AJKCFAN
08-03-2005, 05:32 AM
http://kcchiefs.com/news/2005/08/03/gretz_that_annoying_chiefs_defense/
GRETZ: That Annoying Chiefs Defense
Aug 03, 2005, 6:08:59 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ
RIVER FALLS, WI – Psst! You, sitting there in your red and gold underwear, drinking coffee from your Chiefs mug and mulling all things happening in Lamar Hunt’s kingdom, listen up. Pull your chair a little closer to the computer screen. I’ve got a piece of information that you’ll want to read.
The Chiefs are going to put a defense on the field in 2005 that will not be an embarrassment. The Chiefs are going to have a defense this season that makes a difference.
Now, don’t go out and celebrate in the streets or start making reservations for February in Detroit. It’s early, very early in a long marathon called the NFL season. Just one week has been completed here in the north woods.
But you can already tell this is going to be a different year for Gunther Cunningham’s group. The evidence? It comes from the Chiefs offense.
Right now, Dick Vermeil’s offense is annoyed with his defense. Every practice, twice-a-day for the last five days, there have been moments when the offense’s frustration has boiled over. Guys on that side of the ball are snapping at their defensive mates. It’s more than just the normal pushing and shoving matches that come with any training camp. The defense is flying to the football and as they do, they are running into the guys on the other side.
Now, normally this is a good thing. But when the guys are sharing the same locker room and are your teammates, it tends to cause some grumbling. That’s especially true when the offense has ruled the roost for the last three years around Arrowhead.
Take Tuesday night’s practice under the lights at Ramer Field. The intensity level always goes up a bit for these night practices; there’s just something about the lights, the shadows, the green grass … more than one guy has said it brings back memories of high school days.
The Chiefs were in a goal line drill, offense and against defense. In summers past, this was like shooting fish in a barrel for the offense. They generally did what they wanted, when they wanted.
That’s no longer the case. Just ask Priest Holmes. Maybe the most valuable piece of the Chiefs offensive puzzle took a handoff and hit the right side of the offensive formation. Quite surprisingly, the left side of the defensive formation hit back, and hit back hard. Holmes was decked by a bevy of defensive players and kept out of the end zone. After picking himself up off the ground, Holmes walked away from the play shaking his head, either disgust with the intensity of his teammates’ hitting, or trying to clear a few cobwebs from the blow.
A few minutes later, Trent Green dropped back into the pocket to throw the ball. Ryan Sims was rushing up the middle and he drove the offensive lineman who was trying to block him right into Green, knocking the quarterback to the ground as he released the football. Quarterbacks all wear a yellow jersey on the field. The color means caution. They are not supposed to be knocked down, or even touched in these drills.
This stuff goes on all the time now. In the morning workout, Lional Dalton grabbed Todd Collins in a sack and drew the ire of Tony Richardson. The day before, Casey Wiegmann was chirping away at Kawika Mitchell about something that happened in a run drill.
Dick Vermeil allowed on Tuesday that his defense was “very disruptive to everything the offense wanted to do.”
Now, it must be taken into account that the Chiefs are giving a lot of offensive players rest during this camp. Holmes, Tony Gonzalez and Willie Roaf only work in every other practice. Others like Wiegmann and Jason Dunn have been given time off. Green doesn’t always take every snap with the first offense and Will Shields hasn’t been active in practice since the first day.
But the same thing is happening on the defensive side. John Browning has been in and out of the action with a back injury. Carlos Hall has been a non-participant in team work as he rests ailing knees. Kendrell Bell’s time has been limited because of back problems. Junior Siavii has watched the last few workouts with a sore knee.
Right now this isn’t so much about personnel, as it is about attitude. The Chiefs defense is establishing a much needed new face. It’s a fine line that must be walked in training camp. A defense needs physicality to get things done. A defense trying to establish a new culture, needs even more physicality, not only to show their teammates they are different, but to show themselves.
But the worst thing that could happen is one of the major weapons on the Chiefs offense suffering an injury on the River Falls fields that costs him playing time in the regular season.
Right now, the Chiefs must walk that tight rope. Dick Vermeil knows that. His offensive coaching staff probably isn’t real happy with him right now, but he hasn’t forced the defense to back off the intensity level.
He can’t. If the Chiefs are going to be something more than just a record setting offensive team in 2005, they need this defense to fly around the field from day one of training camp, to last day of the season.
It may be annoying, but it’s necessary.
GRETZ: That Annoying Chiefs Defense
Aug 03, 2005, 6:08:59 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ
RIVER FALLS, WI – Psst! You, sitting there in your red and gold underwear, drinking coffee from your Chiefs mug and mulling all things happening in Lamar Hunt’s kingdom, listen up. Pull your chair a little closer to the computer screen. I’ve got a piece of information that you’ll want to read.
The Chiefs are going to put a defense on the field in 2005 that will not be an embarrassment. The Chiefs are going to have a defense this season that makes a difference.
Now, don’t go out and celebrate in the streets or start making reservations for February in Detroit. It’s early, very early in a long marathon called the NFL season. Just one week has been completed here in the north woods.
But you can already tell this is going to be a different year for Gunther Cunningham’s group. The evidence? It comes from the Chiefs offense.
Right now, Dick Vermeil’s offense is annoyed with his defense. Every practice, twice-a-day for the last five days, there have been moments when the offense’s frustration has boiled over. Guys on that side of the ball are snapping at their defensive mates. It’s more than just the normal pushing and shoving matches that come with any training camp. The defense is flying to the football and as they do, they are running into the guys on the other side.
Now, normally this is a good thing. But when the guys are sharing the same locker room and are your teammates, it tends to cause some grumbling. That’s especially true when the offense has ruled the roost for the last three years around Arrowhead.
Take Tuesday night’s practice under the lights at Ramer Field. The intensity level always goes up a bit for these night practices; there’s just something about the lights, the shadows, the green grass … more than one guy has said it brings back memories of high school days.
The Chiefs were in a goal line drill, offense and against defense. In summers past, this was like shooting fish in a barrel for the offense. They generally did what they wanted, when they wanted.
That’s no longer the case. Just ask Priest Holmes. Maybe the most valuable piece of the Chiefs offensive puzzle took a handoff and hit the right side of the offensive formation. Quite surprisingly, the left side of the defensive formation hit back, and hit back hard. Holmes was decked by a bevy of defensive players and kept out of the end zone. After picking himself up off the ground, Holmes walked away from the play shaking his head, either disgust with the intensity of his teammates’ hitting, or trying to clear a few cobwebs from the blow.
A few minutes later, Trent Green dropped back into the pocket to throw the ball. Ryan Sims was rushing up the middle and he drove the offensive lineman who was trying to block him right into Green, knocking the quarterback to the ground as he released the football. Quarterbacks all wear a yellow jersey on the field. The color means caution. They are not supposed to be knocked down, or even touched in these drills.
This stuff goes on all the time now. In the morning workout, Lional Dalton grabbed Todd Collins in a sack and drew the ire of Tony Richardson. The day before, Casey Wiegmann was chirping away at Kawika Mitchell about something that happened in a run drill.
Dick Vermeil allowed on Tuesday that his defense was “very disruptive to everything the offense wanted to do.”
Now, it must be taken into account that the Chiefs are giving a lot of offensive players rest during this camp. Holmes, Tony Gonzalez and Willie Roaf only work in every other practice. Others like Wiegmann and Jason Dunn have been given time off. Green doesn’t always take every snap with the first offense and Will Shields hasn’t been active in practice since the first day.
But the same thing is happening on the defensive side. John Browning has been in and out of the action with a back injury. Carlos Hall has been a non-participant in team work as he rests ailing knees. Kendrell Bell’s time has been limited because of back problems. Junior Siavii has watched the last few workouts with a sore knee.
Right now this isn’t so much about personnel, as it is about attitude. The Chiefs defense is establishing a much needed new face. It’s a fine line that must be walked in training camp. A defense needs physicality to get things done. A defense trying to establish a new culture, needs even more physicality, not only to show their teammates they are different, but to show themselves.
But the worst thing that could happen is one of the major weapons on the Chiefs offense suffering an injury on the River Falls fields that costs him playing time in the regular season.
Right now, the Chiefs must walk that tight rope. Dick Vermeil knows that. His offensive coaching staff probably isn’t real happy with him right now, but he hasn’t forced the defense to back off the intensity level.
He can’t. If the Chiefs are going to be something more than just a record setting offensive team in 2005, they need this defense to fly around the field from day one of training camp, to last day of the season.
It may be annoying, but it’s necessary.