Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 12/3

Here's What We Learned From Andy Reid on Wednesday from The Mothership

Q: Was ball security something that Alex Smith brought with him or is it something you had to make sure he understood?

REID: "Turnovers, as far as interceptions go, that was something he's always been very good at. He's probably thrown the ball a little bit more here than he did before, so it was important that he maintained that. That's how he's wired, he understands it, he gets it. We always harp on the quarterbacks about ball security in the pocket, make sure that you protect the ball in the pocket, so you don't get strip-fumbles there."

Q: It's been remarkable how much ball security the team has had on the exchange this year.

REID: "Yeah, that's a game-to-game thing. You want to make sure that you keep focus on that. Again, that falls into that working your techniques and fundamentals, it's important that we do that. Again, this is on the road, a loud place, we have to make sure we're sharp with it when we go to Oakland."

Chiefs vs. Raiders: 12 Stats to Know from The Mothership

2. Chiefs are amid another historically good streak (other than wins)

The 2015 Chiefs join the 2011 San Francisco 49ers and the 2010 New England Patriots as the only three teams in NFL history to record at least five consecutive regular season games in the same season without turning the ball over. In 2011, the 49ers were led by current Chiefs starter, Alex Smith.

Smith is 58-18-1 in his career when he doesn't throw an interception.

Here's the Latest Injury Update on Chiefs LB Justin Houston from The Mothership

"With the hyperextended knee, you get some soft tissue damage in the back of your knee, and some of the ligaments and tendons and soft tissue get stretched out," Burkholder added. "That's what he's dealing with right now, he's in the middle of the rehab process.

"He's doing well and he'll be on a day-to-day basis as we go forward here."

Chiefs Place Veteran OL Ben Grubbs on Injured Reserve from The Mothership

After missing the last five games of the season with a neck injury, offensive lineman Ben Grubbs has been officially placed on Injured Reserve, the Kansas City Chiefs announced on Wednesday.

"We've gone four or five weeks here with rehabilitation and he hasn't improved," head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder told the media on Wednesday. "He's going to need at least another month or two to come back from this thing. So with Coach (Andy Reid) and (general manager) John (Dorsey), we decided as a group to put him on injured reserve."

Chiefs QB Alex Smith on Raiders LB Khalil Mack: "He Demands Respect" from The Mothership

Q: On the rivalry between the Chiefs and Raiders.

SMITH: "Certainly for me, it's greatly intensified. Coming here, it doesn't take very long to kind of find out what this rivalry is all about and what this history is all about. Yeah, it's fun. It's what football's about, it's what this sport is about - games like this, having history, having a rivalry. And this game is a great example of that."

Eric Berry Nominated for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Honor from The Mothership

Off the field, Berry's initial priority is to give his local community the same opportunity he had. Before playing a single professional football game, he established the Eric Berry Foundation and began the revitalization of his hometown Duncan Park. This now multi-sport destination has breathed life into the young athletic Fairburn, Ga., community. Immediately, Berry began his annual football camps, which have now served nearly 4,500 youth and awarded 10 scholarships to elite high school athletes. The Eric Berry Foundation has expanded to include a backpack program supporting 4,050 students. In the Eric Berry Foundation's early years, a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City raised upwards of $317,000.

Berry has also sought to make a difference globally. Mobile medical clinics traveling in Eric Berry Foundation vans to Ugandan villages in 2013 and 2014 treated 450 locals, including malnourished and parasite-infected children.

Will Shields Received Hall of Fame Ring at Game Sunday from The Mothership

During halftime, Pro Football Hall of Fame (PFHOF) president and executive director David Baker and executive vice president Joe Horrigan presented Shields with his Hall of Fame ring.

"It's almost to that point where it's your own personal Super Bowl," Shields said with a smile. "By yourself, you get the chance to have something that is beyond compare. I'm excited about it.

"I might sleep with it on my finger for a couple of days and see how it goes."

Along with Shields, Pro Football Hall of Fame kicker Jan Stenerud and linebacker Willie Lanier received new rings at the Founder's Suite in Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday night.

Chiefs Week Blood Drive Concluded with Finale Event at Arrowhead Stadium from The Mothership

Donors who attended the event during Chiefs Week received a commemorative Chiefs T-shirt as well as a chance to win ticket packages for the home contests against the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders later this year at Arrowhead Stadium.

Those donors in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium on Wednesday were afforded the opportunity to meet Dontario Poe, Jaye Howard and other members of the defensive line.

"It feels really good," Poe said of being at the event, "because I needed a lot of people to impact my community when I was a child through whatever I needed. I feel like doing the same thing, it's just all positive. Like I said, people need this more than you would think, so for people to come out in a generous time to give blood, it's a blessing."

QB Series Chapter 26: The Essence of Leadership Part II from The Mothership

From the day he arrived in Kansas City, Green recognized that it was the responsibility of the quarterback to mix with his teammates, all of them.

"I really enjoy the locker room dynamic," he said.  "You get guys from all walks of life and the different age groups, [I like] everything about it.

"It wasn't just offense/defense, it was everything," recalled Tony Gonzalez on how Green approached his teammates.  "Things have always been kind of segregated around here in terms of offense and defense."

"There was something different about him," Hicks recollected.  "As soon as he got here, he would come up to people and talk to them."

Waters identified that he "didn't have a ‘me, me, me' attitude. Sometimes the quarterbacks I've been around, they're kind of stand-offish, kind of in their own world.  The pressure has kind of made them go off on their own.  Trent is not like that."

Sentiments such as these only enhanced Green's reputation.

Week 13: Wednesday injury report from Chiefs Digest

The Chiefs list six players with injuries as not practicing: Guard Jeff Allen (ankle), defensive end Mike DeVito (shoulder), linebacker Tamba Hali (knee), linebacker Justin Houston (knee), rookie center Mitch Morse (concussion) and wide receiver De'Anthony Thomas (concussion).

Houston has a hyperextended knee and is considered day-to-day.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after the morning walkthrough that Morse and Thomas have not passed the concussion protocol, but that both players were making progress.

Chiefs' Justin Houston day-to-day with hyperextended knee from Chiefs Digest

"We felt like we should clarify some things with Justin Houston because there were some reports out there he had a torn PCL," head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder said. "What actually happened to him was he has a hyperextended knee. He had the torn PCL back in January 2014 - that has healed up."

Houston sustained the PCL injury Burkholder mentioned during the playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts, but the current injury isn't considered as serious.

Chiefs' Justin Houston has hyperextended knee from The Kansas City Star

If Houston cannot play, Reid said Dee Ford — the Chiefs' 2014 first-round pick — would be the next man up. Ford missed the Chiefs' last two games because of a back injury, but he practiced on Wednesday and should be available to play against Oakland, barring any setbacks.

Eric Berry has scheduled visit with cancer specialist from ESPN

"It's nothing out of the ordinary. We've known it. Coach (Andy Reid) has known it. (General manager John Dorsey) has known it. Everybody's known it. Eric has had this planned for awhile."

Chiefs place Ben Grubbs on IR; C Daniel Munyer elevated to active roster from Chiefs Digest

Meanwhile, the 6-1, 305-pound Munyer provides depth at the center position when considering rookie center Mitch Morse is recovering from a concussion suffered in Week 12's win over the Buffalo Bills.

Munyer first joined the Chiefs in May as an undrafted free agent out of Colorado. He spent organized team activities, minicamp and training camp with the team and signed with the practice squad on Sept. 5. The Chiefs waived Munyer on Oct. 13 before bringing him back Monday.

Munyer said he spent the past month working out at Colorado, and he is confident his past time with the Chiefs will help if he is called upon to see action.

Chiefs place Ben Grubbs on injured reserve from The Kansas City Star

The Chiefs have won all four games they've played without Grubbs, as Jeff Allen — a 14-game starter in 2013 — has assumed his starting spot. Allen, however, suffered an ankle injury in the Chiefs' 30-22 win over the Bills on Sunday and did not practice Wednesday, though he finished the game.

Chiefs sign OT Reid Fragel to the practice squad from Chiefs Digest

The 6-8, 308-pound Fragel entered the league in 2013 out of Ohio State as a seventh-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals. He recently spent time on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad.

Adding depth to the offensive line has been on the Chiefs' radar in the wake of Week 12's injuries to left tackle Eric Fisher (neck) and rookie center Mitch Morse (concussion). Guard Ben Grubbs has missed four straight games with a neck injury.

Chiefs are used to offensive line upheaval by now from ESPN

The Chiefs are used to upheaval on their line, so the prospect of another shakeup has nobody panicking.

"All the juggling we've done last year, this offseason, in training camp and earlier this year with different guys playing, moving guys around, maybe early in the year that was hard on us," quarterback Alex Smith said. "I think at this point it starts to become a strength. We've had a lot of guys play at a high level."

The Chiefs, who had three offensive linemen leave last week's game against the Buffalo Bills because of injuries, practiced with six healthy players at the five positions on Wednesday.

Chiefs readying for Raiders, who may have finally found a quarterback from The Kansas City Star

Through 11 games, the Raiders are right in the playoff hunt, along with the Chiefs, and Carr's play has something to do with that, as he's completed 240 of 378 passes (63.5 percent) for 1,895 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions.

What's more, his passer rating of 101.5 ranks sixth in the league, directly ahead of established stars like Philip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees — who rank seventh, eighth and ninth — while the Chiefs' Alex Smith checks in at No. 10.

Notebook: QB Alex Smith confident in offensive line despite injuries to unit from Chiefs Digest

Fulton and Stephenson's ability to provide immediate help in Week 12 showed the offensive line's depth to handle the injuries to Fisher and Morse. Allen, of course, finished the game after briefly leaving with his injury.

"We feel good about those guys," Smith said of Fulton and Stephenson. "Those guys work extremely hard, they stay ready and they've played at a really high level for us in the past. So I don't think anyone expected anything less. And it's that time of the year, guys are going to get banged up and move around and obviously as the week goes on, we'll find out how healthy we get."

Alex Smith is giving the Chiefs plenty to celebrate from ESPN

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith started his celebration before wide receiver Jeremy Maclin even had a chance to run under what would become a 41-yard touchdown pass late in the first half of last week's game against the Buffalo Bills. Knowing that he had put the ball where he needed to and that Maclin had his defender beat, Smith raised his arms to signal the score and pumped his fist before sprinting to the end zone to celebrate with his teammates.

"We worked a lot on that," Smith said after the Chiefs completed their victory over the Bills. "I worked on that. It is kind of a unique play. There are so many little things that go into something like that and hitting that. We worked hard on it and finally getting it there and get it to pay off was nice."

Eric Berry is Chiefs' nominee for NFL Man of the Year award from The Kansas City Star

A panel of judges will determine the winner, which will be announced during the fifth annual NFL Honors awards show, which will air Feb. 6, the night before Super Bowl 50.

Five Chiefs have won the award since its inception, which is tied with Chicago for the most of any team — Willie Lanier (1972), Len Dawson (1973), Derrick Thomas (1993), Will Shields (2003) and Brian Waters (2009).

Alex Smith and the Chiefs have mastered not screwing up from SB Nation

In the final minutes of a loss to the Minnesota Vikings, running backCharcandrick West fumbled a ball that was recovered by defensive end Brian Robinson. Since then, the Chiefs haven't had a turnover or a loss, and Alex Smithhas the team in position to go to the postseason after five straight wins.

"He does whatever we need him to," Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said after a 30-22 win over the Buffalo Bills. "He gets it done."

It's only the third time a team has ever gone five consecutive games without a turnover in a year, and it was the 2011 San Francisco 49ers that did it last ... led by Alex Smith.

Kansas City Chiefs Are Battling Opponents On The Field And In The Courtroom from KCUR

On the field, the Kansas City Chiefs are on a roll with five victories in a row. In the courtroom, however, the Chiefs haven't fared as well lately — they're fighting an age discrimination lawsuit.

Unless it's settled out of court, the case, which reaches the very top of the Chiefs' hierarchy, is a long way from reaching a resolution.

Personal causes (like Berry's) resonate with NFL Man of Year nominees from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City

When Kansas City safety Eric Berry and Carolina tight end Greg Olsen had life-changing experiences away from football, the logical next step was finding ways to help the causes that helped them.

That's the legacy of the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year award -- players using their platforms to raise money for issues that are important to them.

The league announced the nominees from each team Wednesday. Finalists will be selected in January, and the winner will be named the night before the Super Bowl at the "NFL Honors" show.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid: "Big, fast front seven, they get to the quarterback one way or another" from Raiders.com

Q: Does anything jump out on film when you watch Derek Carr on film this year compared to last year?

Coach Reid: "He's in his second year now. He was poised last year for a rookie and he's even more poised now. He gets the ball out fast. I think the Raiders are very fortunate to have him. He's a good football player. [General Manager] Reggie [McKenzie] did a good job there."

Q: What jumps out at you when you look at the Raiders defense?

Coach Reid: "Big, fast front seven. They get to the quarterback one way or another. That's what they've done in the past games here. We understand that. That's a great challenge for us to block them. They're good football players."

Raiders Players Aware of High Stakes In Week 13 Matchup with Chiefs from Raiders.com

Second-year quarterback Derek Carr, who got his first win with a come-from-behind fourth-quarter comeback against the Chiefs last season, and engineered a fourth-quarter comeback last week against Tennessee, echoed his head coach's sentiments.

"My mentality stays the same whether I'm trying to beat my brothers in pool basketball or whatever I'm doing. I'm trying to win," Carr deadpanned. "My wife laughs at me all the time, but it doesn't matter what I'm trying to do, I'm trying to compete, and I'm trying to win. You can ask her, I won't let her beat me at anything."

Five Takeaways From Head Coach Jack Del Rio's Wednesday Press Conference from Raiders.com

The Silver and Black's sole focus is on the Kansas City Chiefs.

"Winning the next game. That's really what you have control over. If there was an opportunity with six opponents on one plate and doing it all at once it would be something, right? Something to talk about. For us it's about playing well against the Chiefs this weekend. Finding a way to get that victory this weekend. Nothing else matters at this point."

Now what, Chip Kelly fans? Andy Reid's winning again in K.C. from Sporting News

A couple of months ago, it was suggested here that Chip Kelly was better coaching the Eagles players Andy Reid left him than the ones Kelly acquired himself.

Much of the reaction was predictable: Oh yeah, well, what's Andy Reid done in Kansas City? He's won one game, that's what. Good riddance, still.

So, fast forward to today. Reid doesn't have one win anymore. He has five straight wins, putting the 6-5 Chiefs into the AFC's first wild-card spot with five games to go.

Raiders look different when within view from The Sports Xchange via UPI

A week after employing rookie linebacker Ben Heeney for 38 snaps against Detroit, the Raiders utlized veteran Curtis Lofton for the majority of the work against Tennessee, while Heeney was in for 18 plays.

The Chiefs provide a personnel dilemma in that Heeney is more active and better suited at covering tight ends such as Travis Kelce, while Lofton is better against the run, which remains a big part of the Kansas City offense.

Smith, Maclin all grins after long hookup from The Sports Xchange via WDSU

Kansas City's offense had struggled to stay on the field, let alone find the end zone against Rex Ryan's aggressive defense. But after Maclin's touchdown, the Chiefs controlled the game and grabbed a 30-22 victory.

Maclin's score transcended Sunday's game. The reason Smith and Maclin wore smiles when the ball was airborne because it was a play and pattern that the two worked on for months.

They had exchanged hundreds of throws since Maclin joined the Chiefs in March, signing as an unrestricted free agent when Eagles coach Chip Kelly didn't want to re-sign him.

This maturing relationship between a quarterback and his best receiver is becoming a bigger part of the offensive picture as the Chiefs pulled together their five-game win streak.

Local families react to San Bernardino shooting from FOX 10 Phoenix

The shooting in San Bernardino is hitting close to home for a man living in the valley, a man who might be a familiar face to many people.

Nick Lowery is a former Kansas City Chiefs Kicker, his brother's wife Andrea Lowery is the President and CEO of OPARC, which works in the building where the shooting took place. She goes to the facility on a regular basis and after hearing the news, Nick feared the worst.

FPI breaks down the AFC wild-card race from ESPN

The Chiefs have the best chance (85 percent) among those contenders to make the playoffs. They rank fifth in NFL FPI and have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league. Given its team strength and future schedule, Kansas City is projected by FPI to have a 20 percent chance to win out and end the season 11-5.

Shutdown Corner Playoff Projection: Packers at Redskins ... really?! from Yahoo! Sports

Think about this a minute: The 7-9 Redskins hosting a playoff game against, say the 10-6 or 11-5Green Bay Packers. Likewise, you could have a dangerous Pittsburgh Steelers team or the white-hot Kansas City Chiefs at Houston or Indy despite winning a game or two more.

Of course, that's not really new.

Since 1990, we've had 11 teams at 8-8 or worse make the postseason. Of those 11 teams, four hosted playoff games — including both teams with seven victories. One of those teams, of course, was the 7-8-1 Carolina Panthers team that beat a Carson Palmer-less Arizona Cardinals squad with an 11-5 record.

NFL Picks Week 13: C.J. Anderson, Broncos Bursting With Confidence from NESN

(-2.5) Kansas City Chiefs (6-5) at Oakland Raiders (5-6), 4:05 p.m.

Ricky: Raiders. The Chiefs are 5-0 ATS in their last five games. But I need to make up ground in the standings somewhere, right?

Ben: Chiefs. Right now, you can't bet against the Chiefs, who are rolling. They've won five in a row, all of them against the spread, and Spencer Ware became the latest plug-and-play running back to rush for 100 yards for K.C. last week.

Mike: Chiefs. Seems like every week there's an AFC West game that you look at the spread and think "What does Vegas know that I don't?" Although this is that game, I can't go against the Chiefs, who are arguably the NFL's hottest team.