Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 9/3

by NJ Chiefs Fan on Sep 3, 2010 6:20 AM CDT

Good morning! We have a good amount of Kansas City Chiefs news for you today. As we head into the long weekend, there will be a lot of roster cuts happening across the league. Be sure to check with Arrowhead Pride for updates on any moves that have an impact on the Chiefs, or follow us on Twitter @ArrowheadPride. Enjoy!

"Meaningless to me," coach Todd Haley said afterward, adding that he was turning his attention toward games that count.

But these four games have, if nothing else, been about self-education for the Chiefs. Kansas City learned what it’ll be, for better or worse, in 2010. They now know what they have, and that includes some strengths and plenty of promise, but there remains a worry that a most important position could be inconsistent.

Here’s what Kansas City learned the last four weeks:

Chiefs learn more about themselves in 17-13 win over Green Bay from KC Star

We don’t know exactly what Cassel is, especially after an uninspiring preseason ended with an uninspired four completions in nine attempts with a touchdown and interception against a watered down Packers defense on Thursday.

"I think I made great strides," Cassel said. "I was happy to stay healthy throughout the preseason. I feel like throughout the preseason I had great command of the offense and understood what I wanted to do with the ball."

Doubt begins to define Cassel from KC Star

KC Star Photo Gallery: Chiefs beat Packers 17-13 in final preseason contest

Cassel got off to his typically slow start, but wound up hitting 4 of 9 throws for 58 yards, with one interception and a 2-yard TD pass to a wide-open Leonard Pope late in the first quarter. The drive, against many backups, covered 62 yards on 11 plays.

Cassel turned a 7-0 lead over to Croyle and the oft-injured backup engineered an 8-play, 95-yard march in which Jackie Battle broke Jarrett Bush's tackle and went 49 yards On fourth down, Battle plowed across from the 1, making it 14-0.

Chiefs finally get preseason win, 17-13 from The Associated Press

If the Chargers don't win the AFC West, coach Norv Turner might be facing a firing squad. That's how much of a favorite they will be this season.

The Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs might all be improving, but they aren't in the same class with the Chargers. It's hard to imagine San Diego not winning this division, barring an injury that knocked out quarterback Philip Rivers.

AFC West preview: Chargers' route wide open from CBS Sports

As I checked out each player’s locker, David Maxon led his 7-8 year-old Blue Springs Storm football team through the hallowed hall.

You could tell he was the coach because he had a whistle around his neck and the respect of his young charges.

"I’m a longtime Chiefs fan," Maxon said, "and this is a pretty neat part of the stadium."

While the players were too young to remember players like Dawson, Taylor, Mays and Buchanan, they got pretty fired up when they came upon the Super Bowl IV championship trophy.

Arrowhead additions get ‘thumbs up’ from Chiefs fans of all ages from The Examiner

Preseason bio: After Kansas City's bitter, humiliating 35-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I -- a game that reinforced the widespread belief that the AFL was inferior to the NFL -- the Chiefs were looking for payback. They found an opportune target in George Halas and his Chicago Bears. Up 60-24 in the fourth quarter with the ball on the goal line and the clock running down, the Chiefs didn't take a knee -- they called timeout, then scored again when quarterback Pete Beathard tauntingly walked a naked bootleg play into the end zone. Who doesn't like a little good ol' fashioned, gratuitous, by-proxy score settling?

NFL Preseason Hall of Fame, Part 2 from ESPN

Lokey, listed as the backup nose tackle to Ron Edwards, is not a frustrated fullback pining to carry the ball. But he likes the role as a two-way player.

"I’ll block all day," said Lokey, who also played most of the second quarter and some of the fourth quarter on defense. "I enjoy blocking for other guys just as much as I would enjoy scoring touchdowns. This is definitely something I can do, learning the plays they want me to play on offense and keeping up with my defensive stuff.

"It’s something I had practice with doing it at Texas for three or four years. I try to make sure I know what I’m doing, and if I don’t know exactly who to block, I’ll go block somebody."

Free agent Lokey makes his case for roster spot from KC Star

What we learned

That the Chiefs starters can take a long time to subdue a team full of Green Bay reserves. The Chiefs should have had a comfortable lead by the time their starters were finished in the second quarter. It was only 7-0, and Green Bay barely missed a chance to tie at one point when a receiver caught a fourth-down pass just out of bounds.

The blitz | Chiefs vs. Packers from KC Star

The talk has been all about Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles, but neither of the Chiefs’ two main running backs wound up leading the team in rushing in the preseason.

That honor instead went to Jackie Battle. He clinched the title with 67 yards in Thursday night’s 17-13 victory over Green Bay at Arrowhead Stadium.

Battle surprisingly the Chiefs’ preseason rushing leader from KC Star

IN ATTENDANCE: The press box included scouts from the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A Fiesta Bowl representative was also on hand, as was Sports Illustrated.

Utah Utes football: Home-and-home with Pitt worked out for Utes from The Deseret News

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Comments

Lokey as FB

Funny! He didn’t block anyone last night when he was FB. He just ran through the line like he was running for the TD. Then, he turned and watch everyone swarm on Battle…

I hope Jackie Battle won himself a roster spot last night. He sure looked like our #3.5 RB. Can’t really call him #3, since I think DMc has that…

by Chief_Elmo on Sep 3, 2010 7:34 AM CDT reply actions

Was going to say the same thing

If you can sack groceries, you can sack a QB... right?
The kool-aid is now Berry flavored.

by IISaiNtII on Sep 3, 2010 9:43 AM CDT up reply actions

I was there so I didn't see a closeup of Lokey

But didn’t he throw a good block at FB on the pass to Pope?

Chiefs Will

by Chiefsdad on Sep 3, 2010 8:14 AM CDT reply actions

Cassel's INT

It looked like it went right through the receiver’s hands from the camera angle on TV. I know Cassel hasn’t been great, but I don’t think that INT was his fault so much as the receiver’s.

by GonzosDirtyTrailer on Sep 3, 2010 9:20 AM CDT reply actions

Yep

Trent Green was talking about that — looked like Bowe turned the wrong way on the pass. Cassel thought he was going to hook in & he hooked out. Cassel had to throw the ball early, so I wouldn’t put much fault in that one…

Those should become few and far between as Cassel and Bowe build up trust…

by Chief_Elmo on Sep 3, 2010 11:22 AM CDT up reply actions

It was a perfect pass, to exactly where d-Bowe was supposed to be. But he fell.

As a matter of fact, Cassel was dead on target with all his passes last night. The passes to Urban were right there. The pass in the end zone to Bowe was right there, AND on that pass he showed something he rarely does, excellent pocket presence and accuracy on the run.
It was the best Cassel’s looked, although the stats won’t back that up.

by dablueguy on Sep 3, 2010 2:57 PM CDT up reply actions

Cassel's slow start was because of Urban's two consecutive drops.

And if Bowe hadn’t hesitated in his route, there’d have been no interception on what was a well thrown ball. Cassel should have ended the night at least 7-9 for 100+ yards.

by Dagda on Sep 3, 2010 10:25 AM CDT reply actions

Yup...

not as concerned for Cassel as I was last year. He’s showed vast improvement over where he was this time last year, he has a better supporting cast (coaches and players), and he has taken ownership of his offense. I expect good things this season, starting with the Dolts at TerrorHead…

2010 Chiefs are on the rise. This is the most excited I've been since 'Nam...

by kcchiefsfan72 on Sep 3, 2010 11:05 AM CDT up reply actions

I think it's refreshing that the team is improved enough for so many to be bitching about Cassel.

I agree with kcchiefsan72’s “ownership of his offense” remark (emphasis added).

Only thing I’m concerned about with this team, really, is how sharp they are going to be outta the gate. I think they have a lot more staying power and look like they’re going to put the clamps on their opponents as games wear on. In the past few years, the Chiefs might, on a good day, get some early breaks and have a chance to win, only to inexorably LOSE, as the opposition’s superiority exerted itself over the entire 60 minutes.

Now I get the sense that the longer the offense is on the field, the tougher and tougher they will be for the opposition to stop. And on the opposite side of the ball, I also see how the defense has enough talent to make it tougher and tougher for the opposition to put anything together, the farther into the game they get. And, despite all the talk about lack of depth, it looks to me like they actually have a pretty good rotation, and some really good options within that rotation – more than they’ve had for over a decade, where Carl was trying to win with starters, and we all prayed everyone would stay healthy.

"I ain't lyin' 'bout nothin'."
"Oh? So what exactly are you lying about?"

by hmills110 on Sep 3, 2010 10:30 PM CDT reply actions

If there's one thing Cassel hasn't been, it's arrogant. When he says...

“I think I made great strides,” Cassel said. “I was happy to stay healthy throughout the preseason. I feel like throughout the preseason I had great command of the offense and understood what I wanted to do with the ball.”

… he means it. And it ain’t just blowin’ smoke.

This is the same guy who was the hottest QB commodity when signed – the same guy who showed in NE he could get things done with his feet in a crisis AND throw a pretty good ball. He’s still that same guy, only he knows the offense front and back, and he has far better supporting cast than at this point last year.

This is looking to be the most fun season I’ve had as a KC fan since Martyball. I really hope I don’t see this outfit make the same mistakes, year in and year out, but learn from their mistakes, which Peterson’s outfit did. (Still a big Vermeil fan, though.)

"I ain't lyin' 'bout nothin'."
"Oh? So what exactly are you lying about?"

by hmills110 on Sep 3, 2010 10:44 PM CDT reply actions