|Zach|
03-15-2005, 03:33 AM
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2005/03/15/rand_chiefs_should_be_safe_at_safety_again/
We all would have been shocked a year ago had signing a free agent safety been a priority for the Chiefs. But consistent athletic performance can be fleeting and it came as no shock when the Chiefs last week signed strong safety Sammy Knight.
As troubled as the Chiefs defense has been in recent years, the safety spots seemed in good hands heading into last season. Free safety Jerome Woods, a Pro Bowler in 2003, and strong safety Greg Wesley, a big hitter with two straight six-interception seasons, were rewarded with new contracts before the 2004 season.
And then even safety became a trouble spot for the Chiefs. The rain on their defense turned into a downpour — most notably in a game played indoors.
The Chiefs and Saints were tied 20-20 at New Orleans when wide receiver Joe Horn split Woods and Wesley and got behind them for a 42-yard, game-winning touchdown catch. The Chiefs fell to 3-6 and obviously were out of playoff contention. It was also obvious that their safeties weren’t performing nearly at the level they’d reached the year before.
Perhaps Woods, who turns 32 this year, can bounce back. Perhaps Wesley, who turns 27 this week, lost some fire after signing a big contract. One will go to the bench and the other will be paired with Knight.
It’s very bad news for a safety if anybody can tell he’s having a poor year. Safeties operate in the middle of the field and, unlike cornerbacks, their lapses often aren’t obvious. Safeties usually are considered complementary players and generally don’t command the kind of attention in the draft or free agency given to cornerbacks.
In some years, the best safety in the draft is fortunate to get picked near the end of the first round. A safety must show extraordinary promise to become a top 10 pick, as was Sean Taylor, the fifth overall pick by the Washington Redskins last April.
At best, safeties make big plays – fumble-forcing hits or momentum-changing interceptions. Woods sparked a wild comeback at Green Bay in 2003 by returning an interception of a Brett Favre pass 79 yards for a touchdown and making the fumble-forcing hit that set up the Chiefs’ winning score in overtime.
Woods stopped making such plays last season, though, and when safeties go from making big plays to allowing them, you’ve got a problem. Which is why the Chiefs signed Knight, an eight-year veteran known for both hitting and ball hawking. A Pro Bowl pick with the Saints in 2001, Knight has 35 interceptions and has returned four for touchdowns.
I learned the hard way what happens when a safety falls down on the job.
I was invited several years ago by Missouri coach Woody Widenhofer to serve as a guest defensive coordinator during the annual spring game. An assistant coach stressed to me that if I tried to blitz, I’d better also call for a cover two (both safeties deep in the middle) to prevent a big play.
The defensive playbook for the spring game was sparse and simple, so the most exotic play I could find involved a line stunt and a blitz. The stunt confused nobody and the quarterback read the blitz. He dumped a quick pass but I wasn’t worried because, after all, one of my safeties was closing on the receiver.
Then my safety fell down. The damage, fortunately, was limited to a 17-yard gain. If only I could have gone out and signed Sammy Knight.
The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Kansas City Chiefs.
We all would have been shocked a year ago had signing a free agent safety been a priority for the Chiefs. But consistent athletic performance can be fleeting and it came as no shock when the Chiefs last week signed strong safety Sammy Knight.
As troubled as the Chiefs defense has been in recent years, the safety spots seemed in good hands heading into last season. Free safety Jerome Woods, a Pro Bowler in 2003, and strong safety Greg Wesley, a big hitter with two straight six-interception seasons, were rewarded with new contracts before the 2004 season.
And then even safety became a trouble spot for the Chiefs. The rain on their defense turned into a downpour — most notably in a game played indoors.
The Chiefs and Saints were tied 20-20 at New Orleans when wide receiver Joe Horn split Woods and Wesley and got behind them for a 42-yard, game-winning touchdown catch. The Chiefs fell to 3-6 and obviously were out of playoff contention. It was also obvious that their safeties weren’t performing nearly at the level they’d reached the year before.
Perhaps Woods, who turns 32 this year, can bounce back. Perhaps Wesley, who turns 27 this week, lost some fire after signing a big contract. One will go to the bench and the other will be paired with Knight.
It’s very bad news for a safety if anybody can tell he’s having a poor year. Safeties operate in the middle of the field and, unlike cornerbacks, their lapses often aren’t obvious. Safeties usually are considered complementary players and generally don’t command the kind of attention in the draft or free agency given to cornerbacks.
In some years, the best safety in the draft is fortunate to get picked near the end of the first round. A safety must show extraordinary promise to become a top 10 pick, as was Sean Taylor, the fifth overall pick by the Washington Redskins last April.
At best, safeties make big plays – fumble-forcing hits or momentum-changing interceptions. Woods sparked a wild comeback at Green Bay in 2003 by returning an interception of a Brett Favre pass 79 yards for a touchdown and making the fumble-forcing hit that set up the Chiefs’ winning score in overtime.
Woods stopped making such plays last season, though, and when safeties go from making big plays to allowing them, you’ve got a problem. Which is why the Chiefs signed Knight, an eight-year veteran known for both hitting and ball hawking. A Pro Bowl pick with the Saints in 2001, Knight has 35 interceptions and has returned four for touchdowns.
I learned the hard way what happens when a safety falls down on the job.
I was invited several years ago by Missouri coach Woody Widenhofer to serve as a guest defensive coordinator during the annual spring game. An assistant coach stressed to me that if I tried to blitz, I’d better also call for a cover two (both safeties deep in the middle) to prevent a big play.
The defensive playbook for the spring game was sparse and simple, so the most exotic play I could find involved a line stunt and a blitz. The stunt confused nobody and the quarterback read the blitz. He dumped a quick pass but I wasn’t worried because, after all, one of my safeties was closing on the receiver.
Then my safety fell down. The damage, fortunately, was limited to a 17-yard gain. If only I could have gone out and signed Sammy Knight.
The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Kansas City Chiefs.