und for quite a while.There were probably a few people who shook their heads in exasperation on April 24 Jordan Lucas Jersey , 2005, when the Chiefs used a third round pick to draft Colquitt out of Tennessee.Drafting kickers is seldom popular among fans.But looking back, it’s hard to be troubled by the decision.Almost no matter the position or draft capital expended, it’s difficult to criticize drafting a player who can stick around for 14 seasons — and he’s not done yet. Colquitt still has two years remaining on his contract.But this week — as the Chiefs prepare the New England Patriots in the team’s first appearance in the AFC Championship game since 1993 — Colquitt provides one end of a bridge to the past.Colquitt has seen a lot of highs and lows with the Chiefs.He was on the 2008 and 2012 teams that posted the worst records in franchise history, and is now on his seventh Chiefs squad to make the playoffs.So he’s been a party to a lot of playoff heartache, too.The 2006 loss to the Indianapolis Colts... the one to the Baltimore Ravens in 2010... the Colts again in 2013... the Patriots in 2015, the Pittsburgh Steelers the year after, and the Tennessee Titans just last season.Dustin Colquit with Chiefs placekicker Lawrence Tynes in 2005. In his career with the Chiefs, Colquitt has held for Tynes and 10 other placekickers: Dave Rayner, Justin Medlock, John Carney, Steve Weatherford, Nick Novak, Connor Barth, Ryan Succop, Matt Szymanski, Cairo Santos and Harrison Butker.Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty ImagesWhen Colquitt joined the Chiefs in 2005, right guard Will Shields was still starting.Shields had been there for the 2003 loss to the Colts, along with the 1997 defeat at the hands of the Denver Broncos, the 1995 loss to the Colts, and as a rookie starter Damien Williams Jersey , the 1993 loss to the Buffalo Bills — the last time the Chiefs played in the AFC Championship.Shields anchors the other end of the bridge that stretches back to 25 years ago this week, when the Chiefs were last in the same position they are today: one game away from the Super Bowl.It was all so long ago.I hadn’t really stopped to consider that it was be possible to draw a line through just two Chiefs players all the way back to that awful day in Buffalo when Chiefs quarterback Joe Montana grimaced in pain as his head hit the turf, and we suddenly knew the dream was over.But as Colquitt spoke to the media on Tuesday, he didn’t talk as if anchoring one end of a bridge supported by so much pain was a burden to bear.“It’s always great looking back at years past where we’ve made it to the divisional round or first round of playoffs,” he said, “and kind of how we’ve handled business or what we’ve worked on — and things that I can clean up in my game. That’s the biggest thing we’re focusing on: ‘How can we positively affect each game going forward?’”Colquitt said that it is the presence of head coach Andy Reid and special teams coach Dave Toub that has made the biggest difference.“A lot has changed in this building since 2013,” he said, “with Coach Reid [and] Coach Toub — guys that have become great friends, but also guys who have mentored you up and told you where you struggle, where you need to get better, and [they have] included family in that — which has been a great change to this environment.”Colquitt said that this season has been fun for him to watch — especially recently.“I think the coolest thing I get to see on a daily basis – especially from a coach or player standpoint – is Coach Reid living out what he wants to do on the field through Patrick Mahomes. You see Dave Toub working through his players with his schemes. Bob Sutton is the same way. When your defense plays like it [did] last week, Sutton’s over there and you can see him jumping around, moving and saying, ‘This is what it’s designed to look like!’” Colquitt said that the Chiefs will have their “work cut out for them” against the Patriots on Sunday, noting that they have been “the team to beat since 2001.”But he said he has heard from many former Chiefs teammates — a list that is now getting pretty long — telling him they hope the Chiefs can finish the job they were unable to do together.Colquitt said that’s why so many of them have been in evidence around Arrowhead this season.“I think that’s why they’ve showed up,” Colquitt said. “They wanted to see it. They have a different sense of this team — as I do. Like you said, I’ve been here for 14 seasons, I’ve gotten to see people come and go.”Colquitt said that the environment Reid has fostered with the Chiefs has not only made a difference for the franchise on the field, but it’s also a perfect fit for the community of which it is a part.“It’s more of a Midwest environment here now. It’s fun to see. It’s fun to see the success we’ve had, and getting into this next game. Can you think of a better town in this country that would love and crave an AFC Championship more than Chiefs Kingdom? I can’t.” KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Steve Spagnuolo spent much of his year out of coaching making the 45-minute drive from his home in Philadelphia to the headquarters of NFL Films in Mount Laurel Tyrann Mathieu Jersey , New Jersey.Spagnuolo had finished a tour as the interim coach of the New York Giants and missed out on the full-time job after the season. He turned down an assistant coaching offer and decided instead to spend the season recharging his proverbial batteries while getting a different perspective on the league.No better place to do that than the repository for all NFL game film.“I’m glad I did it. There might have been another year I should have done it,” said Spagnuolo, who was hired a couple weeks go to be Andy Reid’s defensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs.“I found it to be both challenging and rewarding,” he explained Wednesday. “The challenge was missing football, missing the camaraderie of the players and coaches. The reward was to sit back and see a big picture of the NFL and the game of football, as opposed to being in these buildings during the season with blinders on. Just a big-picture view of the league, the game of football.”While ensconced at NFL Films headquarters, the former St. Louis Rams head coach had plenty of time to check out the Chiefs, whose Super Bowl run came up short in the AFC title game.One of the clearest reasons? Their defense, which ranked near the bottom of the league in almost every statistical category. In fact, it was the defense that failed to stop the New England Patriots in overtime of the championship game, preventing Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the rest of their dynamic offense from even getting onto the field in the extra session.More than anything else it was that performance that sealed the fate of longtime defensive coordinator Bob Sutton. He was fired within days of the season ending, and almost his entire staff was let go, found jobs elsewhere or, in the case of Emmitt Thomas, simply retired.Now, it is up to Spagnuolo to turn around the Chiefs’ weak spot.“I don’t really go backward. I’m not going to pass judgment,” Spagnuolo said. “I think the world of Bob Sutton. Bob and I have known each other a long time. A change was made — coach Reid made that decision — I’m just happy I was able to fall into what I think is a great position.”There are certainly pieces in place for a quick turnaround. There are also some crucial decisions to be made in short order.Top pass rusher Dee Ford is due to become a free agent, though the Chiefs are expected to place the franchise tag on him as they pursue a long-term deal. Defensive tackle Chris Jones is coming off a breakout season and is eligible to sign an extension, while the albatross contracts of safety Eric Berry and linebacker Justin Houston must be dealt with in some fashion. Perhaps they get restructured. Perhaps the two elder statesmen are released. Either way, the Chiefs could sorely use the salary cap relief to shore up other areas of the defense.They also have the draft in April Steven Nelson Jersey , and a first-round pick for the first time in two years, though they spent nearly all their picks on defense last season, with modest returns.“This is a process. There are no quick fixes. There is no magic wand,” Spagnuolo said. “One person does not assure success, but we’ll do everything to put something together.”Spagnuolo acknowledged in an interview Wednesday the lure of the Chiefs, who are well-positioned to chase championships for years. They have one of the most stable ownerships in the NFL, a highly respected head coach in Reid, the reigning league MVP in the 23-year-old Mahomes, and plenty of high-powered talent on offense to keep pace with just about any other team.The biggest piece missing is a defense that can get off the field when it matters most.Like overtime of the AFC championship game.“You won’t touch a defensive coach in the NFL that wouldn’t want to be on a team with, A, a really good head football coach and, B, a really good quarterback,” Spagnuolo said. “It goes without saying I’m really excited to be part of an organization that has an elite quarterback, and quite frankly to work with Andy Reid again, and what he’s all about and what he’s meant to this franchise and the league as a whole is really, really special.”