Kansas City Chiefs: 6 Ways the Franchise Can Sneak into the Playoffs

After three games, everybody labeled the 2011 Kansas City Chiefs as the worst team in the league, the 2010 Chiefs as a fluke and coach Todd Haley as someone hanging on to his job by a thread.

Their best defensive player, Eric Berry, was out for the season, their best offensive player, Jamaal Charles, was out for the season and Matt Cassel’s security blanket, Tony Moeaki, was out for the season.

The woeful Kansas City Chiefs were done for. Right?

Not so fast. The Chiefs have pulled themselves out of the depths of the deepest cellar in the NFL.

They have shown they still have the ability to fight for their coach and play tough, physical football. This team is not rolling over just yet.

Even though they've only beaten two winless teams, Kansas City can still pull off an epic turnaround for the ages.

If this team wants back-to-back playoff berths, here is what needs to happen.

Jon Baldwin Needs to Get in on the Action

When Kansas City drafted wide receiver Jon Baldwin out of Pittsburgh in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft, they expected him to be able to take pressure off of Dwayne Bowe.

But due to an altercation with teammate Thomas Jones, Baldwin has been spent the season sidelined with a thumb injury. The doctors have cleared him to play in Kansas City's game in Oakland, but Todd Haley has been mum about whether or not he is going to play him, and it will be a game-time decision. 

Like Bowe, Baldwin is a big, tough, physical receiver. He has shown during his tenure in Pittsburgh the ability to make plays—and he can make spectacular catches.

However, it is hard to make plays for your team when you're nursing a sore thumb on the sideline.

Not only that, but Baldwin's also been labeled by many as a bit of a diva.

If Baldwin can become the player the Chiefs envisioned him to be when they drafted him and shake off the negative persona given to him, the chances of the Chiefs making the postseason increase dramatically. 

Dexter McCluster Needs to Step Up

When Kansas City hosted the San Diego Chargers in the 2010 home opener, everything clicked.

It was majestic. It was Monday Night Football, the rain was coming down and the fans were rocking Arrowhead Stadium. Then Dexter McCluster blew the door off of its hinges as he made Chiefs history with a 94-yard punt return for a touchdown.

At that point, McCluster locked himself in as a fan favorite.

So, where has he been since? With the exception of a few nice runs and catches, McCluster has not done a whole lot. While it's obvious that he is just as fast as Jamaal Charles, he has yet to make any big plays this season.

Even though he is averaging 5.4 yards a carry this year, the magic and explosiveness he demonstrated on that fateful Monday night has yet to reveal itself again.

McCluster must find a way to become that dynamic player everyone wants him to be. 

Jackie Battle Needs to Become Consistent

While it's great that Jackie Battle was able to rush for 119 yards on 19 carries in the Chiefs’ win against Indianapolis, the running back had not really done anything prior to that.

Since coming into the league in 2007, Battle has struggled to be effective. He rushed 14 times in 2007, seven times in 2009 and 20 times in 2010, gaining 47, 21 and 50 yards respectively.

One above-average game in a sea of subpar rushing attempts is not exactly anything to get excited about.

Battle needs to show that the game against the Colts was no fluke.

He can demonstrate he’s got the talent to carry this team through the next half of the season if he can figure out a way to gash an Oakland defense that’s stingier against the run than Indianapolis is.

Tamba Hali Can't Be the Only One Pressuring the Quarterback

LB Tamba Hali has four sacks so far this season, and is on pace to register about 12 sacks by the end of the year. He is playing with the same fire and motor that got him a big contract extension in the offseason.

Hali is a force to be reckoned with every Sunday, and causes offensive coordinators and opposing coaches to lose sleep thinking of how to contain this guy. 

It would be great if some other players stepped up and applied some pressure to the quarterback, though.

Wallace Gilberry is the only other player on the Chiefs' defense to register a sack, and he only has one. Someone has to take initiative and make the quarterback uncomfortable, especially considering star Eric Berry will miss the season.

Former first-rounders Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey have improved, but have yet to live up to the hype given to them before their careers started. Hali can only do so much, and he needs someone else to be able to get to the quarterback for the Chiefs' defense to be effective.

Todd Haley Needs to Keep His Team Motivated

Bottom line, Todd Haley is a good coach.

His team has gone through perhaps the most adversity in the NFL so far this season. Three of their most important players have to sit out the season, yet Kansas City has shown life and fire in their past two games.

Haley could have sat back and let the locker room fall to pieces with his team continuing to fail—and watch as his job slipped away.

However, after three losses, Haley would not quit. He never stopped having confidence in his team.

Even after losing star Jamaal Charles, Haley said in a Chiefs' Q & A in September: "I like our guys. I like our backs, and I believe we're going to be a good running team."

Todd Haley has breathed life into a team that, at one point in the season, looked like it was done for. He's a winner, and his team has shown it will fight for its coach. 

Matt Cassel Needs to Continue This Momentum

To be blunt, Matt Cassel was horrible the first three games. He went 58 for 82, threw for 428 yards and had three touchdowns against five picks. Cassel simply looked like he did not know what he was doing.

Then things seemed to take a turn for the worse in the game against the Vikings. Cameras caught Cassel and coach Todd Haley in a shouting match after Cassel had given up on a screen play. 

However, something must have been said that stoked the quarterback's fire, because he has played fantastically since then.

In the Chiefs' two wins, Cassel has gone 39 for 58 with 517 yards passing. More importantly, he has thrown for five touchdowns and zero interceptions.

In order for Kansas City to catch up to Oakland and San Diego in the AFC West, it is imperative that Cassel continue to play smart football.