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

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—Poked, prodded and asked about his starting
quarterback just about every way possible, Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley
had the same answer every time: Tyler Palko(notes) is the guy.

That doesn’t mean Kyle Orton(notes) won’t get the majority of the snaps Sunday at
Chicago.

Haley said before practice Wednesday that Palko would get about 60 percent
of the repetitions with the first-team offense this week. Orton, who was claimed
off waivers from Denver a week ago, will get the remaining 40 percent as he
tries to learn the playbook and his new teammates.

“Tyler’s our starter. We’re getting Kyle ready to play,” Haley said.
“He’s not like a guy who’s been here a couple of years. It’s a different
situation. So we’re getting him ready to play.”

Orton didn’t arrive in Kansas City until last Friday, two days after he was
claimed, which kept him from having a chance to play Sunday night against
Pittsburgh. Orton was inactive for the game, and Palko threw three interceptions
and fumbled a snap in a disheartening 13-9 loss.

Palko took the first set of repetitions in quarterback drills during the few
minutes of practice that the media was allowed to observe Wednesday. Orton took
the second series.

“It’s not a perfect world. It’s not going to be perfect,” Orton said
afterward. “You just make do the best you can, prepare yourself the best you
can. That’s something that I’ve always prided myself on, being the best prepared
on the field every week.”

Orton said that contrary to some rumors, he wasn’t hoping to land in
Chicago, which also was looking for a quarterback after losing Jay Cutler(notes) for
the season. The Bears put in a claim on Orton, but the Chiefs got him because
they had the priority by virtue of their worse win-loss record.

“That’s out of the players hands. I know a lot was made of it,” said
Orton, who also denied any notion that he contemplated not reporting to Kansas
City. “I didn’t say anything about that. I think people try to connect the dots
and say, you know, he would love to go there.”

Palko, who was pressed into duty when Matt Cassel(notes) went down with a
season-ending hand injury, tossed three interceptions in his debut as an NFL
starter against New England.

The journeyman backup didn’t fare much better against the Steelers, fumbling
a snap and throwing two picks in a span of three offensive plays in the first
half. But he was good enough to keep Kansas City in the game, leading the
offense down the field in the closing minutes before his final interception
sealed the Chiefs’ fourth consecutive defeat—and second straight without
scoring a touchdown.

Palko said that he’s preparing to make his third straight start, even though
he knows full well that the Chiefs aren’t paying the remainder of Orton’s salary
— about $2.6 million—to have him sit on the bench the rest of the way.

“Every week you have to earn the right to put your hands under center and
lead the team, whether we’re 2-0 and I’m playing well or what’s happened the
last two weeks,” Palko said. “I’m not looking at it any different this week.
It’s hard a position to play; you’re going to have your ups and downs.”

There have been a lot of downs for the Chiefs lately.

Kansas City has lost many of its best players to season-ending injuries,
among them safety Eric Berry(notes) and running back Jamaal Charles(notes). The result has
been a wildly inconsistent team that lost three straight, and then managed to
run off four straight wins to tie for the AFC West lead.

Turns out all that may have done is eliminate them from the Andrew Luck
sweepstakes.

The Chiefs were trounced 31-3 by then-winless Miami at home, and lost 17-10
to the Broncos, when quarterback Tim Tebow(notes) threw all of two passes. It was late
in that game that Cassel hurt his throwing hand, and surgery the next day landed
him along with many of his buddies on injured reserve.

Kansas City lost 34-3 to New England and, combined with last weekend’s loss
to Pittsburgh, hasn’t managed a touchdown since the third quarter against the
Broncos—a span of nearly 50 offensive series and more than 143 minutes of game
time.

Regardless who is under center Sunday, that must change if the Chiefs have
any prayer of winning.

“There’s growing pains that come along with playing this position,” Palko
said. “Fortunately or unfortunately, any way you look at it, you’re kind of
getting baptized by fire. You can’t make the mistakes that I’ve made. They’re
killing our team right now. But that’s why the quarterback position is the
hardest to play in all of sports. You get the blame either way.”

These are the times that try Joe Posnanski’s soul. The Kansas City Chiefs lost 13-9 to the Pittsburgh Steelers last night. They had a drive to win the game that ended when their top receiver raised his hand to call for the ball then failed to raise his hands to catch that ball when it was thrown. This is a flawed team that I want to be proud of, but it’s just that mental mistakes and an anemic offense are slowly turning me into a remote-throwing, head-shaking, full-out-cussing-out-my-television-screen citizen of Kansas City.

Let’s just take it quarter by quarter because the game in its entirety is still a little hard to swallow.

Quarter One: It was 36 degrees at game time, and the crowd was roaring, perhaps loudest when Steelers’ safety Troy Polamalu wobbled off the field with what is now being called “concussion symptoms.” The Chiefs are sporting their playoff beards, although the playoffs are seemingly more and more unlikely. Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is looking more and more like Russell Crowe when he lets himself go for a movie role.

The defense has again started the game with purpose. Tamba Hali strips Mewelde Moore at the goal line to prevent a touchdown. The offense also appears to have a purpose, although sadly it appears to be helping the Steelers cover the spread. Tyler Palko muffs the snap on the ensuing Chiefs’ possession, setting up the tone for the night. The defense will shut down an elite offense, while the Chiefs’ offense will make an opposing defense look elite (even without one of its elite players). After another solid stop by the home team, Palko throws a pick on the next snap he takes.

Quarter Two: Three snaps, three turnovers. There may not be anything more frustrating in the world than watching an inept offense attempt to move the football. The screen shows the average starting position for the Steelers — it’s the Chiefs’ 37-yard line. It’s somehow 13-6 at the half.

Quarter Three: Steelers’ offensive lineman Max Starks is holding Tamba Hali like it’s the last slow dance in eighth grade. Meanwhile, Chiefs’ coach Todd Haley is starting to look like a calculated risk taker. A play after Javier Arenas is stoned in the wildcat formation, he runs for a first down on a fake punt with two minutes to go in the quarter. Rather than a no-huddle offense, this could be the most successful Chiefs’ offensive philosophy in the second half of the season — it’s always four-down territory.

Quarter Four: The Chiefs have put together an actual drive with the running and the passing. That is, until, Anthony Becht tackles Jackie Battle on third-and-short. The problem? Becht is a tight end for the Chiefs, and the two bump into each other behind the line. This is a plot device in Little Giants, not the way a pro offense should operate.

Haley opts for a field goal attempt with seven minutes to go and all three of his timeouts left. The lead is cut to four, and somewhere Jack Harry is having an aneurysm. The Chiefs do get the ball back and proceed to move down the field again in five-to-eight-yard chunks in a lurching, ground-churning drive. Palko has appeared to find his rhythm, right up until the moment when he throws this third interception of the night after Bowe fails to even extend his arms to make a potential catch.

The Chiefs have scored one touchdown on their last 45 drives, a span of four games. The defense is being left out on the field in situations bordering on ludicrous. And I’m starting to feel guilty for how often I maligned Haley for appearing angry on the sidelines. This is not Madden football; this is maddening football.

When the New England Patriots take the field against the Kansas City Chiefs this upcoming Monday night they may get a lot more then they bargained for. The Chiefs are coming off of two straight disappointing loses and have moved from first to last in the division standings. They are also now without star quarterback Matt Cassel(notes) and several other key players. Everything looks down for a Kansas City team that many expected great things from this season.

At this point nobody would fault the Patriots for looking past the Chiefs. It would be easy to do, especially with a short week coming up and a tough road game against the Philadelphia Eagles on the horizon. This Kansas City Chiefs team has a lot of life left though, and looking past them may result in a loss, and a potential 3 way tie for first place.

The first thing that Kansas City has going for it is the Tyler Palko(notes) factor. At this point nobody has any idea what to expect from this man. When preparing for this game New England can only hope to use game tapes from either his college years or preseason games. Neither of these options will allow them to see what he will be doing on Sunday. This gives him a hand up over a secondary and linebacker crew that will be looking for signs in order to guess the next play.

Another thing that Kansas City has going for it that may result in a win over New England is a strong defense that has a point to prove. Over the past couple of weeks this bend but don’t break defense has been shattered. They now have to prove themselves all over again and this would be the week to do so. They also match up well against this offense.

Plain and simple, this game is the entire season for the Kansas City Chiefs. They will come out of the gates playing as if they are in the Super Bowl. They will be hungry and desperate for a win. Even as a Chiefs fan I can see that New England is healthier and more talented, but there is a reason that these games are played. On any given Sunday any team can win. This looks like a classic ‘trap game’ for New England and break out game for the Chiefs.

This may also be the perfect place for an undrafted backup quarterback to step up because another’s injury and lead this team to the Promised Land. In fact, it sounds a lot like the story of another quarterback who will be on the field on Monday night.

Jacob was born and raised in Kansas City. He has been a die hard Kansas City Chiefs fan his entire life. He now lives in Gladstone, Mo. where he is raising the next generation of Chief’s fans.

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Read More: Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos

The Kansas City Chiefs dropped a tough one against the Denver Broncos on Sunday in Kansas City by a score of 17-10. I went ahead and charted the Chiefs personnel packages each play and the results from those plays in a hope to find some useful information. Over the next few days that information will materialize in some stories here on SB Nation Kansas City. I didn’t include the last four minutes of the game when the Chiefs went into desperation mode and the Broncos started playing the clock, instead of the Chiefs. I wanted to see what things were working and what things weren’t when the teams were playing straight-up. One thing that clearly wasn’t working for the Chiefs was the shotgun.

It would be easy to say that with all the pressure around Cassel all day that switching to the shotgun would be a better plan to give him more time to make a play. But that wasn’t the case on Sunday. Cassel finished 1-13 out of the shotgun (not including the last four minutes). Cassel scrambled twice when facing pressure out of the shotgun that led to his two carries for 18 yards. The Denver Broncos had four sacks on the day, two of those came when Cassel was in the shotgun.

Of the 53 plays that I charted on Sunday, 31 of the plays had the Chiefs running a single back, single tight-end set. Also called 11-personnel. (1 running back, 1 tight end). More often than not in this game the Chiefs two tight-ends that were rotating in the game, Leonard Pope and Jake O’ Connell, were playing off the line of scrimmage. 17 plays had the Chiefs in a 21-personnel (two running backs, 1 tight-end) and five plays had the Chiefs in a 12-personnel, where Pope and O’Connell were on the field at the same time. So for those who like percentages out there. 58% of the plays were in the 11-personnel, 32% in the 21-personnel and 10% in the 12-personnel.

The Chiefs did some very interesting things with their personnel packages in an attempt to get the matchups they were looking for in certain situations. There were eight different plays that had rookie wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin motioning into the backfield and set up as a fullback would. Six of those plays were passes and Cassel went 3-6 in those plays, including Dexter McCluster’s big 3rd down catch that led to the Chiefs only touchdown.

The two running plays netted the Chiefs 16 yards and were both draws, most likely in an attempt to have Baldwin only need to shuffle his guy upfield rather than having him drive-block a front-seven defender. More interestingly when the Chiefs had Jake O’ Connell doing this same motion into the backfield as Baldwin, they had Le’Ron McClain lined up as a wideout. McClain was split out as a wideout on Jackie Battle’s 34 yard run to start the Chiefs’ second half, and he threw a key block in helping that play develop.

Another interesting way to look at the personnel packages is to see the difference in the second half as compared to the first half. The Chiefs players and coaches get time during the half to talk about the weaknesses and areas they think they could find an advantage. One of those areas for the Chiefs had to be passing out of the 11-personnel. In the first half the Chiefs threw nine passes and had eight runs out of this personnel grouping. In the second half the Chiefs threw the ball 11 times and ran it just three out of the 11-personnel.

The total for the game was 11 runs and 20 passes out of the 11-personnel. That’s definitely enough information for a defensive coordinator to consider a tendancy. And remember, I didn’t chart the last four minutes because I didn’t want to skew these kinds of numbers. The Chiefs came out firing in the one-back set in the second half because they obviously felt as if they had an advantage in this area.

In the Chiefs first three possessions after halftime they threw in the 11-personnel six times, including three in the opening touchdown drive. Cassel was 4-6 on those plays and the two incompletions were on the players execution, not the play-call. The Dexter McCluster wheel route that Cassel threw just a couple of feet too far in front of a fully-stretched out McCluster was one of them, as well as one of the Dwayne Bowe drops. The McCluster wheel route is something that all Chiefs fans have been waiting for this year as they try to find a way to get McCluster down the field and not just catching passes in the flat. It was a perfect play at the perfect time and Cassel just missed it.

There will be more information on the Chiefs personnel packages and tendencies later in the week.

Follow me on twitter @bkissel7 

When the Denver Broncos roll into town this week to face the Kansas City Chiefs they will bring with them one of the most celebrated quarterbacks in the nation. The name Tim Tebow(notes) is being discussed by every football fan across the league, and so far he has done very little to prove that he deserves it. He has moments of greatness, where he looks like he truly may be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but he also has had moments where it appears he has no right to play in the NFL.

As a Chiefs fan it is this inconsistency that has me worried. There are clearly two very different Tim Tebow’s playing in Denver. Which one shows up for the game on Sunday may mean the difference between and win for KC and a loss. With first place on the line in a division that may go to an 8-8 team, the stakes are pretty high.

Just who are the two Tebows and what causes one to show up of the other?

The Bad Tebow

The bad Tebow is the pocket Tebow. When forced to use his arm and his ability to read the field Tebow makes poor choices and the defense comes out as the winner. With players such as Flowers roaming the secondary a bad Tebow could lead to a win on par with the pounding the Chiefs put on the raiders a couple of weeks ago.

This would be the obvious ideal situation for Kansas City.

The Good Tebow

When Tebow gets moving big things happen. He has the same game changing abilities as a Michael Vick(notes) or a Warren Moon. He can move well and the defense must respect his feet. This could spell trouble for a team such as the Chiefs.

Kansas City has proven this year that they cannot put pressure on a quarterback. Outside of Tamba Hali(notes) Kansas City does not have a single proven pass rusher, and young players such has Justin Houston(notes) have yet to prove themselves at the professional level. Tim Tebow may have all day long to pass or look for running lanes. If Kansas City can’t hit a flat footed backup quarterback like Matt Moore(notes), they sure are not going to get to Tebow.

Which will it be?

The Chiefs only hope to stopping him will be to put a linebacker on Tebow duty. Someone such as Derrick Johnson will need to mirror Tebow and take away his ability to get down the field. Wherever Tebow roams, he must have a shadow waiting for his arrival.

Luckily for the Chiefs they have that ability. Derrick Johnson is a beast of a linebacker, who does not miss. Hali is also a quick end and is able to keep up in the open field which will make getting outside tougher. If Tebow is able to scramble some the Chiefs hard hitting secondary will also make Tebow think twice about scrambling again. It’s the physical hard hitting play of the Chiefs that may be the great equalizer in this game. As long as they can keep him in the pocket, the Chiefs have the ability to force the bad Tebow to show up and win the game.

Of course, if they can’t keep him from running and good Tebow arrives, its game over.

More from this author:

Is Dexter McCluster Being Misused, or is he Over Hyped?

Where does Matt Cassel rank with the All-Time great Chiefs quarterbacks?

Jacob was born and raised in Kansas City. He has been a die hard Kansas City Chiefs fan his entire life. He now lives in Gladstone, Mo. where he is raising the next generation of Chief’s fans.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

In years past, when one of the Oakland Raiders biggest rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, were about to go into battle on the field, we’d expect a heart pounding roller coaster ride to the finish, never really knowing which team would come out on top until the very end.

In 2011, it’s a different story. The lowly Chiefs, are 2-4, and their two wins came against two of the worst teams in the NFL this season, the Indianapolis Colts and the Minnesota Vikings. The Raiders beat Kansas City in both games last year, and the Chiefs had a better team in 2010. I think Oakland has a better team this year, despite the loss of quarterback Jason Campbell(notes).

With Chiefs’ fans rallying around the quarterback issue, thinking that it will result in a Kansas City win, I beg to differ. They will be sorely disappointed by the time Oakland is finished with them on Sunday.

The Silver and Black know how to shine under difficult circumstances. That’s what they’re all about. Yes, their iconic owner, Al Davis, passed away. Yes, Campbell broke his collar bone last Sunday in the game against the Cleveland Browns. Guess what? It just inspires and motivates them to come alive, playing their hearts out.

The Raiders weren’t supposed to win in the game against the Houston Texans, yet the day after Davis died, they somehow came out of it with a victory. The Silver and Black are tough, and resilient, just one of the many reasons we love our team.

It is probably good timing that Oakland will go into one of their easier battles of 2011 this weekend. Palmer should see time on the field, whether or not he starts on Sunday. As of Wednesday, October 19, head coach Hue Jackson said he has not made that decision. Though some sources say that Palmer will be the starter. The word is that the news came from the offensive coordinator, Al Saunders, who told a radio station.

It sounds like a rumor to me, as no one but Jackson and those in the Raiders’ organization knows for sure who will be starting, and that’s the way they like to keep it. Regardless of the situation, the Silver and Black will defeat the Chiefs, that is something I have no doubt about.

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:

Oakland Raiders: Quarterback Carson Palmer Will Wear Silver and Black, Fan’s Take

Oakland Raiders’ Jason Campbell Breaks Collarbone- A Look at the Injury in the NFL

Oakland Raiders Defeat the Cleveland Browns, 24-17: Fan reaction

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

KANSAS CITY — Todd Haley wouldn’t have changed the Kansas City Chiefs’ bye week for any other point this season. Not any sooner, not any later.He’ll find out in a hurry whether it truly came at the right time.The Chiefs were among the teams with an early bye for the second straight year, getting a week off after just five games. The first two were blowout losses to Buffalo and Detroit, but the Chiefs had shown encouraging signs in a narrow loss to San Diego and two straight wins.It was enough momentum for many to assume the Chiefs would just as soon keep playing, rather than sit around watching the Oakland Raiders, the team they’ll play next Sunday.“I do know from a number of guys that the bye came at the right time, as far as feeling a little better physically,” Haley said before a light walkthrough Monday. “I wouldn’t have pushed the bye to some other time if we were given the option.”The Chiefs carried a similar bit of positive feeling into last year’s week off, when they were riding high after three straight wins to start the season.Kansas City came back and lost 19-9 in a lackluster performance at Indianapolis, then lost 35-31 at Houston. The Chiefs also lost twice more in the next four weeks before figuring things out in time to rattle off three straight wins and eventually wrap up the AFC West title.Haley said the approach to the bye week changed slightly from last year, though he wouldn’t go into great detail. Some of that had to do with new rules in the collective bargaining agreement that requires teams to ensure players get four consecutive days off, two of which must be the weekend.After a light walkthrough Monday, Haley said the Chiefs would get back to their normal routine.“Last year we came out of the bye and went and played a real good Indianapolis team and felt like we had multiple opportunities to win that game,” Haley said. “I don’t know if the bye week had something to do with that. I felt very good about the way we prepared.”Like most teams, the biggest advantage of the bye week was a chance to get healthy.The Chiefs had been forced to adapt on the fly after losing tight end Tony Moeaki, Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry and All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles in successive weeks. Their respective replacements each bring a different set of skills to the field, so the coaching staff has been spending about as much time adapting to their own personnel as they’ve spent worrying about the other team.The week off gave the Chiefs a better chance to assess Jackie Battle at running back, Sabby Piscitelli and Jon McGraw at safety, and whether Leonard Pope and Jake O’Connell can give the Chiefs any kind of pass-catching ability out of the tight end position.“I feel like we know a lot more about our team, which is normal,” Haley said. “You have five games under your belt and we were able to do a bunch of research and study internally.”That’s what the coaches did. Most of the players skipped town, some heading to their alma maters to watch some college football and others simply heading home for the long weekend.“It’s always good to get away,” linebacker Derrick Johnson said, “get your head out of football a little bit. I was traveling back Sunday and didn’t see much football at all.”That was the case for cornerback Brandon Flowers, too.But both players acknowledged that the focus is back on the field, and that starts with Sunday’s game against the Raiders. It’s an important matchup against a division rival, one that could go a long way toward deciding the wide open AFC West.The Raiders will be without quarterback Jason Campbell, who broke his collarbone in the first half of their 24-17 victory over Cleveland on Sunday. Kyle Boller replaced him but struggled against the Browns, and the only other QB on their roster is Terrelle Pryor, who was officially activated Monday after a five-game suspension and one-week roster exemption.Flowers said none of that really matters.“This is a pivotal game for us,” he said. “We have to approach it as a pivotal game.”

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—Todd Haley wouldn’t have changed the Kansas City
Chiefs’ bye week for any other point this season. Not any sooner, not any later.

He’ll find out in a hurry whether it truly came at the right time.

The Chiefs were among the teams with an early bye for the second straight
year, getting a week off after just five games. The first two were blowout
losses to Buffalo and Detroit, but the Chiefs had shown encouraging signs in a
narrow loss to San Diego and two straight wins.

It was enough momentum for many to assume the Chiefs would just as soon keep
playing, rather than sit around watching the Oakland Raiders, the team they’ll
play next Sunday.

“I do know from a number of guys that the bye came at the right time, as
far as feeling a little better physically,” Haley said before a light
walkthrough Monday. “I wouldn’t have pushed the bye to some other time if we
were given the option.”

The Chiefs carried a similar bit of positive feeling into last year’s week
off, when they were riding high after three straight wins to start the season.

Kansas City came back and lost 19-9 in a lackluster performance at
Indianapolis, then lost 35-31 at Houston. The Chiefs also lost twice more in the
next four weeks before figuring things out in time to rattle off three straight
wins and eventually wrap up the AFC West title.

Haley said the approach to the bye week changed slightly from last year,
though he wouldn’t go into great detail. Some of that had to do with new rules
in the collective bargaining agreement that requires teams to ensure players get
four consecutive days off, two of which must be the weekend.

After a light walkthrough Monday, Haley said the Chiefs would get back to
their normal routine.

“Last year we came out of the bye and went and played a real good
Indianapolis team and felt like we had multiple opportunities to win that
game,” Haley said. “I don’t know if the bye week had something to do with
that. I felt very good about the way we prepared.”

Like most teams, the biggest advantage of the bye week was a chance to get
healthy.

The Chiefs had been forced to adapt on the fly after losing tight end Tony
Moeaki(notes), Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry(notes) and All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles(notes) in
successive weeks. Their respective replacements each bring a different set of
skills to the field, so the coaching staff has been spending about as much time
adapting to their own personnel as they’ve spent worrying about the other team.

The week off gave the Chiefs a better chance to assess Jackie Battle(notes) at
running back, Sabby Piscitelli(notes) and Jon McGraw(notes) at safety, and whether Leonard
Pope(notes) and Jake O’Connell(notes) can give the Chiefs any kind of pass-catching ability
out of the tight end position.

“I feel like we know a lot more about our team, which is normal,” Haley
said. “You have five games under your belt and we were able to do a bunch of
research and study internally.”

That’s what the coaches did. Most of the players skipped town, some heading
to their alma maters to watch some college football and others simply heading
home for the long weekend.

“It’s always good to get away,” linebacker Derrick Johnson said, “get
your head out of football a little bit. I was traveling back Sunday and didn’t
see much football at all.”

That was the case for cornerback Brandon Flowers(notes), too.

But both players acknowledged that the focus is back on the field, and that
starts with Sunday’s game against the Raiders. It’s an important matchup against
a division rival, one that could go a long way toward deciding the wide open AFC
West.

The Raiders will be without quarterback Jason Campbell(notes), who broke his
collarbone in the first half of their 24-17 victory over Cleveland on Sunday.
Kyle Boller(notes) replaced him but struggled against the Browns, and the only other QB
on their roster is Terrelle Pryor(notes), who was officially activated Monday after a
five-game suspension and one-week roster exemption.

Flowers said none of that really matters.

“This is a pivotal game for us,” he said. “We have to approach it as a
pivotal game.”

Read more: State, Kansas City, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Chiefs Football, Jon Baldwin, Chiefs, Colts, AFC, Baldwin Thumb Injury, Thomas Jones, Pro, NFL

(AP) — Wide receiver Jon Baldwin is closer to getting back on the field for the Kansas City Chiefs.

The first-round draft pick has been out since training camp after hurting his thumb in a locker room altercation with running back Thomas Jones.

But he’s been a full participant in practice this week and Baldwin is listed as probable for Sunday’s game at Indianapolis.

The Chiefs rank 30th out of 32 teams in passing offense, and just one spot better in total offense, averaging about 270 yards per game during their 1-3 start.

Baldwin, the 26th overall pick out of Pittsburgh, is expected to complement Dwayne Bowe while giving quarterback Matt Cassel a big red-zone target and someone who can stretch the field.

 

(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Leonard Pope cradled the touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Cassel with just less than 5 minutes left in the game, pulling the Kansas City Chiefs within a field goal of the San Diego Chargers in a critical game on the road.

Then he pulled his helmet off, and the penalty flags flew.

Pope was given a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for taking his helmet off while still on the field. The defense ultimately held, giving Kansas City a chance to win in the closing minutes, but the mental mistake demonstrated a frustrating trend that developed in a 20-17 loss.

For the first time all season, the Chiefs did some things that gave coaches, players and fans reasons to be hopeful. And then they did something moments later to dash that optimism.

“Shooting ourselves in our foot,” fullback Le’Ron McClain said, repeating the old cliché that rings especially true for the defending AFC West champs, who are off to an 0-3 start.

It wasn’t just penalties, though there were certainly plenty of those. But injuries, missed field goals, defensive letdowns and an inability to punch the ball into the end zone after solid, sustained drives all conspired on several occasions to turn positives into negatives.

Kansas City didn’t manage a single first down in the first half against San Diego, gaining all of 34 yards, but came out of the break and held the Chargers to a three-and-out. It gave the Chiefs the ball across midfield and they managed to go the rest of the way for a touchdown.

Rather than make a stand on defense, though, the Chargers marched 80 yards in less than 4 minutes for an answering touchdown, negating any momentum Kansas City built.

On the Chiefs’ ensuing possession, they put together a 21-play drive — if you count penalties — that even impressed coach Todd Haley. But the drive ended when, on third-and-11 from the 18, a run by Thomas Jones up the middle gained just 3 yards and Ryan Succop had to trot onto the field for a field goal. It was a minor letdown after the offense had finally found its rhythm.

“I’ve never been a part of a 21-play drive,” Haley said, “and that was a very positive thing, despite the penalties and only getting three points out of it.”

The Chargers’ defense was worn down and the momentum was swinging back toward the Chiefs, but the defense again couldn’t make a stand. San Diego put together a drive of its own for a matching field goal, giving its own defense a chance to rest while restoring a 10-point lead.

“The defense is very aware after a drive like that, we have a chance to put our offense out against a defense that appeared tired, down on a knee and things like that, and our defense went out and fully intended to get that three-and-out and just pressed a bit,” Haley said.

The list of positives dulled by negatives goes on and on.

Kendrick Lewis picked off Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers in the first quarter to give Kansas City prime field position. Unable to move the ball, the Chiefs settled for a 38-year field goal try that Succop missed wide right.

“Everyone in the locker room is counting on those points,” Succop said.

Later in the half, Brandon Flowers picked off Rivers and returned the ball 43 yards to give Kansas City excellent field position. The young starting cornerback was slow to get up after the play, though, and Flowers didn’t return to the game — even though Haley said he tried.

Flowers said afterward he hurt his ankle on the return and that an injection didn’t do a whole lot to numb the pain. His status for next week’s game against Minnesota is in question.

“He made a big play for us and unfortunately couldn’t continue,” said Haley, who hopes to know whether Flowers will be available for the Vikings later in the week. “I had to drag him off the field once. Our trainers are over helping someone else and I had to drag him off the field.”

The fact Flowers wanted to play through the pain proves how much everyone on the sideline still cares, Haley said. The Chiefs may be winless through three weeks, including a pair of ugly losses to start the season, but there are signs of hope for the first time all year.

Even if most of them have been obscured by misfortune.

“We just need to get over the hump and play Chiefs football,” McClain said. “We’ll be OK.”

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

Pope was given a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for taking his helmet off while still on the field. The defense ultimately held, giving Kansas City a chance to win in the closing minutes, but the mental mistake demonstrated a frustrating trend that developed in a 20-17 loss.

For the first time all season, the Chiefs did some things that gave coaches, players and fans reasons to be hopeful. And then they did something moments later to dash that optimism.

“Shooting ourselves in our foot,” fullback Le’Ron McClain said, repeating the old cliché that rings especially true for the defending AFC West champs, who are off to an 0-3 start.

It wasn’t just penalties, though there were certainly plenty of those. But injuries, missed field goals, defensive letdowns and an inability to punch the ball into the end zone after solid, sustained drives all conspired on several occasions to turn positives into negatives.

Kansas City didn’t manage a single first down in the first half against San Diego, gaining all of 34 yards, but came out of the break and held the Chargers to a three-and-out. It gave the Chiefs the ball across midfield and they managed to go the rest of the way for a touchdown.

Rather than make a stand on defense, though, the Chargers marched 80 yards in less than 4 minutes for an answering touchdown, negating any momentum Kansas City built.

On the Chiefs’ ensuing possession, they put together a 21-play drive — if you count penalties — that even impressed coach Todd Haley. But the drive ended when, on third-and-11 from the 18, a run by Thomas Jones up the middle gained just 3 yards and Ryan Succop had to trot onto the field for a field goal. It was a minor letdown after the offense had finally found its rhythm.

“I’ve never been a part of a 21-play drive,” Haley said, “and that was a very positive thing, despite the penalties and only getting three points out of it.”

The Chargers’ defense was worn down and the momentum was swinging back toward the Chiefs, but the defense again couldn’t make a stand. San Diego put together a drive of its own for a matching field goal, giving its own defense a chance to rest while restoring a 10-point lead.

“The defense is very aware after a drive like that, we have a chance to put our offense out against a defense that appeared tired, down on a knee and things like that, and our defense went out and fully intended to get that three-and-out and just pressed a bit,” Haley said.

The list of positives dulled by negatives goes on and on.

Kendrick Lewis picked off Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers in the first quarter to give Kansas City prime field position. Unable to move the ball, the Chiefs settled for a 38-year field goal try that Succop missed wide right.

“Everyone in the locker room is counting on those points,” Succop said.

Later in the half, Brandon Flowers picked off Rivers and returned the ball 43 yards to give Kansas City excellent field position. The young starting cornerback was slow to get up after the play, though, and Flowers didn’t return to the game — even though Haley said he tried.

Flowers said afterward he hurt his ankle on the return and that an injection didn’t do a whole lot to numb the pain. His status for next week’s game against Minnesota is in question.

“He made a big play for us and unfortunately couldn’t continue,” said Haley, who hopes to know whether Flowers will be available for the Vikings later in the week. “I had to drag him off the field once. Our trainers are over helping someone else and I had to drag him off the field.”

The fact Flowers wanted to play through the pain proves how much everyone on the sideline still cares, Haley said. The Chiefs may be winless through three weeks, including a pair of ugly losses to start the season, but there are signs of hope for the first time all year.

Even if most of them have been obscured by misfortune.

“We just need to get over the hump and play Chiefs football,” McClain said. “We’ll be OK.”

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—The Kansas City Chiefs were working on special teams Tuesday morning, specifically the field goal units, when Todd Haley’s voice cut through the air like a foghorn.

Rookie linebacker Justin Houston(notes) was late getting on the field with the first team kick block unit, and Haley let him know it. Forget about the content of the message—the volume of his voice alone was enough to convey a sense of urgency as the Chiefs prepare for their final preseason game.

“I felt like we’ve made improvements all along through training camp and the preseason,” Haley said, “and I feel like we’re doing that again. And if we make improvements, then I’ll feel good.”

Haley said the Chiefs have had perhaps their best week of training camp, even though it was a short one. After losing to St. Louis last Friday, they had heavy practices Sunday and Monday and worked out again Tuesday. They’ll take Wednesday off except for a walk through, and then head to Green Bay to face the defending Super Bowl champions on Thursday night.

Along the way, Kansas City was forced to cut its roster to 80 players by Tuesday afternoon. After releasing seven Monday, the Chiefs reached their limit by putting offensive tackle Ryan O’Callaghan(notes) on injured reserve and waiving kicker Todd Carter(notes).

More decisions will have to be made soon.

Haley and his staff will be able to evaluate the Packers game Friday before making final roster decisions. Teams must cut to 53 players by Saturday. Then it’s on to game week, with the Buffalo Bills coming to town for the season opener Sept. 11 at Arrowhead Stadium.

“I really feel like we’ve been able to stay on schedule as far as how we want to do things,” Haley said. “I’ve fought the urge to be reactionary and do things we hadn’t really planned on doing.”

That’s taken some pretty solid self-control considering how poorly the Chiefs have performed in their first three preseason games. They were wiped out 25-0 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their opener, were trounced 31-13 by the Baltimore Ravens a week later, then watched the Governor’s Cup head back across the state when the Rams held on for a 14-10 victory last week.

The Chiefs have played their starters sparingly with quarterback Matt Cassel(notes) throwing all of 27 passes—and completing just 12. Running backs Jamaal Charles(notes) and Thomas Jones(notes) have combined for 15 carries and 60 yards, and top wide receiver Dwayne Bowe(notes) has four catches for 54 yards.

Cassel said he’s bought into Haley’s deliberate approach to the preseason, which was thrown in flux by the NFL lockout. But even he acknowledged it would be nice to throw a few more passes Thursday night before the games start to count.

“We’ve had three preseason games and you’re trying different stuff and all that,” Cassel said, “and we haven’t exactly pounded the rock like we did last year, and we’re still at this time trying to get used to some new players that we have and go forward from there

“We’ll see,” he said. “Again, it comes down to game plan and what the coaches put together.”

Haley wouldn’t reveal exactly how much he plans to play his first-string units at Lambeau Field, but he did say “our core guys will have a good amount of playing time.” That’s a departure from most Week 4 preseason games, when teams try to protect their starters from injuries.

Haley also said he feels comfortable with the players currently on the roster, despite several apparent holes that could be addressed as other teams make their cuts.

The Chiefs head into the regular season with only journeyman Tyler Palko(notes) and fifth-round draft pick Ricky Stanzi(notes) backing up Cassel, unless they attempt to sign a veteran quarterback. They also lost some key depth on the offensive line when they put O’Callaghan on injured reserve.

Branden Albert(notes) and Barry Richardson(notes) appear to have locked down the starting tackle jobs, with late free agent signee Jared Gaither(notes) providing backup. Gaither was once an emerging star with the Baltimore Ravens before missing all of last season with a back injury, but he’s shown flashes of his old self and will be relied on even more heavily now that O’Callaghan is gone.

“I’ve been healthy since I’ve been here,” Gaither said. “Now it’s just really learning the playbook, getting out there and getting comfortable with the guys. I started to get there last week.”

Gaither knows that time is running out, though. So do the rest of the Chiefs.

“You know, the preseason is all about trying to get better,” Cassel said. “That’s the bottom line. It’s really about your team, because the ultimate goal is to be ready by Sept. 11.”