Highlights

TODD HALEY: “We put the San Diego game behind us. It was obviously disappointing and the turnovers were the most disappointing part of that game. We’re moving on the Denver Broncos and Denver’s a team that is used to being at the top of the division, been up there most of this year. In my opinion, this is another great opportunity for us to show some growth and the ability to bounce back after the loss last week.

“Denver is another multi-dimensional team in all areas. Offensively, they’ve got one of the best receivers in the league in Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal is a very explosive fast guy who can hurt you in a lot of different ways. (Brandon) Stokley is one of the best slot receivers in the league, in my opinion. They’ve got to two running backs with a lot of 10-plus yard carries. The rookie (Knowshon) Moreno has 20 plus 10-yard runs, I believe, and (Correll) Buckhalter has at least 10 more. The quarterback has played at a high level for most of the year.

“Defensively, it’s a well-coached group led by Mike Nolan who creates a lot of different looks and a lot of different pressures and you have to be on your game. They have a lot of speed; they have the leading sack player and still one of the best safeties in the league in Brian Dawkins who brings great energy and passion to every game he plays in. I’ve got some experience having to go against him.

“Special teams, between their returners they can put some points on the board so we have to be on our best.

“To me, the opportunity here is for us is show a little growth after a tough loss and show we’re capable of bouncing back.”

Q: What do you do when your center has problems snapping the ball to the quarterback in the shotgun? Do you let it go or do you trust the player?

HALEY: “You don’t let anything go, but I think it’s a good thing that it hasn’t been a problem. We studied the tape and tried to figure out if there was a common denominator. We gave Rudy and the other centers some snaps in similar situations to make sure that we’ve got it all figured out because we’re going to be in gun some. We believe Rudy is a good snapper and will continue to be.”

Q: What was the common denominator?

HALEY: “I wouldn’t want to give that away.”

Q: But you do have somebody standing by just in case?

HALEY: “I don’t want to make too much of it. There was a real poor one in the game and another pretty poor one and we’ve worked on it and we’ll work on it through the week and make sure there isn’t any bigger issue which I don’t think there will be. ”

Q: When you evaluate Matt Cassel at this point in the season, is he where you’d thought he would be?

HALEY: “I think Matt has continued to make progress, I really do, and in last game there were a couple of glaring errors but overall we moved the football I thought fairly well. Three-quarters through that game we were good enough on third down to win. We did a lot of good things and we were behind a lot of those good things. The errors were glaringly obvious and, similar to the Rudy deal, if you let two or three plays drag down the entire performance or your entire evaluation you’re probably being a little too critical.

“I think Matt has continued to progress as he and his teammates have gotten comfortable. But this is a process of getting better together as a team and he’s no different than anybody else. But the encouraging thing to me is that it hasn’t been a yo-yo performance. He’s gradually continued to improve throughout the year. As long as that continues we should be in good shape.”

Q: What about non-stats? What about as a team leader, somebody the team rallies around? Do you think quarterbacks always have to be team leaders?

HALEY: “I think the quarterback has to be one of the leaders of the team just because of the role he plays. It’s so critical. But I don’t think there’s any doubt as you’ve seen throughout the year in critical situations, he has shown his ability to rally the team and take us down the field, whether it’s 91-yards against the Steelers to get the score tied, or 91-yards against the Cowboys to get the score tied, or an overtime drive to win a couple of weeks ago. He’s shown that ability and that’s a good sign as we move forward.”

Q: Was there any worry from you that it was so clear coming from you at the beginning of the season that everyone’s job was up in the air as far as a starter that there might be some resentment in the locker room that Matt Cassel had the contract and seemingly was an exception.”

HALEY: “I think I made it clear that it wasn’t an exception.”

Q: Do you think the players believed that?

HALEY: “You’ll have to ask them that. They’re best equipped to answer that. But I think I made it pretty clear.”

Q: For the longest time, the Broncos and Chiefs have been familiar to each other. But now the teams have changed so much is there any real value in looking at any of these past games?

HALEY: “Where there are similar personnel there is probably value in looking at it. But it’s two different teams. They’re a team that is used to being at the top of the division, last year no different, as they were in a pretty good position for most of the year. For most of this year they’ve been in a very good position.

“I do believe they are two different teams now. Other than personnel and some one-on-one matchups you can’t gain something out of it.”

Q: It’s always been a fun rivalry. Does this seem like it should continue to be a fun rivalry?

HALEY: “The fact that again it is a division rival. I’ve paid attention over the years. I understand that it’s been a very good rivalry and the fact that we’re in the same division and are going to play each other twice a year, that in itself will give it a bunch of interest here.”

Q: Is there something you can always expect from a Mike Nolan defense to do no matter what team he is coaching?

HALEY: “Yeah, I think you’re going to get some pressure and you’re going to get a well-coached defense anytime you go against Mike. Being out in Arizona and having to see them a couple times a year for the last couple of years and even when Mike and myself were on the same staff back in New York, [I can say I know him.] We had a training camp of pure chaos to deal with.

“No, Mike does a great job and he’s obviously doing a great job this year and the guys are playing hard it looks like. He’s going to create a bunch of different looks a bunch of different pressures to deal with. Like I said, we’ll have to be at our best against this defense that’s been ranked up there for most of the year for a reason.”

Q: It appeared you had everybody on the field for practice today. Is that unusual for this time of the year? For December 2?

HALEY: “Everybody was back. There are some years that are worse than others but I’m happy. It was like guys are looking for ways in and that’s what I’m concerned about and encouraged about. We had a full padded practice today, there was plenty of hitting and I think those are good things for us.”

Q: Is it especially encouraging because it might be easier to get that with a team with an 8-3 record, but you’re 3-8? Losing teams have guys looking for ways out?

HALEY: “Yeah, I agree with you. That’s why I’m encouraged. I think this team has continued to show some intestinal fortitude, so to speak. The record doesn’t show it but we’ve got a bunch of guys that want to be part of this and want to be part of becoming something special as we move forward. I think a day like that is an indicator. I think an indicator is the game last week where the guys continued to fight to the end and were passionate about it. They’re on each other and pushing each other.

“As hard as it is to say it with where we’re at, I think we’re making progress and this week again is another great opportunity for us to show some of that progress against a very good team in our division.”

Q: What did you get out of this practice today in the cold and wind outside that you couldn’t have gotten inside?

HALEY: “I think just trying to create the mentality that I want this team to have: which is a mentally tough group that not much can bother, not much from the outside and not much when they’re lining up on Sunday can bother, that can overcome bad, difficult times. I think you can only get that by doing some of these things and guys learning how to fight through and not being given an easy way out. Over time, that will pay dividends for the guys on this team.”

Q: What’s the story with the head coach being out there in shorts?

HALEY: “I’ve just got a long streak going with wearing shorts that I have to keep alive. It made it through three years in Chicago which started on a bet when we were outside in zero degrees. When I was a receivers coach with the Bears I didn’t want my receivers wearing sleeves in games. They said, ‘well, that’s easy for you say.’ So I said I’d wear shorts every day and I won’t wear a jacket on Sunday. I won the bet but they went sleeveless in games. We had a pretty tough-minded group of receivers.”

Q: These teams, Denver and Kansas City, are different record-wise but they had a similar number of changes. How impressed are you with what that coaching staff has achieved in its first year?

HALEY: “I’m impressed by a new staff that comes in and wins games. That being said, we’re two different teams. That’s a team that got off to a really good start last year and struggled a little down the stretch but an 8-8 team any way you cut it. So, I think it’s two different sets of encyclopedia’s that we’re talking about. But I’m not taking anything away from that staff and Josh coming in and getting the team off to a fast start. Any time you win six in a row in this league that’s something you take our hat to. They’ve done a good job but again, we’re talking about two different circumstances”

Q: Looking ahead you’ve got three home games in a row now. Isn’t that kind of an opportunity to get some things done that you couldn’t get done if you were on a home-road, home-road sequence?

HALEY: “I’m most happy about the fact that we’ve got a home game. Coming off our last home game which was our first home win against a very good win, I’d like to see us build on the home-field advantage aspect of it. I really would and, as I said a couple of weeks ago, I take my hat off to our fans even though we’ve been struggling. They came out against a team that travels pretty well and did a tremendous job for us and gave us an advantage in the game against the Steelers. I’d like to build on that and obviously the team has to do its part.

“The main focus for me is this is a division opponent and we’re in the fourth game of the third quarter of the season and I sure as heck would like to win this quarter.”

Q: How important is it that you’ve improved your won-loss record every quarter of the season?

HALEY: “Well, I’m pleased with the overall improvement. Again, it hasn’t shown in record but if we can find a way to win this game we’d be 3-1 in the quarter and that’s what our goal will be year-in and year-out. You’re usually doing pretty good. That is our focus as a team and my focus as a coach.”