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08/04/2010 -
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) -In a busy offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs went after just about everything except what many fans think they lacked the most.
They picked up a 1,000-yard rusher to go with the 1,000-yard rusher they already had and drafted a speedy wide receiver, a tight end and a guard.
Except for Eric Berry, a badly needed safety drafted in the first round, they didn't do much for a defense that finished a laughable 31st against the run. Everybody is back on the front seven - everybody who had a hand in enabling journeymen running back Jerome Harrison to rush for 286 yards and erase the great Jim Brown's Cleveland team record.
If fans were surprised that Berry was the only significant pickup on that side of the ball, they were not alone.
So were the players.
``It's a boost to know they have confidence in us and they believe we're going to get it right,'' said lineman Glenn Dorsey. ``We've got a lot of chemistry and we believe we can get it done. And it's good to know they think so, also.''
Harrison was one of only six rushers who went over 100 yards against the Chiefs' newly installed 3-4 defense. So rather than a bunch of new faces or an overhaul, management's mandate to the mostly young, underachieving front seven is clear: Get better.
``As I've said before, you can't get everything that you want or you may think you need,'' said coach Todd Haley. ``In the NFL, the way I know you can have continued success is to develop the young; the first, second and third-year players you have on your team. That is mandatory. If you're not developing young players on your team, you probably have very little chance of success.''
And the Chiefs will have little chance of success without a big improvement on the defensive front. One reason for hope is that everybody is more familiar with the defense. A year ago, a new coaching staff took players who were acquired and trained in the 4-3 and switched them to the 3-4. Growing pains were obvious.
``A lot of it was technique,'' said defensive end Tyson Jackson, the third overall selection in the 2009 draft.
While the players remained the same, that cannot be said of the coaches. Former Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel was brought in as defensive coordinator and Tim Krumrie was replaced as defensive line coach by Anthony Pleasant, a 15-year veteran. Crennel's specialty is the defensive line and he's been giving that element extra attention.
Another new wrinkle is the presence of grandmaster Joseph Kim. The taekwando expert is working with the pass rushers, teaching them how to use their hands and hips as he's done with several other NFL teams, including the Cowboys, Dolphins, Browns and Bills.
``It's going to help a lot,'' said lineman Glenn Dorsey. ``At first you think some of the things he tells you to do don't seem natural. But they are.''
Getting better hardly seems like much to ask of the Chiefs' front seven. Dorsey, Jackson, and linebackers Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson were all first-round picks. The Chiefs have invested more money in that part of the team than any other.
But they have yet to get full value in return.
``I cannot stress it enough - those are the guys that have to take that next step, whether they're backups that become starters, starters that become stars or third-teamers that become backups,'' Haley said. ``Those guys have to take steps and have to make that next step, and that will help us.''
Dorsey, drafted No. 5 overall in 2008, believes it will happen.
``Everybody's got a better grasp of what the coaches are asking for this year,'' he said. ``We realize we lost a lot of close games last year and we're concentrating this year on not making the same mistakes we made then. We challenged each other this year. We've been through that hard season and we're determined to get better. We're confident in each other.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< Sabres cut ties with Kennedy
Buffalo, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Buffalo Sabres waived and will buy out
forward Tim Kennedy's contract after he was awarded a $1 million, one-year
deal from an arbitrator last Thursday.
The buyout is worth $333,333 over the next
<< Mariners' Bedard to have surgery again
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Oft-injured Seattle Mariners starting pitcher
Erik Bedard will have left shoulder surgery on Friday.
It will be the lefty's third surgery in as many years on his pitching
shoulder, and this procedu
<< Jags rookie DT Smith may miss season
Jacksonville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jacksonville Jaguars rookie defensive
tackle D'Anthony Smith may miss the entire 2010 season after suffering an
injury to his right Achilles' tendon.
According to The Florida Times-Union, Smith,
<< Pirates' McCutchen leaves with neck bruise
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew
McCutchen left Tuesday's game against Cincinnati after being struck in the
neck with a Mike Leake pitch in the second inning.
McCutchen fell to the ground imm
Vikings hope to sway Favre with more money >>
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - If Brett Favre does decide to retire, he
will apparently be turning down more money from the Minnesota Vikings.
According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, which on Tuesday first broke the
news of Fa
Rockets and Nets to play in China >>
Beijing, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NBA will again head to China for the
preseason, as the New Jersey Nets and Houston Rockets will meet for a pair of
games in October.
This will be the fifth set of preseason games in China for the NB
Rookie defender Ream the best value in New York >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Red Bull New York pays rookie defender Tim
Ream $40,000 a year, or about $1.8 million less than striker Juan Pablo Angel,
if that offers a better perspective. But the 22-year-old Ream has been just as
valuabl
Lions make it official with Suh >>
Allen Park, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Lions made it official on
Wednesday and agreed to terms with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, the second
overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.
Lions president Tom Lewand said Wednesday morni
JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.
Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.
MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .
''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''
Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.
He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.
''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''
Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.
Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.
With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.
Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
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Elite 8 NCAA Tournament Betting at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
In what should be an outstanding Saturday of March Madness betting action, the top four teams in the South and West Regions square off in what should be extremely close match-ups. Three of the four teams are coming off extremely close games on Thursday evening, only UCLA won semi comfortably over Pitt 64-55.
Ohio State is coming off their second game in a row where in all reality they should have lost. Of course that doesn’t matter now since the name of the game is “survive and advance” but as the tournament continues, they can’t afford to keep getting down to their opponents early. Kansas also avoided a scare by holding off a scrappy Southern Illinois squad. In the third thrilling game of the evening Memphis pulled off the minor upset (+3.5) despite being the higher seed to Texas A&M.
Although the spreads are fairly small for Saturday’s games, MySportsbook.com continue to bet against the underdogs. Despite OSU’s two scares, 86% of the “betting public” feels the Buckeyes (-1.5) have what it takes to make the Final Four. In fact, so much of the early money is on OSU that the line has already moved from -1 to -1.5. In the second game of the doubleheader, Kansas and their high-powered offense are 2 point favorites as they take on UCLA and their effective defense. About 63% of the early money thus far is once again backing the favorites. If those percentages stay that high, don’t be surprised if this line moves as well. If you like Kansas (-2) you might want to jump on it early.
Memphis vs. Ohio State
Both squads were involved in thrillers on Thursday evening and should come out fired up. OSU can ill afford to get behind early like they did versus their previous two opponents (Xavier, Tennessee). Greg Oden needs to stay out of foul trouble; the Buckeyes are a completely different team when he is on the court. Memphis definitely has the athleticism and length to match-up with OSU. Of Memphis’ five leading minute earners, the shortest of the bunch is 6’5”. Each team has a very effective defense; Memphis surrenders 62.3 PPG whereas the Buckeyes give up only 61 PPG. With those type of numbers, it isn’t surprising that Memphis covered the UNDER almost 69% of the time this season. As a favorite, OSU has covered the UNDER almost 66% of the time over the last three seasons. The major concern for Memphis which is magnifies this time of the year is their brutal foul shooting (62%). This season, OSU is 17-11 ATS versus teams with a winning record and 7-2 ATS in all tournament games. Memphis has been an extremely reliable cover in tournament play in recent years with a 23-8 ATS record over the last three seasons.
UCLA vs. Kansas
In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, UCLA will play in a role which they are very unfamiliar with that of the underdog. Only twice this season have they been getting points from the handicappers and both times they covered. Over the last three seasons UCLA is a reliable 23-7 ATS in this unfamiliar role. UCLA has not fared well against Big 12 opponents recently going 1-7 ATS since 1997. Giving up only 59.6 PPG, UCLA will definitely look to do what they do best: keep this game as low scoring as possible. Their defense has been especially tough during the tournament. UCLA opponents have been able to muster up only 48.7 PPG while shooting a combined 34.5% from the field. UCLA definitely has a challenge at hand with a Kansas team that is capable of putting points on the board in bunches. As a team, they average 79 PPG and shoot an impressive 49.6% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc. During the tournament Kansas has been “lights out” from the field having shot 56.2%.
With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action. Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at MySportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends”. By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.
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