smittysbar
10-19-2008, 10:38 PM
Chiefs’ running game can’t do much against Titans
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
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DAVID EULITT
Kansas City running back Kolby Smith, making his first start of the season, couldn’t get very far against the Titans on Sunday. He finished with just 20 rushing yards in 10 carries.
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<!-- END /pubsys/production/story/story_assets.comp --> <table> </table>The Chiefs learned Sunday that life without Larry Johnson is not much fun. Tennessee linebacker Keith Bulluck informed them afterward that things wouldn’t have been different even if Johnson had played.
“We were looking forward to playing against Larry Johnson,” Bulluck said after the Titans allowed Chiefs running backs 37 yards in a 34-10 victory. “He is one of the premier backs in the AFC. He definitely would have brought a different dimension, but at the same time, we practiced against the same plays and we didn’t know Johnson wasn’t playing until after practice on Thursday.
“We were preparing for him the whole time, anyway. We feel as though he would have gotten the same treatment.”
The Chiefs held Johnson out of Sunday’s game after he was late for practice and other team obligations. Perhaps Bulluck was right and Johnson’s presence would have made no difference. Johnson, after all, had only 2 rushing yards in the Chiefs’ previous game in Carolina.
Kolby Smith, making his first start of the season, had just 20 yards in 10 carries. Jamaal Charles gained 17 yards in three rushes.
“They did a good job of getting into our backfield,” Smith said. “That makes it hard for a running back to get a read.”
The Titans in effect rendered the Chiefs’ running game moot long before they finished their domination of the line of scrimmage. They led 10-0 by the end of the first quarter and before the Chiefs had even managed a first down.
Tennessee eventually led 17-0 at halftime and 27-0 in the fourth quarter before the Chiefs finally scored.
“We’ve got to stop falling behind in games,” coach Herm Edwards said. “That’s hurt us the last two (games). That’s never good, especially against a good football team, and we’ve played two pretty good football teams.”
Smith had a 19-yard run around left end in the second quarter. Charles went up the middle for 16 yards in the fourth period.
Otherwise, the two combined for just 2 yards. The domination was so complete that Bulluck was probably correct.
“They came out and played physical,” Charles said, “just like a No. 1 defense.”
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
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DAVID EULITT
Kansas City running back Kolby Smith, making his first start of the season, couldn’t get very far against the Titans on Sunday. He finished with just 20 rushing yards in 10 carries.
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<!-- END /pubsys/production/story/story_assets.comp --> <table> </table>The Chiefs learned Sunday that life without Larry Johnson is not much fun. Tennessee linebacker Keith Bulluck informed them afterward that things wouldn’t have been different even if Johnson had played.
“We were looking forward to playing against Larry Johnson,” Bulluck said after the Titans allowed Chiefs running backs 37 yards in a 34-10 victory. “He is one of the premier backs in the AFC. He definitely would have brought a different dimension, but at the same time, we practiced against the same plays and we didn’t know Johnson wasn’t playing until after practice on Thursday.
“We were preparing for him the whole time, anyway. We feel as though he would have gotten the same treatment.”
The Chiefs held Johnson out of Sunday’s game after he was late for practice and other team obligations. Perhaps Bulluck was right and Johnson’s presence would have made no difference. Johnson, after all, had only 2 rushing yards in the Chiefs’ previous game in Carolina.
Kolby Smith, making his first start of the season, had just 20 yards in 10 carries. Jamaal Charles gained 17 yards in three rushes.
“They did a good job of getting into our backfield,” Smith said. “That makes it hard for a running back to get a read.”
The Titans in effect rendered the Chiefs’ running game moot long before they finished their domination of the line of scrimmage. They led 10-0 by the end of the first quarter and before the Chiefs had even managed a first down.
Tennessee eventually led 17-0 at halftime and 27-0 in the fourth quarter before the Chiefs finally scored.
“We’ve got to stop falling behind in games,” coach Herm Edwards said. “That’s hurt us the last two (games). That’s never good, especially against a good football team, and we’ve played two pretty good football teams.”
Smith had a 19-yard run around left end in the second quarter. Charles went up the middle for 16 yards in the fourth period.
Otherwise, the two combined for just 2 yards. The domination was so complete that Bulluck was probably correct.
“They came out and played physical,” Charles said, “just like a No. 1 defense.”