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Public Transportation Returns to Arrowhead on Gamedays

DAILY DOSE OF ALBERT
October 22nd – 5:08 PM

Once again Chiefs T Branden Albert was not in the same practice dress as his teammates and once again Chiefs head coach Todd Haley gave us an assessment of Albert’s status.

“We’re going to evaluate further tomorrow and he’s doing everything he can to try and be ready,” Haley said. “If he’s able to go he’ll go, or might be in a backup role.“

Haley also left the door open for Albert to return as a reserve last week in the days leading up to the Chiefs trip to Washington. Albert, however, didn’t make the trip out east with the team due to his nagging ankle injury suffered vs. Dallas on October 11th.

KEEPING MATT CLEAN
October 22nd – 3:58 PM

If the NFL gave out “tough guy” awards, Chiefs QB Matt Cassel certainly would have to be on the ballot. Cassel has started 20 NFL games and taken 66 sacks. That’s an average of being taken to the ground by 300-plus pound beasts of men an average of 3.3 times each Sunday. Keep in mind that’s just the times that he’s been brought to the ground with the football, behind the line. He’s been knocked to his rear plenty of other times on top of that as well. That’s rough.

But Cassel keeps getting up. He’s like the Energizer Bunny of QBs. Cassel keeps going…and going…and going…

”I think that there are times that any QB, you might feel a few hits here and there, then you see somebody running at you might duck a little bit earlier than what you normally would,” Cassel said. “To tell you the truth, I’ve been hit plenty of times and that’s just part of it.“

Thing is, the hits that Cassel takes don’t just come on negative plays. Cassel, a very agile quarterback, is a guy who routinely fights for extra yardage when scrambling towards the first down markers. As a result he sometimes takes cleanup shots courtesy of chasing linebackers or closing safeties.

“You know, especially early on, it was really hard for me to learn how to slide because you’re always fighting for extra yards and you’re competitive and you don’t know any better,” Cassel admitted. “In terms of self-preservation, you just go out there and play the game, you don’t really think about it while it’s happening. You just go and try to play and if you get hit, it’s part of it.“

Although Cassel is just six games deep into his tenure guiding the franchise offensive reigns at quarterback, his teammates have already taken notice of his grit. RB Larry Johnson was in Kansas City to see many of QB Trent Green’s 81 consecutive starts behind center. Johnson says that Cassel reminds him a lot of Green when it comes to durability.

“I look at him as a young Trent Green,” Johnson said. “That’s how Trent was. When Trent used to get knocked down and beat up, he used to always get right back up. For me, with a guy like that, you take a lot of pride is trying to make sure he isn’t touched again. It’s going the same way for Matt. Regardless, he keeps getting right back up and it kind of makes you be on your ones and twos to make sure no one ever touches and gets shots like that on him.“

Cassel laughed and shook off the suggestions that he’s one of the NFL’s “tough guys” when it was mentioned to him today. The wording might have been funny, but people are taking notice. Cassel understands that and said that he does hope he is sending a message about his dedication to the team.

”I hope so,” Cassel answered when asked if his durability sends a message. “Hopefully I just continue to keep getting up. That’s part of my job. I have to stand in there and I have to deliver under pressure and there’s always going to be guys coming after me and trying to hit me and that’s just part of it, getting up after you’re hit and dusting yourself off and moving on to the next play.“

Regardless of Cassel’s staying power, many Chiefs recognize that they must protect their quarterback better to get a full season of work out of him. Technically, that’s already an impossibility as Cassel had to miss the season opener at Baltimore after tweaking his knee during the preseason. Cassel also knows that part of the plan to keep him healthy results in his decisions as well.

LJ ON LT
October 22nd – 3:07 PM

Chiefs RB Larry Johnson shares a common bond with Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson. Or, maybe you can call it a common rivalry. Whatever it may be, the two AFC West backs have faced off plenty of times as they both set franchise (and NFL) records.

LT established a career-high 1,815 rushing yards in 2006, while LJ knocked out an NFL single-season record 416 carries for a Chiefs franchise record 1,789 rushing yards. LJ scored on 17 rushes, while LT scored on 28. LJ was the Chiefs MVP, while LT was the NFL MVP. Both were teammates representing the AFC in the Pro Bowl and both players were flying high and mighty in the land of NFL rushing superiority.

Now the year is 2009, where both LT and LJ are battling much in the same way, except that now they are battling their critics. Many say that both players have lost a step since their record-setting seasons just three years ago. Both players continue to lead their respective teams in rushing, but LJ’s 309 yards are only the 22nd most in the NFL and Tomlinson doesn’t even garner ranking.

We’ve all seen LJ first-hand, but many of us haven’t seen Tomlinson throughout each week of the 2009 season. So what gives? Are that Chargers going through many of the same struggles up front as the Chiefs or has LT lost a step? If anyone would know, it would be LJ.

“His experience is a little bit different (than mine),” Johnson said. “He was hurt and he’s been nicked up. Then, of course (Darren) Sproles has come in and being the play-maker that he is has kind of overshadowed LaDainian a little bit. He always started slow sometimes and next thing you know, he’s got five TDs or six TDs. Even when he broke that record, he wasn’t straight out of the gates fast.“

“It all comes in due time,” Johnson continued. “He’s a good enough back to know when it’s going to happen and where it is going to happen. He just has to keep staying with it and not get frustrated. Sometimes I think, watching him on Monday night, that he’s frustrated because there are some plays that (Norv Turner) took him out of that kept him from scoring touchdowns or doing what he does best. That can get him a little frustrated, which is understandable.“

Johnson has shared those same frustrations as Tomlinson at times this season as LJ has yet to get into the end zone. LT, on the other hand, has been in the promise land just once this year.

“It’s the same way with me,” Johnson said. “You just can’t get frustrated, you have to stay positive and keep with it.”

THURSDAY PRACTICE REPORT
October 22nd – 11:59 AM

Steady rains and a flooded natural grass surface didn’t keep the Chiefs from spending the late morning practice session outdoors. Head coach Todd Haley kept the team outside, but moved them to the field turf of the Chiefs Youth Field for practice. Despite the rains that fell heavy at times, Haley still sported shorts and a baseball cap. His assistants were all in rain gear, as were many of the players.

On the field, G Mike Goff returned to action after missing yesterday’s practice for personal reasons. T Branden Albert was not in pads for a second consecutive day as Wade Smith got Albert’s reps with the first team. G Brian Waters was practicing, but had a heavily taped left ankle. Another tidbit included S Jon McGraw working with the first-team defense.

WASH YOUR HANDS
October 22nd – 9:42 AM

So I’m not sure if you’ve heard or not, but apparently there is a case of the flu going around. True story, my mother’s classroom (she’s a teacher) had just four of 20+ students in attendance a few weeks ago. JUST FOUR! There was also a middle school in the Kansas City area just single digits illness cases away from closing the doors and detoxing the entire place. So, yeah, there is a bug going around.

Your place of business my have hand sanitizers already in place (Arrowhead already does) and you’ve likely been given a bottle of germ killing gel before dining at a local restaurant. Use it, and pump the vitamin C and D. Go ahead and get a flu shot while you’re at it. That’s what the NFL guys are doing.

In the NFL, the Browns are the most ill-affected team (no, that’s not a knock on their 69 total offensive points), with 12 players coming down with a case of the flu. I’m glad we won’t be exposed to them until two months from now. It’s gotten so bad in Cleveland that seven starters are among those with flu symptoms and the Browns had just three wide receivers participate in practice yesterday. So much for injuries being the primary culprit keeping players out of practice.

“The league has definitely been in touch with our doctors and our trainers and us,” Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said. “We’ve gotten all the memos and it’s something they’re really trying to stay ahead of and, again, the policy that we’re following is when guys have something keep them out of the building or as far away from everybody as possible.

“But again, that’s through the league and the guidelines that they’ve set through our doctors,” Haley continued. “It’s something we’ve had a bunch of discussions on and you’ve got to ready for it because you don’t know. Like Cleveland, when it hits it hits and you’ve got to be prepared. We’ve got a plan in place that if something were to happen we have to ready to go.”

If the flu bug can’t knock down some of the world’s most elite athletes, it surely can do damage to the average Joe like you or I. So go ahead and wash those hands after you touch that doorknob.

THE SMITH’S
October 22nd – 6:05 AM

Yesterday, it was all about the Smith’s at Arrowhead – RB Kolby Smith and DT Kenny Smith (no relation). They are two players who share the same last name and a similar amount of immediate importance to the Kansas City Chiefs. Both players have battled injuries over the past season and both have fought off adversity and overcome challenges to get to the Chiefs practice field on Wednesday.

For the offensive Smith (Kolby), a major opportunity turned into an incredible setback nearly one year ago. On November 2, 2008, against Tampa Bay, Smith had an opportunity to start in place of the suspended Larry Johnson. It was the ninth start of his young career (all in place of Johnson) and Smith was hoping to turn in a similar performance to the 150-yard rushing output he turned in almost a year earlier in his first career start vs. Oakland. That day, Smith’s 150 rushing yards established a franchise single-game rookie record.

Smith started the day against the Bucs on a hot streak, rushing nine times for over 40 yards with a TD. His day ended on his 10th carry of the game and he would ultimately leave the field on a cart. Since that ride into the Arrowhead tunnel, Smith has done nothing but rehab work. It’s been a long and tedious process filled with plenty of ups and downs.

“When training camp first started, I was like ‘okay?,’” Smith said yesterday. “I thought that I was going to be able to go at the start of training camp, but I wasn’t ready to. It’s been six games and I got out there today.”

The Chiefs decision to keep Smith off the field and on the reserve PUP list to start the season forced the third-year running back to wait six weeks into the season before a return to the practice field was even allowed. Six weeks ended on Monday and Smith was back on the practice field yesterday, the first opportunity allowed by NFL rules.

The Chiefs now have a three-week window to observe Smith’s progress. The clock started yesterday and the club will have three weeks to decide whether to activate Smith or place him on injured reserve, effectively ending his season. If one day of practice tells you anything, the former seems like the most likely scenario. RB Dantrell Savage reported that Smith broke off a few big runs and was showing nice agility and cutback ability on his first day back.

“It was great to see him out there,” Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said. “He’s a guy that I’m really excited to really see. He’s been working very hard. You guys probably know him a little better than I do. I know he’s probably real excited to be out there. It looked like he had some fresh legs and he was working hard and there will be some rust, obviously, as far a comeback this has been for him. But I thought that was a good first day.”

The road back for Smith hasn’t been easy. He’s been a daily card-carrying member of “Club Haley,” a workout area for rehabbing Chiefs, and the rewards of his membership are vividly evident. Hill climbing, sled pushing, wind sprints, weight lifting and bag pulling are only the beginning on a laundry list of tasks that Smith had to conquer in the rehab zone. Once Smith’s football career passes, he should have adequate training for the World’s Strongest Man Competition events.

“At first it wasn’t fun, but it all had its purpose of me getting back to where I am today,” Smith said of the rehab area. “I’m thankful for going through that and I was happy to be back on the field today. I just need to get up to game speed and technique, shake off a little rust and I think that I’ll be ready to go.”

Smith is unlikely to be active this Sunday vs. San Diego, but his return date looks to be closing in on the short term. With a bye looming next weekend, a return to the playing field at Jacksonville isn’t out of question.

“I’m not where I want to be, but I’m almost there,” Smith said. “I don’t want to ease my way back because I’ve missed all of these games. I just want to go all in. I’m ready to go all in.”

Smith – Part II
The other Smith generating buzz at Arrowhead plays on the defensive side of the football. DT Kenny Smith signed with the team on Wednesday morning and reported to practice in a quick turnaround from his arrival in a new location. Much like his quick arrival in the city, Smith will have to adapt at a rapid pace because there is an immediate need for his services on the field.

“We don’t have a lot of noses (tackles) on the roster, so he’s going to be expected to get into it pretty fast.” Haley said. “We’ve been taking six linemen to the game and that’s the number we’re at right now. Whether it’s him or a practice squad guy or what, we’ve got to have enough guys at the game to compete.”

Smith’s services became mandatory when the Chiefs dealt DT Tank Tyler to Carolina on Monday night, leaving Ron Edwards as the only nose tackle on the Kansas City roster. Although Edwards is claiming the majority of defensive snaps, some sort of rotation on the defensive front is imperative. To put things into perspective, Tyler played in nine snaps to relieve Edwards last Sunday in Washington.

“I feel like I’m in the shape to give 15 or 20 plays, maybe more,” Smith said. “I’ve been working hard in the Florida heat. The only thing different is coming into the game and bumping around with different players. It’s like putting training wheels on. Everything is kind of the same, you just have to get yourself back into shape and play low. Once you play low, you play hard and good things will come.”

Like Kolby, Kenny has also battled injury rehabilitation since he last stepped onto the field. Injuries put Smith on injured reserve in 2004, 2005 and 2008. He was out of football in 2006 and 2007.

“I always had a shoulder injury and I had a bicep last year,” Smith said. “I think it was just one of those things from working out too hard and it’s a different thing of muscle weight and football weight. I think it just had too much muscle and tore a muscle.”

At the end of the day, you have to go back to 2003 to see regular season game tape of Smith in action when he played in 15 games (nine starts) with New Orleans. The road back to the field has been a long one for this Smith as well.

“Once you have a dream, you don’t give up on it,” Smith said. “It’s what I tell people when I talk to kids, you have to dream and the only time you give up on it is when you let yourself down. I never did that, I kept pushing myself and it came to me.

“It gets frustrating sitting back and waiting, watching football every Sunday and seeing guys that you think you’re better than,” Smith continued. “I had the opportunity, but unfortunately was hit by the injury bug. I didn’t give up on it, I kept pushing myself and I knew football was the thing for me so I just kept at it.”

Smith is fully healthy now and ready to play in an NFL regular season game for the first time in six seasons.

“I think that it will be a little of a transition process,” Smith explained. “I was working out with offensive linemen in Florida and we were able to do some things together, but it will be a little different in game tempo. It really is exciting to get back out there and play. I think that I can help out a lot also.”

Well, the last Smith on the Chiefs defensive line to wear #90 was Neil Smith. So, the newest Smith certainly has some good vibes working for him.