Thig Lyfe
12-08-2005, 12:46 PM
This is old but I didn't see it mentioned anywhere
http://sports.ign.com/articles/673/673338p1.html
Kendrell Bell: Diary of a Hitman
What it will take for the Chiefs to make the playoffs.
by Kendrell Bell
December 2, 2005 - As told to Jon Robinson
Against New England, we played together as a team, and ultimately, that is the key to victory. Our offense established the running game early, and because of that, the defense wasn't on the field all day. We could get in there, force a three-and-out, then allow our offense to be on the field more.
Usually when teams play against New England, they don't turn the ball over. Not only that, but the Patriots do a good job of forcing turnovers in most of their games and capitalizing on mistakes. But it was vice versa in our game as we were able to force turnovers and at the same time, we didn't turn the ball over. And that goes for every game, no matter who we play, if we can limit our number of penalties, limit the number of mistakes we make, we have a chance of winning.
As a defense, we brought in so many new faces in the offseason, and I think we've finally grown comfortable with each other. It's still a task in itself to get everybody on the same page come game day, but I think the last three games we've shown that we're starting to come around. We're getting a lot better at talking to each other and communicating when it comes to clearing up issues. If something isn't clear to a player about their assignments, everyone now feels comfortable talking to each other and figuring things out. That's one of the things that has definitely helped. I remember when I was younger and played at Pittsburgh, I didn't really know what to ask. Even if the person was trying to give me the answer, I didn't understand. But now, as teammates on the defensive side of the ball, we're communicating really well, and it makes a bigger difference than people might realize.
The Rook
Another big factor is the play of Derrick Johnson. D.J. is really coming along great as a player. The thing about Derrick is that he is very receptive about learning new information. People who are high draft picks a lot of the time come into the league feeling like they've already accomplished something. You figure you already know how to play football. There are even a lot of vets who get defensive toward coaches. They've been to a Pro Bowl or two and now when the coach tries to tell you something, they get a chip on their shoulder wondering why some coach is trying to tell them how to play. But Derrick isn't like that at all, and that's rare for a talented first round pick. Some first rounders think they are big stuff right after the draft, but Derrick doesn't have that mentality. That might be his greatest asset, the fact that he listens, he's receptive to learning, and he's quick at picking up what you're trying to tell him. We're all still learning and we're young, but anytime you can communicate like we do, we're bound to get better and improve as a team. And that's really it, I'm just looking forward to getting better.
Chiefs/Broncos
This Sunday we have a big game against Denver. A lot of people look at our schedule and say how brutal it is, but it's just an image. If you think that way, you're going to approach the game that way, and that's how you lose. Think about the first game in Denver. I was playing a new position and Jake got out on me and scored. Then they ran a 60-yard run and scored, and before we knew what hit us, we were down 14 points in two plays. Denver's been beating everyone lately, but we're a team who will do anything to win at this point, and that's what it is going to take to knock them off. We just need to keep it in perspective, know that if we could've stopped those two plays in the original game, that we could've been right in it. We need to continue to communicate out on the field and play our best ball. This is going to be a close game, and it will come down to which team can minimize their mistakes.
When I look at the Denver backfield, all I can think is "More People, More Problems". You have to treat all of their backs as just one guy. They have a system in place where it doesn't matter who they plug in, they are going to get their yards. Of course each back has different things that are special about them. Tatum Bell is the fastest of them, and if he can get outside, he's a threat to score just about any play. Ron Dayne is the biggest of them all, and Mike Anderson has mainly been their inside runner. Now I don't know if Tatum is going to play with his injury, but he is the one who we would need to key on. Mike Anderson and Ron Dayne are pretty much the same person back there. It's Tatum who is the threat.
Winning Out
We put ourselves where we're at right now. There were two games that we should've won this season, and because we lost those games, now we're in a position where we need to win out. I feel like we need to win out, and even if we don't, we need to have that mentality in order to make the playoffs. We have to go out and beat Denver. Right now, they're one of the teams holding us back, so beating them will go a long way. The AFC West is brutal. I'm looking at New England in the AFC East and I'm like "Are you serious!" Those guys are leading the division and you have teams like the Chargers and Chiefs who are fighting to even make the playoffs.
But that's how it goes, and we know what we need to do…win.
http://sports.ign.com/articles/673/673338p1.html
Kendrell Bell: Diary of a Hitman
What it will take for the Chiefs to make the playoffs.
by Kendrell Bell
December 2, 2005 - As told to Jon Robinson
Against New England, we played together as a team, and ultimately, that is the key to victory. Our offense established the running game early, and because of that, the defense wasn't on the field all day. We could get in there, force a three-and-out, then allow our offense to be on the field more.
Usually when teams play against New England, they don't turn the ball over. Not only that, but the Patriots do a good job of forcing turnovers in most of their games and capitalizing on mistakes. But it was vice versa in our game as we were able to force turnovers and at the same time, we didn't turn the ball over. And that goes for every game, no matter who we play, if we can limit our number of penalties, limit the number of mistakes we make, we have a chance of winning.
As a defense, we brought in so many new faces in the offseason, and I think we've finally grown comfortable with each other. It's still a task in itself to get everybody on the same page come game day, but I think the last three games we've shown that we're starting to come around. We're getting a lot better at talking to each other and communicating when it comes to clearing up issues. If something isn't clear to a player about their assignments, everyone now feels comfortable talking to each other and figuring things out. That's one of the things that has definitely helped. I remember when I was younger and played at Pittsburgh, I didn't really know what to ask. Even if the person was trying to give me the answer, I didn't understand. But now, as teammates on the defensive side of the ball, we're communicating really well, and it makes a bigger difference than people might realize.
The Rook
Another big factor is the play of Derrick Johnson. D.J. is really coming along great as a player. The thing about Derrick is that he is very receptive about learning new information. People who are high draft picks a lot of the time come into the league feeling like they've already accomplished something. You figure you already know how to play football. There are even a lot of vets who get defensive toward coaches. They've been to a Pro Bowl or two and now when the coach tries to tell you something, they get a chip on their shoulder wondering why some coach is trying to tell them how to play. But Derrick isn't like that at all, and that's rare for a talented first round pick. Some first rounders think they are big stuff right after the draft, but Derrick doesn't have that mentality. That might be his greatest asset, the fact that he listens, he's receptive to learning, and he's quick at picking up what you're trying to tell him. We're all still learning and we're young, but anytime you can communicate like we do, we're bound to get better and improve as a team. And that's really it, I'm just looking forward to getting better.
Chiefs/Broncos
This Sunday we have a big game against Denver. A lot of people look at our schedule and say how brutal it is, but it's just an image. If you think that way, you're going to approach the game that way, and that's how you lose. Think about the first game in Denver. I was playing a new position and Jake got out on me and scored. Then they ran a 60-yard run and scored, and before we knew what hit us, we were down 14 points in two plays. Denver's been beating everyone lately, but we're a team who will do anything to win at this point, and that's what it is going to take to knock them off. We just need to keep it in perspective, know that if we could've stopped those two plays in the original game, that we could've been right in it. We need to continue to communicate out on the field and play our best ball. This is going to be a close game, and it will come down to which team can minimize their mistakes.
When I look at the Denver backfield, all I can think is "More People, More Problems". You have to treat all of their backs as just one guy. They have a system in place where it doesn't matter who they plug in, they are going to get their yards. Of course each back has different things that are special about them. Tatum Bell is the fastest of them, and if he can get outside, he's a threat to score just about any play. Ron Dayne is the biggest of them all, and Mike Anderson has mainly been their inside runner. Now I don't know if Tatum is going to play with his injury, but he is the one who we would need to key on. Mike Anderson and Ron Dayne are pretty much the same person back there. It's Tatum who is the threat.
Winning Out
We put ourselves where we're at right now. There were two games that we should've won this season, and because we lost those games, now we're in a position where we need to win out. I feel like we need to win out, and even if we don't, we need to have that mentality in order to make the playoffs. We have to go out and beat Denver. Right now, they're one of the teams holding us back, so beating them will go a long way. The AFC West is brutal. I'm looking at New England in the AFC East and I'm like "Are you serious!" Those guys are leading the division and you have teams like the Chargers and Chiefs who are fighting to even make the playoffs.
But that's how it goes, and we know what we need to do…win.