Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 10/8

Good morning! Lots of Kansas City Chiefs news today, and a bunch of it is about the fans. Here we go:

Quinn Steps In At QB As Cassel Is Hurt Late In Loss To Ravens from KC Star

Barring an unforeseen and quick turnaround for Cassel, the Quinn era will begin for the Chiefs with next week's game at Tampa Bay. Even Crennel, who coached Quinn for two seasons when they were together with the Cleveland Browns, wasn't certain what that would mean for the Chiefs.

"We'll find out,'' Crennel said. "If he is the quarterback, we'll put him in there and play him. I was pleased with what he did today in the time that he got in because he hasn't had many practice reps. I thought he did a nice job when he went in.''

Chiefs' Winston Criticizes Fans Who Cheered When Cassel Was Hurt from KC Star

Chiefs fans' displeasure with their team's starting quarterback has simmered nearly since his 2009 arrival in Kansas City.

It reached a rolling boil during Sunday's 9-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Cassel suffered a head injury when he was sandwiched between two defenders in the fourth quarter, and what happened next prompted a rare outburst from a teammate inside the Chiefs' locker room. Before being led off the Arrowhead Stadium field, Cassel was serenaded by hometown cheers - apparently for getting hurt and having to exit the game.

Eric Winston Blasts Chiefs Fans Over Matt Cassel Injury from NFL.com

Say what you want about Matt Cassel. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback was a mess in Sunday's 9-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

He didn't perform well, but neither did elements of Arrowhead Stadium. A handful of fans could be heard cheering as Cassel was taken to the locker room in the fourth quarter with a head injury.

Outstanding Running Game And Stout Defense Not Enough from The Mothership

Heading into the third quarter, on the opening kickoff, former Raven, LB Edgar Jones recovered a Baltimore fumble on the 29-yard line. The crowd at Arrowhead erupted and was ready for the offense to take charge. The Chiefs methodically moved the ball towards the end zone with a balanced attack that saw three passes and three runs. The final play of the drive ended in a fumble recovery for the Ravens when Cassel and C Ryan Lilja were out of sync as the ball squirted out and was recovered by perennial All-Pro Safety, Ed Reed.

Turnovers once again haunted the Chiefs and this game found them victim of four more, however, on this day, the defense would hold yet again.

Crennel's Bad Decisions Key To Latest Debacle from KC Star

What we see now is worse, somehow, a bit further from respectability than even fans calling the team an "embarrassment" on a sign in the parking lot, or demanding the general manager be fired on a banner flown over the stadium before the game.

What we see now is a disjointed mess of a football team that was supposed to compete for the division title but is instead sinking toward the bottom of the league, with a head coach unable to make it stop and an offensive lineman making national headlines for destroying fans who cheered their quarterback's injury.

Postgame Notes: Chiefs vs. Ravens from The Mothership

The Chiefs defense limited Baltimore to three points in the first half. Three points allowed is the fewest first-half points any team has allowed against Baltimore since Jacksonville held the Ravens scoreless in the first half on Oct. 24, 2011. The Chiefs held the Ravens to nine total points in the contest, the fewest points accumulated by the Ravens since they scored seven at Jacksonville on Oct. 24, 2011. The Chiefs held Baltimore to 298 net yards of offense, the lowest mark since the Ravens had 284 net yards vs. Cleveland on Dec. 24, 2011.

Chiefs Turn To Charles, Run Game Again And Again from KC Star

Jamaal Charles was one of the last Chiefs players out of their locker room after Sunday's 9-6 loss to Baltimore at Arrowhead Stadium, but he had an excuse for lingering.

He had spent some time in the tub, trying to soak away the aches and pains he accumulated from getting the ball 33 times.

"I'm trying to take care of my body,'' he said. "I know we're trying to win ballgames and put it in my hands. I can't complain. I just have to do better when my name is called.''

Chiefs' Defense Plays Well But Can't Get Key Stops Late In Game from KC Star

The Chiefs' defense held the NFL's No. 2 offense to a season-low 298 yards and the No. 5 scoring offense without a touchdown on Sunday.

The Chiefs sacked Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco four times - twice by Tamba Hali and twice by Justin Houston - while cornerback Brandon Flowers intercepted a pass.

But ...

Ravens' Second-Half Adjustments Shut Down Chiefs from KC Star

On Jan. 9, 2011, the Ravens broke it open in the second half and won 30-7 at Arrowhead Stadium. Second-half adjustments were the name of the game on Sunday, too, as the visitors forced four turnovers, bottled up Jamaal Charles after intermission, and hung on for a 9-6 victory.

One loss bounced the Chiefs from their most recent playoff appearance; the other pretty much ensured they won't return to the postseason anytime soon.

Chiefs Report Card from KC Star

Rushing defense (C-): It's KC's luck that Joe Flacco hurt them more on one run than Ray Rice did on his 17 carries.

Passing defense (B+): Chiefs mixed things up nicely between pressure and coverage against a strong passing team.

NFL: Kansas City Fans Cheer As Chiefs Quarterback Lay Injured from The Associated Press via The San Jose Mercury News

Cassel has been the focus of frustrated fans for the past couple years, many of them booing him when he appeared during a celebrity softball game this summer. Some had even hired an airplane to fly over Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday with a banner asking for him to be benched.

The angst reached a tipping point when Cassel, who committed four turnovers against Baltimore, was hammered by the Ravens' Haloti Ngata while completing a pass in the fourth quarter.

Cassel remained on his back for several minutes while fans began to cheer. He eventually got to his feet with some help and walked off the field under his own power.

Kansas City Fans Hire Plane To Fly 'Bench Cassel' Banner from USA Today

Usually when fans want to vent about their team, they take to the local airwaves. One fan in Kansas City took that slightly further today, hiring a local aviation company to broadcast his frustration in the airspace above Arrowhead Stadium.

Source: Matt Cassel Concussed from ESPN

Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel lay flat on his back in the fourth quarter, staring up at the sky, where just a few hours earlier an airplane towed a banner calling for him to be benched.

This wasn't how anybody expected his time as Kansas City's starting quarterback to end.

Cassel was eventually helped to his feet and walked off the field on his own, going up the tunnel and into the locker room with what later was diagnosed with a concussion, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Matt Cassel Injured In Kansas City's Latest Loss from NFL.com

As the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback vanished into the locker room, the Arrowhead Stadium crowd seemed to drink up the sight of backup Brady Quinn strolling into the huddle. Quinn didn't change the world, but he wasn't Cassel, and that was enough for Chiefs fans.

Matt Cassel, Scott Pioli Ripped By Chiefs Fan's Plane Flying Over Arrowhead Stadium from The Huffington Post

The fans of the Kansas City Chiefs may have a more potent aerial attack than the team they support. With Chiefs quarterback arriving at Arrowhead Stadium with seven interceptions and five touchdowns to his credit this season, at least one fan took matters into to his own hands -- and to the sky.

Chifs OT Winston Speaks - But Is Done Talking from FS Kansas City

Chiefs fans had their say at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. So did Chiefs offensive tackle Eric Winston.

But don't expect the issue to fade away anytime soon.

Twitter and comments sections lit up after some Chiefs fans seemingly cheered when much-maligned starting quarterback Matt Cassel went done with an injury during Sunday's Chiefs-Ravens game, and after Winston tore into those Chiefs fans in a post-game interview, condemning the cheering.

Incessant Booing Of Cassel Turns To Stupid Cheers from The Topeka Capital-Journal

The B is virtually silent. The ooooh gets louder every time No. 7 is on the field.

Welcome to Arrowhead Stadium and the life of Matt Cassel, who gets targeted by so many boos that it makes you feel like you're at the All-Star game.

Oh, there were cheers Sunday for the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback. They came, senselessly, when he lay still on the turf, his head spinning after delivering a 16-yard completion.

NFL Notes: Cassel Could Be Done As Chiefs' Starter from The Toronto Sun

Matt Cassel might finally be out as the Kansas City Chiefs' starting quarterback.

Either because he has a head case (injury), or because he is one.

Cassel just cannot seem to stop turning the ball over. He threw two more ill-timed interceptions and was involved in a ruinous goal-line fumble, as the Chiefs (1-4) lost 9-6 Sunday to the visiting Baltimore Ravens (4-1) in a field-goal fest.

Ravens Earn Gritty Win In Kansas City from CSN Washington

The doomsdayers and talk-show critics will have a field day with this one. The offense failed to find the end zone. Joe Flacco didn't look much like an elite quarterback. The defense gave up a ton of yards again. Yada, yada, yada.

To the Ravens, only one fact is important after their 9-6 slog over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Ravens Notebook: Baltimore Adjusts To Chiefs Ground Game from The Carroll County Times

The Kansas City Chiefs' intentions were obvious - run the ball with Jamaal Charles and keep the ball out of the hands of struggling quarterback Matt Cassel.

Even knowing that, the Ravens could do nothing to slow down the speedy Charles - at least in the first half.

D Spell Difference, Ravens Top Chiefs from CBS Sports

The Baltimore Ravens' hallmark for the better part of a decade has been defense. It's what has carried them to countless victories, playoff appearances and Super Bowl glory.

Early in the season, it was the offense that bailed them out.

Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and the rest of the guys in black and purple finally showed up at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. They shut down Jamaal Charles and the rest of the Chiefs offense in the second half, and made a big fourth-quarter stand to depart Kansas City with a 9-6 victory.

Ravens Escape Kansas City With 9-6 Victory Over Chiefs from The Washington Post

Over the previous three hours, they did more than enough to lose a football game to the Kansas City Chiefs. In the first half, they couldn't stop the run and were pushed around at times at the line of scrimmage. Their offense couldn't sustain a drive early and then struggled to finish one late. They turned the ball over twice and surrendered a couple of big special teams plays.

But in the end, they dodged the type of deflating loss that they endured several times last season by relying on their rookie kicker and the charity of their opponent.

Tucker's Three FGs Lead Ravens Past Chiefs from FOX News

Matt Cassel had a tough day, getting picked off twice and losing a fumble before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with a head injury for the Chiefs (1-4), who have dropped their past two after an overtime win against New Orleans. Jamaal Charles carried the ball 30 times for 140 yards in the loss.

"It was a hard-fought battle and I'm proud of the way the guys played the game," said Kansas City head coach Romeo Crennel. "Even though I'm disappointed about the loss, I'm happy with the effort the guys had. We have to get better, but you can't fault the effort the guys showed out there."

Goin' Deep NFL Week 5: Matt Cassel And Kansas City Chiefs Are Struggling While Miami Dolphins Rookie Ryan Tannehill Carves Up Bengals from The NY Daily News

Five games into the season and there are many theories as to what is behind Matt Cassel's dismal play. Some think K.C.'s offensive line is to blame for not giving Matt ample time to do all his quarterbacking things.

Some think the righty Cassel is really a lefty (that theory is gaining momentum) while others feel Matt, well, just stinks (this theory is picking up steam as well, especially in the greater Kansas City area).

Ground Game Seals Victory from CSN Washington

"I'm glad we were able to keep it in our hands, end the game, running the ball," said Rice, who finished with 102 yards on 17 carries. "It felt good to know that we ran the ball."

The Ravens didn't have much choice because Flacco couldn't find a rhythm. He was sacked four times. He completed just 13 of 27 passes for 187 yards, didn't throw a touchdown pass for the first time this season and had an interception en route to a 55.6 passer rating.

Postgame Analysis: Ravens 9, Chiefs 6 from CBS Sports

The circus in Kansas City continued Sunday afternoon against the Ravens in a 9-6 loss.

This week's show included lots of booing, four more Matt Cassel turnovers, a conservative approach from coach Romeo Crennel, a Cassel botched snap at the goal line that would have given the Chiefs the lead, Cassel eventually leaving the game with a head injury and the home fans cheering (Yes, they cheered.) The grand finale was a Brady Quinn to Dwayne Bowe touchdown pass that was wiped out by a pass interference call on Dexter McCluster for setting a pick on Bowe's defender.

Eric Winston Rips Chiefs Fans For Cheering Cassel Injury from ProFootballTalk

The Chiefs have played poorly. Frankly, they are a disaster. Cassel leads the parade.

But for too many fans, their passion for the team leads them to forget that the laundry they're cheering for has a human being inside it.

KC Star Photo Gallery: Ravens 9, Chiefs 6

KCChiefs.com Photo Gallery: Highlights Game 5

KCChiefs.com Video: From The Podium: Romeo Crennel

KCChiefs.com Video: Inside The Locker Room

KCChiefs.com Video: Postgame Wrap-Up With Mitch Holthus

NFL.com Video: Ravens vs. Chiefs Highlights

NFL.com Video: Matt Cassel Injury

NFL.com Video: Winston Angry At Fans