tk13
09-21-2004, 01:09 AM
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/football/nfl/kansas_city_chiefs/9716263.htm
Perplexed Chiefs try to make sense of troubles
By IVAN CARTER The Kansas City Star
The sun came up Monday morning, and a frustrated group of Chiefs returned to work at One Arrowhead Drive with a single goal in mind: Shake off the effects of Sunday's 28-17 home loss to Carolina and get ready for this Sunday's home game against the 0-2 Houston Texans.
“If I were one of you guys right now,” linebacker Shawn Barber told a group of reporters, “I'd want to know: ‘What are the Kansas City Chiefs going to do to beat the Houston Texans on Sunday?' ”
Barber's answer: “We have to play 60 minutes of football.”
If only it were that easy.
The Chiefs have been plagued by a laundry list of breakdowns in falling to 0-2 for the first time since the 2001 season: a lack of rhythm on offense, untimely penalties, poor tackling and a habit of giving up the big run.
Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil certainly was at a loss for words after Sunday's game. Vermeil uncharacteristically questioned his own decision to pass on going for it on fourth and 1 in the second quarter and seemed perplexed by his offense's inability to put more points on the board.
Noting that the Chiefs' offense produced 10 points Sunday, Vermeil asked: “When was the last time this offense did that?”
Vermeil was still questioning himself Monday.
“I've won games because I went for it (on fourth down), and I've lost games because I went for it,” Vermeil said. “I think I made a mistake. I should have more confidence in my offensive line to go get 1 yard.”
A year after finishing third among all NFL teams with 131 fourth-quarter points, the Chiefs have been outscored 24-0 in the fourth this season. Things won't get easier on offense if running back Priest Holmes is unable to play Sunday against a Houston team that has allowed 216 yards rushing in games against San Diego and Detroit.
Vermeil has been 0-2 just three times in 13 previous seasons as an NFL head coach. In each instance — in 1978 with the Eagles, in 1998 with the Rams and in 2001 with the Chiefs — his team bounced back and won game three.
His '78 Eagles won three straight after their 0-2 start and made the playoffs as a wild-card team.
But, as Vermeil pointed out Monday, the difference between this team and Vermeil's previous 0-2 squads is that those teams were still building toward a championship. This team is supposed to be seriously pursuing one.
“We were 0-2 in 2001 and then won big at (Washington),” Vermeil said. “But our expectations are so much higher now, so it hurts a little more.”
When the Chiefs lost their second game on Dec. 7 last season, the finger of blame pointed directly at a defense that had been torched by Denver's Clinton Portis. This season's second loss came far earlier, and the blame can be spread all over the team.
“The frustrating thing about it is that you can't just point a finger at one area and say: ‘This is what's hurting us,' ” cornerback Dexter McCleon said. “We're giving up the big run. We're getting penalties at bad times. We're missing tackles. We're dropping passes. It's just a whole bunch of little things that are preventing us from winning.”
Vermeil has been especially frustrated with the fact that his team has been penalized 17 times for 158 yards through two games, while the Chiefs' opponents, Denver and Carolina, were penalized 10 times for 86 yards.
The Chiefs were flagged 11 times for 94 yards through two games last season and were the NFL's least-penalized team in 2002 and 2003.
Vermeil makes a point of bringing referees into training camp so his players adjust to being seen by extra sets of eyes, and he abhors the kind of nitpicky penalties that have hurt his team in critical situations against Denver and Carolina.
Also missing are the kinds of game-changing kick and punt returns by Pro Bowler Dante Hall. Hall's longest punt return has covered 26 yards and longest kick return covered 21 yards.
But according to special-teams ace Gary Stills, the difference between this season's 0-2 start and last season's 2-0 start is not that great.
“It's a metaphor for our whole team,” Stills said of the return game. “It's not like we're seeing a total scheme breakdown. It's one missed block here or one missed block there that is keeping Dante from breaking one. I think we're seeing the same thing on defense and offense. Missed tackles. Dropped passes. A missed block. In the NFL, the difference between winning and losing is this (Stills pinches his thumb and forefinger together). We have to execute better.”
Perplexed Chiefs try to make sense of troubles
By IVAN CARTER The Kansas City Star
The sun came up Monday morning, and a frustrated group of Chiefs returned to work at One Arrowhead Drive with a single goal in mind: Shake off the effects of Sunday's 28-17 home loss to Carolina and get ready for this Sunday's home game against the 0-2 Houston Texans.
“If I were one of you guys right now,” linebacker Shawn Barber told a group of reporters, “I'd want to know: ‘What are the Kansas City Chiefs going to do to beat the Houston Texans on Sunday?' ”
Barber's answer: “We have to play 60 minutes of football.”
If only it were that easy.
The Chiefs have been plagued by a laundry list of breakdowns in falling to 0-2 for the first time since the 2001 season: a lack of rhythm on offense, untimely penalties, poor tackling and a habit of giving up the big run.
Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil certainly was at a loss for words after Sunday's game. Vermeil uncharacteristically questioned his own decision to pass on going for it on fourth and 1 in the second quarter and seemed perplexed by his offense's inability to put more points on the board.
Noting that the Chiefs' offense produced 10 points Sunday, Vermeil asked: “When was the last time this offense did that?”
Vermeil was still questioning himself Monday.
“I've won games because I went for it (on fourth down), and I've lost games because I went for it,” Vermeil said. “I think I made a mistake. I should have more confidence in my offensive line to go get 1 yard.”
A year after finishing third among all NFL teams with 131 fourth-quarter points, the Chiefs have been outscored 24-0 in the fourth this season. Things won't get easier on offense if running back Priest Holmes is unable to play Sunday against a Houston team that has allowed 216 yards rushing in games against San Diego and Detroit.
Vermeil has been 0-2 just three times in 13 previous seasons as an NFL head coach. In each instance — in 1978 with the Eagles, in 1998 with the Rams and in 2001 with the Chiefs — his team bounced back and won game three.
His '78 Eagles won three straight after their 0-2 start and made the playoffs as a wild-card team.
But, as Vermeil pointed out Monday, the difference between this team and Vermeil's previous 0-2 squads is that those teams were still building toward a championship. This team is supposed to be seriously pursuing one.
“We were 0-2 in 2001 and then won big at (Washington),” Vermeil said. “But our expectations are so much higher now, so it hurts a little more.”
When the Chiefs lost their second game on Dec. 7 last season, the finger of blame pointed directly at a defense that had been torched by Denver's Clinton Portis. This season's second loss came far earlier, and the blame can be spread all over the team.
“The frustrating thing about it is that you can't just point a finger at one area and say: ‘This is what's hurting us,' ” cornerback Dexter McCleon said. “We're giving up the big run. We're getting penalties at bad times. We're missing tackles. We're dropping passes. It's just a whole bunch of little things that are preventing us from winning.”
Vermeil has been especially frustrated with the fact that his team has been penalized 17 times for 158 yards through two games, while the Chiefs' opponents, Denver and Carolina, were penalized 10 times for 86 yards.
The Chiefs were flagged 11 times for 94 yards through two games last season and were the NFL's least-penalized team in 2002 and 2003.
Vermeil makes a point of bringing referees into training camp so his players adjust to being seen by extra sets of eyes, and he abhors the kind of nitpicky penalties that have hurt his team in critical situations against Denver and Carolina.
Also missing are the kinds of game-changing kick and punt returns by Pro Bowler Dante Hall. Hall's longest punt return has covered 26 yards and longest kick return covered 21 yards.
But according to special-teams ace Gary Stills, the difference between this season's 0-2 start and last season's 2-0 start is not that great.
“It's a metaphor for our whole team,” Stills said of the return game. “It's not like we're seeing a total scheme breakdown. It's one missed block here or one missed block there that is keeping Dante from breaking one. I think we're seeing the same thing on defense and offense. Missed tackles. Dropped passes. A missed block. In the NFL, the difference between winning and losing is this (Stills pinches his thumb and forefinger together). We have to execute better.”