Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 9/23

Good morning! Happy Friday. Here's your very early Kansas City Chiefs news. Enjoy!

And that brings the Kansas City Chiefs to Qualcomm Stadium in Week Three, a place the Chiefs have won just once over the last seven years. Having been outscored a combined 89-10 over the first two weeks of the season, Kansas City enters the Q as heavy underdogs.

Despite the lopsided scores and loss of cornerstone players, San Diego refuses to view the Chiefs as a reeling club. In San Diego, the Chiefs are the defending AFC West champions and just one game out of first place.

Chargers Wear Blinders In So Cal from The Mothership

They will spread the ball to McClain, Thomas Jones, Dexter McCluster and perhaps even Jackie Battle out of the backfield in Sunday’s game against the Chargers in an attempt to jump-start their ailing offense.

"I’m excited about these guys," coach Todd Haley said. "We’ve got a good group of running backs. We do have versatility there, which is a good thing."

Chiefs' Backfield Will Work Together To Replace Charles from KC Star

NFL.com Video: Week 3: Chiefs vs. Chargers Preview

NFL.com Video: Playbook: Chiefs vs. Chargers

The Chiefs have only one sack, fewest among the NFL’s 32 teams. Other than outside linebacker Tamba Hali bringing down Buffalo’s Ryan Fitzpatrick in the first week, no defender has shown an ability to reach the quarterback.

Haley said that doesn’t mean the Chiefs don’t possess those players.

Chiefs Notebook: Pass Rush Missing from KC Star

Did you know that the Kansas City Chiefs have averaged 10.2 yards, per carry, around the left end in the first two games?

Every team in the NFL has strengths and weaknesses, tendencies, and go-to guys. They have plays they like to call during tight situations or directions they like to run when in the middle of the football field.

Let’s take a look at the rest of those tendencies…

Chargers vs Chiefs Preview: Analyzing Kansas City's Football Tendences from Pro Football Spotlight

Yes, the Chiefs have certainly lost some great players, but they’re losing games just as fast. And far more than touchdown-to-interception ratios, yards passing or other more obscure statistics, wins and losses are the most black-and-white scale upon which a quarterback’s success is judged.

Want proof? Cassel is the perfect example.

As Most Visible Face Left For Loundering Franchise, Chiefs QB Takes Brunt Of Criticism from The Washington Post

This year, the Chiefs defense has had its back against the wall on far too many occasions. While the group has yielded a league-high 44.5 points per game, more than a third of opponents’ drives have begun in Kansas City territory.

Overall, the average starting field position for opponents is at the 42-yard line...

...Short fields have led to lots of points. The Chiefs have already allowed 51 points off turnovers. Last year, Kansas City gave up just 27 points off giveaways the entire season.

Arrowhead Report: Defining Correctable from The Mothership

The head coach keeps claiming he's solely responsible for the problems currently plaguing the Kansas City Chiefs. The players keep saying they won't let an embarrassing start snowball into an utterly humiliating season. What's missing from all these mea culpas and mission statements are comments from the man who was supposed to be smart enough to keep this franchise pointed in the right direction. It's time for Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli to take some blame for a team built from his blueprint.

What's the GM's Role in Chiefs' Woes? from ESPN

Q: Do you trust Romeo Crennel to figure out the defense on his own or do you involve yourself in that? How does that work to light a spark under the defense?

HALEY: "First off, like I’ve said, this has been a group effort to be where we are right now, and it hasn’t been a very good group effort as a team. I’m not looking at it as the defense gave up this amount of points because when the ball is turned over and a lot of the things that have gone on, I don’t know that you can necessarily put your defense in some of those positions on a series-after-series situation or in series-after-series plays, which happened in the last game especially.

Q&A with Todd Haley 9/22 from The Mothership

Given time for the garbage pile to fester, the stench is now officially worse. The 79-point margin of defeat suffered by the 2011 Chiefs over two weeks doesn’t even come close to any stink produced by Herm and Carl in any year.

Their worst? A 68-10 back-to-back embarrassment in games five and six of the 2008 season.

The sad part? At least that 2008 team had legitimate excuses for their horrid start. Technically, it was the first year of a youthful rebuild orchestrated by Edwards and former front office man Bill Kuharich.

Worse Than Herm and Carl? from SD Bolt Report

We got tons of responses to our sound-off question: Whether or not Kansas City coach Todd Haley belongs on the hot seat after the Chiefs’ terrible start. Here are some of your responses:

Sound-off Responses from ESPN

Still, what really comes across is the energy and enthusiasm Stafford displays, even while he's absorbing those hits. From Stafford's playful chirping at opposing pass rushers to his banter with Calvin Johnson -- joking about the 32-TD pace he's on and dialing up this play, "Calvin, you just run by everybody, all right?"

Matthew Stafford Mic'd Up? "The Party Is On, My Friend" from The Detroit News

"I’m concerned anytime a guy can’t practice on Thursday when you’re getting ready to play a game," head coach Norv Turner said.

That readiness decreases exponentially from Thursday to Friday, should a player still be on the sideline. So Friday’s participation report will be more revealing.

However, it does not appear that a rash of big names will be on the sideline for Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs – at least not as long a list as there has been at practice the past two days.

Notebook: Sideline Crowded; Will It Be Sunday? from The San Diego Union-Tribune

Kansas City Chiefs, Dexter McCluster, running back: The second-year player has become more of a running back this season after playing receiver as well last year. With star Jamaal Charles out for the year with a torn ACL, McCluster will get more carries. He is a shifty runner who can help this offense. Let’s see what he can do against the San Diego Chargers.

One Player to Watch from ESPN

I maintain that he was average at his job prior to KC with one freak exception (Brady). But, to say (or imply) that he was horrible (as the three-year, three-player-on-the-roster stat seems to do) is just a wretched case of abusing a statistic.

The indictment went on to emphasize that not one player from the 2007 class at New England was still on the roster. Now, I heard this on local radio, but it was citing a story done by someone in Boston. I don’t care who it was, I’m going to set the record straight.

Was Pioli Inept in the 2006-2008 Drafts? from Upon Further Review

Weddle, points out there should be a noticeable improvement in communications as early as this week when they face quarterback Matt Cassel and the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs do not usually run the no-huddle offense, while the Patriots frequently used it last week. "You can huddle up and get the call in," Weddle said of facing an offense that huddles between plays. "When you are not, then you are just kind of running around."

Chargers Defense Must Improve Communication from SanDiego.com

No, really, sometime today the Earth will be struck by a falling satellite, which is why I am under my desk.

NASA says the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, which weighs six tons and is the size of a bus, will plummet back into the atmosphere sometime today, with parts of it crashing to Earth.

Look at it this way, the only things falling faster are the stock market, the president’s job approval rating, the Kansas City Chiefs and the reputation of the Big 12 conference.

The Sky Is Falling - No, Really, It Is from The Enid News and Eagle

6. "I Am Legendary," starring Will Smith as "the last man" who teaches zombies to play football. The zombies are played by the Kansas City Chiefs. Suggested by David T. of Parts Unknown, Ore.

Readers: 10 Unlikely Sports Movies from ESPN

Thomas Jones, RB, Chiefs (37, 30): I get PR reports from the NFL teams, and they always include positive stats about players. Every once in a while I'll use one, like "so-and-so has three 100-yard rushing games versus the AFC" or that sort of thing. I haven't used one yet in this article. Because they are from the team, they are always positive stats, so if I ever use them, they're in the "love" section. Anyway, here's all Kansas City could come up with for Thomas Jones: "Thomas Jones (1,980) needs 20 receiving yards to reach 2,000 for his career." Yeah. Just because Jamaal Charles is out doesn't suddenly turn back the clock for Jones, who is still old, still has Dexter McCluster to share touches, still on the road at an angry San Diego host, and still plays for a team that has yet to score a rushing touchdown this season.

Don't Let Your Loves Turn To Hates from ESPN