Join Derrick Johnson and his fellow Longhorns Priest Holmes, Cedric Benson, Aaron Ross, Sonya Richards-Ross, Brian Orakpo, Jamaal Charles, Quan Cosby & Tommie Harris and A Host Of Other NFL & College Greats To Attend

Date |
Friday, June 4, 2010
7:30 P.M.

Location |
Villa Del Lago Pavilion
12400 Cedar St, Austin, TX 78732
just off 620 - 2 miles south of 2222 and across from Steiner Ranch

Go to www.derrickjohnsonfoundation.org to RSVP online or send mail to 6414 B Bee Caves, Austin, Texas 78746

For additional information contact Dawn Krantz, Committee Chair 512.263.3948

Objective |
The Derrick Johnson Foundation provides the opportunities and the resources to enable at risk young males to excel in becoming well rounded and positive influences within their community. The organization provides advancement resources to the youth who are striving to contribute to their surrounding community as well as teaching and developing the social skills necessary to participate and succeed in the academic arena. Derrick Johnson, the Butkis Award winner, four time College All-American Linebacker and the 15th overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft, is dedicated to the challenge of helping today’s targeted youth become goal oriented success stories.
The Derrick Johnson Foundation aim their efforts at improving the community, advancing the student athlete, rewarding the overachieving youth as well as delivering support to make these obstacles easier to tackle. Coming from a small city of Waco, Texas, Derrick Johnson understands the need to design a program for male students in need of socio-educational support. This support leads, guides and breaks the patterns of failure and despairs as well as redirects them into a pattern of long-term success.

Programs of The Derrick Johnson Foundation |
The Derrick Johnson Foundation is a social enterprise dedicated to empowering historically under-served student leaders to embark on life-changing opportunities. The foundation focuses on the betterment of the youth academically as well as physically. Through the University of Grid Iron Program, young male adults are presented with an opportunity to increase their football skills as well as key instruction from disciplined celebrity, professional football athletes while stressing the importance of character and moral integrity building through training sessions. These participants will also receive a mentor through the process. The students will also be exposed to the Derrick Johnson Scholarship Program. The proceeds from this benefit go directly to funding several scholarships to well rounded and deserving students. The scholarship program is designed to provide scholarships to deserving students, who are considered stellar students and community youth leaders within their communities.

Opportunity |
This fundraiser has the ability to create the necessary financial assistance for thousands of deserving students who have achieved the ultimate goal - the ability to attend a university. During these economic instabilities, it is essential to cover the rising cost of tuition to students who have made the necessary grades to attend a college or university, yet lack the financial backing.

Josh McDaniels’ first season as Denver coach ended the same way Mike Shanahan’s last one did: with a late-season flop and an embarrassing blowout that wasted a strong start and kept the Broncos out of the playoffs.

Jamaal Charles ran for a Chiefs-record 259 yards on 25 carries and linebacker Derrick Johnson returned two interceptions of Kyle Orton for touchdowns in Kansas City’s 44-24 rout Sunday, their first victory in nine tries at Invesco Field.

"We blew it. In a very embarrassing way," Denver defensive end Vonnie Holliday said. "We have to go back and watch this film."

Why bother?

"As embarrassing as this was, you have to go back and watch this. You want to know which guys stepped up and gave it their all … or did some guys just fold it up?" Holliday said. "When this happens against a team like Kansas City. These guys had over 500 yards of total offense — I don’t think they’ve gotten that in the last three, four games. It’s ridiculous.

"Charles is a good back, no doubt about it. We knew that coming in. But what did he have, 300 yards by himself? That’s embarrassing."

For the Broncos it was eerily reminiscent of last season’s finale, when they were routed 52-21 by San Diego with a playoff berth on the line, a loss that led to Shanahan’s departure and McDaniels’ arrival.

But they don’t appear any better off a year later.

Johnson returned his second interception 60 yards for a score that gave Kansas City a 37-24 lead with 10 minutes left, then Charles capped his amazing performance with a 56-yard TD run. He bested Larry Johnson’s franchise record of 211 yards set in 2005.

The Chiefs looked nothing like a 4-12 team against the Broncos (8-8), who lost eight of 10 after a sizzling 6-0 start and went 0-3 at home in the AFC West after going 3-0 in divisional road games.

It was the first time the Broncos failed to win a division game at home.

There were 10 scenarios when the day began for the Broncos to avoid joining the 1978 Redskins and ‘03 Vikings as the only teams since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to miss the playoffs after a 6-0 start.

By kickoff, that list of possible paths to the postseason was whittled to three. They all involved a Broncos win against a team they had routed 44-13 just one month ago.

The Broncos went into their high-stakes season finale with a thin receiving corps after Eddie Royal was held out with a neck injury and McDaniels deactivated Pro Bowler Brandon Marshall and tight end Tony Scheffler for disciplinary reasons.

Brian Dawkins insisted that wasn’t the reason for this mess.

"No, that has nothing to do with missed tackles," he said.

McDaniels had accused Marshall, his best offensive player, of exaggerating a hamstring injury two days after making his second straight Pro Bowl.

That left Denver with Jabar Gaffney, Brandon Stokley, Brandon Lloyd and Matt Willis, who was promoted from the practice squad 24 hours earlier.

"We’re not going to look back on it and say that cost us this game. That happened, whatever," said Gaffney, who had a career day with 14 catches for 213 yards.

Neither Marshall nor Scheffler was at Invesco Field, and McDaniels refused to say afterward whether they had a future in Denver.

Other than Gaffney, the Broncos didn’t play as if much was at stake, never once holding the lead.

Pro Bowl teammates Dawkins and Champ Bailey weren’t on the same page on Denver’s first defensive series, allowing Kansas City to score its first offensive touchdown in the first quarter all season with a four-play, 86-yard drive.

With Dawkins biting on a run fake, Bailey was burned for a 50-yard catch by Terrance Cooper. Bailey missed his assignment on tight end Leonard Pope on the next snap, good for 29 yards. Two plays later, fullback Mike Cox dived in from a yard out for Kansas City’s first TD on its opening possession in 18 games.

The Broncos trailed 30-24 in the fourth quarter and had a chance to take their first lead after reaching the Chiefs’ 40-yard line. That’s when Johnson stepped in front of tight end Daniel Graham and returned Orton’s pass 60 yards for his second score.

Then, Charles ended all doubt with his long TD, which put him in striking distance of the NFL’s single-game rushing record of 296 yards set by Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson in 2007 against San Diego.

Instead, Charles encouraged coach Todd Haley to get seldom-used Javarris Williams some work.

"I could have [gone] back into the game, but I just went up to the coach [and said] I’m satisfied right now. I’ll get it some other time," Charles said.

Denver’s playoff drought now stands at four years.

"We’ve got to look at what may be the common denominator in why we’re not finishing better than we’re finishing," McDaniels said. "I can’t speak for years prior, but I can speak for this year and we certainly didn’t play nearly as well in the second half of the season as we did in the first half.

"We’ve got to find an answer. This isn’t an acceptable ending to the season."

Game notes
In a bit of bad timing, Marshall was featured on the Broncos’ game day program. … Gaffney’s 213 yards were one shy of the team record set by Shannon Sharpe in 2002 and the second-most in an NFL game this season. Dallas’ Miles Austin had 250 on Oct. 11 at Kansas City.

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.

Carson Palmer’s touchdown pass to Chad Ochocinco completed a 98-yard drive in the closing minutes Sunday, sending Cincinnati to a 17-10 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs that clinched the AFC North title five days after the Bengals buried teammate Chris Henry.

They wore the receiver’s No. 15 on their helmets and their hearts.

"I’m not jumping for joy or glee, just thinking about 15 once that clock hits zero," Ochocinco said. "That was everybody’s mindset, to go out and win this one for him."

The Bengals (10-5) reached the playoffs for only the second time in the past 19 years after dealing with Henry’s death. His wooden locker stall still has his shoulder pads resting on the top shelf, an assortment of shoes on the bottom rack and his helmet hanging from the side — almost as though he would show up at any moment and suit up.

Given the mood, the Chiefs (3-12) stayed close in a ragged game against a team finishing a very rough week. The Bengals lost in San Diego on Sunday, had a late flight home, then flew to New Orleans on Tuesday to attend Henry’s funeral. The receiver died from injuries suffered during what police describe as a domestic dispute in North Carolina last week.

"It was a long week," Palmer said. "We didn’t have an off day. We fly back from the coast, and the time change got us. Then we fly to New Orleans and don’t get back until like 7:30 p.m. That was a long, emotional day. We were drained and tired."

One good drive at the end was enough.

Cincinnati took over at its 2-yard line with 9:21 to go and put together its longest drive of the season. On the 14th play, Palmer threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Ochocinco, who ran to the stands and touched a poster of Henry, pausing for a brief prayer.

Fans wearing No. 15 decals chanted "Who Dey!" after Matt Cassel’s final pass was intercepted and a burst of snow fell on a windy, raw afternoon. Palmer threw for a pair of touchdowns, and Cedric Benson ran for 133 yards in an offense that managed only two drives all day.

"To win this game, no matter how ugly, makes you closer as a team," defensive lineman Tank Johnson said, wearing a gray division champion baseball cap. "Winning makes everything feel better — a broken leg, a broken heart."

The Chiefs have one game left in their third straight season with four or fewer wins.

"I know we’re making progress," said Cassel, who was 22 of 37 for 180 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. "We’re fighting and continuing to get better. We had a chance. It just didn’t go our way at the end."

The Bengals played a pregame videoboard tribute to Henry. Offensive lineman Bobbie Williams pointed at the board, and Ochocinco raised one finger on one hand and all five on the other hand, signifying Henry’s No. 15.

Then, both teams played an opening half so dreadful that fans booed repeatedly. The Bengals looked like a distracted team — penalties and mistakes galore.

Cincinnati managed only 53 yards in the half, with its only points coming off a bizarre play. On a Kansas City punt attempt, the snap flew over Dustin Colquitt’s head and rolled toward the goal line. Colquitt caught up with it and kicked it out of bounds at the 7.

Even then, the Bengals couldn’t get into the end zone because of a snafu. Palmer’s apparent 6-yard touchdown pass to Ochocinco was overturned after a review showed he had stepped out of the back of the end zone before the catch. Shayne Graham kicked a 29-yard field goal.

Palmer finished 17 of 25 for 139 yards with two touchdowns passing and an interception.

Even the intriguing subplot fizzled. The Chiefs released running back Larry Johnson on Nov. 9, and he signed with Cincinnati a week later for a reserve role. He was looking forward to running over his former team, and got a handful of chances that didn’t pan out — four carries for 11 yards.

Game notes
Playing on his 23rd birthday, Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles carried 24 times for 102 yards, his fourth 100-yard game this season. Charles won the starting job after Johnson was released. … Bengals rookie LB Rey Maualuga broke his left ankle late in the first quarter, a blow to one of the league’s stingiest defenses. … Benson set a team record with his sixth 100-yard game.

Then something rare happened: the Bills came up with the big play. Two of them, actually.

Rian Lindell kicked three field goals and the Bills had two of their four interceptions of Matt Cassel in the final 2:11 to beat the struggling Kansas City Chiefs 16-10 on Sunday.

"They never flinched on the sideline," Bills interim coach Perry Fewell said. "They came up with the turnovers when they had to come up with them. I was very proud of them. They were very determined today to get a victory."

Buffalo (5-8) had been down this road before. Seven times this season, the Bills had lost when they were within a touchdown headed into the final 15 minutes.

Lindell had done his job, hitting a 36-yard field goal to put Buffalo up 16-10 with 8:01 left.

Kansas City started the next drive at its 20-yard line and kept moving the chains. Cassel hit Bobby Wade for 22 yards on third-and-6, Leonard Pope for 16 yards on another third down. Then Jairus Byrd was called for pass interference at the Bills 21 to keep the drive alive.

Uh-oh. Not again.

Actually, not this time.

Chris Chambers dropped a pass inside the Bills 5 and Byrd intercepted Cassel in the end zone on the next play. Kansas City got the ball back in the final minute for one last shot and Greg Wilson ended that by coming down with Cassel’s desperation heave into the end zone.

Finally, the Bills held on for a win.

"The game was a stalemate and the turnovers kept us going," Byrd said. "It was good to come out with a win."

Kansas City (3-10) got a career-high 143 yards and a touchdown from Jamaal Charles, but couldn’t overcome another shaky game from Cassel.

A week after being benched in the fourth quarter against Denver, the Chiefs quarterback had three interceptions in the fourth quarter, overthrew Mark Bradley twice on potential long touchdowns and was sacked four times. He finished 26 for 43 for 224 yards and had a quarterback rating of 35.4 after a 14.6 day against the Broncos.

"It’s frustrating not to be winning," said Cassel, who had two interceptions on deflections. "You come out and put so much hard work in each week and to not have the production all the time on Sunday and putting up the W’s for the fans, us and everybody is frustrating."

Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick wasn’t exactly stellar, throwing for just 86 yards on 12-of-20 passing with an interception and a fumble, one of two by Buffalo. He did throw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Terrell Owens in the first quarter and relied on Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson, who combined for 183 yards.

"We really wanted to establish the run," Fitzpatrick said. "We had some great drives. We left some points out there, but it was good to get the win."

The Chiefs needed an extra day to avoid their first blackout since 1990 and keep their sellout streak alive at 156 games. They did it, but apparently most of the fans didn’t want to use their tickets: Arrowhead Stadium was a little over half full to see these two downtrodden teams.

The ones who did show up didn’t like what they saw.

Watching the Chiefs bumble away good field position for most of the half, the fans booed the Chiefs off the field, cheering more for the mini Michael Jackson impersonator at halftime than the home team.

Charles briefly broke through the blase atmosphere with a 76-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, but it didn’t last. Lindell hit his third field goal, Cassel threw two interceptions and the Chiefs walked away with another shoulder-slumping loss.

"We moved the ball pretty well, we just didn’t score enough points to win the game," Chambers said. "There were some crucial plays that we wish we could have back but we can’t."

It was like that all game for the Chiefs.

Kansas City had the ball at the Buffalo 9 in the first quarter, recovering Fitzpatrick’s fumble on a sack by Mike Vrabel. Three failed runs later, the Chiefs, at the behest of the few fans who showed up, opted to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1.

The play: a naked bootleg by Cassel. The result: a 7-yard loss. Bills ball.

Sparked by the stop and Lynch’s 47-yard run, Buffalo picked the Chiefs apart on the next drive, moving 92 yards in eight plays for Fitzpatrick’s touchdown pass to Owens on a crossing route.

Buffalo’s defense kept holding after that, limiting Kansas City to three points on five drives that crossed midfield.

"The defense really played great all day," Fitzpatrick said. "Give credit to them for coming up with the plays when they needed to."

Game notes
Charles’ 76-yard touchdown run was the seventh-longest in Chiefs history. … Buffalo’s Brian Moorman had a 73-yard punt at the end of the third quarter. … Chiefs DT Glenn Dorsey didn’t play after suffering a knee injury late in the second quarter. … Owens had two catches for 15 yards and is four away from becoming the sixth player to have 1,000 career receptions.

Now that Cassel is playing for his new team’s rival, McDaniels wants nothing more than to beat him. Every time.

Kyle Orton outplayed Cassel, the man who hastened his move to Denver, and the Broncos used a punishing running game to manhandle the Kansas City Chiefs 44-13 on Sunday.

"I want to win. I’m a Bronco," McDaniels said. "We’re going to have more games against the Chiefs and Matt Cassel. It’s going to take a good effort to contain him and stop him every time we play him."

Orton and Cassel — along with Jay Cutler — were at the center of a Melrose Place-like flurry of cold shoulders and heated exchanges during the offseason. The aftermath sent Orton to Denver and Cutler to Chicago, while Cassel ended up in Kansas City.

So far, Orton seems to have landed in the better situation.

Denver (8-4) overcame Orton’s three turnovers to win by 30 and keep pace with San Diego in the AFC West. Kansas City (3-9) never stood a chance after Cassel’s two interceptions, slumping its way to another disheartening loss.

The difference? Denver’s running game.

The Broncos had 245 yards rushing, getting big plays from Correll Buckhalter (113 yards) and two touchdowns from Knowshon Moreno to turn the 99th meeting between the AFL originals into a laugher.

"We were going to run the ball and pass the ball when we can," Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall said.

The Chiefs (3-9) didn’t put up much of a fight on the day they retired Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Thomas’ number.

Kansas City had its second straight defensive debacle, giving up 17 plays of 10 yards or more — 413 total yards — and has allowed 40 points in consecutive games for the first time since 1983.

The offense was again ineffective, plagued by poor pass protection, dropped passes and what may be Cassel’s worst game in Kansas City. He had a 14.6 quarterback rating before being pulled and the Chiefs finished with a lackluster 222 total yards in their second straight lopsided loss to an AFC West rival.

"I think it’s pretty simple: if you drop the ball on offense and throw the ball to them and you turn it over, you’re not going to do very well," Chiefs coach Todd Haley said.

Cassel and McDaniels were in New England last season, McDaniels as the offensive coordinator, Cassel the capable fill-in after Tom Brady went down in the season opener — against the Chiefs, no less.

They remained linked during an offseason dustup between McDaniels and Cutler, the Pro Bowl quarterback who became upset after learning the Broncos wanted to trade for Cassel.

In their first head-to-head matchup, Orton wasn’t great, just better than Cassel.

Orton had an interception on the opening drive — off his back foot into the end zone — and lost two fumbles on blindside sacks. He was efficient the rest of the time in Denver’s dink-and-dunk offense, throwing 7-yard touchdown passes to Daniel Graham and Marshall, finishing 15-for-25 for 180 yards.

"We won and that’s really how I evaluate it every week," Orton said. "I thought we made the plays in the passing game we had to make."

Cassel was jittery and off-target against his one-time suitor. He threw two interceptions in the third quarter to start the rout and seemed to toss as many passes out of bounds as he completed. Cassel finished with 84 yards on 10 of 29 passing before being replaced by Brodie Croyle for the final 16:02.

"You name it, there were a lot of things going wrong out there," Cassel said.

Kansas City’s offense sputtered all day.

A 20-play drive in the first half stalled at the 1, leading to a 22-yard field goal by Ryan Succop. A midfield sack and fumble by Orton led to another Succop field goal, a 47-yarder that pulled the Chiefs within 14-6 heading into halftime.

The game fell apart for the Chiefs in the second half.

A miserably executed fake punt at their own 28 — Croyle’s pass on fourth-and-8 was knocked down — on the opening drive led to a 44-yard field goal by Matt Prater. Then a miscommunication between Cassel and Lance Long was easily intercepted by Andre’ Goodman, setting up Marshall’s catch-and-run touchdown.

Next drive, another Cassel interception led to the second of Prater’s three field goals, from 38 yards.

Goodman sealed it for Denver at the end of the third quarter, returning Jamaal Charles’ fumble 30 yards for a touchdown that put the Broncos up 34-6.

Cassel lasted one more series, getting sacked and throwing a pair of incompletions before Haley circled the wagons and pulled him.

"I think we did a good job to be able to contain him," Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil. "But whenever you get another quarterback to come into the game, you feel kind of a pride."

Game notes
Broncos RT Ryan Harris didn’t play after injuring his right foot in the first quarter, but McDaniels didn’t believe the injury to be serious. … Kansas City’s Tamba Hali had a career-high three sacks. … Denver won for just the second time in 18 games at Arrowhead Stadium in December. … Kansas City’s 20-play drive was its longest since a 23-play drive against Cincinnati in 1988.

In a play that seemed to sum up the afternoon, the San Diego Chargers safety suddenly found the ball in his hands after the Chiefs’ Matt Cassel had it slip out of his, and Oliver turned the fumble recovery into a touchdown.

"It bounced right to me," Oliver said. "It was about as easy of a play as you can make."

The Chargers converted four turnovers into scores in a 43-14 win over Kansas City on Sunday to run their winning streak to six games.

LaDainian Tomlinson scored two touchdowns and moved into 10th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list. Philip Rivers threw two touchdown passes to Antonio Gates as the Chargers improved to 8-3.

The Chiefs (3-8) lost a week after stunning the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime.

This win came courtesy of a defense that dominated despite losing outside linebacker Shawne Merriman to a foot injury in the second quarter. Cornerback Quentin Jammer had an interception and forced a fumble, and Brandon Siler and rookie Larry English also recovered fumbles.

The most spectacular play was Oliver’s. Cassel dropped back and cocked his arm to throw late in the second quarter and the ball slipped out of his hand. Oliver grabbed it out of the air, bobbled it, gained control, turned and ran 40 yards into the end zone to give the Bolts a 28-7 lead.

"I came around the corner, saw he was about to throw, then the ball popped up, bounced right to me," Oliver said. "All I had to do was run it in. It felt like I was going to fall when I turned around, then I was in the end zone."

It was San Diego’s second TD in a span of 20 seconds. Rivers had just thrown a 15-yard scoring pass to Gates to cap a drive set up when Jammer forced a fumble by Jamaal Charles, which Siler recovered at the San Diego 39.

"We put the offense in good field position and really helped them out every way we could. It was a close game for the first half, but then the turnovers took over and we capitalized on all of them," Oliver said.

"You create those plays with an attacking mentality," coach Norv Turner said.

After winning two straight, the Chiefs were knocked back.

Rookie coach Todd Haley said they were looking to take "another baby step."

"But if you turn the ball over it’s going to get out of hand quick, which is exactly what happened," he said.

"You can’t give a good team that’s playing really well right now 28 points off turnovers," Cassel said.

The Chargers’ winning streak began with a 37-7 rout at KC on Oct. 25.

"I think we are a pretty good team," Tomlinson said. "I think we can challenge any team and beat any team. I think it shows what kind of a team we really are when we come play like this against a team we are supposed to beat."

Tomlinson began the day 12th on the all-time list with 12,218 yards. He passed Marcus Allen (12,243) on a 5-yard carry in the first quarter and Edgerrin James (12,246) on an 8-yard run in the second.

Tomlinson had 39 yards on 13 carries, giving him 12,257 for his career. Up next is Marshall Faulk in ninth with 12,279 yards.

KC’s fourth turnover came early in the third quarter when a shotgun snap went over Cassel’s head on third-and-1 from the Chiefs 31 and was recovered by English at the 10. Tomlinson scored on a 3-yard run two plays later to make it 35-7.

San Diego’s first touchdown, a 19-yard pass from Rivers to Gates, was set up by Jammer’s interception. Gates had seven catches for 118 yards.

The only San Diego TD that didn’t come after a turnover was Tomlinson’s 1-yard run early in the second quarter. That one was set up when Malcom Floyd hauled in a 53-yard pass from Rivers. Although he appeared to tumble into the end zone with the ball, Floyd was ruled down at the 1.

Chris Chambers, released by the Chargers a month ago and quickly signed by KC, caught a 7-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7 in the second quarter. Charles scored on a 4-yard run in the third quarter.

Tomlinson fumbled just as he was about to plow into the end zone early in the fourth quarter. KC cornerback Brandon Flowers caused the fumble and recovered it.

Rivers was 21 of 28 for 317 yards, with no interceptions, for a rating of 135.6. He wasn’t sacked.

San Diego’s Nate Kaeding kicked a 55-yard field goal in the third quarter, second-longest in club history to his 57-yarder last year at Tampa Bay. He added a 23-yarder in the fourth.

Cassel was 19 of 31 for 178 yards. He was sacked once.

Game notes
Backup QBs Billy Volek of San Diego and Brodie Croyle of KC came in late in the game. … Merriman (foot) and S Eric Weddle (knee) left in the second quarter and didn’t return. Chargers LB Kevin Burnett sustained a concussion. … Chargers long snapper David Binn, in his 16th season, played in his 250th career regular-season game.

A few minutes after Ben Roethlisberger wobbled off the field Sunday with a possible concussion, Ryan Succop kicked a 22-yard field goal with 8:28 left in overtime and the Kansas City Chiefs snapped a team-record 10-game home losing streak with a 27-24 victory over the stunned Pittsburgh Steelers.

Chris Chambers’ 61-yard catch-and-run set up Succop, and "Mr. Irrelevant" booted through the game-winner for the Chiefs (3-7), whose stadium was crammed with tens of thousands of towel-waving fans of the Steelers (6-4).

Roethlisberger had thrown for 398 yards and three touchdowns when he apparently took a knee to the helmet while being sacked by Derrick Johnson and gave way to Charlie Batch. Coach Mike Tomlin said he was not certain how severe the injury might be.

"He took a blow, needless to say, it was a concussion-oriented thing so I doubt he was going to come back into the football game," Tomlin said. "I don’t have a lot of information in terms of where he is or his level of availability. We will have more information as we proceed."

Just before Chambers’ big play, Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor dropped a possible interception.

"This job is not for the faint of heart," said a beaming Todd Haley, the Chiefs’ rookie coach.

Matt Cassel had a horrendous first half, passing for only 35 yards on four completions. But he came through in the final two quarters and overtime, finishing with 248 yards and two touchdowns.

"I’ve got to hand it to [Cassel], the kid’s a fighter," said Haley, who grew up accompanying his father to Steelers training camp, where the elder Haley worked as a personnel executive. Haley lost to Pittsburgh in last year’s Super Bowl when he was Arizona’s offensive coordinator.

"It’s nice to get a little reward against a team like that. I thought the guys really showed heart and guts," he said.

The Chiefs faced third down when Cassel connected with Chambers, who was signed three weeks ago off waivers from San Diego. He went 61 yards before he was pushed out of bounds at the 4.

Succop, the final player drafted in April, came in and clinched the Chiefs’ first home victory in more than a year. Succop also had a 27-yarder that tied it 17-all in the final seconds of the third quarter.

It was the second loss in a row for the Steelers, who have fallen twice to division rival Cincinnati and were without injured Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu. Guard Chris Kemoeatu also went out with a knee injury.

In regulation, the Steelers (6-4) had the ball for almost 19 minutes longer than the Chiefs (3-7) and outgained them 463-206. The Chiefs stayed in it with Jamaal Charles’ 97-yard return of the opening kickoff and Andy Studebaker’s 94-yard return of an interception.

"I think we lost the momentum in the third quarter with all the turnovers and stuff like that," said Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, who had 10 catches for 128 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown. "When you let a team hang around like that, you give them a chance. When you give them hope, they thrive off the crowd noise. They took it into overtime and did what they had to do."

Studebaker, making his first NFL start, picked off Roethlisberger’s pass 2 yards deep in the end zone in the third quarter and motored to the Steelers 8 before running back Rashard Mendenhall dragged him down.

"Once I picked it off, 100 yards looked like a long way," he said. "It was a fun play."

But Cassel was sacked twice in the next three plays, and the Chiefs had to settle for Succop’s 27-yarder.

Roethlisberger’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Mendenhall gave the Steelers a 24-17 lead a few minutes later after the Steelers recovered Cassel’s turnover at the 27.

But back came KC, playing without suspended wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. Cassel hit Lance Long for 30 yards and Chambers for 47 to set up a 2-yard TD pass to Charles that tied it 24-all with a little under 5 minutes left.

Cassel also had a 21-yard TD pass to Leonard Pope early in the third quarter.

Charles, who got the Chiefs’ first rushing touchdown of the year the week before, got their first kickoff return for a TD in four years. He took the opening kickoff at the 3, started left and then veered right and was hardly touched. It was the fourth time in five games Pittsburgh yielded a kickoff return for a touchdown.

It was the Chiefs’ first home win, and first win over an opponent with a winning record, since they beat Denver in the fourth week of the 2008 season. It was the first time they’d posted back-to-back wins since Oct. 14-21, 2007.

"To do it against the defending Super Bowl champions is a great feeling," said Succop. "A lot of hard work has gone into it and our coaches and players and everybody has really bought in."

Game notes
The Steelers have given up a fumble, interception or kick return for a touchdown in eight consecutive games. … Roethlisberger’s big game followed one of his worst, when he threw for 174 yards and had a 51.5 passer rating against Cincinnati the week before. … The Chiefs had not won back-to-back games since beating Cincinnati and Oakland on Oct. 14-21, 2007.

Jamaal Charles scored on a 44-yard run for Kansas City’s first rushing touchdown of the season and the Chiefs used a late interception to win their seventh straight road game against the Oakland Raiders, 16-10 on Sunday.

"I guess we got a winning streak here," receiver Dwayne Bowe said. "Every time we play a division team our goal is to win. But every time we play the Raiders, it’s always a hated rivalry and coach stressed it all during the week: Hate the Raiders, we’ve got to beat the Raiders."

That’s about the only thing Kansas City (2-7) has been able to do of late. The Chiefs (2-7) have managed to win just five of their past 35 games. But three of those wins have come at the Oakland Coliseum, where Kansas City has the longest winning streak ever by a visiting team.

Ryan Succop kicked three field goals and Kansas City once again pulled out a close one against the Raiders (2-7) in Oakland in the Chiefs’ first game since releasing running back Larry Johnson. Charles stepped in and ran for 103 yards, including Kansas City’s only touchdown on a fourth-and-1 in the second quarter. That was the first rushing touchdown for the Chiefs since Tyler Thigpen had one Dec. 21, 2008, against Miami.

"I feel like I’m getting the opportunity to play," Charles said. "I’m really trying to take over at the spot. I don’t just want to take over, I want to win so it’s not all about taking over the job, it’s who can make plays."

The Raiders scored a touchdown on their opening drive and then managed just three points and 202 yards the rest of the way. For the second straight home game, the Raiders pulled former No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell for ineffectiveness.

He was taken out in the first half against the Jets last month after committing three first-half turnovers. He lasted into the second half this week, before being replaced by Bruce Gradkowski late in the third quarter after going 8 for 23 for 64 yards. Russell said he was surprised and disappointed by coach Tom Cable’s decision.

"Things were going OK," Russell said. "Toward the end, we weren’t able move the ball as well."

The change didn’t provide an immediate spark as Gradkowski failed to get a first down after a fumble gave the Raiders the ball at the Kansas City 49. Gradkowski then threw an interception to Mike Brown on a tipped pass on the next drive, giving the Chiefs the ball at the Oakland 47.

The Chiefs drove the ball down to the 11 before settling for a 31-yard field goal by Succop that gave them a 16-10 lead with 6:17 remaining.

Gradkowski drove the Raiders to the Kansas City 26 before rookie Darrius Heyward-Bey bobbled a pass inside the 10 and it ended up in Brown’s hands for a game-sealing interception.

"It’s tough to swallow," Gradkowski said. "You know that kind of summed up today though. We had plays out there that we need to make."

Cable said he wanted to look at the film before deciding who he will start next week against Cincinnati. He blamed eight drops for some of the poor play but said Russell missed open receivers too often.

"This game is about making plays and we just did not do that whether it was JaMarcus in there or Bruce in there," Cable said. "I’m just looking for the guy who gives us the best chance to win."

The Raiders, playing with a healthy offense for the first time all season, got off to a fast start. Michael Bush’s 60-yard run set up a 1-yard plunge by Justin Fargas. Oakland’s only other score came on Sebastian Janikowski’s 50-yard field goal after Dantrell Savage muffed a punt later in the first quarter.

Game notes
One play in the third quarter provided some comic relief. Dwayne Bowe fumbled after a 12-yard catch for Kansas City. At least six players had a shot to fall on the ball, but it kept squirting down field until offensive lineman Brian Waters fell on at the Oakland 22, giving the Chiefs an extra 23 yards on the play. Kansas City was unable to capitalize on the good fortune as Matt Cassel threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-1. … Janikowski missed a 45-yard FG in the third quarter, ending a streak of 20 straight makes.

David Garrard threw for 264 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown pass to Mike Sims-Walker, and the Jaguars rebounded from a lopsided loss at Tennessee with a 24-21 victory against Kansas City on Sunday.

Up and down all season, the Jaguars (4-4) responded in similar fashion following losses to Arizona and Seattle.

"There’s only so much bouncing back you can do before there’s no more bouncing to do," cornerback Rashean Mathis said. "It’s something to hang your hat on, to know that we’re going to fight, but at the same time we have to learn to be consistent."

Consistency hasn’t been Jacksonville’s forte. Coach Jack Del Rio ripped his team’s defensive effort following a 30-13 loss at the Titans last week, calling it "insulting, ugly and embarrassing." He considered putting his players through live tackling drills this week, but settled for an intense, full-pads practice.

He also switched back to a 4-3 defensive scheme.

It worked, at least against Kansas City (1-7). Playing without suspended running back Larry Johnson, the Chiefs managed little offense until late in the fourth quarter.

"We brought a different attitude to the game," Jaguars linebacker Clint Ingram said. "It’s not a time for us to start beating ourselves on the chest and patting ourselves on the back. It’s one game. It’s good that we won it, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do and a lot of corrections to make and a lot of stuff to clean up."

Indeed. With left tackle Branden Albert and center Rudy Niswanger back in the lineup, Matt Cassel threw for 262 yards and two scores — both to newcomer Chris Chambers.

Claimed off waivers Tuesday from San Diego, Chambers caught a 54-yard TD pass with 2:32 to play. Placekicker Ryan Succop recovered an onside kick after it bounced off Atiyyah Ellison, Cassel hooked up with Dwayne Bowe for 36 yards and then found Chambers near the sideline for a 5-yard score.

The Chiefs made the 2-point conversion, cutting the lead to 24-21 with a little more than a minute to play.

But Jaguars fullback Greg Jones recovered the ensuing onside kick, and Maurice Jones-Drew sealed the victory with a first-down run.

"I’m glad we didn’t quit," said Chambers, who finished with three catches for 70 yards. "We can build on this."

Cassel completed 23 of 39 passes, but was sacked three times. Bowe and Lance Long each finished with 74 yards receiving.

The Jaguars, though, refused to give the Chiefs much credit for the comeback.

"They were throwing the ball up, and a couple of receivers made some plays," Mathis said. "It wasn’t like they were picking us apart or anything. It was just throwing Hail Marys down the field and they made some great grabs. That’s nothing for us to be concerned about. When we had to get after them and put the game away, we did."

Until Cassel and Chambers connected late, punter Dustin Colquitt had the team’s three top highlights. He had a 70-yard punt, a 59-yarder, and tackled Mathis by the dreadlocks after he returned a failed 56-yard field goal on the final play of the first half.

"Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get into a rhythm early on," said Cassel, who passed for 135 yards on his final two TD drives. "The guys made some big plays. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough at the end. We have to just start early."

The Jaguars had plenty of bright spots.

Rookies Rashad Jennings, Jarret Dillard and Mike Thomas were impressive. Sims-Walker caught six passes for a career-high 147 yards. He had a long TD catch that made it 14-6 late in the second quarter, then added a 45-yard reception that set up Josh Scobee’s 27-yard field goal in the third.

Jones-Drew ran 29 times for 97 yards, including a 10-yard TD run that made it 24-6. It was his 11th TD run of the season.

The Jaguars sacked Cassel three times and allowed just 162 yards until those two late drives — a much better effort than Del Rio saw in Tennessee.

"It’s time for us to surge as a football team," Del Rio said. "We need that."

Game notes
The game was blacked out on local television and in secondary markets, and announced attendance was 45,516. … Cassel has been sacked 27 times in seven starts, including 22 the last five games. … Jones-Drew broke Fred Taylor’s franchise record for most yards rushing through eight games. Taylor had 690 in 2002. Jones-Drew now has 737. … Jags WR Torry Holt became the 10th player in NFL history with 900 receptions.

Six days after a disappointing Monday night loss to Denver in which they insisted they’d made strides, the Chargers swatted away the flu bug and stomped on Kansas City 37-7 Sunday, dominating in virtually every phase.

Philip Rivers threw three touchdown passes, LaDainian Tomlinson had a season-best 71 yards rushing and Nate Kaeding, who was vomiting with flulike symptoms Saturday, kicked three field goals.

"Last week, we felt like we made progress," Rivers said. "We had the attitude we were looking for, focus, but we didn’t win. But we knew we got better."

The Chargers (3-3) battled the flu much of the week. Tomlinson was unable to practice Wednesday, but the five-time Pro Bowl selection showed signs of getting back to his old self. His 36-yard run got the Chargers rolling on their first touchdown drive against the hapless Chiefs (1-6) and was his longest since last Dec. 28 against Denver.

"It kind of got us going," Tomlinson said. "It was something we needed and it was a big play for us. It was a staple of our offense. It’s been around for years, old power. It was perfectly blocked and was just a great job of execution."

With cold rain falling in the fourth quarter and Chiefs fans probably thinking nothing else could go wrong, something else did. Jacob Hester blew in from Dustin Colquitt’s right and blocked his punt.

The ball cooperated nicely, skittering 20 yards back into the end zone and waiting there for Hester to fall on it for San Diego’s final TD.

"My leg was coming through and any time you heard that double thump … I didn’t see him at all until the last second," said Colquitt, whose punting has been one of the few bright spots for Kansas City. "That double thump is a bad sound."

Virtually invincible in Arrowhead Stadium in the 1990s, the Chiefs have lost 10 straight at home and 29 of their last 32.

"We want to win for the home fans, for us, for everyone out there watching," nose tackle Ron Edwards said. "It’s real painful."

Rivers was 18 for 30 for 268 yards and three TDs as the Chargers won their third in a row in Kansas City for the first time since 1981. They took a 20-0 halftime lead.

"Any time you come to Kansas City and win, it’s good," said Rivers, who had two 51-yard completions to Vincent Jackson. "We talked about getting on a roll and you’ve got to win one first before you can. Hopefully, this is something we can build on."

The Chiefs had hoped a sloppy win over Washington the week before might provide some much-needed momentum to first-year coach Todd Haley’s faltering program. But they played miserably in just about every phase.

"You never want to lose at home and you never want to lose in this fashion," Cassel said. "It’s going to be a hard film to watch."

Cassel was only 10 for 25 for 97 yards. He threw three interceptions and an injury-weakened line allowed him to be sacked four times.

The Chargers reeled off 135 yards on the ground after averaging a nearly league-worst 57.6 the first five games.

"It was a game we could have scored 50-something, we felt like," said Rivers, whose touchdown passes covered 3 yards to Malcolm Floyd, 10 to Jackson and 58 to Darren Sproles, who was wide open in the right flat and outran a safety into the end zone. "What we scored was enough and it’s good to win a game."

Kaeding connected on kicks of 20, 39 and 19 yards.

"I thought our guys got prepared to play and played well and we were able to take away the things that Kansas City does best," Chargers coach Norv Turner said.

Kansas City’s already injury-weakened offensive line took a severe hit late in the first quarter when center Rudy Niswanger went out with a knee injury. Wade Smith, who started for injured left tackle Branden Albert, moved to center and Barry Richardson came off the bench to play left tackle.

The Chiefs did manage to break a six-quarter touchdown drought in their first possession of the second half when Cassel connected with Dwayne Bowe on a 7-yard toss.

Game notes
Both kickers missed a 43-yard field goal. KC rookie Ryan Succop missed after going 4 for 4 the week before and getting the game ball. … A steady rain fell much of the second half, which the Chiefs had hoped would be in their favor against the Californians. Knowing rain was forecast for Sunday, the Chiefs had practiced in a hard rain all day on Wednesday.