Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 12/14

via KansasCity.com

Well, that sucked. The wheels seem to be falling off, and with that observation, today's Arrowheadlines get kicked off with a little piece from Mr. Jason Whitlock.

That’s the only explanation for Chiefs coach Todd Haley opening his postgame news conference with a disingenuous thank you to the 30,000-plus Chiefs fans who filled 80,000-seat Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.

"Before I get started," Haley said in the aftermath of Kansas City’s 10th loss, a 16-10 snoozer to the Buffalo Bills, "publicly I want to thank the fans. I thought the fans were tremendous for us today."

Yes, this is the "process" to avoiding a blackout next Sunday.

In the minutes after Kansas City’s $63 million QB launched his fourth interception of the day, misfired on two more open deep balls and was caught by CBS television cameras telling someone — maybe booing Chiefs fans or Haley barking in his headset — to shut the (expletive) up, Haley campaigned for ticket sales.

"I just publicly want to thank the fans for making a lot of noise for us today," Haley said.

The boos were quite loud. And the silence was deafening at times. I can’t really blame the fans.

Chiefs should thank anyone who sat through this game from KC Star

KC Star Photo Gallery: Bills 16, Chiefs 10 | Sunday, Dec. 13

Cassel’s four interceptions led only to three points for the Bills. The Chiefs three takeaways on defense led to zero points for Kansas City. They were minus-one on turnovers and minus-three points off those giveaways. That was enough to make them minus-one in the victory column.

"We went into the game with a clear cut key that if we could win the turnover battle, we would have a very good chance to win the game," said Haley. "We were unable to capitalize on the turnovers we were able to create and then in the end our turnovers put us in a position where we couldn’t win."

Wasted was another good performance from RB Jamaal Charles...

Bills Make Fewer Mistakes and Beat Chiefs 16-10 from Bob Gretz

When this wretched season is mercifully finished, the Chiefs won’t need to watch video of every snap to relive their offensive futility.

They can merely review the final 8 minutes of Sunday’s 16-10 loss to Buffalo at Arrowhead Stadium. Even in that short time span, the Chiefs committed almost every offensive sin imaginable: two big dropped passes, two interceptions, two holding penalties and three receivers failing to get out of bounds when the Chiefs were desperate to save time.

Every one was a factor in the defeat.

Chiefs can't overcome offensive mistakes in 16-10 loss to Bills from KC Star

Walking out of the stadium a week ago, I ran into Roger, a big Chiefs fan I know who had watched the debacle against Denver. He had drowned his sorrows in a suite after the game and was stumbling his way out of the building.

"Hey Gretz," he yelled over his shoulder, as his long suffering wife Anne was dragging him to the parking lot. "There’s nothing as bad as losing to the Donkeys. It can’t get any worse than this."

Oh yes it can Roger. It did. It’s one thing losing to a Denver team that’s in the hunt for a wildcard spot in the playoffs. It’s another to go down to the Buffalo Bills, a 4-8 team with an interim head coach and a starting quarterback who might have a degree from Harvard but should not be starting for an NFL team.

Column: Yes It Can Get Worse And Did from Bob Gretz

Chiefs head coach Todd Haley had three critical fourth-down decisions to make Sunday.

Only one of them worked out in the 16-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Arrowhead Stadium.

•Decision 1: The Chiefs faced fourth and 1 after recovering a fumble at the Buffalo 9 in the first quarter of a scoreless game. They decided to go for it and inserted backup offensive tackle Barry Richardson and linebacker Mike Vrabel as eligible receivers. Vrabel has 11 career touchdown catches from that formation.

Crucial decisions on fourth downs don't pan out for Chiefs from KC Star

If the two key guys in the 2009 Chiefs offense were on escalators, they would pass each other going up, and going down.

Jamaal Charles is on the up escalator, as he continues to show that he has the ability to be a top-flight offensive threat in the NFL.

Matt Cassel is on the down escalator, as he continues to struggle to establish himself and the Chiefs passing game as a productive and consistent offensive force.

Both were on display Sunday as the Chiefs fell to the Bills 16-10. Charles and his legs kept the Chiefs in the game in the second half, when Cassel and his passes were taking them out of the action.

It’s not a good combination for producing victories, which probably explains the three straight losses the Chiefs have suffered.

Offense: One Guy Up, Another One Down from Bob Gretz

Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles almost made the offensive and defensive plays of the game Sunday against Buffalo.

It wasn’t enough that Charles scored the Chiefs’ only touchdown of a 16-10 loss with a 76-yard touchdown dash in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, after a pass went in and out of the grasp of wide receiver Chris Chambers and into the hands of Bills linebacker Paul Posluszny, Charles came from behind and tore the ball from Posluszny’s grasp.

As Charles was ripping the ball out, Posluszny was on top of Chiefs guard Wade Smith, but not on the Arrowhead Stadium turf. The officials, however, ruled Posluszny was down by contact, awarding the ball to Buffalo at the Kansas City 35.

Charles has big day on offense and almost makes big play on defense from KC Star

The numbers jump off the statistical page from Sunday’s game between the Chiefs and Bills:

BUFFALO PASS RECEIVING: Terrell Owens, 2 catches for 15 yards; Lee Evans, 1 catch for 11 yards.

The best tandem of wide receivers that the Chiefs have seen this year were held to three catches for 26 yards. Put the clamps on a pair of receivers like that and a defense expects that they’ll be on the winning side in any game.

It didn’t happen as the Bills beat the Chiefs 16-10.

"I’ll have to wait to see the tape," said CB Brandon Flowers. "Coach (Haley) always talks about hidden yardage, so I’ll be anxious to see where we maybe gave up some hidden yardage. But we really didn’t let those two guys hurt us."

Defense: Good Enough To Win from Bob Gretz

After yielding 245 rushing yards to Denver in last week’s game, the Chiefs were looking for improvement in Sunday’s meeting with the Buffalo Bills at Arrowhead Stadium.

They got it, but just barely. The Bills rushed for an even 200 yards in their 16-10 victory.

The Bills needed every one of those rushing yards, considering they passed for only 73. But the Chiefs once again weren’t strong enough to shut off both facets of an opposing offense.

Chiefs' defense gets run over once again from KC Star

Beauty is clearly in the eye of the beholding winning coach, because this game was uglier than the clothes pro golfers wore in the 1970s.

There was nothing stylish, nor relevant, about the game, which led Fox studio analyst Terry Bradshaw to preface his description of the game's few highlights with "If anybody cares."

Buffalo Bills defeat Kansas City Chiefs from The Democrat and Chronicle

Back in town last Sunday for the ceremonial retirement of Derrick Thomas' No. 58 jersey, Marty Schottenheimer roamed the Chiefs warm-up area. It must have seemed eerily familiar. I don't know what he thought, but I can guess what was on his mind: "What the hell happened to my program"?

That's a loaded question. Short answer: A lot, and very little of it good.

What is going on at Arrowhead these days in no way, shape or form resembles the start of the Schottenheimer-Carl Peterson turnaround; the comeback from back-to-back four-win seasons in 1987 and '88. If you recall, the Chiefs went 8-7-1 in 1989 and looked like a team on the rise with the infusion of new blood (Derrick Thomas) and the improvement of existing players (Neil Smith, John Alt, Albert Lewis, etc.).

Can you imagine the Chiefs losing the last two (or any two) AFC Westgames by a combined score of 87-27 when Marty was coach? Not on your life.

Honeymoon Over for Chiefs Todd Haley & Scott Pioli: Bring In Charlie Weis from The Post Chronicle

Chicago's Jay Cutler and Kansas City's Matt Cassel were the highest-profile quarterbacks traded in the offseason, and the Bears and Chiefs are learning to be careful for what they wish.

Cassel threw a career-high four interceptions against his old AFC East rivals the Bills on Sunday. Cutler had two more picks in a loss to Green Bay to push his league-leading total to 22.

All season, Cutler and Cassel have been pressing to compensate for problems elsewhere on offense. Chicago and Kansas City have fully invested in them as franchise quarterbacks; team officials must be patient while rebuilding around them, starting with the offensive lines.

Week 14 Checkdown: Scramble on for bottom seeds in AFC from Sporting News

This last one is because I like to stir the pot.

NFL.com Video Highlight: Bernard Pollard pick-6