Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 9/20

Good morning! Today's Kansas City Chiefs news continues to look at the struggling team in a search for answers and also looks ahead to Sunday's game in New Orleans. Enjoy.

The first two games of the season stand as some evidence that Charles, Moeaki and Berry haven't returned to what they were before their injuries. Charles against the Bills had statistically his worst game since becoming the featured back midway through the 2009 season. He had three yards on six carries.

Moeaki is fourth on the Chiefs with four catches. Berry, a Pro Bowler as a rookie in 2010, has been a part of one of the NFL's worst defensive teams.

Chiefs May Have To Lower Expectations With ACL Group from KC Star

Both the Chiefs and the Saints are looking to break into the win column and will be fighting for a victory on Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

Sunday's contest marks the 10th meeting between the Chiefs (0-2) and the Saints (0-2), each looking for their first win of the 2012 season.

Chiefs And Saints Playing Catch Up from The Mothership

KCChiefs.com Video: From The Podium: Romeo Crennel 9/19/12

KCChiefs.com Video: Inside The Locker Room

The Chiefs listed 13 players on their injury list on Wednesday, forcing coach Romeo Crennel to decide against holding practice in pads.

Teams are allowed just one practice in pads per week, and Crennel plans to hold their padded practice Thursday in preparation for Sunday's game at New Orleans.

Chiefs Are So Banged Up They Don't Practice In Pads from KC Star

KAREN KORNACKI (KMBC): You've been happy with how the players are practicing, but you're not winning on Sunday. Do you just continue to grind or do you have to change up some stuff in practice?

CRENNEL: "Well, you can only change so much in practice the way it's structured. And you have to get done the things you feel like you need to do in the different areas that you're preparing for, for that day. So you kind of have to continue doing what you've been doing and emphasize the things that you feel like you need to emphasize. What I've found over the years is if you try to work on the things that are causing you problems and improve those things, then you have a chance to get better. That's what we're trying to focus on doing."

Q&A With Romeo Crennel - 9/19 from The Mothership

One of Pioli's biggest successes in Kansas City has been surrounding Cassel with one of the league's better groups of skills players. There just aren't many teams that can match the Chiefs' crop of receivers, running backs and tight ends.

So it's not that they're ignoring the pass. Bowe is making close to $10 million this year, and new tight end Kevin Boss made a remarkable touchdown catch against the Falcons - and then was injured in Buffalo. It's just that they are increasingly emphasizing the run, which by definition increasingly de-emphasizes the pass.

Chiefs Are Built For An Era That's Past from KC Star

The Kansas City Chiefs are joining with Hy-Vee, Procter & Gamble and Kansas City Public Schools for the RED Zone Reading Challenge, a collaborative effort designed to encourage the healthy habits of reading and classroom attendance among all elementary school students in Kansas City Public Schools.

All elementary school students, kindergarten through sixth grade, in Kansas City Public Schools are eligible to participate. A total of 25 elementary schools will be taking part in the program.

Chiefs, Hy-Vee And Proctor & Gamble Partner With Kansas City Public Schools For Reading Program from The Mothership

Romeo Crennel has proven he's one of the NFL's most respected defensive minds.

He's yet to prove he can be a successful head coach.

Doing both of them at the same time? Well, that experiment is off to an embarrassing 0-2 start, leaving just about everyone outside the walls of the Kansas City Chiefs' practice facility to question whether the affable coach is already in over his head.

Questions Already Arise About Chiefs' Crennel Juggling Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator Jobs

from The Associated Press via The Washington Post

Crennel got into hot water as coach of the Cleveland Browns when players appeared to view him as more of a friend and less of an authority figure. That image was never entirely fair, but Crennel is no Tom Coughlin, and that's a talking point when the team lacks discipline.

Two losses don't mark the end of civilization. There's plenty to like about this team's young roster -- especially on defense -- and the AFC West remains an open race, no matter what the standings tell us today. But Pioli's on his second coach without much to show for it, and most GMs don't get a third chance. The next 14 weeks are critical for this regime.

Scott Pioli Still Upbeat About 0-2 Kansas City Chiefs from NFL.com

"They've got a more conventional offense, so we can start playing more of our defense and not have to worry about a quarterback running," Lofton said while noting that Cassel is athletic and can run some. "But it's going to be exciting to actually go out there and play against a conventional offense."

At the same time, Lofton joked it wouldn't surprise him if the Chiefs put in the read-option this week to take advantage of the vulnerable defense.

"After the past couple of weeks, it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't do some of that," he said while trying to manage a smile. "But we're prepared, we've just got to go out and improve."

Struggling Defenses Face Off When Chiefs Visit Saints from The Baton Rouge Advocate

"I'm upbeat, there's no doubt about it," the quarterback countered. "You can see that. You can ask anybody in this locker room how I am throughout the course of the week. I'm upbeat. And throughout the course of a game, you'll see me walking up and down the sidelines talking to those guys.

"You know, when you come off to the sideline and things don't always go right, you have to punt, or whatever the case might be. You're not going to be the rah-rah guy and try to cheer them on. They know what's going on - we're all professionals here. So really, for me, it's about getting focused for the next series, telling these guys we've got to go one play at a time, and move on."

Cassel wasn't smiling when he said that last bit. Read into it what you will.

Chiefs Not Reading Into Cassel's Body Language from FS Kansas City

While Henderson returns, wide receiver Marques Colston is a question mark. The official injury report had Colston limited in practice with a foot injury. Against Carolina, Colston caught 3 passes for 49 yards.

"If you watch the game, he wasn't Marques Colston in the game, and you can say that hindered us a little bit," according to interim interim head coach Aaron Kromer. "He didn't run as fast as he normally does, so he's resting it a little this week."

Saints Prepare For Chiefs from WGNO

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced the latest recipients of the Missouri and Kansas High School Coach of the Week award. Lee's Summit West's Royce Boehm (Missouri) and Blue Valley Southwest's Bill Lowe (Kansas) each received this honor after a strong performance by their respective teams last week.

Royce Boehm And Bill Lowe Named Chiefs High School Coaches Of The Week from The Mothership

Both the Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs started the season 0-2. Both teams have not looked good and both teams are dealing with a lot of injuries.

In our AFC West poll this week, we asked readers which team has more to worry about. In a convincing vote, the answer is Oakland.

Poll Results: Raiders Should Be Worried from ESPN

Ravens fans, and those who aren't fond of the Patriots, have embraced Pollard as the Patriot Killer since he's taken three key players out in three different seasons playing with three different teams. But it's not a moniker Pollard is fond of.

"That's not me," Pollard said. "I don't laugh at anything like that because that's not my intentions. I'm not a malicious player. I look to play football hard, fast and physical. It just so happened a lot of the injuries came against the Patriots. But I think they know I respect them as men, as players."

Bernard Pollard vs. Pats: Seek And Destroy from The Washington Times

KANSAS CITY AT NEW ORLEANS (-9.5)- It's the last chance for this Saints team. Because as bad as they've looked, perhaps nobody has been worse than the Chiefs thus far. They can't stop a parked car let alone an opposing NFL offense. Still, could you really trust New Orleans' defense to hold down Kansas City enough to win by double figures? Their defense has struggled in many aspects, and although offensively they committed a bit more to the running game, it still wasn't enough. This is the last chance I'm giving the Saints and if they don't pull it off, you might as well put them at 0-5 heading to their bye week.

NEW ORLEANS-35 KANSAS CITY-23

One Man's NFL Picks For Week 3 from Sports NOLA