Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 11/17

Chiefs Defense Makes Statement in Win Over Broncos from The Mothership

"Everything they threw at us, we kind of knew what was coming."

And that's exactly what it looked like.

There was a subtle confidence coming from veteran linebacker Derrick Johnson as he sat in front of his locker after the Kansas City Chiefs (4-5) 29-13 win over the Denver Broncos (7-2) Sunday and talked through one of the most dominant defensive performances of the season.

He smiled, celebrated with his teammates as they walked by and took the time to explain that Sunday's performance was simply a reflection of the work this Chiefs team put in throughout the week.

10 Takeaways from Monday's Media Availability from The Mothership

Reid characterized Sunday's division rivalry game as a showing of physical, "hard-nose football."

"There's going to be sore bodies on each team from that game; it was a physical game. People are going to say things—I understand that. That's how things roll. Bottom line is you win the game and you do it within the rules."

"I think [the attitude] comes from the players. Nobody wants to be pushed around or whatever, so you take a lot of pride in what you do. We're fortunate where in our business we have an opportunity to look at video and see things that go on and you don't want them to happen to you. We had some incidents in the last game that we played them that we saw firsthand. Within the whistle, within the rules, you want to make sure that you don't allow those things to happen. I thought the officials did a good job with it, too."

Mike DeVito is Getting Lessons From Justin Houston on Celebrating from The Mothership

The "Dab."

"[Justin Houston] gets me each week," DeVito laughingly said in the locker room after the game, "so I tried to do his dance from last year the first sack (Week 2 vs. Denver). It didn't turn out well. So he gave me a simpler one this time.

"I've gotten mixed reviews, so he's working on one for next week."

Charcandrick West Showed Combination of Physicality, Speed on Sunday vs. Broncos from The Mothership

Over the past month, there have only been two players in the NFL who have more total yards from scrimmage than Kansas City Chiefs second-year running back Charcandrick West.

The two players would be Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Antonio Brown (622) and Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (578).

Coming into the season, several of the names on that list were supposed to be bona fide superstars.

Their names on the top of that list aren't a surprise, but the same can't be said for West, though a few more performances like we've seen over the past few games and that will quickly change.

KCChiefs.com Poll: Chiefs vs. Broncos: Top Plays

Chiefs' Cairo Santos keeps getting his kicks from The Kansas City Star

On a day of records and streak-busting, one standout of the Chiefs' 29-13 victory over the Broncos on Sunday performed without much fanfare — the guy responsible for the most points.

Chiefs fans would prefer to see less of kicker Cairo Santos, who jogs onto the field when the offense doesn't convert on third down. But at least when they see him, there's a trust that the point total is about to increase.

Santos' five field goals Sunday kept the production moving when the offense stalled.

In the process, Santos became the second Chiefs player to record at least five field goals in game twice in a season, joining Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud in 1969.

Broncos' T.J. Ward say Chiefs are dirty; Andy Reid says Chiefs were aggressive from Chiefs Digest

Are the Chiefs a dirty and reckless team, a new version of the nasty Raiders of yesteryear? Or, do players for the Denver Broncos like to whine when they lose a game, especially one to an AFC West rival?...

...The Broncos came into the game leading the NFL in personal foul penalties with 16, including five they picked up in the first game with the Chiefs back in September. Denver's defense was flagged four times that night for roughing the passer and unnecessary roughness penalties, as outside linebackers DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller and defensive linemen Malik Jackson and Darius Kilgo were caught by the officials.

The Chiefs wanted to make sure that performance would be answered in the second game.

"We came out with a lot of fire and took the fight to them, which was important against that crew," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "That crew has a tendency to play through the whistle and do their thing. We had some incidents in the last game that we played them ... nobody likes to be pushed around if you take pride in what you do."

Broncos' T.J. Ward won't be suspended for hit to Chiefs' Jeremy Maclin from ESPN

Denver Broncos safety T.J. Ward won't be suspended for a "blow to the head" and the subsequent altercation with Kansas City Chiefs receiver Jeremy Maclin on Sunday, but he will face a hefty fine for the incident, sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter on Monday.

Broncos' T.J. Ward will not be suspended for ejection against Kansas City from The Denver Post

On Monday, NFL spokesman Michael Signora confirmed that any additional discipline of will come as part of the standard review process.

"It was another frustrating penalty, with two guys going at it at the end of a tough touchdown," Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said Monday. "We can't lose our captain on the football field. He knows that, but I don't expect it to go any further than that."

Chiefs are getting more than catches from Jeremy Maclin from ESPN

Maclin hustled downfield to throw a block on Broncos safety T.J. Ward just before West crossed into the end zone. The play, though clean, still irritated Ward to the point he took a swing at Maclin as the play came to an end.

Ward was penalized and thrown out of the game.

The play was indicative of what the Chiefs get with Maclin beyond catches, yards and touchdowns.

Marcus Peters, Mitch Morse highlight Kansas City Chiefs' 2015 draft class from ESPN

My take on class: Assuming the normal improvement for Peters and Morse, the Chiefs did well for themselves in the first two rounds. Peters, who had an interception on his first NFL play and a pick-six in his next game, is the sort of playmaking cornerback the Chiefs have lacked for years. The draft gets better if at least one other player goes on to become a solid contributor. Wilson and Conley have the best chances for that but neither is a lock. Grade: B-.

Chiefs veterans ask for quick start; rookie Marcus Peters delivers it from ESPN

"I love his tenacity," coach Andy Reid said. "You have to have a short memory when you play out on the corner."

But Reid took Peters out of the game for a short period in the second half after he got into a pushing match with Denver wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. That's the other side of Peters. His temper can get the best of him. It got him kicked off his college team last year at Washington after a confrontation with a coach.

"He's got to control himself a little bit," Reid said. "He got a little crazy there for about a minute and then he settled down and was able to get back in and go.

"He's going to challenge you and if you're going to be a great corner in this league you have to have that mindset and so he's wired the right way."

Denver Post Poll: Broncos Week 10 Report Card: Grade the Denver Broncos' performance vs. the Kansas City Chiefs

Team Grades: Peyton Pulled As Broncos Offense Hits Rock Bottom Against Chiefs from CBS Denver

The only reason the grade above isn't a straight "F" is due to Brock Osweiler's three drives, all of which got into the red zone. In his first meaningful NFL action, Brock finished 14/24 for 141 yards, with a touchdown and a pick.

Bell: Peyton Manning staring down unsatisfying finish from USA Today

It was striking to read comments from some of the Chiefs players. Rookie cornerbackMarcus Peters told The Denver Post that he has great "respect for those who paved the way," which was a nice way of saying that Manning's time has passed.

Safety Ron Parker bluntly said, via the Post, "He's getting old ... He tried hard."

Ouch. Talk about adding insult to injury.

That's another sign of the times for long-respected Manning, who is suddenly more pitied by opponents than feared.

Gordon seeks 'killer' mindset for Bolts from The San Diego Union Tribune

The Chargers are 2-7 with seven games to go.

Melvin Gordon, who as a running back is required to search for daylight, made a find on Monday concerning the team's plight.

"We've got nothing to lose; everything to gain," the rookie running back said after the team's first practice since the bye week.

If ever there was a time to let it all hang out, the Chargers are there starting with Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs (4-5).

"So," Gordon said, "we've just got to come out with a killer mindset and really just try to destroy every team we play."

Week 11 waiver wire: Streaming defenses to target from NFL.com

In Week 11, the unit heads to San Diego to take on a banged up Chargers offense sans pass-catching weapons Keenan Allen and (possibly) Malcom Floyd who would be limited at best after suffering a torn labrum in Week 9 if he does play. That leaves Philip Rivers with Steve Johnson (who is one of this week's top waiver wire pickups), Dontrelle Inman and a less-than 100 percent healthy Antonio Gates as his main targets. And while San Diego boasts one of the top passing offenses in the league, the team can't run the ball. The Chargers have the third worst yards per carry average in the NFL (3.6) and the fourth worst rushing yard total in the league (768). So in a game where Rivers will likely attempt somewhere between 40-50 passes, he may find it tough to get anything going with two of Pro Football Focus' top rated linebackers Justin Houston and Tamba Hali in his face and top five safety Eric Berry and rookie corner Marcus Peters and lurking in the secondary.

Bills clearly in playoff picture with Chiefs, Texans games looming big from The Buffalo News

8. Kansas City Chiefs (4-5).

Remaining schedule: at San Diego, Buffalo, at Oakland, San Diego, at Baltimore, Cleveland, Oakland.

Chance will make playoffs: 42.9 percent.

Analysis: They're riding a three-game winning streak and just knocked off a 7-1 Denver team, so that makes Kansas City one of the hotter teams in the league at the moment. They also own a head-to-head win over the Steelers, and their remaining opponents have a combined record of 19-43. They are just 3-2 in AFC games so far, but their schedule was front-loaded with nonconference games. Make no mistake: The Chiefs are very much alive in the AFC race.

Ex-NFL players talk brain disease, Oklahoma football from KFOR

While the research is still emerging, and data is limited, as many as 96-percent of NFL players autopsied showed signs of CTE.

Early symptoms include: memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression and eventually, dementia.

Oklahoma football players have concerns about CTE.

Kelly Gregg played 13 years in the NFL, for the Bengals, the Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs.

"I told my wife. 'Hey. When I die make sure they check my brain for CTE,'" Gregg said. "I know that's morbid, but that's what you got to do."

Pinkel sure retirement is the right call from The St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Holding a black handkerchief, Pinkel dabbed his eyes and tried to catch his breath.

"The toughest thing about this," he said, pausing for nearly 20 seconds. "The most important thing ... I'm sorry ... is my players, at Toledo and here at Mizzou. I'm going to miss them. I'm going to miss the interaction, being around them, scolding them when I have to scold them, hugging them and touching them every day."

One of those players, former All-American and current Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, surprised Pinkel at MU's hotel Friday night in Kansas City, where the Tigers played Brigham Young the next day.

"He came up to me and looked really sad and said, ‘Coach, are you OK?'" Pinkel recalled. "I said, ‘Yeah, I'm OK.' He put his arms around me and told me he loved me. That's the neat thing about this business."

Next Gen Stats for Week 10 from NFL.com

Fast on their feet

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith had the top two speeds among quarterbacks in Week 10 (19.55, 19.41), followed by Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) (19.02), New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (18.92), and Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (18.43).

It's a trying game for the dads of NFL quarterbacks too from The Los Angeles Times

Smith knows the feeling. His son, Alex, is quarterback of the Chiefs and was on the winning end of Sunday's AFC Westmatchup. Even though his son was winning Sunday, Smith too sat in silence. His expression was inscrutable, intense and constant. By looking at him, you couldn't tell whether the Chiefs were winning or losing. Every so often, he and Archie exchanged thoughts. They know the ups and downs all too well.

"There are a lot of similar feelings," said Smith, who retired in 2010 after 21 years as principal at his son's alma mater, Helix High in San Diego. "You go through a lot of the same experiences, regardless of teams and where you are. ... I guess I'd say quarterbacks carry more pressure, carry more blame, get more credit as well, rightly or wrongly. With that comes a little bit of the uniqueness of the experience."

Chargers' role may be only as spoilers from The Sports Xchange via WPTZ

The Chargers will resume this dreadful season on Sunday when the Kansas City Chiefs visit.

"This is a great opportunity," coach Mike McCoy said. "Against a very good football team."

The Chargers only wish they could say the same about themselves. Instead San Diego's season is circling the drain, with five straight losses.

"There's still a lot of football left," McCoy said.