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

**Tribal Warfare** · 09-03-2012, 07:50 PM

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.”

**BossChief** · 09-03-2012, 07:55 PM

Way to mail it in, Adam.

Par for the course.

Chiefs Pantalones · 09-03-2012, 08:00 PM

Flowers said you'd have to talk to the trainers. The players aren't allowed to go into specifics about their injuries. We will know more based on if they practice throughout the week.

**BossChief** · 09-03-2012, 08:01 PM

Watch the video from the lockerroom.

Flowers is gonna play.

Black Bob · 09-03-2012, 08:05 PM

Flowers misses time every year and we are prepared for it. Also, he would struggle against White if he was 100%. We would miss him in the run defense but Berry is back

The difference between Lewis and Elam isn't much. Elam tackles better.

Siler is a better tackler than DJ. He will help in stopping Micheal Turner. The problem is that we won't have a LBer capable of even trying to cover Gonzalez. I think we run the nickel most of the day. Look for the 3-3-5 with Daniels, Elam and Berry all playing safety.

NJChiefsFan · 09-03-2012, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackBob

Flowers misses time every year and we are prepared for it. Also, he would struggle against White if he was 100%. We would miss him in the run defense but Berry is back

The difference between Lewis and Elam isn't much. Elam tackles better.

Siler is a better tackler than DJ. He will help in stopping Micheal Turner. The problem is that we won't have a LBer capable of even trying to cover Gonzalez. I think we run the nickel most of the day. Look for the 3-3-5 with Daniels, Elam and Berry all playing safety.

How are we prepared for it? White won't even be the biggest threat at wr for Atlanta. He as said as much himself. I don't hate Elam as a backup but people under-value Lewis.

Black Bob · 09-03-2012, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJChiefsFan

How are we prepared for it? White won't even be the biggest threat at wr for Atlanta. He as said as much himself. I don't hate Elam as a backup but people under-value Lewis.

We are built to run the ball. We control the clock and we win the game. Jones is their best WR and Routt will have some problems. However, Ryan's timing with White is what's scary. It's comparable to Manning and Harrison. White gets the ball on third down alot. Harry Douglas is no slouch either and Arenas will have his hands full. We just gotta run the ball, stop the run, and get good pressure. Ryan will probably get 300 yards but completely stopping him is not how we'll win. We just need long slow drives.

Chiefs=Champions · 09-03-2012, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackBob

Flowers misses time every year and we are prepared for it. Also, he would struggle against White if he was 100%. We would miss him in the run defense but Berry is back

The difference between Lewis and Elam isn't much. Elam tackles better.

Siler is a better tackler than DJ. He will help in stopping Micheal Turner. The problem is that we won't have a LBer capable of even trying to cover Gonzalez. I think we run the nickel most of the day. Look for the 3-3-5 with Daniels, Elam and Berry all playing safety.

xztop12 · 09-03-2012, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackBob

Flowers misses time every year and we are prepared for it. Also, he would struggle against White if he was 100%. We would miss him in the run defense but Berry is back

The difference between Lewis and Elam isn't much. Elam tackles better.

Siler is a better tackler than DJ. He will help in stopping Micheal Turner. The problem is that we won't have a LBer capable of even trying to cover Gonzalez. I think we run the nickel most of the day. Look for the 3-3-5 with Daniels, Elam and Berry all playing safety.

Flowers is one of the best man coverage corners in the NFL. One reason we ditched Carr was because Carr was weak in man and we had to play a lot of zones. With Rout we can let Flowers play man... Height isn't that important until you're past the 50

However, i do agree with your logic that even second stringers have different skillsets and are better at some things than their starters.

Saccopoo · 09-03-2012, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xztop12

Flowers is one of the best man coverage corners in the NFL. One reason we ditched Carr was because Carr was weak in man and we had to play a lot of zones. With Rout we can let Flowers play man... Height isn't that important until you're past the 50

However, i do agree with your logic that even second stringers have different skillsets and are better at some things than their starters.

Good post and spot on about Flowers and Carr. Routt is a decent man coverage guy and I've got hope about Brown. He's not a #1 CB, but he's got the same skillset as Carr when he came into the league. The potential is there.

mcaj22 · 09-03-2012, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xztop12

Flowers is one of the best man coverage corners in the NFL. One reason we ditched Carr was because Carr was weak in man and we had to play a lot of zones. With Rout we can let Flowers play man... Height isn't that important until you're past the 50

However, i do agree with your logic that even second stringers have different skillsets and are better at some things than their starters.

This is wrong. Carr is better in man. Rob Ryan plays man defense. You have it backwards.

saphojunkie · 09-03-2012, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackBob

Flowers misses time every year and we are prepared for it. Also, he would struggle against White if he was 100%. We would miss him in the run defense but Berry is back

The difference between Lewis and Elam isn't much. Elam tackles better.

Siler is a better tackler than DJ. He will help in stopping Micheal Turner. The problem is that we won't have a LBer capable of even trying to cover Gonzalez. I think we run the nickel most of the day. Look for the 3-3-5 with Daniels, Elam and Berry all playing safety.

Is outright trolling actually banable?

**BigMeatballDave** · 09-03-2012, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saphojunkie

Is outright trolling actually banable?

Obviously not.

Clay and Knowmo have several thousand posts that prove otherwise.

**the Talking Can** · 09-04-2012, 04:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackBob

Siler is a better tackler than DJ.

jesus

Hog's Gone Fishin · 09-04-2012, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

jesus is a better tackler than Dj

09-03-2012, 07:50 PM	Topic Starter
Tribal Warfare The Boom Boom Room Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $712813	Teicher: Johnson, Toribio and Lewis sit out Chiefs practice with injuries 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.”
Posts: 42,146

09-03-2012, 07:55 PM	#2
BossChief SuperBowl or bust Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: BF Iowa Casino cash: $1694088	Way to mail it in, Adam. Par for the course.
Posts: 47,152

09-03-2012, 08:00 PM	#3
Chiefs Pantalones GO CHIEFS!!!!!! Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $7888717	Flowers said you'd have to talk to the trainers. The players aren't allowed to go into specifics about their injuries. We will know more based on if they practice throughout the week. __________________ Don't be fooled by my username, I'm white.
Posts: 26,630

09-03-2012, 08:01 PM	#4
BossChief SuperBowl or bust Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: BF Iowa Casino cash: $1694088	Watch the video from the lockerroom. Flowers is gonna play.
Posts: 47,152

09-03-2012, 08:05 PM	#5
Black Bob Veteran Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Mohawk Town Casino cash: $10004900	Flowers misses time every year and we are prepared for it. Also, he would struggle against White if he was 100%. We would miss him in the run defense but Berry is back The difference between Lewis and Elam isn't much. Elam tackles better. Siler is a better tackler than DJ. He will help in stopping Micheal Turner. The problem is that we won't have a LBer capable of even trying to cover Gonzalez. I think we run the nickel most of the day. Look for the 3-3-5 with Daniels, Elam and Berry all playing safety.
Posts: 4,408