Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said today there were three critical series of mistakes that cost them the game against the Browns.
Offense
"Offensively, the drops, in my mind, made a difference in the game."
Defense
"Defensively, just an inability to get the run stopped proved to be our downfall. Made multiple adjustments in the game to try to get Cleveland’s running game stopped and were unable to do it."
Special Teams
"I thought special teams cannot let a returner beat us like he was able to do. Two returns were absolutely a big difference in the final outcome of the game."
Drops (9), stopping the run (351 yards) and special teams (2 TDs) were the three areas that gave the Chiefs no chance to beat the Browns. It may have seemed that the Chiefs had a chance to win at times but when all three of these phases of the game fail, you're pretty much toast.
"Any one of those three things we don’t allow to occur and we’re probably in a much better mood today," Haley said. "I really mean that – any one of those things."
I think that's true. If the receivers hang on to a couple of those balls, or Jerome Harrison is stopped for negative yards, or Cribbs only takes one back - the Chiefs chances of winning increase.