DeepSouth
08-02-2006, 03:08 PM
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2006/08/02/gretz_fixing_the_road_trip_problem/GRETZ: Fixing the Road Trip Problem
Aug 02, 2006, 8:34:41 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ
RIVER FALLS, WI – The Chiefs will travel over to Mankato, Minnesota on Friday to spend the evening working against the Vikings.
It’s not just a scrimmage. It’s a road trip, and that makes it very important in the world of Herm Edwards.
One of the biggest problems Edwards must solve with this team is their ability to win on the road, and most especially their ability to win on the road in the second half of the season. Over the last eight seasons, through three different head coaches, the Chiefs have been bad on the road and horrible in November/December/January away from Arrowhead Stadium.
Here are the overall numbers:
In the Dick Vermeil Era (2001-05), the Chiefs won on the road against a team that made the playoffs four times: in 2002 against Cleveland and the New York Jets and in 2003 against Baltimore and Green Bay. All of those victories came before the middle of October.
The last time the Chiefs beat a team that made the playoffs on the road in November was 1996, when they topped the Vikings at the Metrodome. The last time they beat a team on the road in December that made the playoffs was 1991, when they beat the Raiders in the last game of the season. The Raiders finished 9-7 and came to Kansas City for a first-round game in the playoffs, the first ever at Arrowhead Stadium.
Those are the facts that Edwards has come to understand. He also knows it’s not easy to win on the road at any time, especially against the league’s best teams. In five seasons in New York, his Jets teams were an overall 17-23 on the road, a .425 winning percentage. In November/December/January his teams were 9-13 away from the Meadowlands. Before last year’s injury riddled campaign, his New York teams were 9-9 on the road in November and December. In his first season, the Jets went 7-1 on the road and were 3-1 against teams that made the playoffs, beating the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots in Foxboro, the Dolphins in Miami and the Raiders in Oakland.
So what’s the key to winning on the road in November and December and what can be done about it in August?
First, it’s addressing the fact that there is a problem. Edwards did that within the first 24 hours of the team arriving in River Falls.
“I threw the numbers up on the screen: 3-7 and 3-9 in November and December,” Edwards said. “They are glaring.”
Next, it’s building the type of team that can go on the road and win. That means being able to run the ball, milk the clock and control the game. That requires a stout defense as well. Those are the pillars that Edwards is using for the foundation of his teams.
And then there’s the psychological approach, and that’s something Edwards has already begun and will stress heavily on Friday with his team with the short two-hour bus ride to face the Vikings.
“It’s inconvenient and that’s what we are going to push,” said Edwards. “It’s a road game. We are going over there and they are going to be waiting for us, and their fans are going to be there, and they will be making a lot of noise and their players will be all fired up.
“That’s a road trip. It’s August, but it’s never too early to start. It’s an important trip for us.”
There will be evaluation of players, as they go up against the Vikings, but Edwards will be doing more than just grading the tape. He’s going to take the temperature of his football team and see how they handle themselves. He’s determined to build a club tough enough to win on the road, and especially win on the road in November and December.
That work starts now in the heat of August.
Aug 02, 2006, 8:34:41 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ
RIVER FALLS, WI – The Chiefs will travel over to Mankato, Minnesota on Friday to spend the evening working against the Vikings.
It’s not just a scrimmage. It’s a road trip, and that makes it very important in the world of Herm Edwards.
One of the biggest problems Edwards must solve with this team is their ability to win on the road, and most especially their ability to win on the road in the second half of the season. Over the last eight seasons, through three different head coaches, the Chiefs have been bad on the road and horrible in November/December/January away from Arrowhead Stadium.
Here are the overall numbers:
In the Dick Vermeil Era (2001-05), the Chiefs won on the road against a team that made the playoffs four times: in 2002 against Cleveland and the New York Jets and in 2003 against Baltimore and Green Bay. All of those victories came before the middle of October.
The last time the Chiefs beat a team that made the playoffs on the road in November was 1996, when they topped the Vikings at the Metrodome. The last time they beat a team on the road in December that made the playoffs was 1991, when they beat the Raiders in the last game of the season. The Raiders finished 9-7 and came to Kansas City for a first-round game in the playoffs, the first ever at Arrowhead Stadium.
Those are the facts that Edwards has come to understand. He also knows it’s not easy to win on the road at any time, especially against the league’s best teams. In five seasons in New York, his Jets teams were an overall 17-23 on the road, a .425 winning percentage. In November/December/January his teams were 9-13 away from the Meadowlands. Before last year’s injury riddled campaign, his New York teams were 9-9 on the road in November and December. In his first season, the Jets went 7-1 on the road and were 3-1 against teams that made the playoffs, beating the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots in Foxboro, the Dolphins in Miami and the Raiders in Oakland.
So what’s the key to winning on the road in November and December and what can be done about it in August?
First, it’s addressing the fact that there is a problem. Edwards did that within the first 24 hours of the team arriving in River Falls.
“I threw the numbers up on the screen: 3-7 and 3-9 in November and December,” Edwards said. “They are glaring.”
Next, it’s building the type of team that can go on the road and win. That means being able to run the ball, milk the clock and control the game. That requires a stout defense as well. Those are the pillars that Edwards is using for the foundation of his teams.
And then there’s the psychological approach, and that’s something Edwards has already begun and will stress heavily on Friday with his team with the short two-hour bus ride to face the Vikings.
“It’s inconvenient and that’s what we are going to push,” said Edwards. “It’s a road game. We are going over there and they are going to be waiting for us, and their fans are going to be there, and they will be making a lot of noise and their players will be all fired up.
“That’s a road trip. It’s August, but it’s never too early to start. It’s an important trip for us.”
There will be evaluation of players, as they go up against the Vikings, but Edwards will be doing more than just grading the tape. He’s going to take the temperature of his football team and see how they handle themselves. He’s determined to build a club tough enough to win on the road, and especially win on the road in November and December.
That work starts now in the heat of August.