Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 10/29

Unbeaten Chiefs Realize They'll Be Getting Every Team's Best Shot from KC Star

The Chiefs arrived at this point by taking advantage of a favorable schedule - their first eight opponents are a collective 20-41 - a remarkable run of facing three backup quarterbacks and a first-year starter in the last four weeks; and the good fortune to avoid any major injuries.

They also have melded a combination of an aggressive, turnover-crazed defense; a conservative offense that doesn't turn the ball over; and spectacular special teams that dictate field position with its kicking and return ability.

The Chiefs lead the NFL in fewest points allowed (12.3 per game); most sacks (36); most takeaways (20); best turnover differential (plus-12); and best defensive third-down efficiency (25.2 percent).

And fewest apologizes for their lofty standing atop the NFL.

Chiefs Defense Expects Good Things from The Mothership

The Chiefs have allowed only 98 points through the first eight games of the season (12.3 avg.), good enough for the fifth-lowest total in franchise history in a non-strike-affected season. The 98 points allowed are also the second-fewest points allowed in the first half of a non-strike affected season since the NFL moved to its 16-game schedule in 1978, trailing the Chiefs 1991 team that allowed 95 points.

But what was unique about the Week 8 defensive performance, catching the attention of Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, was the way the players impacted the game by executing crucial plays at pivotal times, with just one QB sack and after facing adversity.

Chiefs Approach Trade Deadline Cautiously from KC Star

There's been speculation about the availability of former Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez, who is playing his final season with the Atlanta Falcons, now 2-5; or a wide receiver such as the New York Giants' Hakeem Nicks or Cleveland's Josh Gordon.

Reid said on Monday afternoon that he and general manager John Dorsey had yet to discuss making any moves, and he likes the makeup of his team going into the second half of the season.

"We have good players," Reid said. "Do we need to keep getting better? Absolutely."

Andy Reid: 'Chiefs Bring Energy To The Building' from The Mothership

Q: What are the areas that this team needs to improve in?

REID: "You give me every phase and there's going to be a phase that we need to get better at within that phase, whether it's as a group collectively or if it's as an individual. That's how this thing goes. I've said this before, it's like being a farmer because you're never, never, never done. It might be an individual player stepping with the right foot, the proper foot, going in whatever direction and not under stepping himself, whether it's an offensive lineman or defensive lineman. It's that detailed and yet very broad. That's a loaded question, a good question, but those are all of the things that we're working on. You can't stand up here publicly, that's for the other coach to try to discover and has to work on. It's like an artist, only the artist knows where the mistakes are and you look at it from a non-artistic eye."

Jamaal Charles, Derrick Johnson Lead Our Chiefs Midseason Awards from KC Star

Offensive MVP

RB Jamaal Charles: While quarterback Alex Smith has fulfilled expectations by operating a near-mistake free offense, it's Charles who makes it go. He has handled the ball on 194 of the Chiefs' 542 plays, or 38 percent, plus he's carried out dozens of play-action fakes. Charles, the club's leading rusher (635 yards) and receiver (41 catches for 383 yards) has accounted for 38 percent of the Chiefs' offensive yards and eight of the team's 15 offensive touchdowns.

From A To Z, A Nearly Letter-Perfect Win For The Chiefs Over The Browns from KC Star

E is Eric Berry, the Chiefs safety, who summed up the notion of rising to the occasion thusly: "It's a point and a time on the sideline where we're just like, ‘We've got to buckle down.' ... It's like a point in the game where they're getting too close to our lead that we have, and we've just got to buckle up. It's like the point of no return. We can't give up anything. So everybody kind of refocuses and gets back to ground zero and starts to play a little bit harder, a little bit smarter and everybody locks in."

F is for first time: Chiefs coach Andy Reid never has been 8-0 before. His previous best was 7-0 in 2004, when he guided the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl.

Baby Andy Reid From Olathe Is A Viral Halloween Hit from KC Star

A picture of a baby dressed up as Chiefs coach Andy Reid started popping up all over sports blogs Sunday and no one knew who he was until Wil Brinson, NFL writer for CBSSports.com, found out.

Surprise! The baby's name is Graham and he's the son of Chiefs fans B.J. and Jodi Leeper from Olathe.

KCChiefs.com Video: Head Coach Andy Reid's Monday Press Conference

KCChiefs.com Video: Cheer Chatter: Paige

Chiefs Remain Humble Despite 8-0 Start from The Associated Press vis FS Kansas City

The Kansas City Chiefs cherish every victory. After all, they had only two of them all last season.

So while the entire city is abuzz about their 8-0 start, and the fact that they lead the rival Denver Broncos in the suddenly stacked AFC West, the Chiefs remain humble to the point where it was hard to tell in Sunday's postgame locker room that they had just defeated the Browns.

Chiefs Should Pass At NFL's Trading Deadline from ESPN

The idea of trading for tight end Tony Gonzalez and having him around to help with the drive to win the AFC West championship and get the Kansas City Chiefs to the Super Bowl is a sound one.

It's just not a very realistic one and with regard to anything short of that, the Chiefs should pass at Tuesday's NFL trade deadline and move ahead with their roster as it's presently constituted.

There doesn't appear to be much the Chiefs could realistically do to improve.

Reid Says Now Is Not The Time For Him To Share His Assessment Of Chiefs from FS Kansas City

It's the halfway point of the season and the Chiefs are cruising along at 8-0, but coach Andy Reid isn't about to publicly address specifics of what he has liked and disliked about his team so far.

Asked if he might indulge us just a little, Reid shook his head and laughed.

"It's like me at a buffet line," he said Monday. "If there's liver, I'm probably not going to indulge.

"Those are things I'll probably look more at during the bye week."

Regrouping Bills Excited For Unbeaten Chiefs Test from The Associated Press via The Sacramento Bee

Johnson said the improving Bills are geared up for any week, but especially excited to take on a Chiefs team that became the first team in NFL history to start a season 8-0 after holding the league's worst record the previous season.

"A team could be winless and we want to get a win, especially at home in front of the fans or after a loss, so we're excited for this challenge," Johnson said. "With them being undefeated, that's even better."

The Chiefs' 8-0 Is Beautiful, But A Flawed Sort Of Beautiful from FS Kansas City

So what was true in late September is true in late October, too: At 8-0, the Chiefs haven't beaten anybody great. In fact, through the season's first seven weeks, the boys in red posted the lowest strength of schedule rating (-4.2) in the NFL, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com, with only the Bears (-3.5), Jets (-3.3) and Panthers (-3.1) in the same ballpark.

But if substance is what you want, substance is what you're about to get: Kansas City's next four opponents -- and yes, we're counting Denver twice -- had a combined record of 21-10 as of late Sunday night. Nobody's comparing this Chiefs team to the '72 Dolphins, but if somehow this party gets to 12-0, you won't be able to say they didn't earn it.

Chiefs vs Broncos Tickets Skyrocket from KSHB

Ticket brokers said eight Chiefs wins have gradually increased prices, but the game against Denver and quarterback Peyton Manning has pushed prices through the roof.

On Stubhub.com, people are now asking $2,300 for a set of two tickets for the matchup at home.

That same game in Denver and the price for a pair is more than double, at $4,400.

Why are tickets so high? Someone is willing to pay it.

Sending Tony Gonzalez Home Among 10 NFL Deadline Trades We'd Make from USA Today

What's wrong with a little feel-good symmetry? Gonzalez never enjoyed a playoff win during his 12 years in Kansas City, and it now seems safe to say he won't get another one with the spiraling Atlanta Falcons, either. He's not complaining, but why not send him home for a legitimate chance to fulfill his 2013 mission - winning a Super Bowl? Given how well Alex Smith utilized Vernon Davis in San Francisco, Gonzalez seems like he'd be the ideal addition to an offense that needs more weapons than Jamaal Charles.

How To Join The Chiefs Bandwagon from ESPN

No one expected this, but here we are. You can refresh the NFL standings as much as you want, but it still has Kansas City at 8-0.

The Chiefs are successful enough now that fans of more popular teams who have become increasingly embarrassing (see: Cowboys and Steelers) may want to hop on the Chiefs bandwagon.

But before you step aboard, you'll want to keep a few things in mind to establish your KC Chiefs fan bona fides. Here they are.

NFL Playoff Picture: Chefs Watch Turns To The Dark Side With Second Round Draft Pick In Hand from Niners Nation

The Alex Smith trade included a 2014 third round pick that would bump up to the second round if the Chiefs reached the eight win threshold.

While I am happy with the success Alex Smith is having in Kansas City, Chefs Watch now has to take a turn to the dark side. The 49ers have their second round pick, but the more the Chiefs win, the lower it goes in the first round. The Chiefs have rolled off eight straight wins, but as they head into the second half of their schedule, they face some serious tests.

Jason Campbell Report Card: Breaking Down Every Pass Against The Chiefs from The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Quarterbacks ultimately are judged by victories and defeats. By that standard, Campbell did not deliver - but he is the last person on whom to pin this loss. A strong case can be made that, if his teammates approached his level of play, the Browns would have won. (Check that: probably would have won, for no Browns victory ever is a sure thing.)

Johnson's "Mega" Day from The Pro Football Hall Of Fame

309 - Stephone Paige, Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Diego Chargers, Dec. 22, 1985

Forty years after Benton set the NFL record for most receiving yards in a game, Stephone Paige of the Kansas City Chiefs finally eclipsed the mark when he recorded 309 yards receiving on eight catches. Paige helped lead the Chiefs to a 38-34 win over their division rival San Diego Chargers with two long touchdown receptions of 56 and 84 yards respectively. Maybe even more impressive about Paige's day was that Kansas City produced a combined 34 receiving yards by the rest of the team.

AFC Midseason Report: What's Ahead For The Teams? from USA Today

What has gone well: The Chiefs' defense is for real - with a league-low 12.2 points per game allowed, 36 sacks, seven forced fumbles and 10 interceptions. Running back Jamaal Charles is an all-purpose threat, with more than 1,000 yards of offense in the first half.

What has gone wrong: Kansas City has too often struggled in the red zone, settling for field goals instead of touchdown, but hasn't paid for it yet because of strong defensive performances. That might not be the case in upcoming games against San Diego and Denver.

Manuel To Ramp Up Rehab, But Return To Bills Not Set from The Buffalo News

Marrone said he is going to wait until practice starts later in the week before determining Spiller's availability for Week Nine against the Kansas City Chiefs. The same is true of linebacker Manny Lawson, who sat out Sunday because of a hamstring injury. Marrone said he believed Lawson had a "good chance" to play against Kansas City, which will come to Ralph Wilson Stadium undefeated.

A. Smith Leads Chiefs To 8-0 Record Halfway Through NFL Season from KSL

Last year, Kansas City couldn't buy a win if it offered its opponents all the Arthur Bryant's burnt end sandwiches in the world. Who knew it would take a "Philly" to become a winner once again? Kansas City coach Andy Reid has the Chiefs in the driver's seat in the AFC West, as league fans lay in waiting for a Nov. 17 matchup against the Denver Broncos on CBS.

Mandatory Monday: Statement Wins from Sports On Earth

The Chiefs have sweated out two straight close victories over down-and-out, ready-for-the-showers opponents. Two weeks before that, they survived a scare by the Titans. In between, they faced a Raiders team with an offensive line full of injured veterans who were on their way out of the NFL in 2010, and that game was closer than it had to be. In the last two weeks, the Chiefs have punted nine times, lost three turnovers, and failed on one fourth down conversion in the fourth quarter, while nursing a combined four-point lead for most of that time. That kind of performance will get you killed against better competition.

The Chiefs have a very good defense. They have an okay offense. They are narrowly beating third-string quarterbacks. They are a tremendous story. We know how this story ends.

Chiefs Being Good Makes This Broncos Season Even Better from The Coloradoan

The Chiefs are officially a viable threat to the Denver Broncos' championship hopes. And I love it!

Don't get me wrong. The only NFL-related emotion that can even approach my love for the Broncos is my absolute disdain for the Chiefs. After spending the first 18 years of my life in Colorado, I moved to the K.C. area for six years.

I don't care much for this particular AFC West rival. However, when the Chiefs and Broncos are both good, it makes football in the Mile High City more exciting.

Sunday Wrap: Tale Of Two Wideouts from FOX Sports

The Chiefs' defense had to keep the Browns off the scoreboard on five drives in the second half after Cleveland cut the lead to 20-17 to start the second half. In the meantime, the offense managed only three first downs over the final two quarters.

While protecting a slim lead, the Chiefs only allowed the Browns to have one offensive snap across midfield over those final five drives. That play was a sack by Houston, his 11th of the season. Houston had another sack (plus a forced fumble) in the fourth quarter that was negated by an offside penalty on Tamba Hali.