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Kansas City Chiefs News

Chiefs narrow coordinator search, want QB competition
February 3
Kansas City Star
 
"The resume box is still wide open at Arrowhead Stadium. Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli are looking to plug holes on their coaching and scouting staffs and emphasized Thursday the need to bring in competition for Matt Cassel at starting quarterback. Crennel has interviewed quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn and Oakland Raiders offensive coordinator Al Saunders for the vacant offensive coordinator's job and said, "I might interview another one or two" before making a decision, perhaps early next week. The new offensive coordinator also would have some say in the selection of a veteran quarterback — or quarterback taken in the draft — because Crennel and Pioli were"
Goodell: If NFL expands, it'll add two more teams
February 3
CBSSports.com
 
"It's no secret the NFL wants to expand to Los Angeles. And while so much of the attention has been focused on which franchise would relocate to L.A. -- whether it's the Chargers, Vikings, Jaguars or Rams -- we haven't discussed much the possibility of the NFL expanding. Apparently, that's an option. Commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday on Costas Live on the NBC Sports Network that if the league places a team in L.A., the NFL probably would add two more franchises to make it an even 34. Goodell said the league "doesn't want to move any of our teams" and "we probably don't want to go to 33" if the NFL decides expansion is a good choice."
Offensive line coach Bill Muir tells Chiefs he's retiring
February 2
Kansas City Star
 
"Bill Muir coached in the NFL for 30 seasons and was planning for a 31st, this one as the Chiefs' offensive line coach. The 69-year-old Muir had an abrupt change of heart this week. On Wednesday, he walked into the office of Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel and said he was retiring from the Chiefs and from football. "I feel badly because they want me to stay," said Muir, who joined the Chiefs in 2009 as offensive line coach and also served as coordinator last season. "I'm not leaving because of anything that has gone on or is going on or will go on with the Chiefs. This is a personal decision. It's very personal. I've been denying myself a lot of things over the years, but I'm at a point in"
Haley meets with Tomlin for Steelers' O.C. position
February 1
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Former Kansas City Chiefs Coach Todd Haley, an Upper St. Clair native, visited the Steelers offices today and interviewed with Coach Mike Tomlin about becoming the Steelers offensive coordinator. The Steelers official website first reported that Haley was interviewed for the job, but the Post-Gazette has also confirmed the visit."
McMahon is new special teams coach
January 31
Kansas City Star
 
"The Chiefs hired Tom McMahon as their new special teams coach, replacing Steve Hoffman, who won't be on Romeo Crennel's staff in 2012. McMahon was the special teams coordinator for the Rams the past three seasons. The Chiefs parted ways with two other assistant coaches, Richie Anderson (wide receivers) and Pat Perles (assistant offensive line)."
Report: Cassel saves woman from fire
January 28
ESPN.com
 
"Matt Cassel is a hero. KMBC-TV reported that the Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback ran to a neighbor's house to alert a woman that her house was on fire. Cassel's wife reportedly noticed smoke and flames coming from the home's chimney in the Village of Loch Lloyd, Mo., on Thursday night. Witnesses said Cassel knocked and rang the doorbell of the woman's house to get her attention and then ran around the house until he saw her come outside. The woman reportedly said she did not know her home was on fire until Cassel caught her attention. No one was hurt in the fire, but the house reportedly suffered major damage."
Crennel still exploring options for assistant coaches
January 28
Kansas City Star
 
"Some of the NFL teams that made head coaching hires in the past couple of weeks have already filled their staffs with assistants. The Chiefs, who hired Romeo Crennel on Jan. 9, are still looking for some offensive coaches, including a coordinator. Crennel said Friday he may not have his staff set until after the Feb. 5 Super Bowl. "It could be a week, it could be two weeks," Crennel said. "We're still trying to work through all of that. We're going to investigate all avenues. In the next couple of weeks, we should know the direction we're going." Former Cleveland and Miami offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has been the subject of speculation as a top candidate to join the Chiefs. The"
How much to use McCluster is a question for Chiefs
January 27
Kansas City Star
 
"Since Dexter McCluster is one of the smallest players in the NFL, the ongoing issue the Chiefs have is not just how to utilize him on offense, but also how much to play him. He was a running back last year after spending most of his rookie season as a slot receiver. The results — he finished as their second-leading rusher and third-leading receiver in 2011 — would seem to indicate McCluster is better operating out of the backfield. "The change to running back, I accepted it," he said. "I was happy to be a part of the running back group. I showed strides toward the player I'm going to be in the league." Looking at next season, what to do with McCluster and how much to do is again an issue"
Arrowhead anxiety: Turnover off the field causes concern
January 17
Kansas City Star
 
"Todd Haley walked into the public relations office at Chiefs headquarters on a Thursday in early December. Four days before he was fired as the team's coach, he wanted to talk about what life was like inside this organization. But he didn't know who else might be listening. Looking up toward the ceiling, he darted into a back hallway before hesitating. Then he turned around, going back through a door and stopping again. Haley suspected that many rooms at the team facility were bugged so that team administrators could monitor employees' conversations. Stopping finally in a conference room, Haley said he believed his personal cellphone, a line he used before being hired by the Chiefs in"
Chiefs anticipate being special on defense next season
January 16
Kansas City Star
 
"Between changing their head coach and then their quarterback late in the year, the Chiefs experienced so much drama that this little fact slipped through almost unnoticed: By season's end, the Chiefs had one of the NFL's best defensive teams. Opponents over the last six games struggled to move the ball and score points against the Chiefs. It wasn't lost on Romeo Crennel. He said recently that things worked so well at the end of the season that he would in effect continue to serve as the defensive coordinator even though he's now the head coach. Crennel also indicated he intends to retain the rest of the defensive coaching staff."
Goodell: NFL to consider some full-time officials
January 16
Chicago Tribune
 
"Aiming to ensure NFL rules are enforced the same way from game to game, the league will consider making about 10 officials full-time employees next season. As of now, all game officials are part-time employees. Responding to a question about consistency in officiating while speaking to a group of about 75 fans before Sunday's playoff game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the proposal would bring a group of officials to the league offices in New York to help review game films and evaluate the calls. They then would be spread out among the crews at games."
Now is the time for Chiefs to make bold move at QB
January 15
Kansas City Star
 columnist Sam Mellinger
"The old personnel man wants a promise you won't use his name. He will talk to you, and say exactly what he thinks, but doesn't want to be the one using a public forum like the local newspaper to tell Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli how to do his job. It's just that the man spent a few decades being paid to evaluate NFL talent and he can't look at the Chiefs without seeing what he thinks is obvious. "They need a quarterback," the man says. "Matt Cassel is fine, but look at the league now, the way things are, you need to do better than Matt Cassel. At least bring in someone to compete." This is the Chiefs' major decision now. It is real, even if the decision-makers are maintaining their"
Arrowhead anxiety: Turnover off the field causes concern
January 15
Kansas City Star
 
"Todd Haley walked into the public relations office at Chiefs headquarters on a Thursday in early December. Four days before he was fired as the team's coach, he wanted to talk about what life was like inside this organization. But he didn't know who else might be listening. Looking up toward the ceiling, he darted into a back hallway before hesitating. Then he turned around, going back through a door and stopping again. Haley suspected that many rooms at the team facility were bugged so that team administrators could monitor employees' conversations. Stopping finally in a conference room, Haley said he believed his personal cellphone, a line he used before being hired by the Chiefs in"
Crennel says he'll call Chiefs' defensive plays next season
January 13
Kansas City Star
 
"Encouraged by the Chiefs' success during the season's final three games, Romeo Crennel said he would continue to call the defenses as their head coach. "The last three games I remained the defensive coordinator and … it worked pretty (well)," Crennel said during an interview Thursday on SiriusXM NFL Radio. Crennel replaced the fired Todd Haley as interim coach for those three games but continued to serve as defensive coordinator. Over those three games, the Chiefs were second in the league in scoring and passing defense and third in total defense. Crennel also indicated he would like to retain the rest of the defensive coaching staff. The staff includes Anthony Pleasant (defensive line),"
What to do about the Chiefs free agents
January 12
Kansas City Star
 
"In my previous post I told you the 22 Chiefs players who could soon become free agents. Now, as promised, here's what the Chiefs should do about that. Keepers (6): RB Jackie Battle, LB Jovan Belcher, WR Dwayne Bowe, CB Brandon Carr, S Jon McGraw, QB Kyle Orton. Battle isn't an every-down back, but he's useful as a special teams player and spare back. He could fill the backup spot behind Jamaal Charles and Dexter McCluster if the Chiefs can't find another back to do it. Belcher doesn't get much attention because he plays next to Derrick Johnson, but he's become a solid player against the run. Bowe and Carr are no-brainers. By the way, if I have to choose, I'll make Bowe the franchise"
Cassel never felt 'entitled' to be Chiefs' starter
January 12
Kansas City Star
 
"Since making the trade with New England for Matt Cassel three years ago, the Chiefs committed to him in a way that teams do for a franchise quarterback. They rewarded Cassel with a long-term contract before he'd ever taken a snap in Kansas City. They haven't brought in a serious threat to take his job. Cassel said through it all, he never believed he was entitled to be the starter. He also indicated he would be willing to compete for the job if that's what the Chiefs ask him to do. "There's competition every year,'' said Cassel, who will turn 30 in May. "If you play this position, there's always competition. You're competing against yourself, you're competing against somebody else. Whoever"
Perhaps Romeo Crennel has found an NFL team to match his own character
January 12
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 columnist Bill Livingston
"Romeo Crennel's Kansas City Chiefs gave the Green Bay Packers their only defeat this season with Kyle Orton at quarterback. Which seems impressive only if you don't remember that Crennel won 10 games with the Browns with Derek Anderson at quarterback in 2007. That was the highlight of Crennel's four seasons here. Maybe the Packers game will be the same for him in Kansas City, where he is now the head coach. But I hope not. Crennel had a 2-1 record as the interim coach with the Chiefs after replacing Todd Haley. Even with the brief lift in passion a coaching change usually creates, interim coaches typically make no mark because their players see them as lame ducks. Instead, Crennel's Chiefs"
Crennel good for Chiefs — if Pioli changes his ways
January 11
Kansas City Star
 columnist Sam Mellinger
"Romeo Crennel is the right fit. This is the right man at the right time, as much as that can be said at the moment, but the more important reaction to his being announced as the Chiefs' permanent head coach can be summarized in one word: Enough. As in, enough with the former Patriots. Enough getting the band back together. Three years after taking over, general manager Scott Pioli has made this organization a fuzzy copy of what he saw in New England, and the only reason it's still floating along with potential is that he's signed the most talented players he inherited. Pioli is a smart football man, and in the most important ways, the narrative about him being a wild egomaniac is"
Chiefs turn to Crennel's experience
January 11
Kansas City Star
 
"The lasting image that Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli has of Romeo Crennel is from a photograph taken in the mid-1970s. Crennel, then an assistant coach at Texas Tech, wore a bushy mustache and a big smile while he posed with the young daughter of colleague Bill Parcells. "It's quite the image," Pioli said. Decades later, Pioli is married to Parcells' daughter, Dallas, and is staking his reputation on the man with the mustache. The times have changed, and Crennel isn't the young and inexperienced coach he was in the photograph. He has learned from good times and bad, and Pioli announced Monday that he trusts that Crennel has learned enough to be the face — now with only a cropped"
Red Zone | Which free agents should the Chiefs keep?
January 11
Kansas City Star
 
"In case you missed this the midst of the Romeo Crennel coverage, what follows is a list of potential Chiefs free agents plus the contract status of all their other players. As of this writing, the Chiefs have 68 players on their roster. Took a look at the possible free agents and tell me which ones you think the Chiefs need to retain and which ones they need to send on their way. I'll be posting my own thoughts on that subject later today."
Chiefs have work to do on player contracts
January 9
Kansas City Star
 
"Hiring a head coach is only the first big choice the Chiefs will make in the next few weeks. Then come the decisions on whether to re-sign the 22 players who don't have contracts for the 2012 season. Some are frontline players such as wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, the Chiefs' leading pass catcher for the last three seasons, and cornerback Brandon Carr. Others are less crucial but still useful players such as linebacker Jovan Belcher, safety Jon McGraw and pass rusher Wallace Gilberry. Then there's quarterback Kyle Orton, who led the Chiefs to two victories in his three starts at the end of the season. "The team will get together and determine free agents that are on the list and prioritize"
It’s official: Crennel is Chiefs’ new coach
January 9
Kansas City Star
 
"The worst kept secret in Kansas City is now official: Romeo Crennel is officially the new head coach of the Chiefs. “We are very excited to name Romeo the new head coach of the Chiefs,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement Monday morning. “In 30 years as a coach in the National Football League, Romeo has established an outstanding track record of success, and we believe his experience and proven ability make him the best person to help us reach our goal of consistently competing for championships.” The 64-year-old Crennel seemed the obvious candidate from the time the Chiefs fired Todd Haley and made Crennel interim head coach. He won two of his three games as the interim coach"
Shields, Roaf on final ballot for Pro Football Hall of Fame
January 8
Kansas City Star
 
"Former Chiefs guard Will Shields has been inducted into one Hall of Fame already this winter, the College Football Hall of Fame. Now, he has a chance at another. Shields and offensive tackle Willie Roaf, two pillars in one of the game's most productive offensive lines with the Chiefs, are among 15 modern-era finalists for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The finalists will be joined on the ballot by two senior candidates — cornerback Jack Butler and guard Dick Stanfel — when the 44-person committee votes on Feb. 4, the day before the Super Bowl in Indianapolis. Between four and seven candidates will be elected and then inducted in August as members of the Hall's 50th class."
Chiefs poised to make Crennel their next head coach
January 8
Kansas City Star
 
"From the moment the Chiefs fired Todd Haley, Romeo Crennel appeared destined to become their next head coach. His first move as interim coach was a forceful one, benching struggling quarterback Tyler Palko in favor of Kyle Orton, and that one little switch pulled any and all momentum squarely behind Crennel. By the time his first week was finished, the Chiefs had beaten the previously undefeated Packers and Crennel had a locker room full of players on his side. Perhaps general manager Scott Pioli as well. The Chiefs interviewed other candidates seemingly only to verify their initial thought — that the 64-year-old Crennel was the right man for the job."
Chiefs nearing decision on making Romeo Crennel their next head coach
January 7
Kansas City Star
 
"After a week of research and interviews, the Chiefs seem to be a step closer to elevating Romeo Crennel to permanent head coach. ESPN reported Saturday that the Chiefs expect to retain Crennel, who went 2-1 as interim coach, in the permanent role next season. Crennel was the favorite, and it appeared after the Chiefs’ victory last Sunday against Denver, that general manager Scott Pioli had made up his mind. Crennel was the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator before stepping into the interim head-coaching role after Todd Haley was fired in early December. Crennel said repeatedly that he was interested in the full-time job. His chances soared after a home victory against the previously unbeaten"
Del Rio joins Chiefs' list
January 7
Kansas City Star
 
"After the Chiefs interviewed Jack Del Rio, the field of known candidates to become their next head coach expanded to three. It also became evident a couple of the presumed favorites when Todd Haley was fired last month aren't on that list. •Former Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher indicated he would soon choose between offers from Miami and St. Louis. •The Chiefs have yet to request permission to speak with St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. He could be headed back to New England as an assistant coach. Del Rio's name surfaced earlier in the week as someone the Chiefs might like to speak with. Unlike Green Bay offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, who interviewed earlier in the"
Report: Pats approach Rams about McDaniels
January 6
CSN New England
 
"Meet the new offensive coordinator, same as the old offensive coordinator? Maybe. Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch quotes a "well-placed league source" in reporting the Patriots are one of two teams -- Scott Pioli's Chiefs, to no one's surprise, is the other -- to approach the Rams about permission to speak to Josh McDaniels. McDaniels was the Pats' offensive coordinator from 2006-08 (though it's assumed he was also the de-facto O.C. in 2005, the year after Charlie Weis left the post) before taking over as head coach of the Denver Broncos in 2009. He was fired by the Broncos late in the 2010 season and spent this past year as offensive coordinator for the Rams."
Sources: Cardinals expected to talk with Todd Haley
January 6
Arizona Republic
 
"Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt is expected to talk to former Chiefs coach Todd Haley about a position on the Cardinals coaching staff, according to NFL sources. Haley, the Cardinals offensive coordinator from 2007 through 2009, was fired by the Chiefs in December when the Chiefs had a 5-8 record. Haley was 19-27 as a head coach and his Chiefs team won the AFC West title in 2010. Haley and Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt have been friends for years, and Haley was offensive coordinator in 2008 and 2009 when the Cardinals won consecutive NFC West titles. It's unknown what title Haley would have should he return to the Cardinals, but he likely would be placed in charge of the offense again. The"
Chiefs reportedly interview the Packers' Joe Philbin
January 5
Kansas City Star
 
"Perhaps interim head coach Romeo Crennel isn't such a slam dunk for the Chiefs' permanent job after all. Multiple reports on Wednesday had Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin interviewing in Kansas City on Wednesday night for the Chiefs' head coaching position. Philbin, 50, boasts some impressive credentials. The Packers have been in the top 10 in both scoring and yardage in each of his five seasons as their coordinator. Time, though, is not on Philbin's side. According to the NFL's anti-tampering rules, the Chiefs cannot hire Philbin or any other coach who is working for another team until that team's season is finished."
Chiefs shift six players from taxi squad to offseason roster
January 4
Kansas City Star
 
"The Chiefs on Tuesday added six players to their offseason roster who were on their practice squad at season's end: fullback Shane Bannon, wide receiver Jamar Newsome, offensive lineman Rob Bruggeman, defensive linemen Anthony Toribio and Lucas Patterson, and linebacker Caleb Campbell. Bannon was the Chiefs' seventh-round draft pick last season. Toribio played in five games for the Chiefs in 2010. Campbell (Detroit), Bruggeman (Atlanta) and Newsome (Jacksonville) received brief playing time for other teams before joining the Chiefs. Patterson went to camp with the Chiefs last year as a rookie free agent."
Hiring an NFL coach can be a perverse exercise
January 4
Kansas City Star
 
"Romeo Crennel appears to be the right guy at the right time to be promoted as head coach of the Chiefs. But here's a sobering detail for all those around Kansas City and inside the Chiefs' locker room who are pulling for Crennel to get the job: Promoting assistant coaches from within to the head-coaching job seldom works. Since the NFL merger in 1970, 61 assistant coaches have been promoted to head coach and only five — 8 percent — led their teams to Super Bowl victories. Those five former assistants were the Baltimore Colts' Don McCafferty (1970), the Raiders' John Madden (1976) and Tom Flores (1980, '83), the Giants' Bill Parcells (1986, '90) and the 49ers' George Seifert (1989, '94)."
Crennel has to wait to see if Chiefs' job is permanent
January 3
Kansas City Star
 
"Romeo Crennel's schedule on the day after the season ended was filled with housekeeping duties. He worked on player evaluations and advised departing players on how to handle their conditioning over the next couple of months. Those sound like the actions of someone planning to be around for the long haul. "Not necessarily," Crennel, the Chiefs' interim head coach, said Monday after the team finished its season with a 7-3 win Sunday at Denver. "I tell the players that anyway. When I was a position coach, I told my players that. As a coordinator, I talked to my players about that. All of those players have to deal with those issues I talked about. I want the best for all of them, whether I'm"
Chiefs Johnson, Houston receive honors
January 3
Kansas City Star
 
"The Chiefs voted linebacker Derrick Johnson as the winner of the Derrick Thomas Award, given to the team's most valuable player. Linebacker Justin Houston is the winner of the Mack Lee Hill Award as the top rookie. Johnson set a single-season Chiefs record for tackles with 179 and was selected to play in his first Pro Bowl. "The players vote on it, and whenever you have the respect of the players, that's all you need," said Johnson, who was informed of the award during a team meeting Monday. "People were clapping. People knew they had voted for me, so they were looking at me like I was going to win it. I was looking at Tamba (Hali).""
Moeaki, Berry, Charles progressing nicely
January 3
Kansas City Star
 
"The Chiefs played all season without tight end Tony Moeaki and almost all of it without safety Eric Berry and running back Jamaal Charles. Each tore ligaments in his knee and had the resulting surgery. Coach Romeo Crennel said the timetables for each of the players was encouraging. ''They are all making good progress,'' Crennel said. ''They are all rehabbing. I've been told they're on schedule as far as their rehab goes. Whether that's football-ready or not, I can't say that right now.''"
Dwayne Bowe has possible concussion
January 2
Kansas City Star
 
"Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe left the game for good late in the first half after catching a 19-yard pass. The Chiefs said during the game he had a neck injury, but it turns out he has a possible concussion. "He came back on the sideline, but they wouldn't let him go back into the game," coach Romeo Crennel said. "He wanted to come back, but he got hit in the head, and in the NFL we are more cautious about those kinds of things." Going against a longtime nemesis, Denver cornerback Champ Bailey, Bowe was on the way to one of his best games of the season. He had six catches for 93 yards. The passing game suffered without him. The Chiefs had just 52 passing yards in the second half."
Crennel wants Chiefs' head-coaching job but won't push for it
January 2
Kansas City Star
 
"Romeo Crennel isn't the politicking type. He doesn't grandstand or make lofty promises. But there was a hint Sunday evening that a message was being sent to the men who will decide Crennel's future — as well as that of the Chiefs."What, I'm 2-1 in the three games we've played?" Crennel said after Sunday's 7-3 win over the Denver Broncos. "From a percentage standpoint, that's not terrible."That's as brash as it gets for Crennel, the 64-year-old interim head coach. He reiterated Sunday that he still wants the job permanently, though he didn't make a grand verbal push for it. Instead, the best evidence came in wins against Green Bay and Denver, and a locker room full of players who want"
Chiefs need to make fixes, but not at head coach
January 2
Kansas City Star
 
"They are chanting his name in the locker room, over and over and over, the second time in three weeks they've busted out in beautiful, spontaneous, united success for the man they overwhelmingly want to coach them next year.RAC! … RAC! … RAC! …Those Chiefs players will almost certainly get their wish, and very soon, as general manager Scott Pioli is expected to make interim coach Romeo Crennel the permanent leader of a roster already dedicated to him.Crennel deserves it. He's earned it, removing the most reasonable doubts by beating the Broncos 7-3 here on Sunday. That's wins over two playoff teams in three games for a man who embodies most of the characteristics the organization wants to"
Orton's future unclear after Chiefs beat Broncos
January 2
Kansas City Star
 
"Kyle Orton was something less than definitive about his future with the Chiefs after their season ended with Sunday's 7-3 win over the Broncos. But he sounded like a guy who has played his last game with the Chiefs. "It was a long year for me," said Orton, a veteran quarterback who began the season as Denver's starter, was benched and eventually released and then claimed by the Chiefs after they lost Matt Cassel for the season because of a hand injury. "I thank the Chiefs for giving me an opportunity to get a fresh start. I really enjoyed playing with those guys in the locker room. I think they've got a solid group of character guys. I appreciate them letting me come in and be a part of"
Kyle Orton enjoys defeating the Broncos
January 2
Denver Post
 
"The look on Kyle Orton?'s face as he ran down the ramp from the field to the Kansas City Chiefs?' locker room at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Sunday said it all. Even though the quarterback said facing his former team was nothing special, the smile on his face made you think his team, not the Broncos, won a division championship. "This wasn't the biggest win of my career," Orton said. " It was a good win for us as a team. It was a great way to end the year and move into next year." Orton had an OK day, completing 15-of-29 passes for 180 yards with no interceptions. That was enough to win on a day when the Broncos' offense was inept. "It was a fun game," Orton said. "I thought it"
Broncos, Tebow lose to Chiefs, Orton; but Denver wins AFC West title
January 2
Denver Post
 
"This was a celebration without cheers. A party without music. Or food or drink. Or fun. The Broncos have a team meeting at 9 a.m. today at their headquarters. Maybe spirits will improve by then. For the first time in six years, the Broncos are going to the playoffs as AFC West champions. They won despite losing. In a game the Broncos thought sure they had to win, they lost to former Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton? and the Kansas City Chiefs? 7-3 on Sunday before a crowd of fans with mixed feelings at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Yippee-ay-yawn. Will the Broncos vote Orton a playoff share? "I don't want it," Orton said, smiling as he walked toward the Chiefs' team bus. "If they give"
The two-stoplight town where Scott Pioli grew up is a cradle of achievement
January 1
Kansas City Star
 columnist Sam Mellinger
"Scott Pioli isn't here to show you around. He's back in Kansas City, working, but that's no problem. He called some friends to help. Friends are never far here, ordinary friends and famous ones. They walk Main Street, past Martelli's Soccer Shop or down Highway 94 to Weir's Ice Cream, landmarks of a place you've never heard of that's home to some of the country's most successful people — world business leaders, Hollywood moguls, World Series champions, soccer pioneers and even a Victoria's Secret model. This place doesn't look like much. Two stoplights. A library with gorgeous stained glass windows. A few banks, lots of churches, lots of bars. Three chains (Subway, Dunkin Donuts, AutoZone)"
Breaking down the Chiefs' future, position by position
January 1
Kansas City Star
 
"Chiefs offensive coordinator Bill Muir eased himself into a chair after his team's final practice of 2011. A season like this will take it out of you, stealing your energy and stacking pressure on your attitude. "The two words that come to mind are 'disappointment' and 'frustration,' " Muir said of this season, which ends today in Denver. "… I'll look at it during the offseason, and there'll be a lot of introspection, but you just don't shake off a season very easily that you had such high expectations for." Other than pride, the Chiefs don't have much to play for today. Players and coaches have insisted that they're not looking toward the future, but even though it's the final day of the"
Kicker Ryan Succop signs five-year extension with Chiefs
December 31
Kansas City Star
 
"Kicker Ryan Succop signed a five-year contract extension with the Chiefs that could pay him as much as $14.1 million.Until last week's game against the Raiders, when he had two field-goal attempts blocked in an overtime loss, Succop was having the best season of his three-year NFL career. He has made 24 of 29 field-goal attempts and at one point tied a club record by making 22 straight. Succop made 25 of 29 attempts as a rookie in 2009.His new contract is for slightly less than two of the league's top kickers who signed contracts earlier this year. In January, Baltimore's Billy Cundiff signed for five years and $15 million. In July, Green Bay's Mason Crosby signed for five years and $14.74"
Jones is finishing strong
December 31
Kansas City Star
 
"The numbers weren't astounding for Chiefs running back Thomas Jones, but offensive coordinator Bill Muir said Friday that he saw improvement from Jones as the season drew to a close. This seemed to contradict the notion that Jones, 33, is out of steam, both this season and perhaps in his career. Jones averaged nearly 4 yards per carry the past two weeks, nearly a full yard more than his season average of 3.2. "Like Ponce de Leon, he's found the Fountain of Youth. He works his butt off, and he has taken care of himself," Muir said.The Chiefs will need a productive game from him Sunday because running back Jackie Battle is out because of a foot injury."
Inability to score in red zone still flummoxes Chiefs
December 31
Kansas City Star
 
"Through something less than intense film study, Romeo Crennel found a theme to the Chiefs' offense when inside the opponents' 20-yard line."The fact we haven't scored," said Crennel, the Chiefs' interim head coach, "that's the common thread." Wasted chances in the scoring zone have been a season-long problem for the Chiefs. They've found the end zone just 12 times in their 36 trips, and that 33.3 percentage is worst in the league.It's the biggest reason the Chiefs are next to last in the NFL in scoring and why, at 6-9, they're playing for nothing but pride in Sunday's season finale against the Broncos in Denver.The problem is even worse in their two games with Kyle Orton at quarterback."
Wiegmann will add to prodigious streak
December 30
Kansas City Star
 
"Sunday's game in Denver may mark the end of the Casey Wiegmann era.Wiegmann, the Chiefs' center, will make his 175th straight start when the team faces the Broncos, and he will add to streak of consecutive snaps that is at 11,102. Both are the longest active streaks among NFL offensive linemen, dating to 2001.Nobody knows whether Wiegmann's consecutive snaps streak is a record; the league does not track such things.His streak of consecutive snaps started Sept. 23, 2001, against the Giants, the first game the Chiefs played after the attacks of Sept. 11"He's one of those guys who comes to work, does his job," said Chiefs running back Thomas Jones. "You know what you're going to get from"
Derrick Johnson's Pro Bowl selection marks turnaround
December 30
Kansas City Star
 
"T wo years ago, Derrick Johnson was confused. Here he stood, at his locker at the end of his fifth NFL season, and talked about where his career might go — because with the Chiefs, it seemed to be going nowhere."I haven't lost trust yet," he said in December 2009. "But it's possible."At the time, Johnson was a mostly disappointing former first-round pick who had been shuffled among several linebacker positions, primarily in an attempt to jump-start his vast potential. In 2009, Johnson had been shuffled right out of the lineup. Two years later, a challenge accepted and conquered, Johnson is now one of the Chiefs' best — and, more important, most reliable — defenders and this week was"
Injury to Battle could force Chiefs into a pass-heavy attack against Broncos
December 30
Denver Post
 
"As you would expect 17 weeks into an NFL regular season, injuries will play as big a role as anything else Sunday when the Broncos try to earn their first playoff spot since 2005. While the Chiefs and the Broncos may be relatively healthy overall — "healthy" always being a relative term in football — they do have some key players hurting that will impact how the game is played. The Chiefs are expected to be without running back Jackie Battle?, who has not practiced because of a foot injury. Battle, who was forced into a more prominent role when Jamaal Charles? went on injured reserve back in September, is the Chiefs' leading rusher with 597 yards. With Battle out, that will move the"
Bailey: Orton's work on scout team big asset
December 30
Denver Post
 
"Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey? offered a different take on his team's defense facing Chiefs quarterback Kyle Orton? on Sunday. Namely, it's not that Orton was the Broncos' starter earlier this season that gives him some quality intel on Denver's defense, but that Orton was the team's scout-team quarterback when Tim Tebow? moved into the starting job. The scout-team quarterback runs the opponents' offense against the starting defense in practice. "It's more scripted for him (in that role), but what he sees from us is what we do on Sunday," Bailey said. "I think he has more of an edge on that than anybody, and for us to say we've got an edge on anything he did on scout team is silly. "From"