Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 8/28

Chiefs vs. Titans: Game Preview from The Mothership

It's already well known that the Titans are all in on Mariota, and with cornerback Sean Smith absent for the Chiefs first three regular season games, Peters' role will be increased right out of the gate.

The positive for the Chiefs is that Peters has already shown an ability to do the job throughout training camp practices and two preseason games, and a good game on Friday night could further the confidence he's already been building amongst the coaching staff.

"The biggest challenge any young guy has is that laser focus, play after play after play. It has to happen first in practice and then it's got to occur in the game, and I think [Peters has] done a really good job," defensive coordinator Bob Sutton said. "He's improved at some of the things we're trying to get him to work on, and as long as he takes that kind of attitude, he's got a big upside."

On Friday night, it will be Mariota's job to beat Peters.

Chiefs vs. Titans: How to Watch and Listen from The Mothership

TV Coverage

CBS (KCTV5 Local)

Play-by-Play: Paul Burmeister

Color Analyst: Trent Green

Sideline: B.J. Kissel

Sideline: Jillian Carroll

Radio

Chiefs Spanish Radio - La Gran D (1340 AM)

Play-by-Play: Enrique Morales

Color: Oscar Monterroso

Sideline: Ricardo Soto

Chiefs FOX Football Radio Network - KCFX (101.1 FM)

Play-by-Play: Mitch Holthus

Color Analyst: Len Dawson

Sideline: Kendall Gammon

Chiefs Mailbag 8/27: Where do the Chiefs Rank Among the NFL's best teams? from The Mothership

How close is safety Eric Berry to being able to play with the starters?

He's been with the starters in certain sub-packages. So he's been on the field with the "starters," which is a hard thing to define at this point with as often as teams are actually playing in nickel and dime formations. From a statistical perspective, "nickel" packages should almost be considered the "base" defense at this point.

Berry played eight snaps in his first game back against Arizona, then 21 snaps last Friday night against the Seahawks. From what I've been told, he's handled everything thrown in his direction. He should see significant time on Friday against the Titans.

Chiefs Fantasy Camp: Trent Green, Will Shields Return to Arrowhead Stadium for a Good Cause from The Mothership

By Page's design, Kansas City Chiefs fantasy camp benefits the University of Kansas Hospital'sCenter for Concussion Management, which is an area of the hospital designated to solely treating anything from a mild to serious concussion.

"We have all the expertise all together come in, do baseline testing, then test you to see what actually happened," he said of the center. "They know the state-of-the-art treatment and they know exactly how to diagnose and treat the situation. It's a one-stop shop and you don't have to go to 10 different places. You come right to us."

The proceeds from fantasy camp allow Page and the hospital to do more while asking for less money in return.

"What it does is it helps us continue to grow those kinds of services that under a traditional model may not be available," he added.

Game Day Forecast from The National Weather Service

Today

A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight

A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. South southwest wind 6 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

What to watch for in Titans-Chiefs preseason game from Chiefs Digest

A win is nice, of course, but the biggest takeaway from the preseason surrounds the annual reminder the four exhibition games are for evaluation purposes.

And none are more important than the third game because starters are expected to play into the second half as a final tune-up for the regular season.

Friday night's game also starts the clock for the first wave of transactions to trim the roster from 90 to 75 players by 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday.

Here are five areas to monitor Friday night.

Chiefs' rookies, Titans' Mariota to reunite in preseason from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City

Last year, Mariota had one of the finest games of his career against Oregon State. He threw for 367 yards and four touchdowns while running for two more scores in a 47-19 rout of Alexander, Nelson and the rest of the Beavers. Oregon went on to beat Arizona for the Pac-12 title, Florida State in the Rose Bowl and then lost to Ohio State in the national championship.

"I guess it'll be fun, just to see how much he's grown since he's been in the NFL," said Nelson, who also recalled dropping an interception of Mariota when the teams met last year. "We'll see how he compares now to what I've seen in college."

Reunions aside, it will also be another good test for the trio of Chiefs rookies.

Chiefs' low ranking on under-25 players doesn't mean future is bleak from ESPN

Kacsmar writes that the Chiefs' ranking is so low because Eric Fisher (24 years old) hasn't played like a former No. 1 overall pick while many of the Chiefs' other under-25 players aren't starters...

...But another truth is that things aren't so bleak for the Chiefs in 2016 and beyond. Two of the Chiefs' best players, Travis Kelce and Dontari Poe, are 25. They missed the cutoff for the ranking but should be strong players for the Chiefs for years to come. The same holds for a pair of 26-year-olds, Justin Houston and Allen Bailey.

Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp Report from MMQB

Thing I'll remember about Chiefs camp: Watching the Chiefs enveloped by members of armed services from six different countries, including America, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom. It was military appreciation day at St. Joseph's, an Andy Reid favorite going back to his early camps in Philadelphia, and the players seemed to appreciate their presence. Tight end Travis Kelce was especially accommodating, staying long after many players left for the locker rooms to converse with dozens of soldiers on the practice field.

Gut feeling about this team: 7-9, out of the playoffs and slipping closer to the realization Alex Smith is below the Mendoza line for quarterbacks. To me, the Chiefs are in ‘quarterback purgatory,' a term coined by Bills GM Doug Whaley to describe teams that aren't bad enough to land a top five pick, but finding their quarterback situation untenable.

Mailbag, Part I: Is it a good thing for Chiefs that Eric Fisher is out of lineup? from ESPN

No, it's not a good thing for the Chiefs that left tackle Eric Fisher will miss his second straight preseason game on Friday night against the Tennessee Titans at Arrowhead Stadium. He has an injured ankle. He's the best shot they have at possessing a premium left tackle. The Chiefs have a lot invested in Fisher and it's in their best interests that he plays and becomes at least something close to the player they thought they were getting when he was drafted. He still has that chance.

Traffic plan in place for Kansas City Chiefs game on Friday night from KSHB

If you are traveling Stadium Drive eastbound, you must turn right onto Raytown Road.

Those driving southbound on Manchester Trafficway can continue until it turns into Raytown Road or turn left onto Stadium Drive.

For drivers heading north on Raytown Road, they must turn right onto Stadium Drive.

Chiefs fans participate in fantasy camp to benefit Kansas hospital from ESPN

Okoye's team, the Nightmares (pictured above) won the the 7-on-7 flag football tournament title.

Proceeds from the event, which raised $85,000, will benefit the Center for Concussion Management at The University of Kansas Hospital.

Chiefs' Jamaal Charles is tattooed-drummer in 80s-style fantasy football music video from The KC Star

Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles wearing a red leather jacket, cowboys boots and tight jeans.

If this sounds like some sort of terrible retro Charles outfit, you're right. Charles was one of several NFL stars who took part in a music video made by the computer-maker Lenovo, which is aimed at fantasy football fans.

The song is "Fantasy Hero" by Snaikdraught, which is on the album, "Crushin' It," if such a thing existed.

Who is the featured red zone target for all 32 teams? NFL Nation has the answers from ESPN

It isn't wise to count on a lot of touchdown passes from Alex Smith, who has just 41 in his two seasons with the Chiefs. The TDs he does throw will be spread around. Running back Jamaal Charles should continue to be a threat. He had 12 of those touchdowns. Tight end Travis Kelce, at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, should be featured more by the Chiefs this season in the red zone. Kelce is a difficult matchup for opponents because of his size and athletic ability. Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin also showed a knack for getting open from the red zone in training camp and the early part of the preseason. -- Adam Teicher

Who is the fantasy player to watch for all 32 teams? NFL Nation has the answers from ESPN

The Chiefs will expect bigger numbers from Alex Smith. He threw for under 3,300 yards and 18 touchdowns last season and those stats aren't enough for a quarterback who started 15 games. The Chiefs added Jeremy Maclin, upgraded their offensive line and promoted Travis Kelce into the starting lineup all in an effort to improve their passing game. Don't look for Smith to lead the league in passing, or to even come close. But it's a huge disappointment if his numbers aren't better than in 2014. -- Adam Teicher

Who are the running backs to watch near the goal line? NFL Nation has the answers from ESPN

Running back Jamaal Charles is only about 200 pounds but he's better in goal-line and short-yardage situations than many people expect. Charles has good vision and the necessary patience to wait for holes to develop. Backup Knile Davis is much bigger at about 227 pounds and more powerful, but doesn't have Charles' vision or patience. -- Adam Teicher

Important gameday information before Chiefs take on Titans in preseason from KCTV5

There will be no cash parking at Gate 5.

Only guests with prepaid parking passes will be allowed to enter through Gate 5. Prepaid parking can be purchased for $27 at the Chiefs Ticket Office or by calling (816) 920-4237.

Fans First Booths will be located throughout the parking lots at tent locations while representatives from the Fans First Booths will be navigating the parking lots on golf carts to provide assistance to guests.

All traffic will flow in a counter-clockwise direction on Dubiner Circle (all traffic moves to the right).

FOX4KC Video: Two KC legends, former Chiefs pro-bowlers share thoughts on Gridiron Glory exhibit

FOX4KC Video: Talented 12-year-old to perform National Anthem at Arrowhead Stadium

10 lists of 10 for the 2015 season from ESPN

3. Last season, Jeremy Maclin's Philadelphia Eagles averaged 29.6 points per game. Maclin's new team, the Kansas City Chiefs, averaged 22.1 points per game in 2014. But in the four games last season that the Eagles did not get to 23 points, Maclin averaged seven catches on 12 targets for 14.5 standard fantasy points.

5 things to watch when Titans face Chiefs from The Tennessean

Third downs, finishing drives — Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt listed these as two areas in which he wanted to see improvement from Mariota and the first-team offense. Mariota was efficient and effective overall in the second preseason game, but he was 0-for-3 in third-down conversions, in part because of Dexter McCluster's drop in the end zone. In addition the Titans moved the ball on all three of Mariota's drives —  twice getting inside the St. Louis 40-yard line — but only came away with a total of three points.

Secret's out: Mariota's mobility a threat for Titans from The Tennessean

It's starting to look like the Titans don't want their secret weapon being such a big secret after all.

In two preseason games, the Titans have showed glimpses of their version of the zone-read play, which potentially leaves the ball in the hands of rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota for a run.

Look for a bit more of the same on Friday night when the Titans face Kansas City. Based on what we've seen thus far, Titans coaches will continue to let Mariota be Mariota — a quarterback whose ability as a runner is the X-factor in their offense.

JADEVEON CLOWNEY LEARNS HE'LL BE READY FOR WEEK 1 FROM MEDIA (W/ VIDEO) from The Houston Press

In fact, it was earlier in yesterday's media session that Texans head coach Bill O'Brien informed the throng of reporters that last season's No. 1 overall pick is indeed tracking to be ready for the season opener at NRG Stadium on September 13 against the Kansas City Chiefs. This enthused the media no end:

NFL players, Doug Pitt team up to provide clean water in Africa from The Springfield News-Leader

Why did Kansas City Chief's Tamba Hali just post a photo of a glass of water on Instagram?

What did Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson mean with his "Join me and #Drink4Water. Show me what you drink in support of clean water" tweet?

Football fans following their favorite NFL players on social media might be wondering what's up with all the #Drink4Water and @WaterboysORG mentions lately.

It's all part of a fundraising and awareness campaign to help a Springfield-based non-profit organization build large capacity water wells for impoverished communities in East Africa.

Fantasy Football 2015: Which top running backs have the best handcuff situations? from The Washington Post

Jamaal Charles, Chiefs
Handcuff: Knile Davis (ADP: 158)

Davis doesn't have anything close to Charles's ability — few do, of course — but when the latter has sat out over the past couple of seasons, Kansas City has used Davis as a bell cow, which is more than good enough for the fantasy community. Further down the Chiefs' depth chart is something called Charcandrick Davis and replacement-level Darrin Reaves, so Knile should smile in the knowledge that he's the undisputed backup.