KANSAS CITY — Chiefs coach Todd Haley doesn’t have the answer for his team’s touchdown drought, perhaps because there is none. It seems almost impossible, after all.It’s been more than two full games, 143 miserable minutes, since the Chiefs turned a drive into a touchdown. They’ve managed just one during a four-game losing streak, the worst stretch since the Cleveland Browns scored one touchdown during a similar four-game debacle in 2008.Sure, quarterback Matt Cassel is out for the season with an injured throwing hand, and tight end Tony Moeaki has missed the whole year with a torn left ACL, the same injury that dropped All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles in the second game of the season. The offensive line has been bullied and bruised, and a perilous lack of depth across the board has been exposed.But the fact remains that plenty of teams with uncertain quarterback situations and a plethora of injuries have managed to score a touchdown — at least one measly touchdown — in nine quarters of play.“There were a number of things, really, in the last couple of games that kept us from winning,” Haley said. “But at the same time I think it’s important when you have games, losses, tough losses specifically, that you understand why you lost the game.”Turnovers would be a good place to start.Since taking over for Cassel, journeyman backup Tyler Palko has turned the ball over seven times by himself. During one awful three-play sequence in last Sunday night’s 13-9 loss to Pittsburgh, Palko fumbled a snap and threw back-to-back interceptions.The Chiefs are minus-5 in turnover margin this season after going plus-9 last season, when they surprised just about everyone in the league by winning the AFC West.The Chiefs’ running game, which led the league last season, has been a hodge-podge of fill-ins that include a 170-pound firecracker who seems to fall down in a stiff wind (Dexter McCluster), a 33-year-old whose best days are seemingly behind him (Thomas Jones) and an undrafted guy out of Houston who’s on the team mostly because of his special teams ability (Jackie Battle).The result is a rush offense that has managed three touchdowns all season — one by Battle, one by fullback Le’Ron McClain and one by, of all people, defensive back Javier Arenas.“We just have to keep moving forward,” McCluster said. “Whoever is up has to play.”And play better than they have.Kansas City is 29th in the league in scoring offense at 13.9 points per game, and has managed all of 25 points during its four-game skid. The only teams worse than the Chiefs are Indianapolis, St. Louis and Jacksonville, who are a combined 5-28 heading into this weekend’s games.“We have to figure out a way to get into the end zone some way, somehow,” Haley said, “because you have to score more points than your opponent.”It’s hard to do that kicking only field goals.Even though Haley has said that Palko will start Sunday at Chicago, it’s a good bet that Kyle Orton will get a shot to run the offense against his former team.Orton was claimed off waivers last week from Denver, and the Chiefs aren’t paying the roughly $2.6 million left on his salary to be a backup. Orton has a track record of success that far surpasses what Palko has accomplished, throwing for more than 3,000 yards in back-to-back seasons in Denver and helping lead Chicago to 11 wins and a division title as a rookie in 2005.Not to mention he was 15-2 at Soldier Field as a starter for the Bears“Well, those defenses we had had a lot to do with that,” Orton said with a laugh.Yes, the vaunted Bears defense.Considering the trouble the Chiefs have had getting into the end zone, Brian Urlacher and Co. are probably salivating in practice this week. Chicago is eighth in the league against the run, and has been even better since Week 6, allowing fewer than 68 yards per game on the ground over that span.“Our defense hasn’t really changed yet the last few years. We have a few new faces but we do the same thing,” Urlacher said. “We run to the football, we get pressure on the quarterback and we play Cover 2. … We play little bit more man, but for the most part our staple is running to the football and getting takeaways.”The Bears are tied for second behind the unbeaten Packers with 16 interceptions, which helps to mask the one glaring weakness in their defense: They’re allowing more than 270 yards passing per game, third worst in the NFL.Of course, that only helps Kansas City if someone is able to take advantage of it.The Chiefs don’t have a single wide receiver averaging more than 15 yards per catch — the Oakland Raiders have four of them. Their best player still healthy, Dwayne Bowe, has four touchdown catches after hauling in 15 of them last season, and none since Week 5 at Indianapolis.“Things could change at the turn of a hat, so we have to keep forging ahead and eliminate mistakes, and that starts with me,” Palko said earlier this week. “We can’t do anything to change the past, but you have to rectify your mistakes and move ahead. “There’s no loss of confidence,” he said. “We just have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot.”

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

The Kansas City Chiefs sit at 4-5 on the 2011 season . They are one game behind the Oakland Raiders in the AFC West Division. The Chiefs are heading into a crucial stretch of the schedule when they play five top-level NFL teams. In a close division race, any wins now will be crucial to earning a playoff berth.

As bad as Kansas City has been in 2011, it could be worse. Here are five statistics that paint a better picture for the Chiefs than many people may realize.

Point Differential

Kansas City has the lowest points allowed in their division. The Chiefs have had 218 points scored against them, 10 fewer than the San Diego Chargers. The only problem is that the Chiefs have only scored 141 points. Three games have seen the opposition score more than 30 points against the Chiefs. However, Kansas City did have one shutout against Oakland which helped keep their point differential from getting worse.

Interceptions

The Chiefs are tied for fourth-best in the league with 13 interceptions and also tied for second with two picks returned for touchdowns. The game Oct. 23 at Oakland certainly helped. Kansas City had six interceptions and the defense scored directly on two of them.

Kick Return Yards

Kansas City has allowed only 20 yards per kickoff return, third-best in the NFL. That isn’t saying much with the new kickoff rules and tons of touchbacks, but at least it’s something. Only nine kickoffs have been returned, best in the league. Of course, that statistic would be higher if the Chiefs scored more points.

Field Goals

Ryan Succop(notes) has been perfect on his field goals since Oct. 2. His last miss was an unfortunate one against San Diego Sept. 25. The Chiefs lost that game by three points. Maybe the NFL lockout affected kickers too. Perhaps Succop had trouble finding a practice field to kick field goals all summer.

Quarterback

Tyler Palko(notes) will get his first professional start Nov. 21 against the New England Patriots. In 2011, he is 5-for-7 with 47 yards and a quarterback rating of 89.6. Both his completion percentage and quarterback rating are better than starter Matt Cassel(notes).

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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As expected, there are no Kansas City Chiefs on the initial ballot results for the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers(notes) leads all vote-getters with nearly 590,000 tallies as of Nov. 15. The top 10 includes two Packers and two players from the New England Patriots. Balloting stops Dec. 19 with teams announced Dec. 27.

Just because there are no Chiefs on the initial round of voting, it doesn’t mean there aren’t worthy candidates. Running back Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings is fourth on the list despite the lowly Vikings with a 2-7 record. Peterson doesn’t even lead the NFL in rushing, although he does have 10 rushing touchdowns which is tied for tops in the NFL.

If the Chiefs had some Pro Bowl-worthy candidates, the following players would make my list.

Jackie Battle(notes) came out of nowhere to lead the team in rushing with over 400 yards on the ground. Battle’s ability to get into the secondary has been dominating despite only seeing limited action before this year. He’s filling in for the injured Jamaal Charles(notes) who is done for the year.

Dwayne Bowe(notes) is still one of the top receivers in the league. With 663 yards receiving, Bowe is by no means elite this season but he is 11th in the league in receiving yards. Bowe only has four touchdowns on the season which is probably why he’s not getting noticed.

Derrick Johnson has the most tackles for Kansas City. With 55 solo tackles, he is eighth in the league in solo tackles to go along with 16 assists.

Ryan Succop(notes) started out the year by missing three out of his first five field goals over the first three games. Since then he’s been perfect, including five-for-five against the Minnesota Vikings Oct. 2.

Dustin Colquitt(notes) has had plenty of work to do in 2011. Over the first nine games, he has punted 50 times for an average of nearly 47 yards. Both of those are in the top 10 in the NFL.

Brandon Flowers(notes) has done well in the defensive secondary. He is tied for second in the NFL with four interceptions, one of which was a pick six. Flowers in sixth in the NFL in terms of interception yardage.

There are still plenty of games left and chances are one of the coaches will select at least one player from the Chiefs for the Pro Bowl even if voting isn’t kind to Kansas City.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jerheme Urban hasn’t been playing a whole lot of wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs lately. He has only one catch all season, and that was in the opener.

He might as well play quarterback for the Denver Broncos.

Or at least try to imitate it.

You see, Urban stands 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, and he has some experience at quarterback from his younger days, not to mention experience in track. He’s an unusual athlete, which makes him a natural fit to mimic the Broncos’ Tim Tebow, who runs a read-option offense that NFL teams just don’t see very often.

It’s been Urban who has been battered by the Kansas City defense in practice this week as it tries to figure out the best way to shut down Tebow, the former Heisman Trophy winner they will face in an AFC West showdown Sunday.

“I can only judge Tim as an opposing coach getting ready to defend him,” Chiefs coach Todd Haley said Wednesday. “The guy’s a winner and has won everywhere he’s been, and he’s shown that now in the NFL. I think he’s a heck of a player.”

He certainly creates some unique challenges.

There are plenty of running quarterbacks in the league, guys like Michael Vick who are a threat to take off from the pocket at any moment. But few teams script option-style plays more likely to be seen in college for a quarterback who often resembles a battering ram.

Running an offense similar to what he excelled in at Florida, Tebow generally has three options after taking the snap: throw it down field, pitch it to Willis McGahee or one of the other running backs, or simply keep the ball himself and scamper down field. And last week, the Broncos turned their new offense loose.

Befuddling a stingy Raiders defense, Tebow managed to pass for 124 yards and two touchdowns while also running for 118 yards. The attention that Oakland paid him created holes for McGahee, who ran loose for 163 yards and two scores in the 38-24 victory.

Haley said the Broncos’ offense is similar to the wildcat formation in vogue around the league, with one significant difference: Tebow can throw the ball, too, despite what his critics say.

“You got a quarterback running the option,” Haley said, “and that makes it a triple threat.”

It’s clear the Chiefs understand what Tebow brings to the field.

Figuring out how to stop it is another matter entirely.

“You got to get to him,” defensive end Wallace Gilberry said. “He’s a real tough guy, a powerful runner. You see guys hit him at the knees almost getting knocked out.”

Gilberry said it’s not just the yards and points that Tebow is responsible for that dictates how valuable he’s been. It’s the fact that the Broncos, after a slow start to the season, have rallied around him. They’ve won two of the three games he’s started.

“The whole team is feeding off him,” Gilberry said. “They’re riding behind him.”

That makes the job that the guys in practice are doing imitating Tebow that much more important. It’s hard enough defending a style of offense that you only see from one team, but it’s even more difficult if you’re not able to replicate it throughout the week.

That responsibility isn’t falling only on Urban, either.

Backup quarterback Tyler Palko is a left-hander, like Tebow, and athletic in his own right. So Haley has called on him to line up opposite the Chiefs’ defense. But unlike Urban, Haley refuses to let the Chiefs put a hit on their No. 2 quarterback in practice.

Copyright 2011 The

Associated Press.

All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
We strive to uphold our values for every story published.

As a life long Kansas City Chiefs fan, kick returns have always been one of my favorite parts of the game. I love the big hits and the big plays that occurred routinely during the kickoff return. With the NFL’s recent rule change moving the spot of the kickoff this portion of the game has almost disappeared. Aside from a few exceptions this year there has been very little action during the kick off. This simple change has had a large impact on how the game is played and it has taken away a teams ability to win games by simply having better field position. As a fan I believe that this is not a good thing for football and I hope this rule change is short lived.

Thinking of this unfortunate rule change today got me thinking of the great kick return men that have played for the Chiefs. Fans in Kansas City have been lucky over the years by having the chance to witness several great return careers.

Dante Hall(notes)

From 2000-2007 Dante Hall returned 6 kickoffs for touchdowns and amassed a stunning 8644 yards. During the course of his career in Kansas City he averaged over 23 yards a return and was a constant threat to change the course of any game. Because of his game changing abilities he rightfully earned the nickname “The X-Factor”. One recent ranking put him in the top 5 kick returners of all time.

Tamarick Vanover

Before Dante Hall entered the picture and started making history Kansas City had another top tier return man in Tamarick Vanover. During a 5 year stretch from 1995-1999 Vanover returned 212 kicks with 4 touchdowns and a total of 5422 yards. His return average was even higher then Dante Halls and with a couple of more years in the league he may have reached the same level as one of the greatest returners in NFL history. Unfortunately a couple of poor choices off of the field ended his playing career.

Noland Smith

Noland Smith was wide receiver/return specialist for only a couple of short years in the late 60s. The impact he made inthose years though is still seen today. A quick look at the Chiefs history books shows that still holds the record for the longest kick return in Kansas City history at 106 yards. He also has the 18^th highest return average in the history of the league at 26.06 yards per return

More to come?

Players like Dexter McCluster(notes) have the talent to make this list, but with the current rules they will never get that chance. Lets hope that this rule is changed back soon.

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

More from this author:

An Open Note to Fathers with Young Boys

Where does Matt Cassel rank with all time great Chiefs QBs?

Profiting from the death of Amy Winehouse

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—The Kansas City Chiefs will never be confused with
the “Greatest Show on Turf,” not so long as Todd Haley is calling the shots.

The former wide receivers coach actually prefers a ground-based offense, as
evidenced by the way Kansas City led the league in rushing last season. But when
All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles(notes) went down with a season-ending injury, it
forced Haley to change his mentality ever so subtly.

With the emergence of rookie wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin(notes) over the past
two weeks, those subtle changes have become much more pronounced.

Baldwin hauled in a 39-yard touchdown catch in a 23-20 overtime win over San
Diego, and finished with five catches for 82 yards. It was only his second game
of 2011 after an altercation with a teammate during training camp resulted in a
thumb injury that had kept him out most of the season—but it was the first
sign that he may be exactly what Kansas City had hoped.

“I’m excited about Baldwin’s development,” Haley said this week. “I said
that even before he’d been out and had a chance to play, but again, a unique set
of circumstances and a position, for rookies, not always a slam dunk to come in
and be an easy go of it. A big stage Monday night—though he’s not perfect, he
has a lot of work to do—he showed some gumption in making some big plays.”

The Chiefs drafted Baldwin with the 26th overall selection in part because
they wanted a big target to complement Dwayne Bowe(notes), one of the breakout stars of
the league last season.

They added former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Steve Breaston(notes) through
free agency, giving quarterback Matt Cassel(notes) a reliable threat down the middle of
the field. But when Charles went down with a season-ending injury, along with
pass-catching tight end Tony Moeaki(notes), the offense struggled to pick up first
downs—not to mention touchdowns—and the result was three straight losses.

Kansas City finally got on track against bottom-dwellers Minnesota and
Indianapolis, but Baldwin’s return coincided with the Chiefs going on the road
and beating Oakland a couple weeks ago.

He’s also a big reason the Chiefs knocked off San Diego on Monday night,
when Haley opened up the playbook and began taking some shots down field,
stretching the defense more than he has all season.

“The thing that you notice about Jonathan Baldwin is he’s so big. He’s a
big target and he’s a guy that can throw it up and go up and get it in different
areas,” Cassel said. “At the same time, he’s a guy that’s still learning this
offense and he’s still getting acclimated. This was only his second NFL game and
his first game was probably a little bit of shellshock.”

There are certainly moments when Baldwin looks like a rookie.

During the Chargers game, a pass from Cassel slipped right through his
fingers and into the hands of Eric Weddle(notes), one of his two interceptions. Baldwin
promptly told Cassel that he owed him one—a sure sign of maturity, Cassel
said.

“The main thing was just us getting the W. That was the main thing. We
played hard and to come up with the W, that was real big,” Baldwin said.
“That’s what everyone was focused on.”

It would have been easy for Baldwin to get left behind while his thumb was
in a cast. The former Pitt standout spent long days on an adjacent practice
field, toiling away on his own while the rest of the Chiefs went through
training camp. It was even more frustrating when the season began.

But Haley never gave Baldwin a chance to get down on himself. The
notoriously hard-to-please coach worked him as hard as anybody, and the results
have already shown up.

“He just wants the best out of everyone, you know? I respect that,”
Baldwin said. “He pushes his players because he wants to see everyone succeed.
You just have to take it like that.”

Baldwin has taken a team-first approach to answering any question about his
play this season, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Chiefs have grown
together, he said, despite the bumps and bruises they’ve sustained along the way
this season.

With a victory over the winless Dolphins on Sunday, the Chiefs will be on
their longest winning streak in eight years, and remain at the very least tied
atop the AFC West.

“With how we began this year, you know, I think our guys at least
understand that we put ourselves in a hole that eliminated our margin for
error,” Haley said, “and we just have to continually talk about it and coach
better each and every day.”

If you’re new to our Tale of the Tape pieces, we use them to dig into stand-alone games throughout the season. They’re stat heavy, hard-hitting, and quick, so that you’ll be able to rip through them and still have time to put a bet in while you’re stocking the fridge with beer.

San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs (3, 44.5)

Offense

Everybody’s flipping out about Philip Rivers’ 11 turnovers but San Diego’s total offense ranks eighth in the league and the passing attack ranks seventh. The problem is the Chargers average only 23.5 points per game and they have a minus-five turnover ratio. Running back Mike Tolbert is doubtful, but Ryan Mathews should be able to handle the rushing load himself. He averages 4.6 yards per carry and is also a receiving threat out of the backfield with 24 catches.

Kansas City continues to run the heck out of the ball because they don’t really have much choice. The Chiefs rank seventh in rushing yards (129 yards per game) but sit 30th in passing yards (173.7 yards per game) while managing only 17.5 points per contest. Running back Jackie Battle gets the start this week and leads the team with 232 rushing yards.

Edge: Chargers

Defense

The Chiefs sit in the middle of the pack in most defensive categories, but they do rank third with 11 interceptions. They’re hoping Tamba Hali turns it up a bit. He led the AFC with 14.5 sacks last season, but the entire team has just six sacks this season. However, stopping the run is their biggest problem as they allow more than 125 rushing yards per game.

San Diego’s total defense ranks fifth in the league and the Chargers own the third best passing defense in the league, but they also struggle to stop the run allowing almost 122 yards per game. San Diego is looking to get a better pass rush as well. The Chargers have just 10 sacks on the season. Part of the problem is that injuries have left the team with just six of its defensive starters that began the season.

Edge: San Diego

Special teams

Kansas City’s special teams could play a major role in this one. Punter Dustin Colquitt is one of the best in the business with a net average of 41.6 yards and he pinned the Raiders inside the 20 three times in last week’s 28-0 blowout. Ryan Succop has hit seven of his 10 field goal attempts and the Chiefs boast a couple dangerous kick returners in Dexter McCluster and Javier Arenas, both of whom are averaging better than 23 yards per kick return.

The Chargers felt this year was going to be different for their special teams but so far it’s been the same old story. They sit 27th in kick return coverage and 30th in punt return defense and after letting Darren Sproles walk to New Orleans they sit 25th in punt returns and 24th in kick returns. The only good news is that they haven’t missed a field goal yet.

Edge: Chiefs

Word on the street

“Three weeks ago everybody would’ve thought they could circle (the second Chiefs game) as another win. Not anybody in this room did. We’ve been that 1-3 team and now these Chiefs have bounced right back and haven’t lost since they were here. This is going to be all you’d expect in a division game, teams fighting for first place.” – San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers.

“I think we’re taking steps in the right direction. I think everybody in there is excited about the opportunity we have in front of us on Monday night. We’re up for the challenge and we’re excited about the opportunity again.” – Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel.

Final score prediction

Kansas City 20, San Diego 17

It’s no secret how the Kansas City Chiefs are winning these days. Even Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has noticed it.
     “They stuck together and found ways,” he said. “They went through awful injuries at the start of their season. They were down in Indy 24-7 and came back and won that one. They beat Minnesota at home, then went to Oakland, obviously, and shut them out — had six turnovers.”
     Yes, the Chiefs are riding a modest three-game winning streak, but they’re not doing it with a dominating ground game like last year. They’re not winning with a flashy offense or bruise-inducing defense. They’ve been opportunistic, simple as that, and somehow it’s worked.
     “We’ve got the ship turned around right now. But as quick as you can win in this league, that’s how quick you can lose,” linebacker D.J. Johnson said. “Everything is better when you win.”
     The Chiefs have recovered from a miserable 0-3 start and injuries to starters Eric Berry and Jamaal Charles to even their record. With a win over San Diego on Monday night, Kansas City can move into a tie atop the AFC West with the Chargers and the Oakland Raiders.
     “They haven’t lost since we played them,” Rivers said. “It’s going to be a big-time game.”
     Who would have thought that a few weeks back?
     Kansas City dropped its first two games in lopsided fashion, and went to San Diego (4-2) trying to figure out things. Some fans were already talking about tanking the rest of season so the team could draft Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. Todd Haley was on the hot seat barely eight months after he was a trendy pick for coach of the year awards.
     The Chiefs played the Chargers to the final possession in a 20-17 defeat, but it turned out to be a watershed moment for the defending division champions.
     Kansas City’s offense found a dink-and-dunk style that managed to move the ball just enough to score some points, despite having lost one of the league’s best running backs in Charles. The defense realized it would have to force turnovers to win, and began making up for the loss of Berry in the secondary by cherry-picking interceptions.
     Rivers threw two of them that day, and Raiders quarterbacks combined to throw six last week.
     “Three weeks ago when we played them, they didn’t even win a game,” Chargers linebacker Takeo Spikes said. “This game is all about confidence, what you do from week to week. It’s always different. Every situation is different, every circumstance is different. That’s the beauty of it.”
     Spikes insists the Chargers’ confidence isn’t failing, either.
     San Diego is coming off a 27-21 road loss to the New York Jets in which it blew an 11-point halftime lead, had two interceptions in the fourth quarter and botched a two-minute drill.
     Much of the blame for the collapse has been heaped on the shoulders of Rivers, who is off to one of the worst starts in his Pro Bowl career. He was 16 of 32 for 179 yards with a touchdown and the two second-half picks against the Jets, and his passer rating is just 82.3 through six games.
     He’s thrown seven touchdown passes to go with nine interceptions; by comparison, Rivers threw for 12 touchdowns in the first six games last season, and 13 picks the entire year.
     “He’s a really good quarterback, and he’s extremely, extremely dangerous,” Haley insisted. “He has a ton of wins under his belt, which is how I like to evaluate quarterbacks.”
     There’s the rub: During his terrific start last season, Rivers had the Chargers sitting 2-4 after six games. San Diego is 4-2 this year despite the struggles of the star quarterback.
     Norv Turner said he wasn’t going to dwell much on the fiasco in New York, believing his team had moved past it the moment the players stepped on the plane back west.
     Turner knew his team missed a big opportunity to put some ground between itself and the rest of the division, especially after a 3-3 mark against the AFC West last year wasn’t good enough. And now, a loss means the Chargers will be tied with the Chiefs and the Raiders, who have the week off.
     “I thought they came back with a real sense of urgency, and focus, and we went right back to work on Kansas City,” Turner said. “It’s a division game, and I think our guys are excited about a Monday night game. It’s a great place to play, and it’s also a very difficult place to play.”
     The teams also met on Monday night at Arrowhead Stadium a year ago. That was the season opener for both teams, and the Chiefs’ 21-14 victory started a charmed run that eventually resulted in a stunning AFC West championship.
     Might another Monday night matchup, on Halloween no less, send them off and running again? Or will it allow the Chargers to prove they’re the class of the division?
     “We expect their best and they’re going to get ours,” Rivers said. “Every team in this league is capable. We’re in the midst of a good start, a 4-2 start. We’re not pleased with last week, but we can’t change it. But we do have something we can do about this Monday.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —

Last year, Kansas City showed a knack for disrupting opponents’ emergency quarterbacks. The Chiefs hope they do it again Sunday against Oakland amid speculation the Raiders will start the newly acquired Carson Palmer.

Whether it’s Palmer or Kyle Boller starting in place of the injured Jason Campbell, the Chiefs are hopeful of capitalizing on an unsettled Raiders quarterback situation. Palmer hasn’t played since he guided the Cincinnati offense last season.

When the news of Palmer’s trade from the Bengals to Oakland came down on Tuesday, the Chiefs quickly went to the videotape. They last faced Palmer on Dec. 27, 2009. This time, Palmer would be working with new teammates after missing training camp and the opening six weeks of the 2011 season.

Last year, Kansas City showed a knack for disrupting opponents’ emergency quarterbacks. The Chiefs hope they do it again Sunday against Oakland amid speculation the Raiders will start the newly acquired Carson Palmer.

Whether it’s Palmer or Kyle Boller starting in place of the injured Jason Campbell, the Chiefs are hopeful of capitalizing on an unsettled Raiders quarterback situation. Palmer hasn’t played since he guided the Cincinnati offense last season.

“It sounds like Carson has been working extremely hard to be ready if something came up,” Chiefs coach Todd Haley said. “This isn’t a one- to two-year guy you’re talking about. This is a guy who has a bunch of years under his belt.”

When the news of Palmer’s trade from the Bengals to Oakland came down on Tuesday, the Chiefs quickly went to the videotape. They last faced Palmer on Dec. 27, 2009, when they limited him to 139 yards passing. However, his 6-yard touchdown pass to Chad Ochocinco with 2:03 remaining snapped a 10-10 tie and lifted the Bengals to a 17-10 victory.

This time, Palmer would be working with new teammates after missing training camp and the opening six weeks of the 2011 season.

“The thing about this league is that you think you have an advantage sometimes – less preparation from another team or another guy. But everybody is a professional. He’s going to get ready to play,” Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson said. “He’s a smart guy and this is a copycat league. I’m sure he’ll fit right in.”

Oakland coach Hue Jackson maintained that he wouldn’t decide on his starting quarterback until thoroughly evaluating Palmer in practice this week.

The Chiefs faced two backup quarterbacks in their opening six games last year and were able to use key interception returns for touchdowns against Cleveland’s Seneca Wallace and Jacksonville’s Todd Bouman as a springboard to victories over the Browns and Jaguars. Brandon Flowers victimized Wallace with a 33-yard TD return and Johnson had a 15-yard scoring return against Bouman.

Asked specifically if the Chiefs would be inclined to come with additional pressure packages against a rusty quarterback, Haley replied: “I don’t think I’d give much of that out, as much as I could help it.”

Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel was a college roommate of Palmer’s at Southern California. When he heard that Palmer had been traded to the Raiders, Cassel called Palmer and left a congratulatory message.

“Carson is a great guy and a great friend of mine,” Cassel said. “I’ll be a fan of his every day but two when we play them.”

Cassell said he has never faced the type of situation Palmer may find himself in Sunday – starting for a new team having had just a couple of days to get ready. “I’m sure if anybody can do it, Carson can,” Cassel said.

Whether his team faces Palmer or Boller, Haley’s overriding message is that the Chiefs can’t be consumed by Oakland’s change at quarterback.

“First and foremost, we have to stop one of the best running attacks in the league, one of the best backs (Darren McFadden) in the league,” Haley said. “If we don’t do that, it will be a long day for us. It won’t matter really who’s playing quarterback. We’ve got to stay focused on the specific strengths of their team.”

Johnson agrees that all the Palmer talk will merely become a subplot if the Chiefs’ defense fails to take care of its primary goal of taking away the run.

“Carson Palmer is a guy who can beat you with his arm. He’s a guy who’s very seasoned at the quarterback position, but they run the ball,” Johnson said. “That’s their bread and butter.”

(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

Read More: San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs both have identical records through four games: 1-3. One week ago, the Kansas City Chiefs were the last team in ESPN’s NFL power rankings after they lost to the San Diego Chargers and were 0-3. A win over the now 0-4 Minnesota Vikings has things looking slightly better for the Chiefs. They are now No. 28 in ESPN’s power rankings.

That isn’t good news for the Broncos, who drop one spot from No. 26 to No. 27. Their 49-23 loss to the undefeated Green Bay Packers certainly showed that the team is a far way off from being among the league’s best.

However, as ESPN’s write up suggests, hosting the Chargers this coming Sunday should be a better indicator of how things are coming along. Similarly, the Chiefs did defeat the Vikings, but Minnesota is among the league’s worst teams. They face the 0-4 Indianapolis Colts this Sunday, hardly a strong test.

For more on the Broncos, check out Mile High Report.