Chiefs Fall to Ravens 38 - 24

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RAVENS PRE-GAME REPORT
September 13th – 11:02 AM CST

The Chiefs version of today’s pre-game report can be found right here in the blog and on the main page of the website (check out all the video tabs on the main page and watch them all).

Today, I sat down with Baltimoreravens.com insider Mike Duffy to talk Chiefs/Ravens. For a pre-game perspective from the Ravens, check out this link.

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/Media/Video_Landing.aspx

RAMIFICATION OF CASSEL’S ABSENCE
September 13th – 10:57 AM CST

The Chiefs declined to name a starting quarterback prior to today’s game, simply announcing that Cassel would be inactive and Matt Gutierrez would serve as the third quarterback. That leaves the Chiefs two active QBs as Brodie Croyle and Tyler Thigpen. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Chiefs sport a game plan that features both.

The big news that’s been overshadowed by Cassel’s inactive status is the injury to CB Brandon Flowers. Flowers injured his shoulder against Seattle this preseason and was thought by many to be a go heading into Sunday.

INACTIVES ARE IN
September 13th – 10:44 AM CST

Chiefs
Matt Gutierrez is the 3rd quarterback
Brandon Flowers
Dantrell Savage
Andy Alleman
Jake O’Connell
Turk McBride
Pierre Walters
Matt Cassel

Baltimore
John Beck is the 3rd quarterback
Jalen Parmele
Dannell Ellerbe
O’niel Cousins
Tony Moll
L.J. Smith
Brandon McKinney
Paul Kruger

BREAKING NEWS - CASSEL INACTIVE
September 13th – 10:25 AM CST

QB Matt Cassel will be inactive for today’s game.

CASSEL FULL STRIDE IN PRE-GAME
September 13th – 10:09 AM CST

QB Matt Cassel is testing his knee in warm-ups as I type. He is taking three and five step drops, throwing routes to the Chiefs receivers. All four Chiefs QBs are participating in the drill. Cassel is sporting a wrapped-up left knee, supplemented with a brace.

Cassel’s “game-time” decision is drawing near and the Chiefs will have to announce inactives within the next 40 minutes.

GOOD MORNING BALTIMORE
September 13th – 6:55 AM CST

Game Day is finally here for the Chiefs. Pre-game meal is just about to start, so let’s take a look at some things being talked about in Baltimore this morning before it’s time to head over to M&T Bank Stadium.

• Baltimore is really focusing on the match-up between WR Dwayne Bowe and starting Ravens CBs Dononique Foxworth and Fabian Washington. Foxworth is billed as being the Ravens most improved player this preseason, turning in an excellent training camp. Still, both corners will have their work cut out for them today as Bowe has a considerable size advantage (both Washington and Foxworthy are 5-11).
• The Ravens will usher in a field goal kicker other than Matt Stover for the first time in franchise history. Steve Hauschka spent last season in Baltimore as the kickoff specialist, but he’ll get the full goods today. Stover was the last player remaining from the team’s 1996 inaugural season. He actually moved with the team from Cleveland to Baltimore.
• It will be the same two physical players bashing helmets between the hashes today on the field, but both carry a new physique this season. Like Chiefs RB Larry Johnson, Ravens LB Ray Lewis also sports a new look that is about 15 pounds lighter. Johnson turned heads when he walked in to talk with Rich Gannon at the CBS Production meeting yesterday. The difference in his weight is very noticeable for anyone who hasn’t seen LJ on a daily basis. The early results from Baltimore are that Lewis is flying all over the field with his new frame. Let’s hope for the same thing from Johnson today as well.
• Speaking of Johnson, the Ravens definitely aren’t looking past the fact that Johnson was the last player to run for 100 yards against Baltimore (12/10/06). LJ may have a target surrounding him today, but Baltimore can’t forget about Chiefs speedster RB Jamaal Charles either. Relax on one play and Charles could be out the door for a big game, threatening that 35-game streak.
  
• Most of the fans and media members I’ve talked to since arriving in Baltimore yesterday don’t give the Chiefs a chance. Almost all are talking/writing about a lop-sided Ravens win in the season opener. That’s not such a bad thing for the Chiefs, in my opinion.

We’ve covered this football game thoroughly all week and there is no breaking news this morning. Yes, Matt Cassel is still a game-time decision. The only thing left to do is play some football.

PRODUCTION NOTES
September 12th – 5:39 PM CST

Let me just put this out there before everybody gets excited about Matt Cassel participating in today’s CBS production meeting. His participation has no hidden meaning as to whether he will play or not tomorrow. In fact, he confirmed that he is still a game-time decision (no surprise there). CBS simply submits a list of players/coaches to speak with earlier in the week, and then they chat for around 10 minutes with each on production Saturday.

Without breaking the code of production meetings, here are a few things I can share with you.

First, each of the players are prepared for a hard-hitting Baltimore squad, on both sides of the football. RB Larry Johnson compared tomorrow’s game to a boxing match where two fighters feel each other out for the first couple of rounds before blows are thrown in full stride. His description symbolizes the unknowns each team faces about one another during the early stages of a season opener. LB Mike Vrabel said that tomorrows game will come down to who can hit the hardest the longest. Sounds like both sides of the football are mentally prepared for the task at hand.

Johnson also said that he feels much more comfortable in the offense this season, getting back to the rushing style that he says fits him best. QB Matt Cassel talked about the importance of finding a rhythm with teammates and the offensive coordinator, attributing much of his success a season ago to those factors. Cassel described Haley as a detailed, extremely prepared, confident play caller.

It’s dinner time for the guys now, with meetings on the way for the rest of the evening. Game day is drawing near.

CBS PRODUCTION MEETING UNDERWAY
September 12th – 3:29 PM CST

A day of travel has taken it’s path into the board room at our Baltimore hotel. The CBS broadcast team of Rich Gannon and Ian Eagle are scheduled to meet with Scott Pioli, Todd Haley, Matt Cassel, Mike Vrabel, Larry Johnson and Clancy Pendergast. Although the specifics discussed behind these closed doors are without a doubt thought of as “sacred cows” around the league, I’ll still be able to provide some generalities from this afternoon’s meetings.

In the mean time, in-house stats guru Brad Kuhbander has supplied the network with his weekly “Record Watch.” Here are some things you might hear on tomorrow’s broadcast.

• S Mike Brown will start his 100th career game on Sunday (assuming he starts)
• P Dustin Colquitt has landed 104 punts inside the 20-yard line, 2nd most in Chiefs history. He needs 14 more to bypass P Louie Aguiar.
• RB Larry Johnson needs 433 yards to bypass RB Priest Holmes as the franchise’s all-time leading rusher (6,070).
• Johnson’s 1,243 rushing attempts rank third in Chiefs history. He needs four more carries to pass RB Christian Okoye for second and 79 to overtake Holmes for first.
• S Jon McGraw needs one more special teams tackle to reach 100 for his career.

Those are just a few of the most-relevant records to watch on Kuhbander’s four-page list.

CASSEL’S PLACE IN CHIEFS HISTORY
September 12th – 8:55 AM

Will he play, or won’t he play? That is the question surrounding Chiefs QB Matt Cassel and his injured left knee this weekend. If the club’s prized offseason acquisition does indeed start on Sunday at Baltimore, he will officially become the 29th starting quarterback in franchise history.

Dating back to QB Cotton Davidson’s initial start with the Dallas Texans, in the franchise’s first-ever football game at the L.A. Chargers (9/10/1960), 28 men have taken the field as a Texans or Chiefs starting quarterback. Some seasons saw multiple starters, like in 1987 when Frank Seurer, Matt Stevens and Doug Hudson all drew starting assignments. Then, there were the years that saw little turnover, such as 2001-05 when Trent Green started 80 consecutive games under center.

The list is certainly fun to read, as it features three Pro Football Hall of Famers (Len Dawson, Joe Montana and Warren Moon), players that bring up some great Chiefs memories and even players that make you ask, “who?” It’s inevitable that at some point this season the 29th name will get added to the list (let’s hope there is just one addition in 2009). Barring unforeseen circumstances, that name will be Matt Cassel.

Just when and where will Cassel fit into Chiefs history? Below are two spreadsheets listing the 28 starting quarterbacks in franchise history, along with their performance in their debut as a Chiefs starter. The first spreadsheet is sorted by initial start date, while the second is sorted by start performance (QB rating).

Does a quarterback’s debut as the Chiefs starter yield any insight into how successful that player’s career will be when all is said and done? One would think not, but the top three names are pretty impressive (see second spreadsheet). Where will Cassel fit in?