DISAPPOINTING OPENER HAS A FEW BRIGHT SPOTS

 
            Mother Nature and the Houston Texans rained on Todd Haley’s parade Saturday night at Arrowhead Stadium, yet the first-year Kansas City Chiefs head coach found a rainblow through the gloom of a 16-10 preseason setback.
            “It was an exciting night for me,” said Haley, who was working his first NFL game as a head coach. “It wasn’t what I was looking for, but I thought it was appropo that we started with this kind of weather – considering what we are looking for.
            “We made far too many mistakes, and you can’t win many games when you’re successful on 23 percent of your third-down plays (3 of 13). A lot of responsibility comes with being a head coach – I found that out tonight.”
            While the offense sputtered most of the night, there were a couple of bright spots.
            Colorful wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, who has a tendency to drop passes at inopportune moments, may have played his way out of Haley’s doghouse with a 5-reception, 70-yard performance.
            “Bowe is starting to show up,” Haley said, matter of factly, after listing the former No. 1 draft pick third on the depth chart. “In this game, he definitely showed up. And that’s a definitive positive for this team. The last two practices and in this game he started to show something.”
            So did often-injured former third-round draft pick Brodie Croyle, who missed most of last season with shoulder and knee injuries.
            “I wasn’t here last year, so all I can talk about is Brodie this year,” the first-year coach said, “and he’s a tough kid and I liked what I saw tonight.”
            Croyle was the second quarterback used in the game and he was 12 of 18 for 145 yards.
            “The injuries are behind me,” Croyle said. “It felt good to get out there and play, I just wish we could have done more to put some points on the scoreboard.”
            The lone Chiefs touchdown came on 1-yard Tyler Thigpen pass to Brad Cottam with 5:15 left in the game.
            “I try to make things happen,” said Thigpen, the third quarterback used in the game. “I thought (starter) Matt Cassel played well and Brodie came in and did a nice job. We just need to find out where we are offensively – and that’s what preseason games are for.”
            This year’s No. 1, defensive end Tyson Jackson, was in on one sack, but he was quick to say, “I’m about 40 percent right now of where I want to be by the end of preseason.
            “I have a lot to learn. The NFL is so much quicker than college ball and I have to get stronger and faster and get to know everything there is to know about my position. I’m going to be working hard the next three weeks to be at 100 percent when the (regular) season begins.”
            I’m not about to jump on Haley or the Chiefs offense, despite the fact that Cassel and the first-team offense didn’t do much in just over a quarter and a half of action.
            “Mistakes hurt the (No. 1) offense,” Haley said. “Matt had the fumble with the exchange between the center and the quarterback. We can’t have that. We get back training camp (in River Falls, Wis.) Monday and get back to work.”
            And there is plenty for every member of this team and coaching staff to work on before next Friday’s game in Minneapolis against the Vikings.