Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 1/13

What We Learned from Tuesday's Media Availability from The Mothership

Q: Do you have to have backup plans in case any strange things come up, when it comes to headset communication or any sort of weird stuff?

REID: "Listen, I don't worry about all that stuff. I don't get into all that. I've played over there so many times and we used to play up there every year in the preseason, during the season. I mean, sometimes there's a problem. When I was in Green Bay, we had a problem with it there. We had it at home, and the away team had it. Played New York, it was the same way both sides, and sometimes that stuff happens. We've just got to get ready to play a good football team."

Q: What have your previous experiences been like at Gillette Stadium?

REID: "They've been good. I haven't had any issues there. I mean, I've heard of things happening, but I haven't had any of those problems."

Versatility and Depth Along OL Making the Difference for Chiefs from The Mothership

The Chiefs have had five players - Zach Fulton, Jeff Allen, Eric Fisher, Donald Stephenson and Jah Reid - who have all played multiple spots along the offensive line this season.

Fulton has actually started at all three interior line positions at different points in the season.

"With the limited rosters on game day and that you're only dressing seven guys, those guys have to be ready to play multiple positions," quarterback Alex Smith explained. "Zach [Fulton] is obviously a great example of that, being able to move around.

"Mitch [Morse] goes down and [Fulton] jumps in at center and does a great job for us."

Before Saturday, Fulton had only ever started a regular season game at center once in his career dating all the way back to his college days at the University of Tennessee. The start was earlier this year against the Oakland Raiders in Week 13.

How Andy Reid Chose His Six Playoff Captains from The Mothership

Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and quarterback Alex Smith represented the offense, safety Eric Berry and linebacker Derrick Johnson represented the defense and punter Dustin Colquitt and S Daniel Sorensen represented the special teams unit.

This, according to Reid, was by specific design, something he learned in Green Bay during his time spent under legendary coach Mike Holmgren. Reid served as an assistant coach when Holmgren was the Packers head coach from 1992 to 1998.

Chiefs to Host Watch Party for AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Power & Light District from The Mothership

Fans attending the watch party can receive two free drinks (limited to beer, soda or hot chocolate) at any of the five outdoor drink stations in the KC Live! Living Room, compliments of the Chiefs, by claiming the free drink voucher through Chiefs Kingdom Rewards. Fans can sign up for Chiefs Kingdom Rewards to secure their two free drinks by visiting www.chiefskingdomrewards.com or by signing up on the Chiefs Mobile App. Fans are encouraged to secure their voucher now on Chiefs Kingdom Rewards as the offer is limited to the first 2,500 fans.

Bill Belichick: ‘It's a privilege to be playing the Chiefs' from The Kansas City Star

"The AFC Championship trophy is named after Lamar," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Tuesday. "His stamp is on the game ... and certainly on the AFC. It's a privilege to be playing the Chiefs. They have a great tradition."

The Patriots own eight AFC championships, so Belichick sees Hunt's name every day he walks in the door.

Chiefs' Jeremy Maclin remains ‘day to day' with mild high-ankle sprain from Chiefs Digest

Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin did not practice Tuesday as the Chiefs prepare to face the New England Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs.

But Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Maclin, who is dealing with what Reid called a "mild high-ankle sprain," could play Saturday without practicing in the coming days.

"He can do that," Reid said. "He might not have to do that, but he can do that."

Jeremy Maclin and five other regulars won't practice for Chiefs from ESPN

Houston played against the Texans with a bulky brace on his knee. It was his first game in more than a month after injuring the knee. Hali has a broken thumb and a balky knee, and the Chiefs have taken to holding him from practice when they work on the artificial turf of their indoor facility, as they're doing Tuesday.

Reid said holding Houston and Hali from practice was mostly cautionary.

Chiefs' Chris Conley is ready to serve as Jeremy Maclin's understudy from The Kansas City Star

Conley can't suddenly morph into Maclin, a seven-year veteran versed in this intricate offense who led the team with 87 catches.

But tremendous athletic measurables, a keen mind and an inspired work ethic say the understudy has plenty to offer.

That was encapsulated in one play, a 9-yard touchdown reception against the Texans defined by the nuances of what made it work.

About the only thing Conley wasn't properly prepared for was how fast to celebrate.

With a laugh, he said soaking in the moment kept him from deploying the "Jump On It" dance from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."

"I waited too long, is what everybody told me," he said.

Mitch Morse, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif miss practice Tuesday from Chiefs Digest

Right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and center Mitch Morse did not practice as both have not passed the concussion protocol, coach Andy Reid said.

Morse sustained a concussion in the season finale and missed last week's game against the Houston Texans, while Duverny-Tardif suffered a concussion against Houston and did not finish the game.

Both offensive lineman were on the sidelines wearing baseball caps observing teammates warming up during the portion of practice open to the media.

Chiefs continue to ease Tamba Hali into action from Chiefs Digest

Justin Houston led the way with 44 snaps; Dee Ford saw action on 35 snaps; Frank Zombo played 33 snaps; and Hali's 15.

Reid made it clear the snap distributions are a result of down situations and Hali's knee.

"He wants to play, that's not the situation," Reid said. "We'll just see how the third-down situations go or if we decide to play him on first and second down, we'll see how that goes. It all depends on how his knee's rolling there."

Chiefs' dynamic duo at running back is wearing out opponents from The Kansas City Star

First, give both players credit, they bring noticeable physical strengths to the table, whether it be quickness (West) or power (Ware). But running backs coach Eric Bieniemy and the men calling the plays, Reid and offensive coordinator Doug Pederson, also deserve credit for helping both come along so quickly.

"I think it would have been easy, with Jamaal out, to be like ‘The run game, oh no,' " Smith said. "But I think for sure, we've been able to ... with these two, (say) we're gonna run the ball, we're gonna play-action pass, (use a) possession passing game on first or second down, take our shots.

"And I do think, all around the field, it's made us hard to defend, because you've got to pick your poison, right? When you're running the ball, you get good looks outside."

Alex Smith can move past 'game manager' tag by beating Tom Brady in playoffs from ESPN

It's difficult to see a scenario where the Chiefs beat the Patriots without Smith playing well and even outplaying Brady. He did that in 2014 when the teams met in the regular season, throwing for 248 yards and three touchdowns while Brady threw a pair of interceptions. The Chiefs, by the way, won 41-14.

Smith helped the Chiefs lift a huge burden hanging over the franchise when they beat the Houston Texans in last week's first-round playoff game. But he needs to beat Tom Brady and not Brian Hoyer if he's going to take the next step.

Chiefs veteran Derrick Johnson not satisfied with just one playoff victory from The Kansas City Star

"There's something about this team that is very special," said Johnson, a three-time Pro Bowler, whose contract expires at the end of the season. "We're just seizing the moment. There were a lot of high fives after the game. But not any hugs yet because we're saving that until the end."

Signing of TE Demetrius Harris is good move by Chiefs from ESPN

Taking a closer look, he is worth the expenditure. Take a look at the touchdown catch Harris made in a recent game against the Oakland Raiders, when he stretched his 6-foot-7 frame and went up high to make the grab in the end zone. Take a look at the block he made to help spring Knile Davis for a touchdown on the opening kickoff in last week's playoff win over the Houston Texans.

Considering those plays, it makes more sense that the Chiefs extended Harris' contract last week. The move is actually something for the Chiefs to be excited about. Harris is still developing.

Deflategate? Coach Bill Belichick says the Patriots try to play by the book from The Kansas City Star

The Chiefs-Patriots game on Saturday will mark the first postseason contest at New England since last year's AFC Championship Game, site of the infamous Deflategate incident involving the Patriots and Indianapolis.

Close pals Bill Belichick and Andy Reid set to collide in AFC playoffs from ESPN

Somewhere along the line, 63-year-old Bill Belichick and 57-year-old Andy Reid became close pals. They just can't recall when.

"It's been through the years. Both of us have been around so long, I don't know if either one of us can remember that far," Belichick cracked.

"We need more fish oil," Reid joked.

On Saturday, their teams will meet in the AFC divisional round of the playoffs, Belichick's New England Patriots limping into the postseason having lost four of their past six games, while Reid's Kansas City Chiefs are surging with 11 consecutive victories.

Mellinger Minutes: Andy Reid's place on the all-time list, Chiefs' successes and chances, and the downside of winning a billion from The Kansas City Star

Andy Reid is about to coach his 22nd playoff game, and here is the complete list of men who've coached more:

Tom Landry, Don Shula, Bill Belichick, Joe Gibbs, Chuck Noll and Mike Holmgren.

Andy Reid is going for his 12th playoff win, and here is the complete list of men who've won more:

Belichick, Landry, Shula, Gibbs, Noll and Holmgren.

Every coach listed is in the Hall of Fame, save for Belichick, who clearly will be whenever he is eligible, and Holmgren, who could be.

As it stands right now, Reid has the same number of playoff wins as Bill Parcells, and in fewer seasons. A win on Saturday would give him the same number of playoff wins as Tom Coughlin and Bill Cowher. Reid has coached three fewer seasons than Coughlin, and two more than Cowher.

NFL Power Rankings: How the final eight stack up from ESPN

6. Kansas City Chiefs

Record: 12-5 | Last week: 8 | Divisional round: at New England

The Chiefs extended their NFL-best winning streak to 11 games with a 30-0 victory over the Texans in the wild-card round. Takeaways have been key for the Chiefs during the streak (plus-20), but the Patriots committed the fewest this season (14).

Chiefs, Patriots both thriving thanks to interchangeable parts from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City

The offensive line of the Kansas City Chiefs looks a lot like a grade-school game of musical chairs, only with 300-pound behemoths jumping around from spot to spot.

Take second-year pro Zach Fulton. He's been forced to play three different spots along the line due to a litany of injuries this season. And he wasn't even supposed to be a starter.

It's not just along the offensive line, either. The Chiefs have used fullback Spencer Ware as a change-of-pace running back, and wide receivers have lined up all over the field. On defense, guys are moving around so much that it seems as if change is the only constant.

All of which underscores the value of interchangeable parts in the modern NFL.

Patriots playoff preview: Getting to know the Kansas City Chiefs from The Boston Herald

A summary of the Chiefs season

The Chiefs got off to a rocky start, but that was largely due to a daunting schedule. Five of their first six games were against playoff teams, and following that stretch, they were 1-5. Since then, they've turned it on.

They're the hottest team in football, and come into Foxboro boasting an 11-game winning streak. The Chiefs dominated all three phases in the wild-card round, routing the Texans, 30-0, on the road.

Injuries may be greater concern for Kansas City Chiefs than New England Patriots from MassLive

Each week Bill Belichick talks about the opposing quarterback's ability to run. Sometimes it's legit. Sometimes it's not. This week, the Pats are actually facing a mobile quarterback in Smith. The Chiefs don't design many runs for Smith, the former No. 1 pick in 2005, but he'll take off on any given play. Even at 31 years old, he has the wheels to rip off some long gains, as evidenced by a 29-yard run against Cleveland and a 22-yarder against Oakland. In a game where points will be at a premium, it'll be imperative for the Pats defense to keep track of Smith at all times.

New England Prepares For First-Ever Postseason Meeting With Chiefs from CBS Seattle

Outlook

Most members of the current Patriots team remember last season's embarrassment at Kansas City, so they should have plenty of motivation to play well against the Chiefs. On the injury front, both left tackle Sebastian Vollmer (ankle) and wide receiver Julian Edelman (foot) have been cleared to play against the Chiefs, so that should be a big boost to New England's passing game. Rain is in the forecast for Foxboro on Saturday, so this could be a low-scoring game that comes down to either who plays the best defense or who makes the fewest turnovers.

Kansas City Chiefs scouting report: What's made QB Alex Smith so successful? (video) from MassLive

There was a time not long ago that Alex Smith lost his job in San Francisco to Colin Kaepernick.

My how times have changed.

Even just this year, Smith has reinvented himself as Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, dragging a team that started out 1-5 from the depths of the AFC to one of four teams still standing in the divisional round this weekend.

Since Week 7, the start of the Chiefs 11-game winning streak, Smith has ranked second in total QBR in the NFL.

Chiefs at Patriots: Learning from last year's smackdown in Kansas City from SouthCoastToday

The Patriots have spent time watching film of last year's game, but know they have to take it with a grain of salt.

"I know we've all studied it," Brady said. "They played really well that night. We didn't play very well. Hopefully, we can flip the script. That'll be the opportunity we have, so it's going to take a great effort. They have a lot of good players, great front, great group of linebackers, as well as any team we've faced in the secondary, so they're good at all levels. They've got a good scheme. They put a lot of pressure on you and if you don't handle it then they take advantage of it."

"You'll spend a lot of time to kind of check out the cars. They'll be different license plates, but you'll check out the scheme and see what they've done," Julian Edelman said. "But that was last year. It's going to be a completely new and different kind of game. So we're going to worry on what we have to do this week, and that's to try and go out and improve and execute what our coaches are telling us to do. Hopefully that stacks up against what they've been doing."

Offensively, the Chiefs are run by the same driver -€” quarterback Alex Smith -€” but the group around him is very different.

MMQB Video: Alex Smith Is Not A Game Manager

Melissa Etheridge on Bowie, the Kansas City Chiefs and her Music Hall show from Foster's Daily Democrat

Herald: You're coming to New Hampshire for a performance at The Music Hall here in Portsmouth. What excites you about the gig? What keeps you coming back New Hampshire?

Etheridge: New Hampshire has always been awesome to me. New England in general is a wonderful place. I went to school there for a few weeks. (laughs) ... Yeah, I went to Berklee. It was the first place I had spent time away from my childhood home in Kansas City, so it will always remain a special place for me.

Aside from that, I'm a huge Chiefs fan. The Chiefs are playing the Patriots this weekend while I'm in town, sooo... It's kind of funny. It really should be a good game. But I mean, c'mon guys, our last Super Bowl came when I was 9 years old. Can you just give us one? It's our turn... (laughs).

Chiefs' Alex Smith is Mr. Efficiency from The Boston Herald

Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith is a proverbial "game manager" -€” and that title should strike fear in the hearts of Patriots fans, and others who harbor hopes of their team beating the Chiefs in the postseason.

Smith is a quietly efficient passer who, yes, has the benefit of being paired with an elite defense. But he wins games when he protects the football and when he posts a high passer rating -€” even if his total numbers, those big but ultimately meaningless volume stats that fuel fantasy football fervor, fail to impress the casual observer.

"Game manager" is used as a back-handed compliment at best, an open insult at worst -€” at least by folks who know little about the factors that win and lose NFL games.

Game managers should instead be discussed in hushed, reverent tones. Because QBs who "manage the game" also tend to "win the game." The great game managers are the great champions.

Patriots Beat: Don't mess with Tom Brady from The Portland Press Herald

As the Patriots prepare to play the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs Saturday at Gillette Stadium, Brady said he knows he can be a little intense at times.

"I would say I'm not the easiest guy to play with," he said Tuesday. "I think there are a lot of high expectations and I try to put a lot of pressure on everybody to get the best out of us."

His teammates understand exactly what he's doing.

"I think I've said it many times," said defensive end Rob Ninkovich. "Tom is one of the most competitive people I've ever been around, so I just think his competitive nature is to put himself mentally in a state where he's going to be the best guy on the field."

Patriots see an effective Chiefs offense whether Jeremy Maclin plays or not from The Foster's Daily Democrat

Losing Maclin would seem like a big blow for Kansas City, but when Duron Harmon went back to look at the Chiefs only game without their No. 1 receiver, he noticed that the offense didn't really miss a beat.

"I mean, I tried to take a look at that. I went back and watched the Pittsburgh tape when they didn't have him when he was dealing with a concussion," Harmon said. "They were still moving the ball. They were still doing what they wanted to do - controlling the pass game, running the ball, creating different types of matchups to create space. So even though it's not the same offense, it's still an effective offense that one game when he wasn't in there."

Ranking each potential Super Bowl 50 matchup: Most intriguing game is... from Sports Illustrated

2.) No. 5 Green Bay vs. No. 5 Kansas City

Sometimes in life, symmetry is at work, and what would prove that point any better than having the Packers and Chiefs reprise their roles from historic Super Bowl I, in the same state where this whole pro football-palooza started 49 years ago? Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers will be forever linked by being the first two quarterbacks of the 2005 draft, and now, at the close of their 11th seasons in the league, they would meet on the game's grandest stage to duel the same way Len Dawson and Bart Starr once did in the Los Angeles Coliseum. I'm enough of a nostalgia lover to sign up for that, no questions asked.

Police dispatch audio from Chandler Jones incident from My FOX Boston

It's unclear what the problem was, but Jones was at practice Monday and has not missed a practice or meeting this week.

WEEI reported Tuesday night that Jones was found partially clothed in the Foxboro police department parking lot and the dispatch audio indicates officers were requested to deal with a "confused party" in the lobby.

According to the Boston Herald, Jones was rushed to Norwood Hospital after arriving at the Foxborough Police Department for a medical emergency around 7:45 a.m. Sunday.

Doug Pederson leads way as Eagles' search winds down from ESPN

Based on what we know -- from Lurie's history, from events so far, from conversations with people who know Lurie and his team -- here's a breakdown of each candidate, from most to least likely to be hired.

Doug Pederson, offensive coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs: Because the Chiefs had a playoff game Saturday, the Eagles couldn't interview Pederson until Sunday. Their interviews last week with Pat Shurmur, Adam Gase and Ben McAdoo could have been a way to fill in the time until they could talk to Pederson -- while also providing potential backup candidates.

Steven Jackson: Chance To Win Super Bowl Is Reason I Joined Patriots from NESN

With LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis sidelined for the season, the opportunity certainly is there for Jackson to play a major role in the postseason.

Yet the 32-year-old knows his time in the league is running short, and admitted Tuesday the Patriots' postseason success played a major role in his decision to pick up the phone when Bill Belichick called a few weeks ago. "Well, this is why," Jackson said. "We're at this point now. I understood that this is probably the last opportunity that I will have a significant chance to win a Super Bowl."

Wednesday NFL preview: Where is Gronk? from ESPN

Kansas City Chiefs: Coach Andy Reid said linebacker Justin Houston was having problems with his bulky brace and not the knee itself during Saturday's game in Houston. "Getting the right tension on it bruised up his leg a little bit," Reid said. "That's just [a matter of him] getting used to it. It's not that big of a deal." -- Adam Teicher

New England Patriots: Where is Gronk? That's the question many in New England are asking after TE Rob Gronkowski was the only player not spotted at Tuesday's full-pads practice. Because the Patriots don't have to submit an injury report until Wednesday, they don't have to declare the reason for his absence, which simply could be precautionary. -- Mike Reiss

Bill Belichick Transcripts 1/12 from Patriots.com

Q: A lot has been made of their outside pass rushers, but can you talk about their inside guys in terms of their ability to disrupt the run game and the pass game?

BB: Absolutely, they have good inside players - [Jaye] Howard, [Dontari] Poe, [Mike] DeVito - those guys, plus their inside linebackers, they're solid throughout their defense - their front, their linebackers, their secondary. Again they execute well, they don't make a lot of mistakes, they're hard to block, they can rush, they can stop the run and they can cover. They haven't given up very many points here in a long time, play really good team defense, good third-down defense, one of the best teams in the league - them and Houston - really good in short yardage, so they're pretty much good at everything. They have a lot of good players and they're well coached. They do a good job.

STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI GIVES PATRIOTS CLEAR ADVANTAGE IN KICKING GAME OVER CHIEFS from WEEI

Looking at the Chiefs and kicker Cairo Santos, who is just 24 years old, it's clear the Patriots have a huge advantage. Never mind the experience factor, he just doesn't come close to having the consistency Gostkowski has.

Cairo finished the regular season 30-for-37 on field goals. Of the seven misses, one was from 20-29 yards, two were from 40-49 yards and four were from 50 or more yards. In one season, Cairo missed four times from 50-plus yards, while in Gostkowski's entire career he's missed only five from 50-plus yards.

DUVERNAY-TARDIF ALWAYS THE KEY from TVA Sports [translated from the original French]

The presence of Duvernay-Tardif is still uncertain for the semifinals of the American Association face the New England Patriots on Saturday.