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KANSAS CITY, Mo. —Having made two changes this season to his offensive staff, Chiefs coach Todd Haley has shown uncharacteristic restraint when it comes to his defensive assistants.
He wouldn't be dragged Monday into a discussion about coordinator Clancy Pendergast or the other defensive assistants. The Chiefs allowed a club-record 351 rushing yards in Sunday's 41-34 loss to Cleveland.
The Chiefs have allowed at least 200 yards rushing in each of their past three games.
"Everybody in this building is working their tails off, players included,'' Haley said. "This is a win-loss evaluation ultimately. Yesterday was a loss so there's nobody that gets a pass when it's a loss.''
The Chiefs dropped to 31st in the league in rushing yardage allowed at about 163 per game, ahead of only Buffalo. The gap between the teams, once considerable, has narrowed to 3 yards per game.
The situation could get worse for the Chiefs in the final two games. This Sunday's opponent, Cincinnati, is sixth in the league in rushing yardage. The Broncos gained 245 rushing yards against the Chiefs in a 44-13 victory at Arrowhead Stadium on Dec. 6.
The numbers make it appear the Chiefs are sliding backward, though Haley disputed that notion. Asked whether the problem rests with the players or the coaches, Haley said, "I think that question is a little too black and white. It's a group effort. It's our coaches getting the players to do it the right way and then the players doing it the right way and doing it at a high enough level in a game situation to be effective.
"We have to be better and that means everybody.''
Haley assembled a veteran defensive staff that includes Pendergast, a coordinator the last five seasons for the Cardinals, as well as defensive-line coach Tim Krumrie and linebackers coach Gary Gibbs. Krumrie was a holdover from the staff of Herm Edwards.
Pendergast also coaches the defensive backs.
The new staff hasn't had improved the Chiefs' defensive fortunes. The Chiefs are also 30th in both total yards allowed and passing yards allowed.
Despite some horrendous defenses in recent seasons, the Chiefs have never finished 30th or below in total, passing and rushing defense.
While he spared his coaching staff, Haley fingered the defensive line as the biggest culprit in the Cleveland game. Rookie ends Tyson Jackson and Alex Magee and veteran tackle Ron Edwards were the regulars.
"We lost the line of scrimmage, but anybody on the field is responsible for that, and it has to change," Haley said. "We've got some guys that are pretty passionate about changing that from listening to them during and after the game. We've got to bounce back and be better, which I expect them to be.''
"We did not win the line of scrimmage on defense. When you don't win the line of scrimmage, you're going to have problems.''
Jackson was the third pick in the draft and Magee the second player selected by the Chiefs. The Chiefs acknowledged on draft day the learning curve for both players would be steep.
But while Magee at least has been a factor at times in the pass rush, Jackson's impact has been almost nonexistent.
Haley again avoided an evaluation of the two rookies.
"That's a very difficult position to come in and have a major impact. I would say they're working hard and doing the things we're asking them to do but yesterday was not good enough. I'll stay away from an evaluation coming off the last couple of weeks because we've got to be better.
"That entire group was not good enough. I expect those guys to bounce back and show a little fight to get back to where a couple weeks ago we felt like we were making progress."
