Joel Thorman at Arrowhead Pride was kind enough to answer a few questions I had about the Chiefs before their upcoming game against the Green Bay Packers.
Q: What might be the biggest difference we will notice on Sunday from Crennel vs. Haley?
A: The quarterback. Todd Haley was rolling with Tyler Palko over the last month and he's been dreadful. But Romeo Crennel announced on Wednesday that Palko will not start which means it'll be Kyle Orton if he's healthy or Ricky Stanzi if Orton's not healthy. So, either way, it'll be something new for the Packers (and Chiefs).
Q: What's your opinion on the Tyler Palko vs. Ricky Stanzi debate? Who should start on Sunday?
A: Orton should start if he's healthy. That's clearly the best option. Palko should be relegated to third string because he's clearly demonstarted he's incapable of consistently scoring points. If Orton can't go, then the Chiefs will play Stanzi, which is a good move. We know what Palko is capable of but Stanzi is an unknown.
Q: Packers LT Marshall Newhouse has had trouble stopping some of the best pass rushers this season. He's had bad games against Von Miller, Jared Allen and Jason Pierre-Paul. What might we expect in a matchup against Tamba Hali?
A: Non-stop pressure. Hali has one of those motors that doesn't quit and he gets a lot of sacks on effort alone. He'll go 100 percent all day long. That said, Hali has been shut down at times this year so what it really comes down to is whether Justin Houston, the outside linebacker opposite Hali, can add some pressure as well. Houston has four sacks in the last two games.
Q: The Chiefs defense had two good games against the Steelers and Bears, before struggling last week against the Jets. What are you expecting from them this week?
A: That's such a hard question to answer. At times, the Chiefs have played well enough that you'd think they're a playoff team. At other times, they look absolutely miserable. So this is a big yo-yo team where they're really high one week and bad the next. That said, I think KC shows up and plays well, keeping this under a 14-point line.
Q: What's the final word on the Todd Haley era? Did he get a fair chance, or is he taking the fall for a poor season?
A: I'm not sure about the timing of it -- in the middle of the season -- but the fact that he won't be coaching the team next year isn't a major surprise. There have been rumors of this move for a while now and the Chiefs finally did it. What I'll be thankful for from the Haley era is that he left the Chiefs in a better position than when he found them.