Turnover to a Different Channel

Jeff Roberson/AP Photo

Kansas City's playoff dreams and season came crashing down around them today in front of their home crowd in a 30-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

I was part of that home crowd.

The atmosphere was great, the stadium was rocking, the fans were in to it. People were high-fiving, cheering, chanting, jeering Ravens fans, the stealth fly over; they were ready for the team's first home playoff game in seven years.

And then the game came.

The Ravens took the opening possession down the field, eventually getting it down to the goal line. But the Chiefs defense held and forced the Ravens to a field goal. Later in the first quarter, following a Tamba Hali sack/fumble recovery, Jamaal Charles broke a 41 yard touchdown run.

The stadium was alive.

Unfortunatley, it was downhill from there.



The Ravens went on to score a touchdown before half time to make it 10-7 and never looked back. They scored 27 unanswered points ruled the second half.

The entire game, the Chiefs never had it in the redzone. Not only that, but the farthest down the field we took a snap was the Baltimore 33 yard line. And on that snap, we failed to convert a 4th and inches. After that, the Chiefs never recovered (I don't blame Haley for going for it, but I don't understand the playcall).

But, you could say the end was in sight before that fourth down call. We had the ball at around midfield several times and each of those times, except for the long touchdown run, we shot ourselves in the foot. Whether it was a false start or a turnover, the Chiefs just couldn't sustain drives. And that is the reason the Chiefs lost the game.



The defense was on the field for 41 minutes and 44 seconds. They bent but they did not break until the second half. If the offense had kept their drives going and scored some points, they could have taken the pressure off their defense.

But instead, the Chiefs went on to turn the ball over five times, have a turnover on downs one time, and was a "tuck-rule" away from another turnover on thier own side of the field (by the way, we did that twice). For a team that finished the season with one of the fewest turnovers number in NFL history at 14, we sure didn't look like it.

Matt Cassel struggled. That's probably the simplest way to put it. After throwing two interceptions last week against the Raiders, he followed it up this week with three interceptions (one when the game was clearly over and the stadium was experiencing a mass exodus). His final numbers were 9/18 for 70 yards, a 20.4 qb rating.



Bowe didn't have a single catch and only one target. Once again, we were held without a 100-yard rusher. Charles fumbled on an important drive. Dexter McCluster fumbled on our side of the field on a play that was just trying to get us in better punt position. The offensive line gave up three sacks. We converted one third down. We ran 40 plays, Baltimore ran 78.

It was an ugly, ugly day.

(While I'm at it, I'm going to call out the refs. What an awful job. It was like we were playing on the road with the officiating we were receiving).

But as much as I have to criticize our own offense, I have to compliment the Ravens defense. They shut us down all day and made us look like last year's team. It was embarrassing how bad they made us look in the second half.

And the Ravens offense, though settling for a high number of field goals, were playing at a high level. Joe Flacco went 25/34 for 265 yards and two touchdowns. 108 of those yards went to tight end Todd Heap who was constantly exploiting the middle of the field and our safeties.



This was a disappointing end to an unexpected season. We are a young team and though we have played an easy schedule this season, we can only get better, right? (If Cassel fell apart in his last two games after learning Charlie Weis was leaving, what's he going to do next season with Weis not even in Missouri?).

I'll write other uplifting and positive stuff later. I just don't have the heart for it right now because I'm still pretty crushed from the record setting playoff loss (don't blame Haley for the record. Three other KC coaches have tried and failed in the playoffs since our last win). So if you want to feel better about yourself, wait till tomorrow at least.