Highlights

TODD HALEY: “Afternoon everybody. As you all know by now we made a decision to release Larry Johnson from his contract. Over the last couple of weeks Scott [Pioli] and I have expended a lot of time and energy along with Clark Hunt talking about this and figuring out the direction to go. We decided it was in the best interests of the Kansas City Chiefs organization to move forward. I realize you all will have some questions.

“As far as the game goes, a disappointing result. We went into that game knowing offensively we did not want to have minus plays which included sacks. We needed to start faster which we did initially. We followed that with three three-and-outs which put a lot of stress on our defense. We really didn’t quite recover offensively until about two minutes left which at that point we showed some life. We did a nice job of battling back and getting in the game and really had a shot to win.

“We had a chance to score with two minutes left which would have given us a chance to kick off and hold them and use our time outs, but we did not. We ended up scoring with a minute left and did not get the onside kick.

“Defensively, the same issues which we’ve been battling which are big plays. We continue to give up big plays generally on third down. They are plays we aren’t able to overcome. From that standpoint, it’s disappointing. But there were definite positives as you saw us battle back and get into the game. The fact that we had one penalty on the road is a good sign. We finished in the plus again in turnovers for the fourth time and if you look at the entire league and teams that have ended up in the plus category it’s 82 wins to 20-something losses and we’re against the norm. That’s very frustrating to us as a staff and as a team. Four times we’ve ended up in plus and haven’t come out on top.

“We had the players in and they ran and lifted. We informed them of the Larry [Johnson] situation and now we are moving forward on Oakland.”

Q: Of all the things that have happened regarding Larry from essentially calling you out, to calling out the fans, to the slurs, which do you personally think was more troubling?

HALEY: “I don’t think I could fairly answer that. I don’t think it was any one thing. It was the totality of the situation and even before I was around here. Again, at this time, we felt it was what was best for the Kansas City Chiefs as we move forward and continue to turn this team in the direction it needs to go.”

Q: Do you think that if Kolby Smith and others had not averaged better than Larry has been averaging the decision may have been different?

HALEY: “That’s hypothetical and I won’t answer hypothetical questions.”

Q: If a player causes some issues here and is released by the Chiefs do you worry that other players might feel if they cause problems they could get released? Do you discuss that with others and with the team?

HALEY: “We have to handle every situation differently and this is what we felt was best for us right now. Anytime you make a decision like this there is a lot of energy expended and a lot of thought put into it. I think that the people involved [including] Scott [Pioli], myself, Clark [Hunt] were comfortable with where we were.”

Q: The decision to release him early on Monday morning looks like this was something that was decided before you went into yesterday’s game. Was that the case?

HALEY: “No, we again continued phone calls after we arrived back home last night. Clark actually flew home with us last night and we were on the plane together. This morning we had more conversation early around 6 [AM] or 6:15 and this was something we wanted to make sure we were right on, so we put a lot of time and energy into it.”

Q: Was any of it related to the way he was playing?

HALEY: “Again, it wouldn’t be fair to try to make comment on that in any way other than to say the totality of the situation was factored in. It was everything across the board and, again, what we felt was best for the Kansas City Chiefs.”

Q: Today you said you factored in what happened to him before you got here. In retrospect was it a mistake considering his history of being disruptive before you got here?

HALEY: “Again, every decision we’ve made here since Scott got here and I got here has been what we thought was best for the football team. Some of those decisions might appear real good at times, a lot of them might appear real bad at times, but each and every one was made in the best interests of the Chiefs at the time it was made, as this one was right now.”

Q: So an argument was made that Larry might have stayed?

HALEY: “I won’t get into those conversations because they are private. I appreciate the question but the bottom line here is this is what we felt as a group was best for the Chiefs right now.”

Q: When Larry Johnson was suspended did you feel he would ever play for the Chiefs again?

HALEY: “A lot of energy and thought was put in over these last couple of weeks. I don’t think there’s an answer to that question because there has been so much conversation and talk.”

Q: You talked about wearing all these different hats and responsibilities. How much has this taken away from your focus?

HALEY: “I think the job itself is a big job and a hard job. As I’ve said before here when you have one win to show for your efforts that makes it tougher because you know going in it’s a big job and you want to have positive results. Myself as a coach and the way I’ve been taught and the way I think is there’s a way to win these games and we haven’t done it.

“So, as far as I’m concerned, then I’m not doing my job well enough and my staff isn’t doing its job well enough. Whatever the situation, good and great coaches find ways to get their players to win. So, tired or not tired, that’s all I really care about. I went into yesterday believing we could win that game. After watching the tape I believe we could have won that game if we had done things a certain way. It didn’t work out that way.

“I’m going to be tired and worn out but that’s the way it always is. You’d just like to have some wins to show for that exhaustion because there isn’t a year that I’ve been coaching that I haven’t been exhausted. That’s why when the season ends whenever it ends I generally get sick as a dog for about a week and a half. We’re not allowed to get sick in-season. That’s just the way it goes.

“You’d just like to have some wins and I’d like these players to have some wins to show for the effort we’re putting in. Right now it’s not there and we need to get it there, need to figure out ways to win regardless of the circumstances.”

Q: Do you think Larry can still be an effective running back?

HALEY: “I don’t think I’ll answer that because he’s no longer on this team and I generally stay away from commenting on players who aren’t on our team.”

Q: What can you tell us about your running back situation right now without him?

HALEY: “Glad to comment on our running back situation. Jamaal [Charles], Dantrell [Savage] and Kolby [Smith] – I like the [rushing] average especially from Jamaal and Kolby. When they have a four-plus average [per run] I think that’s a pretty good sign. I think they did a really good job in blitz pickup. I don’t think I called enough runs. The game kind of dictated it. We were getting in a bunch of run formations and we were getting heavy pressure and I probably let that dictate some of my decisions too much.

“But I think the guys came out and competed and I was really happy for Kolby because this was no minor deal that he’s come back from and it’s been a long way back. There are a lot of different things that a running back has to deal with specifically dealing with live action. On Thursday I sent a signal that those running backs were fair game and go knock the heck out of them and our defense gladly did to have them ready. But I don’t think until Kolby ran that one down in the Red Zone where [#] 42 almost knocked his head off and Kolby popped up that I knew. That was a good sign. He’s worked really hard and is a good kid and made it through unscathed.”

Q: You mentioned Clark Hunt was involved and I imagine he wasn’t involved when you released Bobby Engram, for example. Can you discuss why Clark Hunt was involved? Was it the fan aspect of it; was it the history of the player?

HALEY: “I think first of all he is involved in those other decisions and most every decision. It wasn’t planned but he happened to be flying back with us because he had some interviews to do here. It was just the way it worked out and it worked well that the three of us could sit in person and have some discussions. So I would say he is involved in some way or another, whether it’s Scott talking to him or myself or him being here. There’s an involvement and I wouldn’t make anything more of it than that.”

Q: With the twitter comments made directed to you, how offended were you or taken back by those comments?

HALEY: “This wasn’t about any one thing and it surely wasn’t about that. It was about the totality of the situation and what we thought was best for this team as we move forward.”

Q: You use the term the right 53 but fans would say how could you possibly include Larry Johnson. How does the right 53 fit for a guy who’s been a problem for this organization from the day he got here?

HALEY: “It is a process finding the right 53. I’ve been reminded by a lot of the people I lean on over and over again that it is a process. It’s the beginning of the process. It’s not the middle; it’s not the end. It’s the beginning; it’s all the beginning portion of that process. All the decisions made on the roster from back in March till now have all been part of the beginning of the process.

“Each and every decision made at the time it was made is made with the best interests of the Chiefs and what we felt gives us the best chance to win games. That’s how they’re all made.”

Q: Is this season just part of the process, more about evaluation than wins and losses?

HALEY: “I’ll never say that, never say that. I’m very serious when I talk about what I pride myself as a coach. It’s hard for me to stand up here as a coach and say that with us having one win. That’s a direct indictment of myself, but it’s the way I think. I believe great coaches find a way to win regardless of the circumstances and situation and we haven’t done that but one time. That’s not good enough and that has to change. However that changes, whatever process we go about as a coaching staff, it has to get done whether it’s thinking outside the box, inside the box, doing something that’s never been done before, we need to find a way to win with the players we have and the team we have. That’s our job and we haven’t done it and we’ve got to get it done.”

Q: Today Bernard Pollard said he was blackballed by the Chiefs organization, that he was a cancer in the locker room. Do you have any response?

HALEY: “I won’t have any comment on any players who aren’t here.”

Q: Was this a failure on the part of the coaching staff to get the best out of a player? You defended him to us, by and large, but is there any sense that you could have done a better job.

HALEY: “Always, always. As a coach you want to get the most out of your players whether it has been done before or hasn’t been done you want to be the coach that gets the most out of each and every one of your players whether you’re the position coach, the coordinator or the head coach. I think pride-wise that’s what coaches try to do and believe they can get it done even if it hasn’t been done before. Good coaches think they can make it work.”

Q: Did you notice the mood of your team with Larry gone? Did it seem better?

HALEY: “You’d have to ask them. I really believe three weeks in a row we’ve put together very good practices. That’s the most disappointing thing to me, that it hasn’t translated into winning for us because I’ve been around a lot of practices and know what they look like and feel like. These have been good and it has not translated for whatever reason and that’s a big part of this. Now, taking these good practice weeks [we must turn] them into wins.”

Q: Did Larry potentially breaking Priest Holmes rushing record have anything to do with his dismissal now?

HALEY: “Not at all. This was all about one thing: doing what we think is best for the Kansas City Chiefs and what gives us to be a winning team and going forward?

Q: How do you balance the right type of player with a skilled player who may not be the best character?

HALEY: “I think that’s what makes the job tough, figuring out that balance. Any team you’re on there will be some of those decisions that have to be made. It’s a big part of it. Some of its instinct and a lot of it is conversation and talk and working together. In the end, you just have to make sure you’ve done your due diligence and you’ve thought things out clearly and you truly believe and everyone believes in your heart of hearts that you’re doing the right thing for the team in whatever the decision is. It’s not a science. There is a lot feel and instinct involved.”

Q: What was the reason Wade was not up Sunday?

HALEY: “That was strictly a roster deal on game-day, a very tough decision, but there are a lot of factors involved in that. It was roster, special teams and those types of things.”