5 Things We Learned from Kansas City's 31-3 Loss to Miami

What happened out there today for Kansas City was inexcusable. The excuses that the Chiefs had a short week and were without defensive backs Jon McGraw and Kendrick Lewis are not why the Chiefs lost.

Todd Haley might be back on the hot seat after a 31-3 loss to the formerly winless Miami Dolphins. The Chiefs did not have their first practice of the week until Thursday, which was just a light walk through.

The Chiefs were not prepared for this game and allowed the Dolphins to take full control and become victorious for the first time this season.

Regardless of what happens to San Diego against Green Bay, the Chiefs will no longer be in first place due to them being 1-1 in common games with the Chargers. The Chargers defeated the Vikings and Dolphins, while the Chiefs only beat the Vikings this season.

The Chiefs had 10 takeaways and four sacks in the last two games coming into Week 9. Today, the Chiefs had zero in both categories.

The Chiefs shined in front of the world on Monday Night Football at Arrowhead Stadium last week. This week, they have the nation’s attention for allowing the Dolphins to get their first win of the season.

What did we learn about the Chiefs from this game? Let me know what you think.

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The Chiefs Are Not a Consistent Team

Other than the fact that the Kansas City Chiefs are 4-4 this season, we’ve seen two different Chiefs football teams.

The Chiefs started 0-3 and were blown out by a combined score of 89-10 in their first two games. Following their first three games, the Chiefs took advantage of winless teams in the Vikings and Colts, lack of experience at quarterback this year from Kyle Boller and Carson Palmer and have had some luck on Monday night, allowing them to win four straight games.

Now the Chiefs are playing like their old selves again after today’s blowout loss to a team that had no wins prior to today.

Which Chiefs team is the real Chiefs team? Some might say the Chiefs are more of a bad team than a good team. However, they are in a position to win the AFC West due to the lack of strength in the division.

It doesn’t look pretty right now, but the inconsistent Chiefs are still in a spot to win the AFC West.

Jackie Battle Is Not the Real Deal

Everyone is excited about Jackie Battle’s recent performance, as he became the most picked up player in fantasy football leagues. But owners who started him will be disappointed to find out how he did today.

Battle ran the ball 14 times and gained only 40 yards against the Dolphins. Battle earned 119 yards against the Colts, who may finish last against the run this season. The Dolphins are ranked 13th against the run and found an answer for Jackie Battle.

How will Battle do down the road with that tough five-game stretch coming up? It is very likely we may see Battle’s true colors during those five games.

Matt Cassel Continues to Show He Is Not a $63 Million Quarterback

Remember when Cassel earned a six-year contract worth $63 million? Cassel is eight games away from reaching the halfway point of that contract. As of now, it appears the New England Patriots are winning the trade, as they received a second-round draft pick when trading away Cassel and Mike Vrabel together to the Chiefs.

Cassel has only thrown one touchdown pass in the last three games. There are many quarterbacks out there who are worthy of earning the contract that Cassel currently has.

The Chiefs have some talented received in Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston and Jonathan Baldwin and a tight end in Tony Moeaki who hopes to return next year after missing all of this season with a torn ACL. But those players are not worth anything if their quarterback cannot successfully get the ball to them and help lead their team to victory.

The Chiefs may need to seek a quarterback in this year's draft.

Todd Haley Is No Longer a Candidate for Coach of the Year

Many Chiefs fans wanted Haley out of Kansas City after the atrocious 0-3 start. But when the Chiefs turned things around and became leaders of the AFC West with a 4-3 record, the negative comments were no longer spewed.

There was even small talk lately that Haley would become the  Coach of the Year if the Chiefs continued to play well.

Now, the negativity is back. Haley did a bad job of managing the short week and preparing his team for the Dolphins.

Forget about his hat, beard and sweatshirt. Haley has other things to worry about right now. If his wins came against two winless teams at the time, an inexperienced core of quarterbacks and a team that could not handle a snap in the end, then the Chiefs need to reconsider a new head coach.

The Chiefs Are Still a Team in Progress

In today’s press conference, Haley reminded the media and fans at home that this team is “a work in progress.” The fact is, he is right.

Haley has been with the team for two and a half years. Apparently, he has not been able to rebuild this team.

Herm Edwards was fired because he had a plan and it backfired. Haley has no plan and it shows, as he currently has a record of 18-23 as the Chiefs head coach since 2009.

During Sunday’s broadcast, the CBS cameras were successful in spotting Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, who is rarely shown on camera during games. Let’s hope Hunt paid very close attention. The same goes to Scott Pioli.

If your front office went through a facelift after the 2008 season and they are still “a work in progress,” then you need to find a new head coach. Losing to a winless team at home 31-3 is a major setback.

The Chiefs took advantage of a golden opportunity by defeating the Chargers to take first place in the division, silencing the doubters in the end.

Now, it is hard to believe that the Chiefs ever beat the Chargers for first place in the division.

Overview

I’m hearing a lot of ridiculous excuses. Chiefs fans feel that the short week caused them to lose on Sunday. Some say Miami was a hungry team and was ready to win after two close games in the past two weeks.

Drop the excuses and be realistic. The Chiefs got destroyed by a horrible football team.

Matt Moore, Anthony Fasano, Brandon Marshall, Reggie Bush and many other struggling Dolphins shined today. It is always embarrassing to be the team that allows a winless team to pick up their first win.

The Chiefs played the role of being the embarrassing team.