Game Day!! A very early edition of Arrowheadlines for you this morning. It gives me just enough time to fly half way across the country and get home in time for kickoff. Here is today's Kansas City Chiefs news. Go Chiefs (and Bills and Lions)!!! Merry Almost-Christmas!
Just as Oakland has been a home away from home for the Chiefs in recent years, the Raiders have found a stretch of success playing in Kansas City.
Oakland travels to Kansas City Saturday afternoon for what is, in essence, an elimination game for both teams...
...Here are five things to watch as the Chiefs look to keep their playoff hopes alive and end Oakland's four-year run of victories at Arrowhead. Let's Take Five...
Oakland Take Five from The Mothership
As impressive as Crennel's first game as the Chiefs' coach was, history suggests this is where things could become difficult for him - a point he seemed to recognize this week. The Chiefs will try to keep their playoff hopes alive in today's game against the Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium."
Generally, interim means interim," Crennel said, acknowledging the sometimes grim existence he willingly walked into when the veteran defensive coordinator took over for the fired Todd Haley.
Odds Aren't Good For Crennel To Become Permanent Coach from KC Star
NFL.com Video: Playbook: Raiders vs Chiefs
NFL.com Video: Remembering "The Longest Game Ever"
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 45. West southwest wind between 5 and 7 mph.
Game Day Weather Report from The National Weather Service
Last week's win over Green Bay revived playoff hopes for the 6-8 Kansas City Chiefs.
Through all of the craziness this season - one that's seen the Chiefs use three starting quarterbacks, go through two losing streaks of three or more games and make an in-season coaching change - Kansas City enters Week 16 still alive for the postseason thanks to its 19-14 upset of the Packers last weekend.
It's a second-life Chiefs players are appreciative of and hoping to capitalize upon.
Arrowhead Report: Chiefs Look To Keep Playoff Hopes Alive from The Mothership
When Todd Haley was their coach, it was hard to trust anything the Chiefs did one week carrying over to the next. They were so inconsistent from game to game, a major reason Haley was fired and replaced by Crennel, the very picture of consistency. But today's game will be a test for the Chiefs in that regard because the Raiders present some matchup problems for the Chiefs that didn't exist last week. Here's saying the Chiefs pass the test, but just barely. Prediction: Chiefs 20, Raiders 17
Chiefs-Raiders Scouting Report from KC Star
Today and Sunday, based on those simulations, we present our holiday tidings to Chiefs fans near and far: Mock coverage of those two "what-if" games, in the form of stories, columns and, of course, box scores in the type faces and style of The Kansas City Star of 1972. While the stories from these two make-believe matchups are whimsical, any quotes were taken from actual conversations with Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson and cornerback Emmitt Thomas, who were aware of this project in advance.
Holiday Visions Revisited from KC Star
Two old rivals who aren't remotely what they thought they would be meet Saturday, clinging to the dream of an AFC West title.
A crushing 28-27 loss to the Detroit Lions aside, the road for the Raiders (7-7) coming off three straight defeats is straightforward: beat the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium and the San Diego Chargers next week at home, then see Denver lose to Kansas City in Week 17.
That would put the Raiders at 9-7 and prevailing as the AFC West champions with a 4-2 division record to Denver's 3-3. The Broncos are a game up at 8-6, but their game today at Buffalo is irrelevant to the Raiders' cause.
Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs Still Have Playoff Hopes from The San Jose Mercury News
In 30 seasons in the N.F.L., Crennel has had many victories. He has five Super Bowl rings from his years as an assistant with the Giants (1981 to 1992) and the Patriots (2001 to 2004). But last Sunday afternoon he experienced something he never had before. Installed six days earlier as the interim coach when Todd Haley was fired, Crennel, who is also the Chiefs' defensive coordinator, had tears in his eyes after absorbing what he said was the first Gatorade bath of his career.
With a few tweaks to the Chiefs' daily schedule, a quick overhaul of its mind-set and preparation, and a game plan that other teams will now scrutinize for its secrets, Crennel engineered the biggest upset of the season, when the Chiefs beat the previously undefeated Green Bay Packers, 19-14.
Crennel's Career Gains New Life As Chiefs Cling To Slim Playoff Hopes from The New York Times
Buried below the bigger names, though, was the candidacy of Kansas City defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, who was named the interim coach immediately after Haley was fired and considered a candidate, but perhaps not a leading candidate
However, that all changed last Sunday when Crennel's Chiefs beat previously-perfect Green Bay in his first game as coach. Now, Crennel is considered by many as the top candidate. If the Chiefs -- who still have a heartbeat in the AFC West division race -- play well in their final two games against visiting Oakland and at Denver, Crennel, 64, could all but wrap up the job. He is already being endorsed by key figures in the organization.
The following is a look at why the Chiefs' brass may decide to make Crennel the permanent head coach:Why Hiring Romeo Crennel Makes Sense from ESPN
The Davids in Kansas City hath slain the Goliaths in Green Bay.
So of course the smart money is on the kid with the slingshot this week, as is popular sentiment.
Fresh off their upset win over the previously undefeated Green Bay Packers, the Kansas City Chiefs suddenly became a favorite among National Football League bettors, said Jay Rood, vice president of race and sports book at MGM Resorts International.
Fresh Off Big Win, Big Money Goes To Chiefs from Market Watch
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (-2) vs. Oakland Raiders: I was staring at the NFL lines on Wednesday around 4:15pm eastern when something interesting happened. Within approximately two minutes of one another, four different sports books moved the Chiefs from -1 to either -2 or -2.5. That means somebody (or a group of people) came out firing on Kansas City enough to scare the books into adjusting their lines. This may not be the most in-depth analysis you've ever read, but you won't see multiple books around town moving the same game at the same time because of public money. It was done because somebody who garners a lot of respect in the sports betting community decided to make a big play on the Chiefs. We'll follow suit.
Starts, Sits & Smashes from National Football Post
The 1998 Kansas City Chiefs, the most penalized team in NFL history, suffered their most inglorious moment in a Monday night meltdown against Denver that had to be seen to be believed.
Denver's Hall of Fame tight end, Shannon Sharpe, kept reciting numbers at the line of scrimmage -- three before first down, three before second down, four before third down -- that turned out to be the telephone number of the girlfriend of Kansas City's Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Thomas. With each digit that Sharpe called out, Thomas became more enraged, to the point that he drew two personal foul penalties for pulling and twisting Sharpe's face mask.
Thomas' teammates, Wayne Simmons and Chester McGlockton, drew the other three personal fouls on Denver's last drive, giving Kansas City 13 penalties for 170 yards on the night in a season in which the Chiefs set NFL single-season records for most penalties (158) and most penalty yards (1,304). As undisciplined as those Chiefs were, this season's Raiders might be even worse.
Dominant D Makes 49ers Dangerous from ESPN
Carson Palmer at KC: The Chiefs have been sneaky good on the edges down the stretch. Romeo Crennel's pass defense has played well, and I'm not just referring to last week's shocker against the Steelers. Kansas City ranks ninth against the pass (209.6 yards allowed per game), and most of the touchdown damage came early in the season. Palmer has been a turnover machine, and I'm reticent to trust him with titles on the line. Desperation (both for you in the fantasy realm and Palmer for the Raiders' playoff hopes) can work both ways.
Ryan, Orton Safe Bets This Week from FOX Sports