Smith to Chiefs: Reaction to Kansas City's Acquisition of Alex Smith

The biggest news thus far in the 2013 NFL off-season has nothing to do with contract negotiations, franchise tags and college prospects at the Combine. No, instead it's all about the first major trade of the 2013 season: Alex Smith to the Kansas City Chiefs.

On Wednesday, the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers agreed to trade backup quarterback Alex Smith to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for its 2nd round pick in this year's draft and a conditional mid-round pick in 2014.

Though the trade will not be made official until the beginning of the new league year on March 12, the deal is all but done.

With new head coach Andy Reid taking over the reins in Kansas City, it's fitting that the franchise starts over with a new quarterback under center. The former No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft revitalized his doomed career by carrying the Niners offense to the NFC Championship in 2011. Smith entered 2012 with high hopes, but a concussion suffered against St. Louis in early November ended his campaign.

Second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick took over the job while Smith sat out, and the rest is history. The 25-year old Kaepernick used both his arm and his legs to take the Niners all the way to the Super Bowl in just his second season in the league.

Smith seemingly lost his job unfairly to the younger Colin, but that's just how this league works. You get hurt, sit out a couple games and risk losing your job to someone who does it better. It's tough to say whether the 49ers still could have made the Super Bowl with Smith under center all season (I vote no), but either way Kaepernick did what he had to do to stay the starter.

That's why it didn't take long for Smith to find a new job. The Niners knew he wouldn't be happy sitting on the bench and that there would be other teams willing to make a move for him. Reid wanted his own quarterback as he begins a new era in Kansas City, and he was willing to give up a couple of draft picks to accomplish this.

I personally believe this was a great move for both sides. Kansas City gets its franchise quarterback who, by the way, is still only 28. So he could give the Chiefs a good 5-6 years. But also the Niners get a couple of picks for a guy who would have been riding the bench anyways. Win-win.

It's also been reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter that the Chiefs are expecting to cut Matt Cassel once the trade goes through. It looks like even the Cardinals could be winners in this deal: it'll allow them to snatch up Cassel via free agency.

Anyone else getting excited to see how the 2013 Chiefs' offense looks? Depending on what happens to wideout Dwayne Bowe, of course, who will hit the free agent market in a couple of weeks.

Note: We do not own the above images. No copyright infringement intended.

Chiefs Win it for Belcher

Just over 24 hours following a murder-suicide involving starting inside linebacker Jovan Belcher, the Kansas City Chiefs captured its 2nd win of the season against the Carolina Panthers.

Belcher, 25, shot his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins inside his KC home on the morning of Saturday December 1 before driving to the Kansas City practice facility outside of Arrowhead Stadium and pulling his handgun on himself.

According to the police, they saw Belcher, inside his car, with a handgun to his head. He was talking with members of KC's staff, including head coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli, among numerous others who went unnamed. The group attempted to talk Belcher out of it, but the police reported they heard a gunshot as Belcher shot himself from behind the wheel of his car.

Clearly shaken up by the incident, the team held a meeting between coaches and the captains to decide whether they should continue on and play on Sunday afternoon as planned. The group decided they would, in fact, take on the Panthers at 1 pm ET as scheduled.

The mayor of Kansas City, Sly James, had spoken with Pioli and had this to say (quote courtesy of Yahoo!'s Jeff Passan):

"I can tell you that you have absolutely no idea of what it's like to see somebody kill themselves. If you can take your worst nightmare and then put somebody you know and love into that situation and give them a gun and stand 3 feet away from them and watch them kill themselves, that's what it's like. It's unfathomable. It's something that you would love to wash away from your mind, but you can't do it. There's nothing like it. There's nothing like it. Think about your worst nightmare and multiply by five."

Belcher's agent Jim Linta was in shock and didn't see this coming, much like everyone else around Belcher. Linta spoke to Sports Illustrated's Peter King and this is what he had to say about the situation:

"Never until four hours ago did I think Jovan was anything but a model citizen. He came to my youth clinics in the offseason and worked with kids. He was a gracious, unselfish, hard-working, dedicated kid -- very, very caring of some of the underprivileged kids who came to the clinics. I saw him in a real positive way.

I never take on anyone as a client I wouldn't be proud to take home and spend time with my wife and kids. Jovan was one of those type of people."

The general public, much less Jovan and Kasandra's family, may never know exactly what caused Belcher to resort to this option. I think it's better to leave it unknown than to attempt to judge and make assumptions as to why it happened.

Kansas City will be mourning the loss for the remainder of the season, and I think it's obvious in the Chiefs' 27-21 victory over Carolina yesterday, that they are willing to continue on and fight for his memory this season.

I found some photos from yesterday's emotional victory and added them below (again, we do not own these images or quotes, no copyright infringement has been intended):

It turns out that this was not only the loss of a teammate for KC's star running back Jamaal Charles, but also a close friend and a family member. Charles' wife was Perkins' cousin and Charles was actually the one to introduce her to Belcher.

It was reported that Belcher, of all the KC team members, was closest with Charles. So this tragedy certainly has hit Jamaal hard. He released a statement about the situation earlier today (courtesy of NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal):

"Our family has suffered a personal tragic loss. Kassandra Perkins was in fact first cousins to my wife, Whitney. As this is a very tough time for our family, I ask that we are respected as we grieve. Kassandra was not only family, but a friend and a loving mother. As my actual family and my Kansas City Chiefs family have been altered forever, we ask that you keep us and most importantly their child in prayer.

Thank you all for your continued support."

The Chiefs will be as close as they have ever been for the remainder of the season. This story is bigger than the game.

No Panic Button for Chargers: Slow Start in San Diego Follows Yearly Pattern

Just hours away from a Thursday night primetime match-up with AFC West rival Kansas City, the 2nd place San Diego Chargers (3-4) may find themselves in a must-win situation.

At 1-6, the Chiefs are virtually out of playoff contention as we approach Week 9 in the NFL, especially considering the Broncos and Peyton Manning appear to be heating up. The Chargers, however, find themselves in the heat of the race for the division title.

Philip Rivers' offense got off to a quick start to the season, beginning the season at 3-1 (including a 37-20 victory over these same Chiefs) with the lone loss coming to the still-undefeated Falcons. On defense, San Diego limited opponents to 17.8 points/game while putting up 25.0.

But since that Week 4 victory over KC, the Chargers have dropped three straight games, including a devastating 35-24 loss to Denver three Mondays ago and a 7-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns just last Sunday.

There didn't appear to be any reason for concern when the New Orleans Saints knocked off the Bolts by one touchdown in the beginning of October, but after blowing a 24-point halftime lead to the Broncos the following week, concern started building up.

To make things worse, the Chargers failed to re-group following the bye week and failed to put the ball into the end zone against a team (the 2-6 Browns) that has allowed the 4th-most yards, 10th-most points and 4th-most passing TDs in the entire league.

It's not like the Chargers didn't have run support against Cleveland, either. Running back Ryan Mathews, who, by the way, has finally appeared to be fully recovered from the broken collarbone suffered in August, ran for 95 yards on 24 attempts. But the struggling Rivers managed to complete just over half of his passes for 154 yards.

San Diego's 9th-best scoring defense and 8th-best total yardage defense did its job against rookie signal caller Brandon Weeden and the Browns, limiting them to just 250 total yards and one Trent Richardson touchdown. But Rivers failed to get anything going in terms of touchdown drives and two Nick Novak field goals is all San Diego came away with.

It's been clear that added pressure and lack of a true No. 1 receiver has really hurt the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback thus far in 2012. But, there's certainly a silver lining when it comes to Rivers' and San Diego offense's slow start: it can be overcome, and overcome rather quickly.

Ever since taking over the full-time starting role with the Chargers in 2006, the Bolts have struggled to pull away with a division lead through the first 7 games of the season. In fact, they're usually right around the current pace in terms of winning percentage. Just take a look:

Chargers' year-by-year records (thru first 7 games) since 2006: 5-2, 4-3, 3-4, 4-3, 2-5, 4-3, 3-4.

Total record (thru first 7 games) from 2006-12: 25-24 in seven seasons (average per year: 3.6-3.4)

How many postseason appearances over those 7 seasons? Four. With three double-digit win totals.

When it comes to Philip Rivers' numbers, everyone should be aware of his December/January breakout. Here's a look at his career regular season stats from September-November, compared with his December stats:

Pre-December: 77 games, 42-35 record, 245.0 yards/game, 1.6 TDs/game, 0.9 INTs/game
December/January (Regular season only): 31 games, 27-4 record (undefeated in January), 53 TDs, 18 INTs; 99.9 rating in Dec., 100.7 rating in Jan.

As a whole, San Diego's offense just plays better December football thanks in part to Rivers' elevated play. So, before you start rule the Chargers out of the race out Wes, keep in mind that Rivers is bound to turn this one around and improve on his current 82.4 rating (tied for his career-low as regular starter).

Despite being without top receivers Robert Meachem and Eddie Royal tonight (both inactive due to injury), San Diego's quest for its first postseason appearance since '09 begins with a victory over Kansas City.

Moral of the story: Never rule out the Chargers.

Note: We do not own the above images (borrowed from zimbio.com). No copyright infringement intended.

Best to Ever Play the Position: Tony Gonzalez Deserves More Respect

In the wake of Super Bowl week, all the talk has been centered around New England's tight end Rob Gronkowski. Will he play, or will he sit? After spraining his ankle after an awkward tackle against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship, Gronk has been seen in a walking boot earlier this week.

When seen at yesterday's Media Day, the second-year pro had taken off the walking boot. But after missing practice again today (only two practice days remain before Super Sunday) the question still lingers.

Personally I don't see him missing the game. No way he will allow himself to miss what will be the biggest game/day of his life...especially considering what he means to this New England offense.

Gronk, 22, has blossomed in to perhaps the league's most well-known tight end within about a season. He broke on to the football scene with 546 yards and 10 TDs as a rookie in 2010, but he followed that up with a record-setting performance in 16 games this season: 90 receptions, 1,327 yards and 17 TDs. The single greatest season ever put together by a tight end. He led the league in receiving TDs and set TE records for most yards and most TDs.

The sudden stardom of the bruising 6'6'' and 265 pound end has led to the expression "Gronk'd." His powerful spike, in celebration of a TD, has been known as a Gronkowski trademark by many, and he even has t-shirts and songs in dedication to his athletic ability and on-field success–mainly in the New England area.

This has made for a sad, sad day in Kansas City and Atlanta. The two cities that the 12-time Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez has played in. Still a Falcon, the 35 going-on-36-year old veteran has lost his touch. He has put up 15 hard-working and well-fought seasons, starting 222 career games and missing just one start since 1998 (he didn't start any games in his rookie season, 1997).

Gonzalez has already punched his ticket to the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio and he doesn't even think he's going to retire for another couple of seasons. Yet new faces such as Gronk, New Orleans' second-year pro Jimmy Graham, New England's Aaron Hernandez and San Francisco's Vernon Davis have stolen the spotlight away from the blue collar Gonzo.

The worst part, in my opinion, is that I don't think it even really bothers Gonzalez at all. Young kids have seemed to have chosen Gronk as their hero, rather than Gonzalez. I'm not trying to take anything away from Gronk and Graham, or anyone else, because they have played hard and deserve some credit as well. But I'm disappointed that fans have seemingly overlooked perhaps one of the league's greatest receiving tight end of all time.

The NFL has recently put together an official magazine (NFL the Magazine) to which I have subscribed to. The most recent issue–just the second one made, actually–had an article in it written by Lisa Altobelli that I think everyone who calls themself an NFL fan needs to read.

Of course I was well aware of what Gonzo has done for the league before I read the article, but the article reiterates his greatness and reassures fans that his loss of the spotlight hasn't phased him one bit. Just like every other season, Gonzalez prepares the same way and goes about his business. According to the article, as well, his teammates have started calling him "Low-key Tony G," which is very fitting for the calm-minded Tony.

What has he done over his decade-and-a-half of play? Simple, he has racked up 1,149 receptions, 13,338 yards and 95 TDs. His reception total is second all-time to the great Jerry Rice, his yardage total 11th all-time and his TD total is 9th all-time (he is six away from passing Steve Largent at No. 6). All three categories rank No. 1 among every other tight end to ever play the game.

What I like most about him, however, is his humbleness and the fact that he focuses more on his blocking techniques than his catching ability because obviously run blocking is No. 1 priority for all tight ends. Their second responsibility is catching passes. He's first one in the facility and often the last one out, according to many of his teammates as well.

What I believe is the reason for his lack of respect among NFL fans, and some experts too, is that he's never really been in those big games. In fact, he's never been fortunate to win a playoff game. In five tries, Gonzo is 0-5 in postseason play. But that's not his fault!

Gonzo hasn't exactly been the brightest star in those postseason games (16 Rec., 157 yards, 2 TDs, 9.8 YPR), but the tight end isn't going to be the game-changer in a big playoff game. He's never really been on an exceptional team and he's actually never really had an exceptional quarterback throwing him passes.

There's Matt Ryan in Atlanta right now, but he's only been there for three seasons. In Kansas City 1997-2008 Gonzo's best quarterback was probably Trent Green ('01-'06). Other than Green, Gonzo had the likes of Elvis Grbac, Rich Gannon, Tyler Thigpen and Damon Huard throwing him passes. Gronkowski/Hernandez, Graham and Jason Witten, who did they have throwing them passes? Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Tony Romo. Even Vernon Davis has had a more capable arm in Alex Smith throwing him the ball (despite 2011 being his first solid season).

The fact Gonzalez has been so healthy, reliable and productive throughout his career with below-average signal callers throwing him passes just makes me respect him even more. Catching passes over defenders seems to come naturally for the 6'5'' former basketball standout.

So, before we go naming Gronk the greatest tight end ever, and possibly a future HOFer (in his second season) if he goes out there on Sunday and rocks New York's defense, lets not forget about poor old Gonzo down south in Atlanta.

Photo credit

With Atlanta: Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images

With Kansas City: borrowed from Sports Crunch

Wild Card X-Factors

When playoff times rolls around, usually just a couple of key players end up making the largest impact on the game's outcome. Each of the eight teams competing for a spot in the second round of the playoffs have guys who I think will be the deciding "X-Factor" for his respective team.

New Orleans at Seattle, Saturday 4:30 PM ET

Saints X Factor: Drew Brees

With the loss of New Orleans' top two running backs in 2010, Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas, both of whom will miss Saturday's game due to injury, even more pressure will be put on defending Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees. If he can't get off to a quick start I don't see him having any trouble carving up Seattle's defense with quick, intermediate passes on the perimeter of the field. A couple of deep balls to Marques Colston could be a lethal weapon in the match-up with the league's 27th-ranked passing defense. On the road this season Brees has 16 TDs/10 INTs (6-2 record).

Seahawks X Factor: Lofa Tatupu

Without an active Ivory and Thomas available this Saturday, and Reggie Bush (150 rushing yards in eight games this season) making the start at running back, Seattle's defense has their work cut out for them. They know Brees will be throwing the football freely and that if they can force a couple of Brees turnovers they would give their offense a shot at putting points on the board. That's why its up to Seattle's defensive captain--and leader--Tatupu to keep his 'Hawks in the game and make sure they are focused on stopping the pass. Tatupu (58 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT this season) doesn't specialize is rushing the passer, but is a great coverage 'backer and is the backbone of Seattle's defense.

New York at Indianapolis, Saturday 8 PM ET

Jets X Factor: Brad Smith

The former quarterback out of Mizzou has had success against Indy before, in fact in last year's AFC Championship game he made a couple of big plays albeit in a losing effort. The Jets' defense as a whole will be a pretty big factor against the Hall of Fame-bound Peyton Manning, but the real x-factor I believe will be the elusive receiver/return man. He can be used with trick plays and formations such as the wildcat and pistol formation. Out of those two formations he has shown he can make an impact both running the ball and throwing it deep. Not only that, but he also has three career kick return touchdowns, two of which he ran back this season. Head coach Rex Ryan has several ways of using Smith, and he will most definitely incorporate him in to his game plan against Indy.

Colts X Factor: Dwight Freeney

We all know the Colts struggle stopping the run, and that the Jets will likely take advantage of that. It's so bad that the Colts may even just allow the Jets to run the ball and completely shut down Mark Sanchez's passing offense. Last year, when Indy knocked New York out of the playoffs in the Conference Championship game, then-rookie Mark Sanchez threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns (1 INT), yet the offense still only managed 17 points against Indy. With Freeney's nine sacks in 11 career playoff games, I don't expect him to lay off of Sanchez this week. Expect a couple of Freeney sacks, and a couple of New York turnovers at the expense of Sanchez, who still has a lot of maturing to do.

Baltimore at Kansas City, Sunday 1 PM ET

Ravens X Factor: Ed Reed

This past Sunday against the Bengals, Baltimore's free safety Ed Reed posted his 11th career two interception game. What's even more miraculous about this feat is that the Ravens are 11-0 when the seven-time Pro Bowler has at least two interceptions in a game. On the defensive side of the ball, it isn't nose tackle Haloti Ngata, veteran Terrell Suggs or even the seven-time first team All Pro linebacker Ray Lewis that KC's quarterback Matt Cassel needs to look out for. It's the roaming ball-hawk Ed Reed that needs to be contained.

Chiefs X Factor: Jamaal Charles

After reading what I wrote about Reed above, it's obvious that if Kansas City wants to win this game they will need to have success on the ground. With the league's top rushing attack, Charles' career-high 1,467 yards on the ground will surely be tested against Baltimore's fifth-best run defense, which allowed just 1,503 yards rushing all year. Despite topping the league in rushing yards, Kansas City struggled to get the ball in the end zone while running the ball. Kansas City will need to get the ball to Charles 25-30 times in order to have a shot at controlling the clock--and the game.

Green Bay at Philadelphia, Sunday 4:30 PM ET

Packers X Factor: Clay Matthews III

On defense, there's no doubt Matthews is the nucleus. After a solid rookie performance in '09 (36 tackles, 10 sacks, 7 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR TD), Matthews one-uped himself with an even better 2010 season, quickly making a name for himself. His 54 tackles, 13.5 sacks and interception landed him a second straight Pro Bowl selection. Not only have his numbers been solid, but he has also imposed fear in his opposition. Quarterbacks now need to know where No. 52 is at all times when they step on to the field. He's not all that large (6'3'', 246 pounds) in comparison to other linebackers, but his speed and strength is baffling. He is the Packers' key to containing Vick and keeping him inside the numbers. Once Vick bounces to the outside it is tough to stop him. Look for Matthews to be running sideline-to-sideline on Sunday.

Eagles X Factor: Michael Vick

Vick says he has recovered from his thigh injury and is "100 percent" ready to go on Sunday. But we should all still keep an eye on Vick's thigh. If Green Bay's defense is all over Vick he could re-injure his thigh at any moment. If he is ready to go like he says he is, though, Green Bay could be in for a long day. That's why, of course, Matthews is my X-Factor for Green Bay. The result of this game will vary depending on who shows up and is ready to play. If Vick can break out for a couple of big plays against Matthews' defense, Philly could take this one at home.

Photo Credit

Lofa Tatupu and Jordan Babineaux: AP Photo/John Smierciak

Brad Smith: AP Photo/Bill Kostroun

Jamaal Charles: AP Photo/Ed Zurga

Clay Matthews: AP Photo/Morry Gash

Chiefs Clinch First AFC West Title Since 2003

With a convincing 34-14 victory over the struggling Tennessee Titans earlier today, the Kansas City Chiefs  (10-5) capture the franchise's first division title since 2003, back when Trent Green, Priest Holmes and Dante Hall were household names for Kansas City's then-head coach Dick Vermeil.

The Chiefs' division rival San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders both suffered defeats to top off a near-perfect day for Kansas City.

Kansas City's run game, tops in the league, has been the key factor in most of their games this season, but not this week against Tennessee. Quarterback Matt Cassel led KC's offense with a 300 yards passing performance, including a 75-yard TD pass to Pro Bowl-bound receiver Dwayne Bowe, and two more TD tosses to running back Jamaal Charles.

In his sixth professional season, Cassel has set career highs in passing touchdowns (27) and QB rating (98.8) with just five interceptions. Cassel's top target, receiver Dwayne Bowe, has set several career highs this season as well, including yards (1,094) and TD catches (15). In fact, his 15 touchdown receptions leads the league, three above top-tier receivers Greg Jennings and Calvin Johnson.

Now, as for Kansas City's running game, the duo of the young speedster Jamaal Charles and veteran Thomas Jones has led the league's top running game to 2,360 rushing yards, nearly 100 more than KC's division rival Oakland. It's expected that they are the No. 1 running team in terms of yards, because they are also the leader in rushing attempts with 487, and are last in pass attempts with only 403.

The fact that Cassel is tied for sixth in the league with 27 touchdown tosses is really say something when you realize that he has attempted 417 passes compared to Peyton Manning's 638 and Drew Brees' 571.

Coach Haley sure has the correct ingredient to win in the playoffs once you add on a top 10 defense in terms of both yardage and scoring. Cassel leads a very efficient offensive attack through the air and has two dependable backs who can run out the clock in the second half, if they hold a comfortable lead. If Kansas City can capture the third seed in the AFC playoffs this coming weekend (by beating Oakland at home), I expect Kansas City to make a solid run in the playoffs. They are surely capable of doing so, especially if they get a matchup with New York, because I think they have the ability to put up decent numbers against Rex Ryan's run defense.

Don't overlook the Chiefs in the playoffs just because they are coming out of the West. That's the biggest mistake a team could make.

Photo Credit
Eric Berry: AP Photo/Ed Zurga
Dwayne Bowe: AP Photo/Ed Zurga

A Picture is Worth a 1,000 words: Haley vs. McDaniels

After Denver defeated AFC West rival Kansas City by thirty (49-29), head coach of the Chiefs Todd Haley refused to shake Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels' hand in the middle of the field. Haley, obviously disgusted with the way Denver played (probably felt McDaniels was running up the score on his Chiefs), shaked his finger at Josh and walked away.

Earlier today Haley did apologize to both McDaniels and the Broncos franchise, but that doesn't mean he is truly sorry for what he did. What do I think of the incident? I think Haley should try not to be such a baby and maybe try stopping this from happening by playing better defense. I mean, come one, 35 of those 49 points came in the first half.

This was not a case of "running up the score." Rather a case of a team really sticking it to their inter-division counterparts. Nothing dirty about scoring 35 first half points. Sorry, Mr. Haley.