Rushing Offense

When I've begun examining the Kansas City Chiefs' opponents this year, I've instinctively gone directly to the rushing stats. With the Chiefs getting torched on the ground, for the most part, every week, I'm always curious to know who's going to be a fantasy star from week to week.

The Miami Dolphins rushing attack, led by Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, is ranked 12th in the league, averaging 114.5 yards a game. Those two have almost evenly split carries over this season, with Brown getting 195 touches on the ground and Williams 138.

The Dolphins are playing under the auspice of the "Wildcat" offense. Here's a bit of info on it:

The wildcat offense, (or wildcat formation) a variation on the single-wing formation, is an offensive American football scheme that has been used at every level of the game including the NFL, CFL, NCAA, NAIA, and many high schools across America. The general scheme can be instituted into many different offensive systems, but the distinguishing factor is a direct snap to the running back.

It was this formation that allowed Ronnie Brown to rack up four rushing touchdowns and one passing TD in the Dolphins' season opener against the Patriots.

Stopping the rush is crucial against the Dolphins because a lot of Chad Pennington's success is derived from their ability to sell the fake.  The Dolphins figure to get plenty of momentum on the ground while playing in a windy, cold and possibly snowy Arrowhead stadium.

• D Bowe lets us know he's ready for Miami in the above video from Yardbarker. Only Bowe can give himself two ridiculous nicknames - The Show and Mr. Awesome. H/T AA


• The Phinsider fills us in on what to watch for from a Dolphins perspective tomorrow. With Ronnie Brown sitting out, Ricky Williams at the top of the RB depth chart and former Kansas City Chief Boomer Grigsby starting at fullback, the first few quarters of this game should be interesting.


• What is the one thing Larry Johnson would not give up for a Super Bowl ring? Papa Johns.


• If you want to get caught up with your Dolphins news so you can sound extra smart this Saturday while watching the game, Dolphins in Depth is a good place to start.


• We'll be exchanging questions with The Phinsider later today, so make sure you get yours in as soon as possible.


• Here's a good article from Clark Judge about Gene Upshaw's legacy and what his eventual successor should take from it.


• Former Chief kicker Lawrence Tynes is undergoing knee surgery.

Remember that tomorrow's game is at 6:30 PM Central time, which is a bit earlier than you may have expected. Or at least earlier than I expected. We'll be rounding up the latest news today as well as getting our questions together for The Phinsider. Matt does a heckuva job over there and his work is definitely worth a look. Heck of a community over there too.

Jump down a few posts after this one and make sure you read Direckshun's latest. I've read it through three times now and can't help but crack a smile each time.

Oh, I finally signed up for Facebook yesterday afternoon. I'm already scared of the time wasting possibilities of it. I also feel bad for some of my friends who have obviously spent a lot of time on their profiles. But then again, I'm sure they feel bad for me when they see how much time I've spent on AP.

I'm so glad I finally have an accurate count of who my friends are.

2008 will mark the third NFL season since Kansas City Chiefs linebacker E.J. Kuale left LSU for the NFL. He's found little success in the big leagues, spending the entire 2006 season on the New Orleans Saints practice squad.

Before coming to the NFL, Kuale spent one year at Georgia Tech and one year at Dodge City Community College (we've discussed DCCC before) before making his way to Baton Rouge, LA.

I enjoyed this quote by Kuale in September 2004 before LSU played Auburn - "We do have to stop Cadillac and Ronnie Brown, but I don't think it's gonna be a problem." The previous week, the running back pair gained 122 and 147 yards respectively. Against LSU, Williams and Brown would combine for 142 yards in a one point Auburn win. Kuale registered one tackle.

Kuale was suspended for an early October 2004 game against Florida after his reported role in an off-campus fight.

For his career, Kuale played sparingly, only starting in three games and playing in eighteen. He finished his time at LSU with thirty-six tackles, six tackles for loss and four sacks.

After a rather forgettable college career and a season on the practice squad in New Orleans, what does E.J. Kuale do?

Gets arrested in March of 2007 for possession of marijuana and possession of a firearm with drugs. Needless to say, the Saints didn't waste much time releasing Kuale, who ended up sitting out the 2007 NFL season.

So, what does Herm Edwards want with a underwhelming linebacker who missed an entire season because he was arrested and the negatives that came with that outweighed his value as a player?

I'm not sure. The coaching staff certainly does not have long term plans for Kuale. They've seen little of him in the NFL and he hasn't played a game in three seasons. The answer is probably that Herm is just piling these players in this year. Kuale is one of eleven linebackers currently on the roster. And don't forget that the Chiefs just recently added two more cornerbacks. Herm is bringing anyone and everyone to training camp and they'll probably be there until late August when the roster deadlines come around.

One point that makes E.J Kuale's presence on this team interesting is that by today's NFL standards, Kuale's past actions earn him the label "at risk". Herm Edwards doesn't typically take chances on players like that, especially undrafted free agents who have been out of football. Jared Allen was the last "at risk" player the Chiefs had and by all accounts, Herm and Allen got along well. Herm does have a soft spot in there for younger players.

Alright all of you Western Kansas readers. My site statistics tells me you're out there. Tell us about the most famous DCCC player I've ever heard of. Okay, I just looked up DCCC. Former Buffalo Bill Steve Tasker went there and 1972 NFL MVP running back Larry Brown did as well. Not too shabby actually.