Tony Gonzalez opens up on Herm with both barrels - Page 10

Hammock Parties · 12-02-2007, 11:04 PM

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chi...ry/387172.html

Chiefs can’t come back against Chargers
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star

The Chiefs lost their ability to make enough plays to win close games some time ago. They ran out of explanations shortly afterward.

Now they’re just plain out of gas. They trailed by a mere touchdown for most of the second half of Sunday’s game against San Diego at Arrowhead Stadium, but they might have played until midnight without getting that elusive tying score.

So they wound up losing 24-10, and the defeat pushed the 4-8 Chiefs to the brink of extinction in what passes for a race in the AFC West. They’re officially done if they lose to the Broncos in Denver next week.

The Chiefs tried their usual formula — keep things close until the fourth quarter and make the plays to win it then. It worked for them earlier in the season but again failed on Sunday when they were shut out in the final quarter for the fourth straight game.

“I’m tired of it and don’t want to play this style of football,” Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez said. “It’s not what I’m into. I don’t think Herm (Edwards) wants to. We want to win. Let’s get it over with. I don’t want to keep the game close until the second half because we’re a second-half team. That’s bull. Let’s just go out there and win a football game.

“Let’s get rid of that stress. I’m tired of it. I’m sitting on the sideline thinking, ‘Here we go again.’ You can’t help but let those thoughts creep into your mind.”

That crisis of confidence was evident Sunday. Their seven-point deficit for most of the second half felt to them like a lot more.

Things got so bad for the offense that its only touchdown was scored by defensive end Jared Allen, who played on the goal-line ostensibly for blocking purposes. And Allen had to make a great catch of Damon Huard’s fade pass to do it.

“When you’re desperate,” Edwards said, “you do desperate things.”

Edwards hasn’t been desperate enough to change his philosophy on how to win. He defended it again Sunday, saying it’s the only way the Chiefs have a chance.

“We made plays (to win some early-season games),” Edwards said, referring to wins over Minnesota, San Diego and Oakland, all games the Chiefs salvaged in the fourth quarter. “That’s how we won.

“We have to play a certain way. We try to do that to protect the quarterback and make sure we can throw the ball. You have all of these fancy ideas there at the end and there are certain things we’re stuck with because of how we have to play.

“That’s OK. You can still win games that way. We just can’t get behind like that because that just puts you in a bad, bad way.”

The burden of keeping the game close fell to the defense, which again caved in. LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns in the second half.

“We know they’re going to make plays, realistically,” Allen said. “But to (heck) with that. Our mind-set has to be that they won’t make any plays. When stuff like that becomes acceptable, and all of a sudden you find yourself saying, ‘Oh, here we go again,’ that’s when the same (stuff) happens. That’s what’s been happening.

“We need to change the mind-set around here. The mind-set has got to be that this is not acceptable to lose at home. It’s not acceptable to be 10-10 at halftime and lose 24-10.”

The marvel regarding the Chiefs is not the five-game losing streak, their longest since 2000, or the five Arrowhead losses, most since they also lost five in 2001.

It’s that with this team — even with its numerous and obvious flaws — they won four of five games earlier in the season.

“Even then, we had some issues,” guard Brian Waters said. “When you look at games like Chicago and Houston, we had a couple of opportunities to come back in those games as well.

“We’ve started slowly in some parts of the season and now we’re not finishing the way we were. Really, we’re just trying to find a complete game.”

TEX · 12-03-2007, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikey23545

Absolutely.

I can't believe what it has become.

Since Herm arrived?

TEX · 12-03-2007, 07:26 AM

“I’m tired of it and don’t want to play this style of football,” Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez said. “It’s not what I’m into. I don’t think Herm (Edwards) wants to. We want to win. Let’s get it over with.

Maybe I'm not seeeing how he called Herm out. He said,"It's not what I'm into. I don't think Herm wants to."

TEX · 12-03-2007, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcxiv

IMO, the Defense is close to being a finished product. They have been pretty damned good all year considering how piss poor our Defense is.

Let's hope not. Our Defense BLOWS against the run. It's been that way all year. Nap Harris is no better than Mitchell was. This defense folds late in games the same way DV's did. Now, that might be becaise the offense is the worst in football and the defense is on the field for so long, but still, though improved, this defeense is nothing to hang your hat on.

King_Chief_Fan · 12-03-2007, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chagrin

Remember Guntha's run, run, run, then pass offense? The one that Elvis threw for 3,000 and 4,000 yards in? Gunther may have drafted like shit but he got more out of his shitty drafts than Herm has gotten out of his good drafts.
Not at all saying Gunther should have stayed or should return, just comparing them.

and to think Herm will stay employed. Gunther was gone after 2 seasons. His record was .500. Herm's......TBD.

**Easy 6** · 12-03-2007, 07:35 AM

While he didnt come right out & say "I'm sick to death of Herms style", he might as well have.

He took a direct swipe at Herms stated philosophy, which is to keep it close until the second half & hang on tight for the win.

But to be fair to Herm & Solari, i totally agree with those who've said that we DID try to open it up today...spread, tricks, 4th&whatever, 1st down passing etc.

But the line & Huard werent up to the task, to me THAT is the story behind this loss.

TEX · 12-03-2007, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scott free

While he didnt come right out & say "I'm sick to death of Herms style", he might as well have.

He took a direct swipe at Herms stated philosophy, which is to keep it close until the second half & hang on tight for the win.

But to be fair to Herm & Solari, i totally agree with those who've said that we DID try to open it up today...spread, tricks, 4th&whatever, 1st down passing etc.

But the line & Huard werent up to the task, to me THAT is the story behind this loss.

I agree. However, Herm KNEW what we had in the OL and QB BEFORE the season. He was Okay with it. He instructed us to "dummy-down the offense". You can't just turn it on when you want if you've been running things a certain way for so long. We CHOSE this path. Herm's been here long enough to be held accountable for part of the mess. It's not all DV's fault. Why some give him a free pass is beyond me. Anyway, that's just my opinion.

thehead · 12-03-2007, 07:43 AM

[QUOTE=scott free]While he didnt come right out & say "I'm sick to death of Herms style", he might as well have.

But to be fair to Herm & Solari, i totally agree with those who've said that we DID try to open it up today...spread, tricks, 4th&whatever, 1st
down passing etc.
]

Horrid locked on to TG did not look at another player ,so I will not give Solari or Herm any credit other then being bad game mangers

**the Talking Can** · 12-03-2007, 07:48 AM

Tony regrets resigning every day....he career will end playing Herm ball.

The whole philosophy of "playing to maybe get lucky in the 4th quarter" is outmoded...it is stupid and cowardly. It is also the essence of Herm Edwards.

You can't play to "stay close." You have to play to win...from the very first snap.

But Tony knows, we never have a chance because our coach gives up before the game even starts. He's a coward and a loser.

Reerun_KC · 12-03-2007, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

Tony regrets resigning every day....he career will end playing Herm ball.

The whole philosophy of "playing to maybe get lucky in the 4th quarter" is outmoded...it is stupid and cowardly. It is also the essence of Herm Edwards.

You can't play to "stay close." You have to play to win...from the very first snap.

But Tony knows, we never have a chance because our coach gives up before the game even starts. He's a coward and a loser.

The War is already won before the battle is ever fought with Herm Edwards... /Bill Belichek

Mecca · 12-03-2007, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikey23545

Absolutely.

I can't believe what it has become.

Wait so the board sucks now because people don't like Herm or how the organization is doing things?

Reerun_KC · 12-03-2007, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mecca

Wait so the board sucks now because people don't like Herm or how the organization is doing things?

Yep, unless we follow Herm blindly and drink Carls Red Koo-Aid, we are not fans.

Maybe they should move over to WPI and post....

Mecca · 12-03-2007, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reerun_KC

Yep, unless we follow Herm blindly and drink Carls Red Koo-Aid, we are not fans.

Maybe they should move over to WPI and post....

See shit like that pisses me off. If you weren't a fan you wouldn't care at all....honestly part of being a fan is to show your displeasure when the organization does stupid things.

If everyone just sat back and swallowed it..well you get things like Carl for 19 years and that makes you an enabler..so how's that make them "better fans"?

Chiefnj2 · 12-03-2007, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

Tony regrets resigning every day....he career will end playing Herm ball.

The whole philosophy of "playing to maybe get lucky in the 4th quarter" is outmoded...it is stupid and cowardly. It is also the essence of Herm Edwards.

You can't play to "stay close." You have to play to win...from the very first snap.

But Tony knows, we never have a chance because our coach gives up before the game even starts. He's a coward and a loser.

I'm sick of Tony's post game whining. When the season ended last year he made a comment about how tiring it was to continually lose and he wasn't sure where he would end up playing. Then Carl offers to make him the highest paid TE in the game (again) and he's happy to sign on the dotted line. At the time he signed his extension he knew damn well the direction the team was headed and the philosophy of the head coach. He could have tried to insist on some changes, etc., but he was happy with the cash.

**Rausch** · 12-03-2007, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Has the defense gone from perennial number 32 to number 9 in the NFL?

Yes.

Do I think that the Chiefs will address their offensive line woes in the off-season?

Yes.

That's where I'm sitting. There was a lot of rebuilding to be done after last year and it seems we started defense first. I think the FO really underestimated the rate of decline on our line. We were respectable last year and it seems the conventional wisdom was that if we could get respectable play out of Shields' replacement we'd be respectable.

No.

Huard had a better line last year and looked better. So did LJ for that matter.

We have more playmakers this year (Bowe, Gonzo, Smith, LJ) than last year but we can't string together long drives because we can't get consistent play out of the line.

Mecca · 12-03-2007, 08:29 AM

It'll get worse before it gets better...cdcox perfectly explained why.

12-02-2007, 11:04 PM
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $1000478	Tony Gonzalez opens up on Herm with both barrels http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chi...ry/387172.html Chiefs can’t come back against Chargers By ADAM TEICHER The Kansas City Star The Chiefs lost their ability to make enough plays to win close games some time ago. They ran out of explanations shortly afterward. Now they’re just plain out of gas. They trailed by a mere touchdown for most of the second half of Sunday’s game against San Diego at Arrowhead Stadium, but they might have played until midnight without getting that elusive tying score. So they wound up losing 24-10, and the defeat pushed the 4-8 Chiefs to the brink of extinction in what passes for a race in the AFC West. They’re officially done if they lose to the Broncos in Denver next week. The Chiefs tried their usual formula — keep things close until the fourth quarter and make the plays to win it then. It worked for them earlier in the season but again failed on Sunday when they were shut out in the final quarter for the fourth straight game. “I’m tired of it and don’t want to play this style of football,” Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez said. “It’s not what I’m into. I don’t think Herm (Edwards) wants to. We want to win. Let’s get it over with. I don’t want to keep the game close until the second half because we’re a second-half team. That’s bull. Let’s just go out there and win a football game. “Let’s get rid of that stress. I’m tired of it. I’m sitting on the sideline thinking, ‘Here we go again.’ You can’t help but let those thoughts creep into your mind.” That crisis of confidence was evident Sunday. Their seven-point deficit for most of the second half felt to them like a lot more. Things got so bad for the offense that its only touchdown was scored by defensive end Jared Allen, who played on the goal-line ostensibly for blocking purposes. And Allen had to make a great catch of Damon Huard’s fade pass to do it. “When you’re desperate,” Edwards said, “you do desperate things.” Edwards hasn’t been desperate enough to change his philosophy on how to win. He defended it again Sunday, saying it’s the only way the Chiefs have a chance. “We made plays (to win some early-season games),” Edwards said, referring to wins over Minnesota, San Diego and Oakland, all games the Chiefs salvaged in the fourth quarter. “That’s how we won. “We have to play a certain way. We try to do that to protect the quarterback and make sure we can throw the ball. You have all of these fancy ideas there at the end and there are certain things we’re stuck with because of how we have to play. “That’s OK. You can still win games that way. We just can’t get behind like that because that just puts you in a bad, bad way.” The burden of keeping the game close fell to the defense, which again caved in. LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. “We know they’re going to make plays, realistically,” Allen said. “But to (heck) with that. Our mind-set has to be that they won’t make any plays. When stuff like that becomes acceptable, and all of a sudden you find yourself saying, ‘Oh, here we go again,’ that’s when the same (stuff) happens. That’s what’s been happening. “We need to change the mind-set around here. The mind-set has got to be that this is not acceptable to lose at home. It’s not acceptable to be 10-10 at halftime and lose 24-10.” The marvel regarding the Chiefs is not the five-game losing streak, their longest since 2000, or the five Arrowhead losses, most since they also lost five in 2001. It’s that with this team — even with its numerous and obvious flaws — they won four of five games earlier in the season. “Even then, we had some issues,” guard Brian Waters said. “When you look at games like Chicago and Houston, we had a couple of opportunities to come back in those games as well. “We’ve started slowly in some parts of the season and now we’re not finishing the way we were. Really, we’re just trying to find a complete game.”
Posts: 296,770

12-03-2007, 07:26 AM	#137
TEX Out Gunning CP's Fandom Police Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Galveston, TX Casino cash: $-1246873	“I’m tired of it and don’t want to play this style of football,” Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez said. “It’s not what I’m into. I don’t think Herm (Edwards) wants to. We want to win. Let’s get it over with. Maybe I'm not seeeing how he called Herm out. He said,"It's not what I'm into. I don't think Herm wants to." __________________ "Do we have time to run WASP?"
Posts: 37,057

12-03-2007, 07:35 AM	#140
Easy 6 pie is never free Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: the drivers seat Casino cash: $17775	While he didnt come right out & say "I'm sick to death of Herms style", he might as well have. He took a direct swipe at Herms stated philosophy, which is to keep it close until the second half & hang on tight for the win. But to be fair to Herm & Solari, i totally agree with those who've said that we DID try to open it up today...spread, tricks, 4th&whatever, 1st down passing etc. But the line & Huard werent up to the task, to me THAT is the story behind this loss.
Posts: 98,275

12-03-2007, 07:43 AM	#142
thehead still a fu#king KC fan Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Ashdown AR Casino cash: $10004900	[QUOTE=scott free]While he didnt come right out & say "I'm sick to death of Herms style", he might as well have. But to be fair to Herm & Solari, i totally agree with those who've said that we DID try to open it up today...spread, tricks, 4th&whatever, 1st down passing etc. ] Horrid locked on to TG did not look at another player ,so I will not give Solari or Herm any credit other then being bad game mangers __________________ The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering
Posts: 631

12-03-2007, 07:48 AM	#143
the Talking Can Supporter Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: street Casino cash: $9352208	Tony regrets resigning every day....he career will end playing Herm ball. The whole philosophy of "playing to maybe get lucky in the 4th quarter" is outmoded...it is stupid and cowardly. It is also the essence of Herm Edwards. You can't play to "stay close." You have to play to win...from the very first snap. But Tony knows, we never have a chance because our coach gives up before the game even starts. He's a coward and a loser. __________________ Clark Hunt: "Thank god for the Dominican pool boy"
Posts: 51,585

12-03-2007, 08:29 AM	#150
Mecca Hockey Town Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Casino cash: $-522950	It'll get worse before it gets better...cdcox perfectly explained why.
Posts: 115,257