Teicher: Johnson, Toribio and Lewis sit out Chiefs practice with injuries

[Tribal Warfare]

Johnson, Toribio and Lewis sit out Chiefs practice with injuries
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
The Chiefs began their practice week Monday without four defensive starters, including their two Pro Bowl linebackers. They’re preparing to play against the Atlanta Falcons, who were seventh in the NFL in scoring last season, that could present a problem.

The situation could improve some by the time the Chiefs and Falcons open their seasons against one another on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. But even early in the week, things were far from ideal.

“You’d like to have all your guys all the time,” coach Romeo Crennel said. “But in this business you don’t have all of them all the time and so you have to depend on other guys to step up and do their part when they’re called on.”

Linebacker Derrick Johnson, nose tackle Anthony Toribio and free safety Kendrick Lewis didn’t go through team portions of practice. Johnson and Toribio have injured ankle, Lewis an injured shoulder.

Johnson, injured in the final preseason game against the Packers, appeared the most likely of the group to be ready for Sunday’s game.

“As long as I make progress every day, that’s the plan,” Johnson said when asked whether he would play against the Falcons. “I am a fast healer. Let’s hope that this week I can be even faster.”

The Chiefs’ other Pro Bowl linebacker, Tamha Hali, will not play against Atlanta. He is serving his one-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.

Cornerback Brandon Flowers, who didn’t play in the preseason and hadn’t practiced for more than a month, was back to work Monday. But Flowers, who has what the Chiefs have called as bruised heel, said he didn’t know if he would play Sunday and suggested the decision might come down to day of the game.

“If I’m out there on Sunday, then that means I’m ready to go,” he said “We’ll know game day.”

For one day, at least, the Chiefs patched together a lineup that included backups in four spots. Cory Greenwood and Brandon Siler took turns at Johnson’s position. Rookie Dontari Poe is starting for Toribio and veteran Abe Elam for Lewis.

Andy Studebaker, Edgar Jones and Cameron Sheffield have been rotating in Hali’s spot.

“Particularly (in Hali’s spot), that’s what has to happen,” Crennel said. “We’ll have to rotate guys in there and we will during the course of the week and I expect all of them to step and to be able to produce. Now, are they going to produce the way Tamba is able to produce? Only time will tell that.”

All coaches have jitters the opening week of the season given the uncertainty of what lies ahead. Even before the injuries, suspension and resulting lineup changes, this would have been an anxious week for Crennel.

The Chiefs are one of the NFL’s youngest teams. They have five players who are 30 and they are the oldest. Heading into their ninth NFL seasons, guard Ryan Lilja and special teams player Terrance Copper have the most NFL experience.

“If you have a veteran team (with players) who have proven themselves and that you feel good about, I think you can be less anxious,” Crennel said. “I think everybody gets anxious when the season starts. But if you’ve got a veteran team and you’re solid all across the board, then I think you can be less anxious because you know what you have.

“(The Chiefs) have some young players who have to play and we all know that young players make mistakes. You don’t know how many mistakes they’re going to make or what a mistake might cost you during the course of the game. Some guys, when there are 70,000 or 80,000 in the stands and they know that it counts, they react differently. We’re going to have to see how all of that plays out.”

Adding to the mystery about how well the Chiefs will play on Sunday is their uneven preseason. The Chiefs went 1-3 with the starters playing well in the first and fourth games but not so in the middle two, when the defense was particularly disappointing.

Crennel said he takes comfort in the fact the Chiefs have gotten it done, even if not consistently.

“In the first preseason game, the way they executed in that game and then the last game, they showed they could execute at a good level,” he said. “So I think they gave us enough to feel good about going into the regular season.

“One of the things I wanted to do was to be able to say we could be solid and sound coming out of the last (preseason) game. I think from our play versus their first guys, we were solid and sound coming out of that game.”

Atlanta was also 1-3 in the exhibition season, losing to Baltimore, Cincinnati and Jacksonville while beating Miami. The Falcons made the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, though they lost their playoff game each time.

“This is a good Atlanta team coming in,” Crennel said. “They have some skill on all sides of the ball, really. So we’re going to have to play our best to win.”

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Pawnmower

I want to hug all of you, I mean this...I really like all of you guys and respect you all for being in the brotherhood of Chiefs Fans..united as family



EXCEPT THAT **** BLACK BOB

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by BlackBob

I think it's true that all Chief's fans are somewhat fickle. All I am saying is that the way these people defend DJ's tackling has to be one of the most homer threads I've ever seen.

I mean people won't say that Bowe doesn't drop the ball. They will say, "Bowe drops the ball BUT......" That's why this is different. It's denial I guess. DJ is a better player but, his weak spot is fundamental tackling. No one wants to hear it.

"You can take the boy out of the country but, you can't take the country out of the boy."

"DJ could stand to continually improve his tackling" is a fair statement.

You said:

"Brandon Siler is a better tackler than Derrick Johnson"

That's not being rational and anti-homer. That's being reeruned. Brandon Siler is in fact NOT better than Derrick Johnson at tackling.

You also seem to have a hard on for every single Romeo decision. His decision to not give Powe more serious reps, for example, means that Powe is not the right guy to start against the Falcons at NT. So how do you explain Romeo's decision to start Belcher over Siler? Is Belcher a better tackler than both Siler AND Johnson?

[ChiefRocka]

[RealSNR]

Pawnmower, Clay, Pestilence, Talking Can, and I are like a troupe of super heroes defending Chiefs Planet from evil ****s like Black Boob.

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning

now i lay me down to sleep

true fans are matt cassel's sheep

if cassel dies before i wake

pass game needs no play action fake

Yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death by passing game

I shall fear no backup Secondary Scrub Player: for Berry is with me

The Routt and Brown comfort me

Thou preparest a defensive backfield before me in the prescense of mine enemies

Thou annointeth me with pass defenses andballs batted down; my cup runneth over

surely victory and solid defensive play in man to man coverage shall follow me in all the days of this season

and I shall dwell in the house of Derron Cherry, forever.

[The Franchise]

Look everyone! Black Bob made another stupid comment..........



......and now he's disappeared again.

[Black Bob]

Pretty funny...

[Black Bob]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

Look everyone! Black Bob made another stupid comment..........



......and now he's disappeared again.

I don't disappear anywhere. I drove home, showered, and ate **** face. Try harder you ****ing little bitch. I ain't leaving. You are literally the biggest whiner here. You are pathetic. Just be funnier please or don't post.

[Black Bob]

Originally Posted by SNR

Pawnmower, Clay, Pestilence, Talking Can, and I are like a troupe of super heroes defending Chiefs Planet from evil ****s like Black Boob.

You're a troupe of DJ ball sucking homers is what you are Stanzi pants.

[mcaj22]

250+ tackles in 2 seasons (32 games) and he is worse at tackling than a guy who is basically our 3rd LBer and doesn't even have 250 CAREER tackles on his resume

it is truly laughable.

BRANDON SILER YOU ARE GREAT AT TACKLING





i know these gifs were to make fun of Cromartie but Brandon Siler is just as ****ing useless at whiffing and being no where near to even make an attempt at a tackle. Just washed right out of the plays. Even if DJ misses a tackle, at least he has enough talent to be around the play/ball.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by BlackBob

I don't disappear anywhere. I drove home, showered, and ate **** face. Try harder you ****ing little bitch. I ain't leaving. You are literally the biggest whiner here. You are pathetic. Just be funnier please or don't post.

[Black Bob]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

It's not funny. You can't even get your pic right. You suck ass.

[-King-]

So...who missed practice today?
Posted via Mobile Device

[Black Bob]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

250+ tackles in 2 seasons (32 games) and he is worse at tackling than a guy who is basically our 3rd LBer and doesn't even have 250 CAREER tackles on his resume

it is truly laughable.

BRANDON SILER YOU ARE GREAT AT TACKLING





i know these gifs were to make fun of Cromartie but Brandon Siler is just as ****ing useless at whiffing and being no where near to even make an attempt at a tackle. Just washed right out of the plays. Even if DJ misses a tackle, at least he has enough talent to be around the play/ball.

If I could post video, I would but I don't have enough posts yet.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by BlackBob

You're a troupe of DJ ball sucking homers is what you are Stanzi pants.

We sucks DJ's dick. You suck Dexter McCluster's and Brandon Siler's dick.

I'll take DJ's dick, thank you very much.