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TWO BRONCOS ALREADY OUT
December 29th – 5:50 PM

The Broncos have confirmed that starting left guard Russ Hochstein and return man Kenny Mckinley will not play this Sunday vs. Kansas City. Both players suffered season-ending injuries on Sunday in Philadelphia.

Hochstein has been starting since November 15th when the Broncos elvated him over Ben Hamilson. McKinley played in eight games, mainly on special teams, returning seven kickoffs for 158 yards (22.6 avg.) and three punts for 32 yards (10.7 avg.). He also turned in three special teams tackles.

CROYLE CHIEFS ED BLOCK COURAGE AWARD RECIPIENT
December 29th – 3:43 PM

Dating back to 1983, the Ed Block Courage Award has annually honored one player from every NFL team who exemplifies commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage. Named in honor of longtime Colts athletic trainer Ed Block, recipients of the award are selected by a vote of their teammates. The NFL’s 32 Ed Block Courage Award winners will be honored at the annual Courage Award Banquet in Baltimore.

Chiefs QB Brodie Croyle was voted by him teammates as the Chiefs 2009 Ed Block Courage Award recipient. Last year’s winner in Kansas City was QB Damon Huard.

Here is a list of past Chiefs recipients, this decade…
2008 - QB Damon Huard
2007 - WR Eddie Kennison
2006 - CB Benny Sapp
2005 - G Will Shields
2004 - RB Priest Holmes
2003 - S Jerome Woods
2002 - DT John Browning
2001 - FB Tony Richardson
2000 - DE Eric Hicks

Croyle rallied back from a season-ending knee injury suffered last season on October 19th vs. Tennessee. The injury kept Croyle out of all practice sessions leading up to training camp this summer. Despite missing all offseason practices under the guidance of a new head coach running a new scheme, Croyle was able to battle his way onto the team as QB Matt Cassel’s primary backup.

Croyle started the season-opener at Baltimore in place of an injured Cassel and completed 16 of 24 passes for 177 yards and two TDs. His 116.1 QB rating was the first by a Chiefs quarterback since Trent Green in 2006 (minimum of 20 attempts). Overall, Croyle is 23 of 40 passing with 230 yards and two TDs this season.

ALL-AROUND IMPACT
December 29th – 3:03 PM

RB Jamaal Charles has certainly had an impact on the Chiefs running game, churning out the second-most rushing yards in the league (709) since RB Larry Johnson was released (November 9th). What goes largely unnoticed, however, is Charles’ all-around impact offensively.

Sure, Charles catches plenty of cathes in addition to his role as the Chiefs featured runner. He ranks third on the team in receiving with 39 catches for 294 yards and a TD. Charles also owns the Chiefs best kickoff return average by more than five yards per take-back.

But while Charles has shined during the second half of this season with the football in his hands, he’s also been solid when the ball is elsewhere. Charles was already the best back on the team as far as blitz-pickup before Johnson’s release. As a result, Jamaal found himself in the game on third downs for his ability to run the draw, screen, flare or pick up a blitz.

Since Charles has become the Chiefs every-down back, Kansas City’s sack total (which was the worst in the league for quite some time) has dropped significantly. In the seven games since November 9th, the Chiefs have been sacked 15 times (2.14 times per game). Before November 9th, Kansas City had been sacked 30 times over eight games (3.75 times per game).

As a result, partially due to Charles’ help, the Chiefs have climbed their way out of the league cellar in sacks allowed and now rank 28th.

“I think it’s really offense in general and Jamaal has been a big part of that,” head coach Todd Haley said when commenting about the decrease in sacks. “But each guy on the offense has got more and more comfortable. This has been a very difficult transition and they understood that and it has not been easy in any way, shape or form. Add in injury and change in personnel and as we continue to find players it’s been difficult.

“The run game has come a long way and any time you can run the football effectively that helps your play-action pass and your drop-back,” Haley continued. “Again, it’s kind of the evolution and the growth of this group. We’ve got a long way to go but I think there has been progress and the guys feel that and they’re feeling better about themselves.”

CASTILLE’S CAN’T MISS PLAY
December 29th – 1:58 PM

Chiefs FB Tim Castille logged his first NFL touchdown of any kind on Sunday at Cincinnati. His 20-yard diving catch between three closing Bengals defenders completed a perfected throw by QB Matt Cassel. Even after watching this play multiple times…how did he hang on?

Chiefs fans weren’t the only ones who thought Castille’s catch was highlight reel material. CBS color commentator described Castille’s grab as “throwing yourself under the wheels of a chariot.”

Castille’s touchdown catch has been selected as one of the top three plays of the week for Sprint’s national Can’t-Miss Plays Promotion. Similar to Jamaal Charles’ selection following his 97-yard kickoff return vs. Pittsburgh, fans can vote online for Castille’s play as the national winner. Voting begins today at 2:00 PM CST and fans can vote at the following address:   

• http://blogs.nfl.com/category/sprint-cant-miss-plays/

DENVER PLAYOFF SCENARIOS
December 29th – 10:53 AM

The Chiefs have the opportunity this weekend to not only win the first game in franchise history at INVESCO Field, but also to help ruin the Broncos playoff chances. Much like last season, Denver got off to a hot start only to fade down the stretch. Denver is 2-7 after starting the season off 6-0.

A Kansas City win this Sunday would drop the Broncos out of the playoffs with the exception of one playoff scenario. Below is Denver’s list of 10 complicated ways to get into the 2009-10 NFL tournament.

Denver clinches a playoff spot with:

1) DEN win + NYJ loss or tie + BAL loss or tie OR
2) DEN win + NYJ loss or tie + PIT loss or tie OR
3) DEN win + NYJ loss or tie + HOU win OR
4) DEN win + BAL loss or tie + PIT loss or tie OR
5) DEN win + BAL loss or tie + HOU win OR
6) PIT loss + BAL loss + HOU loss + JAC loss OR
7) PIT loss + BAL loss + HOU loss + NYJ loss OR
8) PIT loss + BAL loss + JAC loss + NYJ loss OR
9) PIT loss + HOU loss + JAC loss + NYJ loss OR
10) MIA loss or tie + NYJ loss + BAL loss + HOU loss + JAC loss or tie

How about playoff scenario number 10? That one is definitely reminiscent of the Chiefs path into the 2006 playoffs (except Kansas City had to win).

THE CENTURY MARK
December 29th – 6:03 AM

The century mark is that gold-standard for NFL running backs on a game-by-game basis. Get 100 yards and receive a pat on the back. Rushing for 100 yards is always a job well done.

Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles has rushed for 100 or more yards in each of his last three games. Every time he’s touched the football 20 or more times in a game, Charles has gained 100 or more yards. Should he gain another 100 this Sunday in Denver it will be yet another job well done, but it won’t be enough.

Simply gaining 100 yards in Denver won’t take care of a loftier goal. Churning out 100 yards would leave Charles 39 yards short of a 1,000-yard season. The goal to get to 1,000 sounds individual, but it’s not. Getting Jamaal to 1,000 is a rallying point for the chiefs offense as a whole.

“It really hurt this week when my run got called back,” Charles chuckled.

Yes, Charles’ task this Sunday would have been much lighter had his 42-yard burst off left tackle not been called back due to a holding penalty (Charles made sure to voice his disagreement with the call in the locker room on Monday).

“My fullbacks and offensive line are really trying to help me get there,” Charles said of gaining 1,000 yards. “They’re with me, the quarterback is in with me and the receivers are in with me. Everybody is in it with me and wants me to get it. I think it could be really big to build up my confidence.”

Confidence is a critical component of football, but even if Charles doesn’t finish the season with a rushing total the spins four-digits, he should still have plenty of confidence heading into 2010. The fact that he even has an opportunity in the final week of the season for 1,000 yards is special in its own regard. At the beginning of November Charles had carried the football just 23 times.

“I think that it will be real special and that I’ll come back with a lot of confidence next year,” Charles said. “This season I was playing kind of nervous because I wasn’t out there playing with those guys like I am now. I had just gotten in, but I’m starting to feel more comfortable and I’m starting to feel like I could really be a good back.”

Charles was finally implanted as the Chiefs starting running back on November 9th when the club released Larry Johnson. Johnson made his own history with the team and nearly left Kansas City as the franchise’s all-time rushing leader, but at this stage in his career Charles has produced at a much higher level. Since Johnson’s release, only one player in the NFL has rushed for more yards than Jamaal Charles’ total of 703 (Tennessee’s Chris Johnson – 917 yards).

“I think it would be meaningful for this organization if I reached (1,000 yards),” Charles said. “It’s not just for me, but for my teammates and coaches. Everybody would come back and know that they have a back who can make plays for our offense and put us into a situation where we can win games.

“Everybody wants me to get it,” Charles continued. “Even my family wants me to get it because it’s been a small amount of time that I’ve played and it would be amazing to get that.”

It’s interesting how times can change so quickly. Back in July Charles’ short-term goals were to impress the new coaching staff, work on securing the football and win the job as Johnson’s primary backup. The longer-term goal was to eventually wind up as Johnson’s permanent successor.

Five months later, the short-term goal is a 1,000 yard season, but the long-term goal remains the same. Even though he’s done more than impress fans, coaches and teammates, Charles is still out to prove that he is the Chiefs every-down running back right now and into the future.

“It’s something I’ve looked forward to and it’s my goal,” Charles said of entrenching himself as Kansas City’s starter.

As Charles continues to approach his own personal goals, he’s gained national attention in the process as well. His second-half surge this season has not only made him the topic of countless fantasy football articles, but also the subject of opposing defensive meetings.

“My friend (Bengals WR Quon Cosby) said that the Cincinnati coach told them that I was the best back and the fastest back that they would play all season,” Charles said. “That’s how I want to feel. I want to feel like a threat to the defense and for them to feel like if they don’t stop me, I can win the game. I want to be that back where I am on the scouting report.”

Don’t worry Jamaal, there is absolutely no question that your name appears highlighted on Denver’s scouting report for this weekend.

To get to 1,000 yards, Charles will likely need one of those trademark breakaway runs into (and past) the second level this Sunday. Denver ranks 19th in the NFL against the run, but the 139 yards that Charles needs to reach 1,000 are still 23 yards more than the Donkey’s average yield (116.1). Again, that 42-yarder on Sunday would have really helped his cause.

Whether or not Charles hits the 1,000-yard mark this weekend doesn’t mean his appreciation is any less for the men that helped put Charles on the national map in 2009. To show his thanks, Charles is planning on wining and dining the members of Kansas City’s offensive line.

“I’ll take them out to eat,” Charles said. “I just appreciate what they do for me. I told them that I don’t really need a big crease, I just need a small crease and I don’t really need them to hold on for long. It just takes me one crease to gash somebody, so I don’t need that extra hold.

McCormick and Schmick’s or Plaza III Steakhouse seem to be the front-runners to host Charles’ dinner party.

“Those guys are big eaters,” Charles laughed.

I’m sure the tab will be well worth it.