Join Chiefs365 | Insider Forum with Josh Looney - Talk it up! | Looney Bin Archive

Public Transportation Returns to Arrowhead on Gamedays

REGISTER NOW: Dance Studio Performance Day

HALEY: CHIEFS MUST DECIDE ON SMITH BY FRIDAY
November 2nd – 6:42 PM

Chiefs head coach Todd Haley isn’t tipping his hand. With only two running backs on the roster this week (Jamaal Charles and Dantrell Savage), must are assuming that Kansas City will activate Kolby Smith from the reserve/PUP list before Sunday’s game in Jacksonville. Although it’s largely assumed that transaction will take place, the Chiefs have until Friday to make the final decision regarding Smith’s 2009 season.

”We have until Friday,” Haley said. “You can’t do it Saturday. He made it through the first two weeks pretty well and looked like he was moving around pretty good today so I’m optimistic about having an opportunity to see him play.“

Smith starting practicing again with the team two weeks ago. He hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since injuring his knee last November vs. Tampa Bay. The Chiefs have two other options to make regarding Smith if they don’t think he’s ready to join the active roster - send him to injured reserve and end his season, or release him outright.

Right now, it looks like activating Smith is the front runner by a large margin. If he is activated to the 53-man roster, the Chiefs can still give Smith a few more weeks of rehab by keeping him inactive. But from the sound of Haley’s comments today, expect to see #21 get at least a few touches if/when he comes off of the PUP list.

”We’ll make sure it’ll be up-tempo for him and if, indeed, we are going to activate him we would want him to be ready,” Haley said.

HALEY TO CAN INJURY TALK - EXCEPT ON PAGE?
November 2nd – 4:45 PM

Let the speculation begin. S Jarrad Page missed practice this afternoon, apparently due to an injury suffered in practice last Thursday. That bit of news is about as routine as any injury talk, in any NFL city. But after a small turn of events this afternoon, Page’s situation becomes a bit more interesting..

Chiefs head coach Todd Haley informed the media today that he was not going to comment on specific player injuries going forward. This is a practice used by a handful of NFL head coaches for competitive reasons, but Haley had generally been forthright with the media throughout the first eight weeks of the regular season.

“From now on I’m not going to talk a lot about injuries, if at all,” Haley announced. “Unless something major comes up, I’m going to stay away from that.“

Ok, fair enough. There’s not much news there. But then, just a few minutes later when asked about Page’s absence, Haley indicated that Page was indeed injured and that he would address Page’s injury on Tuesday.

“I will talk about Jarrad Page tomorrow,” Haley stated. “He suffered another injury on Thursday and I’ll talk about that tomorrow.“

Interesting. Page is the exception? Is his injury serious?

Technically, Haley isn’t due to talk with the media again until Wednesday, but tomorrow is also “Transaction Tuesday” around the league, leaving actions in the form of roster moves to speak as well. The fact that Haley has opted to refrain from injury-talk for competitive reasons going forward, but is inclined to talk about Page, leaves a bit of speculation as to what will happen next regarding the Chiefs safety.

Page has dealt with lingering injuries throughout the season. A trip to the injured reserve certainly wouldn’t be a shock, but it would still be a bit of a surprise. Looks like we’ll find out exactly what Haley means tomorrow…or Wednesday.

CHIEFS STATEMENT ON LJ
November 2nd – 3:51 PM

The Kansas City Chiefs, in conjunction with the NFL Management Council, the NFL Players Association and RB Larry Johnson have settled all matters related to Johnson’s recent conduct. Johnson will remain suspended through the club’s game at Jacksonville on November 8th. He will not be permitted to participate in any team activities or be on team premises until Monday, November 9th. This matter is now closed, and the Chiefs will have no further comment.

MONDAY PRACTICE REPORT

November 2nd – 2:52 PM

The Chiefs concluded bye weekend and began work for Jacksonville this afternoon without any free safeties. Jarrad Page was absent from drills, while Jon McGraw is still bothered by a leg injury that kept him out of practices last week. Essentially, today is a bonus practice for prep-work, so Kansas City really doesn’t run into trouble unless both players are unable to go through practice on Wednesday. In Page and McGraw’s absence, CB Maurice Leggett and practice squad S Ricky Price took reps at free safety.

The surprise of the day was C Rudy Niswager dressed in pads. Niswanger was a no-show at all practices last week as he rehabbed what was originally thought to be torn knee ligaments. Reports now say that Niswanger suffered only an MCL sprain. Regardless, his participation in practice was a surprise. It should be noted that he was rather limited with his mobility.

T Branden Albert practiced once again this afternoon and it looks like, pending a major setback, that Albert will be ready to play this weekend. RB Jamaal Charles appears to be in line to start, with Kolby Smith and Dantrell Savage backing him up. Smith, however, has yet to be activated from the reserve/PUP list.

CHIEFS FLIP SCHEDULE
November 2nd – 9:20 AM

Maybe the great weather is a factor, maybe it isn’t. Either way, the Chiefs will return to work today. Instead of the routine mid-morning practice session, however, the Chiefs will hit the field at 2:15 PM today after a morning of meetings.

The team has already reported back from an extended bye weekend.

A NEW LOOK?
November 2nd – 5:51 AM

When the Chiefs report to the practice field this morning, they’ll bag the self-scouting focus of bye week practices and shift their aim solely on the Jacksonville Jaguars. For the first time of the Todd Haley era, the Chiefs will create an offensive game plan that doesn’t center around Larry Johnson as the primary rusher.

Jamaal Charles, without a doubt, seems to be in line for his first stint as Kansas City’s primary ball carrier. Although technically owning three career starts, the second-year runner has never entered a game as the number one running back. As a result, he’s only eclipsed seven carries in a game on one occasion.

Ironically, that lone occasion was last year’s 18-carry, 106-yard performance vs. Tampa Bay after Kolby Smith fell to injury while filling in for a suspended Johnson. Smith hasn’t played since that game, but could be activated from reserve/PUP to back-up Charles this weekend.

Those 18 carries last November 2nd represent 20% of Charles’ career rushes. Since that day, Charles has battled a number of on-field challenges and, unfortunately, hasn’t been in the spotlight since. But this week, the spotlight is finally focused on #25. Every breakout NFL player has to start somewhere; this is by far Charles’ best chance to date.

“I think Jamaal, as I’ve made pretty clear, is a guy that is starting to get it or has made a lot of progress,” Haley said. “He’s gone through some adversity this year. He hasn’t cracked. He’s continued to fight through and get better. He’s got play-making ability and I’m excited about Jamaal and his ability.”

Specifically, Haley is referring to Charles’ fumbles in the preseason and a fumble on the opening kickoff vs. the N.Y. Giants that led to an early 7-0 deficit. Additionally, Charles was a healthy inactive week two vs. Oakland when. He’s battled inconsistency over his first 19 NFL appearances, fumbling the football three times with a limited workload. Three fumbles isn’t a lot, but it’s still given Charles that dreaded “fumble prone” label in opposing defensive film rooms.

Charles, however, hasn’t let his setbacks set him back. He’s battling his weaknesses head on with hard work and extra effort. Haley and the Chiefs coaching staff are seeing signs of a player who wants to take the next step.

“Specifically, if you remember, (Jamaal) had a fumble in the pre-season game against the Rams,” Haley recalled. “He fumbled a kickoff and there are some things that happened to him where he could have gone in the tank. To me, when you go in the tank you’re cracking a little bit.

“He’s fought through some adversity and he’s already ready and always ready to go in when his number is called,” Haley continued. “He practices hard and has been meeting every morning at 6:30 with Coach Carthon – every morning. He’s showing signs of a guy who has gotten better.”

Charles’ arrival as the number one runner this week will also likely alter Kansas City’s offensive play calling. Charles, a far different style of runner than Johnson, has been regulated primarily to third-down duties throughout his career. He’s served the role of a “swing-back,” getting most of his touches on flare passes, screens and draws.

Haley will likely be drawing up an offensive scheme this week that focuses on utilizing Charles’ speed off the edge and ability to make defenders miss in space. At the same time, Haley will be forced to test Charles between the tackles – an area where the majority of fumbles among running backs occur, and a facet of the game that Charles hasn’t seen much experience in performing over the course of his short career.

A new wrinkle to the Chiefs offense may be coming at precisely the right time for Kansas City. After a week of self-scouting, Haley has had an extended amount of time to recognize, analyze and implement a series of offensive adjustments going forward.

“Without a doubt (the bye week helped), because protecting your liabilities is important and as a play-caller there may be ways you want to call the game or ways you’re used to calling a game and you can’t,” Haley explained. “I felt like I made adjustments but after sitting for a week and studying us it’s clear there are more adjustments that need to be made.”

Right now, the biggest adjustment is creating an offensive game plan revolving around a ball carrier that hasn’t had a complete game plan drawn around him as a professional. The Chiefs offense will carry a different look this week. Just how drastic the changes are, remain to be seen.

This challenge, however, also presents opportunity. While the Chiefs have had Jacksonville on their plate for a full week, the Jags will roll right from a Sunday game into preparations for a KC offense that will like look a bit different than any previous games from 2009. Surely a blowout loss to previously winless Tennessee can’t help the mojo at work in Northeast Florida either.

Expect Jack Del Rio and the Jaguars coaching staff to pull film of Chiefs/Bucs from 2008 while preparing to host the Chiefs on Sunday. That’s the closest thing the Chiefs have ever shown to a Jamaal Charles-led rushing attack. There’s also a hefty dose of Smith footage from that day…just in case.