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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Vince Wilfork has played only two career games in Kansas City. Thats more than enough for New Englands All-Pro nose tackle to know exactly how loud Arrowhead Stadium will get on Monday night. Theyre probably one of the loudest, between them and Seattle, are the loudest stadiums Ive ever played in, Wilfork said Thursday in anticipation of the Patriots (2-1) primetime matchup with the Chiefs (1-2). Its going to be rocking. I know it will. Fortunately for Wilfork and the rest of the Patriots defence, crowd noise wont be nearly as much of a factor for them as it will for quarterback Tom Brady and the offence. Thats a good thing, too, because theyll already have their hands full trying to slow the Chiefs potent rushing attack, which is averaging 124.7 yards per game despite the absence of their star running back last week. Three-time Pro Bowler Jamaal Charles left Kansas Citys second game of the season against Denver with an ankle injury and sat out the Chiefs win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. After the team had Tuesday and Wednesday off, Charles returned to practice Thursday and coach Andy Reid said he expects him to play against the Patriots. Not that it seems to matter, though. The Chiefs have a stable of running backs ready to attack New Englands 11th-ranked rushing defence. Second-year back Knile Davis came up big after Charles went down, rushing for 79 yards and two touchdowns while also catching six passes against the Broncos. Davis then ran for 132 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries against the Dolphins, while Joe McKnight caught a pair of touchdown passes. Wilfork and the Patriots are preparing for Charles, but will be ready for whoever takes the field. They didnt miss a beat last week without him, Wilfork said. This is a team that wants to run the football, thats what they do, theyre built to run the ball. We have to be able to stop all of them when it comes down to it. Not an easy task, either, considering the varying skill sets of both. A fleet-footed, elusive runner, Charles is effective in both the running and passing games, and is coming off a career year in 2013 when he had 1,287 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns, and also added 70 receptions and seven more scores. Charles, theres not too many guys faster than him, Wilfork said. Ill tell you that. Then theres Davis, more of a straight-ahead back who is 5-foot-10, 227 pounds and can pound the ball with the best of them. I think theyre different skill sets, but they do the same things with them so the same plays look different depending on who is carrying the ball, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. Davis is strong ... and he breaks tackles, hes got good lower body strength, hard guy to bring down. Charles has good playing strength, too, but hes more elusive, great quickness, acceleration. Theyre different, but theyre both very good. They both can hit the home run ball, theyve both got great long speed a€” they have that in common a€” but their styles are a little bit different. Wilfork sees plenty of similarities, too. They both run downhill, they both test the edges, they both catch the ball out of the backfield, they both block. Theyre built differently but at the same time, they run hard, like a big back, he said. We have to do a real good job up front of playing well, in the run game and the pass game, because they use them so much everywhere on the field. As if that tandem isnt scary enough for New Englands defence, it also has to be wary of Alex Smith, who ranks second among all quarterbacks this season with 95 yards rushing on 13 rushing attempts. Im not saying he wants to run 10, 15 times a game, but when he has to, he does it, and he makes plays, Wilfork said. And its not like hes sliding. A lot of times you think hes going to slide and he cuts back and kind of catches defences by surprise because hes not sliding. Hes a smart football player. . Alen, 28, hit .315 with five home runs, 59 RBI and a career-high nine stolen bases for the Goldeyes last season. He is the longest serving catcher in Goldeyes history, having already spent five seasons with the organization. . They have watched it from afar. And now they have seen it for themselves. . He made that dream a reality Wednesday night. Olt, who grew up in Branford, Connecticut, attended UConn and made a nearly 2 1-2 hour trek to Boston a handful of times to watch the Red Sox, belted a two-run homer, one of four hit by Cubs in a 16-9 rout that completed a three-game interleague series sweep. . PAUL, Minn. . Louis Blues have returned to the top spot in the TSN.Two people familiar with the situation say Michael Vick and the Eagles havent ruled out the quarterback returning to Philadelphia. Vick will become a free agent next week, and the four-time Pro Bowl pick has made it clear hell look for an opportunity to be a starter. One person says that if Vick doesnt find the right fit elsewhere, he would consider staying in Philadelphia. Both people spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday on condition of anonymity because theyre not discussing contract negotiations publicly. Nick Foles replaced an injured Vick last year, led the Eagles to an NFC East title and was Pro Bowl MVP. Vick revived his career in Philadelphia, was the APs 2010 Comeback Player of the Year and started in the Pro Bowl that season. But Vick was plagued by injuries over the next three years and lost his starting job to Foles last season after hurting his hamstring in Week 5. Foles had an outstanding year in his second season in the NFL. His passer rating of 119.2 was the third highest in history and he threw 29 touchdowns and only two interceptions in 14 games, including playoffs. Before going down, Vick played well iin his first season in coach Chip Kellys up-tempo offence.dddddddddddd Kelly, general manager Howie Roseman and owner Jeffrey Lurie praised Vicks leadership skills and the way he handled being the No. 2 guy. Vick has an excellent relationship with Foles and hes respected in the locker room. The New York Jets might be interested in giving Vick a chance to compete with Geno Smith. Jets offensive co-ordinator Marty Mornhinweg held that position with the Eagles when Vick had the best season of his career in 2010. Tampa Bay, Oakland and Minnesota also could be interested in Vick, who is the class of a thin free-agent market for quarterbacks. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson already has lobbied for his team to sign Vick. The 2012 NFL MVP tweeted that Vick would make the Vikings a playoff team. Thats all speculation until Vick starts talking to teams next week. Hell base his decision on several factors, including a comfortable environment for his family. Vick, who turns 34 in July, hasnt started more than 13 games in a season since 2006. But when healthy, Vick remains one of the leagues most dynamic playmakers. ' ' '
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