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Peter King Awards Todd Haley With His MMQB Coach Of The Week Nod

First place San Diego will travel to the Jets this week, while the Raiders and Chiefs will face off in a huge game for Kansas City's season.

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35 Total Updates since October 17, 2011
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Peter King Awards Todd Haley With His MMQB Coach Of The Week Nod

Peter King heartily approves the performance of the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday in their shutout of Oakland, 28-0. King gave his weekly Defensive Player of the Week nod to the Chiefs Derrick Johnson, who had 13 tackles on the day including an impressive performance that stopped the Raiders along the goal line. But King also gave Todd Haley his coach of the week title, an interesting statement about a coach rumored to be on the verge of being fired just weeks ago.

King writes, “There’s quite a bit of mayhem swirling around the Chiefs and their third-year head coach in the wake Kansas City’s historically bad start. But to go into the Black Hole with the Raiders all revved up after the big deal for Carson Palmer, and to have the team playing hard, and to have made the cool call of a seven-yard Wildcat touchdown for Javier Arenas … just a very impressive day for Haley’s ability to command his team, even with all the noise reverberating around his job status.”

Haley definitely added to his bag of tricks during the bye week and the NFL is taking notice of a resurgent Chiefs team that’s suddenly in competition for the AFC West lead. While we might say, “Hats off” to Haley, it’s clear that Haley isn’t removing his hat anytime soon.

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Peter King Awards Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson With Defensive Player Of Week

In his Monday Morning Quarterback column, Peter King today gave the Kansas City Chiefs’ Derrick Johnson his Defensive Player of the Week nod after Johnson’s stellar performance for the Chiefs in their 28-0 win over the Oakland Raiders. From the goal line stand early in the game to his ability to get into the Oakland backfield throughout the game, Johnson certainly made his presence felt.

King writes, “And not just for his 13-tackle game in the 28-0 shutout of the Raiders in Oakland. With the Chiefs up 14-0, Oakland drove to the Chiefs’ two-yard line early in the second quarter. This was the time they’d get back in the game — if they were going to get back in the game at all. On second-and-goal from the two, Johnson stuffed running back Michael Bush after a one-yard gain. Third-and-goal from the one: Bush, no gain. Team tackle. Fourth-and-goal from the one: Bush over left guard, stoned by Johnson. And that was Oakland’s best chance of the day.”

For the day, Johnson had 13 tackles (12 solo) and he now has 44 on the year.

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Chiefs Vs. Raiders: Matt Cassel's Stat Line Doesn't Look Much Better Than Carson Palmer, Kyle Boller

The Kansas City Chiefs dominated the Oakland Raiders in a 28-0 win on the road in Oakland. Yet to look at the quarterback lines, it looks like everyone had a miserable day. That’s just how odd the Chiefs win was today in an afternoon that featured several defensive touchdowns, many penalties and a less-than-memorable debut for Carson Palmer in the silver and black.

Much is already being made of the Raiders quarterbacks in today’s game. Kyle Boller was miserable as the Raiders starter to open the game and finished with zero touchdowns and three interceptions. Carson Palmer came in to a standing ovation and delivered the same results as Boller: zero touchdowns and three interceptions. The interesting thing is how bad the stats look on the other side as well.

Matt Cassel of the Chiefs won by 28 and yet put up a similar line as his competitors. Cassel went 15 of 30 for 161 yards. He threw zero touchdowns and two interceptions of his own and his final QB rating for the game was 38.3. In other words, it looks like Cassel should have lost the game looking at his stats alone.

Still the Chiefs have to be overjoyed with today’s performance as a team and the Chiefs continue to do what it takes to win these last few weeks. Today was a dominating defensive performance against a team whose defense was celebrated all week leading up to the game. Despite Matt Cassel’s performance, the Chiefs are now ready to challenge for the division lead.

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Carson Palmer Will Eventually Pay Dividends For Oakland Raiders Despite Performance Today

The Carson Palmer trade cannot look any worse than it does right now, and it’s clear that the quarterback is rusty having just come over to the Oakland Raiders from the Cincinnati Bengals less than a week ago. That said, it’s important to remember that time and momentum are still with the Raiders and that the team is still in the hunt for the division lead. Although it might be hard to convince anyone close to the Raiders at this point that there’s good news to take from today.

From here, the Raiders enjoy the benefit of a bye week and they could certainly use it. They’re banged up at this point with Rolando McClain and Darren McFadden both significant members of the team who were injured to one degree or another during the Chiefs contest. The quarterbacks combined to throw zero touchdowns and three interceptions apiece and, at this point, Palmer didn’t look any better than Boller. However, he’s just arrived and the bye week will help acclimate him to the team.

This shows more than anything how valuable it is to have a player in a consistent system. As talented as an NFL player can be any any position, it’s nearly impossible to just come in and succeed consistently from the outset. Each system is tailored toward specific players with specific timing. Carson Palmer needs time to learn and adjust to those facets of the game that he simply has not had time to do. Hue Jackson was looking idiotic for keeping Palmer on the sidelines through the entire first half, but this is likely something he envisioned — knowing the game against the Chiefs wasn’t simply a matter of pitch and catch with the Raiders receivers.

From here on out, the pressure will be on Palmer to perform. The Raiders were aiming for the playoffs before he arrived and they certainly expect nothing less in Oakland after the trade. He must prove he’s the future because the Raiders mortgaged the future. But it’s clear that he will get better with time and the Raiders have already proven they can win on any given Sunday this year so far. While they just laid an egg against the Chiefs, that doesn’t necessarily insinuate what must happen for the rest of this season.

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VIDEO: Kansas City Chiefs Cornerback Javier Arenas Scores 7-Yard Rushing Touchdown

An already odd game continues to get weirder with each play, but it can’t get any better for fans of the Kansas City Chiefs. The latest turn came in the form of a trick play where cornerback and punt returner Javier Arenas lined up under center in the Wildcat formation before running it in 7 yards into the end zone to put the Chiefs up 21-0. You can catch the video below:


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Carson Palmer Warming Up For Oakland Raiders, Should Come Into Game In Second Half

Carson Palmer just grabbed his helmet and it’s clear that Kyle Boller is not going to get the job done for the Oakland Raiders at quarterback against the Kansas City Chiefs. That means that the popular acquisition might be suiting up for the Raiders after all. There’s nothing official yet but the crowd cheered when Palmer grabbed his helmet and is now warming up. It’s clear that Palmer will likely be coming out to provide some passion for the home crowd and some hope for the Raiders. The Chiefs defense needs to be ready to match the level of emotion likely to come in once Palmer joins the team as the official starter.

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Chiefs Vs. Raiders Update: Kyle Boller Still Starting Quarterback For Raiders In Second Half

Perhaps Kyle Boller won a bet somewhere. Perhaps his agent is also the Oakland Raiders head coach Hue Jackson’s agent. But no matter the reason, it’s a head-scratcher for sure given that anyone remotely paying attention to the Raiders game against the Kansas City Chiefs is wondering how Kyle Boller remains in the starting quarterback position above anyone else on the roster — Terrelle Pryor or Carson Palmer included.

For the game so far, Boller is 7 for 14 for 61 yards with 0 touchdowns and three interceptions. This means that Carson Palmer is likely nowhere near as close as anyone originally believed despite the smokescreens given out to the media during the week. When it comes to Boller’s play, he’s done absolutely nothing to make the coaching staff believe in him, meaning the Raiders are woefully short on options under center. As long as Boller is in there, the Raiders’ chances in this game are as poor as his stats.

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Kansas City Chiefs Lead Oakland Raiders 14-0 At Halftime

The Kansas City Chiefs are up 14-0 over the Oakland Raiders on the road in an unlikely first half that featured three interceptions by Raiders quarterback Kyle Boller, one of which was returned for one of KC’s touchdowns by Kendrick Lewis. The other Chiefs touchdown came on a touchdown run by Le’Ron McClain that was actually more of a fumble into the end zone recovered by Jon Asamoah. Either way, it’s an unexpected performance on the road for the Chiefs.

With a Chiefs win today and a Chargers loss to the New York Jets, that means next week’s game against the Chargers could be for the AFC West lead. Then again, there’s still one more half of football left and the Raiders are certainly a formidable team to contend with. On the road, the Chiefs still have their work cut out for them, but they have to be pleased so far.

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Will Carson Palmer Make His Raiders Debut In Second Half Against Kansas City Chiefs?

The crowd is chanting for it. Every fan watching the game has to be wondering about it. After all, Kyle Boller’s performance in the first half of the Oakland Raiders game against the Kansas City Chiefs has been miserable with 3 turnovers and his team is down 14-0. In other words, everyone believes Carson Palmer couldn’t be any worse, despite a lack of time with the playbook and team.

Palmer will certainly come out at halftime as the starter. If not, then Palmer is much farther behind than anyone thought or Hue Jackson is determined to make Boller his starter for at least this game and give Palmer a couple of weeks with the upcoming bye before declaring him the starter for good. At this point, however, Jason Campbell would be better under center for the Raiders.

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Darren McFadden Injury Update: McFadden's Ankle Heavily Taped On Sideline

Paul Gutierrez of Comcast Sports says that Darren McFadden’s ankle is not only wrapped but that it “looks like a mummy” at this point, a sign that the talented Oakland Raiders running back might not be back in the game anytime soon. After he first went out early in the first quarter, he was reported to have sustained a sprained foot and went back in the training room. He did, however, come back out on the sidelines after that.

Still, it might be Michael Bush from this point on for the Raiders who couldn’t put it in with Bush as the primary back on first and goal earlier in the game. Bush has put up good numbers so far, however, carrying 10 times for 78 yards. The Raiders are loaded in the backfield, so they can sustain an injury there, but they’ll need Bush to go all the way if they want to beat the Chiefs here and come back for 14 down.

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Darren McFadden Injury Update: Oakland RB Back On Sideline Against Chiefs With Sprained Foot

Steve Corkran is reporting that the official word on Oakland Raiders star running back Darren McFadden is out on the sidelines with a sprained foot and it’s not been determined whether or not he will come back into the game. It’s good news for Oakland, however, that McFadden is back on the sidelines after disappearing to the training room earlier in the game.

McFadden has already rushed for 610 yards this season and is the clear star for the Raiders offense. Without him, everything changes as illustrated by Michael Bush’s inability to get into the end zone in four tries from first and goal just a few minutes ago.

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Chiefs Vs. Raiders Update: Kansas City Up 14-0 At End Of First Quarter Over Oakland

It’s been a crazy game, that much is for sure. Kyle Boller has been exactly what you’d expect thus far with two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. The Chiefs passing game has opened up with Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breaston proving valuable alongside Jonathan Baldwin, the first round choice of the Chiefs this spring getting his first taste of NFL action. Then a touchdown was overturned for Bowe only to have the Chiefs score on a fumble recovery from Le’Ron McClain that was jumped on by Jon Asamoah. Then it’s credited back to McClain. So goes to the 14-0 game between the Chiefs and the Raiders.

The Raiders are hurting in a couple of positions. Carson Palmer is not yet ready to take over the Raiders apparently and yet the team is also without star running back Darren McFadden who is still not on the sideline after going back to the training room near the beginning of the game. Michael Bush has taken over the starting RB role for now.

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Chiefs-Raiders: Matt Cassel Throws Touchdown Pass To Dwayne Bowe For 14-0 Lead

For all of the talk this week about the arrival of Carson Palmer in Oakland and the momentum the team is feeling so far in 2011, it’s been the Kansas City Chiefs who are in full control on the road in today’s action so far. In the first quarter, the Chiefs now have a 14-0 lead after Matt Cassel threw a 16-yard touchdown strike to Dwayne Bowe. It’s Bowe’s fifth touchdown catch of the season. [Editor's note: Play was overturned and Chiefs scored one player later on a fumble recovered in end zone by guard Jon Asamoah.]

The Chiefs have now scored on offense and defense and you have to wonder whether or not Palmer will be coming out soon to replace Kyle Boller. After all, the Raiders have to be careful to not go down too much early in the game as a team predicated on their running game. Then again, the loss of Darren McFadden might change that. The Chiefs have to feel good about the way things are playing out so far in Oakland, that much is for sure.

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Chiefs-Raiders: Darren McFadden Injured For Oakland Raiders, Headed To Locker Room

Darren McFadden was being looked at on the sideline and then is now heading to the locker room — another top Raiders offensive performer injured after the team lost Jason Campbell just last week. However, the Raiders will miss Darren McFadden more than anyone else if there is really an injury of substance, despite the strong presence of a back-up in Michael Bush.

McFadden has rushed for 111 times for 610 yards on the season to go with four touchdowns. He’s easily the most dynamic performer on offense for a team that’s also going with Kyle Boller as the quarterback today even with the addition of Carson Palmer. If anything, the Raiders are a team in flux on offense today and the Kansas City Chiefs should take advantage throughout the game.

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Chiefs-Raiders: Jonathan Baldwin Gets First Catch As Member Of Kansas City Chiefs

It only took one series for the Kansas City Chiefs to begin to call Jonathan Baldwin’s number. It only took a few minutes to get his first official catch. The Chiefs’ first round draft choice from back in April’s NFL Draft is now a part of the active roster and the Chiefs should be going to him time and again with a newly expanded passing game that will keep the Raiders defensive backs working all day.

For Chiefs fans wondering what Baldwin will bring to the table, they are getting their first look today with the 14-yard completion from Matt Cassel early in the first quarter. Baldwin’s rare size and agility should make him an elite target in KC for years to come.

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Chiefs-Raiders: Kendrick Lewis Intercepts Kyle Boller's Pass And Returns For 59-Yard Touchdown

The positive vibe that accompanied the news that Kyle Boller would earn the start for the Oakland Raiders today was validated within the first few minutes. That’s because the Kansas City Chiefs defense took advantage of an errant Boller throw and Kendrick Lewis intercepted and returned it all the way to the end zone. The result: Kansas City leads the game 7-0.

After a rocky start with several penalties against the Chiefs, it’s nice to see the Chiefs taking the lead on the road against a formidable Raiders team. If Boller keeps it up, however, you’d better believe Hue Jackson is going to put in his prized possession of Carson Palmer.

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No Carson? Kyle Boller Looks To Be Starting Quarterback For Oakland Raiders Against Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Star’s Adam Teicher is reporting via Twitter that it looks as if Kyle Boller is going to get the start today for the Oakland Raiders against the Kansas City Chiefs over the newly acquired Carson Palmer.

If so, that’d be a surprise after all of the fireworks surrounding the acquisition from head coach Hue Jackson, but then again, it makes some sense given the short-term nature of Palmer’s familiarity with the Oakland playbook and even the fact that he hasn’t played since the end of last season.

We’ll keep you posted when it’s officially announced.

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Carson Palmer Update: The Decision To Start Is Up To The Raiders' QB

Earlier in the week, we heard Oakland Raiders' head coach Hue Jackson that he and he alone would be the one who decides who will start in place over the injured Jason Campbell in the Raiders upcoming contest versus the Chiefs. Now it looks like the much discussed former Cincinnati Bengals signal caller has the chance to make the decision himself.

ESPN's Colleen Dominguez, who is working the game live today, reported earlier that the question of whether Carson Palmer or Kyle Boller would get the start will be resolved by Palmer himself.

Its a question of who's better prepared to lead the Raiders' to victory, for the short and long term. The shaky and inconsistent Kyle Boller, or a former Pro Bowl quarterback who hasn't seen the field since his days as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals in Carson Palmer?

Kickoff for Chiefs vs. Raiders is at 4:05pm E.T. in O.co Stadium in Oakland.

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Oakland Raiders Set To Replace Sebastian Janikowski With Dave Rayner

Adam Schefter is reporting that the Oakland Raiders have decided upon their replacement kicker for Sebastian Janikowski with the rumored signing of Dave Rayner. It’s an unfortunate situation for the Raiders since their special teams have been excellent this year and Janikowski especially has been a major weapon, going five of six on 50-yard plus field goals.

Rayner, in his career, has played for five teams since 2005, earning spot duty for several teams from the Colts, Lions, Bengals, Chargers and even Kansas City. He definitely lacks the long leg of Janikowski with career numbers of 3 for 7 from the same distance. Overall, he’s 55 of 75 for a 73 percent field goal rate.

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Kansas City Chiefs Romeo Crennel Says Oakland Raiders And Darren McFadden Present 'Big Challenge'

Speaking today from the Kansas City Chiefs practice, defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel noted that the Oakland Raiders are going to present a “big challenge” for the Chiefs this weekend as they try to make it to 3-3 on the season and salvage a horrific beginning to the 2011 season. To do so, they are going to have to stop Darren McFadden, first and foremost, and Crennel says he realizes that’s the toughest job of any team facing the Raiders.

“We’ve come off the bye week and we’re trying to get back into it again — back in tune,” says Crennel. “Days off are nice, but you lose the routine, so you have to get back into the routine. We know we have a big game this week and have to go out there to Oakland. They’re feeling pretty good about themselves and they’ve been playing pretty good. So we have to go see what we can do. I don’t think they’re gonna change what they do very much, because they hand the ball off to McFadden. He’s running it good, so we’ve got a big challenge to show down and stop their running game.”

He also notes Michael Bush is another name to watch in the Oakland backfield and that both players will likely give the Chiefs a real challenge.

“They both are very good runners,” he said. “They both have speed. I think Bush is a more powerful guy inside when they run him inside, whereas McFadden, when he gets to the edge, he runs for touchdowns. Not that Bush can’t run for touchdowns, but they have a very good combination and they will use both of them. We will have our hands full.”

Darren McFadden has rushed for 610 yards on the season thus far.

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Adam Schefter: Sebastian Janikowski Will Officially Miss Oakland Raiders Game Against Kansas City Chiefs

It’s bad enough for the Oakland Raiders that they will be missing their kicker, Sebastian Janikowski, for this weekend’s game. It’s also clear that it could be several weekends until he’s ready to go again. That’s bad news for a team that is dangerous even from mid-field with Janikowski’s incredible 5 of 6 performance beyond 50 yards this season.

Adam Schefter is now saying that, ‘Raiders bringing in kickers today. They know they might have to shut down Sebastian Janikowski for a few weeks due to hamstring injury." No matter who they’re able to bring in, it’s clear that a major weapon of the Raiders has been shut down at this point. That puts more pressure on the Oakland offense to make sure to get down in the red zone. As if Carson Palmer wasn’t already facing enough as it is.

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Sebastian Janikowski Could Miss Oakland Raiders-Kansas City Chiefs Game

One of the NFL’s best kickers and one of the Oakland Raiders primary weapons is likely going to be out this weekend against the Kansas City Chiefs. This puts an already dramatic week for the Raiders a bit more interesting as Jason LaCanfora reports the Raiders are currently looking at free agent kickers.

Janikowski has made good on the Raiders first-round draft choice of him over the years with his ability to kick from beyond 50 yards with surprising accuracy. This year, he’s 5 of 6 beyond 50 yards and hitting 92 percent of his kicks overall. That’s a major loss of a weapon for the Raiders if he’s not available for game day.

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Kansas City Chiefs Should Expect Kyle Boller At Quarterback For Oakland Raiders

The Kansas City Chiefs were forced to climb uphill a bit in their preparation for the Oakland Raiders, who currently sit at 4-2 in the standings, a half-game behind the San Diego Chargers. The Chiefs buried themselves early in the division standings with an 0-3 start and have climbed their way back to 2-3 and hope to even up things against the Raiders this weekend coming off of the bye. With a little injury help, that task has become a bit simpler.

Kyle Boller is expected to be the starter for the Oakland Raiders and while the Raiders aren’t specifically a passing team, it’s clear that Campbell is the best QB on the roster by a wide margin. The loss of Campbell to a collarbone injury lessens the impact of the passing game, and gives Romeo Crennel some new things to consider when planning his defensive tactics for a quarterback who’s thrown four passes in the last two seasons.

In his career, Boller has never been an accurate passer, throwing for a 56.7 completion rate. He’s also prone to turning the ball over, and if head coach Hue Jackson insists on Boller trying to stretch the field and utilize the speed of receivers like Darrius Heyward-Bey, then the Chiefs secondary is likely to take advantage at least once.

For that reason, expect the Raiders to play things close to the vest and run Darren McFadden over and over. It still won’t be an easy game by any stretch — the Raiders are 4-2 for a reason — but certainly this changes the level of difficulty facing Todd Haley and the Chiefs.

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Kansas City Chiefs Le'Ron McClain Glad To Be Back After NFL Bye Week

If you noticed it was quiet around Kansas City this weekend, that’s likely because the Chiefs weren’t playing due to the NFL bye week on their schedule. Players and coaches both had some extra time to either prepare or relax a bit in mid-season. For some players, it was also a nice time to rest and heal from the rigors of the season thus far. But reading Le’Ron McClain’s Twitter page, it’s clear that the Chiefs are also ready to get back into the swing of things.

McClain wrote this morning, “Just had a great workout with the squad.. Everybody glad to be back in building and we’re ready to Keep this journey going.” That’s good news that they’re back and focused because they have a rare opportunity this weekend to take advantage of an Oakland Raiders team that has some momentum, but they’re also reeling from the season-ending injury to their starting quarterback Jason Campbell.

It’s unclear yet who the Raiders will start, but it will likely be Kyle Boller no matter who they trade for (Carson Palmer?) or sign (David Garrard?). That should make the Chiefs pass rushers rather happy and signal a big day for Tamba Hali. The Chiefs can even their record at 3-3 this week with a win over the Raiders.

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