Player Profile: Dwayne Bowe

Ed Zurga/ AP Photo

No player has made Chiefs fans more jubilant or more frustrated in recent memory than Dwayne Bowe.

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, Bowe was taken in the first round of the 2007 draft from LSU. He was immediately the number one target at wide receiver and finished only behind Tony Gonzalez for reception yards at 995 with 5 touchdowns. He broke franchise records for receptions, total receiving yards, and single-game receiving yards for a rookie.

The next season, he got that 1,000 yard receiving season he barely missed the year before. He finished with 1,022 and 7 touchdowns. Once again, behind Tony Gonzalez.

The 2009 season, however, was a struggle for Bowe. He served a four game suspension for using a banned substance. This did no favors for him trying to gain chemistry with newly acquired quarterback Matt Cassel. That season ended up being his lowest statistically, finishing with only 589 yards and 4 touchdowns. He finished behind Chris Chambers, who was picked up on waivers during the season.

Bowe, who had struggled with drops his entire career, had always made up for those mistakes in his previous seasons with the yards he could put up on a team. But with his lack of performance and his off-field issues in 2009, combined with the drops that always seemed to come, many were pushing that if Bowe didn't have an outstanding year in 2010, then it was probably time for him and the Chiefs to go their separate ways.

Then came 2010.

After having a slow start, and several key drops (not sure if I was ever going to forgive him for the Colts game), Bowe was in the KC lime light for all the wrong reasons. People wanted him traded or released immediately, people wanted Bowe out. But something changed with Bowe after that game: significant statistical improvement.

Since then, Bowe has been amazing. He has been Cassel's favorite target and is becoming a team leader. He is a big reason for Cassel's success and has shown much more consistency in his catches than previous seasons. He's putting up Pro Bowl numbers in my opinion (which we will find out later today), and has definitely proven that he is the Chiefs number one receiver for now and in the future.

His stats this season are: 67 receptions, 1,094 yards, 15 touchdowns, five 100-yard performances, five multiple-touchdown games, and a lot of happy fans.