via KansasCity.com
Happy December! Here's your Chiefs roundup from across the internet.
Haley, in his first season with the Chiefs, is serving as the offensive coordinator after firing Chan Gailey during the preseason. That’s Haley’s background and training, having spent the previous two seasons as offensive coordinator for the high-scoring Arizona Cardinals.
But Haley indicated that in his ideal world, the Chiefs would have an offensive coordinator who assembles a weekly game plan and calls the plays on game day. That would free Haley to concentrate on the numerous duties of a head coach.
"It’s fun calling plays," Haley said. "I’ve also said my job is to be the head coach of the team. If and when (hiring the right offensive coordinator is) possible, in my opinion, that’s the best way to run the operation."
Haley, like most coaches, has particular ideas about how an offense should be run. He said the firing of Gailey wasn’t a sign that he couldn’t hire an offensive coordinator and be comfortable in letting him make the calls.
"It’s still the right thing to have done at the time for this team and for this offense," Haley said, referring to Gailey’s firing. "In this case, this is the way (for the Chiefs) to be the most efficient right now. You get the right situation, and I don’t have any problem whatsoever knowing I could handle it."
Chiefs’ Haley knows Weis well from KC Star
The number stood out on the stat sheet after the Chiefs were blasted by the Chargers:The Chiefs defense hit San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers once in the 28 times he went back to pass.
That’s just touching him; that doesn’t mean sacking him. The Chiefs were shutout in the sack department. It’s the third time this season they were not able to get the passer on the ground at least once. It happened in the first game between these teams and also against Philadelphia.
Based on the sacks alone, the Chiefs have shown improvement in their pass rush from last season when they set an NFL record for sack futility with just 10 in 16 games. This year, the Chiefs have 14 in 11 games.
However, that’s the second fewest sacks in the league. Only Jacksonville has less at 10.
Pass Rush Problems … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz
The hard cold truth is that this team is getting the crap beat out of them far more often than any other team in the club’s history. I would not be surprised to see them lose the rest of their games. But, you figure there could be a Pittsburgh fluke in there somewhere, so 4-12 looks likely to me.
As to how KC compares to the other 3-8 (or worse) teams in 2009, here you go.
Chiefs are MUCH WORSE than you think from Upon Further Review
The Kansas City Chiefs thought the worst was behind them when they beat defending champion Pittsburgh. Maybe they were wrong.
The overtime upset of the Steelers on Nov. 22 was the Chiefs' second victory in a row — their first two-game winning streak in two years. Everybody said their confidence was soaring and that maybe, finally, the long-struggling franchise and its rookie head coach had turned the corner.
Then came Sunday's shellacking by the San Diego Chargers, who won their sixth in a row, and a shaken team returned Monday to that old familiar drawing board, the one that says they're 5-31 in their last 36 games.
How much of a setback has the Chiefs' fragile psyche suffered?
"It will be how do we respond to that," coach Todd Haley said Monday. "You're going to lose games, especially us early on here as we're fighting our way to find a way to be consistent, and it's hard to be consistent every week."
Whipping saps KC's hard-won confidence from The Associated Press
As a lifelong Pittsburgh Steelers fan, I made the trip to Kansas City to watch the Nov. 22 Steelers-Chiefs game. I didn’t come away with the victory I wanted, but I did gain a real appreciation for the Chiefs fans.
After the game, a man wearing a Chiefs jacket came up to me, shook my hand and said, "Wasn’t that a great game?" I allowed as how it was, with the exception of the final score.
Chiefs fans are winners from Unfettered Letters (KC Star)
The Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Rams NFL football teams are struggling. The Chiefs are 5-31 in their past 36 games, and the Rams are 1-10 after finishing last season 2-14. In 2007 they were 3-13. And yet, two die-hard fans in Columbia won't be selling their season tickets anytime soon.
St. Louis Rams fan Jacob Glazer and Kansas City Chiefs fan Theresa Musket have a loyalty that runs deep. They have endured traffic, rain and freezing temperatures to see their teams. Every home game, they make the four-hour round-trip to the stadium, often leaving in disappointment.
They hear the jokes, and they dismiss them.
Columbia NFL fans dedicated despite down years for Chiefs and Rams from Columbia Missourian
The game at Kansas City scares me. What do the Broncos have to do to avoid the Washington game all over again?
-- Maxwell, AlbuquerqueMaxwell - Your concern is justified. When it comes to the NFL, the phrase, "Any Given Sunday" is more fact than cliché. New England lost to the Jets. The Eagles and Bengals lost to the Raiders. The Packers lost to Tampa Bay. The Steelers lost to the Chiefs and Bears.
To avoid an upset at Arrowhead -- the Broncos are favored by 4 to 4 1/2 points for one of the few times this season -- keeping Kyle Orton healthy is paramount. There has been much talk about how the Broncos regained their swagger against New York, but they have to make sure they didn't lose it during their long break and upcoming short road trip.
Broncos Mailbag: Giants Caught Napping? from The Denver Post
4. Rudy Niswanger, Center, Kansas City Chiefs. Niswanger (prounounced "nice-wonger") accepts this award on behalf of every Chief who turned the ball over yesterday, which seemed like about every Chief on the roster. Nice Wonger's contribution was a shotgun snap that looked like a Ricky Vaughn fastball before he got glasses. Cassel didn't even get close to getting a hand on the ball. Larry English pounced on it for the Chargers.Yesterday's five least valuable players: Not acceptable, Schaub from Yahoo! Sports
Player Tweets
almighty31 jus took a shower by myself in my condition. that was the most painful and difficult one i had. i need some help ladies.
almighty31 hav u ever tried sleepin sittin up. that sucks
almighty31 back up but countdown to back out. pain is my rival rite now.
Media and Fans
spursincharge: http://twitpic.com/ro2kt - Hanging with Former UT Running Back and Kansas City Chiefs Star Priest Holmes..
melsite1: I got that beat, I'm a Chiefs fan! @newfederalistla @LAEric99 Saints are a great team - fun to watch. I am actually a Chicago fan - pity me
yahtzee58: watchn football. cant wait til sunday to be in kc. even tho my team sux i still love my chiefs
JustMakenna: Hey hey. Patriots fan still here. How is one ashamed losing to an undefeated team? Now if this was the chiefs...wait, we're not the steelers
John__Cullen: @BrianMcGannon The Patriots have as many road wins as the Chiefs, not a good sign for a "Super Bowl contender"
JoshWebb29: I just flipped my Chiefs calendar to December and guess what player is now on the wall of my room?? Freakin Larry Johnson. Fail.
OrbSurge: HAS 1000000000000% faith in Todd Haley He will get KC where they need to be watch for an upswing and playoff run next year Chiefs 4 LIFE!!!