The Morning Fix

With a bye keeping the team idle over the weekend, Kansas City received three additional days of preparation for Sunday’s showdown. In addition to putting in a full day of work on Monday, Coach Todd Haley held two outdoor practices last week before breaking for a league-mandated four-day rest period.

“Through a lot of discussions with the coaches we decided that this is the way that we thought would best serve us and our team – really spend a strong mental day on the Oakland Raiders,” Haley said. “Then, we’ll get more physical as we get into the week and get back into our regular routine.”

It was enough momentum for many to assume the Chiefs would just as soon keep playing, rather than sit around watching the Oakland Raiders, the team they’ll play next Sunday.

“I do know from a number of guys that the bye came at the right time, as far as feeling a little better physically,” Haley said before a light walkthrough Monday. “I wouldn’t have pushed the bye to some other time if we were given the option.”

By comparison, the Kansas City Chiefs ’ Arrowhead Stadium sells 16-ounce beers for $7, or almost 44 cents an ounce. That’s down 4 cents an ounce from last year but still above the National Football League average of 42 cents an ounce.

The defenses for these two teams apparently visited a haunted house before the game and were scared away from Arrowhead Stadium because neither unit showed up for this spook-tacular contest. The Chiefs and the Colts combined for 1,095 yards of offense—590 for Kansas City and 505 for Indianapolis—as the home team eventually prevailed, 45-35. Peyton Manning(notes) threw for 472 yards and 5 touchdowns in the losing effort. Trent Green passed for 389 and three touchdowns, while Priest Holmes ran for 143 yards, scored three times on the ground, and caught three passes for 82 yards for the Chiefs.

Todd Haley vs. Josh McDaniels: Haley, coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, has an explosive temper and it detonated after a 49-29 loss at Denver last season. Feeling that McDaniels, then coach of the Broncos, had run up the score, Haley refused to shake hands with him after the game. Instead, he pointed his finger at him, turned and stormed away. TV cameras picked up Haley telling McDaniels, “There’s a lot of … being talked about you.” The next day, Haley apologized for refusing to shake hands.