Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 12/27

Three-Phase Thursday: Chiefs Coordinators from The Mothership

One day after Christmas, the Kansas City Chiefs returned to work to continue preparing for their regular season finale, a road test against the San Diego Chargers. The Chiefs enter Sunday's game with an 11-4 record, resulting from, among other things, accountability.

Following Thursday's team walkthrough, Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub met with the media, describing his group's points system, which rewards players for plays made, assignments fulfilled and more, ensuring accountability.

Twitter Q&A: Chiefs QB Alex Smith from The Mothership

"This team has a bunch of selfless guys that play for each other and are happy for each other, when things go well. It's fun. It makes it fun coming to work every day. It makes it fun playing hard for the guy next to you."

KCChiefs.com Photo Gallery: Chiefs vs Chargers Series History

KCChiefs.com Video: Curley Culp - A Look Back

KCChiefs.com Video: Under The Helmet With Anthony Sherman

KCChiefs.com Video: Chiefs Kingdom Sneak Peek: Nancy Stevens

NFL.com Video: Preview: Kansas City Chiefs vs San Diego Chargers

NFL.com Video: Will Kansas City Chiefs Be One And Done?

NFL.com Video: 2013: Best Of Kansas City Chiefs Defense

NFL.com Video: 2013: Best Of Kansas City Chiefs Running Back Jamaal Charles

WR Dwayne Bowe Unlikely To Play from ESPN

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe did not practice Thursday because of a concussion and is unlikely to play in Sunday's road game against the San Diego Chargers.

Bowe took a hit to the head and neck area from safety LaRon Landry in last Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts. Landry was penalized on the play.

Sutton On Houston: "He's Really Close" from Chiefs Spin

"That's a big part of any injury," Sutton said. "The player once he's cleared medically, he's got to feel good, he's got to feel confident that he's back."

But whether Houston is 100 percent healthy for the postseason remains to be seen.

"I couldn't answer that," Sutton said. "I just watch him and as I watch him I think he's gotten better and better over these last three weeks. That's really got to be answered at higher headquarters, one being the training staff and doctors and two, Justin."

Chiefs' Dunta Robinson Sees Room To Improve But Happy To Be Back On Field from KC Star via The Wichita Eagle

"Dunta (Robinson) came in, and I thought he did a respectable job in there," Reid said. "We played him in the nickel role and put (Brandon) Flowers back outside..."

"...We felt this was a good opportunity to get Dunta back out there," said defensive coordinator Bob Sutton. "I thought he went in and did a really good job inside. He provides us a little bit of veteran leadership. Obviously, he's been around the block a few times, and he has some savvy to him. So that was a real plus for us.

"Dunta's always been a pretty physical player - that's always been his mark since he came into the league," Sutton said. "We were happy with him."

Longtime Season Ticket Holder Irate With Chiefs' Decision To Sell His Tickets from FOX4KC

Ever since Tom Lyons moved to the Kansas City metro more than 30 years ago, he's been a Kansas City Chief's fanatic. He's stuck with them through their highs and lows.

"I was vested with the Chiefs," Lyons said.

That was until this month, when he got the bad news...

...He was told that the suite he shared with another company on the 50-yard line and paid $41,000 for last year, had been sold four weeks earlier when the Chiefs were undefeated at 9-0.

"Everyone in that suite got booted and everyone in the suite next to us got booted," Lyons said...

"...It's easy to sell a suite when your team is 9-0, but what about when you are 2-14?" Lyons asked.

Blackout For Chargers Season Finale Against Chiefs Lifted from 10News.com

Enough tickets have been purchased to lift the local television blackout for Sunday's game between the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs at Qualcomm Stadium...

...It was the third time this season the Chargers avoided a blackout.

Bob Kravitz: Look For Colts-Chiefs Rematch from The Indianapolis Star

I know it's tough to beat any team twice, but this is a good matchup for the Colts. If they can keep Jamaal Charles under control, as they did in the first game, a 23-7 victory, they will make the Chiefs play left-handed. The Colts also did a marvelous job of taking away KC's very average receivers, which bothered Alex Smith in the short-passing West Coast offense. There's no reason to think they can't do that again, especially with a healthy Greg Toler back in the starting lineup at cornerback.

Will they turn it over again four times?

Unlikely, but even in a clean game, I see the Colts winning at home.

Who Need What On NFL's Final Sunday from The Wall Street Journal

If the season ended today, the Colts would face the Chiefs. This is less than ideal for Indy. The Colts are built to be strong up the middle-virtually all of their run plays go that way. They also are built to stop the run up the middle-they are the league's seventh-best team in that department.

This won't help them against Kansas City, whose huge defensive linemen crush inside runs. Worse yet, Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles is so dangerous on the outside that the Chiefs are in the top five in the NFL running to the outside in either direction. The Colts win at Kansas City last Sunday reflected Chiefs Coach Andy Reid's penchant for making health a larger priority than victory after his team has secured a playoff spot. In a playoff match, the Colts don't have the personnel to beat KC again.

Chargers Expect Matthews To Play Sunday vs Chiefs from WSVN-TV

Mathews wore a walking boot to protect his ankle Wednesday. He has played in all 15 games despite leaving one game with a concussion and two others with a hamstring injury.

"There's a big difference between being injured and being hurt," Mathews said. "I'm just trying to work hard and be there for my teammates, and that's all that matters, being there for my teammates."

Chargers Have Sole Focus This Weekend from Chargers.com

In the early 10:00am PST games, they need the New York Jets to defeat the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals to beat the Baltimore Ravens.  With a pair of vitally important games occurring as the team arrives at the stadium, how much attention will the Bolts be paying to them?

"Very little as far as I'm concerned," said Philip Rivers.  "We've just got to keep our focus on winning our ninth game.  If we get an opportunity to win a 10th one, then we'll be there.  If not, we'll have finished with four in a row and going 4-2 in the division.  I think that's our biggest focus.  We always talk about what we can control, and I think its human nature (that) we will know what has happened, but we can't worry about that.  We've got to play the game and play the game to win the game."

K.C. Chiefs Rank High On PETA's Veggie List from The Packer

It was with a fair amount of disbelief, therefore, that I heard about a recent report from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals concerning The Packer's hometown of Kansas City.

You think of PETA as being more of a California-type institution than a K.C. one. After all, with all due respect to Memphis, Texas and Carolina, we are the Kings of Barbecue.

We're also not called Cowtown for nothing.

Nevertheless, according to PETA, Arrowhead Stadium, home of our beloved Chiefs (did you hear they're headed to the playoffs?), is the second-most vegetarian-friendly NFL stadium.

There Is No Shortage Of Candidates for NFL Coach-Of-Year Honors from The Los Angeles Times

4. Andy Reid, Kansas City

He deserves it: The Chiefs, who were 2-14 and utterly dysfunctional last season, won their first nine games this fall and were the last undefeated team standing. Reid has gotten the best out of Alex Smith, and has helped elevate Jamaal Charles from a good back to a great one.

Maybe next year: That 9-0 start created unrealistic expectations, and it was a cold slap of reality when the schedule got tougher. The Chiefs are 2-0 against Oakland but a combined 0-3 against Denver and San Diego. The cupboard wasn't bare when Reid arrived; the Chiefs already had six Pro Bowl players on the roster.

NFL MVP Projection: Will Peyton Manning Win Unanimously? from CBS Sports

5. Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles: If Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid decides to rest Jamaal Charles this week, you can't really blame him because here's what the Chiefs would lose if Charles got hurt: Their leading rusher, their leading receiver and their leading scorer. That's right, Charles leads the team in all three categories. Reid shouldn't let Charles anywhere near the field on Sunday, he shouldn't even let Charles out of the locker room. As a matter of fact, Reid should just tell Charles to watch the game from a local Applebee's.

NFL Cheat Sheet: With Playoff Scenarios Galore, Here's Who Will Be in Or Out In January from FOX Sports

Kansas City at San Diego: The Chargers will know if they're eliminated from the playoffs before kickoff. If the answer's yes -- which is how I see it -- I still see them giving it their all for the fan base. In his ninth year, Philip Rivers is having as good a season as ever. He'll finish it up strong.

The pick: Chargers 34, Chiefs 23