2009 Kansas City Chiefs Football Preview

2008 Record: 2-14, Fourth AFC West

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Head Coach: Todd Haley; First year

Key Additions: QB Matt Cassel, LB Monty Beisel, LB Mike Vrabel, G Mike Goff, C Eric Ghiaciuc, LB Zach Thomas, WR Bobby Engram

Key Losses: TE Tony Gonzalez, LB Donnie Edwards, G Adrian Jones, CB Patrick Surtain, LB Pat Thomas, QB Damn Huard

1st Round Draft Picks: Tyson Jackson – Defensive End

2nd Round Draft Picks: -

2009 Kansas City Chiefs Schedule

Kansas City Chiefs 2008 NFL Season in Review

Things didn't work out quite so well for the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2008 NFL season. They never had a quarterback who could consistently lead the club down the field and convert drives into points. The Chiefs finished 26 th in points scored and 24 th in yards gained. Larry Johnson was at times injured, disruptive and ineffective, and was limited to less than 200 carries on the season. The emergence of Dwayne Bowe as a top tier wide receiver and the continued excellent play of Tony Gonzalez were the bright spots for the club.

The defense fared worse than the offense did, ranking 29 th in points allowed and 31 st in yards allowed. The Chiefs did not produce any pressure on opposing team's quarterbacks and while linebacker Derrick Johnson continued to develop and prove his worth as a defensive stalwart, his presence alone wasn't nearly enough to lift the entire club.

Kansas City Chiefs 2009 NFL Season Preview

Can Matt Cassel lead a turn around in Kansas City? That's what the Chiefs and new coach Todd Haley have bet their futures on. Cassel though won't have the best pass catching tight end in history to help him out however, as Tony Gonzalez was finally traded. The division is poor enough that the club may be able to make some headway.

2009 Kansas City Chiefs Offense:

Matt Cassel is the new starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. In his one season as a starter in the NFL he showed he had the fundamentals and the intelligence to direct a high quality offensive attack. He won't have the talent around him that he had on the Patriots however. The good news is that wide receiver Dwayne Bowe is a large target and is a legitimate deep threat. The Chiefs are counting on Bobby Engram to stay healthy and produce as a number 2 wide receiver.

The Chiefs made several upgrades to the offensive line, improving a squad that dropped off due to the absence of several top tier players after being renowned as one of the best units in the NFL just a few years ago. If the line can pave the way for Larry Johnson to have a rebound year, Cassel and Bowe will have a much easier time of things.

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2009 Kansas City Chiefs Defense:

Derrick Johnson has what it takes to be a great linebacker. The Chiefs have now surrounded him with talent and experience with linebackers Mike Vrabel, Zach Thomas and Monty Beisel all being brought in. The unit will need to generate a pass rush from the outside as well as stiffen up against the run. The Chiefs have a young secondary and need those players to step into larger roles. Led by Bernard Pollard, Brandon Carr, Jarrad Page and Brandon Flowers the unit has talent, they need to live up to it now that they have more support in the middle of the field.

2009 Kansas City Chiefs Prediction: Third AFC West

By Jake Emen
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer

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