Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 11/13

11 Takeaways from Thursday's Media Availability from The Mothership

Sutton began by speaking on how to change Kansas City's seven-game losing streak against the Broncos.

"Our record against them is our record," Sutton said. "You go out every week and think if we do these things right, we have a great chance to be successful. We have to do certain things right at a high-efficiency level to win games against whomever we're playing. Certainly this week, that's of real importance. I think any time you get in games and things don't go the way you want them, it's important that you regroup and focus. If you just stay the course and keep working, you can get right back in it.

"On our last game, we didn't close out. We did a lot of good things, but in the end, we needed to close that last drive out and we didn't do it. I think when things go bad, it doesn't really matter who you're playing—it's a matter of [whether you] can you focus and regroup and concentrate on the very next play, the very next series."

Chiefs Opponent Preview: Get to Know the Denver Broncos from The Mothership

In his 18-year career, Manning has finished the season with more interceptions than touchdowns only once—his rookie season in 1998, when he had 28 interceptions and 26 touchdowns.

So far in the eight games for the Broncos in 2015. Manning has 13 interceptions and 9 touchdowns for a quarterback rating of 75.6. The last time Manning finished a season with a quarterback rating worse than 90.0 was 2002 (88.8).

Manning, despite his struggles, is helped by three dangerous weapons in the passing game— wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas and tight end Owen Daniels. Those three players make up 215 of Manning's 301 targets and 8 of his 9 touchdowns on the season.

Chiefs CB Marcus Peters: "Don't Talk About It, Be About It" from The Mothership

"That's my peaceful mind, to be honest," Peters explained of what happens when he steps between the lines. "It's there for me once I touch the grass, to release everything that's in me."

Peters' passion for the game is apparent by watching him on the field, but his quiet demeanor away from the field couldn't be more contrary to the player we all see losing his mind with hopeful anticipation before the games begin on Sunday.

On the field, Peters said he's his true self.

"I'm a shy guy, but I'm real close with my inner circle," he noted, "and the Chiefs are my inner circle. So once I'm out there, I'm there to ball and have fun."

Chase Daniel Having Some Fun With Andy Reid Before BYU-MU from The Mothership

While all involved downplayed much trash talk, Daniel said he's been pressing coach Reid to make a friendly wager on the game.

"I've been trying to get coach to bet me here for a couple days," he said. "He won't have any of it. I'm still working on him, but we're definitely in quarterback meetings going back and forth."

Former Raiders Linebacker Regards Hali and Houston Among the Elite Pass Rushers in the NFL from The Mothership

Lamarr Houston is a former linebacker of the Oakland Raiders who for the past two seasons has played for the Chicago Bears.

In a recent article for the Players' Tribune titled "Elite Pass Rushers 101," Houston speaks about some of the game's best pass rushers he's seen firsthand.

Tamba Hali and Justin Houston, the two staples of the Chiefs pass rush, made that list.

Week 10: Thursday injury report from Chiefs Digest

Starting defensive end Allen Bailey did not practice with a calf injury, while rookie tight end James O'Shaughnessy was limited with a foot injury.

The Chiefs have depth behind Bailey on the defensive line, which is further boosted by the anticipated return of Mike DeVito (concussion), who put in a second straight day of full practice.

Rookie tight end Brian Parker is in line for more action if O'Shaughnessy isn't available Sunday against the Denver Broncos.

Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali still giving his all at 32 from The Kansas City Star

In the moments following the Chiefs' convincing 45-10 win over the Detroit Lions on Nov. 1, the locker room was predictably upbeat. A team that once sat at a dispiriting 1-5 had improved to a much-more palatable 3-5 entering a bye week.

Players were laughing and there was a palpable sense of relief. All the while, outside linebacker Tamba Hali, who some of his younger teammates playfully call the "old man," sat in his corner, surveying it all.

"Beautiful," Hali said of the scene. "The owners, they're happy. The coaches, they're happy, they're pleased with our performance. We've turned it up in practice and it's starting to show on the field."

Hali, a 10-year veteran, believed in this year's Chiefs so much he took a pay cut to return.

Cairo Santos nails some long kicks, with the aid of strong wind from ESPN

Santos, with a wind of more than 20 mph at his back, hit three field goal attempts of more than 60 yards, the longest being from 65 yards. All had plenty of room to spare.

The Chiefs were hoping for that kind of wind gust at the end of last month's game against the Chicago Bears at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs, down 18-17, had Santos attempt a 66-yard field goal on the game's final play.

With little wind that day, the kick fell well short.

The NFL record for the longest field goal is 64 yards. Under the right conditions, Santos could be the one to break it.

Kansas City will watch Chiefs no matter when they play from ESPN

I wondered before the Kansas City Chiefs' most recent game against the Detroit Lions in London whether their fans would watch in their usual numbers. The game not only kicked off at 8:30 a.m. Kansas City time, making it the first early morning start in memory and perhaps franchise history, but had other factors going against it.

That was a waste of time because, of course, Chiefs fans watched in their usual numbers. According to figures provided by WDAF, the Fox affiliate that aired the game in the Kansas City area, Chiefs-Lions drew a 28.6 rating and a 56.3 share.

Chiefs' postseason goals murky without victory over long-time nemesis Broncos from Chiefs Digest

Captain Ahab led his sailors on the whaling ship Pequod in a revenge voyage to kill the great white whale in the Herman Melville classic, Moby Dick.

This coming Sunday, the Chiefs sail into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to try once again to overcome their version of the white beast, the Denver Broncos.

Ahab would understand the pain felt by Andy Reid and those who came before him like Marty Schottenheimer, Dick Vermeil, Todd Haley or Romeo Crennel.

All those Chiefs head coaches tried and failed to land their great white whale in Denver

Peyton Manning isn't only reason Broncos have left Chiefs behind from ESPN

In the 13 years before Peyton Manning arrived in Denver to quarterback the local NFL franchise, the AFC West rivalry between the Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs was about as even as it could be. Each team won 13 of the 26 games. The Broncos made five trips to the playoffs with two division titles, and the Chiefs made three visits to the postseason with two AFC West championships.

Then Manning joined the Broncos in 2012 and the rivalry became as lopsided as it could be.

Keys to the game: Chiefs @ Broncos from Chiefs Digest

When these teams got together in the second week of the season, the Chiefs were able to move the ball against Denver's defense, something few teams have been able to do this season...

...The two most productive parts of the offense that night were the K.C. running game and the Chiefs tight ends. The Chiefs ran for 147 yards on 28 carries against Denver, a 5.3-yard per carry average. No other opponent has run so well against the Broncos defense, although Jamaal Charles was the engine for that performance and he's unavailable...

...The Chiefs must pump up their pass protection; they allowed four sacks of quarterback Alex Smith in the first game. Plus, Smith threw two interceptions. The Chiefs quarterback has now thrown 197 passes without an interception, the longest current streak in the league and among the longest in Chiefs history.

Is Alex Smith capable of leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a playoff win? from KCTV5

Two and half years later, with no playoff wins to show for and a disheartened fan base, what has gone wrong with Alex Smith? Is it just fan perception since the quarterback is always the one to carry the blame? Is he still a quarterback that can lead Kansas City to a playoff win? It's a complex answer because there is logical evidence and data to support both angles, and there is no way to predict which Smith shows up week to week.

He's shown signs and capabilities, but if the Chiefs want to ever win a playoff game with him under center, it's time he starts living up to his above average potential.

The most important part of Smith's game when analyzing his actions, is trying to understand how his mind operates under pressure situations. He is not the gunslinger quarterback that throws at will, rather a thoughtful manager. While this does has its own advantages, it's hurting his performance.

We can hope for, not count on NFL L.A. delay from The San Diego Union-Tribune

A member of the NFL's Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities said Thursday he would not consider it a disappointment if the league took another year to assess and take advantage of that opportunity.

"I don't think it would be," Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said. "This has obviously been a long process, but the most important thing is to make the right decision and make sure the home markets are given an opportunity."

That sentiment, which aligned with the seemingly earnest desire by several owners queried over the past two days to give the existing markets one last fair shake, as well as some owners' positive impression of San Diego's presentation here Wednesday, would seem good news.

N.F.L. Week 10 Previews and Picks from The New York Times

Chiefs (3-5) at Broncos (7-1)

4:25 p.m. Line: Broncos by 6

When these teams met this season in Kansas City, the Broncos won in improbable fashion, returning a Jamaal Charles fumble for a touchdown with seconds left in regulation as the Chiefs were attempting to run out the clock and send the game into overtime.

Denver will be without cornerback Aqib Talib after he was suspended by the league for a game after hitting the Colts' Dwayne Allen with a Three Stooges-esque eye poke. Starting in Talib's place will be the rookie Bradley Roby. It was Roby who scooped up the aforementioned fumble and returned it for the game-winning touchdown in Week 2.

PICK: Broncos

Friday NFL preview: Quarterback intrigue in Browns-Steelers matchup from ESPN

Denver Broncos: Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders did not practice Thursday because of an ankle injury he suffered in the Broncos' loss to the Colts, but coach Gary Kubiak said he remained optimistic Sanders would play against the Chiefs. The hope is Sanders can practice on a limited basis Friday and then the Broncos can gauge his progress. -- Jeff Legwold

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs are fourth in the NFL in yards after the catch (1,171), according to ESPN Stats & Information. That has to continue for the Chiefs to be successful because they are last in the league in the average length of their passes (6.02). That's almost a full yard shorter than the team ahead of them and slightly more than half of the league leader. -- Adam Teicher

NFL on 32: Notes on each NFL team entering Week 10 from The Florida Times-Union

DENVER: Peyton Manning's minus-4 in touchdown-to-interception ratio is worst in the league, but Broncos are 7-1.

KANSAS CITY: Chiefs (3-5) can make their second half interesting if they win at Denver and at San Diego the next two weeks.

LOOK: Aaron Murray loses Florida-Georgia bet, dons Gators gear from CBS Sports

And sometimes that form evolves into having to wear the clothes of your hated rival after you've moved on to the NFL, because you made a bet with a current teammate who played for your hated rival.

Which is exactly what happened to former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray after Georgia lost 27-3 to Florida a couple weeks ago.

Why Broncos' dominating defense has a reason for concern from The Associated Press via FOX Sports

So far, Denver's defense, which leads the league in several major categories, including scoring, yards and sacks, has gotten dinged seven times for unnecessary roughness, five times for roughing the passer and four times for unsportsmanlike conduct. (Plus, the Broncos had a personal foul on special teams for fair catch interference.)

The Broncos feel their sometimes undisciplined play and selfishness could be subjecting them to borderline flags on other, clean plays.

Kiszla: The end - a Super Bowl - justifies the meanness from The Denver Post

The Broncos' bad-to-the-bone reputation on defense is worth every penny of each fine and every yard of each penalty. The NFL is not for Cub Scouts.

Dirty football wins.

Every NFL defense wants to be bad to the bone.

"Yes, of course," Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall said.

Eliminate the penalties? No way. No how.

Unnecessary roughness leaves a mark. A chop block hurts, which is precisely the point. Although penalties have long been condemned as the sign of an undisciplined team, the truth is all those yellow flags can actually be a sign of an aggressive team on its way to the Super Bowl.

Decoded? How the Colts broke through Broncos' defense from The Denver Post

"Some of our zone pressures and stuff that we've been getting home with, we didn't get home," Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said. "On the back end, we weren't able to hold up and (Luck) was able to hold the ball so long. That's the biggest thing. We had some communication issues."

The Broncos' say they beat themselves. But the Colts, led by offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, who assumed the job only six days prior, found some holes. They showed what can happen when even the defense that has allowed the fewest yards in the NFL gets caught on an off-day.

Von Miller sees Shane Ray, Shaquil Barrett filling in fine for DeMarcus Ware from The Denver Post

Outside linebacker Von Miller has confidence in DeMarcus Ware's replacements. If Shane Ray's left knee responds Friday — he went through a padded practice Thursday — he probably will play in Sunday's home game against the Chiefs.

The onus falls on Ray and, more specifically, Shaquil Barrett to fill Ware's void while Ware recovers from a back injury.

Peyton Manning returns to Broncos practice, Emmanuel Sanders sits out from The Denver Post

Kubiak said Wednesday that Manning was "really sore" after the Colts' game and that the foot injury had been going on for "a couple of weeks." Manning was considered day-to-day.

Manning also did not have any excessive taping or bandages around either of his feet or ankles at practice Wednesday.

Receiver Emmanuel Sanders (ankle) was a spectator for practice for the second straight day. Sanders came out in sneakers and was doing light activity by himself on the sidelines.

Who has the edge in Broncos vs. Chiefs? from The Denver Post

Keep it clean, healthy

The Broncos are beginning to develop a reputation as a team that plays beyond the whistle and is overly aggressive. Coach Gary Kubiak said his players should expect not to get the benefit on the doubt on calls. It's imperative against a division opponent to keep everything clean between the whistles. Denver heads into this game nicked up with injuries to some of the team's biggest stars. Depth is a team strength, but the injuries are beginning to take a toll.

3 with Klee - Malik Jackson under the radar? from The Colorado Springs Gazette

The streak will end some time, of course, and Sunday could be that time. It's a decent rule of thumb that whenever a team hangs 45 points on an opponent — no matter the opponent — that team is playing well. Kansas City manhandled Detroit 45-10 in its last outing. Then the Chiefs enjoyed a bye week to prepare for the Broncos. Plus, the Broncos won't have DeMarcus Ware (four tackles and a sack in their first meeting) or Aqib Talib (a critical interception). There figures to be a revenge factor at work, too. In their Week 2 matchup, the Chiefs built a 14-0 lead before Chief-ing away the game. Denver scored 14 points in nine seconds to win, 31-24.

"Larry" the future doctor zen Chiefs from Le Journal de Quebec [translated from the original French]

Doc Quebec teased

Duvernay-Tardif, in no time, has managed to gain the respect of his peers, as much by his self-giving on the ground that his personality outside. This obviously does not prevent his teammates heckle him gently. "There was a little tease on the fact that he will be a doctor because we are all jealous. As for his accent and his roots, he is taught good manners American! It fits perfectly in this locker room and playing with us.

"Physically, it's a phenomenon. It has the biggest hands I've seen in my life.We do not stop to taunt him because it's impossible that someone could operate with such later bear paws! "Says Morse.

Business trip to London a success from RDS [translated from the original French]

We managed to sign a convincing victory, but beyond the result, it was a game where we had fun. I got the impression that this meeting gave impetus and momentum to the team. It still feeds us at this time to return to our usual week of practice to prepare for the match this weekend.

I was satisfied with my performance in London. I have had good feedback from my coaches. My blocks were well done and I was very intense. I have not made many mistakes, but I got beat twice, including one where the player managed a bag.

I felt that I had played my best game from the beginning of the season. After a discussion with my coach and a video session, there are games where I was less dominant, but I have not allocated pressure on our quarterback.This is better in the eyes of coaches to dominate more often, but to give a bag during the game.

Birthday, Cairo Santos wants playoffs 'present' and projects confrontation with Broncos from ESPN.com.br [translated from the original Portuguese]

First Brazilian to play a regular season game of the NFL, the kicker Cairo Santos celebrates on Thursday (12) her birthday 24 years...

"...If I could choose a professional this certainly would be a playoff game. I'm in my second season in the NFL, so is the next step I want for my career. I think it's an incredible emotion get in a round of knockout, the atmosphere of the game should be amazing. We are able to win a place yet this season, but for this to happen, it is essential we win on Sunday, "said the kicker.