Tribal Warfare
12-28-2009, 01:45 AM
Despite the mistakes, Haley sees progress (http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/1652562.html)
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star
CINCINNATI | It wasn’t perfect, and it didn’t produce a win, but the Chiefs were better Sunday than they have been. It might not have been much, but it was something.
There were dropped passes, but there were fewer of them. There were penalties, but not the numbers that marred previous games. There were turnovers, but they didn’t define Kansas City in a 17-10 loss to Cincinnati at Paul Brown Stadium.
Coach Todd Haley said the Chiefs improved from last week, and that’s what the team was supposed to be doing anyway. Too bad for Kansas City that it waited until the season’s 16th week to show progress, microscopic as it might have been Sunday.
“Baby steps,” Haley said. “These guys, they’re kind of finding an identity. We went in there against a pretty good defense.
“In difficult conditions against a very good defense, I think we were able to keep them on their heels a little bit and make progress throughout the game — at least enough progress … to be encouraged by what we did.”
That is, of course, after four previous games that ranged from disappointing to embarrassing. All were losses, and three of them were blowouts. The Chiefs stayed close to the Bengals, who clinched a playoff spot Sunday, and if not for the recurrence of those same bad habits, Kansas City might have entered the final week with a win on its mind.
Instead, Matt Cassel threw two interceptions. Better than the four he threw two weeks earlier. There were a handful of dropped passes that stunted drives. Better than the pile of them last week in a 41-34 loss to Cleveland. And there were six penalties, one of which was a holding call against left Branden Albert that negated a long run by Jamaal Charles. Still better than the number of flags that kept the Chiefs among the league’s most undisciplined teams earlier in the season.
If this is progress, the so-called process might take longer than anyone might have predicted. But if this is progress, at least now it’s something visible.
“Any team in our position,” wide receiver Bobby Wade said, “a team that’s building, a team that’s trying to find progress each week in individual positions — you’ve got to expect that it’s going to be a gradual improvement. With that said, we know we’ve got one week left, and you’re really going to want to fix those things immediately.
“We did some good things, but there are still some missed opportunities that are definitely hurting us.”
The one that stung most was Albert’s hold. Charles hit the sideline and picked up 42 yards. That would’ve swung momentum toward the Chiefs, and who knows what a desperate team can do with momentum? But there was a flag, Albert’s second penalty of the first quarter, and momentum was gone.
“Drive-stoppers,” Cassel said. “You have to start all over.”
The Chiefs did start over, and then they had to punt. Albert wouldn’t answer questions after Sunday’s game.
But those are precisely the kinds of mistakes the Chiefs cannot afford in a game like Sunday’s. In the handful of games that Kansas City has been competitive in during the second half of the season, it has needed something close to perfection to keep it that way. On the rare occasions that it happens, the Chiefs usually win. When it doesn’t happen, players grab their bags from a losing locker room and head toward another somber bus.
One of the players who hung around late was defensive end Wallace Gilberry. He had a sack, and the mild improvements at least left Gilberry with a restored sense of optimism — even when maybe a 3-12 team has no business thinking that way.
“Basically,” Gilberry said, “we’re just building onto next year. Hopefully I’ll be back; the guys will be back. It’s something to build on for this year. We know we’re definitely not going to the playoffs, but we’re still playing for pride. We’ve got a lot to play for. We’ve just got to keep working. It’s never over.”
Gafford’s snapping gaffes costly
Thomas Gafford had been a reliable deep snapper for the Chiefs since a bad snap on a point-after-touchdown try last season cost Kansas City a victory in San Diego.
That changed Sunday when he sailed a snap over punter Dustin Colquitt’s head in the second quarter.
The Bengals took possession on the KC 7, though they eventually settled for a field goal.
Later, Gafford sent a low snap to Colquitt, who was barely able to get off his punt after reaching for the ball.
“I feel like I didn’t do my part to help us win,” Gafford said. “Now I’ve just got to put it behind me and move on to the next snap and move on to the next game.”
The day was windy in Cincinnati, but the Bengals had no problem with their snaps.
“It was a windy day,” Gafford said. “But I’ve played on windy days before. I’m not going to start making excuses. It was a bad play, and it’s on me. I’ve got to get better, and I will get better.”
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star
CINCINNATI | It wasn’t perfect, and it didn’t produce a win, but the Chiefs were better Sunday than they have been. It might not have been much, but it was something.
There were dropped passes, but there were fewer of them. There were penalties, but not the numbers that marred previous games. There were turnovers, but they didn’t define Kansas City in a 17-10 loss to Cincinnati at Paul Brown Stadium.
Coach Todd Haley said the Chiefs improved from last week, and that’s what the team was supposed to be doing anyway. Too bad for Kansas City that it waited until the season’s 16th week to show progress, microscopic as it might have been Sunday.
“Baby steps,” Haley said. “These guys, they’re kind of finding an identity. We went in there against a pretty good defense.
“In difficult conditions against a very good defense, I think we were able to keep them on their heels a little bit and make progress throughout the game — at least enough progress … to be encouraged by what we did.”
That is, of course, after four previous games that ranged from disappointing to embarrassing. All were losses, and three of them were blowouts. The Chiefs stayed close to the Bengals, who clinched a playoff spot Sunday, and if not for the recurrence of those same bad habits, Kansas City might have entered the final week with a win on its mind.
Instead, Matt Cassel threw two interceptions. Better than the four he threw two weeks earlier. There were a handful of dropped passes that stunted drives. Better than the pile of them last week in a 41-34 loss to Cleveland. And there were six penalties, one of which was a holding call against left Branden Albert that negated a long run by Jamaal Charles. Still better than the number of flags that kept the Chiefs among the league’s most undisciplined teams earlier in the season.
If this is progress, the so-called process might take longer than anyone might have predicted. But if this is progress, at least now it’s something visible.
“Any team in our position,” wide receiver Bobby Wade said, “a team that’s building, a team that’s trying to find progress each week in individual positions — you’ve got to expect that it’s going to be a gradual improvement. With that said, we know we’ve got one week left, and you’re really going to want to fix those things immediately.
“We did some good things, but there are still some missed opportunities that are definitely hurting us.”
The one that stung most was Albert’s hold. Charles hit the sideline and picked up 42 yards. That would’ve swung momentum toward the Chiefs, and who knows what a desperate team can do with momentum? But there was a flag, Albert’s second penalty of the first quarter, and momentum was gone.
“Drive-stoppers,” Cassel said. “You have to start all over.”
The Chiefs did start over, and then they had to punt. Albert wouldn’t answer questions after Sunday’s game.
But those are precisely the kinds of mistakes the Chiefs cannot afford in a game like Sunday’s. In the handful of games that Kansas City has been competitive in during the second half of the season, it has needed something close to perfection to keep it that way. On the rare occasions that it happens, the Chiefs usually win. When it doesn’t happen, players grab their bags from a losing locker room and head toward another somber bus.
One of the players who hung around late was defensive end Wallace Gilberry. He had a sack, and the mild improvements at least left Gilberry with a restored sense of optimism — even when maybe a 3-12 team has no business thinking that way.
“Basically,” Gilberry said, “we’re just building onto next year. Hopefully I’ll be back; the guys will be back. It’s something to build on for this year. We know we’re definitely not going to the playoffs, but we’re still playing for pride. We’ve got a lot to play for. We’ve just got to keep working. It’s never over.”
Gafford’s snapping gaffes costly
Thomas Gafford had been a reliable deep snapper for the Chiefs since a bad snap on a point-after-touchdown try last season cost Kansas City a victory in San Diego.
That changed Sunday when he sailed a snap over punter Dustin Colquitt’s head in the second quarter.
The Bengals took possession on the KC 7, though they eventually settled for a field goal.
Later, Gafford sent a low snap to Colquitt, who was barely able to get off his punt after reaching for the ball.
“I feel like I didn’t do my part to help us win,” Gafford said. “Now I’ve just got to put it behind me and move on to the next snap and move on to the next game.”
The day was windy in Cincinnati, but the Bengals had no problem with their snaps.
“It was a windy day,” Gafford said. “But I’ve played on windy days before. I’m not going to start making excuses. It was a bad play, and it’s on me. I’ve got to get better, and I will get better.”