Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 10/5

Marcus Cooper Embraces His Chance With Chiefs from KC Star

Cooper didn't have a catch in six games during his first two years at Rutgers, but he'd been a dominant receiver in high school, racking up the second-most career receiving yards (3,014) and touchdowns (43) in Connecticut.

Cooper had never played on defense, let alone cornerback, not even in high school.

"(I was) a little upset, you know?" he said. "I thought I was a great receiver, like every individual should think about themselves. Just (for them) to say that I wasn't able to do it at receiver, to get the job done ... I was a little hurt by it."

But three years later, Cooper - a backup cornerback the Chiefs claimed at the 53-man roster deadline in early September - is glad he listened to Schiano's hunch.

Chiefs Complete Strong Week Of Practice from The Mothership

"Injuries are part of the game," Chiefs OL Geoff Schwartz said. "There's nothing fun about them. Nobody likes them, but we know that guys have to be ready when there are injuries. Coach has done a good job, getting us prepared for these situations."

Chiefs OL Donald Stephenson says the team's expectations aren't altered by injuries.

"We have a lot of expectations," Stephenson said. "Guys that are not playing right now, they know at any time, they could go in; so, they prepare just like the guy that's playing. That way, nobody falls by the wayside, when the second guy comes in. That's basically the expectation of the whole organization."

Flowers Optimistic He'll Be Able To Play Sunday from KC Star

"Coming off the Cowboys game, I just didn't have enough time for it to (heal)," Flowers said. "I tried to go out there, then it got hit a couple times, so it definitely set me back a little bit. I couldn't go against the Giants but I feel a lot better this week so hopefully I'll be good from now on."

Flowers is one of three Chiefs listed as questionable for Sunday's game, along with tight end Anthony Fasano, who has missed the last two games with ankle and knee ailments, and safety Kendrick Lewis, who has a sprained ankle but played in the win over the Giants on Sunday.

Four For The Weekend: Chiefs Hope, Royals Payroll, Mizzou Promise And KU's "Youth" from KC Star

Jake Locker's injury is a break for the Chiefs, and will allow skeptics to hold off no matter what happens this weekend, but as well as he had been playing Jake Locker should not be confused with Joe Montana.

The Chiefs are a well-balanced, talented group that appears to be working together remarkably well. The NFL is based on parity, so these are qualities that can set teams apart.

Nobody knows how good the Chiefs really are, of course. Not yet. It's too early. But what we do know has been, with only a few exceptions, very promising. The Titans are 3-1, their only loss on the road and in overtime. This is a good test for the Chiefs. One more chance to see what they are.

Who's Faster: Jamaal Charles Or Chris Johnson? Bernard Pollard Weighs In from KC Star

But when asked recently whether Johnson is faster than Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles - who ran a 4.38 in 2008 - Titans safety and former Chief Bernard Pollard had a harder time making a choice than you might think.

"That's hard, because if you go off of 40s, everybody knows that Chris (Johnson) had the faster 40," said Pollard, who was Charles' teammate in 2008. "But if you're talking about game speed, somebody who can just cut it up, I've seen them both put it on."

Eric Berry's Childhood Home Burns Down from KC Star

So imagine his initial horror when she told him his childhood home in Fairburn, Ga. - the one still inhabited by his parents and younger brothers - had gone up in flames, and his subsequent relief when she also told him that nobody got hurt.

"I was thankful - it was a big blow but nobody got hurt," Berry said. "I was expecting something different."

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that fire crews were called to the home at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, and Berry said no one was in the house at the time of the fire aside from Rocky, the family dog, who eventually escaped with the help of a neighbor.

Team History: Hear Ye, Hear Ye from The Mothership

Marty Schottenheimer never shirked from what he believed was a head coach's responsibility to motivate players through speech. He had accumulated a wealth of anecdotes, gleaned from years as a player and as an assistant, and was quick to use them at what he believed were the right moments. His use of "one play at a time" was not just a silly coaching cliché, but harked back to a personal experience that he had during his playing career with the Buffalo Bills. Schottenheimer had missed a tackle of Joe Namath, during a game, and it bothered him over the next play and the next and continued to affect his performance the entire game. It was a lesson well-learned that he sought to share with today's players.

Fifty Years Later, Former Chiefs Marvel At How Far The Franchise Has Come from KC Star

Dawson still marvels at the campaign, which resulted in a then-AFL record 15,182 season tickets sold and 52 companies purchasing at least 50 season tickets: In three years in Dallas, only four companies had bought as many for a season.

But the impressive numbers that ultimately compelled the uprooting of the 1962 AFL champions from Dallas seemed a mirage at the Chiefs' first exhibition game against Buffalo, which lured all of 5,721 to Municipal Stadium for a 17-13 victory.

"There were more Boy Scouts doing usher work in the stands than there were people in the stands watching us," said Fred Arbanas, then the Chiefs' tight end.

In an interview this summer, Steadman remembered thinking, "Oh my gosh, what did I talk Lamar into?"

KCChiefs.com Video: Focus Point: Week 5

KCChiefs.com Video: Chiefs Live! Week 5

KCChiefs.com Video: Inside The Locker Room: Week 5

KCChiefs.com Video: Andy Reid: Friday Press Conference

KCChiefs.com Video: Sneak Peek: Chiefs Kingdom - Red Coaters

NFL.com Video: 'Playbook': Kansas City Chiefs vs Tennessee Titans

NFL.com Video: Keys To The Kansas City Chiefs Defense

Alex Smith's Quarterback Ranking Is Too Low from ESPN

So to have Smith ranked below, and in some cases way below, players like Joe Flacco (8),Ben Roethlisberger (9), Eli Manning (14), Matt Schaub (15) and Ryan Tannehill (18) makes sense only if you're considering career achievements. Smith quarterbacks one of the NFL's five unbeaten teams but he's the only one not ranked in the top 10.

Chiefs Try To Remain Perfect Against Rising Titans from The Associated Press via The Sun Herald

The Chiefs haven't won their first five since starting 9-0 in 2003. Humbled by their bad times last season, they refuse to take anything for granted.

"We're handling it well and hopefully it can continue," Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson said.

Here are five things to watch as the Chiefs try to remain perfect against the Titans:

Week 5 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em from CBS Sports

Smith deserves plenty of props with his play so far this season, and he has done well in coach Andy Reid's offense with at least 20 Fantasy points in three of four games. Reid is allowing Smith to make plays with at least 34 pass attempts in every game this season, and he's averaging 38 rushing yards a contest. But Smith might struggle this week against the Titans. Tennessee is the one team to slow down Rivers, and the Titans have only allowed Matt Schaub to score more than 13 Fantasy points this year.

Slow And Steady Wins This Race from ESPN

When most people refer to the injury that cost Smith his job, they usually point to the concussion he suffered in Week 8 during his first-half matchup against St. Louis. But the numbers suggest the 2005 No. 1 pick became vulnerable before that.

Prior to hurting his finger, Smith, who generally is not seen as much of a deep threat, connected on nearly 60 percent of his throws that were more than 20 yards downfield -- best in the league at that point. But afterward, he connected on only 20 percent and an interception.

If you want to know where Smith started to lose his grip on the job, start there.

Ten Things That Intrigue Me About NFL Week 5 from CBS Sports

Titans beefed-up offensive line vs. Chiefs front. The Titans spent big money to land guard Andy Levitre as a free agent and drafted guard Chance Warmack in the first round. They did so for games like this one against the Chiefs. Kansas City is good up front. The Titans have to be good on their line to counter.

Know The Foe: Titans Want To Contain Chiefs Elusive RB Jamaal Charles from TitansOnline

"You see a guy like Charles, there's not many guys who have more touches than he does at this point in the season," Titans safety George Wilson said. "He leads their team in rushing and receiving, so we know their offense goes through Charles first and foremost but they have (Dexter) McCluster and (Dwayne) Bowe, guys they can get the ball to that can make big plays as well."

Notebook: Titans Rushers To Use Disciplined Approach Against Mobile Chiefs QB from TitansOnline

Gray said Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith is exhibiting running characteristics like Steve Young and Joe Montana did with the 49ers and Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick did in Philadelphia, where Chiefs coach Andy Reid spent the previous 13 seasons.

Smith has 30 rushes for 151 yards, which are both second on the team, and is 88-for-146 with a multitude of short attempts for 957 yards (6.6 per attempt) with seven touchdowns.

Julius Thomas Among Rising Crop Of Hoopsters-Turned-Tight Ends from NFL.com

More common is a situation like the one unfolding now in Kansas City.

The Chiefs tried out ex-Wisconsin-Milwaukee power forward Demetrius Harris in the spring and, according to GM John Dorsey, watched the former Arkansas all-state high school receiver "catch the crap out of the ball." The process has been slow and steady since, but Harris showed enough promise to make the practice squad.

"Watching how he played basketball, you ask the questions, 'As he works in the paint, is he physical? As he works in the paint, does he catch the ball? Does he have good footwork?' " Dorsey said. "And then you put him through a football workout."

Like/Dislike: Struggling With Fantasy Regrets from NFL.com

The Seahawks have won nine consecutive games and should be in the conversation for best football team in the world. Though the honor seems to go exclusively to the Denver Broncos. Super Scout Daniel Jeremiah joined us on the Dave Dameshek Football Program to say two teams could provide a tough matchup for the Broncos. Those teams are the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs.

Week 5 Preview: Chiefs @ Titans from Chiefs Spin

The overall similarities between the Chiefs and Titans are clearly identifiable through four games. Both teams could see each other if they looked in the mirror and the Chiefs are in for a battle.

"Seems like they're playing their best ball at home, so going to Nashville will be a tough task for us to go out with a win, but that's the plan, to go down there and win," Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson said during Wednesday's locker room media session. "At the same time, we have to dot all of our Is and cross the Ts because it's going to be a dogfight."

NFL Week 5 Picks And Analysis from The Seahawk

I still can't believe the Chiefs are 4-0. They won two games all last season. Who knew that a 2-14 team was only a recycled quarterback-head coach combo away from being one of the best in the AFC? The Chiefs look great, Alex Smith's career looks revived, and Andy Reid looks like the Kool-Aid man. The QB gets all the credit, but- and it's not a new narrative- Kansas City's resurgence is all about their defense. On D, they rank 1st in points allowed, 7th in yards allowed and only 14.8% of drives against them result in scoring possessions. The Chiefs have a stingy run defense and Chris Johnson hit the 30-year-old running back wall at 28.

Kansas Bioscience Authority Hires Lockett At CFO from Kansas City Business Journal

The Kansas Bioscience Authority has hired Kevin Lockett, a former NFL player and Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation employee, as its new chief financial officer.

Lockett earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Kansas State University and was COO of the Urban Entrepreneur Partnership Inc. at the Kauffman Foundation.

Watch Party A Big Success from The Catholic Key

More than 300 football fans gathered for the third annual Chiefs Watch Party at the Roasterie's Bean Hanger Sept. 19 to raise funds for the Bright Futures Fund and cheer on the Kansas City Chiefs.

Begun by former Chief's Defensive Tackle Ken (Fuzzy) Kremer and his wife, Lisa, with Joanne Carr, in 2010, the watch parties raise funds for scholarships for the Strong City Schools and Honoring Family Scholarships. Families in need in the central city who send their children to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Angels, or Holy Cross schools, and recently families in need with children at Archbishop O'Hara or St. Pius X high schools, are eligible to receive scholarships to help with tuition costs.