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MARSHALL MISSES PRACTICE IN DENVER
December 31st – 5:19 PM

Yesterday, it didn’t look bright for WR Brandon Marshall. Denver’s Pro Bowl receiver left practice with a hamstring injury and some covering the Broncos on a regular basis said the injury could be serious.

This morning, other reports surfaced that Marshall would play against the Chiefs (see blog below).

This afternoon, nobody outside of Denver is quite sure. Marshall did not practice today in Denver due to the injury suffered yesterday. Denver did, however, get the back the services of WR Eddie Royal (head/neck) in a limited basis today.

RALLYING AROUND CHARLES
December 31st – 4:15 PM

Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles said earlier this week that gaining 1,000 yards wasn’t just an individual goal, but a feat that the Chiefs offense as a whole was taking collective pride in helping him try to accomplish.

From polling various offensive players in the locker room, rallying behind Jamaal is a unanimous decision.

“Blocking for a guy like Jamaal who can take it to the house really makes our job as fullbacks easier,” FB Tim Castille said. “I know that I can just get a piece of a guy and Jamaal can go the distance.

“This guy is about to rush for 1,000 yards and it’s a lot of fun blocking for a guy like that,” Castille continued. “You can really be motivated to help him do that.“

Castille signed with the Chiefs on November 17th, some eight days after RB Larry Johnson was released. All Castille has expereinced in Kansas City from a rushing perspective has been Jamaal Charles.

But those players who have been part of the last 1,000-yard rushing performance in Chiefs history (Johnson in 2006) also appreciate just how special it would be for Charles to eclipse 1,000 yards as part of a Denver knockout blow on Sunday.

“It would be really nice, something to definitely get excited about,” C Rudy Niswanger said. “Always as an offense and an offensive line, we’re trying to establish the running game in every game. If we can run for 150, 200, 300 yards, whatever it is, that’s what we’re trying to do.“

Charles’ season has been a special one and is something that the Chiefs offense can hang their hat on going into the offseason, 1,000 yards or not. Still, four digits are the overwhelmingly better than three on the rushing barometer.

“It’s a goal for him, but it’s a goal of mine to get him to 1,000 yards,” Castille said. “He’s on pace to run for 2,000 yards in a 16 game season and that’s incredible. It’s something that should really be admired and I’m looking forward to him going in there and getting those 1,000 yards.”

CASSEL’S FOCUS ON DENVER
December 31st – 2:36 PM

2009 has been a season of change in Kansas City. New leadership, new coaches, new staff members and new players have all graced a new building. An glaring example of change would be the 12 players who were active last weekend that weren’t on the Chiefs opening day roster at Baltimore.

More change is inevitable this offseason following a three or four win season. At this time of year, it’s easy for players (and fans) to start constructing “what if” scenarios and shift their focus to handicapping hypothetical situations for the year ahead.

The Chiefs, however, are blessed with a meaningful football game at the season - a rare situation for a three-win team to find themselves in. Two birds, one stone. A franchise first can be established with a win at INVESCO all while dropping the Donkey’s out of playoff contention.

“Well, it’s nearly the end, but it’s definitely not over,” Chiefs QB Matt Cassel said. “I think this team’s had two great days of practice, we’re super focused; we know what this game does mean to us and this organization as we move forward and as we go into the off-season. Everybody’s treating this like a playoff game for us and we’re going in there anticipating a battle and we’ll be ready to go.“

The same message was delivered a week go when the Chiefs attempted to play spoiler to the Bengals playoff hopes. The team came up short in the closing minutes, but Kansas City gave the Bengals a scare and likely would have emerged victorious with better execution on just a few plays.

This weekend, however, is aobut more than playing spoiler. This week is about carrying momentum into the offseason by putting the exclamation point on the late-season collapse of a division rival.

”Anytime you can beat a division rival, it’s a big game when you’re playing a team like Denver,” Cassel said. “Not only that, it’s the start of a new year, and to get started on the right track this year would be big for our team and this organization.”

COLTS DEBATE
December 31st – 2:14 PM

What would you have done if you were the Colts this past weekend? Would you have pulled your starters as they did in the third quarter to ensure an injury-free ride into the playoffs or would you have let it ride and tried for perfection?

There are very valid arguments on both sides of the hottest NFL topic of the week. We discussed and debated the situation on our Live show here on kcchiefs.com Tuesday. It seemed like most viewing and chiming in on the forum were split.

Today, Chiefs head coach Todd Haley gave his opinion on the matter and said what he will do should the Chiefs ever reach a situation like that in the future

“It’s been my experience, and really the way you have to think, you have to play to win,” Haley said. “That’s how you do it. If you deviate you end up…at least that’s my opinion.“

Haley’s response isn’t all that surprising. You can tell how he feels by reading between the lines from a comment he made on Monday when he was asked if it’s best to rest key injured players (for future purposes) late in a season when there are no postseason hopes on the line (ie, CB Brandon Flowers who is playing with an injured shoulder).

“I think to be a good team I think your mentality has to be the same all the time, whether it’s player or coach,” Haley said. “Whatever you’re doing your operation has to be of a winning mindset.“

Flowers, by the way, was a full participant in today’s practice despite the sore shoulder.

NYE PRACTICE REPORT
December 31st – 11:44 AM

The final practice of the decade is underway in the indoor facility at Arrowhead. CB Brandon Flowers (shoulder), who didn’t wear full pads yesterday, was back at practice in the same dress and running the same drills as his teammates today. The only missing player from today’s workout was G Andy Alleman (back).

Alleman was limited in yesterday’s practice. He was active and played last Sunday in Cincinnati. Should Alleman not be able to play, the Chiefs have a young player recently promoted from the practice squad in Darryl Harris who can serve as the primary backup to Wade Smith and Brian Waters.

COLQUITT V. COLQUITT UNLIKELY
December 31st – 11:14 AM

For a brief moment yesterday it looked like a leg vs. leg battle between brothers was in store for this weekend - just another exciting side-story to go along with Kansas City attempting to crush Denver’s playoff hopes and gain the franchise’s first-ever victory at INVESCO.

After talking with the Chiefs version of Colquitt in the locker room yesterday, it sounded like his younger brother Britton was signed off Miami’s practice squad for future consideration rather than immediate help.

“Right now he said they’re just getting him on the active roster for next year,” Dustin Colquitt said. “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 elder seems to have been on par with Denver’s plans as the Broncos kept veteran P Mitch Berger and confirmed that he will punt this Sunday.

“Berger’s still punting,” Denver head coach Josh McDaniels said.

Berger is 37 and not likely to return to the Broncos next year. So, there is still a chance for a future Colquitt vs. Colquitt battle…just not likely this season.

UPDATE: MARSHALL EXPECTED TO PLAY
December 31st – 11:06 AM

Reports out of Denver surfaced last night that play-maker WR Brandon Marshall came up hobbling after running a route early in the Broncos practice session and did not return to the field. Originally, there were reports circling around the country that Marshall could miss considerable time due to the injury.

“It looked pretty bad for Brandon,” beat writer Lindsay Jones said via Twitter.

ESPN’s AFC West blogger, Bill Williamson (who typically covers Denver closely), updated this morning with a report that Marshall is expected to play. Who knows how severe the injury is, but Denver officially listed Marshall as limited (hamstring) on their Wednesday injury report.

If a gimpy Marshall isn’t any indication that Denver will be focusing on attacking KC with the run, the fact that WR Eddie Royal also missed practice might seal the deal. Royal didn’t play last weekend due to head/neck issues and if both he and Marshall were to miss Sunday’s game vs. Kansas City, that would account for over 40% of Denver’s receiving output. Marshall and Royal have combined to post 138 catches for 1,465 yards.

Marshall was targeted a team-high 13 times last week in Royal’s absence.

UP AND DOWN
December 31st – 10:52 AM

The first meeting against Denver set off a downward free-for-all on the ground against the Chiefs defense. That first game in December saw Denver’s two running backs - Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter - scamper up and down the field to help the Broncos gain 245 rushing yards. The two weeks that followed saw Buffalo post 200 yards on the ground and Cleveland churn out 351. The free fall wasn’t brought to a halt until last weekend, lasting nearly a month.

Inconsistent defensive play, particularly against the run, has been a major part of Kansas City’s current five-game losing streak. The Bengals finished with 144 yards rushing, which is still high, but it’s a far cry from the 200+ outings the Chiefs had seen. In the first half, Kansas City held the league’s third-best rushing offense to just 43 yards on the ground. That’s a sign that it can be done, it just hasn’t been consistent.

”It has been up and down and that’s what we have to eliminate,” Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said of the defense. “We need to get a group there that can hang in there week-in and week-out and when they’re a little off then have some guys that make up for them.“

The Chiefs have lacked that week-in, week-out, complete “team” game and the overall record is a reflection of that. As LB Mike Vrabel said last week, you expect to win a game when a quarterback completes just 10 passes and throws for only 66 yards as Brady Quinn did in the Arrowhead season finale. Quinn also threw two picks that day.

In fact, the Chiefs have lost two games this season (Cleveland and Oakland) at Arrowhead where the opposing quarterback has completed 10 or fewer passes and threow for fewer than 100 yards.

“We’ve had some games where they’ve really played solid, even last game (vs. Cincinnati) where the front seven did a really good job throughout the game,” Haley said. “They had only two or three plays they’d like to have back. The smaller that number gets the better. That’s really where we’re at as a whole.“

To knock the Donkey’s out of the playoff picture, Kansas City will need to put together all phases of the football game this Sunday. Denver scored a season-high 44 points against the Chiefs in the first meeting and the Chiefs have been outscored by and average of over two TDs all-time at INVESCO Field (a place the Chiefs have never won).

”We need to be further along in general,” Haley said. “That’s what we’re working at. We have another game to take a step and see where we’re at and then we’re quickly going to be into the off-season and working at it again and trying to do all the things you need to do to be a good team.”

ALL-DECADE TEAM
December 31st – 6:05 AM

The fifth decade of Chiefs football comes to a close today. This past decade began with a 41-38 overtime loss to Oakland (1/2/00) in Gunther Cunningham’s final game in his first seasons as Kansas City’s head coach, and concluded with a 17-10 defeat at Cincinnati this past Sunday.

There have been highs and lows including a division championship 13-3 season in 2003 and franchise-worst 2-14 finish in 2008. Hundreds of players have called themselves “Chiefs” this past decade. Here’s my list of the best.

The Chiefs All-Decade Team (2000-2009)
This is not an official Chiefs list and its not associated with the Chiefs Hall of Honor. This is simply my personal All-Decade Chiefs team. Feel free to comment at the bottom of this blog to share memories about your favorite players of the decade, or even debate the list.

Offense

QB –Trent Green (2001-06) – At one point Green rattled off 81 consecutive starts. In 88 games, Green threw for a decade-best 21,459 yards on 1,720 completions. His 118 TDs this decade are 90 more than the next best mark (Elvis Grbac, 28). Green completed the decade (and Chiefs career) with an 87.3 quarterback rating. He was selected to two Pro Bowls (2003, 2005).

RB – Priest Holmes (2001-07) – Holmes ran for each of his franchise-best 6,070 rushing yards and 76 rushing TDs this decade. He made three trips to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl (2001-03). Overall, Holmes played in 65 games over six seasons in Kansas City and also caught 251 passes for 2,377 yards with seven TDs.

FB – Tony Richardson (2000-05) – Not only did Richardson serve as the primary blocking back for the two most prolific rushers the history of the franchise (Holmes and Larry Johnson), but he also churned out over 1,100 yards on the ground. Richardson owns the fourth-highest rushing total of the decade at 1,105 rushing yards, getting passed for third-most by Jamaal Charles two weeks ago (1,218). He also caught 146 balls for 1,120 yards and made two trips to Hawaii (2003-04).

WR – Eddie Kennison (2001-07) – The most receptions and receiving yards turned in this decade by a man not named Tony Gonzalez belong to Kennison. In 91 games Kennison caught 321 passes for 5,230 yards. A true deep threat, Eddie averaged 16.3 yards per catch.

WR – Dwayne Bowe (2007-present) – In only three seasons and 42 games Bowe has the second-most catches yards and touchdowns of any wide receiver. He posted 202 catches for 2,600 yards with 16 TDs this decade.

TE – Tony Gonzalez (2000-08) – Is there any question here? Gonzo was targeted 1,150 times this decade and turned in 748 receptions for 9,102 yards with 61 TDs. Those marks ran circles around anyone else, nearly doubling other candidates in the receiving game. Gonzalez was selected to the Pro Bowl every year of the decade except one. Ironically, that was 2009 in his first year away from Kansas City.

LT – Willie Roaf (2002-05) – Was there a more beautiful sight this decade than Priest Holmes following Roaf around left edge as arguably the best left tackle in modern football history swallowed defenders? Roaf played in 58 games, was selected to Pro Bowls in each season with the Chiefs and was the cornerstone of Kansas City’s offensive success this decade.

LG – Brian Waters (2000-present) – You can’t define leadership and stability along the offensive line without Brian Waters. A four-time Pro Bowler (2004-06, 2008), Waters has been a mainstay on the line this decade appearing in 146 games (132 starts). Numerous offensive records have been shattered this decade and Waters has been a part of them all.

C – Casey Wiegmann (2001-07) – The “Iron Man” of the offensive line, Wiegmann didn’t miss an offensive snap during his seven seasons this decade in Kansas City. He helped Kansas City gain five individual 1,000-yard rushers during his tenure with the club.

RG – Will Shields (2000-06) – Shields retired following the 2006 season, leaving behind a legacy as one of the finest players to ever wear a Chiefs uniform. He went to the Pro Bowl every year of the decade and started every single game from 2000-06 (his 224 consecutive games played dating back into the 1990’s is a franchise record).

RT – John Tait (2000-03) – Tait was the Chiefs prized left tackle until the club acquired one of the best-ever in Willie Roaf. Roaf’s arrival shifted Tait to the right side and cemented what may have been football’s greatest offensive line.

Defense

DE – Jared Allen (2004-07) – Although he played in just 61 games this decade, Allen registered 43.0 sacks to lead all Chiefs defenders. His 15.5 sacks in 2007 lead the NFL, but he had become a fan-favorite long before that with his reckless on-field demeanor and original off-field persona. In 2007, he became the first Chiefs defender selected to the Pro Bowl since S Jerome Woods in 2003.

DE – Eric Hicks (2000-06) – Hicks is the only defensive lineman to appear in over 100 games this decade (109). His 40.5 sacks rank second only to Allen. He led the team in sacks twice (14.0 in 2000 and 9.0 in 2002) and his 286 tackles rank as the most of any defensive lineman this decade.

DE/LB – Tamba Hali (2006-present) – Hali has forced the most fumbles (15), logged the third-most sacks (26.0) and ranks 12th in tackles this decade. He is all but assured of leading the Chiefs in sacks this season and also led the team in sacks a rookie in 2006 with 8.0. The former first-round pick has been a mainstay on the field since his arrival and plays with a relentless motor.

DT – John Browning (2000-05) – Browning’s 21.5 sacks rank as the fourth-most of the decade and the most of any interior defensive lineman. He played in 86 games over six seasons and was a solid plug up the middle.

DT/DE – Glenn Dorsey (2008-present) – Statistically, Dorsey isn’t quite there. Players on the interior line like Ryan Sims, Lionel Dalton and Ron Edwards all have more play-time in a Chiefs uniform, thus giving them higher statistical totals. But Dorsey rarely leaves the field and is one of the only young building blocks in the defensive middle that the Chiefs have had this decade. He was also the club’s first top-five draft pick since LB Derrick Thomas in 1989.

LB – Donnie Edwards (2000-01, 2007-08) – In 55 games that span over four seasons at the beginning and ending of the decade, Edwards totaled more tackles than any other linebacker (402).

LB – Derrick Johnson (2005-present) – Johnson has appeared in more games than any other linebacker this decade (73). He owns the second-most tackles (375), most sacks (13.0, unless you count Hali as a permanent LB), second-most INTs (four) and third-most forced fumbles (12) of any linebacker.

CB – Brandon Flowers (2008-present) – The only true lockdown cornerback that the Chiefs have had this decade, Flowers has already defensed the third-most passes of any other defender over the past 10 years. Flowers was named to the Pro Football Weekly all-rookie team last year.

CB – Eric Warfield (2000-05) – Warfield is the longest-tenured cornerback of any Chief from the past decade playing in 87 games. He owns the most INTs (17), defensed passes (66) and tackles (336) of any cornerback this decade. His decade tackle total is the fourth-highest of any Chief regardless of position.

S – Greg Wesley (2000-07) – Wesley owns the decade-lead among essentially every major defensive statistical category. He played in the most games (118), recorded the most tackles (577), picked off the most passes (29) and defended the second-most throws (59). He picked off three passes in a game on two separate occasions.

S – Jerome Woods (2000-05) – Woods is the only defender, other than DE Jared Allen, to earn a Pro Bowl appearance this decade (2003). He never produced gaudy statistics, but was as reliable as any player in the Chiefs defensive backfield.

Specialists

P – Dustin Colquitt (2005-present) – There isn’t any competition over this past decade when it comes to punting. Colquitt takes the cake across the board. Forget decade, Colquitt has the highest net average of any punter in franchise history…by more than three yards.

LS – Kendall Gammon (2000-06) – The long-snapper extraordinaire now works as the sideline reporter for the Chiefs Fox Football Radio Network. When he was on the field, however, Gammon rarely snapped anything remotely close to errant. He earned a Pro Bowl bid in 2004 and even wrote a book entitled Life’s a Snap.

K – Ryan Succop (2009-present) – His career totals don’t match those of many Chiefs kickers as he only played in 15 games this decade. Still, Succop’s 84.6 field goal percentage ranks the best this decade of any kicker with five or more attempts. He also took down Hall of Fame K Jan Stenerud’s rookie record of 21 field goals made last weekend with his 22nd of the season.

KR/PR – Dante Hall (2000-06) – Hall became known nationally as the “X-Factor.” Others referred to him as the “Human Joystick.” He’s the only player of the decade to earn a Pro Bowl selection as a return specialist (2002-03). Hall sets the standard for all future Chiefs returners with the decade that he produced. He took back 10 combined kick return TDs in his Chiefs tenure.