Fire Me Boy!
10-17-2006, 09:05 AM
Chiefs' looking for new fullback as Cruz goes out for year
By DOUG TUCKER
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Kansas City Chiefs are shopping for a new fullback. A pinch of pride and a dash of confidence would be nice, too, if anyone has some to spare.
Ronnie Cruz, the only true fullback on the team, injured his knee in Sunday's 45-7 loss at Pittsburgh and will be out for the year.
"He's going to have surgery on his knee," coach Herm Edwards said Monday.
One possible replacement is Kris Wilson, a tight end who has seen little action since being drafted in 2004. But the Chiefs will probably put out the call for any candidate who might be turned up.
Cruz, a second-year pro signed as a free agent out of Northern State in 2005, was replacing former Pro Bowler Tony Richardson, one of the top blocking backs in the NFL and a key factor in the success of Kansas City's rushing game in recent years.
"We might bring some guys in there to work out," Edwards said.
In the meantime, the Chiefs (2-3) were still trying to figure out what the devil happened in their most lopsided and embarrassing loss in a nonstrike season since 1984.
The Steelers had won only once, but they stampeded to a 31-0 halftime lead. Ben Roethlisberger had not thrown a touchdown pass all year, but he threw two while hitting 16 of 19 passes for 238 yards.
The stunned Chiefs had won two straight and felt they were starting to turn the corner and recover from the loss of quarterback Trent Green while revamping a once-sorry defense.
But they showed little offense, scant defense and almost no motivation.
Edwards knows he faces a tall order this week trying to get his team's confidence level back up. Their next two games are at home against San Diego and Seattle.
"We've got to get them back going," he said. "I told them today that they've got to realize it's only one game. That's what it is. If it was the first game, you would sit here and say it's going to be a long year. But it was the fifth game and we played pretty consistent in the other four games."
Larry Johnson, who set a team record last year with 1,750 yards rushing, managed a measly 26 yards on 15 carries. Damon Huard, who had played so surprisingly well since Green had gone down with a concussion in the season opener, threw his first interception.
Brodie Croyle, in mop-up duty late, threw two picks, including one the Steelers took back for a touchdown as an exclamation point on a thoroughly depressing blowout.
Huard will have to carry the reins for a while longer, with Edwards saying Monday he was not expecting Green to get back this week.
"I'll know more by Wednesday," he said.
Throughout Sunday's game, and often during this season of transition, the Chiefs have appeared to struggle for an offensive identity.
"We couldn't get in rhythm this game so it kind of looked like that. We were behind and had to make some throws," Edwards said. "This game was so bad early ... we only ran the ball 19 times and we threw 39 passes. You can't get into rhythm doing that."
The entire sorry day could wind up being a great motivator. The Chargers, who lead the Chiefs by two games in the AFC West, could be walking into an ambush game.
"I think we're all frustrated as a football team because we know we can play better," said left guard Brian Waters.
"We felt like we were starting to get things going a little bit the way we wanted. But when it goes backward, the whole team gets frustrated because we know we're a better football team than we showed in Pittsburgh."
Defensive end Jared Allen took sharp exception to the suggestion that the loss had exposed fault lines in the offensive and defensive structure of the team.
"I don't think it exposed anything," he said. "It just shows what happens when you don't tackle people in the NFL, when you don't make the plays you're supposed to make against a quality team like the Pittsburgh Steelers. They came out and played like Super Bowl champions and we didn't match them."
By DOUG TUCKER
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Kansas City Chiefs are shopping for a new fullback. A pinch of pride and a dash of confidence would be nice, too, if anyone has some to spare.
Ronnie Cruz, the only true fullback on the team, injured his knee in Sunday's 45-7 loss at Pittsburgh and will be out for the year.
"He's going to have surgery on his knee," coach Herm Edwards said Monday.
One possible replacement is Kris Wilson, a tight end who has seen little action since being drafted in 2004. But the Chiefs will probably put out the call for any candidate who might be turned up.
Cruz, a second-year pro signed as a free agent out of Northern State in 2005, was replacing former Pro Bowler Tony Richardson, one of the top blocking backs in the NFL and a key factor in the success of Kansas City's rushing game in recent years.
"We might bring some guys in there to work out," Edwards said.
In the meantime, the Chiefs (2-3) were still trying to figure out what the devil happened in their most lopsided and embarrassing loss in a nonstrike season since 1984.
The Steelers had won only once, but they stampeded to a 31-0 halftime lead. Ben Roethlisberger had not thrown a touchdown pass all year, but he threw two while hitting 16 of 19 passes for 238 yards.
The stunned Chiefs had won two straight and felt they were starting to turn the corner and recover from the loss of quarterback Trent Green while revamping a once-sorry defense.
But they showed little offense, scant defense and almost no motivation.
Edwards knows he faces a tall order this week trying to get his team's confidence level back up. Their next two games are at home against San Diego and Seattle.
"We've got to get them back going," he said. "I told them today that they've got to realize it's only one game. That's what it is. If it was the first game, you would sit here and say it's going to be a long year. But it was the fifth game and we played pretty consistent in the other four games."
Larry Johnson, who set a team record last year with 1,750 yards rushing, managed a measly 26 yards on 15 carries. Damon Huard, who had played so surprisingly well since Green had gone down with a concussion in the season opener, threw his first interception.
Brodie Croyle, in mop-up duty late, threw two picks, including one the Steelers took back for a touchdown as an exclamation point on a thoroughly depressing blowout.
Huard will have to carry the reins for a while longer, with Edwards saying Monday he was not expecting Green to get back this week.
"I'll know more by Wednesday," he said.
Throughout Sunday's game, and often during this season of transition, the Chiefs have appeared to struggle for an offensive identity.
"We couldn't get in rhythm this game so it kind of looked like that. We were behind and had to make some throws," Edwards said. "This game was so bad early ... we only ran the ball 19 times and we threw 39 passes. You can't get into rhythm doing that."
The entire sorry day could wind up being a great motivator. The Chargers, who lead the Chiefs by two games in the AFC West, could be walking into an ambush game.
"I think we're all frustrated as a football team because we know we can play better," said left guard Brian Waters.
"We felt like we were starting to get things going a little bit the way we wanted. But when it goes backward, the whole team gets frustrated because we know we're a better football team than we showed in Pittsburgh."
Defensive end Jared Allen took sharp exception to the suggestion that the loss had exposed fault lines in the offensive and defensive structure of the team.
"I don't think it exposed anything," he said. "It just shows what happens when you don't tackle people in the NFL, when you don't make the plays you're supposed to make against a quality team like the Pittsburgh Steelers. They came out and played like Super Bowl champions and we didn't match them."