Chiefs were riding high on a five-game win streak

(SportsNetwork.com) - All of a sudden, its become crisis time in Kansas City. Coach Andy Reid and the Chiefs were riding high on a five-game win streak - including a defeat of the defending Super Bowl champions - as they reached late November, but the arrival of the holiday season has meant particularly bad tidings when it comes to a would-be AFC playoff list. First came an embarrassing loss to previously winless Oakland on a primetime Thursday night, which was followed up by another national television misstep, this time to the Denver Broncos last Sunday. The result: Kansas City has dropped from first to third in the AFC West and now finds itself among a gaggle of conference teams - six, to be precise - with 7-5 records and postseason dreams. We didnt finish the third quarter (of the season) the way that we wanted to. Weve got to go back to it and get that part fixed, Reid said. Weve stalled the last two weeks, so weve got to get this thing turned around and get us straightened up. The Chiefs were in a 14-point hole against the Raiders before ultimately dropping a four-point decision, then were down, 17-0, to the Broncos last week. The offense generated just 120 yards in the opening 30 minutes in the Oakland game and only 59 in that same timeframe against Denver. Running back Jamaal Charles carried 10 times for 35 yards and caught four passes for 24 yards last week, while quarterback Alex Smith was intercepted for the first time since Week 5. Our defense was out on the field the majority of that first half. Couldnt help them out, Smith said. To start off the game with those three-and-outs like that, youre just not helping the team, and not getting into any rhythm hurt us. Kansas City matched up reasonably well with Denvers prolific passing attack thanks to an aerial defense thats the best in the league with an average of 196.8 yards allowed, but the Chiefs had few answers when the Broncos switched gears and pounded them for 214 yards on the ground. In fact, the team has allowed 4.93 yards per run, worst in the league. This weeks opponent, Arizona, throws the ball on more than 60 percent of its snaps and averages a league-worst 3.08 yards per attempt. The Cardinals ran just 11 times last week against Atlanta. Its disappointing, Kansas City defensive tackle Dontari Poe said. But we have a couple more games to play. Its not like (the Denver game) was the last one. We still have some stuff to fix. Well come out this next game and play better. Arizona is trying to brandish the same confidence amid a raft of injuries. Quarterback Carson Palmer was lost for the season with a knee injury during a Week 10 victory over St. Louis, and his replacement, Drew Stanton, has lost two of three starts as the Cardinals have tumbled from 9-1 and a clear No. 1 seed in the NFC to 9-3 with just a one-game division lead. Safety Tyrann Mathieu will miss significant time, too, after fracturing his left thumb. He was part of a ball-hawking defense that had forced eight turnovers in a three-game stretch against Philadelphia, Dallas and St. Louis, but that same unit has generated only two takeaways in the last three games. Its a sense of urgency, because we have to play lights-out football, cornerback Patrick Peterson said. We have all the confidence in the world in (Stanton), but we are still playing with a backup quarterback and that changes the dynamics of everything. As a defense, we have to do what got us here, which was taking the ball away, and as an offense, protecting the ball. Stanton has thrown three touchdown passes and five interceptions since becoming the starter, though he was without No. 1 receiver Larry Fitzgerald for the losses to Seattle and Atlanta. Arizona now leads the Seahawks by one game in the NFC West. When you stink, you stink. You point out how you stunk and get it corrected, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said. I dont throw chairs and holler and do all that stuff thats non-productive. Thats not teaching. You have to teach in order to get things corrected. Theres two pictures - the two-game losing streak and being 9-3. We have to get back to the things that got us to this point. The next one is huge to maintain where were at. The sky has not fallen yet. Were still No. 1, and we need to stay there this week. Fitzgerald is labeled probable to face the Chiefs and help Arizona try to maintain an unbeaten record at its University of Phoenix home. The Cardinals have lost just once there in their last 11 games. Weve played well at home, and this is a great opponent, Arians said. Jamaal Charles is playing as well as any running back has in a while. Hes always an unbelievable challenge. WHAT TO WATCH FOR What Can Brown Do? Rookie wide receiver John Brown has been a home-field phenomenon for the Cardinals in 2014, making 25 of his 39 receptions and scoring all five of his touchdowns there. Considering that Arizonas leading rusher, Andre Ellington, is listed as doubtful with a lingering hip injury, its likely that the third- round pick from tiny Pittsburg State will become a go-to as Stanton continues to seek offensive comfort. Go Wide, Young Man Its a pretty remarkable stat that a quality team like the Chiefs - even after 12 games - has still not generated a single touchdown catch from a wide receiver. Indeed, Smiths 15 TD throws have been divvied up among tight ends (eight) and running backs (seven), though Dwayne Bowe leads the team with 46 catches. Arizona is just 27th in the league is pass defense, so the drought could soon end. OVERALL ANALYSIS His teammates have said all the right things and his coach still insists that teaching is the way to end the recent doldrums, but the reality is that the Cardinals with Stanton at the helm are simply different than theyd been with Palmer. Hes got to play nearly mistake-free to win football games, and against a near-elite team like Kansas City, thats a tough task to complete. In fact, it says here that he wont. Sports Network predicted outcome: Chiefs 24, Cardinals 14 Kevin Knox Jersey . Patty Mills scored 15 points, Tim Duncan had 10 points and 11 rebounds in limited minutes, and San Antonio trailed for only 11 seconds late in the first quarter of a 103-90 victory over Portland on Wednesday night. Carmelo Anthony Jersey .com) - Demario Richard posted four touchdowns and Kweishi Brown came up with a key late interception as No. http://www.knickssale.com/kids-walt-frazier-knicks-jersey/ .com) - Blake Griffin led five Clippers in double figures with 24 points and the LA Clippers got back on track with a 101-97 win over the Utah Jazz. Kristaps Porzingis Jersey .com) - Manchester City will face a steep test in the Champions League knockout stage as the English champions were drawn with Barcelona on Monday. Bernard King Jersey .C. -- Martin Kaymer set a U.TORONTO - Stung by two late defeats in their previous series, the Chicago White Sox take to the road on Thursday night, when theyll visit Toronto for the first of four straight games with the Blue Jays. Toronto is 2-5 in its last seven home games with the White Sox and goes with lefty J.A. Happ to start the series opener. Hes lasted fewer than five innings in two of his last three starts, including a four-inning outing against Cincinnati on Saturday in which he was touched for eight runs and walked four. "The walks - thats terrible," Happ said. "Thats obviously frustrating. Of course Im not happy about that, and I need to do better." He was 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in two meetings with Chicago in 2013. The Blue Jays were denied a series sweep on Wednesday versus New York, as Mark Teixeira homered and drove in three runs to power the Yankees to a 5-3 victory. Jose Reyes finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Melky Cabrera ended 2- for-4 with a two-run single for the AL East-leading Blue Jays. Drew Hutchison (5-6) was handed the loss after permitting four runs in six innings. Chicago was two outs from a victory over Baltimore on Monday before a three- run walk-off home run yielded a 6-4 loss.dddddddddddd. Two days later, the White Sox led by four runs with two outs in the eighth before a game-tying grand slam ultimately turned into a 5-4 loss to the Orioles. Six losses in seven games overall have dropped them into last in the American Leagues Central Division. "The baseball gods must be upset with us in some way, shape, or form," Adam Eaton said. "They kind of had it out for us." Rookie right-hander Scott Carroll begins a second run in the starting rotation against the Blue Jays after going 1-3 with a 6.15 earned run average in the initial stint. He was sent to the bullpen after those five starts and hasnt begun a game since May 19. He posted a 1.83 ERA in six relief outings and was brought back to starting to replace Andre Rienzo. He has never faced the Blue Jays. Carroll could sidestep a meeting with Toronto slugger Jose Bautista, whos been hampered by left hamstring issues. Bautista leads the AL in on-base percentage. "Hes getting better, he feels better," manager John Gibbons said. "We want to make good and sure hes ready to go. Hes making progress." 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