Kansas City (1-6) at Jacksonville (3-4)
Currently: - Game info: 1:00 pm EST Sun Nov 8, 2009
- TV: CBS
Beleaguered Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson(notes) had his suspension cut in half this week, but he won’t get the chance to become the franchise’s all-time leading rusher Sunday.
Without Johnson, the visiting Chiefs try to turn around a struggling offense when they face the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are looking to rebound from another woeful defensive effort.
Following a 37-7 loss to San Diego on Oct. 25, Johnson questioned first-year coach Todd Haley’s credentials on his Twitter page and posted a gay slur. He used a similar slur the next day to reporters.
During the bye week, the Chiefs suspended the running back for two games, but reduced the penalty Monday over fears they would lose in arbitration.
Johnson, 75 yards shy of breaking Priest Holmes’(notes) team rushing record, cannot participate in team activities until Nov. 9.
“He learned from it and hopefully other people learned from it,” Johnson’s agent Peter Schaeffer said. “My hope is that people learn that something positive can come out of this and that there are words that should not be used because they demean people.”
Even with Johnson, Kansas City (1-6) has been one of the NFL’s worst offensive teams this season, ranking 30th with 251.6 yards per game and 27th with 15.0 points a contest.
The Chiefs are 21st in the league in rushing with 101.3 yards per game as Johnson has gained a career-low 2.7 per carry. Jamaal Charles(notes), averaging 5.0 yards in limited action, could make his fourth career start.
Dantrell Savage(notes), who has 41 yards on eight carries, could also see increased playing time.
“Our running game is something we know we have to have to have a chance to win,” Haley said. “We’re not going to beat people throwing it 50-60 times a game right now. Our running game is one of those areas that has to improve, specifically eliminating minus-yardage runs. So that’s where our focus has been, and that’s where it will continue to be.”
Kansas City will face a Jacksonville team that ranks near the bottom in most major defensive categories. The Jaguars were burned for a franchise-worst 305 rushing yards in last week’s 30-13 loss at Tennessee.
The Titans’ Chris Johnson ran for a team-record 228 yards and had a pair of long touchdown runs that put the game away.
The Jaguars (3-4) managed to stay somewhat competitive because of Maurice Jones-Drew(notes), who ran for a career-high 177 yards and two TDs on just eight carries. David Garrard(notes) wasn’t nearly as good, getting sacked three times, intercepted twice and losing a fumble while throwing for just 139 yards.
“I don’t have an answer, but we’ve got to find a way to fix it,” Jones-Drew said. “It’s not a mentality issue. Everything can be fixed. It’s what you want to do to fix it. It’s the little things.”
That prompted coach Jack Del Rio to hold a rare full-pads practice Wednesday. He initially considered live tackling drills but backed off because of injury concerns.
Kansas City has won three of its last 29 games and dropped 13 of 15 away from home. The Chiefs earned a rare road victory Oct. 18 over Washington but lost their other two road games by a combined 72-38, gaining less than 200 yards in each loss.
The Chiefs are making their first trip to Jacksonville since a 22-16 defeat Oct. 17, 2004. The Jaguars lead the all-time series 5-2 and took the most recent meeting 17-7 at Arrowhead Stadium on Oct. 7, 2007.
Jones-Drew rushed for a 52-yard touchdown and Garrard threw for another TD in that win, while Johnson was held to 12 yards on nine carries.
Team Comparison
| Team | Records | Standings | PF | PA | Road/Home | AFC | NFC | DIV | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | 2-7-0 | 3rd AFC West | 142 | 215 | 2-3-0 Road | 1-4-0 | 1-3-0 | 1-2-0 | Won 1 |
| Jacksonville | 5-4-0 | 2nd AFC South | 181 | 220 | 3-1-0 Home | 4-2-0 | 1-2-0 | 2-2-0 | Won 2 |
Blog Coverage from SB Nation
Arrowhead Pride
Big Cat CountryInjuries
Andy Alleman G, Justin Rogers LB, Dantrell Savage RB, Mike Vrabel LB, David Herron LB, Jovan Belcher LB, Chris Chambers WR, Jon McGraw S, Wade Smith C, Mike Goff G, Jarrad Page S, Weston Dacus LB, Jackie Battle RB, Colin Brown T, Devard Darling WR
Gerald Alexander S, Maurice Williams T, Justin Durant LB, Rashean Mathis CB, Jarett Dillard WR, Ernest Wilford TE, John Henderson DT, Maurice Jones-Drew RB, Scott Starks CB, Troy Williamson WR, Reggie Hayward DE, Rob Meier DT, Don Carey CB
Notes
The Chiefs wrapped up their worst season in franchise history with a 16-6 loss to Cincinnati. Sunday's game was also the final game of general manager Carl Peterson's 20-year tenure with the Chiefs franchise. During that span Kansas City amassed a 176-143-1 (.552) regular season record, made nine playoff appearances, won the AFC West four times and reached the franchise's only AFC Championship Game in 1993. ... RB Larry Johnson tried to talk his way out of town afterwards. "Hopefully, my future is not with this organization," said Johnson, who was suspended by the team for an arrest on simple assault earlier this season. "It's not (the Chiefs) fault. Half of it is mine. Half of it is my off-the-field situation and other things that occurred." Johnson signed a five-year extension before the 2007 season.
Dec 28, 7:09 pm EST
No team notes.
17 Comments
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Any random internet fan could call plays better than those morons.
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there is a difference between a team and a franchise"
Looking at the overall record since its inception, it's hard to be convincing. Aside from some inarguably great players and maybe a coach or two, their overall record isn't all that great. Aside from one Lombardi Trophy, what else do they have? A playoff win here and there, a loss in SB1 to the Packers (and they didn't look all that awesome then), but outside of that, not much.
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it is true the chiefs are losing badly and are one of the worst teams right now
however, we are a not only a proud franchise but one of the best franchises in the league
there is a difference between a team and a franchise
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us a tasty treat, WE CAN BE a team that no one can beat. Being a winner can be so much fun. Being the sole survivors at the final gun.. Let us walk proudly into the setting sun. If we believe we can achieve the position of number one..
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GO JAX!
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