Tribal Warfare
10-08-2009, 08:21 AM
First Quarter Awards … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs (http://www.bobgretz.com/chiefs-football/first-quarter-awards-%E2%80%A6-thursday-cup-o%E2%80%99chiefs.html/comment-page-1#comment-29773)
October 8, 2009 - Bob Gretz |
So here we are at Todd Haley’s quarter pole. The first of the 2009 season’s four quarters is over and the Chiefs are among six teams that have yet to drink from the cup of victory.
But, we do have some awards to pass out, some for good things, some for bad things.
The Chiefs First Quarter Awards
PLAYER OF THE 1ST QUARTER – None. There isn’t a player on the roster that deserves this kind of recognition at this point, not with a 0-4 record and the fact the Chiefs have shown little or no improvement from week one to week four. Comeback and see us at mid-season.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER – TE Sean Ryan. OK, the pickings here are pretty slim, but after four games Ryan is leading the team in catches with 11 and he’s got two touchdown passes. He’s no Tony Gonzalez, but he’s been a far better receiver than anyone thought since he was signed more as a blocker than a catcher. It will be interesting to see if he can beat back the presence of recently signed Leonard Pope. Others considered: WR Bobby Wade.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER – OLB Tamba Hali (right). There were concerns going into the season about whether Hali could make the transition from playing with his hand on the ground to standing up and seeing the whole field. It’s early, but so far Hali has been the most explosive Chiefs defender.
He’s been involved in 14 total tackles and two sacks, with two forced fumbles and two other pass rush pressures. Those are not Pro Bowl numbers, but Hali has played hard and so far the Chiefs have been able to limit his time in pass coverage. Others considered: ILB Demorrio Williams and OLB Mike Vrabel.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER – P Dustin Colquitt. The league is going through a period of super punting and Colquitt is right at the top of the list. Coming off an injury-plagued season, he’s kicking the ball well and generally with good results. Last week’s game was not his best, but his net punting average leads the league and nobody has been able to return his punts for much in the way of yardage. Others considered: RB Jackie Battle and K Ryan Succop.
NEWCOMER – OLB Mike Vrabel (left). There’s no question that his move to Kansas City was not something that Vrabel wanted and his unwillingness to join in the off-season program hurt the development of the team. But since he’s arrived, Vrabel has been a very good addition to the team and especially the defense. How much of a role he’s taken in the locker room remains unknown, but on the field he’s playing hard, he’s involved and although he’s coming down to the end of his career, he can still contribute to the defense. Others considered: ILB Corey Mays and SS Mike Brown.
ROOKIE – K Ryan Succop and ILB Jovan Belcher. Four games does not a career make, so it’s way too early for anyone to throw the Chiefs ‘09 Draft class under the bus. But to say it’s been less than productive is an understatement. DEs Tyson Jackson and Alex Magee have combined for seven tackles. CB Donald Washington doesn’t even turn up on the stat sheet on defense or special teams. WR Quinten Lawrence has one end-around run for 16 yards. Succop gets half of the award almost by default. But he’s been solid so far, making all 10 of his kicks (3 FGs/7 PATs) and his kickoffs have been very good. Belcher has been the surprise, as an undrafted free agent out of Maine. He has six tackles on defense and three in the kicking game and his playing time increases each week. Others considered: none.
OFFENSIVE DISAPPOINTMENT – LT Branden Albert. In his rookie season, Albert showed he has the physical skills to play the left tackle spot for a decade. So far in his sophomore year, Albert is having trouble exhibiting those talents. He’s struggling and that makes life pretty miserable for the Chiefs quarterback. Others considered: RB Larry Johnson and RG Mike Goff.
DEFENSIVE DISAPPOINTMENT – NT Tank Tyler
(right). In a season where it’s important that Tyler step up his game, it’s not happened. He’s lost his starting job to veteran Ron Edwards and although he is the fifth leading tackler on the team, his playing time is decreasing on a weekly basis. Others considered: DE Glenn Dorsey and ILB Derrick Johnson.
BEST DECISION – Trading a second-round draft choice to the Patriots for QB Matt Cassel and OLB Mike Vrabel. So far the results of this deal do not show themselves in the team’s record. But Vrabel has brought a steady hand to the defense and Cassel has shown that he can play the position. OK, he can play it if he gets time to throw and the blocking improves. Right now it’s hard to really evaluate Cassel, but he’s shown good mobility and for the most part he’s made good decisions. He must become more accurate and continue to not turn the ball over. Other considerations: the hiring of Steve Hoffman as special teams coach
WORST DECISION – The hiring and then firing of offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. Now that we know more about Todd Haley, it’s obvious that having Gailey in charge of the offense wasn’t going to work. These guys have different philosophies and that should have been easy for everyone involved to figure out before Gailey was asked to stay. Then, the firing of Gailey three games into the pre-season schedule and the total change of the scheme and playbook afterwards, set back the development of the offense. Other considerations: signing Cassel to a six-year, $63 million deal before he played a down.
SIGNINGS, INJURIES & MOVEMENT IN THE LEAGUE
* BROWNS – traded WR Braylon Edwards to the Jets for WR Chansi Stuckey, LB Jason Trusnik and a third and fifth-round picks in the 2010 NFL Draft; released OT Paul Trautwein.
* BUCCANEERS – league suspension of S Tanard Jackson lifted.
* 49ERS – signed first-round draft choice Michael Crabtree to a six-year contract, $32 million with $17 million guaranteed.
* JETS – acquired WR Braylon Edwards in a trade from the Browns for WR Chansi Stuckey, LB Jason Trusnik and a pair of 2010 draft picks; league suspension of LB Calvin Pace lifted.
* LIONS – league suspension of DT Shaun Smith lifted.
* RAIDERS – signed RB Gary Russell.
* SAINTS – league suspension of K Garrett Hartley lifted.
FROM THE PAGES OF CHIEFS HISTORY
On October 8, 1961, the Dallas Texans beat the Broncos 19-12 in front of 14,500 fans at Bears Stadium in Denver. The Texans rolled off 19 straight points and kept the Broncos off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter. FB Bo Dickinson ran for a one-yard TD, while QB Cotton Davidson and WR Chris Burford hooked up on a 24-yard scoring pass. Jack Spikes kicked a pair of short FGs. The Texans defense forced six Denver turnovers, including interceptions by CB Duane Wood, LB Smokey Stover and CB Don Flynn. Dallas RB Abner Haynes ran for 139 yards on 26 carries.
On October 8, 1966, the Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos 37-10 on a Saturday night game in front of 33,929 fans at Municipal Stadium. The Chiefs jumped out to a 21-0 first-quarter lead and then cruised to the victory. TE Fred Arbanas caught a three-yard TD pass from QB Len Dawson. WR Chris Burford caught an 18-yard scoring pass from RB Bert Coan. RB Mike Garrett had a seven-yard touchdown run. Garrett later added a 61-yard scoring run, while K Mike Mercer had three field goals. WR Otis Taylor caught five passes for 103 yards, while Coan ran 10 times for 96 yards. Bobby Hunt and Bobby Ply each had an interception for the KC defense and LB Bobby Bell blocked a FG. Playing against his old team, Denver RB Abner Haynes had 206 all-purpose yards.
On October 8, 1967, the Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins 41-0 in front of a crowd of 45,291 at Municipal Stadium. At that time it was the largest crowd for a sporting event in Kansas City history. The KC offense scored touchdowns in every quarter, and they were led by QB Len Dawson who threw five TD passes. He hit WR Otis Taylor for 71 yards, and then eight yards, and connected with TE Fred Arbanas for 17 and 25-yard scoring tosses. Late in the game, Dawson and WR Gloster Richardson hit on a 56-yard TD. The Chiefs defense had five interceptions with two each for S Johnny Robinson and CB Willie Mitchell, and S Bobby Hunt had the other INT. Taylor caught four passes for 97 yards.
On October 8, 1972, the Chiefs beat the Browns 31-7 at Cleveland Stadium. QB Mike Livingston threw a trio of TD passes, throwing 34 yards to WR Otis Taylor, 8 yards to WR Morris Stroud and 3 yards to TE Willie Frazier. RB Mike Adamle had a 1-yard TD run as well and he led all runners with 88 yards on 20 carries. The Chiefs defense picked off four of Cleveland QB Mike Phipps passes, including two by S Mike Sensibaugh. CB Jim Marsalis and LB Willie Lanier had the other picks.
On October 8, 1989, the Chiefs beat the Seahawks 20-16 at the Kingdome in Seattle. This game started poorly for the Chiefs as Seattle’s Jefferson returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. At half-time the Seahawks led 16-3. But in the second half, Ron Jaworski brought the Chiefs back. RB Christian Okoye had a 13-yard TD run in the third quarter, Nick Lowery kicked a 25-yard FG and then Jaworski hit TE Alfredo Roberts with a 2-yard TD pass that proved to be the winning points. Okoye finished with 156 yards on 30 carries. Both LB Derrick Thomas and DE Neil Smith had sacks and FS Deron Cherry had a pair of interceptions.
SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY …
Born on October 8, 1953 in Galveston, Texas was LB Whitney Paul. He was selected in the 10th-round of the 1976 NFL Draft out of Colorado. Paul played seven seasons with the Chiefs in two different segments (1976-81 and in 1986.) He ended up playing in 100 games with 71 starts. Paul had eight interceptions. Between his two stints with the Chiefs, he played four seasons with the Saints, including one year when he had 9.5 sacks.
Boron on October 8, 1966 in Shreveport was S Charles Washington. He joined the Chiefs in 1990 after playing one season with the Colts. Washington played in two seasons (1990-91), appearing in 22 games, with one start. He had one interception and did most of his work on special teams. He went on to play three seasons with the Falcons.
October 8, 2009 - Bob Gretz |
So here we are at Todd Haley’s quarter pole. The first of the 2009 season’s four quarters is over and the Chiefs are among six teams that have yet to drink from the cup of victory.
But, we do have some awards to pass out, some for good things, some for bad things.
The Chiefs First Quarter Awards
PLAYER OF THE 1ST QUARTER – None. There isn’t a player on the roster that deserves this kind of recognition at this point, not with a 0-4 record and the fact the Chiefs have shown little or no improvement from week one to week four. Comeback and see us at mid-season.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER – TE Sean Ryan. OK, the pickings here are pretty slim, but after four games Ryan is leading the team in catches with 11 and he’s got two touchdown passes. He’s no Tony Gonzalez, but he’s been a far better receiver than anyone thought since he was signed more as a blocker than a catcher. It will be interesting to see if he can beat back the presence of recently signed Leonard Pope. Others considered: WR Bobby Wade.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER – OLB Tamba Hali (right). There were concerns going into the season about whether Hali could make the transition from playing with his hand on the ground to standing up and seeing the whole field. It’s early, but so far Hali has been the most explosive Chiefs defender.
He’s been involved in 14 total tackles and two sacks, with two forced fumbles and two other pass rush pressures. Those are not Pro Bowl numbers, but Hali has played hard and so far the Chiefs have been able to limit his time in pass coverage. Others considered: ILB Demorrio Williams and OLB Mike Vrabel.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER – P Dustin Colquitt. The league is going through a period of super punting and Colquitt is right at the top of the list. Coming off an injury-plagued season, he’s kicking the ball well and generally with good results. Last week’s game was not his best, but his net punting average leads the league and nobody has been able to return his punts for much in the way of yardage. Others considered: RB Jackie Battle and K Ryan Succop.
NEWCOMER – OLB Mike Vrabel (left). There’s no question that his move to Kansas City was not something that Vrabel wanted and his unwillingness to join in the off-season program hurt the development of the team. But since he’s arrived, Vrabel has been a very good addition to the team and especially the defense. How much of a role he’s taken in the locker room remains unknown, but on the field he’s playing hard, he’s involved and although he’s coming down to the end of his career, he can still contribute to the defense. Others considered: ILB Corey Mays and SS Mike Brown.
ROOKIE – K Ryan Succop and ILB Jovan Belcher. Four games does not a career make, so it’s way too early for anyone to throw the Chiefs ‘09 Draft class under the bus. But to say it’s been less than productive is an understatement. DEs Tyson Jackson and Alex Magee have combined for seven tackles. CB Donald Washington doesn’t even turn up on the stat sheet on defense or special teams. WR Quinten Lawrence has one end-around run for 16 yards. Succop gets half of the award almost by default. But he’s been solid so far, making all 10 of his kicks (3 FGs/7 PATs) and his kickoffs have been very good. Belcher has been the surprise, as an undrafted free agent out of Maine. He has six tackles on defense and three in the kicking game and his playing time increases each week. Others considered: none.
OFFENSIVE DISAPPOINTMENT – LT Branden Albert. In his rookie season, Albert showed he has the physical skills to play the left tackle spot for a decade. So far in his sophomore year, Albert is having trouble exhibiting those talents. He’s struggling and that makes life pretty miserable for the Chiefs quarterback. Others considered: RB Larry Johnson and RG Mike Goff.
DEFENSIVE DISAPPOINTMENT – NT Tank Tyler
(right). In a season where it’s important that Tyler step up his game, it’s not happened. He’s lost his starting job to veteran Ron Edwards and although he is the fifth leading tackler on the team, his playing time is decreasing on a weekly basis. Others considered: DE Glenn Dorsey and ILB Derrick Johnson.
BEST DECISION – Trading a second-round draft choice to the Patriots for QB Matt Cassel and OLB Mike Vrabel. So far the results of this deal do not show themselves in the team’s record. But Vrabel has brought a steady hand to the defense and Cassel has shown that he can play the position. OK, he can play it if he gets time to throw and the blocking improves. Right now it’s hard to really evaluate Cassel, but he’s shown good mobility and for the most part he’s made good decisions. He must become more accurate and continue to not turn the ball over. Other considerations: the hiring of Steve Hoffman as special teams coach
WORST DECISION – The hiring and then firing of offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. Now that we know more about Todd Haley, it’s obvious that having Gailey in charge of the offense wasn’t going to work. These guys have different philosophies and that should have been easy for everyone involved to figure out before Gailey was asked to stay. Then, the firing of Gailey three games into the pre-season schedule and the total change of the scheme and playbook afterwards, set back the development of the offense. Other considerations: signing Cassel to a six-year, $63 million deal before he played a down.
SIGNINGS, INJURIES & MOVEMENT IN THE LEAGUE
* BROWNS – traded WR Braylon Edwards to the Jets for WR Chansi Stuckey, LB Jason Trusnik and a third and fifth-round picks in the 2010 NFL Draft; released OT Paul Trautwein.
* BUCCANEERS – league suspension of S Tanard Jackson lifted.
* 49ERS – signed first-round draft choice Michael Crabtree to a six-year contract, $32 million with $17 million guaranteed.
* JETS – acquired WR Braylon Edwards in a trade from the Browns for WR Chansi Stuckey, LB Jason Trusnik and a pair of 2010 draft picks; league suspension of LB Calvin Pace lifted.
* LIONS – league suspension of DT Shaun Smith lifted.
* RAIDERS – signed RB Gary Russell.
* SAINTS – league suspension of K Garrett Hartley lifted.
FROM THE PAGES OF CHIEFS HISTORY
On October 8, 1961, the Dallas Texans beat the Broncos 19-12 in front of 14,500 fans at Bears Stadium in Denver. The Texans rolled off 19 straight points and kept the Broncos off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter. FB Bo Dickinson ran for a one-yard TD, while QB Cotton Davidson and WR Chris Burford hooked up on a 24-yard scoring pass. Jack Spikes kicked a pair of short FGs. The Texans defense forced six Denver turnovers, including interceptions by CB Duane Wood, LB Smokey Stover and CB Don Flynn. Dallas RB Abner Haynes ran for 139 yards on 26 carries.
On October 8, 1966, the Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos 37-10 on a Saturday night game in front of 33,929 fans at Municipal Stadium. The Chiefs jumped out to a 21-0 first-quarter lead and then cruised to the victory. TE Fred Arbanas caught a three-yard TD pass from QB Len Dawson. WR Chris Burford caught an 18-yard scoring pass from RB Bert Coan. RB Mike Garrett had a seven-yard touchdown run. Garrett later added a 61-yard scoring run, while K Mike Mercer had three field goals. WR Otis Taylor caught five passes for 103 yards, while Coan ran 10 times for 96 yards. Bobby Hunt and Bobby Ply each had an interception for the KC defense and LB Bobby Bell blocked a FG. Playing against his old team, Denver RB Abner Haynes had 206 all-purpose yards.
On October 8, 1967, the Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins 41-0 in front of a crowd of 45,291 at Municipal Stadium. At that time it was the largest crowd for a sporting event in Kansas City history. The KC offense scored touchdowns in every quarter, and they were led by QB Len Dawson who threw five TD passes. He hit WR Otis Taylor for 71 yards, and then eight yards, and connected with TE Fred Arbanas for 17 and 25-yard scoring tosses. Late in the game, Dawson and WR Gloster Richardson hit on a 56-yard TD. The Chiefs defense had five interceptions with two each for S Johnny Robinson and CB Willie Mitchell, and S Bobby Hunt had the other INT. Taylor caught four passes for 97 yards.
On October 8, 1972, the Chiefs beat the Browns 31-7 at Cleveland Stadium. QB Mike Livingston threw a trio of TD passes, throwing 34 yards to WR Otis Taylor, 8 yards to WR Morris Stroud and 3 yards to TE Willie Frazier. RB Mike Adamle had a 1-yard TD run as well and he led all runners with 88 yards on 20 carries. The Chiefs defense picked off four of Cleveland QB Mike Phipps passes, including two by S Mike Sensibaugh. CB Jim Marsalis and LB Willie Lanier had the other picks.
On October 8, 1989, the Chiefs beat the Seahawks 20-16 at the Kingdome in Seattle. This game started poorly for the Chiefs as Seattle’s Jefferson returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. At half-time the Seahawks led 16-3. But in the second half, Ron Jaworski brought the Chiefs back. RB Christian Okoye had a 13-yard TD run in the third quarter, Nick Lowery kicked a 25-yard FG and then Jaworski hit TE Alfredo Roberts with a 2-yard TD pass that proved to be the winning points. Okoye finished with 156 yards on 30 carries. Both LB Derrick Thomas and DE Neil Smith had sacks and FS Deron Cherry had a pair of interceptions.
SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY …
Born on October 8, 1953 in Galveston, Texas was LB Whitney Paul. He was selected in the 10th-round of the 1976 NFL Draft out of Colorado. Paul played seven seasons with the Chiefs in two different segments (1976-81 and in 1986.) He ended up playing in 100 games with 71 starts. Paul had eight interceptions. Between his two stints with the Chiefs, he played four seasons with the Saints, including one year when he had 9.5 sacks.
Boron on October 8, 1966 in Shreveport was S Charles Washington. He joined the Chiefs in 1990 after playing one season with the Colts. Washington played in two seasons (1990-91), appearing in 22 games, with one start. He had one interception and did most of his work on special teams. He went on to play three seasons with the Falcons.