Wichita Eagle: Kansas City Chiefs

Daboll wants Chiefs in attack mode

KENT BABB — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:52 CST

Brian Daboll said the right things, leaned on his impressive set of influences, and introduced himself to Kansas City as an offensive coordinator who’s confident and comfortable — and who might break from the pack and stay a while.

The Chiefs this week hired Daboll, who wasn’t retained by Miami following the 2011 season, as their sixth coordinator in as many years. He spoke to reporters on a conference call Tuesday, saying that he would wait to make changes to the Chiefs’ offense. Daboll said that when, and if, he does, he hoped one word would be associated with the way he ran the team’s scoring unit: attack.

“We’re kind of working at that right now,” said Daboll, 36. “One of the most important things you can do as a coach is to really try to put your players in positions where they do things very, very well. Until you’re out there and watching them on the practice field… I think it’s your job to adjust the things you want to do and put them in the position that they’ll serve best in.”

Chiefs hire Daboll as new OC

KENT BABB — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:50 CST

The Chiefs have their new offensive coordinator, and former head coach Todd Haley was close Monday to landing a coordinator job of his own.

The team made it official the day after the Super Bowl, naming Brian Daboll as its new offensive coordinator. Daboll, 36, was Miami’s coordinator in 2011, but the Dolphins did not retain him after Joe Philbin replaced Tony Sparano as head coach.

Daboll worked with Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel with the New England Patriots, where Daboll began his career as a defensive assistant before making the transition to offense.

Chiefs set to hire offensive coordinator

ADAM TEICHER — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:08 CST

Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel doesn’t make a habit of studying the offenses of opposing teams. But he admits to paying some attention when he’s watching the offenses of Brian Daboll, who was the Patriots’ receivers coach for a couple of seasons while Cassel played in New England.

“There were a lot of instances throughout the year with Miami last year where he would do a good job of mixing and matching personnel to create some mismatches,” Cassel said. “That’s the thing I noticed. He’s really good at doing that.”

Cassel will soon get to know Daboll, 36, even better. The Chiefs were on the verge of hiring Daboll as their new offensive coordinator, an announcement should come this week, perhaps as soon as today.

Chiefs expect competition at quarterback

Randy Covitz — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:21 CST

The resume box is still wide open at Arrowhead Stadium.

Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli are looking to plug holes on their coaching and scouting staffs and emphasized Thursday the need to bring in competition for Matt Cassel at starting quarterback.

Crennel has interviewed quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn and Oakland Raiders offensive coordinator Al Saunders for the vacant offensive coordinator’s job and said, “I might interview another one or two” before making a decision, perhaps early next week.

It's official: Crennel is Chiefs' new coach

ADAM TEICHER — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:30 CST

The worst kept secret in Kansas City is now official: Romeo Crennel is the new head coach of the Chiefs.

The 64-year-old Crennel seemed the obvious candidate from the time the Chiefs fired Todd Haley and installed Crennel as the interim head coach. He won two of his three games as the interim coach with the victories coming against playoff teams from Green Bay and Denver.

The one loss, against Oakland in overtime, prevented the Chiefs from winning the AFC West championship and making the playoffs. Crennel had a 24-40 record as the head coach for Cleveland from 2005 through 2008. After taking a year off from football, he joined the Chiefs in 2010 as their defensive coordinator.

Chiefs have decisions to make outside of coach

ADAM TEICHER — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:05 CST

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —Hiring a permanent head coach is only the first big choice the Chiefs will make in the next few weeks. Then come the decisions on whether to re-sign the 22 players who don't have contracts for the 2012 season.

Some are frontline players such as wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, the Chiefs' leading pass catcher for the last three seasons, and cornerback Brandon Carr,

Others are less crucial but still useful players like linebacker Jovan Belcher, safety Jon McGraw and pass rusher Wallace Gilberry. Then there's quarterback Kyle Orton, who led the Chiefs to two victories in his three starts at the end of the season.

Chiefs seem set to confirm Crennel's status as coach

ADAM TEICHER — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:05 CST

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —From the moment the Chiefs fired Todd Haley, Romeo Crennel appeared destined to become their next coach. His first move as interim coach was a forceful one, benching struggling quarterback Tyler Palko in favor of Kyle Orton, and that one little switch pulled any and all momentum squarely behind Crennel.

By the time his first week was finished, the Chiefs had beaten the previously undefeated Packers and Crennel had a locker room full of players on his side.

Perhaps general manager Scott Pioli as well. The Chiefs interviewed other candidates seemingly only to verify their initial thought — that the 64-year-old Crennel was the right man for the job.

KC's Crennel keeps on coaching

ADAM TEICHER — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:05 CST

KANSA S CITY, Mo. —Romeo Crennel's schedule on the day after was filled with housekeeping items. He worked on player evaluations. He advised departing players on how to handle the next couple months from a conditioning standpoint.

Those sound like the actions of someone planning to be around for the long haul.

"Not necessarily,'' Crennel, the interim coach, said a day after the Chiefs finished their season with a 7-3 win over Denver. "I tell the players that anyway. When I was a position coach, I told my players that. As a coordinator, I talked to my players about that. All of those players have to deal with those issues I talked about. I want the best for all of them, whether I'm here or not. I was just telling them the facts and hopefully they will take some of it in.''

Chiefs hang on to beat Denver 7-3 in finale

ADAM TEICHER — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:58 CST

DENVER — Kyle Orton was something less than definitive about his future with the Kansas City Chiefs after their season ended with Sunday's 7-3 win over the Denver Broncos.

But he sounded like a guy who has played his last game with the Chiefs.

"It was a long year for me," said Orton, a veteran quarterback who began the season as Denver's starter, was benched and eventually released and then claimed by the Chiefs after they lost Matt Cassel for the season because of a hand injury.

Chiefs' future begins this day

KENT BABB — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 08:34 CST

Chiefs offensive coordinator Bill Muir eased himself into a chair after his team's final practice of 2011. A season like this will take it out of you, stealing your energy and stacking pressure on your attitude.

"The two words that come to mind are 'disappointment' and 'frustration,' " Muir said of this season, which ends today in Denver."... I'll look at it during the offseason, and there'll be a lot of introspection, but you just don't shake off a season very easily that you had such high expectations for."

Other than pride, the Chiefs don't have much to play for today. Players and coaches have insisted that they're not looking toward the future, but even though it's the final day of the season, it's the first day of a new year — time to think beyond the disappointments and consider the needs for the future.

Chiefs are NFL's worst in red zone

ADAM TEICHER — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 08:36 CST

KANSAS CITY, Mo — Through something less than intense film study, Romeo Crennel found a theme to the Chiefs' offense when inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

"The fact we haven't scored," said Crennel, the Chiefs' interim coach, "that's the common thread."

Wasted chances in the scoring zone have been a season-long problem for the Chiefs. They've found the end zone 12 times in their 36 trips and that 33.3 percentage is worst in the league.

Pro Bowl selection emphasizes changes for Chiefs' Johnson

KENT BABB — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:05 CST

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —Two years ago, Derrick Johnson was confused. Here he stood, at his locker at the end of his fifth NFL season, and talked about where his career might go — because with the Chiefs, it seemed to be going nowhere.

"I haven't lost trust yet," he said in December 2009. "But it's possible."

At the time, Johnson was a mostly disappointing former first-round pick who had been shuffled among several linebacker positions, primarily in an attempt to jump-start his vast potential. In 2009, Johnson had been shuffled right out of the lineup.

Broncos' secondary dinged up

Associated Press — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:05 CST

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. —The Denver Broncos might have to face former quarterback Kyle Orton with two backup safeties if Brian Dawkins and Quinton Carter can't play in Sunday's showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Although Carter (hip) participated in the entire two-hour workout Wednesday, Dawkins was held out of the team's final full-padded practice of the regular season because of a neck injury that has bothered him for much of the month.

Dawkins didn't address his availability for Sunday but did dismiss speculation that the injury threatens his stellar 16-year career that includes eight Pro Bowls.

Orton can ruin Broncos' run

ADAM TEICHER — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:05 CST

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —Since joining the Chiefs late last month, Kyle Orton has been asked numerous times about the looming New Year's Day game against his old employers, the Denver Broncos, and Tim Tebow, the quarterback who took his job.

Orton had always deflected the question, saying he was concentrating on the game at hand. But he had to confront it this week, with preparations for Sunday's meeting in Denver well under way.

"The only guys I'm trying to prove something to are my teammates," Orton said. "I really don't worry about anything else.

Chiefs' Hali, Johnson chosen to Pro Bowl team

Eagle news services — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:30 CST

Through 15 games and the more hopeful points of a disappointing season, it was the defense that carried the Chiefs in 2011. Now, two defensive leaders will carry the Chiefs' name to the Pro Bowl.

Linebackers Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson were chosen as reserves on the AFC's Pro Bowl team, which will gather in Honolulu on Jan. 29.

Hali, who is second in the AFC with 12 sacks, was a Pro Bowler after the 2010 season but didn't participate in the game for personal reasons. This is Johnson's first appearance. Neither player was chosen as a starter, though. Hali will back up Baltimore's Terrell Suggs, the conference's sacks leader with 13, and Denver rookie Von Miller. Johnson will be Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis' backup.

Chiefs rookies haven't had much impact

KENT BABB — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:30 CST

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —After last Saturday's overtime heartbreaker at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs don't appear to have much to play for in their season finale Sunday at Denver.

Sure, interim coach Romeo Crennel said this week that the team was as focused as ever on winning each game and, in this case, finishing 7-9 instead of 6-10. But whether the Chiefs pursue it or not, they do have one final incentive: learning about themselves and their future.

Of the team's nine draft picks in 2011, only two — first-round receiver Jon Baldwin and third-round linebacker Justin Houston — have received significant playing time. Three of the remaining picks, including fifth-round quarterback Ricky Stanzi, have yet to play a single snap, and sixth-round nose tackle Jerrell Powe has been inactive in all but one game. The rest — offensive lineman Rodney Hudson, defensive lineman Allen Bailey and cornerback Jalil Brown — have made only a handful of appearances.

Chiefs gear up for Tebow

ADAM TEICHER — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:05 CST

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —If the Chiefs had done a better job of defending Tim Tebow the last time they played against him, they would still be alive for a playoff spot.

The Chiefs couldn't adequately handle Tebow, Denver's first-year starting quarterback, in a 17-10 loss in mid-November at Arrowhead Stadium. As a result, the 6-9 Chiefs have been eliminated from the playoff race while the 8-7 Broncos would win the AFC West by beating the Chiefs on Sunday in Denver.

Tebow had 43 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs the last time. He completed just two passes, but one went for a 56-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter and provided the Broncos with their final winning margin.

Chiefs relegated to playing spoiler

TOD PALMER — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 00:05 CST

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —The Chiefs no longer have a dog in the AFC West title fight.

Yet even in the wake of a disappointing overtime loss Saturday against the Raiders, a 16-13 defeat that ended of the Chiefs' playoff hopes, the players barked about showing how much fight was left in the dog during the season finale at Denver.

"We're playing for each other," cornerback Brandon Flowers said. "We've been working hard since training camp with each other on that field. We're not going to go out next week and just lay down. We're going to keep fighting like we've been fighting all year."

Orton's negatives outweigh positives

RANDY COVITZ — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 00:05 CST

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —The Chiefs saw the best and worst of quarterback Kyle Orton on Saturday.

They saw him throw two interceptions, both in Oakland territory. They saw him called for intentional grounding twice in crucial situations. They saw some of the reasons two other teams have given up on him in the past four years.

And they saw the quarterback with enough moxie and arm strength to rally a team in the final minutes of the fourth quarter and give it a chance to win at the end of regulation during the Chiefs' 16-13 overtime loss to the Oakland Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium.

Chiefs' playoff hopes flicker out

ADAM TEICHER — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 06:43 CST

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —The scenarios that would have kept the Chiefs from the playoffs were plentiful in this most dizzying of seasons. But just one of them constituted Kansas City's worst nightmare.

Of course, in a season bizarre from the horrendous start to its bitter end, that's the one that came to pass Saturday. The Broncos and Chargers both lost, opening a clear path for the Chiefs to win the AFC West championship.

And they blew it. Despite multiple chances to pull away from the Raiders, the Chiefs couldn't find a way to make it happen. Their 16-13 overtime loss ended any their playoff hopes.