Dr. Johnny Fever
01-03-2005, 10:53 AM
GRETZ: A Bitter End
Jan 03, 2005, 10:28:24 AM by Bob Gretz
The columnists of www.kcchiefs.com will give attention to what the Chiefs must do for the future in the week ahead.
SAN DIEGO – Maybe it was better that the Chiefs finished the season with a nasty, ugly defeat.
Now, I know there are some around Arrowhead Stadium that would not agree with that assessment. If you could have seen the look on Carl Peterson’s face in the locker room at Qualcomm Stadium after the game, you would know that he does not think that. Same for Dick Vermeil.
The Chiefs were going for respectability on Sunday against the Chargers. They were going for an 8-8 record, a five-game winning streak to finish up the season, a four-game winning streak within the division. Dick Vermeil called the game the Chiefs playoffs.
How did they respond? They got their butts kicked by the San Diego jayvee team. Preparing for their first round game in the playoffs, the Chargers sat Drew Brees, LaDanian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates and a host of others on offense for the entire game. Defensively, they went with their starters for the first half, but sat guys like Donnie Edwards and Steve Foley for the second half.
Still, the Chargers controlled this game from start to finish. They picked off Trent Green not once, not twice, but four times. They held the Chiefs running game to a piddling 3.5 yards per carry. With Doug Flutie and Philip Rivers at quarterback, the San Diego offense was hardly scintillating, but it produced three touchdowns, or one more than the Chiefs, who are supposed to be one of the top scoring offenses in the league.
No, this was a very fitting end to a disappointing season. Had the Chiefs won, they would have ridden the momentum of that win streak into the off-season. The pain would have been dulled. The woulda, shoulda, coulda talk would have continued.
It’s different now. If this was their game in the playoffs as Vermeil said, then the Chiefs had no more business being in the post-season than the Minnesota Vikings, who lost seven of their last 10 games, finished the year 8-8 and backed into a spot in the NFC post-season field.
Sunday’s game changed the landscape for the Chiefs off-season. That could be seen in the reaction of some of the players and coaches in the locker room after the game. There was anger, frustration, embarrassment and disgust. The Chiefs left San Diego retching on the bad taste the outcome left in their mouth. If that doesn’t provide the motivation to make sure a season like 2004 doesn’t happen again, then nothing will. This game should be imprinted in the psyche of every person in the Chiefs organization. If there’s a player or coach who didn’t experience those four emotions, then Peterson and Vermeil should send them packing immediately.
Here’s more motivation: the Chargers are not a one-year wonder. They have one of the youngest teams in the league, a basket of cash to spend under the salary cap and two first-round selections in the 2005 NFL Draft. The Chiefs must now chase not only the Broncos, but the Chargers as well.
After the game, there were some in the media that wanted to highlight the final play of the first half as the perfect picture of the Chiefs season. On that play, Larry Johnson caught a screen pass from Trent Green and ran 40 yards and 24 feet. He needed 41 yards, as he came up just short of the end zone.
But it would be folly for the Chiefs to think they were that close in 2004; maybe in the NFC, but not in the AFC. The Chiefs have a lot of ground to make up if they are going to compete in the NFL’s best conference.
It’s far more than 12 inches.
Jan 03, 2005, 10:28:24 AM by Bob Gretz
The columnists of www.kcchiefs.com will give attention to what the Chiefs must do for the future in the week ahead.
SAN DIEGO – Maybe it was better that the Chiefs finished the season with a nasty, ugly defeat.
Now, I know there are some around Arrowhead Stadium that would not agree with that assessment. If you could have seen the look on Carl Peterson’s face in the locker room at Qualcomm Stadium after the game, you would know that he does not think that. Same for Dick Vermeil.
The Chiefs were going for respectability on Sunday against the Chargers. They were going for an 8-8 record, a five-game winning streak to finish up the season, a four-game winning streak within the division. Dick Vermeil called the game the Chiefs playoffs.
How did they respond? They got their butts kicked by the San Diego jayvee team. Preparing for their first round game in the playoffs, the Chargers sat Drew Brees, LaDanian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates and a host of others on offense for the entire game. Defensively, they went with their starters for the first half, but sat guys like Donnie Edwards and Steve Foley for the second half.
Still, the Chargers controlled this game from start to finish. They picked off Trent Green not once, not twice, but four times. They held the Chiefs running game to a piddling 3.5 yards per carry. With Doug Flutie and Philip Rivers at quarterback, the San Diego offense was hardly scintillating, but it produced three touchdowns, or one more than the Chiefs, who are supposed to be one of the top scoring offenses in the league.
No, this was a very fitting end to a disappointing season. Had the Chiefs won, they would have ridden the momentum of that win streak into the off-season. The pain would have been dulled. The woulda, shoulda, coulda talk would have continued.
It’s different now. If this was their game in the playoffs as Vermeil said, then the Chiefs had no more business being in the post-season than the Minnesota Vikings, who lost seven of their last 10 games, finished the year 8-8 and backed into a spot in the NFC post-season field.
Sunday’s game changed the landscape for the Chiefs off-season. That could be seen in the reaction of some of the players and coaches in the locker room after the game. There was anger, frustration, embarrassment and disgust. The Chiefs left San Diego retching on the bad taste the outcome left in their mouth. If that doesn’t provide the motivation to make sure a season like 2004 doesn’t happen again, then nothing will. This game should be imprinted in the psyche of every person in the Chiefs organization. If there’s a player or coach who didn’t experience those four emotions, then Peterson and Vermeil should send them packing immediately.
Here’s more motivation: the Chargers are not a one-year wonder. They have one of the youngest teams in the league, a basket of cash to spend under the salary cap and two first-round selections in the 2005 NFL Draft. The Chiefs must now chase not only the Broncos, but the Chargers as well.
After the game, there were some in the media that wanted to highlight the final play of the first half as the perfect picture of the Chiefs season. On that play, Larry Johnson caught a screen pass from Trent Green and ran 40 yards and 24 feet. He needed 41 yards, as he came up just short of the end zone.
But it would be folly for the Chiefs to think they were that close in 2004; maybe in the NFC, but not in the AFC. The Chiefs have a lot of ground to make up if they are going to compete in the NFL’s best conference.
It’s far more than 12 inches.