The Chiefs need to get the ball in 23-year old RB Dexter McCluster’s hands more as he has the speed and moves to make a lot of big plays.  McCluster has played in 12 games for the Chiefs so far this year in which he has carried the ball 90 times for 425 yards (4.7 ypc) and he has caught 36 passes for 203 yards (5.6 avg) with 1 TD grab.  McCluster has also returned 4 punts for 43 yards (10.8 avg) and 18 kickoffs for 421 yards (23.4 avg) so far this year.  So McCluster has touched the ball 148 times overall for the Chiefs so far this year and he has 1,092 total all-purpose yards.  He is averaging 91.0 all purpose yards per game so far this year and 7.4 yards per touch.

28-year old RB Jackie Battle didn’t do much in his first four years with the Chiefs.  In Battle’s first four years with the Chiefs, he played in 24 games in which he carried the ball 41 times for 118 yards (2.9 ypc) with 2 TD runs.  He also caught 5 passes for 8 yards (1.6 avg) in his first 24 games with the Chiefs.  This year though, Battle is making the most of his opportunity as he has stepped up.  Battle has played in 11 games for the Chiefs so far this year and he has carried the ball 104 times for 456 yards (4.4 ypc) with 1 TD carry.  He has also caught 6 passes for 35 yards (5.8 avg) so far this season.  Battle probably saved his career in Kansas City with his performance so far this year.

25-year old cornerback Brandon Flowers is taking his game to the next level in 2011 for the Chiefs.  He has played in 9 games for the Chiefs so far this year and he has 41 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 15 passes defensed and 4 interceptions (one returned for a TD).  He has now played in 53 games in his first four years with the Chiefs and he has 240 tackles, 13 interceptions (3 returned for TDs), 65 passes defensed, 4 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries and 11 tackles for a loss.  One of these days opposing teams will quit challenging Flowers so much.

RB Dexter McCluster and CB Javier Arenas are downright exciting return men for the Chiefs.  McCluster has returned 13 kickoffs for 327 yards (25.2 avg) and 1 punt for 6 yards so far this year.  Javier Arenas has returned 9 kickoffs for 207 yards (23.0 avg) and he has also returned 13 punts for 196 yards (15.1 avg) in 2011.  These guys are both threats to take the ball to the house whenever they get their hands on it and they continue to give the offense good starting field position.

The Kansas City Chiefs lost Jamaal Charles early this year to injury, but some of the other RBs on the roster are stepping up lately.  Jackie Battle suddenly finds himself as the main man in the running game for the Chiefs.  Battle has played in five games for the Chiefs so far this year and he has carried the ball 29 times for 156 yards (5.4 ypc).  He has also caught 4 passes for 23 yards (5.8 avg) so far this year.  It will be interesting to see if Battle can handle the heavy workload coming his way.  Thomas Jones has played in five games for the Chiefs so far this year and he has carried the ball 49 times for 166 yards (3.4 ypc).  He has also caught 3 passes for 9 yards (3.0 avg) this year.  It looks like Jones is starting to run on fumes for the Chiefs.  Dexter McCluster is a nice change of pace back for the Chiefs because of his speed and playstation type moves.  He has played in five games for the Chiefs so far this year and he has carried the ball 32 times for 172 yards (5.4 ypc).  McCluster has also caught 18 passes for 62 yards (3.4 avg) so far this year.  Le’Ron McClain is listed as a fullback, but he proved in the past with the Ravens that he’s a good runner.  McClain has played in five games for the Chiefs this year and he has carried the ball 7 times for 15 yards (2.1 ypc).  He has also caught 3 passes for 19 yards (6.3 avg) this year.  The Chiefs need to continue running the ball well to give the offense nice balance.

29-year old QB Matt Cassel has had at least a 100.0 QB Rating in each of his last three games, two of which were won by the Chiefs.  Cassel has played in all five games for the Chiefs so far this year and he has completed 93 of 140 passes (66.4%) for 945 yards with 8 TD passes and 5 INTs (89.7 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 10 times for 33 yards (3.3 ypc) so far this year.  The Chiefs need Cassel to keep up the good work, because the Chiefs don’t have a great defense by any means, and they are going to have to score a lot of points to win games going forward.

27-year old WR Dwayne Bowe is off to a solid start despite constant double teams as opposing defenses are scared of no one but him right now.  He has caught 11 passes for 185 yards (16.8 avg) with 1 TD grab in the Chiefs’ first three games of this year.  Bowe played in 59 games in his first four years with the Chiefs (through 2010) and he caught 275 passes for 3,768 yards (13.7 avg) with 31 TD grabs.  The Chiefs really need rookie Doug Baldwin to get healed up and on the field to help loosen the coverage on Bowe a little bit.

23-year old RB Dexter McCluster is off to a fast start for the Chiefs.  He carried the ball 4 times for 42 yards (10.5 ypc) and he caught 5 passes for 25 yards (5.0 avg) in the season opener against the Bills last weekend.  McCluster is almost impossible for a linebacker to cover out of the backfield due to his outstanding speed and moves that come right off the playstation.  McCluster also returned 4 kickoffs for 92 yards (23.0 avg) against the Bills.  That means he touched the ball 13 times for 159 total yards (12.2 yards per touch).  The Chiefs need to make sure they keep McCluster involved a lot in the offense this year, unlike 2010.

The Chiefs have finally figured out how to use 27-year old OLB Tamba Hali as he is now the best pass rusher the Chiefs have without a doubt.  Hali has played 15 games for the Chiefs so far this year and he has 46 tackles, 12 sacks, 1 tackle for a loss, 3 passes defensed, 4 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.  Hali has now played in 78 games in his first five years with the Chiefs and he has 281 tackles, 10 passes defensed, 39 sacks, 18 forced fumbles and 1 interception.  I look for Hali to continue to improve under D-co-ordinator Romeo Crennel who has excelled at bringing the best out of the Chiefs’ defenders.

28-year old linebacker Derrick Johnson was the Chiefs’ first round pick (#15 overall) in the 2005 NFL Draft out of  Texas.  The Chiefs had been disappointed in his play up to this season and the Chiefs were even considering cutting him at one point.  But, new defensive co-ordinator Romeo Crennel waved his magic wand and Johnson is all of a sudden a dominator.  Johnson has played in 15 games for the Chiefs so far this year and he has 116 tackles, 8 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 15 passes defensed, 4 forced fumbles and a interception that he returned for a  TD.  He has now played in 89 games in his first six years with the Chiefs and he has 503 tackles, 40 passes defensed, 14 sacks, 16 forced fumbles and 7 interceptions (3 returned for a TD).  Johnson is finally living up to his potential and he has led the way for a much improved Chiefs’ D in 2010.