Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 8/28

Game Recap: Chiefs Notch First Preseason Win Against Bears from Chiefs.com

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Chicago Bears, 23-7, at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, Saturday afternoon to improve to 1-2 on the preseason.

Alex Smith completed 20-of-30 attempts for 181 yards and also rushed for 25 more yards while Spencer Ware scored his third rushing touchdown of the preseason.

The Chiefs defense held the Bears to just 20 total yards, and -7 passing yards, in the first half as the Chiefs built a 13-0 lead after 30 minutes on a pair of Cairo Santos field goals.

Chiefs vs. Bears: 10 Observations from Chiefs.com

1. Defense thoroughly dominated the first half

The story of Saturday's game was the dominance by the Chiefs defense, particularly in the first half.

The easiest way to illustrate this performance was that quarterback Alex Smith had more rushing yards in the first half (25) than the Bears had total yards of offense (18).

Coming into this game, the Chiefs run defense had given up almost 6 yards per carry through the first two preseason games, but they responded this week and shut the Bears down—allowing just 27 yards on 9 carries through the first 30 minutes of the game.

The Bears had minus-9 passing yards in the first half.

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

OPENING STATEMENT: "Ones and twos, I thought did a good job. We were able to get guys in the game. Give Dorsey and his guys an opportunity to evaluate the people they wanted to evaluate. We closed this game out, which we hadn't done in the last year. That's a positive."

On injuries: "As far as injuries, we really didn't have any injuries. We had one sickness, Mitch Morse, caught the flu last night and this morning. He wasn't able to go; he tried and warmed up."

On Phillip Gaines: "He didn't have a setback. We were keeping it somewhere between eight and ten plays. He was somewhere in that area. That was good. I thought it was important for him to get back in to make sure he was confident. He did a good job when he was in there.

Zach Fulton Surprised By Game-Time Decision to Start at "Home" from Chiefs.com

Morse hadn't really been feeling right all week, so when that continued Saturday, head coach Andy Reid and offensive line coach Andy Heck went in a different direction.

That direction was Fulton, who also happened to have his father and Michael Patterson, one of his high school coaches, in attendance. This was the first time Fulton was playing as a professional in his home state of Illinois, where he attended Homewood-Flossmoor High School.

"It was definitely a pretty cool feeling," Fulton said. "It was my first time being home during a football season since high school, so it was actually pretty cool to finally play here and play at home."

Five Things to Know About Cornerback Kenneth Acker from Chiefs.com

The Kansas City Chiefs announced they acquired cornerback Kenneth Acker from the San Francisco 49ers in exchanged for an undisclosed draft pick on Saturday afternoon.

Here are five things to know about the newest Chiefs player:

A pleasant surprise

While the Chiefs were making moves on the field during the preseason game against the Chicago Bears, the front office was making moves of its own, acquiring cornerback Acker from the San Francisco49ers.

A ‘Superfly' preview of the Chiefs' 2016 season, with appearances by ‘Shaft' and ‘The Mack' from The Kansas City Star

It's been nearly 47 years since the Chiefs last won the Super Bowl, and to hammer home how long ago that was, let's just consider the following facts:

In 1969, Gas cost 36 cents a gallon.

Jimi Hendrix was still alive.

I'm only 32. But people often assume I'm older, because I look that way and I have an old soul. Hence my love for such 1970s films as "Superfly," "Shaft" and "The Mack."

To capture the spirit of how long it's been since the Chiefs played in The Big Game, I'm going to preview the upcoming season with some sterilized quotes* from these films in a column format made famous by former ESPN writer Bill Simmons (thanks Bill!).

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/red-zone/article98319622.html#storylink=cpy

Alex Smith-led offense having productive preseason for Chiefs from The Kansas City Star

Ten possessions in a game is a smidge low on average for an NFL team, but for the sake of discussion let's call it a full game's worth of drives.

Alex Smith has been the Chiefs quarterback for 10 possessions in three preseason games, with half of them occurring in Saturday's 23-7 victory over the Chicago Bears.

If those drives were in one game, the Chiefs would have scored 37 points, enough to win nearly every game.

With Smith operating against opponents' starting defenses, the Chiefs have scored four touchdowns and three field goals and punted three times. All but one possession collected at least one first down.

Red-zone woes plague Chiefs in victory over Bears from ESPN

When it was starters vs. starters, the Chiefs looked:Better on defense. Much better. The starters played the first half and allowed the Bears 20 yards and two first downs on 18 plays. The run defense had been porous, but the Bears rushed for just 27 yards on nine carries in the first half. It's too early to say the Chiefs have fixed all of their problems, perhaps, but it's a good sign nonetheless.

Chiefs throttle Bears in preseason tuneup for starters from Chiefs Digest

Quarterback Alex Smith and the first-team offense picked up where they left off a week ago against Los Angeles, putting together a 13-0 halftime lead with Smith completing 20-30 passing for 181 yards and a touchdown.

But the Chiefs defense led the way early for once, and continued the domination throughout.

Head coach Andy Reid stressed the need for the defense to start games more quickly.

"I thought the front seven did a good job," Reid said during his postgame press conference. "I thought the line and the linebackers were flying around right from the start."

Alex Smith and the Chiefs offense look ready for the regular season from ESPN

The offensive starters were scheduled to play into the third quarter, but they left at halftime because they took 45 snaps, an unusually high number for 30 minutes.

Thirty of those plays were Smith passes.

"It was important I thought that he had a chance to sling it around a little bit with those guys," Reid said.

Chiefs' run defense finally steps up in 23-7 preseason win over Bears from The Kansas City Star

It was Saturday, only 15 minutes or so until the start of the Chiefs' 23-7 exhibition win over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, but you wouldn't have been able to tell this was a meaningless game, given the passion with which Johnson — a 12-year veteran — spoke.

From rows and rows away, fans could see Johnson shouting at his teammates and pumping his fist. This game would not count in the standings, but as the Chiefs' third exhibition — starters typically sit in the fourth — it would be their last real tuneup before the season opener against the San Diego Chargers on Sept. 11.

Smith, Chiefs look sharp in 23-7 victory over Bears from The Associated Press via ESPN

Alex Smith looked sharp in leading three scoring drives in the first half and the Kansas City Chiefs got a 23-7 preseason victory over the Chicago Bears on Saturday.

Smith completed 20 of 30 passes for 181 yards before Nick Foles came in to start the third quarter. The defense strangled Chicago's offense, and the Chiefs (1-2) came away with the win after dropping their first two exhibitions.

Kansas City has one more tuneup against Green Bay before opening against San Diego on Sept. 11. But in what is generally the final dress rehearsal for the starters, the Chiefs dominated.

Derrick Johnson's long journey, relentless professionalism, and ‘a little craziness' from The Kansas City Star

It's a beautiful ballet of speed, power, and brains, and his hands are on Langford 4 yards behind the line scrimmage, before the back takes a single step upfield. This play is dead. It's all over except the tackle, but then a bizarre thing happens to the Chiefs' all-time leading tackler. Langford's right hand extends into Johnson's face mask, driving the linebacker into the grass.

Should have been a loss. Bring on the punt team. Instead, Langford converts the first down. Johnson has made 990 tackles in his career. He has missed far fewer, but even now, with four Pro Bowls and millions of dollars and respect throughout the industry, one miss in a preseason game gnaws at his soul.

"That pissed me off," he says. "Agh. As a linebacker, they do a toss play, and the hole opens up, that's like heaven to me."

Pressure is mounting on the Chiefs' Dee Ford to deliver from The Kansas City Star

On summer days at Missouri Western State University, a dozen or so Chiefs linebackers pour into a room at the indoor football complex for daily film sessions.

The man in charge of these meetings is linebackers coach Gary Gibbs, a tall, gray-haired man of 64. He is a teacher, and a straight shooter; the stakes on Sundays are too high not to be.

"We don't hide from the truth," Gibbs said.

It is here, in these reviews of the day's on-field practice work, that anxiety about the state of the Chiefs' edge rush begins to come into focus.

Chiefs acquire cornerback Kenneth Acker from San Francisco for draft pick from The Kansas City Star

The Chiefs added to their glut of young cornerbacks on Saturday, as they acquired second-year pro Kenneth Acker from San Francisco for a draft pick.

Dorsey and the Chiefs, per team policy, declined to disclose the nature of the pick, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reported it is a seventh-round pick in 2018.

Acker, 24, was a sixth-round pick of the 49ers in 2014 and is listed at 6 feet and 194 pounds. He started 13 games for the 49ers last season -€” primarily as an outside corner general manager John Dorsey said -€” while recording 65 tackles, eight pass deflections and three interceptions.

Chiefs add yet another option at cornerback with Kenneth Acker from ESPN

The Chiefs now have a crowd at cornerback and will be cutting at least one player at that position who, before the deal, appeared as if he was going to make it to the regular-season roster.

Acker started 13 games for the 49ers last season. A sixth-round pick by the 49ers in 2014, Acker had three interceptions last season.

"He's a backup corner that can help us,'' Chiefs general manager John Dorsey said.

Chiefs GM John Dorsey on Eric Berry: ‘When he gets here, he gets here' from The Kansas City Star

If Berry arrives early next week, Chiefs coach Andy Reid doesn't expect to see him play in Thursday's game against the Packers.

"I would lean away from that," Reid said. "I want to see what shape he's in first."

Chiefs won't waste time getting Eric Berry ready once he arrives from ESPN

Days spent on the lake drowning some worms have taught Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid lessons about football players and their availability for practice and games.

"I've fished once or twice and I don't count the fish until it's in the boat," Reid said.

So neither Reid nor general manager John Dorsey would discuss Eric Berry's imminent return to the Chiefs after Saturday's 23-7 win over the Chicago Bears. But Berry, the Chiefs' franchise player, is expected to sign his one-year contract worth about $10.8 million and join them for practice on Monday.

Chiefs acquire CB Kenneth Acker from 49ers from Chiefs Digest

Acker had a breakthrough season in 2015, playing in 15 games and making 16 starts for the 49ers. He totaled 65 tackles along with three interceptions.

But Acker's playing time decreased as the 2015 season wore on, and he eventually lost his starting job. Acker ranked fourth on the most recent 49ers depth chart at left cornerback.

Kansas City Chiefs use ball control offense, stingy defense to beat Chicago Bears from The Sports Xchange via UPI

Smith, playing only the first half, completed 20 of 30 passes for 181 yards as Kansas City controlled the ball for nearly 22 of the 30 minutes. The Chiefs, however, were stymied twice near the goal line and had to settle for field goals, not scoring a touchdown until Spencer Ware's 1-yard run with 10 seconds remaining in the half.

Kansas City Chiefs' pass-catching options behind Maclin, Kelce showing promise from Pro Football Weekly via Madison.com

Without their top two pass rushers and All-Pro safety, the Chiefs' first-string 'D' suffocated the Bears while surrendering just 20 yards and two first downs in a 23-7 win that wasn't as close as it sounds Saturday.

Indeed, the Kansas City defense is built to withstand significant losses — not exactly breaking news after seeing what it did despite missing Justin Houston in the second half of 2015.

What a waste of a Saturday at Soldier Field watching Bears from The Chicago Tribune

In the final dress rehearsal for starters before the regular season, the Bears flubbed their lines and hardly looked ready for opening night. In what the NFL community considers every team's most important exhibition game, the Bears delivered their least impressive effort of preseason. This was a waste of a perfectly good weekend afternoon. So many cluttered garages around the Chicago area deserved better.

"I don't think it was all bad,'' Bears coach John Fox insisted.

Oh, but it was, Coach. Remember those good vibes and momentum the Bears created against the Patriots? They never made the trip back from New England, quickly replaced by a mixture of anxiety and dread over a team that resembled one of the worst in the league.

What we learned: Siemian does enough for Broncos from NFL.com

7. The Alex Smith-led Chiefs are far from must-watch TV on offense, but coach Andy Reid must be pleased with Saturday's effort. Smith hit 20 of 30 passes for 181 yards as Kansas City dominated the clock with their starters on the field. Dinking-and-dunking to-and-fro, Smith scrambled for 25 yards and hit eight different targets along the way. Kansas City owned the ball for 21:54 of the first half and outgained Chicago 239 yards to 20 while building a 13-0 lead at the break. Smith led scoring drives of 13, 10 and 11 plays and out-snapped the Bears 45-18 over the first two quarters. In essence, an Andy Reid fever dream.

Raiders look unstoppable, Giants and Bears look disastrous: 13 preseason takeaways from CBS Sports

The Bears' starters (most of them, anyway) were simply embarrassed by the Chiefs in the first half. The ugly numbers: Chicago ran 18 plays before halftime en route to being out-possessed by the Chiefs, 21:54 to 8:06. Those 18 plays totaled 20 yards. That's an average of 1.11 yards per play. They were out-gained 239-20. They totaled -7 (yes, negative 7) passing yards in the first half, and only 27 rushing yards.

They allowed the Chiefs to go on three drives of 10 plays or more, all of which ended in scores. Had Andy Reid not elected to kick two field goals from inside the 10-yard line, they might have totaled more than 13 points, too.

FOX TO PAIR MLS WITH NFL FOR FIRST TIME ON SEPTEMBER 18 from Awful Announcing

One, while Fox confirmed that the markets of Los Angeles, Kansas City and New York City would be able to watch their local game, that doesn't necessarily mean their local NFL team wouldn't be playing at the same time. For example, the Kansas City Chiefs play in Houston on CBS at the same time as Sporting Kansas City on Fox. Kansas City has one of the better MLS fanbases but they may be fighting a losing battle by directly competing with the Chiefs.