Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. The big one is a Clark Hunt interview in the KC Star.
Hunt indicated that if the Chiefs decided to replace Haley, it would not be because of any problems in his relationship with Pioli.
"Making a head coaching change," he said, "is not something we're contemplating.
"They have an excellent relationship. I understand there's been a lot of focus on that subject. But in the time I've been around them, they work very well together. They have a shared vision for the kind of football team they're trying to build.
Sometimes late at night, when Todd Haley is walking through the Kansas City Chiefs' complex, he hears what sounds like furtive whispers behind closed doors.It also happens on the road at the team hotel. Usually he just ignores the earnest, muted conversation and goes on his way. But sometimes he invites himself in and takes part in the two-man team meeting that starting cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Brandon Flowers so often hold with each other.
According to Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN Stats & Information), the last time there was a three-way tie for first place between 4-3 teams was in 1989 in the old AFC Central. The Browns won on a Monday night to force a three-way tie between Cleveland, Houston and Cincinnati. Cleveland went on to win the division at 9-6-1.
Chiefs looking for rare standings logjam | ESPN AFC West blog
Q: What is the key to a smaller cornerback covering a taller receiver?
HALEY: "I think the good corners just understand leverage and the ability to position their body in a spot that takes away maybe some of that advantage. That's always a big challenge, great challenge for corners when you're facing a guy like Vincent Jackson. It doesn't matter how tall you are because he is a big, fast guy that can jump. Again, I think Brandon [Flowers] is just continuing to work on doing the things that he needs to do to continue to show that he's one of the premier corners in the league along with helping us, more importantly, defend a very good passing team."
In the case of possible match-up this coming Monday night against the San Diego offense and 6-5 WR Vincent Jackson, there is not a shred of fear or concern from the 5-9 Flowers."Just another challenge," Flowers said on Thursday, a day after winning AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his play last Sunday. "Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, Vincent Jackson - they are all over the place."
It's rare to tag a game as a "must-win" in Week 8, but playing the top team in the division twice before November can change the landscape.
Regardless, "must-win" has been uttered in the Chiefs locker room for the first time in quite a while.
"I would never see that as a bad thing, as opposed to the contrary of them saying something else," Haley said when notified of some of the players' comments. "I think it's like every game. It's the most important game of the year, that's what I tell them, and as soon as this game's over then it will be (the biggest game) next week."
But coach Todd Haley said that may be Baldwin's role, at least for the time being.
"Steve Breaston and Dwayne Bowe are playing at a very high level right now," Haley said. "They're making good progress every week, and I surely don't want to disrupt them a whole bunch and start moving them around. At the same time, we want to get guys involved that we believe can help us. Jonathan is a big guy and has a bunch of ability.
Fans heading to Arrowhead Stadium for Monday night's Chiefs-Chargers game can try out the new ramp system on eastbound Interstate 70 and from I-435 to eastbound I-70, which is scheduled to open at 3 p.m. today.
The ramp entrance from eastbound I-70 to Blue Ridge Cutoff will now begin just beneath the I-435 interchange. It will feed into a collector ramp system that also will carry traffic from southbound and northbound I-435 heading to eastbound I-70 and Blue Ridge Cutoff.