By DAVE SKRETTA

AP Sports Writer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

By Scott Schroeder

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Nov 18, 2011 – The Kansas City Chiefs will play the New England Patriots this weekend in a Monday Night Football battle that probably isn’t all that alluring to the ESPN executives. The Week 11 NFL picks and predictions don’t exactly allude to the game being worthy of watching.

Andrew Sharp, SB Nation’s resident expert, chose the Patriots to cover the 16-point spread before finding a topic equally-important to the game worth writing about:

Also, since there’s nothing to say about Monday Night Football or the Kansas City Chiefs, here are few photos of Dwayne Bowe that I found on Getty Images this week. It’s all from the same photo shoot with Jamie Squire, and it’s all f***ing fantastic. Here he is jumping over the city.

Sports Illustrated’s Peter King also took a fun look at the game after predicting the Patriots would win a 31-10 snoozer.

The story is so neat: Tyler Palko, cut in the NFL (Arizona) and United Football League (California Redwoods) and unable to crack the Montreal Alouettes lineup in 2009, makes his first NFL start in Foxboro. On Monday night, Palko should find out that Bill Belichick — and more importantly, rejuvenated pass-rusher Andre Carter — are not actors in a Disney movie.

In a move that shouldn’t surprise anyone, the experts at CBS Sports, ESPN and Yahoo! Sports all picked the Patriots to win the Monday night primetime game as well.

To learn more about this game, head over to Chiefs blog Arrowhead Pride and Patriots blog Pats Pulpit. And make sure to stop by SB Nation NFL for all your Week 11 coverage.

Read More: Andre Carter (DE – NEP), Dwayne Bowe (WR – KAN), Tyler Palko (QB – KAN), Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots

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Tamarick Vanover was, at one time, the best thing going for the Kansas City Chiefs in the late 1990s. He scored eight touchdowns in five years, four on punt returns and four on kickoffs. He was the backbone of the vaunted special teams unit that led the Chiefs to a couple of AFC West titles.

Then Vanover was arrested, charged and convicted for financing a car theft ring in 2000. CBS Sports reported in 2007 he became the high school football coach at Lake City Christian Academy in Florida.

Until 2011, Vanover held a one-of-a-kind record in the annals of NFL football. At home in Arrowhead Stadium against the San Diego Chargers, Vanover took a punt and returned it 86 yards to win in overtime 29-23. His return was the one and only time a punt return ended an NFL game in overtime Oct. 9, 1995. There have been sudden-death games ended by runs, passes, interceptions and even safeties on more than one occasion.

A punt return for a touchdown was the anomaly and Vanover was the only person to do it. Until Nov. 6, 2011.

Patrick Peterson(notes) returned a punt 99 yards in overtime for the Arizona Cardinals as they defeated the St. Louis Rams 19-13. Peterson is a rookie, like Vanover was in 1995. The only difference is that the Cardinals are now 2-6 on the year and likely out of the NFL playoffs. The Chiefs were a contending team in 1995. Hopefully Peterson will fare better in his NFL career.

But still, on a day when the Chiefs looked like a regular NFL team that is struggling to find its identity, it was fitting that another of their flops in Vanover looked less than ordinary in the history of the NFL.

Vanover started out with great potential in the Chiefs organization. The 2011 season for Kansas City had great potential going into a game against the previously-winless Miami Dolphins and a 4-3 record. On the same day, both Vanover and his former team were relegated to just average teams on an average day.

It had to happen sometime. As with any NFL team, next Sunday is a new day. The Chiefs can get better with a win against the Denver Broncos Nov. 13.

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.

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

By James Arcellana

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Oct 21, 2011 – Throughout the week, there have been a number of stories posing the question: Will Carson Palmer start for the Oakland Raiders on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs? This is not surprising considering the fact that there are a number of reasons to believe that he could start, as well as to believe that he would not start. However, most of these stories have only scratched the surface of a more intriguing question: Should Carson Palmer start against the Chiefs? Let’s take a look at the positives and negatives to starting Carson Palmer less than a week after he was traded to the Raiders.

First the negatives. I see two potential negatives to starting Palmer this weekend. The first is the rist of poor play, the second is the risk of injury.

The poor play aspect of things does not concern me. There is no way that Palmer has learned the entire playbook, terminology and formations of the Raiders offense in a short week like this. In addition, Palmer has admitted that he has not thrown as many balls recently as he wishes he had. Those two factors lead to the possibility of Palmer having a below average game and possibily throwing a few picks.

The reason this does not worry me is two fold. First of all, I believe that Carson Palmer at 70% is still better than Kyle Boller. I think that Kyle Boller has just as high a likelihood of having a poor game and throwing picks even though he has been in the system for two years. In addition, Hue Jackson and Al Saunders are good, smart coaches. If Palmer does start, I presume it will be with a very limited passing offense suited towards limiting turnovers and playing to Palmer’s strengths.

The injury issue, on the other hand, is very worrysome. If Palmer gets hurt, the Raiders will be in a very bad position. Palmer has stated that he is not yet in football condition. This is something you hear often from football players. They claim to be in good shape, but not game shape. While i understand what they mean, I think that this is a bit over played when it comes to a quarterback who is a pure pocket passer and not a scrambler. In addition, I would again trust Hue Jackson to let Palmer know that if he sees any kind of pressure in the pocket, he should take the Peyton Manning route and fall to the ground before anyone can hit him and take him to the ground. However, despite all of this, there is still the risk of an injury due to a lack of fitness that makes starting Palmer a scary prospect.

Now for the positives of starting Palmer this weekend. As I see it, there are two big positives to giving Palmer the start. First, it gets him back into the swing of playing in the NFL sooner and against an inferior opponent at home. Second, it gives Palmer an game time opportunity to build chemistry with his new receivers. As we all know, Palmer sat out the first six games of this season and did not play at all in the preseason. No matter how many 7 on 7 or 11 on 11 drills you run, nothing can simulate the experience of playing in a real game, except playing in a real game. The home game against the Chiefs is one that the Raiders should win regardless of who is at quarterback. For that reason, it is a great game to let Palmer get his feet wet again.

Now, more importantly, the chemistry aspect. Finding success with a passing game is about more than just finding a quality quarterback, quality recievers and throwing them on the field. Football is the ultimate team sport. Unlike in other sports, everyone on the football field is working in relation to those around them on every play. As a result, while it is always important for teammates to be on the same page, one of the most crucial aspects of team play in football is the need for receivers and their quarterback to be on the same page. Getting to the point where a receiver and a quarterback will know what the other one is going to do with nothing more than a glance at the line of scrimage takes time and patience. The receivers and quarterback need to work ad building that chemistry. Given the fact that Palmer is coming to the Raiders mid season means that it is important for him to get on the same page with his receivers quickly as there are no preseason games to work out the kinks. Every game matters from here on out.

As you can see, there are legitimate reasons to start Palmer, as well as legitimate reasons not to start him. In my opinion, the reasons to start Palmer outweigh the reasons not to start him, and for one key reason; there are steps that can be taken to limit the negative risks while nothing can provide experience besides experience itself.

The Raiders offensive line is playing strong and the Raiders have a great running game. For these reasons, Jackson will be able to call the game in a manner that will limit the risk of Palmer getting hurt or turning the ball over. On the other hand, as I said earlier, there is nothing that can prepare a player for playing in an NFL game, except playing in an NFL game. In addition, nothing but time and repitition will build the chemistry between Palmer and his receivers.

It is for these reasons that I believe the smart decision is to give Palmer the start against Kansas City despite the circumstances surrounding the situation. Now all that is left to see is if Hue Jackson agrees with me.

Read More: Kyle Boller (QB – OAK), Carson Palmer (QB – OAK), Peyton Manning (QB – IND), Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs

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Read More: Carson Palmer (QB – OAK), Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs

The Oakland Raiders have apparently made their decision on the question of who will be the starting quarterback this weekend and the answer is Carson Palmer. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wednesday morning that the Raiders are expected to start Palmer this weekend against the Kansas City Chiefs.

In Tuesday night’s introductory press conference, head coach Hue Jackson wouldn’t say who was starting for the Raiders in Week 7 but on Wednesday morning Raiders offensive coordinator Al Saunders strongly suggested that it would be Palmer.

ESPN’s report confirms what we thought: Palmer is starting.

Saunders talked with 610 Sports in Kansas City on Wednesday morning and his words didn’t bode well for Kyle Boller, the Raiders other option at quarterback.

“He walked out on the field yesterday and everybody kind of looked at everybody and said, ‘You know what, this is a real quarterback.’ That was the comment made by a couple of people as they just watched him throw. It just depends on how quickly he feels comfortable in what we’re doing and that shouldn’t take too long.”

So it’ll be Palmer on Sunday against the Chiefs just five days after the Raiders made the blockbuster trade to acquire him.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – A Kansas City Chiefs spokesman says a report that the team has sold naming rights to Arrowhead Stadium is “inaccurate.”

A Chiefs spokeswoman told NBC Action News Friday nothing is imminent, but acknowledged the team has been in talks with potential coprorate sponsors for several years.

The team’s statement is in response to a Friday morning story the team had agreed to terms to put a corporate name on Arrowhead Stadium, a long-time Kansas City Chiefs reporter
said on his website Friday.

Bob Gretz, whose NFL blog,
BobGretz.com,  has been recognized as one of the nation’s best,
says an announcement could come during the lead-up to to the Oct. 31 Monday night game against the Chargers. He said it wasn’t clear if the name would replace Arrowhead Stadium or appear only on the field, similar to Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver.

The
story says the company is well-known nationally, not a local entity, and has not been a part of any other stadium naming rights deal.

Gretz has spent more than three decades covering the Chiefs, first as a reporter at The Kansas City Star and more recenly as a sideline reporter for 101 The Fox.

He also won acclaim for a nearly year-long series of stories on college basketball in 1987 and 1988, the year KU won the men’s national championship.

Arrowhead Stadium opened in August 1972 with a game between the Chiefs and the St. Louis Cardinals.

The facility recently underwent more than $350 million in renovations.

By Matt Conner

– Editor

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Oct 14, 2011 – For a team that’s supposed to be New England West, there sure are a lot of fires with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Books have been written about the tight-lipped Patriot Way in which sportswriters are shunned and there are no such things as “sources.” The Pats, under Bill Belichick’s thumb, can make moves like signing Chad Ochocinco or trading for Randy Moss, and they come as complete surprises. If someone’s a clubhouse cancer, even a Stage One variety, they’re quickly disposed of and the leadership culture in New England is enviable enough that numerous teams have lined up to pluck something — anything — from the Patriots tree. The moves don’t always work, but that doesn’t stop franchises from trying again and again to strike gold with one of Belichick’s disciples. 

But for every Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, Thomas Dimitroff or Josh McDaniels that leaves New England, it’s clear the ultimate catch was Scott Pioli. Numerous organizations tried year after year to even gain a platform to discuss a job offer and year after year those overtures were ignored or politely declined. After years of Carl Peterson’s reign in KC, everyone was suddenly high on Chiefs’ football and believed that if anyone would be successful away from NE, it would be Pioli.

From the beginning, it was clear that the buddy system of the past would be ignored and that a new disposition was in place in KC. Jason Whitlock quickly resorted to namecalling (Scott Egoli somehow seemed clever enough to repeat again and again) and reporters in general were shut out. The idea was to dispel both the good and the bad in the name of control. Pioli believed in a tight ship and, since it worked before, there was good reason to do so.

From the beginning, it was tested. Brian Waters came to Arrowhead Drive in the offseason and apparently demanded a trade after Pioli reportedly denied his request to meet with the new Chiefs GM. Pioli’s tenure also began with the firing of Herm Edwards (as expected) and his head coach of choice was Todd Haley, then offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl losing Arizona Cardinals. Immediately some drama began as former players discussed Haley’s emotional, passionate manner and questioned his maturity to handle the position.

Yet winning, as they say, solves everything and that became true in 2010 as the Chiefs wowed everyone to win a surprising AFC West crown and host their first playoff game in seven seasons. Haley was praised, Pioli was lauded and the Chiefs were suddenly a hot commodity with a dynamic, athletic young core of players bound for future glory. Pioli had truly succeeded in establishing New England West.

But this year has featured the complete opposite of last year. Just as winning solves everything, a team that’s losing makes everyone question every aspect of the program in place. The focus of the draft went from high character leaders to immature yet unquestionably talented problems. Those are, of course, gross generalizations of entire draft classes, but those headlines were common just five months ago after the 2011 NFL Draft.

Months later, those headlines served as ominous predictions when news broke about an alleged locker room fight between Jonathan Baldwin, the team’s first round choice out of Pitt, and veteran leader Thomas Jones. The Chiefs tried to keep it under the radar, labeling it “family issues,” but what was clear was that something was amiss — moving beyond typical training camp scuffles that come with intense competition and time together. Instead, it was a sign of things to come.

In between was rumors of familial fighting among coaches/coordinators with the exit of Charlie Weis and possible fights between offensive egos. There was also the handshake snub. In and of themselves, none of these issues — Waters’ complaining, Haley-Weis, Handshakegate — would be a big deal. Put together and they create a series of flash fires that won’t quite go away under Pioli’s rule. Simply put, the Chiefs have been unable to completely snuff out the drama.

The latest musings, however, are beyond anything the Kansas City Chiefs have seen so far and given the frustration with the season so far — even after two wins — it certainly shows that there’s likely a larger fire blazing behind any curtain the team would want to put over it. With the rumor today emerging from 610 Sports’ Nick Wright that Scott Pioli wanted to fire Todd Haley had he lost to the Colts, the drama has now engulfed the locker room. In other words, it’s larger than the winning at this point.

Positive momentum should dispel the rumors, but it’s clear something is at work here. Just a few weeks ago, Yahoo! Sports’ Mike Silver posted that the worst kept secret in Kansas City was the tension between the general manager and his head coach. It even led to some prognostication of “who’s next?” and some to wonder if Josh McDaniels would be coming soon. Haley defended himself at that point, but Pioli remained silent. Then after winning two games, the flames died down and the smoke went away.

But Wright’s rumor has sparked things again at a point in the Bye Week where everyone is looking for a story. Typically this me-first form of journalism could typically be ignored given its sensationalism, but credit goes to Wright for breaking the Baldwin-Jones fight earlier in the year and it’s clear there’s already been others pointing to the tension this season. It’s impossible to say what’s going on for certain given the level of drama surrounding the Chiefs, but there’s at least something going on there and that’s enough to make you wonder how they got here in the first place.

If anything, two conclusions can be drawn from this entire scenario as it unfolds. First, this is clearly not the atmosphere that Pioli envisioned when coming to Kansas City. Maybe that’s behind some of the Haley drama. Maybe not. But either way, it’s clear that the focus on anything but preparing for the next football game on the Chiefs schedule is antithetical to anything the team’s brass would like to see.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it goes to show that even the Patriots Way is as fragile as any other philosophy about running a football team. In the NFL, it all comes down to winning and losing. And whether a team wants things controlled or loose, mechanical or laissez-faire, 3-4 or 4-3, it all comes down to a team’s record. Nothing else, not even the Patriot way, qualifies a team as successful or not.

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By Matt Conner

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Oct 13, 2011 – For a team that’s supposed to be New England West, there sure are a lot of fires with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Books have been written about the tight-lipped Patriot Way in which sportswriters are shunned and there are no such things as “sources.” The Pats, under Bill Belichick’s thumb, can make moves like signing Chad Ochocinco or trading for Randy Moss, and they come as complete surprises. If someone’s a clubhouse cancer, even a Stage One variety, they’re quickly disposed of and the leadership culture in New England is enviable enough that numerous teams have lined up to pluck something — anything — from the Patriots tree. The moves don’t always work, but that doesn’t stop franchises from trying again and again to strike gold with one of Belichick’s disciples. 

But for every Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, Thomas Dimitroff or Josh McDaniels that leaves New England, it’s clear the ultimate catch was Scott Pioli. Numerous organizations tried year after year to even gain a platform to discuss a job offer and year after year those overtures were ignored or politely declined. After years of Carl Peterson’s reign in KC, everyone was suddenly high on Chiefs’ football and believed that if anyone would be successful away from NE, it would be Pioli.

From the beginning, it was clear that the buddy system of the past would be ignored and that a new disposition was in place in KC. Jason Whitlock quickly resorted to namecalling (Scott Egoli somehow seemed clever enough to repeat again and again) and reporters in general were shut out. The idea was to dispel both the good and the bad in the name of control. Pioli believed in a tight ship and, since it worked before, there was good reason to do so.

From the beginning, it was tested. Brian Waters came to Arrowhead Drive in the offseason and apparently demanded a trade after Pioli reportedly denied his request to meet with the new Chiefs GM. Pioli’s tenure also began with the firing of Herm Edwards (as expected) and his head coach of choice was Todd Haley, then offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl losing Arizona Cardinals. Immediately some drama began as former players discussed Haley’s emotional, passionate manner and questioned his maturity to handle the position.

Yet winning, as they say, solves everything and that became true in 2010 as the Chiefs wowed everyone to win a surprising AFC West crown and host their first playoff game in seven seasons. Haley was praised, Pioli was lauded and the Chiefs were suddenly a hot commodity with a dynamic, athletic young core of players bound for future glory. Pioli had truly succeeded in establishing New England West.

But this year has featured the complete opposite of last year. Just as winning solves everything, a team that’s losing makes everyone question every aspect of the program in place. The focus of the draft went from high character leaders to immature yet unquestionably talented problems. Those are, of course, gross generalizations of entire draft classes, but those headlines were common just five months ago after the 2011 NFL Draft.

Months later, those headlines served as ominous predictions when news broke about an alleged locker room fight between Jonathan Baldwin, the team’s first round choice out of Pitt, and veteran leader Thomas Jones. The Chiefs tried to keep it under the radar, labeling it “family issues,” but what was clear was that something was amiss — moving beyond typical training camp scuffles that come with intense competition and time together. Instead, it was a sign of things to come.

In between was rumors of familial fighting among coaches/coordinators with the exit of Charlie Weis and possible fights between offensive egos. There was also the handshake snub. In and of themselves, none of these issues — Waters’ complaining, Haley-Weis, Handshakegate — would be a big deal. Put together and they create a series of flash fires that won’t quite go away under Pioli’s rule. Simply put, the Chiefs have been unable to completely snuff out the drama.

The latest musings, however, are beyond anything the Kansas City Chiefs have seen so far and given the frustration with the season so far — even after two wins — it certainly shows that there’s likely a larger fire blazing behind any curtain the team would want to put over it. With the rumor today emerging from 610 Sports’ Nick Wright that Scott Pioli wanted to fire Todd Haley had he lost to the Colts, the drama has now engulfed the locker room. In other words, it’s larger than the winning at this point.

Positive momentum should dispel the rumors, but it’s clear something is at work here. Just a few weeks ago, Yahoo! Sports’ Mike Silver posted that the worst kept secret in Kansas City was the tension between the general manager and his head coach. It even led to some prognostication of “who’s next?” and some to wonder if Josh McDaniels would be coming soon. Haley defended himself at that point, but Pioli remained silent. Then after winning two games, the flames died down and the smoke went away.

But Wright’s rumor has sparked things again at a point in the Bye Week where everyone is looking for a story. Typically this me-first form of journalism could typically be ignored given its sensationalism, but credit goes to Wright for breaking the Baldwin-Jones fight earlier in the year and it’s clear there’s already been others pointing to the tension this season. It’s impossible to say what’s going on for certain given the level of drama surrounding the Chiefs, but there’s at least something going on there and that’s enough to make you wonder how they got here in the first place.

If anything, two conclusions can be drawn from this entire scenario as it unfolds. First, this is clearly not the atmosphere that Pioli envisioned when coming to Kansas City. Maybe that’s behind some of the Haley drama. Maybe not. But either way, it’s clear that the focus on anything but preparing for the next football game on the Chiefs schedule is antithetical to anything the team’s brass would like to see.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it goes to show that even the Patriots Way is as fragile as any other philosophy about running a football team. In the NFL, it all comes down to winning and losing. And whether a team wants things controlled or loose, mechanical or laissez-faire, 3-4 or 4-3, it all comes down to a team’s record. Nothing else, not even the Patriot way, qualifies a team as successful or not.

Read More: Thomas Jones (RB – KAN), Brian Waters (G – NEP), Chad Ochocinco (WR – NEP), Randy Moss (WR – TEN), Jonathan Baldwin (WR – KAN), Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals

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Read More: Matt Cassel (QB – KAN), Jackie Battle (RB – KAN), Jamaal Charles (RB – KAN), Eric Berry (DB – KAN), Kansas City Chiefs

After an 0-3 start that featured consecutive 30+ point blowouts and season-ending injuries to Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry, the Kansas City Chiefs will take a 2-game win streak, no matter how ugly the victories.

However, inching out narrow wins over the 0-5 Indianapolis Colts and the 1-4 Minnesota Vikings hasn’t earned them much national credibility in the latest batch of NFL Power Rankings.

At Fox Sports, former NFL head coach Brian Billick has them at No. 26, the lowest ranked two-win team and behind one-win Philadelphia, Carolina and Arizona:

The Chiefs are on a two-game winning streak. Those two wins came against opponents that are a combined 1-9 on the season.

They don’t fare much better with CBS Sports Pete Prisco, who inches them up two slots to No. 25 this week:

Maybe Todd Haley should jump Matt Cassel’s behind more often? Cassel responded with one of his best games as a Chiefs quarterback.

Cassel’s resurgence, combined with the out-of-nowhere emergence of fourth-year RB Jackie Battle, gives Kansas City a reason for optimism going into a two-week stretch against division rivals Oakland and San Diego, as ESPN’s Matt Kuharsky notes:

After a bye, two big division games — at Oakland and home vs. San Diego — await the Chiefs.

The bye week couldn’t come at a better time, as the Chiefs prepare for a two-week stretch that could push them to the top of the AFC West or out of the playoff picture entirely.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SERIES HISTORY

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

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

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

WHEN THE CHIEFS HAVE THE BALL

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

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

WHEN THE CHARGERS HAVE THE BALL

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

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

KEYS TO THE GAME

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

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

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

OVERALL ANALYSIS

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

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Chargers 38, Chiefs 10

The Sports Network

With the new NFL labor deal in place, expect Kansas City Chiefs players on the Missouri Western campus by week’s end, possibly as early as Thursday.The owners and NFL Players Association agreed to terms of a new collective bargaining agreement when the NFLPA unanimously voted to approve the measure Monday afternoon. Early indications show teams starting training camp 15 days prior to their first preseason game.For the Chiefs, that means coaches and front office members could arrive in St. Joseph Thursday, with players checking into Scanlon Hall for a three-week stay.
Related: NFL players approve deal to end lockout
“It’s exciting for Western and St. Joe that the Chiefs camp is coming back again in 2011,” Western interim athletic director Dan Nicoson said. “It’s something we all look forward to both from an economic impact and community pride perspective.”A specific schedule of practices and events for the St. Joseph training camp was not available as of Monday afternoon. Camp must be completed by Aug. 18 to accommodate the start of classes at Western.The Chiefs scheduled a press conference for this morning with coach Todd Haley and general manager Scott Pioli where the training camp timeline is expected to be announced.Mr. Nicoson said Monday that fans can expect a similar camp to last year, including two special event days — Family Fun Day and Junior Training Camp. There will be a $12 admission fee for both special events.Practices will again be open to the public for free, except for those held inside the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex.According to NFL.com sources who helped create the documents, teams cannot be in pads until Saturday.That means regular camp activity will begin Saturday, and the new CBA stipulated the first three days of camp are non-hitting, according to NFL.com’s Jason La Canfora.Two major changes will be made to enhance fan experience at this year’s Chiefs training camp.Parking will now be $5 per day and limited to one lot adjacent to Spratt Stadium. Last year, Missouri Western experimented with a mix of free parking for some lots while charging for spaces closer to the entrances.According to Mr. Nicoson, this setup created logistical issues.“We had traffic trying to go both ways, and it just became a problem for us in a lot of ways,” he said.Many also sought out the free spots and chose to walk rather than deal with the fee. The new setup should streamline the entrances into Lot H with commuters able to take the nearest spot available.On situations of dual practices, only one $5 fee will be collected for the day. There will be no parking fee for Family Fun Day nor Junior Training Camp.“Western has some limited opportunities to recover its operating costs of hosting the camp, and a parking fee is one of those,” Mr. Nicoson said.In addition to better access for parking, Western moved both the food court and beer tent closer to the practice fields.They were located behind the north bleachers at Spratt Stadium last year but have been moved west to keep fans closer to the action. In addition to the change in locale, patrons of the beer tent will have a cordoned off area in which to drink alcoholic beverages while watching practice. The roped-off area will be connected to the beer tent.“As long as fans are respectful of the players … the Chiefs will allow us to do that,” Mr. Nicoson said. “In other words, if we start having problems there, the Chiefs can pull the plug on that and it would be limited to the tent.”Tents and bleachers were being set up on Western’s campus, continuing weeks of work to prepare for the Chiefs’ arrival.With no delay expected and a full camp coming to St. Joseph, Western couldn’t be more ready. There will just be a few more days to wait and a chance to tie up any remaining loose ends.“As of today, I would characterize us as 95 percent ready,” Mr. Nicoson said. “I’m just afraid to say 100. I don’t really know off the top of my head what it would be (left to do).“There’s got to be something.”Ross Martin can be reached at ross.martin@newspressnow.com

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – Kansas City Chiefs fans are still feeling good after the team won the division champ title last season. And they want to see how the team will fair this year, but with the NFL owners and coaches still sidestepping a deal some fans say it’s hard to get pumped up.

“You listen to commercials talking about Monday night football and between Greenbay and the Chiefs and you’re wondering if that’s actually going to happen or not,” said Dirk Ochs.

Ochs played football for Kansas State and was even in the NFL at least for a weekend.

“A whole weekend with the Greenbay Packer and that was actually back when Brett Favre was kind of cool. It was a neat experience,” said Ochs.

So now a business owner he said he understand both sides.

“Being a business owner and also being a former athlete I am kind of stuck in the middle there but I just hope they come to some sort of agreement,“ said Ochs.

Radio Personality Steven St. John from Sports Radio 810 said he feels the same.

“I just want them to play football. It feels like every day we get teased. You know as well as I do that this is a great football town – I used to live in St. Joseph and those folks want training camp badly. I think it’s going to get done – just some last minute posturing,” said St. John.

And the self proclaimed super fan who calls himself the X-Factor said he can’t imagine missing a game. Ty Rowton has been to 212 home games straight and 73 away games.

“I have not missed a game in 20 years. This deal none of us know of what’s going to happen the uncertainty is troubling,” said Rowland.

Fans hope for a deal so they can focus on another winning season.