Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 9/16

Depth and Development Helping Chiefs from The Mothership

With just moments left in the game, the Chiefs came within two yards of tying the defending AFC Champion Denver Broncos on their home turf-all while missing seven projected starters.

Derrick Johnson, Mike DeVito, Jeff Allen, Donald Stephenson and Joe Mays didn't suit up and Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry left the game early with ankle injuries. But as those seven players were missing, new faces were found.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid spoke with the media on Monday about how these new faces arrived in Kansas City.

"One of the things I'll just reiterate is the job general manager John Dorsey has done bringing players in here through all the different rungs that you could build a team as far as draft, free agency [and] trades," Reid said.

Andy Reid Press Conference 9/15 from The Mothership

Q: This is two weeks in a row you've struggled in the red zone, is it execution, play calling or a combination of things?

REID: "I'll take responsibility for that. I have to make sure I put the guys in a better position to score touchdowns. We'll work on that."

Q: Is there certain things you've seen from players that make you not trust them in the red zone?

REID: "No, not at all. I'll take responsibility for that."

Chiefs vs. Broncos: Game Takeaways from The Mothership

One player who stepped in for the injured Berry at safety was Ron Parker, who moved over from cornerback to play deep at safety, a position he played back in college.

"It's a little different because everything kind of slows down," Parker said after the game about the difference between cornerback and safety. "In that corner over there, you're on the outside, everything moves kind of fast. You have to try to guard everything. But back at safety, you have to sit back there and see how it plays out before you really make your move so it slows down a little."

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Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles dealing with high ankle sprain from Chiefs Spin

Recovery from a high ankle sprain depends on numerous factors, including the grade assigned to the sprain, according to certified athletic trainer Jeff Stotts of the St. Vincent Health Systems in Little Rock, Ark.

Stotts, who holds PES and CES certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, did not evaluate Charles.

But Stotts offered an opinion on the worst and best case scenarios for recovery from a high ankle sprain based on his training and background.

"Worst case scenario," Stotts opined in a telephone interview, "I'd say six weeks and that would be with significant swelling, significant damage in the area between the two bones. It's possible he plays after a week or two. Now is he 100 percent? I don't know, probably not. But I think generally two to three weeks is the best timeframe for a complete recovery."

Jamaal Charles has high ankle sprain from ESPN

Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles has a high ankle sprain while safety Eric Berryhas an ankle sprain, coach Andy Reid said Monday, and the timetable for both players to return is unclear.

"These things take time, but it doesn't look to be a real severe one," Reid said of Charles' injury. "What does that mean? We'll see."

3 in the Kee: Is the magic of Dave Toub gone for good? from FS Kansas City

Is the magic gone for Dave Toub? Has the tao failed?

In the return game, until we get a healthy De'Anthony Thomas in there, it might be too early to fairly (or realistically) judge. Frankie Hammond Jr. looked better on kick returns (one for 37 yards on Sunday) than Week 1, but it's a different dimension, a different look, when you have someone back there that opposing coordinators respect -- or fear. Hammond Jr. (six punt returns, 8.16 yards per runback), for all his quicks, isn't DAT. Then again, who is?

That said, this Cairo Santos thing is starting to become a regular pain in the Brazil.

Chiefs should get Davis ready to play from ESPN

Davis filled in nicely against the Broncos. He was the Chiefs' leading rusher (79 yards on 22 carries) and pass receiver (six catches). He also scored both of Kansas City's touchdowns.

How much more could he have given the Chiefs if he had been given all of the snaps in practice during the week?

So far, Branden Albert is outplaying Eric Fisher, and not by a little from FS Kansas City

"Like you said, (it's) a comfortable feeling," Fisher said last week when asked about returning to the blind side, "and I'm happy to be back over there."

Happy, maybe. Healthy, probably not.

Offseason work to fix a bum shoulder and a sports hernia made it look as if the 6-foot-7 tackle spent August trying to fend off pass-rushers with only one good arm. Rest and time have improved things somewhat, and the Broncos tilt even felt like something of a corner turned. That is, until you saw this from PFF on Monday:

Fisher, Year 2 (2014), after two games: -7.4 overall, -5.4 on pass protection.

Albert, Year 2 (2009), after two games: -0.5 overall, -0.7 on pass protection.

Or this:

Albert, with the Dolphins, after two games: +8.1 overall, +4.2 on pass protection.

Oy vey.

Chiefs down 7 starters to injuries, suspensions from The Associated Press via The Miami Herald

The loss of Charles and Berry means the hard-luck Chiefs (0-2) are down seven starters to injuries and suspensions. Those seven players have combined to start 355 games, play in 492 games and appear in nine Pro Bowls over 43-plus seasons in the NFL.

"We have a few injuries but we don't slow down on that," Reid said. "We know they're good football players, we've got it. We also know we have some good football players that are behind them. ... It's a joint effort. Football is a joint effort. It's a team sport. Everyone's got to step up and do their job just a little bit better, coaches included. Right?"

Sloppy Play Results In Low Grades For Broncos In Win Over Kansas City from CBS Denver

Defense - D - The defense was bland at best, and bumbling at worst on Sunday. To start, they were soft, allowing backup running back Knile Davis to slice them like a knife through butter. He ran wild and powered the 10-point burst that put KC ahead 10-7, giving the Broncos their first deficit of the young season. Von Miller showed up with a sack to end the first half while the Chiefs were threatening to score, that was a certain positive. Silly penalties - like a late hit on Alex Smith by lineman Malik Jackson - helped the Chiefs down the field to score and bring the game to 21-17 in the fourth. Then, on Kansas City's final drive, the Broncos jumped offsides three times - five total all day, which is inexcusable - and almost let the Chiefs take the game into overtime.

10 Moments During The Chiefs' Fumble That Wasn't from CBS Denver

A day after the Denver Broncos escaped with a 24-17 win at home against the Kansas City Chiefs - their second nail-biter to open the season - coach John Fox addressed the turnover that never was.

"I'd go back to 100 guys in a bar and if they all say it's a fumble, it's a fumble," he said Monday.

Three guys who clearly weren't in that bar: CBS play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz, officiating expert Mike Carey and referee Gene Steratore. All three said the fumble was an incomplete pass.

Broncos' defense looks to correct "dumb" mistakes from Chiefs game from The Denver Post

"I don't know that anybody is playing their best football of the year after Week 2. We aren't either. That's a fair assessment," Broncos coach John Fox said.

The mistakes were not isolated to lack of execution. The Broncos committed five offside penalties, extending drives and turning Peyton Manning into a well-paid spectator.

"That's a tough question," cornerback Chris Harris said when asked why Denver's defense struggled to get off the field. "A lot of times, we had dumb penalties. We had some offsides, some roughing-the-passers and some mental breakdowns."

Chiefs' offense in synch, but not in end zone enough from WPTZ

Quarterback Alex Smith said his Kansas City Chiefs offense had no rhythm in the season opener against Tennessee. Between game No. 1 and Sunday's contest against Denver, Andy Reid's offense found rhythm.

The Chiefs passing game with Smith at the controls was in synch and even though the run game lost Jamaal Charles early, the Chiefs still generated yards and punched the ball into the end zone.

Seven-step drop: Jekyll-and-Hyde Dolphins from ESPN

I will end this week's "Seven-step drop" with good news for Dolphins fans. The schedule does get easier the next two weeks. The Dolphins' next two opponents -- the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders -- are winless with a combined record of 0-4. Miami will host Kansas City next week and travel to London to face the Raiders in Week 4. These are two winnable games that, on paper, give Miami a chance to enter its bye week 3-1.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Winning The West from MiamiDolphins.com

The Dolphins return home to Sun Life Stadium this weekend to face the Kansas City Chiefs looking to continue to be rude hosts for teams of the AFC West.

Since they moved to their stadium in Miami Gardens in 1987, the Dolphins have a remarkable 24-5 record at home against the four teams from the AFC West: the Denver Broncos, Kansas City, the Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers.

Denver Broncos fans rally against CBS analyst Phil Simms from Denver Business Journal

Apparently many Broncos fans think Simms was biased in the way he announced the game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon.

Seasons on the brink: Which 0-2 teams can still get to postseason? from FOX Sports

Kansas City

What has gone wrong: Injuries and offseason personnel departures have ravaged the roster - the offensive line and defensive front seven particularly hard-hit. Star running back Jamaal Charles and safety Eric Berry were the latest casualties last Sunday against Denver with sprained ankles. The preseason decision to release veteran kicker Ryan Succop also has backfired so far as rookie Cairo Santos has missed two of his first four field goal attempts.

Reason for optimism: Unlike Week 2 vs. the Broncos, the Chiefs will win most contests if they can control the football for 36-plus minutes and play a turnover-free game. Even with Charles hobbled, backup Knile Davis is a quality rusher.

The Film Don't Lie: Broncos from ESPN

On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs made it clear -- and the Seattle Seahawks' coaches are just as certain to take notice this week as they prepare for the Broncos -- they believed the Broncos would have trouble defending the run out of the nickel. On seven of the first nine snaps the Broncos were in the nickel, the Chiefs ran the ball.

With RB Knowshon Moreno hurt, Miami Dolphins re-sign Daniel Thomas from The Palm Beach Post

That leaves the Dolphins with Lamar Miller, Thomas and undrafted rookies Damien Williams and Orleans Darkwa available to face Kansas City on Sunday at Sun Life Stadium.

The Chiefs likely will be missing their top back, too - Jamaal Charles suffered a high ankle sprain Sunday in their loss to Denver.

To make room for Thomas, the Dolphins placed cornerback Sammy Seamster on injured reserve.

Broncos take long look at offside penalties from ESPN

And after five offside penalties on Broncos defensive players Sunday, head coach John Fox believes not everybody got the memo, citing some "abrupt'' movements from Kansas City Chiefs center Rodney Hudson.

Asked Monday for the root of four different defensive players being flagged for five offside penalties in Sunday's 24-17 Broncos win, Fox said:

"They might have been a little abrupt. [That's] something we're, of course, going to turn in. I can't speak about it, but we'll turn it in."

12 Amazing Stats from Week 2 in the NFL from Athlon Sports

A win's a win, it just did not light up the scoreboard as much as it usually does for Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. With their 24-17 win against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, the Broncos were held under 25 points in a regular-season game for just the fifth time since Manning arrived in 2012. That's 28 of 33 games in which the Broncos have hit the quarter century mark.

Lockett Focused on Kansas Bioscience from Lost Lettermen

Lockett played for three years with the nearby Kansas City Chiefs before spending quick stints with three other teams and retiring from the NFL in 2003. He now works as the COO and CFO of Kansas Bioscience Authority, "an organization established by the state legislature in 2004 to help grow the bioscience sector into a pillar of the Kansas economy," and founded the Lock-ett Up Foundation.

Freer students get inspirational message from former NFL great - Willie Mitchell from Alice Echo-News Journal

Freer High School students were honored to have Willie Mitchell visit the school as a guest speaker and receive some motivation. He spoke to the students about life choices and the importance of education.

Mitchell graduated from Tennessee A&I State University. Willie is a former NFL's Kansas City Chiefs player where he was a key aspect to winning their first Super Bowl Championship in 1969. He was an amazing defensive back and wore the number 22.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?: Kremer a success on and off the football field from nwitimes.com

Kendall Kremer remembers one of the things that motivated him while playing for the Kansas City Chiefs.

It was a sign that was put up by Gary native and former Kansas City Chiefs head coach Hank Stram.

"It said, 'You will only be tolerated as long as it takes us to find someone to replace you.' that hung in the locker room," Kremer said. "That was good enough for me."