Chiefs Fall To Chargers, 37-20

In our preview for today’s Chiefs-Chargers game, we noted that it was essential that Kansas City win the turnover battle to have a chance against a good San Diego team. It is only fitting that the Chiefs turned the ball over six times in route to a 37-20 loss to the Chargers that was never close. The loss drops the team’s record to 1-3 on the season.

Last week, Kansas City was able to overcome a slow start to pull off a thrilling comeback win over the Saints. Today was a different story, as the Chiefs once again started slow but never really threatened to make it a game. San Diego scored the first 20 points of the game, capitalizing on three Matt Cassel first half interceptions. The first quarter was so bad for the Chiefs that the team found itself down 17-0 after only running five offensive plays. After Jamaal Charles scored on an eye-popping 37 yard run, the team cut the score to 20-6 (Kansas City botched the PAT). Cassel threw a pick six only a few minutes later, and the fat lady was warming up at halftime.

The Chief showed a little life early in the second half, scoring a touchdown to make it a two score game. However, the offense went three-and-out on the team’s next two possessions, and Shaun Draughn fumbled on the next to essentially end the game.

Kansas City was won only three of its last 11 home games, a startling statistic for a team that prides itself on its home field advantage. Home or away, this team simply has no shot to win when it turns the ball over. The Chiefs once again ran the ball effectively today; it just found itself in a hole because the Chargers routinely had a short field. Kansas City has been outscored 41-6 in the first quarter this season, terrible news for a run-oriented team.

Things don’t get any easier for the Chiefs, as they host the Baltimore Ravens next week. Unless the team pulls off a big upset, it looks like this will be another losing season in Kansas City.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Chiefs Fall To Packers, 24-3

The Chiefs wrapped up another lackluster preseason last night, falling to Green Bay Packers 24-3. After winning its first preseason game in convincing fashion, Kansas City lost its remaining three. The team is now 7-29 in exhibition games since 2004.

Most of the game was a battle of the backups, but the Chiefs first-string offense looked good early on. The team moved the ball consistently, and found a lot of success on the ground. Despite gaining a lot of yards, Kansas City could only muster three points. One drive stalled and Ryan Succop missed a 54 yard field goal, and another drive ended with a Brady Quinn interception when the Chiefs were about to score. From there, things went south in a hurry.

Offensively, Ricky Stanzi and Alex Tanney struggled to consistently move the ball, and the Chiefs got almost nothing through the air. Despite rushing for 247 yards for the game, Kansas City only scored three points, although it should be expected that the team’s third and fourth string quarterbacks would have trouble lighting up the scoreboard.

The biggest concern Chiefs fans should have is how the team’s defense played. Packers backup QB Graham Harrell had been having a terrible preseason, but he absolutely lit-up the Chiefs last night. Harrell finished 13 of 15 with 223 yards, and he led the Packers to a touchdown on all three of his possessions, and all three were long scoring drives. On some plays, the Packers’ receivers were wide open, and while Green Bay boasts one of the most talented and deepest WR corps in the league, most of these players will likely not even make the team for Green Bay.

The entire preseason exposed one of the Chiefs’ biggest weaknesses – the team has a severe lack of depth, particularly on defense. What makes this troubling is that the team still does not know if Brandon Flowers or Kendrick Lewis will be ready for the start of the season, and Tamba Hali is suspended for the first game. Injuries are a regular occurrence in the NFL, and if the Chiefs suffer any more on defense, it doesn’t appear that it has a lot of guys who can step in and play at a high level.

Kansas City’s regular season starts next Sunday at 12:00 p.m. when the team hosts the Atlanta Falcons.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Kansas City Chiefs-Seattle Seahawks Preview

The third preseason game is considered by football fans and players to be the most important, as teams traditionally play their starters for the majority of the game and treat the contest more like the regular season. The Chiefs third preseason game is tonight, when the team will host the Seattle Seahawks.

It has been an up-and-down preseason so far for Kansas City - the team looked very sharp in its opening game win against the Arizona Cardinals yet struggled in its second game in a loss against the St. Louis Rams. The biggest story line for the Chiefs is the newly-signed Dwayne Bowe and what role he will play. Bowe recently signed his franchise tender after skipping the team’s entire offseason program and the first two preseason games, so he has had only a few days to learn the new playbook. While he likely will only see a few series, head coach Romeo Crennel has indicated that Bowe will see the field.

Bowe isn’t the only big story line for tonight’s game. The Chiefs are still sorting out some position battles, particularly at back-up quarterback. Brady Quinn and Ricky Stanzi have been battling for the number two spot all preseason, and it appears that Quinn likely has the upper-hand to be next-in-line after Matt Cassel. Cassel has had some injury problems in the past, which makes the team’s QB2 battle intriguing.

Seattle raised a few eyebrows this week when it announced that rookie quarterback Russell Wilson would start the all-important third preseason game. Wilson, a third-round draft pick out of Wisconsin, has played well this preseason, and it appears he has a legitimate shot to win the starting job in Seattle. Most thought that Matt Flynn, who was signed as a free agent to a lucrative deal, would earn the position. Flynn has spent his career spelling NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, and looked impressive filling in for the Rodgers when he was hurt for a game in 2011 and didn’t play the team’s regular season finale last year as they had already locked up the top playoff seed. The Seahawks will likely be watching both very closely tonight, with the regular season only a couple weeks away.

Game time tonight at Arrowhead Stadium is 7:00 p.m. The Chiefs will wrap up their preseason next Thursday, when the team travels to Lambeau Field to play the Packers.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Chiefs Conclude Camp, Prepare for Rams

The Chiefs 2012 training camp is officially over, as the team held its final practice yesterday. The team has made some strides, looking very good in its first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals and establishing a depth chart. However, Kansas City has also suffered a few key injuries, and has several questions to answer with the regular season approaching.

The biggest question for Chiefs fans is the status of All-Pro wide receiver Dwayne Bowe – and at the moment, we don’t have an answer. The team failed to reach a long-term deal with their best wide receiver, and Bowe is currently holding out for a better deal. Some speculate that the team may choose not to resign Bowe, as the Chiefs will have several other important players who will need to be resigned in the near future, including Branden Albert, Jovan Belcher, Glenn Dorsey, Brandon Siler and Dustin Colquitt. Jonathan Baldwin, the team’s 2011 first round pick, had an impressive camp, and the team has other reliable receivers such as Steve Breaston. There is no denying, however, that Bowe makes the Chiefs a better team, and Kansas City is running out of time to get something done.

The Chiefs have also dealt with several injuries, and Brandon Flowers, Cameron Sheffield, DeQuan Menzie and Cyrus Gray will all miss the team’s second preseason game tomorrow against the St. Louis Rams. Flowers’ injury is the most concerning, as his hurt foot has yet to heal. Flowers should be ready to go by the time the regular season starts, but it would be nice for the Chiefs’ best corner to get some preseason reps in.

Kansas City travels to St. Louis tomorrow for its second preseason game. The Rams’ looked terrible in their first preseason contest, getting destroyed by the Indianapolis Colts 38-3. Many thought St. Louis would be improved this year, with Sam Bradford maturing and new head coach Jeff Fisher running the team, but their first preseason game was a disappointment. Kansas City looked very sharp in its first preseason game, and tomorrow’s game will be a good opportunity for the team to continue to work in its new offense.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Chiefs 2012 Tickets Now Available

The Chiefs have just made 2012 single game tickets available to the general public. Earlier this week, Jackson County residents were able to buy tickets, and now all Chiefs fans can reserve their seats for the upcoming season.

Tickets may be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, by phone at (800) 745-3000, in person at a Ticketmaster outlet, or at the Arrowhead Stadium Ticket Office. Tickets start at $30. For a full listing of Ticketmaster outlets, please click here.

Aside from single-game tickets, fans can also purchase a Pick 5 plan or a Divisional 3-Pack plan. The Pick 5 plan lets fans pick four regular season games of their choice paired with a preseason game, while the Divisional 3-Pack provides a ticket to all three AFC West home games.

The team has several marquee home contests that will likely determine how far the Chiefs will go this year. Kansas City opens the season hosting the Atlanta Falcons, and also has early home dates with the San Diego Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens in back-to-back weeks. The Chiefs have a critical three-game home stand that starts in late November, when the team will host the Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers in consecutive weeks. This stretch could very well determine the Chiefs’ playoff fate, as the team will be fresh off road contests against San Diego and Pittsburgh. Kansas City’s final home game comes in week 16, when the team hosts the Indianapolis Colts and recent top overall draft pick Andrew Luck.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.