Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 10/17

Quarterback Alex Smith Stays Cool Even As Chiefs Offense Sputters from KC Star

It's not unusual to see Tom Brady or Philip Rivers rail at a teammate or Jay Cutler pout after play that has gone awry, but Smith prefers to kill 'em with kindness.

"When things aren't in a rhythm and you're struggling to execute, I don't think yelling and screaming is the answer," Smith said. "For me, I say, ‘Everybody calm down a little bit ... everybody play a little better and everybody do your part.

"That's my style ... we've got to be able to go out there and think and think on our feet. Not to say there isn't a time for (screaming) ... we're all different, we all have our styles. I try to be myself. As the year goes on and the games get bigger and bigger, you need to have that (calm demeanor)."

Alex Smith Describes The Arrowhead Crowd from The Mothership

Q: What can you do to pick up your execution percentage?

SMITH: "I mean, it's a statistic. It's not something I think I'm directly looking at. I think it's, 'Should have I made decisions that I should have made differently?'; those are the types of things I'm looking at. We're looking at (whether) the throw was a good decision and if it was, then I mean, if it affects your completion percentage negatively, then it does. Certainly, I think you look at all those types of things on a play-by-play basis, 'Could I have made a better decision? Could I have made a better throw?', things like that. It's tough to always take that stat as a whole and judge off of it."

Chiefs' Defense Isn't Only Fueling Undefeated Start, It Could Be Record-Breaking from KC Star

This Chiefs' defense has a chance to go down as one of the best in recent NFL memory.

Honest.

Now, we're all adults here. We all know the Chiefs' first six opponents included the Jaguars and maybe two playoff teams (the Titans and someone from the awful NFC East), while their next 10 opponents include five currently in the top five in offense (starting this week against the Texans, and peaking with two games against the Broncos).

So what the Chiefs are doing at the moment is a bit like leading a marathon at mile six, but, well, after years of throwing up in the sponsors' tent by this point, it's worth taking a moment to recognize that this defense isn't just fueling a 6-0 start, it's playing at a historic pace.

Andy Reid's Wednesday Presser And Transcript from The Mothership

Q: On the field, where would you like to see Alex Smith improve?

REID: "He has things that he has to keep working on. The thing that is most important right now is that he just continues to get reps for those receivers around him, against all the different looks that are being thrown at us. These last two coordinators have, and Wade (Phillips) will be right in there, roll their coverages. You have to be sharp and on the same page with one another and we're working through all of that."

Q: Is the line giving him enough opportunity in the passing game?

REID: "They're a young bunch and their working their tails off. This past week they had a couple breakdowns, but they settled down and it worked out okay in the second there. Again, they're coming off of two pretty good weeks of protection. Early in the game, Oakland got them a little bit, but they settled down and worked. That's the thing you appreciate; they found a way to get it right and they keep battling."

Chiefs Tight End Anthony Fasano Expects To Play This Week, Barring Setback from KC Star

"It's feeling better day-by-day," Fasano said. "I think we've done everything we could, rehab-wise, to get it there. It's not 100 percent but it feels pretty good."

In Fasano's absence, Sean McGrath has stepped up as a solid target, though he didn't record a catch against Oakland on Sunday.

When asked what he could bring to the Chiefs' offense, Fasano wasn't about to make any predictions.

"Time will tell," he said. "I think we're better off with tight ends involved in the game plan. Sean and Kevin (Brock) have done a great job. I hope to add to it."

Wednesday Work, Tamba Awarded And More from The Mothership

"Whether it's practice or games, you're going to get one speed and that's full speed on every snap," coach Reid said of Hali. "The thing you know about Tamba, you know what you're going to get every day. Whether he's sick or healthy, you're going to get the same thing every day. He's going to bring it and work his profession. He'll do his best in the building, every day."

The restless effort by Tamba, accompanied by his teammates' help, eventually led to 3.5 sacks in Sunday's win against the Raiders. His 70-career sacks rank fourth in Chiefs history. Addressing the media on Wednesday, Hali spoke about his defensive award.

New Cornerback Has A Few Things In Common With Marcus Cooper from KC Star

Vernon Kearney looks around the Chiefs' locker room and sees a lot of tall, long-armed cornerbacks, just like him.

It's one of the reasons Kearney, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound rookie from Lane College who was signed to the practice squad on Tuesday, couldn't be more pumped to be in Kansas City.

"I like how they play press-man (coverage)," said Kearney, who will wear No. 30 with the Chiefs. "The height (of the corners), obviously that attracted me to them. I came here on a visit a couple weeks before the draft and I was also intrigued back then, so it's good to be back."

Pro vs. GI Joe from The Mothership

On Tuesday, Chiefs players, along with some former U.S. Marines that recently returned home from deployment, gathered at Arrowhead Stadium. They were on hand to participate in the Chiefs third annual Pro vs. GI Joe gamming event. This program matches military personnel, "GI Joes," against professional football players, "Pros" and brings them together in a video game competition.

Chiefs History: The Huddle Club from The Mothership

Hunt believed from the start that success for his new league would come in time and from a far younger audience than the one the NFL was attracting in its 12 large metropolitan areas. Hence, the creation of his "Huddle Club", first in Dallas and later in Kansas City, when he moved his team there in 1963.

A Huddle Club membership cost $1 for youngsters of junior high age or below, entitling them to free admission to any home game, a membership card and a tee-shirt. The goal, Hunt said, was to "have every child in the area in a Texans Huddle Club shirt."

KCChiefs.com Video: Chiefs Brief: Week 7

QB Watch: Chiefs' Alex Smith from ESPN

The Houston Texans have allowed fewer passing yards than any other NFL team but that's misleading because opponents have attempted just 137 passes, far and away the lowest total in the league. However, Houston is 27th in yards allowed per pass attempt, so there should be some openings for Smith and the Chiefs to make some passing plays if the protection holds up. The Texans are capable of getting after Smith like the Titans and Raiders did, so that could be a problem for him again.

Chiefs To Face White-Out Conditions In Buffalo from KC Star

And fans are being encouraged to wear white to the game to match the players' road white uniforms and form a "white out" in Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Chiefs-Raiders Was A Ratings Hit from KC Star

The Chiefs-Raiders game was the second-highest rated telecast in NFL markets last Sunday, earning a 42.1 household rating and 72 percent share of all televisions in use at the time of the game. The game, on Channel 5, was the top-rated television show of the week in Kansas City.

Chiefs Jeff Allen And Donald Stephenson Taste The American Royal from The Pitch

The West Bottoms' arteries are clogged with traffic around 4:30 p.m. on this first October Friday. The roads around spaceship-shaped Kemper Arena are blocked and alive for the world's largest barbecue contest, the American Royal.

I'm here with Kansas City Chiefs offensive linemen Donald Stephenson and Jeff Allen. We've come for a sauce-tasting contest. The Chiefs picked Allen and Stephenson in last year's NFL Draft. Another member of that draft class, first-round pick Dontari Poe, has sworn off barbecue to slim down. Not Allen and Stephenson.

Chiefs Rookie DB Practices For First Time from ESPN

The promotion of Commings, a fifth-round draft pick from Georgia, to the active roster, appears inevitable, with the only question being the timing of the move. Commings was a nickel safety for the Chiefs during offseason practice and would have challenged for playing time had he not broken his collarbone during the first practice at training camp.

Chiefs On Pace To Set Sack Record from The Associated Press via FOX Sports

''When you get 10 in one game, it's kind of hard to say, `We have to block that guy,''' said Kubiak, who is trying to come up with a plan to slow down that pass rush Sunday.

''Andy Reid's got such a quality team thing going on right now,'' Kubiak said, ''and that's what good teams do. Production comes from everywhere, not one or two places. You can see the energy they're feeding off of, and the way they're playing, pretty impressive.''

Just how impressive? Record-setting.

Chiefs Defense Keeps Marching Toward Shattering NFL Sack Record from FS Kansas City

Indeed, the 2013 Chiefs defense is on a historical pace, even if its players aren't really taking notice yet.

"We don't set our goals like that," linebacker Tamba Hali said. "We set our goals in wins, because we haven't had enough of those in recent years.

"Now, being able to accomplish those things as we go on winning, that's nice."

Fantasy Football Defense/Special Teams Rankings For Week 7 from SB Nation

Kansas City Chiefs (No. 1) - I stand by everything I wrote above. The Chiefs' D/ST is a great sell-high candidate. And, while Houston (or, more specifically, Matt Schaub) is certainly better than recent performance, the team as a whole has given up a pick-six in five consecutive weeks. Kansas City leads the NFL in turnover margin, while Houston is worst in the AFC, and second worst in all of football. Kansas City might fall off, but man if it's hard to imagine it happens this week.

Chiefs' Bowe Says He's About Letters, Not Numbers, Now -- Especially The Letter 'W' from FS Kansas City

Your fantasy team? This may come as a shock, kids, but Dwayne Bowe doesn't give a flex.

"Fantasy world?" the Kansas City Chiefs receiver told FOXSportsKansasCity.com, smiling, after a 24-7 victory over the Oakland Raiders.

"I really don't hear it. I don't even pay attention to it, man. Because at the end of the day, it's about letters, not numbers. And that's six 'W's."

Crowd's Roar Holds A Hint Of Trouble For Chiefs Fans' Ears from The Wichita Eagle

Arrowhead's noise, he said, is "below the threshold of pain. Is it safe?"

He thinks on it.

"The thing is ...," he said, "how long you're exposed to it."

The way Mardikes figures, although the noise at the stadium is intense, it tends to spike for a few seconds with the action and when the defense is on the field.

"It isn't that long," he said. "If you're looking at your total exposure over the course of the game, it is going to be less than 60 seconds, two minutes or three minutes. If you look around, a lot of people are yelling, but they also have their fingers in their ears."

Certainly, ear protection is a great idea, but if not ...

"As long as they have a great defense," Mardikes said, "I think it's worth it."

Poll: Should Seahawks Fans Try To Take Back Their Noise Record? from The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Seattle held the record for just four short weeks. And it was before Sunday's Seahawks-Titans game, as the Chiefs and Raiders battled at K.C.'s Arrowhead Stadium, that former Seahawks player Joe Tafoya - the guy who organized Sept. 15′s record-breaking attempt - saw all his hard work slip away.

"I was disappointed," Tafoya told seattlepi.com Tuesday evening. "Part of me was really disappointed that we didn't get a chance to hold the record very long. I was also disappointed another team's fanbase could be as loud as us - I didn't think that was possible."

Clemson Confident Of Setting New Crowd Noise Record vs. Seminoles from CBS Sports

The current Guinness World Record for Loudest Crowd Roar at a Sports Stadium is all of three days old. But that's not stopping Clemson from squarely taking aim at it when Florida State pays a visit to "Death Valley" this Saturday.

The Tigers' athletic department issued a statement Tuesday calling on fans to attempt to break the current crowd noise record of 137.5 decibels on "the first defensive snap of the night" in the team's clash with the Seminoles. The current record was set Sunday by fans at the Kansas City Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium, and previously belonged to Seattle Seahawks fans at CenturyLink Field.

Texans Not Sure Of Staring Quarterback vs Chiefs from The Las Vegas Guardian Express

Coach Gary Kubiak has to feel his seat heating up with each loss, and knows he has to pick the right man to lead his team to victory. As of now, he is unsure of who will start for the Texans against the Chiefs this week.

"I said it would be an end of the week decision, and I'm going to stick with that," Kubiak said of his quarterback controversy. "I've got to visit with the doctors and take a look at (Schaub's) progress ... and go from there."

He would not even eliminate the idea of third stringer Case Keenum from starting Sunday. Keenum and Yates have split the starters reps in practice this week with Schaub sitting due to his injury.

Week 7 NFL Picks: Calling In Reinforcements While Chiefs, Broncos Ready To Roll To 7-0 from CBS Boston

KANSAS CITY (-6.5) over Houston

This goes against my better judgment, and I can't believe I'm doing it, but the Texans are that bad. Still, I won't jump on the Chiefs believers bandwagons. After they win this game by 25 points, they'll be 7-0. But right now, those six teams that the Chiefs beat have a combined record of 11-25. When they beat the 2-4 Texans, that record will be even worse. Woopty-do.

Yates And Keenum Share 50/50 Reps from CBS Houston

With starting quarterback Matt Schaub not participating in Wednesday's practice due to a leg injury, T.J. Yates and Case Keenum had their chance to take reps with the first-team.

"I split them right down the middle," Kubiak said. "They both practiced pretty good. I thought we had a good start to the week."

Kiko Alonso Of Buffalo Bills Tops List Of Best Rookies from NFL.com

12. Marcus Cooper, Kansas City Chiefs cornerback: If Mathieu was the steal of the draft, then Cooper is the steal of the waiver wire. Claimed from the 49ers after final cuts, the seventh-rounder has been sticky in coverage while turning in momentum-changing interceptions in back-to-back games.

Fans In Seattle And Kansas City Desperately Want Their Stadiums To Be The Loudest In The World from The Big Lead

Now, some fans in Seattle are not happy. According to Seattle KIRO Radio's Don O'Neil, the new record is not fair.

"We were responding to the game. It wasn't artificial. I'm wondering why Kansas City got to do it that way."

Yeah, why did Kansas City get to do it this way? With people cheering loudly in a stadium with the Jumbotron exhorting them to cheer louder? Seems totally unrelated and performance enhancing.

Road To MetLife: Week 7 Cheat Sheet from FOX Sports

Houston at Kansas City:It's tough watching Matt Schaub and the Texans crumble in such epic fashion. And now, they're going against a red hot Chiefs team, in front of a stadium that just broke the all-time sound record, and doing so in front of a nationally televised audience? When it rains, it pours.

The Pick: Chiefs 30, Texans 17

11 Reasons You Should Start Loving The Kansas City Chiefs from BuzzFeed

These guys were so bad last season that halfway though the season they hadn't led a game for even one second - not a single second. Today, they're tied with the Broncos for the best record in football, and yet they still feel like underdogs. They're holding opponents to a league-best 10.8 points per game, but people will still call them a fluke. When it comes down to it the Chiefs are a likable group of underdogs who are in the midst of one of the greatest turnarounds in NFL history. So jump on the bandwagon now - before they upset the Broncos next month.

50 Points On NFL Week 6 from TSN

Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles (128 YDS, 2 TD, 27 touches) continues to sit second in yards from scrimmage (775), but his seven touchdowns gives him the highest fantasy value among running backs.