Kansas City Chiefs: NFL Odds

The Chiefs came within a blocked field goal from winning the AFC West for a second consecutive year.  Can they improve upon a disappointing 7-9 record?

 

 

There have been few teams, if any, more thoroughly decimated by injuries than the Kansas City Chiefs in 2011. The two big names to return healthy at the onset of this season's campaign is running back Jamaal Charles and quarterback Matt Cassel. I have long stated that, when injury free, Charles is the best running back in the NFL, but his knees may very well curtail his vast potential. 

Tight end Tony Moeaki will be back in uniform after suffering a torn ACL in a preseason game against the Packers. Moeaki missed the entire 2011 season, but will share tight end duties with the recently signed Kevin Boss. 

The Chiefs defense will get a huge boost with the return of the immensely talented Eric Berry, who made the Pro Bowl after his rookie season in 2010. The 5^th overall pick in that year's draft then suffered a torn ACL on September 11^th and missed the remainder of last season. Factor into the mix that the Chiefs lured massive free agent tackle Eric Winston to complement new head coach Romeo Crennel's upgraded roster.

However, the lingering issue resides with the supremely talented wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, who has spurned the team's tender offer of approximately $9 million. The team is taking a cautious approach with Bowe who has been a distraction outside of the gridiron and may be biding their time to see how 2011's top draft pick Jonathan Baldwin rounds into form.  Baldwin had his own character issues in his inaugural season when he got into a locker room fistfight with teammate Thomas Jones during the preseason. It should be interesting, Chiefs fans!

 

 

If Kansas City's 1^st round pick Dontari Poe has a few detractors, accusing him of taking plays off and not committing fully to the program, consider what Peter Schrager of Fox Sports had to say, "...Pioli and Crennel love what they got with the 11th pick in the draft and he'll be expected to make an impact right from the start. Poe still hasn't signed his contract, but has been a constant presence since being drafted in April. There's only positive things being said. I think he's going to be a stud. And I think he's going to be a stud in Year 1. This is a motivated young man."

 

The Chiefs host Matty Ice and the high flying Falcons in their 2012 regular season debut and it's a game that the Chiefs can win outright and make a statement as AFC West contenders. 

The Chiefs look like they may be the real deal this season if the infinitely talented Jamaal Charles returns to form and Matt Cassel can stay healthy enough to maintain some continuity in this offense.  The Chiefs drafted man in the middle Dontari Poe as a force to stop the run, a critical area of concern where the Chiefs ranked only 26^th last season.  As far as their passing defense, they were 6^th last season and all the tools are there to have another successful campaign in the secondary. 

While the Falcons are a talented group they don't always come out firing and I fear Matt Ryan's nickname is a bit, oh how shall we say it, misplaced to be polite.  I believe that the Chiefs can pass against this Atlanta defense and can actually win a shootout with this new and improved 2012 edition.  I say play the Chiefs +1 in Week 1.

 

 

Circle Friday, July 27, on your calendar Chiefs fans, because that's when training camp gets underwayand jobs will be won and lost. Certainly Kansas City is itching to get back in the groove with the return of Jamaal Charles from an ACL tear and several others who were sidelined due to injury. 

It will also be intriguing to see how the Chiefs 1^st round draft choice (11^th overall) Dontari Poe integrates into a defense that was without a bona fide run stopper last season. As the summer heats up, so will the tempers as this training camp ought to have plenty of spirited competition.

 

 

The Chiefs suffered through an array of injuries last season and it added up to a last place finish in the AFC West.  But during the summer months, hope springs eternal and the slate is clean as Matt Cassel is eager to get back in the saddle and lead the Chiefs to victory. 

Cassel was sidelined with a hand injury for the latter part of the season and he could only watch as the Chiefs stumbled to a 7-9 record.  Cassel appeared to be in good spirits when asked about his injury and the recovery process.

“I feel great, I’m ready to roll.  I feel like our team will come out stronger. We suffered through a lot of injuries last year to some key people but they should be coming back stronger and the coaches are very optimistic.”

Running back Jamaal Charles is also another key component coming back from an ACL tear that put him on the shelf last year as well.  Charles is one of the most gifted running backs, if not the most gifted running back, in the NFL and his long term recovery is crucial to the success of the Chiefs.  If Charles’ surgically repaired knee can sustain the punishment of an entire NFL season then Kansas City may very well have a chance to go from worst to first in the AFC West.

 

 

Matt Cassel and second year man Jonathan Baldwin appear to be clicking early on as the tandem has connected on some pristine timing patterns. Baldwin has laid out his long, rangy body to catch just about anything and everything that Cassel has thrown his way.

Baldwin is trying to redeem himself from last season when he got into a fistfight with teammate Thomas Jones and injured his wrist, sidelining him for the final two games of the preseason. He didn't make his first catch as a professional until Week 7 and didn't appear to be in sync until later on in the 2011 campaign. But this season is different with no prohibitions against OTAs and minicamp unlike last season when the lockout precluded organized activities.

Baldwin had this to say about the difference between this year and last season, “Last year, we didn’t have (an offseason program),” said Baldwin. “Being able to learn the offense and actually go out and run those routes with some coaching out there, it definitely helps a lot instead of when you just have a playbook and not being able to be coached up and you’re just going out there and running what you think that the coaches like. It’s definitely an advantage to be able to do these things and we all appreciate it a heck of a lot.”

 

 

I am sure I am not the only one to congratulate the Chiefs for breaking the shortsighted NFL mentality of avoiding anyone but Division 1-A collegiate players but the fact that Alex Tanney was not even worth a 7^th round pick by anyone is remarkable and a bit sad. 

Former Division III superman from little Monmouth College set the NCAA Division III record for passing with 14,249 yards, the NCAA record for touchdowns with 157, tossed only 30 interceptions during his college career yet nobody, except the Chiefs, thought to even invite this kid as a walk-on.

 

 

Chiefs first round draft pick in 2011 Jonathan Baldwin suffered a severe migraine on Friday afternoon and was absent from last Friday's OTA. Baldwin stated that this migraine was a first for him but that's not entirely true if you believe his Twitter account. In Week 15 of last season, Baldwin tweeted that he was suffering from "the worst migraine ever" and proceeded to miss the next day's team practice. 

 

 

The Chiefs came within a blocked field goal from winning the AFC West for a second consecutive year. Can they improve upon a disappointing 7-9 record?

Currently the Chiefs are listed at 50/1 to win the Super Bowl, with NFL odds boards also giving them 25/1 odds of winning the AFC.

Romeo's Reign

There's a new sheriff in town and his name is Romeo Crennel. Former coach Todd Haley was fired the day after his team took a 37-10 ass whoopin' by the Jets and the former Patriots defensive guru and Browns head coach was tapped to replace him. Crennel had been acting as the defensive coordinator under Haley and was a logical fit when the Chiefs needed a captain to steer the ship. Crennel went on to win two of the Chief's final three games and got the nod to lead Kansas City in 2012.

Are they better?

You would have to think that with the addition of former Browns fan favorite Peyton Hillis slamming through defensive fronts and a healthy Jamaal Charles juking defenders and gliding his way across the Arrowhead turf that Kansas City will certainly be a greater threat to score than last season.  The Chiefs are one of the few teams in the NFL relying more on old fashioned ground and pound than trying to wage war through the air. 

Hillis had a series of injuries and a sometimes tenuous relationship with Browns management last season which had some whisper that he wasn't playing through the nicks and bruises because he was unhappy that the Browns had not extended his contract. KC came calling when Cleveland did not and signed the former 7^th round pick to a one year deal to the tune of $3 million. 

Jamaal Charles may ultimately make Hillis expendable if he puts on the same kind of show as he did in 2010 when he rushed for 1467 yards and averaged an astounding 6.4 yards per carry. If Charles can recover with no ill effects from his ACL injury then the Chiefs would have a dominating rushing attack. He is currently skipping the OTA's (Organized Team Activities) but is reportedly ready to roll when training camp begins. 

The offensive line must do their part to create creases and blow holes where possible if Kansas City is to take full advantage of the impressive arsenal at their disposal. There is no doubt they understand that perfectly as evidenced by the signing of one of the best tackles in the game, Eric Winston to a multi-year deal. 

Hopefully the Chiefs tapped the right guy to shore up their defensive line when they selected Dontari Poe, defensive tackle out of Memphis, to jam the middle and stop teams from running all over the Chiefs. The Chiefs will also count heavily on Tamba Hali and the emerging Justin Houston to make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks.

Eric Berry will happily return to join his defensive brothers, Brandon Flowers and Kendrick Lewis, in the Chiefs' secondary. Though Brandon Carr bolted for Dallas the Chiefs wasted little time signing former Raider Stanford Routt. The Chiefs ranked 6^th in passing yards allowed last season and should not miss a beat with this crew.

Tight Ends in Demand

Bill Belichick of the Patriots can never have too many tight ends. It's become the latest in the never ending saga of copying what works best in the NFL. If early season reports coming out of the OTA's mean anything, then Kansas City will be employing twin tight end sets a great deal as well this season. 

Kevin Boss, formerly of the Giants and Raiders, will suit up for the Chiefs this season and Tony Moeaki will hopefully rebound from an ACL injury that shelved him for the entire 2011 campaign. Those two have gotten plenty of time together on the field and may add a new dimension to an offense geared for the run.