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RESULTS WEAR DOWN HALEY
October 27th – 5:41 PM

Chiefs head coach Todd Haley has been asked on back-to-back days if he’s wearing down. Simply put, Haley looks tired.

Haley acknowledged today that he is indeed dragging a bit, but that it has nothing to do with off-field issues that the Chiefs are facing. To Haley, only one thing is worth draining his energy: losing.

“Losing wears me down,” Haley said today. “Losing wears me down and it always has. As I said yesterday, how you’re judged as a head coach comes down to one thing and that’s really results, and right now the results aren’t what they need to be.“

As a result, Haley has spent several light nights/early mornings at Arrowhead this week. To say that the off-field distraction don’t affect Haley would be ignoring the blatantly obvious. But it’s also safe to say that Haley is spending much more time worrying about his football team’s on-field product.

“I love my job and look forward to coming around the corner (to the stadium) every day. I really love it. So, I wouldn’t say wearing down. We work really, really hard and sacrifice a lot of time. The players do, the coaches do. I’ve got five kids and a wife and sacrifice a lot of them with them. Losing isn’t worth that sacrifice, so we’ve got to find ways to win.

The next move regarding embattled running back Larry Johnson will soon come, but for now Haley also has a team to worry about improving.

“This is an opportunity for us to do a little catch up offensively, so to speak, and to clean up some of the issues that have continually been giving us problems. That’s where we’re at. We’re going to work and hopefully get better.”

LOCKER ROOM MUM ON LJ; DISTRACTIONS
October 27th – 3:12 PM

Off the field, Chiefs fans read a statement from the Chiefs (see below) and saw an apology released by RB Larry Johnson through his agent. All the news of the day involving the Chiefs by the outside world revolved around news off the football field. The team, however,

“We’re just coming in here to play football,” backup QB Brodie Croyle said. “That’s our job, that’s what we’re supposed to do and we have to do a better job of it. That’s what we’re trying to get done this bye week.“

That’s a good attitude to have, especially considering the Chiefs performance on Sunday against division rival San Diego. But as the team did gear up to prepare for improvement, they lined up without their starting running back. RBs Jamaal Charles took the first-team reps in Johnson’s absence.

“I’m not distracted” DE Glenn Dorsey said. “I’m just trying to get better.“

“I’m coming to work and trying to win,” Dorsey continued. “It is what it is.“

It is obvious that the Chiefs locker room is leading team officials handle the Johnson situation. Each player likely has their opinion on the matter, but all are doing the best thing by focusing on their own work and letting the powers that be ultimately determine the next step with Johnson.

“I can only control what I can control,” Croyle said.

LAWRENCE RE-JOINS TEAM
October 27th – 1:13 PM

Also announced on the Chiefs LIVE call-in show, WR Quinten Lawrence has cleared waivers and joined the Chiefs practice squad.

Lawrence was the Chiefs 2009 sixth-round draft choice. He was released on Saturday to make room for WR Lance Long.

CHIEFS INTRO STATEMENT ON LJ
October 27th – 1:09 PM

The Chiefs issued a statement regarding the status of RB Larry Johnson during today’s LIVE call-in show.

The Kansas City Chiefs and the National Football League are continuing to investigate the alleged comments made by Larry Johnson. Until that review is complete, the Chiefs have instructed Larry to refrain from practicing with the Chiefs or participating in other team activities. A decision regarding Larry’s status will be made once the investigation has concluded.

CHIEFS NOT A “TEAM”
October 27th – 11:37 AM

With all of the off-field issues making headlines surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs, perhaps one of the most telling quotes of the year was delivered seemingly unnoticed by Chiefs head coach Todd Haley. In the grand scheme of things, anything and everything in the NFL reverts back to victories. Winning is ultimately how success is measured in the National Football League.

It doesn’t matter who you win. Simply put, a win is a win. Ugly wins are just as good as pretty wins and blowout losses to inferior opponents count the same as overtime losses to superior opponents. You don’t get bonus points for the way you play the game. At the end of the game, you simply get a tally as either a “W” or as an “L.“

Right now, the Chiefs have one tally in the “W” column, and six tallies in the “L” column - not good. So what is the problem? Actually I should ask…what are the problems? There are a number of issues that this team faces, but front and center is one of the most key elements of football. Right now, the Chiefs simply aren’t a “team” yet.

“Without a doubt,” Haley answered when asked if the Chiefs have yet to become a cohesive group. “That’s a sign that this is a process. I knew coming into this there were a lot of broke players and broke parts of the team that had to get fixed one way or the other. That’s why this job was open.

“That’s why I had this great phenomenal opportunity that I relish every day when I turn onto Coal Mine Road and can see Arrowhead up over the trees, or drive in on Sunday and see all the people out there getting excited for a game,” Haley continued. “But I knew coming in there was a lot broke and a big part of my job is to fix it and it’s what I intend to do.“

The NFL doesn’t wait. Kansas City will take steps to rectify the broken pieces here in about an hour on the Arrowhead practice fields.

ALL EYES ON PRACTICE LINEMEN(updated)
October 27th – 8:57 AM

They’re two players that you’ve likely never heard of unless you’re a fan/alumnus of Nebraska or Ole Miss. We’re talking about Chiefs practice squad linemen Chris Patrick and Darryl Harris. Patrick, the first-year tackle, and Harris, the rookie free agent guard, are both what Chiefs head coach Todd Haley likes to call “developmental players.” These two will have the eyes in the sky focused directly on their jerseys as bye week practices begin this afternoon.

Both players will factor into what the Chiefs will do with their battered offensive line. Kansas City expects to get starting left tackle Branden Albert back in action at Jacksonville following the bye weekend. But with Albert’s arrival, likely comes C Rudy Niswanger’s departure. Niswanger injured his left knee on Sunday vs. San Diego and right now his status is in the air.

“Rudy is having his knee looked at as we speak and we will know more about that injury later,” Haley said yesterday. “It’s a significant injury of some sort but, hopefully, less significant than we initially thought.“

Niswanger’s departure moves Willie Bloomquist….err Wade Smith, the Chiefs utility backup to every position on the front five…from left tackle to center. Smith made that transition on Sunday when Niswanger fell to injury. T Barry Richardson took over Albert’s let tackle spot vacated by both Albert and Smith.

So just how good are Patrick and Harris? Are either one of them ready to receive a “call up” to the active roster and serve as a primary backup? Luckily, for Kansas City, the Chiefs have an extended amount of time to sit back and observe. C/G Andy Alleman will also factor into the equation, but he may be needed to back-up Waters and Goff at guard as well.

“I would say when we go on the field tomorrow, but we are getting back together as a staff and we have some center potential. We’ve got to talk through some of those things. Andy Alleman has played center and we have a practice squad player who has played a lot of center. We have some center options, Wade being one of them.“

The developmental practice squad has been tested often this season already. Richardson and WR Lance Long were both recent members of the practice squad who played significant roles off the bench vs. San Diego. The practice squad is an important part of NFL football, but dipping into the well multiple times a year can point to serious personnel issues on the 53-man active roster.

”(Richardson) is a young developing player who’s got some potential and that’s what the practice squad is for,” Haley said. “We want guys there that are developing players, players that we feel like we can develop. We don’t want just practice bodies.“

Players on the Chiefs active (or injured roster) with practice squad experience (on the Chiefs practice squad) include: RB Jackie Battle, RB Dantrell Savage, WR Lance Long, T Barry Richardson and LB Weston Dacus.

There are a number of other Chiefs, such as DE Wallace Gilberry and LB Andy Studebaker, who have spent time on the practice squad rosters of other NFL teams.

*UPDATE - 1:30 PM - The 49ers have plucked Patrick off of the Chiefs practice squad.*

LOCKER ROOM ON TWITTER
October 27th – 7:09 AM

It’s no surprise that Chiefs head coach Todd Haley wasn’t the member of the Chiefs asked to comment on the recent remarks of RB Larry Johnson. One of the newest Chiefs, WR Bobby Wade, was one of the first to step forward and address the situation.

“The best that I can tell you as that us as players are going to have to continue and we’re going to have to step out on the field regardless,” WR Bobby Wade said. “In my eyes, there never becomes a point where it is ok to (question your head coach). For me as a player, all I want to do is be a player. I don’t want to concern myself with coaching. I don’t want to concern myself with personnel changes, management or anything like that. All I want to do is play.

“If other players want to get involved with that, then it’s their opinion,” Wade finished.

For Johnson’s backup, RB Jamaal Charles, even associating himself with such social media sites as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are out of the equation.

“I don’t have My Space or Facebook,” Charles said. “I just stay off of that stuff. The more privacy for myself. I don’t want to let the whole world know, they can find out about me on Sunday if they want to know about me.”

As for Haley’s playing background, Charles dismissed that as a factor almost immediately.

“I’m just going out there and playing football,” Charles said. “I don’t care if Coach Haley didn’t play football or if he does or doesn’t know anything about football. I do, so when I step on the field, I’m going to go out there and perform. If he doesn’t or if he does, I’m still going to go out there and play. That doesn’t have any effect on how I play.”

Overall, Wade brought the day full-circle by saying that the locker room is not lost heading into the bye week with a 1-6 record. He says that the veterans on this football team will not allow outside circumstances to become distractions.

“Not the case,” Wade said adamantly when asked if Haley was losing the locker room. “The veterans in this locker room want to focus on keeping this team together. Whether it be the program or the coaches, whatever motivation it is for that, the veterans in this locker room, myself included, are going to be a part of keeping this team together. That’s what it’s about, regardless of what’s said, what’s thought about and your opinions, the players in the locker room are going to have to keep this program together and we are going to have to just keep on fighting.”

More players will likely be asked to speak following today’s practice. Coach Haley is expected to address the media once again around 1:40 PM. That press conference will be carried LIVE on kcchiefs.com following the CHIEFS LIVE Call-In Show at 12:00 Noon.

HALEY TAKES HIGH ROAD
October 26th – 5:37 PM

The conditions were perfect this afternoon at Arrowhead for a fireworks show inside the press room. Chiefs head coach Todd Haley faced a jam-packed media lineup; while a record number of you viewed the press conference LIVE on kcchiefs.com. There was a dose of in-house controversy to discuss, as well as a disheartening loss just 24 hours prior. Haley had the spotlight on center stage.

Although uncomfortable, the situation at hand provided a perfect set of circumstances for Haley to fire back, deal out punishments and/or suspensions and use the public microphone as a national megaphone. Following RB Larry Johnson’s much publicized personal comments about Haley on Twitter, the head coach chose not to fire back. Instead, he focused on the people that Johnson may have insulted outside of the Kansas City head coach.

“How our players conduct themselves with the media and to the media is very important to myself as a head coach and to the Chiefs as an organization,” Haley said. “With that said, I appreciate the curiosity and the desire to obtain information, but that’s where I’ll leave that situation and kind of get back to football.”

Simply put, Johnson’s comments about the background credentials regarding Haley were the least of worries for Kansas City’s head man. Haley was far more concerned about how to improve a 1-6 football team, and how Johnson’s actions may have offended others involved with the situation.

“Never,” Haley answered when asked if he was offended by question regarding his coaching ability. “I’d never be offended.

“How our players conduct themselves in a public setting is very important to us,” Haley reiterated.

Haley did comment that the Chiefs are gathering all the information involved regarding the situation. However, he didn’t offer any insight into what repercussions Johnson may or may not face from either the Chiefs or the NFL. Obviously, the Chiefs will have to take a public stance on the situation in the coming days, but rushing into a potential long-term decision just hours after the incident isn’t a road that Chiefs leadership chose to take.

“At this time we are looking into a couple of situations and I will not have further comment on that,” Haley said.

Throughout a season of turmoil from a rushing perspective, Johnson and Haley had both continued to say the right things at the right times leading up to this weekend’s game. Johnson had kept a patient attitude and positive outlook throughout the first six weeks of the season despite not recording a single 100-yard game and averaging a paltry 2.7 yards per carry, while Haley publically endorsed Johnson throughout media inquiries tied to LJ’s performance.

Just last week, Johnson joined me as I filled in for Soren Petro kcchiefs.com’s Red Zone radio show. He talked about patience, self-analysis/criticism, and what it takes to develop overall cohesiveness with a new regime in charge. Those comments, coupled with his previous high remarks for Haley and off-field demeanor leading up to Sunday, are what make Johnson’s latest headlines even more surprising.

As a result of those headlines, Haley was forced to spend a good amount of time discussing his coaching pedigree during what is usually an extended version of a post-game press conference.

“I’m very proud of what I’ve done to get to where I am,” Haley said. “I’m very proud of my results as a position coach and as a coordinator. Right now, am I proud of my head coaching record? No. But I intend to do everything that I can to change that.”

As most know, Haley didn’t play high school or college football. He did, however, have the privilege and priceless experience of spending countless hours of his youth inside the film room with one of the greatest NFL personnel men of all time, his father, Dick Haley.

From a coaching background, Haley has taken the traditional path of progression once he broke into the league in 1995 as a scouting assistant. He slowly made the progression from lowly assistant, to quality control coach, to position coach, to coordinator, and finally to head coach. The span took the better part of 15 years.

“I’m very proud of being able to grow up around, in my opinion, one of the best football teams that there are,” Haley continued. “To be around the teams and players that I was around on a daily basis, I think that has given me great insight as I have progressed in the coaching field what good and great are supposed to look like.”

“I think I’m here for a reason,” Haley continued. “I think I’ve earned what I’ve done in the NFL through hard work, execution and results. I’m here to coach, I’m not here to play and that’s the bottom line.”

At the end of the day, Haley was confronted with perhaps the most difficult situation of his young coaching career and he handled it with class (it was his most difficult off-field situation as a head coach by a landslide). Now, the team must decide a course of action with Johnson and move on.

Johnson declined to comment publically on the matter this afternoon, deferring to his usual allotted time to speak with the media on Thursday’s following practice. Ironically, that decision led to an indirect, under-the-breath comment, which has caused last night’s Twitter fiasco to grow exponentially.

The situation in it’s entirely caps off a very disappointing weekend for both the Chiefs as a young football team and Johnson as a veteran football player. The team as a whole failed to build on the momentum of a victory in Washington, while Johnson’s recent comments have clouded his run at the record books – Johnson is just 75 yards from becoming the franchise’s all-time rushing leader.

The Chiefs will hit the practice fields tomorrow to work at their on-field product. After practice, the locker room and head coach will have to address the club’s off-field situation once again. Both situations are much different than they would have been before kickoff occurred on Sunday. The bye week couldn’t come at a better time.