Good morning, Chiefs fans. It might not be pretty, but we have today's Kansas City Chiefs news for you. No practice in St. Joe today. Happy Weekend!
Fans who watched the Chiefs go about their business at a leisurely pace in training camp inevitably suspected the first preseason game would be a sloppy, mistake-filled mess.
Those fears were realized Friday against Tampa Bay at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs lost two fumbles, made two awful decisions on kick returns and took a safety in a catastrophic first half.
Chiefs Fall 25-0 to Buccaneers in Preseason Opener from KC Star
The fans didn’t care and the Chiefs didn’t care. It seemed only the Buccaneers found anything redeeming in taking part in the evening. Maybe that was due to Josh Freeman’s homecoming to Kansas City. Maybe it was because the Bucs won 10 games last year and did not make the playoffs. Whatever the reason, Tampa Bay won easily 25-0, even though the tape of the game will not be on the way to Canton, Ohio anytime soon.Commentary: Now That Was Ugly from Bob Gretz
News-Press Photo Gallery: 08/13/11 Chiefs - Buccaneers
KC Star Photo Gallery: Buccaneers 25, Chiefs 0 | Friday, Aug. 12
NFL.com Video: Pre WK1: Buccaneers vs. Chiefs highlights
The Chiefs are a rotten, no-good, can’t-get-out-of-their-way football team. They are sloppy and overmatched and can’t tackle, and while we’re at it, here’s something else:
None of it matters.
Chiefs' Preseason Opener Was Especially Meaningless from KC Star
"I saw that they can run for their lives," Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said of the two quarterbacks. "Both of them have some scrambling ability. That’s an area I feel like we’ve been deficient as far as scrambles, making plays. We didn’t really do it again today, which was disappointing.
"They looked tough, they looked like they competed the whole time. They didn’t give up. Those are good things."
Backup Quarterbacks Don't Step Up For KC from KC Star
Haley listed turnovers, poor pass protection and poor tackling as the major culprits in the loss. There’s no question that all three could be traced to the lack of physical practices the team has gone through in St. Joseph. There are legitimate reasons for how Haley has approached this training camp, looking t the bigger picture of being ready for the regular-season opener against Buffalo than a game against Tampa Bay.But there was a price to pay for that approach and the bill came due Friday night.
Chiefs Get Whitewashed by Bucs 25-0 from Bob Gretz
Was Friday’s performance a one-week, preseason aberration or a sign of a lack of depth and talent? The Chiefs took it easy during the first two weeks of training-camp practices, and Friday was partly a result of that. The team’s first-team talent is impressive, but depth is an issue.The Blitz: A Look at the Good, the Bad and the Ugly in Friday's Game from KC Star
Josh Freeman and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looked like they were ready for the regular season to start Friday night.The Kansas City Chiefs appeared to forget the lockout is over.
Buccaneer Beatdown from The St. Joseph News-Press
It’s never a good sign for a player when he is assigned a duplicate number in an NFL training camp.
That’s the plight of Chiefs outside linebacker Eric Bakhtiari, who was handed the same No. 66 as third-team center Darryl Harris.
Outside Linebacker Eric Bakhhitari Is Hoping To Find A Permanent Home This Year from KC Star
As expected, Shane Bannon took the Chiefs first carry of this season for Kansas City, and Eric Bakhtiari collected the first sack.Yes, along with the increased role of reserves, came some unique firsts.
Cassel Sees Limited Plays from The St. Joseph News-Press
But don’t mistake fan attendance, which seemed lighter than normal Friday, as a complete absolution of the off-field soap opera NFL aficionados were drawn into beginning in March.
"(The NFL) definitely is tarnished," said Steve Weddel, who was tailgating with the Cochrans. "I mean, we went through a lockout, and ticket prices still went up. Parking went up $5, too. It has lost some of its luster."
Memories of Lockout Linger, But Fans Show Up For Chiefs' First Exhibition from KC Star
Jerod wrote: "I don’t think you’re judging the positions correctly. Just because we didn’t go sign guys to those positions doesn’t mean we won’t be better than we were last year. Wouldn’t you rather have a 2nd year experienced Moeaki than a rookie?"
I would hope Jerod that tight end would be better with more experience for Moeaki, but they needed more help there than just a second-year for him. They needed better players, and they didn’t find them.
Answer Bob On Roster Evaluation - 8/12 from Bob Gretz
The shock Josh Freeman, a former Kansas State quarterback, may have experienced at one time throwing to Dezmon Briscoe, who played his college ball at Kansas, has worn off.
Once rivals, the second-year Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammates showed a growing rapport Friday night during a 25-0 rout against the Chiefs in the preseason opener for both teams at Arrowhead Stadium.
Bucs' Freeman and Briscoe Working On K-State-KU Connection from KC Star
You were running for your life out there. Did you have to do that at Iowa? "Sometimes. Sometimes it calls for that and you have to go out and make a play. There were a lot of good things we can learn from the film. I made a lot of mistakes out there, but that’s what great about film. You can correct those and get out there and work on them in practice."
Chiefs Player Quotes 8/12 from The Mothership
Without a normal offseason because of the NFL lockout, early season play was expected to be rumpled and ragged.The Kansas City Chiefs looked the part on Friday night.
KC’s first three possessions resulted in one three-and-out and two lost fumbles.
Freeman Grabs Early Lead Over Stumbling Chiefs and Tampa Bay Romps Past KC 25-0 from The Washington Post
This was not Chiefs football......This wasn’t the same team. Not in the starting lineup and certainly not in the execution.
"I don’t think you ever see that coming; you don’t want to do that, especially on your home turf," Head Coach Todd Haley said following the shutout loss to Tampa Bay.
The Morning After: Tampa Bay from The Mothership
The backup line consists of rookie center Rodney Hudson, journeyman right tackle Ryan O’Callaghan and three undrafted players who are developmental prospects. The Chiefs tried to address that problem by signing veteran tackle Jared Gaither, and they will waste little time trying to get him in shape and into the lineup.Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp: Lack of OL Depth Shows from SportingNews
Pioli kept walking en route to his team meetings but hardly contained his admiration for Ferentz, a man who first denied him a graduate assistant job at Maine in 1990. Pioli laughed and said, "I still haven’t gotten over it."
Three years later, Ferentz twice interviewed with then-Cleveland Browns Coach Bill Belichick for the team’s offensive line position before earning the job. Ferentz’s first interview was in February 1993, and he met Pioli once again.
Bond Runs Deep for Iowa's Kirk Ferentz, Chiefs GM Scott Pioli from The Gazette
Opening Statement: "We’ve got one under our belt. It didn’t go exactly the way we wanted it to go. Every time we come out here, especially in our own stadium, we’d like to come out on the winning end. That didn’t occur tonight for a number of different reasons.Todd Haley Postgame Comments 8/12 from The Mothership
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs played the weakest schedule in the AFC last season and went 10-6. As a Dwayne Bowe fantasy owner, I have to say I do not trust this team. It’s hard to pick out who may unseat them in the AFC West, given how poorly the Chargers played in the first half of 2010, but I just don’t see KC rolling into the postseason again. I do like the way they’ve built their defense, so I don’t feel great about this pick.The NFL Playoff Game: Six In, Six Out Six Stay from Baltimore Sports Report
Mike Cox, 26, has been with the Kansas City Chiefs since 2008. He spent the winter, spring and some of the summer before his first training camp under Brixius’ retro regime. He found the place on a tip from his agent, who also represents New Orleans Saints receiver Marques Colston, another client.
Convinced that the gym cut his 40-yard dash time and gave him an extra edge that landed him with the Chiefs as a free agent, Cox has been coming back each offseason.Lower Paxton Township Gym Focuses On 'Real Work' With Retro Workouts from PennLive.com
His arrival has made fans giddy, but one former Michigan star cautioned that it will time for him to truly revive the program as a national power. "He isn't a magician," Kansas City Chiefs receiver Steve Breaston said. "But he's going to make it happen." It would be hard to find somebody who has crossed paths with Hoke and believes anything else. Michigan's New Man Brady Hoke Puts Players First from The Washington Examiner