KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs fired coach Todd Haley on Monday, less than a year after he led the team to the AFC West title, and appointed Romeo Crennel the interim coach.

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Todd Haley with the Cardinals

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The injury-ravaged Chiefs dropped to 5-8 after Sunday’s 37-10 loss the New York Jets in which they committed 11 penalties for 128 yards, including a 15-yarder on Haley for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“This was a difficult decision but one that we feel is best for the future of the Chiefs,” Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a statement. “Although there have been bright spots at different points this season, we have not made meaningful progress.”

Crennel, the former Cleveland Browns coach, served as Haley’s defensive coordinator. The Chiefs have called an afternoon news conference in which he’s expected to be available.

“We felt that it was necessary to make a change,” Hunt said. “We appreciate Todd’s contributions during his time with the club, and we wish him well in the future.”

There have been rumblings about Haley’s job status ever since training camp, when the NFL lockout caused him to take an unorthodox approach. Rather than going full speed throughout camp, Haley opted instead to spend the majority of the time on conditioning and strength training.

He hoped that would cut down on the risk of injuries given an abbreviated offseason.

Instead, the Chiefs lost starting linebacker Brandon Siler to a torn Achilles in camp, and tight end Tony Moeaki went down with a torn knee ligament in their preseason finale. Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry sustained the same injury in Week 1 against Buffalo, and All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles tore a ligament in his knee the following week at Detroit.

After three lopsided losses to start the season, Kansas City managed to rattle off four straight wins and pull into a tie atop the division. Haley was being applauded for keeping the team together despite such adversity, and there was a happy-go-lucky attitude at the practice facility.

That all changed when the Chiefs lost to previously winless Miami at home, the start of a dismal stretch in which they dropped four straight and five of their last six. Along the way, quarterback Matt Cassel broke his right hand and landed on injured reserve, and the lack of depth behind him forced Haley to start journeyman Tyler Palko the past four games.

Kansas City has managed only two touchdowns with Palko under center.

Besides the dismal performance on the field, it was not a secret within the walls of the team’s practice facility that there was friction between Haley and Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli.

Pioli said several weeks ago that he values consistency within an organization, and the former Patriots executive has used the Pittsburgh Steelers as the blueprint for rebuilding the Chiefs. But the decision to part with Haley is just the second in-season firing of a head coach in franchise history — Paul Wiggins was fired after seven games during the 1977 season.

“We believe change is important at this time,” Pioli said in a statement.

Haley leaves with a 19-27 record in nearly three years at his first NFL head coaching job. The Chiefs won the AFC West last season with a 10-6 record.

Previously, he was the offensive coordinator for Arizona when the Cardinals won the NFC title in 2008. He also was an assistant coach with Dallas, Chicago and the New York Jets.

Haley is the second coach fired this season; Jack Del Rio was dismissed by the Jacksonville Jaguars late last month.

“Todd helped this team in many valuable ways over the past three seasons, and I am thankful for his contributions,” Pioli said. “Unfortunately, we have not been able to establish the kind of consistency we need to continue building a strong foundation for the future.”

Read More: Tamba Hali (LB – KAN), Justin Houston (LB – KAN), New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs

The New York Jets are probably well aware that both sides of their offensive line will be tested today against the Kansas City Chiefs. That’s something that could not have been said much earlier in the year, when only Tamba Hali represented the Chiefs’ pass rush options and Justin Houston had yet to understand what it took to succeed at the pro level. Now he’s definitely clued in.

“At a time when some rookies are wilting, Justin Houston is emerging,” writes Dan Pompei. “The Chiefs linebacker has made steady progress all season and the coaching of Gary Gibbs and Romeo Crennel is starting to pay off. Houston had three sacks—his first three of the season—last week, but he has been getting close to the quarterback in recent weeks, so Kansas City coaches were not surprised by the third round pick’s breakout game in Chicago.”

The Chiefs put up 7 sacks total last week on the Bears ridiculously porous front line, so they shouldn’t expect similar numbers today against the Jets, but even if Houston can help hurry Mark Sanchez in the pocket or flush him out for linebackers like Derrick Johnson, they might stand a good chance today on the road.

Read More: josh mcdaniels, todd haley, Kansas City Chiefs

Is former Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels in play for the Kansas City Chiefs should head coach Todd Haley be dismissed at the end of the season? That is the speculation right now, according to Dan Pompei of the National Football Post. The rumors crop up about this because the team’s general manager is Scott Pioli, formerly of the New England Patriots, also the home of McDaniels before he was the coach of the Broncos. Right now, McDaniels is the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams, a team without much of an offense.

The Chiefs have gone through three phases so far this season. First, there was the three-game losing streak that put Todd Haley on the hot seat. A four-game winning streak made that disappear, but since the start of November, the Chiefs have been in phase three: a 1-4 stretch that includes a four-game losing streak.

The losses of Eric Berry and Jamaal Charles at the beginning of the season, the hand injury that ended Matt Cassel’s season and the reliance on Tyler Palko as the starting quarterback have all contributed to this. While the team did beat the Chicago Bears last week, 10-3, they faced a Jay Cutler- and Matt Forte-less Bears squad.

For more on the Chiefs, check out Arrowhead Pride. Visit SB Nation NFL to stay up to date on what’s happening around the league.

Read More: Thomas Jones (RB – KAN), Steve Breaston (WR – KAN), Dwayne Bowe (WR – KAN), Tyler Palko (QB – KAN), Dexter McCluster (WR – KAN), New York Jets

Let’s take a look at exactly what the New York Jets will be facing Sunday when they meet the Kansas City Chiefs at MetLife Stadium. The Jets are 7-5, trying to stay in the AFC playoff race. The Chiefs (5-7) are having a down year, but are coming off a 10-3 victory over the Chicago Bears.

OFFENSE

The Chiefs have struggled offensively since losing quarterback Matt Cassel to injury, scoring just 22 points total in the three games in which Tyler Palko has been the quarterback. Kansas City has just one touchdown during that time. Palko, a second-year-player who had only two games of experience and no starts prior to this, has completed 64-of-102 passes (62.7 percent) for one touchdown, six interceptions and a passer rating of only 57.7.

Running back Thomas Jones spent three seasons with the Jets from 2007-09 and totaled 3,833 rushing yards with 28 touchdowns on the ground. Dexter McCluster has 425 yards rushing and 203 receiving for Kansas City. The Chiefs also have a potent pair of receivers in Dwayne Bowe (59 receptions) and Steve Breaston (48) if Palko can get the ball to them.

DEFENSE

Kansas City’s defense is led by linebacker Derrick Johnson, who has 100 tackles and two sacks so far this season. Linebacker Tamba Hali has eight sacks for the Chiefs. Cornerback Brandon Flowers has four interceptions for Kansas City.

Kansas City has been susceptible to the run, giving up 130.3 yards per game, which is 25th in the league.

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The Kansas City Chiefs take on the New York Jets Dec. 11. The game is considered a must-win for both teams as the Chiefs are still in the hunt for an AFC West title with four games left and two games behind the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos. The Jets need a victory to keep pace with the New England Patriots.

Here are five keys to victory for the Chiefs as they fight for their playoff lives.

Red Zone Defense

The Chiefs played fantastic defense in the red zone against the Chicago Bears Dec. 4. They limited Caleb Hanie and the Bears to just three points. Kansas City got an interception in the end zone after the Bears drove to the 13-yard line in the fourth quarter.

Field Position

Field position was another reason reason the Chiefs beat the Bears. Chicago started many of their drives inside their own 30. Dustin Colquitt got some good punt coverage and returner Devin Hester was contained all game long.

Sustained Drives

In what was perhaps the best drive of the 2011 season, backup-turned-starter Tyler Palko started on his own 11 early in the second half after a special teams penalty. A 15-play, 86-yard drive stalled on the three yard line and Ryan Succop kicked a field goal for a 10-3 lead. Although the Chiefs should have gotten a touchdown instead of a field goal, that one particular drive proved Kansas City can move the ball on offense.

The drive to end the second quarter was equally as impressive. The Chiefs started on their own 13 and ran 16 plays in just over four minutes. That’s the kind of offense Kansas City needs against the Jets.

Running Game

The Jets give up nearly 113 yards rushing per game. Jackie Battle and company need to take it to the Jets linebackers and run early and often. Combining a sustained drive with lots of runs to put New York on its heels quickly.

Stifle the Offense

New York is the perfect team for the Chiefs to play on the road. They only have 310 yards of offense every game. Scoring 20 points is the key for both teams. The Jets are 7-5. Three of those losses had New York score under 20 points. The Chiefs are the same way. When they score more than 20 points, Kansas City wins. Only the victory against the Bears had the Chiefs win when scoring less than 20 in a game this 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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By Eddie Maisonet

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Dec 5, 2011 – With a miraculous and somewhat lucky victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs were able to keep their slim playoff hopes alive with four games to play. At 5-7, Todd Haley’s Chiefs have their backs against the wall, but their destiny may lay in their own hands as three of the four teams ahead of them in the playoff race are on their schedule.

The Jets, Raiders and Broncos all await the wrath of the Chiefs. All are 7-5, and all are still jockeying for position in the playoff race. Conceivably, if the Chiefs could beat all three then the playoff picture could get quite murky for everyone involved. Of course, the Chiefs could potentially make their case iron-clad if they could beat the 12-0 Green Bay Packers in two weeks…

….but lets just take this one week at a time.

Here are the playoff standings for the AFC heading into week 14:

1. New England Patriots 9-3 AFC East Champ
2. Baltimore Ravens 9-3 AFC North Champ
3. Houston Texans 9-3 AFC South Champ
4. Denver Broncos 7-5 AFC West Champ
5. Pittsburgh Steelers  9-3
6. Cincinnati Bengals 7-5  Wins tie break over Titans, Raiders and Jets based on best conference win pct.

7. Tennessee Titans 7-5 Wins tie break over Raiders and Jets based on best conference win pct.
8. Oakland Raiders 7-5 Wins tie break over Jets based on best conference win pct.
9. New York Jets 7-5

11. Kansas City Chiefs 5-7

For more insights and analysis on the Chiefs, check out SB Nation blog Arrowhead Pride.

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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.

The Kansas City Chiefs had some great defense in their 10-3 victory over the Chicago Bears Dec. 4. The game was highlighted by two key injuries. First, Chicago running back Matt Forte(notes) injured his knee midway through the first quarter. Then Chiefs backup quarterback Kyle Orton(notes) was in the game for one play before hurting his finger after an incomplete pass in the second quarter.

Luckily, Tyler Palko(notes) came through and had a Hail Mary pass as time expired in the first half to give the Chiefs the deciding points over Chicago.

ESPN reports Orton dislocated his right index finger on his throwing hand as he went down after an attempted flee flicker in the second quarter. The Chiefs are paying Orton $433,000 per game as they picked up the rest of his contract for the season. He threw one pass.

Depending upon the severity of the injury, Orton could miss a few days or a few weeks. USA Today reported Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson(notes) dislocated his finger which then turned into a heavily bleeding finger.

Breaking a finger would have surely meant Orton would miss the remainder of the season with just four weeks left. Matthew Stafford(notes) of the Detroit Lions has tried playing with a broken finger with mixed results. He threw two interceptions against the Chicago Bears, two of which were returned for touchdowns.

A finger injury could hamper a quarterback’s ability to throw the ball in any circumstance. ESPN reported when Jay Cutler(notes) went down with his broken thumb, it seriously hampered the rest of the season for the Bears.

Orton’s status will largely depend upon whether or not Palko can keep performing. If Palko has a major problem, rookie Ricky Stanzi(notes) may have to step in. The Kansas City Star reports Stanzi was listed as inactive for the game against the Bears. Luckily for Kansas City, Palko was able to come through in Chicago.

The rest of the season for Kansas City depends on how their current personnel stay healthy. The defense is playing just fine. The offense is the unit that continues to struggle because of too many injuries.

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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Dexter McCluster caught a 38-yard Hail Mary from Tyler Palko at the end of the first half and the visiting Kansas City Chiefs ended a four-game losing streak with a 10-3 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.McCluster finished with 107 total yards and Ryan Succop kicked a 21-yard field goal for the Chiefs (5-7), who racked up seven sacks en route to their first win since Oct. 31.Things went from bad to worse for the Bears (7-5), who were already without quarterback Jay Cutler and lost running back Matt Forte to a right knee injury in the first half. Without Forte, who leads the league in yards from scrimmage, the Bears’ offense grew even more anemic.Caleb Hanie completed 11 of 24 passes for 133 yards with three interceptions in his second career start in place of Jay Cutler (broken thumb). The Bears went 0-for-11 on third down. Hanie also threw three interceptions in a 25-20 loss to Oakland that ended the Bears’ five-game winning streak.The Chiefs weren’t much better (6-for-20 on third down), thus allowing Chicago to hang around. Hanie drove Chicago to the Kansas City 20-yard line with just over four minutes left, but an ill-advised pass to Roy Williams bounced off several defenders and was intercepted in the end zone by John McGraw.It was one of two bounces that went Kansas City’s way.The Chiefs took a stunning 7-3 halftime lead when Palko’s prayer was answered. Chicago’s Brian Urlacher had a chance to intercept it, but teammate Chris Conte batted it out of his hands and into the lap of McCluster.Kansas City hadn’t crossed midfield prior to that 16-play, 87-yard drive. It was Palko’s first touchdown pass since taking over for Matt Cassel (broken hand) three weeks ago. The ironic part is he was only back in the game because former Bear Kyle Orton left with a dislocated index finger after throwing just one pass.Orton, who entered at the start of the second quarter, didn’t return after taking a big hit on his hand from Major Wright while attempting a flea-flicker. Orton’s injury came shortly after Forte left after taking a helmet to his right knee late in the first quarter. He walked off the field under his own power.

The Kansas City Chiefs only scored 10 points against the Chicago Bears, seven of them in the first half. It was that they needed in a hard-fought 10-3 victory over the Chicago Bears Dec. 4.

The key play was a miracle Hail Mary pass as time expired in the first half when Dexter McCluster(notes) caught a ball deflected by the Bears’ defense. The Chiefs’ defense held on after that, including getting an interception in the end zone as Chicago was looking to tie the game in the fourth quarter.

Quarterback Tyler Palko(notes) had his first good outing as he didn’t throw an interception. He only had 157 yards passing and was 17-for-30, but the Chiefs didn’t cough up the football like they normally do. The only time Kansas City made a huge mistake was touching the ball on a punt that gave the ball back to the Bears.

Chicago’s mistakes also helped Kansas City throughout the game. Chad Hanie, who was starting in place for the injured Jay Cutler(notes), was sacked seven times. The special teams missed a 41-yard field goal late in the third quarter after they got to the Kansas City seven yard line before giving up two sacks.

The Bears’ red zone offense only scored three points. The interception in the end zone occurred after the ball wasn’t caught by the Bears and deflected several times before coming down to Jon McGraw(notes).

The only touchdown of the game also could have been prevented. The defending Bears deflected the ball to McCluster who grabbed it before it touched the ground. McCluster had 61 yards rushing on nine carries, including a 32-yard run in the second half.

It wasn’t pretty, but the Chiefs got a much-needed victory. In all honesty, the win could have saved the season for Kansas City. The news wasn’t all good. The Denver Broncos got another miracle comeback when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings on the final play of the game thanks to an interception deep in Vikings territory.

Backup quarterback Kyle Orton(notes) was in the game against the Bears for one play and hurt his finger after he was thrown to the turf following an incomplete pass. Orton didn’t return and his status for any future games has yet to be determined.

Kansas City improved to 5-7 on the year, just two games behind the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders in the AFC West standings with four games left on the year. A division title is still within reach. Kansas City would need to win while needing two teams to lose at least twice between now and early January.

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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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.

The numbers and circumstances seemingly were aligned perfectly for the Chicago Bears to return to their winning ways Sunday when they hosted the Kansas City Chiefs at Soldier Field, but then came more injury trouble.

The Bears suffered a major blow when Matt Forte took a helmet to his knee on a first-quarter tackle and had to be helped off the field. He has been ruled out for the rest of the game.

The Bears already were without quarterback Jay Cutler, who underwent thumb surgery and was replaced in the lineup for the second straight week by Caleb Hanie.

Robbie Gould finally broke a scoreless tie by connecting on a 32-yard field goal with 9:44 left in the second quarter to put the Bears ahead 3-0.

An earlier fourth-down TD pass from Hanie to Marion Barber was negated by an illegal formation penalty. The nine-play scoring drive covered 32 yards

The Chiefs also had injury issues: After a scoreless first quarter, Kyle Orton started the second quarter but injured his throwing hand on the first play while throwing an incomplete flea-flicker pass and had to leave the game. His return was called questionable.

The Chiefs turned the ball over with 10:08 left in the first period when Adam Podlesh’s punt bounced off Jalil Brown and the muff was recovered by Zackary Bowman of the Bears at the K.C. 43.

But the Bears failed on a fourth-down play from the 35, and the Chiefs took over on downs.

The Bears held a 6-4 overall lead in the series with the Chiefs. And Kansas City had lost in four of its last five visits to Soldier Field.

The Bears came in with a 7-4 record Sunday and were seeded fifth in the NFC.

The Bears inactives were Cutler, Josh McCown, D.J. Moore, Jabara Williams, Ricky Henry, Andre Smith and Anthony Adams. Kansas City inactives were Ricky Stanzi, Donald Washington, Demorrio Williams, David Mims, Jake O’Connell, Brandon Bair and Jerrell Powe.

fmitchell@tribune.com

Twitter @kicker34

CHICAGO — Struggling quarterback Tyler Palko is starting for the Kansas City Chiefs against the Chicago Bears on Sunday instead of newcomer Kyle Orton.

The Chiefs were forced to turn to Palko after Matt Cassel suffered a season-ending injury to his throwing hand, and the results so far haven’t been good. Palko threw three interceptions in each of his first two starts and committed seven turnovers in all during that stretch.

Kansas City claimed Orton, the former Bear, on Nov. 23 after Denver waived him. Chicago and Dallas also put in claims, but the Chiefs got him because they have a worse record.

For the Bears, defensive tackle Anthony Adams (back) and cornerback D.J. Moore (ankle) are inactive.

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