Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 12/23

Chiefs Fall To The Colts At Arrowhead, 23-7 from The Mothership

The Kansas City Chiefs were hoping they saved their best performance for the club's final home game of the regular season and it seemed only fitting that Sunday's contest, against the Indianapolis Colts, took place on Fan Appreciation Day, recognizing the best fanbase in the league. However, it wasn't mean to be as the Chiefs fell to the Colts, 23-7.

Andy Reid: "We'll Learn From It And Get Better" from The Mothership

You may play them in two weeks. How do you avoid discouragement after this game?

"Well, I would expect our players to be upset over this and that's what I sensed in that locker room. A lot of time and effort went into preparing, same thing with the coaches and if you're not, then there's something wrong with you. You learn from it; that's the most important thing and then, like you do in the National Football League, you learn from it, you have a short memory, and then you move on and go get busy for your next opponent, whoever that might be. We've done that, up to this point, and we'll continue to do that."

Alex Smith's Press Conference Transcript from The Mothership

Did you feel like you were beyond a game like this?

"Yeah, I mean, especially the way we opened it up, the opening drive, marching down the way we did; it felt like things were going to be kind of the way they have been. We really couldn't get any rhythm after that. We couldn't execute very well in any area. And then, the turnovers really hurt you."

Monday Morning Takeaways: Colts vs Chiefs from The Mothership

Jamaal finished the game with five receptions for 38 yards (7.6 avg.). His 38 receiving yards give him 693 yards on 70 receptions for the season, moving him into first place in franchise history for more receiving yards by a running back in a single season. He passed RB Priest Holmes' mark of 690 yards set in 2003. His 70 receptions tie for the second-most in a single-season by a running back in franchise history.

KCChiefs.com Video: Week 16: Colts vs. Chiefs Highlights

KCChiefs.com Video: Post Game With Mitch And Reid

Chiefs Laid Egg Against Colts And Raised A Very Big Question: Can They Hang With The Big Boys? from FS Kansas City

"If we're going to go all the way -- which we plan to -- we can't ever play like this," linebacker Derrick Johnson said after his Kansas City bunch dropped a stink bomb in its regular-season home finale, a 23-7 loss to Indianapolis. "I mean, this ... (there's) no excuse for it.

"We've got to get it locked down. When you take a step back, a team kicks your butt like they did today."

The Chiefs (11-4) fumbled the ball away twice, something they hadn't done all season. They committed four turnovers, another unfortunate first, while failing to snatch a single takeaway of their own. They converted just one of eight third-down tries. They threw for 132 yards. They committed seven penalties that cost them 65 yards.

Sunday was "Turn Back The Clock Day" at Arrowhead Stadium. Only it was turned back to 2012, a place no Chiefs fan in their sane mind wants to visit ever again.

Chiefs Seek Answers From Week 16 Setback from Chiefs Spin

The Colts soundly defeated the Chiefs and there's no other way to say it.

However, the good news is Sunday's contest wasn't the one-and-done format of the playoffs and the Chiefs and Colts could very well square off against in the first round.

Week 16's 23-7 loss affords the Chiefs an opportunity to gain valuable information on their overall performance.

Flanny's Five: Chiefs' Loss, Broncos' Win Could Mean Week Of Rest For Chiefs from FS Kansas City

With the Chiefs' upset loss to the Colts, and the Broncos' win Sunday, the Chiefs are now locked into the No. 5 seed for the playoffs, which makes next Sunday's game at San Diego meaningless for the locals.

It will be interesting to see how Andy Reid plays it: Will he rest most of his starters? Will he treat it like the third preseason game, traditionally the one preseason game when the starters play about a half and that's it?

"I haven't even thought that far," Reid said. "I wasn't anticipating this (loss)."

Andrew Luck Makes Chiefs Pay As Colts Dominate from USA Today

If late December games can predict a team's playoff future, the Kansas City Chiefs might be in big trouble. And their players know it.

The Chiefs stumbled badly in a 23-7 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.

"We got our butts kicked," running back Jamaal Charles said.

Colts Hammer Sloppy Chiefs In Potential Playoff Preview from CBS Sports

Alex Smith threw for 153 yards, but he fumbled once and was picked off twice. Knile Davis also fumbled the ball away, and the Chiefs were hit with several key penalties that scuttled any chance of mounting a second-half comeback in the frigid weather at Arrowhead Stadium.

"We'll see them again," Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson said. "They've got the upper hand on us right now because in their minds they think they can beat us. If we go down there, it will be a different story. But we've got to fight our way back."

Colts Show Chiefs How Playoff Teams Do It from ESPN

Their first-round game in two weeks likely will be played against the team that just came into their home and pushed them around, and their situation was summed up appropriately by nickelback Dunta Robinson.

"They came in and kicked our [butt]," said Robinson, only one of the Chiefs players who was blunt with the truth. "We deserved everything we got. No excuses. We've got to look in the mirror, and we've got to decide what kind of team we want to be moving forward.

"Yeah, OK, you dominate Oakland. Yeah, you dominate the Redskins. But what are we going to do when we face other powerhouses? We're a much better team than we showed today, and we've got to play like it."

Poe's Untimely Trash Talk Proves Costly For Chiefs from KC Star via The Wichita Eagle

The Chiefs, trailing 20-7, had just forced an incompletion on third down, and Indianapolis was going to have to punt from its 32.

But Poe, who was battling Colts guard Mike McGlynn, was called for taunting. Fifteen yards. Automatic first down.

And the Colts would keep the ball for nearly 5 more minutes, culminating with a 30-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri with 2:47 left in the third quarter.

The Chiefs were never really part of the game again.

Worst Call Of The Season? Penalty On Derrick Johnson In Chiefs-Colts Game May Be It from Sports Illustrated

There's no other way to slice it - this has been a bad year for NFL officials. Every week, VP of Officiating Dean Blandino has to go on the NFL Network and explain how another ref's crew (usually the one run by Jeff Triplette) botched another call. That said, there has to be a winner for Worst Call of the Season even when there are more entrants than usual, and we might have found the winner in Sunday's game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts.

Overmatched Chiefs Give Ammunition To Their Critics In Loss To Colts from KC Star via The Miami Herald

This is the holiday season, the time for cheer, so let's begin this column with three compliments for the Chiefs:

- The stinking pile of garbage they left in a 23-7 loss to the Colts at Arrowhead Stadium was only metaphorical, not literal. The cleanup staff appreciates that, at least.

- By making it clear early that they had no interest in playing football on Sunday, they let procrastinating Kansas Citians catch up on Christmas shopping.

- And afterward, they seemed to understand what a shameful performance they put on tape.

Bob Kravit's Dopey Report Card: Surprising Results In Kansas City from The Indianapolis Star

Jamaal Charles got his yards; you knew that was going to happen. But he didn't kill the Colts, except on that early 31-yard touchdown run. By and large the Colts kept Charles, the Chiefs' one and only game-changer, under strict control. He's most dangerous in passing situations, and had only five receptions for 38 yards. The Colts safeties, specifically Antoine Bethea, had a marvelous game, thumping Charles by spinning up and creating an eight-man box. And while we're at it, just give linebacker Jerrell Freeman the Defensive Player of the Week award now. He had two interceptions, a forced fumble, three passes defensed and generally made a nuisance of himself.

Chiefs Fail Again At Home from Warpaint Illustrated

In losing their third straight game at Arrowhead on Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs continue to show their flaws on both sides of the ball. In losing to the Indianapolis Colts, KC's first round opponent in the NFL's post-season tournament beginning next month, this football team sadly took two steps backwards heading into the playoffs.

This game boiled down to the fact Head Coach, Andy Reid, threw out the game plan that worked so well the last two weeks in back-to-back blowout wins. His reluctance to use running back, Jamaal Charles, when his team needed to move the chains and give his defense rest, was the key element that led to their three game losing streak in November.

Colts-Chiefs: What We Learned from Lindy's Sports

Defensively, the Chiefs continue to have problems giving up big passing plays. Despite an overwhelming victory last week against Oakland, they gave up nine pass plays of 20 yards or more. Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck hit passes for 33, 31 and 21 yards. That 33-yard throw went for a touchdown to running back Donald Brown.

Rapid Reaction : Kansas City Chiefs from ESPN

The Chiefs had been negative in turnover differential in just two previous games this season. One was a one-point win over Houston at home in October, and the other was a three-point loss to the Chargers at home last month. The Chiefs had entered the game leading the league in turnover differential at plus-21.

Victory Over K.C. Is A Conversation Changer from The Indianapolis Star

First it was an Anthony Castonzo. Then it was a Castonzo-Gosder Cherilus duet. Then the whole locker room chimed in.

"Rise up this mornin'/Smiled with the risin' sun/Three little birds/By my doorstep/Singin' sweet songs/Of melodies pure and true/Saying, this is my message to you-oo-oo..."

Yes, every little thing, gonna be all right.

Because this, boys and girls, was a conversation changer. A week ago, two weeks ago, the conversation centered around how quickly the wounded and inconsistent Colts would be dispatched from the postseason. The conversation now is suffused with something resembling hope, the talk centering now on how far the suddenly resurgent Colts might go in the playoffs.