KANSAS CITY, Mo. – It took two years and five days, but finally Todd Haley and Kansas City have beaten somebody in the pre-season.

It took two years and five days, but finally Todd Haley and Kansas City have beaten somebody in the preseason. Helped perhaps by Green Bay's decision not to dress three key starters, the Chiefs took a 14-0 lead and held on Thursday night for a 17-13 victory over the team that many are making the favorite in the NFC.

Bio Box-Jay Rome; BC-FBH–South Region 25-List

There has been plenty of speculation this offseason as to whether or not Jamaal Charles will be a legitimate No. 1 fantasy back this year with Thomas Jones in the lineup. Thomas Jones has had back-to-back 1,300 yard seasons, while Charles was perhaps the strongest running back in the final half of the 2009 season.

In the final eight games of last season, Charles ran for 968 yards and scored seven touchdowns. Not to mention that he has become one of the NFL’s top big-play threats. I strongly believe that Jamaal will start this year right where he left off, and that TJ will be nothing but a shadow slowly creeping along but never catching up.

Charles is by far the more skilled running back in Kansas City. Thomas Jones is good for pounding the ball, and that’s about it. Jones’ rumble and tumble style of play isn’t well suited for this Kansas City offense.

Without a strong passing game, KC will need to look for big plays on the ground, and only Chris Johnson may be better than Jamaal Charles at this. And with Matt Cassel’s below-average arm, he is going to look for his safety option quite a bit. This is another upside to Charles. He can catch and run out of the backfield. Sure, Thomas Jones has decent hands, but he doesn’t have the speed to outrun linebackers. 

This preseason, Charles is averaging a very solid 6.9 yards per carry, while Jones is averaging only 3.1. Charles is also averaging 8.1 yards per catch, with Jones only averaging 3.6. Even with less playing time, Charles has proved that he wants it more, and that he is simply the better back.

No one can truly be sure how this Kansas City offense will shape up until the regular season begins. A time-share between the two backs certainly wouldn’t make sense to me when you have one back who is so much more skilled and better suited for your offense.

In my opinion, if Kansas City ever wants to be a real threat to anyone they will need to put their offense on the shoulders of Jamaal Charles. If they do this Charles will without a doubt finish as a top-10 fantasy back with huge upside for the future.

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By BARRY WILNER AP Football Writer

There’s one thing the Kansas City Chiefs proved in training camp and the pre-season leading into the 2010 season—no team spent more time practicing in full pads with as much full-speed physical contact in the workouts than Todd Haley’s team.

His goal was to come out of the pre-season with a physically tough team, one that could run the ball on offense and stop the run on defense. That’s why the Chiefs wore shoulder pads in 31 days of the preparation, sometimes twice a day.

“The reason you’re in pads for 31 days is to be a physical football team and I have seen that come out,” said Haley. “I think that’s a good sign for our team and a good sign of the direction we’re going.”

Or as offensive coordinator Charlie Weis said during training camp: “I think if you…

For some Kansas City Chiefs players, this week’s final preseason tilt against the Green Bay Packers represents one last opportunity for them to make an impression on the coaches that will decide their professional fate.

Of the players on the bubble, most are guys who will be expected to contribute heavily on special teams should they make the final 53-man roster. None of these guys are flashy big name players, and you won’t see any of them returning a kick for a touchdown. However, they will be attempting to make the grade based upon how they perform on the Chiefs coverage units, and their final exam is this Thursday.

Here are five players who could win or lose a roster spot depending upon their performance against the Packers.

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The final pre-season game is upon us, and the Kansas City Chiefs still haven’t found an exhibition win for head coach Todd Haley.

Last week against the Eagles, the Chiefs defense showed off just what they can become capable of. With defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel at the helm, the defense registered five sacks, one interception, and a handful of pass breakups along the way.

Players like Andy Studebaker have cemented their place within the Chiefs scheme.

This week, although the starters will rest the majority of the game, the Chiefs have their toughest match-up yet.

Facing the Green Bay Packers will be no easy task, under any circumstances. They managed to put up 59 points last week against a good Indianapolis team, and were dominate in all phases of the game.

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Matt Cassel had a rough first season in K.C. This time, he’s got stability and is expected to validate his big pact.

The Chiefs head into 2010 with brand new coordinators on both sides of the ball — Charlie Weis on offense and…