Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 8/29

Chiefs Defeat the Titans 34-10 in Third Preseason Game from The Associated Press via The Mothership

The Chiefs' Alex Smith knows exactly how much weight Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota feels as the first-round pick tries to turn around the fortunes of Tennessee.

He was in a similar position in San Francisco a decade ago.

"For me, it was battling the anxiety of being the top pick and justifying that, and that's what I fought for so long, and it took me a while," Smith said shortly after leading Kansas City to a weather-shortened 34-10 victory over the Titans on Friday night.

"In some ways," he said, "you have to play yourself out of that, and I think I did."

Enough to solidify the starting job with the Chiefs, where Smith has flourished in coach Andy Reid's West Coast offense. He was 16 of 18 for 171 yards and two touchdowns in less than a half against Tennessee, almost certainly his final tuneup before the regular season.

Chiefs vs. Titans: 12 Observations from The Mothership

1. The offense came to play

If there were any doubts about what the Kansas City Chiefs offense was capable of doing, Fiday's performance, particularly from quarterback Alex Smith, should help answer those questions.

Smith finished the game 16 of 18 for 171 yards and two touchdowns in two quarters of play.

Compared to the first two games, the Chiefs treated this week like they would during the regular season, which meant watching film of the Titans defense and what kinds of looks they were going to present.

It obviously helped and head coach Andy Reid addressed that in his postgame press conference.

Chiefs vs. Titans: Postgame Facts and Stats from The Mothership

WEST LEADS RB GROUP: West finished the night with nine rushes for 47 yards (5.2 avg.) and added two catches for no yards. He leads the team in rushing through three preseason contests with 28 rushes for 136 yards (4.9 avg.).

SPREADING THE LOVE: QB Alex Smith and QB Aaron Murray connected with 11 different pass catchers. Five different players were credited with scoring points in tonight's contest. Williams led the way, catching two TD passes. Maclin and Kelce scored one TD each, West ran in a two-point conversion attempt and Cairo Santos kicked two FGs.

KCChiefs.com Videos: Chiefs vs. Titans: Game Highlights

General Manager John Dorsey Provides Personel Updates During Broadcast from The Mothership

Q: On the offensive line:

DORSEY: "As I look at this, we have Jeff (Allen) down, we have Eric (Fisher) down. That gives you a chance for your younger guys to step in there and kind of show the coaching staff and show myself what they can do in situations like this. Last week, as I saw Laurent Duvernay-Tardif - there were some great moments there and there were some moments he needed to improve. You take Paul Fanaika, that's the first time he's played at the tackle (position), but he held up nice. As you see in the second drive here, he's holding up on the right side very well."

Kicker Cairo Santos Met With Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane in London from The Mothership

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos took advantage of a chance to get back to his roots during his visit to London as an NFL ambassador in July.

Santos, as is well known, comes from a soccer background and is thus an avid fan of the game.

In London, he linked up with Harry Kane (as can be seen in the above video), a forward for Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League and the English national team.

Chiefs offense finally finds its rhythm in 34-10 victory over Titans from Chiefs Digest

Smith and the No. 1 group scored on their first three possessions, with touchdown catches by wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and tight end Travis Kelce and a field goal from Cairo Santos.

Now 3-0 in the preseason, it's only the second time the Chiefs have held that mark since the NFL went to four practice games in 1978.

The last time they were 3-0 was the 1980 season, but that team ended up losing their final game to finish with a 3-1 record. The Chiefs have not had an unbeaten preseason since their Super Bowl winning campaign in 1969.

Chiefs unveil big-play passing game in win over Titans from ESPN

The Kansas City Chiefs' offense at long last looked like it was ready for the regular season in Friday night's game against the Tennessee Titans at Arrowhead Stadium. Here are some quick thoughts on the Chiefs' 34-10 win.

A Big-Play Passing Game: The Chiefs not only scored on each of their first three possessions to take a 17-0 lead, but they also collected a couple of big pass plays on the way. Alex Smith threw 29 yards to Jeremy Maclin to start the scoring and later threw 34 yards to Travis Kelce to set up another touchdown. The Chiefs were last in the league in passes of 25 yards or more last season and Smith didn't have one in either of the Chiefs' first two preseason games.

Chiefs' offensive players stack third preseason game highs from Chiefs Digest

Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin charged up and down the field, catching seven passes on eight targets. One of those receptions landed him in the end zone for second time of this preseason. His 65 receiving yards were the most he's had in the preseason in a Kansas City uniform (12 against Arizona, 22 against Seattle).

Maclin sang high praises of working alongside Smith.

"For starters, he's talented," Maclin said. "He has what it takes to play in this league at a very high level. For two, he's a very intelligent person. When you combine those two things and my ability to talk to him and vice versa, it makes everything a lot easier. I'm still looking forward to working with him."

Improved passing game would allow Chiefs to dream big from ESPN

There's no denying the Chiefs look good armed with a big-play passing attack. We already know they'll be well coached, they'll run the ball well when Jamaal Charles is in their lineup, they'll play good defense at least against the pass and they'll be strong on special teams.

What they've lacked, and what prevented them from making the playoffs last year, is a real passing game. The Chiefs unveiled one almost from the start Friday night. Smith threw to Maclin along the sideline on their first drive and when the defender missed his attempt at an interception, Maclin was free to run to the end zone to complete a 29-yard touchdown.

Notebook: Chiefs' Ramik Wilson continues to shine from Chiefs Digest

Wilson recorded four solo tackles, pushing his total through three exhibition games at 13 (12 solo).

While the game appears to come easy to the team's fourth-round pick in May's NFL Draft, Wilson is quick to point out the reason for his early success.

"(Linebackers) Coach (Gary) Gibbs, (inside linebackers) Josh Mauga and Derrick Johnson," Wilson said after the game. "They've been coaching me, developing me, teaching me everything about how to play linebacker in the NFL. It's starting to pay off."

Mailbag Part II: Should Chiefs trade a cornerback? from ESPN

In Marcus Peters, Phillip Gaines, Sean Smith, Jamell Fleming,Marcus Cooper and Steven Nelson, the Chiefs have six cornerbacks who will be on an NFL roster this year. Because they probably won't use more than five at any time, I would normally say a trade of one of them would be a good idea. It still might be, depending on what the Chiefs could get in return for, say, Cooper. But the situation is complicated by Smith's three-game season-opening suspension. The Chiefs might need the other five for those three games.

NFL hits up Michael Bennett for $17K from ESPN

The hit occurred on the Chiefs' first offensive play from scrimmage, and Bennett was flagged for a roughing the passer penalty.

Bennett will have the opportunity to appeal the fine.

Chiefs, Raiders inquire about Alabama LB Reggie Ragland from NFL.com

NFL teams are already going beyond the game film in their evaluations of Alabama senior Reggie Ragland.

Ragland is one of the top linebacker prospects in college football, and his coach from Madison (Ala.) Bob Jones High, Kevin Rose, says he has received letters from the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs inquiring about his former player's time as a prep athlete.

Tom Brady struggles, Cam Newton's WR issues: 10 preseason takeaways from CBS Sports

4. Alex Amazing. Throwing a touchdown pass to a wide receiver wasn't the only impressive thing Alex Smith did on Friday -- everything he did was amazing. Sure, it was the Titans defense, but Smith looked like a guy out to prove he's going to take downfield shots this year.

The Chiefs quarterback completed three passes of over 25 yards and finished the game 16 of 18 for 171 yards and two touchdowns Smith was pulled after only THREE SERIES. Every other starting quarterback in the NFL played at least the entire first half on Friday, Smith was so good, the Andy Reid obviously figured he didn't need to see anything else from his quarterback.

Chiefs defeat Titans 34-10 in terrific showing from Arrowhead Addict

Smith was bad throughout the first two preseason games, leading to some calling for Chase Daniel. Smith answered all the critics and then some on Friday, completing 16-of-18 for 171 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover. Smith was finding Maclin early and often, while also spreading the ball out to Travis Kelce, Jamaal Charles and Chris Conley. Smith was pulled in the second quarter despite being scheduled to play into the second half, mostly [because] he was incredible.

Alex Smith Defeats Titans and Naysayers from Warpaint Illustrated

"Once a team with that type of firepower gets clicking," Tennessee cornerback Coty Sensabaugh observed, "it's hard to stop."

Alex Smith. Firepower. Same paragraph. Take a picture.

We joke, and yet the Chiefs' first-team offense during Week 3 of the preseason was anything but. Multiple formations. Shifts. Motions. The Andy Gang was in orchestra mode, with No. 11 as the conductor. Smith's 143.3 quarterback rating was his highest single-game preseason tally with Kansas City, and it's believed to be the highest during an exhibition for his NFL career.

Chiefs coach Reid on calling perfect play: 'That's like a good cheeseburger' from FOX Sports

The contest is over. Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has already locked up Quote of the Year for the 2015 NFL season.

Reid described the feeling of calling a perfect play on offense, and his comparison is 100 percent genius. Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star provided the moment:

AFC West preview: Chiefs, Chargers have real shot to dethrone Broncos from Sports Illustrated

Dark horse team: Kansas City Chiefs

Speaking of defense, the Chiefs allowed fewer points than every team other than Seattle a year ago.

Paced by 22.0 sacks from Justin Houston and a Pro Bowl effort inside by Dontari Poe, Kansas City took over more than a games on that side of the ball. In its nine wins, K.C. allowed an average of 13.2 points and never surrendered more than 29 points in any game.

Using a first-round draft pick on talented but red-flagged CB Marcus Peters could make that unit even more formidable. Poe's absence as he rehabs off-season back surgery threatens to move the needle back, but he is hoping to return early in September.

Which brings us to the offense. The Chiefs now have playmakers all over the place, from RB Jamaal Charles to TE Travis Kelce to new receiver Jeremy Maclin. Can Smith get them the ball? Will a reworked offensive line prove sturdy enough in front of him? We'll see. If so, this team could be a division-title winner.

Chiefs player delivers babies, just 5 months from finishing medical school from KCTV5

This is his second season in a Chiefs uniform and number 76 says he is more prepared.

"To learn English that the guys in the locker room are talking was kind of the first step for me. And then technique, recognize the defense, know what's happening," said the player from the French-speaking portion of Canada.

And while pro football and medical school are very different the Quebec native says there are similarities.

"I think there are two different passions. One is for the sport. The work ethic, the workload, to be with guys and train and try to be as good as you can be," said Duvernay-Tardif. "Medicine, you have a lot of similarities because it's all about teamwork. You work with physiotherapists, nurses."

UNLV prepares for Northern Illinois' dual-threat QB Hare from The Las Vegas Review-Journal

INTERESTED SPECTATORS — Former UNLV running back Frank Summers, wearing Buffalo Bills shorts, showed up at practice Wednesday. Summers, who rushed for a combined 1,668 yards in 2007 and 2008 at UNLV, spent the past two seasons with the Bills. He now is a free agent.

Also, scouts from the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs were at Rebel Park.

Aggie Punting Legend Shane Lechler Named Honorary Captain for Advocare Texas Kickoff from Good Bull Hunting

The AdvoCare Texas Kickoff has announced the honorary captains for the Texas A&M and Arizona State kickoff game at NRG Stadium in Houston on Sept. 5. These two players have a combined 29 years of pro playing experience and are both among the most elite in the NFL to have played their positions. Former Texas A&M Aggie punter Shane Lechler of the Houston Texans, and former Arizona State Sun Devil lineman and Pro Football Hall of Famer Curley Culp will represent their schools along with representatives of AdvoCare at midfield prior to the 6 p.m. CDT kickoff onSaturday, Sept. 5 at NRG Stadium.

What are the 2015 playoff odds for Jets, Giants, Eagles? from NJ.com

Will the Kansas City Chiefs make the playoffs?

Yes                  +120     (6/5)

No                    -150     (2/3)

Texans offensive tackle Duane Brown has hand injury, will miss Saints game from The Houston Chronicle

Brown won't require surgery and the injury is expected to heal on its own, according to Texans coach Bill O'Brien.

At this point, O'Brien indicated that Brown isn't expected to miss any regular-season games.

Fantasy Football: Five Bold Predictions For 2015 from XN Sports

Did you know that zero Kansas City Chiefs' wide receivers caught a touchdown pass last year?

Oh, you did? Well, it's probably because it's the most annoying, thrown-around stat over the last year or so.

But I digress.

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif did well from RDS [translated from the original French]

Duvernay-Tardif has appeared in the first sequence to the attack of Chiefs. He showed a lot of intensity in the first game of the match with an aggressive block on a pass play. The Quebecers showed how he could contribute to the ground attack by allowing Jamaal Charles out of the backfield with speed to win nine yards two plays later. This sequence led to touchdown Jeremy Maclin.