BALTIMORE, MD – A return to Charm City is a homecoming for Chiefs NT Kelly Gregg; literally.

Signing with the Chiefs earlier this month and unable to move the majority of his belongings to Kansas City, Gregg’s Baltimore-area home sits much like it would if he were still playing for the Ravens.

Released shortly after the NFL lockout lifted, Gregg didn’t have time to go through the traditional relocation process before joining his new team. He’d been with the Ravens since 2001.

 “I’ll stop by my house and check on it,” Gregg said of returning to Baltimore for the Chiefs second preseason game. “I was with those guys for years and it will be good to see them. Nothing will be like going against them.”

A purple mouth piece and Ravens-colored shoulder pads were among the possessions that traveled alongside the nose tackle to Kansas City.

“I’ve worn these pads the last 10 football seasons in Baltimore, so I brought them with me,” Gregg said as he pulled a Chiefs practice jersey aside to reveal Ravens-issued equipment. “Hopefully I can get these painted red.”

Le’Ron McClain spent his first four NFL seasons in Baltimore. Held out of the Chiefs preseason opener, the fullback will make his Kansas City debut on the field he once called home.

“It’s on,” McClain said. “I remember my rookie year coming into Baltimore and my first pass-protection drill was against Ray Lewis. I’m going to take my mind back to then and go out there to play ball. Going up against that defense is going to make my game better.”

Jared Gaither and quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn both return to Baltimore as well. Gaither first joined the Ravens as a 2007 supplemental draft pick while Zorn spent last season tutoring QB Joe Flacco.

“I think it’s a coincidence,” Coach Todd Haley said of the Chiefs recent ties to the Ravens organization. “I’m happy to have them all in here competing and just trying again to get everybody up to speed so they can show us everything they have.”

For Chiefs players without Baltimore ties, Friday night’s game marks a return as well. It’s a chance to step back on the field following a lop-sided loss to Tampa Bay in the preseason opener.

“I think that we all want to go out there and have a better performance,” Chiefs QB Matt Cassel said. “The first preseason game was what it was and hopefully we can build some momentum out there.”

After last Friday’s shutout, the Chiefs aren’t ready to hit the panic button just halfway through the preseason slate, but recognize the need for a much better showing in the second outing of exhibition play.

After resting 15 players against the Buccaneers, many of them starters, most of Kansas City’s front-line players expect a much greater workload in Baltimore.

“I think that the goal is to win,” Cassel said. “I’m sure that each group has a laundry list of goals that they want to accomplish in this game, but for us it’s about playing together, building momentum and gaining rapport with one another.”

Friday night’s exhibition setting comes on the heels of last year’s playoff loss to the Ravens. With training rosters expanded to 90 players, almost half of the representatives from each roster weren’t part of January’s post-season matchup.

For the players that were part of that game, the preseason rematch is being downplayed.

“We don’t really need any of that extra stuff to get us motivated,” DL Glenn Dorsey said. “We’re not out there looking for any extra motivation. It’s about going out there and playing hard, building our team to get ready for September 11^th.”

“That stuff doesn’t really matter,” Cassel added. “If we were playing Baltimore, Green Bay or anybody this week, we are going to approach it the same way and that’s to go out there, play hard and win.”

Practice tempo has ramped up over the past week in preparation for starters to see extended snaps. While a revenge factor may not be present, squaring off against the Ravens provides the Chiefs with a good checkpoint midway through the preseason.

The Chiefs and Ravens are set to kickoff at 6:30 PM (CST) on KCTV5.

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters featured article: A ‘Malign Intellectual Subculture’ – George Monbiot Smears Chomsky, Herman, Peterson, Pilger And Media Lens.

Kansas City Chiefs : News

BALTIMORE, MD – A return to Charm City is a homecoming for Chiefs NT Kelly Gregg; literally.

Signing with the Chiefs earlier this month and unable to move the majority of his belongings to Kansas City, Gregg’s Baltimore-area home sits much like it would if he were still playing for the Ravens.

Released shortly after the NFL lockout lifted, Gregg didn’t have time to go through the traditional relocation process before joining his new team. He’d been with the Ravens since 2001.

 “I’ll stop by my house and check on it,” Gregg said of returning to Baltimore for the Chiefs second preseason game. “I was with those guys for years and it will be good to see them. Nothing will be like going against them.”

A purple mouth piece and Ravens-colored shoulder pads were among the possessions that traveled alongside the nose tackle to Kansas City.

“I’ve worn these pads the last 10 football seasons in Baltimore, so I brought them with me,” Gregg said as he pulled a Chiefs practice jersey aside to reveal Ravens-issued equipment. “Hopefully I can get these painted red.”

Le’Ron McClain spent his first four NFL seasons in Baltimore. Held out of the Chiefs preseason opener, the fullback will make his Kansas City debut on the field he once called home.

“It’s on,” McClain said. “I remember my rookie year coming into Baltimore and my first pass-protection drill was against Ray Lewis. I’m going to take my mind back to then and go out there to play ball. Going up against that defense is going to make my game better.”

Jared Gaither and quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn both return to Baltimore as well. Gaither first joined the Ravens as a 2007 supplemental draft pick while Zorn spent last season tutoring QB Joe Flacco.

“I think it’s a coincidence,” Coach Todd Haley said of the Chiefs recent ties to the Ravens organization. “I’m happy to have them all in here competing and just trying again to get everybody up to speed so they can show us everything they have.”

For Chiefs players without Baltimore ties, Friday night’s game marks a return as well. It’s a chance to step back on the field following a lop-sided loss to Tampa Bay in the preseason opener.

“I think that we all want to go out there and have a better performance,” Chiefs QB Matt Cassel said. “The first preseason game was what it was and hopefully we can build some momentum out there.”

After last Friday’s shutout, the Chiefs aren’t ready to hit the panic button just halfway through the preseason slate, but recognize the need for a much better showing in the second outing of exhibition play.

After resting 15 players against the Buccaneers, many of them starters, most of Kansas City’s front-line players expect a much greater workload in Baltimore.

“I think that the goal is to win,” Cassel said. “I’m sure that each group has a laundry list of goals that they want to accomplish in this game, but for us it’s about playing together, building momentum and gaining rapport with one another.”

Friday night’s exhibition setting comes on the heels of last year’s playoff loss to the Ravens. With training rosters expanded to 90 players, almost half of the representatives from each roster weren’t part of January’s post-season matchup.

For the players that were part of that game, the preseason rematch is being downplayed.

“We don’t really need any of that extra stuff to get us motivated,” DL Glenn Dorsey said. “We’re not out there looking for any extra motivation. It’s about going out there and playing hard, building our team to get ready for September 11^th.”

“That stuff doesn’t really matter,” Cassel added. “If we were playing Baltimore, Green Bay or anybody this week, we are going to approach it the same way and that’s to go out there, play hard and win.”

Practice tempo has ramped up over the past week in preparation for starters to see extended snaps. While a revenge factor may not be present, squaring off against the Ravens provides the Chiefs with a good checkpoint midway through the preseason.

The Chiefs and Ravens are set to kickoff at 6:30 PM (CST) on KCTV5.

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters featured article: A ‘Malign Intellectual Subculture’ – George Monbiot Smears Chomsky, Herman, Peterson, Pilger And Media Lens.

Kansas City Chiefs : News