FanHouse Eddie Drummond

Charlie Batch's season is officially over, as reported by Gerry Dulac at the Post-Gazette. The Steelers today made the much anticipated move of placing the veteran on Injured Reserve, and making Byron Leftwich the No. 2 quarterback behind Ben Roethlisberger. This could very well be the end of Batch's career in Pittsburgh.

Batch broke his collarbone in the teams first preseason game while attempting to salvage a busted play in the backfield.

Also, from the same Post-Gazette article, the Steelers will be releasing former third-round pick Willie Reid, as well as veteran return-man Eddie Drummond. Both players were competing for return duties on this years squad.

Reid, the teams second third-round pick during the 2006 draft, never panned out after having his rookie year completely wiped out by injuries.

Until I saw this, I had actually forgotten B.J. Sams was still in the league. He kind of came out of nowhere to win the return-man job with the Ravens four years ago, but he suffered a broken ankle late in the 2006 season, and Baltimore later used a third-round pick on wideout/returner Yamon Figurs.

Figurs handled most of punt and kick returns as a rookie and the Ravens decided to let Sams' contract expire. Which, it turns out, is good news for the Chiefs, a team in dire need of some special teams upgradin' (I mean, they're thinking about signing this guy).

According to Football Outsiders, the Chiefs were one of the league's worst special teams units in 2007, and the kick-return team was dead last. And while Sams can't do anything for the offensive line or quarterback situations, if he helps improve "teams", it would be a good start. And, no doubt, all part of Herm Edwards' master plan.

Of course, as Arrowhead Pride points out, inanimate carbon rod would be preferable to Eddie Drummond.

Color me excited after last year. Sams, however many steps he's lost, is an upgrade over Eddie Drummond. Sams is only 27 years old and has shown flashes of being a potent return man. Yes, more flashes than Drummond showed us (Note: That's actually pretty arguable and I'll leave it at that).

And, hell, might as well see if Sams can kick field goals too.

When Kansas City acquired Eddie Drummond, it was done with the thought that Donte Hall had lost his magic and become fearful of the big hit. And while that may be true, the substitution has not proved fruitful for the Chiefs.

Drummond is currently struggling through the worst slump of his entire career, and much of it has nothing to do with him. Due to some key injuries and under-performance, Kansas City ranks near the bottom of the NFL in kick return average -- something that shows no signs of changing any time soon.

Unlike Hall, Drummond refuses to take his frustrations out the team. Instead, he has decided to take the high road.

"It's a gradual thing right now," Drummond said. "I'm not getting on the guys hard, not getting frustrated or anything. I'm being patient with them. I've got to be. Blocking for kick returns is a difficult job, especially if you're not used to doing it. Sooner or later, everything will come together."

Whether or not things turn around for Kansas City remain to be seen. But one thing is for sure; that attitude is a breath of fresh air.

To get you ready for week 5, FanHouse is previewing all 14 NFL games. Here is the Jacksonville Jaguars/Kansas City Chiefs preview.

2007 Records:

Jacksonville Jaguars: 2-1 (T-2nd in AFC South)
Kansas City Chiefs: 2-2 (T-1st in AFC West)

Last Game(s):

Jaguars 23 - Broncos 14
Chiefs 30 - Chargers 16

When the Jaguars have the ball: Somehow, some way, the Jaguars have to find a way to get Maurice Jones-Drew going. Although they've been able to get by with the arm of David Garrard and the legs of Fred Taylor, Jones-Drew is crucial to Jacksonville's long-term success, and this might be the exact match-up he was waiting for. While the Chiefs pass defense is among the league's best, their rush defense is ranked 19th overall, allowing 4.2 yards per carry.

Defensively, Kansas City just needs to do what they've been doing. They had a little hiccup last week against LaDainian Tomlinson, but have been incredibly solid other than that. They currently rank third overall in the NFL, and have proven their ability to stop anyone as long as they stick to the gameplan.

It's taken Herm Edwards a few games to figure things out, but maybe just playing the cellar-dwelling Chargers has that effect on every team, and we shouldn't make too much of Kansas City's win last Sunday.

Or maybe not. Despite all the head-scratching decisions (or non-decisions, as it were), the Chiefs are in a three-way tie for first place in the division, and Edwards thinks he knows why:

In all four games they've played this year, his Kansas City Chiefs have fallen immediately behind. The last two -- against Minnesota and San Diego -- they faced double-digit deficits at halftime only to rally in the third and fourth quarters and pull out a win.

"We're minus-27 in points scored in the first half," Edwards said Tuesday. "And in the second half we're plus-27. So obviously, my pregame speech going out is not very good. My halftime speech is probably a little bit better."

The solution: quit giving pregame speeches. Or, maybe improve the special teams, which has been abysmal during the first month of the season.

Kansas City traded Dante Hall to the Rams, and hoped Eddie Drummond could pick up the slack. So far, no go, but Edwards isn't going to make a change. The problem is the 10 guys in front of Drummond -- they're not really blocking anybody. "Every time I turned around, it seemed like San Diego was hitting us on the 15-yard line. You've got to get more than that," Edwards told the AP.

I've given Edwards the business for some of his questionable coaching decisions, but you have to give the guy credit: Kansas City is 2-2 and has yet to really get things going on offense and special teams. Just imagine how good this team would be if they were average in two of the three phases of the game.

To get you ready for the season, FanHouse is previewing all 32 NFL teams. Here's the outlook for the Chiefs.

2006 record: 9-7

2006 Offense: The Chiefs lost quarterback Trent Green for the first half of the season, but were 5-3 behind Damon Huard. Running back Larry Johnson was the bigger story, rushing for 1,789 yards on 416 carries. Everybody -- including head coach Herm Edwards -- seems a little worried about the long-term effects of such a heavy workload, and the prospects aren't good. Tight end Tony Gonzalez turned in another Pro Bowl effort -- he had 73 receptions for 900 yards and five touchdowns -- but the club lacked another legit pass-catching threat after him.

2006 Defense: The Chiefs' defense was decidedly mediocre, ranking 20th against the pass and 18th against the run, according to Football Outsiders. Interestingly, Kansas City was 4th in the league against opposing teams' No. 1 wide receiver, but 25th against Nos. 2, and dead last against all other wideouts. The defensive line was solid in short-yardage situations, but the unit ranked 28th in Adjusted Sack Rate, just behind the Browns.

2006 Special teams: Dante Hall is now in St. Louis and the Kansas City spent much of the preseason trying to find his replacement. Rookie free agent Ean Randolph didn't do enough to win the job, so the club signed Eddie Drummond. Dustin Colquitt averaged 44 yards a pop and is a good directional punter, but kicker Lawrence Tynes did just enough to get sent packing in the off-season.

The Kansas City Chiefs have signed free agent kick returner Eddie Drummond, three days after he was cut by the Lions.

As Tom Mantzouranis noted when the Lions released Drummond, he has been, when healthy, the Lions' primary returner since 2002, but in the last couple years he hasn't been the same returner he was in 2004, when he was selected to the Pro Bowl after scoring two punt return touchdowns and two kickoff return touchdowns in the Lions' first 11 games. He was hurt in the 11th game and missed the rest of the year.

Pro Football Talk notes that Drummond is a very similar player to Dante Hall, the kick returner who a few years ago was the most exciting player in Kansas City but, like Drummond, has lost some of his speed in recent years. Still, Drummond is 27 years old and may be able to get that speed back if he ever stays healthy for a full year, and considering the Chiefs likely paid him something close to the league minimum, this is a good signing.

Second year Lions WR Mike Williams has been one of the most disappointing draft selections in Lions team history. His well-documented maturity issues (missing practice, sleeping in meetings, weight control issues) and poor work ethic have severely hampered a 2-9 team that has been sorely lacking a compliment to WR's Roy Williams and Mike Furrey in Mike Martz's multi-receiver offense. In Thursday's game against the Dolphins, Williams was activated for the first time in weeks and apparently he is being given another opportunity to hopefully emerge as a contributor for the 2006 team.

Williams was activated due to injuries to WR's DeVale Ellis and Eddie Drummond. Williams also has begun to contribute to the special teams, a role which he had previously been unable or unwilling to offer to the organization. In order to justify Williams' activation, he had to be able provide some other contribution besides sulking along the sidelines with his helmet off, waiting for his chance to run a few pass patterns. It recently had been rumored that Williams had missed another opportunity to play by not being fully aware of how to run his pass routes for a 7-on-7 passing drill in practice.

In response, the Lions have softened a little on Williams. Reportedly they have been fining him less heavily for being overweight. They have established a running program for him in hopes that he may yet meet his 220 lb. playing weight which the organization has set for him. Williams could still provide match up problems for opposing defenses from the slot, against smaller defensive backs, and also inside of the "red zone". The ball is in Williams' court for now. Williams needs to prove to himself and the organization that he still possesses the qualities that made him a desirable draft pick. It is time for him to step up for a team that desperately needs something positive to emerge during an increasingly disappointing end to their season.

The Lions DT Shaun "Big Baby' Rogers returned to the team yesterday from his five week vaca--er, I mean five game suspension for failing a league-administered drug test. Rogers, who had a minor knee surgery while under suspension, utilized his time away from the team to rehab his recovering knee. Apparently, even though Rogers was rehabbing his knee, he is still remains over his playing weight and is not in good enough condition to play Thursday. Rogers, a former Pro Bowler, has the hurt the team with his absence. It may be necessary for the Lions to consider what Rogers' future will be with the organization after the season.

Rogers' absence has been very costly. In the four games he has been away, teams have rushed 132 times for 689 yards, or about 5.2 yards per carry. In Rogers' defense, the Lions were also without injured starting DT Shaun Cody while Rogers was suspended. It is also likely that the Falcons, with their strong ground game, would have been able to run effectively even if the Lions had Rogers available in their game. I do think the relative success of the Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets running the ball is at least, partially attributable to Rogers' suspension, though. Rogers' continueed absence must provide no small amount of joy to Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown as he awaits Thursday's game.

The Lions wide receiver personnel has been unsettled throughout the entire 2006 season. They have been unable to find receivers to play consistently enough, or remain healthy enough, as compliments to the team's starters, Roy Williams and Mike Furrey. The injuries of WR's Eddie Drummond and DeVale Ellis against the Cardinals may necessitate the re-activation of WR Mike Williams, who has been left off of the game day roster for several weeks now. Williams, a disappointing former first round draft selection, is very unlikely to play except for emergency situations. It has been reported that Williams has continued to allow his weight to balloon and that during a recent 7-on-7 passing drill Williams had no clue what passing routes he was supposed to run.