These four Chiefs legends moved one step closer to Hall of Fame election on Thursday

Four #Chiefs legends — Albert Lewis, Otis Taylor, Lloyd Wells, and Marty Schottenheimer — advanced closer to Hall of Fame election.

Four of the Kansas City Chiefs’ most legendary players and administrators — Albert Lewis, Otis Taylor, Lloyd Wells, and Marty Schottenheimer — advanced their bids for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

News of their achievement broke on Thursday afternoon following the Hall of Fame’s announcement of semifinalists.

Each of these outstanding Chiefs left an indelible mark on Kansas City’s beloved football franchise, and their accomplishments merit further consideration by the organization’s selection committee.

Take a look at the case for each of these legends as they advance within the selection’s semi-finals:

Remember when Commanders owner Daniel Snyder…

One last look back at some of Daniel Snyder’s many lowlights as owner of Washington.

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NFL owners will vote on the sale of the Washington Commanders from Daniel Snyder to Josh Harris for $6.05 billion Thursday. Sometime Thursday afternoon, the Commanders — after 24 years of Snyder — will have a new owner.

We remember some of Snyder’s follies on his last day as owner:

  • Had become the owner in May 1999, and Charley Casserly was suddenly resigning as General Manager in July 1999. What GM resigns just as training camp is opening?
  • In the offseason leading up to the 2000 season, he signed aging free agents Bruce Smith, Jeff George, Andre Reed, Deion Sanders, and Mark Carrier. He not only overpaid all of them but why would Snyder overpay Sanders so much when he had just been released by the Cowboys and was available in early June?
  • Upon Sanders being released, suddenly, the Redskins released Brian Mitchell. They actually released Mitchell for MUCH, MUCH less than they gave Sanders? What were they thinking?
  • Fired head coach Norv Turner with the team at 7-6 in the 2000 season and immediately hired Pepper Rodgers as VP of Football Operations? Snyder was ready to hire Rodgers, who had never coached in the NFL, but was persuaded that was not a wise step.
  • Hired Marty Schottenheimer as head coach and Director of Football Operations, then fired him after the 8-8 2001 season, demanding that he again have power over football decisions and not Marty? Then hired Steve Spurrier the next day?
  • Hired Steve Spurrier and brought back and rehired Vinny Cerrato as head of player personnel?
  • Shocked all of us announcing he had hired Joe Gibbs to return to coach the Redskins in January of 2004?
  • When Joe Gibbs retired after four seasons, Snyder hired Jim Zorn to be his offensive coordinator. Why would Snyder do this, not permitting a new head coach to select his own staff? Thus, he couldn’t find anyone to take the job, so he then hired Zorn to be his head coach in 2008, though Zorn had never been a coordinator in the NFL. What?

This only takes us up to 2008, and I am already tired of remembering all of this.

Welcome to Washington, Mr. Josh Harris.

We certainly welcome more competency in the ownership and leadership of the Washington NFL franchise than we have experienced since 1999.

You can follow Ivan Lambert on Twitter @IvanLambert18 and Commanders Wire @Washington_Wire

54 days till Patriots season opener: Every player to wear No. 54 for New England

Here’s a list of every Patriots player to wear the No. 54 jersey number

There are 54 days before the New England Patriots kick off their regular season opener. So we’re continuing our countdown series by listing every Patriots player that has ever worn the No. 54 jersey.

The two names that jump out in relation to that number are Patriots Hall of Famer Tedy Bruschi and a surefire future inductee, Dont’a Hightower. Both legendary linebackers spent their entire careers with the Patriots organization and won three Super Bowls each.

They’ve also both had at least one All-Pro nod.

More importantly, they have forever endeared themselves to Patriots fans by coming up with some of the biggest plays in franchise history. Who could ever forget Hightower’s strip sack on Matt Ryan to help New England complete the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history at Super Bowl LI?

And what about the epic stadium snow celebration, following Tedy Bruschi’s game-cinching interception against the Miami Dolphins in 2003?

The No. 54 holds some truly great memories in the Patriots’ organization. Here’s every player that has worn the number throughout franchise history (via Pro Football Reference):

Former Washington stars Larry Brown, Joe Jacoby are Hall of Fame semifinalists

Could this be the year for Joe Jacoby and Larry Brown?

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Joe Jacoby has again made the semifinalist list for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

On Wednesday, the Hall announced 60 candidates in the seniors and coaches/contributors categories for the class of 2024, and Jacoby and Larry Brown are the headliners for the Washington Commanders franchise.

Each of those categories has a committee of 12 members. They will now vote to select 12 seniors and 12 coaches/contributors for the next round of the process. On July 27, the committee will reveal those 24 names.

One of the original “Hogs,” Jacoby (1981-93) was voted to the 1980s All-Decade team and was an All-Pro twice. He was selected for four Pro Bowls and started for Washington’s three Super Bowl championship teams. The counter trey or counter gap was a tremendously effective play when left tackle Jacoby and left guard Russ Grimm would pull to the right side of the line and the running back would follow behind the powerful duo.

Brown (1969-76) was one of the tougher runners of his era. He rushed for more than 5,000 yards in his first five seasons. He was a four-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro and the 1972 AP Most Valuable Player, leading the Redskins to Super Bowl VII.

Others with Washington ties who made the semifinalist lists are Henry Ellard, Marty Schottenheimer, Mike Shanahan, Carl Banks and Clark Shaughnessy. However, each of these players and coaches made their most significant contributions as part of other NFL franchises.

  • Ellard spent his first 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams before coming to Washington for his next five seasons.
  • Schottenheimer coached the Browns to two consecutive AFC championship games and the Chiefs to a 101-58-1 record in 10 seasons before coming to Washington for an 8-8 season in 2001.
  • Shanahan was 138-86 in his 14 seasons with the Broncos, which included two Super Bowl championships. He went 24-40 in his four seasons as Washington head coach.
  • Banks, in his nine seasons with the New York Giants, was a starter on two Super Bowl championship teams. He was also voted to the 1980s All-Decade team, and was a Pro Bowler once and All-Pro once. He played for Washington during the 1993 season.
  • Shaughnessy was with Washington as an offensive consultant in 1947. He then was the Rams head coach for two seasons and spent 12 seasons (1951-62) on the Bears defensive staff.

Tom Coughlin heads list of 8 Giants semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Eight former members of the New York Giants, including head coach Tom Coughlin, are among the semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Four former New York Giants players, one former coach, and former head coach Tom Coughlin have been included on a list of 60 semifinalists who will advance to the next round of consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.

Running back Ottis ‘O.J.’ Anderson, quarterback Charlie Conerly, linebacker Carl Banks, and defensive back Everson Walls will be among a group considered to be among 12 Seniors and 12 Coach/Contributors advancing to the final stage.

Late Giants head coach Dan Reeves, a two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year, is also a semifinalist.

The results will be announced on July 27.

Coughlin coached the Giants for 12 seasons (2004-15) and was a two-time Super Bowl winner(XLII, XLVI). He also was the first head coach of the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995, taking the team to two AFC Championship Games. He had an overall NFL record of 182-157 over 20 seasons.

Anderson split 14 seasons between the St. Louis Cardinals (1979-1986) and Giants (1986-1992). He is a two-time Super Bowl champion and six-time 1,000-yard rusher. He was also named MVP of Super Bowl XXV.

Conerly played all 14 of his NFL seasons (1948-61) with the Giants. He won the NFL title in 1956 and passed for 19,488 yards and 173 touchdowns.

Banks was the third overall selection in the 1984 NFL draft out of Michigan State. He was a two-time Super Bowl champion during his time with the Giants (1984-1992). Banks also played one season in Washington (1993) and two in Cleveland (1994-95).

Walls played most of his NFL career (1981-93) with the Dallas Cowboys, where he was named to three first-team All-Pro teams, four Pro Bowls and led the NFL in interceptions three times while in Dallas. He finished his career with the Giants and Cleveland Browns and helped Big Blue to victory in Super Bowl XXV.

Also on the coach/contributor list is former Giants assistant/defensive coordinator Marty Schottenheimer and head coach John McVay.

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6 with Browns ties named Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 semifinalists

There are six with Browns connections were named as Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalists.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced their Class of 2024 semifinalists from their seniors, coaches, and media classification. This means no first-ballot candidates will be selected from this pool. We are now just three weeks away from offensive tackle Joe Thomas being inducted into the Hall of Fame, and soon others with ties to the Cleveland Browns could join him.

Of the list of semifinalists released, there were six players, coaches, and an owner who the city of Cleveland has disdain for to make the cut. Here is the complete list of individuals with ties to the Browns who are Class of 2024 semifinalists.

Countdown to the end of the Commanders Daniel Snyder era

The countdown has officially begun.

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The final ten-day countdown has begun.

NFL owners will meet on July 20 for a scheduled gathering where they will vote for the affirmation of the sale of the Washington Commanders from Daniel and Tanya Snyder to a multitude of owners headed by Josh Harris.

Snyder took over ownership of the Washington NFL franchise in 1999, and 2022 was his last season of ownership. In a surprise move last fall, Snyder suddenly was going to look into selling the once-proud and successful franchise.

When Snyder did not show up for the Sonny Jurgensen jersey being retired, and Snyder had his office in Ashburn cleaned out before the final game, it was confirmed, Snyder really was moving on.

There have been plenty of bad moves by Snyder over the years, and Commanders Wire has chronicled many.

He will be criticized — and heavily. There is no question much of that is deserved. It was a bad ending for Charley Casserly, Norv Turner, Marty Schottenheimer, Steve Spurrier.

It was Snyder who, for whatever reason, hired Jim Zorn as offensive coordinator, dooming Snyder’s search for a head coach. No one wanting the job, Snyder ended up elevating Zorn to head coach, though he had yet to be an NFL coordinator. It was embarrassing.

He sided with an immature quarterback over a great offensive coaching staff, and when the quarterback couldn’t develop into an NFL pocket passer, Snyder then fired the head coach. Seven years later, he forced his football people to draft another immature quarterback. Again it failed, and backfired.

He and Bruce Allen were so smug as a pair it was harmful to the organization. They certainly mishandled Kirk Cousins, and the franchise has yet to have a winning record since the quarterback was Cousins.

Snyder did, however, bring back Joe Gibbs in his greatest achievement as owner. Gibbs had a heart for the franchise, hated seeing the team struggle, and risked so much of his history and reputation in returning. Yet, Gibbs’s leadership was indeed masterful as the team rebounded to earn two playoff births in his last three seasons.

The team has not won a playoff game since Gibbs 2.0.

In the end, the default for most will be to absolutely demonize Snyder. No, he was not successful. But no, he was not entirely responsible for all of the dysfunction from the business side of operations we have witnessed the last few years either.

It’s true… everything rises and falls on leadership.

Ranking 8 best assistant coaches in Giants history

From Marty Schottenheimer to Vince Lombardi, Giants Wire ranks the eight best assistant coaches in New York Giants history.

The New York Giants are closing in on a century of existence and many famous and powerful names have worn the blue over that time.

When it comes to head coaches, the Giants have had some great ones — Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin, Jim Lee Howell, and Steve Owen — and some notable ones in Allie Sherman, Jim Fassel, and Alex Webster.

But what the Giants are really known for is grooming head coaches; men who worked for the club and went on to become some of the great head coaches in NFL history.

Here are eight of those names.

Perhaps Daniel Snyder’s largest error as owner of Washington

The mistakes were countless, but what do you think Snyder’s biggest mistake was?

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What do you recall as one of the biggest Daniel Snyder mistakes as owner of Washington’s NFL franchise?

During the hugely disappointing 2000 season in which Washington was 7-6, Snyder feeling he needed to make a splash fired head coach Norv Turner, and Washington finished 8-8.

After that 2000 season Snyder then hired a very hands-on football coach in Marty Schottenheimer. Marty felt he needed to get his message across to his team that the culture was going to be much different with Marty at the helm. He angered veterans in training camp, cut starting quarterback Jeff George after only two games, and the team went on to start 0-5.

But say what you will about Marty Schottenheimer, the man could coach a football team. He had taken the Cleveland Browns to consecutive AFC Championship games (1986-87). If that wasn’t enough, he coached the Kansas City Chiefs to a 101-58-1 .634 winning percentage.

Can Washington fans even imagine their team going an entire decade with a .634 winning percentage? Well not one of them under the age of 30 can do so.

Joe Gibbs in his first coaching term in Washington was 124-60 (.674). He also won 4 NFC Championships and 3 Super Bowls. George Allen in his seven seasons as Washington head coach (1971-77) was 67-30-1 (.691), winning one NFC championship, losing one Super Bowl.

Back to Marty. After being 0-5 the team was 6-8 when they traveled to New Orleans for a Sunday Night national television broadcast. Washington was physical, aggressive and frankly manhandled the Saints 40-10. Schottenheimer must have been so proud of his team’s performance.

When the 2001 team finished 8-8 there was a real hope, a real confidence that Marty could bring seasons of winning to Washington. But there was Schottenheimer and Snyder unable to form an agreement on how much power Marty would have over the football team.

Snyder had badly disrupted the 1999 playoff team, playing general manager ruining team chemistry. In Schottenheimer he saw someone strong enough who would seize and demand more control than made Snyder comfortable.  Snyder fired him, went out and hired Steve Spurrier, promising him a general manager that according to Spurrier, never truly materialized.

Schottenheimer never won a Super Bowl, but in his 21 years of NFL head coaching experience he did win 200 games (200-126-1 .613).  Had Snyder simply let Marty do his thing, and Snyder simply given up wanting to be head of player personnel, Washington fans most likely would have enjoyed winning football for a decade and not experienced the Steve Spurrier and Jim Zorn eras.

Might this have been the biggest mistake Snyder made in his years as owner?

Chiefs HC Andy Reid surpasses Marty Schottenheimer for most wins at Arrowhead Stadium

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid now has more wins at Arrowhead Stadium than any other coach in franchise history.

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After the Week 12 win against the Los Angeles Rams, no head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs has more win at Arrowhead Stadium than Andy Reid.

Since becoming head coach of the Chiefs in 2013, Reid’s teams have won a whole lot of games at their home stadium. It’s known as the Arrowhead advantage for a reason, right?

With their latest win against the Rams in Week 12, Reid has now recorded 65 wins at Arrowhead Stadium. That number surpasses the late Marty Schottenheimer (64) for the most all-time by a coach at Arrowhead Stadium.

Reid continues to climb the NFL’s all-time coaching wins leaderboards, but he’s already carved out a special place in franchise history. He has the most playoff wins by a head coach in franchise history. He’s already surpassed Schottenheimer to have the second-most wins all-time by a Chiefs head coach. He needs 14 more wins to jump ahead of the great Hank Stram for the most wins by a head coach for the franchise.

At this rate, there’s little doubt that he’ll achieve those unmet goals and go down as the winningest head coach in Kansas City. Fans will one day look back and recognize Big Red as the best to ever coach the team. For now, he’s onto the Cincinnati Bengals and finding a way to in Week 13.

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