Good morning! We have today's Kansas City Chiefs news for you once again. Orton, Crennel, the Raiders, and Playoffs are among the topics addressed in today's stories. Enjoy!
Many players went on record in support of "RAC" (Romeo Crennel's nickname) following the Chiefs upset victory over Green Bay last Sunday. Yesterday, it was sack master
Tamba Hali publicly endorsing Crennel. Today, it was offensive coordinator Bill Muir. Muir met with the media following Thursday's practice and stated his support for Crennel without any prompting.
Arrowhead Report: Endorsements Keep Coming For Crennel from The Mothership
During the last 10 seasons, the Raiders have hired and fired six head coaches. The Chiefs are on their fourth head coach since 2001 and might be hiring another at the conclusion of the 2011 season.
Any wonder why the Raiders lost 10 or more games every year from 2003 to 2009 before going 8-8 last season and are 7-7 going into Sunday's game against the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium?
And why the Chiefs have made just three playoff appearances since 2003 and have yet to win a postseason game since 1993?
Chiefs', Raiders' Coaches Haven't Had The Time To Build A Winner from KC Star
NFL.com Video: Week 16: Raiders vs Chiefs Preview
NFL.com Video: AFC West Up For Grabs
The Chiefs had one of their best offensive games of the year, piling up a season-high 438 yards in a 19-14 win over Green Bay.
Offensive coordinator Bill Muir suggested this was because the Chiefs were led for the first time by interim head coach Romeo Crennel rather than Todd Haley, who was fired earlier in the week. Muir didn't mention Haley by name, but when asked about these observations, he said, "If you thought it appeared that, then it probably was."
Chiefs Buzz: Offensive Changes Evident from KC Star
Q: Do you hate the Raiders?
CRENNEL: "Do I hate the Raiders? To be honest with you I really don't hate anybody. But I dislike the Raiders because they are a divisional opponent and they are going to try to whip me basically. And I don't like to get beat so I'm going to put the best foot forward and I'm going to do a good job against these guys but I don't hate the Raiders. It's a big rivalry, I understand that and the fans, they might want to hear me say I hate the Raiders. But that would be me walking down the street and you want me to say I hate this guy over here because he's just walking down the street. That's not the case, when you talk about hate, I think hate is a strong word and I don't hate anybody."
Q&A With Romeo Crennel 12/22 from The Mothership
Led by an interim Head Coach and a new quarterback at the helm, the KANSAS CITY CHIEFS delivered a tremendous performance by handing the GREEN BAY PACKERS their first loss of the season. KYLE ORTON (Purdue) made his first start in a Chiefs uniform and by playing mistake-free football, Orton led the Chiefs to an impressive victory. The offensive line provided consistent protection all day, not allowing a single sack and only one hit on Orton. For the day, the Chiefs gained 438 yards. The Chiefs now join the list of this year's contenders for the third annual Madden Protectors Award,presented by Prilosec OTC. The award honors the NFL's best offensive line and will be presented during the week of Super Bowl XLVI, which will be played on February 5, 2012 in Indianapolis.
John Madden Selects Kansas City Chiefs As Best Offensive Line For Week 15 from The Mothership
The Raiders have plenty of experience facing Orton from his days in Denver, and considering how they've fared against him, they should feel pretty good about their prospects. Orton is 1-3 as a starter against Oakland, completing just a shade over 50 percent of his passes.
But he's coming off a virtuoso performance against Green Bay in which he completed a career-best 74.2 percent of his throws for 299 yards without an interception, one that came despite having little time to grow accustomed to his new teammates and a sore index finger on his throwing hand.
Chiefs Turned To Orton, Raiders To Palmer After Injuries To QBs; Both In Playoff Contention from The Associated Press via The Washington Post
It's a name that could lend itself to snickers, punchy headlines or flat-out ridicule, assuming he ever missed a kick. But the truth is that Succop is banging the football through the uprights with record-setting dependability.
The third-year kicker has made 21 consecutive field goals for the Chiefs, the longest active streak in the NFL. With one more Saturday against Oakland, he will tie Pete Stoyanovich for the franchise record - putting such company behind him as Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud, Nick Lowery and Morten Anderson, the NFL's all-time leading scorer.
Succop Approaching Chiefs Record For FGs Made from The Associated Press via The Washington Post
Coach Hue Jackson on Thursday said "it doesn't look great" for McFadden playing against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday. Therefore, it's likely that McFadden will miss his eighth straight game...
...Wide receiver Jacoby Ford (foot) also isn't expected to play Saturday, Jackson said. Jacoby worked with a team trainer Tuesday but later discovered that he isn't ready.
Oakland Raiders Notebook: Darren McFadden Expected To Miss Chiefs Game from The San Jose Mercury News
Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers says it's "baloney" that the Kansas City Chiefs gave future opponents a blueprint for beating the Packers.
Receiver Jordy Nelson said other teams have tried what the Chiefs did in beating the Pack last Sunday. But he said the Packers were undermanned, and they just didn't play well.
Packers Believe Injuries, Not Chiefs' Game Plan Did Them In from The Pierce County Herald
What I recall most is that Christmas dinner was on the table and ready to be served, but the Dolphins were driving late in regulation, a fact my mother seemed completely oblivious to. It was an impossible choice to make, not that I truly had one. The holiday dinner would go on as planned for our family of six, even while I did everything I could to keep an eye on the best football game I had ever seen.
Forty years ago this Sunday, on Christmas Day 1971, the Miami Dolphins, my Miami Dolphins back then, played and won the longest pro football game ever, a double overtime playoff classic in Kansas City. It lasted nearly 83 mesmerizing minutes of game action, a six-quarter see-saw extravaganza that stretched from mid-afternoon into the dark December evening, with enough drama, plot twists and momentum shifts to fill a novel.
Remembering The Christmas Gift That Was The Longest Game Ever from Sports Illustrated
Christmas dinners went uneaten. Christmas presents were unopened. Christmas cheer was nonexistent.
It was Christmas Day 1971, when six quarters of pressure-packed playoff football drained the emotions of Chiefs fans in the final game played at old Municipal Stadium. The longest game in NFL history ended with a heart-wrenching 27-24 double-overtime playoff loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Forty years later, that loss stands as perhaps the most devastating defeat by a Kansas City sports franchise, rivaled only by the Royals' losses in decisive playoff games to the New York Yankees in the late 1970s.
Computers Provide A Fanciful Coda For The 1971 Chiefs from KC Star
After losing three straight games, including an ugly home performance against the Lions Sunday in which they blew a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Raiders could watch their playoff hopes disappear Saturday with another loss at Arrowhead Stadium.
A loss against the Chiefs in Kansas City, coupled with victories by either the Jets or Bengals, would mean Oakland would lose its shot at the AFC West title or an AFC wild-card berth.
If Raiders Don't Win In KC, Playoff Hopes Could Die from NBC Bay Area
Yes, the Silver and Black still have issues with yellow flags. And after picking up 10 more penalties for 86 yards against Detroit on Sunday, the Raiders maintained their comfortable lead in both categories this season and remained on pace to set single-season records in both dubious categories.
Flying Flags Keep Raiders On Pace For Penalty Records from CSN Bay Area
Yes, I think KC will be in the mix next year. There is a lot of talent on that team. For it to be 6-8 with all the major injuries it has had and its tough schedule is pretty impressive. Remember, a lot of people said at the start of the season that the Chiefs could go 8-8 and be improved from last year's 10-6 team because of the schedule. So, to play virtually the entire year without Charles, Berry and Moeaki and much of the year without Cassel, the Chiefs should be proud of themselves for their effort this season. The future is bright.
Chat Wrap: Future In KC from ESPN
Last week, Kyle Orton got his second crack at the Green Bay Packers this season, this time as a Chief. He played Green Bay as the Broncos' starter earlier in the season. It worked out great as Orton and the Chiefs handed Green Bay its first loss of the season. This week, Orton gets another crack at Oakland.
One Player To Watch from ESPN