Babb: Chiefs’ 44-13 loss to Broncos makes progress hard to detect

[Tribal Warfare]

Chiefs’ 44-13 loss to Broncos makes progress hard to detect
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star

They tried to find the words, to put their finger on something that looked like progress. That has been the Chiefs’ main pursuit this season: If wins wouldn’t happen, then at least Kansas City could somehow get a little better each week.

After another blowout loss Sunday, the chances of progress seem to be fading — even for the men on the inside.

“It didn’t get better today,” wide receiver Bobby Wade said. “Overall, I don’t know.”

The Chiefs’ 44-13 loss to Denver at Arrowhead Stadium — the first time in 26 years the team allowed 40 points in consecutive games — hid any progress that Kansas City seemed to have made as of last month, when the Chiefs upset Pittsburgh for their second win in a row.

The locker room is a bleak place after days like this. Players shower, pack and depart without saying much. Another loss. Not many fresh ways to describe it. But there was a question that needed to be asked Sunday: Do players see progress?

“I’m not the one who can judge that,” Wade said.

A few lockers down, Chris Chambers had his chance, too. What is one thing — one position group, one side of the ball, heck, one player — that has improved in the last month?

“I’ve only been here four or five weeks,” Chambers said. “I can’t sit up here and say one thing.”

On the other side of the locker room, second-year defensive end Glenn Dorsey was heading toward the door.

“I see progress, man,” he said.

Finally. Someone sees something. Perhaps the Chiefs are onto something, after all. So what is it, Glenn? Where has the team shown improvement? Just one thing. That’s all.

“We’ve got to watch film,” he said. “I don’t even know.”

The locker room emptied, and the player at the center of Kansas City’s progress movement made his way toward a lectern. Matt Cassel had perhaps his worst day as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback, throwing two interceptions and being benched not long after he had plunged to a 3.2 quarterback rating. He completed 10 of 29 passes for 84 yards before Brodie Croyle relieved him.

Sunday was Cassel’s 10th game as the Chiefs’ starter, and other than a few dramatic throws late in games, it’s not easy to see that he has made much progress, either. The man identified — and paid — as Kansas City’s quarterback of the future, seems to mirror the slide of his team.

So how about it, Matt? Where’s the improvement?

“It’s sometimes hard to see,” he said, “especially after today, when there’s so many mishaps and so many things that we have to fix.”

For now, the starting job still belongs to Cassel. Coach Todd Haley said he remained confident in Cassel and that he would start next week against Buffalo. Cassel was not good Sunday, but then nothing really was. Other than outside linebacker Tamba Hali, who had three sacks, few players departed Arrowhead on Sunday with the look of a man who’d accomplished much.

Haley’s decision-making again was questionable, underscored by a series of trick plays and an attempt to convert a fourth down when Croyle lined up as the Chiefs’ punter, took the snap and, under pressure by the clearly unsurprised Broncos, threw the ball into the turf.

Earlier, Cassel missed Wade on a deep route, and after Haley chastised Wade for relaxed effort, the wide receiver erupted on the sideline, screamed toward Haley and paced in front of the bench.

“Just frustration from not making a play I should’ve made. Simple as that,” Wade said. “I’ve been fed up with it. This is new for me. But it’ll change.”

That’s what the Chiefs want players to think. But as the blowouts mount and the tempers boil, it’s getting more and more difficult to believe that hope and reality will be aligned any time soon.

If players aren’t seeing progress, who is?

“As hard as it is to say it,” Haley said, “I believe in what we’re doing. We knew it was not going to be easy. There’s been some flashes of encouraging things on Sunday and some disappointing Sundays. We’ve got to get back to work and believe in what we’re doing.”

That’s not getting any easier. And if the Chiefs are looking for progress, they might need something more powerful than a magnifying glass.

“I think our tempo is pretty good,” Chambers said. “We practice fast. We practice hard. We carry it on to the field. We actually had those guys winded. They had to call timeout a couple of times.

“We have something going with this third-down package that we have, kind of a hurry-up offense, kind of catches some teams by surprise.”

With that, the Chiefs proceed into the final quarter of the season. They are what they are, and there’s no changing it now.

“We’re just going to have to keep going back and working hard at it,” Cassel said. “There’s nothing else we can do.”

[Hammock Parties]

Sunday was Cassel’s 10th game as the Chiefs’ starter

It was his 11th.

KC STAR FAIL!

['Hamas' Jenkins]

So, we're in good cardio shape. That's progress.

[BigMeatballDave]

We have become the Lions

[BigMeatballDave]

Wait. I guess not. The Lions at least take chances by drafting QBs high...

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

So, we're in good cardio shape. That's progress.

Why do you think we scored that key fourth-quarter TD? Conditioning.

[TinyEvel]

Babb's columns make (journalistic) progress hard to detect.