Game Day! Chiefs at Broncos! We have some pretty good stories to help you pass the time till the late kickoff. The Colquitt brothers, Weis on Cassel, and a look at how Pioli does business are ahead. Enjoy your Kansas City Chiefs news. Go Chiefs!
The story is well-traveled now: Last year, the Chiefs benched Johnson, a former first-round pick. And without much of an explanation, that’s where he stayed for most of 2009. He didn’t like it, and that was no secret.
But when other players in similar predicaments complained publicly, Johnson kept quiet and looked toward brighter days. When some Chiefs demanded to be traded or asked to be released, Johnson analyzed his play and tried to discover what he could’ve done better.
Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson let his play speak for him from KC Star
If you stand out, you might be shipped out. Pioli wants soldiers, men willing to commit themselves with no immediate personal payoff, and the whole thing feels a bit like some weird cult except the Chiefs are in first place and look like a playoff team after winning a total of 10 games in the last three years. The cult is working.
Every major personnel move the Chiefs make can be explained by personality more than performance. This is a dangerous thing, or at least it looks dangerous from the outside, when you see a first-time head coach with a relatively light resume teaming with a GM many say just fed off Bill Belichick’s table in New England.
But, well, the whole thing seems to be taking.
Pioli’s emphasis on hard work, not stars from KC Star
Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 44. North northwest wind between 3 and 7 mph.
Game Day Forecast from The National Weather Service
Bottom line
After going to overtime the last two weeks, the Chiefs might be looking for a breather, but they won’t find it today. The Broncos had their home collapse last month when they lost by 45 points to the Raiders. They’ll make things more interesting in this one and will emerge a winner if the Chiefs commit turnovers and draw penalty flags at the rate they did last week. A more likely scenario is that the Chiefs return to playing Chiefs football. Prediction: Chiefs 27, Broncos 24
Chiefs-Broncos scouting report from KC Star
Broncos star linebacker D.J. Williams has been stripped of his team captaincy, fined nearly $15,000 by the team and told he will not start today's game against the Kansas City Chiefs as punishment for his arrest early Friday morning on suspicion of drunk driving.
Benching Williams for the first quarter would follow the precedent set this season by the New York Jets, who briefly benched receiver Braylon Edwards after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated, and the Titans, who did not allow receiver Kenny Britt to start after he was involved in a bar fight.
Williams won't start from The Denver Post
Anyone who has watched the Chiefs over the last two years can tell you QB Matt Cassel has improved in many areas. Chiefs offensive coordinator Charlie Weis met with the media the other day and talked about a few areas he has seen Cassel improve it.
"I'll give you a couple: What's his touchdown-to-interception ratio," asked Weis. "Twelve to four, so if you look at that, you'd have to say that anyone who is a three-to-one ratio in touchdowns to interceptions, he's doing something right. How many times has he been sacked? I'm saying he's one of the fewest sacked quarterbacks in the league and he's not turning the ball over. I think that the one other thing that you'll notice is he's hurt a lot of teams when they put pressure on us - he's the number one rated quarterback under blitz situations."
Charlie Weis Talks About Matt Cassel from Arrowhead Addict
Nearly a year ago, Dustin was deep within his fifth season as the Chiefs' punter. But his younger brother was contemplating his uncertain future after Denver had let him go after training camp.
Britton decided to live with his brother and his family outside Kansas City, Mo. He helped around the house, including baby-sitting three children; in return, he received room, board and the encouragement to keep his N.F.L. dream alive.
The Punting Colquitt Brothers Are Keeping Alive a Family Pedigree in the N.F.L. from The New York Times
"It's an emotional weekend for us," Craig Colquitt said on Saturday.
Britton and Dustin Colquitt will be facing each other today at Invesco Field at Mile High, when Britton, a punter for the Denver Broncos, will see his brother, Dustin, a punter for the Kansas City Chiefs, on the opposing sideline.
"It's awesome. It's a dream come true," Britton said. "May the best brother win."
It's more than a family reunion for Colquitt brothers from Go Vols Xtra
Of all the things McDaniels has taken heat for during his tenure, the one that lights up the radio talk-show boards and sends online comments soaring is the perception he has moved out more talented players than he has brought in because of personality conflicts or poor talent evaluations. That those players didn't fit in and got no second chance.
"I disagree with that assessment," McDaniels said. "I don't even know how to define 'in favor.' I do know this: Coaching and playing are both about trying to get the best out of a player, and if that doesn't work, maybe trying something else. If that doesn't work, you try another way. But there's not an infinite number of ways. At some point, there is a negative to it - how many times are we going to switch what we're doing to fit a player into it?"
For Broncos castoffs Hillis and Smith, a change of scenery works from The Denver Post
It's ludicrous to suggest, though, that because Williams is a really good player, he is receiving preferential treatment from the Broncos today because he will be allowed to participate in the game today against the Kansas City Chiefs.
To the contrary, Williams has been judged far more harshly, and will be punished more severely, because he is a star athlete.
Klis: D.J.'s penalty too severe from The Denver Post
The Chiefs are 5-3 and should win their next four. After they beat the Broncos, it's the Cards at home, in Seattle, and then home against the Broncos. Then it is the Chargers and Rams on the road, before finishing up with games at their great home-field advantage at Arrowhead taking on the Titans and Raiders.
Now I totally understand that it is so difficult to play the "win-loss" game in this era of parity. But when you are trying to separate three flawed teams, it is important to look at schedules.
Ask yourself this question. Which head coach do you trust? Which coaching staff do you trust?
Chiefs are team to beat in AFC West from FOX Sports