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CHIEFS SET FREE FOR THANKSGIVING DAY HOLIDAY
November 25th – 5:32 PM

This week has gone by extremely fast for the Chiefs. Typically, the team has only gone through one practice session and film review at this time during a normal game week. This week, the Chiefs have already logged two full days of practice, conducted multiple in-depth study sessions of their opponent and have implemented schemes for the Chargers this Sunday. The players had to trudge through a Tuesday morning practice despite suffering from the aches and pains from a game just 48 hours prior. But to the players, the pain was well worth the gain because the trade-off allows them to spend Thanksgiving with their families.

”I’ve been part of Thanksgiving a number of ways,” Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said. “We’ve played on it, not played on it, taken it off, not taken it off. This is just the direction I decided to go. I believe it’s an important day to give thanks, especially for all of us as I’ve said before because in my mind these are the greatest jobs in the world.“

Some players have a wife and kids, while others are single with their family members coming into town from miles away. There are a number of ways that the Chiefs are celebrating this Thanksgiving, but the common theme seems to be family.

”I think it’s a great time to give back to the people around me and to call my family and friends and let them know that I care about them and I love them,” Cassel said. “Then just be very grateful for the position that I’m in and to be here with this great organization and to be in the position that I’m in as a QB, because last year, looking at it, I didn’t know what my future was going to take me, but I have a lot to be thankful for.“

Thursday truly is the Chiefs first bit of down time this week. Following Monday’s workout and film session many of the players spent their afternoon loading up Thanksgiving baskets for metro area families in need a proper Thanksgiving Day meal. Overall, Chiefs players help pack enough food to feed over 1,000 area families.

On Friday, the team will re-convene for their final practice session before heading to San Diego on Saturday afternoon.

CHARGERS TAKE NOTICE
November 25th – 5:01 PM

The Chiefs 27-24 overtime win over the defending Super Bowl champions sent waves across the country last Sunday. The victory was even deemed front page news on USA Today to highlight Sunday’s NFL slate.

Inside the Chiefs locker room, there wasn’t any surprise. There was simply re-assurance. The Chiefs players, coaches and fans were some of the few who believed in themselves with a very fierce Arrowhead battle with the Steelers on the horizon. The aftermath of the victory has helped keep the Chiefs focused and determined as the team heads down the 2009 homestretch.

In San Diego the message was a bit different. The message that the Chargers heard was one of “anything can happen.“

”I would say it just reiterates each and every week, you never know,” Rivers said of the Chiefs Week 11 win. “I think that is what makes this such a great league. You look up at Oakland who has beaten a Philly team at home and a Cincinnati team. You can look at what Kansas City did to Pittsburgh after going to Oakland and winning. They fought Jacksonville right there till the end losing by three.“

The film doesn’t lie. San Diego is the hottest team the in the league right now as they ride a five-game winning streak, but Kansas City is right up there in terms of confidence after stringing together consecutive wins for the first time in over two years. Chargers head coach Norv Turner says that the Chiefs progress is apparent when studying game tape.

”Kansas City has a lot of guys that give you problems,” Turner said. “You look at the game Sunday against Pittsburgh, a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, intercept a couple balls, have plays over 50 yards. It’s not hard to find those kinds of plays to impress on our team who they’re getting ready to play.“

There is no “trap” facing San Diego this week and they are not overlooking the Chiefs. Those kinds of things are typically media-driven. What the Chargers are preparing for is a hungry Kansas City team that is showing more fight and willingness than perhaps any other team in the league at the moment.

“It is evident when you watch the game that this Kansas City team is hungry and they are flying around,” Rivers said. “Our games against Kansas City each and every year go down to the wire. It was an unusual one in the first meeting. We will definitely be ready for a four quarter, get after it game on Sunday.”

THE OTHER SIDE
November 25th – 4:32 PM

This afternoon Chargers QB Phillip Rivers talked about a former teammate.  A month ago to the day, the Chargers came into Arrowhead and routed the Chiefs 37-7. Number 89 on the Chargers turned in a flat stat line in the contest. No longer is there a number 89 on the San Diego roster, but there is a number 11 on the Chiefs roster. Turns out they’re the same guy.

WR Chris Chambers was released by the Chargers on November 2nd and claimed off waivers by Kansas City the very next day. There have been a number of stories tied to Chambers’ San Diego departure, but the stance that both parties can agree on is that it was time for younger receivers like Malcom Floyd, Negedu Naanee and Buster Davis to see their roles expand. Chambers was the sacrificial lamb.

The Chargers loss has certainly been Kansas City’s gain as Chambers already turned in catches of 54, 30, 61 and 47 yards over his first three games with the Chiefs. Before Chambers’ arrival, Kansas City has completed just three total passes of 30 yards or more.

”I think there is no question,” Rivers answered when asked if Chambers still had the skill-set he arrived in San Diego with. “Obviously last year he dealt with injuries throughout the year and as the year progressed, he and WR Malcom Floyd split time as the X receiver. I think his opportunities weren’t as frequent as they were when he first arrived and that was the decision that was made.“

Overall, River’s isn’t surprised to see Chambers succeed with a division rival. His success in Kansas City is very similar to that of which Chambers experienced when he was involved in a 2007 mid-season trade that sent him from Miami to San Diego.

”We had been in the same position Kansas City was in as far as acquiring him mid-season,” Rivers explained. “He is sharp and he has been in this league a long time, enough to where he understands route concepts and terminology. You learn more and more as you go so certainly I knew Chris still had a lot of gas in his tank and he is giving Kansas City a boost.“

This Sunday Chambers gets a chance to take his show back to the playing surface at Qualcomm Stadium for the first time since leaving San Diego.

#7 SHOWS HE’S A GAMER
November 25th – 4:06 PM

QB Matt Cassel turned in perhaps his most clutch performance of the season down the stretch in Sunday’s overtime victory over Pittsburgh. Calm, cool and collected, Cassel marched his team up and down the field on the Pittsburgh defense with completions of 30 and 47 yards to tie the contest at 24 and ultimately push the Steelers into overtime. It’s almost as if Cassel is more comfortable under pressure late in the game.

The most incredible aspect of Cassel’s performance on Sunday’s was how well he rebounded after a horrid start. At halftime, Cassel had completed just four passes for 35 yards. Fortunately, for Cassel and the Chiefs, it was a tale of two halves as #7 15-of-30 passing for 248 yards with two TDs and a QB rating of 100.4. His 61-yard strike to WR Chris Chambers in overtime ultimately sealed the Steelers fate.

So what gives? Does Cassel actually excel when the pressure is at its highest level?

”You know it’s just the flow of the game,” Cassel said. “I don’t know why that is right now.“

This isn’t the first time that Cassel’s performed well down the stretch. He led the Chiefs on a very impressive scoring drive in the final seconds vs. Dallas that pushed that contest into overtime back in October and he also led a furious late rally in Jacksonville just a few weeks ago.

“Obviously as an offensive unit, we’d like to get started earlier and we’re going to continually be working on that, but the big plays have really showed up in the third and fourth quarter for us, and a lot of that just has to do with people giving us an opportunity to make a big play and for whatever reason, they’ve been happening later in the game,” Cassel explained.

“We’ve got to start faster but I’ve got to hand it to [Cassel], the kid’s a fighter,” Haley said of his quarterback.

Cassel’s late-game calmness can go a long way inside a huddle and locker room among teammates. The Chiefs, and Cassel’s, fight and grit down the stretch are excellent building blocks to move forward with alongside the club’s overall progression to date.

Obviously Cassel would like to drop the early-game struggles, but his late-game cool could come in handy this Sunday in San Diego. Dating back to 2000, 11 Chiefs/Chargers games have been decided by seven points or less. Both of the Chiefs/Chargers meetings in 2008 were decided by just one point.

CHARLES’ APPETITE MATCHES ON-FIELD PLAY
November 25th – 2:23 PM

Talking with media members in the Chiefs locker room just moments ago, RB Jamaal Charles revealed that he plans on downing an entire turkey in one setting tomorrow.

“Ya’ll can’t take me lightly,” Charles laughed as people acted surprised. “I’m big in the inside.“

That line sounds similar to his on-field message to opposing defenses.

“I eat a lot, but I don’t show it,” Charles continued.

Charles’ eating habits are just fine as long as his on-field play continues at a high level. From the looks of it, there isn’t much excess weight on Charles’ 200-pound frame and an extra helping of food certainly didn’t cause him to lose a step last weekend on that 97-yard kickoff return for touchdown. Charles was honored as the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week as a result.

“I just got a lot of calls from people congratulating me,” Charles said after word spread this morning that he received the honor.

LEGGETT A BIG LOSS…
November 25th – 2:15 PM

The loss of DB Maurice Leggett is a tough one to take. Notice the DB in front of his name and not the “CB” in the previous sentence. Leggett had become a “team-first,” do-it-all type of defender ready to step in and help the organization whether it be at corner, nickel or safety.

“We had moved Maurice to safety and I think that he was really excited about it and had shown a lot of promise,” Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said. “So, this would be a setback obviously. It’s one that you never want to see.“

“He’s a great kid with great enthusiasm,” Haley continued. “I think he’ll put everything in it to get back and we’ll be looking forward to it in the offseason.“

It looks like Leggett’s injury, reported to be a shoulder last Sunday, will not be one that heals on its own and will require surgery to repair.

The Chiefs still currently stand at 52 active players and there is speculation to which safety they will add to the roster, if any. A number of safeties reportedly tried out in Kansas City over the past month and Ricky Price is another option for promotion from the practice squad. The Chiefs have also shown no fear going to battle with just three safeties , which was prevalent when DaJuan Morgan was a healthy inactive in Oakland to weeks ago.

Part of that rationale could be the comfort with CB Travis Daniels potentially being an emergency safety. Daniels has limited experience at the position, but has appeared at safety sparingly over his five-year NFL career. Daniels served as the Chiefs primary nickel back last Sunday vs. Pittsburgh.

No matter the move that occurs, two of the three practices for this Sunday’s game are in the books. If the addition is from the outside, odds would be against that player playing this Sunday in San Diego.

LEGGETT TO IR
November 25th – 12:19 PM

Chiefs announced on Wednesday that the club has placed CB/S Maurice Leggett on injured reserve. He suffered a shoulder injury vs. Pittsburgh last Sunday.

No roster move has been made to fill the roster slot Leggett occupied.

WEDNESDAY PRACTICE REPORT
November 25th – 11:49 AM

Wednesday is actually a Thursday in terms of practice prep this week as the Chiefs went to work for their second session of the week before an off day arrives tomorrow.

On the field, it’s been a bit of an injury roller coaster. After some pleasant surprises in the injury department yesterday, the Chiefs took a bit of a step back this morning. LB Mike Vrabel (knee) and RB Dantrell Savage (ankle) both were back on the stationary bikes today after going through drills with their teammates yesterday. LB Justin Rogers (thigh) joined them in the injury zone.

G Andy Alleman (knee) was at practice a second consecutive day, but Wade Smith lined up with the first team at right guard during the early portion of practice. CB Maurice Leggett once again was not on the practice field in any capacity. He left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury and did not return.

CHARLES KEEPS CHARGING - WINS AFC AWARD
November 25th – 8:45 AM

The NFL informed the Chiefs this morning that RB Jamaal Charles will be named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance last Sunday vs. Pittsburgh. Charles ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown in the Chiefs 27-24 overtime victory over the defending Super Bowl champions.

Charles’ special teams score was one of two TDs he turned in on the day. This is the first time that Charles has been awarded a conference honor. CB Maurice Leggett was the last Chiefs player to take home AFC Player of the Weeks accolades after he returned a fumbled FG for a TD at Oakland in Week 13 of 2008. Two weeks ago, Chiefs S Mike Brown was rewarded for his efforts in Oakland by being named AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Charles’ kickoff return has also been selected as one of the top three plays of the week for Sprint’s national Can’t-Miss Plays Promotion. Voting opened yesterday and continues through Saturday at 2:00 PM CST.

Vote Here: http://blogs.nfl.com/category/sprint-cant-miss-plays/

All those who vote are entered for a chance to win one of 17 trips to Super Bowl XLIV.

THE WRESTLER
November 25th – 6:08 AM

Chiefs rookie linebacker Jovan Belcher was a stud wrestler, this is a fact that certainly can’t be debated. A three-time All-America selection in the sport at New York’s West Babylon high school, Belcher actually feels he may have been a better wrestler than football player at the time.

“It helped me build some really key things like balance,” Belcher explained of his time wrestling. “That helped me out. Just little things; I learned how to use my leverage. I went to a small school and I was able to showcase it, I’d say. (Wrestling) helped me get here.”

Today, Belcher definitely doesn’t look like a wrestler. Don’t take it the wrong way, Belcher is incredibly fit. Really, he’s a physical specimen. But he just doesn’t look like a wrestler – he looks like a professional football player.

Those long mornings afternoons and evenings on the mats might have been spent with an eye on yet another state title at the time, but those sessions ultimately helped prepare Belcher for his career in another sport. Those workouts prepared Belcher to become a Chief.

“I love wrestlers from the standpoint of balance if nothing else - linemen who have been wrestlers, too,” Haley said. “A lot of times when he’s been a wrestler he has a little lower of gravity and not built for speed so much. In Jovan’s case that’s not the issue. He’s not built like a typical wrestler.”

“I think that does nothing but help you,” Haley continued. “There isn’t anything tougher than that. You go in those wrestling rooms and its 100 degrees and a lot of sweat.”

Wrestling is like other sports in the fact that the basics surrounding it are beneficial on the gridiron. The same can be said for the sport of basketball and the skillets it transfers to the football field as well. Just take a look at players like TEs Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates. Those former basketball standouts have given Chiefs fans an up-close view of hoopers turned footballers.

But wrestling is a bit different in the fact that it’s an individual sport. There isn’t any team help on the mats and the most successful wrestlers have that special “it.”

“It’s just you,” Belcher said of wrestling. “When you go out for two-mile runs by yourself it’s just you, you don’t have somebody pushing you. It builds your mental toughness a lot and you really challenge yourself.”

That “it” represents mental toughness and it’s something that Haley has hammered home throughout his tenure as the Chiefs head coach. Haley wants his players to give extra effort and exude mental toughness, all while performing the physical aspects of football at the absolute highest level. Belcher’s time as a wrestler helped him develop that “it.”

“To get to where he’s gotten there has to be mental toughness,” Haley confirmed.

Like most players who didn’t play NCAA Division I football, Belcher is a guy who has been largely overlooked by evaluators at the next level throughout his career. After high school, he landed at Maine – not exactly an SEC program like many of his current teammates attended. Didn’t matter, mental toughness prevailed.

Once on the field for the Black Bears, Belcher made an immediate impact as a linebacker. He was a starter as a true freshman and went on to start 21 games at the position during his first two years at the school. But by the time he became a junior, a new challenge awaited.

As a junior, Belcher was asked to put his hand on the ground and play defensive end due to the departure of an All-American at the position. He was perceived as the next-best in line despite his success as a linebacker over his first two seasons. Going from a stand-up player to a three-point player is quite a transition at any level. Didn’t matter, mental toughness prevailed.

Belcher put his hand in the dirt and ultimately became a contender for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in the nation at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision level. Still, Belcher couldn’t get past the seventh-round on most projected draft boards. He ended up not getting drafted at all.

Belcher heard all of the knocks on him – “he’s a tweener,” “he doesn’t play against the top competition week-in and week-out”, “his timed speeds aren’t the greatest.” All Belcher could control was his play on the field, which he did at Maine and has continued to do with the Chiefs.

“I was always thinking that anything was possible,” Belcher said. “But from a small school a lot of people look down up on you.”

From long-shot to special teams contributor, Belcher now finds himself as a very critical part of the Chiefs defensive plans. His role seems to have grown almost exponentially since he attended his first mini-camp practice back in the spring. Six months ago, who would have thought that this player would be the one to turn in such a critical play in the Chiefs overtime victory over the defending Super Bowl champions?

“He had a pretty significant role for us defensively,” Haley said. “For a guy coming from where he was coming from he’s a bright spot for us. He’s a run-and-hit linebacker who can play special teams. That was never more evident than Sunday and specifically that last play defensively in overtime.”

“He reminds me a lot of myself,” DE Wallace Gilberry said. “I came in through the back-door from college in free agency with the Giants. Nobody knew who he was or who I was. He works hard and he puts himself in a position to be a great player. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’s going to be an awesome player in this league.

Belcher’s progress has been rapid. From the looks of it, you’d never think he was a rookie, much less a guy who was a roster long shot when he entered the league. Really, Belcher is making it all look far too easy.

“It’s definitely challenging,” Belcher re-confirmed.

Apparently looks can be deceiving.