Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 11/4

Chiefs vs. Jets: Game Takeaways from The Mothership

We saw a few things on Sunday we already knew. Justin Houston is good at tackling quarterbacks behind the line of scrimmage, Alex Smith is an efficiency machine and De'Anthony Thomas is special with the ball in his hands.

Houston came into Sunday's game as the NFL's sack leader with 10, and he added two more to that total on Sunday to give him 12 for the season, just 10.5 shy of the NFL record set by Michael Strahan in 2001 (22.5).

"It's a group effort," Houston said. "I'm receiving all the credit, but I can't do it without everybody else. Tamba (Hali), (Allen) Bailey and (Dontari) Poe do a great job rushing, and we have great coverage down field."

Andy Reid Cites Leadership for Defensive Success from The Mothership

"They see his work at it," Reid said of Houston's work ethic. "[Houston] and Tamba (Hali) are constantly doing work in between when the one offense is out doing their practice part of it and the one defense is on the sideline.

"The guys know and Justin (Houston) will probably tell you he learned a lot of that from Tamba, the way Tamba goes about his game."

Reid said the work ethic of Hali was a good example for Houston when he arrived in Kansas City.

"Tamba's a relentless worker too so it's always good for a young guy to see that," Reid said. "A lot of the credit goes to Tamba too with being able to teach Justin and then for Justin to stay with it and continue to take it to another level."

Andy Reid Press Conference 11/03 from The Mothership

Q: You touched on the offensive line a little yesterday, you have three newcomers and a first year left tackle and a third year center. What's been the thread that's enabled them to do what they've done?

REID: "I would take it all the way back last year with Branden Albert, John Asamoah and Geoff Schwartz. There was a continuity that developed then, they were able to build on it this year. We added some new people, they came in, and also added some leadership and continuity to the mix. The more they played, they've gotten better there. I'm partial because I think they are well coached with Andy Heck and Eugene Chung. I think it's a good combination. We have a ton of room to improve still but they are getting better. They are making progress every week and that's important."

Q: Who has been the leader in that offensive line group?

REID: "You can probably say Rodney (Hudson), Mike McGlynn, (Ryan) Harris does a good job in that area."

Chiefs Host Style Lounge for Female Fans from The Mothership

For the third consecutive year, the Chiefs are hosting a Style Lounge with Tavia and Gracie Hunt at The Gallery on November 15th from 5:30-8:00p.m. This is an event where chic style and football fandom collide...

...Enjoy complimentary cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, experience a fashion show with Chiefs celebrities, plus, shop for the newest and exclusive Chiefs gear made just for Kansas City women.

This year, the event is open to the public and registration is now available.

Royal Reckoning from The Mothership

Shortly after arriving in Kansas City and setting up shop, owner Lamar Hunt gave thought to what he should call his team, giving serious consideration to keeping the name "Texans."  Cooler heads prevailed and Hunt, forever the marketer, held a contest to "Name the Chiefs" utilizing the local newspaper, the Kansas City Star. The prize would be a car.

Some 4,866 entries were received and they came from 21 states as far-removed as Connecticut, Arizona, California, and New York.

All totaled there were 1,021 different names suggested and Chiefs was not the most popular. It was "Mules" and behind that came the name "Royals."

KCChiefs.com Podcast: Chiefs Download 11/4

KCChiefs.com Video: Chiefs vs. Jets: Can't Miss Moments

Chiefs hopeful WR Donnie Avery can practice in coming days from Chiefs Digest

Avery has missed four straight games since suffering the injury in Week 4 against the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football.

The seventh-year pro had 14 catches for 156 yards on the season before the injury. His receptions currently rank fifth and yards receiving ranks fourth on the team despite the missed time.

Wide receiver A.J. Jenkins has filled in for Avery and has totaled four catches for 50 yards during that span.

Former Chief Holmes praises current star Charles from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City

The way Jamaal Charles figures it, he's picking up where Priest Holmes left off.

After all, Charles and Holmes were both star running backs at Texas. They both wound up with the Kansas City Chiefs. And now that Holmes has been inducted into the franchise's ring of honor, Charles plans to one day join him, his name also added to those inside Arrowhead Stadium.

"Me and Priest are cool," Charles said after Sunday's 24-10 win over the Jets. "We went to the same school. He gave me the torch. I'm just happy to be a part of this organization. I came here knowing they had some great running backs and I'm happy to be a part of it.

"At the end of my career, I hope to be in the Hall of Fame."

Chiefs formally induct former RB Priest Holmes to Ring of Honor from Chiefs Digest

His pile-leaping touchdowns at the goal line captivated fans not just in Kansas City, but around the NFL.

Sunday was the Chiefs' turn to dazzle Holmes with a halftime ceremony immortalizing him with a place on the Ring of Honor.

"I still have chills," Holmes said after the ceremony. "I'm still excited. Just to have my parents there, and the kids here, and tons of family that are extended and some that are close and friends, it really meant a lot to me. When I pulled up this morning and I just started seeing (No.) 31 jerseys, it just kind of took me back during that era that we had a really good time running the ball and throwing it."

At the midway point, is the '14 Chiefs' 5-3 more impressive than last year's 8-0? from FS Kansas City

It's one thing to take out a row of chumps; it's something else when you're doing it to champ after champ after champ. Since being humbled during Week 3 and Week 4, respectively, by the Chiefs, the Dolphins and Patriots have won nine of 10 combined. Last fall's Week 3 and Week 4 victims, the Eagles and Giants, by comparison, went 5-5 in the 10 games after the Andy Gang took 'em out behind the woodshed.

All of which may answer the question: Is this Chiefs team, at the midway point of the season, actually better than the one from last year at this same juncture? Is 2014's 5-3 more impressive, given the dance card, than 2013's 8-0?

At least one database sure as hell thinks so: Pro-Football-Reference.com (PFR) slots the Chiefs as tied for the third-best team in the AFC right now...

Do Chiefs have realistic shot at AFC West title? from ESPN

The Chiefs now are good enough to win every game remaining on their schedule. They won't, not with games remaining against Buffalo, Seattle, Denver, Arizona, Pittsburgh and San Diego, plus two against Oakland. But a final record of 10-6 or even 11-5 looks reasonable.

But even 11-5 won't be good enough to catch the Broncos. There's danger in thinking Denver is vulnerable after it was smoked by the Patriots on Sunday. The Broncos walked into an ambush in Foxborough, much like the Patriots walked into one at Arrowhead Stadium on the last Monday night of September. As the Patriots did, the Broncos will dust themselves off and get back to what they really are.

3 in the Kee: As Chiefs climb playoff ladder, every AFC win is huge from FS Kansas City

If the postseason started tomorrow, the Chiefs (5-3) would be the No. 6 seed and final playoff team in the AFC bracket, thanks to the fourth wild-card tiebreaker, which slots the Andy Gang's 4-2 conference record ahead of Cleveland's (3-3) and Buffalo's (2-3), and to the first tiebreaker, which eliminates the Dolphins because of KC's Week 3 victory in Miami.

Now none of this may come into play, and 10 wins probably pushes you past the danger zone, but a 9-7 team from the AFC could squeeze into that final postseason slot. It just has to be the right 9-7. Which means Sunday's trip to Buffalo is just as meaningful, potentially, as last Sunday's almost businesslike dispatching of Gang Green ....

NFL Power Rankings, Week 9: Don't sleep on the Kansas City Chiefs from MLive

7. Kansas City Chiefs (5-3)
Since an embarrassing loss to the Titans to start the season, the Chiefs have been playing solid football. Four of the team's five wins have come by double-digits. (Last week: 14)

Week 10 NFL Power Rankings: New Kids On The Block from Sports Talk Florida

17. Kansas City Chiefs (5-3):
After blowing out St. Louis in Week 8, Kansas City had another strong outing against the Jets in Week 9. The Chiefs led wire-to-wire after scoring a touchdown on their first possession of the game. Things were so easy for the Chiefs, Alex Smith threw an accidental touchdown pass to tight end Anthony Fasano in the first quarter. Fasano fell to the ground, but caught a tipped pass thrown by Smith and dove into the end zone for a two yard score. Smith managed the rest of the game nicely with 199 passing yards, two total touchdown passes, and no turnovers. Star halfback Jamaal Charles paced the Chiefs' rushing attack with 78 yards on the ground and one score of his own. The surging Chiefs have now won five of their last six games, including three in a row.

Chiefs' confidence in CB Phillip Gaines continues to grow from Chiefs Digest

Look no further than the numbers as proof of the Chiefs' increased faith in rookie cornerback Phillip Gaines.

Gaines logged only three defensive snaps from Weeks 1-5 before the team's Week 6 bye.

He has since logged 34 defensive snaps against the San Diego Chargers, 39 snaps against the St. Louis Rams and a season-high 66 defensive plays during Sunday's 24-10 victory against the New York Jets.

Chiefs' offensive line shows improvement vs. Jets from Lindy's Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs ran 55 offensive plays against the New York Jets on Sunday before quarterback Alex Smith was sacked. It came on the last offensive play of the game as Smith was taken down for a 3-yard loss.

Smith said he took the sack on purpose.

"That's one where I was just going to keep the clock rolling rather than throwing the ball away there and taking an incompletion," Smith said.

That's 32 passing plays and just one sack, a ratio that even a month ago would not have seemed possible for the Chiefs' offense. While the progress has not been fast enough, the offensive line has gotten better, and it really showed against the Jets.

Chiefs-Seahawks could have (should have?) been flexed from ESPN

The game, between the defending Super Bowl champion and one of the league's hottest teams, is intriguing. Arrowhead is always a good venue for a national TV game.

Instead, the league left the game with a 1 p.m. ET kickoff. It shifted another intriguing game, this one between Green Bay and Philadelphia, into that 4:25 ET TV window.

Bills Return to Practice After Bye Week from Rochester TWC News

Monday marked the return of the team to the practice field following their bye week. The team sits 5-3 on the year, in the thick of the playoff hunt in the AFC. But the field is crowded around the Bills, who are trying to keep their attention on the immediate task at hand, the Kansas City Chiefs.

"Our focus and our preparation is on this next quarter," Bills head coach Doug Marrone said. "We're just looking at Kansas City. I think to spend time looking at what's going on around you right now is wasted energy. We need to spend a lot of time on ourselves and making sure that we're prepared and we're ready to go out there and start this quarter against a good Kansas City team."

Fred Jackson hoping to return for Wednesday practice from ESPN

Jackson, who said doctors gave him a month-long timetable for recovery after his Oct. 19 injury, is trying to return to practice when the Bills hit the field again Wednesday.

"It's a waiting game right now," Jackson said. "Hopefully we see what we feel like in the morning and we can try and get out there and practice on Wednesday."

Chiefs Fantasy Camp tickets go on sale from The Kansas City Kansan

The most successful Fantasy Camp in the National Football League is looking for new participants.

The Kansas City Chiefs Fantasy camp last year drew 67 fans from around the country to the two day event last May, and proved to be a great success in fan and player enjoyment, as well as raising money for the Center for Concussion Management at The University of Kansas Hospital.

The Center for Concussion Management will again be the beneficiary for year two of the event on May 14th and 15th in 2015.

Fewer than 200 NFL retirees opt out of proposed concussion settlement from The Los Angeles Times

Nine Pro Football Hall of Famers are among the players choosing to continue litigation against the NFL on their own, including former Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett, Washington Redskins running back John Riggins and Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Lanier.

The family of San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau rejected the deal as well.

Week 10 waiver wire: Streaming defenses to target from NFL.com

Buffalo Bills D/ST (59.4 percent owned) vs. Kansas City Chiefs -- Buffalo has had one of the better fantasy defenses all season, and their matchup against the Chiefs is an interesting one. The Chiefs offense ranks only 29th in yards per game, but is 12th in points per game. That's because their defense creates turnovers and their return game is excellent, creating lots of short fields. If the Bills can get to Alex Smith (he's taken six sacks the last three weeks) and limit turnovers, this could turn into a low-scoring affair with a few turnovers a piece. In other words, a solid spot-start as a fantasy defense.

Football father and son to bring inspirational message about strong families to Leesburg from The Orlando Sentinel

John Croyle was a defensive end on Alabama's 1973 national championship football team who gave up a potentially promising career in the NFL the following year to start a faith-based home for neglected boys.

His son Brodie Croyle was a quarterback for the Crimson Tide from 2002 to 2005 and went on to play for the Kansas City Chiefs for several years.

Come Wednesday, father and son will bring their inspirational message of hope and vision for stronger families to the Leesburg area during an "Empowering the Family" event.

Dolphins Five-Step Drop: Reshad Jones' impact from ESPN

The Dolphins are playing playoff-caliber football. But don't assume the road to the postseason in the AFC will be easy. Miami is currently the No. 9 seed in the AFC; the top six seeds make the playoffs. The wild-card teams currently are the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) and Kansas City Chiefs (5-3). Yes, the Chiefs have the same record as Miami. But Kansas City owns a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Dolphins with its Week 3 victory at Sun Life Stadium. Miami also is behind the Buffalo Bills (5-3) and Cleveland Browns (5-3) due to various tiebreakers.

Midseason Sour Rankings: Wrapping up the best of the worst from first half from Sports Illustrated

4. Dee Ford wants no part of Frank Gore: "Yeah, he probably thought it was a play action there. At least, that's the way it looked."

Such was Andy Reid's explanation after Ford, a rookie linebacker for the Chiefs, appeared to bail on a possible tackle of San Francisco running back Frank Gore.

Next two games could ultimately determine Bills' fate from The Buffalo News

The Bills very well could be 5-5 in two weeks after playing Kansas City and Miami. They will likely need to beat one of them. But if the Bills manage to win both, they should be in great shape with the Jets and Browns coming here the following two weeks.

Kansas City has won three straight and four of its last five games, starting with blowout victories over the Dolphins and Patriots. The Chiefs' one loss came against the 49ers in a game that could have gone either way. Kansas City has won by two touchdowns or more in four of its five victories and has a 4-2 record against AFC opponents.

Centers of attention: Ugly for 49ers, great for Eagles from Sporting News

Rodney Hudson, Chiefs. Hudson's development into a top center has been huge for a Kansas City line that's had to reshuffle. Their ability to win five of the past six games to get right back into the AFC playoff race has been predicated on power running with Jamaal Charles. Hudson played very well against a Jets' strong front three, helping them grind out 113 tough yards.

Cobs of the Week: Maryland, Chris Blewitt, Nebraska Offense, Steve Spurrier, and Fox from Corn Nation

Hmmm... there's an NFL shield cropped out of the jersey...and wait, isn't that an arrowhead logo on the turtleneck? Since when is a Kansas City Chief a candidate for the Heisman Trophy?

Using some sort of one-Muslim-is-just-like-any-other-Muslim logic, Fox decided to use a picture of Chiefs' free safety Husain Abdullah (who made news a few weeks ago for drawing a penalty after bowing down in prayer following an interception return) for a story presumably about Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah.

Bills could go from contenders to pretenders in a flash from KSPR

Over the final eight games, the Bills play six teams with winning records, five of those from the AFC who they will be in direct competition with for a playoff berth. Kansas City, Miami, Cleveland, Green Bay, Denver and New England have a combined record of 33-16. The other two games are against the New York Jets and Oakland Raiders, who are a combined 1-16.

Buffalo comes out of its bye with two games in a span of five days, and it's completely plausible that the Bills' season could go up in flames in that short span. The Chiefs visit Orchard Park on Sunday, and then Buffalo must travel to Miami for a Thursday night game. The Dolphins are red hot, they'll be the host team on short rest and they'll be anxious to avenge the 29-10 beat down the Bills administered in Week 2.

Shutdown Corner NFL Power Rankings: Who gets the No. 1 spot? from Yahoo! Sports Canada

11. Kansas City Chiefs (5-3, LW: 13)
I'm starting to wonder if this team is better than last year's team. They're not just getting fat on a bad schedule like last season. Since that Week 1 loss to Tennessee they have been very good.