Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 9/14

Chiefs' Charles: 'I'm Ready-To-Play Percent' from KC Star

Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles left no doubt about his availability for Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys.

When Charles was asked if he was 90 or 100 percent recovered from the bruised quadriceps injury he suffered in the season opener at Jacksonville, he coined a new measure for his status.

"I'm ready-to-play percent," Charles said after taking a full load of work in practice on Friday.

Friday's Practice Has Chiefs Primed For Sunday from The Mothership

One of the guys blocking for Charles is Chief OL Jeff Allen, who assessed Friday's practice, heading into the weekend.

"We call it Fast Friday," Allen said. "We want to go out there with the same tempo as we do all week, but move a little faster, be sharper and make sure everyone is on the same page and try not to have any mistakes. We try to be perfect. We have a lot of confidence. As an entire team, we played a good game last week, but it's a different week and in this league, every week is going to be a challenge. We're up for the challenge and we're going to go out and execute."

Chiefs Have Plenty OF Firepower In The Bag For The Cowboys from KC Star

The Chiefs had practiced the first play on the list during the week, but Smith wasn't sure he'd see it on the very first snap of the Andy Reid era.

So Smith faked a handoff to Jamaal Charles, who went left, while Smith rolled right. He looked to his left and arched a deep pass 35 yards downfield for tight end Anthony Fasano, who had three steps on Jacksonville linebacker Russell Allen.

The ball, slightly overthrown, went through Fasano's outstretched fingertips.

The pass might have been incomplete, but the message was clear to the Chiefs and to the rest of the NFL.

Game Day Activities: Chiefs vs Cowboys from The Mothership

The weather is expected to be cloudy with a high of 81 degrees. Arrive early on Sunday and come ready to cheer on your Chiefs!

See the full list of openings below.

7:30a.m. - Parking lots open

9:30a.m. - Scout Investments Club level gates open

10:30a.m. - Stadium gates open

Brian Waters, Now A Cowboy, Returns To Arrowhead On Sunday from KC Star

"Obviously, I have a great amount of affection and love for Arrowhead and the Chiefs fans," said Waters, 36. "I know a lot of people want to make it a homecoming situation; it's not. We're gonna be trying to do everything we can to prepare for those guys because it doesn't take long to watch those guys on film and realize they're a very good football team."

That, perhaps, is the greatest show of respect Waters can show his old team. The Chiefs may have finished 2-14 last season, but Waters took note of their opening-week dismantling of Jacksonville and is confident Arrowhead will be rocking Sunday like it did in the old days.

"Well, look ... regardless of whether Brian Waters is here or not, the Kansas City Chiefs fans are gonna be ready to go," Waters said. "It's the opening game, that red sea will be ready and crunk."

Weekend Preview: What Happened When Romo Got Flattened, Albert's Dance Step, Chiefs Will Win, And Royals from KC Star

Two bits of information are pushing me toward the Chiefs' side on this:

- It's at Arrowhead, and that matters.

- The Cowboys got six turnovers against the Giants last week, and barely won a primetime game at home.

Chiefs-Cowboys Scouting Report from KC Star

Bottom line

Dallas is a good team, one that will give the Chiefs a real test after they dominated Jacksonville. But the Chiefs will be on a mission to prove they're for real, and that - not to mention a potentially old-school crowd at Arrowhead - should give the home team the boost they need to pull out the win. Prediction: Chiefs 28, Cowboys 24.

KCChiefs.com Video: Andy Reid: "It's A Nice Challenge For Them"

KCChiefs.com Video: Inside The Locker Room: Week Two Dallas

KCChiefs.com Video: Back To Football With Red Friday

KCChiefs.com Photo Gallery: Red Friday Before The Home Opener

NFL.com Video: Weather Update: Cowboys @ Chiefs

NFL.com Video: 'Playbook': Dallas Cowboys vs. Kansas City Chiefs

FOX4KC Video: Red Friday The 13th: KC Fans Wear Red To Get Ready For Sunday

KCTV5 Video: Red Friday Spectacular Takes Over Downtown

Jamaal Charles Will Play In Week 2 from ESPN

With a simple declaration, running back Jamaal Charles put the fears of Kansas City Chiefs fans to rest regarding his availability for Sunday's game against  the Dallas Cowboys at Arrowhead Stadium.

"I'm ready to play," Charles said.

Preview: Chiefs Look To Build On Season-Opening Win from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City

With a season-opening victory, Andy Reid has solidified the optimism that surrounded his hire as coach of the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this year.

Now they'll try to build on it against a team Reid knows well from his days in the NFC East.

Reid makes his home debut in Kansas City on Sunday as the Chiefs look to match their win total from last season against a Dallas Cowboys team that boasts an opportunistic defense and a pair of banged-up stars.

Chiefs' Film Room: Poe's Big Push, Plus Other Defensive Observations from KC Star

That said, after Poe's six tackle, 1 ½ sack performance in the Chiefs' 28-2 win over Jacksonville on Sunday, I was eager to check out the defensive game film and review Poe's performance. Though we still won't ever know the calls or what he's being asked to do, it's obviously a good sign if a guy is being very disruptive, and Poe was definitely that Sunday.

Facts And Figures On Cowboys-Chiefs Matchup from FS Kansas City

Dallas is 6-3 all-time against the Chiefs and has won four of the last five between the teams, most recently a 26-20 win in Kansas City in Week 5 of 2009. That game was notable for Miles Austin catching 10 passes for a franchise-record 250 yards and two touchdowns, in what was his first career start.

Cowboys Gameplans: Scouting The Kansas City Chiefs from Blogging The Boys

As the Cowboys complete their preparation for their week 2 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, let's look at the scouting report on what to expect from to see from the Chiefs on both sides of the ball.

GOBIS: Expanded Role For Sherman In KC from The Attleboro Sun Chronicle

North Attleboro native son Anthony Sherman nearly matched his totals from his entire NFL career during his first NFL game in his new Kansas City Chiefs uniform, having four catches for 44 yards against Jacksonville. Sherman had five catches for 39 yards last year in his second season with the Arizona Cardinals. "In this day and age in football, you don't see fullbacks do what our fullback did yesterday," said Chiefs' coach Andy Reid, who traded for Sherman in the offseason. "And that's (because) some of those guys are glorified guards. So, it gives you that flexibility."

Cowboys Guard Brian Waters Could See First Action Against Kansas City from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram

The Cowboys have not made a final decision on his status, although Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said, "I think he will get a significant amount of playing time" against the Chiefs. He has gotten snaps with the first team in practice this week and could play in a rotation with Mackenzy Bernadeau.

The 13-year veteran said he wants no part of the homecoming angle.

Dallas Cowboys (1-0) At Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) from Lindy's Sports

MATCHUP TO WATCH

- Chiefs LT Brandon Albert vs. Cowboys RDE DeMarcus Ware - Albert turned in the best blocking performance on the Chiefs' offense line in the opener against Jacksonville, showing he's completely recovered from back problems that plagued him last season. Ware has 111 career sacks and should get less attention if Anthony Spencer (knee) returns on the left side.

Chiefs' FB Sherman More Than A Blocker from ESPN

Sherman's receptions against the Jaguars weren't fancy. Most were just dumps when quarterback Alex Smith was looking to get rid of the ball. The Chiefs don't have many plays designed expressly for Sherman.

Sherman, at 5-10 and 242, is short and squatty like the typical fullback, but he's quickly proving he can be more than just a battering ram on runs by Jamaal Charles or one of their other featured backs.

Signs Point To Spencer Seeing Limited Duty Sunday In Kansas City from The San Antonio Express

Signs point to Dallas Cowboys defensive end Anthony Spencer playing a limited role Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The team's official injury report listed Spencer as questionable after he practiced Friday for the second time this week and for only the second time since he had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee July 25.

Carr Making First Trip Back To KC Since Joining The Cowboys from DallasCowboys.com

"A lot of memories, just us fighting from being at the bottom and kind of getting our way and getting a playoff berth (in 2010) and kind of bringing some life back to Arrowhead," Carr said. "A lot of good memories of my teammates. We were a close group up there, just off the field, on the field, a lot of things. The same as it is here. We're a family.

"We battled through a lot of things together, overcame a lot of things, a lot of adversity. Those are some good memories. But it's two years here now, and I'm getting some of those memories here as well."

Mild-Mannered Austin Calmly Remembers His Record-Setting Day In Kansas City from The San Antonio Express

During his eight seasons with the Cowboys, the even-keeled receiver has survived two coaching changes, battled nagging injuries, enjoyed two trips to the Pro Bowl, dated a Kardashian, suffered through some disappointing defeats and received a lucrative extension.

Throughout it all, he's maintained an equilibrium that a Zen master would envy.

So why should Austin's memories of the day his life changed forever be any different?

"I thought it was a good game, a big win for us," he understated.

NFL Salary Breakdown: What Positions Do Teams Spend The Most On? from USA Today

The NFL salary cap for this season is $123 million per team, though most teams have more space available, thanks to carryover of unused space from 2012 and other adjustments. The above photo gallery is a breakdown of each team's cap as of Wednesday (Sept. 12) and a percentage look at how they've allocated their space by position.

NFL Week Two: Here Are Our Official Predictions For Who Wins This Weekend from Business Insider

Are the Chiefs for real? I have no idea. Are the Cowboys any good? I don't think so. They barely eeked out a win against a hapless Giants team. The Chiefs offense will be as good as the Giants', and its defense will be better. But, the Cowboys tend to be pretty good early in the season, so one could make the case for them winning... but I will not.

NFL Week 2 Picks: No Sleeping On San Francisco from CBS Sports

It's not No. 1 on the to-do list of NFL nicknames; Redskins needs to go first and foremost when we're talking about offensive NFL nicknames. And I'm sure this idea will rattle Chiefs fans. There's no caricature with Chiefs and there's no specificity with chiefs. But just like Braves, Indians and any other mascot-themed name derived from Native American culture it serves the purpose of degrading a race of people. I await your screaming in the comments.

Philadelphia Eagles Ticket Demand Soars After Fast Start from The Philadelphia Business Journal

The Eagles - in their first year under new Head Coach Chip Kelly - now rank 11th in the league with an average ticket price of $154. At the top of the list, according to Ticket City, is the Chicago Bears at $245. At the bottom is list is the Kansas City Chiefs, now lead by former Eagles coach Andy Reid, at $61.

PPR Comparison Breakdown: Week 2 from Gridiron Experts

Sunday night was proof that Miles Austin can be a solid WR2, particularly in PPR scoring leagues. He tallied 10 catches for 72 yards. Austin greatly benefited from the constant attention Dez Bryant received from multiple defenders all night. That being said, the Kansas City Chiefs defense looked legendary in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They should come back down to earth this week against one of the more dynamic offenses in the game.

While a duplicate performance shouldn't be expected from Austin at Arrowhead Stadium, I still like him as a WR2 in standard leagues this week. I also like him in every other week, as long as he and Bryant are both on the field.

To Raiders' Fans' Relief, A Sight Worth Tuning In from The New York Times

Everything old was new again for these teams in Week 1, as Andy Reid was once again the promising leader of an up-and-coming team, Kansas City, and Monte Kiffin, 73, was leading a Dallas defense that forced six turnovers in a win over the Giants.

The script may change this week because the Chiefs' Alex Smith is one of the best quarterbacks at avoiding turnovers. But with running back Jamaal Charles limited by a quadriceps injury, Kansas City could struggle to maintain momentum.

Pick: Cowboys

Chiefs Will Test Cowboys' Rookie Center from ESPN

"I think it's interesting to watch [Dontari Poe], their nose tackle," offensive coordinator/offensive-line coach Bill Callahan said. "He's got the traits that you look for out of the run stoppers, the two-gappers that can control the point of attack. [Frederick] has got his work cut out for him and I would say that it's good he got some experience in the preseason, blocking against a zero-technique-type nose tackle, [Paul] Soliai from Miami. He's just got that exposure that helps him with his technique. I think it's going to be a really good matchup that'll be really interesting to see. He's obviously challenged."

Dallas Looks To Gang Up On Jamaal Charles from ESPN

This week the run defense figures to be much more tested by the Kansas City Chiefs. Jamaal Charles had 77 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown in the Chiefs' Week 1 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"He's a great back, great elusiveness, great speed," linebacker Sean Lee said. "He's got a ton of ability. If we don't gang tackle and get to him it'll be a tough day for us. We're going to have to rally and find a way to get to him."

DeMarco Murray Gets Ready For More Work from ESPN

Murray touched the ball 28 times for 125 yards with no touchdowns in the Cowboys' season-opening victory against the New York Giants. In Week 2, Murray gets another chance to do it again when the Cowboys visit the Kansas City Chiefs.

Murray carried the ball 20 times last week and caught eight passes out of the backfield. The Cowboys wanted to run the ball more, but short passes to Murray were almost like run plays, and they allowed the Cowboys to get some shorter distances on second down.

What Kind Of Impact Can Dallas Cowboys G Brian Waters Make? from The Dallas Morning News

But while Kuharich called Waters a "very smart, intuitive player," he is uncertain whether the 36-year-old Cowboys veteran will be able to perform this season at the high level at which he's accustomed to playing because he hasn't appeared in a game since February 2012.

"I think his experience not only in the locker room but in the huddle will, as the season goes on, play out to be a real positive for the Cowboys," he said. "He is a grinder. He works at his trade. He's a pro's pro. It remains to be seen once he starts playing how effective he is. I think that's going to be the question."

Morris Claiborne Playing His 'Regular Role' In Practice; Dallas Cowboys Anticipate Him Playing Sunday from The Dallas Morning News

In Kansas City, Claiborne will wear the less restrictive brace he wore against the New York Giants after his shoulder popped out of place while making a third-quarter tackle.

Following Sunday night's 36-31 victory, there was some uncertainty about Claiborne's availability for the Chiefs game.

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Friday that he anticipates Claiborne playing in Kansas City.

Could Cowboys Change Up Corner Roles? from ESPN

Scandrick would continue to play the slot, but it is possible he could open up outside if the Cowboys choose to protect Claiborne some because of the dislocation.

"I'm just ready to play," Scandrick said. "You've got to be ready to do whatever."

Early on in his career, coaches were reluctant to move him back and forth because of the different qualities needed to play both spots, but coach Jason Garrett said that's not the case anymore.

Cowboys Pump Up The Volume from ESPN

"These last two days at the stadium, being in the crowd noise environment here I think helps our preparation," Callahan said. "It was loud (Thursday) over at AT&T Stadium. Jason (Garrett) cranked up the noise extremely loud, so it was deafening. So if we can try to simulate that that'll be great. Over the years going in there, their fans are terrific. They have great support. They love their program down in Kansas City. So we expect a real, real violent type atmosphere in terms of the crowd noise and things of that nature."

A Prime-Time Dilemma from Grantland

Andy Reid and Philly = the best divorce in recent sports history. They were that one couple in your life who needed to break up for years and years and years, and everyone knew it. And after it finally happened (and everyone else was relieved), Andy started dating Kansas City and Philly started dating Chip Kelly, and you said to yourself, "This is good, I really hope this works out," and now it's working out to the point that Andy's happy for Philly, and maybe even the Philly fans are happy for Andy. (Thinking.) You're right, let's not go that far. But how many sports divorces end with both sides being happy?

Winning Fantasy Calls For Week 2 from CBS Sports

A decidedly tougher matchup for the Cowboys than last week. Kansas City boasts three good cornerbacks along with strong safety Eric Berry patrolling the backfield. The run defense is pretty strong too, starting right up front with a heavy D-line. If Dez Bryant isn't running smoothly the Chiefs could pull off the upset. Fun fact: Andy Reid is 3-3 in his career calling plays against Monte Kiffin-coached defenses.

No-brainers: Tony Romo, DeMarco Murray, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten; Jamaal Charles, Dwayne Bowe

Reid Ready For Arrowhead Debut from The Examiner

Andy Reid remembers the first time he took a team into Arrowhead Stadium, back when he was the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. He could barely hear his own voice.

On Sunday, Reid gets to be the beneficiary of all that noise.

Reid will be making his home debut with the Kansas City Chiefs when they take on the Dallas Cowboys in a rare rivalry that dates to the days of the AFL and NFL. The Chiefs are expecting a crowd approaching record numbers to see Reid on their side for the first time.

Sunday Kick-Off: 49ers Make The Trip Up The West Coast To Seattle... And There's Also The Manning Bowl from The Daily Mail

I have a good feeling about this Kansas City team, a real good feeling. They hardly played the strongest opposition in week one, but the Chiefs looked very good in their 28-2 win at Jacksonville.

Tougher tests lie ahead for Andy Reid, Alex Smith and Co, starting with this Sunday against Dallas, but they should be targeting at least a wild card spot in the AFC West.

Frederick vs. Poe One Of The Most Intriguing Matchups Sunday from The San Antonio Express

Poe shot up draft boards with an impressive showing at the NFL scouting combine that included bench-pressing 225 pounds a position-best 44 times and running the 40-yard dash in 4.98 seconds.

But it wasn't until last Sunday that he finally took over.

"Everybody saw it," Chiefs defensive end Mike Catapano told the Star. "He's a dominant player in every facet of the game. He's big, he's hard to control, he's got pass-rush ability. And the best part of him is he's got a tremendous, tremendous motor. He's running around all the time, covering the whole field. For a 340-pound guy to do that, that's pretty scary."

HRABE: #GetMoney Picks from CBS St Louis

How I love betting against the Cowboys, especially when they are getting too much credit. The Cowboys are getting too much credit in Kansas City. We picked KC last week, and I think that because it was the Jaguars they beat up on, we can still take advantage of Vegas not entirely understanding how good the Chiefs are. Add that to the fact that the Cowboys are wildly overrated, and you get some line value. How about this nugget that I saw flying around Twitter yesterday: Since 2010, Tony Romo is 1-9 ATS after covering the week before. Go Chiefs. This week, you truly are America's team.

Place Your Bets: Week 2 from NBC DFW

Call it fool's gold, but the Cowboys defense got it done last week against an offense that is much more lethal and dangerous than Kansas City's. With that said, the Chiefs are a legit team this year and should make the playoffs under Andy Reid and with Alex Smith at QB after winning just two games a year ago. But I'd take the Cowboys straight up here, so why not as an underdog?

Risdon's NFL Picks & Analysis For Week 1 from Real GM

The wild card is turnovers. Dallas took the ball away from New York six times. While some of that was dumb luck--David Wilson's fumblitis was a huge factor--I do think the healthy new-look defense is going to create more opportunities. This game is a gambling push; the home team gets 3 points and that's the spread for the Chiefs, which means these two are essentially even. I'll tepidly take the home team, but this game is probably the lowest confidence pick of any game this week.

Rob Riggle Talks "21 Jump Street" Sequel, The Thrill Of Football Season from KMOV

For the former "Saturday Night Live" star, football is more than just a hosting gig. A lover of Kansas City Chiefs, Riggle said he loves all aspects of football season: "I love hanging out with my friends and watching fantasy football. I love the smokey smell burning leaves in autumn and that cold chill when you put on a sweatshirt and you're tailgating."