KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Dwayne Bowe deftly avoided the locker room full of prying TV cameras, finally emerging onto the Kansas City Chiefs practice field Wednesday as if nothing was amiss. The former Pro Bowl wide receiver spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for Sunday nights AFC West showdown against the Broncos, a game in which hell start despite a weekend arrest for speeding and possession of marijuana. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said that he intends to let the legal situation run its course, but he made it clear that Bowe will be in the starting lineup for the unbeaten Chiefs. "There are rules and regulations put in place and well abide by the rules and regulations, and well make sure we take all of the information that comes out as it goes through the process," Reid said. "Thats where were going with it." Bowe did not speak to reporters, instead issuing a statement in which he apologized "for the distraction I have caused the team this week." "Due to the nature of the pending matter, I am unable to make any further comment on the situation," Bowes statement said. According to police, Bowes wallet was discovered along with two containers that held about one-third of an ounce of suspected marijuana. Bowe was cited for speeding and possession of a controlled substance. He posted $750 bond and faces a Dec. 18 court appearance. The Chiefs were off last week before beginning their preparations for Denver. "I addressed him, had that opportunity to talk to him, and Ill leave it at that," Reid said. "There are laws, rules and regulations, and Ill leave it at that." Reid did say that Bowe has been a model teammate. "Dwaynes been a team player since Ive been here," Reid said. "He doesnt want to bring any problems to the table. Thats not what he wants to do." It is unlikely Bowe will be disciplined until after his court date. While the Chiefs are barred from disciplining the former Pro Bowl wide receiver for violating the leagues substance-abuse policy, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in the past has handed down one-game suspensions and fines of an additional game check for similar cases. Bowe, who signed five-year, $56 million deal in the off-season, has struggled to live up to the expectations that come with being one of the games best-paid wide receivers. Hes second on the team with 33 catches for 369 yards and two touchdowns during the Chiefs 9-0 start. This isnt the first time that Bowe has proven to be a distraction. He was suspended four games in 2009 for violating the NFLs policy on performance-enhancing drugs after taking what his agent called an unapproved weight-loss supplement. He also made questionable comments to a magazine a few years ago about womanizing that allegedly occurred at team hotels, and then misstated the name of Chiefs ownership family in his apology. Now in his seventh season, Bowe is second in franchise history with 448 catches, trailing only former tight end Tony Gonzalez. He has 6,078 yards receiving, sixth-most in team history, and 41 touchdown catches, fifth-most in Chiefs history. With the spectre of a high-profile showdown against Denver hanging over the locker room, Chiefs players were reticent to discuss Bowes arrest during Tuesdays availability. Quarterback Alex Smith guided the conversation back to the Broncos any time the topic was broached, though he did say players with larger contracts have an obligation to be leaders. "Its a lot different than the collegiate level or the high school level. When you get to the NFL, theres a lot that comes with it," Smith said. "We have a bunch of guys that are focused on winning, doing things the right way." Cornerback Brandon Flowers sidestepped questions about Bowes arrest, saying only that "there are no distractions at all. I can promise you that." Veteran linebacker Tamba Hali likewise deflected questions back to the Broncos game. "He knows were here for him. We practice with him every day," Hali said. "Again, a situation like that, its far beyond us. We just want to continue to focus on what weve got here. Its a legal matter. We just want that process to take care of itself." Cheap Air Max 2017 . Jones took a beating, the worst one of his record reign, in a bout against Alexander Gustafsson that knocked the light heavyweight champion on the canvas for the first time in his career and put his belt in jeopardy. Sale Air Max Black . He also had some help Monday night.Hibbert scored a season-high 29 points to help Indiana beat the Utah Jazz 97-86 Monday night, ending the Pacers six-game losing streak. http://www.airmax2018womens.us/. "I honestly dont know," he said. 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Strasburg struck out 11 in seven innings Wednesday night and the Nationals kept the Philadelphia Phillies bats quiet yet again in an 8-4, rain-interrupted win.MONTREAL – The question was posed to Jonathan Bernier, perhaps the busiest netminder in the National Hockey League this season and a man who has witnessed the strength of terrific defensive hockey in Los Angeles firsthand en route to a Cup in 2012: Can his Toronto Maple Leafs, currently the top wild card in the East, threaten a deep playoff run without raising their substandard level of defensive play? "Goalies got to be good," Bernier said with an almost uncomfortable laugh. "I personally dont think so," he continued frankly. "Because some games [the goalie] wont get those bounces and [the puck is] going to go in somehow. But we know weve got it in this room. Weve just got to pay the price to play better defensively and, if we do, Im pretty sure we can be one of the top teams in this league." Its an uncomfortable truth for a team that wrung up 11 wins in 14 games before the Olympic break and has designs on making noise in the playoffs after a long-awaited return last spring. This is a hockey club that struggles badly to defend and relies most nights on terrific goaltending and an incredibly potent offence to win. Its a formula that might yield success in the regular season, and it has for the Leafs thus far, but is unlikely to gain much steam when the hockey tightens in mid-April. Head coach Randy Carlyle has been beating the drum loudly on the topic all season, but doesnt have much to show for it. His group remains a work in progress. "Weve been trying and stressing that defensive hockey is whats going to give your team the best chance to qualify for the playoffs," said Carlyle after an instructive practice in Brossard, Quebec. "[But] were in the qualification mode. Were not in the playoff mode [yet]." Only five teams have been worse than the Leafs defensively this season and only one of those teams, the Ottawa Senators, has any hope of qualifying for the playoffs. Toronto has allowed a bloated three goals per game despite boasting some of the finest goaltending in the league with the 25-year-old Bernier. No team, in fact, puts more pressure on their goaltender to be great than do the Leafs. Only Mike Smith in Phoenix has faced more shots than Bernier thus far and hes started 10 more games than the native of Laval. "I think weve seen it," said Bernier of sturdy defensive play. "I think everyones seen it, but I dont think weve seen it consistently enough." Hurting the effort is a bad penalty kill, one thats allowed the most goals (tied) in the league this season, an unstable defence which includes young and growing parts like Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner and a high-end forward group that has shown only spotty attention to defence. A pile of goals and timely goaltending have been required most nights to win. That was true during an 11-2-1 run before the 18-day Olympic stoppage. Running, then, behind the all-world efforts of Phil Kessel, who has been the hottest player on the planet in 2014, the club scored 51 goals – 3.64 per game – but also allowed 41 on the other end. Theyve won despite being outshot in 36 of 48 games – they have a record of 21-10-5 in those games – and despite the ffact that theyve allowed a league-high of more than 36 shots per game.dddddddddddd Cody Franson, second on the back-end in minutes, believes the instability is tied to confusion in the defensive end, too much thinking rather quick instinctual reaction. "I think were still a little indecisive on things sometimes," he said. "We try and play a quite aggressive style of defence and sometimes when you think too much you end up being a half second slow compared to where you should be. That comfort level just isnt quite there with us yet. I think we still think about things too much." They allowed five in their most recent affair against the Islanders on Thursday night, an overtime loss to a struggling club that was without its best player and leading scorer, John Tavares, and their third leading point-getter in Frans Nielsen. Two of the goals came by way of short circuiting on the power-play with Michael Grabner scoring twice shorthanded in a span of 48 seconds on the same power-play. Another found the back of the net via the aforementioned penalty kill with two more coming on defensive breakdowns, including the overtime winner. "Gifts," said Carlyle after the 5-4 defeat. "Ive got no other word to describe the goals that we gave up." A drastic reversal at this late stage in the year seems unlikely, though Carlyle and the coaching staff continue to push and prod. They did so with any available ice during the Olympic break and continued at practice Friday, narrowing their sights on a tighter neutral zone and improved forecheck – efforts aimed at spending less time in the defensive zone. But with just 21 games to play, including a division clash with the Canadiens on Saturday, its probably safe to say that this is what these Maple Leafs are. The question now is whether they can, as currently constructed, make a little noise in the postseason (assuming they get in) or whether their defensive liabilities will prove too onerous to overcome. Last spring, they nearly toppled a Bruins giant, but required some lightning in a bottle and forgotten brilliance from James Reimer in Games 5 and 6. History points emphatically in the direction of those that can defend. In fact, the last three Stanley Cup winners finished the regular season as either the best or second-best team defensively. And though the Leafs are not yet in the Cup conversation, that remains the goal somewhere down the road. Dave Nonis and the Toronto management team have to be mindful of that fact as it relates to the larger construction of the roster, both now with the Mar. 5 trade deadline looming and over the longer term with the core thats being put into place. Are these the foundations of a club that can eventually win the ultimate prize? "You always see it every year, strong defensive teams win," said Jay McClement. "I think we have the make-up for it. But not without being strong defensively. Obviously, youre not going to win a lot of games 5-4 in the playoffs. We have the goaltending for it and have had it all year. Weve just got to cut down on these mistakes and well be fine. "Were not changing the way we do it, weve just got to do it better." ' ' '