GM John Dorsey Admires Perseverance, Leadership of Chiefs from The Mothership
During the bye week, everyone had the opportunity to step back and evaluate the first five games of the Chiefs season, including general manager John Dorsey.
He reflected on what he's seen from the team to this point.
"We knew going into the season, it was going to be tough. It was going to be challenging," Dorsey said. "I think the challenging part of this team is right now, you're down seven or eight starters, but the perseverance of the group, the leadership of the coaching staff, that's what I admire most. They've overcome a lot but it's that adage that we talk about: 'Next man up.'
"Those guys, they have fought game-in and game-out and will continue to fight game-in and game-out."
Reid Speaks for First Time Since Bye from The Mothership
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is set in his ways when it comes to how to deal with the bye week.
"What I do is I give the players a week off and the coaches get a few days off," he explained in a conference call Monday morning. "The coaches are able to go back and do some self-scout work without any distractions around where they have to worry about meeting with the players."
He continued on.
"Sometimes it's good to step away whether you're doing well or not doing well," he said. "Coming off a win or a loss, sometimes it's good to get away and get recharged."
Bye Week Review: Eric Fisher's Development Helping Chiefs from The Mothership
It was a game of musical chairs but nobody was singing the praises of a group that already had question-marks coming into the season. And now the picture was even murkier of what this group, who lacked any kind of continuity, could do when the regular season began.
Each week, the story was the same: these guys just needed time to "gel" with one another. No two players along the offensive line had any experience playing next to the guy on either side of them.
What we saw transpire over the last three games was a group of teammates who developed some continuity, got used to one another and found some success against some significant opponents.
Against the San Francisco 49ers, the Chiefs offensive line matched the physicality of one of the best front sevens in all of football.
Bye Week Review: Looking at QB Alex Smith from The Mothership
Through five games, Smith is on pace to set career highs in terms of completions, attempts, passing yards and touchdowns. All of those records were set last year, which was his first in Kansas City and with head coach Andy Reid.
Smith has completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 1,066 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions through the first five games of the season. But in his last three games, Smith has thrown eight touchdowns and just one interception.
Deji Olatoye Signed to the Practice Squad from The Mothership
Olatoye finished up his college career at North Carolina A&T after transferring from Colorado.
KCChiefs.com Video: Cheerleader Chatter: Caroline
Coach Andy Reid appreciates Chiefs' toughness from Chiefs Digest
Toss out the Week 1 performance against the Tennessee Titans and a case presents itself the Chiefs (2-3) are close to turning the corner.
The Chiefs' other two defeats came at a combined 12 points, including the 5-point loss to San Francisco 49ers in Week 5, and the players hung tough.
That factor causes coach Andy Reid to have optimism the rest of the way as this year's version of the Chiefs returns from a bye week.
Chiefs return to work after almost a full week off from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City
Andy Reid won his first 13 games the week after a bye. He's lost his last two.
That doesn't mean he changed anything this season.
Reid gave his team nearly a full week off, despite a frustrating loss at San Francisco that sent the Kansas City Chiefs into their bye with a 2-3 record. That is a departure from many coaches who give their players only a couple of extra days off.
Eric Berry to join Chiefs for practice Monday from ESPN
But a return to practice for Berry doesn't necessarily mean he will play on Sunday against the Chargers in San Diego.
"He's going to work today, and we'll just see how he does from there," coach Andy Reid said.
Chiefs S Eric Berry expected to practice from Chiefs Digest
Meanwhile, the news doesn't appear good for cornerback Chris Owens, who suffered a bone bruise to his knee and sprained a lateral collateral ligament in Week 5.
Reid said "it's a stretch" for Owens, and the Chiefs could either turn to rookie cornerback Phillip Gaines, who returns from a concussion suffered in Week 5, or cornerback Jamell Fleming at the nickel position.
"We got some guys that can go in there and do that," Reid said, "that have worked there. We'll just see how it all works out here."
Bye-bye bye, and hello San Diego, the Chiefs' personal house of horrors from FS Kansas City
:03 ... Is the worst of it over, schedule-wise?
Yes. Well, sort of. Of the Andy Gang's first five opponents, four -- Denver, New England, Miami and San Francisco -- are considered good to excellent by Pro-Football-Reference.com's simple rating system, or SRS, which rates teams on a plus or minus scale relative to the league performance average.
Of the Chiefs' last 11 games, it's a bit of a schizophrenic menu: Five dates are against the SRS bottom 10 (two with Oakland, at Pittsburgh, home to the Jets, home to the Rams); another five are against the SRS top four (two with San Diego, home to Denver, home to Seattle, at Arizona).
Talking Chiefs' chances in San Diego from ESPN
Should we feel better about the Kansas City Chiefs' chances of winning next weekend in San Diego after the Chargers almost fell to the Oakland Raiders on Sunday?
Probably not. There's peril in making too much of the results in any one game.
Regardless of what happened in Oakland, though, the Chiefs have a reasonable chance of winning in San Diego.
NFL concussion suit: Belcher's daughter opted in from USA Today
Former NFL players have until Tuesday to decide whether to opt out or take part in a tentative settlement of concussion suits against the league. Few have opted out so far. An attorney says different choices will be made in the cases of late Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher and more than 20 other ex-players he represents.
Dirk Vandever, a Kansas City, Mo., attorney, said Monday he will take part in the settlement on behalf of Belcher's toddler daughter but that his other clients will opt out because the settlement isn't sufficient for them.
Shareece Wright nears return for Bolts from The San Diego Union-Tribune
The Chargers lost a cornerback to injury Sunday.
They expect another back soon.
Shareece Wright is nearing a return from a knee injury suffered Sept. 28 versus the Jaguars. The veteran has missed the past two games and could return as early as Sunday against the Chiefs, sources said. Cornerback Brandon Flowers left a 31-28 road win over the Raiders with a groin injury.
Chargers to wear powder blue Sunday from The San Diego Union-Tribune
They'll sport the popular alternative look against the Chiefs during a home game expected to avert a local blackout. The team has about 2,500 unsold general tickets, a spokesman said Monday, leading up to the NFL's Thursday 1:05 p.m. deadline...
"...This is a team coming in from Kansas City that has one of, if not the, loudest crowd week in and week out," coach Mike McCoy said. "We need to have our loudest fan support, as many Chargers fans in those seats as possible."
6 Potential Landing Spots For Bills WR Mike Williams from XN Sports
Kansas City
A long shot, of course, but the Chiefs could use some help building up a wide receiving corps. Dwayne Bowe has been the No. 1 in Kansas City for quite some time, but now there are cats like Junior Hemingway catching balls.
The Chiefs failed to address the unit in the offseason, so they could catch a break by nabbing Williams away from Buffalo now.