Good morning! A quick note so I can finish packing before I head off to work. I start vacation this afternoon and will be traveling for it. I'll still be sending Arrowheadlines to you, but they might be a little later than usual. Looking forward to some time off and a visit to Arrowhead. Enjoy today's Kansas City Chiefs news.
In the previous 31 seasons in which the Chiefs have selected a team MVP, a running back has won it nine times, more than any other position, with three — Marcus Allen, Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson — winning it twice each. A quarterback has won it four times — Bill Kenney, Steve DeBerg and Trent Green twice.
Defensive players have won the award 12 times, twice by the award’s namesake, Derrick Thomas.
Here’s a case for the top candidates for each award.
Chiefs possess plenty of candidates for team awards from KC Star
In January 1970, when Lamar's Chiefs beat the Minnesota Vikings at Super Bowl IV at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, the game had a bigger following than Super Bowl I, where there were thousands of empty seats. But it was far from the weeklong bacchanal that will encamp at Arlington's Cowboys Stadium.
Lamar and Norma Hunt entered the elevator at the Royal Sonesta to leave for the game and found one other couple going to the Super Bowl: Minnesota Vikings' 5-foot-5 owner Max Winter and his wife, Helen. Winter was one of the original AFL owners, but when the NFL offered him an expansion team a few months later, he jumped leagues.
"Just making small talk wasn't easy," Norma says of that brief encounter.
Super Bowl forever connected to Dallas from The Dallas Morning News
The Chiefs have had only two coach-of-the-year winners in their history — Hank Stram was AFL coach of the year when the Chiefs went 12-2 in 1968; Marty Schottenheimer the NFL coach of the year when the Chiefs finished 13-3 in 1997.
Certainly there may be some Haley detractors. While it’s possible the Chiefs could post a 11-5 record this season — a complete reversal of last year’s 4-12 — there have been some rough patches, notably letting a 31-21 fourth-quarter lead slip away at Houston; and getting blown out on the road by Denver and San Diego.
Haley is among candidates for NFL coach of the year from KC Star
COOL FACTOID: Over his last 18 games (perhaps equivalent to a future NFL season), Charles has 1,961 yards on 297 carries for a 6.60 YPC. There has never been a stretch comparable to that in NFL history based upon rushing efficiency.
Charles is third in total yards this season in the NFL - only a few yards behind. Here are the top five.
Jamaal Charles for President from Upon Further Review
Kansas City Chiefs' veteran running back Thomas Jones accomplished something in the Chiefs' 27-13 victory over the St. Louis Rams Sunday that only 24 other backs have done in the history of the NFL.
After a 4-yard carry early in the second half Sunday, Jones surpassed the 10,000 yard mark for his career, making him the 25th, and only third active running back (LaDanian Tomlinson, Fred Taylor) to achieve the milestone.
Chiefs’ RB Thomas Jones Joins The 10,000 Yard Club from Football News Now
According to the NYT piece, Jones lives in a two-bedroom condo on the Plaza, demolishes a plate of wings and baked beans at Jack Stack on the regular, and likes ... us. He said so!
"People here love football," Jones said. "They care about each other. They work hard. This is the kind of place where I'm supposed to be."
(Remember how former Chiefs running back Larry Johnson whined about Kansas City's dinky nightlife? Guess what, Larry -- no matter what club you go to, the beer tastes the same.)
Thomas Jones gets loved on by the New York Times from The Pitch
"Get healthy. Be Active. Make a Difference," is the sign-off message in this prize-winning video created by four Olathe Northwest High School juniors.
Their efforts scored them 50 tickets to the Dec. 5 Chiefs-Broncos game at Arrowhead, a pre-game tailgate party and the thrill of seeing their work on the Jumbotron.
Northwest students’ video wins dairy contest from KC Star
The Kansas City Chiefs have announced that they nominated Northwest Missouri State University Head Coach Mel Tjeerdsma as their candidate for the inaugural Don Shula NFL Coach of the Year Award.
In its first year, this award was created by the league to honor football coaches at all levels. It seeks to recognize those individuals that display the integrity, achievement and leadership demonstrated by the winningest coach in NFL history, Don Shula.
Chiefs nominate Tjeerdsma for Don Shula Coach of the Year Award from Maryville Daily Forum
The Kansas City Chiefs are in the thick of the AFC playoff race with only two weeks to go in the NFL season and that is cause for celebration.
In what has become sort of a tradition, I adapt the famous poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas" into a Chiefs poem each year. I actually first did it in August a couple of years ago because I was so excited for the season it felt like Christmas.
Well the holidays are upon us and I am now so excited for the possibility of a Chiefs playoff game that inspiration has struck again.
Thus in the spirit of the season, I present to you "Twas The Night Before Chiefsmas."
‘Twas The Night Before Chiefsmas from Arrowhead Addict
Imagine if he had held his ground: Sanchez would've been face-to-face with the nastiest (some might say dirtiest) linebacker in the league.
That probably wouldn't have been a happy ending for the Jets. It could've been disastrous for Schottenheimer, whose job security has become talk-show fodder. Afterward, the Steelers knew they had been played. As linebacker James Farrior said, "They fooled me."
Ryan knows the feeling. As defensive assistant for the Arizona Cardinals in 1995, he watched in horror as Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Steve Bono ran 76 yards to score on a naked bootleg.
"Seemed like a zillion yards," said Ryan, still pained by the memory.
The Chiefs' coach at the time? Marty Schottenheimer, Brian's father.
Seven yards could change Jets season from ESPN
Kansas City did not need Croyle to be John Elway, or even to be Matt Cassel, they just needed him to be, well, not Brodie Croyle. The Chiefs would even have taken a reasonable impersonation of Charlie Batch -- Batch being the guy who played three games in Ben Roethlisberger's early-season absence -- and kept the Steelers above water with a perfectly pedestrian 59% completion rate and QB rating of 76.2. Batch didn't kill Pittsburgh, in other words.
Behold the power of clipboard man from The National Post
You'll see and hear it in the video and I'll just quickly summarize what Dilfer said. He pretty strongly said the Atlanta Falcons are not the best team in the NFL. He went on to compare them to the 2003 Kansas City Chiefs, who went 13-3 in the regular season, but promptly got bounced in the playoffs.
Dilfer: Falcons can be beaten at home from ESPN
Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley has been a gambling man all season.
Sometimes, Haley's risky ways work and sometimes, they fail.
Sunday, they lifted the first-place Chiefs.
AFC West Week 15 decisive moment from ESPN