"Dwayne Bowe has spent this season trying to prove he can handle the details. That hasn't always been pretty.

But the Chiefs wide receiver's third season has been telling, and this is perhaps one of the memorable lessons Kansas City will take from Bowe's performance in 2009: that as talented as Bowe is, he can't yet be considered among the Chiefs' reliable and consistent players.

Bowe has been dogged by Todd Haley, praised by the Chiefs' coach, been a sloppy route-runner, a dynamic target near the end zone, suspended for four games, and had his effort questioned after Sunday's loss at Cincinnati. The details almost always steer that conversation, and after another season of waiting for Bowe to prove himself, the Chiefs are left with lingering questions about their franchise wideout.

"Dwayne is a player that, from the start to finish, has made big strides for us," Haley said Monday, during his weekly news conference. "Leading up to the suspension, we were very excited about his progress.""