HemiEd
10-01-2005, 02:02 AM
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/12788612.htm
CHIEFS WILL HAVE TO TURN IT UP A NOTCH AGAINST NFC CHAMPS
Eagles present Super challenge
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
As much as the Chiefs like to pretend all games are created equal, Sunday’s meeting with defending NFC champion Philadelphia at Arrowhead Stadium proves otherwise.
This one gets their hearts beating faster than, say, next month’s game in Houston will.
“You turn it up a notch when you’re getting ready to play a team like this,” Chiefs fullback Tony Richardson said. “When you’re getting ready to play Philadelphia, you can’t leave anything to chance. You can’t leave any detail unnoticed. It forces you to focus even harder because you know if you’re not ready, they’re going to exploit your weaknesses.”
The chance to play a previous season’s Super Bowl participant is not rare for the Chiefs. Through the quirks of the NFL schedule, this is the fourth straight year they will play two games against teams coming off the big show. Defending Super Bowl champion New England comes to Arrowhead on Nov. 27.
The Chiefs’ 3-3 record in those six previous games appears acceptable until examined closer. Four of the games were played at Arrowhead. Only one of the six games came against a team that wound up back in that season’s playoffs.
These games, for the most part, haven’t been kind to the Chiefs. They are still haunted a year later by last season’s home losses to Carolina and New England.
The Chiefs led the Panthers heading into the fourth quarter but couldn’t hold on. The win was the only one for Carolina in its first eight games.
Against New England, the Chiefs got the ball back with a chance to send the game into overtime but failed to score.
“New England was just so confident that they would be the ones to make the plays,” Chiefs guard Brian Waters said. “They never made mistakes, even when we were throwing all of this different stuff at them.
“That’s something we all admire. We want at some point to become that football team. We don’t need to get wound up about making big plays. We need to get wound up about everybody being in position because that’s what gives you the chance to win on every play.”
The Eagles are similarly methodical. Last year’s NFC championship was their fourth straight. They’ve been taking their opponent’s best shot each week for years and have found a way to rise above it.
“Teams like New England and Philadelphia win the old-fashioned way,” Waters said. “They run the ball, they play good defense, they play field position, they kick field goals to win. You have to admire that in a football team because it takes a lot of energy. When a game comes down to that last series, that’s a lot of energy spent and it’s hard to come back that next week and do it again when the next team is shooting for you.”
That maybe the most underappreciated ability of teams such as New England and Philadelphia. They withstand everyone’s best shot.
“I kind of felt that way the last four years,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said. “You’ve got to bring your ‘A’ game. I know other teams are saying that about us. We’ve been getting everybody’s best shot.”
Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb put it in different terms. The Eagles game is circled by opponents in a distinctive colored ink when the schedule is released.
“We’re their red-letter game,” McNabb said. “I guess that’s the slogan people use in college, but it works in the pros.”
That’s why a game like Sunday’s is a good measuring stick for the Chiefs. If they can outlast the defending NFC champions, that might speak well for their chances the rest of the season.
“It’s a great way to measure where we are at this point of the season,” Chiefs quarterback Trent Green said. “Does it mean this is where we’re going to be week 12 or week 14 or week 16? Hopefully, we’ll be a lot better then.
“We took that approach against the Jets. They were a team that was a field goal away from going to the AFC championship game. We felt real good about ourselves that week.”
The Chiefs easily took care of the Jets. Things don’t figure to go as smoothly Sunday, which is why the Chiefs’ blood will be pumping faster.
“They’ve got McNabb and (Terrell) Owens and (Jevon) Kearse, names you’ve been hearing about for years,” Waters said. “Anytime you play against a lot of celebrity names, your level always steps up because you really want to prove something.”
CHIEFS WILL HAVE TO TURN IT UP A NOTCH AGAINST NFC CHAMPS
Eagles present Super challenge
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
As much as the Chiefs like to pretend all games are created equal, Sunday’s meeting with defending NFC champion Philadelphia at Arrowhead Stadium proves otherwise.
This one gets their hearts beating faster than, say, next month’s game in Houston will.
“You turn it up a notch when you’re getting ready to play a team like this,” Chiefs fullback Tony Richardson said. “When you’re getting ready to play Philadelphia, you can’t leave anything to chance. You can’t leave any detail unnoticed. It forces you to focus even harder because you know if you’re not ready, they’re going to exploit your weaknesses.”
The chance to play a previous season’s Super Bowl participant is not rare for the Chiefs. Through the quirks of the NFL schedule, this is the fourth straight year they will play two games against teams coming off the big show. Defending Super Bowl champion New England comes to Arrowhead on Nov. 27.
The Chiefs’ 3-3 record in those six previous games appears acceptable until examined closer. Four of the games were played at Arrowhead. Only one of the six games came against a team that wound up back in that season’s playoffs.
These games, for the most part, haven’t been kind to the Chiefs. They are still haunted a year later by last season’s home losses to Carolina and New England.
The Chiefs led the Panthers heading into the fourth quarter but couldn’t hold on. The win was the only one for Carolina in its first eight games.
Against New England, the Chiefs got the ball back with a chance to send the game into overtime but failed to score.
“New England was just so confident that they would be the ones to make the plays,” Chiefs guard Brian Waters said. “They never made mistakes, even when we were throwing all of this different stuff at them.
“That’s something we all admire. We want at some point to become that football team. We don’t need to get wound up about making big plays. We need to get wound up about everybody being in position because that’s what gives you the chance to win on every play.”
The Eagles are similarly methodical. Last year’s NFC championship was their fourth straight. They’ve been taking their opponent’s best shot each week for years and have found a way to rise above it.
“Teams like New England and Philadelphia win the old-fashioned way,” Waters said. “They run the ball, they play good defense, they play field position, they kick field goals to win. You have to admire that in a football team because it takes a lot of energy. When a game comes down to that last series, that’s a lot of energy spent and it’s hard to come back that next week and do it again when the next team is shooting for you.”
That maybe the most underappreciated ability of teams such as New England and Philadelphia. They withstand everyone’s best shot.
“I kind of felt that way the last four years,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said. “You’ve got to bring your ‘A’ game. I know other teams are saying that about us. We’ve been getting everybody’s best shot.”
Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb put it in different terms. The Eagles game is circled by opponents in a distinctive colored ink when the schedule is released.
“We’re their red-letter game,” McNabb said. “I guess that’s the slogan people use in college, but it works in the pros.”
That’s why a game like Sunday’s is a good measuring stick for the Chiefs. If they can outlast the defending NFC champions, that might speak well for their chances the rest of the season.
“It’s a great way to measure where we are at this point of the season,” Chiefs quarterback Trent Green said. “Does it mean this is where we’re going to be week 12 or week 14 or week 16? Hopefully, we’ll be a lot better then.
“We took that approach against the Jets. They were a team that was a field goal away from going to the AFC championship game. We felt real good about ourselves that week.”
The Chiefs easily took care of the Jets. Things don’t figure to go as smoothly Sunday, which is why the Chiefs’ blood will be pumping faster.
“They’ve got McNabb and (Terrell) Owens and (Jevon) Kearse, names you’ve been hearing about for years,” Waters said. “Anytime you play against a lot of celebrity names, your level always steps up because you really want to prove something.”