(St. Joseph, MO) The opportunity to tryout for the Kansas City Chiefs is certainly special for T. Rucker.

“This was definitely special,” Rucker said. “Growing up 47 miles north, watching these guys every Sunday and coming to a couple games every year.”

The opportunity is special, but it could be crucial to his career. Since being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2008, the tight end’s bounced around the NFL, playing on four different teams in four years.

The 27-year old  knows the clock is ticking on his time in the NFL.

“I try to get better every place I go to. I feel that I have, but for whatever reason  it just hasn’t quite worked out. But God’s got a plan and this might be the end of the road.”

First year Chiefs’ head coach Romeo Crennel was a bridge on the road to Kansas City. The two worked together when Crennel was the head coach of  the Cleveland Browns. The former Missouri Tiger’s battled injuries in Philadelphia, Dallas, and Jacksonville, but Crennel says Rucker’s piece simply hasn’t fit the puzzle of an NFL squad.

“He made a good effort with us when he was in Cleveland, but he wasn’t able to make an impact,” Crennel said. “As this tight end position in colleges and the NFL  transition, sometimes guys kind of get caught in between. He was one of those big tight ends who was flexed out quite a bit. I think  sometimes the team you get with playing that position makes a difference.”

Rucker has two days to make the case that he belongs on the 90-man roster. Should the Chiefs offer him a contract, he would have the chance to report to training camp in his hometown of St. Joseph, MO.

“I’ve got a lot of tread, but I use it as experience. I feel real good.”

Kansas City Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt announced on Saturday in a news release that Will Shields will be the 2012 inductee into the Chiefs Hall of Fame.

The 42nd member of this prestigious group will be honored at the 101 Awards banquet Saturday evening in downtown Kansas City. Shields will be enshrined into the Chiefs Hall of Fame during festivities at Chiefs Alumni Weekend this fall and honored in a ceremony at halftime of that weekend’s game.

“On behalf of my family and the entire Chiefs organization, we are extremely proud to announce Will Shields’ election into the Chiefs Hall of Fame,” Hunt said in the release. “Will was a true ‘iron man’ – never missing a game in 14 seasons – and his career and character place him among the greatest in Chiefs history.”

Shields played in 224 regular season games (223 starts) during his 14-year career with Kansas City (’93-06). His 224 games played with the Chiefs ranks first in team history while his 223 starts are also the top mark in franchise annals. His 14 seasons played for the Chiefs tie him for second-most in team history. He originally entered the NFL as a third-round selection (74th overall) of Kansas City in the 1993 NFL Draft out of Nebraska.

During his 14-year career, Shields was elected to 12 consecutive Pro Bowls, earning his first trip to the NFL’s annual All-Star game following the 1995 season. His 12 career Pro Bowls stand tied for sixth all-time in NFL history for most career Pro Bowl appearances by an NFL player.

In 2003, the entire National Football League community recognized Shields for his extensive work off the field as he was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. At the time, he was the fourth member of the Chiefs to take home the honor, recognizing on-field excellence and off-the-field outreach through the “Will to Succeed Foundation” that he established in 1993. Through his foundation and its various programs, more than 100,000 individuals have been positively impacted.

According to the release, Shields was honored as the team’s Mack Lee Hill Award winner in 1993 as the club’s top rookie or first-year player. Shields has also received the Pro Football Weekly Arthur S. Arkush Humanitarian of the Year Award, The Sporting News’ NFL Good Guy of the Year Award, the Ed Block Courage Award, the Kansas City Council on Philanthropy’s Philanthropist of the Year honor and was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

The Fort Riley, Kan., native helped pave the way for five individual 1,000-yard rushers during his time with the Chiefs. Shields was part of a blocking unit that helped the Chiefs lead the league in rushing offense in 1995 with 2,222 yards and also helped block for RB Priest Holmes as he led the NFL in rushing in 2001.

Shields was a three-time All-Big Eight choice at Nebraska and was honored as the nation’s best interior lineman with the Outland Trophy as a senior in 1992. He was also a finalist for the Lombardi Award that same year. Shields resides in the Kansas City area with his wife, Senia, and their three children.

Copyright 2012 KCTV (Meredith Corp.)  All rights reserved.

The move, first reported by 610 AM in Kansas City, has not yet been announced.

Haley will replace Bruce Arians, now with the Indianapolis Colts.

The 45-year-old Haley, fired by Kansas City on Dec. 13, went 19-26 in two-plus seasons with the Chiefs, leading them to the 2010 AFC West title.

He spent 10 seasons as an assistant before being hired by Kansas City. He was offensive coordinator for Arizona in 2007-08, helping lead the Cardinals to their only Super Bowl appearance.

Phone messages left for Haley by the Associated Press were not immediately returned.

The Steelers went 12-4 this season but lost the AFC North title to Baltimore on a tiebreaker.

The Chiefs were 5-8 when Haley was dismissed. His last game was a tough one. Kansas City lost, 37-10, to the New York Jets at the Meadowlands, and it was their fifth loss in six games. Kansas City committed 11 penalties for 128 yards in the performance, including a 15-yarder on Haley for unsportsmanlike conduct that may have sealed his fate.

The next day, he was fired.

“Timing in these situations is always difficult. There never seems to be a right time,” Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said at the time. “We just felt the inconsistent play the team has experienced throughout the season, including yesterday’s game, made today the right day to do it.”

After three lopsided losses to start the season, Kansas City rattled off four straight wins and briefly pulled into a tie atop the AFC West. But that was followed by a home loss to previously winless Miami, the start of a disastrous six weeks in which the losses mounted.

“We’ve had one of those years where we’ve had injuries, and injuries to key players, but that’s typical in the National Football League,” Hunt said then. “As a team, you have to find a way to overcome that, and we just weren’t able to do that this year. Our play was up and down the entire season and at times it was up and down during a given game, and I think those contributed to our decision.”

Without a bye, the Steelers had to play a road game at Denver to open the postseason. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 289 yards and a touchdown, but the Steelers fell to the Broncos, 29-23, in overtime.

Haley is the son of Dick Haley, formerly the director of player personnel for the Steelers from 1971-1990.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Steelers have named Todd Haley their new offensive co-ordinator.

Haley, 45, will replace Bruce Arians, now with the Indianapolis Colts, and will inherit an offence that scored 325 points last season en route to finishing 12-4.

Haley was fired by Kansas City on Dec. 13, after going 19-26 in two-plus seasons with the Chiefs, leading them to the 2010 AFC West title.

He spent 10 seasons as an assistant before being hired by Kansas City. He was offensive co-ordinator for Arizona in 2007-08, helping lead the Cardinals to their only Super Bowl appearance. And he is the son of Dick Haley, who spent 44 seasons in the NFL including serving as the Steelers’ director of player personnel from 1971-90.

The Steelers lost the AFC North title to Baltimore on a tiebreaker, and were eliminated from the post-season by Denver.

“I am excited about the opportunity to come back home and work for a tremendous organization,” Haley said. “It is an honour to work with the Rooney family and coach (Mike) Tomlin and continue the success that has become synonymous with the Steelers. My father has so many fond memories both from his playing days and his time in the personnel department with the team, and I look forward to helping bring more championships to Pittsburgh and to being a part of one of the storied franchises in the NFL.”

The Chiefs were 5-8 when Haley was dismissed. His last game was a tough one. Kansas City lost, 37-10, to the New York Jets at the Meadowlands, and it was their fifth loss in six games. Kansas City committed 11 penalties for 128 yards in the performance, including a 15-yarder on Haley for unsportsmanlike conduct that may have sealed his fate.

The next day, he was fired.

“Timing in these situations is always difficult. There never seems to be a right time,” Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said at the time. “We just felt the inconsistent play the team has experienced throughout the season, including yesterday’s game, made today the right day to do it.”

After three lopsided losses to start the season, Kansas City rattled off four straight wins and briefly pulled into a tie atop the AFC West. But that was followed by a home loss to previously winless Miami, the start of a disastrous six weeks in which the losses mounted.

“We’ve had one of those years where we’ve had injuries, and injuries to key players, but that’s typical in the National Football League,” Hunt said then. “As a team, you have to find a way to overcome that, and we just weren’t able to do that this year. Our play was up and down the entire season and at times it was up and down during a given game, and I think those contributed to our decision.”

Less than a year before he was fired, Haley led the Chiefs to the greatest single-season turnaround in franchise history, winning the division title by recording six more victories than in 2009.

Without a bye, the Steelers had to play a road game at Denver to open the post-season. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 289 yards and a touchdown, but the Steelers fell to the Broncos, 29-23, in overtime.

Under Arians, Pittsburgh had a good year offensively. Roethlisberger threw for 4,077 yards, Mike Wallace had 1,193 receiving yards, and Rashard Mendenhall had 928 rushing yards. Arians was the Colts’ quarterbacks coach during Peyton Manning’s first three seasons, and was Pittsburgh’s offensive co-ordinator the last five seasons.

PITTSBURGH — The Steelers will hire former Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley to be their offensive coordinator, according to an ESPN report.

The move, first reported by 610 AM in Kansas City, has not yet been announced.

Haley will replace Bruce Arians, now with the Indianapolis Colts.

The 45-year-old Haley, fired by Kansas City on Dec. 13, went 19-26 in two-plus seasons with the Chiefs, leading them to the 2010 AFC West title.

He spent 10 seasons as an assistant before being hired by Kansas City. He was offensive coordinator for Arizona in 2007-08, helping lead the Cardinals to their only Super Bowl appearance.

Phone messages left for Haley by the Associated Press were not immediately returned.

The Steelers went 12-4 this season but lost the AFC North title to Baltimore on a tiebreaker.

The Chiefs were 5-8 when Haley was dismissed. His last game was a tough one. Kansas City lost, 37-10, to the New York Jets at the Meadowlands, and it was their fifth loss in six games. Kansas City committed 11 penalties for 128 yards in the performance, including a 15-yarder on Haley for unsportsmanlike conduct that may have sealed his fate.

The next day, he was fired.

“Timing in these situations is always difficult. There never seems to be a right time,” Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said at the time. “We just felt the inconsistent play the team has experienced throughout the season, including yesterday’s game, made today the right day to do it.”

After three lopsided losses to start the season, Kansas City rattled off four straight wins and briefly pulled into a tie atop the AFC West. But that was followed by a home loss to previously winless Miami, the start of a disastrous six weeks in which the losses mounted.

“We’ve had one of those years where we’ve had injuries, and injuries to key players, but that’s typical in the National Football League,” Hunt said then. “As a team, you have to find a way to overcome that, and we just weren’t able to do that this year. Our play was up and down the entire season and at times it was up and down during a given game, and I think those contributed to our decision.”

Without a bye, the Steelers had to play a road game at Denver to open the postseason. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 289 yards and a touchdown, but the Steelers fell to the Broncos, 29-23, in overtime.

Haley is the son of Dick Haley, formerly the director of player personnel for the Steelers from 1971-1990.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Steelers will hire former Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley to be their offensive coordinator, according to an ESPN report.

The move, first reported by 610 AM in Kansas City, has not yet been announced.

Haley will replace Bruce Arians, now with the Indianapolis Colts.

The 45-year-old Haley, fired by Kansas City on Dec. 13, went 19-26 in two-plus seasons with the Chiefs, leading them to the 2010 AFC West title.

He spent 10 seasons as an assistant before being hired by Kansas City. He was offensive coordinator for Arizona in 2007-08, helping lead the Cardinals to their only Super Bowl appearance.

Phone messages left for Haley by the Associated Press were not immediately returned.

The Steelers went 12-4 this season but lost the AFC North title to Baltimore on a tiebreaker.

The Chiefs were 5-8 when Haley was dismissed. His last game was a tough one. Kansas City lost, 37-10, to the New York Jets at the Meadowlands, and it was their fifth loss in six games. Kansas City committed 11 penalties for 128 yards in the performance, including a 15-yarder on Haley for unsportsmanlike conduct that may have sealed his fate.

The next day, he was fired.

“Timing in these situations is always difficult. There never seems to be a right time,” Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said at the time. “We just felt the inconsistent play the team has experienced throughout the season, including yesterday’s game, made today the right day to do it.”

After three lopsided losses to start the season, Kansas City rattled off four straight wins and briefly pulled into a tie atop the AFC West. But that was followed by a home loss to previously winless Miami, the start of a disastrous six weeks in which the losses mounted.

“We’ve had one of those years where we’ve had injuries, and injuries to key players, but that’s typical in the National Football League,” Hunt said then. “As a team, you have to find a way to overcome that, and we just weren’t able to do that this year. Our play was up and down the entire season and at times it was up and down during a given game, and I think those contributed to our decision.”

Without a bye, the Steelers had to play a road game at Denver to open the postseason. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 289 yards and a touchdown, but the Steelers fell to the Broncos, 29-23, in overtime.

Haley is the son of Dick Haley, formerly the director of player personnel for the Steelers from 1971-1990.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Steelers will hire former Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley to be their offensive coordinator, according to an ESPN report.

The move, first reported by 610 AM in Kansas City, has not yet been announced.

Haley will replace Bruce Arians, now with the Indianapolis Colts.

The 45-year-old Haley, fired by Kansas City on Dec. 13, went 19-26 in two-plus seasons with the Chiefs, leading them to the 2010 AFC West title.

He spent 10 seasons as an assistant before being hired by Kansas City. He was offensive coordinator for Arizona in 2007-08, helping lead the Cardinals to their only Super Bowl appearance.

Phone messages left for Haley by the Associated Press were not immediately returned.

The Steelers went 12-4 this season but lost the AFC North title to Baltimore on a tiebreaker.

The Chiefs were 5-8 when Haley was dismissed. His last game was a tough one. Kansas City lost, 37-10, to the New York Jets at the Meadowlands, and it was their fifth loss in six games. Kansas City committed 11 penalties for 128 yards in the performance, including a 15-yarder on Haley for unsportsmanlike conduct that may have sealed his fate.

The next day, he was fired.

“Timing in these situations is always difficult. There never seems to be a right time,” Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said at the time. “We just felt the inconsistent play the team has experienced throughout the season, including yesterday’s game, made today the right day to do it.”

After three lopsided losses to start the season, Kansas City rattled off four straight wins and briefly pulled into a tie atop the AFC West. But that was followed by a home loss to previously winless Miami, the start of a disastrous six weeks in which the losses mounted.

“We’ve had one of those years where we’ve had injuries, and injuries to key players, but that’s typical in the National Football League,” Hunt said then. “As a team, you have to find a way to overcome that, and we just weren’t able to do that this year. Our play was up and down the entire season and at times it was up and down during a given game, and I think those contributed to our decision.”

Without a bye, the Steelers had to play a road game at Denver to open the postseason. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 289 yards and a touchdown, but the Steelers fell to the Broncos, 29-23, in overtime.

Haley is the son of Dick Haley, formerly the director of player personnel for the Steelers from 1971-1990.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

The Kansas City Chiefs focused on defense in the 2011 NFL Draft . Five of nine players drafted were on defense. Of the offensive players drafted in 2011, only wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin made any steady appearances later in the season. He had one touchdown catch.

In 2010, Jamaal Charles was the second-leading rusher in the AFC with 1,467 yards. He scored five touchdowns on the year. The entire Chiefs team scored five rushing touchdowns in 2011.

Enough already!

It’s time to get the Chiefs back into a running team. Charles will be back from his injury in 2012 and will need a good offensive line. A good blocking team will also protect the quarterback well. Getting the running game going will open up the passing game in dramatic fashion.

The Chiefs drafted Rodney Hudson on the offensive line in the second round from Florida State last year. He started one game for Kansas City.

It’s time for the Chiefs to pick a quality offensive lineman in the first round. General manager Scott Pioli needs to forget the best player available at the time the Chiefs pick 11th or 12th in the draft. They need an offensive lineman, period. Starting center Casey Wiegmann is leaving his retirement plans in the open, according to the Chiefs’ website as of Dec. 30. The aging veteran is an unrestricted free agent this year and will be 39 years old. He has started 175 games in a row and has taken over 11,000 snaps in a row for the Chiefs.

DraftTek.com has a list of offensive linemen available in the 2012 draft. Matt Kalil of USC is generally regarded as the top lineman in the upcoming draft. Riley Reiff may be number two. Should Reiff be selected by the Chiefs, it will be a second straight draft in which the Chiefs selected a player from the University of Iowa.

Jonathan Martin of Stanford is on the list. Perhaps Kansas City should consider his services since Andrew Luck had a dynamite year as quarterback for the Cardinal.

The point is that there should be plenty of great talent on the offensive line available in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. The Chiefs should pick someone who can contribute to the team immediately now that training camp will be a full-time proposition later this summer. Last season, the NFL lockout nixed much of training camp and preparation for the 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.

A recent article in the Kansas City Star claims former head coach Todd Haley was paranoid during his final days with the organization. Supposedly, Haley felt like some conference rooms were bugged and were able to record people’s conversations. He even went so far as to say his cell phone, which he had owned before becoming head coach of the Chiefs, had been tampered with.

The article continues to say that many in the organization under general manager Scott Pioli’s watch have felt insecure in their job status. More than half of the front office’s staff has turned over since Pioli took over. Clark Hunt, the team’s CEO, has denied any wrongdoing and simply said he requires “excellence” from everyone in the organization.

So what if the conference rooms in Arrowhead’s offices are bugged with audio equipment? Facilities and venues have security cameras all of the time. As long as there aren’t any recording devices in bathrooms, there shouldn’t be any problems.

Companies can frequently monitor email accounts used by employees on the job. Rooms owned by an NFL team shouldn’t be any different. There are plenty of unemployed people in America. Surely someone else would love to step into the Chiefs’ upper management offices and be a part of the team.

Despite an age discrimination lawsuit, upper management has the right to hire whom they want to for various positions. Maybe the former employees aren’t being paranoid whatsoever. Having a room bugged is no different than having someone outside of a door listening in on a meeting through the door.

Yes, the style of Pioli is probably different than what the organization is used to. Yet his results are astounding. The New England Patriots won three Super Bowls under his watch. The ultimate goal of the Chiefs should be the same. If it means replacing staff that don’t adapt to new policies, that’s just the way any company operates.

Consider the theory of evolution—species adapt to conditions around them or they perish. Employees in any company, including the Chiefs, should be the same way. Perhaps the Chiefs have a higher standard than before. Unfortunately, it means that some former employees think the organization is overly paranoid.

I don’t think upper management is too paranoid. The new kids on the block are all about winning, as it should be.

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: 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.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop can retire that “Mr. Irrelevant” nickname.

The 256th and final pick of the 2009 draft has signed a $14 million, five-year contract extension with Kansas City, a person with knowledge of the deal said late Friday.

ESPN.com, citing anonymous sources, first reported the extension.

The contract includes a $2 million signing bonus, according to a person who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because an official announcement had not been made.

Succop joins a pair of other kickers who signed lucrative five-year extensions. Billy Cundiff signed for $15 million to remain with the Baltimore Ravens in January, while Mason Crosby signed with the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers for $14.75 million in July.

The soft-spoken Succop matched Pete Stoyanovich’s franchise record when he hit 22 consecutive field goals earlier this season. The streak put him atop a list of Chiefs kickers that includes Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud, Nick Lowery and Morten Andersen, the NFL’s all-time leading scorer.

“I don’t necessarily think about all the records,” Succop told the AP at the time. “Hopefully I’ll be able to go out and make the next one, and if we do that, we’ll kick the one after that.”

The former South Carolina standout made all four of his field goal attempts in the Chiefs’ 19-14 victory over the then-unbeaten Green Bay Packers earlier this season, and he was voted AFC special teams player of the week.

He also hit all five tries in a 22-7 win over Minnesota in Week 4, which matched Stenerud and Lowery for the single-game franchise record. One of them was a career-best 54-yarder.

Succop’s 30-yard kick in overtime on Halloween night beat the San Diego Chargers.

His streak of consecutive made field goals ended last week against Oakland, when he had a pair blocked in a loss that eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention. But he’s still connected on 24 of 29 tries this season, and is perfect on 90 career extra points.

General manager Scott Pioli has not been shy about signing homegrown players.

Pro Bowl linebacker Tamba Hali signed a $60 million, five-year extension during training camp, while cornerback Brandon Flowers signed a $50 million deal, five-year deal.

Last season, All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles signed for five years at $32.5 million, and Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Johnson for five years at $34 million.

Now, Pioli likely will turn his attention to cornerback Brandon Carr and wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, who can become free agents after the season. Carr has been solid opposite Flowers in a talented defensive backfield, while Bowe has put together another strong season with 75 catches for 1,066 yards despite having to play with three different starting quarterbacks.

The Chiefs may also try to re-sign Kyle Orton, who will start his third straight game Sunday at Denver. The veteran quarterback, who will also be a free agent, was claimed off waivers when Matt Cassel went down with a season-ending injury to his throwing hand.

Succop won’t have to worry about winning his job any time soon.

He’s been dependable since the moment he was drafted, hitting 25 of 29 field goals his rookie season, breaking Stenerud’s franchise mark for a first-year player. His conversion rate of 86.21 percent tied the rookie record for kickers with at least 20 attempts since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.

Succop was nearly as good last season, hitting 20 of 26 attempts, including an overtime winner against Buffalo – a kick made even more important when the Chiefs managed to slip into the playoffs.

“Being a kicker in the NFL, the coaches talk all about it, one kick here or there can make a difference. A lot of games are decided by seven points or less,” Succop said a few weeks ago. “Whether I make or miss could be the deciding factor in the game.”

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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.”