Defensive Player of the Year?

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Today, the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year was announced. The winner is Steeler's safety Troy Polamalu. He edged out Packers linebacker Clay Matthews by two votes. Also receiving votes were Chicago players Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher, and Baltimore players Ed Reed and Haloti Ngata.

Troy Polamalu is a great player and means a lot to his team, just like the other players that received votes. However, I don't know why another player didn't receive any votes. That player is Tamba Hali.

Tamba Hali had a great statistical season. He had 52 tackles, four forced fumbles, and 14.5 sacks.

These numbers are good, but even as far as linebackers go, they are not the best. DeMarcus Ware had more sacks and tackles than Hali this season. So I'm not going to sit here and try to tell you he was the best; what I am going to tell you is that, in my opinion, no defensive player meant more to their team than Hali.

This has commonly been a trait associated with Polamalu, that the Steelers struggle without him in the lineup. Well, imagine how much the Chiefs defense would have struggled without Hali. Really think about it.

Not well should have been your conclusion.

Remember how bad the Chiefs defense performed after we traded Jared Allen. That's similar to what the Chiefs defense would have looked like without Hali. Without his sacks or hits or quarterback hurries, how many games would we have won? Plus, he did it with injury. And unlike Polamalu, he didn't miss a game.

So, if the Associated Press is entirely basing it on stats, they probably made the right choice. If they want to base it on the intangibles that a player brings to his team, then Hali should have got a vote or two.

Chiefs Perform in Pro Bowl

In today's Pro Bowl, Kansas City was well represented. How were they well represented? By accounting for three AFC touchdowns, that's how.

AP Photo/ Marco Garcia

It started with Jamaal Charles (naturally). On the AFC's first scoring drive, Matt Cassel handed off the ball and Charles did the rest. It was a six play, 67 yard, touchdown ending drive that had Charles getting the ball five of those six plays. Cassel threw to Bowe for a first down on the one other play. Charles would end the day with an AFC high 72 yards rushing on 10 attempts (7.2 yard average) and one touchdown.


Cassel was shaky at times, completing just 5 of 12 passes and having 2 interceptions. But he also had two touchdown passes, one by the grace of an untackling defense. He would finish with 95 yards passing and a 69.8 qb rating.

Dwayne Bowe would finish with 4 receptions for 54 yards.

Brian Waters had a Pro Bowl offensive lineman day (which means he, along with all the other offensive and defensive linemen, didn't do a whole lot), and Berry looked about as motivated as the rest of the AFC defense, getting beat by former Chief Tony Gonzalez on a route in the end zone and getting ran over by St. Louis running back Steven Jackson on his way to the end zone.

All-in-all, the game might have been a blow out, but the Chiefs players played admirably. For all the highlights of the game, go here.

Pro Bowl Pessimist

Aaron M. Sprecher/NFL

This Pro Bowl finds five Kansas City Chiefs participating. Three were voted in (Charles, Waters and Bowe), one got a spot when the Steelers advanced to the Super Bowl (Berry), and one got in when there was an injury to Tom Brady. That of course, is Matt Cassel.

Now, when this injury was first announced, many quickly pointed to the link between Cassel and Brady. Indeed, it does seem to be an odd connection that these two players have. But, if Cassel is not lucky, he could unfortunately be compared to another quarterback.

Now, this is a stretch to say the least, but the pessimist in me can't ignore it. With the Pro Bowl a couple of hours away, I am anxious to see how Cassel performs. Because, believe it or not, it can be an indicator of how his career is going to go.

This is a bold and some may say a ridiculous statement. After all, it's just the Pro Bowl. It's so crazy, I don't even believe my own argument or point. But it's one that should be made. So here it goes.

Derek Anderson. This name should sound familiar. He was a starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals this season and before that the Cleveland Browns.

In 2007, Anderson had failed to win the starting job from Charlie Frye, but by game two, was the Browns full time starter at quarterback. The Browns would go on to a 10-6 record but no playoff appearance. In that season, Anderson was 298 of 527 (56.5%) for 3,787 yards, 29 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. He even added 3 rushing touchdowns that season.

These numbers didn't earn Anderson a Pro Bowl spot though. This resembles Matt Cassel and his initial Pro Bowl snub.

Some more interesting stats is that over Anderson's last six games in 2007, he barely completed 50% of his passes and had a qb rating of 62.1. We probably all remember how Cassel ended 2010, with a bad showing in the last regular season game (19.1 qb rating) and an even worse showing against the Ravens (20.4 qb rating) in the playoffs.

And, here's another creepily similar fact. Anderson was a Pro Bowl alternate that season but got in after Tom Brady withdrew after an injury suffered in the Super Bowl. Besides the injury being suffered in the Super Bowl, doesn't that sound familiar?

Aaron M. Sprecher/NFL

Now, there are more differences than similarities between Anderson and Cassel obviously. And I hope there are more after the game. Anderson went 10 for 26 for 103 yards and an interception in his Pro Bowl. This was a sign of things to come. He was benched midway through the following season for Brady Quinn after dismal play and his career has yet to be revived even after a change of scenery.

I'm not saying that if Cassel performs poorly in today's Pro Bowl, his career will go the way of Anderson's. I just saw some similarities.

In other news of the Pro Bowl, here's a video of Jamaal Charles being miked up at the Pro Bowl. Also, here's my prediction of the score: AFC 35, NFC 31. But, at the end of the day, who care's about the score.

You Make the Choice

Now, I've been getting some questions about why I'm leaving off some Pro Bowl seasons for players like Len Dawson and Otis Taylor. Here's the answer.

The NFL Pro Bowl had been in existence since the 1950s. The Pro Bowl that Len Dawson, among many others, went to was the AFL Pro Bowl, which is no longer in existence today after the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. So all the Pro Bowl seasons I am recounting are after 1970. That's why I only have one Dawson season mentioned when he went to 7 Pro Bowls. This is the simplest and less skewed way to go about it.

Now that I've done my disclaimer, I am on to my last 'You Make the Choice.' And no, I am not going to do offensive guards (poor linemen never get any love).

This post is on Safeties. Since Eric Berry got in to the Pro Bowl this year, I will be doing a comparison between safeties.

Unfortunately, Eric Berry is a strong safety. The majority of iconic safeties for the Chiefs we think of today (Johnny Robinson, Gary Barbaro and Deron Cherry) were free safeties. All made it to Pro Bowls multiple times.

So, out of laziness (if I included free safeties into the discussion, I would be talking about 13 different seasons), and some sense of not wanting to compare across positions, even as close as strong safety and free safety are (although in the picture above, I've included all the Pro Bowl safeties), Berry will only be compared to one player.

1986 - Lloyd Burruss: Burruss is the player I am talking about. He was a big part to the Kansas City Chiefs secondary in their lone trip to the playoffs in the 1980s. Burruss was often overshadowed by his teammate Deron Cherry, one of the greatest defensive backs in Chiefs history. Cherry had six Pro Bowl appearances with KC, including the same year as Burruss. Nevertheless, Burruss made a name for himself in the strong safety position for the Chiefs and helped the team go 10-6 and reach the playoffs that season. He had 5 interceptions, 3 of which were returned for touchdowns (and tackles were not recorded as a football statistic back then).

2010 - Eric Berry: Berry is the first Chiefs rookie to make the Pro Bowl since the late and great Derrick Thomas. Berry, a first round pick out of Tennessee, was an instant impact for the Chiefs, a team that struggled mightily in the secondary the year before. In his first season, he recorded 92 tackles, 4 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 2 sacks, and one touchdown. These are great stats for a first-year player. I'm looking forward to see how he follows up this season.

If you've missed any of my 'You Make the Choice' posts, here they are: Quarterbacks, Runningbacks, Wide Receivers.

Chiefs Update

Here are some thoughts and things from this week for the Chiefs.

Tony DiPardo, longtime leader of the Chiefs TD Pack Band, died Thursday morning after suffering a brain aneurysm on December 16th. He was 98. Here's a full story from kcchiefs.com

Former KC Chiefs running back, Priest Holmes, will be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday, January 30th. This will be held in Springfield, MO.

The Public Relations group for the Kansas City Chiefs have released a statement calling the renovations on Arrowhead Stadium and the rest of the Truman Sports Complex was an "unprecedented success." I completely agree. 

The Chiefs staff, coaches and scouts alike, have been in attendance of the 2011 Under Armour Senior Bowl. The game will be played on Saturday. kcchiefs.com has had videos on their website of interviews with Todd Haley and general manager Scott Pioli on their thoughts on the importance of the Senior Bowl as long as other features. 

Friday, Bill Williamson, the AFC West blog writer for ESPN, gave some awards out for the AFC West and guess what? The Chiefs cleaned up; at least in the opinion of Williamson.

You Make the Choice

This post will be on Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowl Wide Receivers. Once again, take a look at the stats and see which player you think had the best season.

1971 - Otis Taylor: Otis Taylor is one of the most if not the most iconic wide receiver in Chiefs history. His catches and plays in the post season and in the Super Bowl were fantastic and are still remembered to this day in Kansas City. After the AFL-NFL merger, AFL players like Otis Taylor and Len Dawson were invited to the Pro Bowl. In 1971, Taylor got his first selection to the Pro Bowl after having 57 receptions for 1,110 yards and 7 touchdowns. He even had a 25 yard run for a touchdown as well. The Chiefs would go on to the playoffs that season.

1972 - Otis Taylor: The next season, Taylor made the Pro Bowl once more. He had 57 receptions for 821 yards and 6 touchdowns. The team, however, would miss the playoffs.

1980 - J.T. Smith: Here's a name you don't hear very often, and his time spent with the Chiefs is not well chronicled. But, he did have a Pro Bowl season with the Chiefs. His receiving numbers were pretty pedestrian: 46 receptions for 655 yards and 2 touchdowns. The reason he was voted in, however, was for his special teams capability. In 40 returns, he had 581 yards and 2 touchdowns. Smith would go on to make the Pro Bowl one more time, but with Arizona.

1987 - Carlos Carson: Carson was drafted by Kansas City in 1980 out of Louisiana State. He would put up impressive numbers in his time with the Chiefs, but he would earn only one Pro Bowl. In 1987, Carson had 55 receptions for 1,044 yards and 7 touchdowns.

1997 - Andre Rison: Rison was an exciting player to watch. Nicknamed "Bad Moon" Rison, he played for several teams (including the Super Bowl winning Packers in 1996) before coming to Kansas City. In 1997, Rison had 72 receptions for 1,092 yards and 7 touchdowns. The Chiefs went 13-3 that season but lost in the divisional round to eventual Super Bowl champions Broncos.

2010 - Dwayne Bowe: After struggling in the beginning part of the season, and with some even questioning if he was going to return to KC, Dwayne Bowe put up the best season of his career. Bowe had 72 receptions for 1,162 yards and 15 touchdowns. Those 15 touchdowns were the most receiving touchdowns in the NFL this season. He demonstrated excellent chemistry with quarterback Matt Cassel, and rightfully earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl. The Chiefs would go 10-6 and make the playoffs.

I Might Be On To Something

Well, the season has been done for over two weeks now and I'm sure many people have forgotten that the Chiefs still have a glaring hole in their coaching staff. That of course is the offensive coordinator position.

Although ESPN's Adam Schefter said that the Chiefs hiring of an offensive coordinator will be one of the "more insignificant hires that will be made." And that the "Chiefs offense will have Haley’s imprint all over it," I still believe that the hiring of an offensive coordinator is important (Schefter also believes that Haley will call the plays, and that was why he felt that the hiring of an offensive coordinator was unimportant).

Today, in an interview with Sirius NFL Radio while at the Senior Bowl, Haley said that the odds of him being the head coach and the offensive coordinator "are very limited."

He also said, "I've been doing a lot of work on that since the season ended and feel good about the direction we're going. I'm not ready to disclose any of that, but we're at a different place than we were at in Year One when I had to make some tough changes coming out of training camp that really put us in a difficult spot."

Everything that Haley said today leads me to believe that there will be a new offensive coordinator before long. When is the uncertainty.

An offensive coordinator that can continue to develop quarterback Matt Cassel is very important. As Bill Williamson from ESPN pointed out today, Cassel had a difficult time leading the Chiefs when behind on the score board.

This also supports the theory of mine that the Chiefs are simply waiting to hire someone from a team that is still in the playoffs. Of course, the only two teams remaining are the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers.

On that Green Bay coaching staff, however, is the coach that I think just might be our offensive coordinator next season. Tom Clements, the quarterbacks coach for the Packers, would be a good hire for our vacant coaching spot. Just click on his hyperlinked name to find out why.

Now, let's wait two more weeks and see if I'm right.

Hali not attending Pro Bowl

After learning about Tamba Hali becoming a Pro Bowler earlier this week, I was excited to see him play this weekend. This, however, will not be happening.

Hali has withdrawn from the Pro Bowl for personal reasons.

Hali lead the AFC in sacks with 14.5, and was questionably the biggest snub from this years Pro Bowl roster until he received a spot as an alternate. This would have been Hali's first Pro Bowl.

It was reported earlier this week by Kent Babb of the Kansas City Star that Hali had told him in an interview during the season that he had multiple injuries including torn muscles in both shoulders and a foot. He didn't want to sit out any games, however, because he knew his team counted on him.

This just makes me appreciate Hali even more.

The personal reasons for not attending the Pro Bowl are unknown at this time, but with the season Hali put up, he needs absolutely no explanation to me.

This means I will not be doing a "You Make the Choice" post for linebackers now. Too bad, because I was looking forward to bringing up Derrick Thomas.

You Make the Choice

I enjoyed the first post about this so much, I've decided to do it again. The first post, of course, was on which Chiefs quarterback had the best Pro Bowl season. This was in response to Matt Cassel's recent discovery that he would be filling in for Tom Brady in this year's Pro Bowl.

Well, Ive decided to do this same post for all the Chiefs players that have made the Pro Bowl this season; comparing their seasons to other players from the Chiefs that have made the Pro Bowl for that same position.

We begin with running backs. Six running backs from the Chiefs have made the trip to the Pro Bowl. Three of those have made it multiple times. But, who had the best season?

1981 - Joe Delaney: Delaney's story is one of the saddest in all of the NFL. But, before we get to why, let's go over the season that earned him a Pro Bowl. Taken in the second round out of Northwestern State, Delaney's rookie year was stellar. In 234 attempts, Delaney rushed for 1,121 yards (4.8 average) and 3 touchdowns. He also had 22 receptions for 246 yards. With that 1981 season, Delaney was named the Rookie of the Year and set franchise records for most yards in a season (1,121), most yards in a game (193 vs. Houston), most consecutive 100-yard-plus games (three) and most 100-yard games in a season (five). Delaney's performance also help lead Kansas City to a 9-7 record, its first winning record since 1973. Tragically, following the 1982 season, Delaney drowned while trying to save three children from drowning in Louisiana. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Ronald Reagan.

1989 - Christian Okoye: Okoye was drafted in the second round in 1987 out of Azusa Pacific. Nicknamed the "Nigerian Nightmare," Okoye would become a great power runner for the Chiefs. In 1989, Okoye rushed for 1,480 yards on 370 attempts (4.0 average). This was good enough to earn Okoye the rushing title that year. Okoye had 12 rushing touchdowns as well as two receptions for 12 yards. This season earned Okoye his first Pro Bowl and the UPI AFC Offensive Player of the Year.

1991 - Christian Okoye: Okoye made his second and last trip to the Pro Bowl in 1991. That season Okoye had 225 attempts and 1,031 rushing yards (4.6 average) for 9 touchdowns. He also had 3 receptions for 54 yards. Okoye helped lead the Chiefs to a 10-6 record and the first playoff win under Schottenheimer.

1993 - Marcus Allen: In Allen's first season with the Chiefs, he made the Pro Bowl. This selection was probably due to Allen's name more than his numbers. On 206 attempts he gained 764 yards (3.7 average) and 12 touchdowns. He also had 34 receptions for 238 yards and 3 touchdowns. Nevertheless, Allen was important to the Chiefs and helped them reach the AFC Championship game that season. He was awarded the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

2001 - Priest Holmes: Holmes originally started his career as an undrafted free agent with the Baltimore Ravens and was signed by the Chiefs following the 2000 season. In Holmes' first season with the Chiefs he had 327 carries for 1,555 yards (4.8 average) and 8 touchdowns. This mark won him the rushing title that season. Holmes also had 62 receptions for 614 yards and 2 touchdowns. These numbers landed Holmes his first trip to the Pro Bowl.

2002 - Priest Holmes: Now a known threat throughout the league, Holmes' numbers only increased. This season he had 313 attempts for 1,615 yards (5.2 average) and 21 touchdowns. In addition, he had 70 receptions for 672 yards and 3 touchdowns. He won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year.

2003 - Priest Holmes: Surprise, surprise, Holmes was still good. In 320 carries, Holmes had 1,420 yards (4.4 average) and set the then NFL record for rushing touchdowns at 27. He also had 74 receptions for 690 yards. Holmes was a huge reason why the Chiefs went 13-3 that season and earned a playoff spot.

2005 - Larry Johnson: After injuries caught up with Holmes, Johnson was given his opportunity. He shined. In  this season, the Chiefs' first round pick out of Penn State in 2003 had a fantastic season and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl. Johnson had 336 carries for 1,750 yards (5.2 average) and 20 touchdowns. He also contributed 33 receptions for 343 yards and a touchdown.

2006 - Larry Johnson: Johnson followed up his first Pro Bowl season with another one. Going for 1,789 yards on 416 carries (4.3 average) and 17 touchdowns, Johnson set the NFL record for most rushing attempts in a season. He added another 410 yards and 2 touchdowns off of 41 receptions. At times carrying the team because of quarterback injuries, Johnson guided the Chiefs to a 9-7 record and a playoff appearance.

2010 - Jamaal Charles: After Johnson's falling out in Kansas City during the 2009 season, Charles was given his chance to show the coaches what he had. He had a lot. The 2008 3rd round pick from Texas dazzled coaches, players, and fans with his performances, culminating in a monster and nearly record setting game against Denver. In 2010, he not only lived up to expectations, but blew them away. Rushing for 1,467 yards and 5 touchdowns on 230 attempts, Charles was one negative play away from breaking the all-time NFL record for highest yards per carry average. He ended with 6.4, only behind Jim Brown. Charles also had 45 receptions for 468 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Hali, Berry Added to Pro Bowl Roster

With the Pittsburgh Steelers winning the AFC Championship tonight, this opened up some positions on the Pro Bowl roster.

These positions are outside linebacker and safety.

With the Steelers advancing to the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl being the week before the big game, players can no longer do both (which is one of the problems with moving the Pro Bowl to the week before the Super Bowl when it used to be the week after the Super Bowl). So, Pittsburgh players have to vacate their slots in Hawaii.

Because of this, two more Chiefs players are going to be featured next week in the Pro Bowl. These players are Tamba Hali and Eric Berry.

Hali will be filling in for James Harrison. The other Pro Bowl outside linebackers are Cameron Wake and Terrell Suggs.

Eric Berry, a rookie, will be filling in for Troy Polamalu.

With these additions, the number of Chiefs players going to the Pro Bowl is now six.

Odds and Ends/Playoff Predictions

Another day goes by without the hiring of an offensive coordinator (which as a blog writer, is what I'm waiting for and it's driving me crazy to only have odds and ends to write about).

Mark Donovan became the President of the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday.

Chiefs equipment manager Mike Davidson retired Friday from the Chiefs after 22 years.

After Matt Cassel got the nod for the Pro Bowl this week, he was interviewed by Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star. Here's what he had to say on last season and his upcoming Pro Bowl trip.

Speaking of last season, kcchiefs.com has come out with a video compiled with highlights from last season narrated by the one and only Mitch Holthus. If you have 11 minutes and 26 seconds to spare, it's definitely worth it.

For the upcoming Pro Bowl coming up, check out this highlight reel of Dwayne Bowe's touchdowns from weeks 6 to 12.

And finally, I will give my playoff predictions. I was 2-2 last week, a mediocre performance I must say (although I really didn't think the Patriots were going to lose). Anyway, here they are:

Steelers over Jets 28-20

Bears over Packers 31-27

These are high scores, but I really underestimated the scores last week, so why not?

Tis the season . . . for free agents.

Free agent acquisitions or losses can make or break a team. Although they are not as long term as drafting, the benefits from free agency can make a good team great.

I'm not saying that this is what the Kansas City Chiefs should do; they have proven that they can build a good football team through the draft. But if we want to reach that next level, and we want to do it sooner rather than later, free agency is something we should dabble in.

Last offseason, Scott Pioli, in addition to having a great draft, also brought several key players in through free agency. Among these were: Thomas Jones, Ryan Lilja, Casey Wiegmann, and Shaun Smith.

These veterans brought experience and a lot of starts to the 2010 Chiefs. Lilja and Wiegmann anchored the line of the number one rushing offense in the NFL. Thomas Jones was part of that rushing offense, providing a good change of pace and some relief to Jamaal Charles. And Shaun Smith helped a much improved defensive line and even came in for a few plays as full back.

Free agents like these were good for the Chiefs and a reason why we brought home an AFC West Championship.

And free agent signings this offseason, if done right, will help us improve once again.

Now, I know any Chiefs fan would love for us to swing for the fences and bring in a player like Larry Fitzgerald (this would have to involve a trade since he's still under contract), but there are some good players approaching free agency this offseason that could make the Chiefs even better in 2011. And this includes wide receivers.

For a list of these key players, check out this site, and see if you would like any of these players wearing arrowheads on their helmets next season.

You Make the Choice

With Matt Cassel's promotion to this year's Pro Bowl, he becomes the seventh different Chiefs quarterback to make that prestigious roster.

So what I'm going to do is list the other quarterbacks and the seasons they had when they made the Pro Bowl. You can then decide how Cassel's season stacks up among some of the best quarterbacks in Chiefs team history.

1971 - Len Dawson: The Pro Bowl was sort of in its infant stage when Dawson made the cut in 1971. In Dawson's Pro Bowl season, he went 167/301 (55.5%) for 2,504 yards, 15 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He lead the Chiefs to a 10-3-1 record (they only played 14 regular season games back then) and a playoff berth. The Chiefs then lost in the divisional round of the playoffs that season.

1983 - Bill Kenney: After sharing time with Steve Fuller for a couple of seasons, Kenney took over full-time in 1983 and earned himself a Pro Bowl slot. Kenney completed 346 of 603 passes (57.4%) for 4,348 yards, 27 total touchdowns (24 passing, 3 rushing) and 18 interceptions. The Chiefs went 6-10 on the season, but probably the most disappointing part of the season was drafting Todd Blackledge over Tony Eason, Jim Kelly, Ken O'Brien and Dan Marino (three appeared in Super Bowls).

1993 - Joe Montana: Though only appearing in 11 games in the 1993 season, Montana had enough of his 'magic' left to lead the Chiefs to a 11-5 record, a playoff berth, and a Pro Bowl selection. In his 11 games, Montana went 181 for 298 (60.7%), 2,144 yards passing, 13 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Montana and the Chiefs would go on to the AFC Championship game, but fall to the Buffalo Bills. The win prior to this game represents the last playoff victory in Chiefs history thus far.

1995 - Steve Bono: This was Bono's first season as a starting quarterback. Following Montana's retirement in the offseason, Bono was promoted to the starting job and put up a fantastic season. He completed 293/520 passes (56.3%) for 3,121 yards, 26 total touchdowns (21 passing, 5 rushing) and 10 interceptions. The Chiefs went 13-3 under Bono's guidance but lost in the divisional round.

2000 - Elvis Grbac: After a playoff appearance in 1997, his first season with the Chiefs, Grbac and the team struggled for the next few years. But Grbac put up his best season in 2000 and earned a Pro Bowl spot. He went 326 for 547 (59.6%), for 4,169 yards, 28 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He also had one rushing touchdown. The Chiefs went 7-9 that season and Grbac voided his contract in the offseason to leave for Baltimore.

2003 - Trent Green: Green was brought in to Kansas City when Dick Vermeil came out of retirement to coach the Chiefs. Green would lead the high-scoring Chiefs and their statistical dominating offense to a 13-3 record in 2003, including nine straight wins to start the season. Green would earn the Pro Bowl and a playoff appearance that year. He completed 330 out of 523 passes (63.1%) for 4,039 yards, 24 passing touchdowns, 2 rushing touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.

2005 - Trent Green: Green is the only Chiefs quarterback to make multiple Pro Bowls. In 2005, the Chiefs went 10-6 but surprisingly no playoff berth in Vermeil's last season as head coach. In that season, Green went 317/507 (62.5%), 4,014 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

2010 - Matt Cassel: In Cassel's second season with the Chiefs, he lead the team to their first AFC West Championship since 2003 and their first playoff appearance since 2006, going 10-6 on the season. Cassel was 262 for 450 (58.2%) passing, with 3,116 yards, 27 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Cassel had a great year and was part of the biggest turnaround in Chiefs history, coming from 4 wins and a last place finish in the AFC West in 2009 to 10 wins and an AFC West Championship in 2010.

Matt Cassel is going to the Pro Bowl

This year's Pro Bowl will feature a new addition to the roster: Matt Cassel.

It's being reported that Tom Brady will not be making the trip to Honolulu this year for the Pro Bowl due to a stress fracture in his right foot.

The alternate to the Pro Bowl was Matt Cassel.

So, much like how Cassel got his start in the NFL, with an injury to Brady, he gets his first trip to the Pro Bowl. As Josh Looney from kcchiefs.com put it on his twitter: "it's only fitting."

I made an argument for Cassel when the Pro Bowl roster was announced. However, Cassel then followed it up with two awful performances against Oakland in the last regular season game of the season and against Baltimore in our home playoff game.

But even with those performances, Cassel had a good season, finishing with 3,116 passing yards, 27 touchdowns to 7 interceptions (the largest margin in franchise history) and a 93.0 passer rating in the regular season.

So, let's not remember the bad Cassel; let's remember the one that lead us to the playoffs and became a Pro Bowl quarterback. Let's remember this until next season starts.

Another Suggestion

I did a post on potential offensive coordinators for the Kansas City Chiefs. I am going to follow a suggestion in a comment box on another potential offensive coordinator.

Tom Clements: Clements has had an interesting career to say the least. He was the starting quarterback for Notre Dame from 1972 to 1974, winning the National Championship in 1973.

After graduation, he went into the Canadian Football League and was the quarterback for the Ottawa Rough Riders. Clements briefly left the CFL for the NFL, appearing on the Chiefs roster for a short period. He then returned to the CFL and threw two consecutive 4,000 yard seasons.

After leaving professional football, Clements practiced law.

In 1992, he was hired as the quarterbacks coach for Notre Dame. He then went on to be the quarterbacks coach in the NFL, serving with the Saints, Chiefs, and Steelers. While with those teams, three of his quarterbacks made the Pro Bowl, including Kansas City's Elvis Grbac.

 He then took the offensive coordinator position with the Buffalo Bills in 2004, but after a front office shakeup was released in 2005. In January of 2006, he took the quarterbacks coach job with the Green Bay Packers. Since then, the Packers have been on the rise and Aaron Rodgers has become an elite quarterback.

Clements would definitely be welcomed back with open arms to Kansas City if offered the offensive coordinator position. But can a man with as much experience as Clements handle coach Haley's coaching style?

Just a Suggestion

As the days go by, the number of offensive coordinator candidates decrease.

As I mentioned in a previous post, Mike McCoy has decided to stay with Denver as the offensive coordinator under new coach John Fox, who he had previously worked with in Carolina. And today, Josh McDaniels became the new offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams.

Many teams that are needing new offensive coordinators have found them by now. In essence, not much has changed since my previous post.

But, instead of just saying that there have been no candidates announced for the offensive coordinator position for the Chiefs, I have decided to list some potential offensive coordinators that have been rumored to be of an interest to the Chiefs, or ones that I wouldn't mind see taking the position.

Greg Olson: He is currently the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator and still under contract, so this one seems unlikely. Still, his name keeps popping up in certain circles as a primary candidate. However, it's hard for me to imagine him leaving one team on the rise for another team on the rise for the exact same position. The Bucs are Olson's third team as offensive coordinator, previously being with the Lions and the Rams, neither of those ending well. He has done a good job with quaterback Josh Freeman though, developing him into an offensive weapon. But, I think Olson's a long-shot and probably not even worth it.

Mike Miller: This might be a name you are unfamiliar with. Miller is the passing game coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals and has been since 2007. Todd Haley is familiar with him and Miller worked with a very potent offense when Kurt Warner was there. But this season, the offense struggled mightily (31st in the NFL passing), and even released Matt Leinart after years of failed conversion to a good NFL quarterback. But the familiarity with Haley might be all he needs to get the job.

Al Saunders: This would be Saunders third stint with the Chiefs. He previously worked in KC from 1989-1998 under Marty Schottenheimer and then again under Dick Vermeil from 2001-2005. In his first stint, the Chiefs ranked in the top five in total offense twice; in his second, the Chiefs were ranked in the top five for his entire time there, including first in 2004 and 2005. He hasn't been rumored to head back to the Chiefs (he has been rumored to go to the Raiders), but he's currently an offensive consultant with the Ravens and might want to join a veteran coaching staff with the Chiefs. Again.

Jim Zorn: Like Saunders, Zorn is also with the Baltimore Ravens. He is their quarterbacks coach and has worked well with Joe Flacco. Zorn is a failed head coach with the Washington Redskins, but still has a good resume working with quarterbacks. He has been rumored as an OC candidate in both Cleveland and Seattle. But, Kansas City could work too.

I'm not going to touch on any current Chiefs coaches that could be promoted. If you have any more rumors or any more suggestions for offensive coordinators, feel free to leave them in the comment boxes.

Chiefs Update

If you're wondering why these 'Chiefs Updates' exist, it's because it's a slow news time for the Chiefs and all there really is is a mix of smaller stories that are interesting but not meant for an entire post by itself. Plus, I'm waiting for the Chiefs to hire an offensive coordinator so I can have something to talk about.

Speaking of offensive coordinators, the Kansas City Star did an article on the importance of Todd Haley's decision process in these upcoming weeks during his search for a new offensive coordinator.

And according to Bill Williamson of ESPN, a big-name offensive coordinator may not be all that important for the development of Matt Cassel because the Chiefs still have offensive quality control coach Nick Sirianni.

Just how big of an impact did the Chiefs' rookie class have on the team? Josh Looney of kcchiefs.com looks at our rookie class and compares it to other classes from the NFL this season.

After missing his rookie season with a head/neck injury suffered in preseason, 2010 4th round pick Cameron Sheffield is 100% again and looking to return next season from his scary injury. Let's hope he can demonstrate the same kind of effectiveness next season that the rest of his rookie teammates demonstrated this season.

Also, the Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football Writers of America  announced on Tuesday their all-NFL teams and all-rookie teams. Jamaal Charles was named to the all-NFL team as the second running back, and Eric Berry was named as the starting safety on the all-rookie team. Scott Pioli was named their NFL Executive of the Year (Pioli's third time receiving this honor).

Tweets of the Week

It has been one week since the Chiefs lost their playoff game (by the way, I went 2-2 this week. Jets-Steelers, Bears-Packers championship games). Since then, I have gotten a Twitter account. I thought, as a good way to end the week, that I have some interesting Tweets from the Chiefs players and others associated with the Chiefs organization.

Sunday, January 9th

jcharles25 Jamaal Charles 

That hurt today......Thanks for all the support... We will be better next year.... this is not the last of me i be back in the Pro bowl..

Monday, January 10th

GlennDorsey72 Glenn Dorsey 

Just finished final meetings...ready to relax and travel this offseason....

Tuesday, January 11th

autumnsjs90 shaun smith 

need food

Wednesday, January 12th

jcharles25 Jamaal Charles 

playing madden but the computer cheat on me

Thursday, January 13th

BFlowers24 Brandon Flowers 

This snow In kansas is so bright right now I can barely c outside......I need my visor

Friday, January 14th

GlennDorsey72 Glenn Dorsey 

Massage time

Saturday, January 15th

TDaniels3400 Travis Daniels 

KC Chiefs supposed to be playing today, if u don't believe don't reply.