Fire Me Boy!
09-05-2005, 05:31 PM
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2005/09/05/qa_with_dick_vermeil28/
Q&A with DICK VERMEIL
Sep 05, 2005, 5:42:22 PM
Q: How did Trent Green look today?
DICK VERMEIL: “Good. He looked very good; he was sharp on the seven-on-seven that we did. We had a restricted practice but he did almost everything. He did a good job.”
Q: When do you expect him to be at full….
VERMEIL: “Wednesday.”
Q: How much better do you feel after seeing him out there today practicing?
VERMEIL: “Common sense would tell you that when you see your starting quarterback out there practicing and knowing what he has gone through and all the concerns, it’s a relief to see him back on the field and having fun. I think that’s all behind us now.”
Q: Dante Hall didn’t practice again today. What’s his status?
VERMEIL: “Probably will practice on Wednesday. Two more days. Still a little soreness in the knee. But he worked out hard but we really didn’t put him in any pass patterns against man coverage and that kind of stuff.”
Q: What about Kevin Sampson?
VERMEIL: “He’s still questionable I think.”
Q: You mentioned Saturday night some questions about your passing game, that you haven’t been clicking with any regularity. Some of your players say sometimes experience can kick in. How comfortable do you feel that that can happen?
VERMEIL: “First, as I’ve said all along, we’ve run a very restricted offense in pre-season games, but not on the practice field. On the practice field I’ve been very pleased with our pass offense but the restricted version in games – and especially so in the last couple of ball games – isn’t what we are. What you get concerned about is if you can all of a sudden be that game day what you have been on the practice field like we were today. It’s not turning anything around, it’s just executing under pressure. Of course Trent has been doing it for so many years.”
Q: That first drive against Seattle in the pre-season looked like everybody and everything was clicking with efficiency. Can you get that back?
VERMEIL: “Oh yeah. We practice that way every day or hope to. But we just work on specific things in pre-season games. But we do everything on the practice field and at a pretty good tempo, especially when we have pads on. But you’re not being tested like you are game day.”
Q: So the experience that everybody has playing together might alleviate any rust?
VERMEIL: “It’s the same approach we’ve used for four years, same approach we used with the Rams. We had two receivers over 1,000 yards last year and would have had a third if Johnnie (Morton) hadn’t gotten hurt. So, you get going.
“That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be concerned about what you were doing in the pre-season games that you would have liked to have done.”
Q: Damon Huard will be back but will Todd Collins?
VERMEIL: “Todd would be the third quarterback and only play if he had to play. But he’ll be the third because if you don’t suit him up you can only suit up 45 anyway.”
Q: Are you preparing for Jordan Black to play regardless of Sampson’s condition?
VERMEIL: “I’ve been all along.”
Q: So Jordan will start on Sunday?
VERMEIL: “Possible.”
Q: Did you start making preparations at right tackle back in the spring because you knew Welbourn might be suspended?
VERMEIL: “We just felt that John Welbourn was a better guard than he was a tackle. That’s what he had been the entire time (in Philadelphia). We had these two young tackles and we thought we would work it that way. When we played Sampson the last game of the season at right tackle he played well. Jordan Black had played pretty well at right tackle prior to hurting his knee. So we thought we would work those two young people and develop some offensive linemen. There still is a chance Sampson will start.”
Q: What about Trent Green? Where will he be on the injury report?
VERMEIL: “He’s going to play.”
Q: What type of challenge do the Jets bring here?
VERMEIL: “First off, defensively they’re one of the outstanding defensive teams in the league. They’ve been very good and they’ve had some great defensive games. They’re very active; they do a lot of things well. Their defensive lineman Rogers is very productive and very active. Their middle linebacker is as good as you’ll see in the National Football League.
“They’ve been an outstanding running team and a very good play-action team. They’ll have a new offense that we haven’t seen much of in the pre-season. They, too, haven’t probably done what they’re going to do.
“They’ve been a playoff team in two of the last three years and Herman’s got them disciplined and playing hard. They don’t beat themselves and we’re going to have to beat them.”
Q: What concerns you going into the Jets game?
VERMEIL: “Everything. I mean, really. I think we’re better on defense, but it really doesn’t count. I thought we were better on defense last year at this time. Our stats proved we were better on defense last year coming out of four pre-season games. Right now, we’ve stopped the run much better but we gave up more passing yards because people threw the ball more against us.
“I’m concerned, number one, about our passing attack. I’m concerned about being all of a sudden able to jump into high gear when we’ve been driving in second gear. I’m concerned about our field goal kicker, if he is going to be what he has the ability to be. All these things.
“I’m concerned about Dante (Hall) not being 100% today. My right tackle Sampson not being 100% today. Those kinds of things bother you.
“What pleases me is how Kendrell Bell played in the limited amount of time he played. I’m pleased with the progress of some of the younger players. I’m been pleased with our kickoff coverage.
“But right now the concerns, I think, outweigh what I think are all the positives. That’s just how it is all the time. My philosophy is to hold onto the concerns hoping your wrong. I’m past the stage where I’d like to prove somebody wrong. I’d just as soon be wrong myself. I talk to the coaches all the time about my concerns. As I tell them, I hope I’m wrong. I’m wrong a lot and right some.”
Q: But you have a different feeling about this team.
VERMEIL: “Last year at this time I was more optimistic.”
Q: Are you saying you’re less optimistic?
VERMEIL: “I’m more cautious. Last year I was very, very positive we could jump right up and play much better than we did.”
Q: Was that because you were coming off a 13-3 season?
VERMEIL: “Yeah, I think that was part of it. We had played in a playoff game and could have easily won the football game. We had a touchdown called back, had a turnover after a long run. But our schedule was much different than that 13-3 season. It’s more like a schedule this year except that it’s tougher this year.
“I’m apprehensive. To me speculation, projections, beliefs and dreams all have to be proven as we play.”
Q: Have you ever been as cautious before in a season?
VERMEIL: “I’ve been this concerned before.”
Q: How did that season turn out?
VERMEIL: “Not very good.”
Q&A with DICK VERMEIL
Sep 05, 2005, 5:42:22 PM
Q: How did Trent Green look today?
DICK VERMEIL: “Good. He looked very good; he was sharp on the seven-on-seven that we did. We had a restricted practice but he did almost everything. He did a good job.”
Q: When do you expect him to be at full….
VERMEIL: “Wednesday.”
Q: How much better do you feel after seeing him out there today practicing?
VERMEIL: “Common sense would tell you that when you see your starting quarterback out there practicing and knowing what he has gone through and all the concerns, it’s a relief to see him back on the field and having fun. I think that’s all behind us now.”
Q: Dante Hall didn’t practice again today. What’s his status?
VERMEIL: “Probably will practice on Wednesday. Two more days. Still a little soreness in the knee. But he worked out hard but we really didn’t put him in any pass patterns against man coverage and that kind of stuff.”
Q: What about Kevin Sampson?
VERMEIL: “He’s still questionable I think.”
Q: You mentioned Saturday night some questions about your passing game, that you haven’t been clicking with any regularity. Some of your players say sometimes experience can kick in. How comfortable do you feel that that can happen?
VERMEIL: “First, as I’ve said all along, we’ve run a very restricted offense in pre-season games, but not on the practice field. On the practice field I’ve been very pleased with our pass offense but the restricted version in games – and especially so in the last couple of ball games – isn’t what we are. What you get concerned about is if you can all of a sudden be that game day what you have been on the practice field like we were today. It’s not turning anything around, it’s just executing under pressure. Of course Trent has been doing it for so many years.”
Q: That first drive against Seattle in the pre-season looked like everybody and everything was clicking with efficiency. Can you get that back?
VERMEIL: “Oh yeah. We practice that way every day or hope to. But we just work on specific things in pre-season games. But we do everything on the practice field and at a pretty good tempo, especially when we have pads on. But you’re not being tested like you are game day.”
Q: So the experience that everybody has playing together might alleviate any rust?
VERMEIL: “It’s the same approach we’ve used for four years, same approach we used with the Rams. We had two receivers over 1,000 yards last year and would have had a third if Johnnie (Morton) hadn’t gotten hurt. So, you get going.
“That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be concerned about what you were doing in the pre-season games that you would have liked to have done.”
Q: Damon Huard will be back but will Todd Collins?
VERMEIL: “Todd would be the third quarterback and only play if he had to play. But he’ll be the third because if you don’t suit him up you can only suit up 45 anyway.”
Q: Are you preparing for Jordan Black to play regardless of Sampson’s condition?
VERMEIL: “I’ve been all along.”
Q: So Jordan will start on Sunday?
VERMEIL: “Possible.”
Q: Did you start making preparations at right tackle back in the spring because you knew Welbourn might be suspended?
VERMEIL: “We just felt that John Welbourn was a better guard than he was a tackle. That’s what he had been the entire time (in Philadelphia). We had these two young tackles and we thought we would work it that way. When we played Sampson the last game of the season at right tackle he played well. Jordan Black had played pretty well at right tackle prior to hurting his knee. So we thought we would work those two young people and develop some offensive linemen. There still is a chance Sampson will start.”
Q: What about Trent Green? Where will he be on the injury report?
VERMEIL: “He’s going to play.”
Q: What type of challenge do the Jets bring here?
VERMEIL: “First off, defensively they’re one of the outstanding defensive teams in the league. They’ve been very good and they’ve had some great defensive games. They’re very active; they do a lot of things well. Their defensive lineman Rogers is very productive and very active. Their middle linebacker is as good as you’ll see in the National Football League.
“They’ve been an outstanding running team and a very good play-action team. They’ll have a new offense that we haven’t seen much of in the pre-season. They, too, haven’t probably done what they’re going to do.
“They’ve been a playoff team in two of the last three years and Herman’s got them disciplined and playing hard. They don’t beat themselves and we’re going to have to beat them.”
Q: What concerns you going into the Jets game?
VERMEIL: “Everything. I mean, really. I think we’re better on defense, but it really doesn’t count. I thought we were better on defense last year at this time. Our stats proved we were better on defense last year coming out of four pre-season games. Right now, we’ve stopped the run much better but we gave up more passing yards because people threw the ball more against us.
“I’m concerned, number one, about our passing attack. I’m concerned about being all of a sudden able to jump into high gear when we’ve been driving in second gear. I’m concerned about our field goal kicker, if he is going to be what he has the ability to be. All these things.
“I’m concerned about Dante (Hall) not being 100% today. My right tackle Sampson not being 100% today. Those kinds of things bother you.
“What pleases me is how Kendrell Bell played in the limited amount of time he played. I’m pleased with the progress of some of the younger players. I’m been pleased with our kickoff coverage.
“But right now the concerns, I think, outweigh what I think are all the positives. That’s just how it is all the time. My philosophy is to hold onto the concerns hoping your wrong. I’m past the stage where I’d like to prove somebody wrong. I’d just as soon be wrong myself. I talk to the coaches all the time about my concerns. As I tell them, I hope I’m wrong. I’m wrong a lot and right some.”
Q: But you have a different feeling about this team.
VERMEIL: “Last year at this time I was more optimistic.”
Q: Are you saying you’re less optimistic?
VERMEIL: “I’m more cautious. Last year I was very, very positive we could jump right up and play much better than we did.”
Q: Was that because you were coming off a 13-3 season?
VERMEIL: “Yeah, I think that was part of it. We had played in a playoff game and could have easily won the football game. We had a touchdown called back, had a turnover after a long run. But our schedule was much different than that 13-3 season. It’s more like a schedule this year except that it’s tougher this year.
“I’m apprehensive. To me speculation, projections, beliefs and dreams all have to be proven as we play.”
Q: Have you ever been as cautious before in a season?
VERMEIL: “I’ve been this concerned before.”
Q: How did that season turn out?
VERMEIL: “Not very good.”