philfree
12-20-2004, 11:26 PM
GRETZ: A Foundation is Formed
Dec 20, 2004, 5:08:50 AM by Bob Gretz
The voicemail message was time stamped at 3:30 Sunday afternoon.
“Gretz, what are they doing?” screeched this Chiefs fan, the sounds of the parking lot at Arrowhead Stadium in the background. “Three weeks ago they were in line to have one of the top five picks in the draft. Now, after this game, they will probably be drafting in the middle of the first round. This winning is killing us.”
Should you happen to be one of those fans that believe there are only two categories of Chiefs football – make the playoffs or get the highest draft position possible – then Sunday’s domination of the Denver Broncos was not a fun afternoon. The victory did not move the Chiefs any closer to a post-season berth.
And yes, it did set back their possible position near the top of the 2005 NFL Draft. They have won three straight and now have a legitimate chance to finish the season with a .500 record.
But beating Oakland, Tennessee and Denver is not killing the Chiefs; quite the contrary. While it may not be setting them up for a high position in the 2005 NFL Draft, this late season winning streak is setting up a foundation for the 2005 regular season.
The Chiefs accomplished two very important things by beating the Broncos. First, they won, and nothing is better than winning, especially in the NFL. When there are only 16 games on the schedule, there is never a time when grabbing another victory isn’t important or meaningful.
Second, they won while playing a host of younger players, guys that have a chance to make big contributions next season. The Chiefs had 11 players who made a mark in Sunday’s game who are 25 years or younger. Check out this list:
Jordan Black: Started his second consecutive game at right tackle and was part of a winning effort, with an offense that produced 400+ yards. He’s 24 years old.
Larry Johnson: Ran for a pair of touchdowns, while carrying the ball 30 times for 151 yards. He showed speed and power and did it against one of the better defenses in the NFL. He’s also 24 years old.
Jared Allen: It was a tough day for Allen at right defensive end, but he’s been having a good season and is just 22.
Kawika Mitchell: Yes, he’s been inconsistent at middle linebacker, but Mitchell played one of his better games against Denver. The 24-year old had 10 tackles and was credited with two sacks.
Dante Hall: Things always seem to go better for the Chiefs when Hall returns a punt or kickoff for a touchdown. His 97-yard kickoff return got things started. Dante is 25 years old.
Samie Parker: The rookie got his first real playing time and produced three catches for 84 yards, including his initial NFL touchdown, a 48-yarder from Trent Green. Parker is 23 years old.
Scott Fujita: According to defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham, the 25-year old Fujita had a breakthrough game against Denver, with three tackles and he spent a lot of time covering tight end Jeb Putzier, who caught three passes for 30 yards.
Benny Sapp: The rookie free agent who is 23 years old got extensive playing time in the second half in the Chiefs “dime” or six-DB defense and broke up several passes.
Junior Siavii: The rookie defensive tackle was credited with one tackle as he blew through the Denver offensive line to make a stick in the backfield. Siavii is 25 years old.
Jimmy Wilkerson: The second-year defensive end has been a bit of a disappointment this season, but he was in the mix against Denver, getting a sack of Jake Plummer. He’s just 23 years old.
Willie Pile: Started at strong safety and the 24-year old had two tackles on defense and another on kick coverage.
This is not to say that the veterans on this team did not contribute. Eddie Kennison had another 100-yard receiving day, Trent Green was calmly efficient, Will Shields and Willie Roaf had their normal top-rated performances and Lional Dalton was a factor in the middle of the line of scrimmage for the Chiefs defense.
However, when the Chiefs were 3-8 and the dreams of the playoffs were shattered, this team needed to find out about the guys on the bottom end of their roster. Heading into 2005, they had to have a full knowledge of strengths and weaknesses on their roster.
Not only is that happening, but those younger guys are getting a chance to learn how to win. They are building a foundation for 2005 that can’t be found anywhere else. The Chiefs victory over Denver was significant, not only for this season, but the next.
The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Kansas City Chiefs.
-----------------------------------------
Hre's to our youngsters developing and continuing to win over the next two weeks :toast:
PhilFree :arrow:
Dec 20, 2004, 5:08:50 AM by Bob Gretz
The voicemail message was time stamped at 3:30 Sunday afternoon.
“Gretz, what are they doing?” screeched this Chiefs fan, the sounds of the parking lot at Arrowhead Stadium in the background. “Three weeks ago they were in line to have one of the top five picks in the draft. Now, after this game, they will probably be drafting in the middle of the first round. This winning is killing us.”
Should you happen to be one of those fans that believe there are only two categories of Chiefs football – make the playoffs or get the highest draft position possible – then Sunday’s domination of the Denver Broncos was not a fun afternoon. The victory did not move the Chiefs any closer to a post-season berth.
And yes, it did set back their possible position near the top of the 2005 NFL Draft. They have won three straight and now have a legitimate chance to finish the season with a .500 record.
But beating Oakland, Tennessee and Denver is not killing the Chiefs; quite the contrary. While it may not be setting them up for a high position in the 2005 NFL Draft, this late season winning streak is setting up a foundation for the 2005 regular season.
The Chiefs accomplished two very important things by beating the Broncos. First, they won, and nothing is better than winning, especially in the NFL. When there are only 16 games on the schedule, there is never a time when grabbing another victory isn’t important or meaningful.
Second, they won while playing a host of younger players, guys that have a chance to make big contributions next season. The Chiefs had 11 players who made a mark in Sunday’s game who are 25 years or younger. Check out this list:
Jordan Black: Started his second consecutive game at right tackle and was part of a winning effort, with an offense that produced 400+ yards. He’s 24 years old.
Larry Johnson: Ran for a pair of touchdowns, while carrying the ball 30 times for 151 yards. He showed speed and power and did it against one of the better defenses in the NFL. He’s also 24 years old.
Jared Allen: It was a tough day for Allen at right defensive end, but he’s been having a good season and is just 22.
Kawika Mitchell: Yes, he’s been inconsistent at middle linebacker, but Mitchell played one of his better games against Denver. The 24-year old had 10 tackles and was credited with two sacks.
Dante Hall: Things always seem to go better for the Chiefs when Hall returns a punt or kickoff for a touchdown. His 97-yard kickoff return got things started. Dante is 25 years old.
Samie Parker: The rookie got his first real playing time and produced three catches for 84 yards, including his initial NFL touchdown, a 48-yarder from Trent Green. Parker is 23 years old.
Scott Fujita: According to defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham, the 25-year old Fujita had a breakthrough game against Denver, with three tackles and he spent a lot of time covering tight end Jeb Putzier, who caught three passes for 30 yards.
Benny Sapp: The rookie free agent who is 23 years old got extensive playing time in the second half in the Chiefs “dime” or six-DB defense and broke up several passes.
Junior Siavii: The rookie defensive tackle was credited with one tackle as he blew through the Denver offensive line to make a stick in the backfield. Siavii is 25 years old.
Jimmy Wilkerson: The second-year defensive end has been a bit of a disappointment this season, but he was in the mix against Denver, getting a sack of Jake Plummer. He’s just 23 years old.
Willie Pile: Started at strong safety and the 24-year old had two tackles on defense and another on kick coverage.
This is not to say that the veterans on this team did not contribute. Eddie Kennison had another 100-yard receiving day, Trent Green was calmly efficient, Will Shields and Willie Roaf had their normal top-rated performances and Lional Dalton was a factor in the middle of the line of scrimmage for the Chiefs defense.
However, when the Chiefs were 3-8 and the dreams of the playoffs were shattered, this team needed to find out about the guys on the bottom end of their roster. Heading into 2005, they had to have a full knowledge of strengths and weaknesses on their roster.
Not only is that happening, but those younger guys are getting a chance to learn how to win. They are building a foundation for 2005 that can’t be found anywhere else. The Chiefs victory over Denver was significant, not only for this season, but the next.
The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Kansas City Chiefs.
-----------------------------------------
Hre's to our youngsters developing and continuing to win over the next two weeks :toast:
PhilFree :arrow: