Aaron Rodgers

Andy Reid shoulders blame for Chiefs' ugly loss in Green Bay

Published Sep. 29, 2015 5:50 p.m. ET

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- In the moments after a lopsided loss Monday night, Chiefs coach Andy Reid was in no mood to talk, brushing away a series of questions about the performance in Green Bay with the same answer.

Or at least, a derivative of, "It's my fault."

He was only slightly more forthcoming on Tuesday, when he'd had roughly 12 hours to digest what went wrong in a 38-28 loss that was close in score only. The Chiefs trailed 31-7 at one point, and it took two late touchdowns just to get within two more possessions of victory.

"I've got to do a better job, in particular with 10 days to get my team ready to play," Reid said. "That didn't take place. We had way too many mistakes. That starts with me."

Yes, that may have been the most damning bit about the performance: The Chiefs had a long week to get ready for the Packers after playing on Thursday night.

Most assumed the Chiefs would come out ornery after losing to AFC West rival Denver in stunning, embarrassing fashion -- Jamaal Charles fumbled the ball away, and the Broncos' recovery turned into a second touchdown in less than 10 seconds that gave them a dramatic last-minute victory.

Instead, the Chiefs' offense struggled to move the ball. Penalties killed drives and wiped away a potential turnover. Whenever their defense threatened to get a hand on Aaron Rodgers, the Packers' quarterback deftly sidestepped the oncoming rush and found Randall Cobb or James Jones for a big gain as they picked on a defensive backfield depleted by injuries and suspension.

The defeat left the Chiefs at 1-2, behind even Oakland in their division. And the road doesn't get any easier with a trip to unbeaten Cincinnati on the docket Sunday.

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Reid expressed confidence that a team filled with veterans will be able to turn things around, but he also acknowledged that talk is cheap. After grueling offseason workouts, a tough training camp and two regular-season games, simple mistakes should not be happening.

"I'm very confident in this group, but I think it's important we take care of a few things," Reid said. "We've all got to do a better job, that's the bottom line. We can talk about it all we want to talk about it, but you've got to do it. That's what is real. That's why I'm not into talking about it. More into getting on with Cincinnati and get rolling."

There was no update on cornerback Phillip Gaines, who left Monday night's game with a sprained knee. Gaines was scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday to determine how long he might be out.

His loss should be mostly covered by the return of top cornerback Sean Smith, who was suspended the first three games of the regular season for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.

Smith took part in training camp and preseason games, and Reid said Tuesday that he's in good enough shape to practice fully on Wednesday. The coach did not say that Smith would get his starting spot back, but Reid did indicate that it was a possibility.

The return of the big, rangy cornerback would almost certainly help Kansas City deal with A.J. Green, who had 10 catches for 227 yards and two touchdowns in the Bengals' win over the weekend.

"It's just a matter of getting him back in the football swing of things. I think just get him back in and let him get going," Reid said. "Let me see how he does tomorrow. I'll know more when I see him run around."