The 2011 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 42nd in the National Football League (NFL), their 52nd overall and their third under the head coach/general manager tandem of Todd Haley and Scott Pioli. A 10–6 record in their 2010 season lent high expectations to their 2011 season, but the Chiefs suffered reversed fortunes. A season-ending hand injury to their starting quarterback Matt Cassel in their eighth game of the season proved especially significant. After a 4–4 record with Cassel at the helm, the Chiefs staggered to a 7–9 win–loss record by season end and failed to make the playoffs.
The Chiefs training camp began on July 29 in St. Joseph, Missouri. The Chiefs played their first preseason game on August 12 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On September 11, the Chiefs opened their regular season against the Buffalo Bills. They did not earn their first win until Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings. After starting the season 5–8, head coach Todd Haley was fired after a 37–10 loss to the New York Jets. Haley was replaced by defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel on an interim basis for the remainder of the season. Haley became the second Chiefs coach to be fired during a season; the first was Paul Wiggin in 1977.
One spot of the season is the first game after Crennel took over as interim head coach. The Chiefs achieved an upset win against the 13–0 defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers to ruin their perfect season hopes; that loss would prove to be the only one the 2011 Packers suffered in their 15–1 regular season record.
Offseason
Coaching changes +Kansas City Chiefs Coaching Changes Position Coach 2010 position 2011 position OC Bill Muir Kansas City Chiefs OLC Kansas City Chiefs OC/OLC OC Charlie Weis Kansas City Chiefs OC Florida Gators OC QBC Jim Zorn Baltimore Ravens QBC Kansas City Chiefs QBC
Free agency +Kansas City Chiefs free agency Position Player Status* 2010 team 2011 team LB Charlie Anderson UFA Kansas City Chiefs None RB Jackie Battle RFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs WR Steve Breaston UFA Arizona Cardinals Kansas City Chiefs CB Brandon Carr RFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs FB Tim Castille UFA Kansas City Chiefs None WR Keary Colbert UFA None Kansas City Chiefs WR Terrance Copper UFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs TE Brad Cottam RFA Kansas City Chiefs None FB Mike Cox RFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs QB Brodie Croyle UFA Kansas City Chiefs Arizona Cardinals WR Kevin Curtis UFA Kansas City Chiefs Tennessee TitansCB Travis Daniels UFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs DT Ron Edwards UFA Kansas City Chiefs Carolina Panthers OT Jared Gaither UFA Baltimore Ravens Kansas City Chiefs DE Wallace Gilberry RFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs DT Kelly Gregg UFA Baltimore Ravens Kansas City Chiefs LB Cory Greenwood EFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs LB Tamba Hali UFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs S Reshard Langford EFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs CB Maurice Leggett RFA Kansas City Chiefs None FB Le'Ron McClain UFA Baltimore Ravens Kansas City Chiefs S Jon McGraw UFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs OT Steve Maneri RFA New England Patriots Kansas City Chiefs LB Corey Mays UFA Kansas City Chiefs None C Rudy Niswanger UFA Kansas City Chiefs Detroit Lions OT Ryan O'Callaghan UFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs S Sabby Piscitelli UFA Tampa Bay Buccaneers & Cleveland Browns Kansas City ChiefsTE Leonard Pope UFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs OT Barry Richardson RFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs LB Brandon Siler UFA San Diego Chargers Kansas City Chiefs DE Shaun Smith UFA Kansas City Chiefs Tennessee Titans LB Mike Vrabel UFA Kansas City Chiefs Retired C Casey Wiegmann UFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs*RFA: Restricted free agent, UFA: Unrestricted free agent, ERFA: Exclusive rights free agent, Franchise: Franchise tag
Draft
2011 Kansas City Chiefs Draft Round Selection Player Position College 1 26 Jon Baldwin Wide receiver Pittsburgh 2 55 Rodney Hudson Center Florida State 3 70 Justin Houston Linebacker Georgia 3 86 Allen Bailey Defensive end Miami (FL) 4 118 Jalil Brown Cornerback Colorado 5 135 Ricky Stanzi Quarterback Iowa 5 140 Gabe Miller Linebacker Oregon State 6 199 Jerrell Powe Nose tackle Mississippi 7 223 Shane Bannon Fullback Yale The Chiefs traded their original first-round selection (#21) to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for the first-round selection (#27) which the Browns had previously acquired from Atlanta, and Cleveland's third-round selection (#70 overall). The Baltimore Ravens originally held the 26th pick, but they did not submit their pick in the allotted ten minutes which allowed Kansas City to pick ahead of them. The Chiefs traded their original sixth-round selection (#187 overall) and DT Alex Magee to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for the fifth-round selection which the Buccaneers had previously acquired from Denver. The Chiefs swapped fifth-round selections with the Detroit Lions (the Chiefs originally held the #154 overall selection), after the Lions were found guilty of tampering with Chiefs' players. Compensatory selection.
Undrafted free agents
+ 2011 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeHarold AyodeleDefensive LinemanEmporia StateBrandon BairDefensive LinemanOregonCharlie GanttTight endMichigan StateChris HarrOffensive LinemanChattanoogaMike IngersollOffensive LinemanNorth CarolinaAmara KamaraLinebackerTempleButch LewisOffensive LinemanUSCJaves LewisDefensive backOregon
Staff
Final roster
Preseason Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 0–25 0–1 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 2 at Baltimore Ravens L 13–31 0–2 M&T Bank Stadium Recap 3 St. Louis Rams L 10–14 0–3 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 4 at Green Bay Packers L 19–20 0–4 Lambeau Field Recap
Game summaries Week 1: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 2: at Baltimore Ravens
Week 3: vs. St. Louis Rams
Week 4: at Green Bay Packers
Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 11 Buffalo Bills L 7–41 0–1 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 2 September 18 at Detroit Lions L 3–48 0–2 Ford Field Recap 3 September 25 at San Diego Chargers L 17–20 0–3 Qualcomm Stadium Recap 4 October 2 Minnesota Vikings W 22–17 1–3 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 5 October 9 at Indianapolis Colts W 28–24 2–3 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap 6Bye 7 October 23 at Oakland Raiders W 28–0 3–3 O.co Coliseum Recap 8 San Diego Chargers W 23–20 4–3 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 9 November 6 Miami Dolphins L 3–31 4–4 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 10 November 13 Denver Broncos L 10–17 4–5 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 11 at New England Patriots L 3–34 4–6 Gillette Stadium Recap 12 November 27 Pittsburgh Steelers L 9–13 4–7 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 13 December 4 at Chicago Bears W 10–3 5–7 Soldier Field Recap 14 December 11 at New York Jets L 10–37 5–8 MetLife Stadium Recap 15 December 18 Green Bay Packers W 19–14 6–8 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 16 Oakland Raiders L 13–16 6–9 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 17 January 1 at Denver Broncos W 7–3 7–9 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries Week 1: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 2: at Detroit Lions
Week 3: at San Diego Chargers
Week 4: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week 5: at Indianapolis Colts
Week 7: at Oakland Raiders
Week 8: vs. San Diego Chargers
Week 9: vs. Miami Dolphins
Week 10: vs. Denver Broncos
Week 11: at New England Patriots
Week 12: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Hoping to snap a three-game losing streak, the Chiefs went home for a Week 12 Sunday night duel with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kansas City delivered the game's first punch in the opening quarter with a 41-yard field goal from kicker Ryan Succop. The Steelers would answer in the second quarter with kicker Shaun Suisham getting a 21-yard field goal, followed by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completing a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Weslye Saunders. The Chiefs would reply with a 49-yard field goal from Succop, but Pittsburgh would close out the half with Suisham booting a 49-yard field goal. After a scoreless third quarter, Kansas City began to chip away at their deficit in the fourth quarter with a 40-yard field goal from Succop. However, the Steelers' defense held on to preserve the win.
With the loss, the Chiefs fell to 4–7.
Week 13: at Chicago Bears
Week 14: at New York Jets
The Jets won easily in a crushing rout, with the final score overstating the closeness of the game as the Chief's only touchdown came in garbage time after the game was already decided. The Chiefs offense gained only 4 total yards in the first two quarters. The Chiefs were also plagued with penalties, finishing the game with 11 penalties total. The Jets' final touchdown drive in the third quarter proved to be a particularly humiliating stretch. Starting from their own 10 yard line, the Jets gained 81 penalty yards on 5 penalties committed by the Chiefs, including a rare penalty directly assessed against head coach Todd Haley for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Jets offense gained only 9 net yards on the drive, however they were still able to score a touchdown. After the game, Haley was fired mid-season; writers speculated that Haley's penalty, as well as the team's overall poor performance and discipline that game, was to blame.
Week 15: vs. Green Bay Packers
In one of the biggest upsets of the year, the Chiefs beat the heavily favored Green Bay Packers, ending their hopes of a perfect season. The Chiefs defense held Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to 235 yards, a 49% completion percentage, and his only game of the season without multiple passing touchdowns in what was Rodgers' worst game statistically of the season.
The game was the first game coached by defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, who served as interim head coach after Haley's departure.
Week 16: vs. Oakland Raiders
Week 17: at Denver Broncos
Standings Division
Conference
Notes and references