Kansas City Chiefs Notes, Quotes

Dealing with dropped passes is a subject very close to the heart of Chiefs head coach Todd Haley.

Over the last dozen seasons, Haley has made his bones in the NFL coaching wide receivers. With the Jets, Bears and Cowboys he was the receivers coach, and with the Cardinals he worked closely with the pass catchers as offensive coordinator.

Not much rankles Haley more than dropping a pass.

"I hate them," Haley snarled.

So it's safe to say that he's not happy with the fact the Chiefs lead the NFL in drops after 12 games. They've had 37, including seven in their loss last Sunday to Denver.

Tied for the league lead with eight drops is wide receiver Bobby Wade, and he's only played in nine of the season's 12 games. Wide receivers Mark Bradley and Dwayne Bowe are in the top 10 with seven drops each.

"I count drops; I always have," said Haley. "I've been a pretty critical judge in that area. I do feel like if a receiver is able to get his hands on it, he should be able to come up with. That's what they get paid for.

"We've had way too many; 37 drops is way too many."

The drops this year are ever more significant because the talent-deficient Chiefs play with a razor-thin margin of error each week. Any lost opportunity gets magnified by a team that doesn't have the players to produce many big play chances or offensive points.

"Those are first and 10 plays that might be another first and 10, but instead they are second and 10s," said Haley. "They come on third downs, so instead of keeping the ball, we are punting it. We've got to do a better job catching the ball."

--The Bills and Chiefs have met three times in the playoffs, with Buffalo taking two of the three games. Kansas City won the 1966 AFL Championship Game 31-7, punching their ticket to the first Super Bowl. The Bills won 37-14 in the 1991 AFC playoffs and grabbed a 30-13 victory in the 1993 AFC Championship Game.

--The Bills and Chiefs dominated the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2009. The late Derrick Thomas represented the Chiefs, earning induction for his outstanding 11-year career at linebacker. He was joined in the class by Buffalo defensive end Bruce Smith and Bills owner Ralph Wilson.

--The late Lamar Hunt and Wilson were members of the self-named Foolish Club, that group of owners of the eight original American Football League teams. During the 10-season history of the AFL, the Chiefs and Bills claimed half of the league's titles. Hunt's team won in 1962, '66 and '69, with Wilson's club claiming back-to-back titles in 1964-65.

--When the Bills came to Kansas City during the 2008 season and walked away with a 54-31 victory at Arrowhead Stadium, they made a place for themselves in the Chiefs' record books. Those 54 points were the most allowed in the history of the Texans-Chiefs franchise. It's just one of three games where an opponent scored 50 or more points against the Chiefs. Another one of those contests came in 1976 when the Bills put up 50 points in 33-point victory.

--There was a time when the Chiefs were nearly unbeatable during the month of December at Arrowhead Stadium. Since 1995, they are 21-7 at home in the year's final month. But they have lost their last five straight at home. They've not won at home in December since New Year's Eve 2006 when they beat Jacksonville 35-30. From 2000-2005 they were 14-0 at home in December. From 2006-2009, they are 1-6 with games coming up against the Bills and Browns.

--Both the Bills and Chiefs have offenses that hold the ball less than most of the other offenses in the league. The Bills are No. 32 in time of possession 26:32, while the Chiefs are No. 28 at 27:49.

BY THE NUMBERS: 37 -- The number of dropped passes the Chiefs have had through a dozen games this season, which leads the league. If they chopped that number in half, it would mean five more points on QB Matt Cassel's completion percentage.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We're not making the most of our opportunities; we're not making the most of the 12 games that we've played so far. At times, it looks like something, at other times it doesn't. I have been on the other side, when things are good and it's great. Being on this side isn't so good." -- Chiefs OLB Mike Vrabel.