"Lesser on-field sins have found other players a seat on the bench or a ticket out of Kansas City. But the Chiefs and coach Todd Haley continue to show uncommon patience with wide receiver Dwayne Bowe.

His third-quarter dropped pass in the end zone was a key play in the Chiefs' first loss of the season Sunday in Indianapolis. A catch would have given the Chiefs a 13-9 lead, but instead they settled for a field goal on the possession and eventually lost 19-9.

Dropped balls have been a problem for Bowe almost from the day he joined the Chiefs in 2007, but Haley didn't sound on Monday like a coach ready to give up on Bowe anytime soon.

"Dwayne Bowe did so many good things in that game, so many good things," Haley said. "He played smart, he understood the game plan and what he was supposed to do, and he did it at a high level in the run game and the pass game. It just so happens that he had an opportunity to make a big play, which is part of his job description . . . and he didn't make it. That ends up being a not-so-good thing, but Dwayne Bowe's arrow is going up. There isn't a doubt in my mind.

"We have won with Dwayne, and we will continue to win with Dwayne."

Haley also aggressively defended quarterback Matt Cassel, who hasn't taken the Chiefs to a touchdown in either of their two road games. He was 16 of 29 for 156 yards against the Colts.

"He went on the road (Sunday) against a very good team . . . No sacks, no interceptions," Haley said. "I think there's only two quarterbacks in the league right now with (fewer) interceptions than Matt, and their names are Manning and Brady. That's what I'm asking of our quarterback first and foremost, to protect the football, to give us chances to win. That's what he's doing. That's how he's going about his business. He showed great composure. I thought he did a terrific job of leading the team.

"The quarterback position is one of those that I'm really excited about. I'm excited about the progress Matt's made."

Cassel was actually sacked against the Colts one time, though it came on a play where he fumbled without much contact. There are other quarterbacks besides Peyton Manning and Tom Brady who have thrown fewer interceptions than Cassel, but not many.

Haley said Cassel made several big plays in Sunday's loss, including a 21-yard pass to Bowe on fourth down that allowed the Chiefs to extend their final drive of the game.

"That was one of the all-time (best) throws I've ever seen that kept the game alive," Haley said.

"We're 3-1 in the first quarter of the season, which is exactly what we want or what we will go into the next quarter feeling good about . . . He's been our quarterback. Can he be more efficient? Absolutely. But his arrow is without a doubt pointing up. This guy is making progress.""