Hammock Parties
11-07-2005, 01:45 AM
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/football/nfl/oakland_raiders/13101458.htm
It's another wrenching loss in Kansas City
By Ann Killion
Mercury News Staff Columnist
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Once again, the field at Arrowhead Stadium is littered with broken Raiders hearts. With silver and black guts ripped out and discarded.
Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Chiefs was a heartbreaker. A gut-ripper. Once again.
``It obviously doesn't get any tougher,'' Kerry Collins said.
The faces change. The names change. It wasn't Andre Rison sticking in the dagger this time, but a running back named Larry Johnson. It wasn't a last-second field goal, but a gutsy, last-second touchdown.
But the outcome was the same. The Raiders have lost six consecutive games to the Chiefs, all by less than a touchdown. All in wrenching, bizarre finishes.
And this pulsating, deafening red caldron is the Raiders' own version of hell. They have won in Kansas City just three times in the past 17 years.
There is a rivalry here, but the Raiders aren't holding up their end of it.
On Sunday, the Raiders thought they had the game won. When Randy Moss scored with his only catch of the day, with 1 minute, 45 seconds to play, the Raiders allowed themselves a fleeting moment of joy.
``I'm mad I let myself get excited,'' center Adam Treu said. ``I had a great feeling about it.''
A victory would have pulled the Raiders back to .500, a place they have not been midway through a season since their Super Bowl year in 2002. A victory would have put them squarely in contention in the AFC West.
But the Raiders left the Chiefs 105 seconds, which -- as anyone following this series knows -- is way too much time.
The Chiefs moved down the field. They were helped by a penalty on Ed Jasper for tripping, a penalty the Raiders hotly disputed.
``I didn't even see the quarterback -- I was too busy being yanked down,'' Jasper said. ``When I saw the flag, I thought it was holding.''
There was a half-hearted attempt to launch the tattered Raiders conspiracy theory, but it didn't fly. One of the Raiders' own touchdown drives was helped along by two questionable calls -- a roughing-the-passer penalty and an unsportsmanlike-conduct flag.
With 19 seconds left, on first down at the Raiders' 37, Trent Green found Johnson alone in the middle of the field. The Raiders had rushed five men on the play, and Johnson was left uncovered. He rumbled almost to the end zone.
``It was a blown coverage,'' safety Stuart Schweigert said.
Receiver Jerry Porter offered, ``I guess we relaxed and started playing a prevent defense.''
After the Chiefs called timeout, there were five seconds left on the clock, and the ball was on the 1. In today's super-cautious NFL, most of the coaches would have picked to kick a field goal and go to overtime.
Not Dick Vermeil. He made a choice, much like Pete Carroll did against Notre Dame. A win-or-lose choice. A run-the-ball-right-up-the-middle choice.
``Wow, was I scared,'' Vermeil said. ``I just figured, I'm too old to wait.''
His move surprised some of the Raiders.
``Very much,'' Porter said. ``It was pretty ballsy. You either score or you lose.''
Johnson scored. He vaulted over his offensive line and into the end zone, and the Raiders walked off, leaving their hearts and guts on the field behind them.
There were so few Raiders left on the field that Collins, the quarterback, went out for the point-after kick. In 11 years in the league, it was his only play not on offense.
The Raiders are now at the midway point of the season at 3-5, one win better than the past two years but still in a bad place. They are two wins behind both the Chargers and the Chiefs, and three behind the Broncos, who come to Oakland next weekend.
Their off-season prize, Moss, caught just one pass, of eight thrown his way. Collins made almost as many boneheaded plays -- including a horrible interception that set up a Chiefs touchdown -- as good ones.
Yes, the Raiders showed some fortitude Sunday. They played an uninspired game until the fourth quarter, when they had two solid drives and put themselves in position to win.
Yes, they're a better team than they were last year. But they are still haunted by the Chiefs and the horrific final seconds of these games.
``I thought we'd exorcized some of the ghosts,'' Collins said. ``This was a tremendously hard loss.''
Once again.
It's another wrenching loss in Kansas City
By Ann Killion
Mercury News Staff Columnist
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Once again, the field at Arrowhead Stadium is littered with broken Raiders hearts. With silver and black guts ripped out and discarded.
Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Chiefs was a heartbreaker. A gut-ripper. Once again.
``It obviously doesn't get any tougher,'' Kerry Collins said.
The faces change. The names change. It wasn't Andre Rison sticking in the dagger this time, but a running back named Larry Johnson. It wasn't a last-second field goal, but a gutsy, last-second touchdown.
But the outcome was the same. The Raiders have lost six consecutive games to the Chiefs, all by less than a touchdown. All in wrenching, bizarre finishes.
And this pulsating, deafening red caldron is the Raiders' own version of hell. They have won in Kansas City just three times in the past 17 years.
There is a rivalry here, but the Raiders aren't holding up their end of it.
On Sunday, the Raiders thought they had the game won. When Randy Moss scored with his only catch of the day, with 1 minute, 45 seconds to play, the Raiders allowed themselves a fleeting moment of joy.
``I'm mad I let myself get excited,'' center Adam Treu said. ``I had a great feeling about it.''
A victory would have pulled the Raiders back to .500, a place they have not been midway through a season since their Super Bowl year in 2002. A victory would have put them squarely in contention in the AFC West.
But the Raiders left the Chiefs 105 seconds, which -- as anyone following this series knows -- is way too much time.
The Chiefs moved down the field. They were helped by a penalty on Ed Jasper for tripping, a penalty the Raiders hotly disputed.
``I didn't even see the quarterback -- I was too busy being yanked down,'' Jasper said. ``When I saw the flag, I thought it was holding.''
There was a half-hearted attempt to launch the tattered Raiders conspiracy theory, but it didn't fly. One of the Raiders' own touchdown drives was helped along by two questionable calls -- a roughing-the-passer penalty and an unsportsmanlike-conduct flag.
With 19 seconds left, on first down at the Raiders' 37, Trent Green found Johnson alone in the middle of the field. The Raiders had rushed five men on the play, and Johnson was left uncovered. He rumbled almost to the end zone.
``It was a blown coverage,'' safety Stuart Schweigert said.
Receiver Jerry Porter offered, ``I guess we relaxed and started playing a prevent defense.''
After the Chiefs called timeout, there were five seconds left on the clock, and the ball was on the 1. In today's super-cautious NFL, most of the coaches would have picked to kick a field goal and go to overtime.
Not Dick Vermeil. He made a choice, much like Pete Carroll did against Notre Dame. A win-or-lose choice. A run-the-ball-right-up-the-middle choice.
``Wow, was I scared,'' Vermeil said. ``I just figured, I'm too old to wait.''
His move surprised some of the Raiders.
``Very much,'' Porter said. ``It was pretty ballsy. You either score or you lose.''
Johnson scored. He vaulted over his offensive line and into the end zone, and the Raiders walked off, leaving their hearts and guts on the field behind them.
There were so few Raiders left on the field that Collins, the quarterback, went out for the point-after kick. In 11 years in the league, it was his only play not on offense.
The Raiders are now at the midway point of the season at 3-5, one win better than the past two years but still in a bad place. They are two wins behind both the Chargers and the Chiefs, and three behind the Broncos, who come to Oakland next weekend.
Their off-season prize, Moss, caught just one pass, of eight thrown his way. Collins made almost as many boneheaded plays -- including a horrible interception that set up a Chiefs touchdown -- as good ones.
Yes, the Raiders showed some fortitude Sunday. They played an uninspired game until the fourth quarter, when they had two solid drives and put themselves in position to win.
Yes, they're a better team than they were last year. But they are still haunted by the Chiefs and the horrific final seconds of these games.
``I thought we'd exorcized some of the ghosts,'' Collins said. ``This was a tremendously hard loss.''
Once again.