Tribal Warfare
10-18-2009, 10:49 PM
Bowe's performance reminiscent of last season (http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/1515719.html)
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
LANDOVER, Md. | For the first time this season, Dwayne Bowe had a familiar look to him. He had six receptions and went over 100 yards for the first time since the season-ending game in Cincinnati last year.
Bowe supplied several big plays, with none more important than his 32-yard catch and run late in the game that allowed the Chiefs to rest easy near the end of their 14-6 win over Washington on Sunday.
Afterward, he didn’t sound much like the Bowe of old. This Bowe was far more humble.
“There’s no more old D. Bowe,” he said, indicating his days of often excessive self-promotion are over. “It’s time to build a new D. Bowe. There was nothing wrong with the old D. Bowe, but this is a new D. Bowe.”
As always with Bowe, there was some bad with the good. He dropped some passes, he missed a block on a play that otherwise would have been a touchdown for Matt Cassel and he went out of bounds on his 32-yard gain when the Chiefs wanted to keep the clock moving.
The encouraging part to the Chiefs was that Bowe was aware of it all.
“I left a lot of plays out there,” he said. “I was pressing, trying to make a big play. Even on that 32-yard slant, I should have stayed inbounds. I’ve got to be a smarter player in situations like that.”
Bowe has been a reclamation project for Chiefs coach Todd Haley since Bowe showed up overweight for the start of offseason workouts. Bowe was even demoted for a time during preseason, and Haley tried to get him to work harder and take his job more seriously.
Bowe said he’s gotten the point and is happy for the attention — however negative — Haley has given him. But he insisted the creation of a new Bowe is his own idea and not Haley’s.
“This is what I want,” he said. “But coach Haley is trying to get greatness out of me and I understand it now, so that’s what I’m trying to do. It’s all showing out on the field.
“He knows what it takes. He built (Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald) up to be as great as he is, and he’s trying to do that with me. I see it and I know it and I’m trying to get there.”
It hadn’t shown itself on the field until Sunday. In the first five games, Bowe had three touchdowns and only twice caught as many as five passes in a game.
But this was the first time he clearly asserted himself as Cassel’s favorite receiver.
“All week we had a great week of practice,” Bowe said. “He kept telling me, ‘I’m going to come to you so be looking out.’ ”
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
LANDOVER, Md. | For the first time this season, Dwayne Bowe had a familiar look to him. He had six receptions and went over 100 yards for the first time since the season-ending game in Cincinnati last year.
Bowe supplied several big plays, with none more important than his 32-yard catch and run late in the game that allowed the Chiefs to rest easy near the end of their 14-6 win over Washington on Sunday.
Afterward, he didn’t sound much like the Bowe of old. This Bowe was far more humble.
“There’s no more old D. Bowe,” he said, indicating his days of often excessive self-promotion are over. “It’s time to build a new D. Bowe. There was nothing wrong with the old D. Bowe, but this is a new D. Bowe.”
As always with Bowe, there was some bad with the good. He dropped some passes, he missed a block on a play that otherwise would have been a touchdown for Matt Cassel and he went out of bounds on his 32-yard gain when the Chiefs wanted to keep the clock moving.
The encouraging part to the Chiefs was that Bowe was aware of it all.
“I left a lot of plays out there,” he said. “I was pressing, trying to make a big play. Even on that 32-yard slant, I should have stayed inbounds. I’ve got to be a smarter player in situations like that.”
Bowe has been a reclamation project for Chiefs coach Todd Haley since Bowe showed up overweight for the start of offseason workouts. Bowe was even demoted for a time during preseason, and Haley tried to get him to work harder and take his job more seriously.
Bowe said he’s gotten the point and is happy for the attention — however negative — Haley has given him. But he insisted the creation of a new Bowe is his own idea and not Haley’s.
“This is what I want,” he said. “But coach Haley is trying to get greatness out of me and I understand it now, so that’s what I’m trying to do. It’s all showing out on the field.
“He knows what it takes. He built (Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald) up to be as great as he is, and he’s trying to do that with me. I see it and I know it and I’m trying to get there.”
It hadn’t shown itself on the field until Sunday. In the first five games, Bowe had three touchdowns and only twice caught as many as five passes in a game.
But this was the first time he clearly asserted himself as Cassel’s favorite receiver.
“All week we had a great week of practice,” Bowe said. “He kept telling me, ‘I’m going to come to you so be looking out.’ ”