KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs’ first three trips inside Green Bay’s 20 two weeks ago netted them a pair of field goals. So did their first three trips against Oakland last Sunday.

Suffice to say, Kansas City’s red-zone offense has interim coach Romeo Crennel seeing red.

There is little rhyme or reason to the Chiefs’ ability to move the ball downfield, then have everything come undone when they’re on the doorstep of scoring touchdowns. But their inability to come away with seven points instead of just three might be the biggest reason they’re playing for pride, rather than the AFC West title, when they visit Denver on Sunday.

“It’s never one guy in this business. It’s always part of a team effort,” Crennel said. “We’ve been able to get down to the red zone, we just haven’t been able to produce.”

It proved especially costly in an overtime loss to the Raiders.

Kansas City marched to the Oakland 12 late in the first quarter before a short pass completion and a pair of runs by Jackie Battle and Thomas Jones gained just 7 yards. Ryan Succop came on for what amounted to an extra-point try, though the Chiefs would have preferred that to be the case.

At least they got three points out of that trip.

Their next one was even uglier.

Kansas City had second-and-1 at the 8 when Jones was called for a false start. Now with a more substantial distance for a first down, Kyle Orton was forced to throw. His first pass was dropped by Dwayne Bowe in the end zone, and the next was intercepted by Matt Giordano, the second time in two weeks the Chiefs’ didn’t score any points on a drive inside the red zone.

Late in the third quarter, the Chiefs faced first-and-goal at the 6 and managed another field goal, leaving them in a 10-6 hole rather than a tie game.

“If we were able to get that touchdown, just a score sometimes changes the mentality on your team for that particular game. Instead of guys saying, ‘Here

we go again,’ guys say, ‘OK, we made it happen,’” Crennel said. “Getting down there is encouraging, so now what we have to do is refine some things so we can get points on the board rather than coming away with nothing.”

It’s unlikely the Chiefs will solve their red-zone woes before facing Denver on Sunday. After all, it’s hard to figure out exactly who or what is to blame.

Besides, the problems have existed all season.

Kansas City has scored a touchdown on red-zone trips just 33 percent of the time; the league-leading Jets have doubled that rate. By comparison, the Chiefs scored touchdowns on 59.62 percent of their trips last year, when they went 10-6 and won the division.

Inexplicably, the Chiefs are even worse at home, where they don’t have to deal with hostile crowd noise. They’ve scored TDs on only 23.81 percent of their red-zone trips at Arrowhead Stadium.

Going deeper inside the numbers, Kansas City ranks 25th in the league in red-zone attempts at 2.4 per game. That’s roughly half the number of trips of the league-leading Saints.

No wonder the Chiefs’ are 31st in the league in scoring.

“We’ve done a lot of good things,” Orton said, “but we have a lot to improve on.”

It’s easy to blame the play-calling of new offensive coordinator Bill Muir, or the direction of former head coach Todd Haley, who was fired a few weeks ago. It’s also easy to blame general manager Scott Pioli for not building enough depth to deal with season-ending injuries to Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Cassel, All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles and starting tight end Tony Moeaki.

But there’s still enough blame left over for the guys actually on the field.

The Chiefs’ running game, which led the league last season, has produced only four TDs rushing all year, and one of them was by defensive back Javier Arenas out of the wildcat formation. There are 37 players in the NFL with at least four touchdowns rushing, four of them quarterbacks.

Kansas City’s ground game averages 4.02 yards per carry outside the red zone, but that mark dips to 3.0 yards once the Chiefs cross the opponents’ 20. Jones is averaging just 2.3 yards on a team-high 19 carries inside the red zone, well below his career mark of 4.0.

The struggles aren’t limited to the running game.

Orton is completing 47.2 percent of his passes inside the red zone. Bowe has only seven catches for 49 yards and three scores after piling up an NFL-best 15 touchdown catches last season, and free-agent acquisition Steve Breaston has four catches for 30 yards in prime scoring territory.

“Guys have to look in the mirror and know they’re giving their best effort,” Crennel said. “Like I said, it’s never one guy. It’s not always players. Coaches have to do some things better, put guys in better position, better technique. All those things come into play.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs’ first three trips inside Green Bay’s 20-yard line two weeks ago netted them a pair of field goals. So did their first three trips against Oakland last Sunday.Suffice to say, Kansas City’s red zone offense has interim coach Romeo Crennel seeing red.There is little rhyme or reason to the Chiefs’ ability to move the ball downfield, then have everything come undone when they’re on the doorstep of scoring touchdowns. But their inability to come away with seven points instead of just three might be the biggest reason they’re playing for pride, rather than an AFC West title, when they visit Denver on Sunday.”It’s never one guy in this business. It’s always part of a team effort,” Crennel said. “We’ve been able to get down to the red zone, we just haven’t been able to produce.”It proved especially costly in an overtime loss to the Raiders.Kansas City marched to the Oakland 12 late in the first quarter before a short pass completion and a pair of runs by Jackie Battle and Thomas Jones gained just 7 yards. Ryan Succop came on for what amounted to an extra-point try, though the Chiefs would have preferred that to be the case.At least they got three points out of that trip.Their next one was even uglier.Kansas City had second-and-1 at the Raiders 8 when Jones was called for a false start. Now with a more substantial distance for a first down, Kyle Orton was forced to throw. His first pass was dropped by Dwayne Bowe in the end zone, and his next was intercepted by Matt Giordano, the second time in two weeks the Chiefs’ didn’t score any points on a drive inside the red zone.Late in the third quarter, the Chiefs faced first-and-goal at the Raiders 6 and managed another field goal, leaving them in a 10-6 hole rather than a tie game.

“If we were able to get that touchdown, just a score sometimes changes the mentality on your team for that particular game. Instead of guys saying, ‘Here we go again,’ guys say, ‘OK, we made it happen,’” Crennel said. “Getting down there is encouraging, so now what we have to do is refine some things so we can get points on the board rather than coming away with nothing.”It’s unlikely the Chiefs will solve their red zone woes before facing Denver on Sunday. After all, it’s hard to figure out exactly who or what is to blame.Besides, the problems have existed all season.Kansas City has scored a touchdown on red zone trips just 33 percent of the time; the league-leading Jets have doubled that rate. By comparison, the Chiefs scored touchdowns on 59.62 percent of their trips last year, when they went 10-6 and won the division.Inexplicably, the Chiefs are even worse at home, where they don’t have to deal with hostile crowd noise. They’ve scored TDs on only 23.81 percent of their red zone trips at Arrowhead Stadium.Going deeper inside the numbers, Kansas City ranks 25th in the league in red zone attempts at 2.4 per game. That’s roughly half the number of trips of the league-leading Saints.No wonder the Chiefs’ are 31st in the league in scoring.”We’ve done a lot of good things,” Orton said, “but we have a lot to improve on.”It’s easy to blame the play-calling of new offensive coordinator Bill Muir, or the direction of former head coach Todd Haley, who was fired a few weeks ago. It’s also easy to blame general manager Scott Pioli for not building enough depth to deal with season-ending injuries to Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Cassel, All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles and starting tight end Tony Moeaki.But there’s still enough blame left over for the guys actually on the field.The Chiefs’ running game, which led the league last season, has produced only four TDs rushing all year, and one of them was by defensive back Javier Arenas out of the wildcat formation. There are 37 players in the NFL with at least four touchdowns rushing, four of them quarterbacks.Kansas City’s ground game averages 4.02 yards per carry outside the red zone, but that mark dips to 3.0 yards once the Chiefs cross the opponents’ 20. Jones is averaging just 2.3 yards on a team-high 19 carries inside the red zone, well below his career mark of 4.0 yards per attempt.The struggles aren’t limited to the running game.Orton is completing 47.2 percent of his passes inside the red zone. Bowe has only seven catches for 49 yards and three scores after piling up an NFL-best 15 touchdown catches last season, and free agent acquisition Steve Breaston has four catches for 30 yards in prime scoring territory.”Guys have to look in the mirror and know they’re giving their best effort,” Crennel said. “Like I said, it’s never one guy. It’s not always players. Coaches have to do some things better, put guys in better position, better technique. All those things come into play.”

12/29/2011

By DAVE SKRETTA

Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs’ first three trips inside Green Bay’s 20-yard line two weeks ago netted them a pair of field goals. So did their first three trips against Oakland last Sunday.

Suffice to say, Kansas City’s red zone offense has interim coach Romeo Crennel seeing red.

There is little rhyme or reason to the Chiefs’ ability to move the ball downfield, then have everything come undone when they’re on the doorstep of scoring touchdowns. But their inability to come away with seven points instead of just three might be the biggest reason they’re playing for pride, rather than an AFC West title, when they visit Denver on Sunday.

“It’s never one guy in this business. It’s always part of a team effort,” Crennel said. “We’ve been able to get down to the red zone, we just haven’t been able to produce.”

It proved especially costly in an overtime loss to the Raiders.

Kansas City marched to the Oakland 12 late in the first quarter before a short pass completion and a pair of runs by Jackie Battle and Thomas Jones gained just 7 yards. Ryan Succop came on for what amounted to an extra-point try, though the Chiefs would have preferred that to be the case.

At least they got three points out of that trip.

Their next one was even uglier.

Kansas City had second-and-1 at the Raiders 8 when Jones was called for a false start. Now with a more substantial distance for a first down, Kyle Orton was forced to throw. His first pass was dropped by Dwayne Bowe in the end zone, and his next was intercepted by Matt Giordano, the second time in two weeks the Chiefs’ didn’t score any points on a drive inside the red zone.

Late in the third quarter, the Chiefs faced first-and-goal at the Raiders 6 and managed another field goal, leaving them in a 10-6 hole rather than a tie game.

“If we were able to get that touchdown, just a score sometimes changes the mentality on your team for that particular game. Instead of guys saying, `Here we go again,’ guys say, `OK, we made it happen,”’ Crennel said. “Getting down there is encouraging, so now what we have to do is refine some things so we can get points on the board rather than coming away with nothing.”

It’s unlikely the Chiefs will solve their red zone woes before facing Denver on Sunday. After all, it’s hard to figure out exactly who or what is to blame.

Besides, the problems have existed all season.

Kansas City has scored a touchdown on red zone trips just 33 percent of the time; the league-leading Jets have doubled that rate. By comparison, the Chiefs scored touchdowns on 59.62 percent of their trips last year, when they went 10-6 and won the division.

Inexplicably, the Chiefs are even worse at home, where they don’t have to deal with hostile crowd noise. They’ve scored TDs on only 23.81 percent of their red zone trips at Arrowhead Stadium.

Going deeper inside the numbers, Kansas City ranks 25th in the league in red zone attempts at 2.4 per game. That’s roughly half the number of trips of the league-leading Saints.

No wonder the Chiefs’ are 31st in the league in scoring.

“We’ve done a lot of good things,” Orton said, “but we have a lot to improve on.”

It’s easy to blame the play-calling of new offensive coordinator Bill Muir, or the direction of former head coach Todd Haley, who was fired a few weeks ago. It’s also easy to blame general manager Scott Pioli for not building enough depth to deal with season-ending injuries to Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Cassel, All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles and starting tight end Tony Moeaki.

But there’s still enough blame left over for the guys actually on the field.

The Chiefs’ running game, which led the league last season, has produced only four TDs rushing all year, and one of them was by defensive back Javier Arenas out of the wildcat formation. There are 37 players in the NFL with at least four touchdowns rushing, four of them quarterbacks.

Kansas City’s ground game averages 4.02 yards per carry outside the red zone, but that mark dips to 3.0 yards once the Chiefs cross the opponents’ 20. Jones is averaging just 2.3 yards on a team-high 19 carries inside the red zone, well below his career mark of 4.0 yards per attempt. The struggles aren’t limited to the running game.

Orton is completing 47.2 percent of his passes inside the red zone. Bowe has only seven catches for 49 yards and three scores after piling up an NFL-best 15 touchdown catches last season, and free agent acquisition Steve Breaston has four catches for 30 yards in prime scoring territory.

“Guys have to look in the mirror and know they’re giving their best effort,” Crennel said. “Like I said, it’s never one guy. It’s not always players. Coaches have to do some things better, put guys in better position, better technique. All those things come into play.”

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Here we go. Just a day before the Oakland Raiders face the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. I have a feeling this game should have a warning that reads, “People with heart problems should not ride.” This will more than likely be a high scoring game and come down to a battle between the quarterbacks, and the Raiders’ defense will need to force the Chiefs into turnovers in addition to holding their penalties to a minimum.

As always, we don’t have a crystal ball to look into and see just exactly what will happen, and anything can happen. But what we can do is compare the two quarterbacks, Carson Palmer and Kyle Orton to get an idea of the possibilities in the Christmas Eve game.

Their previous match up in Oakland should be thrown out the window. Palmer had just arrived into town, and probably shouldn’t have even entered the equation. Orton was playing for the Denver Broncos when Tebow Mania hit and he was booted out.

The Raiders have faced Orton with Denver many times, and in this match up the Chiefs new quarterback is just 1-3 against Oakland. He’s barely over 50% in pass completions. One concerning fact is that Orton has thrown seven interceptions to Palmer’s 13 in 2011; however, three of those came in the infamous game against the Chiefs when he clearly wasn’t ready. Palmer is credited with ten touchdowns this year, compared to Orton’s eight.

Orton clearly went into Green Bay last week and had one of the best performances of his career, completing slightly over 74% of his passes, and threw no interceptions. But there’s a reason Bronco fans were crying for Tebow. Orton contributed to Denver’s four out of five game losses at the start of the season, leaving them with a record of 1-4 at the end of week five.

The last time Palmer faced the Chiefs with the Bengals, he led his team to victory, scoring two touchdowns and completing 17-for-25 passes back on December 27, 2009.

For both quarterbacks, consistency is an issue. There is no question that Orton did a great job against the Packers, but will he have two good performances in a row? I don’t think so.

This is a must win for both teams, but it’s time for the Raiders to show up and play up to the potential we know they’ve got and give the Raider Nation a Christmas present we would most like to have.

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett . Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter or on Twitter @kcdermody.

More from this contributor:

Fan’s Look at the Heated Rivalry Between the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs

A Fan’s Favorite Sports Memory of 2011: Raiders Beat Texans in Honor of Al Davis

Oakland Raiders’ Punter Shane Lechler Named to All-Fundamentals Team: Fan Reaction

Oakland Raiders’ Kicker Sebastian Janikowski Named Special Teams Player of the Week: Fan Reaction

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CHICAGO (AP)—Tyler Palko(notes) wasn’t enjoying it, either.

He was racking up the interceptions at an alarming rate after replacing the
injured Matt Cassel(notes) and watched as the Kansas City Chiefs brought in Kyle Orton(notes),
so this certainly had to feel better.

Yes, he got yanked from the game on Sunday. He also made a case to save his
job.

Palko shook off two miserable starts and threw for 157 yards and a touchdown
even though he briefly got lifted for Kyle Orton, and the Chiefs beat Chicago
10-3 Sunday on a day when the Bears lost Matt Forte(notes) to a sprained right knee.

“I’ve been around football a long time, and you know that there’s a lot of
ups and downs that go with it,” Palko said. “When you’re a quarterback and
you’re responsible for those turnovers those first two games and the defense is
playing so well, it stings. It stings deep down in your gut. You’re not trying
to throw interceptions. You’re not trying to put your team in a bad position,
and it stings. You’ve got to live with that for the whole week.”

This will sit better with him.

Palko completed 17 of 30 passes without an interception after getting picked
off three times in his first two starts following Matt Cassel’s season-ending
hand injury, and the Chiefs snapped their four-game losing streak.

Orton took just one snap at the start of the second quarter and left the
game with an injured right index finger.

Coach Todd Haley didn’t have an update on the injury after the game.

Palko connected with Dexter McCluster(notes) on a wild 38-yard pass to end the
first half on a ball that got deflected by Brian Urlacher(notes) and Chris Conte(notes),
giving the Chiefs a 7-3 lead and their first touchdown in three games.

Kansas City (5-7) got a 21-yard field goal from Ryan Succop(notes) in the third
quarter to make it a seven-point game, and Jon McGraw(notes) intercepted struggling
backup Caleb Hanie(notes) in the end zone in the fourth.

The Chiefs also recorded seven sacks—three by Justin Houston(notes)—and
intercepted Hanie three times.

The Bears (7-5) dropped their second straight after winning five in a row,
but the biggest loss Sunday came in the first quarter.

Forte took a hit to the right knee from Derrick Johnson on a run for no gain
deep in Chicago territory with 6 minutes left in the period, another big blow
for a team contending in the NFC.

Quarterback Jay Cutler(notes) was already out indefinitely after breaking his right
thumb against San Diego on Nov. 20, and now Chicago might have to make do
without the league’s third-leading rusher.

“It’s not a good feeling when you see your star tailback go down with a
knee injury,” coach Lovie Smith said. “Part of the game. We’ll just keep our
fingers crossed and hopefully it’s not that serious.”

In the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, Forte has been one of
the Bears’ most valuable players. He has also been durable during his career,
starting all 60 games since he entered the league in 2008, but that run could be
in jeopardy.

Forte stayed on the ground while being examined by medical personnel and
walked to the sideline under his own power afterward. He remained there for
several minutes before heading to the locker room.

Orton, a former Bear, didn’t last long in this one.

On his first play since he was claimed off waivers from Denver, he was hit
in the hand by Major Wright(notes) as he tossed an incomplete pass.

Palko came back in and was good enough for the Chiefs this week..

Hanie struggled again for the Bears, completing 11 of 24 passes with a 23.8
rating in his second start for Cutler. Besides getting sacked seven times
against a team that came in with just 13, he threw three interceptions for the
second straight week, and whatever chance the Bears had, basically disappeared
when he got picked off in the end zone with just over four minutes left on a
ball that hit off several defenders after Roy Williams juggled it.

“Don’t blame one guy for this loss,” Smith said. “We all had a big say in
what happened today.”

Notes: Besides Forte, the Bears also lost Wright to a shoulder injury. …
The Bears visit Denver this week in the last of four straight games against AFC
West opponents. … Chiefs safety Kendrick Lewis(notes) injured a knee in the first
half.

CHICAGO (AP/KCTV) -

A Hail Mary pass from Chiefs quarterback Tyler Palko to wide receiver Dexter McCluster let Kansas City take a 7-3 halftime lead.

The team never looked back and won 10-3.

Palko got yanked from the game – and possibly saved his job.

Palko shook off two miserable starts and threw for 157 yards and a touchdown even though he briefly got lifted for Kyle Orton, and the Kansas City Chiefs beat Chicago 10-3 Sunday on a day when the Bears lost Matt Forte to a right knee injury.

Orton came on to start the second quarter and immediately left the game after injuring a finger on his right hand. Reports were he dislocated a finger on his throwing hand.

Palko then came in and tossed a Hail Mary pass just before halftime. Palko connected with Dexter McCluster on the wild 38-yard pass to end the first half on a ball that got deflected by Brian Urlacher and Chris Conte, giving the Chiefs a 7-3 lead and their first touchdown in three games.

Kansas City (5-7) got a 21-yard field goal from Ryan Succop in the third quarter to make it a seven-point game, and Jon McGraw intercepted struggling backup Caleb Hanie in the end zone in the fourth.

The Chiefs also recorded seven sacks – three by Justin Houston – and intercepted Hanie three times while snapping a four-game losing streak.

The Bears dropped their second straight after winning five in a row, but the biggest loss Sunday came in the first quarter.

Forte took a hit to the right knee from Derrick Johnson on a run for no gain deep in Chicago territory, another big blow for a team contending in the NFC.

Quarterback Jay Cutler was already out indefinitely after breaking his right thumb against San Diego on Nov. 20, and now, they might have to make do without the league’s third-leading rusher.

In the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, Forte has been one of the Bears’ most valuable players. He has also been durable during his career, starting all 60 games since he entered the league in 2008, but that run could be in jeopardy.

Forte stayed on the ground while being tended to by medical personnel and walked to the sideline on his own power after that hit to the knee. He remained there for several minutes before heading to the locker room.

Orton, a former Bear, didn’t last long in this one.

On his first play since he was claimed off waivers from Denver, he was hit in the hand by Major Wright as he tossed an incomplete pass.

Palko immediately came back in and wound up completing 17 of 30 passes without an interception. It was a big improvement for a quarterback who got picked off three times in each of his first two starts after Matt Cassel suffered a season-ending hand injury.

Hanie was 11 of 24 in his second start for Cutler. He had completed four straight passes to put the ball on the Chicago 13 after connecting on just one in the second half before that when Roy Williams juggled a throw. The ball hit off several defenders before a diving McGraw picked it off in the end zone with just over 4 minutes left.

The Chiefs got all the points they needed at the end of the first half.

With 2 seconds left, Palko heaved the ball to the end zone, and in one dramatic sequence, the Chiefs got their first touchdown since the third quarter against Denver on Nov. 13.

A leaping Urlacher got both hands on the ball, but Conte went up over the top of him and knocked it to McCluster, sending the Chiefs to the locker room with the lead.

Besides Forte, the Bears also lost safety Major Wright to a shoulder injury. Chiefs safety Kendrick Lewis injured a knee in the first half.

Neither Chiefs Coach Todd Haley nor Orton would discuss Orton’s injury after the game.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press and KCTV5. All rights reserved.

Even though he spent just three relatively unremarkable seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, Chester McGlockton was still a part of the Chiefs family. The former defensive lineman passed away early in the morning Nov. 30. He was only 42 and serving as a defensive assistant at Stanford.

McGlockton was a big, big man. He was 6’3″ but tipped the scales at a massive 334 pounds as a defensive tackle and defensive end. He spent 12 years in the NFL from 1992 to 2003. Half of his career was with the Oakland Raiders before coming over the Chiefs in 1998 for three years before finishing out his career with the Denver Broncos and New York Jets.

When he was in Kansas City, McGlockton had seven sacks, an interception and two forced fumbles to go along with 87 solo tackles. He made the Pro Bowl four seasons, all with the Raiders. His best year was 1994 when he recorded 9 ½ sacks. He had one touchdown in his career, a fumble return in 2002 when he played for the Broncos.

McGlockton wasn’t as well known as another defensive player on the Chiefs that played with him. The giant was a teammate of linebacker Derrick Thomas for two years from 1998 to 1999. Both players were key members of the defense that anchored Kansas City’s tough teams of the era.

As compared to his years in Oakland, McGlockton was still in his prime by the time he got to the Midwest. When he got to Kansas City, he was an important focus of offensive lineman. When the opposition keyed in on McGlockton, it freed up space for Thomas to move in on quarterbacks. The big man suffered injuries throughout his 2001 and 2002 seasons, according to Sports Illustrated.

The Chiefs website states McGlockton supposedly went over to the Chiefs’ sideline during a 30-0 rout at the hands of the Raiders. The purpose of the visit was to ask then-head coach Marty Schottenheimer to sign him after the end of the year. The team made good on his promise after McGlockton was feuding with team owner Al Davis of Oakland.

McGlockton’s presence on the Stanford sideline will be missed. The Cardinal came up just short as they bid for the inaugural Pac-12 championship game. The team has yet to find out its bowl destination but will certainly be invited to a BCS bowl game later in the season.

William Browning is a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs after latching on to the team during the lean years of St. Louis football. Born in the gateway city, he is also a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan. He currently resides in Branson, Mo.

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KANSAS CITY — Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t remember a whole lot about the last time the Pittsburgh Steelers played the Kansas City Chiefs.The Steelers’ quarterback sustained a concussion when his head banged into the knee of Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson as he leaned headfirst during a running play in overtime. He came back to play some of his best games of the 2009 season afterward, twice throwing for three touchdowns without an interception and leading Pittsburgh to a second-place finish in the AFC North.It certainly wasn’t the first time Big Ben was banged up.There have been numerous concussions, several knee injuries, and a fractured thumb sustained a few weeks ago against Cincinnati. Roethlisberger plans to play tonight against Kansas City, even though he admitted it’ll be painful, and that’s dreadful news to the Chiefs.The truth is that Roethlisberger seems to play better when he’s ailing.“He’s an extremely intense competitor,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said, “and I think adversity such as that brings that out of him. I think it’s a characteristic that all good competitors have.”Pittsburgh had last week off, giving Roethlisberger time to heal. But the thumb still bothered him in practice this week, and he didn’t take snaps under center early in the week, working out of the shotgun with a splint under his glove to protect it.It’s unclear how Pittsburgh might alter its playbook in light of the injury, although it won’t be the first time there have been subtle tweaks. The team worked out of the shotgun and pistol last year against Baltimore to take some of the pressure off Roethlisberger’s sprained foot.“I’ll be out there; I guarantee that,” Roethlisberger said. “It won’t be an issue that way. Will it be an issue with pain and throwing? I don’t know.”Roethlisberger said he doesn’t plan to take an injection to numb the pain. Instead, he’ll simply play right through it, something he’s done with tremendous success at other times in his career.“For me the reason I want to play is for my guys,” he said. “When you’re dinged up a little bit, you have to play a little better, concentrate a little bit more.”It would take a lot more than a banged up thumb to keep Roethlisberger out this week. The Steelers (7-3) are a half-game behind Baltimore (8-3) in the tough AFC North with Cincinnati just a game back heading into this week’s games. They have a good opportunity to pick up a win on the road against the Chiefs (4-6), who have lost three straight and been ravaged by injuries all season.The latest occurred two weeks ago, when quarterback Matt Cassel hurt his throwing hand late in a loss to Denver. Any hope that he’d be able to return this season vanished the very next day when he had season-ending surgery, turning the reins of an offense already missing tight end Tony Moeaki and All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles to a journeyman quarterback in Tyler Palko.Palko appeared comfortable despite throwing three interceptions in a 34-3 loss last week at New England, which earned him another start today. After that is anyone’s guess.The Chiefs picked up Kyle Orton off waivers from the Broncos on Wednesday, but he couldn’t make it to Kansas City until Friday. That meant there was virtually no chance he could get up to speed in time to play against the Steelers. With a tough stretch coming up, the Chiefs were willing to pay the roughly $2.6 million Orton is still owed to potentially play in just five games.“We have consistently communicated that we are always looking to create competition and depth within our team,” Chiefs coach Todd Haley said. “We feel adding Kyle to our roster reinforces that goal, and we look forward to having him as a member of the Chiefs.”For as long as it may be. Orton is a free agent after this season.In the meantime, Palko is preparing to make the second start of his professional career against a team that has made a habit of competing for Super Bowls. The son of a high school coach in western Pennsylvania said he’s undaunted by the challenge, especially after making his debut in a high-profile game on Monday night at New England a week ago.“I was surprisingly calm throughout the whole game,” Palko said.Playing the Steelers is especially meaningful for Palko because he grew up watching the Steelers and even played at Heinz Field while he was leading the University of Pittsburgh.The fact Kansas City could turn around its season with a victory — the Chiefs are two games behind AFC West-leading Oakland — only adds to the pressure. Another loss with a tough stretch looming would almost certainly eliminate Haley’s crew from playoff contention.“I’m fired up,” Palko said. “It was fun growing up in Pittsburgh, seeing the Steelers, the black and gold, understanding the tradition. It’s exciting and I’m looking forward to it.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

New England Patriots offensive lineman Logan Mankins has been fined $7,500 for a late hit against the Kansas City Chief’s during New England’s victory on Monday night, according to multiple reports citing a league spokesperson.

Mankins was flagged for unnecessary roughness when he pushed Kansas City defensive end Amon Gordon after a fourth quarter play. The penalty was declined by the Chiefs, who chose to accept an illegal motion penalty on the play instead, wiping out a touchdown Aaron Hernandez caught from Tom Brady.

Two plays later, Bill Belichick opted for a very Belichickian move, going for a fourth down and goal from the Chiefs four yard line despite being ahead by 24 points late in the fourth quarter. Rookie Shane Vereen followed his blockers into the end zone for the first touchdown of his career, after which Belichick may or may not have been spotted flipping his middle finger at the Kansas City sideline.

– For more Patriots coverage, visit our team page, or our blog Pats Pulpit.

By DAVE SKRETTA

AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t remember a whole lot about the last time the Pittsburgh Steelers played the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Steelers’ quarterback sustained a concussion when his head banged into the knee of Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson as he leaned headfirst during a running play in overtime. He came back to play some of his best games of the 2009 season afterward, twice throwing for three touchdowns without an interception and leading Pittsburgh to a second-place finish in the AFC East.

It certainly wasn’t the first time Big Ben was banged up. 

There have been numerous concussions, several knee injuries, and a fractured thumb sustained a few weeks ago against Cincinnati.  Roethlisberger plans to play Sunday night against Kansas City, even though he admitted it’ll be painful, and that’s dreadful news to the Chiefs.

The truth is that Roethlisberger seems to play better when he’s ailing.

“He’s an extremely intense competitor,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said, “and I think adversity such as that brings that out of him. I think it’s a characteristic that all good competitors have.”

Pittsburgh had last week off, giving Roethlisberger time to heal. But the thumb still bothered him in practice this week, and he didn’t take snaps under center early in the week, working out of the shotgun with a splint under his glove to protect it. 

It’s unclear how Pittsburgh might alter its playbook in light of the injury, though it won’t be the first time there have been subtle tweaks. The team worked out of the shotgun and pistol last year against Baltimore to take some of the pressure off Roethlisberger’s sprained foot.

“I’ll be out there, I guarantee that,” Roethlisberger said.  “It won’t be an issue that way. Will it be an issue with pain and throwing? I don’t know.”

Roethlisberger said he doesn’t plan to take an injection to numb the pain. Instead, he’ll simply play right through it, something he’s done with tremendous success at other times in his career.

“For me the reason I want to play is for my guys,” he said.  “When you’re dinged up a little bit, you have to play a little better, concentrate a little bit more.”

It would take a lot more than a banged up thumb to keep Roethlisberger out this week. The Steelers (7-3) are a half-game behind Baltimore (8-3) in the tough AFC North, with Cincinnati just a game back, heading into this week’s games. They have a good opportunity to pick up a win on the road against the Chiefs (4-6), who have lost three straight and been ravaged by injuries all season.

The latest occurred two weeks ago, when quarterback Matt Cassel hurt his throwing hand late in a loss to Denver. Any hope that he’d be able to return this season vanished the very next day when he had season-ending surgery, turning the reins of an offense already missing tight end Tony Moeaki and All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles to a journeyman quarterback in Tyler Palko.

Palko appeared comfortable despite throwing three interceptions in a 34-3 loss last week at New England, which earned him another start Sunday. After that is anyone’s guess.

The Chiefs picked up Kyle Orton off waivers from the Broncos on Wednesday, but he couldn’t make it to Kansas City until Friday.  That meant there was virtually no chance he could get up to speed in time to play against the Steelers. With a tough stretch coming up, though, the Chiefs were willing to pay the roughly $2.6 million Orton is still owed to potentially play in just five games.

“We have consistently communicated that we are always looking to create competition and depth within our team,” Chiefs coach Todd Haley said. “We feel adding Kyle to our roster reinforces that goal and we look forward to having him as a member of the Chiefs.”

For as long as it may be. Orton is a free agent after this season.

In the meantime, Palko is preparing to make the second start of his professional career against a team that has made a habit of competing for Super Bowls. The son of a high school coach in western Pennsylvania said he’s undaunted by the challenge, especially after making his debut in a high-profile game on Monday night at New England a week ago.

“I was surprisingly calm throughout the whole game,” Palko said.

Playing the Steelers is especially meaningful for Palko because he grew up watching the Steelers, and even played at Heinz Field while he was leading the University of Pittsburgh.

The fact Kansas City could turn around its season with a victory — the Chiefs are two games behind AFC West-leading Oakland — only adds to the pressure. Another loss with a tough stretch looming would almost certainly eliminate Haley’s crew from playoff contention.

“I’m fired up,” Palko said. “It was fun growing up in Pittsburgh, seeing the Steelers, the black and gold, understanding the tradition. It’s exciting and I’m looking forward to it.”

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t remember a whole lot about the last time the Pittsburgh Steelers played the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Steelers’ quarterback sustained a concussion when his head banged into the knee of Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson as he leaned headfirst during a running play in overtime. He came back to play some of his best games of the 2009 season afterward, twice throwing for three touchdowns without an interception and leading Pittsburgh to a second-place finish in the AFC East.

It certainly wasn’t the first time Big Ben was banged up.

There have been numerous concussions, several knee injuries, and a fractured thumb sustained a few weeks ago against Cincinnati. Roethlisberger plans to play Sunday night against Kansas City, even though he admitted it’ll be painful, and that’s dreadful news to the Chiefs.

The truth is that Roethlisberger seems to play better when he’s ailing.

“He’s an extremely intense competitor,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said, “and I think adversity such as that brings that out of him. I think it’s a characteristic that all good competitors have.”

Pittsburgh had last week off, giving Roethlisberger time to heal. But the thumb still bothered him in practice this week, and he didn’t take snaps under centre early in the week, working out of the shotgun with a splint under his glove to protect it.

It’s unclear how Pittsburgh might alter its playbook in light of the injury, though it won’t be the first time there have been subtle tweaks. The team worked out of the shotgun and pistol last year against Baltimore to take some of the pressure off Roethlisberger’s sprained foot.

“I’ll be out there, I guarantee that,” Roethlisberger said. “It won’t be an issue that way. Will it be an issue with pain and throwing? I don’t know.”

Roethlisberger said he doesn’t plan to take an injection to numb the pain. Instead, he’ll simply play right through it, something he’s done with tremendous success at other times in his career.

“For me the reason I want to play is for my guys,” he said. “When you’re dinged up a little bit, you have to play a little better, concentrate a little bit more.”

It would take a lot more than a banged up thumb to keep Roethlisberger out this week. The Steelers (7-3) are a half-game behind Baltimore (8-3) in the tough AFC North, with Cincinnati just a game back, heading into this week’s games. They have a good opportunity to pick up a win on the road against the Chiefs (4-6), who have lost three straight and been ravaged by injuries all season.

The latest occurred two weeks ago, when quarterback Matt Cassel hurt his throwing hand late in a loss to Denver. Any hope that he’d be able to return this season vanished the very next day when he had season-ending surgery, turning the reins of an offence already missing tight end Tony Moeaki and All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles to a journeyman quarterback in Tyler Palko.

Palko appeared comfortable despite throwing three interceptions in a 34-3 loss last week at New England, which earned him another start Sunday. After that is anyone’s guess.

The Chiefs picked up Kyle Orton off waivers from the Broncos on Wednesday, but he couldn’t make it to Kansas City until Friday. That meant there was virtually no chance he could get up to speed in time to play against the Steelers. With a tough stretch coming up, though, the Chiefs were willing to pay the roughly $2.6 million Orton is still owed to potentially play in just five games.

“We have consistently communicated that we are always looking to create competition and depth within our team,” Chiefs coach Todd Haley said. “We feel adding Kyle to our roster reinforces that goal and we look forward to having him as a member of the Chiefs.”

For as long as it may be. Orton is a free agent after this season.

In the meantime, Palko is preparing to make the second start of his professional career against a team that has made a habit of competing for Super Bowls. The son of a high school coach in western Pennsylvania said he’s undaunted by the challenge, especially after making his debut in a high-profile game on Monday night at New England a week ago.

“I was surprisingly calm throughout the whole game,” Palko said.

Playing the Steelers is especially meaningful for Palko because he grew up watching the Steelers, and even played at Heinz Field while he was leading the University of Pittsburgh.

The fact Kansas City could turn around its season with a victory — the Chiefs are two games behind AFC West-leading Oakland — only adds to the pressure. Another loss with a tough stretch looming would almost certainly eliminate Haley’s crew from playoff contention.

“I’m fired up,” Palko said. “It was fun growing up in Pittsburgh, seeing the Steelers, the black and gold, understanding the tradition. It’s exciting and I’m looking forward to it.”

Read More: Kyle Orton (QB – DEN), Tyler Palko (QB – KAN), Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos

One day after the Denver Broncos released Kyle Orton, the waiver process is in full swing for the rest of the league to pick up the quarterback. It appears that the Kansas City Chiefs are thinking about putting in a waiver claim for him, reports NFL.com’s Steve Wyche.

Orton would really just be a six-week rental for the Chiefs, who would pay the remainder of his contract. He would allow the team to sit Tyler Palko and keep rookie Ricky Stanzi in a development role rather than as a backup. Palko did throw three interceptions in his debut as a starter in the NFL, but he was able to throw for over 230 yards. He’s certainly not going to win the AFC West for the Chiefs, though.

But then, Orton likely isn’t going to do that either. Of course, it’s a possibility that Orton could get a breath of fresh air in his career by joining the Chiefs, but I doubt we’ll hear head coach Todd Haley proclaim Orton as the guy who gives the team the best chance to win if he gets the quarterback.

For more news and notes around the league, check out SB Nation NFL.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Chiefs will lean on a journeyman quarterback, a running back who’s spent most of his career on special teams and a tight end who has a hard time catching when the play at New England on Monday night.

Not exactly what general manager Scott Pioli had in mind when he put this team together.

The Chiefs have been decimated by injuries this season, particularly on offence, where quarterback Matt Cassel, running back Jamaal Charles and tight end Tony Moeaki have gone down with what are likely to be season-ending injuries.

Tyler Palko will be under centre against the Patriots, making his first career start. He’ll hand off to Jackie Battle, a special teams standout thrust into the role of the feature back. And if the Chiefs’ struggling offensive line gives Palko enough time to throw, his best option off the line of scrimmage is Leonard Pope, who has all of 16 catches for 115 yards this season.

No wonder the Kansas City offence is among the worst in the NFL.

Coach Todd Haley maintains confidence that this hodgepodge collection of backups can keep the defending AFC West champions in contention. The Chiefs (4-5) are in a three-way tie behind the Oakland Raiders (5-4) in a division lacking any true favourite.

“Obviously last week’s result was disappointing,” Haley said of a 17-10 home loss to Denver. “We’ve learned from it and we’re continuing to work hard to be a better team, to play better, to be more consistent, and that has to start this Monday against New England.”

Much of the spotlight will be on Palko, who has thrown 13 passes in his NFL career. But he’s only the trigger-man for an offence that hasn’t done much.

Kansas City ranks 27th in the league in total offence, and Cassel had the passing offence ranked 28th before he went down with an injury to his throwing hand against the Broncos. Cassel had surgery late Monday and is likely out for the season.

The Chiefs’ rushing offence, the league’s best a year ago, has struggled without the game-breaking Charles in the backfield. Kansas City has three rushing touchdowns, better only than the Browns.

The Chiefs have given up 22 sacks, nine of them coming the past two weeks — by comparison, Buffalo has allowed 10 sacks the entire season. Wide receiver Jon Baldwin, the team’s first-round draft pick, has eight catches for 123 yards in his injury-shortened debut — by comparison, fifth-round draft pick Denarius Moore of Oakland has 23 catches for 396 yards.

The result is an offence that has scored just 141 points, 27th among the 32 NFL teams.

“The last time we played the Kansas City Chiefs was in 2008, opening day, and where that team was then to where it is now, they’re a much, much better football team,” New England coach Bill Belichik said. “They’re sound, they’re tough, they have a lot of explosive players on both sides of the ball, and they have a lot of schemes that are hard to prepare for.”

The complexity of those schemes may be dialed back a bit without Cassel at quarterback.

Haley said he is confident that Palko will be ready to go, especially given an extra day of preparation. Like Cassel, Palko is a drop-back passer who does many of the same things, the most significant difference being that he’s left handed.

“Some things are going to change,” Haley said, when asked how the game plan might be altered. “I don’t think we can dramatically make a whole bunch of adjustments, other than little tweaks here and there.”

That’s not to say wholesale changes would be a bad idea.

The Chiefs only managed a field goal against the then-winless Dolphins two weeks ago, a home loss that came on the heels of a confidence-boosting Monday night win over San Diego. Then came last weekend’s humbling loss to Denver, one in which the Chiefs gained 258 yards of total offence.

If it wasn’t for Palko leading the 2-minute offence to a field goal in the closing seconds, that total would have been even more meagre.

Now, the Chiefs will go against a defence that is ranked last in the league against the pass but still managed to shut down the Jets on Sunday.

“The guys on the team are expecting me to execute and go out and do my job,” Palko said, “and have nothing change from when Matt’s gone down and me stepping in

“Coach Belichick, he’s proven that he’s a defensive genius and I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Palko added. “I’m sure he’s not feeling sorry for himself because he’s got some guys out. He’s got an untested quarterback and I’m sure he’s not going to take it easy on me.”