Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 8/29

Good morning! We are just a day away from the final preseason game, and the Kansas City Chiefs news is flowing nicely. Enjoy!

The Chiefs will need to clear 22 roster spaces before 8:00 p.m. (CST) Friday evening to comply with the league's mandated roster maximum of 53 players. It makes for a short, sleepless flight home for many players sitting on the bubble.

"One of the distractions that the players have to deal with this week - the realization that the cuts occurred (Sunday) and then the realization that there will be more cuts on Friday," head coach Romeo Crennel said. "So that's one of the distractions that we have to deal with but that's part of it, so we have to do that."

The team's charter flight will arrive in Kansas City International Airport sometime in the early hours of Friday morning with players learning about their playing future several hours later.

Chiefs Notebook: Roster Cuts Loom As Chiefs Prepare For Packers from The Mothership

In obvious preparation for the Sept. 9 season opener against Atlanta, the Chiefs withheld linebacker Tamba Hali at times from practice this week. Hali won't play against the Falcons that day because of his one-game NFL suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.

But coach Romeo Crennel said Hali would play his normal role in the final preseason game Thursday night against the Packers in Green Bay.

Chiefs Notes: Hali to Play Normal Role In Last Preseason Game from KC Star

KC Star Video: Chiefs Stanford Routt On Defense, Preseason

KCChiefs.com Video: From The Podium: Romeo Crennel Press Conference

KCChiefs.com Video: From The Field

KCChiefs.com Video: Chiefs Live! 8-28-12

Reeves, who spent 2004-07 with Dallas and 2008-09 with Houston, signed with the Chiefs last spring when his mother appeared to be stable. But she died at 63 on July 26, the day the Chiefs reported to St. Joseph, so Reeves missed the first week of training camp.

But Reeves, 29, made up for lost time. Starter Brandon Flowers has missed the last month because of a heel injury, and Jalil Brown suffered a groin injury against Seattle on Friday, so Reeves finds himself as the starting left cornerback going into Thursday night's preseason finale at Green Bay.

Chiefs' Reeves Back After Time Off For Family from KC Star

Meaningless?

Their combined 6-26 exhibition record the past eight years has been followed by 53 wins and 75 losses in the regular season, one playoff appearance and no playoff wins. The Chiefs haven't posted a winning preseason since 2003 when Dick Vermeil's Chiefs won the Hall of Fame game to nudge past break-even at 3-2 - and then tore through the regular season 13-3.

After 2 Horrid Games, Chiefs Are Assured Of Ninth Straight Non-Winning Preseason from The Associated Press via The Washington Post

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, LB Clay Matthews and other entrenched players will do nothing more than make brief cameos against the Chiefs. Since becoming the starter in 2008, Rodgers has never played more than one series in the last preseason game.

It will be interesting to see how many and which first-team offensive players stay on the field to play with Harrell after Rodgers departs. Harrell has struggled so far in the preseason -- completing 50.8 percent of his passes with passer rating of 53.7 -- but he's played behind a weak offensive line and with less-talented receivers.

Packers: Aaron Rodgers, Starters Won't Play Much In Preseason Finale from CBS Sports

"The Chiefs were the ones who recommended me to stations because we were fairly new in the Kansas City area,'' Dawson said.

He then gazed around the Hy-Vee supermarket, where Dawson and Bobby Bell signed autographs Tuesday to commemorate the Chiefs' 50th season and fans also had the opportunity to pose with the Lombardi Trophy.

Suddenly, a sheepish smile creased Dawson's face.

"I think they were trying to sell tickets back then,'' he said of his start in broadcasting. "Now, they're still trying to sell tickets today, all these 50 years later.''

Moonlighting Leads To Another Hall Nod For Dawson from The Topeka Capital-Journal

Edwards put Kansas City first-year coach Romeo Crenel in the "jury is still out" category. That's fair. Crennel is beginning his second head-coaching stint after a mostly disappointing time in Cleveland, but the early returns on Crennel in Kansas City have been promising.

Herm Edwards: Norv Turner Is Elite Coach from ESPN

About half the Kansas delegation was decked out in Kansas City Chiefs T-shirts, never mind that the Chiefs play in Kansas City, Mo., not in Kansas. There was no hidden political message behind the shirts, delegate John Pyle said. "We're just all Chiefs fans in Kansas."

Grand Old Costume Party: Cheeseheads, Witches, And Amelia Earhart from The Los Angeles Times

Unfortunately, we live in an era when some athletes do more than train hard, eat right and practice. Some try to get ahead by using performance-enhancing drugs, which in most sports is a prohibited way to get ahead.

Still, athletes try to beat the system. Why? Do they think they are smarter than everyone else and can get away with it? Do they ever think what it will do to their reputation ... their legacy if they're discovered cheating?

Despite his on-field accomplishments and all the charitable work he has done in Kansas City, Hali's resume will always include his one-game suspension for substance abuse.

Now Is Not The Time To Coast from The Hannibal Courier-Post

When he isn't fighting with players in the locker room, Baldwin actually is a very talented young wideout on a team looking for playmakers.

Dwayne Bowe, the franchise receiver, was away from the team all summer and Baldwin had an opportunity to work with the first-string offense as the team's No. 1 target. He didn't disappoint, as he's improved dramatically from last year.

Value Picks At Wide Receiver To Grab Late In Your Draft from USA today

8. Kansas City Chiefs - The Chiefs added big right tackle Eric Winston from the Houston Texans and he takes a position that was a weak spot and converts it into a strength. Right guard Jon Asamoah had a solid season as a first-time starter. Left guard Ryan Lilja is an excellent run blocker and an improving pass blocker.

Ranking The NFL's Top Offensive Lines from CBS Chicago

It's not often a first-round draft pick -- brought in amid fanfare -- is eased along this slowly. Crennel has spent the summer improving Poe's technique, but the former Memphis defender hasn't picked up the system quickly enough, working mostly in the nickel. The forth preseason game is rarely intriguing, but the Poe story line makes this Chiefs-Packers affair worth watching.

Dontari Poe Earns First Start For Chiefs Against Packers from NFL.com

@theGeneric1 #TT Which is more likely for the chiefs, 10-6 or 6-10? #TemperedExpectations

Well, let's be honest. There often isn't much difference between 10-6 and 6-10. If everything - I mean EVERYthing, so Cassel is great, Flowers is healthy, Poe comes along, the whole thing - goes right for the Chiefs, I could see them at 12-4.

If everything - so, basically, just the opposite of all that other stuff - I could see them at 5-11.

Twitter Tuesday from Don't Kill The Mellinger