Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 11/15

Well, that happened. Who invited the 2009 Chiefs to yesterday's game? As you can imagine, there are a lot of recaps and opinions on the game (and a missing handshake). Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news.

Haley wouldn’t directly answer when asked what happened, but it’s clear he thought the Broncos acted unprofessionally toward the end of a 49-29 blowout over the Chiefs on Sunday.

Of course, the AFC West’s worst team wouldn’t have had that chance if the Chiefs played professionally during a loss that wipes out much of what they accomplished during their first eight games.

Strengths are now weaknesses. Confidence is now panic. Playoff expectations are now just hope.

Turnaround has turned around for Chiefs from KC Star

The Chiefs, revealing the fragile psyche of a team still learning to believe in itself, apparently got irked by the dominance Denver showed. Why else would Kansas City go for two points after a meaningless TD, when trailing by 20 on the scoreboard with 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter?

It was the NFL equivalent of a middle-schooler firing a spitwad through a plastic straw, when the classy thing for the Chiefs would have been to lose quietly, get out of town quickly and move on to fixing everything wrong.

If you're asking me, it seems the Broncos must have gotten under the skin of Haley and his staff. Maybe the powers that be in Kansas City know how easily this season could unravel for a team with zero pedigree.

Kiszla: Haley should make like a comet and leave from The Denver Post

KC Star Photo Gallery: Chiefs thrashed by Broncos in Denver, 49-29

NFL.com Video: Chiefs postgame press conference

NFL.com Video: GameDay: Chiefs vs. Broncos highlights

KC Star Video: Teicher's Take | Plenty of bad news for Chiefs

The Chiefs were crushed Sunday in Denver. Nothing worked. Kansas City’s defenders, play after play, did terrific impersonations of matadors — one big whiff after another, and an angry bull running past. The Chiefs’ rushing offense, this team’s one superpower, ran into a wall of kryptonite Sunday in a 49-29 loss at Invesco Field.

Tim Tebow was a superstar. A linebacker named Mario Haggan looked like Lawrence Taylor. And the official replay machine suffered an unidentified malfunction, preventing the Chiefs from challenging a Denver touchdown pass and leaving coach Todd Haley with an expression that said little more than: This is not Kansas City’s day.

Broncos stampede past Chiefs in 49-29 win from KC Star

The Chiefs stationed Eric Berry under the goalpost when Denver’s Matt Prater tried a 58-yard field goal late in the first half — and that proved to be a wise move. Berry caught the ball near the back of the end zone and returned it 87 yards.

It appeared Berry would score a touchdown until he was tripped by Denver’s Britton Colquitt at the Broncos 22. At that point, 1 second remained on the clock and Ryan Succop kicked a 40-yard field goal on the last play of the half.

Chiefs buzz from KC Star

The Chiefs quickly became a desperate team Sunday, a fact revealed with nothing more than a quick glance at the postgame stat sheet.

Matt Cassel posted career highs for pass attempts (53), completions (33) and yards (469). Dwayne Bowe did the same for receptions (13) and yards (186).

Cassel, Bowe put up big numbers in blowout from KC Star

Carr said it was a bad day for the defensive backs, for the defense and for the team. It was a blowout loss, and it cast plenty of doubt on a defense that had, for most of this season, been encouraging. But that unit looked too much Sunday as it did in recent seasons, when the Chiefs had one of the NFL’s worst defenses and surrendered plenty of big plays.

The Broncos had no trouble taking advantage of the Chiefs for big gains. Four receivers had catches of at least 20 yards, and six Denver players scored touchdowns.

Being short-handed at safety costs Chiefs from KC Star

The Broncos have been labeled a pass-only offense in 2010, partially leading to the four-game losing skid which has cramped the style of the Broncos’ traditional run-laden offense. Even trying to get back to a balanced attack has been part of the struggle.

Wide receiver Eddie Royal said he knew Moreno would play to his potential and, when he did, the entire offense would reap the benefits.

"We always knew we could run the ball when we needed to," Royal said. "Today was a day we needed the running game, and Knowshon stepped up.

Moreno breaks loose for Broncos from KC Star

Both the Chargers and Oakland Raiders had a very good day Sunday just by clicking on the television.

Thanks to the Chiefs’ pratfall in Denver, the idle Raiders moved into a tie with Kansas City for first in the AFC West with 5-4 records, while the Chargers, also on their bye week, are just a game behind, at 4-5.

But despite their woeful start, I like the Chargers to win their fifth straight division title.

Randy Covitz | Chiefs’ collapse gives Chargers inside track in AFC West from KC Star

After the final whistle, Haley and McDaniels met at midfield, and the Chiefs coach pointed at McDaniels and said something, then turned his back instead of shaking McDaniels' hand.

Asked about the altercation, Haley said only that it was a "private" moment and that he wouldn't elaborate.

Why did Haley snub McDaniels? from The Red Zone

Assuming you were not keeping track, except for a few incompletions in the first half, the Broncos ran 28 plays (23 of which were 5 yards or more). The result was 35 points forDenver which tied the most points KC had ever given up in the first half of a game.

Chiefs: A Hot Knife Through Butter from Upon Further Review

"I think we caught them off-guard," Tebow said.

Ahead 35-10 at halftime, the Broncos kept the Chiefs from turning to their two-headed monster of a ground game as Jamaal Charles was held to 41 yards and Thomas Jones managed just 3. The Chiefs entered averaging 180 yards rushing, 113 more than Denver, which ranked last in the league.

On this day, the Broncos rushed for 153 yards and the Chiefs 51.

"We had to answer back and we didn't answer back," Charles said.

Orton tosses four TDs as Broncos get on other end of blowout from NFL.com

That fantastic photograph by Justin Edmonds for Getty Images pretty much tells the story. Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley didn't offer a handshake to Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels after the game. Instead, he appeared to offer a stern mini lecture.

About what? Well, that's not entirely clear. Haley, on the wrong end of a 49-29 stomping that wasn't as close as the final score would indicate, talked a little bit about it after the game, but didn't go into specifics.

Todd Haley will not play nice with Josh McDaniels from Yahoo! Sports

Referee Mike Carey went under the hood, then emerged with microphone at the ready. But Carey didn't reverse or uphold the scoring catch by the Broncos' Jabar Gaffney as countless officials have done in similar situations over the years. He instead explained the replay system was "inoperable."

If that isn't apropos on a day where nearly nothing works it's hard to know what is.  

Broncos rebound, Chiefs regress in wacky AFC West from CBS Sports

Matt Cassel, fantasy savior? Until Sunday, that idea would have sounded more ridiculous than a Kim Kardashian music album. But that was before Cassel absolutely demolished the Denver Broncos - in a 20-point loss no less. The Kansas City Chiefs' normally pedestrian QB completed 33 of 53 passes for 469 yards and four TDs, the most dominant game of his career.

And then suddenly, you had to wonder: Could Matt Cassel really power my team to fantasy glory?

Fantasy Football: Chiefs QB Matt Cassell could be your answer at quarterback as playoffs approach from The New York Daily News

Afterward, Orton credited his offensive line, which for the first time since the summer lined up, from left to right, with Ryan Clady, Zane Beadles, J.D. Walton, Chris Kuper and Ryan Harris.

"I'm telling you, I wasn't even close to being touched the whole game," Orton said. "I felt as comfortable today as I have in a long time."

Broncos return to Denver to rout rival Kansas City Chiefs 49-29 from The Denver Post

If you don't want to get trapped in traffic at the stadium, stay until the game ends.

By midway of the fourth quarter Sunday, the majority of the multitude already had dearly departed.

Just as at the previous home game when the unruly crowd dispersed early.

Remember when Broncos-Raiders and Broncos-Chiefs used to be taut, terrific and tantalizing until the last drop and the last dropped pass?

This year the excitement has been over before you could say Hank Stram and John Madden.

Paige: News flash — McD rallies his troops from The Denver Post

Tuesday

THIRD AND LONG FOUNDATION: Chiefs safety Reshard Langford will speak at the Derrick Thomas/Neil Smith Third and Long Foundation luncheon; noon; Prime Rib Grill, 100 E 20th St.; www.thirdandlong.org.

WEEK AHEAD: CBE Induction ceremony is on Sunday from KC Star

Coach Todd Haley might have done everything in his power to avoid letting Cassel throw in past weeks, but in this game, when his team was inescapably behind early, he let Cassel throw 53 times, or nearly twice the 26.8 pass attempts he averaged in his first eight games. Cassel made them count, totaling 469 yards and four scores, including 13 completions for 186 yards and two touchdowns to Bowe, and most importantly he wasn't picked off while completing 62.3 percent of his passes.

Instant Replay: Steady Josh Freeman from ESPN

The Dolphins ran a few Wildcat plays with running back Ronnie Brown taking snaps before third-string quarterback Tyler Thigpen came in and looked good, completing four of six passes for 64 yards and a touchdown. Thigpen was pressed into service for the 2008 Kansas City Chiefs when startersDamon Huard and Brodie Croyle were hurt, and he completed 230 passes in 420 attempts for 2,608 yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. With the Dolphins going to a short week, and playing theChicago Bears this upcoming Thursday, Thigpen would be the obvious starter.

Dolphins now scrambling for quarterbacks from Yahoo! Sports