Chiefs Gretz - It's Been Done Before - Page 5

C-Mac · 09-26-2008, 10:22 AM

It's Been Done Before
Sep 26, 2008, 8:46:46 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ

Not much fun being a Chiefs fans these days, is it? What with the franchise record 12-game losing streak, 21 quarters since the Chiefs have held the lead in a game and the fact that a loss this Sunday to Denver would give them a 0-4 start for the first time since 1980.

Funny thing about that 0-4 start some 28 years ago. The Chiefs finished that season 8-8. They were in the third-year of Marv Levy’s rebuilding project, one that began in 1978 with a 4-12 record, followed by 7-9 in the 1979 season.

Strange things happen when a team is rebuilding. There are dark days and seemingly no future. Then one day, a team that couldn’t get out of its way one week, pulls it together and starts winning. It has happened many times before.

I won’t take you back to the ‘80 Chiefs, who started 0-4 because just about every one of their starting offensive linemen was injured for the opening month. No, let’s look at something more recent.

The Tennessee Titans.

In 2003, the Titans were 12-4 and went to New England and lost a game in the playoffs to the Patriots, 17-14. They were a veteran team with guys like Derrick Mason, Steve McNair, Eddie George, Frank Wycheck, Kevin Carter, Jevon Kearse, Samari Role and Albert Haynesworth.

They were a veteran group, an old group and they were in salary cap jail. The Titans had kept many of their own stars with big money deals. They had little room to maneuver in free agency, whether it was keeping their own players that were coming up or signing others.

By the start of the ‘04 season, George, Wycheck and Kearse were gone. By the start of the ‘05 season, they were joined by Mason, Carter and Rolle. By the ‘06 season McNair was gone too. Only Haynesworth remained.

The ‘04 season finished with a 5-11 record. The ‘05 season finished with a final record of 4-12.

At the start of the ‘06 season, the Titans began 0-5. Combined with a 2-9 finish at the end of the ‘05 schedule, at one point they were 2-14, with an eight-game losing streak.

But while the record was going down, the talent level of young players was growing with good drafts in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

That ‘06 season started with a seven-point loss to the New York Jets. Then it was a 33-point defeat on the road to San Diego. Both of those clubs went to the playoffs that year. But in week No. 3, the Titans lost to Miami 13-10, a team that finished 6-10. They were crushed by Dallas at home 45-14, a Cowboys team that finished 9-7. Then it was the fifth straight loss for that ‘06 season, a one-pointer on the road to Indianapolis.

At that point, the Titans were 0-5, and they were averaging 12 points per game, while giving up 27 points per game. They had a rebuilt offense and a defense that had developed several players and sprinkled in with some veteran free agents, like LB David Thornton and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch. None were signed to contracts for big dollars.

It had been a season of tearing down, and then 21 games of rebuilding over two seasons. In that troubled time, the Titans were an ugly 9-28.

The eight-game losing streak ended in week No. 6, with a 25-22 victory on the road in Washington. Over the final 11 weeks of the ‘06 season, the Titans were 8-3.

Then last year, they went 10-6 and made the playoffs. This year they are 3-0.

So they went 9-28, and now they’ve gone 21-9.

It was hard. It was tough. It wasn’t easy. It’s not complete. The Titans have a problem at quarterback with their first-round guy from the ‘06 Draft in Vince Young. But they continue to win with veteran Kerry Collins. That’s because the rest of the team around him is so good and he’s not making the big mistakes that are part of his profile (176 career TD passes against 173 career INTs.)

The Titans didn’t just wake up one morning and suddenly were better. They paid a price. They got younger, they built through the draft and now, they are reaping the profits from their patience.

It’s a model for what the Chiefs are trying to do. It’s also a story that every Chiefs fan should remember during these dark days.

oaklandhater · 09-26-2008, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whitlock

Carl Peterson, who needs to be removed and a head coach, Herm Edwards, who foolishly jumped on Peterson's sinking ship

Sounds like he thinks herm should not be here next season.

Mecca · 09-26-2008, 06:24 PM

You know the difference in the Titans and Chiefs........Keith Bulluck and Derrick Johnson that should explain each organizations ability to develop players.

**DaneMcCloud** · 09-26-2008, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mecca

You know the difference in the Titans and Chiefs........Keith Bulluck and Derrick Johnson that should explain each organizations ability to develop players.

But Gunther developed Bullock!

Ask him; He'll tell you.

**cdcox** · 09-26-2008, 06:41 PM

I'm not interested in becoming the Titan's. This version of the Titans (spanning several seasons into the future) isn't on an arc that is going end with a Lombardi.

Hammock Parties · 09-26-2008, 06:46 PM

Did you honestly think the Giants were going to a Super Bowl with Eli Manning?

Mecca · 09-26-2008, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdcox

I'm not interested in becoming the Titan's. This version of the Titans (spanning several seasons into the future) isn't on an arc that is going end with a Lombardi.

And that is another good point, I have 0 desire to be the Titans.

**cdcox** · 09-26-2008, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Claythan

Did you honestly think the Giants were going to a Super Bowl with Eli Manning?

I never considered Eli a bust. Still thought he could develop. And I knew if that happened, they'd definitely get their shots. Did I think it would happen last year, no. But by the time the SB was here, I thought they could win one within the next few years.

Deberg_1990 · 09-26-2008, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Claythan

Did you honestly think the Giants were going to a Super Bowl with Eli Manning?

Eli has always been a more accomplished pocket passer than Young.

Chiefnj2 · 09-26-2008, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zouk

Yeah, that's right. Steve McNair never got hurt. And where's Vince Young?

Fisher never wanted Young.

Hopefully next year we'll see Syracuse's QB's getting beaten to a pulp and Herm standing stoically on the sideline in his new head coaching gig.

Hammock Parties · 09-26-2008, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Eli has always been a more accomplished pocket passer than Young.

Yeah but he was still pretty average. Sometimes, downright horrible. The Giants were a team in the Herm mold last season.

Deberg_1990 · 09-26-2008, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Claythan

The Giants were a team in the Herm mold last season.

If only we had their O-line, QB, defense and coaches.

Hammock Parties · 09-26-2008, 07:50 PM

I wish Dylan was on tonight. She could tell us how Giants fans all thought Coughlin was a giant reerun last year and prior.

Deberg_1990 · 09-26-2008, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Claythan

I wish Dylan was on tonight. She could tell us how Giants fans all thought Coughlin was a giant reerun last year and prior.

I remember that. Most everyone thought Coughlin was on his way out after 06.

**The Bad Guy** · 09-26-2008, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Claythan

Yeah but he was still pretty average. Sometimes, downright horrible. The Giants were a team in the Herm mold last season.

Again, you should how little you know about the game of football.

The Giants offense was very, very unpredictable. They used a power running game with Jacobs, flashed in Bradshaw. They had Burress stretching the field every chance he got.

Defensively, they applied more pressure than any defense I've seen since the Ravens.

Herm Edwards would have ran Jacobs up the centers ass 20 times and called on Jeff Feagles to help him win the game.

MOhillbilly · 09-26-2008, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FringeNC

**** this shit.

it's apparent that Herm/Carl (and Gunther) are absolutely terrible evaluators of talent AND Herm is an absolutely terrible head coach.

A guy told me once that the KC teams of the mid to late 90s didn't have as much talent as the team that was in town.
both teams went to the playoffs that year. the team with less talent went further.

09-26-2008, 10:22 AM
C-Mac Lurker Extraordinaire Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Wally World Casino cash: $-916301	Gretz - It's Been Done Before It's Been Done Before Sep 26, 2008, 8:46:46 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ Not much fun being a Chiefs fans these days, is it? What with the franchise record 12-game losing streak, 21 quarters since the Chiefs have held the lead in a game and the fact that a loss this Sunday to Denver would give them a 0-4 start for the first time since 1980. Funny thing about that 0-4 start some 28 years ago. The Chiefs finished that season 8-8. They were in the third-year of Marv Levy’s rebuilding project, one that began in 1978 with a 4-12 record, followed by 7-9 in the 1979 season. Strange things happen when a team is rebuilding. There are dark days and seemingly no future. Then one day, a team that couldn’t get out of its way one week, pulls it together and starts winning. It has happened many times before. I won’t take you back to the ‘80 Chiefs, who started 0-4 because just about every one of their starting offensive linemen was injured for the opening month. No, let’s look at something more recent. The Tennessee Titans. In 2003, the Titans were 12-4 and went to New England and lost a game in the playoffs to the Patriots, 17-14. They were a veteran team with guys like Derrick Mason, Steve McNair, Eddie George, Frank Wycheck, Kevin Carter, Jevon Kearse, Samari Role and Albert Haynesworth. They were a veteran group, an old group and they were in salary cap jail. The Titans had kept many of their own stars with big money deals. They had little room to maneuver in free agency, whether it was keeping their own players that were coming up or signing others. By the start of the ‘04 season, George, Wycheck and Kearse were gone. By the start of the ‘05 season, they were joined by Mason, Carter and Rolle. By the ‘06 season McNair was gone too. Only Haynesworth remained. The ‘04 season finished with a 5-11 record. The ‘05 season finished with a final record of 4-12. At the start of the ‘06 season, the Titans began 0-5. Combined with a 2-9 finish at the end of the ‘05 schedule, at one point they were 2-14, with an eight-game losing streak. But while the record was going down, the talent level of young players was growing with good drafts in 2004, 2005 and 2006. That ‘06 season started with a seven-point loss to the New York Jets. Then it was a 33-point defeat on the road to San Diego. Both of those clubs went to the playoffs that year. But in week No. 3, the Titans lost to Miami 13-10, a team that finished 6-10. They were crushed by Dallas at home 45-14, a Cowboys team that finished 9-7. Then it was the fifth straight loss for that ‘06 season, a one-pointer on the road to Indianapolis. At that point, the Titans were 0-5, and they were averaging 12 points per game, while giving up 27 points per game. They had a rebuilt offense and a defense that had developed several players and sprinkled in with some veteran free agents, like LB David Thornton and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch. None were signed to contracts for big dollars. It had been a season of tearing down, and then 21 games of rebuilding over two seasons. In that troubled time, the Titans were an ugly 9-28. The eight-game losing streak ended in week No. 6, with a 25-22 victory on the road in Washington. Over the final 11 weeks of the ‘06 season, the Titans were 8-3. Then last year, they went 10-6 and made the playoffs. This year they are 3-0. So they went 9-28, and now they’ve gone 21-9. It was hard. It was tough. It wasn’t easy. It’s not complete. The Titans have a problem at quarterback with their first-round guy from the ‘06 Draft in Vince Young. But they continue to win with veteran Kerry Collins. That’s because the rest of the team around him is so good and he’s not making the big mistakes that are part of his profile (176 career TD passes against 173 career INTs.) The Titans didn’t just wake up one morning and suddenly were better. They paid a price. They got younger, they built through the draft and now, they are reaping the profits from their patience. It’s a model for what the Chiefs are trying to do. It’s also a story that every Chiefs fan should remember during these dark days.
Posts: 5,656

09-26-2008, 06:24 PM	#62
Mecca Hockey Town Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Casino cash: $-502950	You know the difference in the Titans and Chiefs........Keith Bulluck and Derrick Johnson that should explain each organizations ability to develop players.
Posts: 115,252

09-26-2008, 06:41 PM	#64
cdcox www.nfl-forecast.com Join Date: Sep 2000 Casino cash: $-468231	I'm not interested in becoming the Titan's. This version of the Titans (spanning several seasons into the future) isn't on an arc that is going end with a Lombardi.
Posts: 46,032

09-26-2008, 06:46 PM	#65
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $1020478	Did you honestly think the Giants were going to a Super Bowl with Eli Manning? __________________ Chiefs game films
Posts: 296,731

09-26-2008, 07:50 PM	#72
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $1020478	I wish Dylan was on tonight. She could tell us how Giants fans all thought Coughlin was a giant reerun last year and prior. __________________ Chiefs game films
Posts: 296,731

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