2008 Kansas City Chiefs season

2008 Kansas City Chiefs season
Head coach	Herman Edwards
Home field	Arrowhead Stadium
Results
Record	1-5
Division place	4th AFC West
Playoff finish	TBD

The 2008 Kansas City Chiefs season is the franchise's 49th season, and third with head coach Herman Edwards at the helm. The Chiefs will attempt to improve on their 4-12 record from 2007 with the youngest team in the NFL as part of their "youth movement."

Thanks to a potentially strong draft class, Kansas City will be a team to watch in the coming years. The Chiefs still don't know if injury-prone quarterback Brodie Croyle can be their quarterback of the future, especially after his injury in Week 1.

Following the Chiefs' dismal 2007 season, head coach Herman Edwards and general manager Carl Peterson could be on the hot seat. Peterson and Edwards should be safe unless absolutely zero progress is made this season. However, Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt has expressed his expectations of a winning team in 2008.

Beginning with the 2008 season, the team's Lamar Hunt/American Football League tribute patch which was introduced in the 2007 season will become a permanent part of the Chiefs' uniform.

Schedule

The 2008 NFL season schedule was released on April 15. The Chiefs were reportedly one of the four teams being considered to play an international regular season game in London, England in 2008. Among the Chiefs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, and Seattle Seahawks were in consideration. The Chargers and Saints were later chosen instead.

*: Pending the NFL's Flexible scheduling formula.

Pre-season
Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Kickoff	Game site	TV	Record
1	August 7, 2008	Chicago Bears	W 24–20	7:00 PM CST	Soldier Field	KCTV	1–0
2	August 16, 2008	Arizona Cardinals	L 27–17	7:00 PM CST	Arrowhead Stadium	KCTV	1–1
3	August 23, 2008	Miami Dolphins	L 24–0	6:30 PM CST	Dolphin Stadium	KCTV	1–2
4	August 28, 2008	St. Louis Rams	W 21–17	6:00 PM CST	Arrowhead Stadium	KCTV	2–2
Regular season
1	September 7, 2008	New England Patriots	L 17–10	12:00 PM CST	Gillette Stadium	CBS	0–1
2	September 14, 2008	Oakland Raiders	L 23–8	12:00 PM CST	Arrowhead Stadium	CBS	0–2
3	September 21, 2008	Atlanta Falcons	L 38–14	12:00 PM CST	Georgia Dome	CBS	0–3
4	September 28, 2008	Denver Broncos	W 33–19	12:00 PM CST	Arrowhead Stadium	CBS	1–3
5	October 5, 2008	Carolina Panthers	L 34–0	12:00 PM CST	Bank of America Stadium	CBS	1–4
Week 6 – Bye
7	October 19, 2008	Tennessee Titans	L 34–10	12:00 PM CST	Arrowhead Stadium	CBS	1–5
8	October 26, 2008	New York Jets	TBD	12:00 PM CST	Giants Stadium	CBS	TBD
9	November 2, 2008	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	TBD	12:00 PM CST	Arrowhead Stadium	FOX	TBD
10	November 9, 2008	San Diego Chargers	TBD	3:15 PM CST	Qualcomm Stadium	CBS	TBD
11	November 16, 2008	New Orleans Saints	TBD	12:00 PM CST	Arrowhead Stadium	FOX*	TBD
12	November 23, 2008	Buffalo Bills	TBD	12:00 PM CST	Arrowhead Stadium	CBS*	TBD
13	November 30, 2008	Oakland Raiders	TBD	3:15 PM CST	Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum	CBS*	TBD
14	December 7, 2008	Denver Broncos	TBD	3:05 PM CST	INVESCO Field at Mile High	CBS*	TBD
15	December 14, 2008	San Diego Chargers	TBD	12:00 PM CST	Arrowhead Stadium	CBS*	TBD
16	December 21, 2008	Miami Dolphins	TBD	12:00 PM CST	Arrowhead Stadium	CBS*	TBD
17	December 28, 2008	Cincinnati Bengals	TBD	12:00 PM CST	Paul Brown Stadium	CBS*	TBD

Division standings

AFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(4) San Diego Chargers	8	8	0	.500	5–1	7–5	439	347	W4
Denver Broncos	8	8	0	.500	3–3	5–7	370	448	L3
Oakland Raiders	5	11	0	.313	2–4	4–8	263	388	W2
Kansas City Chiefs	2	14	0	.125	2–4	2–10	291	440	L4

Offseason

Coaching changes

The 2008 season is going to be a very important year for our football team. I expect us to at least compete for a playoff spot...I'm realistic and patient to some degree. But I also know that in the NFL you can quickly turn things around.

— Clark Hunt in January 2008.

File:GT Gailey.jpg

Kansas City made it a priority to hire a new offensive coordinator at the end of the 2007 season. Chan Gailey was hired on January 16.

Following the Chiefs loss to the New York Jets in the 2007 season finale, General Manager Carl Peterson announced that both he and head coach Herman Edwards would return to the Chiefs in 2008. However, team chairman Clark Hunt—who took over leadership of the Chiefs in late 2006 after the death of his father, team founder Lamar Hunt—declined to immediately comment on Peterson's status. Hunt spoke out weeks later and stated that the Chiefs were his "No. 1 priority" and that "to have the best chance of success in 2008, having Carl here makes a lot of sense.” Hunt wanted to avoid having a new general manager come in with a new head coach, and starting from scratch again.

On January 1, the Chiefs fired offensive coordinator Mike Solari after two unproductive seasons. Offensive line coach John Matsko, receivers coach Charlie Joiner and running backs coach James Saxon were fired as well after a season in which the Chiefs were among the worst offensive teams in the NFL. Tight ends coach Jon Embree and assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach Dick Curl were the only offensive assistants who were retained.

For offensive coordinator, the Chiefs interviewed Chan Gailey, Paul Hackett, Eric Price, Mike Shula, and Jim Fassel. Both Shula and Gailey were interviewed twice. Gailey was hired on January 16. Price was later added as the team's wide receivers coach.

In addition to Gailey, the Chiefs added Bob Bicknell as their offensive line coach, and Joe D'Alessandris assistant offensive line coach. Curtis Modkins, from Gailey's staff at Georgia Tech, was added as the team's running backs coach.

Free agency

The Chiefs had 9 unrestricted free agents heading into the 2008 off-season.

Position	Player	Tag	Date signed	2008 team	Contract (with KC)
DE	Jared Allen	Franchise	February 19 (franchised) April 22 (traded)	Minnesota Vikings	One year
K	John Carney	UFA	Not tendered a contract
P	Dustin Colquitt	RFA	February 28	Kansas City Chiefs	Five years
KR	Eddie Drummond	UFA	Not tendered a contract
LB	Keyaron Fox	UFA	March 12	Pittsburgh Steelers
FB	Boomer Grigsby	RFA	March 4	Miami Dolphins
C	Rudy Niswanger	ERFA	N/A	Kansas City Chiefs	N/A
WR	Samie Parker	UFA	April 14	Carolina Panthers
LB	Mickey Pimentel	ERFA	N/A	Kansas City Chiefs	N/A
CB	Benny Sapp	UFA	March 25	Minnesota Vikings
OT	Will Svitek	RFA	N/A	Kansas City Chiefs	N/A
OT	Kyle Turley	UFA	Retired
C	Casey Wiegmann	UFA	March 21	Denver Broncos
DE	Jimmy Wilkerson	UFA	March 1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
FB	Kris Wilson	UFA	March 26	Philadelphia Eagles
RFA: Restricted free agent, UFA: Unrestricted free agent, ERFA: Exclusive rights free agent

Additions

In February, Kansas City claimed OT Anthony Alabi off waivers from the Miami Dolphins. Kansas City also agreed to two-year contracts with K Nick Novak, S Erick Harris, DT T.J. Jackson, CB Chad Johnson, OT Joe Lobdell, and G Rob Smith.

In March, Kansas City claimed FB Oliver Hoyte off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys. The team also signed free agent LB Demorrio Williams, and WR Devard Darling.

In April, Kansas City signed KR B.J. Sams, TE John Paul Foschi and C Wade Smith.

In May, the Chiefs signed a total of 23 undrafted free agents. and cornerbacks Will Poole and Jason Horton.

In August, the Chiefs signed K Jay Feely but released him the following day.

In September, the Chiefs signed QB Ingle Martin following an injury to Brodie Croyle.

Departures

In February, the Chiefs released WR Eddie Kennison, OT John Welbourn, RB Gilbert Harris, DE Khreem Smith, CB Ty Law, LB Kendrell Bell, TE Jason Dunn, DT James Reed, and OT Chris Bober. After attempting to trade him for the second consecutive year, the Chiefs released FS Greg Wesley in July. In October, Kansas City released LB Napoleon Harris.

Failed signings

The Chiefs were as aggressive as NFL rules allowed them to be in pursuing C Jeff Faine and K Josh Brown, both of whom signed with teams on the first day of free agency. NFL rules prohibit teams from contacting prospective free agents or their agents until free agency begins. In 2008, that time was 11 p.m. on February 28. "There were probably some deals done before (the start of the league year)," Edwards said when asked why the Chiefs didn't get in the game with either player. "We didn't cheat. We abided by the rules. That's how you're supposed to do it, and that's what we did."

Jared Allen trade

In February, the Chiefs placed the franchise tag on DE Jared Allen to prevent him from hitting the free agent market before the teams agree on a long-term deal. In April, reports surfaced detailing a proposed trade between Kansas City and the Minnesota Vikings which would send Allen to Minnesota in exchange for additional selections in the 2008 NFL Draft. Other teams that had contacted Allen's agent include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Philadelphia Eagles also proposed a trade with Kansas City. Allen was not tagged as an exclusive rights franchise player and had the right to visit and negotiate with other teams.

Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson's relationship with Allen had been strained ever since Peterson, in the wake of Allen's DUI convictions, described him as "a young man at risk." Allen, who could be suspended for a season if he has another alcohol-related episode, had said he would not negotiate with Kansas City if he did not get a contract done by July 2009. Allen had previously voiced his wish to stay with the Chiefs.

On April 22, the Chiefs and Vikings reached an agreement on a trade package, and at roughly the same time, Allen reached an agreement in principle on a contract with the Vikings. Upon reaching the contract agreement, Allen headed to the airport and left for Minnesota.

Sources said the Vikings included a second third-round pick (No. 73) in the 2008 draft to get the deal done. They had been offering a No. 1 pick (17th in the first round) and a No. 3 (No. 82). The teams also swapped spots in the sixth round with the Vikings getting a better spot in the sixth round, sources said.

2008 NFL Draft

The Chiefs chose fifth overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. A coin flip held at the NFL Scouting Combine determined the tie-breaker between the Chiefs, Falcons, and Raiders. The Chiefs had a league-high 13 selections heading into the draft.

Kansas City was interested in defensive end Chris Long following the departure of Jared Allen, but ended up with Glenn Dorsey after he slipped to #5 overall. Kansas City had Dorsey rated higher than Long, despite not having an immediate need at the position. Regardless of concern from NFL scouts about a previous leg injury to Dorsey which may cause him to get surgery in the near future, Kansas City selected Dorsey fifth overall. Dorsey and OT Branden Albert, Kansas City's other first-round selection, were considered by some to be the best players in the entire Draft.

Several analysts considered Kansas City to have made the best draft selections of any team. Kansas City also received the largest rookie pool to pay their 12 rookies, with a sum of $8,221,790, due in part to their two selections in the top 15 of the NFL Draft.

Kansas City selected Glenn Dorsey fifth overall in the 2008 NFL Draft to help improve their defensive line.

Round	Selection	Name	Position	College	Contract
1	5	Glenn Dorsey	Defensive tackle	LSU	Six years
	15[a][e]	Branden Albert	Guard	Virginia	Five years
2	35	Brandon Flowers	Cornerback	Virginia Tech	Four years
3	73[e]	Jamaal Charles	Running back	Texas	Three years
	76[a]	Brad Cottam	Tight end	Tennessee	Three years
	82[a]	DaJuan Morgan	Safety	North Carolina State	Three years
4	105	Will Franklin	Wide receiver	Missouri	Four years
5	140[e]	Brandon Carr	Cornerback	Grand Valley State	Three years
6	170	Barry Richardson	Offensive tackle	Clemson	Three years
	182[a][c]	Kevin Robinson	Wide receiver	Utah State	Three years
7	210	Brian Johnston	Linebacker	Gardner-Webb	Three years
	239[d]	Michael Merritt	Tight end	Central Florida	Three years

Notes:

^a Obtained Minnesota's first round selection (#17), and two third round selections (#73, #82) in exchange for DE Jared Allen. The teams also swapped sixth round selections (Kansas City moved from #187 to #182).

^b Obtained Miami's fifth round selection (#136) in exchange for QB Trent Green. The selection was later traded to Detroit.

^c Obtained Tampa Bay's sixth round selection (#187) in exchange for RB Michael Bennett. The selection was later swapped with Minnesota.

^d Obtained New York's seventh round selection (#239) in exhange for K Lawrence Tynes.

^e (Draft day trade) Obtained Detroit's first round selection (#15) and third round selection (#76) in exchange for the Chiefs' first round selection (#17), third round selection (#66) and fifth round selection (#136).

Roster

Kansas City Chiefs roster

Quarterbacks 15 Patrick Mahomes 11 Carson Wentz Running backs 10 Isiah Pacheco 34 Samaje Perine 42 Carson Steele FB Wide receivers 17 Mecole Hardman 24 Skyy Moore  4 Rashee Rice  9 JuJu Smith-Schuster 84 Justin Watson  1 Xavier Worthy Tight ends 83 Noah Gray 88 Peyton Hendershot 87 Travis Kelce 12 Jared Wiley

Offensive linemen 66 Mike Caliendo G 75 Ethan Driskell T 61 C. J. Hanson G 52 Creed Humphrey C 64 Wanya Morris T 60 Hunter Nourzad C 65 Trey Smith G 76 Kingsley Suamataia T 74 Jawaan Taylor T 62 Joe Thuney G Defensive linemen 97 Felix Anudike-Uzomah DE 51 Mike Danna DE 94 Malik Herring DE 95 Chris Jones DT 56 George Karlaftis DE 91 Derrick Nnadi DT 69 Mike Pennel DT 99 Cameron Thomas DE 92 Marlon Tuipulotu DT 98 Tershawn Wharton DT

Linebackers 32 Nick Bolton MLB 54 Leo Chenal OLB 43 Jack Cochrane MLB 44 Cam Jones OLB 23 Drue Tranquill OLB Defensive backs 27 Chamarri Conner FS  6 Bryan Cook FS 21 Jaden Hicks SS 13 Nazeeh Johnson FS 22 Trent McDuffie CB 20 Justin Reid SS 30 Christian Roland-Wallace CB 35 Jaylen Watson CB  2 Joshua Williams CB Special teams 14 Matt Araiza P  7 Harrison Butker K 41 James Winchester LS

Reserve lists  5 Marquise Brown WR (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 25 Clyde Edwards-Helaire RB (NF-Ill.Tooltip Non-football injury and illness) 70 McKade Mettauer G (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 90 Charles Omenihu DE (PUPTooltip Physically unable to perform) 53 B. J. Thompson DE (NF-Ill.Tooltip Non-football injury and illness) Practice squad 40 Emani Bailey RB 55 Swayze Bozeman OLB 26 Deon Bush SS 48 Cole Christiansen OLB 47 Baylor Cupp TE 72 Chukwuebuka Godrick T (Int.) 38 Keaontay Ingram RB 31 Nic Jones CB 57 Truman Jones DE 96 Fabien Lovett DT 77 Lucas Niang T 81 Nikko Remigio WR  8 Justyn Ross WR 29 Eric Scott Jr. CB 39 Keith Taylor CB 80 Montrell Washington WR 19 Bailey Zappe QB Rookies in italics Roster updated September 13, 2024 Depth chart Transactions 52 active, 5 inactive, 16 practice squad (+1 exempt) → AFC rosters → NFC rosters

Coaching staff

Kansas City Chiefs staff

	Front office Chairman/CEO – Clark Hunt President – Mark Donovan General manager – Brett Veach Assistant general manager – Mike Borgonzi Senior vice president of football operations and strategy – Chris Shea Senior director of player personnel – Mike Bradway Director of player personnel/pro – Tim Terry Director of player personnel/college – Ryne Nutt Senior personnel executive – Willie Davis Co-directors of college scouting – Pat Sperduto and David Hinson Assistant director of football administration – Jack Wolov Head coaches Head coach – Andy Reid Assistant head coach/special teams coordinator – Dave Toub Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Matt Nagy Pass game coordinator – Joe Bleymaier Quarterbacks – David Girardi Running backs – Todd Pinkston Assistant running backs – Porter Ellett Wide receivers – Connor Embree Tight ends – Tom Melvin Offensive line – Andy Heck Assistant offensive line – Corey Matthaei Offensive assistant – Kevin Saxton Offensive quality control/assistant quarterbacks – Dan Williams			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Steve Spagnuolo Defensive line – Joe Cullen Assistant defensive line – Terry Bradden Linebackers/run game coordinator – Brendan Daly Outside linebackers – Rod Wilson Defensive backs – Dave Merritt Safeties – Donald D'Alesio Defensive quality control – Alex Whittingham Special teams coaches Assistant special teams – Andy Hill Coaching support staff Statistical analysis coordinator – Mike Frazier Football research analyst – Mark Richards Strength and conditioning Vice President of sports medicine and performance – Rick Burkholder Head strength and conditioning/director of sports science – Ryan Reynolds Assistant strength and conditioning – Greg Carbin Assistant strength and conditioning – Tyler Judkins Assistant strength and conditioning – Spencer Reid → Coaching staff → Front office → More NFL staffs

Pre-season

Training camp

The Chiefs departed for training camp at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls on July 24 and broke camp on August 15. The 2008 training camp session marked the Chiefs' 18th season in River Falls, Wisconsin. Prior to the start of the season, Kansas City named Patrick Surtain, Pat Thomas, Brian Waters, and Jon McGraw as team captains.

Exhibition games

The Chiefs played the Chicago Bears on August 7 and their offense was very consistent. They won the game 24–20 and had their first victory in the pre-season since August 2006. The team lost to the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 27–17 at Arrowhead Stadium on August 16. The Chiefs were shut-out by the Miami Dolphins at Dolphin Stadium by a score of 24–0 on August 23. Kansas City played its final pre-season game against the St. Louis Rams on August 28 at Arrowhead Stadium for the Missouri Governor's Cup. The Chiefs won the game 21–17.

Regular season

Week 1: at New England Patriots

1 2 3 4 Total Chiefs 0 3 0 7 10 • Patriots 0 7 7 3 17 Date: 2008-09-07 Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachussetts Game start: 1:02 PM EDT / 12:02 PM CDT Elapsed time: 2:49 Game attendance: 68,756 Game weather: Sunny skies; 75°F (23.9°C); Wind NW at 15 mph Referee: Carl Cheffers TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel (play-by-play) & Dan Dierdorf (color commentator)

Scoring summary Q2 11:45 NE Randy Moss 10 yd TD pass from Matt Cassel (Stephen Gostkowski kick) NE 7-0 00:17 KC Nick Novak 40 yd field goal NE 7-3 Q3 03:01 NE Sammy Morris 5 yd TD run (Gostkowski kick) NE 14-3 Q4 13:06 KC Dwayne Bowe 13 yd TD pass from Damon Huard (Novak kick) NE 14-10 02:26 NE Gostkowski 37 yd field goal NE 17-10

The Chiefs played the defending AFC Champion New England Patriots, and were 16 ½-point underdogs entering the game. With 7:20 left in the first quarter, safety Bernard Pollard hit quarterback Tom Brady in his left leg. Brady went down, clutching his left knee and would not return to play in the game. Back–up quarterback Matt Cassel entered the game, and his first pass of the game went 51 yards to wide receiver Randy Moss. Cassel continued to excel as he was 5-6 on the drive. It ended on a 10 yard touchdown pass to Moss, giving the heavily favored Patriots the early lead in the second quarter. Five drives later the Chiefs got on the scoreboard after a 13-play drive that ended on a 40 yard field goal from kicker Nick Novak. However, New England replied with their second touchdown of the day, this time a 5 yard run by running back Sammy Morris. Chiefs quarterback Brodie Croyle was hurt when he was sacked and slammed to the turf on his shoulder. With around 50 seconds on the clock and down by a touchdown in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs had the ball near the Patriots goal line. Kansas City had a chance to score but Dwayne Bowe dropped a pass in the end zone on fourth down, leading the the Patriots victory. The loss also gave them a franchise-worst 10-straight losses, dating back to last season.e tried to throw on the sideline, but immediately indicated he was through for the day. Damon Huard substitued for Croyle and had the Chiefs on the 5-yard line when they ran out of downs. The Patriots won the game 17–10, and the Chiefs fell to an 0–1 start.

Week 2: vs. Oakland Raiders

1 2 3 4 Total • Raiders 6 0 7 10 23 Chiefs 0 0 0 8 8 Date: 2008-09-14 Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri Game start: 1:00 PM EDT / 12:00 PM CDT Game attendance: 74,480 Game weather: 61°F (Cloudy) Referee: Walt Anderson TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan & Rich Gannon

Scoring summary Q1 05:13 OAK Sebastian Janikowski 56 yd field goal OAK 3-0 01:19 OAK Janikowski 25 yd field goal OAK 6-0 Q3 08:22 OAK Darren McFadden 19 yd TD run (Janikowski kick) OAK 13-0 Q4 06:53 OAK Janikowski 40 yd field goal OAK 16-0 04:04 KC Tony Gonzalez 2 yd TD pass from Tyler Thigpen (Thigpen pass to Mike Cox for 2-point conversion) OAK 16-8 00:51 OAK Michael Bush 32 yd TD run (Janikowski kick) OAK 23-8

Hoping to rebound from their tough road loss to the Patriots, the Chiefs hosted their AFC West rival, the Oakland Raiders. In the first quarter, Kansas City trailed early as Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski got a 56-yard and a 25-yard field goal. Chiefs quarterback Damon Huard suffered a neck injury in the first quarter and Tyler Thigpen substituted as quarterback for the remainder of the game. Huard was in for Kansas City's first two series, but didn't return after throwing an interception late in the second quarter. Marques Hagans, who was listed on the Chiefs' roster as a wide receiver, checked in as quarterback for several draw plays. The Chiefs announced at the end of the third quarter that Huard sustained "mild head trauma," a move deemed controversial as Huard never sought medical attention in the following days.

Under Thigpen, the Chiefs' offense struggled to move the ball down the field. In using three quarterbacks, the Chiefs had only 65 net yards at halftime. Raiders RB Darren McFadden got a 19-yard TD run in the third quarter. Oakland increased its lead with Janikowski nailing a 40-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs would respond with rookie QB Tyler Thigpen completing a 2-yard TD pass to TE Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City executed a two-point conversion pass to rookie FB Mike Cox to make them within 8 points with just over five minutes remaining. The Chiefs' two-point conversion was the team's first in two years. Kansas City lost its opportunity to tie the game as the Raiders pulled away with RB Michael Bush getting a 32-yard TD run.

The Chiefs' defense allowed the third-highest total yards on offense in franchise history. JaMarcus Russell completed only 6 of 17 passes for 55 yards and led the Raiders to a 15-point victory. Following the game, Chiefs RB Larry Johnson voiced his displeasure with the Chiefs' offense and his role with the team. With the loss, the Chiefs fell to an 0–2 record for the third consecutive year. Kansas City's 11-game losing streak (2007–2008) is the longest in franchise history. The Chiefs also lost their second consecutive game to the Raiders for the first time since 2001.

Week 3: at Atlanta Falcons

1 2 3 4 Total Chiefs 0 7 7 0 14 • Falcons 14 10 7 7 38 Date: 2008-09-21 Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia Game start: 1:00 PM EDT / 12:00 PM CDT Game attendance: 62,434 Game weather: Domed stadium Referee: Scott Green TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson & Steve Tasker

Trying to snap a two-game losing skid, the Chiefs flew to the Georgia Dome for a Week 3 interconference duel with the Atlanta Falcons. With Damon Huard still recovering, second-year quarterback Tyler Thigpen was given the start.

In the first quarter, Kansas City's struggles continued as Falcons RB Michael Turner got a 4-yard TD run, along with QB Matt Ryan completing a 70-yard TD pass to WR Roddy White. In the second quarter, Atlanta increased its lead with kicker Jason Elam getting a 27-yard field goal, along with Turner's 1-yard TD run. The Chiefs would close out the first half with Thigpen completing a 15-yard TD pass to WR Dwayne Bowe.

In the third quarter, Kansas City drew closer as RB Larry Johnson got a 1-yard TD run. However, the Falcons replied with Turner's 2-yard TD run, and a fourth quarter interception sealed the win when CB Chris Houston returned it 10 yards for a touchdown.

With their twelfth consecutive loss, the Chiefs fell to 0-3.

Week 4: vs. Denver Broncos

1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 0 10 3 6 19 • Chiefs 6 7 3 17 33 Date: 2008-09-28 Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri Game start: 1:00 PM EDT / 12:00 PM CDT Game attendance: 74,623 Game weather: 74°F (Mostly Sunny) Referee: Mike Carey TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel & Dan Dierdorf

The Chiefs hosted the 3–0 Broncos in hopes of winning their first game of the season. The Chiefs' offense, averaging fewer than 11 points a game, turned early touchdown opportunities into short field goals.

In its first two possessions, Denver's league-leading offense had a turnover, a sack and a shanked punt. Larry Johnson ran a career-long 65-yard run to the 21 yard line on the game's second play. Kansas City had first-and-goal from the 9, but only managed a field goal. The field goal gave Kansas City their first lead in 22 quarters, since the team's lead against the Titans on December 16, 2007.

With QB Damon Huard at the helm, the Chiefs' offense allowed no turnovers and scored more points in one game (33) than their first three games of the season combined (32). Denver's running defense was noticably weak and allowed Chiefs RB Larry Johnson to fun for 198 yards. Johnson also tallied his first 2 touchdown game in over two years. Denver allowed four turnovers, which the Chiefs capitalized on three. Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez scored one touchdown and finished the game within three yards shy of tying Shannon Sharpe's all-time receiving record (10,060).

The win was Kansas City's first since a victory over Oakland on October 21, 2007. Johnson tallied his 29th career 100-yard rushing game and his fifth against Denver.

Week 5: at Carolina Panthers

1 2 3 4 Total Chiefs 0 0 0 0 0 • Panthers 7 14 10 3 34 Date: 2008-09-07 Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina Game start: 1:00 PM EDT / 12:00 PM CDT Elapsed time: 2:51 Game attendance: 72,319 Game weather: 80°F (Sunny) Referee: Terry McAulay TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan & Rich Gannon

Coming off their stunning home win over the Broncos, the Chiefs flew to Bank of America Stadium for a Week 5 interconference duel with the Carolina Panthers. In the first quarter, Kansas City trailed as RB DeAngelo Williams got a 10-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Chiefs continued to trail as Williams caught a 25-yard TD pass from QB Jake Delhomme, along with getting a 32-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Chiefs' struggles continued as kicker John Kasay missed a 32-yard field goal, along with Delhomme completing a 47-yard TD pass to WR Muhsin Muhammad. In the fourth quarter, the Panthers sealed the win with Kasay nailing a 43-yard field goal.

With the shutout loss, the Chiefs fell to 1-4.

One positive from the game, TE Tony Gonzalez (3 receptions for 17 yards) became the NFL's all-time leader in career receiving yards for a tight end with 10,063 yards.

Bye Week

The Chiefs have a three-year plan to make this team good...They are going young and at this point in my career, I want to play for a known contender—a team that has a chance to get to win the Super Bowl before my career ends.

— Tony Gonzalez on his intention to be traded.

TE Tony Gonzalez met with Chiefs GM Carl Peterson during the bye week and inquired about a trade to a playoff contender. Gonzalez, whom had always said he would like to end his career with the Chiefs, voiced his desire to play for a Super Bowl contending team and the rebuilding Chiefs would like to acquire extra draft picks. Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Green Bay, Philadelphia, and the New York Giants had been in contact with the Chiefs regarding Gonzalez. The Giants were considered to be the front-runners, but showed "lukewarm" interest. The Packers offered a third round draft choice, but the deal was not finalized, and Gonzalez remained with the Chiefs after the trading deadline passed.

RB Larry Johnson was charged with simple assault for allegedly pushing a woman at a Kansas City nightclub in February, the third time he has faced assault charges against a woman. Johnson was also reportedly offered by the Chiefs for a trade. Days later, coach Herm Edwards ruled Johnson out of the Chiefs' upcoming game against Tennessee as a result of a violation of team rules. Edwards stated that it was not in response to Johnson's legal troubles, but instead of insubordination.

Week 7: vs. Tennessee Titans

1 2 3 4 Total • Titans 10 7 3 14 34 Chiefs 0 0 0 10 10 Date: 2008-09-19 Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri Game start: 1:00 PM EDT / 12:00 PM CDT TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson & Steve Tasker