Whitlock: Chiefs steal play from the Colts

tk13 · 02:18 AM

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...s/13569921.htm

Chiefs steal play from Colts
JASON WHITLOCK
Kansas City Star

There’s virtually no mystery to what is driving Carl Peterson’s desire to hire Herm Edwards as the replacement for Dick Vermeil.

Peterson is an uncomplicated general manager working in a copycat league.

Bill Polian, the general manager of the Indianapolis Colts, is the best GM in professional football. He’s been chosen NFL executive of the year five times. He built the Super Bowl Buffalo Bills. He jumped to the expansion Carolina Panthers and quickly turned them into a Super Bowl threat. And now, this season, Polian has constructed the most complete football team of the salary-cap era.

Bill Polian is the football man Carl Peterson wishes he was.

Well, in 2002, shortly after firing Jim Mora primarily because the Colts had one of the league’s leakiest defenses and one of its most explosive offenses, Polian hired Tony Dungy to lead the Colts one week after Dungy had been fired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Dungy, a defensive-minded coach, had been canned by the Bucs because he was perceived to be an ultraconservative offensive coach with poor clock-management skills.

Polian didn’t care about Dungy’s perceived shortcomings. Polian cared about Dungy’s high character, uncanny ability to lead men and “Cover 2” defensive genius. Polian figured that Peyton Manning and holdover offensive coordinator Tom Moore could keep Indy’s offense rolling and Dungy could fix the D.

Polian was right. Dungy, Manning and Moore are the new envy of the NFL, replacing Belichick, Brady and Weis.

Peterson is hoping that Edwards, the recently disposed Tony Dungy disciple from the Jets, can team with Trent Green and a yet-to-be-hired offensive coordinator and duplicate Indy’s success.

It’s a beautiful plan … as long as Edwards buys in, Peterson retains offensive coordinator Al Saunders or lands a suitable replacement and Peterson gives Edwards the freedom to build a defensive coaching staff to his liking.

You see, things work in Indianapolis because Dungy totally trusts Manning and Moore and because Dungy has shaken his Marty Schottenheimer offensive instincts. Dungy coaches without ego. He lets Manning and Moore do their thing without worrying about who gets the credit.

Edwards is a lot like Dungy in many respects. They’re both high-character individuals with strong faith. But Edwards is a bit more unpredictable, more volatile. Dungy never raises his voice. Edwards doesn’t mind getting sassy with the people who challenge his decisions.

Having said all of that, Edwards is far too intelligent not to recognize the similarities between his situation and Dungy’s. Edwards is too smart to screw this up. He’s leaving a team that finished 4-12 and needs to be rebuilt, and joining a 10-6 squad that has a chance to compete next season.

The key will be talking with quarterback Trent Green and landing the right offensive coordinator. In my opinion, there are three options:

1. Al Saunders: He’s likely going to get a head-coaching job somewhere else. Maybe the Chiefs could pay him $2 million a year to stay on as offensive coordinator. But I’m not sure Saunders and Green have the same type of chemistry as Moore and Manning. Saunders and Green don’t have an equal partnership. Saunders believes in his system more than he does his personnel.

2. Norv Turner: Green absolutely loves Turner, who was just fired as head coach of the Raiders. Green credits Turner for being the guy who believed in him when no one else did when Green entered the league as a late-round draft pick. Turner was the coordinator of the Jimmy Johnson/Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl teams. There are a lot of similarities between KC’s current offensive personnel and the personnel on those Dallas offenses — punishing, run-blocking lines, Jay Novacek and Tony Gonzalez, Emmitt Smith and Larry Johnson, Troy Aikman and Green.

3. Mike Solari: Kansas City’s offensive-line coach has earned the right to be a coordinator. He has the necessary intellect and temperament to be a play-caller. The only thing I question is whether his relationship with Green is deep enough to handle the kind of autonomy Edwards will need to give the offense.

I’m leaning toward Turner but would be satisfied with any of the three.
It also will be interesting to see what Edwards thinks of defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham. Edwards, an assistant under Dungy at Tampa Bay, prefers the “Cover 2” scheme, which requires the safeties to hang back and the corners to cover the short zones. It’s quite a bit different than the blitz-happy, man-to-man schemes that made Cunningham famous in KC in the 1990s.

Well, anyway, I can’t say that I disagree with King Carl’s plan. If he pulls this off — puts together the right coaching staff — I’ll hold off on my “Dethrone the King” campaign for at least another year. I’m excited about the hiring of Herm Edwards.

01-07-2006, 02:13 AM

Shit. Whitlock stole more of my damn material. I'm gonna call him out in one of my articles or something.

Calcountry · 01-07-2006, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia

Shit. Whitlock stole more of my damn material. I'm gonna call him out in one of my articles or something.

He scooped you dawg.

Wallcrawler · 01-07-2006, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13

2. Norv Turner: Green absolutely loves Turner, who was just fired as head coach of the Raiders. Green credits Turner for being the guy who believed in him when no one else did when Green entered the league as a late-round draft pick. Turner was the coordinator of the Jimmy Johnson/Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl teams. There are a lot of similarities between KC’s current offensive personnel and the personnel on those Dallas offenses — punishing, run-blocking lines, Jay Novacek and Tony Gonzalez, Emmitt Smith and Larry Johnson, Troy Aikman and Green.

I mentioned this in another thread about Edwards. If we could land Norv Turner as OC, this team would be very dangerous. Turner has coordinated superbowl champion offenses, and while the coordinator for the Miami Dolphins, Ricky Williams was a monster in the Miami offense.

The thought of Norv Turner coordinating an offense with Trent Green, Larry Johnson, and Tony Gonzalez is very exciting to me. Id love to see it happen.

If not, Id like to see Solari or Shea get the job and try to maintain the offense we have.

Chief Henry · 01-07-2006, 10:52 AM

[QUOTE=Wallcrawler]I.

The thought of Norv Turner coordinating an offense with Trent Green, Larry Johnson, and Tony Gonzalez is very exciting to me. Id love to see it happen.

[QUOTE]

PS...Don't forget we have Kris Wilson too

Logical · 01-07-2006, 02:16 AM

I am a little suprised to see Whitlock supporting Norv Turner.

Wallcrawler · 01-07-2006, 02:27 AM

The guy's credentials as an OC are solid. Superbowl rings are tough to argue with.

As a head coach, the guy isnt worth a hill of beans, but he can damn sure run an offense.

Logical · 01-07-2006, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wallcrawler

The guy's credentials as an OC are solid. Superbowl rings are tough to argue with.

As a head coach, the guy isnt worth a hill of beans, but he can damn sure run an offense.

I think you misunderstand me, I figured Jason would choose to support at least one controversial candidate, but he actually picked three who will not stir up much of a controversy for his article.

Hammock Parties · 01-07-2006, 02:34 AM

Good article by Whitlock. I'm on the Norv Turner bandwagon, too.

Germ Edwards is no defensive genious, though.

01-07-2006, 02:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gochiefs

Good article by Whitlock. I'm on the Norv Turner bandwagon, too.

Tony Dungy is no defensive genious, though.

You're on crack. His last name even starts with "D".

Hammock Parties · 01-07-2006, 02:43 AM

Crap. I meant "Germ Edwards."

**Dave Lane** · 01-07-2006, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gochiefs

Good article by Whitlock. I'm on the Norv Turner bandwagon, too.

Germ Edwards is no defensive genious, though.

His key to not getting canned in KC is to have good assistants without those he is toast.

Dave

Calcountry · 01-07-2006, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gochiefs

Good article by Whitlock. I'm on the Norv Turner bandwagon, too.

Germ Edwards is no defensive genious, though.

Woldn't that be something, Al Saunders to Oaktown as HC, and Norv turner to KC as OC, the rivalry lives on!

donkhater · 01-07-2006, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wallcrawler

The guy's credentials as an OC are solid. Superbowl rings are tough to argue with.

Please don't go using that as the primary reason to hire Turner. Remember the raving success of the last Super Bowl winning coordinator the Chiefs hired ?

dtebbe · 01-07-2006, 09:41 AM

I'm all for the Norv Turner deal. He is a proven OC, who has a solid relationshop with our QB. If we don't re-sign Saunders, we'd be crazy not to get Norv in here. He's also a class guy, always handled himself well regardless of how bad things are. Let's face it, no one is ever going to do well in Oakland as long as Al Davis is there.

DT

01-07-2006, 02:08 AM	Topic Starter
tk13 ... Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $1452500	Whitlock: Chiefs steal play from the Colts http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...s/13569921.htm Chiefs steal play from Colts JASON WHITLOCK Kansas City Star There’s virtually no mystery to what is driving Carl Peterson’s desire to hire Herm Edwards as the replacement for Dick Vermeil. Peterson is an uncomplicated general manager working in a copycat league. Bill Polian, the general manager of the Indianapolis Colts, is the best GM in professional football. He’s been chosen NFL executive of the year five times. He built the Super Bowl Buffalo Bills. He jumped to the expansion Carolina Panthers and quickly turned them into a Super Bowl threat. And now, this season, Polian has constructed the most complete football team of the salary-cap era. Bill Polian is the football man Carl Peterson wishes he was. Well, in 2002, shortly after firing Jim Mora primarily because the Colts had one of the league’s leakiest defenses and one of its most explosive offenses, Polian hired Tony Dungy to lead the Colts one week after Dungy had been fired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dungy, a defensive-minded coach, had been canned by the Bucs because he was perceived to be an ultraconservative offensive coach with poor clock-management skills. Polian didn’t care about Dungy’s perceived shortcomings. Polian cared about Dungy’s high character, uncanny ability to lead men and “Cover 2” defensive genius. Polian figured that Peyton Manning and holdover offensive coordinator Tom Moore could keep Indy’s offense rolling and Dungy could fix the D. Polian was right. Dungy, Manning and Moore are the new envy of the NFL, replacing Belichick, Brady and Weis. Peterson is hoping that Edwards, the recently disposed Tony Dungy disciple from the Jets, can team with Trent Green and a yet-to-be-hired offensive coordinator and duplicate Indy’s success. It’s a beautiful plan … as long as Edwards buys in, Peterson retains offensive coordinator Al Saunders or lands a suitable replacement and Peterson gives Edwards the freedom to build a defensive coaching staff to his liking. You see, things work in Indianapolis because Dungy totally trusts Manning and Moore and because Dungy has shaken his Marty Schottenheimer offensive instincts. Dungy coaches without ego. He lets Manning and Moore do their thing without worrying about who gets the credit. Edwards is a lot like Dungy in many respects. They’re both high-character individuals with strong faith. But Edwards is a bit more unpredictable, more volatile. Dungy never raises his voice. Edwards doesn’t mind getting sassy with the people who challenge his decisions. Having said all of that, Edwards is far too intelligent not to recognize the similarities between his situation and Dungy’s. Edwards is too smart to screw this up. He’s leaving a team that finished 4-12 and needs to be rebuilt, and joining a 10-6 squad that has a chance to compete next season. The key will be talking with quarterback Trent Green and landing the right offensive coordinator. In my opinion, there are three options: 1. Al Saunders: He’s likely going to get a head-coaching job somewhere else. Maybe the Chiefs could pay him $2 million a year to stay on as offensive coordinator. But I’m not sure Saunders and Green have the same type of chemistry as Moore and Manning. Saunders and Green don’t have an equal partnership. Saunders believes in his system more than he does his personnel. 2. Norv Turner: Green absolutely loves Turner, who was just fired as head coach of the Raiders. Green credits Turner for being the guy who believed in him when no one else did when Green entered the league as a late-round draft pick. Turner was the coordinator of the Jimmy Johnson/Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl teams. There are a lot of similarities between KC’s current offensive personnel and the personnel on those Dallas offenses — punishing, run-blocking lines, Jay Novacek and Tony Gonzalez, Emmitt Smith and Larry Johnson, Troy Aikman and Green. 3. Mike Solari: Kansas City’s offensive-line coach has earned the right to be a coordinator. He has the necessary intellect and temperament to be a play-caller. The only thing I question is whether his relationship with Green is deep enough to handle the kind of autonomy Edwards will need to give the offense. I’m leaning toward Turner but would be satisfied with any of the three. It also will be interesting to see what Edwards thinks of defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham. Edwards, an assistant under Dungy at Tampa Bay, prefers the “Cover 2” scheme, which requires the safeties to hang back and the corners to cover the short zones. It’s quite a bit different than the blitz-happy, man-to-man schemes that made Cunningham famous in KC in the 1990s. Well, anyway, I can’t say that I disagree with King Carl’s plan. If he pulls this off — puts together the right coaching staff — I’ll hold off on my “Dethrone the King” campaign for at least another year. I’m excited about the hiring of Herm Edwards. Last edited by tk13; 01-07-2006 at 02:18 AM..
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01-07-2006, 02:13 AM	#2
Phobia Guest Casino cash: $	Shit. Whitlock stole more of my damn material. I'm gonna call him out in one of my articles or something.
Posts: n/a

01-07-2006, 10:52 AM	#5
Chief Henry MVP Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: IOWA Casino cash: $10005088	[QUOTE=Wallcrawler]I. The thought of Norv Turner coordinating an offense with Trent Green, Larry Johnson, and Tony Gonzalez is very exciting to me. Id love to see it happen. [QUOTE] PS...Don't forget we have Kris Wilson too __________________ Patrick Mahomes...The only QB to ever play in the NFL with at least 5,000 passing yards in a single season and 5,000 passing yards in a single college season.
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01-07-2006, 02:16 AM	#6
Logical Screw U if U can't take a joke Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $10004900	I am a little suprised to see Whitlock supporting Norv Turner.
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01-07-2006, 02:27 AM	#7
Wallcrawler How tall is this thing? Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Ground 0 for enema of US. Casino cash: $4152912	The guy's credentials as an OC are solid. Superbowl rings are tough to argue with. As a head coach, the guy isnt worth a hill of beans, but he can damn sure run an offense. __________________ She did not open her eyes this morning. I don't know what else to say.
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01-07-2006, 02:34 AM	#9
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $4160478	Good article by Whitlock. I'm on the Norv Turner bandwagon, too. Germ Edwards is no defensive genious, though. __________________ Chiefs game films Last edited by Hammock Parties; 01-07-2006 at 02:42 AM..
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01-07-2006, 02:43 AM	#11
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $4160478	Crap. I meant "Germ Edwards." __________________ Chiefs game films
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01-07-2006, 09:41 AM	#15
dtebbe 3M TA3 Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: SoFlo Casino cash: $9993039	I'm all for the Norv Turner deal. He is a proven OC, who has a solid relationshop with our QB. If we don't re-sign Saunders, we'd be crazy not to get Norv in here. He's also a class guy, always handled himself well regardless of how bad things are. Let's face it, no one is ever going to do well in Oakland as long as Al Davis is there. DT
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