Kansas City Chiefs Team Report by Dave Dodson
| KC Projections (9/3) | Passing Stats | Rush Stats | Receiving Stats | Fantasy | |||||||||||
| Change | Name | Pos | Att | Comp | % | Yds | TD | Int | Att | Yds | TD | Rec | Yds | TD | Pts |
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#fname# #lname# | #pos# | #NumberFormat("#pts#", '__,_____')# | ||||||||||||
| Totals | #NumberFormat("#tot_patt#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_pcmp#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#evaluate(100*tot_pcmp/tot_patt)#", '_____._')#% | #NumberFormat("#tot_pyds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ptds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_int#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ratt#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ryds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_rtds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_rec#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_cyds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ctds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_pts#", '__,_____')# | ||
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Quarterbacks Starter - Trent Green Backups - Todd Collins, Joe Germaine, Jonathan Quinn Starting Quarterback: Trent Green was far from Mr. Popular last year in KC despite completing 296 passes on 523 attempts (56.6%) for a total of 3,783 yards (third highest in team history). This may have been due to his TD to interception ratio of 17 TD's and 24 picks (an NFL high last year and Chief's team record), giving Chief's fans plenty of reasons to complain. Coming off of a knee injury that lead to the birth of Kurt Warner, Chief's fans were quite skeptical of Coach Vermeil's decision to give up their #1 pick for a player that had never started a full 16 games in any season, and that had only started 19 games in 7 years. Will this be Trent's year? The addition of Johnnie Morton will most likely be a giant improvement over what Derrick Alexander was able to contribute (27 for 470) last year. Look for similar to slightly better numbers in the attempts, completions, and yardage categories from Green this season, with interceptions much lower (half of last year's total is Vermeil's goal) if he wants to be around next season. Backup Quarterback(s): Coach Vermeil states emphatically that he believes Todd Collins, "can play and start in this league and play well." Perhaps this is the case, and Todd can in fact be a viable backup in the event that Green goes down. However, after watching him for a season in Buffalo and in many Chief's preseason games and training camps, I hope that we will only have to take his word for it. Ex-Ram Joe Germaine and ex-Jag Jonathan Quinn are fighting for the 3rd QB slot, with a slight lead being given to Germaine at this point in time. Neither of which will provide any pop to your fantasy roster. Running Backs Starter - Priest Holmes Backups - Mike Cloud, Frank Moreau, Omar Easy Starting Running Back: What a difference a game or two can make in a RB's career. Those that drafted Priest Holmes early last year can certainly recall what looked to be a bust in the making for Priest in his Chiefs debut. Games of 7 for 21 and 8 for 30 with 18 yards on 4 catches are not how many rushing title and total yardage title winners prefer to start out. Then again, as an undrafted rookie free-agent out of Texas in 1997, Priest got an early start at learning how to turn nothing into something. Over the next 14 games, Priest racked up a total of 1504 rushing yards and 596 receiving yards averaging nearly 150 total yards per game over that stretch. Will he be able to top those totals this season? I highly doubt it given the increased options in the receiving corps over last year, but a top 5 performance is not out of the question for Priest again this season. At 5' 9" and 213, some may question his durability coming off a career high 327 carries, but he has given little foundation to that argument at this point. One note of interest, Coach Vermeil has stated that he wants to reward Holmes this season with more TD's. One can assume that means leaving in Priest around the goal line, rather than letting Tony Richardson pound it in as was frequently the case last season. Holmes should be considered a solid #1 RB for your fantasy squad this season. Backup Running Back(s): Those subscribing to the "back-up my stud RB" theory may be better off not implementing that here. If Priest goes down, look for the duties to be split evenly between FB Tony Richardson and both Moreau and Cloud with no individual player dominating the stats. Cloud currently sits at #2 on the depth chart. However, after becoming the all time leading rusher at Boston College, Cloud has never handled the rock more than 35 times in a season during his four year stint with KC. Given the chance, Cloud appears to have the tools to make an impact, but that chance may never come. Moreau is a solid back that was drafted by KC, then cut and picked up by Jacksonville last season, only to be back with KC again this year. He failed to see much playing time while Fred Taylor was out in Jacksonville, amassing only 8 carries on the season. Neither RB is worthy of a roster spot unless you have an amazingly large roster limit. Fullback(s): Tony Richardson: Considered by some to be the best FB currently in the NFL, Tony Richardson brings a lot to the KC backfield. After a career high 7 TD's last season, and a career high 58 receptions in 2000, Chief's fans have grown accustom to "T- Rich" making plays. Will he hawk some TD's from HB Priest Holmes this season? Absolutely, just as he did last year with 7 TD's in 66 carries, but not as many this time around according to coach Vermeil. After missing several games last year due to injury, expect Richardson to see increased attempts but not steal the show from Priest Holmes. Wide Receivers / Tight Ends Starters - Johnnie Morton, Eddie Kennison Backups - Dante Hall, Sylvester Morris, Marvin "Snoop" Minnis Starting Receiver(s): One notable reason to believe that Trent Green will have some success this season is the addition of Johnny Morton. Morton brings some stability to a Chief's wide receiving corps that was anything but consistent last season. There were some pundits that thought the addition of Az-Zahir Hakim and his ability to stretch the field would make more sense for the Chiefs. However, Morton fans know that he brings other intangibles such as a solid work ethic and an abundance of desire to the table. Averaging 72 catches and 1,023 yards over his last 3 seasons, expect Morton to post similar numbers in Dick Vermeil's offense as the go to WR, with a chance for a nice upside above and beyond those. Consider Morton to be a solid #3 and potential #2 for your fantasy squad. Backup Receiver(s): Trying to putt a finger on a solid depth chart for the Kansas City back up wide receiver situation is an impossible task. That said, Dante Hall has been the brightest spot in Chief's camp so far this season. At a generous 5' 8", Hall isn't going to overpower too many corners around the league for the floaters that Green has been tossing in camp. Look for Hall to have some decent games, but nothing consistent enough to consider him for starting duties on your fantasy squad. Sylvester Morris is busy trying to dig his way out of Dick Vermeil's dog house. Plain and simple, it appears that Vermeil just doesn't like Morris. At 6' 3" and 216 pounds, I must admit that I liked him a lot coming out of college. Catching 48 balls for 678 yards, it looked like "Sly Mo" had a bright future ahead of him. Unfortunately now, it appears that Morris is still not 100% and may be fighting for a slot on the Chief's 53 man roster. Snoop Minnis looks to make a comeback from a broken foot that just doesn't seem to want to heal. According to Coach Vermeil, "You are not going to see Snoop for a while." Given the Chief's need for depth at WR, look for Snoop to make the team but provide little to no fantasy value at this point. Tight End(s): Tony Gonzalez, Jason Dunn After a long holdout, Tony Gonzalez signed a one-year tender and rejoined the team. He is expected to play week 1 and has been a dominant player at his position for sometime now. He has the skills to easily put him at the top of the class of TE's this year as well. The question seems to be whether or not the KC coaching staff will utilize those skills to their fullest potential. Prior to last season, Tony's receptions per year were increasing every year beginning with 33 in 1997, 59 in 1998, 76 in 1999, and 93 in 2000. Last year, those numbers regressed back to a mortal 73 catches for 917 yards and 6 TD's. While still good numbers, these numbers pale in comparison to what Tony has proven he is capable of. The question becomes, will the Kansas City offense act more like the St. Louis offense with a decreased role for the TE, or more like the Dallas offense of the early 90's with Jay Novacek being an integral part of the offense? According to Trent Green, it will resemble the Dallas teams of the early 90's, affording Tony G the opportunity to get plenty of touches. That has yet to be seen. So expect numbers out of Gonzalez similar to those he posted last season, with potential for a strong upside if things go as Tony and Trent are shooting for. Make a slot for Tony if you play in a league that requires TE's, but be sure not to overpay for him. The backup TE is Jason Dunn. Over the past 2 seasons in Kansas City, he has amassed a total of 6 catches for 80 yards. Need I say more? Place Kicker Morten Andersen: When in need of a large sample size for statistical analysis on any given kicker, look no farther than Morten Andersen. The guy has kicked in the NFL for 20 seasons and over 308 games. While being a decent NFL kicker throughout his many seasons, fantasy wise, I would look to add nearly a dozen other kickers to my roster prior to Mort. Defense Oh how the mighty have fallen. Remember the days when the Chief's were a lock to win the title for takeaways each season? Not anymore. The Chief's Defense should feel fortunate to finish in the top 20 in any positive statistical category this season. The addition of Ryan Sims to the defensive line certainly would have helped, but as usual, Carl Peterson is willing to throw away time and talent for personal satisfaction and ego padding. The Chiefs strongly need a corner that can shut down the opposing team's number 1 WR, and they need him now. Perhaps William Bartee will become that player, but most are not that optimistic. The defensive unit looks to be much improved in the next few years, just don't look to put them on your fantasy roster any time this season. Coaching Many people see Dick Vermeil as a teary eyed middle man lacking the talent of the league's elite coaches. I would have to disagree. It appears that St. Louis has had the same nucleus of players at its disposal for two seasons after Vermeil left with no additional rings to show for it. Not to take away anything from Mike Martz or the seasons that the Rams have had, but sometimes being a great leader isn't just about X's and O's. As he did in St. Louis, Vermeil has put together a talented coaching staff capable of game planning with the best of the League. The question really becomes, will Vermeil coach out his contract and retire or stick around until a trip to the championship game is achieved? No one can say for sure at this point, but it will be interesting to see if next year is Vermeil's last on the side lines. Intangibles The Chief's clearly lack the defensive heart and soul they once had with emotional leaders Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith. When looking at their roster, they just don't seem to have any real spark plug leaders around to ignite them in the huddle. Most teams need a Junior Seau type player to get their motors running. Esprit de corps is defined in Webster's as - "the common spirit existing in the members of a group inspiring enthusiasm, devotion and strong regard for the honor of the group." With one of the weakest owners in the NFL and what some consider to be the slimiest GM, I just don't see this loyalty and honor being established in Kansas City. That said, anything more than an 8-8 season would be surprising. |