Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 8/22

Reid Provides Injury Updates on Jamaal Charles and Tamba Hali, Among Others from Chiefs.com

Running back Jamaal Charles (ACL tear)

"Every day, we've kind of increased his workload, so we'll continue to do that. I wouldn't expect him to play this week [against Chicago], but we'll get him in there with a little bit more practice."

Cornerback Phillip Gaines (ACL tear)

"Gaines had his most productive practice on Thursday, so we'll keep bringing him along, so there is a chance that he'd be ready this week possibly."

Nick Foles Impresses Against Former Team on Saturday Night from Chiefs.com

"In that drive we had a little over 3 minutes on the clock, and it was really just getting into a rhythm, get that ball down, and get some points on the board," Foles added. "We'd really like to come away with a touchdown.

"To get the ball down to a foot, or whatever it may have been, and you don't get in - that's always tough."

On that drive, Foles looked to have control of an offensive scheme that he's only been studying for the past couple of weeks.

While some of the language and terminology is the same from back in 2012—his rookie year with head coach Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles—the differences are enough that he's been cramming and staying after practice for extra time in the film room over the past 17 days.

Young Players Gaining Valuable Experience Should Help Down the Road from Chiefs.com

"That's one of the positives," Chiefs head coach Andy Reid explained after Saturday's game against the Rams. "We had a couple of rookies start in the secondary, we had, in essence, a rookie linebacker who was starting for us at that ‘Mike' position."

Rookies D.J. White (cornerback) and Eric Murray (safety) both started in the defensive backfield against the Rams on Saturday night, while second-year player Justin March, who missed all of last season because of a knee injury suffered in the first preseason game, started next toDerrick Johnson at the "Mike" linebacker position.

"I just think that it's valuable -€” valuable reps," Reid added. "We need to tighten it up, though. We need to do a better job all the way along on both sides of the ball."

Murray and White actually led the Chiefs defense in snaps played on Saturday night, with 35 and 32, respectively.

Chiefs' heady rookie cornerback D.J. White gets his shot against Rams from The Kansas City Star

Rookie cornerback D.J. White could barely contain his enthusiasm when secondary coach Al Harris told him he was starting the Chiefs' preseason game against the Rams on Saturday.

"I can't even lie, I was excited man," said White, a sixth-round pick from Georgia Tech. "They told me in a subtle kind of way."

And sure enough, once the game — a 21-20 Chiefs loss — started, White was out there with the base defense, playing opposite star cornerback Marcus Peters and shifting inside to cover the slot when the Chiefs went in nickel.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said White, who recorded two tackles in the game, earned the opportunity based on the way he's been practicing and his performance in the preseason opener, a 17-16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in which White had four tackles and broke up a pass by squeezing a slant route and forcing an incompletion with suffocating coverage.

Chiefs are racing the clock to get Nick Foles prepared from ESPN

Nick Foles got his night started on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams with a completed pass to Travis Kelce. The play gained just 7 yards but still gave the Kansas City Chiefs a first down.

Foles would complete five more passes before his first incompletion and finish 18-of-22, the result of throwing mostly shorter patterns.

Still, Foles' game was comforting to the Chiefs, who are in hurry-up mode in getting their backup quarterback ready. The Chiefs need Foles ready to play in the event of injury to starting quarterback Alex Smith when the regular season begins on Sept. 11 and the race is on.

Snap counts show Chiefs' emphasis at QB is getting Nick Foles ready from ESPN

It's no coincidence the one Kansas City Chiefs player who didn't start in Saturday night's game against the Los Angeles Rams but still led his position in snaps was quarterback Nick Foles, who joined his new team only earlier this month.

Here's a look at the snap counts at quarterback and the other positions from Saturday night's game and what they all mean:

Rams' Case Keenum looks more like a starter than Jared Goff from The Los Angeles Times

He was solid in the preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys, completing six of seven passes. He was solid again Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs, taking the Rams down the field on two touchdown drives.

Keenum displayed his experience on his third play from scrimmage, when receiver Kenny Britt gained a half-step on Chiefs free safety Ron Parker. Keenum launched the football toward Britt, resulting in a pass interference call on Parker and a 41-yard gain.

"He read it out and let it fly," Fisher said. "Good things happen when you do that."

Keenum completed four of five passes against the Chiefs.

Rams' secondary is a primary area of concern from The Los Angeles Times

The secondary ranked as one of the Rams' greatest concerns going into the off-season and it remains so with two exhibition games remaining before the season opener.

Free-agent departures by cornerback Janoris Jenkins and safety Rodney McLeod left voids that were exposed again in the Rams' victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday.

Franchise cornerback Trumaine Johnson gave up a big play, the secondary looked confused on a second-quarter touchdown pass to receiver Jeremy Maclin, and cornerback Lamarcus Joyner was ejected after an exchange with Maclin near the end of the first half.

Coach Jeff Fisher said Sunday that the cornerback spot opposite Johnson remains "up in the air" as the Rams prepare for Saturday night's exhibition at Denver.

Chiefs look to add St. Louis to fanbase from The St. Louis Post-Dispatch

For example, say the Chiefs wanted to hold a couple of days of joint practices with the Bears, Colts, or Titans during training camp. Maybe it would make sense to split the distance and hold those workouts in St. Louis.

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"As you've seen around the league, more and more of these training camps have either dual team practices or scrimmages or stadium events," Donovan said. "We're looking at all those, whether it's in St. Louis or Arrowhead or here (Missouri Western State University)."

Less on the "outer fringe" is the concept of the offseason caravan, in which team officials and players travel to various cities and towns in the region to meet and greet fans.

Dion Lewis' Surgery Opens Door For Patriots' James White, Possible Trade from NESN

— The Patriots could still elect to trade for a running back, and the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans have the most depth at the position.

— The Chiefs have Jamaal Charles, Charcandrick West, Spencer Ware and Knile Davis. Davis seems like the most likely candidate to be traded, since West and Ware took over last season — and received new contracts — after Charles went down.