Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 10/3

Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson Talks Legacy, Adversity and Sean Smith's Return from The Mothership

On first-and-10 from the Packers' 2-yard line just five minutes into the third quarter, Johnson stepped up into the hole and brought down Starks for a gain of just 3 yards.

Just like that, the former Waco High School Lion and Texas Longhorns linebacker established himself as the best in the history of the Chiefs organization in the most basic statistic in all of football on a skill most associated with the sport—tackling the guy with the ball.

Johnson has now done that more than anyone to ever wear the red and gold.

Chiefs vs. Bengals: Matchup Heavily Features the University of Georgia from The Mothership

On Sunday, Kansas City and Cincinnati will meet for the 28th time as the Chiefs look to even out Cincinnati's overall lead of 14-13. The last time the Chiefs faced the Bengals was in 2012, a year before head coach Andy Reid came to KC.

The only tie Reid has in his 17 seasons as a head coach came against the Bengals after an overtime thriller in 2008 when he was with the Philadelphia Eagles. The game lasted three hours and 46 minutes and resulted in a 13-13 tie.

Historically, four Chiefs players have excelled against the Bengals.

11 Things You Didn't Know About Tamba Hali from The Mothership

4. If you could play another sport professionally, what would it be?

I would have loved to play soccer. I would have loved to have been a soccer player.

Jason Ambroson and Tom Radke named Chiefs High School Coaches of the Week from The Mothership

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced the Missouri and Kansas High School Coach of the Week honors for this past week. Smithville High School's Jason Ambroson (Missouri) and St. James Academy's Tom Radke (Kansas) each received this honor after a strong performance by their respective teams this past week.

As a result of this honor, both schools will receive a $500 grant. Additionally, Ambroson and Radke will be presented with congratulatory footballs autographed by Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid and a certificate recognizing their selection. Each coach is now a finalist for their state's Chiefs Coach of the Year Award.

Week 4: Friday injury report from Chiefs Digest

"His shoulder is still bothering him a little bit," coach Andy Reid told reporters Friday after practice. "We'll just see how he does here in the next couple of days."

Wilson has been dealing with the shoulder injury since the preseason and the Chiefs could turn to rookie Chris Conley (hip) if Wilson can't go.

Other than Wilson, the Chiefs look fine with the other players on the report.

Chiefs have to be ready for pressure, unlike last week from ESPN

According to ESPN Stats and Info, the Bengals have blitzed 26 times in their three games, which is 25th in the league. Those blitzes failed to produce a sack.

Regardless, the Kansas City Chiefs shouldn't be surprised on Sunday if the Bengals come after quarterback Alex Smith like they haven't any other opposing quarterback this season. Smith was sacked seven times and otherwise harassed all game in Monday night's loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Keys to the game: Chiefs @ Bengals from Chiefs Digest

But there's one matchup that will play a major factor in the chances of the Chiefs to beat the Bengals.

That's the interior trio on the offensive line, Ben Grubbs, Mitch Morse and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif playing against Cincinnati's defensive-tackle duo Domata Peko and Geno Atkins.

The Chiefs offensive line has struggled for continuity through three games and that's no surprise given that Grubbs, Morse and Duvernay-Tardif are first-year starters in K.C.'s offense.

The Game Plan: How the Chiefs can tame the Bengals' growl from Chiefs Digest

The Chiefs had a flash on Monday night when the offense found a rhythm in the passing game. Alex Smith looked comfortable in the pocket during the fourth quarter and was willing to push the ball downfield. Kansas City would benefit from running an uptempo offense in the first quarter.

Going that route would limit the Bengals ability to adjust their personnel and put the Chiefs offense on the attack. Smith benefited from a faster pace and having the field cut in half. The Chiefs have an opportunity to provide the offense confidence by moving the pocket, cutting the field in half and providing rhythm from an offense that needs a jolt.

NFL Week 4 predictions: Bet big on Bills, Cardinals, Colts, Raiders from ESPN

CHIEFS VS. BENGALS

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs were an easy mark for Peyton Manning and the Broncos two weeks ago and Aaron Rodgers and the Packers on Monday night. And now they face red-hot Andy Dalton and the Bengals. The Chiefs will need to score some points to win this one and their sputtering offense won't be able to keep pace. The Chiefs are converting just 17 percent of their third-down chances, worst in the league. Bengals 27, Chiefs 20 -- Adam Teicher

Cincinnati Bengals: If the Bengals shut down Alex Smith, Jamaal Charles and the rest of Kansas City's offense on the first two downs Sunday, they will be able to blitz Smith the way the Packers did Monday night, when Green Bay sacked Smith seven times. It's no surprise Kansas City has the league's worst third-down conversion rating (5-for-30). A defense's pass-rush aggressiveness also can be impacted by a large scoreboard lead. So far this season, the Bengals are outpacing opponents 52-6 by halftime. They'll get another big lead Sunday. Bengals 30, Chiefs 21 -- Coley Harvey

Your Comprehensive Week 4 NFL Picks from Grantland

Chiefs (+4) over BENGALS

The debate over whether the Chiefs need to fundamentally change their offense to throw downfield seems odd, given that they won nine games in a tough division and were 12th in DVOA last year with Alex Smith throwing his passes a league-low 5.58 yards in the air per attempt. That was more than a full yard below next-to-last Blake Bortles. (Smith is last again this year, at 5.38 air yards per pass.) What the Chiefs need to do is not play the Packers in Lambeau every week.

The Worst Plays in NFL History from Grantland

2. Dwayne Rudd's game-extending helmet toss. This is a Hall of Famer for me. Although the graphics from the clip make the game seem like it's from 1993, this is actually from the 2002 season opener. The Browns were up 39-37 on the Chiefs with seconds to go and the Chiefs basically down to a Hail Mary to try to win the game. Cleveland got pressure on quarterback Trent Green and forced him into what appeared to be a sack with no time left on the clock, only for Rudd to celebrate prematurely:

Six Points: Chiefs at Bengals from FOX Sports

2. Arms up against Andy Dalton on defense

Rodgers exposed the perfect game plan to beat Kansas City's pressure defense -- he got rid of the ball in record time. Justin Houston and Co. should expect some quick throws from Dalton this week, which means it'll be an afternoon ripe for batted balls. If those tips become turnovers, all the better.

3. Look for Travis Kelce on third down

The Chiefs' offense has faced 30 third downs in 2015. They've converted only five of them (16.7 percent) -- easily the worst mark in the league. Finding their big bodied tight end with explosive play ability could help move the sticks at a better rate.

Chiefs face top NFL passers back-to-back, Dalton up next from The Associated Press via The San Diego Union-Tribune

First, Peyton Manning beat the Chiefs. Then, Aaron Rodgers — the NFL's top-ranked passer — took their defense apart, throwing for five touchdowns last Monday night in Green Bay.

Up next is the league's second-rated passer, also on the road.

Andy Dalton and the Bengals (3-0) intend to prove they should be counted among the league's elite, too.

Bengals notes: Chiefs' Jaye Howard a handful, Iloka, Pacman top injury report from Cincinnati.com

Of his 47 run snaps, the 6-foot, 3-inch, 301-pound Howard has made 15 stops (31.9 percent). Second in the league is Baltimore's Brandon Williams (17 stops on 82 run snaps, 20.7 percent).

"He does a good job getting off on the football and being disruptive inside," Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said, noting that Howard and Williams have some similarities in play style.

"We have to do a good job of getting our pads underneath him and play low."

Chiefs' Fisher focused on keeping up while sidelined from The KC Star via The Garden City Telegram

Mostly watching from the sideline for the first two games, Chiefs right tackle Eric Fisher couldn't think like a spectator.

"The biggest challenge when you're out is staying up to speed with everything," Fisher said. "You can't shut your mind off. You have to stay focused, stay up on everything that's happening. It's a mentality you have to have, that even when you're out of the game, you're in it mentally."

That practice appeared to pay off for Fisher, who started his first game of the season and played every snap in Monday's 38-28 loss at Green Bay, and is preparing for a trip to Cincinnati on Sunday.

NFL Week 4 Odds: Chiefs, Redskins, 49ers are best bets from Sports Illustrated

Kansas City still boasts a plethora of talent on both sides of the ball, and they catch the Bengals in a huge flat spot this week, after Cincinnati improved to 3-0 with a narrow victory in Baltimore. With the Chiefs getting four points at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com, we think they're worth a look.

Black College Football Hall of Fame announces 2016 finalists from The Philadelphia Tribune

The contributor finalists include: Joe Gilliam, Sr. (defensive coordinator, Tennessee State, 1963-1983); Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones (president, Grambling State, 1936-1977); James Frank (president, Lincoln University, President NCAA and Southwestern Athletic Conference Commissioner); Lloyd C.A. "Judge" Wells (AFL/NFL scout for the Kansas City Chiefs) and Kenneth Free (commissioner, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, 1978-1996).

Congress makes decision to make pro sports better from The Leavenworth Times

CBS News reports that 27 Veterans Affairs medical clinics have been put "on hold" by Congress, estimating to affect 340,000 veterans. The issue that brought about the decision to suspend the clinics was a lack of funding.

Another fact is that Forbes reports that in 2011, the Chiefs generated $252 million in revenue and had an operating income of $14.5 million, meaning that the difference between revenue and expenses netted Kansas City $14.5 million in 2011. The Chiefs were the 25th-most profitable NFL franchise out of 32 that year.

The undesired result of these facts is that while some veterans have had to drive three hours one way at their own expense to get medical care because the Department of Defense chose not to fund certain clinics, professional sports franchises have cleared millions of dollars from the DOD to allow a handful of members of the local National Guard to stand on the field for 30 seconds and have their names announced.

Bengals-Chiefs: Six things to know about the matchup from MyDaytonDailyNews.com

If Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton can post a passer rating of at least 120, it will be the first time in his career he's done it three games in a row.