Looking Ahead: Colts vs. Chiefs from The Mothership
The Kansas City Chiefs have put last Sunday's win in the rearview mirror, returning to practice later today, with all eyes on the Indianapolis Colts, who visit Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.
Since the AFL-NFL merger, Kansas City and Indianapolis have played each other 22 times in regular and postseason play, with the Colts holding a 14-8-0 advantage. The Chiefs are 4-6, against the Colts at Arrowhead Stadium. In regular season action, Indianapolis holds an 11-8 edge against the Chiefs. However, the past is the past and what we know about the present is, both teams are playoff bound in 2013, making for a must-see matchup on Sunday.
Chiefs Visit The Children's Place from The Mothership
On Tuesday afternoon at The Children's Place, preschool-aged children sat in a circle on their mats, excited to spend time with some special guests. Their faces lit up when Chiefs WR
Donnie Avery , WRChad Hall and LBAkeem Jordan entered their classrooms.The children weren't focused on the name on the player's jerseys, or their records on the field. Instead, the children were ecstatic that they were there to spend time with them, play games, sing songs and hand out toys.
KCChiefs.com Video: Week 15: Chiefs Highlights
KCChiefs.com Video: Cheer Chatter: Annie
NPR Audio Story: NFL Fans In Seattle And Kansas City Battle Over Who's Louder
Jamaal Charles, Alex Smith Have Chiefs Poised For Playoff Run from NFL.com
The Kansas City Chiefs have enjoyed a spectacular turnaround season, sparked in part by a rejuvenated offense that recently has found its stride. Critics scoff at the notion of an Alex Smith-led attack striking fear in the hearts of defenses. Tell that to Kansas City's last four opponents, who've surrendered a combined 167 points (41.8 average) to the Chiefs. I believe the unit is rounding into form as a juggernaut capable of knocking off an AFC heavyweight or two in the playoffs.
After spending a day looking at All-22 Coaches Film of the Chiefs' recent performances, I'm convinced this team will be a force to be reckoned with in January. Here's why:
1) Jamaal Charles has become the NFL's scariest backfield weapon.
Chiefs Have A Lot To Gain By Beating Colts from ESPN
That's the right call. The benefits of winning the AFC West title (first-round bye, at least one playoff game at home) are so great compared to those of being a wild-card team (no first-round bye, likely all playoff games on the road) that the Chiefs need to go for it.
If the Chiefs beat the Colts on Sunday, there's a chance they won't have to face them again in two weeks.
Charles Rushes Into MVP Race from Chiefs Spin
On the season, Charles leads the NFL with a career-high 18 total touchdowns (11 rushing), rushed for 1,181 yards and amassed 1,836 total yards (career-high 65 receptions for 655 yards). He ranks second in the league behind Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy (1,836) in yards from scrimmage.
Charles currently leads the AFC with 34 rushes of 10 or more yards and is tied for third in the NFL.
Meanwhile, debates are sure to rage as to who is more important to their respective teams between Manning and Charles.
From Worst To First: Chiefs Make Playoffs, Can Still Win AFC West from The Associated Press via The San Jose Mercury News
Still, if the Broncos stumble in one of their two remaining games - at lowly Houston and Oakland - and the Chiefs beat Indianapolis and San Diego, it would be Kansas City that's home for the playoffs.
The way this season has gone, even the most remote possibility is still possible.
"This team is wired maybe a little different," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Monday. "I think they're going to finish out strong no matter what the outcome is. I feel as a coach you tell them to go get them, they'll go get them. I kind of feel they're wired that way."
That wasn't the way they were wired before Reid's arrival.
Power Rankings: No. 6 Kansas City Chiefs from ESPN
But the Chiefs, who were ranked seventh in each of the past two weeks, deserve to be higher than their current No. 6 ranking. At 11-3, they are tied for the second-best record in the league. Unlike the team ahead of them at No. 5 in the rankings, the New Orleans Saints, the Chiefs don't need to be surrounded by the comforts of home in order to be a solid team.
Signing Draughn Means Brown Might Sit from ESPN
Lost in the news of linebacker Pat Angerer going on injured reserve because of a knee injury was that the Indianapolis Colts signed running back Shaun Draughn to take Angerer's spot on the roster.
The NFL MVP Should Never Be A Running Back, Not Even Jamaal Charles from USA Today
After Jamaal Charles' five-touchdown performance on Sunday helped keep the Kansas City Chiefs alive for an AFC West title, many in the football world started to tout the running back's candidacy for NFL MVP. Peter King called him a "dark-horse candidate." Andy Reid said Charles has "got my vote," despite the somewhat-important fact that Reid, like all coaches, doesn't actually have a vote.
But despite his brilliant game for the ages, Jamaal Charles shouldn't be the MVP this year. And though backs like Charles, Adrian Peterson, LaDainian Tomlinson, Marshall Faulk, Barry Sanders, Jim Brown have been brilliant on the field, no running back should ever be the MVP. They're valuable, but not valuable enough.
Silverman: A Look At The NFL Coach Of The Year Candidates from CBS Sports
1. Andy Reid, Kansas City - It appeared that Kansas City was a safe landing spot for Reid. The Chiefs were 2-14 last year, and it seemed quite likely that they had more than enough personnel to make a run at the .500 mark.
Reid did not set his sights on respectability. Instead, he saw a veteran quarterback in Alex Smith and a powerful, sack-oriented defense. Reid has done the best coaching job of his career and the Chiefs have an 11-3 record and are tied for first with the Broncos (although Denver has the tiebreaker based on 2-0 record vs. Kansas City).
Enjoy The Patriots' Ride - They May Continue To Surprise You from The Concord Monitor
So, let's assume New England reaches the postseason for the 11th time in 13 years. Who really scares you in the AFC? Kansas City? Let's remember that these are still the Chiefs who were 2-14 last year and had lost three straight before beating up on the hapless Redskins and Raiders the last two weeks. Cincinnati? Let's remember that Marvin Lewis is 0-4 in the postseason. Indianapolis? The Colts are 3-3 in their last six and the losses have been by an average of 24.3 points.
Schottenheimer: No NFL Coach Better Than Shanahan from NFL.com
"I've said it for years and been on record for years," Schottenheimer began. "There's not a better coach in the National Football League than Mike Shanahan."
Even now, with Shanahan 14 years clear of his last Super Bowl victory?
"I still believe that. Absolutely," Schottenheimer said. "I'm not going to change that, for all the years I've competed against him. That doesn't change on the basis of his current situation and this (RGIII) incident alone. I'm a big Mike Shanahan fan."
Kickoff Rules Leave Some Returners Restless from The Associated Press via The Winston-Salem Journal
Restless returners are now a part of the NFL.
"I don't like taking a knee because I'm a defense guy," said returner Quintin Demps of the Kansas City Chiefs, also a safety. "So, I'm probably mad because it means they scored, and if they scored a touchdown, I want to score. Yeah, it gets frustrating sometimes. We're all competitors. We want the ball in our hands...."
Elite returners can change games; they just aren't doing it as much as they once did.
The Most Memorable Weather Moments In The NFL from AccuWeather.com
The second-worst flash flood on record for Kansas City struck the city's metropolitan area on Oct. 4, 1998, right in time for the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Seattle Seahawks at Arrowhead Stadium...
...The heavy rains delayed the start of the game by 54 minutes and, by the end of the day, approximately four inches of rain fell inside the stadium. Despite the damp conditions, the Chiefs defeated the Seahawks 17-6.
Anyone Missing Andy Reid Or Joe Banner Right About Now? from Philadelphia Magazine
Outsiders - including all the national pundits that mocked Philly's eagerness to send Reid on the first bus to Anywhere, USA - probably think the fans here have a bit of goodbyer's remorse. Reid is now proving that we let one of the best coaches in football go, while Banner continues to show how much smarter he is than everyone else.
Of course, we know better.
Imagine you had a Magic 8-Ball that really worked (spoiler alert there, kids). You tell me that the Birds are headed toward an epic flame-out in the weeks ahead. They will lose to the Bears this Sunday. They'll fly to Dallas and it's another disaster of air-guitar proportions. They will miss the playoffs and everyone's questioning Chip Kelly and Howie Roseman and the defense sucks and Jason Kelce's beard must go and we'll never win a Super Bowl.
I'd take all of that over another year with Reid or Banner.
Chiefs Get Hands-On With Visually Impaired Children from KMBZ
Six members of the Chiefs Rookie Club Tuesday called a timeout from their work on the gridiron to create a school full of laughter at the Children's Center Campus.
The team's MVP had to be wide receiver Frankie Hammond, who garnered rave reviews from staff members for his enthusiastic, hands-on approach with the visually impaired preschoolers.
Chiefs Are Playing To Charles' Skills from ESPN
The first time the Kansas City Chiefs used Jamaal Charles as a receiver this season, they knew they were on to something. The Chiefs split Charles wide to the right and their opponents in the first game of the season, the Jacksonville Jaguars, pointed in wonder at the spectacle before a linebacker, Geno Hayes, scrambled over to cover him.
That Charles, usually a running back, easily beat Hayes for a 15-yard gain to set up Kansas City's first touchdown of the season was almost beside the point. The Chiefs had seen from Jacksonville's reaction all they needed to.
Charles' job description changed that day.
Colts Bracing For The Cold In Kansas City from ESPN
The Indianapolis Colts will throw on extra layers of clothes, crank up the music in the sound system and head outdoors to practice the rest of the week to prepare for Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The temperature is supposed to be 23 degrees with a 50 percent chance of snow when the two teams take the field this weekend in Kansas City, Mo. This is second straight season that the Colts will face the Chiefs with the temperature not in their favor.
Passing The Hot Potato On Indian Mascots from The Huffington Post
Critics are pressuring the Kansas City Chiefs to change their name. With a quick fix the team becomes the Kansas City Chefs. I picture a sous chef wearing an apron stained with barbecue sauce and a piece of burnt ends stuck in his teeth. Just imagine the tailgating opportunities.