Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 12/13

12/12 Practice Recap: Andy Reid Confirms Full Use of Jamaal Charles for Sunday's Game from The Mothership

Running back Jamaal Charles, along with tight end Anthony Fasano, cornerback Phillip Gaines and linebacker Tamba Hali, practiced Friday in the Chiefs' last day of preparation for the Oakland Raiders.

Charles and Fasano, who are both dealing with knee issues, are officially listed as probable, Hali, who also has a knee issue, is questionable and Gaines is listed as doubtful as he deals with a concussion.

Born of Disrespect, Chiefs-Raiders Rivalry Runs Deep from The Mothership

Two teams that have a long-standing rivalry, born of disrespect and a mutual dislike for much of what the other has historically been about, meet for the 112th time on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders have never gotten along, and even despite the more politically correct times we live in today, the hate is still very palpable among the two fan bases.

This rivalry, perpetuated by one coach's fierce loyalty to his friend and owner, sprinkled with a few franchise-defining trades and free agent moves, developed one of the NFL's most visibly recognized inner-division feuds.

Andy Reid Press Conference 12/12 from The Mothership

Q: Who are some of the guys in the mix if Gaines can't go?

REID: "Well, I mean (Jamell) Fleming, Coop (Marcus Cooper), Chris (Owens). They've all worked in there."

Q: What are your thoughts on how Coop (Marcus Cooper) has handled the last few months?

REID: "He's a class-act, Coop. He works hard and he's handled it very well. He tries to get better every day."

Chiefs QB Alex Smith Impressed with WR Jason Avant from The Mothership

The Chiefs signed veteran receiver Jason Avant back on November 21, and he's played in just two games since arriving in Kansas City (Denver, Arizona).

In those two games, Avant has seven receptions on 11 targets with 94 yards receiving. It's impressive what he's done in such a limited time.

Granted, the seven years he spent with Chiefs coach Andy Reid in Philadelphia have undoubtedly helped him grasp the playbook a little faster than others without that same familiarity, but it's his work ethic that has really jumped out to his teammates.

Chiefs vs. Raiders: How to Watch and Listen from The Mothership

Record Watch
LB Justin Houston has been on fire, recording 42.5 career sacks. He currently ranks eighth in franchise history and needs 1 more to pass Jared Allen (43.0) for most career sacks in team history.

Chiefs Host Families of Fallen Soldiers from The Mothership

"The sendoff party is a chance to honor and give back to those families who have lost someone at war," Chiefs defensive end Mike DeVito explained. "If there's anybody that deserves this kind of treatment it's these kids and these families. The sacrifices they have made for us to have our freedoms is unbelievable. I'm so grateful to be a part of this and be able to spend time with these families who have gone through so much."

The group mainly consisted of mothers and their children, many of whom wore T-shirts or photo buttons with their father or husband's photo printed on the front.

KCChiefs.com Video: Chiefs Make Final Preparations for Oakland

KCChiefs.com Video: Arrowhead Update 12/12: The Raiders are in Town

KCChiefs.com Video: The Last Time Oakland Visited Arrowhead...

Week 15: Friday injury report from Chiefs Digest

Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (knee, ankle) returned to a full practice Friday and is officially listed as probable for Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders.

More importantly, coach Andy Reid doesn't appear concerned on utilizing Charles if the head coach's one-word response offers a clear indication.

"Yeah," Reid said on Charles receiving a full workload during his Friday post-practice media session.

Injury Report: Oakland A Little Banged Up Heading To Kansas City from CBS Sacramento

Nine Oakland Raiders players either were unable to practice on Thursday or were limited in workouts yesterday. Their availability for Sunday's matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs on the road puts in jeopardy the Silver & Black's shot for a season sweep of their longtime AFC West rivals.

That's right: nine players.

Chiefs LB Tamba Hali fined $16K for roughing the passer penalty from Chiefs Digest

Hali engaged Cardinals left tackle Jared Veldheer on a pass rush prior to the hit. Hali got by Veldheer's left shoulder, but subsequently lost balance on his path to Stanton.

Hali's forward momentum carried him low to Stanton, who was planting to throw the ball. Hali tackled Stanton by wrapping the quarterback's right ankle with Hali's shoulders hitting below the right knee area, which prompted the penalty flag.

Chiefs are a year too late addressing WR void from ESPN

ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. suggested this week that the Kansas City Chiefs should select multiple wide receivers in next year's NFL draft. While that's an excellent idea, I wonder whether the Chiefs aren't a year too late in getting to that strategy.

The Chiefs are 7-6 and their playoff hopes are in danger in large part because of a lack of productivity from their wide receivers. The Chiefs are last in the league in catches (102), yards (1,211) and touchdowns (0) from their wide outs. Their longest pass play is 41 yards, which is the smallest such play in the league.

Wide receivers have only been the intended receiver for the Chiefs 170 times, again the lowest number in the league.

Jerry Rice would be devastated in Chiefs' WR-ignorant offense from Sporting News

Kansas City is not a wide receiver's paradise - the opposite, in fact.

"Are you serious? Wow, wow, wow," said Hall of Fame wideout Jerry Rice, who until this week had no idea that zero Chiefs wide receivers have caught a touchdown pass through 13 games this season.

Kansas City's WR ignorance is difficult for Rice, who put up a seemingly untouchable NFL-record 22,895 receiving yards in his 21-year career, to fathom.

"That would be really devastating," Rice told Sporting News while promoting his campaign with MetLife Premier Client Group. "I would be one mad guy (laughs). If It were me, I would have been hard to deal with. I'm surprised, with that lack of productivity, they're still winning football games."

AFC WEST WOES HAUNTING CHIEFS from Warpaint Illustrated

Kansas City is in this spot because they've lost their way since defeating the World Champion Seattle Seahawks at home four weeks ago. It was a classic gut it out victory that should have catapulted the Chiefs into an elite AFC team.

Instead they lost to the Raiders on the road, the Broncos at home and the Cardinals this past Sunday. So what's ahead for the Chiefs in the rematch against Oakland this weekend?

To be honest, I have no idea, which Chiefs team is going to show up.

Tough Look at Who Should Stay a Chief | Chiefs' Truths part 2 from ProFootballSpot

The Chiefs are in full control of their post-season aspirations. That is a luxury at this point in the season, especially given the play of late. The performance in these last games could make the difference for some, but these players are set. While nothing is ever certain or even likely, below is what should happen in order to be successful in 2015 and beyond.

Week 15 Preview: Raiders @ Chiefs from Chiefs Digest

The Chiefs (7-6) are still alive for a potential playoff appearance and look to avenge a Week 12 loss to the Oakland Raiders (2-11), a team that started the Chiefs' current three-game slide.

After beating the Chiefs three weeks ago, the Raiders were blown out by the St. Louis Rams the following week before beating the San Francisco 49ers last week.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs have a good shot at making the playoffs by taking care of business and winning their three remaining games.

Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs Matchup from The New York Times

Raiders (2-11) at Chiefs (7-6)

1 p.m. Sunday, Line: Chiefs by 10

Between its victories, Oakland lost to St. Louis, 52-0, so any talk that the Raiders have turned a corner may be premature. If Jamaal Charles returns for Kansas City, this game could look a lot more like the Raiders' loss to the Rams than either of their surprising victories.

Pick: Chiefs

Game Preview: Raiders at Chiefs from Raiders.com

When the two teams faced off November 20, the Chiefs were on a five-game win streak. This time, the Chiefs are in a bit of a slump, dropping the last three.

Meanwhile, the Silver and Black are coming off an intense cross-bay rivalry match-up with the 49ers that resulted in the Raiders second win of the season. Now, they are looking to win back-to-back games for the first time since 2012, as well as notch their first road win of 2014.

"It's huge," said TE Mychal Rivera, who had his best game as a Raider against the 49ers with 109 yards and a touchdown. "We're looking ahead and we're looking for this next game and we're looking for that road win."

First Priority for Raiders: Third-Down Efficiency vs. Chiefs from NBC Bay Area

Now, with the teams scheduled to meet again this Sunday in Kansas City (10 a.m. kickoff in the Bay Area), how the Chiefs and Raiders perform on third downs will be one of the keys to the outcome.

Because while the Chiefs were struggling, the Raiders were converting 8-of-16 third-down plays and were 1-for-1 on fourth down.

Kansas City defensive coordinator Bob Sutton this week talked about a much-better Raiders offense of late with quarterback Derek Carr, running back Latavius Murray and tight end Mychal Rivera, and now important it will be for the Chiefs to keep the Raiders from putting together long drives. That will mean performing well on third downs.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Raiders - 5 Match ups to Watch from ProFootballSpot

Joe Mays vs. Latavius Murray

Joe Mays started his first game in a Chiefs uniform last week against the Arizona Cardinals. There were mixed results in run defense and it is hard to judge off his first game action since the preseason. Mays brings an attitude to the Chiefs defense that they have missed since losing DJ and Berry. The Chiefs defense simply must tackle better to be successful.

NFL Picks Against the Spread: Payback Weekend For Dallas, New England & Kansas City from The Big Lead

This week oddsmakers can't seem to make favorites high enough: the Chiefs are -10 against Oakland, the Ravens -13.5 against Jacksonville, the Patriots 7.5 against Miami and the Seahawks a whopping -10 at home against the 49ers.

Keep in the mind the revenge factor: the Chiefs just lost to the Raiders; the Patriots opened the season with a loss in Miami, and the 49ers just got throttled by the Seahawks.

NFL general manager candidates: new names and familiar faces from NFL.com

FIRST-TIMERS

Chris Ballard, director of player personnel, Kansas City Chiefs: Pulled his name out of the Tampa search last year, and he will probably be the first guy on a few lists. Has extensive experience in both college and pro scouting.

2015 Texas HS Football Hall of Fame adds DJ, Singletary, Shipley from The Waco Tribune-Herald

The hits that Derrick Johnson and Mike Singletary put on opposing ball carriers left a ripple effect that still reverberate today.

For proof, look no further than the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame.

Johnson, a former Super Centex and all-state star at Waco High, and Singletary, a Houston Worthing product who went on to greatness at Baylor, are among the headliners for the Hall of Fame's Class of 2015.

WE ASKED OUR FAMILY MEMBERS WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF MUSIC IN 2014 from Noisey

Noisey Editor, Dan Ozzi, called his 30-year-old cousin and he had this to say-"Mike does two things: lifts weights and reads the Bible. He's a defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs and is also very active in his church. So if he's going to listen to something, it's gonna be either good pre-game amp up music, or about God. Or both. Here's what he's been listening to this year..."

Mike: "A lot of my music is stuff I lift weights to and get ready for practice. One of my favorite bands was Demon Hunter. They're a Christian heavy metal band, which is basically all the bands that I like. Also, Wolves at the Gate was another one. Again, a Christian heavy metal band. I like bands where the music is loud and you can't understand anything they're saying because they're just screaming. That's the kind of stuff I like to work out to. Everybody on the team though loves rap music."

KC Wolf reveals inner self from The Hutchinson News

For 25 years Meers has entertained Chiefs fans with all sorts of stunts, including jumping off moving four-wheelers and tackling people. That stopped back in November 2013 after free-falling 70 feet while rehearsing a stunt that turned bad, leaving him with a shattered tale bone, broken vertebra and a six-month road to recovery.

Meanwhile, at the same time the Haven grade school students had sold 10,000 enchiladas in order to raise enough money to pay for KC Wolf to come speak at the their school. But, after his fall he had to postpone his visit. But Friday, a year later, there was KC Wolf clomping in size 23 sneakers, wiggling his 85-inch hips and hugging every child he could reach.

Stunt insensitiveto tinnitus sufferers from The Miami Herald

I'm amazed at people's stupidity, especially the Guinness Book of World Records. Recently it was involved in trying to establish the record for a high decibel level at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs. As a tinnitus sufferer, I find this totally irresponsible.

I wonder how many people left that game with symptoms of tinnitus, if not the full-blown condition.