THIS WEEK IN CHIEFS HISTORY

Hammock Parties · 11-17-2006, 04:52 PM

Part 11 of our ongoing 2006 series here at Chiefsplanet...

THIS WEEK IN CHIEFS HISTORY

Nov. 17, 2002

KANSAS CITY 17, BUFFALO 16

Chiefs' gambles pay off against Bills

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- With the steely nerve of a riverboat gambler, Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Eric Warfield took one of the bigger risks of his NFL career.

As Buffalo quarterback Drew Bledsoe prepared to let fly with the potential game-winning touchdown pass, Warfield deliberately let Peerless Price, one of the league's most dangerous receivers, get a step on him deep.

On a dead run, Price put out his hands. But at the last second, Warfield leaped high for a perfectly timed interception with 4:14 left to preserve the Chiefs' 17-16 victory over the Bills on Sunday.

"Instead of trying to make a break earlier, I let Drew think he had the lead on me. Right at the last minute, I just broke underneath. He thought he thought he had a step on me. Yet he didn't."

"Eric Warfield won the game for us," linebacker Scott Fujita said.

Chiefs quarterback Trent Green, not known for his mobility, darted 9 yards up the middle for the go-ahead touchdown with 4:45 to play.

"A lane opened up, so I took off," he said. "Then I saw those guys closing hard. So I just closed my eyes and dove as hard as I could."

After Warfield's interception, Priest Holmes gained 49 yards on six carries to help the Chiefs (5-5) run out the clock.

In describing his clinching play, Warfield said he'd stopped a similar pass toward Price earlier in the game and recognized this one immediately.

"I kind of knew his speed from covering him throughout the game," Warfield said. "I didn't figure he would run past me. That's when I gave him the step."

Bledsoe agreed Warfield made the play of the game.

"I should have brought Peerless across the field more than I did, rather than taking him straight up the field," he said. "That guy made a great play on the ball."

Mike Hollis kicked three field goals for the Bills (5-5), whose high-powered offense failed for the second game in a row to get two touchdowns.

Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil began to weep when he talked about all the criticism Warfield has taken in what's been a rough season for the fifth-year cornerback.

"I would say it's his best game, because he competed against what we all gave credit to as the league's finest skilled receiving tandem," Vermeil said.

Buffalo, which started the day tied with Miami and New England in the AFC East, took a 16-10 lead on Hollis' 27-yarder late in the third period.

Bledsoe was 24-of-36 for 225 yards and became just the fifth man in NFL history to pass for more than 3,000 yards in his first 10 games.

Holmes, who finished with 104 yards on 31 carries, gave Kansas City a 7-0 lead in the first quarter with a 4-yard run.

The Bills had first-and-goal from the 5 early in the second period, but Hollis wound up kicking a 23-yarder.

Buffalo then took the Chiefs completely with an onside kick. But again the Bills blew a great touchdown opportunity after getting a first down at the 11 and having a 9-yard pass to Eric Moulds that was first ruled a touchdown overturned on review.

The Bills then settled for Hollis' 33-yarder that made it 7-6.

A 15-yard facemask penalty on Buffalo defensive lineman Pat Williams helped set up Morten Andersen's 38-yard field goal with 6:40 left in the half as the Chiefs took a 10-6 lead.

Moulds beat backup cornerback Corey Harris on a 7-yard TD pass with 32 seconds left to give the Bills a 13-10 lead. Harris had come into the game a few minutes earlier after cornerback William Bartee went out with an ankle injury.

Hollis' third field goal capped a frustrating 71-yard drive, after the Bills failed to overcome 30 yards in penalties, including a 15-yard unnecessary-roughness call on Price for shoving Warfield after Price caught a 9-yard reception.

"If that's a personal foul, then this game has gotten real soft," said Price."

Code:

NFL   FINAL                1ST  2ND  3RD  4TH  TOTAL
                           ---  ---  ---  ---  -----
      BUFFALO                0   13    3    0   16
      KANSAS CITY            7    3    0    7   17     FINAL

      
TEAM STATISTICS

                               BUF            KAN
                          --------       --------
FIRST DOWNS                     21             22
Rushing                          6              8
Passing                         14              9
Penalty                          1              5
3RD-DOWN EFFICIENCY           7-13           4-11
4TH-DOWN EFFICIENCY            0-0            2-2
TOTAL NET YARDS                344            320
Total plays                     64             58
Average gain                   5.4            5.5
NET YARDS RUSHING              133            128
Rushes                          26             37
Average per rush               5.1            3.5
NET YARDS PASSING              211            192
Completed-attempted          24-36          12-20
Yards per pass                 5.9            9.6
Sacked-yards lost             2-14            1-5
Had intercepted                  1              0
PUNTS-AVERAGE                 3-42           2-35
RETURN YARDAGE                   0             32
Punts-returns                  0-0           3-13
Kickoffs-returns              3-58           2-31
Interceptions-returns          0-0           1-19
PENALTIES-YARDS             13-139           5-39
FUMBLES-LOST                   0-0            0-0
TIME OF POSSESSION           31:41          28:19


PLAYER STATISTICS

Missed field goals: KANSAS CITY (Morten Andersen 45).

BUFFALO rushing: Travis Henry 24-126, Drew Bledsoe 2-7.

KANSAS CITY rushing: Priest Holmes 31-104, Trent Green 4-19, Johnnie 
Morton 1-4, Eddie Kennison 1-1.

BUFFALO passing: Drew Bledsoe 24-36 for 225 yards, 1 INT, 1 TD.

KANSAS CITY passing: Trent Green 12-20 for 197 yards, 0 INT, 0 TD.

BUFFALO receiving: Josh Reed 4-44, Peerless Price 4-40, Travis Henry 
4-38, Eric Moulds 4-36, David Moore 3-24, Larry Centers 3-19, Jay 
Riemersma 1-16, Phillip Crosby 1-8.

KANSAS CITY receiving: Eddie Kennison 3-93, Johnnie Morton 3-52, 
Priest Holmes 3-23, Tony Gonzalez 2-17, Marc Boerigter 1-12.

11-17-2006, 04:52 PM	Topic Starter
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $990478	THIS WEEK IN CHIEFS HISTORY Part 11 of our ongoing 2006 series here at Chiefsplanet... THIS WEEK IN CHIEFS HISTORY Nov. 17, 2002 KANSAS CITY 17, BUFFALO 16 Chiefs' gambles pay off against Bills KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- With the steely nerve of a riverboat gambler, Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Eric Warfield took one of the bigger risks of his NFL career. As Buffalo quarterback Drew Bledsoe prepared to let fly with the potential game-winning touchdown pass, Warfield deliberately let Peerless Price, one of the league's most dangerous receivers, get a step on him deep. On a dead run, Price put out his hands. But at the last second, Warfield leaped high for a perfectly timed interception with 4:14 left to preserve the Chiefs' 17-16 victory over the Bills on Sunday. "Instead of trying to make a break earlier, I let Drew think he had the lead on me. Right at the last minute, I just broke underneath. He thought he thought he had a step on me. Yet he didn't." "Eric Warfield won the game for us," linebacker Scott Fujita said. Chiefs quarterback Trent Green, not known for his mobility, darted 9 yards up the middle for the go-ahead touchdown with 4:45 to play. "A lane opened up, so I took off," he said. "Then I saw those guys closing hard. So I just closed my eyes and dove as hard as I could." After Warfield's interception, Priest Holmes gained 49 yards on six carries to help the Chiefs (5-5) run out the clock. In describing his clinching play, Warfield said he'd stopped a similar pass toward Price earlier in the game and recognized this one immediately. "I kind of knew his speed from covering him throughout the game," Warfield said. "I didn't figure he would run past me. That's when I gave him the step." Bledsoe agreed Warfield made the play of the game. "I should have brought Peerless across the field more than I did, rather than taking him straight up the field," he said. "That guy made a great play on the ball." Mike Hollis kicked three field goals for the Bills (5-5), whose high-powered offense failed for the second game in a row to get two touchdowns. Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil began to weep when he talked about all the criticism Warfield has taken in what's been a rough season for the fifth-year cornerback. "I would say it's his best game, because he competed against what we all gave credit to as the league's finest skilled receiving tandem," Vermeil said. Buffalo, which started the day tied with Miami and New England in the AFC East, took a 16-10 lead on Hollis' 27-yarder late in the third period. Bledsoe was 24-of-36 for 225 yards and became just the fifth man in NFL history to pass for more than 3,000 yards in his first 10 games. Holmes, who finished with 104 yards on 31 carries, gave Kansas City a 7-0 lead in the first quarter with a 4-yard run. The Bills had first-and-goal from the 5 early in the second period, but Hollis wound up kicking a 23-yarder. Buffalo then took the Chiefs completely with an onside kick. But again the Bills blew a great touchdown opportunity after getting a first down at the 11 and having a 9-yard pass to Eric Moulds that was first ruled a touchdown overturned on review. The Bills then settled for Hollis' 33-yarder that made it 7-6. A 15-yard facemask penalty on Buffalo defensive lineman Pat Williams helped set up Morten Andersen's 38-yard field goal with 6:40 left in the half as the Chiefs took a 10-6 lead. Moulds beat backup cornerback Corey Harris on a 7-yard TD pass with 32 seconds left to give the Bills a 13-10 lead. Harris had come into the game a few minutes earlier after cornerback William Bartee went out with an ankle injury. Hollis' third field goal capped a frustrating 71-yard drive, after the Bills failed to overcome 30 yards in penalties, including a 15-yard unnecessary-roughness call on Price for shoving Warfield after Price caught a 9-yard reception. "If that's a personal foul, then this game has gotten real soft," said Price." Code: NFL FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- BUFFALO 0 13 3 0 16 KANSAS CITY 7 3 0 7 17 FINAL TEAM STATISTICS BUF KAN -------- -------- FIRST DOWNS 21 22 Rushing 6 8 Passing 14 9 Penalty 1 5 3RD-DOWN EFFICIENCY 7-13 4-11 4TH-DOWN EFFICIENCY 0-0 2-2 TOTAL NET YARDS 344 320 Total plays 64 58 Average gain 5.4 5.5 NET YARDS RUSHING 133 128 Rushes 26 37 Average per rush 5.1 3.5 NET YARDS PASSING 211 192 Completed-attempted 24-36 12-20 Yards per pass 5.9 9.6 Sacked-yards lost 2-14 1-5 Had intercepted 1 0 PUNTS-AVERAGE 3-42 2-35 RETURN YARDAGE 0 32 Punts-returns 0-0 3-13 Kickoffs-returns 3-58 2-31 Interceptions-returns 0-0 1-19 PENALTIES-YARDS 13-139 5-39 FUMBLES-LOST 0-0 0-0 TIME OF POSSESSION 31:41 28:19 PLAYER STATISTICS Missed field goals: KANSAS CITY (Morten Andersen 45). BUFFALO rushing: Travis Henry 24-126, Drew Bledsoe 2-7. KANSAS CITY rushing: Priest Holmes 31-104, Trent Green 4-19, Johnnie Morton 1-4, Eddie Kennison 1-1. BUFFALO passing: Drew Bledsoe 24-36 for 225 yards, 1 INT, 1 TD. KANSAS CITY passing: Trent Green 12-20 for 197 yards, 0 INT, 0 TD. BUFFALO receiving: Josh Reed 4-44, Peerless Price 4-40, Travis Henry 4-38, Eric Moulds 4-36, David Moore 3-24, Larry Centers 3-19, Jay Riemersma 1-16, Phillip Crosby 1-8. KANSAS CITY receiving: Eddie Kennison 3-93, Johnnie Morton 3-52, Priest Holmes 3-23, Tony Gonzalez 2-17, Marc Boerigter 1-12.
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