Jon McGraw was the starter at free safety during the portion of practice open to the local media. Jarrad Page was the backup. McGraw started for Page in Washington last Sunday when Page was inactive because of a sore shoulder.

McGraw was one of the better Chiefs defenders as they held Washington without a touchdown. McGraw had a sack, two other tackles for negative yardage and a knockdown of Washington quarterback Todd Collins.

If there is any doubt about why Channel 5 and its sponsors will continue to gobble up unsold tickets and keep Chiefs home games from being blacked out, consider the following:

The Chiefs' game at Washington last Sunday between an 0-5 Kansas City team and a reeling 2-3 Washington team not only was the top-rated television show in Kansas City for all of last week but had the fifth-highest local rating of any NFL telecast in the country last weekend.

He's Kenny Smith, who played in 30 games with 10 starts from 2001 through 2004 with New Orleans. He went to camp in both 2007 and 2008 with, surprise, New England.

The Chiefs also added another defensive tackle, Marlon Favorite, to their practice squad. Favorite, a rookie, went to camp this season with Carolina as an undrafted free agent.

I was walking out of the locker room Sunday in Washington, and one of my most-visited players happened to be leaving at the same time.

Having just finished an interview with Dwayne Bowe, I noticed that Tank Tyler was finishing up a phone call and heading for the exit. Bowe had been reflective and funny. Glenn Dorsey had been relieved and light-hearted. Other players made jokes and soaked in a rare experience: a winning Chiefs locker room.

The Chiefs traded defensive lineman Tank Tyler to Carolina tonight for a fifth-round pick in the 2010 draft.

Tyler started two games this season at nose tackle before being replaced by Ron Edwards. Edwards played perhaps his best game of the season in Sunday’s 14-6 win over Washington and Tyler played sparingly.

Tyler started all 16 games for the Chiefs last season. A third-round draft pick in 2006, Tyler is the latest of the Chiefs draft picks from the Herm Edwards era to depart.

Chiefs fans still can't let go of Tony Gonzalez.

How else do you explain the Kansas City television market ranking No. 8 in the country for its audience watching a game between NFC teams Chicago at Atlanta on Sunday night?

No. 88.

While viewers had their choices of watching game three of the National League Championship Series on WTBS: "Desperate Housewives" and "Brothers & Sisters" on ABC: "60 Minutes" and "Amazing Race" on CBS; "Simpsons", "Family Guy" and "The Cleveland Show" on Fox; or what I watched, "Curb Your Enthusiasm," most of Kansas City was tuned to the NFL on NBC.

KC _ FG Succop 46; 6 plays, 9 yards, 2:19 drive time, 3:36 remaining.

KC _ FG Succop 23; 6 plays, 31 yards, 1:15 drive time, 1:19 remaining.

KC _ Safety, Tamba Hali sack in end zone; 0:25 remaining.

The Chiefs took over at their 14 on their first possession of the period. But they couldn’t gain a first down and had to punt. Washington took possession at its 45. Mike Vrabel ended Washington’s possession with a third-down sack. Demorrio Williams blocked the punt, giving the Chiefs the ball at the 50. On third and 4, Washington was penalized for pass interference against Bobby Engram, giving the Chiefs a fresh set of downs at the Washington 38. On third and 8, Cassel stepped over the line of scrimmage on his pass attempt and the penalty forced the Chiefs to punt. Terrance Copper and Maurice Leggett teamed to down the kick at the 3 . . . The Chiefs made Washington punt after three plays and took over at the Washington 36 with just under six minutes left. A 11-yard pass to Sean Ryan put the Chiefs in Succop’s range . . . Collins fumbled a snap on third down on Washington’s possession. Washington recovered but they had to punt. Wade fumbled the punt but DaJuan Morgan recovered for KC at the Washington 37 at the two-minute warning . . . Instead of sitting on the ball and making Washington burn its time outs, Cassel came out throwing. His pass to Bowe on a slant gained 32 yards to the Washington 9. The Chiefs eventually had to take another field goal but left Washington only 31 seconds. Hali's sack came on the next play and Kansas City recovered Washington's onside kick attempt.

Was _ FG Shaun Suisham; 6 plays, 48 yards, 3:43 drive time, 11:17 remasining.
Was _ FG Suisham 28; 5 plays, 78 yards, 1:03 drive time, 6:01 remaining.
KC _ FG Succop 46; 9 plays, 42 yards, 4:54 drive time, 1:07 remaining.
Former Chief Todd Collins started the second half at quarterback for Washington. On his second play, Collins delivered the big play Washington couldn’t get with Campbell. Santana Moss beat Flowers deep and caught a 42-yard pass to the KC 27. That led to the field goal . . . Cassel passed 10 yards to Wade on third and 9 to the Washington 48. Johnson, having his best game of the season, picked up 12 on the next play. After three incomplete passes, the Chiefs punted and Washington took over at its 12 . . . Portis carried for 78 yards on the first play of Washington’s drive. Mike Brown ran him out of bounds on the KC 10. Edwards batted down a third-down pass and Washington had to take another field goal . . . A 20-yard Cassel pass to Bowe moved the Chiefs past midfield. A 16-yarder to Bowe put the Chiefs at the Washington 24. A third-down sack killed the drive and the Chiefs tied the game.

KC _ FG Ryan Succop 39; 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:46 drive time, 5:34 remaining.

The Chiefs got the ball for their first possession of the period at their 5. Cassel passed 16 yards to Bobby Wade on the first play. Brian Waters was penalized for holding and the Chiefs eventually punted . . . The Chiefs began their next possession at their 14. Cassel threw short to Johnson and the Chiefs were given 15 yards on Albert Hayneswsworth’s roughing the passer penalty. Johnson carried around right end for 16 yards on the next play to the 50 and one play later Cassel threw for 13 yards to Bowe. Two Johnson runs took the Chiefs to the Washington 23. On third and 8 from the 21, Cassel’s fade pass for Bowe into the end zone was too far. This time, Todd Haley opted for the field goal . . . Jon McGraw’s third-down sack ended Washington’s possession . . . Washington got the ball back at its 12 with 2:15 left. A 12-yard Campbell pass to Fred Davis pushed Washington to the 24 and one play later a 17-yard pass to Antwaan Randle-El put Washington near midfield. Washington mismanaged the time and, with no time outs remaining, faced a fourth and one at the KC 35 with 6 seconds left, Brandon Flowers intercepted Campbell's desperation pass and ran out the clock.

The Chiefs got the game’s first break when Mike Vrabel recovered Clinton Portis’ fumble at the Kansas City 47. The Chiefs gained one first down when Larry Johnson, running behind a lead blocker in defensive tackle Ron Edwards, converted on fourth and one from the Washington 44. But the Chiefs eventually punted and Duston Colquitt’s kick went into the end zone . . . Washington was getting nothing done offensively, either. Washington failed to gain a first down on its second possession, giving the Chiefs the ball at their 30 . . . Another Chiefs possession appeared doomed when Matt Cassel was sacked on the first play. But Cassel passed for 14 yards to Mark Bradley and Johnson ran for 11 yards to the 50. Cassel hit Dwayne Bowe on third and 10 to the Washington 32. But Cassel was sacked twice more on the possession, including a fourth and 2 play from the Washington 24. Washington took over at its 29 . . . The Chiefs had Washington facing a third and 11 but allowed a 19-yard Jason Campbell to Chris Cooley pass. Branden Carr missed a tackled that would have stopped Cooley short of the sticks.