Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 11/14

Chiefs vs. Broncos: Five Things to Watch from The Mothership

1. The opportunity is there

The Kansas City Chiefs (3-5) travel to take on the Denver Broncos (7-1) in an AFC West matchup with plenty of implications for both teams moving forward.

It's just one game—that's a fact—but there's no denying the importance of this game.

"They're the best team in the division," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said this week. "They're holding that— they've had a good season to this point. So you've got to be able to beat them to take charge of the AFC West. And that's how it rolls and so that's what's real."

The Broncos have been the class of the AFC West for the last several years and for the Chiefs to take another step forward to help get them out of the early hole they dug themselves with five straight losses, Sunday's game is paramount in forwarding the "Here we come" narrative that's developed over the past two weeks.

Chiefs vs. Broncos: Broncos OLB Shane Ray Shares Past With Chiefs Great from The Mothership

Ray hailed from the University of Missouri, where he was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year as a junior while also leading the conference in sacks (14.5) and tackles for loss (22.5). That same year, Ray racked up consensus first-team All-America honors, first team All-SEC honors and was a Hendricks Award finalist.

But before college, Ray was a high school football player coached by one of the greatest Chiefs offensive linemen in history—Pro Bowler Tim Grunhard.

Grunhard anchored one of the best offensive lines in franchise history from 1990-2000, a decade in which the Chiefs made playoff runs seven times. The interior line, featuring Grunhard and guards Dave Szott and Will Shields, later became known as "The Firm."

Tavia Hunt and the Chiefs Held Fourth Annual "Style Lounge" from The Mothership

The "Style Lounge" is a fashion show that displays some of the newest styles of Chiefs apparel for men, along with a special emphasis on gear designed for women.

"The women's apparel line has been vastly expanded by the NFL and we're thrilled to have a sneak peak at some of the new offerings that you can buy for Christmas," Tavia said. "It's been building every year. Really whatever you're looking for in fashion, Chiefs fashion, you're likely to find so you can express your own personal fandom."

Hunt family members and members of the Chiefs organization served as models for in the fashion show.

Chiefs Download Podcast presented by Draft Kings: Trent Green and What to Watch For

NFL, USAA salute Chiefs DE Mike DeVito's commitment to children of fallen troops from Chiefs DIgest

Approximately 80 family members received red-carpet treatment at Missouri Western State University on Aug. 4.

The families, all military Gold Star members, took in the sights and sounds of Chiefs training camp from the VIP tent as special guests of the team.

But the day proved especially meaningful for children of the Snowball Express, whose purpose is to "provide hope and new happy memories to the children of military fallen heroes who have died while on active duty since 9/11," according to the organization's website, SnowballExpress.org.

Chiefs' Allen Bailey will sit vs. Broncos from The Kansas City Star

Defensive end Allen Bailey, who missed practice Thursday and Friday because of a calf injury, has officially been ruled out of the Chiefs' AFC West game at Denver.

"During warmups (he) tweaked his calf, strained his calf," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.

Week 10: Friday injury report from Chiefs DIgest

With Grubbs out of the lineup for a second straight game, the Chiefs are likely to start Jeff Guard at left guard and Jah Reid at right tackle.

"He's making progress," the head coach said of Grubbs, who suffered the neck injury in Week 7.

The Chiefs also ruled out rookie tight end James O'Shaughnessy, who suffered a foot injury Thursday.

Charcandrick West rewards Chiefs for their faith in him from ESPN

The Kansas City Chiefs were taking a leap of faith last month when they made the untested Charcandrick West the featured back replacement for the injured Jamaal Charles. The Chiefs liked what they had seen from West in his season as an apprentice last year and in training camp this year, but until he had actually walked in Charles' shoes for awhile, they would be guessing, just like anyone else.

West has started the journey, and the Chiefs are both relieved and delighted in what they've found.

Chiefs-Broncos preview: Scouting the Enemy, the Kansas City Chiefs, Part II from Mile High Report

The Chiefs have had two weeks to prepare for their game against the Broncos this weekend, which could give them the upper hand in game planning and strategy.  Alas, the Broncos will be eager to rid themselves of the bad vibes of their loss to the Colts and will have home field advantage with a roaring crowd set to cheer on the team this weekend.  The stakes are high for both teams. A win by Kansas City keeps them in the AFC Wild Card hunt.  A win by the Broncos gives them another mark towards securing the AFC West title.

This will be another nail-biting game, but a game where I believe the Broncos will reign supreme.  Expect Denver to try and get the ground game going to help set up their passing attack. Moreover, have no doubts that the Broncos defense will be playing with a large chip on their shoulder after their tumultuous performance at Indianapolis.

Chiefs better prepared to win turnover battle against Broncos from ESPN

The Kansas City Chiefs have too many good players and put too much defensive pressure on their opponents not to force a significant number of turnovers.

That's what defensive coordinator Bob Sutton believed and what he kept telling the players. At long last, it's starting to come true.

The Chiefs, after forcing just four turnovers in the season's first five games, have created seven in the past three.

Chiefs' Duvernay-Tardif juggles med school, starting in NFL from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City

He spent this past offseason putting in residency hours, and plans to do the same next offseason. This past week, when the rest of the Chiefs enjoyed their bye, Duvernay-Tardif was taking another exam for which he'd been studying for weeks.

This isn't simple biology, either. This is the kind of stuff that makes those often cumbersome, complicated playbooks of an NFL offense seem like reading Goodnight Moon.

"When you have two passions, you don't count the hours, you just work as hard as you need to," Duvernay-Tardif said. "I love being in med school. I love being here playing. And the good thing now is when I am here, I can focus 100 percent on football and I don't care about med school.

"When I was back in college," he said, "I had to do both at the same time."

Broncos Q&A: Britton Colquitt on facing brother Dustin, of Chiefs from The Denver Post

To the Broncos, Sunday's meeting against the Kansas City Chiefs is just another among many over the years between the AFC West rivals.

But the meetings are always family affairs for the Colquitts. The Broncos' seventh-year punter Britton Colquitt is the younger brother of Kansas City punter Dustin Colquitt.

As the No. 1 and 2 highest-paid punters, respectively, in the NFL, Britton and Dustin have continued their family's tradition of jumping to the pros after college careers at the University of Tennessee. Their father, Craig, was on two Super Bowl winning teams with the Steelers, and their uncle, Jimmy, punted for the Seahawks in 1985. Both were Volunteers.

Chiefs Ladies Night Out event shows you can combine sports with fashion from KCTV5

Tavia Hunt is the mastermind behind the idea that Kansas City women can make Chiefs apparel stylish every day, not just on game day.

They come in from a number of designers, including Nike and Touch by actress Alyssa Milano.

"Oh, it's great. We have current cheerleaders as models, we have former cheerleaders, we have one who actually cheered in the Chiefs Super Bowl. We also have former players and my daughters who have participated in the campaign are modeling. It's a great lineup," Tavia Hunt said.

The Playbook: A complete guide to Week 10 action around the NFL from Sports Illustrated

Did the Chiefs wait too long to heat up? Does beating Detroit and a Landry Jones-led Pittsburgh team even qualify as a hot streak? We should know a lot more about Kansas City's capacity to get back in the playoff hunt after Sunday.

The Broncos have questions of their own, despite a 7-1 start. They were dominant in their last home game, a 29-10 win over Green Bay which was buoyed by a productive rushing attack. The ground game was nowhere to be found last Sunday in Indianapolis. Denver's normally stout defense also faltered for the first time all season. —CB

Place Your Bets: Week 10 from NBC DFW

Kansas City (+5.5) at Denver — The Broncos' defense is phenomenal. We know that. The Chiefs' offense is not. We know that, as well. But the Chiefs' defense is pretty good, and the Broncos' is fairly pedestrian. Not to mention, these teams usually play close games as fierce divisional rivals.

Rich Levine's Week 10 Alphabet NFL Preview from CSNNE

Kansas City (3-5) at Denver (7-1): The Chiefs will be fresh coming off the bye, and Andy Reid is 13-1 all-time with an extra week to prepare. Then again, you're not in Philly anymore, Andrew.

Broncos must restore the run game to regain their balance from The Denver Post

Against the Packers and Browns the Denver backs combined for 67 carries. Even after the Broncos rallied to tie the Colts, the running game never returned.

The first half had the same number of Denver rushes as the second — seven.

The Broncos rank 28th in the 32-team NFL in yards rushing per game, and they are 29th in rushing attempts.

"Some dude hit me after the game and said, 'You had seven carries? You should have seven touchdowns?' That sounds great in Madden on rookie (mode)," Anderson said.

Peyton Manning's record-breaking moment will receive proper acknowledgment from The Denver Post

When he eclipses Favre, the officials have been instructed to halt the game for up to a minute, allowing time for proper recognition of the achievement.

The well-earned pause frees teammates to congratulate Manning on the field while a video tribute airs on the scoreboard. Joe Horrigan, vice president of communications for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, will be on the sideline to accept the football.