Edwards angrily denies Chiefs lucked into playoffs (AP)

TN_Chief · 01-01-2007, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Edwards angrily denies Chiefs lucked into playoffs

By DOUG TUCKER, AP Sports Writer
January 1, 2007

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Herman Edwards lashed out Monday at anybody who says his Kansas City Chiefs lucked into the playoffs.

"Let's don't get this thing twisted and think we backed into this deal," he said, eyes flashing. "We didn't lose. We won. We won the game we were supposed to win."

Nevertheless, the Chiefs (9-7) seemed the longest of long shots on Sunday when with several other teams they went into the final regular-season game with a chance to grab the sixth and final seed in the AFC. The Chiefs needed to beat Jacksonville, then have Denver, Tennessee and Cincinnati all lose at home.

The Chiefs did their part, beating the contending Jaguars 35-30 behind Larry Johnson's three touchdowns. Then New England beat the Titans, Cincinnati missed a field goal with a few seconds left and lost in overtime to Pittsburgh and Denver squandered an early lead and lost in overtime to San Francisco.

The players all left the stadium Sunday shortly after the Broncos and 49ers kicked off, thinking they would probably come in on Monday, pack and say their goodbyes.

Instead, many of them spent Sunday night and Monday morning canceling travel plans and they'll begin preparing to play the Colts on Saturday in Indianapolis as seven-point underdogs.

"Those other teams played at home. They didn't win," Edwards said. "That's not our fault. All we can do is win, and we did that and that's why we're in the playoffs, to be quite honest. We won enough games to get in the playoffs. It's very simple.

"Twenty teams are packing up today. We're not one of those 20. I don't want to hear about luck."

In a meeting that lasted only 15 minutes, Edwards pounded on the same theme with his players.

"I hear a lot of things about how we lucked into it, and how we did this," he said. "You know what? If we don't get in, if we don't win, and those other teams do, you know what they'll say? You didn't win."'

The Chiefs survived a rash of adversity and a three-game December losing streak to get to the postseason.

"And this team deserves it," Edwards said. "After everything they went through ... they won their way into the playoffs, period."

The Chiefs' first-year coach, who took the New York Jets to the playoffs three of his five years there, acknowledged he was feeling "defensive."

"That's exactly right. Because I don't want anybody to think that all of a sudden we lucked our way into this deal. We didn't luck our way into it. We won our way into it, just like those other teams had to win their way into it. And they didn't do it, to be quite honest.

"That's how I look at it. And I want this team to look at it that way, too. I don't want them to think that somebody gave us an out and said, `Hey, you can go because we don't want to go.'

"Are you kidding me? There's only 12 spots and we got a spot. We're one of the six. We're representing the National Football League and we're representing the Kansas City Chiefs."

Edwards declined to say exactly what he heard to get his anger up.

"You could sense it. I wasn't born at night." he said. "Believe me, you could sense it. I've been around a long time. You could just feel it."

"I think (the players) got the message. Loud and clear."

In related news, Herm Edwards angrily denies that the sun rises in the east and takes offense at the suggestion that water is wet.

Jenson71 · 01-01-2007, 04:24 PM

Nice.

Two things that definitely did not get the Chiefs into the playoffs:

Luck, and the ghost of Lamar Hunt.

Deberg_1990 · 01-01-2007, 04:31 PM

The Chiefs did what they supposed to do. They won the last 2 games of the season.

Cinci, Jax and the Donks choked.

**the Talking Can** · 01-01-2007, 04:36 PM

we lost our starting QB for most of the season and still made the playoffs...

they could have taken that angle....

**wazu** · 01-01-2007, 04:38 PM

It's hard to argue with Herm on this. It definitely feels like good luck because it all happened in Week 17, but there are events every week, beginning in Week 1 that radically effect the playoff picture. It's just different at the end because you know what those events are.

RINGLEADER · 01-01-2007, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam

It's hard to argue with Herm on this. It definitely feels like good luck because it all happened in Week 17, but there are events every week, beginning in Week 1 that radically effect the playoff picture. It's just different at the end because you know what those events are.

It feels like good luck because so many teams had to lose AFTER the Chiefs won. If the Chiefs were playing the Sunday night game people would be saying how it was lucky for the Chiefs to have a shot at the post-season but they would also have been saying they won their way in if the victory over the Jags happened AFTER the Broncos defeat.

What's really interesting to me is that if KC had won the Browns game it wouldn't have changed our position at all. In fact, if we had won all our close games (at Denver, at Miami, and at Cleveland) we would still only be the fifth seed. Frankly, I'm glad we're playing Indy this week instead of New England.

Everything happens for a reason I suspect...

Time's Yours · 01-01-2007, 05:20 PM

Did anybody watch that press conference? I loved it.

I agree with Herm completely. We won enough games to get in. So did the other 11 teams.

I guess every team is lucky to earn their respective seed because the teams under them lost more games?

The Broncos are just unlucky because we beat the Jags?

**RNR** · 01-01-2007, 05:21 PM

Every team plays 16 games, at the end of the season the best 12 go to the playoffs. You are in or going home. I dont think KC will do much but they won enough games to get in end of story.

jetsfan115 · 01-01-2007, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedNeckRaider

Every team plays 16 games, at the end of the season the best 12 go to the playoffs. You are in or going home. I dont think KC will do much but they won enough games to get in end of story.

the best 12 don't go. the best 6 in each division do. if the best 12 went then cincy and den would be in over the giants and cowboys

**RNR** · 01-01-2007, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jetsfan115

the best 12 don't go. the best 6 in each division do. if the best 12 went then cincy and den would be in over the giants and cowboys

I understand your point, in this case I dont see much difference in the teams you listed.

Halfcan · 01-01-2007, 04:40 PM

Luck plays a part in every football game. Remember last year-it seemed every fumble bounced to the other team.

Jenson71 · 01-01-2007, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halfcan

Luck plays a part in every football game. Remember last year-it seemed every fumble bounced to the other team.

That's not luck. That's physics.

Football = a game that DOES NOT come down to luck. (Or ghosts)

TN_Chief · 01-01-2007, 04:44 PM

I agree that teams win/lose all year long, and that of course they'll continue to do so even in week 17. The Chiefs took care of business yesterday, and that was good, but they were still dependent on other teams to get in. Both the Bengals and the Broncos lost in somewhat unusual/fluke ways:

Bengals - at home, blown short FG to go to OT.
Broncos - at home, choke away a lead to the Niners (shaky team), win the toss in OT and have 2 posessions in OT without scoring.

Luck was an element, OK?

01-01-2007, 04:24 PM	#2
Jenson71 fides quaerens intellectum Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: United States Casino cash: $8330900	Nice. Two things that definitely did not get the Chiefs into the playoffs: Luck, and the ghost of Lamar Hunt.
Posts: 15,986

01-01-2007, 04:31 PM	#3
Deberg_1990 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $3554454	The Chiefs did what they supposed to do. They won the last 2 games of the season. Cinci, Jax and the Donks choked. __________________ Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning: Matt once made a very nice play in Seattle where he spun away from a pass rusher and hit Bowe off his back foot for a first down. One of the best plays Matt has ever made.
Posts: 66,914

01-01-2007, 04:36 PM	#4
the Talking Can Supporter Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: street Casino cash: $10022208	we lost our starting QB for most of the season and still made the playoffs... they could have taken that angle.... __________________ Clark Hunt: "Thank god for the Dominican pool boy"
Posts: 51,585

01-01-2007, 04:38 PM	#5
wazu ... Join Date: May 2002 Location: Kansas City, MO Casino cash: $1742295 VARSITY	It's hard to argue with Herm on this. It definitely feels like good luck because it all happened in Week 17, but there are events every week, beginning in Week 1 that radically effect the playoff picture. It's just different at the end because you know what those events are.
Posts: 28,057

01-01-2007, 05:20 PM	#7
Time's Yours Starter Join Date: Dec 2006 Casino cash: $7477317	Did anybody watch that press conference? I loved it. I agree with Herm completely. We won enough games to get in. So did the other 11 teams. I guess every team is lucky to earn their respective seed because the teams under them lost more games? The Broncos are just unlucky because we beat the Jags?
Posts: 510

01-01-2007, 05:21 PM	#8
RNR America is great assholes~ Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: In some people's mind~ Casino cash: $10027990	Every team plays 16 games, at the end of the season the best 12 go to the playoffs. You are in or going home. I dont think KC will do much but they won enough games to get in end of story. __________________ The Trump campaign and Black Lives Matter movement are perfect for each other. Both sides filled with easily led and angry nitwits convinced they are victims~
Posts: 31,085

01-01-2007, 04:40 PM	#13
Halfcan In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2005 Casino cash: $7327995	Luck plays a part in every football game. Remember last year-it seemed every fumble bounced to the other team.
Posts: 43,200

01-01-2007, 04:44 PM	#15
TN_Chief Herm Edwards is...Kim Jong-il Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Eden Prairie, MN Casino cash: $10004900	I agree that teams win/lose all year long, and that of course they'll continue to do so even in week 17. The Chiefs took care of business yesterday, and that was good, but they were still dependent on other teams to get in. Both the Bengals and the Broncos lost in somewhat unusual/fluke ways: Bengals - at home, blown short FG to go to OT. Broncos - at home, choke away a lead to the Niners (shaky team), win the toss in OT and have 2 posessions in OT without scoring. Luck was an element, OK?
Posts: 1,049