Chiefs vs Rams - Preseason Game 4

Aug 24, 2008, 11:46:49 AM by Pete Moris

ARROWHEAD CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

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KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (1-2)
VS.
ST. LOUIS RAMS (2-1)

PRESEASON GAME # 4 – GOVERNOR’S CUP
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2008 – 6:00 PM (CENTRAL)
ARROWHEAD STADIUM – KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Chiefs Television Network - KCTV-5 (CBS in Kansas City) - Play-by-play: Roger Twibell - Color Commentator: Jayice Pearson - Sideline Reporter: Rich Baldinger

Chiefs FOX Football Radio Network - KCFX-FM (101.1 FM in Kansas City - Affiliates) - Play-by-play: Mitch Holthus - Color Commentator: Len Dawson - Sideline Reporter: Kendall Gammon

THE MATCH-UP

The Chiefs conclude their 2008 preseason schedule with a Governor’s Cup matchup against their cross-state rivals from St. Louis as Kansas City hosts the Rams at Arrowhead on Thursday (8/28). Kansas City is looking to conclude the preseason on a winning note after a 24-0 loss at Miami (8/23). St. Louis is 2-1 in preseason competition. The Rams are coming off a 24-10 decision vs. Baltimore (8/23). Thursday’s contest will provide each squad with a fi nal opportunity to evaluate players prior to the NFL’s fi nal mandatory cutdown to 53 players on Saturday (8/30).

Herm Edwards enters his third season as Kansas City’s head coach and boasts one of the NFL’s youngest squads. Defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham leads a Kansas City defense that ranked in the NFL’s top fi ve in nine different different defensive categories in 2007. The Chiefs led the league in third-down defense (31.3%) and forced a leaguehigh 121 negative plays. KC also ranked second in the NFL in Red Zone defense (14.5 TD pct.).

Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey is implementing a revamped offensive scheme for Kansas City in 2008. Third-year QB Brodie Croyle (D3-06) has looked sharp thus far in the preseason. Two-time Pro Bowl RB Larry Johnson returns for the Chiefs in 2008 after missing the fi nal eight games of the 2007 campaign with a foot injury. Johnson needs just 94 more yards to come the second-leading rusher in Kansas City history. Nine-time Pro Bowl TE Tony Gonzalez owns 820 career receptions, the most catches by a tight end in NFL history. Second-year WR Dwayne Bowe led all NFL rookies with 70 catches and 995 yards in 2007.

QB Marc Bulger (D6-00) leads a Rams offense that also includes three-time 1,000-yard rusher RB Steven Jackson (D1-04), while the Rams defense was bolstered by the addition of DE Chris Long (D1-08). Kansas City travels to New England on Opening Day (9/7), while Philadelphia opens the regular season at Philadelphia (9/7).

THE SERIES
Kansas City is 7-11 in preseason action against the Rams. St. Louis won last year’s Governor’s Cup contest by a 10-3 count at the Edward Jones Dome (8/30/07). The Rams last preseason victory in Kansas City was a 24-7 triumph (8/23/04).

St. Louis owns a 14-12 edge in all contests vs. the Chiefs. KC leads the regular season series between the two clubs at 5-4. Since the Rams relocated to Missouri in ‘95, KC has won all four regular season meetings between the two clubs under four different head coaches. The Chiefs got a 31-17 win at St. Louis (11/5/06) in the most recent meeting.

The Rams haven’t defeated KC in the regular season since registering a 16-0 decision (9/25/94). The Chiefs have pummeled their in-state, I- 70 rivals by a combined 103-44 margin in the Rams last two regular season visits to Arrowhead, including a 49-10 victory (12/8/02). The most prolifi c scoring game in the series was a 54-34 Chiefs win under then-head coach, current defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham at Arrowhead (10/22/00), a contest which snapped a six-game Rams winning streak. Those 54 points were the fourth-highest tally in KC history and the second-highest total ever accumulated at Arrowhead.

Complete 16 page release (PDF)

The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Kansas City Chiefs.

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A 15-year veteran of the Chiefs, Moris is the associate director of public relations for the team and contributes an in-depth examination of each upcoming game Tuesdays in-season.