The Morning Fix: Red Friday Edition

Haley’s Chiefs have the Chargers again this week. Last time, there was some question as to whether or not he’d make it out of September, given the horrific opening to 2011 and the simmering tumult between he and GM Scott Pioli. Back then, Haley didn’t see the sense in caring about all that. That should explain why when I asked him, late Wednesday night, if he felt the organization had his back when things looked worse, he took the question and went another way with it.

“I’ve said it plenty of times — when you’re losing, there’s going to be tension anywhere you go,” Haley responded. “Tell me about a place where there’s not that, and I’ll bet that’s a place where you have no chance of winning. That stuff’s not something I’d ever focus on. Wherever I’ve been, I’ve tried to stay above the fray and focused on my job.

Haley next season will be in the final year of the contract he signed upon joining the Chiefs. Hunt declined to say whether the Chiefs would offer him an extension.

“I don’t think it serves a purpose for me to publicly discuss anybody’s contract situation,” Hunt said. “I do think Todd has done a very good job since he’s been the head coach of the Chiefs. We were obviously delighted to make the playoffs last year, and he has the team playing well again. Those types of things tend to take care of themselves at the right time.”

Hunt said Haley has done “an outstanding job of changing the culture at Arrowhead.”

This play illustrates the ultimate punishment for a quarterback who misreads coverage and stares down one route. On the prior play the Raiders had lost a first down conversion due to the rookie enthusiasm of Terrelle Pryor, snapping the ball before being set under center for a full second. Now in 3rd-and-6, the Raiders turn to Kyle Boller to get the conversion and he commits a familiar cardinal sin, locking on to his primary receiver prior to the throw. Free safety Kendrick Lewis reads Boller’s eyes, leading him to the throw and undercutting Jacoby Ford’s route to make the interception. Lewis is just able to stay in bounds and score the Chiefs first pick-six of the game.