the Chiefs have bragging rights at this point.

At least the team won’t finish 2-14 like it did in 2008. The low of the low that season was giving up 54 points to the Buffalo Bills.

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.

Read More: josh mcdaniels, todd haley, Kansas City Chiefs

Is former Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels in play for the Kansas City Chiefs should head coach Todd Haley be dismissed at the end of the season? That is the speculation right now, according to Dan Pompei of the National Football Post. The rumors crop up about this because the team’s general manager is Scott Pioli, formerly of the New England Patriots, also the home of McDaniels before he was the coach of the Broncos. Right now, McDaniels is the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams, a team without much of an offense.

The Chiefs have gone through three phases so far this season. First, there was the three-game losing streak that put Todd Haley on the hot seat. A four-game winning streak made that disappear, but since the start of November, the Chiefs have been in phase three: a 1-4 stretch that includes a four-game losing streak.

The losses of Eric Berry and Jamaal Charles at the beginning of the season, the hand injury that ended Matt Cassel’s season and the reliance on Tyler Palko as the starting quarterback have all contributed to this. While the team did beat the Chicago Bears last week, 10-3, they faced a Jay Cutler- and Matt Forte-less Bears squad.

For more on the Chiefs, check out Arrowhead Pride. Visit SB Nation NFL to stay up to date on what’s happening around the league.

By Matt Conner

– Editor

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Nov 7, 2011 – For some, maybe even for most, there’s no real reason to panic. The Kansas City Chiefs are still tied atop the division in the AFC West. They still control their own destiny. They are 4-4 in a season in which they lost arguably their greatest impact defender (Eric Berry) and offensive MVP (Jamaal Charles) within the first two weeks of the season. They also overcame a historically poor start to reclaim the division lead and the defense has looked unbeatable at times.

But there’s a flip side to that coin, and it’s one that should be concerning, quite frankly. The Chiefs are 4-4, sure, but one look at each game on the schedule thus far (as well as the incredibly difficult stretch ahead) and a different picture comes into view. Let’s take a closer look by examining each of the Chiefs’ wins and the case against it, so to speak.

Minnesota Vikings – Week 4 (Chiefs win 22-17 @ Arrowhead)
This was the game that the Chiefs defense really came alive. They held Adrian Peterson to 3.5 yards/carry and kept the Chiefs in the lead despite numerous offensive failures that led to five field goals for Ryan Succop rather than end zone trips. Let’s not forget the Vikings were winless coming in and remain 2-6 with wins over the Cardinals and Panthers. One team simply had to come out with a victory here and the Chiefs earned it in this match-up.

Indianapolis Colts – Week 5 (Chiefs win 28-24 @ Lucas Oil)
Two weeks, two winless teams. The Chiefs schedule could not have gotten any easier than the Vikes and Colts and they took advantage to win two in a row. The Colts were actually up for most of the game until the Colts defense tired quickly and Matt Cassel rallied the offense for 17 unanswered points to win on the road. It was a major boost for a team with .500 in sight, but again, the Colts are now the worst team in the league at 0-8 and they look worse each time out.

Oakland Raiders – Week 7 (Chiefs win 28-0 @ Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum)
This is the most impressive win on the Chiefs resume so far. Shutting out the Raiders on their home turf is a big win for any team, and the Chiefs defense looked incredible. But a closer look at the situation reveals the Raiders had no quarterback to speak of (Carson Palmer had three days of practice with the new team and Kyle Boller as the Oakland options) and Darren McFadden was injured. Meanwhile, the Chiefs offense looked absolutely pathetic as well. Matt Cassel had a 38.3 rating (throwing 15 of 30 for 0 touchdowns, 2 interceptions) and the Chiefs rushed for 3.6 yards/carry as a team. One wildcat trick play with Javier Arenas and two pick sixes account for the real offense here.

San Diego Chargers – Week 8 (Chiefs win 23-30 in overtime @ Arrowhead)
This one needs no explanation since it’s still so fresh. But for the sake of argument, the Chiefs were just plain lucky — as in miraculously, ridiculously, unbelievably lucky. The game was finished. Philip Rivers just had to ice the game in the final seconds and the Chargers would own the AFC West. Instead, The Phumble took place and everything went haywire. Kudos to the Chiefs on offense and defense in overtime (where they looked amazing), but this one is an anomaly for sure.

That’s four wins and every single one of them came against either a winless team or in a questionable situation. The NFL is full of these sorts of things every week and very few teams can come out of a game with no excuse whatsoever given that every team deals with injuries and that any team can win from week to week. But it’s interesting to note that the Chiefs get blown out by the good teams they’ve faced, find ways to lose games they should win (Week 3 against the Chargers) and then don’t even show up against one of the NFL’s two winless teams just yesterday.

What will be most telling for the Chiefs isn’t the scrappy wins against other teams with holes the size of Arrowhead. It’s clear at this point that the AFC West is a giant crap shoot where no one knows what’s up or down. Instead, we will see the character, the talent, the coaching ability of the Chiefs when they face the brutal schedule coming up that includes the Jets, Packers, Patriots, Bears and Steelers.

If the Chiefs can even play those games close and/or come away with a win or two, that will go a long way toward validating this season and the grit the team showed despite the early devastating injuries. If not, the Chiefs will be labeled pretenders in the few games that they did win and will be looking at a long off-season wondering what went wrong.

Read More: Jamaal Charles (RB – KAN), Eric Berry (DB – KAN), Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—The Kansas City Chiefs will never be confused with
the “Greatest Show on Turf,” not so long as Todd Haley is calling the shots.

The former wide receivers coach actually prefers a ground-based offense, as
evidenced by the way Kansas City led the league in rushing last season. But when
All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles(notes) went down with a season-ending injury, it
forced Haley to change his mentality ever so subtly.

With the emergence of rookie wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin(notes) over the past
two weeks, those subtle changes have become much more pronounced.

Baldwin hauled in a 39-yard touchdown catch in a 23-20 overtime win over San
Diego, and finished with five catches for 82 yards. It was only his second game
of 2011 after an altercation with a teammate during training camp resulted in a
thumb injury that had kept him out most of the season—but it was the first
sign that he may be exactly what Kansas City had hoped.

“I’m excited about Baldwin’s development,” Haley said this week. “I said
that even before he’d been out and had a chance to play, but again, a unique set
of circumstances and a position, for rookies, not always a slam dunk to come in
and be an easy go of it. A big stage Monday night—though he’s not perfect, he
has a lot of work to do—he showed some gumption in making some big plays.”

The Chiefs drafted Baldwin with the 26th overall selection in part because
they wanted a big target to complement Dwayne Bowe(notes), one of the breakout stars of
the league last season.

They added former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Steve Breaston(notes) through
free agency, giving quarterback Matt Cassel(notes) a reliable threat down the middle of
the field. But when Charles went down with a season-ending injury, along with
pass-catching tight end Tony Moeaki(notes), the offense struggled to pick up first
downs—not to mention touchdowns—and the result was three straight losses.

Kansas City finally got on track against bottom-dwellers Minnesota and
Indianapolis, but Baldwin’s return coincided with the Chiefs going on the road
and beating Oakland a couple weeks ago.

He’s also a big reason the Chiefs knocked off San Diego on Monday night,
when Haley opened up the playbook and began taking some shots down field,
stretching the defense more than he has all season.

“The thing that you notice about Jonathan Baldwin is he’s so big. He’s a
big target and he’s a guy that can throw it up and go up and get it in different
areas,” Cassel said. “At the same time, he’s a guy that’s still learning this
offense and he’s still getting acclimated. This was only his second NFL game and
his first game was probably a little bit of shellshock.”

There are certainly moments when Baldwin looks like a rookie.

During the Chargers game, a pass from Cassel slipped right through his
fingers and into the hands of Eric Weddle(notes), one of his two interceptions. Baldwin
promptly told Cassel that he owed him one—a sure sign of maturity, Cassel
said.

“The main thing was just us getting the W. That was the main thing. We
played hard and to come up with the W, that was real big,” Baldwin said.
“That’s what everyone was focused on.”

It would have been easy for Baldwin to get left behind while his thumb was
in a cast. The former Pitt standout spent long days on an adjacent practice
field, toiling away on his own while the rest of the Chiefs went through
training camp. It was even more frustrating when the season began.

But Haley never gave Baldwin a chance to get down on himself. The
notoriously hard-to-please coach worked him as hard as anybody, and the results
have already shown up.

“He just wants the best out of everyone, you know? I respect that,”
Baldwin said. “He pushes his players because he wants to see everyone succeed.
You just have to take it like that.”

Baldwin has taken a team-first approach to answering any question about his
play this season, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Chiefs have grown
together, he said, despite the bumps and bruises they’ve sustained along the way
this season.

With a victory over the winless Dolphins on Sunday, the Chiefs will be on
their longest winning streak in eight years, and remain at the very least tied
atop the AFC West.

“With how we began this year, you know, I think our guys at least
understand that we put ourselves in a hole that eliminated our margin for
error,” Haley said, “and we just have to continually talk about it and coach
better each and every day.”