Scott Pioli

By Gary Dzen, Globe Staff FOXBOROUGH-- Welcome to Gillette Stadium, where the Patriots (6-3) will take on the Kansas City Chiefs (4-5) at 8:30 p.m. Patriots fans may be overlooking this game (Vegas certainly is), but an unsexy matchup may turn into a pretty good football game. The coaches, for one, are familiar with each other, with former Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel now running the defense in Kansas City. Scott Pioli is here as well, though former Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel is injured, leaving the quarterbacking duties to Tyler Palko.

A week from Thursday, the NFL draft will start, and Patriots fans will split into two camps. The hardened realists will expect the Patriots to make a selection with one of their two first-round picks - 27th overall from the Saints, and their own at No. 31 - and trade the other for future picks. It's hard to blame them. Bill Belichick has elected to trade down in the first round in each of the past five drafts, including twice in 2009 and '10. Then there are the dreamers.

This week's picks, 98.5 percent Tebow-free... Peter King, Sports Illustrated : Patriots 31, Chiefs 10. The story is so neat: Tyler Palko, cut in the NFL (Arizona) and United Football League (California Redwoods) and unable to crack the Montreal Alouettes lineup in 2009, makes his first NFL start in Foxboro. On Monday night, Palko should find out that Bill Belichick -- and more importantly, rejuvenated pass-rusher Andre Carter -- are not actors in a Disney movie. ESPN.com staff : Patriots across the board (Ron Jaworski, calling the game, doesn't pick)

INDIANAPOLIS - Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli said Friday that Matt Cassel is the team's starting quarterback, but yesterday, coach Romeo Crennel did not exactly give a ringing endorsement to Cassel, who finished 2011 on injured reserve. Crennel spoke highly of Kyle Orton, whom Kansas City claimed off waivers after Cassel's injury, and said he might not be coach if it weren't for Orton. Crennel also spoke glowingly about Robert Griffin III, the Baylor product and Heisman Trophy winner, and even raised his eyebrows when it was mentioned that Brady Quinn, his former quarterback in Cleveland,...

Amid rumors he was shaping offers with his contract expiring, Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli has agreed to a contract extension with the club. Terms of the deal were not released. "We are proud to announce this extension," chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said. "Scott has done a tremendous job managing our personnel department and overseeing the draft for us. He has successfully evaluated, recruited, and acquired talented players who are also quality individuals that represent our family well, both on the field and in the community.

The Seattle Seahawks received permission to interview Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli for their position of president of football operations, an NFL source with direct knowledge of the Seahawks' situation confirmed yesterday. The Seahawks had also asked for permission to speak to Patriots chief operating officer Andy Wasynczuk, but he has decided to leave football for a teaching position at Harvard Business School. It was not known last night whether Pioli had agreed to speak with the Seahawks.

Todd Haley was hired as coach of the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday after helping the Arizona Cardinals reach the Super Bowl as coordinator of one of the NFL's most exciting offenses. Haley joins a team that went a franchise-worst 2-14 under coach Herm Edwards , who was fired Jan. 23. Edwards lost all but two of his last 25 games and launched a rebuilding project that made the Chiefs the league's youngest team this season. Scott Pioli , hired away from the New England Patriots last month to be their general manager, said at a news conference that Haley has a "strong...

If there was a problem with a Patriots team that went 17-2 last season and won its last 15 games, it was the punting. The Patriots think they've found the solution in former Steeler Josh Miller. Miller, 33, signed a five-year contract worth about $5 million with New England yesterday. The deal includes a $1 million signing bonus. Miller, Pittsburgh's punter since 1996, became expendable with the Steelers' signing of ex-Brown Chris Gardocki, and he was released last week. Miller visited Miami and turned down an offer from the Dolphins, who re-signed last year's punter, Matt Turk.

FOXBOROUGH -- Hank Poteat was driving his wife's silver Acura MDX from his home in Bear, Del., to a friend's new home in Odessa, Del., last Monday around 6 p.m., when he got The Call. It was the one from Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli beckoning him back to the NFL. It's the call that any out-of-work NFL player dreams about getting, but it's one that Poteat has become accustomed to receiving when New England gets desperate for a defensive back. It's the third straight season the Patriots have called upon the 5-foot-10-inch, 195-pounder to serve as a human...

Adam Vinatieri's father, Paul, said last night that his son wanted to remain with the Patriots in the worst way. "He loved the fans there," the elder Vinatieri said from his home in South Dakota. "They treated him so well. He'll never forget that, but the Colts treated him very well in their talks. They were straightforward and upfront and were able to get it done quickly with Adam, who really appreciated their interest in him. " Paul Vinatieri had been instructed by his son not to reveal anything about the negotiations between the Patriots.

Scott Pioli spoke quietly and carefully, not at all like his reputation might suggest. He had just fired coach Todd Haley after a miserable 5-8 start, leaving the Chiefs' general manager to explain the organization's failures. Pioli pointed his finger right at himself. "We have a locker room that has talent. We also have a good makeup of character in that locker room," Pioli said, "but it's abundantly clear that we're not in a spot we need to be with our record where it is and our team in a position it is. I need to do a better job. " Kansas City has lost five of its...

The Kansas City Chiefs fired coach Todd Haley on Monday with the team he led to the AFC West title less than a year ago stuck at the bottom of the division following a series of devastating injuries and discouraging blowouts. The Chiefs dropped to 5-8 after Sunday's 37-10 loss the New York Jets, their fifth loss in six games. Kansas City committed 11 penalties for 128 yards in another dismal performance, including a 15-yarder on Haley for unsportsmanlike conduct that may have ultimately sealed his fate.

By Gary Dzen, Globe Staff FOXBOROUGH-- Welcome to Gillette Stadium, where the Patriots (6-3) will take on the Kansas City Chiefs (4-5) at 8:30 p.m. Patriots fans may be overlooking this game (Vegas certainly is), but an unsexy matchup may turn into a pretty good football game. The coaches, for one, are familiar with each other, with former Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel now running the defense in Kansas City. Scott Pioli is here as well, though former Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel is injured, leaving the quarterbacking duties to Tyler Palko.

This week's picks, 98.5 percent Tebow-free... Peter King, Sports Illustrated : Patriots 31, Chiefs 10. The story is so neat: Tyler Palko, cut in the NFL (Arizona) and United Football League (California Redwoods) and unable to crack the Montreal Alouettes lineup in 2009, makes his first NFL start in Foxboro. On Monday night, Palko should find out that Bill Belichick -- and more importantly, rejuvenated pass-rusher Andre Carter -- are not actors in a Disney movie. ESPN.com staff : Patriots across the board (Ron Jaworski, calling the game, doesn't pick)

FOXBOROUGH - The Patriots haven't played the Chiefs in three years, so any shred of footage is fair game - preseason tape, college film, home videos, YouTube. When former Patriot Matt Cassell was under center for the Chiefs, New England had somewhat of an edge in game-planning. But Cassell went down with a hand injury last Sunday, for which he underwent surgery Monday, so the Patriots will have something of a research project to do on second-year quarterback Tyler Palko . "We'll dig and dig and whatever we find, we'll go everywhere," said...

The Kansas City Chiefs will lean on a journeyman quarterback, a running back who's spent most of his career on special teams and a tight end who has a hard time catching when the play at New England on Monday night. Not exactly what general manager Scott Pioli had in mind when he put this team together. The Chiefs have been decimated by injuries this season, particularly on offense, where quarterback Matt Cassel, running back Jamaal Charles and tight end Tony Moeaki have gone down with what are likely to be season-ending injuries.

When Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Mike Vrabel reached free agency after the 2000 season, the Patriots were one of the few teams that came calling. "There weren't a whole lot," said Vrabel. "I remember [Bill] Cowher saying, 'Call us if you want to come back.' " Most teams saw a special teams player and situational defender in Vrabel, but Patriots coach Bill Belichick saw a building block. "He knew that I hadn't played a whole lot in Pittsburgh and he said, 'I'd never give a job to anybody, but there is certainly an opportunity for you if you come in and play well to...

FOXBOROUGH - What a difference a year makes. Last year, the Patriots were counting on wide receiver Chad Jackson to help replace top target Deion Branch, who was traded away a day after the 2006 season opener. This year, Jackson can't even count on playing. The second-year wideout took the first step to getting on the field last Wednesday, when he was activated from the physically unable to perform list and added to the 53-man roster. But he's staring up the depth chart at the likes of Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donté Stallworth, Jabar Gaffney, and Kelley...

Three straight losses, an offense that couldn't punch it into the end zone — the frustration started to boil over for Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Matt Cassel had just spiked the ball on third down to force another field goal, and the quarterback was greeted at the sideline by coach Todd Haley. An animated conversation ensued, some choice words exchanged, the TV cameras catching all of it in gory detail. Whatever message Haley delivered must have been received. Cassel hit Dwayne Bowe for a 52-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass, Ryan Succop was perfect on five field-goal...