KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Football League announced on Tuesday that three members of the Kansas City Chiefs have been selected to participate in the 2018 NFL Pro Bowl. The below players have earned a spot on the AFC’s Pro Bowl roster:

Tyreek Hill (Returner) – 2nd Nomination
Kareem Hunt (Running Back) – 1st Nomination
Travis Kelce (Tight End) – 3rd Nomination

The 2018 Pro Bowl will return to Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, and will be televised on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and simulcast on ABC. This year’s game will mark the first time the Pro Bowl will air on both broadcast and cable networks, as well as being streamed live on the ESPN app. The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players to determine its all-star teams.

Hill (5-10, 185) has played in all 14 games (12 starts) this season, tallying 24 punt returns for 203 yards (8.5 avg.) with one touchdown. Offensively, Hill has recorded 69 receptions for 1,074 yards (15.6 avg.) with seven touchdowns. Hill became the 12th player in Chiefs history to notch 1,000 or more yards receiving in a single season. He ranks second among all NFL receivers in overall touchdowns after Week 7 of the 2016 season.

This marks Hill’s second consecutive selection into the NFL’s all-star game. The Pearson, Georgia, native, played collegiately at West Alabama. He was selected by Kansas City in the fifth round (165th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Hunt (5-11, 216) has started all 14 games for the Chiefs during his rookie season, tallying 1,641 scrimmage yards (1,201 rushing yards and 440 receiving yards) with nine touchdowns. In Week 3 of the season, Hunt became the first player in NFL history to record a 50+ yard scrimmage touchdown in each of his first three career games. During Week 14, he rushed for 116 yards becoming just the second rookie in franchise history to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark. He is currently the franchise’s all-time leading rookie rusher.

The Willoughby, Ohio, native, played collegiately at Toledo where he finished his career as the school’s all-time leading rusher, totaling 4,945 yards on 782 rushes (6.3 avg.) with 44 touchdowns. He originally entered the NFL as a third-round pick (86th overall) by the Chiefs in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Kelce (6-5, 260) has started at tight end in all 14 games this season, tallying 79 catches for 991 yards (12.5 avg.) with seven touchdowns. This season Kelce has recorded four 100+ yard receiving games and set a career-high in receiving touchdowns (7). He caught a touchdown in three-straight games from Weeks 7-9 and logged his second career two-touchdown game against the Jets. Kelce owns 303 receptions for 3,853 yards (12.7 avg.) with 21 touchdowns for his career. He has now caught a pass in 62 straight games, ranking as the third-best streak in team history.

This marks Kelce’s third consecutive selection into the NFL’s all-star game. A native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Kelce was selected by Kansas City in the third round (63rd overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft.

— Chiefs Media Relations —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alex Smith threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns, Kareem Hunt ran for 155 yards and a score, and the Kansas City Chiefs routed the turnover-prone Los Angeles Chargers 30-13 on Saturday night to seize control of the AFC West.

Hunt also had a TD catch for the Chiefs (8-6), whose eighth straight win over the Chargers all but sewed up the division and a spot in the playoffs. The only way Kansas City can squander it is by losing its last two games and the Chargers or Oakland Raiders winning out.

The Chargers (7-7) led 13-10 early in the second half, but Philip Rivers threw three interceptions — two of them to Marcus Peters — and Austin Ekeler coughed up a fumble down the stretch.

That ended their four-game win streak and quite possibly their playoff hopes.

Rivers finished with 221 yards passing and a touchdown, but has thrown 13 interceptions during the Chargers’ losing streak to the Chiefs. Melvin Gordon added 78 yards rushing and a score.

The game shaped up as a matchup of teams going in opposite directions: The Chiefs were 5-0 before watching their division lead waste away, while the Chargers started out 0-4 but won seven of their next nine to forge a near-winner-take-all divisional showdown at Arrowhead Stadium.

Instead, the Chiefs looked like they did in their Week 3 win over the Chargers.

So did the Chargers, for that matter.

The Chiefs’ defense, which played so salty last week against Oakland, was buoyed by the return of Peters from a one-game disciplinary suspension in helping to build a 10-6 halftime lead.

Rivers soon got on track, going 5 for 5 for 88 yards on his first drive of the second half. And his 10-yard touchdown pass to trusty tight end Antonio Gates gave Los Angeles its only lead.

One that didn’t last very long.

The Chiefs answered with a methodical, 69-yard scoring drive of their own. Hunt supplied most of the work, and he capped the drive by catching Smith’s short TD toss to give the Chiefs a 17-13 lead.

Two plays later, Rivers floated a pass downfield and Peters leaped up to make an easy interception, and his long return set up first-and-goal at the Chargers 6. The Chiefs nearly turned it into another TD when Smith found Hunt again, but the tip of the ball hit the turf for an incompletion.

The Chiefs’ challenge failed and Harrison Butker knocked through a field goal for a 20-13 lead.

The Chargers’ offense, which had committed just six giveaways over the last nine games, coughed it up again three plays later. Peters helped to pry loose the ball from Ekeler, and Butker tacked on a 51-yard field goal a short while for a comfortable cushion.

Rivers threw two more picks in the fourth quarter, giving him six in two games against Kansas City this season, and ending any hopes of Los Angeles mounting a comeback.

AILING BUT ACTIVE

Chargers CB Casey Hayward was active despite missing practice with a calf injury this week. That may have contributed to the star cover man getting burned by Tyreek Hill on his 64-yard first-half TD catch.

INJURIES NOTES

Chargers LB Denzel Perryman left with a hamstring injury late in the first half. S Adrian Phillips left with an ankle injury early in the second. DT Corey Liuget (knee) and LT Russell Okung (groin) also went down in the second half. … Chiefs LB Kevin Pierre-Louis (shoulder) and DL Jarvis Jenkins (elbow) left with injuries in the third quarter.

UP NEXT

Chargers visit the New York Jets next Sunday with fading postseason hopes.

Chiefs try to clinch the AFC West against the Dolphins next Sunday.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kareem Hunt ran for 116 yards and a touchdown, the Chiefs shut down Derek Carr and Raiders offense and Kansas City held on to beat Oakland 26-15 on Sunday to snap a four-game losing streak.

The suddenly stingy Chiefs (7-6) also made a big statement in the crowded AFC West race. They entered the game tied atop the division standings with the Raiders (6-7) and the Chargers, who played Washington later Sunday and visit Kansas City on Saturday night.

Alex Smith threw for 268 yards and Charcandrick West had a touchdown run for the Chiefs, who held the Raiders without points until Marshawn Lynch’s 22-yard touchdown run with 8:51 to go.

By that point, the Chiefs were cruising toward their 14th win in 15 divisional games.

Carr was 24 of 41 for 211 yards with a touchdown and two picks, a far cry from his performance when the teams met in October. Carr threw for 417 yards and three touchdowns that day, including the winning toss to Michael Crabtree on the final play of the game.

That loss was part of a midseason swoon for Kansas City, which started 5-0 but lost six of seven to fall into a tie for the division lead — and put its once-solid playoff prospects in peril.

The Chiefs gave them a boost again Sunday behind a defense that was shredded by the New York Jets last week, and that was missing All-Pro cornerback Marcus Peters.

The volatile young star was suspended by coach Andy Reid this week for a series of embarrassing incidents, including the throwing of an official’s flag into the stands in the Meadowlands.

The trio of Steven Nelson, Darrelle Revis and Terrance Mitchell more than made up for him.

So did Kansas City’s offense, which produced for the second straight week as offensive coordinator Matt Nagy called the plays. The Chiefs got four field goals from Harrison Butker, along with their two touchdown runs, and didn’t have to punt until the fourth quarter.

The Raiders tried to make it interesting late, recovering an onside kick after Lynch’s TD run. Carr connected with Jared Cook on fourth down for another score, and the 2-point conversion trimmed what had been a 26-0 deficit to 26-15 in a matter of minutes.

But after receiving the kickoff, the Chiefs’ Albert Wilson made a juggling catch to convert a third down, and that allowed the reigning AFC West champs to mostly run out the clock.

COOPER HURT

Raiders WR Amari Cooper was active after he was cleared of a concussion and a sprained left ankle was deemed OK. But he left in the second quarter with a right leg injury when he was blocking downfield on a run by DeAndre Washington, and a defender rolled into the back of him.

OTHER INJURIES

The Raiders also were missing two defensive starters in CB David Amerson (foot sprain) and LB Cory James (knee), while DE Mario Edwards Jr. (ankle) left early in the second quarter and TE Clive Walford went down in the fourth. The Chiefs missed starting C Mitch Morse with a sprained foot.

UP NEXT

Raiders: return home to face the Cowboys next Sunday night.

Chiefs: get another AFC West contender when the Chargers visit Saturday night.

— Associated Press —

CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) – John Dorsey turned the Kansas City Chiefs back into winners.

His new project is more daunting.

The Cleveland Browns hired Dorsey on Thursday to be their new general manager and fix a team that has won just one game over the past two seasons and remains in a perpetual search for a franchise quarterback.

Owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam wasted no time in landing Dorsey, who was brought in hours after the team fired vice president of football operations Sashi Brown after less than two seasons.

Brown was able to acquire future assets during his tenure, but he missed on quarterbacks in the draft and the Browns went just 1-27 under his watch.

“We are thrilled to have John Dorsey lead our football operations,” the Haslams said. “John has been immersed in the NFL for 26 years, won two Super Bowls, built sustainable winning football teams and is highly respected for his football acumen. We know we have a critical and very positive opportunity ahead of us to profoundly impact the foundation of this football team.

“Bringing in someone of John Dorsey’s caliber, his track record of success and his experience, significantly strengthens our opportunities to build a winning football team and that has been, and continues to be, what we want for our fans.”

Dorsey was fired by the Chiefs in June, ending a successful four-year run. But while he was Kansas City’s GM, the club flourished, going 43-21 and advancing to the postseason three times. After starting 1-5 in 2015, the Chiefs went 12-4 the following year and won the AFC West.

While with Kansas City in 2013, Dorsey traded for quarterback Alex Smith, who has developed into a Pro Bowler. He also selected All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce, cornerback Marcus Peters and wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

A former NFL linebacker, Dorsey is looking forward to the challenge of rebuilding the Browns.

“Football is what I know, it is what I love, it is what I have worked my whole career at and I thrive on every element that goes into building a winning football team,” said Dorsey, who worked in Green Bay’s front office before joining the Chiefs.

“I have spent a majority of my football life with two franchises that also have storied history and I think I have a feel for the mentality of the fans in Cleveland and what it would mean to recreate the success this franchise once had. I also have quickly realized how passionate Jimmy and Dee are about bringing a winning team to the city and would have not taken the job if I didn’t think the right ownership was in place.

“I am eager to work with Hue, his staff, and our personnel department and help bring us the success these fans so deserve.”

Along with firing Brown, the Haslams said coach Hue Jackson will return in 2018 despite winning just one game in two seasons.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Marcus Peters chucked an official’s flag into the stands, stalked off the field wearing a smile, then ran back onto it without wearing socks when he realized he hadn’t been ejected.

Well, he won’t have to worry about socks on Sunday.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid suspended the volatile young cornerback for their game against Oakland after a series of antics that have humiliated not only Peters but the entire organization.

The latest came in last week’s loss to the New York Jets, when a late penalty was called and Peters picked up the flag and flung it into the stands . Peters proceeded to leave the field, assuming that he’d been kicked out of the game, and was evidently undressing when he realized his mistake.

So Peters ran back onto the sideline without wearing socks, only to watch the Chiefs’ last-ditch drive fall short in a 38-31 loss — their sixth in the last seven games.

“I’ve done a lot of thinking and come to the conclusion I’m going to suspend him for this game,” Reid said after Wednesday morning’s walkthrough. “I’m not going to get into detail on it. I did have the opportunity to talk to Marcus and some of the players, and I’ve got a good locker room. I fully trust them. We’ll be OK there. So that’s where I’m at.”

The team was informed of the suspension earlier Wednesday, and several players seemed to be trying to digest the news. Fellow cornerback Terrance Mitchell was asked whether a message had been sent to a team lacking discipline, and replied: “I’m not really sure.”

“You know, listen, nobody likes to lose, and when you’ve lost a few in a row sometimes funny things happen,” said quarterback Alex Smith, who typically acts as the team’s spokesman because few players are ever in the locker room when reporters are present.

“Coach made a decision and we’re going with it,” Smith said. “The stakes are too big right now with what we have in front of us. I think we have a good locker room, a mature locker room. Guys are going to handle it the right way. And we have to go as a team.”

Peters has been selected to the Pro Bowl his first two seasons, and was an All-Pro last year, so his loss even for a week is crucial. Not only did the Raiders’ Derek Carr throw for 417 yards and three TDs against the Chiefs in their October matchup, both teams are 6-6 and tied atop the AFC West.

“Any time a player goes down, whether it’s an injury or something like this, you treat it the same, and I’m sure they will,” Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said. “You go on to the next player.”

Peters came into the league with plenty of baggage after he was booted off the team at Washington for repeated run-ins with coach Chris Petersen. And for a while it seemed he’d cleaned up his act, perhaps having matured after the birth of his baby boy.

But a series of embarrassing incidents have once again called into question his character.

Two years ago he was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct in a game against the Raiders, and twice last season he punted the ball into the stands after creating a turnover — he was flagged for a delay of game against Carolina, while his punt against Jacksonville went unnoticed by the officials.

In a game against the Chargers earlier this season, Peters was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct when he got into the face of officials. The next week against Washington , he was involved in a pregame scuffle; twice got burned for touchdowns; got into a profane interaction with fans; and spent 50 seconds dropping more profanity in a postgame exchange with reporters.

During a road win over Houston the next week, Peters was caught cursing out defensive coordinator Bob Sutton on the sideline, forcing linebacker Justin Houston to intervene.

“I made it off the things that happened Sunday,” Reid said of the suspension. “I’m not going to get into the details. That’s not how I roll with these things. I deal with the player man to man, we discuss it, inevitably he’ll come back and we’ll move on from there.”

This is hardly the first time Reid has suspended his star players.

In 2005, he sat wide receiver Terrell Owens the second half of the season for an accumulation of incidents that had corroded the locker room. In 2011, it was wide receiver DeSean Jackson who got a one-game suspension after being late to team meetings.

“Any time you have to do one of these things, that’s not the best part of the job,” Reid said, “but I’m going to do what is best for this organization, for that time. Try to sit back and evaluate it, and that’s what I did with this, and this is the conclusion I came to.”

— Associated Press —

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Josh McCown scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak with 2:15 left, and the New York Jets bounced back from a brutal start to hold on for a wild and wacky 38-31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Chandler Catanzaro kicked a 21-yard field goal to put the Jets (5-7) ahead with 3:55 left. But Kansas City’s Bennie Logan was called for a personal foul for hitting long snapper Thomas Hennessy on the play. That gave the Jets the ball at the 1 with a new set of downs.

After two running plays, McCown threw incomplete — but Steven Nelson was penalized for defensive holding, making it first-and-goal from the 2. Three plays later, McCown kept the ball and shoved his way into the end zone.

McCown’s pass on the 2-point conversion was incomplete, but Nelson was called for holding. An enraged Marcus Peters picked up the penalty flag and tossed it away, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Elijah McGuire ran it in moments later to convert the 2-point play and make it 38-31.

McCown finished with 331 yards passing and a touchdown to Matt Forte, and ran for two scores — including the winner. Jermaine Kearse had nine catches for 157 yards and Robby Anderson caught eight passes for 107 yards as the Jets dominated in time of possession, but still had to hold their breath in the end.

After Tyreek Hill’s 40-yard catch put the ball at the Jets 23, Smith completed a 4-yard pass to Travis Kelce, who had two early touchdowns. But Smith was then incomplete on three straight passes.

The loss by the Chiefs (6-6) ruined the return of cornerback Darrelle Revis, who made his debut with Kansas City after signing a two-year deal last week. Revis, who played eight years over two stints with the Jets, started for the Chiefs, but spent the second half on the sideline.

Kansas City has dropped six of its last seven after opening the season 5-0. Meanwhile, New York kept its faint playoff hopes alive by snapping a two-game skid and holding on to a fourth-quarter lead. The Jets had blown leads in the fourth quarter of three of their last four losses.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tyrod Taylor did exactly what he spent the first half of the season doing, back when the Buffalo Bills were off to a hot start and his job was never in question.

He threw for 183 yards and a touchdown. He kept plays alive with his feet. He made sure to avoid interceptions.

Taylor’s steady performance against Kansas City on Sunday dovetailed nicely with a stellar game by the Buffalo defense, capped off by Tre’Davious White’s interception with about a minute remaining that clinched a much-needed 16-10 victory over Alex Smith and the Chiefs.

“I just thought overall today we played good team offense,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “We ran the ball well at times. Tyrod used his feet well at times. We had some critical third-down conversions on drives, so there were some good things going on there. It wasn’t just one guy.”

Zay Jones had the touchdown reception and Stephen Hauschka kicked three field goals for the Bills (6-5), whose defense held Kansas City (6-5) to 236 yards of total offense.

“I think the three-game losing streak that we had has brought us closer and closer together than we already were,” White said, “the character of the guys we have in the locker room.”

Smith threw for 199 yards and a touchdown, but even the Chiefs’ lone score came on a catch-and-run by Albert Wilson. They were unable to complete much downfield, and with a ground game going nowhere, were ushered along to their fifth loss in six games.

The boos rang out when White stepped in front of Smith’s pass with 1:11 left and the Chiefs at the Buffalo 35. White nearly returned it for a touchdown before Smith finally tracked him down.

“A little shock there, no doubt,” Smith said. “Felt like we were going to bounce back, come back and get back into rhythm on offense. From the get-go, we didn’t do that.”

It was an especially gratifying win for McDermott, who spent 10-plus seasons working for Chiefs counterpart Andy Reid in Philadelphia. And it was even more so considering the heat McDermott had been under after his questionable quarterback change last week.

Taylor wasn’t spectacular against Kansas City. But he was better than Nathan Peterman was against the Chargers, when he threw five picks in his first 14 attempts.

“This just shows the resiliency that this team has, and the type of character we have,” Jones said. “All of our goals are still insight. We see the big picture. Sometimes you lose games but that doesn’t define you. I’m really proud of this team for getting a win on the road.”

The Chiefs’ offense was dismal in the first half against a defense that had surrendered more than 210 yards rushing per game the past three outings. Kansas City went three-and-out on its first five possessions and, taking away 14 yards of quarterback scrambling, gained 43 yards by the break.

The Bills fared marginally better.

Taylor threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jones late in the first quarter. But that was the only offense the Bills could muster as the Chiefs began to bottle up LeSean McCoy and put pressure on their elusive quarterback.

Kansas City finally snapped a streak of eight-plus quarters without a touchdown when Wilson hauled in a swing pass and went 19 yards midway through the third quarter. But the Bills answered quickly with a 49-yard field goal by Hauschka, giving them a 16-10 lead entering the fourth.

That was enough for the Bills’ defense.

“They did a little different thing with us, but it wasn’t anything we haven’t seen or been successful against,” Reid said. “It was just rough. We have to get through this and change it around.”

RECORD KICKER

Hauschka missed a 52-yard field-goal try late in the first half, ending his NFL-record streak of 13 straight from at least 50 yards. The streak dated to 2014 when he was with Seattle. He bounced back to hit from 56 yards, giving him a Bills-record seven 50-plus makes this season.

RECORD KICKER, PART 2

Harrison Butker connected from 45 yards late in the first half, giving him a franchise-record 23 straight field-goal conversions. Butker hasn’t missed since his first attempt with Kansas City.

INJURY REPORT

Bills WR Kelvin Benjamin did not make the trip after hurting his knee in last week’s loss to the Chargers. They were also missing LT Cordy Glenn (ankle) and RB Mike Tolbert (hamstring).

REVIS RESTS

Seven-time Pro Bowl CB Darrelle Revis was inactive four days after signing with Kansas City. The Chiefs hope he’ll be ready to start opposite Marcus Peters next week against the Jets.

UP NEXT

Bills: At home vs. Patriots next Sunday to start a three-game homestand.

Chiefs: A visit to the Jets next Sunday starts a stretch of three games in 13 days.

— Associated Press —

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Roger Lewis Jr. made a spectacular catch to set up the winning 23-yard yard goal by Aldrick Rosas in overtime and the New York Giants responded from weeks of adversity to beat the AFC West-leading Kansas City Chiefs 12-9 on a blustery, cold Sunday.

The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Giants (2-8) and sent the Chiefs (6-4) to their fourth loss in five games.

The winning kick came two plays after Lewis was yanked to the ground on a deep pass from Eli Manning, but still caught the ball while flat on his back for a 34-yard completion on a fourth-down heave. Had he not caught it, flags flew for pass interference.

It was an unexpected was for a team that came into the game in turmoil, with questions about the future of coach Ben McAdoo and many wondering whether the Giants had quit in one-sided losses to the Rams and then the winless 49ers in the past two weeks.

Few expected them to beat the Chiefs, especially with Andy Reid’s record coming off a bye week. He was 16-2.

The Giants not only won, they intercepted Alex Smith twice, setting up their first nine points. Orleans Darkwa scored on a 1-yard run after Damon Harrison’s interception. Rosas, who missed the extra point after the Darkwa TD, kicked a 26-yard field goal to give the Giants a short-lived 9-6 lead with 1:38 left in regulation after Janoris Jenkins’ interception.

With one time out, Smith drove the Chiefs 69 yards in nine plays, the big shot a 32-yard pass to tight end Travis Kelce. Harrison Butker tied the game with a 23-yard field goal — his third short one — with :01 left in regulation. The drive was kept alive when Jenkins’ interception was nullified by a pass interference penalty against him.

McAdoo pulled out every trick in his book, using a fake punt; a halfback option that was intercepted; an odd formation with his tackles lined up 5 yards wide; and then the decision to go on fourth-and-5 from the Chiefs 36 with just over two minutes to play.

The Giants took the lead early in the second quarter after defensive tackle Harrison intercepted a deflected shovel pass and returned it to the Kansas City 26-yard line. Led by DT Robert Thomas’ blocking, Darkwa scored from 1 yard after Marcus Peters was called for pass interference in the end zone.

Rosas, who had missed a field goal in each of the last four games, had his extra point pushed wide right by the wind.

Kansas City cut the lead in half on the next series, driving 61 yards in more than nine minutes. Butker ended up with his first 31-yard field goal.

GIANTS RESPOND

The Giants’ unexpected performance came less than a week after co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch said the embattled McAdoo would remain in charge through at least the end of the season. Days later, McAdoo and his team held what he termed “a brutally honest” team meeting in which mistakes and lack of effort plays were shown for all to see after the two losses by a combined 82-38 margin.

INACTIVES

The Giants were missing two key starters. WR Sterling Shepard was out after having a career game against San Francisco, making 11 catches for 142 yards. He was added to the injury report Saturday with an illness and could not play. CB Eli Apple was at home with his mother, who had brain surgery on Thursday. “He’s My best friend, my nurse and part time ninja,” Annie Apple tweeted Sunday morning. …Thanks for being my side every step of the way.”

UP NEXT

Chiefs: Host Buffalo next Sunday.

Giants: at Washington on Thanksgiving night.

— Associated Press —