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CHARLES IS POSTER BOY FOR PROGRESS
December 30th – 5:17 PM

In the final week of the season, Chiefs head coach Todd Haley was asked today which player is the poster boy for progress. From day one of his tenure up until today, which player on the Chiefs roster has made the most strides?

”There are a bunch of guys without going into detail that I feel like have made big strides,” Haley said. “But if you pin me down I’d say Jamaal is the more obvious.“

We all know the spark Charles has brought to the Chiefs offense since becoming the club’s feature back at the beginning of November. Apparently those little, behind-the-scenes things that caused him to be inactive for the homer opener have improved at the same rate his on-field performance has.

“Jamaal has really made big steps,” Haley said. “When you talk about that since November only one guy has had more rushing yards than him and that’s Chris Johnson that’s pretty good. Now, we can’t put him in Canton yet. It’s only been a handful of games. Part of being a good player in this league is doing it consistently over a period of time. That’s just where Jamaal is at.”

Now, what about the opposite. Which player or position group needs to pick things up the most this offseason heading into 2010?

“The next step for us as a team – and a team never stays the same adding and subtracting players here before too long – is we’ve got to start playing complete games in all three phases before too long,” Haley said. “When we do that we’ll be in more games and the more games we’re in the more we’ll win because we’re going to continue to work on being a smart team and one that makes good decisions. That would be my main point: getting all three phases working together.”

Even including the Chiefs victories this season, the only “complete game” to Haley’s liking seems to be the overtime victory over Pittsburgh.

“It wasn’t perfect and there were things we could have done better or more efficiently.,” Haley made sure to point out. “But I would say that in that game we played at a pretty high level in all areas.”

CHIEFS INJURY UPDATE
December 30th – 5:05 PM

As mentioned earlier in the practice report, CB Brandon Flowers (shoulder) was the only Chiefs visibly limited in practice today. On the Chiefs official injury report, G Andy Alleman (knee) was the only other limited Chief. Alleman played as a reserve lineman last Sunday in Cincinnati.

DE Alex Magee, who missed last Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury, was listed on the practice report but as a full participant.

ANOTHER 1,000-YARD CANDIDATE
December 30th – 3:53 PM

RB Jamaal Charles isn’t the only youngster searching for the century mark this Sunday. Denver has a 1,000-yard candidate of their own as well.

Broncos rookie RB Knowshon Moreno is just 103 yards away from the century mark as he has split carries with veteran runner Correll Buckhalter throughout 2009. Buckhalter has 624 yards on half about half as many carries as Moreno.

”Offensively, they have two backs, one that’s close to a 1,000 (yards) and who is a rookie (Knowshon Moreno) and looks like he’s going to be real good back and (Correll) Buckhalter who has over 600 (yards), so two guys who can really run the football,” Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said.

In the first meeting between the two teams, Buckhalter and Moreno paired to help the Denver run game churn out 245 rushing yards. Buckhalter led Denver’s rushing attack with 12 carries for 113 yards while Moreno reached the end zone twice and carried 21 times for 86 yards. That game was the first of Kansas City’s homestand that saw opponents run for 792 yards on the ground.

GOOSE-EGG AT INVESCO NEWS TO CHAMP
December 30th – 3:32 PM

CB Champ Bailey is 5-0 against the Chiefs at INVESCO Field. A member of the Broncos for six seasons, Bailey found out about the Chiefs winless streak in his home building today on his conference call with the Kansas City media.

”I never knew that,” Bailey said. “Obviously I wasn’t here for all [the games]. You know, that’s a little surprising, I mean, I didn’t know that.

“Their stadium is tough to win in as well,” Bailey continued. “It doesn’t mean anything to be honest with you. It doesn’t mean a thing. We’ve still got to go out and play; they’re not the same team we played a few weeks ago, so we’ve got to be prepared to play a real good, explosive team.“

Bailey holds a 1-4 record at Arrowhead spanning over an 11-season career with Washington and Denver. That one win at Arrowhead occurred earlier this month, but Bailey sees a much different team offensively than the one he faced four weeks ago.

”I’ll tell you what a huge difference is, that’s WR Dwayne Bowe and RB Jamaal Charles,” Bailey said. “He’s looking more and more comfortable back there in that backfield. That creates a lot of match-up problems because Dwayne Bowe is explosive and he’s strong and he’s going to play hard. And Jamaal Charles is a big play waiting to happen, so that’s what makes them a lot more difficult than the first time.“

Bowe can likely expect Bailey to serve as his shadow throughout the course of Sunday’s game.

MCDANIELS: “CHARLES IS SPECIAL”
December 30th – 3:15 PM

As Denver begins to prepare for their most important game of the season, first-year Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels says the team’s mindset stands on solid ground.

Despite controlling their own playoff destiny for most of the season, Denver now needs help. They also need a victory. The Broncos have the same record over their past nine games as Kansas City (2-7) and have lost three consecutive games trying to tie up a playoff berth. Still, McDaniels is pleased about where his club’s mental state resides.

”I think we understand where we’re at and we understand where we want to go and we still have the ability to do that,” McDaniels said. “I think we’ve got a very resilient team; we’ve got good leadership, a lot of veteran players that understand that you don’t get the opportunity to try to compete to go to the playoffs every single year.

“I think we’ve got a determined bunch, a group that’s anticipating a tough division game on Sunday with the Chiefs,” McDaniels continued. “The second time around is always different, we know that, and there are a lot of things that we have to do between now and Sunday.“

One of those differences will be how the Chiefs line up offensively. WR Dwayne Bowe was serving the second game of a four-game NFL suspension the first time that these two teams lined up against one another on December 6th. Also, RB Jamaal Charles was just beginning his tenure as the Chiefs feature back and had yet to log 20 carries in a professional game. He’s eclipsed the 20-carry mark each of the past three games.

”I think they’ve really settled in with RB Jamaal Charles, he’s really been a special player this year,” McDaniels said. “The last seven games, I think he’s second in rushing to RB Chris Johnson in Tennessee, which is saying a lot. Very explosive team. With WR Chris Chambers and Bowe, that’s a potent one-two punch at receiver. Charles is obviously explosive and can go the distance on any given play.“

McDaniels says that the key to stopping Charles is to account for him on every play regardless of where he lines up or what type of tendencies go along with the formation the Chiefs show at the line of scrimmage.

“You have to know where he is at on every play and you can’t ever underestimate how fast he is,” McDaniels said. “His speed is special; there aren’t many players in the league that you could say that about. He gets to the corner very easily and even sometimes when you feel like you’ve got good leverage on a blocker or whatever it may be, he can still go around the corner.

“You try to make sure that you don’t let him get out in the open space and get running as much as you can and you’ve got to do it on every play or on every kicking situation if you’re kicking the ball off,” McDaniels continued. “They try to give him as many opportunities as they can to let him go the distance, which good coaching obviously, and we’ve got to make sure we’re ready and we play him every play because the minute you take a play off with him, the ball is usually in the end zone.“

Charles needs 139 yards rushing against Denver to become the Chiefs first 1,000-yard runner since 2006. Denver gives up 116.1 rushing yards per game on average.

FLASH FORWARD TO 2010 - COLQUITT V. COLQUITT?
December 30th – 2:33 PM

The Colquitt brothers may or may not do battle this weekend, but there is a definite possibility that a brotherly rivalry is in store for the long run.

The younger brother of Chiefs P Dustin Colquitt, Britton Colquitt, was signed this morning by Denver. The elder Colquitt isn’t quite sure what’s in store this weekend, but thinks Denver’s move to sign his little brother is an indication of future plans.

“It’s going to be cool,” the Chiefs Colquitt said. “Right now he said they’re just getting him on the active roster for next year. I don’t know if he is going to punt this week or not. I know that they brought him up from Miami’s practice squad so they can have him for next season.“

The Broncos still have veteran P Mitch Berger on roster. Even if Berger continues to punt this weekend, there is the chance that the Colquitt’s could be battling leg for leg twice a year on rival squads.

“That would be fun,” Dustin Colquitt said of the opportunity to punt against his brother twice a year going forward. “I hope he gets the opportunity. I think that he would do a good job there. He had a great preseason there and I think that he is definitely Denver’s future.”

WEDNESDAY PRACTICE REPORT
December 30th – 11:45 AM

There were no major injuries suffered by the Chiefs last weekend in Cincinnati. As a result, all players were present and accounted for inside the Chiefs practice facility this morning for the first day of prep work for Denver.

CB Brandon Flowers stood to the side without a helmet, much like he’s done in a limited capacity over the past two weeks due to a nagging shoulder. He was the only player visibly held out of some drills.

BRONCOS SIGN COLQUITT
December 30th – 10:55 AM

The Broncos have signed a punter named Colquitt. Ugh…not that Colquitt.

After Denver head coach Josh McDaniels was unhappy following veteran Mitch Berger’s performance against Philadelphia on Sunday, Denver signed the brother of Chiefs P Dustin Colquitt, Britton Colquitt.

The younger Colquitt was on Denver’s roster during the preseason. Berger remains with the team for now, but it looks as if the Colquitt boys will have a battle of the boot this Sunday.

WATERS UP FOR NFL MAN OF THE YEAR
December 30th – 9:34 AM

The Chiefs have announced that G Brian Waters is the team’s nominee for the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. Waters is joined by candidates from each NFL team in consideration for this illustrious accolade. The winner will be announced by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during Super Bowl XLIV pregame ceremonies on Sunday, February 1^st in South Florida.

In a short amount of time and with little fanfare, Waters has impacted tens of thousands of children and families. His heart and passion inspired him to establish The Brian Waters 54 Foundation. Created in 2004, the foundation’s mission is to give back and impact communities while making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. The work and focus of the foundation serves those in Waters hometown, Waxahachie, Texas and has expanded to include the Greater Kansas City area, Dallas and Sulphur Springs, TX. 

“What a humbling honor,” Waters said upon being informed of the news. “All of my accomplishments on the field would mean nothing if I couldn’t contribute to my community. For me, the gridiron serves a greater purpose.”

Brian and his wife, Yolanda, run all foundation activities and have no paid staff. Together, they work closely throughout the year with more than 20 different agencies including: Fellowship of Christian Athletes, First Downs for Down Syndrome, God’s Church, Habitat for Humanity, Love Fund, Navarro Jr. College, Project Safe Place, Promise House, Salvation Army, Special Olympics, Third and Long Foundation, Waxahachie Educational Foundation, Waxahachie YMCA, Waxahachie Pee Wee Football, United Believers Church, etc. In addition, he has served as spokesperson for numerous NFL and Chiefs outreach campaigns.

The prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year award is unique among NFL honors. It is the only NFL acknowledgment that recognizes a player for his community service activities as well as his excellence on the field. The Award has been given annually since 1970 and no franchise has garnered more honorees than the Chiefs. Members of the Red and Gold who have taken home the Gladiator Statue, which is given to the winner, include such current and future members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame as LB Willie Lanier (1972), QB Len Dawson (1973), LB Derrick Thomas (1993) and G Will Shields (2003).

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY
December 30th – 5:40 AM

It’s time to dump the Donkeys.

INVESCO Field at Mile High celebrated its inaugural season, exactly one mile above sea level, in 2001. Over those eight years 5,377,127 people have walked through the turnstiles at INVESCO. Not a single one of them has ever witnessed a Chiefs victory in the building.

Kansas City owns a giant goose egg in Denver, going 0-8 all-time at the stadium. The Chiefs have been outscored at INVESCO by a margin of 234-121, which amounts to more than an average of two touchdowns per game. The drought in the Denver represents the second-longest winless streak at an active NFL stadium behind Cincinnati’s 10-game skid when visiting Oakland (that’s kind of an odd matchup to hold the league’s longest active streak, don’t you think?).

This Sunday, the Chiefs will get the opportunity to end nearly a decade of futility at INVESCO. However, not only do the Chiefs have the chance to pull a franchise first, they’ve also got a chance to send the Donkey’s packing for the offseason in the process.

Two birds, one stone (err, win).

For Chiefs fans, Sunday is as close to the feel of the Super Bowl without actually being in the big game. It’s rare that a three-win team has anything to play for other than pride in a season finale on the road. A win over Denver all but assures a proper close to the Broncos proverbial late-season collapse.

“We don’t have anything to lose,” RB Jamaal Charles said. “We have to go up there and feel like we want to knock people out of the playoffs. Our goal last week was to knock Cincinnati out of the playoffs and our goal this week is to knock Denver out of the playoffs.”

That mindset nearly triggered an upset on the road this past weekend. Despite being a two-touchdown underdog, the Chiefs had Cincinnati on the brink of defeat until the final two-minutes of the game. After a first-half that saw the Chiefs limit the Bengals to just 19 yards through the air and 43 yards running the football, Cincinnati jogged into their locker room among a standing wave of booing from those at Paul Brown Stadium.

Kansas City will need to begin the game this weekend with the same mindset and attitude that they possessed a week ago in Cincinnati, except add a finish equally as good as the start. That mixture might just lead to the demise of playoff hopes for Donkey fans across the globe.

After beginning the season 6-0, Denver has gone 2-7 and is riding a three-game losing streak. A one-point home loss to Oakland sandwiched between road losses to division leaders in Indianapolis and Philadelphia have left Denver in a position eerily similar to that from a year ago when they got off to a hot start, only to lose the final three games of the season and finish 8-8.

Denver’s playoff picture is a complicated smorgasbord of scenarios – there are 10 different “what ifs” in all. There are ways that Denver won’t make the playoffs if they win, and there is a way they still make the playoffs even if they lose. For simplicity sake, the following scenario is the only way Denver can make the playoffs if the Chiefs win on Sunday.

If KC wins, the Jets, Ravens and Texans must all lose while the Dolphins and Jaguars must either lose or tie for Denver to make the playoffs.

So, yes, a Chiefs win on Sunday essentially gives the boot to the asses.

“We’ve got a chance to go on the road against a team that’s fighting to get into the playoffs that happens to be in our division and we could knock them out,” Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said. “So, I think that’s number one for everybody.”

This weekend’s game is also a bit of payback from an embarrassing 44-13 Denver win at Arrowhead. The Donkeys ran for 245 yards en route to improve their December record in Kansas City to 2-18.

“They are a team that does a lot of zone (run) scheme,” LB Demorrio Williams said of Denver. “When you go up against a zone scheme you have to come downhill on them. I feel like we went sideways too much against them last game. I feel like we’ll have a better game plan for them this time around.”

Adjustments will be made on both sides of the football based off tape from that first meeting of the season. That game, coupled with playoff hopes on the line equals plenty of motivation for this Sunday inside the Chiefs locker room.

“It would be real sweet,” Charles said of knocking Denver out of the playoffs. “It wouldn’t just be sweet for this week, but it would be sweet for 2010 and then we could just build off that when we come back next year for OTAs and for training camp.”

Emerging victorious in those final two (very winnable) Arrowhead home games would have given the Chiefs maybe just enough momentum to finish off the Bengals last Sunday. A win on Sunday would have also definitely given the Chiefs a better level of confidence going into a place that the franchise has never won.

The fact still remains, however, that a win on Sunday would cloud a lot of negative vibes attributed with the 2009 season. Opening a new decade of Chiefs football with a victory would be nice, but opening a new decade with the first victory at INVESCO, all while eliminating Denver from playoff contention, would be awesome.

The Chiefs haven’t beaten a playoff team on the road in December since 1991. That’s record’s probably going to hold another year regardless of Sunday’s outcome (the scenario listed above has a miniscule chance of happening).

“Right now we have three and we’re going on the road against Denver and have a chance to knock them out of the playoffs and that’s what I’d like to really get,” Haley said. “That would be Pro Bowl material for me.”

That’s Pro Bowl material for Chiefs fans as well. If the 2009 season didn’t fare well for us, it might as well end in heart break for Denver.