Tribal Warfare
08-21-2007, 12:59 PM
http://www.uwrf.edu/chiefs/prev_updates?page=2&Files=08-14-08am.html
Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2007: Training Camp News
A somber parade of 67 fans trickled into the stadium at Ramer Field this morning. The combination of knowing the Chiefs were about to break camp at River Falls and the oppressive 80 degree heat and 60 percent humidity made for an subdued atmosphere in the stands. The dew point was 65, and the wind was from the north at nine miles per hour. Midway through practice, heavy clouds rolled in and the wind picked up, but the cloud cover passed within 20 minutes.
Offense
The Chiefs could not hide that they are ready to head back to Kansas City during their last practice of the 2007 Summer Training Camp. Some were jovial and did not hesitate to hassle their teammates; some showed they were tired with periodic yawns, and others were a little fussy and lacked motivation during drills they have run all camp. Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe was out and running with the team at the beginning of practice for the first time.
Warm up was almost an exact copy of yesterday’s. It started with the offense walking through plays that emphasized hand-offs and pitches from the plus 10-yardline. The offensive line worked on coming out of blocking stance and synchronizing its movements through foot shuffles and arm placements. Tight ends went one-on-one and practiced coming in to block for a pass against one another with blocking pads. Quarterbacks, receivers and ball carriers loosened up before joining together to work on particular skills. Quarterbacks Brodie Croyle and Jeff Terrell led receivers with mid-range passes to the sides and middle of the field. Taking hand-offs and outlets from quarterbacks Damon Huard and Casey Printers, the ball carriers worked around the 5-yard line.
Kicker Justin Medlock lined up to kick four field goals as the rest of the team lined up around him. He sent all four through the up-rights; the kicks were 32 yards from the left hash, 34 yards from the right, 37 yards from the right and 39 yards from the left. There was a slight northwest wind and there was no rushing during the drill.
The offense participated in a short 11-on-11 simulation. The defense played off the play cards held by Quarterbacks Coach Dick Curl as quarterbacks Damon Huard, Brodie Croyle and Casey Printers released short-range passes from the red zone. The drill would bring the squad into two sessions of 11-on-11 against defense and one session of 7-on-7. All four quarterbacks took snaps; Damon Huard led the first unit and Jeff Terrell stood behind the center for the majority of the reps. The rush was not full blown and there was no tackling during the drills that prioritized the run game.
At times it seemed as if there was more action on the sidelines then Ramer Field. A debate formed after cornerback Ty Law caught a pass that bounced off of tight end Michael Allan’s forearm; it was a 11-yard pass to the right of the field from quarterback Jeff Terrell. Cornerbacks Tyron Brackenridge and Patrick Surtain and safety Jarrad Page questioned whether the ball had hit the ground and Law supported that the ball did not. Kicker Justin Medlock did not agree with safety Bernard Pollard when he said that Purdue was a better academic university than UCLA. Medlock called over fellow UCLA alum Page to try to reason with Pollard. NFL Films crew members hustled to along the sideline to set up for shots of the team as they team often grouped in a huddle.
A second session of the 11-on-11 drill ended practice. Quarterback Brodie Croyle led the offense during an end of game situation. The clock had 6.6 seconds left and the ball was at the plus 3-yardline on the fourth down. “We gonna win the game or what,” asked Head Coach Herm Edwards. “Or what we gonna do?” There was an illegal procedure on the offensewould have meant game over for the Chiefs if it had been a real game (the team would have lost their down). The offense got a second crack at the play and wide receiver Brad Ekwerekwu caught a dumped pass from Croyle to the middle of the field for a touchdown after the ball was tipped by a defenseman.
Defense
The defense worked on its typical daily drills today after the special teams unit got off the field. Some of the defensive players had a swagger in their step due to the excitement of the last day of training camp. Safety Bernard Pollard appeared to be one of the happiest team members, singing loudly to his fellow defensive backs during drills.
At 12:14 p.m., the 11-on-11 practice began, but without pads the intensity was dimmed down. During the first part of the drill, the defense worked on their run defense. They also worked on running their nickel defense. When the coaches called for the nickel defense during the first unit, linebacker Donnie Edwards and defensive tackle Ron Edwards were replaced. In their spots, cornerback Tyron Brackenridge and defensive end Jimmy Wilkerson entered the game, adding speed to the defense.
Cornerback Ty Law got some heat from his fellow defensive backs when a ball got tipped right to him and fell through his hands. As the ball went through Law’s hands, he had a chance to scoop it off his foot, but the ball appeared to hit the grass first. As Law and cornerback Patrick Surtain ran off the field, Surtain said, “That will cost you.” When Law was on the sidelines, Law said, “That hit my foot [on the catch].” In response, safety Jarrad Page said, “Hell no, that hit the grass,” as Page ran over to where Law was standing.
Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie got very angry with his players after they were slow to the huddle during a series. Krumrie pulled his defensive line to the sideline to yell at them. He said, “I don’t care if you screw around, but when you are in the huddle, you need to work.” Krumrie was not happy with the amount of effort his players showed, and wanted to make sure that his players would stop goofing off.
The defensive backs got a chance to work on interceptions, in a game setting. Quarterback Jeff Terrell purposely threw the ball over a receivers head, or straight to the defense. Linebackers Derrick Johnson and Rich Scanlon, and safety Bernard Pollard made nice interceptions during this drill.
The team ended the practice with the quick-score drill. The offense was given a few minutes to drive down the field to try to get a touchdown with only two timeouts. During this drill, the defense was flagged with a lot of penalties. Safety Marlon Fair was called for an illegal chop by Head Coach Herm Edwards. Fair was trying to stay close to wide receiver Brent Little, but Fair’s hands got to Little before the ball did, causing too much contact. Defensive end Chris Harris and defensive tackle Patrice Majondo-Mwamba also jumped off-sides, getting flagged for a 5-yard penalty. The offense drove all the way to the 2-yard line, with 6.6 seconds left, and only one down to get a touchdown in. Quarterback Brodie Croyle tried to draw the defense off-sides, but ended up getting the offense to jump. This would have ended a real game, since there would have been a 10 second run off. Since this was practice, Edwards said the team could have another chance at it. Croyle threw the ball across the middle, but the ball was tipped at the line. It appeared to be a good play by the defense, but the tipped ball went right in to the hands of wide receiver Brad Ekwerekwu, scoring a touchdown.
Special Teams
The special teams unit practiced the punt and kick-off return in two short drills to start practice. Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer told the crew how he wanted it to approach the drills as they prepared to start working, saying “Good tempo now, good tempo.” Both the punt return and kick-off return teams ran through different scenarios that could be or should be created in a game whether it was effective blocking for a ball carrier or covering up the on-side kick. Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham observed the practice and praised cornerback Justin Phinisee for his performance, “Hey Phinisee, you’re like the MVP of special teams.”
Punter Dustin Colquitt worked on kicking the ball without causing the ball to go into the end zone for a touchback. The special teams’ coverage unit worked on catching the ball if they thought the ball was going to go to the end zone. If the coverage player thought the ball was not going to bounce in to the end zone, then the player would try to cover it up. At about 11:45 a.m., special teams practiced on-side kicks and coverage. During this drill, the hands team came in, which includes safety Bernard Pollard. It is important to have the players that have the best hands cover the on-side kicks because the ball comes at the players quickly, and there is not much time for players to get their hands on the ball.
Fans
Jennifer Ertz, from Deephaven, Minn., attended the Chiefs' final practice this morning. Ertz has attended camp in the past and thought that she would catch the last day before the Chiefs depart tomorrow. Ertz has followed the Chiefs for a number of years and lists running back Larry Johnson and tight end Tony Gonzalez as her favorite players.
Elizabeth Rowland, from Kansas City, Mo., was disappointed that today was the last Chiefs practice in River Falls this summer. Rowland, who plans to attend the Chiefs home opener against the Vikings at Arrowhead Stadium on Sep. 23, enjoyed watching practice today because she likes being close to the team and hearing calls. Rowland also feels that the camp experience is much more intimate than at Arrowhead Stadium, but loves being around the other fans at home games.
Rick Shumacher, from Olathe, Kan., was at the Chiefs last practice this morning with his son Kent, 11. The Shumachers have traveled to River Falls for Chiefs camp the last three years, and are attending the final practice of the summer for the first time. Kent, who has received autographs from most of the players, was hoping to get running back Larry Johnson’s this summer, but was glad to get running back Priest Holmes’ during Family Fun Night last week.
Extra, Extra...
Tear-down efforts were in high gear at the Athletic Complex during this morning’s final practice. All three goal posts that had been erected on the practices fields were dismantled and loaded onto a flat-bed semi truck, ready for the trip back to Kansas City. Workers could be seen loading vehicles belonging to players and staff onto a trailer, and huge pallets of Gatorade sat outside of Hunt Arena ready to be lifted into one of four semi trucks remaining in the parking lot.
Rhonda Moss, on-air personality at 610 Sports radio for KCSP in Mission, Kan., was one of few media members who attended this morning’s practice. Moss’s dedication to the Chiefs is considerable; as well as being one of the only reporters to make a point of attending every practice, Moss is the only professional female sports reporter covering Chiefs camp and has been doing so for nearly 10 years. While she has enjoyed her time in River Falls this year, Moss says she is ready to head back to more familiar spaces. “I’m glad to be going home, but I do like it up here. Everybody is nice; it’s nice to meet new people. Camp wears you down, though. It’s nice to sleep in your own bed,” said Moss. She plans to make the long drive home this afternoon.
Quarterbacks Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard stayed after practice to address the press in two back-to-back interview sessions. The quarterbacks were asked obvious questions about the competition for the starting spot, and about the significance of the pre-season and what they foresee it all meaning. When asked how they think the team will get its momentum going into the regular season, Croyle responded saying, “We’re running a lot of stuff we normally wouldn’t run. That’s pre-season and that’s the nature of it.” Damon discussed the need for the Chiefs to put everything together and the difficulty of playing with an inconsistent mix of players during the pre-season, adding, “We still got enough stuff to get things going.” Croyle also shared that he would like to get the opportunity to play more, and that he realizes the importance of learning from his mistakes during the pre-season games; Croyle plans on using those lessons to make himself a better player. About the coaches decision on starting quarterback, he said, “Whatever decision they come to. They come to.” Huard talked about his start for the Chiefs game versus Miami on this Thursday, and explained that there is always pressure to do well, but that he feels no extra pressure to excel anymore than he normally would, despite being in the running for the starting spot. Huard made clear that his goal is to “move the chains, score touchdowns, and help my team win.”
Running back Priest Holmes was a solitary figure on the practice fields today, stretching and running sprints during the first half of practice. Holmes sprinted 70 yards several times, and did not seem to be winded afterward.
During practice this afternoon, a pushing match broke out between offensive tackle Kyle Turley and defensive end Chris Harris. Both of the men started pushing each other, and ended up at the bottom of the pile of other players and staff attempting to break up the fight.
After the practice Head Coach Herm Edwards spoke at the podium for the last time this summer in River Falls. Edwards said, “We got a lot of things accomplished in camp; when we go back to Arrowhead we will still be in camp mode. We accomplished a lot, especially the young guys, and now it’s just a matter of the veteran guys getting in game shape.” In regards to the game on Thursday against the Miami Dolphins, Edwards said quarterback Damon Huard will start the game with the first unit, and then quarterback Brodie Croyle will replace Huard. All of the team’s first units will play into the second quarter. Edwards stressed that he does not have a starting quarterback set right now and and has yet to make a decision. This Thursday, offensive tackle Chris Terry is expected to play with a sore shoulder. Fullback Boomer Grigsby will be a game-time decision. The players that are out for sure are offensive guard Chris Bober and wide receiver Rod Gardner.
While the rest of the team stretched, wide receiver Dwayne Bowe sat on the sideline at the beginning of practice while his right ankle received some attention from staff members. Bowe’s ankle was taped up as he answered questions for another member of the Chiefs personnel.
UWRF concessions stand worker Brittany Smith could be observed packing up Chiefs souvenirs as practice wore on this morning. Smith said that one of the best selling items at camp were Chiefs yearbooks. “We ordered 175, and we only have five left,” said Smith. Smith also lamented that her time at Chiefs camp is over. “You learn so much about yourself when you serve others,” she commented.
Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2007: Training Camp News
A somber parade of 67 fans trickled into the stadium at Ramer Field this morning. The combination of knowing the Chiefs were about to break camp at River Falls and the oppressive 80 degree heat and 60 percent humidity made for an subdued atmosphere in the stands. The dew point was 65, and the wind was from the north at nine miles per hour. Midway through practice, heavy clouds rolled in and the wind picked up, but the cloud cover passed within 20 minutes.
Offense
The Chiefs could not hide that they are ready to head back to Kansas City during their last practice of the 2007 Summer Training Camp. Some were jovial and did not hesitate to hassle their teammates; some showed they were tired with periodic yawns, and others were a little fussy and lacked motivation during drills they have run all camp. Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe was out and running with the team at the beginning of practice for the first time.
Warm up was almost an exact copy of yesterday’s. It started with the offense walking through plays that emphasized hand-offs and pitches from the plus 10-yardline. The offensive line worked on coming out of blocking stance and synchronizing its movements through foot shuffles and arm placements. Tight ends went one-on-one and practiced coming in to block for a pass against one another with blocking pads. Quarterbacks, receivers and ball carriers loosened up before joining together to work on particular skills. Quarterbacks Brodie Croyle and Jeff Terrell led receivers with mid-range passes to the sides and middle of the field. Taking hand-offs and outlets from quarterbacks Damon Huard and Casey Printers, the ball carriers worked around the 5-yard line.
Kicker Justin Medlock lined up to kick four field goals as the rest of the team lined up around him. He sent all four through the up-rights; the kicks were 32 yards from the left hash, 34 yards from the right, 37 yards from the right and 39 yards from the left. There was a slight northwest wind and there was no rushing during the drill.
The offense participated in a short 11-on-11 simulation. The defense played off the play cards held by Quarterbacks Coach Dick Curl as quarterbacks Damon Huard, Brodie Croyle and Casey Printers released short-range passes from the red zone. The drill would bring the squad into two sessions of 11-on-11 against defense and one session of 7-on-7. All four quarterbacks took snaps; Damon Huard led the first unit and Jeff Terrell stood behind the center for the majority of the reps. The rush was not full blown and there was no tackling during the drills that prioritized the run game.
At times it seemed as if there was more action on the sidelines then Ramer Field. A debate formed after cornerback Ty Law caught a pass that bounced off of tight end Michael Allan’s forearm; it was a 11-yard pass to the right of the field from quarterback Jeff Terrell. Cornerbacks Tyron Brackenridge and Patrick Surtain and safety Jarrad Page questioned whether the ball had hit the ground and Law supported that the ball did not. Kicker Justin Medlock did not agree with safety Bernard Pollard when he said that Purdue was a better academic university than UCLA. Medlock called over fellow UCLA alum Page to try to reason with Pollard. NFL Films crew members hustled to along the sideline to set up for shots of the team as they team often grouped in a huddle.
A second session of the 11-on-11 drill ended practice. Quarterback Brodie Croyle led the offense during an end of game situation. The clock had 6.6 seconds left and the ball was at the plus 3-yardline on the fourth down. “We gonna win the game or what,” asked Head Coach Herm Edwards. “Or what we gonna do?” There was an illegal procedure on the offensewould have meant game over for the Chiefs if it had been a real game (the team would have lost their down). The offense got a second crack at the play and wide receiver Brad Ekwerekwu caught a dumped pass from Croyle to the middle of the field for a touchdown after the ball was tipped by a defenseman.
Defense
The defense worked on its typical daily drills today after the special teams unit got off the field. Some of the defensive players had a swagger in their step due to the excitement of the last day of training camp. Safety Bernard Pollard appeared to be one of the happiest team members, singing loudly to his fellow defensive backs during drills.
At 12:14 p.m., the 11-on-11 practice began, but without pads the intensity was dimmed down. During the first part of the drill, the defense worked on their run defense. They also worked on running their nickel defense. When the coaches called for the nickel defense during the first unit, linebacker Donnie Edwards and defensive tackle Ron Edwards were replaced. In their spots, cornerback Tyron Brackenridge and defensive end Jimmy Wilkerson entered the game, adding speed to the defense.
Cornerback Ty Law got some heat from his fellow defensive backs when a ball got tipped right to him and fell through his hands. As the ball went through Law’s hands, he had a chance to scoop it off his foot, but the ball appeared to hit the grass first. As Law and cornerback Patrick Surtain ran off the field, Surtain said, “That will cost you.” When Law was on the sidelines, Law said, “That hit my foot [on the catch].” In response, safety Jarrad Page said, “Hell no, that hit the grass,” as Page ran over to where Law was standing.
Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie got very angry with his players after they were slow to the huddle during a series. Krumrie pulled his defensive line to the sideline to yell at them. He said, “I don’t care if you screw around, but when you are in the huddle, you need to work.” Krumrie was not happy with the amount of effort his players showed, and wanted to make sure that his players would stop goofing off.
The defensive backs got a chance to work on interceptions, in a game setting. Quarterback Jeff Terrell purposely threw the ball over a receivers head, or straight to the defense. Linebackers Derrick Johnson and Rich Scanlon, and safety Bernard Pollard made nice interceptions during this drill.
The team ended the practice with the quick-score drill. The offense was given a few minutes to drive down the field to try to get a touchdown with only two timeouts. During this drill, the defense was flagged with a lot of penalties. Safety Marlon Fair was called for an illegal chop by Head Coach Herm Edwards. Fair was trying to stay close to wide receiver Brent Little, but Fair’s hands got to Little before the ball did, causing too much contact. Defensive end Chris Harris and defensive tackle Patrice Majondo-Mwamba also jumped off-sides, getting flagged for a 5-yard penalty. The offense drove all the way to the 2-yard line, with 6.6 seconds left, and only one down to get a touchdown in. Quarterback Brodie Croyle tried to draw the defense off-sides, but ended up getting the offense to jump. This would have ended a real game, since there would have been a 10 second run off. Since this was practice, Edwards said the team could have another chance at it. Croyle threw the ball across the middle, but the ball was tipped at the line. It appeared to be a good play by the defense, but the tipped ball went right in to the hands of wide receiver Brad Ekwerekwu, scoring a touchdown.
Special Teams
The special teams unit practiced the punt and kick-off return in two short drills to start practice. Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer told the crew how he wanted it to approach the drills as they prepared to start working, saying “Good tempo now, good tempo.” Both the punt return and kick-off return teams ran through different scenarios that could be or should be created in a game whether it was effective blocking for a ball carrier or covering up the on-side kick. Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham observed the practice and praised cornerback Justin Phinisee for his performance, “Hey Phinisee, you’re like the MVP of special teams.”
Punter Dustin Colquitt worked on kicking the ball without causing the ball to go into the end zone for a touchback. The special teams’ coverage unit worked on catching the ball if they thought the ball was going to go to the end zone. If the coverage player thought the ball was not going to bounce in to the end zone, then the player would try to cover it up. At about 11:45 a.m., special teams practiced on-side kicks and coverage. During this drill, the hands team came in, which includes safety Bernard Pollard. It is important to have the players that have the best hands cover the on-side kicks because the ball comes at the players quickly, and there is not much time for players to get their hands on the ball.
Fans
Jennifer Ertz, from Deephaven, Minn., attended the Chiefs' final practice this morning. Ertz has attended camp in the past and thought that she would catch the last day before the Chiefs depart tomorrow. Ertz has followed the Chiefs for a number of years and lists running back Larry Johnson and tight end Tony Gonzalez as her favorite players.
Elizabeth Rowland, from Kansas City, Mo., was disappointed that today was the last Chiefs practice in River Falls this summer. Rowland, who plans to attend the Chiefs home opener against the Vikings at Arrowhead Stadium on Sep. 23, enjoyed watching practice today because she likes being close to the team and hearing calls. Rowland also feels that the camp experience is much more intimate than at Arrowhead Stadium, but loves being around the other fans at home games.
Rick Shumacher, from Olathe, Kan., was at the Chiefs last practice this morning with his son Kent, 11. The Shumachers have traveled to River Falls for Chiefs camp the last three years, and are attending the final practice of the summer for the first time. Kent, who has received autographs from most of the players, was hoping to get running back Larry Johnson’s this summer, but was glad to get running back Priest Holmes’ during Family Fun Night last week.
Extra, Extra...
Tear-down efforts were in high gear at the Athletic Complex during this morning’s final practice. All three goal posts that had been erected on the practices fields were dismantled and loaded onto a flat-bed semi truck, ready for the trip back to Kansas City. Workers could be seen loading vehicles belonging to players and staff onto a trailer, and huge pallets of Gatorade sat outside of Hunt Arena ready to be lifted into one of four semi trucks remaining in the parking lot.
Rhonda Moss, on-air personality at 610 Sports radio for KCSP in Mission, Kan., was one of few media members who attended this morning’s practice. Moss’s dedication to the Chiefs is considerable; as well as being one of the only reporters to make a point of attending every practice, Moss is the only professional female sports reporter covering Chiefs camp and has been doing so for nearly 10 years. While she has enjoyed her time in River Falls this year, Moss says she is ready to head back to more familiar spaces. “I’m glad to be going home, but I do like it up here. Everybody is nice; it’s nice to meet new people. Camp wears you down, though. It’s nice to sleep in your own bed,” said Moss. She plans to make the long drive home this afternoon.
Quarterbacks Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard stayed after practice to address the press in two back-to-back interview sessions. The quarterbacks were asked obvious questions about the competition for the starting spot, and about the significance of the pre-season and what they foresee it all meaning. When asked how they think the team will get its momentum going into the regular season, Croyle responded saying, “We’re running a lot of stuff we normally wouldn’t run. That’s pre-season and that’s the nature of it.” Damon discussed the need for the Chiefs to put everything together and the difficulty of playing with an inconsistent mix of players during the pre-season, adding, “We still got enough stuff to get things going.” Croyle also shared that he would like to get the opportunity to play more, and that he realizes the importance of learning from his mistakes during the pre-season games; Croyle plans on using those lessons to make himself a better player. About the coaches decision on starting quarterback, he said, “Whatever decision they come to. They come to.” Huard talked about his start for the Chiefs game versus Miami on this Thursday, and explained that there is always pressure to do well, but that he feels no extra pressure to excel anymore than he normally would, despite being in the running for the starting spot. Huard made clear that his goal is to “move the chains, score touchdowns, and help my team win.”
Running back Priest Holmes was a solitary figure on the practice fields today, stretching and running sprints during the first half of practice. Holmes sprinted 70 yards several times, and did not seem to be winded afterward.
During practice this afternoon, a pushing match broke out between offensive tackle Kyle Turley and defensive end Chris Harris. Both of the men started pushing each other, and ended up at the bottom of the pile of other players and staff attempting to break up the fight.
After the practice Head Coach Herm Edwards spoke at the podium for the last time this summer in River Falls. Edwards said, “We got a lot of things accomplished in camp; when we go back to Arrowhead we will still be in camp mode. We accomplished a lot, especially the young guys, and now it’s just a matter of the veteran guys getting in game shape.” In regards to the game on Thursday against the Miami Dolphins, Edwards said quarterback Damon Huard will start the game with the first unit, and then quarterback Brodie Croyle will replace Huard. All of the team’s first units will play into the second quarter. Edwards stressed that he does not have a starting quarterback set right now and and has yet to make a decision. This Thursday, offensive tackle Chris Terry is expected to play with a sore shoulder. Fullback Boomer Grigsby will be a game-time decision. The players that are out for sure are offensive guard Chris Bober and wide receiver Rod Gardner.
While the rest of the team stretched, wide receiver Dwayne Bowe sat on the sideline at the beginning of practice while his right ankle received some attention from staff members. Bowe’s ankle was taped up as he answered questions for another member of the Chiefs personnel.
UWRF concessions stand worker Brittany Smith could be observed packing up Chiefs souvenirs as practice wore on this morning. Smith said that one of the best selling items at camp were Chiefs yearbooks. “We ordered 175, and we only have five left,” said Smith. Smith also lamented that her time at Chiefs camp is over. “You learn so much about yourself when you serve others,” she commented.