Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 11/27

11/26 Practice Recap: Peyton Manning Aside, Chiefs Need Be Prepared for Broncos' Run Game from The Mothership

As a 38-year-old member of the Denver Broncos, he's still doing it. Already this year, Manning leads the league with 34 passing touchdowns and only nine interceptions. Head coach John Fox is calling 62.3 percent pass plays and of the 42 offensive touchdowns the Broncos have scored, only eight have been rushing. Montee Ball, the Broncos' leading rusher the first time against the Chiefs in Week 2, was only called upon 12 times to do so in that game.

It's that play-calling style that has led the Broncos to an 8-3 record and a standalone place on top of the AFC West division.

But in the game coming up Sunday, the Broncos cannot be considered one-dimensional, especially after last week's effort.

A Closer Look: Denver Broncos from The Mothership

The Broncos are coming off a 39-36 comeback win over the Miami Dolphins last week but have lost two of their last four games.

All three of the Broncos losses this season have come on the road, but that doesn't mean slowing down Peyton Manning and this offense is going to be any easier for the Chiefs on Sunday night.

In his career, Manning is 10-1 against the Chiefs and 5-0 since joining the Denver Broncos.

Manning leads the NFL with 34 touchdown passes and had success against the Chiefs' No. 1 pass defense (198.9 yards per game) in their Week 2 meeting, a 24-17 victory for the Broncos in Denver.

Andy Reid Press Conference 11/26 from The Mothership

Q: What about Donnie Avery, do you think he's got a reasonable shot?

REID: "Yea, I think Donnie (Avery) has a pretty good shot."

Q: Have you felt that way since he's come back and started practicing, have you felt that optimistic?

REID: "I thought he was getting close last week, I didn't think he was quite there but I thought he was getting close and I think these couple extra days that he's had has helped.  He had good work on Monday and we'll see how he does today."

Coordinator's Press Conferences 11/26 from The Mothership

Q: Alex Smith, what do you want to see more from him that maybe he didn't do against Oakland?

PEDERSON: "He came in and watched the film on Friday and learned from his mistakes and learned from the positive plays in the game. I think from his standpoint it's just a matter of executing the offense. Don't do any more than what the play asked for, not saying that he did a lot of that. But that's really the biggest thing for any player, particularly the quarterback, just run the offense; let the offense take care of itself. Alex will do that in practice and he's done that all season. You come off a short week and go play - there's going to be some mistakes made. But he's a professional. He'll correct them and be better this week."

Chiefs Mailbag: How do Defenses Prepare for Chiefs? from The Mothership

Tim from Redding: With Coach Reid having De'Anthony Thomas get more reps, how do defenses prepare for so many weapons?

Any time Thomas is on the field, defensive coordinators have to account for where he is and the particular formation the Chiefs are in with him out there.

The Chiefs have used him in a variety of ways and the jet-sweep action they're doing with him coming around before the snap, it's causing defensive players to hesitate for a half-count before they make their move.

That half-count might be the difference between an offensive linemen getting around a defensive player to seal him off on a running lane for Jamaal Charles going the other direction.

The Chiefs have a lot of speed on offense in playmaking positions and that causes issues for opposing defenses.

Jason Avant Says Chiefs Were Always No. 1 Choice from The Mothership

Avant spent the first seven years of his career with Chiefs coach Andy Reid in Philadelphia (2006-12) after being a fourth-round draft pick by the Eagles out of Michigan in 2006.

During those seven seasons with the Eagles, Avant played in 100 games for Reid and had 259 catches for 3,199 yards and 10 touchdowns.

When Avant had a chance to rejoin his former coach in Kansas City, he jumped at the opportunity.

"The Chiefs were always my number one choice," Avant said on Tuesday. "Everything doesn't always work out the way that you want it to work out. I was glad to be able to come here on the second go-round. This is where I always wanted to be.

Chiefs Provide Thanksgiving Meals for Local Families from The Mothership

Team President Mark Donovan, the Chiefs Rookie Club, Red Coaters and volunteers from the Derrick Thomas/Neil Smith Third & Long Foundation and Truman Medical Centers gathered at the Pavilion at Arrowhead Stadium to load up cars and trucks with bags of food from Hy-Vee for local relief agencies.

"This is a great way to give back and help local families in need during the holidays," Chiefs QB Aaron Murray noted. "Thanksgiving is a time to be with your loved ones and enjoy a great meal and it means so much to all of us to be able to give that to these families. This is helping provide them with a great meal they can enjoy and not worry about putting food on the table, it's been taken care of for you."

"Give a Cheer for Kansas City" from The Mothership

Fight songs aren't what they used to be, but there was a time when you couldn't attend a football game without hearing one.  Some came after scores, others at the start of games or their conclusion.

The Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs were no different and over the team's history there have been at least half a dozen jingles or songs dedicated to the team.

Perhaps the most recognized, however, is "Give a Cheer for Kansas City!" because the lyrics were written by the team's coach at the time, Marv Levy.

KCChiefs.com Video: Locker Room Sound 11/26

KCChiefs.com Video: Opponent Preview: Examining the Broncos

KCChiefs.com Video: Coach's Corner: TE Coach Tom Melvin

KCChiefs.com Video: Arrowhead Update: Team Motivated for SNF

KCChiefs.com Video: Chiefs React to Eric Berry on NFI

Week 13: Wednesday injury report from Chiefs Digest

The Chiefs also list cornerback Jamell Fleming (hamstring) as a full participant. Fleming has missed four straight games and Reid also appeared optimistic of Fleming's return.

"Yes," Reid replied when asked if Fleming had a chance to play, "absolutely yes."

Meanwhile, the Chiefs list as not practicing tight end Anthony Fasano (knee), wide receiver Junior Hemingway (concussion) and defensive lineman Kevin Vickerson (calf).

Chiefs players dedicate game against Broncos to S Eric Berry from Chiefs Digest

Chiefs coach Andy Reid on Wednesday didn't have a medical update on Berry, who is currently undergoing testing for possible lymphoma at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.

The head coach, however, promised updates would be passed along once they became known.

In the meantime, Reid said the team has absorbed Berry's message prior to his departure to Atlanta and are focused on the task of playing the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Chiefs get back to work in wake of Eric Berry news from ESPN

Quarterback Alex Smith indicted it wasn't quite as easy as that.

"You never expect something like this,'' Smith said. "It is tough and it's new to a lot of us. Difficult. You have to find way to refocus and focus that much more.''

Texans' Kendrick Lewis impressed by Eric Berry's strength from ESPN

Hearing the news that his friend and former teammate Eric Berry was facing a possible lymphoma diagnosis shocked Houston Texans safety Kendrick Lewis. He immediately reached out and quickly realized something about Berry.

"His mindset and his approach to how he's going to attack it is just far beyond what you expect," Lewis said. "I know him. I know what type of person he is. If anybody could be strong about that, it's Eric Berry."

Berry and Lewis were part of the same draft class in Kansas City. Berry was a first-round pick, and the Chiefs took Lewis in the fifth round.

Chiefs' Charles dedicates game to drowning victims from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City

Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles is dedicating Sunday night's game against Denver to two teenagers who drowned in a Missouri farm pond over the weekend.

Charles met one of the boys, Andre Lance, a few years ago at training camp and remembered taking a photo with him. The 17-year-old Lance and his high school classmate, Tyler Brandt, were found in the ice-covered farm pond Sunday night near Savannah in northwest Missouri.

Reflective Jamaal Charles dedicates game to drowning victim from ESPN

The news about safety Eric Berry's lymphoma hit hard everyone connected with the Kansas City Chiefs, but perhaps no one more than running back Jamaal Charles...

...Berry and Charles suffered a torn ACL a week apart from one another, Berry in the season opener and Charles in Week 2. They pushed each other through the recovery from surgery and rehab, along with tight end Tony Moeaki, who tore his ACL the final week of the preseason that year.

Chiefs standing by De'Anthony Thomas as punt returner from Chiefs Digest

"We wanted him to field that ball the way he did," special teams coordinator Dave Toub said Wednesday, "but what he has to learn is that you can't run around NFL players. The NFL players are really, really fast and sometimes you just have to catch the ball and get the ball in your hands, and then get 5 yards or save us the ball from bouncing and we will play on from there. So that is part of his learning experience that he will get better and better at."

Thomas' blunder resulted in the Chiefs turning to second-year pro Frankie Hammond Jr. to field punts in the second half.

Hammond recorded two punt returns for 48 yards (24 yards per return average) against the Raiders, but Toub said the move was to calm down Thomas and it isn't a permanent switch.

What do the Chiefs need from Avant? Absolutely anything from FS Kansas City

Enter the 31-year-old Avant, who isn't exactly a dynamic playmaker and who was recently released by the woeful Carolina Panthers.

Chiefs don't need spectacular at the position right now. They just need someone who is productive and at least vaguely familiar with those rectangular boxes on each end of the football field.

Avant vows he can be that guy, though he has scored only five touchdowns in the last five seasons.

"I know what I am and I know that I still can play and I know that I'm a good player," Avant said. "I always have that chip on my shoulder. If you ever see me play, I'm a very competitive person and I like to prove those people right that acquired me."

Ex-U-M WR Jason Avant ready for fresh start in K.C. from The Associated Press via The Detroit Free-Press

The veteran wide receiver signed with the Chiefs this week after getting released from the Panthers, hoping to prove that he still has something left. The Chiefs are just as hopeful that he can prove it considering how unproductive their group of pass-catchers has been this season.

"Things don't always work out the way that you want them to work out," said Avant, who hopes to play Sunday night against Denver. "I was glad to be able to come here on the second go-around."

Avant said the biggest draw was Reid, who was instrumental in the Eagles drafting him in the fourth round out of Michigan.

Source: Chiefs work out CB DeMarcus Van Dyke from Chiefs Digest

The Chiefs could be in the market to bolster defensive secondary depth, and with a familiar name.

The Chiefs on Wednesday worked out cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke, according to a source.

The 6-1, 185-pound Van Dyke spent the offseason, organized team activities (OTAs), minicamp, training camp and preseason with the Chiefs before being placed on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain injury following the final preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.

What They're Saying: Reid, Houston from DenverBroncos.com

On the football field, the Chiefs will probably plan to duplicate their second-half performance in Week 2, when they allowed the Broncos just two meaningful possessions (excludes a kneeldown) and held them to a lone field goal.

While converting third downs and winding the clock again may be the best weapon against the Peyton Manning-led offense, the Chiefs' D will certainly try to do their part. When asked about the biggest challenge of facing Manning, Houston emphasized the QB's command of the offense.

"He does everything on the field," Houston said. "He's smart. He sees a lot of things before they even happen. Trying to play against a guy like that, you've got to make sure everybody's on the same page and communicating, and try to make it hard for him to read what you're doing."

Despite changes, on and off the field, Chiefs keep same mentality from The Denver Post

For better or worse, they get 10 days to stew over the loss and refocus on the Broncos (8-3). Because unlike in Week 2, a lot has changed and a lot more is on the line. A victory would put Kansas City back into a tie for the AFC West lead. A loss would dash any hope of winning the division championship...

...But the Broncos team Kansas City will play Sunday isn't the same. Their defense is depleted, especially at linebacker, and its offense has sputtered on the road. Its offensive line has been shuffled, then re-shuffled. Their running game was on life support, and the once Super Bowl-caliber team simply looked lost.

Broncos-Chiefs Capsule from The Associated Press via The Washington Post

Chiefs' defense has yet to allow 300-yard passer this season. ... Kansas City LB Justin Houston has league-leading 13 sacks. Chiefs are fourth in NFL with 31 sacks as team. ... Only team Chiefs have beaten more than Denver (56 wins) is Oakland (57).

Chiefs game is 'huge' for the Broncos from 9News

The Denver Broncos' game against the Kansas City Chiefs is going to be as big as a game can get.

Denver leads the Chiefs by one game in the AFC West race, so another win against them would basically mean the only team to worry about would be the San Diego Chargers. A victory Sunday night would give Denver a two-game lead plus the tiebreaker having swept Kansas City.

Denver At Kansas City from CBS Sports

The Chiefs (7-4) can pull even with the Broncos with a victory, though Denver would still hold the tiebreaker by virtue of a better divisional record. They'll likely be playing with heavy hearts after Eric Berry was placed on the non-football injury list Monday after a mass suspected to be lymphoma was found in his chest.

"I understand that right now I have to concentrate on a new opponent," the All-Pro safety said. "I have great confidence in the doctors and the plan they are going to put in place for me to win this fight. I believe that I am in God's hands and I have great peace in that."

Broncos injuries on defense might require all hands on deck from ESPN

With Jamaal Charles and the Kansas City Chiefs' No. 4 ranked rushing attack waiting in Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, the Denver Broncos' injury issues on defense will require some attention.

Linebacker Brandon Marshall, who is the team's leading tackler and has played 95.5 percent of the team's defensive snaps this season, did not practice Wednesday as he goes through the NFL's concussion protocol. Marshall plays in every defensive personnel grouping, so his absence would require the Broncos to use multiple players to replace him.

Rookies Lamin Barrow and Corey Nelson would be in that mix as will Steven Johnson, who is already filling in at middle linebacker in the base defense for Nate Irving, who is on injured reserve.

Week 13 NFL picks: Patriots, Chiefs and Eagles among this week's best bets from The Washington Post

Denver Broncos (-1.5) @ Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the best pass rushes in the league led by linebacker Justin Houston, who has 14 sacks, six hits and 39 hurries this season.

Pick: Kansas City Chiefs +1.5
Win Probability: Kansas City Chiefs 55.4 percent

Week 13 picks: Chiefs chase down Broncos, Seahawks put 49ers on alert from Sporting News

GAME OF THE WEEK

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs (Sunday, 8:30 p.m., NBC). Honestly, this game should be absolutely irresistible, if only because of the two thrillers they played last year and their first meeting this year in Denver. They were all Broncos wins, by the way. The Broncos' 24-17 win in September made them 2-0 and the Chiefs 0-2 - and see where they are now, with 8-3 Denver a game up on 7-4 Kansas City and San Diego.

The Broncos should be worried that they had to rally from an 11-point fourth-quarter hole to beat Miami at home last week. Two other worries: Jamaal Charles missed most of the first meeting, and Alex Smith has been very Alex Smith-esque since the 0-2 start: just 195 passing yards a game, but 12 touchdowns and only one interception...

...Prediction: Chiefs 30, Broncos 28

NFL teams don't need offensive balance to win from The Denver Post

The game Sunday night between the Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium is about teams that reached this AFC West showdown through divergent means.

When Andy Reid was coaching the Philadelphia Eagles, his offenses were pass-heavy. In 2004-05 and again in 2008-09, the Eagles were in the top 10 in passing, bottom 10 in rushing.

Then Reid showed up in Kansas City, where his best offensive player is running back Jamaal Charles, and quarterback Alex Smith has arguably the league's least-explosive set of receivers. Reid has become a ground 'n' pound coach.

The Chiefs are No. 4 in rushing, No. 31 in passing. Good in one offensive phase, not the other.

Playoff Picture: Who Should Chargers Fans Root For? from NBC San Diego

In the marquee division game, the Chiefs host the Broncos in the Sunday Night Football game on NBC. It would be in the Chargers' best interest for Kansas City to win. If they do and the Bolts get a victory, we would have a three-way tie atop the West.

The Chargers play both these teams coming up. Needless to say, this thing would be a long way from over.

Even if the Broncos win, it's not the worst thing. That would put the Bolts a notch ahead of the Chiefs in the wild card race.

Either way, it should be an entertaining game.

Sam Farmer's NFL Week 12 picks from The Los Angeles Times

Denver (8-3) at Kansas City (7-4)

Sunday, 5:30 p.m.

Chiefs 27, Broncos 24

TV: Channel 4.

Line: Broncos by 1 1/2. O/U: 49 1/2.

Denver's offensive line came through last week, but that's still an issue, and defenses are ramping up the pressure on Peyton Manning. Kansas City could rally at home in this one.

Fantasy Football: Week 13 Matchup Breakdown from The New York Times

C.J. Anderson (DEN) vs. Kansas City (15.2 F.P.P.G., No. 26 RB Matchup) - Not a good matchup on paper, but the Chiefs' run defense is fading, having just served up 112 yards and two touchdowns to the Raiders second string back Latavius Murray on just four carries. Opposing running backs have now cleared 10 fantasy points against the Chiefs in four consecutive games. Even if you still consider the Chiefs a stout run defense, look what Anderson did against Miami, gashing them for 167 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos' Week 12 win over the Dolphins.

What Each NFL Team Is Thankful For This Year from Sports Quotient

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs are thankful for Andy Reid and enlightenment. He has this team playing well, and get this: he is running the football. Who'd have thunk it?

Cassville woman sets example as Chiefs cheerleader from The Cassville Democrat

For one Cassville High School alumna, being part of Chiefs Kingdom involves more than just tuning on the television on Sundays.

Cricket, whose full name is redacted per Chiefs' policy, puts in a full day of work on game days at Arrowhead Stadium as a Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader.

A Kansas City native, Cricket moved to Golden when she was about 3 years old, attending Cassville elementary, middle and high schools. She first started twirling and dancing in the sixth grade, and as she got older, she got more and more into sports.

Hundreds of smiles line the faces of kids excited to meet Santa from FOX4KC

R&B singer Trevor Jackson performed a brief concert, much to Santa's delight, then the kiddos were welcomed up to say their hellos. After meeting Santa, kids met Kansas City Chiefs players like Dwayne Bowe and picked out one toy.

"It's a blessing to- just to be a part of something special- put a smile on kids' faces that don't think nobody cares about them- and somebody's always thinking about them," Bowe said.