Kansas City Chiefs' Todd Haley: "I Thought Overall Tyler Did A Terrific, Terrific Job Handling The Offense"

Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Todd Haley had some nice things to say about his quarterback, Tyle Palko, following the Chiefs 34-3 defeat Monday night against the Patriots. via video at kcchiefs.com

"But I thought overall Tyler did a terrific, terrific job with handling the offense, the tempo. We obviously, we were trying to alter the tempo and create some energy for our side and at times we were able to do a good job, but other times we weren't."

Palko did throw three interceptions on the night and Haley addressed those plays as well. via video at kcchiefs.com

"I thought, obviously, the interceptions...a couple were off tipped balls. We just cannot tip the ball to the other team. It generally hurts you. You know, the interception late, I wasn't crazy about that decision."

Haley refers to the interception in the end zone in which Palko throws into triple-coverage. But Palko is the Chiefs quarterback for the near future at least and Haley has confidence that Palko will get better. via video at kcchiefs.com

"But I thought, overall, Tyler did a lot of really good things. You know, interceptions are things that can happen, and sacks at inopportune times can happen. But I think it is something to build on and he will get better."

For more information and coverage on the Chiefs visit SB Nation's Arrowhead Pride.

The Kansas City Chiefs Need To Use Remaining Games Wisely

The Kansas City Chiefs just got blown-out on Monday Night Football and it looks to be a long windy road home, in the rain, on a mountain, on a bike, and at night. That's what the remainder of the Chiefs season is going to feel like for most fans. And while the disappointment from what should have been a promising season lingers on for a while, one need not look further than the rest of the Chiefs schedule to get a big ole' glass of humbleness to a once-optimistically viewed season. 

But before you go all bag-over-your-head crazy let's take a look at the Chiefs from a 'what can we take away from these last six games' viewpoint. We're going to get a good look at Tyler Palko, and finally get a read on a quarterback that had long remained a mystery to everyone not putting on pads with him everyday. We're also going to get a look at a lot of the younger players that need game reps like Jon Asamoah, Donald Washington, Rodney Hudson, Jared Gaither, Allen Bailey, Justin Houston, Jon Baldwin, Javier Arenas and Kendrick Lewis. 

The Chiefs roster is full of young players that need to see game reps on the field and these last games might not mean much for the Chiefs chances at a Super Bowl this year, but it could mean a helluva lot to the Chiefs chances next year and the year after. The coaches and front office staff can use these games as an evaluation of sorts and learn what these players are able to learn and comprehend with on-the-field training. Most fans don't like looking at a larger picture and can only see what's currently in front of them, and right now that's a box score that says 34-3 by way of the New England Patriots. 

The Chiefs have a lot of work to do before they reach the status that most fans are expecting, and in all honesty with the losses of Jamaal Charles, Eric Berry, Tony Moeaki and Matt Cassel, that just wasn't going to happen this year. We all want the Hollywood movie-script ending where Palko leads them to the improbable victory, but this is real life and those stories are made into movies for a reason, they just don't happen that often. But before you say the season is completely lost, remember that there are things that can be evaluated and taught during these last few games, but it's on a player-by-player basis, not a reflection on the scoreboard. 

Chiefs Vs. Patriots: Tom Brady Says First Half Execution 'Wasn't Very Sharp'

The Kansas City Chiefs' performance in the first half of the 34-3 loss to the New England Patriots was better than anyone who watched the game might realize. Tom Brady was sacked three times and Wallace Gilberry forced a fumble. The Chiefs kept Brady from targeting Wes Welker at all. The running and passing game were also working fairly well with an up-tempo offense that seemed to work well. Then came halftime and it all fell apart.

Still, Tom Brady said after the game that the first half didn't go as planned and it's clearly a testament to what the Chiefs were able to do. He spoke to WEEI after the game.

"Well, our execution early wasn’t very sharp," Brady said. "We just weren’t on the same page collectively as a group. Once we settled in and got into stuff we felt really good about, we did a much better job of execution and that produces points. But early on it was tough. They threw a bunch of different things at us and we were kind of out of sorts. We responded well in the second half. But it’s hard to win in the NFL and to win 34-3 was pretty good for us coming off an emotional win against the Jets and a home loss two weeks ago."

That statement about throwing things at them that they had to figure out makes you wonder if the Chiefs simply ran out of tricks to run. Early in the game, they tried an onside kick, ran the Wildcat, pulled a Statue of Liberty play and came at Brady from all directions. It's interesting to see how well that worked up front and then how the team was unable to keep the momentum in the second half with proper adjustments.

ESPN's Bill Williamson Says Tyler Palko 'Wasn't Horrible'

It's nice to see the Kansas City Chiefs getting some positive press after a game in which they were beaten 34-3 and never scored beyond the opening drive of the game where they were held to a chip shot Ryan Succop field goal. ESPN's Bill Williamson, the site's AFC West blogger, writes that first-time starter Tyler Palko held his own and actually looked like he could develop into a capable player under center.

"Tyler Palko had his issues and he threw three interceptions," he writes, "But in his first start, Palko had his moments, especially early in the game. He didn’t look like a player who was lost. After entering the game with just 13 total NFL passes under his belt, he completed 25 of 38 passes for 236 yards. The left-hander looks like a coachable player who can improve. He’ll get his chance. The Chiefs put starter Matt Cassel on injured reserve with a broken thumb on Monday. He was injured in a loss to Denver last week. I’m interested to see how Palko responds after getting more practice time. He had a nice chemistry with receivers Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breaston. They had a combined 13 catches for 160 yards."

More practice will equal better game play but there's no question the Steelers defense that awaits on Sunday night is going to be much more formidable than the Patriots. While Andre Carter rose to the occasion, it's also clear that the Pats secondary was beat up. The Steelers will blitz from multiple directions and force Palko into situations he's never had before. The challenge will continue then, but there are signs that the Chiefs aren't sunk just because Cassel is out for the season.

Kansas City Chiefs Schedule Update: Steelers Come To Arrowhead Next

The Kansas City Chiefs are in the midst of the five-game grueling gauntlet in their schedule and the results were predictably poor last night. The game last night against the Patriots was only part one of five with the next being a shorter week before facing the Pittsburgh Steelers at home. And in case you think Arrowhead might play a part, you apparently missed the Dolphins and Broncos losses. Simply put, this is going to be a frustrating stretch for both the Chiefs and Chiefs fans.

The Chiefs are now 4-6 and face four more tough games before leveling out against two more divisional opponents. If the Chiefs can win two of the next four, they have a chance to finish even.

Chiefs Vs. Patriots: Tyler Palko Says Three Interceptions Were 'Disappointing'

Tyler Palko took his lumps last night against a revitalized Andre Carter and the rest of the Patriots front seven. Yet he also showed a strong poise and ability to move the chains against an injury-depleted New England secondary. Thus, there was good and bad both for the Chiefs at quarterback during last night’s 34-3 loss to the Patriots.

Palko’s final line looks worse than it was, but it was still disappointing for the first-time starter. Palko said after the game that he’s ready to move forward but it’s obviously not the way he would have wanted things to go.

“You can’t run away from them; they’re interceptions,” Palko said. “They were turnovers and you can’t run away from those things. You have to learn from them, but move forward as well. At the end of the day, you go back, watch the film, evaluate, and move forward. You can’t do anything about the past and obviously it was disappointing.”

He’ll likely get the next start or two at least given that Ricky Stanzi never even warmed up despite the 30 point lead. Todd Haley wants to give Palko his reps and it’s clear he wants to see more.

Chiefs Vs. Patriots Video Highlights: From Tom Brady Fumble To Ron Gronkowski TD

The Kansas City Chiefs performed the way most believed they would last night against the New England Patriots, getting beat on Monday Night Football 34-3. In the process, it's easy to assume that the Chiefs had no highlights or anything to feel good about, but if you watched the game, the Chiefs were really putting on a strong showing early on in the first quarter and the overall first half performance was very solid. The Patriots, however, proved to be the far superior team and put together the adjustments necessary to blow the doors open in the second half. For those who missed the game, we aim to please. Here are some video highlights for you to check out.

First up is the run that showed Thomas Jones had more life left in him than anyone thought he did with a wonderful 26 yard burst up the sideline that almost put the Chiefs on the board. He finished with 48 yards on 8 carries.

Next up is a surprise onside kick that Todd Haley tried to pull on Bill Belichick, and if it wasn't for a slight touch from Cory Greenwood, it might have worked out.

Wallace Gilberry soon strip-sacked Tom Brady and forced a fumble that Allen Bailey recovered, showing that the Chiefs came into the game with the ideal defensive gameplan.

Here's the first of two Rob Gronkowski touchdowns, this one being the easiest TD the Chiefs had given up in a long time because of blown coverage.

Tyler Palko's first of three interceptions came off of a Steve Breaston tipped pass.

As the game started to break open, Julian Edelman put the finishing touches on the Pats win with a 72-yard punt return.

Rob Gronkowski came back again to earn his second touchdown of the night, giving him 20 in his first 25 games as a pro.

Finally, Patriots rookie running back Shane Vereen iced the game with the final touchdown of the night, a four yard run late in the fourth quarter.

Chiefs' Todd Haley Denies Taking Playcalling Away From Bill Muir In Patriots Loss

The offensive coordinator carousel has went around and around in Todd Haley's first few years in Kansas City. So he shouldn't be surprised that some were wondering last night about whether or not he'd taken away playcalling duties from this year's OC Bill Muir after moving Muir from the coaches box to the sidelines. Yet Haley insists that nothing was different last night during the 34-3 loss to the New England Patriots.

"It was no different than what we normally do," Haley said. "We just made an alteration with having Bill down. We just thought, I just thought that we were at a point here, at this point in the season, that in order to try to get a little change, he talks to the offense all week and I just felt that being up in the box right now wasn’t the best place for him. So, we brought him down, but we were still status quo with how we operated."

That alteration might be the first of many to come in a season that has clearly disappointed. With the loss, the Chiefs are tied with the San Diego Chargers for last place in a division that's wide open for anyone with a competitive pulse at this point and every single team in the division has looked quite vulnerable at times. A season that doesn't match expectations generally means someone's head is going to roll -- unless you're the Bengals -- so could Muir be the next OC to be replaced? It's a question we won't know for a while, but it's interesting to already hear Haley making changes to shift things around and bring new results. Those shifts can only get bigger with time.

Todd Haley, Thomas Jones Speak Highly Of Tyler Palko After Loss To New England Patriots

It’s not common for a team that just lost by 31 to find many good things to talk about, but the Kansas City Chiefs had a new starter under center in Tyler Palko against the New England Patriots and there were enough signs of life beyond the final score to give reason for hope.

After failed stints in the NFL, UFL, CFL and now back in the NFL, Palko took a circuitous route to get to where he currently stands and his MNF boxscore might make some fans think that the team is a week away from Ricky Stanzi’s first career start. But several elements simply did not fall Palko’s way and he delivered a very strong first half performance especially that had teammates and his head coach talking after the game.

“You know, the interception late, I wasn’t crazy about that decision,” Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said after the game. “But I thought overall Tyler did a terrific, terrific job with handling the offense, the tempo. We obviously, we were trying to altar the tempo and create some energy for our side and at times we were able to do a good job, but other times we weren’t.

“But I thought, overall, Tyler did a lot of really good things. You know, interceptions are things that can happen, and sacks at inopportune times can happen. But I think it is something to build on and he will get better."

Thomas Jones agreed, adding, "“I thought he handled himself great. He was poised. He ran the offense well. The guys responded to him. I thought he did a pretty great job especially this being his first start. There is a lot of pressure put on a guy like that. He handled it well and I’m very proud of him.”

That’s a good sign that Palko will be back at quarterback next week for the Chiefs when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s a heavy first two weeks in the NFL for Palko, but it sounds as if his team believes in him.

Kansas City Vs. New England Final Score: Chiefs Fall To The Patriots 34-3

The Kansas City Chiefs drop their third straight game losing 34-3 to the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football. 

After carrying a 27-3 lead into the fourth quarter, New England rubbed a little salt in the wound with a touchdown run on fourth down by rookie running back Shane Vereen with just over a minute remaining in the game. 

The Chiefs held tough in the first half but had no answer for the Patriots in the second half. Tyler Palko finished 25-38 for 236 yards and three interceptions. Thomas Jones led the way on the ground carrying the ball eight times for 48 yards. Dwayne Bowe caught seven balls for 87 yards in the loss. 

Tom Brady struggled early but found his rhythm late in the first half as he hooked up with tight end Rob Gronkowski twice for touchdowns. Brady finished 15-27 for 234 yards and two touchdowns in the game. BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran for 81 yards while Gronkowski finished with four catches for 96 yards including those two touchdowns.

Kyle Arrington extended his league leading interception total to seven with two picks against Palko. The Patriots only out gained the Chiefs by a 380 to 334 count in total yardage but hit a big play in special teams with a Julian Edelman 72 yard punt return for a touchdown. 

Kansas City Vs. New England Score: Patriots Open Up 27-3 Lead Heading To The Fourth

Things went from bad to worse in the third quarter for the Kansas City Chiefs as the New England Patriots opened up a 27-3 lead. 

On their first possession of the third quarter, Tom Brady capped off a 9 play, 85 yard drive with a 19 yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski who flipped into the end zone to make the score 17-3. After getting a defensive stop, Julian Edelman extended the lead himself with a nifty 72 yard punt return for a touchdown that gave the Patriots a 24-3 lead. 

On the next Cheifs' possession Tyler Palko was intercepted for the second time tonight by Kyle Arrington. Brady and company then marched 50 yards and eventually settled for a 19 yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski to make the score 27-3.

Everything that went right for the Chiefs in the first half defensively disappeared in the third quarter and the Patriots had their way offensively. Brady is now 13-23 for 212 yards and two touchdowns. His Chiefs' counterpart Tyler Palko is 15-22 for 139 yards but has been intercepted twice. BenJarvus Green-Ellis has 73 yards rushing through three quarters for the Patriots. 

VIDEO: Julian Edelman Punt Return TD Extends Pats Lead To 24-3

Kansas City may have went into the half feeling good about only being down a touchdown however, things have gone south in the third quarter as New England has scored 14 unanswered points. On this play, Julian Edelman rips off a 72 yard punt return to extend the Patriots lead to 24-3.

Kansas City Vs. New England Score: Chiefs Trailing Patriots 10-3 At Halftime

Kansas City enters halftime trailing 10-3 but with the knowledge that it could have been much worse had the Chiefs not come up with a key stop just before the half forcing the Patriots to settle for a field goal. 

While the Chiefs may not feel to bad about being only down seven points, it was a half of missed opportunities as penalties at inopportune times and an interception short circuited drives in the second quarter. 

Tyler Palko has looked calm and collected under center for the Chiefs in the first half. His lone mistake came on a pass attempt where he was hit just as he released the ball that resulted in a deflected pass and a Kyle Arrington interception. 

Palko finished the half 10-14 for 111 yards and that lone interception. He however has not been able to attack the Patriots' secondary down the field . Thomas Jones has seven catches for 47 yards on the ground while Dwayne Bowe caught four balls for 45 yards in the first half. The Chiefs defense was able to pressure Brady in the first half recording three sacks and forcing one fumble 

After struggling early, Tom Brady found some rhythm just before the end of the half. Brady found Rob Gronkowski on a 52 yard scoring strike on what appeared to be a blown coverage by the Chief secondary. That play capped off a 6 play, 85 yard drive that gave the Patriots a 7-3 lead. After regaining possession following the Arrington interception, Brady again marched New England 51 yards before having to settle for a field goal at the end of the half. 

Brady finished the half 8-16 for 133 yards and a touchdown. BenJarvus Green-Ellis has 25 yards rushing on eight carries while Gronkowski caught three passes for 77 yards. 

VIDEO: Tyler Palko Intercepted By Kyle Arrington On Tipped Steve Breaston Pass

Tyler Palko has his first interception of the game today, but the blame cannot be placed squarely on him. Take a closer look at the video and you'll see that Steve Breaston could have brought in this pass most of the time and it just happened to bounce right into Kyle Arrington's arms for the New England Patriots. Now the Pats are marching and trying to go up 14-3. Check out the video below:

VIDEO: Rob Gronkowski Scores 19th Career Touchdown Against Chiefs Blown Coverage

The New England Patriots have learned to depend in just a short time in Rob Gronkowski's incredible mismatch created against nearly every single defense. That said, Gronkowski's touchdown catch tonight against the Kansas City Chiefs was one of the easiest routes ever since coverage was blown by KC's linebackers. Here's the video from Gronkowski's catch:

Deion Branch Injury Update: Hamstring Issues Have Patriots WR On Sideline

ESPN’s Suzy Kolber is reporting that New England Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch is having some hamstring issues and that he’s out laying down over on the sideline. That limits the weapons that Tom Brady is going to have until trainers have one of their best wideouts ready. Of course, it helps when a team has Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez at tight end. Still this will be something to watch between now and when he’s able to enter the game (if he is).

For the year, Branch has 37 catches for 484 yards on the year and four touchdowns. In his absence, Chad Ochocinco could get more prominent looks on offense. If not, then Julian Edelman might serve more double duty along with Wes Welker on the outside.

VIDEO: Chiefs DE Wallace Gilberry Strips Tom Brady, Forces Fumble

The Kansas City Chiefs haven't been able to capitalize on some opportunities, but the defense is keeping the New England Patriots at bay and Todd Brady is looking very human at this point. Need proof? Check out the video below of Wallace Gilberry stripping Brady of the football and forcing the turnover for the Chiefs when the Pats had a short field after the onside kick that wasn't. Check the vid below:

VIDEO: Kansas City Chiefs' Surprise Onside Kick Doesn't Work

One minute, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley is playing conservative and refusing to go for it on fourth and one in their opponents territory. On the next play they want to catch the New England Patriots off-guard with a surprise onside kick. It didn't work but it's clear that there's no telling what Todd Haley might do on a particular play. Currently the Chiefs are up 3-0 in the first quarter. Here's the video below:

Kansas City Vs. New England Score: Chiefs Grab Early 3-0 Lead After One Quarter Of Play

Kansas City is off to a good start in its Monday night match up with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. The Chiefs have done a good job keeping Brady and the New England offense on the sidelines while the Patriots' suspect defense has been unable to get off the field in the early going. 

The Chiefs broke through with a nine play, 45 yard scoring drive that resulted in a 26 yard Ryan Succop field goal. Kansas City had the ball first and goal from the New England five yard line before a penalty and a failed quarterback draw unraveled the drive. 

The Chiefs followed that score with a surprise on-side kick attempt that resulted in an illegal touching penalty that set up Tom Brady and company with good field position at the end of the quarter. 

Tyler Palko is off to an accurate start in his first start for the Chiefs going 5-6 for 39 yards. Thomas Jones has had an impact in the rushing department gaining 32 yards on just three carries including a 26 yard run that set the Chiefs up at the five yard line on their scoring drive. 

The Chiefs' defense has done a good job in the early going limiting Brady to just a 2-7 start and 19 yards. BenJarvis Green-Ellis has five carries for 14 yards in the first quarter. 

VIDEO: Thomas Jones Gets 26-Year Run Against Patriots

It felt like old times again. For a running back who was supposedly looking finished this year, Thomas Jones had some surprisingly fresh legs in the first quarter tonight against the New England Patriots. Of course, the Chiefs were stuffed at the goal line and forced to kick a chip shot field goal, but the Chiefs definitely have more life than most people gave them credit for. Check out the video below of Jones long first quarter run for 26 yards.

Kansas City Vs. New England Injury Report: Chiefs DT Glenn Dorsey Ruled Inactive Versus Patriots

One of the premier anchors on the Kansas City Chiefs defensive line will not be in the lineup versus the New England Patriots as NFL Network's Albert Breer reports that Glenn Dorsey tested his injured knee before the game but is not ready to go. Dorsey was listed as questionable entering the game.

Here are the final injury reports for both teams, as kickoff is at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Kansas City Chiefs Injury Report

• Keary Colbert, WR - Inactive
• Anthony Becht, TE - Inactive
• Steve Maneri, T - Inactive
• Brandon Bair, DE - Inactive
• Glenn Dorsey, DE - Inactive
• Demorrio Williams, LB - Inactive
• Jon McGraw, SS - Inactive
• Brandon Carr, CB - Active

New England Patriots Injury Report

• Ryan Mallett, QB - Inactive
• Patrick Chung, FS - Inactive
• Devin McCourty, CB - Inactive
• Kevin Faulk, RB - Inactive (That should mean more touches for BenJarvus Green-Ellis.)
• Dane Fletcher, OLB - Inactive
• Jeff Tarpinian, OLB - Inactive
• Brandon Spikes, OLB - Inactive
• Kyle Arrington, CB - Active
• Dan Connolly, C - Active
• Shaun Ellis, DE - Active
• BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB - Active (Green-Ellis (toe) is active. He should see a full workload.)
• Gary Guyton, MLB - Active
• James Ihedigbo, SS - Active
• Taylor Price, WR -  Active
• Matthew Slater, WR - Active
• Nate Solder, T - Active
• Sebastian Vollmer, OT - Active
• Brian Waters, G -  Active
• Wes Welker, WR - Active Welker (knee) is active. He's a must-start in all formats.

For more insights and analysis on the Chiefs, check out SB Nation's Arrowhead Pride. For more insights and analysis on the Patriots, check out SB Nation's Pats Pulpit.

Matt Cassel Injury Update: Chiefs Starting Quarterback Placed On Season-Ending IR, According To Report

The Kansas City Chiefs have made what was once unclear now crystal clear for their team, as their franchise quarterback Matt Cassel has officially been placed on the injured reserve and ending his 2011 campaign.

Per the twitter feed of ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss:

Also, league source says Chiefs officially placing QB Matt Cassel on season-ending IR. Promoting practice squad WR Jeremy Horne to roster. — @MikeReiss via Twitter

The Chiefs have already installed Tyler Palko in as the new starter for the offense. The Pittsburgh Panther product has made just two appearances in games since he made the 53-man roster back in 2010, as he will make his first professional start of his career versus the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football.

The game kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET, good luck to you Mr. Palko.

For more insights and analysis on the Chiefs, check out SB Nation's Arrowhead Pride. For more insights and analysis on the Patriots, check out SB Nation's Pats Pulpit.

Chiefs Vs. Patriots: Rob Gronkowski, Wes Welker Present Major Match-Up Issues For Kansas City

The Kansas City Chiefs have a daunting task tonight against the New England Patriots. And Gary Horton of Scouts, Inc. says that one of the Chief (pun intended) reasons they’ll have issues on Monday Night Football is KC’s inability to match up well one-on-one with Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker. Of course, the Chiefs aren’t the only ones with a problem doing so. Still, Horton writes that the Chiefs might try to force Brady to string a drive together using a zone defense.

“The key to success versus Brady is to avoid letting him identify pre-snap matchups and force him to hold on to the ball too long,” says Horton. "Will Kansas City put its best cover corner, Brandon Flowers, on Wes Welker to take him out of the game — much like Darrelle Revis did?

“If that happens, how do the Chiefs cover the New England tight ends, who are size mismatches for safeties and speed mismatches for linebackers?” he continues. “Because they are not an elite cover unit and because they are really vulnerable in the deep middle of the secondary, the Chiefs may try to play a lot of zones to force multi-play drives by Brady.”

Chiefs Vs. Patriots: TV Schedule, Game Time, Radio Stream

Is there anyone who believes that the Kansas City Chiefs can realistically defeat the New England Patriots tonight on Monday Night Football? The answer is that there hasn't been a single media outlet (that I can find) willing to pick the Chiefs in tonight's match-up when it comes to their NFL picks and predictions. Thus the Chiefs truly stand alone against everyone -- the sort of story that could provide a great motivational tool for Todd Haley and company. Then again, there's a reason since the Chiefs are going with journeyman Tyler Palko at quarterback -- making his first NFL start. 

On the flip side, you have Tom Brady, the best quarterback in football, at home against a Chiefs defense that went from winning defensive player of the week two weeks in a row to allowing a team like the Dolphins to move the ball at will at Arrowhead. If the Dolphins can pull that off, imagine what Brady can do with weapons like Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski and Deion Branch.

Then again, that's what makes the NFL so compelling. Every great story starts with a moment like this -- a David against a Goliath, so to speak. The Chiefs, if they can pull the upset, will be the talk of everyone on Tuesday. Here's the info you need to check out the supposed mismatch.

Game time: 7:30 p.m. CT

Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.

TV: ESPN

Radio: You can listen live here.

Chiefs-Patriots Betting Primer: Vodcast With NFP's Joe Fortenpaugh

Tyler Palko Fantasy Projection: Weak Patriots Defense Gives Him A Chance To Shine

Historically, there's no worse place to make your first NFL career start than against Bill Belichick's defense at Gillette Stadium in New England. However, to paraphrase Rick Pitino, Rodney Harrison isn't walking through the door, and neither is Richard Seymour or Ty Law.

Kansas City Chiefs QB Tyler Palko is likely to see a myriad of different defensive looks after riding NFL benches for five years, but the Patriots defense has been uncharacteristically weak this season. New England's secondary, ravaged by injuries, has allowed 308.9 yards a game, worst in the NFL. 

Palko's inexperience could work to his advantage, as there's almost no game tape for Belichick to study on the QB, who has thrown 13 NFL passes in his career.

At Numberfire, which uses statistical modeling to estimate a player's fantasy performance, Palko is projected to go 17/33 for 161 yards against the Patriots.

But with so little information to go on, no one really knows how Palko will do on Monday night or how good he really is. He's widely available in most fantasy leagues, but if he has a big game against New England, that might change.

Chiefs Vs. Patriots: Romeo Crennel Knows Tom Brady Is 'Difficult To Defend'

There's a lot of interwoven parts between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots. Whether speaking of front office personnel, players or coaches, the two teams have friends in common and that makes tonight's Monday Night Football match-up that much more compelling. It also means the teams know each other a bit more than most -- and that could keep things closer than what people might believe.

As for Chiefs defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, he knows exactly what Tom Brady can do on offense since he lined up against him every day in practice for years. You can tell the man still has great respect for Brady.

"The thing about Tom is, he has great command at the line of scrimmage," Crennel told the Boston Herald. "And he will get them into the play he feels like gives them the best chance for success. And so, that’s the difficult thing about defending him. Because he’s so sharp, he reads well, he recognizes fronts, recognizes coverages and then he knows exactly where he needs to go with the ball. And so, that combination of all those things makes him extremely difficult to defend."

Chiefs Vs. Patriots: Tyler Palko Stands Chance Against New England's Defense

Rivers McCown of Football Outsiders doesn't have much faith in Tyler Palko to make much of a difference for the Kansas City Chiefs against the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football. He does, however, believe that there are enough weak links on the Pats side that it's at least possible that Matt Cassel's back-up can do some damage enough to keep the Chiefs in it.

"One concrete reason to be optimistic about Palko in this game is that he's going up against a New England Patriots pass defense that has been mediocre this year. In fact, aside from last week's five-sack, two-interception outburst against the New York Jets, the Patriots have been downright miserable against the pass."

Not only has the pass rush been suspect, but the secondary has been completely decimated compared to last year's team.

"Their secondary has been ravaged with injuries, and with the releases of Brandon Meriweather and James Sanders before the season, the Patriots have been competing with castoffs like Antwaun Molden and James Ihedigbo. Even those five sacks only raised New England's adjusted sack rate to 22nd in the NFL, and they are dead last according to our numbers at defending passes to No. 1 receivers, such as, say, Dwayne Bowe in this game."

Palko, of course, is not likely to do much at all since the Kurt Warner type of stories are so rare in the NFL compared to a back-up quarterback simply playing like, well, a back-up. Still it's nice to have hope.

Chiefs Vs. Patriots: Tyler Palko Brings New Dimensions To Quarterback Position

The New England Patriots aren't going to have to face the best that the Kansas City Chiefs have to offer at quarterback. That said, they do have some challenges in front of them given the qualities that back-up Tyler Palko brings under center.

Matt Cassel, the former Patriot back-up and current Chiefs starter, went out for the next several weeks and possibly the season with a hand injury last week against the Broncos that required surgery this past week. Rendered unable to play, Palko now takes the starting nod with rookie fifth-round choice Ricky Stanzi as his back-up. Given the status of the KC quarterback position, it might have the New England front four thinking they will feast once again, just as they did last week when Andre Carter had four sacks against the Jets.

Ian Rapoport of the Boston Herald got a glimpse of what Carter is thinking against the Chiefs this week. He writes

Asked if he’s ready for an encore, Carter quickly said, "No encore." His hope, especially against an inexperienced quarterback like Tyler Palko, is simply constant pressure from the front seven — sacks or not. But they’ll have to attack with caution, given Palko’s ability with his feet. He’s an elusive quarterback," Carter said, "and that’s something as a pass-rusher, coming off the edge, we got to be aware of. He’s a play-maker."

The Chiefs are hoping that Palko brings enough athleticism and added dimension to the position to throw off the New England defense enough to win. The odds, however, are stacked against them.

Chiefs Vs. Patriots Injury Report: Four Defensive Players Questionable For Monday Night

Arrowhead Pride has updated the rather lengthy injury report for the Kansas City Chiefs as they head into tonight's game with the New England Patriots. Quarterback Matt Cassel is officially out (surgery on his hand), as is linebacker Demorrio Williams (groin). 

Four players are listed as questionable for tonight - CB Brandon Carr (ankle), DE Glenn Dorsey (knee), CB Brandon Flowers (back) and S Jon McGraw (shoulder). According to AP, the list of six players is the longest injury report of the year for Kansas City. But hey, Tom Brady's kinda injured, too! (kinda).

While a potential loss of Flowers and/or Carr would be felt, the loss of Cassel will be the focus of the game. The Chiefs' official site has a piece on replacement Tyler Palko's first start, while the Arrowhead Pride guys break down the possible beginning of the "Palko Era" in Kansas City:

The Patriots defense may make Tyler Palko look better than he actually is, as they're at the bottom of the league for a reason. They give up 308 yards per game against the pass, and that's not very good. If Tyler Palko throws for 250 yards, it might be attributed to the fact that the Patriots pass defense is non existent.

For a first timer, this is a decent situation to be in.

For more on tonight's game, check out Arrowhead Pride, and the SB Nation NFL page.

How To Beat Tom Brady: Chiefs DC Romeo Crennel Discusses His Methods

The Boston Herald's Ian Rapoport recently scored an interview with Romeo Crennel leading up to tonight's match-up on Monday Night Football between the visiting Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots. The match-up might even be summarized by the two quarterbacks involved: future Hall of Famer Tom Brady and the Chiefs Tyler Palko, who is getting his first NFL start tonight.

That's what makes stopping Brady the primary thing for the Chiefs defense to focus on in practice all week. And that's what Rapoport got Crennel to discuss, breaking down two primary ways to get to Brady.

1) Disguise pre-snap: "You try to combat it pre-snap as best you can, but you have to be in position to do your job when the ball is snapped, and Tom does a good job of mixing the snap count. He goes with the quick count, he goes with the hard count, he goes with the double count, so it’s going to be tough, particular if you have young guys. With a veteran secondary, you can disguise a little bit more. But we got young guys that are playing. So, I’m going to have to get my young guys in  position to give themselves a chance to defend this passing game."

2) Move Brady off his spot: "You can try to get some pressure on him to try to get him off the spot. Because when he stands back there, and flat-footed, he can deliver the ball pretty good. He knows exactly where he needs to go. If it’s tight coverage, he puts it where the defender can’t really make the play. So, if we can try to get him off the spot so that he has to move and try to deliver the ball on the move, that might throw off the timing a little bit. Then if we’re lucky, we might be able to make a play."

The entire article is worth a read so make sure to check out Rapoport and the rest of the Herald's MNF coverage. There's plenty there to check out.

Peter King Says Tyler Palko Could Be 'Heck Of A Story' For Chiefs Against Patriots

In Peter King’s latest Monday Morning Quarterback column, the Sports Illustrated football analyst says that tonight’s Monday Night Football match-up features an unlikely story that could become one of the NFL’s better comeback kid scenarios if Tyler Palko can do any damage as the Chiefs first-time starter against the Patriots.

“He’s a braver man than I, not being able to earn one of three quarterback jobs with a United Football League team,” writes King. "Then it was up to Montreal, to the Canadian Football League Alouettes practice squad. Though he was eventually activated, he never threw a pass for the Alouettes either.

“When the Steelers had two quarterback injuries late in the season, Palko signed as a backup there. In the span of three months, he was in camp with four teams — Cardinals, Redwoods, Alouettes, Steelers — in three leagues … and never threw a pass. Now, because Matt Cassel is hurt and rookie Ricky Stanzi isn’t ready, Palko starts against the Patriots on national TV. Nobody, except Palko, is expecting much. But it’s a heck of a story.”

It’s a heck of a story only if Palko ends up being competitive or winning at this point. While it’s nice for him to have made a starting NFL slot for the first time, Chiefs nation is primarily concerned about the two game winning streak that needs to be reversed if any playoff hopes are to remain.

Chiefs Vs. Patriots: New England Secondary Could Prove Weak Link

In their rundown analyzing the Kansas City Chiefs upcoming Monday Night game against the New England Patriots. Scouts, Inc. agrees with most, er, everyone that the Chiefs are not likely to win. Whether it's the quarterback comparison, being on the road, the momentum, the coaching or most other factors, the Patriots are simply going to come out on top. But there's an area of weakness that Gary Horton says should be a concern for the Pats: the secondary.

"With so many injuries on the back end, the Patriots are forced to simplify their scheme with a lot of three- and four-man rushes with seven and eight defenders in coverage," writes Horton. "We will see more zone and man/off looks, and they likely won't lock up a lot in tight man coverages. Kansas City does not have a vertical passing attack, and it seems to be happy with a lot of checkdowns and short passes. Patience will be critical for the Chiefs because they will need multiplay drives to score. Fill-in QB Tyler Palko has limited experience, and this offense will continue to be very conservative with him as the starter."

That last line is a bit funny since KC's offense has been criticized all year for being so conservative on first down even with Matt Cassel under center. It's hard to imagine that they become even more limited with Palko, yet the statement is true of any new quarterback. Still, here's hoping his reps in practice this week and even the extra day on Sunday allow Palko to find a nice early rhythm with his talented receivers.

Matt Cassel Reportedly Out For Rest Of Kansas City Chiefs Season, Tyler Palko In

Tyler Palko was already installed as the starter against the New England Patriots on Monday night. If all goes well (or at least fairly well), he was already assumed to be the starter for the foreseeable future. Yet there was always an ounce of doubt as to whether he would last all year since Matt Cassel had yet to be placed on Injured Reserve or called out for the season. Now according to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, Cassel is now officially done.

Joel Thorman over at Arrowhead Pride has the latest word. He writes, “Per Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer on TV a few minutes ago, injured Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel is out for the rest of the 2011 season. Cassel had surgery on a broken hand last week, which he sustained against the Denver Broncos in Week 10. This is really no surprise. From the day Cassel was injured, there was speculation about the hand injury ending his season. In fact, there were reports that the rest of the Chiefs’ roster was told earlier this week that Cassel was out for the season.”

The Chiefs only back-up now on the roster is Ricky Stanzi, so it will be interesting to see if the Chiefs add a fourth quarterback to the mix once Cassel officially hits injured reserve.

Tyler Palko Week 11 Fantasy Update: 'Do Not Start' Chiefs Starting Quarterback

For those looking for some fantasy football advice, the word is ‘sit him’ when it comes to quarterback Tyler Palko of the Kansas City Chiefs. The reason is that you’d likely have to drag his name up from the free agent wire and even add him in the first place to your roster in order to start him. And Eric Mack of Sports Illustrated says that’s not a wise move.

“This would have been a great week to consider Cassel and all of his weapons. Instead, it is a week to expect Palko in his first NFL start to fall flat on his face. The Pats are the worst team in fantasy against QBs and WRs, but Palko just shouldn’t be trusted. He might not even take long to give with to Ricky Stanzi.”

In Palko’s first start, the stakes could not be higher. The Chiefs, with a loss, will fall even further back in the AFC West in which every other team is remaining at .500 and staying competitive. Even the Broncos are resurgent, so the Chiefs can ill afford to lose any ground. Then again, it’s hard to see Palko doing anything but that against a team like the Pats.

Dwayne Bowe Week 11 Fantasy Update

If you're going to start any Kansas City Chiefs players this week in fantasy football, Sports Illustrated's Eric Mack believes you only have two solid options with a new quarterback, Tyler Palko, in play: Jackie Battle, the starting running back, and Dwayne Bowe, the team's Pro Bowl wideout. Anyone else other than that might be a waste of a fantasy roster spot.

"The way to beat the Patriots is keep the ball away from Tom Brady," writes Mack. Few seem to understand that or be able to do it, despite the fact the Pats remain in the bottom half of fantasy against RBs. Battle should be used heavily here, particularly with Matt Cassel out. Even with the backup QB as an unknown, we would stick with Bowe as a fantasy starter. The Pats are the worst team in fantasy against QBs and WRs. Even if the QB doesn't play well, there will be plenty of garbage time throws to Bowe -- and perhaps Steve Breaston and Jonathan Baldwin."

Patriots Injury Report, Week 11: Brandon Spikes Misses Friday Practice

Bill Belichick's New England Patriots are well-known masters of the NFL's injury reports, and that certainly isn't changing in the run-up to Monday night's date with the Kansas City Chiefs. Though no Patriots are listed as out for their Week 11 clash with the Chiefs, a full 18 Patriots are reported to have been limited in or held out of practice on Friday.

The biggest names held out: Brandon Spikes and Devin McCourty. Wes Welker and Brian Waters are among the many Patriots who were listed as limited participants.

Here's the rest of the penultimate Patriots injury report for Week 11:

MISSED FRIDAY PRACTICE: Linebacker Dane Fletcher (thumb), cornerback Devin McCourty (shoulder), linebacker Brandon Spikes (knee), linebacker Jeff Tarpinian (illness).

LISTED AS LIMITED PARTICIPANTS IN PRACTICE: Cornerback Kyle Arrington (foot), safety Patrick Chung (foot), center Dan Connolly (groin), defensive tackle Shaun Ellis (rib), running back Kevin Faulk (knee), running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis (toe), linebacker Gary Guyton (shoulder), safety James Ihedigbo (shoulder), linebacker Taylor Price (hamstring), wide receiver Matthew Slater (shoulder), offensive tackle Nate Solder (concussion), offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer (back), guard Brian Waters (knee), wide receiver Wes Welker (knee).

For more on the Chiefs, head to Arrowhead Pride; for more on the Patriots, visit Pats Pulpit.

Chiefs Injury Report, Week 11: Matt Cassel Out Again Vs. Patriots

The Kansas City Chiefs don't have a final injury report out for Week 11 (they must release a final injury report only on Saturday, two days before their Monday night game with New England), but they have, of course, ruled Matt Cassel out of a rematch with his old team.

Cassel's right hand injury will give Tyler Palko a chance to make his first NFL start. Cassel's injury, sustained in a Week 10 loss to the Broncos, could force him to miss more than Monday's game. Palko completed five of six passes for 47 yards in the loss.

Here's the rest of the penultimate Chiefs injury report for Week 11:

OUT: Quarterback Matt Cassel (right hand).

LISTED AS LIMITED PARTICIPANTS IN PRACTICE: Cornerback Brandon Carr (ankle), defensive end Glenn Dorsey (knee), cornerback Brandon Flowers (back), safety Jon McGraw (shoulder).

For more on the Chiefs, head to Arrowhead Pride; for more on the Patriots, visit Pats Pulpit.

Chiefs Vs. Patriots Odds: Kansas City Is A Two Touchdown Underdog

If the odds makers are correct, the first game of the Tyler Palko era in Kansas City will not be pretty. The Chiefs are +16 road underdogs for their Monday night game against the New England Patriots.

Before losing 24-20 to the New York Giants on Nov. 6, Tom Brady had won 31 straight home regular season games as the starting QB, an NFL record.

But while Brady is still playing on a Pro Bowl level, the Patriots rushing offense has declined in recent years, good news for a battered Kansas City run defense, which gave up 244 yards rushing on 55 attempts to Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos last Sunday. New England averages 105.9 yards rushing a game, 19th in the NFL.

The Patriots pass defense, meanwhile, is the worst in the NFL, giving up 308.9 yards of passing per game.

Bill Belichick will likely try to confuse Palko in his first-career start and force turnovers, but there should be opportunities for the Pittsburgh product to make plays down the field.

But with almost no game film to go on, the odds makers don't appear to have much confidence in the 28-year old QB, as the over/under for the game is only 48 points.

Chiefs Vs. Patriots: Peter King Says Kansas City Has 'Flickering' Playoff Chances

As Peter King, Sports Illustrated’s most popular writer, takes a closer look at the weekend’s slate of NFL games, he takes note of the mess that is the AFC West and the Kansas City Chiefs’ “flickering” playoff chances. The Chiefs are going to have to come up with a big win in the next week or two against either the Patriots or the Steelers to keep pace with the Raiders and Broncos (and Chargers), and that’s a tall order for a team with a first-time starter at quarterback.

“In the AFC West by weekend’s end, every team will have played 10 games,” writes King. "As of this morning, Oakland and Denver have five wins, San Diego and Kansas City four. There is, of course a chance they could all finish the weekend with five wins, but that would entail Christian Ponder playing the game of his professional life against the hard-charging Raid-uhs, and Tyler Palko pulling off a quite the unlikely feat Monday night at New England. Speaking of that…

“What a story,” King continues. “Two years Palko was cut by the California Redwoods. You know, the United Football League Redwoods. Now he takes the 4-5 Chiefs’ flickering (and that’s putting it optimistically) playoff hopes into his hands at Foxboro Monday night. I believe Bill Belichick might throw a couple of looks at Palko the young man has never seen.”

Kansas City Chiefs Injury Report, Week 11: Glenn Dorsey, Brandon Flowers Limited On Thursday

Quarterback Matt Cassel underwent surgery on his injured right hand Monday evening and is listed as out for Monday night's game against the New England Patriots. Cassel's status for the remainder of the season is uncertain. Back up quarterback Tyler Palko gets the first crack at replacing Cassel. 

Three other Chiefs were limited in practice on Thursday and were listed on the team's injury report. Kansas City's secondary could be down a couple of players as both Brandon Carr (ankle) and Brandon Flowers (back) were both limited in practice on Thursday. Defensive end Glenn Dorsey was also limited in practice with a knee injury. 

For more insights and analysis on the Chiefs, check out SB Nation's Arrowhead Pride. For more insights and analysis on the Patriots, check out SB Nation's Pats Pulpit. For more on the NFL, check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Tom Brady Can Break NFL Passing Record On Monday Night Against Chiefs

The magic number is 295. Given the tremendous capabilities of the New England Patriots' passing attack so far this season with Tom Brady passing to weapons like Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski among others, it's clear that Brady should at least approach that number of passing yards -- the magic number to break the total for most passing yards 10 games into a season.

Brady currently has 3,032 passing yards and Drew Brees holds the current record of 3,326, which also happened this season as a matter of fact. Brees is on the bye week this week, which means that Brady can own the record and the two can duke it out for the rest of the season. The record is likely meaningless in the end, but it is a signal that KC's secondary is going to have to be on notice that they have a major work ahead of them on Monday night to stop such a vaunted offense.

Matt Cassel Injury: Chiefs QB Could Return For End Of 2011 Season

Matt Cassel had successful surgery on his right hand late Monday evening, as Chiefs head coach Todd Haley holds out hope that the QB can return before the end of the season.