Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 12/25

Merry Christmas!! I'm guessing I am not the only one who feels like Santa left a steaming pile of poo in my stocking? Here is today's Kansas City Chiefs news.

Denver was trounced in Buffalo and San Diego was torched in Detroit. As it turns out, all the Chiefs had to do was win on their home turf. A victory would have set the stage for an AFC West Championship Game in Denver next Sunday with everything on the line - possibly even a Sunday night flex-game with the Tim Tebow vs.Kyle Orton subplot.

Instead, the Chiefs postseason possibilities were ended by Oakland in a game that looked all too familiar.

The Morning After: Oakland from The Mothership

"It was kind of frustrating," Orton said. "We made too many mistakes to beat a good football team in December. The red-zone turnover I had, that's the one I wish I had back."The other interception, Routt made a great play. He's a good player, and sometimes that happens in the NFL. They make great plays, and I give him credit for that."

Chiefs See Good, Bad Sides Of Orton vs. Raiders from KC Star

NFL.com Video: Gameday: Raiders vs Chiefs Highlights

NFL.com Video: Chiefs Post Game Press Conference

"We had opportunities, guys," Tamba Hali says. "And we didn't take advantage. That makes it ever harder."

Hali is talking about an excruciating loss to the Raiders, who won despite having more penalties (15) than first downs (13), no success running the ball (2.8 yards per try) and being outgained by more than 120 yards.

But he could have been talking about the entire season in general.

Chiefs Have To Look Beyond Excuses from KC Star

The Broncos and Chargers both lost, opening a clear path for the Chiefs to win the AFC West championship.

And they blew it. Despite multiple chances to pull away from the Raiders, the Chiefs couldn't find a way to make it happen. Their 16-13 overtime loss ended any playoff hopes.

Instead of playing next week in Denver with the division title on the line, the 6-9 Chiefs will play for nothing more than pride.

Overtime Loss To Raiders Spoils Chiefs' Holiday from KC Star

On the good and not so good of Kyle Orton: "I think you saw the same thing in the team. You saw some good in the team and then you saw some not so good in the team. I know we all want them to be perfect and help us win, but we weren't perfect today...all phases: offense, defense, special teams.

Romeo Crennel Postgame Comments from The Mothership

What were you able to do on the last drive that you couldn't earlier in the game? "We would take one step forward and a couple of steps back. It seems like the whole game, we'd pick up a first down and then get a holding call, bad ball, drop or procedure penalty. It just wasn't as crisp as last week. It is disappointing to play like that in a big game. I thought all of the guys fought hard. I haven't been here that long but these guys fight. It is an honor to play with them.

Kyle Orton Postgame Remarks from The Mothership

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On the game: "We had a tough game out there. We played an awful game. We had too many mistakes on our part and they capitalized off them. You do stuff like that in the NFL, that'll get you beat."

Chiefs Players Postgame Comments from The Mothership

For 49 of the 51 defensive snaps they played on Saturday, the Chiefs stood their ground. They yielded just 194 yards on those plays to the usually high-scoring Raiders.

But those two other plays made the difference in Oakland's 16-13 overtime victory, a result that killed the Chiefs' chances to defend their AFC West championship and return to the playoffs.

Two Big Plays Ruin Chiefs' Defensive Effort Against Raiders from KC Star

There should have been a disclaimer before the Chiefs kicked off in a Christmas Eve tussle with the rival Raiders: Fans, please keep hands and feet inside at all times until the game comes to a complete stop.

The highs and lows came early and often in the Chiefs' 16-13 overtime loss to the Oakland Raiders on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium. Down the stretch, everything seemed to happen in increments of eight minutes.

Chiefs' Day Of Ups And Downs Ends On A Downer from KC Star

Only the Raiders.

Only the Raiders can have 10 penalties in the first half, 15 in the game, and still win. Only the Raiders can have their defense give up two late drives but force overtime with Richard Seymour's second blocked field goal of the game.

Raiders Edge Chiefs 16-13 In OT, Keep Hopes Alive from The San Francisco Chronicle

Once the Raiders won the overtime coin flip, there was little doubt what play Jackson and offensive coordinator Al Saunders would choose to open the sudden-death period.

"I believe in our players, and I knew that play would be there," Jackson said. "There were several plays that were there that we didn't hit."

Palmer, acquired from Cincinnati in a blockbuster deal just before the trade deadline, justified the acquisition when he delivered a bomb into the waiting hands of Heyward-Bey, who had a few steps on Chiefs safety Kendrick Lewis.

Big Pass Play Was One Al Davis Would Have Loved from KC Star

Steve Breaston heard at the start of overtime that Denver was going to lose to Buffalo. All the Kansas City Chiefs needed to do was find a way past Oakland to potentially set up an all-or-nothing game against the Broncos next week.

The wide receiver never even got back on the field.

Miscues Cost Chiefs Chance To Keep Playoff Hopes Alive In 16-13 Overtime Loss To Oakland from The Associated Press via The Washington Post

The two misses, which factored heavily in the loss, tainted the record for Succop.

"I don't really care about any kind of personal record or anything like that," said Succop, a third-year kicker from South Carolina. "I just care about winning football games, so I'd give them all back if I had made it today."

Chiefs Buzz: The Good (And Not-So-Good) Ryan Succop from KC Star

What it means: The Raiders are still alive. The Chiefs are not. When Sebastian Janikowski's 36-yard field goal went through the uprights, the Raiders became 8-7 and tied with Denver for first place in the AFC West. Denver owns the tiebreaker and can win the division title with a home win against the Chiefs next Sunday. Oakland will win the division with a home win against San Diego and a Kansas City win at Denver.

Wrap-Up: Raiders 16, Chiefs 13 (OT) from ESPN

Did this result affect Romeo Crennel's candidacy for the head-coaching job?

It didn't help. Certainly, the Chiefs were competitive and didn't get blown out. And Crennel didn't false-start, ground the football, drop passes, throw interceptions or commit holding penalties. But well-coached teams don't make the kind of mistakes the Chiefs made Saturday, and chairman Clark Hunt and general manager Scott Pioli will take that into account.

Chiefs Blitz: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly From The Raiders Game from KC Star

It remains the longest game in NFL history. Twelve players who competed that day made it to the NFL's Hall of Fame. Sport historians consider it a competitive classic; old-time fans remember it as one of the best football games ever played.

Stenerud, one of only three place kickers in the Hall of Fame, doesn't see it that way. Even all these years later, his performance on that day, in that historic contest, still brings him misery.

Christmas Day Classic Between Don Shula's Dolphins And Chiefs Remembered 40 Years Later from The Washington Post