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Crennel focused on Chiefs' position

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Former Cleveland Browns coach Romeo Crennel has spoken to the New York Giants by telephone about their vacant defensive coordinator's job but is giving the Kansas City Chiefs the first shot at hiring him. Crennel's agent, Joe Linta, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Tuesday that Crennel talked to the Giants on Monday.

Chiefs announce Weis as new offensive coordinator

KANSAS CITY - Charlie Weis is back in the NFL. Barely a month after getting fired at Notre Dame, Weis signed on Friday as offensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he'll join two old friends in trying to revive a flagging franchise that's won only 10 games in three years. "This marriage seemed very, very simple," Weis said. "I'm very excited to be a part of a growing process that has been started here in the last year."

Big 12 features tough slate this season

KANSAS CITY - Start the hype now for Kansas vs. Texas. Still a month away, that one game looms over the Big 12 as conference play starts this weekend. Two undefeated teams, No. 1 vs. No. 2, about a dozen future NBA players on the court. It could be the greatest game in the history of the Big 12. Of course, they've got to get there first. Back to being one of the toughest conferences in the country, the Big 12 offers plenty of banana peels to slip up the top two teams in the country.

Weis could be joining Chiefs' coaching staff

All signs are pointing toward former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis becoming offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. Coach Todd Haley, an old friend of Weis, said Wednesday that he would be a "good fit" calling plays for Kansas City, and Weis later told The Associated Press "there is action going on" between him and the Chiefs. "Until a deal is done, I really can't say anything," Weis said from his home near South Bend, Ind.

Charles emerges as playmaker for Chiefs

Both optimists and pessimists among Kansas City's long-suffering fans are pointing to Jamaal Charles as proof that their side is right. The emergence of the quiet running back with rare sprinter's speed, say the optimistic, gives hope for better days to come. But to the pessimistic, Charles is further evidence that first-year head coach Todd Haley and his coaches couldn't pick a quality football player out of a lineup. The Chiefs' brain trust thought so little of the second-year pro they stuck him on the bench at the beginning of the year and even made him inactive for one game. In the meantime, former Pro Bowler Larry Johnson was struggling week after week to get past the line of scrimmage.

Navy storms past Missouri

Ricky Dobbs ran for 166 yards and three touchdowns and Navy manhandled Missouri with its triple-option offense in a 35-13 win over the Tigers in the Texas Bowl on Thursday. Dobbs also threw a touchdown pass to Bobby Doyle and Marcus Curry ran for a score as the Midshipmen (10-4) rushed for 385 yards against Missouri's 12th-ranked run defense. Navy won time of possession by nearly 22 minutes and ran 81 offensive plays to only 57 for the Tigers.

Chiefs find hope in loss to Bengals

KANSAS CITY - To a franchise that's lost 35 of 40 games, dropping a 17-10 decision on the road to a playoff team is not half bad. In fact, it's even better than that. The Kansas City Chiefs and their hotheaded rookie head coach were feeling much better after Sunday's close loss to playoff-bound Cincinnati than they were the week before following a clobbering at the hands of lowly Cleveland. The run defense showed huge improvements in Cincinnati. For the second week in a row, the offensive line gave up only one sack. And Jamaal Charles went over 100 yards for the third week in a row, furthering his claim to membership among the league's elite running backs.

Chiefs keep it close, but Bengals get win

CINCINNATI - The head coach was dry as he ran off the field after clinching a title - no celebratory sideline dousing. Players' eyes were dry, too - all the tears had been wrung out. In their finest moment, the Cincinnati Bengals didn't act like champions. Maybe it was the ugly way they won. Maybe those tearful practices and wrenching eulogies had something to do with it as well. Either way, they were in the playoffs.

Chiefs face former star, Larry Johnson, in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI - A spray of white and yellow flowers rests on the shelf in Chris Henry's locker. His name and No. 15 are still affixed to the wooden cubicle. The receiver's tiger-striped helmet hangs from a hook on the side. T-shirts are arranged on a pole in the back. It's almost as though he hasn't left. The Cincinnati Bengals receiver was buried Tuesday in his native New Orleans, with grieving teammates and coaches along to say goodbye. It was the toughest day in a stretch of them for the Bengals (9-5), who flew back to Cincinnati and tried to move on.

Chiefs go even lower

If Todd Haley is contemplating any coaching changes when this miserable season finally comes to an end for Kansas City, he's keeping his thoughts to himself. On Monday, in the wake of an embarrassing 41-34 loss to the lowly Cleveland Browns, Haley was evasive and defensive when asked if coaching had anything to do with the many problems and shortcomings plaguing his team. "I'm not going to speculate into that," said Haley. "We've got our biggest game of the year coming up, in Cincinnati, going back on the road after three very disappointing home games."

Associated Press

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