Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 8/24

Four Observations from Tuesday's Practice from Chiefs.com

1. A number of players returned to the football field.

Quarterback Tyler Bray, who suffered a chip fracture in his cervical spine against the Seattle Seahawks, was back taking snaps after Nick Foles.

Cornerback Phillip Gaines (ACL), who was held out against the Los Angeles Rams, was back on the field.

Finally, running back Charcandrick West (elbow), who was also held out against the Rams, was back on the field.

What We Learned From Tuesday's Media Availability from Chiefs.com

Q: Have you ever had a starting quarterback competition or a number two quarterback competition? 

REID: "Probably not that I can remember. I guess the closest one would probably be Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick. It was Kevin Kolb's job, but he got hurt, then, Michael stepped in. Really haven't had much. We had Donovan [McNabb] for all those years. We don't have one here and that's a good thing."

Q: What kind of comfort does that give you as a head coach?

REID: "Very comfortable. Even with the young guys, I felt good about them. Adding Nick [Foles] into the mix even gives you a little bit of security just from the standpoint that he's played in games and has snaps in games. There's a definite comfort; I think for everybody on that. They still have to play and do well when they have an opportunity -€” if they have an opportunity."

Don't look for Tamba Hali, Jamaal Charles or Eric Berry to play in Chiefs preseason games from The Kansas City Star

Two games remain in the NFL preseason, and for the Chiefs that's probably going to mean two more games without some of the marquee players.

On a day when outside linebacker Tamba Hali returned to practice on a limited basis, joining running back Jamaal Charles who started dipping his toe in the water last week, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he'd need to be 100 percent confident in their health and conditioning to see either on the field Saturday at Chicago or the following week against Green Bay.

And Reid isn't there yet.

Tamba Hali's return means changes for Chiefs linebackers from Chiefs Digest

Hali's return means fewer opportunities deeper down the depth chart in one of the more intriguing position battles on the team. The Chiefs are also without Justin Houston, and there's no timetable yet on his return. The ability of Hali and Houston to get on the field at top form has a ripple effect on roster decisions down the line.

It does speak to the team's depth at outside linebacker that the absence of two Pro Bowl pass rushers has not diminished the team's performance against the pass in the preseason. The Chiefs held Seattle to 248 yards passing in the first preseason game and Los Angeles to 125 yards on Saturday while notching two sacks in each game.

Kansas City Star Video: Raw: Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali returns to practice

Observations from first Chiefs practice back in Kansas City from Chiefs Digest

Head coach Andy Reid said he presumes the offensive line of Eric Fisher, Parker Ehinger, Mitch Morse, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Mitchell Schwartz to be the starting group Sept. 11 against San Diego. But anything can happen in the next two weeks.

"I think they're getting better as they go," Reid said. "I think we've got seven or eight guys that I feel pretty comfortable with that could go in there and play. Definitely seven that I feel are starting caliber that I've got full confidence could play and start for us. Whatever goes there goes, but right now that's the starting group that you're seeing."

Chiefs formulating a plan for Eric Berry's eventual return from ESPN

The Chiefs remain hopeful Berry will be not only available but ready to play in the Sept. 11 season opener against the San Diego Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium. Coach Andy Reid even discussed a plan for Berry once he returns.

"I think it's important to see what kind of shape he is in and then gradually bring him back into the football speed of things,'' Reid said. "I don't think it's the end of the world if he doesn't play in the last preseason game. The most important thing is to put eyes on him and see what kind of shape he is in so we don't put him at risk out there."

Marcus Peters might need to show some patience this season from ESPN

Peters figures to see less action this season, not only because he's proved himself. The Chiefs are also searching for someone to adequately handle the other cornerback spot.

If he's a little bit lonely, that will test Peters. He loves the competition, and more than once in practice and games he's peeled off the receiver he's covering to make a play on the ball headed to a different receiver.

"I don't (have) patience," he said. "I'm going to get agitated real fast, and I'm going to see where I can help to see what I can do for the defense. I do all those things positively. I don't do anything (to cause) negative plays for the defense."

Football 2016, coming Sunday: Nearly 46 years ago, Chiefs were kings of the world from The Kansas City Star

Today, nearly 46 years later, the Chiefs and their fans are still waiting for a return visit to football's greatest stage.

You can read about their pursuit, plus a little about the long wait, in Sunday's "Football 2016" special section of The Kansas City Star, and on kansascity.com. Also covered in the annual preview will be Mizzou, K-State, Kansas, other area colleges and the Metro's 100-plus high schools.

Ultimate 'Madden NFL 17' preview: Best players, best teams and more from ESPN

Biggest takeaway: The Chiefs' defense finished No. 2 in Football Outsiders' DVOA metric last season -- and that was with OLB Justin Houston (97 overall rating) missing all or most of the final six games. So Kansas City showed enough to be one of the top-three defenses, but ...

Biggest surprise: How didn't the Broncos finish with the best rating?!?

Rams tape review: Breaking down plays from L.A.'s 21-20 victory over the Chiefs from The Los Angeles Tim

The Rams are undefeated in L.A. after two preseason games against the Dallas Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Each week, we'll take a look at several offensive and defensive plays in an attempt to better understand what the Rams' strengths and weaknesses are.

What: Jeremy Maclin catches a nine-yard pass

Down: Third and nine

Time: 10:24 left in first quarter

Chiefs Camp Report: A Warm and Fuzzy Feeling from MMQB

Smith has never been known for his big arm, but he's coming off a season in which the offense was opened up to him more than ever before—a trend that will continuing in 2016. Last year, after the Chiefs fell to 1-5 and lost top offensive weapon Jamaal Charles to an ACL tear, they rattled off 11 straight wins, in large part by handing the keys to the offense over to Smith.

"It is really a compliment to Jamaal when I say: I feel like we got more complex when he was out," Smith says. "Because Jamaal is such a freak player, he gets you out of stuff. When you run into bad looks, it doesn't matter, because Jamaal will sometimes break those into his longest runs. I felt like we grew not being able to always lean on him."

'Hard Knocks' recap: A reminder to go easy on Gurley, plus heart-wrenching moments from The Los Angels Times

Mike Waufle, the defensive line coach, saved his harshest words for the Kansas City Chiefs. Waufle yelled at the Chiefs' No. 75, offensive tackle Jah Reid, after he was penalized for a chop block. Rams defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks was injured on the play.

"You suck, 75," Waufle yelled, among other words, from the sideline.

What we learned: Bears will be short-handed Saturday at Soldier Field from The Chicago Tribune

After not practicing Monday, they still were without 15 players, excluding the two on the physically unable to perform list. Tuesday's injury report included some top contributors, such as running back Jeremy Langford (left foot), right guard Kyle Long (shoulder), inside linebacker Danny Trevathan (hamstring).

"There's a difference between injuries and owies," coach John Fox said. "So we've had a couple injuries, and now it's just about getting everybody healthy for" the season opener in Houston on Sept. 11.

Ex-Chief running with big dogs as member of family hip-hop duo from The Hutchinson News

Not long ago, "Junior" Hemingway's biggest concern was dropping passes.

But after joining forces with his cousin in the hip-hop tandem CDM, the former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver is much more focused on dropping beats.

It's already been a productive first year for the fledgling group, releasing music projects at a furious pace in order to spread their name, which is short for Cut Dog Music.

Marcus Mariota in QB rankings: Ahead of Osweiler, behind Winston from The Tennessean

20. Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

His aversion to risk can make him frustrating to watch. While Smith avoids costly mistakes, he also limits the potential of Kansas City's offense -- downfield weapons Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce should be granted more play-making opportunities via more daring throws. But Smith is supremely accurate and effective on the move, making him a primary reason the running game actually improved even after Jamaal Charles' season-ending injury in 2015.

Gators kicker Eddy Pineiro has a low bar to clear from The Florida Times-Review

After enrolling at UF, Pineiro spent the summer going to more camps and worked with former Gators kicker Caleb Sturgis of the Philadelphia Eagles, Cairo Santos of the Kansas City Chiefs and Chris Boswell of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"I've developed some good skills," Pineiro said.

Those skills have yet to be shown in a real game, which comes on Sept. 3 against Massachusetts.