Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 10/29

Five Takeaways from Head Coach Andy Reid's Press Conference Wednesday from The Mothership

Reid thought rookie wide receiver Chris Conley's performance against Pittsburgh was already in the making.

"You saw it in Minnesota, when he was taken out and then he had to come back in," he said. "The way he handled that, I thought was mature for a young guy. Very easily you put it aside and you pout and do that, that's not where he went. He figured it out - had to move a position over because of Jeremy (Maclin), so without a lot of reps there, he moved over and handled that and made a big catch in the process there. And he came back this week and he did have a few reps at that position because Jeremy - the earlier part of the week, Jeremy was out, he handled himself well during practice. 

"I think when you're around him, you get the feeling like he's a perfectionist, he wants to make it right. He seems to be kind of wired that way, so he takes it seriously. And I think that showed up."

Chiefs vs. Lions: International Fans Share What Made Them Join the Kingdom from The Mothership

But when the Chiefs land at Heathrow Airport in London, the team will be welcomed by an entirely new kingdom—the United Kingdom.

And the international fans who live and breathe Chiefs football at six hours ahead of Central Time.

International NFL fans have the tough task of following teams whose latest news and information is not plastered on 24-hour sports channels. The time difference means each night game starts around midnight and lasts sometimes three hours into the morning. It takes a deep dedication and a deviation from the normal "football" in Europe.

How does one become a fan from a continent away? Here are a few reasons from the fans of our sister site in London, Arrowheads Abroad:

Chiefs vs. Lions: Equipment Manager Allen Wright Discusses Packing for London from The Mothership

On Thursday, the entire Kansas City Chiefs team will embark on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic to play the franchise's very first game at Wembley Stadium in London.

But behind the anticipation of Sunday's game is a man who, unbeknownst to the world, plays a huge role in making the whole thing happen.

Meet Allen Wright, the Chiefs equipment manager.

QB Series Chapter 21: "Grbac Gives Us Hope" from The Mothership

Elvis Grbac was a player who never commanded the affection of the fans, but after years of disappointment where many of the team's quarterbacks never enhanced their reputation, he was initially supported by everybody associated with the Chiefs to include teammates, media and some fans, too, and from some quarters went well into his final season in Kansas City.

Grbac's teammates showed immediate confidence in him. Someone as well respected around the locker room as Marcus Allen commented early on in Grbac's first year that he was impressed with the way the new quarterback handled adversity.

No better example of that came in the second game of the 1997 season in Oakland when he was faced with 58 seconds left in the game, no timeouts, his team trailing by five points and 80 yards to go for a touchdown.  He completed four of six passes, moved the ball for a 33-yard TD pass with three seconds to spare to win the game before a nationally televised audience on Monday night.

Chiefs Host First Ever Kids Club Trick-or-Treat Bash at Arrowhead from The Mothership

"Arrowhead is a special place," said Bill Chapin, senior vice president of business operations, "but for kids to come here and be able to get dressed up in their costume, meet some of their favorite Chiefs players and meet KC Wolf, that's an experience like no other."

Over 1,800 members signed up for the event and were invited to take part in Play60 activities, inflatables, crafts, face painting and a dance party.

Among those making appearances were Chiefs Ambassadors, K.C. Wolf, Chiefs cheerleaders and multiple Chiefs personnel, including players and CEO and chairman Clark Hunt.

New Book Helps Young Chiefs Fans Learn Letters and Numbers from The Mothership

In the 32-page, full-color board book packed with original illustrations by Rob Peters, youthful Chiefs fans will be guided by popular team mascot KC Wolf on a journey to learn not just letters and numbers, but the game day culture of their hometown team. For example, "A" is for Arrowhead, the legendary home of the Chiefs; "B" is for Barbecue, a favorite food among Kansas Citians and something for which the city is known...

"...Kansas City Chiefs ABCs and 1-2-3s" can be found at www.amazon.com, www.bn.com,www.ascendbooks.com, Kansas Sampler, Rally House, in bookstores and at select grocery and specialty stores.

Allen Wright is the leader of the packing for the Chiefs' trip to London from The Kansas City Star

Despite Chiefs coach Andy Reid's desire to keep the week as normal as possible — the reason the team isn't leaving until Thursday evening, the latest possible time — there's a clear difference between packing up a professional football team and playing a game domestically and playing one internationally.

The biggest difference, Wright said, is the customs process. While the Chiefs will not be taking that much more stuff than normal — a Friday practice means a slight increase in equipment and gear needed — Wright and his staff have spent six months preparing for what will come when they land in England and will be greeted by security.

The hope, Wright said, is that the customs process takes an hour or two. But the key to doing that is making sure their carnet, which will provide a detailed description and account of all the things included in the 25 trunks and 16,000 pounds of traveling equipment they will be taking to London, is spot on.

Week 8: Wednesday injury report from Chiefs Digest

Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who missed Week 7 recovering from a concussion, put in a full practice Wednesday afternoon.

"He says he feels good," coach Andy Reid said after the morning walkthrough. "Right now no symptoms, so right now he's doing well."

Maclin originally suffered the concussion in Week 6 against the Minnesota Vikings

The Chiefs, however, didn't have defensive end Mike DeVito (concussion), left guard Ben Grubbs (neck), rookie inside linebacker Ramik Wilson (sprain) and outside linebacker Tamba Hali (knee).

Upon further review, losing a home game still bad deal for Chiefs fans from ESPN

In a game that should have been played in Kansas City, the Chiefs will play against the Detroit Lions on Sunday at London's Wembley Stadium.

A year hasn't changed a thing in this regard: This is still a bad deal for Chiefs fans.

The Chiefs are 2-5, so the competitive aspect of losing a home game isn't what we thought. The chances of the Chiefs losing on Sunday and missing out on the playoffs by one game aren't strong. Besides, the Chiefs are only 1-2 at Arrowhead this season with one of the losses to the dismal Chicago Bears.

There's still nothing to like about this.

Chiefs running back Charcandrick West excited for an encore from The Kansas City Star

At Jamaal Charles' insistence, Chiefs running back Charcandrick West has jotted down his goals before the last two games, his first career NFL starts.

Both times West scribbled 100 yards and a touchdown. He finished with 33 yards in nine carries two weeks ago at Minnesota, but West reached his goals with 110 yards in 22 carries, including a 1-yard third-quarter plunge for his first career score, Sunday against Pittsburgh.

So, what's on tap for the Chiefs' game this Sunday against Detroit in London?

"Two-hundred yards and three touchdowns," West joked Wednesday.

WRs Fred Williams, Kenny Cook rotate on Chiefs practice squad again from Chiefs Digest

Just four days after re-signing rookie wide receiver Kenny Cook to the 10-man practice squad in favor of wide receiver Fred Williams, the Chiefs reversed course Wednesday and signed Williams while letting Cook go, according to Wednesday's NFL Transaction report.

This marks the fourth time in less than a month the Chiefs made moves on the practice squad involving both players.

Chiefs' reshuffled offensive line finally looks to be in sync from The Associated Press via FOX Sports

The way the Kansas City Chiefs shuffled different groups along the offensive line in training camp inevitably drew comparisons to the game of musical chairs.

The only problem is the music didn't stop when camp did.

The Chiefs tried their fourth different combination in their first seven games last weekend against Pittsburgh, and finally appeared to strike a chord with it. They protected Alex Smith as well as they have all season, and pried opened enough holes for the Chiefs to run for 138 yards -- their second-best total of the season, even without star running back Jamaal Charles.

Keep calm and go to London from Arrowheads Abroad

Where were you Thursday, November 6, 2014, and what were you doing?

I know exactly where I was and what I did—I was at work, monitoring Chiefs news on my breaks. And then the news broke—the Kansas City Chiefs were going to have a home game in London at Wembley Stadium on November 1, 2015. I immediately contacted my British Aficionado friend in Minneapolis about planning a trip. She was on it like a bonnet. A few days later, a local friend and fellow Chiefs fan inquired about the possibility of the trip. She was on board as well.

The mission, as I chose to accept it, required these actions over the next year:

Will jet lag hurt Chiefs when they face the Lions? Bills-Jaguars outcome might provide a clue from MLive.com

London is five hours ahead of Kansas City time-wise, meaning it will be 8:30 a.m. Sunday in Kansas City when the teams kick off at 1:30 p.m. in England.

It typically takes at least one full day to get accustomed to the time change when traveling from west to east, but Reid isn't worried about jet lag hurting the Chiefs when they take the field against the Lions.

"Yeah, we're leaving around 7 o'clock, get some sleep on the plane," Reid said. "I've had a chance to go to Japan and play over there, and, you know, you get off that plane with a few hours difference going there, too, and you want to just get out and get moving.

"You want to get your body back the way you want it. Nine hours you have to rest on that plane, and then we'll get things going for Friday once we get there."

Matt Forte to Broncos among trades that would make sense from NFL.com

Derrick Johnson, ILB, to the Packers

The Packers tend to prefer to build from within, but their run defense has been a weak spot this season, and Johnson could be exactly what they need to ensure a Super Bowl push. Johnson is 32 and coming off an Achilles injury, but he's playing well this year, having contributed 38 tackles, four passes defensed, a pick and a sack. He's simply a darn good football player, someone who can stop the run but also make plays in space. Rookie Ramik Wilson has made two starts and is waiting in the wings for Kansas City, and the Chiefs could ship Johnson to Green Bay for a sixth-round pick.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has Lions' attention from The Detroit News

Lions tight end Eric Ebron is looking forward to seeing one of the top players at his position Sunday.

Kansas City's Travis Kelce, whose team hosts the Lions on Sunday at London's Wembley Stadium (9:30 a.m., FOX), ranks third among tight ends with 489 receiving yards, and after finishing sixth with 862 yards last season, it's clear Kelce is already among the top players at the position in his third NFL season.

"He's dope, obviously," Ebron said. "I'm looking forward to watching him play. Every time I go against a tight end I try to compare myself to him. I wish him the best, man. He's a great tight end."

Lions digging London and their luxury hotel from The Detroit Free Press

Joique Bell spent most of Tuesday poking around London with some of his teammates.

They went shopping at the famous department store Harrods, hit up the clothing retailer Zara, and when they were done, they caught quite an expensive Uber ride back to the Grove, the luxury hotel the Detroit Lions are calling home this week.

"The Uber driver kind of got lost getting up here," Bell said of a ride that cost 166 pounds, the equivalent of about $255. "The address brought us to the middle of nowhere. Just a big field. He was like, 'This can't be right.' So we ended up finding it and we got here safe."

The Lions play the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at Wembley Stadium (9:30 a.m., Fox), the second straight year they've traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to take part in the NFL's International Series.

Gosselin's NFL rankings: Cowboys' freefall drops them below 1-6 team from The Dallas Morning News

21. Kansas City. The NFL wraps up its three-game series in London with the Lions-Chiefs. It will be Kansas City's first overseas game since 1998 when the Chiefs played a preseason game in Japan.