In The Know is an ongoing series with the opposing team's beat reporter. This week, T.J. Carpenter of Sports Radio 810 WBH in Kansas City, gives insight on the Texans upcoming opponent, the Chiefs.

Coming off a 33-27 overtime win for the Chiefs - the biggest comeback in franchise history – what's the overall feeling like in Kansas City after a rollercoaster of a game like that? 

Carpenter: Well it's pretty spectacular anytime you win a game like that. Everybody's feeling good. I think the best feeling that everyone has is about the offense. The offense was able to come back from a huge deficit, but additionally, i think that it's good for teams to show they have the ability to come back, so while you don't want to put yourself in a situation where it's necessary, I think showing that ability and showing that you can score at a high rate, late in the game especially, is very telling for the playoffs. That's something that Andy Reid struggled with throughout his career as a coach and I think it's also something that the Chiefs have struggled with since Andy Reid has been the head coach here in Kansas City. Showing they have comeback ability and certainly too, the ability to beat a team with only having played maybe 20 minutes of the game well. I think that's very telling. 

That's what good teams do. You don't have to be at your absolute best to beat teams. You can play an average game, but you can play a bad game in the first half but then come back and play a good game in the second half and still win games, that's the difference between great teams and good teams in this league. 

What were some of the issues that plagued the Chiefs in the first half? Was there a moment or play that things started turning around for Kansas City?

Carpenter: Well, number one: I think the offensive line was certainly an issue. It's a new offensive line. They've had a couple of turnovers, bringing in (RT) Mitchell Schwartz and (LG) Parker Ehinger, who's a rookie coming in from Cincinnati. I think both of those additions, it took some getting used to. It took some changes, some adjustments on the offensive line but I think when push comes to shove, that offensive line is going to be very good for this year as a whole. 

Additionally, I think the lack of veteran pass rushers, and then, two, (OLB) Tamba Hali, who did play in the game but didn't play full snaps, he is still recovering from a knee injury. I think not having those guys on the field certainly created some issues, and then also (LB) Josh Mauga. You don't really think about Josh Mauga as a difference maker on the team, but he was somebody who played alongside (ILB) Derrick Johnson a couple of seasons very well. He took on blockers, he knew his role, he knew his assignments. He was very good. He's out this year, obviously, on the IR for the year, so (ILB) Justin March has to fill in for him, and I think some of those issues - some of the 'getting used to new basis' on the defense also created some problems. They started creating some good run-stops opportunities, and that was huge for the defense as well.

With no (RB) Jamaal Charles and the day that (RB) Spencer Ware and (RB) Charcandrick West had on Sunday, is there a sense that there's really no hurry to get Charles back any time soon?
 
Carpenter: Yeah, I would agree with you. Jamaal Charles is a dynamic playmaker and there's no replacing him. But I think Spencer Ware, having the day that he had, receiving the ball, being somebody who, out of the backfield, can catch the ball and run with some violence, he's a really great runner. I think that if you watch him run he looks like a small Adrian Peterson. I call him "Half Day" because he's like a tiny A.P. out there. He runs really violently, he almost never goes down on first contact and having that kind of back who can be both versatile in space and physical in the middle has been a true asset to Kansas City and will continue to be even when Jamaal Charles comes back.
 
Another year in the system for Alex Smith, how much more comfortable is he this year and where did you see him take the biggest strides this offseason?
 
Carpenter: I think the number one thing with Alex Smith is that he has gotten more control of the offense. He has the ability to audible out of plays he doesn't like and he's making pre-snap reads a lot better than he used to. Knowing the offense, that knowledge that comes with experience has been key for him. 

I think if you ask Andy Reid, he trusts that Alex Smith is going to make the right call, so he's not micromanaging him as much as maybe he was when he first got to Kansas City, and I think that's huge. In fact, the game-winning touchdown in overtime was an audibled play—it was a designed pass play Alex Smith audibled to to a run and saw the hole and then got the touchdown—so, that was a called play on Alex Smith's part. He did a lot of that last season too. 

You'll notice the difference last year between their start 1-5, and then winning ten consecutive games at the end of the year, the difference there was that Alex Smith was given more control of the offense. I think giving him that control and letting him be a decision maker in the offense has made all the difference in the world for Kansas City.
 
This is a very different Texans team with a new offense. How different are the Kansas City Chiefs? Have there been some notable additions or changes in the offseason that make them different from what they looked like last year?
 
Carpenter: No. In fact, I think that the thing about Kansas City is their consistency on the roster and personnel has meant that everybody has gotten better and better in the system. For example, special teams. Cairo Santos, last year, was a reliable kicker but not one with range. In the preseason, he hit a 58-yard field goal. His leg got a lot stronger, he's gotten better. 

You see different players on the defensive line, (DE) Jaye Howard, and he's worked on a lot of different things to improve on his performance from last season. 

The offensive line, there were a couple of changes. You mentioned key additions and changes, Mitchell Schwartz at right tackle was a key addition. But, for the most part, the offense has just tried to get better and not add. In fact, you look at their wide receiving core in the offseason, it was a situation where you had so many players who could contribute on NFL rosters. They had to end up cutting players who could contribute on teams elsewhere. I think that, offensively, they got a lot better with the personnel they had, defensively they did the same thing. I do think that losing Shaun Smith to the Raiders was a key loss for them and I think that's certainly going to test the secondary and (CB) Marcus Peters, who won Rookie of the Year defensively last season.
 
What are some of the stories you are following this week in Kansas City?
 
Carpenter: The emergence of (WR) Tyreek Hill, he scored a touchdown on a designed tunnel screen last week. I think that seeing him emerge in the offense is going to be key. I think that's crucial. I think, too, how does Spencer Ware do after having a successful week last week when Jamaal Charles does not look like he'll be a go for the second week of the season? Can he maintain that performance for a second consecutive week? Because, as we know, you get on film with a successful performance, the league will adjust to you. So, seeing Spencer Ware perform at a high rate for the second consecutive week would be huge for the Kansas City Chiefs.In The Know is an ongoing series with the opposing team's beat reporter. This week, T.J. Carpenter of Sports Radio 810 WBH in Kansas City, gives insight on the Texans upcoming opponent, the Chiefs.

Coming off a 33-27 overtime win for the Chiefs - the biggest comeback in franchise history – what's the overall feeling like in Kansas City after a rollercoaster of a game like that? 

Carpenter: Well it's pretty spectacular anytime you win a game like that. Everybody's feeling good. I think the best feeling that everyone has is about the offense. The offense was able to come back from a huge deficit, but additionally, i think that it's good for teams to show they have the ability to come back, so while you don't want to put yourself in a situation where it's necessary, I think showing that ability and showing that you can score at a high rate, late in the game especially, is very telling for the playoffs. That's something that Andy Reid struggled with throughout his career as a coach and I think it's also something that the Chiefs have struggled with since Andy Reid has been the head coach here in Kansas City. Showing they have comeback ability and certainly too, the ability to beat a team with only having played maybe 20 minutes of the game well. I think that's very telling. 

That's what good teams do. You don't have to be at your absolute best to beat teams. You can play an average game, but you can play a bad game in the first half but then come back and play a good game in the second half and still win games, that's the difference between great teams and good teams in this league. 

What were some of the issues that plagued the Chiefs in the first half? Was there a moment or play that things started turning around for Kansas City?

Carpenter: Well, number one: I think the offensive line was certainly an issue. It's a new offensive line. They've had a couple of turnovers, bringing in (RT) Mitchell Schwartz and (LG) Parker Ehinger, who's a rookie coming in from Cincinnati. I think both of those additions, it took some getting used to. It took some changes, some adjustments on the offensive line but I think when push comes to shove, that offensive line is going to be very good for this year as a whole. 

Additionally, I think the lack of veteran pass rushers, and then, two, (OLB) Tamba Hali, who did play in the game but didn't play full snaps, he is still recovering from a knee injury. I think not having those guys on the field certainly created some issues, and then also (LB) Josh Mauga. You don't really think about Josh Mauga as a difference maker on the team, but he was somebody who played alongside (ILB) Derrick Johnson a couple of seasons very well. He took on blockers, he knew his role, he knew his assignments. He was very good. He's out this year, obviously, on the IR for the year, so (ILB) Justin March has to fill in for him, and I think some of those issues - some of the 'getting used to new basis' on the defense also created some problems. They started creating some good run-stops opportunities, and that was huge for the defense as well.

With no (RB) Jamaal Charles and the day that (RB) Spencer Ware and (RB) Charcandrick West had on Sunday, is there a sense that there's really no hurry to get Charles back any time soon?
 
Carpenter: Yeah, I would agree with you. Jamaal Charles is a dynamic playmaker and there's no replacing him. But I think Spencer Ware, having the day that he had, receiving the ball, being somebody who, out of the backfield, can catch the ball and run with some violence, he's a really great runner. I think that if you watch him run he looks like a small Adrian Peterson. I call him "Half Day" because he's like a tiny A.P. out there. He runs really violently, he almost never goes down on first contact and having that kind of back who can be both versatile in space and physical in the middle has been a true asset to Kansas City and will continue to be even when Jamaal Charles comes back.
 
Another year in the system for Alex Smith, how much more comfortable is he this year and where did you see him take the biggest strides this offseason?
 
Carpenter: I think the number one thing with Alex Smith is that he has gotten more control of the offense. He has the ability to audible out of plays he doesn't like and he's making pre-snap reads a lot better than he used to. Knowing the offense, that knowledge that comes with experience has been key for him. 

I think if you ask Andy Reid, he trusts that Alex Smith is going to make the right call, so he's not micromanaging him as much as maybe he was when he first got to Kansas City, and I think that's huge. In fact, the game-winning touchdown in overtime was an audibled play—it was a designed pass play Alex Smith audibled to to a run and saw the hole and then got the touchdown—so, that was a called play on Alex Smith's part. He did a lot of that last season too. 

You'll notice the difference last year between their start 1-5, and then winning ten consecutive games at the end of the year, the difference there was that Alex Smith was given more control of the offense. I think giving him that control and letting him be a decision maker in the offense has made all the difference in the world for Kansas City.
 
This is a very different Texans team with a new offense. How different are the Kansas City Chiefs? Have there been some notable additions or changes in the offseason that make them different from what they looked like last year?
 
Carpenter: No. In fact, I think that the thing about Kansas City is their consistency on the roster and personnel has meant that everybody has gotten better and better in the system. For example, special teams. Cairo Santos, last year, was a reliable kicker but not one with range. In the preseason, he hit a 58-yard field goal. His leg got a lot stronger, he's gotten better. 

You see different players on the defensive line, (DE) Jaye Howard, and he's worked on a lot of different things to improve on his performance from last season. 

The offensive line, there were a couple of changes. You mentioned key additions and changes, Mitchell Schwartz at right tackle was a key addition. But, for the most part, the offense has just tried to get better and not add. In fact, you look at their wide receiving core in the offseason, it was a situation where you had so many players who could contribute on NFL rosters. They had to end up cutting players who could contribute on teams elsewhere. I think that, offensively, they got a lot better with the personnel they had, defensively they did the same thing. I do think that losing Shaun Smith to the Raiders was a key loss for them and I think that's certainly going to test the secondary and (CB) Marcus Peters, who won Rookie of the Year defensively last season.
 
What are some of the stories you are following this week in Kansas City?
 
Carpenter: The emergence of (WR) Tyreek Hill, he scored a touchdown on a designed tunnel screen last week. I think that seeing him emerge in the offense is going to be key. I think that's crucial. I think, too, how does Spencer Ware do after having a successful week last week when Jamaal Charles does not look like he'll be a go for the second week of the season? Can he maintain that performance for a second consecutive week? Because, as we know, you get on film with a successful performance, the league will adjust to you. So, seeing Spencer Ware perform at a high rate for the second consecutive week would be huge for the Kansas City Chiefs.

*

In The Know is an ongoing series with the opposing team's beat reporter. This week, T.J. Carpenter of Sports Radio 810 WBH in Kansas City, gives insight on the Texans upcoming opponent, the Chiefs.*

Coming off a 33-27 overtime win for the Chiefs, the biggest comeback in franchise history, what's the overall feeling like in Kansas City after a rollercoaster of a game like that?

Carpenter: Well it's pretty spectacular anytime you win a game like that. Everybody's feeling good. I think the best feeling that everyone has is about the offense. The offense was able to come back from a huge deficit, but additionally, i think that it's good for teams to show they have the ability to come back, so while you don't want to put yourself in a situation where it's necessary. Showing that ability and showing that you can score at a high rate, late in the game especially, is very telling for the playoffs. That's something that Andy Reid struggled with throughout his career as a coach and I think it's also something that the Chiefs have struggled with since Andy Reid has been the head coach here in Kansas City. Showing they have comeback ability and certainly too, the ability to beat a team with only having played maybe 20 minutes of the game well, I think that's very telling. 

That's what good teams do. You don't have to be at your absolute best to beat teams. You can play an average game, but you can play a bad game in the first half but then come back and play a good game in the second half and still win games. That's the difference between great teams and good teams in this league. 

**

What were some of the issues that plagued the Chiefs in the first half? Was there a moment or play that things started turning around for Kansas City?

Carpenter:** Well, number one: I think the offensive line was certainly an issue. It's a new offensive line. They've had a couple of turnovers, bringing in (RT) Mitchell Schwartz and (LG) Parker Ehinger, who's a rookie coming in from Cincinnati. I think both of those additions, it took some getting used to. It took some changes, some adjustments on the offensive line but I think when push comes to shove, that offensive line is going to be very good for this year as a whole. 

Additionally, I think the lack of veteran pass rushers, and then, two, (OLB) Tamba Hali, who did play in the game but didn't play full snaps, he is still recovering from a knee injury. I think not having those guys on the field certainly created some issues, and then also (LB) Josh Mauga. You don't really think about Josh Mauga as a difference maker on the team, but he was somebody who played alongside (ILB) Derrick Johnson a couple of seasons very well. He took on blockers, he knew his role, he knew his assignments. He was very good. He's out this year, obviously, on the IR for the year, so (ILB) Justin March has to fill in for him.

I think some of those issues, some of the getting used to new faces on the defense, also created some problems. They started creating some good run-stops opportunities, and that was huge for the defense as well.


With no (RB) Jamaal Charles and the day that (RB) Spencer Ware and (RB) Charcandrick West had on Sunday, is there a sense that there's really no hurry to get Charles back any time soon?
 
Carpenter: Yeah, I would agree with you. Jamaal Charles is a dynamic playmaker and there's no replacing him. But I think Spencer Ware, having the day that he had, receiving the ball, being somebody who, out of the backfield, can catch the ball and run with some violence, he's a really great runner. I think that if you watch him run he looks like a small Adrian Peterson. I call him "Half Day" because he's like a tiny A.P. out there. He runs really violently, he almost never goes down on first contact and having that kind of back who can be both versatile in space and physical in the middle has been a true asset to Kansas City and will continue to be even when Jamaal Charles comes back.
 

**

Another year in the system for Alex Smith, how much more comfortable is he this year and where did you see him take the biggest strides this offseason?
 
Carpenter:I think the number one thing with Alex Smith is that he has gotten more control of the offense. He has the ability to audible out of plays he doesn't like and he's making pre-snap reads a lot better than he used to. Knowing the offense, that knowledge that comes with experience, has been key for him. 

I think if you ask Andy Reid, he trusts that Alex Smith is going to make the right call, so he's not micromanaging him as much as maybe he was when he first got to Kansas City, and I think that's huge. In fact, the game-winning touchdown in overtime was an audibled play. It was a designed pass play Alex Smith audibled to to a run and saw the hole and then got the touchdown. So that was a called play on Alex Smith's part. He did a lot of that last season too. 

You'll notice the difference last year between their 1-5 start and then winning ten consecutive games at the end of the year, the difference there was that Alex Smith was given more control of the offense. I think giving him that control and letting him be a decision maker in the offense has made all the difference in the world for Kansas City.
 

**This is a very different Texans team with a new offense. How different are the Kansas City Chiefs? Have there been some notable additions or changes in the offseason that make them different from what they looked like last year?
 
Carpenter:No. In fact, I think that the thing about Kansas City is their consistency on the roster and personnel has meant that everybody has gotten better and better in the system. For example, special teams. Cairo Santos, last year, was a reliable kicker but not one with range. In the preseason, he hit a 58-yard field goal. His leg got a lot stronger, he's gotten better. 

You see different players on the defensive line, (DE) Jaye Howard, and he's worked on a lot of different things to improve on his performance from last season. 

The offensive line, there were a couple of changes. You mentioned key additions and changes, Mitchell Schwartz at right tackle was a key addition. But, for the most part, the offense has just tried to get better and not add. In fact, you look at their wide receiving core in the offseason, it was a situation where you had so many players who could contribute on NFL rosters. They had to end up cutting players who could contribute on teams elsewhere. I think that, offensively, they got a lot better with the personnel they had, defensively they did the same thing. I do think that losing Shaun Smith to the Raiders was a key loss for them and I think that's certainly going to test the secondary and (CB) Marcus Peters, who won Rookie of the Year defensively last season.
 

What are some of the stories you are following this week in Kansas City?
 
Carpenter: The emergence of (WR) Tyreek Hill, he scored a touchdown on a designed tunnel screen last week. I think that seeing him emerge in the offense is going to be key. I think that's crucial. I think, too, how does Spencer Ware do after having a successful week last week when Jamaal Charles does not look like he'll be a go for the second week of the season? Can he maintain that performance for a second consecutive week? Because, as we know, you get on film with a successful performance, the league will adjust to you. So, seeing Spencer Ware perform at a high rate for the second consecutive week would be huge for the Kansas City Chiefs.