TinyEvel
10-09-2006, 03:40 PM
This is a journalistic yin and yang. First Whitlock writes an optimists review of yesterday's game, now Gretz talks mostly about the negatives. Maybe they got their meds mixed up?
GRETZ: Problems Abound, But The Chiefs Win
Oct 09, 2006, 6:24:42 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ
GLENDALE, AZ – It would take the better part of the next hour to put together a list of all the things the Chiefs did wrong on Sunday afternoon in the desert. Offense, defense, special teams, there were problems in all three areas.
Yet, as Herm Edwards likes to say “at the end of the day” the scoreboard showed the Chiefs pulling off a 23-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
This was a game the Chiefs had no business winning. But since they are in the business of winning, they found a way. They displayed a mental toughness not often visible in recent years from this team. They did everything wrong. They broke all the rules.
Still, they are 2-2. That speaks wonders to the attitudes that have developed within this team in a short time under Edwards. He spoke to his team the night before the game about how life is filled with obstacles; there’s always something that must be overcome. Those hurdles can’t be allowed to deter a person, or a team, from the path it’s trying to tread.
But the obstacles in front of the Chiefs on this Sunday in the Valley of the Sun were many and onerous. Created by themselves, created by a Cardinals team that came out of the chute all fired up in hopes of stopping their three-game losing streak and created by the wear and tear of the brutal game of football, the Chiefs fought an uphill battle all day.
They were without six players because of injury, including their starting quarterback (Trent Green) and starting left tackle (Kyle Turley.) They were without other key contributors, like running back Michael Bennett and cornerback Benny Sapp. During the game, Dante Hall went down in the third quarter with a hip pointer and did not return to the game.
The Cardinals came out and put 14 points on the scoreboard before the Chiefs really knew what hit them. Edwards had preached that the road out of the problems on the road was not to fall behind early. But there was Arizona’s great hope, first-round Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Matt Leinart, making his first start and throwing a pair of scoring passes in the first nine minutes.
The other avenue Edwards preached was no turnovers, and that if the Chiefs gave the ball away, they had to get some back, do anything but finish with a negative turnover ratio. Coming into the game, the Chiefs were 2-18 over their last 49 games (dating to the 2000 season) when they finished with a negative turnover ratio. That record is now 3-18, as they finished minus-one and still got the victory.
One of their best players that was still on the field, running back Larry Johnson was simply awful, playing his worst game as a professional and maybe his worst performance in many, many years. Johnson and Damon Huard botched an exchange for one fumble that Arizona recovered. Johnson later had a fumble all by himself. He dropped a pass on a third down play when he was wide open with room to run. He blew a blitz pick up and allowed Huard to be sacked. The Chiefs running game was producing nothing.
Johnson was a non-factor until late in the game, when he took a screen pass and ran 78 yards. The only reason he didn’t score was that he was pulled down from behind by the facemask courtesy of Arizona’s Antrel Rolle. There were anxious moments while Johnson was face down on the turf, but he walked off under his own power and while he’ll be plenty sore on Monday, there did not appear to be any long-term damage.
Another one of their best players, tight end Tony Gonzalez was forgotten. He didn’t see a pass thrown his way until there was just more than two minutes to play in the third quarter. That 25-yard reception would be his only catch of the game.
Even down to the end, when Johnson’s catch and incredible run set them up for the winning points, they had to overcome a fumble by Dee Brown on a third-down run. Tight end Jason Dunn scrambled his way to the bottom of the pile to save the ball and the day, and Lawrence Tynes nailed the game winning field goal.
But even then, it wasn’t over. With no timeouts, Leinart drove the Cardinals into field goal range. There, the normally reliable Neil Rackers pushed his 51-yard field goal wide right. Only then was there a sigh of relief from the Chiefs.
Over the course of a 16-game season, there are many different types of games. This one ranks in the category of a victory the Chiefs had no business getting. That’s good, because at some point in the season will be a game where they lose, and had no business losing. Better to have the victory already in the bank.
More importantly, the Chiefs are establishing an attitude. Obstacles? There are no stinkin’ obstacles for Herm Edwards and his team.
The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Kansas City Chiefs.
GRETZ: Problems Abound, But The Chiefs Win
Oct 09, 2006, 6:24:42 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ
GLENDALE, AZ – It would take the better part of the next hour to put together a list of all the things the Chiefs did wrong on Sunday afternoon in the desert. Offense, defense, special teams, there were problems in all three areas.
Yet, as Herm Edwards likes to say “at the end of the day” the scoreboard showed the Chiefs pulling off a 23-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
This was a game the Chiefs had no business winning. But since they are in the business of winning, they found a way. They displayed a mental toughness not often visible in recent years from this team. They did everything wrong. They broke all the rules.
Still, they are 2-2. That speaks wonders to the attitudes that have developed within this team in a short time under Edwards. He spoke to his team the night before the game about how life is filled with obstacles; there’s always something that must be overcome. Those hurdles can’t be allowed to deter a person, or a team, from the path it’s trying to tread.
But the obstacles in front of the Chiefs on this Sunday in the Valley of the Sun were many and onerous. Created by themselves, created by a Cardinals team that came out of the chute all fired up in hopes of stopping their three-game losing streak and created by the wear and tear of the brutal game of football, the Chiefs fought an uphill battle all day.
They were without six players because of injury, including their starting quarterback (Trent Green) and starting left tackle (Kyle Turley.) They were without other key contributors, like running back Michael Bennett and cornerback Benny Sapp. During the game, Dante Hall went down in the third quarter with a hip pointer and did not return to the game.
The Cardinals came out and put 14 points on the scoreboard before the Chiefs really knew what hit them. Edwards had preached that the road out of the problems on the road was not to fall behind early. But there was Arizona’s great hope, first-round Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Matt Leinart, making his first start and throwing a pair of scoring passes in the first nine minutes.
The other avenue Edwards preached was no turnovers, and that if the Chiefs gave the ball away, they had to get some back, do anything but finish with a negative turnover ratio. Coming into the game, the Chiefs were 2-18 over their last 49 games (dating to the 2000 season) when they finished with a negative turnover ratio. That record is now 3-18, as they finished minus-one and still got the victory.
One of their best players that was still on the field, running back Larry Johnson was simply awful, playing his worst game as a professional and maybe his worst performance in many, many years. Johnson and Damon Huard botched an exchange for one fumble that Arizona recovered. Johnson later had a fumble all by himself. He dropped a pass on a third down play when he was wide open with room to run. He blew a blitz pick up and allowed Huard to be sacked. The Chiefs running game was producing nothing.
Johnson was a non-factor until late in the game, when he took a screen pass and ran 78 yards. The only reason he didn’t score was that he was pulled down from behind by the facemask courtesy of Arizona’s Antrel Rolle. There were anxious moments while Johnson was face down on the turf, but he walked off under his own power and while he’ll be plenty sore on Monday, there did not appear to be any long-term damage.
Another one of their best players, tight end Tony Gonzalez was forgotten. He didn’t see a pass thrown his way until there was just more than two minutes to play in the third quarter. That 25-yard reception would be his only catch of the game.
Even down to the end, when Johnson’s catch and incredible run set them up for the winning points, they had to overcome a fumble by Dee Brown on a third-down run. Tight end Jason Dunn scrambled his way to the bottom of the pile to save the ball and the day, and Lawrence Tynes nailed the game winning field goal.
But even then, it wasn’t over. With no timeouts, Leinart drove the Cardinals into field goal range. There, the normally reliable Neil Rackers pushed his 51-yard field goal wide right. Only then was there a sigh of relief from the Chiefs.
Over the course of a 16-game season, there are many different types of games. This one ranks in the category of a victory the Chiefs had no business getting. That’s good, because at some point in the season will be a game where they lose, and had no business losing. Better to have the victory already in the bank.
More importantly, the Chiefs are establishing an attitude. Obstacles? There are no stinkin’ obstacles for Herm Edwards and his team.
The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Kansas City Chiefs.