He’s absolutely right. Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said after the 41-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills that his Chiefs team was bad from start to finish. From the fumble on the opening kickoff by Dexter McCluster to allowing late a touchdown to C.J. Spiller, the Chiefs were handled in every aspect of the game by a four-win (2010) Buffalo Bills team that was supposed to be an easy victory on an otherwise tough schedule for KC. Now they’re staring at 0-1 and heading to an upstart Detroit Lions team that looks the part of playoff sleeper.
The numbers tell the same story that Haley said in that first sequence. The Chiefs allowed three turnovers and the Bills used those opportunities to move ahead early in the game. They went 3 for 13 on third down conversions, which will always lose the game with a percentage that low. The Chiefs also suffered from the horribly short passing game that plagued them in late season losses, as Matt Cassel averaged 2.9 yards/pass.
Meanwhile, the Bills were made to look like a legitimate contender. Perhaps the season will tell us that the Bills were much better than anyone figured heading into the season, but let’s be honest that Ryan Fitzpatrick probably played his best game he’s going to have this year with 4 touchdowns. The Bills ran and passed the ball at will, doing whatever they wanted along the way. The Chiefs defense was on the field for way too long, but part of that was their own fault as well. It was just a poorly played game through and through.
Blame will be shifted toward players and coaches alike by fans. Some will blame the playcalling that avoided establishing a running game. Others will wonder why Steve Breaston wasn’t utilized properly. At this point, every person from top to bottom is to blame and the Chiefs absolutely need a win this week at Detroit to right the ship early on in the season.