So, What's the Deal With LJ?

(Editor's Note: Apologies for the lack of YouTube today - morning was a bitch. Tomorrow, I'll make it up. I promise)

By now, you've heard that MyFox 31 has reported that Chiefs running back Larry Johnson has a broken bone in his foot and will be out for the season.

However, neither the team nor Johnson himself has confirmed this report, leading to speculation that the back may return.

First, who was the "source" close to the Chiefs that reportedly broke the news - no pun intended. It's said that this individual has direct knowledge of both Johnson and the team, but is it possible that this person knows something that the team does not? Or is it just a Belichickian case of not wanting to discuss injuries before a crucial game.

This week's game pits the Chiefs against their division rival Denver Broncos. Johnson could be seeking a second opinion out of pure stubbornness, but only time will tell.

If there is any silver lining for the Chiefs as a team, the Broncos are the worst in the NFL at stopping the run. Even a geriatric Priest Holmes has a shot at flourishing.

Kansas City Chiefs' Larry Johnson Out for Season [MyFox 31]

QB Sacks With A Party In The Back

The Secret Weapon
Now I knew that Jared Allen was a good time. I mean, c'mon. He was arrested for a DUI. Dangerous, yes. But you can be sure he was enjoying himself before sitting behind a wheel.

While I don't fully condone such behavior, I fully support this video that has been unleashed by the awesome people of Arrowhead Addict.

If I could embed it here, I wouldn. Just head over to the Addict to check it out. You'll need to turn up the volume a bit, but any player that says his mullet is the key to his success gets a thumbs up in my book. Enjoy.

Afternoon Delight: Pick 'Em

A 16.5 point spread with this guy running the ball? No thanks.
We're in the home stretch of Friday afternoon, and it wouldn't be such without a few gambling thoughts sent to the readers.

This will be the third installment of my "picks," and I must say that with a 7-for-8 going on right now, I'm feeling pretty confident. Of course, if I get blanked this week, I'll just tell you that it was house money to begin with and to quit your bitchin'. On to this week's games...

Kansas City (+2.5) over OAKLAND
I was very close to taking Cincy giving last week, but sure glad I didn't after the barrage that Larry Johnson and company put on the Bengals. This week, I expect Herm Edwards to stick to the ground. With Warren Sapp and possibly Gerard Warren missing the contests, the Raiders will be throwing third-string D-Linemen at the Chiefs. I'll take the points on the road.

Pittsburgh (-3.5) over DENVER
When you take one of the league's biggest run-first teams and pair them up against the league's worst rush defense and add in a bit of surgery for the latter team's main receiving threat, something tells me that not even a last second timeout can stop the Steelers from working the Broncos.

Indianapolis (-3) over JACKSONVILLE
Man, I'm not liking all of these road teams. But what I am liking is the Peyton Manning on Monday Night Football bit that seems to always work out pretty well. Joseph Addai is returning and the Jags main receiver is still Dennis Northcutt. That should be worth four points right there.

MIAMI (+16.5) over New England
Yea, this one I'm not too sure about. Regardless of the record, you're giving a team a three-score lead, at home, before the game even begins. Couple this with the fact that New England could be handing the ball to a white guy for the majority of the contest, and we could be in for a close one. And by close, I mean at least 14 points.


Good luck!

Herm Edwards' Days Are Numbered

Or at least Jason Whitlock believes so.

Like any area sports writer, Whitlock is very unhappy when his team falters. He's even more infuriated with specific play-calling today and has even given the "OK" for fans to bail on Herm Edwards after just two weeks of play.

After a third-and-one play that ended up in an interception, Whitlock writes:

In that situation, given your running back, a pass play is indefensible, a floater to Parker is a fireable offense, and the subsequent interception is exactly what you deserve.

Chiefs fans have every right to jump ship on head coach Herm Edwards, offensive coordinator Mike Solari and offensive manipulator/assistant head coach/locker-room snitch/clock manager Dick Curl.

Given the amount of money the Chiefs have dumped into running back-turned-rapper Larry Johnson, and the absolute ineptness of Damon Huard thus far, Whitlock does have a point. However, if the quarterback reads the defense and sees single coverage, regardless of the receiver's size (as Whitlock can't help but mention that Samie Parker is 5'9" tall), that is the right call - assuming the quarterback can get the ball there.

In this case, that's not a safe assumption whatsoever. The fact that it's also the Chicago Bears on the other side of the ball makes thiings that much worse.

The fact that the Chiefs did said play-calling on several third-and-short occassions makes Whitlock's arguement that much more sound. Kansas City isn't a sound enough team to be running "surprise" plays at this point. The risk-reward ratio isn't enough to warrant fades on short yardage.

Edwards, Solari and Curl owe their players an apology.

If I know Herm Edwards, I wouldn't count on his apologies any time in the near future. And if I know the NFL, Whitlock's wishes to be moved to the NFC will likely not be answered any time in the near future as well.

Chief's Offensive Coaches Let Team Down [Kansas City Star]

Gearing Up...

For the weekend, that is.

A few pieces of note worth mentioning before we all head out for a few days.

If only every team had an HBO Special. The Browns one would definitely feature Ted Washington - and would take a lot more time. And a wide screen. [Arrowhead Addict]

Wait, the Patriots will be under the microscope this week? Get out. [Ghosts of Wayne Fontes]

Wade Wilson will still be at home this weekend. At ease, sir. [FanIQ]

Eli may actually play this week. Feel free to take Jared Lorenzen out of your fantasy lineup. [The Fifth Down]

Deltha O'Neal may want to invest in leashes. [With Leather]

That's about all for the week. Next week will be live and in color for the whole span. Oh...and for you gamblers out there... Chargers +3.5 seems too good to be true. Not that I condone it, I'm just saying.

Until Monday...

Morning YouTubeness: Justifiably Omitted

'Morning, all. For those that are Mike and Mike in the Morning fans, you're aware of these "Two-a-day" segments that are not only cleverly named, but happen to cover two (get it?) football teams in one day. Items typically covered include team strengths, weaknesses, and a forecast of 2007 wins and losses. Not too tough, right?

Well, today found Eric Kuselias and Sean Salisbury covering the Kansas City Chiefs. Oddly enough, they did not mention this video in either the "strength" or "weakness" category. I'll let you be the judge.



Note: Use of "Packers" tag within this post has absolutely nothing to do with the Green Bay team.

Is That New Deal Prorated?

Not long after Chiefs fans and fantasy owners had a collective sigh of relief following Larry Johnson returning to camp, the Associated Press thinks everyone may want to back up a bit.

The highest paid Chief in franchise history may not be ready for the opening week of the 2007 season.

Asked Wednesday if he thought he'd be 100 percent ready by Sept. 9 when the Chiefs open at Houston, Johnson said, "No, it'll take a little bit more than that."

"Obviously, coaches are going to do a great job trying to get me on track to where week two or week three of the season I can hit my full stride," he said. "I'm going to try pick up as fast as I can."

Really? So not only does the running back hold out for 25 days, but now he feels that he won't be in football shape for opening day? After a 416 carry season, Johnson obviously wants to make sure he's in peak condition for this year, but did the Chiefs realize this when they offered him $19 million in guarantees?

LJ Agrees To 500 More Carries

The Chiefs and Larry Johnson have agreed in principle to a new six-year deal, ending one of the longer holdouts in the NFL.

Fox Sports reports that the running back will be in line to make $45 million, with $19 million guaranteed.

"It was a long, hard negotiation," general manager Carl Peterson said, according to AP. "We are very happy to have all our children in camp now."

I'm sure the "children" comment will make some headlines given Johnson's history with the team. If you all remember,

Regardless, Johnson ran the ball over 400 times for nearly 1,800 yards last season and will continue to be the primary weapon for a Chiefs team that is anticipated to struggle. Herm Edwards loves to run the ball, so getting his main back into camp will likely spell the end of Michael Bennett - who simply cannot run the ball.

Is There A Priest In The House?

Now I didn't get a chance to watch the Miami Dolphins battle the Kansas City Chiefs to an 11-10 victory last night - and to be honest, I'm thankful I didn't tune in.

I watched Kansas City play Cleveland last weekend, so lord knows what sort of production they would have against the 'Phins. One thing that did intrigue me was the absence of Priest Holmes.

Holmes, in what is supposed to be one of the feel-good stories of the season, was M.I.A. last night, and Jason Whitlock wasn't about to let this one slide through the cracks. In a Kansas City Star piece, Whitlock went as far as to call out Holmes' intentions.

When the Chiefs finally do sign Johnson, I believe Holmes will get what he’s wanted all along — his unconditional release. He doesn’t want to play for the Chiefs. Not under his current contract.

Why play for $870,000, when he can sign a contract with a team in his home state — Dallas or Houston — for the same money with maybe a few incentive bonuses?

Priest Holmes has recently gone on record saying that he would like Larry Johnson's money, if the star back wants to hold out. Ask Brett Favre what sort of feedback usually results from calling out another player on contract issues.

If Holmes wants to continue going on television and calling people out, so be it. But if you're trying to find someone that buys into the story of him coming back and being a factor, you'll need to find someone else as I won't be jumping aboard that bandwagon.

Johnson Inching Closer to Chiefs

If you were one of the sad souls that were forced to watch the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs go at it on Saturday, one player that you did not see was running back Larry Johnson. This is because the 27-year old is staging a pretty solid hold-out, as he feels he should be making a bit more money than he is.

Johnson signed a seven-year deal in 2003, but the final two years can be voided due to playing time incentives. LJ is slated to make $1.7 million this season, which in his defense is not much money for a guy who has found the end zone 37 times in the past two seasons.

Adam Schefter (of NFL.com fame) is reporting today that the Chiefs and Johnson are getting closer to a deal that would put the back in uniform sooner than later.

Considering how far apart the two parties were prior to this weekend, "closer" isn't saying very much. However, with the Chiefs front office likely shivering over a possible season with Michael Bennett at the helm, this deal will likely be done in the coming days.

Your Morning Johnson Fix

While Peyton Manning and company took the limelight of preseason games last night, Carson Palmer's Bengals played against John Kitna's Lions locked horns about 1,200 miles north.

The aformentioned QBs didn't see a lot of time, with Palmer completing seven of 10 passes, and Kitna throwing five, completing three.

The highlight of the game (which ended in a 27-26 win for Detroit, as if it even matters) was all of the "__ . JOHNSON" jerseys that littered the field. A quick run-down of the Johnsons follows...

Rudi Johnson, the ever-so-large running back for the Bengals ran the ball five times, for a total of 32 yards - 6.4 yards per carry for you math majors. Significantly better totals than Kenny Irons (rumored to take a few snaps from Johnson this season) and his 17 yards on four carries. Couple that with a knee injury, and it just wasn't a good night for the rookie.

After Palmer threw his 10 passes, Doug Johnson entered the game - shocking thousands who thought that he had retired years ago. He actually threw 20 passes, completing 11 for 150 yards and a touchdown. He also threw a pick, but we're focusing on the positive here.

Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson caught two balls. He would've had three, but was rocked on one, resulting in an incomplete pass. His two successful receptions totaled 40 yards, which isn't too, too bad.

His colleague on the other team Calvin Johnson also caught two passes. Not to be outdone by Chad, Calvin's totaled 45 yards, but neither found the end zone as preseason touchdowns are apparently saved for guys named "Bellamy" and "McDonald."

Larry Johnson could not be reached for comment.

The Chiefs Do Not Wait For You To Pass Out

Above, you'll find a picture of Chiefs wide receiver Eddie Kennison unrolling a giant spool of plastic wrap around rookie receiver Dwayne Bowe. Bowe, being a good sport and all, doesn't appear to be putting up too much of a struggle. Arrowheadpride then goes on to say that the rookie was then "wrapped to the goal post" before the team dumped ice cold Gatorade over his head.

No reports of Sharpie Markers to the face or putting his hand in warm water afterwards.

What's ironic is that the article later states the following:

Dwayne Bowe: [Down Arrow] He is already way behind any of Chiefs WR as far as reps and repoire with any of the QBs. I'm glad to have him finally in camp but the guy will have to work very hard to secure an opening day job.

So, what better way to get him to improve his skills than by affixing him to a goal post? The guy has missed 16 practices, so if you ask me, three-a-days seems fair. If you must plastic wrap the guy to a stationary object, at least leave his golved-up hands free so you can throw footballs at him. Lord knows he won't get many chances to do such once the season starts with Brodie Croyle at the helm.

(h/t goes to the FanIQ blog)