Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 9/23

Reid Believes Character is Developing from The Mothership

On Sunday against the Dolphins, the Chiefs followed up their performance against the Broncos with a significant 34-15 victory on the road in Miami. The grit and determination shown against the Broncos wasn't a fluke. This was a team ready to compete with whoever the "next man up" might be for them.

Against the Dolphins, the Chiefs received more than 200 yards and four touchdowns worth of production from their running backs as a whole, which doesn't include Charles as he sat out with an ankle injury.

Running backs Knile Davis, Joe McKnight and Cyrus Gray accepted the responsibility of rushing the ball 41 times to just 25 passes on Sunday, shouldering the offensive responsibility and leading the Chiefs to their first victory of the season.

As a whole, the Chiefs offense succeeded in key areas.

Andy Reid Press Conference 9/22 from The Mothership

Q: What about Eric Fisher, I know he's had some detractors since he's been in Kansas City, in this game he had some good moments. What do you think about him?

REID: "I don't know about the detractors, we feel very good about him and how he handles things. He's a good football player and he's young. He'll just keep getting better and he did a nice job yesterday. It doesn't matter who you are or what position you play, you've got to give players a little bit of time to grow. You get picked number one and it comes with a little scrutiny. You're going to have a few eyes on you, but he's done a nice job this year. We like the progress he's making. Does he have room for improvement? Absolutely, we all do."

Chiefs vs. Dolphins: Game Takeaways from The Mothership

The first score of this game for either team didn't come until midway through the second quarter. That's when Chiefs second-year running back Knile Davis ran it in from the 21-yard line thanks to some great blocking and a well-designed play call.

It was a great play all-around from the design to the blocking, and to the ability of Davis to get into the end zone when he was given a lane through the first level of the defense.

Chiefs vs. Dolphins: Snap Counts and Playtime Percentages from The Mothership

Besides the starting offensive line and quarterback Alex Smith, tight end Anthony Fasano is the only other Chiefs offensive player to play all 72 snaps.

Shadow Buddies Foundation from The Mothership

Shadow Buddies are designed to be a friend for seriously ill or medically challenged children. The Buddies not only provide comfort to the ill child, but are also a unique form of play therapy. The Buddies remain with the child throughout their treatment, providing long-term psychological support. The foundation is sending out their one-millionth buddy later this month.

"It's all about putting a smile on a child's face," Gonzalez said. "During our hospital visits over the years, some of the children's mothers have told me, ‘I haven't seen my child smile in a month.' It means so much to these children and helps bring joy to their life in a time of need."

Chiefs Cheerleaders from The Mothership

Meet Chiefs Cheerleaders Lindsay and Hannah from The Mothership

Lindsay

Number of years on the team

1st Year Rookie

Hometown
Knoxville, Tennessee

College
The University of Kansas

Occupation
Student

KCChiefs.com Photo Gallery: Chiefs Ambassadors Fundraiser

KCChiefs.com Photo Gallery: Chiefs vs Dolphins Fans

KCChiefs.com Video: Wired: Marcus Cooper

KCChiefs.com Video: Arrowhead Update: 9/22

KCChiefs.com Video: Week 3 Report Card: Kansas City Chiefs

KSHB Video: Gridiron Grumblings: Chiefs win against Miami Dolphins

Chiefs RB Charles, S Berry, RB/WR Thomas expected to practice later in week from Chiefs Digest

Coach Andy Reid said during his weekly Monday media session running back Jamaal Charles (ankle), rookie running back/wide receiver De'Anthony Thomas and strong safety Eric Berry (ankle) "will most likely start practicing" when the team returns to practice Thursday.

The Chiefs are off Tuesday and Wednesday given Week 4's game against the New England Patriots falling on Monday night.

The team's first full practice is Thursday.

Chiefs relishing must-win victory over Miami from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City

The sense of relief at One Arrowhead Drive was palpable...

...It took three weeks before the Chiefs' first "Victory Monday" this season.

Faced with the prospect of a 0-3 start, the injury-plagued team rallied for a 34-15 win in Miami on Sunday. Not only did it enhance the Chiefs' postseason prospects, at least when put in historical context, it also gave them a boost of confidence heading into what could be the toughest stretch of games they will play this season.

Next up? Monday night at home against New England. After that are road games against playoff contenders San Francisco and San Diego, separated by a get-healthy bye week.

This video of Andy Reid dancing in the Chiefs locker room will make your day from For The Win

There needs to be a special camera following Andy Reid for every single Chiefs game.

Chiefs finally using best offensive players from ESPN

The Chiefs distributed their snaps wisely in Sunday's 34-15 win against the Dolphins in Miami. Their top five skill players (other than quarterback Alex Smith) in terms of play counts were tight end Anthony Fasano (all 72 plays), wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (55), running back Knile Davis (53), tight end Travis Kelce (47) and wide receiver Donnie Avery (41).

Other than perhaps running back Joe McKnight, who caught six passes and scored two touchdowns on just 15 plays against the Dolphins, those are probably the top five playmakers the Chiefs had available to them Sunday.

Don't blame GM John Dorsey for the low moments of the Chiefs' 1-2 start from FS Kansas City

Of the seven offensive players with the Kansas City Chiefs who graded out with a positive rating by Pro Football Focus (PFF) on Sunday at Miami, five were new boys, brought in over the past 20 months by general manager John Dorsey. Of the 11 on defense who received positive marks, seven had been added to the roster by the current regime since February 2013.

More to the point, two of those aforementioned contributors were Dorsey draft picks: tight end Travis Kelce (36 receiving yards, one touchdown, 47 snaps, +1.0 grade) and outside linebacker Dee Ford (one pass break-up, two quarterback hurries, 12 snaps, +1.7 grade).

Times sacked becoming an issue for Chiefs' pass protection from Chiefs Digest

The Chiefs offensive line blew open holes for a ground attack that gained 174 yards rushing on 41 carries during Sunday's 34-15 win against the Miami Dolphins...

...But for the good from the offensive line occurring at Sun Life Stadium, an issue grows below the surface.

The Dolphins sacked Alex Smith five times, including a safety, boosting the amount of times Smith has been sacked on the young season to 11...

...Smith is on pace for 58.6 times sacked on the season.

To put that total in perspective, 58.6 sacks would rank in the single-season Top 10 since times sacked became an official statistic in 1969, according to ProFootballReference.com.

3 in the Kee: Meet Chiefs road warriors Kelce, Parker and -- Frankie Hammond Jr.? from FS Kansas City

You know what? I didn't notice Ron Parker at safety in place of Eric Berry. That's a good thing, right?

Absolutely. The Dolphins recorded at least four plays of 15 yards or more in the first quarter-and-a-half, but none of those "explosion" moments amounted to points. The Chiefs' secondary easily had its best game, as a unit, this month, and Parker held the fort admirably in place of Berry, who was scratched because of an ankle injury suffered in Week 2 at Denver.

The defensive back out of Newberry was credited with two tackles but also contributed to one of the worst days as a pro for Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill...

Chiefs defense needs to create turnovers from ESPN

In one sense, the Kansas City Chiefs are in no position to ask for more from their defense. Missing four starters because of injuries and put in difficult situations after turnovers and sloppy special teams play, the Chiefs got a significant effort from their defense in Sunday's 34-15 victory against the Miami Dolphins. The Chiefs made a number of crucial defensive stops before the game turned into a rout in the final minutes.

But with the Chiefs facing a difficult stretch of schedule starting with next Monday night's game against the New England Patriots at Arrowhead Stadium, their defense will have to provide stops and more.

Getting to know the Kansas City Chiefs from ESPN Boston

When the New England Patriots begin preparations to face the Kansas City Chiefs on ESPN's "Monday Night Football", one of the first things they will notice is the impressive trio of players who notched sacks in the Chiefs' victory over the Dolphins two days ago -- nose tackle Dontari Poe (1.5) and outside linebackers Tamba Hali (1) and Justin Houston(1).

They are some of the NFL's best at creating havoc for opposing quarterbacks, and given the hard-to-miss struggles the Patriots have had on their offensive line, this represents one of the primary concerns for Bill Belichick's club.

5 THINGS YOU HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT CHIEFS from WEEI

Quarterback Alex Smith can run the football.

Through three games, Smith is second among all quarterbacks when it comes to rushing yards - he trails only San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick, 131 rushing yards to 95. He's had at least 100 rushing yards every year the last four years, including 431 last season on 76 carries, second on the team to Jamaal Charles.

USC in the NFL: Joe McKnight makes impact for Chiefs from The Los Angeles Times

Former USC tailback Joe McKnight was a trending topic on Twitter on Sunday, with many surprised to realize that McKnight was still in the NFL.

And with running back Jamaal Charles sidelined because of an injury, McKnight was used in a big way in the Kansas City Chiefs' 34-15 victory at Miami.

"He sure did a nice job," Chiefs Coach Andy Reid told reporters. "My hat is off to him."

Patriots offense still struggling after 3 games from The Associated Press via The Sacramento Bee

The New England Patriots have plenty of time to get their offense rolling.

The question is: Do they have the players?

The offensive line is struggling to protect quarterback Tom Brady and open holes for running backs. The wide receivers, other than Julian Edelman, have contributed little. The tight end production will be limited until Rob Gronkowski regains his form after offseason knee surgery...

...The Patriots have an extra day to prepare for their next game on Monday at the Kansas City Chiefs.They stress that they tend to improve as the season goes on.

There's plenty of room for that as Belichick tries to find the best combination of offensive linemen and figure out a way to get more wide receivers involved in the attack.

"We're trying to build something," Brady said, "but we have to improve everything."

Alex Smith engineers Chiefs' first win of season from NFL.com

At 0-2, Kansas City reached Week 3 in a state of confusion. Are they the team that contended for the AFC West crown in 2013, or were we seeing more of the turnover in playoff teams from one season to the next?

The Chiefs hit Miami like gangbusters. Knile Davis powered a rushing attack that ate up 161 yards on the ground, but it was Smith who made the biggest difference. The former top pick of the 2005 draft hit tight end Travis Kelce on a short pass in the flats and Kelce did the rest, motoring down the left sideline and diving for the pylon to put the Chiefs ahead 14-0...

...One could look at the final statistics and point out Smith's fumble lost and safety, but I'm giving him a pass on the safety -- his teammates failed to block a five-man rush with six linemen and two backs. That's not Smith's fault. But he had plenty to do with Kansas City's first win of 2014.

KC'S ABDULLAH, MIAMI'S GIBSON BORROW AN IDEA from Cougfan

They marked the occasion by exchanging jerseys after the game, which is traditionally a sign of respect in soccer.

‘It's real special to play with someone in college and then see him in the NFL," Abdullah told Cougfan.com. "We were joking after (Sunday's) game that we hadn't played against each other since spring ball in 2007.

"To have this opportunity is a blessing."

Abdullah and Gibson started their Sunday early, meeting for breakfast at 7 a.m., which was nine hours before kickoff. Abdullah doesn't remember what restaurant Gibson took him to, but he can clearly recall the main topic of conversation.

NFL receiver celebrates with putt, team loses by 19 from The Golf Channel

We've been over this before, NFL players, stop doing golf celebrations. Not only are they super lame, but this one from Miami Dolphins wide reciever Brian Hartline drew a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct for breaking the NFL's policy of orchestrated group celebrations.

NFL Power Rankings: Week 4 from CBS Charlotte

22. Kansas City Chiefs (1-2) Enduring a week without Jamaal Charles on the road, in the same place where Tom Brady folded, deserves some credit for Alex Smith and Company. The signs for a turnaround were there for this team last week in a 7-point, hard fought defeat at the hands of the Broncos. Dismantling a Dolphins team in Miami should serve as a great confidence booster, and could prove as a critical turning point in the Chiefs' season.

Travis Kelce gets more playing time; fantasy value rising from SB Nation

Kelce's increasing playing time can only mean he's going to see more targets down the line. He's quickly putting himself in position to be started in fantasy leagues and may be worth it against the New England Patriots in Week 4.

Seven from Sunday: Clubs will need more backs as injuries pile up from CBS Sports

It may only be September, but there were some teams playing with desperation, and for good reason. Last week, I went over the reality of a team going to 0-3.

Since 1990, it meant a 2 percent chance of making the playoffs. In 2013, it meant no playoffs, no winning record and a 50 percent chance the head coach was fired at the end of the season.

This week, the Giants, Saints, Colts and Chiefs stopped the bleeding and won. The only 0-3 teams -- Raiders, Bucs and Jags -- have to deal with the reality of the bad start.

McKnight's return from oblivion is complete from ESPN

McKnight had a sore knee that kept him out of much of training camp and it didn't look then like he would make the regular-season roster.

The Chiefs, who already had Charles, Knile Davis, De'Anthony Thomas and Cyrus Gray at running back and Anthony Sherman at fullback, appeared to have little need for a player who was unable to show much at camp.

Even McKnight didn't expect to survive.

"Of course I was nervous," he said. "We've got six running backs and all six can play ball."

Credit to the Chiefs for keeping McKnight anyway. They pledged to keep their best 53 players regardless of position and, in McKnight's case at least, followed through.

Seahawks' Legion of Boom not living up to reputation from The New York Post

The Dolphins are picking up where they left off from last year's scandal-scarred mess, and it's tough to see how Joe Philbin will survive if Miami's woes continue.

The season-opening high of a 33-20 win over the Patriots already seems forgotten in the wake of back-to-back blowout losses to the Bills and previously winless Chiefs.

Philbin and his staff were left groping for answers after Sunday's debacle at home, where Miami was manhandled 34-15 despite Kansas City being so ravaged by injuries that Jets castoff Joe McKnight ended up being the star with two touchdown catches.

Thompkins thinks younger players need to step up from The Attleboro Sun Chronicle

"It's pretty much execution, consistency," wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins said Monday. "Going out there and doing it right all the time. On offense, one guy can actually screw up the whole play so it's pretty much getting all the young players on the same page."

The Patriots may be 2-1 following their 16-9 triumph over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, but there is a distinct lack of consistency in their offense - and at some point against a stronger opponent, that could cost the Patriots dearly.

With the Kansas City Chiefs on the horizon for next Monday night (8:30 p.m.; Ch. 5, ESPN) at Arrowhead Stadium, there would be no better time than the present for a correction.

NFL Player Blows Whistle on K.C. Chiefs from Courthouse News Service

Martin says in the lawsuit that he was asked to join the Ambassadors Foundation in 1996, after his playing days had ended. He claims that he shared several pieces of artwork produced by his company, Crown Pro, while discussing the organization's brand and image.

"Upon information and belief, the Ambassadors Organization copied the artwork, made changes and alterations to the artwork, and incorporated the artwork into a variety of promotional and marketing material including hats, clothing, letterhead, and their website," the complaint states.

"Upon information and belief, the Ambassadors Organization then began using the infringing artwork without restriction, essentially taking the artwork and claiming it as their own.