Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 10/21

At 1-5, Chiefs Continue to Bear Down, Turn to Veterans and Coaching Staff from The Mothership

The first six weeks of football have come and gone in the 2015 NFL season and the Kansas City Chiefs have one victory thus far. That came in Week 1 against the Houston Texans, and since then, the team has lost five straight games in a row.

To add to that predicament, there's no more Jamaal Charles—his season has been lost to an ACL injury.

The Denver Broncos, despite Peyton Manning's league-worst 72.5 passer rating, are undefeated and in first place in the AFC West. In-game spots that could have seemingly swung in Kansas City's direction have not.

In this moment, as preparation begins for the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, it would be easy for the Chiefs to point to excuses.

But you'd be hard pressed to find someone in the building that is making them.

Around the AFC West: Despite Perfect 6-0 Record, Broncos Saying They Need to Be Better from The Mothership

The last time Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning finished a season with more interceptions than touchdowns was his rookie year with the Indianapolis Colts in 1998.

In 2015, he enters the bye week with 10 interceptions and 7 touchdowns.

"He's got some decisions I know he'd like to have back," Kubiak said Monday. "When you're the quarterback, you're the guy pulling the trigger all the time. We know we have to improve in the turnover department. As a coach, you always look at it and say, 'Okay, were we doing something on that route, maybe, that I shouldn't be asking him to do?'

"That's how you look at things. There is no skating around the fact that we're turning the ball over too much. He and I have got to get that improved, and we will. That's important for our team."

Penalties helped sink normally disciplined Chiefs against Vikings from The Kansas City Star

Chiefs coach Andy Reid walked to the microphone Monday afternoon, and as he began addressing some of his team's issues, he made it clear that his initial takeaway from the Chiefs' 16-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings had proven to be correct.

Namely, that the Chiefs' miserable first half — in which they accumulated only 51 total yards — had plenty to do with a lot of self-inflicted damage, which was reflected in the number of penalty yardage they racked up by the break (50).

"I feel the same way after watching the tape — it was a game of two halves," Reid said. "The first half probably couldn't have been any worse, offensively, for sure. Fifty-one total yards and 50 yards of penalties — that's terrible production."

Odds not good for Chiefs to make the playoffs from The Kansas City Star

At 1-5, the Chiefs' chances of making the playoffs have dwindled greatly — 1.5 percent, according to numberFire.com, a sports analytics website.

Chiefs sign LB Josh Keyes to practice squad, bring back WR Fred Williams from Chiefs Digest

Kansas City signed rookie linebacker Josh Keyes to the practice squad, a source familiar with the transaction confirmed Tuesday afternoon with ChiefsDigest.com and The Topeka Capital-Journal.

The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Chiefs haven't announced the signing.

Terez Paylor of The Kansas City Star was the first to report Keyes' signing.

It's not all bad news right now for Chiefs from ESPN

Far more is going wrong than right for the Chiefs. That's what happens when a team is on a five-game losing streak.

But Reid is right in that the Chiefs have some reason for hope, most of them on defense. The Chiefs held Adrian Peterson to 2.5 yards per carry. They intercepted a pair of passes for the first time this season.

Here is a look at four players, two of them rookies, who were standouts for the Chiefs in Minnesota and why that's important looking ahead.

Alex Smith absolutely has to complete the key, clutch passes from ESPN

If Alex Smith is ever going to become a championship quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, he needs to complete passes like the final two throws that he missed in Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

The Chiefs trailed by six points with more than two minutes left. On third and fourth downs on what would be Kansas City's final two plays, the Vikings gave the deep out to wide receiver Albert Wilson.

Smith on each play had time for the route to develop and to step up and into his throw. He shorthopped Wilson each time and the Vikings took over and were able to run out the clock.

QB Jared Goff to the Chiefs in the draft? The possibility is increasing from ESPN

The Chiefs are one of five one-win teams, and one of four at 1-5. The Tennessee Titans are 1-4. No team remains winless after the Detroit Lions won last week against the Chicago Bears.

So the Chiefs are squarely in the race for the No. 1 overall pick. As of now, they would pick no worse than fourth. The other 1-5 teams are the Lions, Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars, none of which needs a quarterback quite like the Chiefs do.

So if this is the scenario that develops and the Chiefs wind up picking fourth, there's a chance that the top quarterback in the draft, as of now California's Jared Goff, falls to Kansas City.

Steelers' plan is for Landry Jones to start at QB given Big Ben uncertainty from ESPN

The Steelers will proceed as if Landry Jones is the starting quarterback Sunday against the Chiefs because "he's the one that's healthy," coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday.

The Steelers will monitor the progress of Ben Roethlisberger, who is sidelined with a sprained MCL and bone bruise, and Michael Vick, who has a hamstring injury. That progress will determine their availability in practices or games, starting with Wednesday's practice.