Happy Friday! Lots of Kansas City Croyles Chiefs stories this morning. Also looks like Vincent Jackson might play this weekend. Enjoy today's news!
As another day passed without Cassel, the Chiefs shifted its preparation into overdrive. Haley said the team prepares for situations such as this, although it’s never this intense until a similar situation is upon a team. He said he hopes the offense will remember the lessons from training camp and earlier this season, when Croyle has spent at least some time with the first-team offense.
Haley said that even when Cassel is healthy, Croyle takes some first-team snaps in an effort to prepare for weeks like this. Haley admitted that Croyle’s workload hasn’t been this heavy since training camp. He is one of the team’s only backups who hasn’t played at least some.
"You’re not out there in the action," Haley said. "It’s been a long time. … Brodie’s been around here a long time now. I have a very good feel for Brodie, as do the coaches."
It looks like Croyle to the rescue for Chiefs from KC Star
"The good thing is I think there's a bunch of similarities," Haley said. "I think they can both be viewed as dropback quarterbacks. They both have enough mobility to get themselves out of trouble. Arm strength, those things, there's a lot of similarities between the two."
The Chiefs used a play clock in practice Thursday to help Croyle reacclimate to game speed.
"It's been a long time for Brodie. I think that's something a quarterback misses when he's not playing a bunch," Haley said. "We talked about our defense taking a great deal of pride this week, to really try to up the ante, so to speak, for the look the offenses get. They realize we're trying to get somebody game-ready who hasn't necessarily played a lot."
Cassel misses practice, but Haley mum on Chiefs QB's status from NFL.com
NFL.com Video: Week 14: Chiefs vs. Chargers Preview
Cassel didn’t practice again Thursday after having an appendectomy a day earlier. Unless the Chiefs break one of Haley’s rules, Cassel would have to practice today to play in San Diego.
"The policy is you have to have some semblance of practice," Haley said. "We’ll see as the week plays out exactly where we are. Right now we’ve got two days under our belt, and we’ve got two more left."
Chiefs buzz: Croyle lacking game action from KC Star
UNRELATED COOL FACTOID: The Chiefs have the biggest divisional lead in the NFL of two games. Since the merger in 1970 and divisional alignment, KC has never ended the season with the NFL's biggest divisional lead. They tied Pittsburgh in 1995. Both teams ended up three games better than second place.
NFL... Grab Bag: Appendicitis from Upon Further Review
Chargers fans out here think you have had a pretty CUPCAKE schedule, what do you guys think?
I think we've had pretty much the same schedule as the Chargers. Sure, you had to play a first place schedule but that is only two games. One was vs. the Patriots and the other is the Bengals. Right now, the Browns, who were one of the Chiefs two last place schedule games, are a better team than Cinci and the Chief beat them. KC's other last place game was Buffalo. NE > Buffalo, Cleveland > Bengals and the rest of the schedule is identical. And we beat you once head to head.
The Chiefs have a better record because they won games they were supposed to win and the Chargers lost games they were supposed to win. I wouldn't try to blame it on the schedule for either team.
Enemy Insider: Kansas City Chiefs from Bolt Beat
Moeaki has 36 catches for 438 yards and three touchdowns. Moeaki has surpassed the rookie production of former Kansas City superstar tight end Tony Gonzalez. He had 33 catches for 368 yards and two touchdowns in 1997. I'm not saying Moeaki is going to have the legendary impact that Gonzalez had in Kansas City, but he sure has started his Chiefs' career the right way.
One player to watch from ESPN
Vincent Jackson was arguably never more at his freakish best than last October in Kansas City.
He caught a 12-yard pass on third down and 10-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. He easily out-jumped defenders for a pair of 51-yard third-down receptions on back-to-back drives in the second quarter. Another 18-yard reception on third down completed his five-catch, 142-yard afternoon.
Now, despite pessimism earlier in the week it would be possible, Jackson could actually catch passes this Sunday when the Chargers host Kansas City in a game they have to win.
VJ to the rescue for Bolts? from The San Diego Union-Tribune
Head West, young man, and leave behind any notions of finding good football.
Only one of the 11 NFL teams west of the Mississippi owns a winning record heading into the final four weeks of this oddball season - not counting New Orleans, which straddles the river that serves as the league's very own continental divide.
Yet, in this wild and wretched West, the only team that's already been eliminated from the playoff race is the Denver Broncos (3-9), who were vexed by an embarrassing videotape violation and a bad personnel moves that led to too many losses and cost coach Josh McDaniels his job this week.
East Is the Beast, West Is Wretched in NFL from ABC News
Belichick's two most successful coordinators in New England, Charlie Weis on offense and Romeo Crennel on defense, also flopped as head coaches. Weis' run at Notre Dame went downhill fast and sank so low that he might never get offered another such gig. Crennel had one good season with the Browns in his four years at the helm and was 24-40 overall. At least he was well-liked in Cleveland.
That both of them are doing well as coordinators in Kansas City might prove the adage that some men are made out to be second bananas. Both clearly were not destined to duplicate Belichick's record.
Hiring Belichick disciples: Don't do it from The Washington Post
While traffic isn't one of Eric Stonestreet's favorite things about living in Los Angeles, it's all good when the Modern Family star gets to his trailer and sees what colorful new shirt he gets to wear on the hit show, or when he has to pour himself into tight bike shorts...
...The actor grew up going to Kansas City Chiefs football games - and he played in high school. Stonestreet had a track and field scholarship to a junior college before a freak accident ended his athletic career. "I fell down 14 steps sleepwalking, believe it or not. I broke my foot and tore my rotator cuff in one fall. That was pretty much the end for me."
Straight talk from Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet from USA Weekend
A PERSONAL, HEARTFELT APOLOGY: I would like to personally apologize to Redskins fans. I invited those who expressed their disgruntle-hood Sunday in the postgame chat I do weekly to join me on the Kansas City Chiefs' extremely comfy, low-mileage bandwagon. (Beer, frosty; recliners, soft; pretzels, warm and crusty.) Then Matt Cassel's appendix went kerflooey. Opinions differ as to how long Cassel will be out, but I'm sorry to subject you to more, um, stuff this season. (Seriously, a little thing like an appendectomy is gonna stop Cassel? Mike Shanahan would have removed his own with a butterknife, grilled it and served it up.)
Peyton Manning, Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford, Red Sox vs. Yankees, Jets vs. Giants (almost) from The Washington Post
Matt Cassel, QB, Chiefs. The league's top running game has helped the AFC West leaders open up their passing offense, and Cassel has delivered with a red-hot downfield connection with wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. It would be a big blow to Kansas City if Cassel (appendectomy) needs to miss more than this week's game at San Diego.
Finishing kick: These 10 shook off slow starts from Sporting News
Editor's note: This story first appeared in The Star on Aug. 24, 2008.
RIVER FALLS, Wis. | At this moment, Brodie Croyle is a star.
He's wedged himself into a booth at a popular players hangout near the Wisconsin-River Falls campus. Sitting with him, laughing and enjoying a night off from camp, are a couple of All-Pros, Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez and former Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen. That's a lot of star power at one table, but Croyle fits right in.
From the archives: Croyle needs to prove he's a winner on the field from The News Tribune
It's pretty easy to get a handle on the most glaring difference between the Chargers at 6-6 and the division-leading Kansas City Chiefs at 8-4.
That is, keeping a handle on the ball.
As they approach their Week 14 showdown with huge AFC West implications, the Chiefs are plus-seven in turnover differential, the Chargers minus-five. Kansas City ranks seventh in the NFL in giveaway-takeaway ratio, San Diego 23rd, though the Chargers have three more takeaways than the Chiefs.
NOTEBOOK: Turnovers show contrast between Chargers, Chiefs from The San Diego Union-Tribune