Chiefs Undefeated In The Second Half Of 2009

Todd Haley often talks about breaking the season down into quarters so that you don't get too far up or too far down on your team. The first quarter of the Chiefs season ended up a disappointing 0-4. The second quarter ended 1-4 and now 2 games into the third quarter, the Chiefs are 2-0, already better than than the first two quarters of the season. Bottom line: The Chiefs are getting better.

In a game that nobody thought that the Chiefs had a chance at, they played smart and tough for 4+ quarters. Jamal Charles opened the game with a 97 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The Steelers would go on to score 17 unanswered points and go to halftime with the lead 17-7.

I don't know what coach Haley told the Chiefs players in the locker room, but whatever it was, it worked. After Andy Studebaker's first interception of the game, Matt Cassel threw a touchdown pass to Leonard Pope on the very next play. Down 14-17, the Chiefs never looked back.

Andy Studebaker remained focused as he picked off the next pass that came his way and returned it 94 yards to set up a Ryan Succop field goal and tie the score 17-17.

The Steelers would eventually score to set up one of the Chiefs finest drives of the season. With 7:37 left in the 4th quarter and 91 yards away from a tie, Cassel threw a 30 yard strike to Lance Long and followed it up with a 47 yard bomb to Chris Chambers. After a 2 yard shovel pass to Jamal Charles, the Chiefs had the game tied again.

Overtime

The Steelers win the toss and end up punting to the Chiefs. Starting at the twenty, Jamal Charles takes the first run of OT for ten yards on an end around. 2 plays later would mark the beginning of a franchise turnaround when Matt Cassel hit Chris Chambers for a 61 yard gain that set up the game winning field goal by Ryan Succop from the 4 yard line.

Here's Your Complete Box Score

Kansas City Chiefs

Passing	CP/AT	YDS	TD	INT
M. Cassel	15/30	248	2	0
Rushing	ATT	YDS	TD	LG
J. Charles	17	58	0	10
B. Wade	1	8	0	8
Ko. Smith	1	3	0	3
M. Cassel	1	-1	0	-1
Receiving	REC	YDS	TD	LG
C. Chambers	4	119	0	61
L. Long	2	37	0	30
L. Pope	2	26	1	21
M. Bradley	1	22	0	22
M. Cox	1	19	0	19
B. Wade	3	17	0	9
J. Charles	2	8	1	6

Defense	T-A	SCK	INT	FF
D. Williams	9-1	0.0	0	0
B. Carr	8-0	0.0	0	0
J. McGraw	7-1	0.0	0	0
J. Belcher	6-0	0.0	0	0
M. Brown	5-4	1.0	0	0
B. Flowers	5-1	0.0	0	1
T. Hali	5-2	0.0	0	0
G. Dorsey	4-1	0.0	0	0
A. Studebaker	4-1	0.5	2	0
D. Johnson	3-4	0.5	0	0

Pittsburgh Steelers

Passing	CP/AT	YDS	TD	INT
B. Roethlisberger	32/42	398	3	2
C. Batch	1/2	17	0	0
Rushing	ATT	YDS	TD	LG
R. Mendenhall	21	80	0	13
W. Parker	6	24	0	9
M. Wallace	1	5	0	5
B. Roethlisberger	1	4	0	4
M. Moore	2	1	0	4
Receiving	REC	YDS	TD	LG
H. Ward	10	128	1	33
H. Miller	7	95	1	41
S. Holmes	7	86	0	20
M. Wallace	2	47	0	33
R. Mendenhall	4	36	1	13
W. Parker	1	11	0	11
M. Spaeth	1	7	0	7
D. Johnson	1	5	0	5

Defense	T-A	SCK	INT	FF
T. Carter	7-1	0.0	0	0
J. Farrior	5-0	0.0	0	0
R. Clark	3-2	0.0	0	0
W. Gay	3-0	0.0	0	0
J. Harrison	3-1	1.0	0	0
I. Taylor	3-0	0.0	0	0
L. Timmons	3-1	1.0	0	1
N. Eason	2-0	0.0	0	0
C. Hampton	2-1	1.0	0	0
B. Keisel	2-0	0.0	0	0
L. Woodley	2-0	2.0	0	0