KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs have selected James Winchester to serve as their long snapper, waiving Andrew East and 10 others Sunday as they pare down to the 75-man roster limit by Tuesday afternoon.

The Chiefs still need to cut four more players.

Winchester and East, who recently became engaged to Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, made up one of the few position battles in training camp this year. East played his college ball at Vanderbilt.

Other players waived by the Chiefs were tight end Adam Schiltz; wide receivers Kenny Cook, Jeret Smith and L’Damian Washington; offensive linemen Charles Tuaau, Marcus Reed and Anthony Dima; defensive lineman Vaughn Martin; and defensive backs Kenneth Penny and Aaron Hester.

Kansas City visits St. Louis for its final preseason game Thursday night.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs’ Alex Smith knows exactly how much weight Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota feels as the first-round pick tries to turn around the fortunes of Tennessee.

He was in a similar position in San Francisco a decade ago.

“For me, it was battling the anxiety of being the top pick and justifying that, and that’s what I fought for so long, and it took me a while,” Smith said shortly after leading Kansas City to a weather-shortened 34-10 victory over the Titans on Friday night.

“In some ways,” he said, “you have to play yourself out of that, and I think I did.”

Enough to solidify the starting job with the Chiefs, where Smith has flourished in coach Andy Reid’s West Coast offense. He was 16 of 18 for 171 yards and two touchdowns in less than a half against Tennessee, almost certainly his final tuneup before the regular season.

Meanwhile, Mariota misfired on his first three throws before completing seven of his last eight attempts. He threw for 99 yards while playing the entire first half.

“Kansas City has a very good defense, and for us to be able to score points against them, it says a lot about where we have come from,” Mariota said. “A lot of it we can still improve.”

The game was called with 3 minutes, 50 seconds remaining after thunder rumbled and lightning streaked across the sky. Heavy rains had turned one end zone into a lake.

By that point, starters and backups had mostly finished their dress rehearsals.

Aaron Murray took over late in the first half and wound up throwing for 146 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, while backup Chase Daniel got the night off for KC.

Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles, who played 10 snaps total the first two preseason games, carried three times for 26 yards and caught two passes for 15 yards. Jeremy Maclin hauled in seven catches for 65 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown grab that made it 7-0.

Travis Kelce also caught a touchdown pass for Kansas City, while All-Pro linebacker Justin Houston had his first sack of the preseason when he tracked down Mariota before halftime.

“We have everything we need to do the things we want to achieve this year,” Maclin said. “It all starts with the guy under center and we have all the faith in the world in him.”

The Titans, still trying to settle on an offensive line, struggled to move the ball on the ground. Bishop Sankey ran six times for just 17 yards, while former Chiefs wide receiver Dexter McCluster at least managed to move the chains when he got a handful of carries.

Zach Mettenberger, who had played so well for Tennessee that some have wondered whether he’ll be traded, took over to start the second half. He was 3 of 11 for 38 yards.

Antonio Andrews had a short touchdown run late in the first half for the Titans.

“Obviously we didn’t start the way we wanted to. A lot of it was because of mistakes we made,” Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “There were too many penalties, we fumbled the ball one time, we jumped offsides and we missed tackles. Those are the things you can’t do.”

Some observations from the game:

ROOKIE WATCH

Titans: Third-round pick Jeremiah Poutasi fared well at RT, even though he lined up against Houston most of the time, perhaps cementing the starting job.

Chiefs: WR Chris Conley, the Chiefs’ third-round pick, had three catches for 30 yards.

POSITION BATTLES

Titans: Poutasi started at RT because Byron Bell moved to LG in place of Andy Levitre, who had been ineffective. That could be the starting unit in the opener against Tampa Bay.

Chiefs: CBs Marcus Peters and Philip Gaines started together while Sean Smith stares at a three-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.

INJURY UPDATE

Titans: S Da’Norris Searcy left with a knee injury in the first half. The Titans’ defense was already without DT Sammie Hill (knee), CB Jason McCourty (groin) and DE DaQuan Jones (leg).

Chiefs: WR Albert Wilson hurt his left shoulder early in the game. There was no word on the injury, though he was favoring it in the locker room afterward.

QUOTABLE

Titans: “Where the game was, it didn’t make any sense to go back out there.” — Whisenhunt on the officials’ decision to call the game early.

Chiefs: “I was way too juiced up.” — Murray on his interception.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs coach Andy Reid insists he has a handle on who will start along the offensive line when Kansas City opens the regular season, assuming a couple guys get healthy.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll? He remains decidedly noncommittal about his own.

Alex Smith threw for 81 yards and a touchdown behind a hodgepodge bunch of blockers — and also tossed an interception that was returned for a touchdown — as Kansas City beat Seattle 14-13 in their preseason game Friday night.

“You know what? For being a makeshift group, I thought they were OK,” Reid said of his line, which was missing left tackle Eric Fisher to an ankle injury and right guard Jeff Allen to a knee sprain. “They tightened up a little bit and got better.”

Meanwhile, the Seahawks turned over three of their five starters on the offensive line from their preseason loss to Denver, and the result was some patchy protection for Russell Wilson. He finished 9 of 15 for 78 yards, most of that coming on three completions to Jimmy Graham.

“We’ve got some stuff to clean up,” Carroll said.

The play of the game from Seattle’s perspective was Bobby Wagner’s interception, which he returned 25 yards for a touchdown that gave the Seahawks a 10-7 halftime lead.

“I just sat back and read his eyes,” said Wagner, who scored his first touchdown since he was a high school tight end. “I’ve never had a pick-six in my life. It felt amazing.”

Chase Daniel led the Chiefs (2-0) on an 86-yard go-ahead drive to open the second half, hitting tight end James O’Shaughnessy from 1 yard for the score. The backup QB has been sharp in two preseason games, throwing four TD passes without an interception.

R.J. Archer played better than he did last week for the Seahawks (0-2), who lost regular backup Tarvaris Jackson to a high ankle sprain in a loss to Denver. But Archer was unable to move his team into range of a winning field goal in the final minutes Friday night.

“I was pleased with the intensity of the running and the hitting across the board,” Carroll said. “A ton of good things happened. I can’t wait to see the films.”

Observations from the game:

OFFENSIVE LINES

Seahawks: C Drew Nowak, LG Justin Britt and RT Garry Gilliam were new to the lineup from the preseason opener, joining LT Russell Okung and RG J.R. Sweezy. They performed better as the game wore on, though Gilliam had his hands full with All-Pro pass rusher Justin Houston. “I heard he was pretty good,” Gilliam said, “so I thought it was going to be a pretty steep learning curve.”

Chiefs: LT Eric Fisher (high ankle sprain) and RG Jeff Allen (knee sprain) did not dress, nor did their replacements fare well. Paul Fanaika started at tackle and was consistently pushed off the line of scrimmage, and Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff was manhandled at his guard spot.

MISSING STARS

Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch made the trip but did not play, while S Kam Chancellor was again absent as his holdout continues. The Chiefs used RB Jamaal Charles sparingly as they try to keep his workload down in the preseason.

ROOKIE WATCH

Seahawks: WR Tyler Lockett made a nice catch while working with the first team, but was bottled up in the return game. Lockett played at Kansas State, a short drive down Interstate 70.

Chiefs: CB Marcus Peters, the No. 18 overall pick, had a solid home debut. C Mitch Morse, drafted in the second round, struggled to deal with Seattle’s starting interior line.

INJURY UPDATE

Seahawks: CB Earl Thomas, who had shoulder surgery in February, was among many Seahawks who did not dress for the game. Thomas returned to practice Tuesday.

Chiefs: LB Dee Ford was leveled by Seahawks RB Christine Michael in the second quarter. Reid said after the game that Ford may have a fractured rib.

FLAG DAY

The Seahawks were penalized 11 times for 105 yards, while Kansas City’s offense only managed 238 yards. “That’s a good way to lose a football game,” Carroll said.

QUOTABLE:

“The ride to the stadium, smelling the barbecue, seeing the fans waving — I made sure I had my windows rolled down so I could take it all in. I went extra slow.” — Chiefs safety Eric Berry, who played at Arrowhead Stadium for the first time since he was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma last December. Berry was deemed cancer-free in June after several rounds of chemotherapy.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Chiefs will host a Military Appreciation Day at Chiefs Training Camp presented by Mosaic Life Care on Wednesday, August 19 at Missouri Western State University. The VIP treatment for members of the armed forces comes on the closing day of training camp in St. Joseph and is part of the NFL’s Salute to Service recognition initiative.

In total, approximately 100 servicemen and women representing the Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy and Air National Guard will be in attendance. In addition, 20 international officers stationed at Ft. Leavenworth will be on-hand for the day.

Following the 9:15 a.m. practice, all hosted members of the military will be invited out to the post-practice huddle where Head Coach Andy Reid and the entire Chiefs team will recognize them. Also as part of military appreciation day, Chiefs coaches, players and fans will be treated to a special flyover from a C-130 plane from the 139th Airlift Wing, stationed at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base in St. Joseph (weather permitting).

The Chiefs have a long-standing tradition of supporting the men and women of our armed forces. Wednesday’s training camp visit is just one way that the Chiefs organization salutes our servicemen and women and share our appreciation for all the sacrifices that they and their families make on our behalf. In past years, the Chiefs have hosted members of the military in the club’s VIP tent at training camp, but 2014 marked the first time that the club had designated a day as Military Appreciation Day.

Wednesday’s practice begins at 9:15 a.m.

— Chiefs Media Relations —

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona’s Carson Palmer was flawless in a brief appearance, Kansas City backup Chase Daniel threw for three touchdowns and the Chiefs beat the Cardinals 34-19 in the teams’ preseason opener Saturday night.

Palmer, in his first game since tearing an ACL last Nov. 9, was 4 for 4 for 77 yards, directing a seven-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to start the game before sitting down for the night. Palmer threw over the middle to Andre Ellington on a 57-play to highlight the seven-play, 80-yard scoring drive.

Arizona’s Tyrann Mathieu intercepted Alex Smith’s pass on the Chiefs’ first possession to set up a field goal to put Arizona up 10-0. The Kansas City reserves scored the next 31 points.

Daniel was 17 for 29 for 189 yards in less than two quarters of play.

— Associated Press —

Click the links below to hear post-practice audio from the Chiefs at MWSU.
Offensive Coordinator Doug Pederson
WR Chris Conley

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs churned through four coaches in eight years before Andy Reid arrived, and far more offensive and defensive coordinators. Each of them had varying schemes and ideas, and the result was a hodge-podge of failure.

Alex Smith went through a similar experience in San Francisco, where the constant changes on the coaching staff nearly ran the former No. 1 draft pick right out of the league.

Reid and Smith are entering Year 3 together, though. Their assistant coaches have remained largely unchanged. And in a league in which turnover — coaches and players — is part of life, the Chiefs are hoping that unique period of continuity will yield success.

“I think that’s important. Continuity is a big thing,” said Reid, whose 14 seasons spent in Philadelphia are a prime example. “We all kind of know as a coaching staff where we’re going, what direction we’re going in, and I think that’s important. That’s a good thing.”

Historically, the Chiefs aren’t a franchise that goes through coaching staffs.

Hank Stram was in charge for the first 15 years, leading the Chiefs to their only Super Bowl title in 1969. Marty Schottenheimer spent a decade in the coach’s office, leading Kansas City to seven playoff appearances. Dick Vermeil spent five years in charge.

But things changed after he hung up the headset. Herm Edwards had the franchise in the midst of a massive rebuilding project when he was fired after three years. Todd Haley didn’t make it past his third year before he was let go, as much because he couldn’t get along with then-general manager Scott Pioli as anything. Romeo Crennel was fired after one horrific season in charge.

Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said following Crennel’s dismissal that he wanted the franchise to be a model of consistency. So when Reid was let go by the Eagles, Hunt made an aggressive play for a coach whose hallmark over the years has been constancy and reliability.

So why is that continuity so important?

Start with the scheme. Reid and offensive coordinator Doug Pederson have a robust playbook at their disposal, but it is only as useful as the players’ knowledge of it. The fact that Smith, running back Jamaal Charles and other key pieces of the offense are in their third year running it takes much of the pressure off trying to digest everything in training camp.

“That’s the big thing, being in your third year, the guys understand our system,” Pederson explained. “So we’re putting them in the same situations that they would be in during the course of the game, and they are handling that very well, because they’re relying on past experience.”

Even the rookies can move along more quickly, because while everything may be new to them, they have what amounts to dozens of coaches — their well-versed teammates — helping them.

“The rookies have looked great,” second-year quarterback Aaron Murray said. “They’re just like the rest of us. They’ve come out and competed with the older guys.”

Another big benefit to continuity? Guys such as Charles that take a beating during the regular season need not absorb so much punishment before games count.

The star running back has not missed a practice this camp, but he often sits out when the team does 11-on-11, full-contact scrimmages. Charles already knows the playbook and its nuances, so why risk an injury? Especially after he was banged up much of last season.

“He knows what he’s doing, and we know what he can do, and he does a good job of taking care of his body,” Pederson said. But when the staff first got to Kansas City, “the reps were the biggest thing. Learning our offense was the biggest thing when we first got here.”

Finally, the Chiefs only play three games at Arrowhead Stadium in their first 11 — one of their designated homes games is in London. So in difficult environments where communication could be more challenging, an intimate knowledge of the system is crucial.

“This is our third year running as a group together,” tight end Travis Kelce said. “Our chemistry right now is through the roof.”

NOTES: WR Albert Wilson was dealing with an illness during Tuesday’s practice. OL Marcus Reed (right ankle) and DL Mike Catapano (groin) are also dealing with injuries. … The Chiefs have their final practice Wednesday before their preseason opener Saturday at Arizona.

— Associated Press —

Click the links below to hear post-practice audio from the Chiefs at MWSU.
Head Coach Andy Reid
CB Sean Smith
CB Phillip Gaines

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Alex Smith did everything the Kansas City Chiefs asked of him last season.

Now, he must do more.

The veteran quarterback with a reputation for being a game manager is being called upon to build on a solid if unremarkable season.

After signing a four-year, $68 million extension before training camp, Smith proceeded to throw for more than 3,000 yards and 18 touchdowns with only six interceptions, despite having his season cut a game short by injury.

But if the Chiefs hope to return to the playoffs — and win their first postseason game since 1993 — it will almost certainly be because their passing game flourishes this season.

“I feel really good,” said Smith, who is entering his 10th season in the league. “It’s a point of emphasis for us all offseason. We worked hard on it, QBs and wideouts included. We worked really hard on it and I do feel good with where we’re at.”

Much of his career, Smith has been hampered by spotty options at wide receiver. Dwayne Bowe and Donnie Avery hardly fit Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s offense, but other than a host of also-rans, they were just about all Smith had at his disposal.

That is hardly the case this season.

The Chiefs signed Jeremy Maclin, who grew up in Reid’s offense in Philadelphia — although the high-profile free agent missed Monday’s practice with an injury.

They also drafted Chris Conley in the third round, and the speedy, rangy pass-catcher out of Georgia returned to the practice field Monday for the first time since July 29 after dealing with a knee injury.

Throw in the emergence of tight end Travis Kelce as a bona fide star last season, and running back Jamaal Charles’s ability to catch passes out of the backfield, and Smith has more weapons in the huddle than any other time in his first two years in Kansas City.

He also has more down-the-field options.

One of the big criticisms of Smith has been his reluctance to throw deep, which might help loosen up opposing defenses and give Charles room to run. Smith completed just 40 passes of at least 20 yards last season, ranking in the bottom half of NFL starters, and three of at least 40 yards — tied for 35th among all quarterbacks that attempted a pass.

“Your percentages obviously go down when you shoot deep as opposed to short and intermediate passes, that only makes sense,” Reid said. “But he’s connected on some nice ones (in practice).

Even offensive coordinator Doug Pederson, himself a former quarterback, seems to be hoping Smith takes more chances, at least before the games start to count.

“If you’re going to throw an interception, training camp is the time to throw it. Let’s test our skill and ability, let’s see what our guys can do,” Pederson said.

“Let’s see what the quarterback can do, let’s see what our receivers can do. This is the time to test that, and we’ve got all of the confidence in the world, as a staff, when we call those plays that they’re completion plays and that Alex will do the right thing with the ball.”

Smith and his wide receivers are only part of the equation, though. To make the passing game click, the offensive line must protect better than it did last season, when it allowed Smith to get sacked a career-high 45 times in just 15 games.

So far, the Chiefs have yet to settle on a front five. Rookie center Mitch Morse is in a tight competition with Eric Kush, and the entire right side of the line remains in flux with Jeff Allen, Paul Fanaika and Donald Stephenson among those playing musical chairs.

“It doesn’t matter if you have two or three studs,” Allen said, “you have to have five guys working together. That is what we’re trying to get.”

Nobody would be happier to see that than Smith, who understands the burden of a successful season could very well fall on his right shoulder.

“I really feel that we have a lot of the pieces that it takes,” he said. “You just never know how long those windows last and you have to make the most out of this opportunity, and I really do think we have an opportunity in front of us.”

NOTES: Maclin woke up Monday with a strained neck. X-rays were negative. “Everything is OK. We just have to get the spasm out of it,” Reid said. “I’m not sure exactly when it happened.” It is unclear whether Maclin will play in Saturday’s preseason opener at Arizona. … OLB Dee Ford remained out of practice after going through the concussion protocol this past weekend.

— Associated Press —

Click the links below to hear post-practice audio from the Chiefs at MWSU.
Defensive Coordinator Bob Sutton
Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub
WR Jason Avant
P Dustin Colquitt

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — There were moments last season when the Chiefs’ De’Anthony Thomas resembled the player that rapper Snoop Dogg nicknamed “Black Mamba,” a shifty do-everything star renowned for his speed and elusiveness on the Pop Warner playing fields.

There were also moments that he looked like a lost NFL rookie.

Now a year wiser and stronger, Thomas is hoping to build on that debut entering Year 2 with Kansas City. He’s made the switch from running back to wide receiver, but the reality is the spot amounts to semantics — versatility remains a big part of his game.

“I learned the running back stuff last year, now I’m learning the receiver stuff also,” he said. It’s just all about learning the whole offense, and I feel like the more valuable I can be to the team, the more time I can be on the field.”

Thomas only played in 12 games last season, and his numbers on offense were modest: 14 carries for 113 yards and a score, and 23 catches for 156 yards.

In fact, he was more valuable as a kick and punt returner, even taking one punt for a touchdown against Oakland.

But the Chiefs expect more of the former fourth-round draft pick this season, especially given how thin they are at wide receiver.

Jeremy Maclin is the unquestioned leader of the position group, and Jason Avant is the elder statesman. But beyond that, players such as Albert Wilson are big on potential but short on proven ability.

“He is still taking the ball-handling, still doing stuff in the running back position, but the majority of his snaps were from that receiver position,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, when asked to explain the switch to wide receiver.

“So we said, ‘You know what? Let’s just put him there. We know he can get back there — he does ball-handling, so he works on the runs, but we put the major emphasis on him getting to know those routes better as a receiver.'”

Thomas has already turned some heads in training camp. He made such a stunning cut to get open against cornerback Phillip Gaines that the defender went toppling to the ground, captured on a video that quickly went viral.

It wasn’t a whole lot different from Thomas’ days in college, when he would seemingly snap the ankles of a woebegone defender while racing around the field for Oregon.

“I just see myself as a contributor,” Thomas said. “Special teams is very big for us also. Doing stuff on special teams, and then coming in certain plays and certain formations to get the defense to where I’m at on the field — and how we can beat them.”

The Chiefs have had gadget-type players in the past, such as Dexter McCluster, who played a similar role before Thomas’ arrival.

But the youngster from Los Angeles possesses a wholly unique combination of speed and quickness that makes him a matchup nightmare.

In fact, Thomas admits his eyes light up when a bigger cornerback lines up on him.

“Real big. Just making that one move to open his hips up, and that’s the only thing I need. The next is attacking him,” he said. “After that, just letting ability take over. Just being patient and having fun out there.”

In an interview setting, Thomas punctuates many of his answers with “just having fun out there,” and for good reason. When you have the ability to make defenders look silly — whether it’s a teammate in training camp or an AFC rival in the regular season — it’s hard not to have fun.

“Quickness and speed, that’s what he’s got. And he’s really strong. For being small, he’s strong,” Reid said. “You don’t want to miss with him. He is one of those guys you put in that category if you’re a defensive corner or safety and he’s playing on the inside, you do not want to miss if you’re playing press coverage on him. You’re probably not going to catch him.”

NOTES: There were several scuffles in Sunday’s practice, including punches thrown between WR Jeremy Maclin and DB Marcus Cooper. RB Charcandrick West and CB Jamell Fleming got into it, as did WR Albert Wilson and CB Steven Nelson. … OLB Dee Ford did not practice after going through the concussion protocol following Saturday’s workout.

— Associated Press —

Click the links below to hear post-practice audio from the Chiefs at MWSU.
Head Coach Andy Reid
LB Josh Mauga
TE James O’Shaughnessy
OL Jeff Allen

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have waived wide receiver Armon Binns and linebacker Sage Harold and signed offensive tackle Anthony Dima and wide receiver Adam Drake in a series of moves Saturday.

Binns had not been practicing after hurting his knee earlier in training camp. Harold was considered a longshot to make the roster at linebacker.

Dima signed with the Cleveland Browns after going undrafted last year, and also has spent time with the Houston Texans. Drake led the Football Championship Subdivision in yards receiving last season at Eastern Illinois with 93 catches for 1,321 yards and 12 touchdowns.

— Associated Press —

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs lineman Will Shields has powered his way to football immortality.

The 12-time Pro Bowl right guard was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday night. Shields became just the third right guard to enter the Hall.

He made it to Canton in his fourth year of eligibility. The 6-foot-3 Shields joked he’s glad he didn’t grow another couple of inches because if he was taller he might have been moved to tackle and might not have ended up in Canton.

Shields was presented for induction by good friend Adrian Lunsford.

— Associated Press —