Vermiel lowering expectations...

[DaWolf]

Vermeil alters expectations for offense, Green

By ADAM TEICHER - The Kansas City Star
Date: 09/16/01 22:15

The Chiefs return to practice today with altered expectations from their head coach.

Dick Vermeil, because of the unplanned break in weekend routine, had ample time to think about where the Chiefs' season is headed. He came to the realization that he can't expect the offense to be as strong as he initially hoped.

He also knows he can't expect quarterback Trent Green to be as spectacular as he was last season when Green was the NFL's second-rated passer for the St. Louis Rams.

The Chiefs' season resumes this Sunday against the New York Giants at Arrowhead Stadium. Last Sunday's scheduled game at Seattle was called off because of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. The Chiefs had yet to hear whether it whether it will be made up at season's end.

"I don't know if we're ever going to be explosive on offense," Vermeil said. "I think we can be efficient. I think we can be explosive on defense. I feel pretty good about the defense. We gave up too many yards (against Oakland), no question. But overall I think we can be pretty good on defense, maybe better than pretty good."

The offense and Green struggled in the 27-24 season-opening loss to Oakland, the only regular game the Chiefs have played. The wide receivers contributed just one catch, and the running game produced just 35 yards.

Green completed just 16 of 37 passes and wasn't as sharp as in the preseason, when Vermeil said he thought Green would be as effective as last season.

Vermeil scaled back that hope after studying video of the Raiders game.

"Can he make the same contribution that Kurt Warner makes to the Rams? No, because he doesn't have the same people," Vermeil said. "I think it's realistic that he can be in the 90-plus area of quarterback efficiency rating. The better our receivers get, the better the chance he has of doing that. If he doesn't, it won't be because he doesn't have the ability to.

"Regardless of the receivers, he isn't what he will be because of his (injured) knee. If Trent Green were a linebacker and you put him in the league opener after coming off a knee surgery, how do you think he would play? It isn't going to be lights-out."

A passer rating of 90-plus would still put Green at season's end among the NFL leaders. It might be a stretch to think he can get there without more help.

At no position could Green and the Chiefs use more help than wide receiver. The Chiefs last week flirted with the idea of signing veteran Keith Poole, who opted instead for Denver.

The Chiefs have talked with Cleveland about trading for wide receiver Kevin Johnson, but discussions stalled when the Browns asked for a third-round pick and the Chiefs countered by offering a fifth.

"If I was convinced he could come in and make a winning contribution to us right off the bat, then Carl (Peterson) and I would discuss it and come up with the best decision," Vermeil said. "We've all been burned on trading for somebody else's player. Then you find out why they were up for trade after you get 'em.

"I'm not against giving a third-round pick if he plays like a third-round pick. When he was drafted, he had the talent to perform. He was the 32nd player drafted. He had the talent to perform at a higher level than he's playing at now. But he hasn't for one reason or another."

The need becomes more critical if Derrick Alexander doesn't play Sunday. Alexander has been in and out of practice because of a sore Achilles' tendon, and though he played against Oakland he was held without a catch for the first time in almost two years.

"We're going to try new shoes for him with the thinking that the shoe design of his old shoes was affecting his Achilles' tendon," Vermeil said. "When your Achilles' are not right, it's tough. The Achilles' tendons have been MRIed and everything else. There's no structural damage, so we're not really worried about him popping an Achilles' tendon."

With or without Alexander, improvement may have to come from within. Vermeil said it was unlikely the Chiefs would acquire a receiver unless something changes.



"I'm not big on replacing players that have been in the program once the season gets started," he said.

"There's a need for improvement. I think we can get that improvement from our current group."

Vermeil alters expectations for offense, Green

[Hydrae]

I don't know if we're ever going to be explosive on offense

These are the words of a master motivator? Sure wouldn't motivate me very well. Then again I usually do prefer some positive feedback or at least a little belief. Last year Gun was ready to resign after the first game. Now Dick is ready to bag the entire offense after one game. I don't get it.

[The Bad Guy]

What is there not to get?

I don't recall a sentence in Teichers whole article that says Vermeil is ready to bag the offense. He is just clearly stating what everyone knows that this offense isn't explosive. Efficient yes, explosive it isn't.

Explosive offenses has dynamic wideouts. Our wideouts can't even put the IC in dynamic. We have efficient players though that can run it.

I don't know why Vermeil would lie and say we have the ability to be explosive, he is just stating the truth, but never does he say he is ready to bag it.

[Yosef_Malkovitch]

Uh oh, this is starting to sound eerily similar to martyball. Explosive defense, efficient offense. Of course with Marty, the offense was rarely even efficient. Deficient is much more like it.

[PunkinDrublic]

The thing about this weeks game being postponed is it would have been a confidence booster because the Chiefs would have easily defeated Seattle.

[ChiefGator]

Somehow I think we will be drafting all offense the next couple years unless we get lucky. I'm not convinced our troubles at DT are over, but I certainly hope so.

Wouldn't bu suprised to see us take WR's in the first and second next year.

- Mark

[gh4chiefs]

When I read this article this morning, it just really kind of deflated me. It didn't really say anything I didn't already know, but somehow hearing Vermeil say it really drove the point home. The quote in particular that got me was "We've all been burned on trading for somebody else's player. Then you find out why they were up for trade after you get 'em."

I know this quote was in the context of trading for a receiver, but I found myself wondering if somewhere deep down he didn't wonder a little bit about the Green trade too. The whole article just had a weird feel to it, IMHO.

[ck_IN]

This is good to hear. The preseason expectations for this team were wildly out of touch with reality. It's good to see DV attempting to ground things.

We are a 6-10 team gang. We might luck out and go 7-9 or 8-8 but the 11-5 posts we saw prior to 9 Sept were completely out of touch.

We need DA and Morris to get healthy. We need Green to look at more than one receiver and stop holding the ball so long. We need a RB. Perhaps a spread set with TRich as the single back would help there. Holmes is not the answer. Stickboy needs to stay in the slot. I wouldn't mind seeing Mayes brought back.

As for the draft and offseason, in no particular order we need a shutdown CB, run stuffing DT, speed WR and RB.

This will be a character building season and I'm pleased to see DV acknowledging the obvious. Although the garbage about Green's knee bugs me. We heard nothing but 'his knee is fine. His knee is 100%' now DV is trotting it out as an excuse. Green is a good to average QB that was oversold. Lets not make excuses for his good to average play. Lets acknowledge his strengths and find people to acceuntate them.

[KCTitus]

Im not suprised at this. I was suprised at the apparent lack of ability to get the ball to the WR's.

[Recker24]

I see this collumn in a totally different light than most of you. Dick Vermiel is trying to give the offense a little kick in the *ss with this article. He's trying to tell Green and Co, hey your not explosive, and the only way to prove that otherwise, is to do it on Sunday's. This is just a little kick on the butt to get things into gear. He is a motivator. We played pretty well against Oakland, being it our first game under Vermiel, Green, new offense, etc.....We will play better agianst the Giants, and expect a little more firepower from the offense this coming Sunday....A 6-10 team? NOPE.

[bishop_74]

I was really irritated that on the short ball, none of the WR could get open, and on the long ball, Green kept throwing WAAAAY off target. Maybe it was because he was pressured, but he looked worse than Grbac to me... and that hurts to say.

[bishop_74]

Sorry double post

[ck_IN]

The inability to get the ball to the WR's shouldn't be surprising at all. DA is hurt and was going against Woodsen, one of the best in the business. Minnis was getting schooled by Allen and facing his first NFL physical man on man coverage. Minnis was in way over his head and his talent level.

What concerned me most was the decisions that Green made. He should have had at least two more interceptions with his throws into traffic. And he looked completely confused in the pocket at times. Not to mention how he locked onto receivers.

DA will get healthy and get his catches. Minnis is a lost cause as long as he's facing physical CB's. Put him in the slot and he'll contribute. Green is the key. He needs to improve drasticly and quickly.

[KCJohnny]

This puts me in a quandary.
While I want this O to succeed, I saw this coming all along. We needed to get back to aggressive running the football and utilizing the talent we DO have (Richardson, Gonzales, Ricks) and not the talent the Rams have (WRs, Faulk).

This O looks worse than the Raye O IMO. At least the Raye O was good for 22-24 ppg and 400+ yds of total offense. And Raye's O had more TOP than this one.

I think this O will get on track once we pound some weak team and discover our own "groove." That 42-10 waxing of SD after being down 7-0 really surprised us all last season. Maybe something like that will happen this year and we'll see TR gain 150 yds or who knows what.

Note: it was NOT me that mentioned our former head coaches in the posts below!

KCJ
Ducking to avoid getting hit by flying eggs and tomatoes

[ChiTown]

KCJ

I won't toss any groceries at you, but I knew it would only be a matter of minutes before you posted on this topic in a "I told you so fashion".

You are becoming verrrrrrrrrrrry predictable.