(Kansas City, MO)  St. Joseph native Martin Rucker had two days to convince the Kansas City Chiefs’ coaching staff he belonged on the roster, and the staff ruled in favor Rucker.

“Went and took physicals, passed those, and shortly after signed the contract,” Rucker said. “And I’m as exatic as ever. It’s just really great to be home.”

The tight end out of Mizzou signs a one year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs for the NFL veteran’s minimum. He will report to  practice on May 21st wearing the Number 83. Barring any injuries or snags, Rucker will report to training camp in late July in his hometown of St. J0seph, MO.

“This summer I’m going to try and move up here to Kansas City. I still have my place in Dallas, but I’ll probably get rid of that and come up here.”

Kansas City is Rucker’s fifth NFL team since being drafted to the Cleveland Browns in 2008. He battled a severe hamstring injury in Philadelphia and a nagging back injury with Dallas and Jacksonville.  After four different teams in four years, Rucker acknowledged the Chiefs could be his last stop.

“It’s in the back of my mind, but I wouldn’t say I’m worried about it.  God has a plan for  everyone’s life and I’m just waiting for his timing and my timing to line up. “

(St. Joseph, MO) The opportunity to tryout for the Kansas City Chiefs is certainly special for T. Rucker.

“This was definitely special,” Rucker said. “Growing up 47 miles north, watching these guys every Sunday and coming to a couple games every year.”

The opportunity is special, but it could be crucial to his career. Since being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2008, the tight end’s bounced around the NFL, playing on four different teams in four years.

The 27-year old  knows the clock is ticking on his time in the NFL.

“I try to get better every place I go to. I feel that I have, but for whatever reason  it just hasn’t quite worked out. But God’s got a plan and this might be the end of the road.”

First year Chiefs’ head coach Romeo Crennel was a bridge on the road to Kansas City. The two worked together when Crennel was the head coach of  the Cleveland Browns. The former Missouri Tiger’s battled injuries in Philadelphia, Dallas, and Jacksonville, but Crennel says Rucker’s piece simply hasn’t fit the puzzle of an NFL squad.

“He made a good effort with us when he was in Cleveland, but he wasn’t able to make an impact,” Crennel said. “As this tight end position in colleges and the NFL  transition, sometimes guys kind of get caught in between. He was one of those big tight ends who was flexed out quite a bit. I think  sometimes the team you get with playing that position makes a difference.”

Rucker has two days to make the case that he belongs on the 90-man roster. Should the Chiefs offer him a contract, he would have the chance to report to training camp in his hometown of St. Joseph, MO.

“I’ve got a lot of tread, but I use it as experience. I feel real good.”

Patience. Perseverance. And a salary that doesn’t do much harm to the Kansas City Chiefs’ salary cap.

Those are three things former Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi either has or needs with the Chiefs.

Stanzi in an exhibition game last August (AP photo)

Since every team carries three quarterbacks, Stanzi needn’t have been shaken by Monday’s news that the Chiefs signed free agent Brady Quinn, a 5-year NFL veteran formerly of the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos. Kansas City  declined to tender exclusive rights free agent Tyler Palko, sending him to unrestricted free agency.

Palko was the Chiefs’ No. 2 quarterback in 2011. He started Games 11 through 15 after starter Matt Cassel was lost for the rest of the season with a hand injury that required surgery. Palko was replaced late in the season by Kyle Orton, whom the Chiefs signed after Denver let him go. Orton was a free agent after the season, and hooked on with the Dallas Cowboys.

Through all of the 2011 season, Stanzi was a clipboard guy. Not one big of regular-season action. That’s not unheard of for an NFL rookie quarterback, especially those drafted in the fifth round. He was still drawing from his four-year, $2.25 million salary.

It’s now Year 2, and the Chiefs have a new head coach in Romeo Crennel. The Chiefs never got a whiff of interest from free agent Peyton Manning, so Manning is now a Bronco and Cassel is still K.C.’s No. 1 guy. Who’s No. 2, vet Quinn or still-green Stanzi? That’s what training camp will tell us. The Chiefs were in a pickle when Cassel got hurt last season, and surely want someone a little more reliable than Palko was.

But Quinn didn’t throw a pass in his two years in Denver as he watched the Orton era fade into the Tim Tebow carnival there. Quinn had 10 touchdown passes and 9 interceptions over his three unremarkable seasons in Cleveland. Quinn got a 1-year, $1.5 million deal.

Chiefs General Manager Scott Pioli said this in a Kansas City Star story:

“It’s something we were very clear with Brady about and something that’s abundantly clear to Matt and Ricky: The best players that give us the best chance to win on Sunday are going to be the ones to play. I think we have three quarterbacks on our roster that certainly have the potential and the ability to be starting quarterbacks in the NFL. So there is competition here. Brady has started and played in the National Football League. Ricky hasn’t done that yet, but I also think Ricky has some upside.’’

The Chiefs don’t have a Peyton Manning or Eli Manning or any kind of Manning. If Stanzi’s got what it takes to be a top-shelf NFL quarterback he’ll get his chance to show it at some point. If he doesn’t, that will be apparent in time, too.

But had Kansas City signed Manning, Stanzi would have little hope of playing in Year 2. It sure would have been better for the team, though.

But as the 12-year NFL veteran prepares for his first Super Bowl, he will allow himself to reflect about his time with the Kansas City Chiefs. In the early part of the last decade, the Chiefs were considered to have the best offensive line in the NFL. Along with Waters, the unit was anchored by fellow guard Will Shields and left tackle Willie Roaf.

While Waters will be in Indianapolis this week to prepare to face the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, Shields and Roaf will be awaiting to see if they will be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Shields and Roaf are among the 17 finalists for election into the Canton, Ohio museum. The vote will be held Saturday, the day before the Super Bowl.

Waters didn’t need to be reminded of the connection.

“I’ve already thought about it,” Waters said. “It’s going to be a special time for all of us. We all have an opportunity to accomplish something we’ve all worked so hard to get. I’m really glad I’m able to share this week with those guys. We were a special group.”

It has to please Chiefs fans to see that Waters is carrying a piece of his Kansas City past with him as he readies for the biggest game of his life. Waters will go down as an all-time great Chief. After as signing as free agent in 2000 (the undrafted Waters was on Dallas’ practice squad in 1999), Waters became a stalwart in Kansas City. He made six Pro Bowls as a member of the Chiefs, including last season. Extremely charitable off the field, Waters won the prestigious NFL man of the Year award in 2009.

However, Waters was cut by the Chiefs during the summer. Waters said it was a mutual decision that worked out well for both sides. There were rumblings that the Chiefs no longer thought Waters was a starting-quality player and that’s why he was cut. Waters said he never got that feel. If there were any questions about Waters’ abilities, he answered them in New England. He made the Pro Bowl again and he was widely considered one of the best guards in the NFL at the age of 34. He was dominant in the win over Baltimore in the AFC championship game.

Five weeks lapsed between Waters being cut in Kansas City and him signing with the Patriots. Waters said there were times when he wondered if he wanted to continue his career, but a lack of offers wasn’t a problem. “The phone rang every day,” he said. Once the he got the right call, Waters grabbed his shoulder pads.

“This was the right play place for me,” Waters said. “I’ve enjoyed this year so much it’s been a very smooth transition for me and now we get the chance to play the game that I’ve always wanted to play in.”

Could Waters imagine hoisting the Lombardi Trophy a day after his close friends get to punch a ticket to Canton?

“That would be unbelievable.”

The 1971 Kansas City Chiefs were one of the best teams in franchise history. The Kansas City Star reports there were 11 Pro Bowl players and five future Pro Football Hall of Fame members on the team. The Chiefs faced an unheralded Miami Dolphins squad on Christmas Day in 1971 in what would turn out to be the longest day in Chiefs’ history. In the annals of NFL history, it was the longest game ever played.

Sports Illustrated reports no less than 12 players, both coaches and the Chiefs’ owner would eventually end up in the hall of fame. The game lasted 82 minutes and 40 seconds, going almost halfway into the second overtime.

The Dolphins won 27-24 on a 37-yard field goal by Garo Yepremian. They advanced all the way to the Super Bowl before Miami lost to the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 24-3.

There were many stars for the Chiefs that day. Quarterback Len Dawson was an efficient 18-for-26 and 246 yards. Unfortunately, Dawson also threw two interceptions. Wendell Hayes rushed 22 times for 100 yards. The true master of the game was Ed Podolak who had 350 all-purpose yards. He rushed for 85, caught 110 yards’ worth of Dawson’s passes, scored two touchdowns and had 156 yards in returns.

But it still wasn’t enough. Normally reliable Jan Stenerud, the only pure placekicker in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, missed two field goals and had one blocked. He missed a 29-yard kick, a 31-yard try with 35 seconds left in the game and had a 32-yard kick blocked. Stenerud was just 1-for-4 with a make in the first quarter.

The Chiefs squandered a first quarter lead that ballooned to 10-0. To make matters worse, it was a home game that was supposed to be a Christmas gift to Chiefs’ fans.

Had the Chiefs made just one more field goal in that game, they might have advanced to the next round. Another Super Bowl berth would have given Kansas City three title games in the first four years of the AFL-NFL title game.

Imagine the fortunes of the Chiefs and their fans if Kansas City had a dynasty in the early 1970s. After the Hall of Fame players moved on, the Chiefs languished in oblivion for 20 years until the 1990s.

Alas, the franchise is still waiting for its next playoff glory. It may still come this year, albeit that would take some help.

If you want to see portions of the historic game, the NFL Network will air a one-hour special on the game Dec. 25 at 6 p.m. ET as a 40th anniversary presentation.

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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The Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs dismissed their head coaches—Tony Sparano and Todd Haley, respectively—on Dec. 12 with just three games left in the season, creating a puzzling question: Why now?

Despite their 4-9 record, the Dolphins are on an upswing, recovering from an 0-7 start to go 4-2 over the past six weeks. They’ll finish with a losing record and miss the playoffs this season, but that was pretty much a done deal at 0-7. With three games left in the season, what’s the point in firing Sparano now?

The Chiefs also got off to a slow start with three straight losses to open the 2011 season before ripping off four consecutive victories. However, Kansas City has lost five of its last six games and sits at 5-8 on the year. As with the Dolphins—perhaps even more so, since the Chiefs are technically still alive for a playoff spot, and Haley just led the Chiefs to the AFC West title last season—what’s the point in firing Haley now?

It’s a curious move by each team. Certainly, if management wasn’t happy with the coaches, the coaches should be removed, but in-season? And with just a few games left? That seems more disruptive than it’s worth. Just ride out the season and make a coaching change in a month or so.

I’m well aware that fans in Miami and Kansas City wanted Sparano’s and Haley’s heads on pikes a long time ago, but do those fans really think that Todd Bowles and Romeo Crennel—he of the 24-40 coaching record with the Cleveland Browns—are going to do any better the rest of the way? Even if they do, and the teams go 3-0 down the stretch, how is a 7-9 or 8-8 record going to help anyone? It would seem that at this point, moving up the draft order ladder would be more beneficial.

The Rationale

“The results speak for themselves,” said Dolphins owner Stephen Ross about Sparano’s termination. “We’re looking to becoming a winning organization, and I thought this was the best time to make the change and let us go in a direction that will allow us to become that.”

Uh huh. I guess I’m just not seeing how firing your head coach with three games left is going to point the team in the direction of becoming a winning organization.

“Timing in these situations is always difficult. There never seems to be a right time,” said Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt about Haley. “We just felt the inconsistent play the team has experienced throughout the season, including yesterday’s game, made today the right day to do it.”

Interesting. Have you seen the guys who are on your roster, Mr. Hunt? Or more accurately, have you seen the guys who aren’t on your roster?

The Chiefs

In Kansas City, the inconsistent play might be a result of season-ending injuries to starting quarterback Matt Cassel, starting running back Jamaal Charles, starting tight end Tony Moeaki, Pro Bowl defensive back Eric Berry, and linebacker Brandon Siler. Just a thought. It tends to put a damper on things when you lose all of those key positions to injury.

The Chiefs are left with Tyler Palko, who has been abysmal, at quarterback, but they made a shrewd move by picking up Kyle Orton off waivers after he was released by the Denver Broncos. Orton, however, lasted all of one play before he dislocated a finger in his throwing hand. Back to Palko went the Chiefs.

Kansas City certainly has room to improve, but given the rash of injuries at vital positions, coupled with Haley’s very recent success in the AFC West, his firing strikes me as throwing the baby out with the bath water.

The Dolphins

The Dolphins also lost their starting quarterback, Chad Henne, to a season-ending injury, and their second-stringer, Matt Moore, just got his bell rung and gave way to J.P. Losman in the team’s 16-point loss to Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles. Prior to that, the team’s only loss in the past five games was by one point to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day.

Low home attendance figures seem to have contributed to Sparano’s demise, but Miami only has one remaining home game: January 1 against the New York Jets. Is firing Sparano now going to pack the house on New Year’s Day? I tend to doubt it.

If the rationale is that the Dolphins want to pursue a high-profile head coach like Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, or Jeff Fisher, they certainly shouldn’t feel the need to dispose of Sparano first. After all, they publicly courted Jim Harbaugh in the off-season while Sparano was still in place. It doesn’t seem to bother the Dolphins organization at all to treat its head coach that way.

So I’m baffled by the timing. Why now?

Believe me, I understand wanting to see a head coach move on down the road. I’m a fan of the Indianapolis Colts. I probably don’t have to tell you how disastrous this season has been. Jim Caldwell can’t hit the bricks soon enough after the final gun on the season, as far as I’m concerned, but we’re well past the point of no return on the 2011 campaign. There is absolutely nothing to gain by firing Caldwell at this juncture. In fact, if you look at it through the Andrew Luck lens, there’s a lot to lose by winning our final three games.

Perhaps the Dolphins and the Chiefs will soon show me the light and I’ll see the error of my ways. But for now, I have a hard time understanding how the terminations of these two head coaches at this point in time is anything but detrimental to the teams.

The author is a Featured Contributor in Sports for Yahoo! Contributor Network. You can follow him on Twitter at @RedZoneWriting and on Facebook.

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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.”

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.

The Kansas City Chiefs play the New England Patriots Nov. 21 on Monday Night Football. The Patriots are one of the best teams in the AFC and have a one game lead on the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East. The game marks the beginning of a crucial five-game swing for the Chiefs with backup quarterback Tyler Palko(notes) playing in his first NFL start.

The Chiefs and Patriots have a rivalry that goes back over 50 years. Here’s a look at some facts and figures surrounding both teams when they have played each other.

* Kansas City actually has a 16-12-3 overall record against the Patriots. However, the Chiefs have lost four of the last five meetings. The two teams used to be regular rivals in the AFL days when they played each other twice a year.

* The longest winning streak the Chiefs have against New England is five games between Nov. 12, 1967 and Sept. 23, 1973. If you count ties, Kansas City has a non-losing streak of nine games from Oct. 3, 1965 to 1973.

*Len Dawson’s first start with the Chiefs was way back on Sept. 8, 1962, when they were still the Dallas Texans. Until that game, Dawson had seen limited action in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. In his first full game, the hall of famer was 16-for-23 with 202 yards and two touchdowns. His game against the then-Boston Patriots launched a legendary career in a Chiefs uniform. Kansas City won 42-28 in Dawson’s debut.

* Kansas City has shut out the Patriots twice. The first was a 34-0 win Dec. 11, 1960, in the teams’ second meeting. The other shutout was Sept. 21, 1969, by a 31-0 score. The Patriots have never kept the Chiefs scoreless.

* Since the NFL-AFL merger, Kansas City is 6-7 against the New England Patriots. The teams have never met in the playoffs.

* Perhaps the most memorable game in the series was Sept. 22, 2002. Adam Vinatieri(notes) kicked a 35-yard field goal in overtime to win in Massachusetts. The game was tied 17-all going into the fourth quarter and the final score was 41-38. Priest Holmes scored three touchdowns and Tom Brady(notes) had 410 yards passing. The game marked the most points scored between both teams. Holmes scored the game’s final two touchdowns to tie the game at 38 apiece to send it to overtime.

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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Roundup of Sunday’s early afternoon NFL games

Miami Dolphins 31, Kansas City Chiefs 3

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The Miami Dolphins sure didn’t look like a winless team, and neither did the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t look like a team that had won four straight.

Matt Moore threw for 244 yards and three touchdowns, Reggie Bush had 92 yards rushing and another score and Miami walloped Kansas City 31-3 for its first win of the season.

Moore, who took over after Chad Henne had season-ending shoulder surgery, became the first Dolphins quarterback since Chad Pennington in 2008 to throw three TD passes. Two of them went to tight end Anthony Fasano and another to Brandon Marshall, who finished with eight catches for 106 yards.

Miami (1-7) and Indianapolis had been the only remaining winless teams in the NFL, but the Dolphins had come close to breaking through the past two weeks. They blew a 15-point lead in an overtime loss to Denver and a seven-point lead last week against the New York Giants.

Kansas City (4-4), meanwhile, was the first team since the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2000 to win four straight after losing its first three. But the Steelers went on to win nine in a row that season — the Dolphins made sure the Chiefs wouldn’t be able to accomplish that.

Matt Cassel was 20 of 39 for 253 yards for Kansas City despite going against a secondary that was missing starting cornerback Vontae Davis and had backup Nolan Carroll leave several times during the game with a hamstring injury.

The Dolphins’ relentless front spent most of the afternoon in Cassel’s face, sacking him five times and forcing the slow-footed quarterback to scramble nine more times. The Chiefs came into the game having allowed 13 sacks all season, tied for sixth-best in the league.

Things looked promising for Kansas City its opening possession, when it put together a grinding, 14-play, 53-yard drive that Ryan Succop finished off with a 43-yard field goal.

Miami, though, answered with a touchdown later in the first quarter when nobody picked up Fasano off the line of scrimmage. Moore simply tossed a pass to him from 3 yards out for the score, the first of 31 straight points scored by the Dolphins — more than they’d scored in a game this season.

On the Dolphins’ ensuing possession, Moore hit fullback Charles Clay for gains of 21 and 22 yards, and then found Fasano open down the sideline for a 35-yard touchdown completion and a 14-3 lead.

Fasano’s only other two-TD game came against the Chiefs in 2008.

The Dolphins offense really hit the accelerator in the third quarter, when Moore found Marshall on a 14-yard touchdown and Bush shook loose for a 28-yard scoring run, the former No. 2 overall draft pick’s first TD on the ground since Nov. 15, 2009.

Any chance of a comeback by Kansas City ended early in the fourth quarter, when it had second-and-2 at the Dolphins 4. After an incompletion by Cassel and a run by Dexter McCluster that gained about 2 feet, Cassel’s fourth-down pass fell incomplete and Miami took over.

The Chiefs also couldn’t score on fourth-and-goal at the Dolphins 5 in the closing minutes.

New York Jets 27, Buffalo Bills 11

ORCHARD PARK, New York – The New York Jets’ back-to-basics formula — smashmouth defense and running the ball — has them firmly back in the AFC East playoff race at midseason.

The Jets forced three turnovers, including Jim Leonhard’s recovery of Fred Jackson’s fumble that set up LaDainian Tomlinson’s 1-yard plunge early in the second half of a 27-11 win over the Buffalo Bills. Mark Sanchez then put the Jets up 20-3 by hitting Santonio Holmes for an 8-yard touchdown.

Sanchez went 20 of 28 for 230 yards to overcome a pair of first-half turnovers: an interception and fumble. Fullback John Conner also scored on a 1-yard plunge, while Nick Folk hit two of three field-goal attempts, including a 50-yarder into the wind.

Led by Shonn Greene’s 76 yards, New York gained 126 on the ground, the team’s second-best total of the season. Greene did not finish the game after sustaining a head injury in the fourth quarter.

Coming out of their bye week, the Jets (5-3) extended their win streak to three following a three-game skid and moved into a tie with the Bills (5-3). It was also New York’s first road win of the season after three straight losses. And it came against an opponent that opened 4-0 at “home,” including last week’s 23-0 win over Washington at Toronto.

The Jets’ defense held firm the entire game, and essentially secured the victory in the first minute of the fourth quarter. With Buffalo down 20-3 and threatening, Bart Scott and Calvin Pace combined to stuff Jackson for no gain on fourth-and-inches at the New York 15 yard line.

The Jets responded with a 14-play, 84-yard drive capped by Conner’s TD.

Pace also had an interception, as did David Harris, while Sione Pouha forced Jackson’s fumble that set up Tomlinson’s score to put the Jets ahead 13-0 in the third quarter.

The Jets contained an offense among the NFL’s most prolific so far this season. Buffalo entered the game averaging 30.1 points, and had scored 20 or more points in each game.

Jackson, averaging 153 yards from scrimmage, was limited to 82 yards rushing and 38 receiving. He also fumbled for the first time this season.

Ryan Fitzpatrick finished 15 of 31 for 191 yards and two interceptions. He produced a mean-nothing 7-yard touchdown pass to David Nelson with 3:14 left, and the quarterback then ran the ball in for a 2-point conversion.

Otherwise, the Bills looked like their former popgun selves against what remains a dominant Jets defense. Through their first eight possessions, the Bills had as many turnovers as first downs — three. The Bills also managed just 73 net yards in the first half.

It was a sloppy, mistake-filled first half in which the Jets blew several opportunities despite holding a large edge in time of possession: 20:47-9:13. Sanchez was picked off by Jairus Byrd at the end of an 87-yard drive.

The only score of the first half came on Nick Folk’s 49-yard field goal.

Bills Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson made his first appearance of the season at Orchard Park after he missed his team’s first four home games while recovering from a broken hip.

San Francisco 49ers 19, Buffalo Bills 11

LANDOVER, Maryland — The San Francisco 49ers, running away with the NFC West, extended their winning streak to six games with a 19-11 victory over the offensively inept Washington Redskins.

The 49ers’ Frank Gore had 107 yards on 19 carries for his fifth straight 100-yard game and Alex Smith connected with rookie fullback Bruce Miller for the seventh-round draft pick’s first career touchdown. David Akers kicked four field goals, and the defense forced three turnovers.

The Redskins have lost four straight and their only points before the final two minutes came on Graham Gano’s franchise-record 59-yard field goal on the last play of the first half.

First-year coach Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers (7-1) have their longest winning streak since 1997 and are 4-0 on the road for the first time since 1992 — with all four coming on those 1 p.m. Eastern time zone kickoffs which are supposed to drag down West Coast teams.

The 49ers already had the stingiest scoring defense in the NFL — a league-low 107 points coming into the game. And it wasn’t especially taxing to retain that reputation against the injury-riddled and talent-challenged Redskins (3-5), whose 23-0 embarrassment against Buffalo last week was the first shutout in Mike Shanahan’s career as either a head coach or offensive coordinator.

Shanahan tried to shake things up by giving debut starts to three rookies — running back Roy Helu, receiver Leonard Hankerson and left guard Maurice Hurt — but the offense continued to explore new depths of futility.

John Beck again had trouble finding open receivers, completing 30 of 47 passes for 254 yards with one touchdown and one interception. And the Redskins were on the verge of going eight quarters without scoring a touchdown until Beck found Jabar Gaffney with 1:10 remaining.

San Francisco’s defense, tops in the league against the run entering the weekend, gave up just 52 yards on the ground. The 49ers haven’t allowed a rushing touchdown this season.

An indication of the Redskins’ struggles: Their leading receiver was Helu, who caught a franchise-record 14 passes for 105 yards coming out of the backfield. His longest reception was 17 yards.

By contrast, Smith managed the game efficiently, hitting 17 of 24 passes for 197 yards.

Turnovers led to 10 of the 49ers’ points. Dashon Goldson’s interception near midfield set up a 52-yard field goal in the second quarter by Akers, who has made all four attempts from 50-plus yards this season.

Then, after another field goal by Akers, Helu caught a pass and was stripped by linebacker Patrick Willis. Donte Whitner recovered, and Smith hit Miller for a 30-yard score on the next play to give the 49ers a 13-0 lead late in the first half.

Willis created another takeaway in the fourth quarter, forcing receiver Terrence Austin to fumble as the Redskins were trying to play catch-up.

The Redskins found all sorts of ways to kill drives, including a 15-yard personal foul penalty for a late hit by left tackle Trent Williams that negated a third-down conversion into 49ers territory in the second quarter.

Dallas Cowboys 23, Seattle Seahawks 13

ARLINGTON, Texas — Tony Romo shook off a horribly inefficient first half to throw for a pair of touchdowns, leading the Dallas Cowboys to a 23-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Romo had no trouble moving the ball from the start, but the Cowboys (4-4) had to settle for field goals on consecutive drives that stalled at the 2-yard line and inside the 1. On the next series, Dez Bryant was inside the 1 when a hit he never saw coming caused him to fumble the ball away.

Tied at 6 coming out for the second half, Dallas pulled away behind Romo’s touchdown passes of 33 yards to Jason Witten and 6 yards to Laurent Robinson.

The Cowboys’ defense bounced back from a lousy effort in Philadelphia last Sunday by holding Seattle (2-6) without a touchdown until midway through the fourth quarter. Dallas did so despite missing Sean Lee, its leader in tackles and interceptions, and cornerback Mike Jenkins.

The Seahawks trailed 13-6 and were driving late in the third quarter when Tarvaris Jackson threw interceptions on consecutive passes. The Cowboys turned the first into Robinson’s touchdown, then got a field goal off the next turnover to make it 23-6.

Seattle’s Marshawn Lynch scored with 6:12 left, but Dallas managed to play it safe and protect the lead the rest of the way.

Seattle lost its third straight and fourth in five games. The Seahawks were hoping to get a boost from having Jackson and Lynch start together for the first time since beating the Giants in New York, but they played down to their ranking as the second-worst offense in the NFL.

Romo was 19 of 31 for 279 yards. He was booed early when he tried running for the end zone, then slid short of the goal line on a third-and-goal from the 5, and again when the Cowboys failed to get a touchdown after having a first-and-goal from the half-yard-line.

Dallas rookie DeMarco Murray continued to shine, turning 22 carries into 139 yards. He also caught four passes for 47 yards.

Bryant had four catches for 76 yards, and Witten caught four for 71. Miles Austin caught two passes for 53 yards, but aggravated a hamstring injury on his second catch and didn’t return.

Jackson was 17 of 30 for 221 yards, with three interceptions. His final pickoff came on Seattle’s last snap. Lynch ran for 135 yards on 23 carries.

Dallas rookie Dan Bailey made three field goals, giving him 19 straight, the third-best streak in club history.

Cowboys linebacker Anthony Spencer shined on special teams, too, hurdling the center to block a field goal while Dallas was up 13-6.

New Orleans Saints 27, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana – Drew Brees passed for 258 yards and two touchdowns, and the New Orleans Saints gained 195 yards on the ground in a 27-16 victory over the division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Brees’ scoring passes went for 3 yards to Lance Moore and 21 yards to Darren Sproles. Pierre Thomas added a tackle-breaking, 9-yard score for the Saints (6-3), who watched their running game bounce back after gaining only 56 yards in a loss at St. Louis a week earlier.

Despite losing starting cornerback Tracy Porter to a neck injury early in the game, New Orleans held Tampa Bay (4-4) without a touchdown until Josh Freeman hit Kellen Winslow with 5:33 left.

Freeman had 256 yards passing, but was routinely pressured and plagued by untimely overthrows.

Brees’ first scoring strike to Moore in the first quarter gave him TD passes in 36 straight games, tying Brett Favre for the second-longest streak in NFL history. Brees will need to keep that streak going into next season in order to tie Johnny Unitas, who had scoring passes in 47 straight games.

Connecting on 27 of 36 passes, Brees also extended his NFL record of consecutive games with 20-plus completions to 29.

New Orleans led 24-6 after Thomas’ touchdown in the third quarter.

Tampa Bay then converted two fourth downs during a 15-play, 73-yard drive that took 7:03 off the clock, but had to settle for Connor Barth’s third field goal of the game to make it 24-9 after Freeman threw a pair of incompletions from inside the Saints 10.

Winslow’s late 5-yard touchdown catch, set up by cornerback Leigh Torrence’s pass interference penalty, pulled the Bucs to 24-16. Brees responded by marching the Saints 63 yards in an 11-play drive that ate 4:16 off the clock. He converted a key third-and-4 play with a 20-yard scramble, setting up John Kasay’s 34-yard field goal with 1:17 left.

With the victory, New Orleans remained atop the NFC South, a half-game ahead of Atlanta (5-3). The Saints visit the Falcons next week.

Tampa Bay dropped into third place with its third loss in four games.

The Bucs had hoped to get a boost from the return of leading rusher LeGarrette Blount, who had missed two games with a left knee sprain. He gained 72 yards on 13 carries.

The Saints were coming off their worst performance of the season in a 31-21 loss at previously winless St. Louis and had lost two of their last three, including an earlier meeting with Tampa Bay. Bolstered by the return of starting right tackle Zach Strief, the Saints’ offensive line did not allow a sack on Brees, who was hauled down six times the week before.

The Bucs also struggled to contain Sproles, who finished with 57 yards receiving on five catches and 42 yards rushing on only four carries. Chris Ivory added 67 yards rushing and Thomas 66.

Porter hurt his neck on the second play from scrimmage when he broke up a pass with a hard hit on receiver Mike Williams. Porter lay face down for several seconds and was placed on a stretcher by trainers and paramedics, but was able to move his extremities and gave a thumbs up before being taken to a hospital as a precaution.

New Orleans struck first on Moore’s leaping catch of Brees’ 3-yard fade, capping a drive that featured Sproles’ 35-yard run and 15-yard reception.

Sproles added a 21-yard touchdown on a short pass out of the backfield — his third receiving TD this season — to give the Saints a 14-0 lead in the second quarter.

Freeman’s 46-yard completion to Dezmon Briscoe set up Barth’s 40-yard field goal to make it 14-3 with 1:39 to go in the first half. Brees then quickly drove New Orleans 76 yards to the Tampa Bay 4, spiking the ball to stop the clock with a second left to set up Kasay’s 21-yard field goal that made it 17-3.

Early in the third quarter, the Bucs had a chance to cut their deficit to one touchdown when Ronde Barber ripped a swing pass from Sproles for an interception at the Saints 33. However, Blount’s personal foul for swatting his open hand across defensive end Will Smith’s face mask after the whistle forced Tampa Bay to settle for Barth’s 48-yard field goal, which made it 17-6.

Atlanta Falcons 31, Indianapolis Colts 7

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – Rookie receiver Julio Jones caught touchdown passes of 50 and 80 yards and then set up a late field goal with a 19-yard run, leading the Atlanta Falcons to a 31-7 rout of the winless Indianapolis Colts.

After missing two games with a strained left hamstring, Jones finished with three catches for a season-high 131 yards. He added two carries for 33 yards to give Atlanta (5-3) its third straight victory overall and first road win in a series that dates to 1966.

Miami’s win at Kansas City left the Colts (0-9) as the only team in the NFL without a victory. They have lost five straight home games for the first time since 2001, and this defeat was every bit as lopsided as the score made it appear.

Minus injured quarterback Peyton Manning all season, Indianapolis is in danger of falling to 0-10 for the first time since 1997, before the Manning era began.

But the Colts have collapsed everywhere, not simply at one position.

They gave up 14 points off two turnovers Sunday, were shut out on offense and went nearly 30 minutes without a first down. Plus, their top two tight ends — Dallas Clark (lower leg) and Brody Eldridge (hand) — didn’t finish the game.

Indy has been outscored 75-14 in the first half and 120-24 over the past three weeks. The problems started early again Sunday.

Running back Delone Carter fumbled on the game’s second play. Five plays after that, Michael Turner plunged in from 1 yard out to make it 7-0.

Two series later, Jones made a remarkable adjustment between three defenders to haul in Matt Ryan’s 50-yard lob pass at the goal line. The officials initially ruled it incomplete before Atlanta coach Mike Smith challenged the call and won on replay. That made it 14-0 late in the first quarter.

Jones made it 21-0 when he caught a 10-yard pass and outran the Indy defense for an 80-yard score.

The Colts finally scored when Jerraud Powers made a juggling interception and returned it 6 yards for a TD.

Ryan threw a 1-yard TD pass to Tony Gonzalez late in the third quarter, and Jones’ long run set up Matt Bryant for a 20-yard field goal early in the fourth to close out the scoring.

Ryan was 14 of 24 for 275 yards with three scores and one interception. Turner ran 19 times for 71 yards.

Indianapolis quarterback Curtis Painter was 13 of 27 for 98 yards with one interception, and Donald Brown led the Colts with 16 carries for 70 yards.

The Oakland Raiders have signed veteran kicker Dave Rayner, and all indications appear that Janikowski will be out in game seven against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, October 23, though the report is that he has been signed as insurance.

Oakland Raiders Sebastian Janikowski
Broken Sphere/Wikimedia Commons

Using Rayner would give Janikowski time to recover from his hamstring injury, and with the bye-week, he wouldn’t need to return until the November 6 game against the Denver Broncos.

Oakland had to release defensive back Ron Parker(notes) to make room for 28-year-old Rayner, who has been tossed around the NFL quite a bit since he was first drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in 2005. Rayner was released by the Dallas Cowboys in preseason, and prior to that he was the Detroit Lions kicker.

Rayner had a career long 55-yard field goal kick with the Lions last year, and in his career he’s converted 55 of 75 field goal attempts. Rayner has also played for the Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers.

His frequent team changes may be somewhat of a concern, especially when compared to Janikowski’s 12 seasons in the NFL, all spent with the Oakland Raiders. But when you’ve got Janikowski, there is really no one that could possibly come in and try to replace him, even temporarily.

The remainder of the team, and there are many stand-out players this season, will need to step up and get the Raiders’ offense closer to the end zone, and not rely on long field goal kicks to win the game. With Oakland playing Kansas City Sunday, it should make the job that much easier.

It’s far more important that Janikowski is healthy and ready to go against the tougher teams the Silver and Black will face, namely the San Diego Chargers. In game ten on November 13, Oakland will play the Chargers in their home territory.

There are certainly a lot of possibilities and different scenarios we’ll all be watching for on Sunday, but the most important as always, is “Just win baby!” By this time tomorrow, we’ll still be looking at a 5-2 record for Oakland, and a 2-4 record for the Chiefs, no matter how we get there.

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.

More from this contributor:

Fan’s Look at Kansas City Chiefs & Oakland Raiders: Is Kicker Janikowski Out for Game Seven?

Oakland Raiders Will Stomp the Kansas City Chiefs Despite Quarterback Issue: Fan’s Take

The Oakland Raiders: Sebastian Janikowski’s road to the NFL

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Despite having a better record, the Oakland Raiders will have their helmets handed to them Oct. 23. The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off a bye week and will be ready for their third win in a row. Matt Cassel(notes) is finally coming into form. Running back Jackie Battle(notes) was a surprising star in the backfield against the Indianapolis Colts.

Matt Cassel in early 2010.
Wikimedia Commons

Here are more reasons why Kansas City is primed for a huge game.

Heated Rivals

If you can’t get up for a rivalry game, you have no business being in sports. The Raiders and Chiefs have hated each other since Sept. 16, 1960, when the Dallas Texans beat them 34-16 in Oakland as members of the old AFL. Over 100 games later, the Chiefs own a 52-47-2 record against the Silver and Black.

Who can forget the Chiefs taming the Raiders in the 1969 AFL Championship en route to the Super Bowl. Then in December 1991, Kansas City held the Raiders to just six points in the divisional playoffs in Arrowhead Stadium in frigid temperatures.

Play Better Competition

Let’s review the season so far for the Raiders. They are 4-2. That’s nice except all of their wins have come against teams with a .500 record or less . When they beat somebody, then Raiders fans can shout about their team all they want to.

Of course the Chiefs haven’t done much better . The Raiders and Chiefs are very much alike in that they have beaten teams with worse records and lost to teams with better records. At this point, it means both the Raiders and Chiefs are middle-of-the-pack teams.

Different Directions

The Chiefs are headed in a different direction than the Raiders. After starting 0-3, Kansas City has won two games in a row. The passing and running games have improved. Defensively, the Raiders are giving up over 113 yards rushing per game. Now that Kansas City has a running back, that number will only go up.

The Raiders have excelled against teams with weaker defenses. Jason Campbell(notes), before he got hurt, was taking advantage of teams that couldn’t handle his receivers. Carson Palmer(notes), who hasn’t taken a snap in nine months, is too rusty. The quarterback won’t matter in Sunday’s game.

Better Players

The only reason Darren McFadden(notes) leads the NFL in rushing is because four of the six teams they’ve played are in the bottom 10 in run defense. The Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets are three of the worst six NFL teams in terms of giving up rushing yards. Now that the Chiefs defense has decided to show up, McFadden will get at least 20 fewer yards.

Despite his shoddy play to start the season, Cassel is a veteran and will come back. He played less than two weeks after having an appendectomy in late 2010. He finally found Dwayne Bowe(notes) against the Colts. The Raiders are the fifth-worst team in the NFL against the pass.

It’s time for Kansas City to take control of the AFC West. It all starts against the Raiders. A day ago I predicted a 24-17 win over the Raiders. Check that. Make that a 31-10 victory.

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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(Sports Network) – Both the Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs were
playoff teams a year ago, but each seems to be a substantial long shot to get
there this season.

While the Chiefs were finally able to record their first win of 2011 last week,
the injury-riddled Colts return to Lucas Oil Stadium for Sunday’s clash between
these two early disappointments still in search of an elusive initial victory.

Two-time defending AFC South champion Indianapolis is off to its first 0-4
start since the still-unavailable Peyton Manning’s 1998 rookie campaign, and
hasn’t began a season with five straight losses since the pre-Manning era of
1997. The sputtering Colts have come closer to breaking into the win column
more recently, however, taking a lead deep into the second half in each of
their last two outings.

Indianapolis held a seven-point advantage late in the third quarter of Monday’s
matchup at Tampa Bay, but the Buccaneers rallied for two unanswered touchdowns
to pull out a 24-17 decision. One week earlier, the Colts were up by three
points on reigning AFC champion Pittsburgh entering the fourth quarter before
being dealt a tough 23-20 defeat on a last-second field goal.

“I think we’re close,” said Colts quarterback Curtis Painter. “We’re just
scratching for a win here and I think everyone’s playing hard. I don’t think
we’re going to quit. I think we’re going to continue to battle and hopefully
get over that hump this next week.”

Indianapolis appears to have a beatable opponent in a stumbling Kansas City
squad that’s lost seven of its last nine games on the road dating back to last
season and fields one of the league’s least threatening offenses. Minus All-Pro
running back Jamaal Charles due to a year-ending ACL tear back in Week 2, the
Chiefs have averaged a mere 12.3 points per game and are last in the NFL in
first downs made (49).

Kansas City did come through with its best output of the season in last
Sunday’s matchup with visiting Minnesota, however, with struggling quarterback
Matt Cassel throwing for 260 yards and kicker Ryan Succop connecting on five
field goals to lead the way in a 22-17 triumph over the reeling Vikings.

The Chiefs hope to build off that encouraging performance when they face a
depleted Indianapolis defense that surrendered 466 total yards to the
Buccaneers on Monday and could be without three of its top four defensive
tackles for this week’s tilt.

Of course, no injury has affected the Colts more than the two neck surgeries
Manning has undergone over the past five months. The absence of the four-time
league MVP has not only impacted the perennial contenders in the standings, but
a once-formidable offense has generated the third-fewest yards and a subpar
15.8 points per game over the first four weeks.

The Colts did record a season-best 318 total yards in the Tampa Bay loss,
however, with Painter hooking up with wide receiver Pierre Garcon on a pair of
long touchdown passes in his first career regular-season start. The third-year
signal-caller is expected to be under center for this contest as well, with
aging veteran Kerry Collins still recovering from a Week 3 concussion and
ineffective in the team’s first three games.

SERIES HISTORY

The Colts took a 10-7 advantage in their overall regular-season series with
Kansas City by virtue of a 19-9 win at Lucas Oil Stadium during Week 5 of the
2010 campaign, and have prevailed in seven of their last eight encounters with
the Chiefs. Including the playoffs, Kansas City is 0-5 all-time in Indianapolis
and hasn’t beaten the Colts on the road since Dec. 21, 1980, a 38-28 decision
at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. The Chiefs’ last win of any kind in this set
took place in 2004, when the team outlasted Indianapolis in a 45-35 shootout.

Indianapolis has also won all three postseason games between these teams,
claiming a 2006 AFC First-Round Playoff at the RCA Dome and besting the Chiefs
by a 38-31 score at Arrowhead Stadium in the 2003 Divisional Round. The Colts
also came through with a 10-7 home victory over Kansas City in the 1995 AFC
Divisional Playoffs.

Last year’s meeting also marked the first head-to-head matchup between
Indianapolis’ Jim Caldwell and Kansas City’s Todd Haley, as well as both head
coach’s only previous game against his counterpart’s respective team to date.

WHEN THE CHIEFS HAVE THE BALL

Kansas City averaged an NFL-best 164.2 rushing yards per game during last
year’s surprise march to an AFC West title, but that was with the dynamic
Charles around for a full season. The 2011 Chiefs haven’t been nearly as
potent in that area, with neither the declining Thomas Jones (111 rushing
yards) nor diminutive Dexter McCluster (164 rushing yards, 17 receptions)
providing much of a sustained spark. That’s forced Haley to have to rely more
on the arm of Cassel (688 passing yards, 4 TD, 5 INT), who’s shaken off two
poor performances to begin the season with a pair of good efforts in his last
two. The 2010 Pro Bowl alternate has also been able to hit on more big plays as
of late, with top target Dwayne Bowe (16 receptions, 292 yards, 2 TD) eclipsing
the 100-yard mark in two of the team’s last three tests and offseason addition
Steve Breaston (10 receptions) posting season bests of four catches and 91
receiving yards in the Minnesota win. Kansas City still needs to improve within
the red zone, however, as the offense had all sorts of trouble crossing the
goal line against the Vikings and has scored touchdowns on just 3-of-10
possessions inside the opponent’s 20-yard line to date.

Indianapolis enters this contest ranked a lowly 28th in both scoring defense
(27.0 ppg) and against the run (133.0 ypg), and the team was gashed for 192
yards on the ground by the persistent Buccaneers on Monday. Injuries up front
have been a contributing factor to that lack of success, as starting defensive
tackle Fili Moala (ankle) has missed two straight games and rotational pieces
Eric Foster (12 tackles) and Drake Nevis (16 tackles) were forced to exit this
past week’s loss, with Foster suffering a season-ending dislocated ankle.
Steady middle linebacker Gary Brackett is also done for the year, though young
fill-in Pat Angerer (50 tackles) has performed ably in his place and weakside
starter Kavell Conner (43 tackles) has been active in run support as well, with
the fellow second-year pro notching 18 tackles against Tampa Bay. There have
been few big plays produced by the secondary, however, therefore it’s critical
that the excellent edge-rushing duo of ends Robert Mathis (8 tackles, 3 sacks)
and Dwight Freeney (6 tackles, 2 sacks) can make their presence felt on Sunday.
The all-star tandem has accumulated four sacks and forced a pair of fumbles
over the last two weeks.

WHEN THE COLTS HAVE THE BALL

Though the Colts’ offense still didn’t come close to reaching Manning-esque
standards in Monday’s setback, the insertion of Painter (341 passing yards, 2
TD) in place of Collins (481 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) did bring about some
positive results. The 26-year-old did not commit a turnover against the Bucs
and found the speedy Garcon (14 receptions, 295 yards, 2 TD) for touchdown
strikes of 87 and 59 yards, while finishing the night with 281 passing yards.
Painter did complete only 13 of his 30 attempts, however, and was sacked four
times behind a shaky offensive line that will be without both promising left
tackle Anthony Castonzo (ankle) and backup Ben Ijalana (knee, out for season)
on Sunday. Veteran Ryan Diem, sidelined the past two weeks with an ankle
sprain, is uncertain to play as well. With that in mind, Indianapolis may lean
more heavily on the running-back pairing of Joseph Addai (230 rushing yards, 1
TD, 8 receptions) and rookie Delone Carter (103 rushing yards), while Painter’s
passes to Garcon and mainstays Reggie Wayne (18 receptions, 255 yards, 1 TD)
and Dallas Clark (13 receptions, 1 TD) may be of the shorter variety.

Painter will get to take his shots at a Kansas City stop unit that ranks just
25th in pass efficiency defense and has surrendered 10 touchdowns through the
air thus far, tied for the most in the league. The Chiefs are also banged up in
the secondary, with valued strong safety Eric Berry tearing his ACL in the
opener and top cornerback Brandon Flowers (19 tackles, 2 INT, 8 PD) dealing
with a sore ankle, though he was able to play effectively last week. Outside
linebacker Tamba Hali (25 tackles) came through with a big day against the
Vikings, with the 2010 Pro Bowl honoree amassing a pair of sacks and being
credited with five quarterback pressures. He’s accounted for four of the team’s
unimpressive season total of five sacks, and should draw plenty of attention
from the Indianapolis blockers come Sunday. Inside linebackers Derrick Johnson
(23 tackles, 4 PD) and Jovan Belcher (26 tackles) anchor a run defense that did
permit 151 yards on the ground to Minnesota last week, but held the dangerous
Adrian Peterson to a reasonable 80 yards on 23 attempts. The Chiefs still rank
just 26th overall against the run (130.0 ypg) for the year, however.

KEYS TO THE GAME

Quarterback play. Neither of these teams possess much of a running game to
speak of, therefore whomever wins the head-to-head battle between Cassel and
Painter will most likely be celebrating a victory with his teammates on Sunday.
Though Painter was an improvement over the slumping Collins in his starting
debut, he’ll need to complete more than 43 percent of his passes to give the
Colts their best shot, while Cassel needs to follow up last week’s strong
showing with another for the Chiefs to make it back-to-back wins.

The pass rushers. There are game-changing defenders on both sides of this
matchup in Indianapolis’ stellar combo of Mathis and Freeney and Kansas City’s
one-man wrecking crew of Hali. In what should be a close contest, how
successful each team is in neutralizing these impact rushers could go a long
way towards determining the outcome.

Red-zone efficiency. Both the Colts and Chiefs have been among the league’s
worst in producing touchdowns in the red zone, while Kansas City’s defense has
been one of the poorest in preventing the opposition from crossing the goal
line in those situations. Whichever team can come up with seven points instead
of three on its drives stands the best chance of winning.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

These participants may not be playoff-caliber any more, though that still
shouldn’t prevent this game from offering at least some intrigue. Both teams
come in with remarkably similar problems, and neither seems to hold a clear
advantage over the other. The Colts are at home, however, and the Chiefs don’t
usually play their best football away from Arrowhead Stadium, and Indianapolis
still has a few playmakers on offense that should present a challenge to the
Kansas City defense. If Painter can make a few plays and keep his mistakes to a
minimum, as was the case in his first starting opportunity, the Colts appear to
have just enough healthy talent left to finally get back on the winning track.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Colts 20, Chiefs 16

The Sports Network

(Sports Network) – The Kansas City Chiefs were one of the NFL’s breakthrough
teams in 2010. So far this season, they’ve done nothing but break down.

After being on the losing end of a pair of lopsided outcomes to begin the 2011
campaign, the crumbling Chiefs visit a venue where they’ve been often dealt a
similar fate in recent years in Sunday’s game against the San Diego Chargers
from Qualcomm Stadium.

This Week 3 matchup features two teams that have combined to win the last five
AFC West championship, with Kansas City shattering the Chargers’ four-year
stranglehold on the division by coming through with a surprising 10-6 record
in 2010 that followed three straight last-place finishes. A repeat performance
doesn’t appear to be in the cards, however, after the Chiefs dropped their
first two outings of this campaign in a most ignominious fashion.

An embarrassing 41-7 setback to longtime also-ran Buffalo began Kansas City’s
early free-fall, and the club was even less competitive in a 48-3 shellacking
by upstart Detroit last Sunday that tied for the worst margin of defeat in
franchise history.

Making matters worse, the Chiefs have been ravaged by a rash of season-ending
ACL tears to three cornerstone players. The latest — and possibly most
damaging — one occurred against the Lions, when All-Pro running back Jamaal
Charles went down in the first quarter.

Charles, the runner-up for last year’s NFL rushing title after bursting out
for a career-best 1,467 yards while averaging a lethal 6.4 yards per carry,
joins young standout safety Eric Berry and valued tight end Tony Moeaki on the
injured reserve list. Berry suffered his calamity in the Week 1 disaster
against the Bills, while Moeaki’s came in the team’s preseason finale.

History suggests it may actually get worse before it gets better for Kansas
City. The Chiefs have lost at Qualcomm Stadium in each of the past three years
and were outscored by a 74-14 margin in the last two appearances, including a
31-0 beatdown in December in which the team mustered an anemic 67 total yards
and five first downs.

The offense hasn’t been a whole lot better over the course of this season. In
addition to having scored a league-low 10 points, Kansas City also ranks last
in passing yards (221) and 30th in total yards (240.0 ypg).

Quarterback Matt Cassel, who did not play in last December’s blowout in San
Diego due to an appendectomy, has produced a subpar 50.4 passer rating through
the first two weeks and threw three interceptions against the Lions.

The Chargers, notorious for undergoing slow starts under head coach Norv
Turner, having exactly been flying out of the gates either. The Bolts were
able to overcome a 10-point halftime deficit in a 24-17 home win over
Minnesota in Week 1, but were plagued by mistakes in last Sunday’s 35-21 loss
at powerhouse New England.

San Diego turned the ball over four times against the Patriots and own a
minus-five takeaway-to-giveaway ratio on the season. The Chiefs are a league-
worst minus-seven in that category, having coughed it up a troubling nine
times in two games.

A return home could very well get the Chargers back on track. The team is 12-2
over its regular-season tests at Qualcomm Stadium, while scoring 31 points or
more in six of those last seven triumphs.

SERIES HISTORY

Kansas City holds a slight 51-49-1 edge in a regular-season series with San
Diego that dates back to the teams’ AFL days in 1960, when the Chiefs franchise
was then known as the Dallas Texans and the Chargers resided in Los Angeles.
San Diego has won six of the last seven bouts between the longtime foes, having
registered home-and-home sweeps in both 2008 and 2009 in addition to last
December’s shutout and a 24-10 road decision in 2007. Kansas City’s lone
positive result over that stretch occurred last season, a 21-14 Monday night
verdict at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 1.

In addition to their regular-season history, the teams have met once in the
postseason, with the Chargers scoring a 17-0 home win over the Chiefs in a 1992
AFC First-Round Playoff.

Turner owns a 6-7 lifetime record against the Chiefs as a head coach, but has
won six of eight tests with Kansas City since taking over in San Diego in 2007.
Kansas City’s Todd Haley is 1-3 against both Turner and the Chargers during his
time with the Chiefs.

WHEN THE CHIEFS HAVE THE BALL

The loss of Charles, unquestionably Kansas City’s best playmaker, is a
devastating blow to an offense that’s extremely reliant on running the
football. The Chiefs will try to get by using a combination of declining
veteran Thomas Jones (43 rushing yards) and the diminutive Dexter McCluster
(93 rushing yards, 9 receptions), a running back in college who spent most of
his rookie season of 2010 as a slot receiver. The 170-pound speedster is
slight but very quick, and he’s averaged an encouraging 7.8 yards per carry in
spot duty this year. Fullback Le’Ron McClain, a 900-yard rusher with Baltimore
in 2008, could find his way into the mix as well. McCluster figures to be
utilized quite a bit as a receiver out of the backfield as well, especially
with Kansas City still in search of a consistent secondary target alongside
2010 All-Pro wideout Dwayne Bowe (7 receptions), the NFL’s leader with 15
touchdown receptions last season. The team signed former 1,000-yard receiver
Steve Breaston (3 receptions) in the offseason with the hopes of him being
that guy, but the ex-Cardinal has yet to get untracked. Cassel (252 passing
yards, 1 TD, 4 INT) has been an early disappointment as well, displaying a
reluctance to take shots downfield and turning the ball over at an increased
rate compared to his career year of 2010. The struggling quarterback threw
just five interceptions heading into last year’s regular-season finale, but
has nine in four games (including the playoffs) since.

San Diego’s defense couldn’t have delivered any more disparate results over
the first two weeks. After limiting Minnesota’s sputtering aerial attack to a
paltry 28 passing yards and 187 total in the opener, the unit was torched for
410 yards by Tom Brady and New England’s prolific offense last Sunday and gave
up a combined 504 in the loss. Fortunately for coordinator Greg Manusky, the
Chiefs don’t pose anywhere near that sort of threat, so the Chargers will
likely concentrate more on containing the run on Sunday. They haven’t been
particularly good in that area, however, having allowed unimpressive averages
of 5.0 yards per carry and 126.5 rushing yards per game (26th overall) and
enabling the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson to rip off 98 yards on 16 attempts in
Week 1. The team does have a very good interior anchor in nose tackle Antonio
Garay (10 tackles, 1 sack), though, while brittle strong safety Bob Sanders
(12 tackles) was one of the game’s elite run-stopping safeties in Indianapolis
before a host of injuries reduced his effectiveness. A pass rush that was able
to get to Brady twice last week is headed up by outside linebacker Shaun
Phillips (7 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT), who’s coming off an 11-sack season in
2010, and veteran offseason addition Travis LaBoy (5 tackles).

WHEN THE CHARGERS HAVE THE BALL

The Chargers can light up the scoreboard, especially on their home turf, when
all their parts are in place and clicking. Led by three-time Pro Bowl
selection and 4,000-yard passer Philip Rivers (713 passing yards, 4 TD, 4
INT), San Diego comes into the contest ranked third in total offense (438.5
ypg) and fourth in yards via the air (351.0 ypg), and have converted a league-
high 64 percent of third-down opportunities. The team stands only 17th in
scoring (22.5 ypg), however, with turnovers — including Rivers’
uncharacteristic four interceptions in the early going — looming as the main
culprit. The fiery quarterback also may not have a couple of his key weapons
on hand on Sunday, with big-bodied wide receiver Malcom Floyd (5 receptions)
likely out after straining his groin against the Patriots and perennial All-
Pro tight end Antonio Gates (8 receptions) a huge question mark due to a
recurring plantar fasciitis problem with his foot. Rivers will still be able
to look in the direction of big-play wideout Vincent Jackson (12 receptions,
203 yards, 2 TD), who torched New England’s secondary for career bests of 10
catches and 172 yards and scored two touchdowns, while burly running back Mike
Tolbert (45 rushing yards, 3 total TD) currently tops the league with 17
receptions totaling 131 yards. He’s hobbled with a sore calf at the moment,
meaning backfield mate Ryan Mathews (109 rushing yards, 1 TD, 10 receptions)
— a capable receiver as well — could play a more prominent role on Sunday.
Veteran wideout Patrick Crayton (ankle) is expected to return from a two-game
absence this week, which will help offset Floyd’s probable unavailability.

Kansas City has had its problems on the defensive end as well, having
permitted an NFL-worst 89 points and generating a league-low one sack in its
two tilts. The Chiefs were gashed for 163 rushing yards by Buffalo in the
opener, then yielded 322 net passing yards and four Matthew Stafford touchdown
strikes in last week’s debacle against the Lions. Even with Berry’s crippling
injury, there’s more talent here than those lousy numbers suggest, however.
Outside linebacker Tamba Hali (12 tackles, 1 sack) is a premier pass rusher
who led the AFC with 14 1/2 sacks a year ago, fellow former first-round pick
Derrick Johnson (9 tackles, 3 PD) is a quality all-around player on the inside
and fourth-year pros Brandon Flowers (7 tackles, 1 INT, 5 PD) and Brandon Carr
(7 tackles) form a solid young cornerback combo. Kansas City does need to find
someone other than Hali who can consistently pressure the quarterback,
however, especially in a matchup against a San Diego team that’s very
proficient at throwing the ball.

KEYS TO THE GAME

Turnovers. Realistically, the only way the Chargers should lose this game is by
beating themselves, but based on the team’s history in September under Turner,
it isn’t entirely out of the question if San Diego is as careless with the
football as it was against the Patriots. Of course, the Chiefs have been even
more error-prone than their opponent, having given the ball away a damaging
nine times in two games.

Though the Chargers won’t be playing with their full complement of receivers on
Sunday, Rivers is still well-equipped to do plenty of damage with his right arm
if Kansas City can’t mount at least a semblance of a pass rush. If he’s got all
day to survey the field, the Chiefs will be in big trouble.

Special teams. With the Chiefs badly undermanned here, it’s an absolute must
they take full advantage of the few areas they may have an edge on the
Chargers. This could be one of them, as San Diego’s coverage units were
historically horrendous in 2010 and the Chargers allowed a kickoff return
touchdown on their first play of this campaign. Kansas City won last year’s
season-opening clash between these teams in part due to McCluster taking back a
punt 94 yards for a score.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

The Chiefs have been woefully inept in nearly every phase over the first two
weeks and are decimated by injuries as well, not to mention they’ve really
struggled as the visitor in this series in recent history. Though San Diego has
yet to hit its stride, a common theme for the team in the early stages of years
past, the Chargers should find the perfect remedy for their inconsistent play
in a Kansas City squad that has far greater problems at the moment.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Chargers 38, Chiefs 10

The Sports Network