Chiefs' Offense Has Closed The Door On Opponents from KC Star
You could make a comparison that the Chiefs' offense so far has been the Mariano Rivera of football.
While the Chiefs' defense has garnered the majority of the headlines during the team's 4-0 start, the offense has mimicked Rivera, the future Hall of Fame baseball closer. The Chiefs have protected second-half leads of 10 points or fewer in each of their last three games with crucial, time-killing scoring drives.
That includes the Chiefs' 31-7 win over the New York Giants on Sunday, despite the misleading final score. The Chiefs led 17-7 early in the fourth quarter and effectively put the game away with a 14-play, 90-yard scoring drive that chewed nine minutes and 17 seconds off the clock.
Chiefs Synergy Starts From The Top from The Mothership
Nine months later and following the team's best start since 2003, the synergy between Hunt, Mark Donovan, coach Reid and Dorsey continues to flourish and permeate throughout the University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex at One Arrowhead Drive. The remarkable four wins in the month of September is largely due to the matching philosophies of the Chiefs brass, creating a competitive roster from top to bottom, most recently showcased with the team's seven players acquired via waivers on Sept. 1.
Dorsey says the waiver claims served as one last resource, prior to the regular season, to improve the team's roster.
"We'd always talk about increasing the back end of our roster, making it competitive, making depth and finding those players that can help us, along this journey," Dorsey said.
Reid Says Chiefs Have to Have To Take Care Of Preventing Punt Blocks from KC Star
This particular miscue involved players who have been with the team since training camp, but the blocked punt against Jacksonville involved one player, linebacker James-Michael Johnson, whom the Chiefs picked up in early September, after the 53-man roster deadline.
"It's one of those complex little stunts that comes up and if you haven't had a chance, if it's new or something that you haven't worked on other than maybe in the offseason or during training camp, these guys haven't had the chance to do it," Reid said.
Reid essentially said the Chiefs' flurry of activity after the roster deadline - they claimed seven players and waived six - made Toub's job harder, though Reid expressed faith in Toub.
Chiefs' Daniel Excited For Missouri's Fast Start from KC Star
So far, he likes what he sees too.
"It's good for them to get rolling for the start of SEC play," Daniel said. "As you know, the schedule will get a lot tougher, but these guys, if they stay healthy, I think they'll go a long way."
Missouri's struggles last season didn't diminish his love for the black and gold.
Twitter Tuesday: Chiefs Rankings (And Flaws), Royals Priorities, Playoff Predictions from KC Star
A lot of success in the NFL is about avoiding those bouts of incompetency. Don't blow timeouts. Don't make stupid turnovers. Don't down the punt after running out of bounds. Don't hold unless it's necessary. Don't forget which route to run. Don't fumble.
I make fun of the line, because he said it all the time, but this is why a loss always meant Todd Haley would start his press conference off by saying, "we did too many of the things that get you beat."
You don't always have to be great to win a game. Sometimes you just have to not be crappy.
It's the old philosophy Marty Schottenheimer always had against the Raiders, but it works against other teams, too.
Power Rankings: No. 5 Kansas City Chiefs from ESPN
I see no argument that supports putting any of the one-loss teams above the Chiefs in the rankings. Likewise, I see no argument that supports putting the Chiefs in the top two spots, currently occupied by Denver and Seattle.
But do the Chiefs deserve to be ranked No. 3 or 4? Maybe.
The Best And Worst Of Week 4 In The NFL from The Deseret News
Best: Alex Smith, Andy Reid, Chiefs continue to work their magic
Coming off the worst NFL win-loss record of the 2012 season, the Kansas City Chiefs have improved to 4-0, doubling their wins of last season. In Week 4, the Chiefs faced off against the New York Giants, and two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning. The Chiefs' defense held Manning to just one passing touchdown, whereas Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns. The Chiefs dominated the Giants, 31-7.
Leading Off: So Which Quarterback Is Undefeated Now? from The Sacramento Bee
Robert gives much of the credit for the Chiefs' success to quarterback Alex Smith, who was sent packing to Kansas City by 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh during the offseason.
"Last year, it hurt to watch. On offense, they were inept and desperate," Robert texted. "Now, it's fun again. There's competence and an obvious will to win. It's like night and day, especially at quarterback."
Defense Leads To Rise Of Chiefs, Titans from ESPN
Chiefs Defense - Best Pass Rush in the NFL
Not only have the Chiefs recorded the most sacks this season (18), they've sacked quarterbacks at the highest rate in the NFL (10 percent of dropbacks).
Although Justin Houston is tied for the league-lead with 7.5 sacks this season, nose tackle Dontari Poe may be having just as big of an impact.
Chiefs And YMCA Help Kids With Special Needs Get Moving from FOX4KC
This is part of the National Football League's ‘Play 60' initiative, which urges kids to get 60 minutes of physical activity a day. The YMCA Challenger Complex knows how difficult that can be to achieve, with kids who have mental and physical disabilities, but they've taken care of all that.
The YMCA has said that the entire play area was designed with inclusion in mind.
"With removing some of the barriers kids with wheelchairs, walkers are now able to participate fully," Michelle Ford, Vice President of the Greater Kansas City YMCA, said.
Chiefs Beatdown Of The giants Referenced On Jon Stewart's Clever Take On Government Shutdown from The Pitch
In semi-related news, the Kansas City Chiefs' 31-7 thumping of the New York Giants became a prop of The Daily Show's Jon Stewart during Monday evening's broadcast on the eve of the shutdown. He referenced the game to mock the GOP stance that Obama and Democrats must negotiate on Obamacare in order to pass a spending bill, even though they were outmaneuvered in Congress when the bill passed, didn't see the Supreme Court throw it out, and less directly watched Obama get re-elected after his signature legislation became law. Here's what Stewart had to say in his denunciation of House Republicans:
NFL Power Rankings: Chiefs, Lions Emerge; Steelers, Giants In Free Fall from CBS Sports
The Chiefs have impressed with a suffocating defense and just enough from an offense that is taking care of the football.
Rookie watch: Kiko Alonso, Robert Woods Shine For Young Buffalo Bills from Sports Illustrated
It's been a rough start for the highly-touted crop of first-round tackles, but Fisher seemed to be getting on track against the Giants before going down with an injury. Fisher was the lone bright spot for the Chiefs offensive line, a group that, despite the score, struggled protecting Alex Smith. The run blocking for the unit wasn't much better as Jamaal Charles averaged just 3.6 yards per rush. It was a step forward for Fisher who had really been the weakest link, perhaps on the team, heading into Week 4.
NFL Owners: Winners And Losers In Week 4 from Forbes
Clark Hunt, owner, Kansas City Chiefs: Hunt looks like a genius for hiring former Eagles coach, Andy Reid, who has the team off to a 4-0 start. Not to be overlooked, though, is the signing of quarterback, Alex Smith, who has given the Chiefs leadership and stability at the position.
The Alex Smith Experiment: Week 4 Recap/Week 5 Preview from XN Sports
For one week, ‘The Alex Smith Experiment' was a resounding success. Not only was Alex Smith a better fantasy QB2 this week than Sam Bradford, he also produced more points than my team's QB1, Russell Wilson.
In fact, in standard scoring fantasy football leagues, Smith was the 4th highest scoring fantasy quarterback in Week 4.
2013 NFL Power Rankings Week 5: The Browns Are On The Rise from The Cleveland Plain Dealer
8. Kansas City Chiefs (4-0; 13)
I watch the Chiefs play and I don't see too many weaknesses. Head coach Andy Reid has this team playing excellent football and the defense has been tremendous; they haven't allowed more than 16 points yet. If that were to change, could QB Alex Smith continue to keep pace? That's the biggest question with KC.
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Rashad Jennings Handed A Huge Opportunity from Sports Illustrated
If you're in a bind and need a Week 5 emergency tight end, consider McGrath. Anthony Fasano is still banged up and Travis Kelce hasn't appeared in an NFL game yet because of knee issues, so McGrath might get one more week to thrive against Tennessee. Most fantasy writers and NFL analysts are chalking up his Week 4 performance (five catches, 64 yards and a touchdown) as a fluke, but he could have one more surprising week left in the tank.
The NFL's Unblemished Final Five from ESPN
Kansas City: Already twice as many victories as it posted in 2012. The Chiefs had a run of bad luck in 2012 games. This year they are having good luck, and luck is a larger factor in outcomes -- sports, romance, economics -- than most of us care to admit. The Alex Smith trade is looking like a masterstroke. A disciplined West Coast quarterback is what Andy Reid always wanted. Now he's got one.
On The Air: Week 5 Broadcast Team from ESPN
If you're watching the Kansas City Chiefs at the Tennessee Titans on television at noon CT on Sunday, you'll be hearing CBS' Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots on the call.
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: 3 Team Defenses To Target For Week 5 from SB Nation
The Chiefs were owned in just 33 percent of leagues in Week 4, and now that sits at 80 percent. With them off the wire, let's take a look at another set of teams that could match their productivity.
Thank You For Not Coaching! Week 4 from Grantland
And while I empathize with Cruz's desire for a spark underneath the team (possibly shooting most of it to space), it's hard to justify going for it on fourth-and-1 against a great defense when you're missing your two best offensive linemen, as the Giants were Sunday. A spark is great, but a spark isn't going to magically make a pass rush, a secondary, a confident running back, and competent special teams appear.
Week 5 NFL Picks: Bears Will Lose Second Straight As Saints Roll from The Rock River Times
One of the surprise teams in the league this year is the 4-0 Kansas City Chiefs. The combination of quarterback Alex Smith and Head Coach Andy Reid has proven to be a winning one. This week, they're on the road against the Tennessee Titans. I think the Chiefs will come out on top again and keep their perfect record intact.
It's Applefest Time from The Platte Chronicle
Visitors to Applefest are encouraged to come early on Saturday morning to enjoy Weston's hometown parade along Main Street at 10:00 am.The Saturday parade along with antique tractors, old cars and bands, will feature KC Wolf from the Kansas City Chiefs. He will be our honorary guest to help kick off the weekend and support the October Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Sports Comment: A Different Perspective On 1-Run Losses from The Capital Gazette
HAIL TO THE CHIEF: The Kansas City Chiefs are off to a 4-0 start and general manager John Dorsey looks like a genius. The Annapolis resident and St. Mary's High grad learned the front office ropes from the ground up with the Green Bay Packers, starting as a scout after a brief playing career as a linebacker. A couple of bold moves - bringing in castoffs And Reid as coach and Alex Smith as quarterback - have the Chiefs looking like a solid playoff contender for the first time in years.
Edholm's Early Edition (Week 5): Saints Take Unbeaten Record On Road To Chicago from Yahoo! Sports
If you're stunned that the Kansas City Chiefs are 4-0 and the Tennessee Titans are 3-1, you shouldn't be. It's no coincidence that both teams are tied for first in the NFL in turnover differential at plus-9. The Titans have not turned it over at all this season, and the Chiefs had their first ones in Week 4. But the Titans' challenge became tougher, even with the game in Nashville, when Jake Locker went down with a hip injury. Thankfully, it's not considered serious, but he almost certainly will miss this game. The Chiefs, only the second NFL team to start 4-0 after 13 or more losses the season before, are for real.
NFL: First Quarter Report Cards from The American Spectator
Kansas City has met every challenge behind the exploits of ol' reliable Alex Smith and homerun threat Jamal Charles, although, admittedly, the Chiefs have had the benefit of poor competition just like the Patriots. Their top-ten defense, however, having allowed only 10.3 points per game, makes KC a force to be reckoned with come playoff time.
Titans (3-1) To Host Chiefs (4-0) Sunday At LP Field from TitansOnline.com
In the third quarter of perhaps his best NFL performance to date, the third-year signal caller was knocked to the ground by Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson and linebacker Quinton Coples. He lay on the turf until he was lifted to a cart to take him off the field, diagnosed with a right hip injury. Prior to his early exit, Locker completed 18 of 24 passes for 149 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a career-high passer rating of 130.0.
Veteran
Ryan Fitzpatrick is Locker's replacement.
Notebook: Titans Confident Ryan Fitzpatrick Ready For Role from TitansOnline.com
Tennessee's defense ranks in the top 10 in multiple categories, including seventh in points per game (17.3), and the Titans are tied with the Chiefs for the league lead in turnover margin (plus-nine).
"That's going to be the biggest thing is making sure we hold our ground until ‘Fitz' gets in the rhythm," defensive tackle
Jurrell Casey said. "I don't think it's going to slack off at all. I think it's going to be able to go throughout the week and get it going with our guys. Fitz is a great player, and I think he's going to do a great job out there."