Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley spent a few minutes his Monday press conference defending both Dwayne Bowe and Matt Cassel after they've come under some criticism for their performance on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
His defense of Bowe caught me by surprise. Haley has been complimentary of him as of late but after a couple of big drops on Sunday he spent a few minutes highlighting the good that came from Bowe.
Here's what Haley said about Bowe:
"That game did not come down to Dwayne Bowe catching or not catching that ball," Haley said of the Bowe's drop in the end zone. "I want to say this as the head caoch. I really don't believe that [it did]. We win as a team and we lose as a team. There were enough situations in that game, before and after that play, that the outcome could have changed. If that were the last of those plays, and if I felt that that was the difference maker, I would stand up here and say that. But it just wasn't."
"Dwayne Bowe did so many good things in that game," Haley continued. "So many good things. He played smart, he understood the game plan, what he was supposed to do throughout that game plan and he did it at a high level -- run game and passing game. It just so happens that he had an opportunity to make a big play, which is part of his job description, as he did two weeks before [against San Francisco], and he didn't make it. That ends up not being such a good thing.
"But Dwayne Bowe's arrow is going up. There isn't a doubt in my mind."
I think Haley is becoming better as a head coach and recognizing when guys need to be picked up a little bit. Bowe's getting hit pretty hard from the media and the fan base for that drop. Haley took the opportunity to spend a few minutes picking him back up. I like that about him.
One final Bowe endorsement from Haley: "We have won with Dwayne and we will continue to win with Dwayne."