2bikemike
12-28-2004, 02:29 AM
Posted on Tue, Dec. 28, 2004
JOHN SLEEZER/The Kansas City Star
Rookie receiver Samie Parker has made his presence felt the last two games, coming up with several clutch catches.
Better to receive
Emergence of several wideouts makes a helpful Christmas present for the Chiefs
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
If December proved anything to the Chiefs, it's that energy spent worrying about their future at wide receiver was wasted.
Rookie Samie Parker and Chris Horn didn't begin the season with the Chiefs but are now key players. Another rookie, Richard Smith, was back in uniform for the first time since his early-season fiasco and played without catching a pass in last week's win over Oakland.
Even Eddie Kennison, who against the Raiders became the first Chiefs wide receiver to top 1,000 yards in a season since Derrick Alexander in 2000, looks as if he has plenty left.
These sudden developments have the Chiefs thinking they may be better off at receiver than they originally believed. That's not even counting Marc Boerigter, who missed this season because of a knee injury, and veteran Johnnie Morton, who missed the last two games because of a knee injury.
Morton also has a base salary of $3 million next season and may be too pricey for the Chiefs.
On Sunday's fourth-quarter touchdown drive, three of the four passes that Trent Green completed to wide receivers went to Parker and Horn. All were in long-yardage situations, and each gave the Chiefs a first down.
The fourth one went to Kennison for 21 yards.
Maybe it's a coincidence, yet the Chiefs, with this partially new cast of players at wide receiver, succeeded by getting the touchdown where they had failed so many times in the fourth quarter of earlier games.
But the Chiefs don't look back at what might have been had they given those players more time on the field earlier in the season. They may have benefited more from letting the younger receivers — Parker in particular — grow at their own pace.
“By getting them the opportunity to practice and get eased into the system as opposed to being thrown in there right away … This is a complicated offense in terms of shifting and movement,” Green said. “We probably have 20 or more protections and route combinations.
“To say they would have had that success early, I don't know about that. I don't know if they would have been prepared mentally. Physically, they obviously have the tools.”
The fourth quarter against the Raiders showed just how much the receiving situation has evolved since September's first two games against Denver and Carolina. Veterans Kennison, Morton and Dante Hall were the only wide receivers to catch a pass.
In the four December games, Kennison was the Chiefs' leading wide receiver with 23 catches. He was followed by Parker with six. Horn and Hall each had five, Morton three.
Most pleasing to the Chiefs is the rapid development of Parker. He played in one game — and then only sparingly — before catching three passes and scoring a 48-yard touchdown Dec. 19 against Denver.
He showed his speed on that touchdown but was maybe more impressive with his two late catches against the Raiders. He showed the presence of a veteran by getting his feet down before being pushed out of bounds for a 14-yard gain.
“What I like about Samie as much as anything other than his talent is his poise,” coach Dick Vermeil said. “The game is not too big for him. It might have been too big for him if we had put him in earlier and he wasn't sure of himself. You get a good feeling with Samie on the sideline. He has some good understanding and good confidence.
“I've seen young ballplayers go into games and you look into their eyes and you see the back of their head. It's real glaring. They're a little bit nervous and a little bit concerned. Samie doesn't show that. He shows poise and goes right in and doesn't make a mistake and does what he's supposed to do and catches balls as a matter of fact and goes on. It's pleasing.”
The Chiefs weren't definitive Monday whether Morton would play in Sunday's final regular-season game at San Diego. His return would affect Parker's playing time.
Regardless, Parker figures to challenge for time on the field next season as a starter in Morton's spot or as a third receiver.
“He'll be better than what he is this year,” Vermeil said. “A rookie with the right frame of mind and the right offseason, when he finishes strong his rookie year, if he has the right attitude, he always starts out ahead of where he finished up. Training camp is so much more meaningful to you then. Now you're growing in fundamentals and not just wondering what you're supposed to be doing. He'll make a big jump and be competitive next year.”
To reach Adam Teicher, Chiefs reporter for The Star, call
(816) 234-4875 or send e-mail
JOHN SLEEZER/The Kansas City Star
Rookie receiver Samie Parker has made his presence felt the last two games, coming up with several clutch catches.
Better to receive
Emergence of several wideouts makes a helpful Christmas present for the Chiefs
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
If December proved anything to the Chiefs, it's that energy spent worrying about their future at wide receiver was wasted.
Rookie Samie Parker and Chris Horn didn't begin the season with the Chiefs but are now key players. Another rookie, Richard Smith, was back in uniform for the first time since his early-season fiasco and played without catching a pass in last week's win over Oakland.
Even Eddie Kennison, who against the Raiders became the first Chiefs wide receiver to top 1,000 yards in a season since Derrick Alexander in 2000, looks as if he has plenty left.
These sudden developments have the Chiefs thinking they may be better off at receiver than they originally believed. That's not even counting Marc Boerigter, who missed this season because of a knee injury, and veteran Johnnie Morton, who missed the last two games because of a knee injury.
Morton also has a base salary of $3 million next season and may be too pricey for the Chiefs.
On Sunday's fourth-quarter touchdown drive, three of the four passes that Trent Green completed to wide receivers went to Parker and Horn. All were in long-yardage situations, and each gave the Chiefs a first down.
The fourth one went to Kennison for 21 yards.
Maybe it's a coincidence, yet the Chiefs, with this partially new cast of players at wide receiver, succeeded by getting the touchdown where they had failed so many times in the fourth quarter of earlier games.
But the Chiefs don't look back at what might have been had they given those players more time on the field earlier in the season. They may have benefited more from letting the younger receivers — Parker in particular — grow at their own pace.
“By getting them the opportunity to practice and get eased into the system as opposed to being thrown in there right away … This is a complicated offense in terms of shifting and movement,” Green said. “We probably have 20 or more protections and route combinations.
“To say they would have had that success early, I don't know about that. I don't know if they would have been prepared mentally. Physically, they obviously have the tools.”
The fourth quarter against the Raiders showed just how much the receiving situation has evolved since September's first two games against Denver and Carolina. Veterans Kennison, Morton and Dante Hall were the only wide receivers to catch a pass.
In the four December games, Kennison was the Chiefs' leading wide receiver with 23 catches. He was followed by Parker with six. Horn and Hall each had five, Morton three.
Most pleasing to the Chiefs is the rapid development of Parker. He played in one game — and then only sparingly — before catching three passes and scoring a 48-yard touchdown Dec. 19 against Denver.
He showed his speed on that touchdown but was maybe more impressive with his two late catches against the Raiders. He showed the presence of a veteran by getting his feet down before being pushed out of bounds for a 14-yard gain.
“What I like about Samie as much as anything other than his talent is his poise,” coach Dick Vermeil said. “The game is not too big for him. It might have been too big for him if we had put him in earlier and he wasn't sure of himself. You get a good feeling with Samie on the sideline. He has some good understanding and good confidence.
“I've seen young ballplayers go into games and you look into their eyes and you see the back of their head. It's real glaring. They're a little bit nervous and a little bit concerned. Samie doesn't show that. He shows poise and goes right in and doesn't make a mistake and does what he's supposed to do and catches balls as a matter of fact and goes on. It's pleasing.”
The Chiefs weren't definitive Monday whether Morton would play in Sunday's final regular-season game at San Diego. His return would affect Parker's playing time.
Regardless, Parker figures to challenge for time on the field next season as a starter in Morton's spot or as a third receiver.
“He'll be better than what he is this year,” Vermeil said. “A rookie with the right frame of mind and the right offseason, when he finishes strong his rookie year, if he has the right attitude, he always starts out ahead of where he finished up. Training camp is so much more meaningful to you then. Now you're growing in fundamentals and not just wondering what you're supposed to be doing. He'll make a big jump and be competitive next year.”
To reach Adam Teicher, Chiefs reporter for The Star, call
(816) 234-4875 or send e-mail