Tribal Warfare
12-17-2008, 05:41 PM
Q&A with HERM EDWARDS - 12/17 (http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2008/12/17/qa_with_herm_edwards__1217/)
Dec 17, 2008, 4:47:26 PM
Highlights
HERM EDWARDS: “I announced to the team today our two Pro Bowl players. You probably talked to them. For Tony Gonzalez it’s his 10th time, well deserved, and Brian Waters got back into the Pro Bowl which is good to see.
“It’s always good when you get players from your football team that have shown through all this team has gone through that they still are playing at a high level. People respect that and I think the players through the league respect it to by voting them to the Pro Bowl.”
Q: First day back at work since Carl Peterson’s resignation. Wouldn’t it be nice for them to win a couple of games with his time left with the Chiefs?
EDWARDS: “Yeah, and for us too. It’s their last home game they’re going play this season. They have played some tight ones here and we haven’t quite got it done. We had a tight one again last week.
“I told them again about Miami and how they’ve won seven games by nine points or less and we’ve lost seven by seven points or less. They’ve won the close game that we haven’t won. We haven’t found a way to do that – the victim of our own faults at times when we get in those situations. That’s something we have to learn to do a better job in.”
Q: You’ve talked about not finishing games, but can you practice it oris it something you have to have on Sunday?
EDWARDS: “Has to happen. When you’re put in position to make plays you have to make them. I think when you play with this many young guys a lot of things happen in situations like that and all it takes is maybe one guy not making that play. When you’re in that situation a lot you’re sometimes looking for someone else to do it and they don’t do it. We’ve just got to do it collectively.
“That’s kind of how Miami’s done it. They’re a good football team and all that but they’ve won those games and now they get confidence and when you win a couple like that you say, ‘hey, we’re going to make a play and win a game.’ It hasn’t worked out for us thus far.”
Q: How frustrated were you last week at halftime that you left some points on the field?
EDWARDS: “At least six points. Let’s say if we don’t throw the interception the worse- case scenario we make the field goal, or the first field goal we miss from the 16. That’s six points, or just three of those points. You win the game. There are a lot of games like that when you boil it all down and look at our season. You shake your head. Maybe if five out of the seven you make a play your record is a whole lot different and you’re feeling a whole lot better.”
Q: A player is evaluated every time he goes on the field. Does the intensity step up a little bit when he thinks he may be auditioning for a new GM?
EDWARDS: “I don’t know about that. The great thing about these young guys is they really don’t get that part yet. They know where they’re at. Most of these kids are young players and it’s not like they’re not going to be back here. They are going to be back here. They’re the foundation of our football team.
“Ninety percent of this team is coming back here next year – maybe 95%. That’s the rebuilding process and what’s great about it. The whole team basically; there might be a couple guys but for the most part they’re all coming back. That’s what is great about it. They’ll be that much better for it.”
Q: Branden Albert has taken positive steps and you don’t hear him mentioned much and that’s a good thing given the position he plays. Has he done all that you wanted out of him?
EDWARDS: “Yeah, and I think the guy was nicked and to his credit he hasn’t played healthy all year. But you never see the guy try to get out of anything. What he’s come back from in the knee and the elbow (injuries) and being a rookie, he’s just going to get better and better. You’re right; he’s playing a tough spot: left tackle. They don’t talk about him a lot; that’s a good thing not talking about a left tackle a lot because if you’re talking about him bad things are happening. He’s done a really good job to come in and start right away. You can just see him maturing. I think Brian Waters has helped him tremendously playing over there. He’s teaching him to be a pro.”
Q: He missed most of the pre-season but it doesn’t seem like when he’s played he’s missed a beat. Are you surprised that he seems as resilient as he is?
EDWARDS: “Yeah, but he’s pretty mature though. You got that when you interviewed the guy (prior to the draft). When he here on a visit, one of the questions I asked him was moving to tackle. He looked at me and said, ‘coach, I can play tackle.’ He’s a very confident guy. I think he’s hard on himself and wants to be a top line player and again with him playing next to Brian that’s helped him.”
Q: Where do you see him in the future?
EDWARDS: “His potential is whatever he decides for it to be because he has the talent, the physical skills to do it. It’s just experience. That’s just what this whole team is lacking: experience at every position across the board starting with the quarterback. Look at all the positions. It’s just a lack of experience for the most part.
“That’s what is so encouraging about this football team. That’s all these guys lack. It has nothing to do with talent. It has nothing to do with effort. It’s playing experience. They’ve gained a lot of it this year and have gone through a lot of adversity as a football team. That’s going to make them a very good football team in the years to come.”
Q: When was the last time you talked to Chad Pennington?
EDWARDS: “Pre-season. The one thing I knew about him was when he was standing upright in New York and went through the season for us we were in the playoffs. The two years I missed it out of the five he was hurt. The last year the whole team was injured, sort of like this team. When he’s available he brings to the table his leadership qualities. He makes players around him better. That’s what he does.”
Q: We talked yesterday about whether you would be back. We talked to players today who want you back. How do you react to that?
EDWARDS: “That’s nice to hear that your players feel that strongly about you. I’ve been in this business a long time and you don’t control a lot of things and all you control is how you coach your football team and how they respond. I think these guys have responded very well with what we’re trying to do here. It’s a credit to them, too, the type of players you draft and the players you bring in during free agency and if they fit. It’s been a good fit so far.
“In life you don’t do things that make you comfortable. You do things that are right. Sometimes when you do things that are right it’s not comfortable doing them at that point and time. To rebuild is never comfortable. It’s hard on everybody but it’s the right thing to do. I’ve tried to live my life that way. Just do the right thing and when you do the right thing you never have to worry about what you did. Taking this path is the right path.”
Dec 17, 2008, 4:47:26 PM
Highlights
HERM EDWARDS: “I announced to the team today our two Pro Bowl players. You probably talked to them. For Tony Gonzalez it’s his 10th time, well deserved, and Brian Waters got back into the Pro Bowl which is good to see.
“It’s always good when you get players from your football team that have shown through all this team has gone through that they still are playing at a high level. People respect that and I think the players through the league respect it to by voting them to the Pro Bowl.”
Q: First day back at work since Carl Peterson’s resignation. Wouldn’t it be nice for them to win a couple of games with his time left with the Chiefs?
EDWARDS: “Yeah, and for us too. It’s their last home game they’re going play this season. They have played some tight ones here and we haven’t quite got it done. We had a tight one again last week.
“I told them again about Miami and how they’ve won seven games by nine points or less and we’ve lost seven by seven points or less. They’ve won the close game that we haven’t won. We haven’t found a way to do that – the victim of our own faults at times when we get in those situations. That’s something we have to learn to do a better job in.”
Q: You’ve talked about not finishing games, but can you practice it oris it something you have to have on Sunday?
EDWARDS: “Has to happen. When you’re put in position to make plays you have to make them. I think when you play with this many young guys a lot of things happen in situations like that and all it takes is maybe one guy not making that play. When you’re in that situation a lot you’re sometimes looking for someone else to do it and they don’t do it. We’ve just got to do it collectively.
“That’s kind of how Miami’s done it. They’re a good football team and all that but they’ve won those games and now they get confidence and when you win a couple like that you say, ‘hey, we’re going to make a play and win a game.’ It hasn’t worked out for us thus far.”
Q: How frustrated were you last week at halftime that you left some points on the field?
EDWARDS: “At least six points. Let’s say if we don’t throw the interception the worse- case scenario we make the field goal, or the first field goal we miss from the 16. That’s six points, or just three of those points. You win the game. There are a lot of games like that when you boil it all down and look at our season. You shake your head. Maybe if five out of the seven you make a play your record is a whole lot different and you’re feeling a whole lot better.”
Q: A player is evaluated every time he goes on the field. Does the intensity step up a little bit when he thinks he may be auditioning for a new GM?
EDWARDS: “I don’t know about that. The great thing about these young guys is they really don’t get that part yet. They know where they’re at. Most of these kids are young players and it’s not like they’re not going to be back here. They are going to be back here. They’re the foundation of our football team.
“Ninety percent of this team is coming back here next year – maybe 95%. That’s the rebuilding process and what’s great about it. The whole team basically; there might be a couple guys but for the most part they’re all coming back. That’s what is great about it. They’ll be that much better for it.”
Q: Branden Albert has taken positive steps and you don’t hear him mentioned much and that’s a good thing given the position he plays. Has he done all that you wanted out of him?
EDWARDS: “Yeah, and I think the guy was nicked and to his credit he hasn’t played healthy all year. But you never see the guy try to get out of anything. What he’s come back from in the knee and the elbow (injuries) and being a rookie, he’s just going to get better and better. You’re right; he’s playing a tough spot: left tackle. They don’t talk about him a lot; that’s a good thing not talking about a left tackle a lot because if you’re talking about him bad things are happening. He’s done a really good job to come in and start right away. You can just see him maturing. I think Brian Waters has helped him tremendously playing over there. He’s teaching him to be a pro.”
Q: He missed most of the pre-season but it doesn’t seem like when he’s played he’s missed a beat. Are you surprised that he seems as resilient as he is?
EDWARDS: “Yeah, but he’s pretty mature though. You got that when you interviewed the guy (prior to the draft). When he here on a visit, one of the questions I asked him was moving to tackle. He looked at me and said, ‘coach, I can play tackle.’ He’s a very confident guy. I think he’s hard on himself and wants to be a top line player and again with him playing next to Brian that’s helped him.”
Q: Where do you see him in the future?
EDWARDS: “His potential is whatever he decides for it to be because he has the talent, the physical skills to do it. It’s just experience. That’s just what this whole team is lacking: experience at every position across the board starting with the quarterback. Look at all the positions. It’s just a lack of experience for the most part.
“That’s what is so encouraging about this football team. That’s all these guys lack. It has nothing to do with talent. It has nothing to do with effort. It’s playing experience. They’ve gained a lot of it this year and have gone through a lot of adversity as a football team. That’s going to make them a very good football team in the years to come.”
Q: When was the last time you talked to Chad Pennington?
EDWARDS: “Pre-season. The one thing I knew about him was when he was standing upright in New York and went through the season for us we were in the playoffs. The two years I missed it out of the five he was hurt. The last year the whole team was injured, sort of like this team. When he’s available he brings to the table his leadership qualities. He makes players around him better. That’s what he does.”
Q: We talked yesterday about whether you would be back. We talked to players today who want you back. How do you react to that?
EDWARDS: “That’s nice to hear that your players feel that strongly about you. I’ve been in this business a long time and you don’t control a lot of things and all you control is how you coach your football team and how they respond. I think these guys have responded very well with what we’re trying to do here. It’s a credit to them, too, the type of players you draft and the players you bring in during free agency and if they fit. It’s been a good fit so far.
“In life you don’t do things that make you comfortable. You do things that are right. Sometimes when you do things that are right it’s not comfortable doing them at that point and time. To rebuild is never comfortable. It’s hard on everybody but it’s the right thing to do. I’ve tried to live my life that way. Just do the right thing and when you do the right thing you never have to worry about what you did. Taking this path is the right path.”