Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger and Kansas City’s Alex Smith fought to a first-half draw and the Chiefs beat the Steelers 26-20 in overtime on Saturday night.

Roethlisberger was 13 of 19 for 166 yards and a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Dwyer as the Steelers shook off two lethargic performances with easily their best 30 minutes of the preseason.

Smith struggled early but led Kansas City to a pair of scoring drives late in the first half and finished 17 of 24 for 158 yards and a touchdown. Kansas City’s Jamaal Charles ran seven times for 10 yards in his first game after spraining his right foot earlier this month.

Kansas City won it on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Chase Daniel to Rico Richardson on the first possession of overtime.

Following a pair of largely lifeless efforts, Roethlisberger stressed it was hardly time to panic. In the closest thing to the real thing the NFL provides in August, the Steelers responded with a decidedly more urgent tone against the Chiefs.

Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown for a 49-yard gain on Pittsburgh’s second offensive play, leading to a field goal. The Steelers followed it up with their first offensive touchdown since the 2012 regular season finale against Cleveland. Taking over at the Kansas City 21 after the Chiefs failed to convert a 4-and-1, Roethlisberger turned a broken play into six points when he scrambled around long enough to find Dwyer wide open in the flat. The running back trotted into the end zone to give the Steelers a 10-0.

Kansas City, which like Pittsburgh sleep walked through the first half of the exhibition schedule, appeared headed to another dismal effort until Smith found a rhythm late in the half. The former No. 1 draft pick, sent to Kansas City to revitalize his career, raced 38 yards to set up a field goal.

Smith didn’t need to use his legs during a fabulous drive to end the half. He completed 6 of 7 passes while moving Kansas city 72 yards, the only incompletion coming on a spike to stop the clock. Smith covered the final five yards with a perfect strike to Junior Hemingway to tie the game with just 18 seconds remaining before the break.

The two starters took the rest of the night off and probably won’t be seen again until their respective season openers.

In the final game before the first round of cuts, however, a couple of third-round picks made a compelling case they plan to stick around.

Pittsburgh wide receiver Markus Wheaton – projected as the team’s new deep threat after the departure of Mike Wallace – hauled in a 34-yard rainbow from backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski early in the third quarter.

Moments later, Kansas City’s Knile Davis provided a compelling case to return kicks after taking an ”only in the preseason” shot when he fielded the ensuing kickoff a yard from the endline then raced 109 yards for a touchdown. The score continued a miserable trend for the Steelers, who have hardly been sharp on special teams under new coordinator Danny Smith.

Pittsburgh running back Felix Jones, acquired in a trade with Philadelphia on Friday, saw extensive action with rookie Le’Veon Bell (foot), Isaac Redman (stinger), LaRod Stephens-Howling (knee) all sidelined by injury. Jones returned two kickoffs for 51 yards and carried eight times for 29 yards.

— Associated Press —

The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers are hoping a change of scenery will give two disappointing first-round picks an opportunity to realize their potential.

The Chiefs traded wide receiver Jon Baldwin to the 49ers on Monday for fellow wideout A.J. Jenkins. It’s the second significant trade between the teams this year after the Chiefs sent two draft picks to San Francisco in the offseason to acquire quarterback Alex Smith.

“We are pleased to add Jonathan to our team and look forward to incorporating him into our offense,” 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement. “Both players have been presented a great opportunity for a new beginning with their respective teams.”

Baldwin was the 26th overall choice of the Chiefs in 2011, but he’s had a tumultuous career right from the start. Baldwin broke his thumb his rookie season when he got into a fight with a teammate, and then struggled to adapt to three head coaches in his first three seasons.

He’s also had trouble with dropped passes throughout training camp under new coach Andy Reid, including one when he was wide open in last Friday night’s preseason loss to San Francisco.

That drop alone apparently was not enough to dissuade the 49ers from making the deal.

“There’s no reason that both of these guys can’t end up having a great career,” 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “Both of these young men have that opportunity, and they definitely have the ability and license to get it done.”

Jenkins was the 30th overall pick of the 49ers last year, but may have had a more perplexing rookie season than Baldwin. He appeared in three games but did not make a catch, even though he was healthy throughout his team’s NFC championship season.

“We felt like this trade was beneficial for all parties involved,” said Chiefs general manager John Dorsey, who was hired in January to replace the fired Scott Pioli — the GM who drafted Baldwin.

Dorsey and Reid clearly weren’t enamored of the big wide receiver after breaking down video of him upon their arrival. One of their major acquisitions in free agency was Donnie Avery, a veteran wide receiver who was expected to compete with Baldwin for the job opposite Dwayne Bowe.

Baldwin didn’t do much to change the Chiefs’ opinion of him this offseason, either.

Even though they’re desperate to give Smith some downfield options, Baldwin never seized upon the opportunity. He routinely dropped balls in practice, struggled to get open in preseason games and never showed signs of being the kind of playmaker the Chiefs need on the outside.

“You don’t know what you will get out of him,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson said before Sunday’s practice. “If he’s down from drops or mental errors or whatever it is, you just work yourself out of it. You continue to press on. We always talk about short-term memory. You have to have it in this business and move on.”

Otherwise, your team eventually will move on, as Kansas City did Monday.

The 49ers are hopeful that Baldwin can flourish without having to deal with the pressure that came with being a primary target in Kansas City. Even though Michael Crabtree is out with a torn Achilles tendon, San Francisco still has veteran Anquan Boldin, Kyle Williams, Mario Manningham when healthy, and tight end Vernon Davis to carry most of the load in its passing game.

Still, all that help wasn’t enough to help Jenkins break out. The speedy wide receiver had another rough preseason showing against the Chiefs last Friday night, and many were beginning to question whether the former Illinois star would even make the team.

He was targeted twice in the game, but failed to catch either pass. Jenkins had one reception in the 49ers’ preseason opener against Denver, but also lost a fumble.

“I have to support the organization and my coach, but I think it’s a great stepping stone for him because he gets to start over and start new,” Davis said Monday. “To me, he still has a lot of potential. His career’s not over. He’s just starting somewhere else.”

Williams said the opportunity to reunite with Smith could help things click for Jenkins, who was often criticized for his work ethic and off-the-field habits in San Francisco.

“Honestly, I’m happy for him,” Williams said. “It’s kind of a breath of fresh air. He gets to go over there, get in a new system, get over there with Alex, and Alex will bring him up to speed. I couldn’t be happier for him, because I know it’s going to be a great opportunity for him.”

— Associated Press —

Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith struggled against his former team, and backup San Francisco quarterback B.J. Daniels threw a late touchdown pass to give the 49ers a 15-13 victory over Kansas City in a preseason game Friday night.

Phil Dawson hit all three of his field-goal attempts for the 49ers, two of them 55-yarders, while the Chiefs’ Quintin Demps returned a kickoff 104 yards for a touchdown.

Smith was just 7 of 16 for 62 yards while playing the full first half, but he did help Kansas City to two field goals. The 49ers didn’t go easy on him, either: Defensive tackle Tony Jerod-Eddie was flagged for delivering a helmet-to-helmet hit on Smith in the second quarter.

Colin Kaepernick, who took over Smith’s starting job in San Francisco last season, only played the first offensive series. He threw a pair of passes with one completion for minus-3 yards.

The Chiefs played without Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles, who strained his right foot when he stepped on a teammate in practice Monday. Coach Andy Reid said Charles would play if he could, but the team ultimately played it safe.

Knile Davis, one of the Chiefs’ third-round draft picks, started in Charles’ place. Davis ran for 37 yards and caught three passes for 31 yards.

Colt McCoy and Scott Tolzien alternated series for the 49ers once Kaepernick left, but neither distinguished himself in the race for the No. 2 quarterback job. McCoy threw for 35 yards but also tossed an interception, while Tolzien threw for only 30 yards.

The main story line, though, was Smith facing his former team.

After leading San Francisco to the playoffs and getting off to a good start last year, he lost the top job when he got hurt. 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh stuck with Kaepernick once Smith was healthy enough to return, and then traded the former No. 1 pick to the Chiefs this past offseason.

Smith has mostly taken the high road when asked about how things went down. He even spent some time chatting amicably with Harbaugh on the field before kickoff.

Demps, who’s trying to solidify a job returning kicks for Kansas City, sent the first shock through a meager crowd at Arrowhead Stadium in the first quarter. He fielded a kickoff after the first of Dawson’s field goals, found a crease and out-ran the coverage for a touchdown.

The Chiefs haven’t had a kickoff return for a score in a regular-season game November 2009, when Charles brought one back against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 49ers’ special teams also shined in the third quarter, when backup linebacker Parys Haralson blocked a punt by Dustin Colquitt. Haralson recovered the ball to set up the second of Dawson’s 55-yard field goals – both of them had plenty of distance to spare.

Those were the 49ers’ only points until Daniels hit Chuck Jacobs from 14 yards out with 2:02 left in the game. They failed to convert the extra point, but the defense made the lead stand up.

— Associated Press —

The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Wednesday that the club has signed cornerback Kennard Cox. Additionally, the team has waived linebacker Chad Kilgore.

Cox (6-0, 191) has seen action in 29 games in four NFL seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2008-09) and Seattle Seahawks (2010-11). He owns 10 tackles (five solo), 0.5 sacks, two passes defensed and one fumble recovery. Cox originally entered the NFL as a seventh-round draft selection (251st overall) of the Buffalo Bills in 2008, but was released before the season and added to the Green Bay Packers practice squad roster on Oct. 27, 2008. He was claimed off the Packers practice squad by the Jaguars in December of 2008 where he spent two seasons on and off the club’s active roster. In April of 2010, Cox joined the Seattle Seahawks where he primarily served on the club’s practice squad until March 13, 2012. The Miami, Fla., native played collegiately at Pittsburgh where he appeared in 47 games, totaling 98 tackles and two interceptions. He prepped at Miami Killian High School where he played wide receiver and quarterback.

Kilgore (6-1, 230) originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Oakland Raiders in 2012. He spent the 2012 training camp with the Raiders before being released prior to the regular season. The Orrick, Mo., native played in 57 games at Northwest Missouri State, recording 392 tackles (165 solo), 7.0 sacks (-36.0 yards), five interceptions, 12 passes defensed and three forced fumbles. He prepped at Excelsior Springs High School in Excelsior Springs, Mo.

— Chiefs Media Relations —

Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles had his ailing right foot examined by two orthopedic surgeons and they confirmed the Kansas City Chiefs’ diagnosis of a mild strain.

Charles turned his right ankle early in practice on Monday.

“His ankle ligaments were fine,” Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said. “He had some pain on the outside bone of his foot. We did an X-ray. That was negative. There’s a tendon that attaches right at that spot and that’s what is sore right now. That’s why we call it a strain.”

Charles walked down the long, grassy hill to the practice fields Tuesday without a boot or a noticeable limp. He spent some time with the training staff off to the side, riding a stationary bike but only using the arm levers, before leaving the field for the rest of practice.

Burkholder said Charles felt some soreness up his leg but that it was expected.

“People are speculating Lisfranc and all that,” Burkholder said of the mid-foot injury that caused problems for former Chiefs running back Larry Johnson. “He doesn’t have any discomfort there. I’ve had him see two orthopedic surgeons and everyone agrees he has a mild foot strain.”

It’s unclear how long Charles will be out of practice, but it appears unlikely that he will play in Friday night’s preseason game against San Francisco at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Chiefs leaned heavily on Charles in their preseason opener last week. He touched the ball on eight of the 14 plays that the No. 1 offense ran on its opening touchdown drive.

“No difference. Next guy has to step up,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson said. “They’re getting a lot of reps right now, so we just keep going. Nothing changes.”

Rookie running back Knile Davis took most of the carries with the first-team offense on Tuesday. Shaun Draughn and Cyrus Gray continued their battle for the No. 3 job. Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith said that good teams are able to overcome an injury to one of their most productive players, and that somebody else will have to step up.

“He’s a special player. Kind of stating the obvious,” Smith said. “Jamaal is a special player but we have to find a way. … But no question, he’ll be missed.”

— Associated Press —

Jamaal Charles climbed into a green cart midway through practice Monday, favoring his right foot, and started to unbuckle his shoulder pads as he was taken up the hill from the practice fields at Missouri Western to the Chiefs’ locker room inside the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex.

Cue the hundreds of tweets speculating about his injury.

By the time practice ended and coach Andy Reid finally had a chance to brief reporters — initial diagnosis of a strained foot and negative X-rays  — just about anybody with an interest in the Chiefs was wondering how long the Pro Bowl running back would be out.

Cue the rush of tweets telling folks to calm down.

Then came a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, indicating Chiefs’ personnel were privately concerned and hoping for the best but bracing for the worst. The best indicator might not come until Tuesday’s practice. Reid said Charles would practice if healthy enough and didn’t want to rule playing time in Friday’s preseason game vs. the 49ers at Arrowhead.

“We’ll just see how he does — precautionary measures,” Reid said. “We’ll see how he does here in the next little bit — see where he’s at as far as pain or swelling. We’ll see how he does.

“If he’s ready to go,” Reid said, “he’ll play.”

The social-media storm that erupted following Charles’ injury may have been only natural given how critical the flashy running back has become to the Chiefs. He’s coming off a 1,500-yard season for an offense that was among the worst in the NFL and will be counted upon heavily in Reid’s system in both the running and passing game.

On the Chiefs’ opening drive last Friday night in New Orleans, Charles had five carries and three catches, touching the ball on more than half of their 14 plays. Charles wound up capping the drive with a 1-yard plunge, the only TD the Chiefs scored in a 17-13 loss.

Then there’s the fact that Charles missed nearly an entire season two years ago with a torn ACL. He hasn’t been injury prone since joining the Chiefs, but not even Charles was sure whether he’d be the same player once he made it back from the left knee injury. He wound up running for at least 100 yards seven times in 2012 and more than 200 yards twice.

Reid seemed to bristle when asked Monday about balancing the level of contact in practice with the risk of injury. The Chiefs have been in full pads almost since the moment they arrived at training camp, tackling to the ground for periods in just about every practice.

In fact, Charles was participating in an 11-on-11 session pitting the first-team offense against the No. 1 defense near the goal line Monday when he gingerly walked off the field. He spent some time talking to the training staff before riding off the field.

“Well, listen, we play. We come out and we do what we do,” said Reid, who earned a reputation for running tough practices in Philadelphia. “We don’t worry about all that other stuff.”

Knile Davis, the Chiefs’ third-round draft pick out of Arkansas, stepped into Charles’ place with the first-team offense along with some looks for Shaun Draughn for the remainder of Monday’s practice. Davis had already moved past Draughn (391 yards offense, two TDs last year) and second-year running back Cyrus Gray to No. 2 on the depth chart.

“He went down. I had to get in, step in and play my role,” Davis said. “(Reid’s) whole goal was to build a team where if one man went down the next man would step up.

“That’s the plan; that’s how I feel it should happen this weekend (if Charles can’t play)”

Reid said that the reps that Davis got with the first-team offense were invaluable.

The former Arkansas star was considered a first-round talent coming out of college, but he slipped down draft boards because of injury concerns and a propensity for fumbling. Already, he’s shown game-breaking speed and uncanny elusiveness early in training camp.

“It was good work for Knile today, if you want to take a positive from it,” Reid said. “It gives another guy an opportunity to practice. That’s how I look at it. It allowed Knile, our young running back, to get good work with the ones.”

— Associated Press —

Click the links below to hear interviews from after the Kansas City Chiefs training camp practice on Sunday at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.

Head Coach Andy Reid on Eric Fisher injury

Defensive Coordinator Bob Sutton

Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub

TE Tony Moeaki

LB Derrick Johnson

Kansas City coach Andy Reid couldn’t complain about the way his new starting quarterback drove the Chiefs down the field.

It will be interesting to see how they do for more than one series.

Smith led Kansas City for the opening score on his only series, but the Chiefs sputtered after that in a 17-13 loss in the preseason opener for both teams Friday night.

”Alex did a nice job all around,” Reid said. ”The first offense did a nice job. … After that, we had protection problems on the offensive side.”

Preston Parker had a pair of touchdown catches in his bid to fill one of New Orleans’ open receiver spots, helping the Saints come back in the second half, after the starters called it a night.

”Preston played exceptionally well with the opportunity he was given,” said Saints coach Sean Payton, on the sideline for the first time since his bounty suspension ended last January.

Reid, who calls offensive plays, saw all he needed of Smith in the opening drive, which went 80 yards on 14 plays.

Jamaal Charles capped it with a 13-yard reception and short TD run. Smith was 7 of 8 for 68 yards against the Saints’ defense, which was overhauled this offseason by new coordinator Rob Ryan.

”We all draw them up that way, not that they all turn out that way,” Reid said of the first series. ”I knew Rob Ryan had spent a lot of time working on their defense, so it was a pretty good challenge there. It was good that we executed the way we did.”

Drew Brees was 7 of 10 for 65 yards in two series, which produced one field goal.

His longest completion went for 22 yards to rookie Kenny Stills, who like Parker is a candidate to replace injured deep threat Joe Morgan as the Saints’ No. 3 receiver behind Marques Colston and Lance Moore.

Parker, a three-year veteran, stood out for at least one preseason game. His first TD, an off-balance catch of Luke McCown’s pass to the back of the end zone, tied the game at 10 in the third quarter.

His second TD on a quick sideline throw at the goal line made it 17-10. He finished with four catches for 43 yards, including a leaping 33-yard catch.

Parker played in only two games last season with Tampa Bay before being cut in September. Two seasons ago, however, he played in all 16 games for the Buccaneers and had 40 catches for 544 yards and three TDs.

”Preston has been around and he’s played, and any time you get that kind of experience … he’s going to be more comfortable than some of the other guys,” McCown said. ”I was excited for Preston.”

Nick Toon had four catches for 66 yards. Andy Tanner caught three passes for 59 yards.

Still, Payton remained somewhat critical of his team’s performance.

”I just thought it was sloppy,” he said. ”That kind of burrs at me a little bit because that’s a reflection of us as coaches.”

The Chiefs’ return game made the Saints’ kickoff and punt coverage look suspect. The Chiefs’ had two field goals set up by big returns – Dexter McCluster’s 55-yard punt return and Knile Davis’ 77-yard kickoff return.

Former Saints backup QB Chase Daniel took over for Smith on Kansas City’s second drive, which began at the New Orleans 32 after McCluster’s long return was augmented by a holding call against New Orleans. That led to Ryan Succop’s 42-yard field goal.

Brees’ first drive stalled quickly. His final drive covered 74 yards in 10 plays, setting up Garrett Hartley’s 24-yard field goal.

While Ryan’s new 3-4 defense struggled in its opening series, it allowed Kansas City only 135 yards the rest of the game.

”You don’t want to say it’s going to take time to get into the flow,” Payton said. ”That’s something we’ve got to be better at.”

New Orleans’ defense also produced four sacks, one each by Baraka Atkins, third-round draft choice John Jenkins, undrafted rookie Glenn Foster and cornerback Jabari Greer.

The Chiefs struggled to sustain drives with Daniel under center, and third-stringer Tyler Bray fared no better when he entered the game in the third quarter. He was stripped by Foster and Jay Richardson recovered for New Orleans at midfield.

Kansas City got the ball right back, however, when Tysyn Hartman intercepted McCown.

McCown, who is competing with Seneca Wallace to back up Brees, was 18 of 28 for 216 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Wallace did not play because of a recent groin injury.

Daniel was 6 of 10 for 42 yards and was sacked twice.

— Associated Press —