Haley and Offensive Miscues Spell Doom for Chiefs in 19-9 Loss to Colts

Despite a solid performance by the Kansas City Chiefs defense on Sunday, it was a questionable coaching decision early and an inept offense late that cost the Chiefs in their first loss of the season, moving them to 3-1 still atop the AFC West.

At the very onset of the game, Chiefs head coach Todd Haley showed everyone that the Chiefs’ chances of remaining undefeated were going to ride on his riverboat gambler’s coaching style. Chiefs’ kicker Ryan Succop attempted to catch the Colts sleeping when he dribbled an onside kick attempt harmlessly short of the 10 yards needed to allow the Chiefs to recover the kick. That miscue led to a 20 yard Adam Vinatieri field goal, giving the Colts a quick 3-0 lead.

On the very next possession, the Chiefs would march down the field on 15 plays and had an opportunity to pull even or go ahead. Instead of kicking a field goal to tie the game 3-3, Haley opted to go for it on fourth down and 2 from the Indianapolis eight yard line.

On the fourth down play, Haley put the ball in the hands of quarterback Matt Cassel, and his attempt to squeeze a tight pass in to receiver Dwayne Bowe wasn’t even close to being completed, as it was deflected away before Bowe even had a chance to get his hands on it.

That decision would come back to haunt Haley and the Chiefs.

The Chiefs would trail at the end of the first half 6-3, and after exchanging field goals with the Colts early in the third quarter, the offense spoiled another fantastic opportunity to grab the lead.

Fresh off a Jon McGraw interception of the Colts’ Peyton Manning, giving the Chiefs the ball at the Indianapolis 30-yd line, Cassel hit Bowe right in the hands in the left corner of the end zone. Bowe, who many thought had resolved his issue the past couple season with drops, let an easy touchdown go right through his hands.

After yet another drop by Bowe on the very next play and an incompletion to Dexter McCluster, the Chiefs would settle for another field goal, tying the game 9-9. The series, and the miscues by Bowe, would mark the beginning of the end for the Chiefs offense.

The Chiefs offense would string together three straight series of three-and-outs, and the Colts took advantage by wearing the Chiefs defense down throughout the fourth quarter and grabbing a 10-point lead on a fourth Vinatieri field goal and a Mike Hart touchdown run.

By the time Cassel and the offense could get moving again, they had just 3:58 left in the game and were down 19-9. Although the Chiefs would be able to move the ball down the field, the fact that they needed two scores resulted in a failed late field goal attempt rather than trying to score a touchdown to tie the game.

In the end, Haley’s early decision to go on fourth down instead of kicking the field goal, paired with poor play by Cassel and Bowe in the second half, cost the Chiefs a chance to beat the Colts on Sunday.