No longer having to deal with LaDainian Tomlinson's slashing moves and darting cuts twice a year is leaving the Kansas City Chiefs feeling grateful and more than a little relieved going into Monday night's season-opener against the San Diego Chargers.
Tomlinson made a habit of humbling the Chiefs. In 17 games against them, LT ran for almost 1,500 yards, caught 77 passes and scored 14 touchdowns. But now he's with the New York Jets, and will be nowhere near Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs' first Monday night home game in six years.
"LT is one of the greatest. He's had a lot of big games against a lot of teams," Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson said. "But he always seemed to have some of his best games against us."
Stepping in for LT is Ryan Mathews, a highly touted 218-pound rookie drafted in the first round out of Fresno State. Also missing from the Chargers team that belted the Chiefs 37-7 and 43-14 last year are left tackle Marcus McNeill and Pro Bowl wide receiver Vincent Jackson, both holdouts.
A recent pickup from the Dallas Cowboys and someone the Chiefs plan to see plenty of is wide receiver Patrick Crayton.
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Back, however, is quarterback Philip Rivers. In two wins over Kansas City last year, Rivers threw five touchdown passes with no interceptions.
"Obviously there's a lot of different personnel out there," Rivers said. "We're trying to get better and improve each year, so there's going to be some things that I'm sure teams haven't seen exactly as we get going this year, and there's some staples."
The Chiefs have changed, too. New coordinators Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis have put their stamp on the defense and offense, respectively. Thomas Jones, a 1,000-yard rusher last year with the Jets, will make his Chiefs debut and will probably alternate with Jamaal Charles.
"Certainly, watching last year's film is not the same because it's a different system, other than watching a lot of the same players, so you certainly can get a feel for guys and how they've played things in the past," Rivers said.
Mathews will offer a different style from LT but is the preseason pick of many as AFC offensive rookie of the year.
"Even though (Tomlinson) is not there anymore, this young guy they have out of Fresno looks like a big-time runner," said Chiefs coach Todd Haley. Defensively, we have to be at our best."
While Rivers was putting up points last year against the Chiefs, Matt Cassel was struggling. The Chiefs' quarterback was hitting 10 of 26 passes for 97 yards, with one TD and three interceptions.
"As a quarterback you have a short memory," Cassel said. "You go on to the next game and there are 16 of them. You have to let the bad ones go and move on and try to make the corrections and move forward."
The Chiefs are hoping Cassel has improved under the watchful and demanding eye of his new coordinator, Weis.
"I think you learn a lot every time you go out on the field and every game you get out there and every chance you get to see a new defense and every chance you get to throw another ball," Cassel said. "I think the more I am out there, the more comfortable you become and you get better as a player."
How do you think the team will do without LT this year? Comment below, send us your thoughts via Twitter @nbcsandiego or add your comment to our Facebook page.
