Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Week 12, Chiefs Edition

What. Was. That. ...Seriously. It's about 16 hours from game-end and I still have no idea what can sum it up beside that. But this isn't for summation. I thought for a second I was having a nightmare of being stuck in a 2005 game. Let's get to it, then I'll need to take a hot shower after getting into the filth that was yesterday's game.

• If there wasn't much of a herald this game wasn't going to go our way... The Marion Barber touchdown catch turned penalty. Fourth and one at the four. So you force them to burn a timeout. Then YOU burn a timeout. And somehow after that you let yourself get buzzed on illegal formation?
• I don't like blaming Mike Martz without having a good reason. Explain this one to me though. Third quarter, 4:38 to play, drive starting at the CHI 42. You call four run plays and one 17-yard pass play to get to the KC 7, then another run play for no gain on first down. The next two play calls are deep seven-step drops that allow Hanie to get sacked for 10 yards, then 6 yards, on consecutive plays. Look, I love me some deep passing football, but you're at the bleeping seven yard line - a "deep route" ends up at the back of the end zone overthrown by five yards as if it were to an open Earl Bennett.
• So now that we've had two games of the Caleb Hanie experience... Whatever I might have been impressed with in the fourth quarter against Oakland, well, it's fading. I did see one or two nice throws and rollouts, but the full arsenal just isn't there. The aspect I dislike most, though, is his lack of release. He just doesn't get rid of it quickly enough when (if?) he figures out what he wants to do with it. If he's going to remain the starter, he really needs to improve his decision-making and sharpen his release in a hurry.

• The interceptions... Well, obviously, the third came on the game-ending Hail Mary (How come we can't get ours to work?! But I digress). The first came on the deep throw to Johnny Knox - or should I say, the deep throw to Brandon Carr. It was a similar throw that Hanie got away with against Oakland, only instead of Knox running under it to catch it, Knox overran it and got knocked off his route. Hanie couldn't do anything about the second, it was about as well-delivered as Hanie could do (not saying much) and WIlliams just bobbled the thing right into the Chiefs' lap.
• Quite possibly the worst offensive line performance of the season, compounded by Hanie's extra time spent mulling over his passing and running options over a cup of tea. Louis and Webb were abused pretty much all day. Normally I make a big deal out of 3-4 schemes with blitzing linebackers - I didn't this time. I wish I had.
• So how about that tackling eh? Man these Bears sure can tackle.
• Craig Steltz saw a huge amount of action at safety today in place of Major Wright, who left injured. Thought that was Brandon Meriweather's job. Steltz led the team with ten tackles.
• The Chiefs did a really nice job on Hester. Colquitt punted eleven times (!). Hester only returned three of them. One went 44 yards, the other two went a combined -5.
• The defensive line held up pretty nicely today, some pretty good penetration - although unlike Hanie, Tyler Palko can get rid of it pretty quickly when he finds a guy. Just wish we'd've gotten to Palko more than twice.
• Speaking of getting to Palko, watching Kyle Orton get injured on his very first play as a Chief had to suck. Nicely designed safety blitz that Major Wright almost put a proper exclamation point on.
• Very nice game by the defense all around, except for one play that looked almost like a carbon copy of Jacksonville's Hail Mary last year - batted down into the receiver's stomach. Let it also be said it took that play to get Palko his first passing touchdown, and that kind of game to get Palko to get picked off zero times.
• Speaking of almost-interceptions, I know defensive backs are "receivers that can't catch," but, um, Peanut? Jennings? Next time, can you guys hold on to those?
• I can't be too hard on the defense though, they did just about everything they could against an offense that didn't want to score except for a brief stretch of movement from the end of the first half a bit through the third quarter. These are the games where the offense has to offer even the slightest bit of life, and that didn't happen at all this week.
• Dexter McCluster is a grown-ass ballplayer. Even if they aren't even sure he's a receiver or a running back.
• Can't let this get away... Special teams weren't their usual great selves. Gould missed a field goal, Bowman got hit with a catch interference penalty, and Podlesh has a rough start but redeemed himself a bit. Almost saw the ball kick off a Bear a drive or two after the recovered punt. The coverage units were okay, though.
• Another random playcalling and execution complaint. First drive, fourth and two at the KC 35. Going for it isn't my problem here. Instead... a five step drop and throw to a receiver behind the line of scrimmage with a guy right there? No Barber run, no rollout to the tight end just past the first down marker?
• Third down inefficiency. KC 7-20 (35%), CHI 0-11. Fourth down, KC 1-1, CHI 0-2. I shouldn't have to do that math for you.
• Plays run and TOP: KC 70 plays, 32:42 TOP / CHI 55 plays, 27:18 TOP
• Another disgusting number: Red Zone. The Bears were 0-3, their worst game of the year in that department.
• Penalties, the Bears even won that battle, 5-35, to KC's 8 for 60.

That's all I've got. What's on your mind from yesterday?