Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 9/10

Good morning It could have been worse, right? Right? Here is your Kansas City Chiefs news with this morning's reaction to and recaps of yesterday's loss the the Atlanta Falcons. Enjoy.

The problems were so widespread against the Falcons that it seems unreasonable the Chiefs can fix them all in time for next Sunday's game against the Bills in Buffalo. Atlanta scored on its first eight possessions against a defense that put up little resistance.

The Chiefs were able to keep up for most of the first half but eventually caved in to the pressure of continuously having to play from behind. Quarterback Matt Cassel threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in the second half as the Falcons pulled away.

Crennel, Chiefs Have Much To Fix After 40-24 Loss from KC Star

Tony Gonzalez dunked at Arrowhead Stadium one final time. And then got booed.

Chiefs fans went over the top in welcoming Gonzalez back to town with a boisterous standing ovation before Sunday's 40-24 loss to the Falcons. The decibel meter rivaled noise created following a Chiefs touchdown.

Gonzalez waved, blew kisses to the stands and went about his business on the Falcons sideline. After that, the mushy love-fest was over.

Gonzalez Dunks At Arrowhead One Final Time from The Mothership

KCChiefs.com Video: Postgame Wrap-Up

KCChiefs.com Video: From The Podium: Romeo Crennel (9/9)

KCChiefs.com Video: From The Podium: Matt Cassel (9/9)

KCChiefs.com Video: Inside The Locker Room: Atlanta

KCChiefs.com Video: Hy-Vee Chiefs Insider: Week 1

KC Star Photo Gallery: Falcons 40, Chiefs 24

KC Star Photo Gallery: Tony Gonzalez Returns To Arrowhead

NFL.com Video: Falcons vs. Chiefs Highlights

One game is not enough to go into full panic mode, but the Chiefs are apparently intent on putting that theory to the test. In the last four seasons, three teams have given up 40 or more points in a season opener at home - and two are the Chiefs.

Wrap yourself in a blanket of denial if you want, believing that Tamba Hali and Brandon Flowers will be back soon to fix all the Chiefs' problems, but the coaching staff is one night into watching what amounts to a horror film of a game tape from a 40-24 loss to the Falcons on Sunday that is surely telling them otherwise.

Chiefs' Problems Deeper Than Missing Star Players from KC Star

Will having LB Tamba Hali and CB Brandon Flowers back eliminate some of the problems?

"Only time will tell. We have to wait to get those guys back and wait to see what their contribution will be and how that will impact us. The fact that they weren't there today, really no one cares because all they want to know is, 'Did you win or did you lose?' We lost today, so we have to try to do what we can to win the next one."

Romeo Crennel Postgame Comments from The Mothership

How much did you feel, when that field goal missed, that you might be in a bad situation?:

"At that point, I really wasn't thinking that it was a bad situation for us, offensively, like you saw in the first half we were doing a great job moving the ball up and down the field and we started the second half strong. Then as we started to move forward, we had the two turnovers the next two series and that's really what hurt us."

Matt Cassel Postgame Comments from The Mothership

CB Stanford Routt

You guys were out there the entire time. The defense gave up a score just about every time, except that last one. What's that going to do for you guys come Monday morning?:

"It's not going to do anything. It's the game of football. We lost. It wasn't pretty. It was ugly. We've got to bounce back against Buffalo next week - plain and simple."

Chiefs Player Postgame Quotes from The Mothership

Sunday was the best and worst of Cassel, and it represented his potential and his limitations - two things that aren't finished driving Chiefs fans crazy. The other thing we saw Sunday is a defense in real trouble and a team that, if the season-opening loss was any indication, will need to rely on Cassel more than it thought - and more than most anyone should feel comfortable with.

The Yin And Yang Of Cassel Won't Cut It from KC Star

First Chiefs Catch, First Chiefs Touchdown: TE Kevin Boss' first reception as a member of the Chiefs went for a 22-yard touchdown from QB Matt Cassel with 11:39 left to play in the first half. It was his 22^nd-career touchdown reception.

Chiefs-Falcons Postgame Notes from The Mothership

Romeo is 0-5 in season openers as a head coach, counting his four years at Cleveland, so he's had experience in trying to bounce back from these disappointments. But he was playing with a shorthanded team on Sunday, especially on defense. He can be given a pass for this one. But the Chiefs will be facing Ryan Fitzpatrick next week, not Matt Ryan, so there won't be any excuses if they get pushed around in Buffalo.

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

Jon Baldwin was the Chiefs' best wide receiver in offseason practice and training camp. But he wasn't a factor once the preseason games started and wasn't a factor in Sunday's game.

Baldwin played little and didn't have a catch against the Falcons.

Chiefs Notebook: Flowers Sits; Baldwin Shut Out from KC Star

"I heard the boos," Gonzalez said, "but I want all the fans to know, it wasn't a disrespectful thing, it was just something ... that's me, this is where I made my bones coming up in this league, and definitely I wanted to be true to myself and go up there and dunk it."

Ryan thought it wouldn't have been right had Gonzalez not dunked the ball, considering he spent spent 1997-2008 in Kansas City and became the NFL's all-time leader for receptions, yards and touchdowns for a tight end while with the Chiefs.

Falcons' Gonzalez Enjoys Another TD Dunk At Arrowhead from KC Star

"Every kick in this league is important,'' said Succop, who earlier in the game made a 39-yard field goal. "That's the way I approach it. I don't think it matters what point in the game it is. When you miss a field goal, it's just not good for your team.

"I felt it was a really good hit. I just didn't put it far enough to the left.''

Chiefs Unravel After Succop's Missed Field Goal from KC Star

Matt Ryan took the Falcons' refurbished offense for a test drive Sunday afternoon. It handled like a dream.

With surgical precision, the Atlanta quarterback directed a 40-24 dismantling of the Kansas City Chiefs in the season opener at Arrowhead Stadium. The result was the Falcons most emphatic opening victory since they won by 27 points over New Orleans to start the 1981 season. The franchise's biggest season-opening win was a 62-7 rout of the Saints in 1973.

Falcons 40, Chiefs 24: Ryan Dismantles Chiefs Depleted Defense from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

If you can't beat 'em, beat on 'em.

That seemed to be the strategy of the Kansas City Chiefs during the team's 40-24 blowout loss to the Atlanta Falcons. After a fourth-quarter kickoff following another Atlanta score, Kansas City's Shaun Draughn got into a scuffle with Christopher Owens.

Video: Kansas City Resorts To Fighting Atlanta In Blowout Loss from USA Today

Someone turned the light switch to the "OFF" position for the Kansas City Chiefs the moment kicker Ryan Succop's 3rd quarter field goal attempt hit the upright, and from that point on, the Atlanta Falcons did whatever they wanted at Arrowhead, rolling to a 40-24 win.

Chiefs Implode In Every Way In Second Half, Lose To Atlanta 40-24 from Examiner.com

Sadly we saw glimpses of the holes in the Chiefs secondary in the preseason but their lack of depth right now is strangling their efforts to live up to the expectations that this defense would be better in 2012.

Still I'm not going to make injuries or Hali's suspension as an excuse for this loss. The Falcons knew the Chiefs were limping in the secondary heading into this game and Crennel did very little to put Ryan in any position to doubt that he could not have an All Pro day against Kansas City.

Secondary Failures from Warpaint Illustrated

Atlanta QB Matt Ryan liked what he looked at when he faced Kansas City's defense on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.

No Tamba Hali pass rush. No Brandon Flowers coverage. No chance for the Chiefs.

Ryan threw for 299 yards, three touchdowns and also ran for a TD against Kansas City's injury-riddled defense in Atlanta's 40-24 win.

Post-Game Analysis: Falcons 40, Chiefs 25 from CBS Sports

NT Dontari Poe - He has to stay in the starting lineup. Though his stats were a bit light he took on the Falcons double-team on every snap he played for the Chiefs on Sunday. In fact, he might have been the teams most consistent defensive player outside of Linebacker, Derrick Johnson.

I know he's getting a crash course on defense but he doesn't seem to be too overwhelmed at the moment. Granted the Falcons offensive line, despite the fact of their success on offense, really isn't that strong.

Four Items Need Fixing from Warpaint Illustrated