NewChief
09-10-2004, 09:59 AM
http://kcchiefs.com/news_article_printable.asp?ID=8GS5W768T3CAHFPXX6YI2TC53S
Q&A with Dick Vermeil - 9/10
KCFX-FM
BOB GRETZ: Finally this week you’ve got into the routine your team is going to face for the season. How did your team react to getting back to that?
DICK VERMEIL: “I think they’ve responded very well, Bob. I thought the coaching staff responded very well. I’m particularly pleased with the defensive staff and that this is the first time they’ve been through Gunther’s (Cunningham) leadership on defense and we have another new coach in Fred Pagac. I think they’ve done an exceptionally good job.”
GRETZ: When you reach a certain level of success in the NFL it’s hard to get better. The improvement comes in inches rather than in yards. You said earlier this week that for this team at this time improvement is going to come from maturity. What did you mean by that?
VERMEIL: “Handling the kind of environment we’re going to go in. Play with poise and confidence. Play in a negative environment. The Denver Broncos since 1974 have the best home winning percentage in the National Football League. So that means it’s tough to win there.
“But you know something? I like challenges like that. I think our players do too, and I think our coaching staff does. I really expect us to go in there and play well.”
GRETZ: Maturity comes from experience. What were the biggest lessons last year taught you and your football team?
VERMEIL: “We obviously know that when we went there last year and played them in the second game we had the lead with three or four minutes to go in the second quarter and they started breaking long runs on us. We can’t give up big plays, that we have to be able to play as hard in the fourth quarter as we did in the first quarter.
“The other thing we did so well in that second game was convert third downs. Geez, Al Saunders and the offensive staff and players did a great job in converting third downs. We stayed on the field and made a big play right before the half to Eddie Kennison down the hole for a touchdown. No matter what they did we answered and ended up with a lead. But we couldn’t stop their running game.”
GRETZ: Anticipating the play of your defenses with the changes Gunther Cunningham has brought, where is that group in its development right now?
VERMEIL: “I told Gunther yesterday late in the evening that I felt the last two days of practice our defense had the best two days of practice our defensive guys have had since I’ve been here. He’s made a tremendous contribution in the overall intensity of which they work, both in the concentration and focus. Our personnel is more mature. You mentioned the word earlier. Mature infers that you’ve been doing something over a longer period of time. These guys now have been together as a unit and, yes, the scheme is a little different, couple of different coaches, but they themselves have been together in this program. They know how we practice, how we prepare. We haven’t changed that. But I think Gunther has brought an air of toughness, too, and it’s transcended the defensive line and gone through the whole team.”
GRETZ: You described the Denver running game early in the week as a downhill running game. The word downhill is how Gunther described his defensive style. It’s going to be a heck of a collision at the bottom of that hill.
VERMEIL: “We’re an attacking defense now - a little more so than last year. I kind of believe we can be more disruptive. The big thing is with their running attack they keep going. They’re very patient. They don’t care if they only make three yards on first down. They may run the same play again on second down. That’s just their philosophy.
“Nobody, I think, is more consistent in running the ball than Denver. It doesn’t matter who’s carrying the ball. It’s a philosophical approach. It’s extremely well-coached fundamentally. Their offensive linemen may not be any more talented than ours or as talented, but they do so few things that they do them extremely well. They then just hand the ball off going downhill and look for cracks. They get you cut down on the backside or get a defensive lineman’s shoulders turned, or a linebacker over runs and….. They do it well and I respect it. I appreciate that kind of running and have coached it before. We have some of it within our own attack.”
GRETZ: How much do you expect to get out of Johnnie Morton on Sunday?
VERMEIL: “Everything he has to give. Anything less will not be acceptable. Johnnie Morton is a pro and he knows what’s expected of him. He made two catches on the practice field this week that looked like he’d never missed a practice. I don’t know if he’ll have the stamina you need or anything like that, but we’ll rotate him through and I believe he’ll make a big play.”
GRETZ: How Dexter McCleon?
VERMEIL: “He practiced well yesterday. I think he’s ready to go. We’ll know a little bit more game day. My only concern is when he has to come up and really whack somebody, take on a guard pulling out. Of course, they don’t pull guards. But take on a back leading or where the ball bounces outside and he’s got to contain it and push it back inside. I think his coverage skills are there as long as he can use his arm and shoulder properly.”
Q&A with Dick Vermeil - 9/10
KCFX-FM
BOB GRETZ: Finally this week you’ve got into the routine your team is going to face for the season. How did your team react to getting back to that?
DICK VERMEIL: “I think they’ve responded very well, Bob. I thought the coaching staff responded very well. I’m particularly pleased with the defensive staff and that this is the first time they’ve been through Gunther’s (Cunningham) leadership on defense and we have another new coach in Fred Pagac. I think they’ve done an exceptionally good job.”
GRETZ: When you reach a certain level of success in the NFL it’s hard to get better. The improvement comes in inches rather than in yards. You said earlier this week that for this team at this time improvement is going to come from maturity. What did you mean by that?
VERMEIL: “Handling the kind of environment we’re going to go in. Play with poise and confidence. Play in a negative environment. The Denver Broncos since 1974 have the best home winning percentage in the National Football League. So that means it’s tough to win there.
“But you know something? I like challenges like that. I think our players do too, and I think our coaching staff does. I really expect us to go in there and play well.”
GRETZ: Maturity comes from experience. What were the biggest lessons last year taught you and your football team?
VERMEIL: “We obviously know that when we went there last year and played them in the second game we had the lead with three or four minutes to go in the second quarter and they started breaking long runs on us. We can’t give up big plays, that we have to be able to play as hard in the fourth quarter as we did in the first quarter.
“The other thing we did so well in that second game was convert third downs. Geez, Al Saunders and the offensive staff and players did a great job in converting third downs. We stayed on the field and made a big play right before the half to Eddie Kennison down the hole for a touchdown. No matter what they did we answered and ended up with a lead. But we couldn’t stop their running game.”
GRETZ: Anticipating the play of your defenses with the changes Gunther Cunningham has brought, where is that group in its development right now?
VERMEIL: “I told Gunther yesterday late in the evening that I felt the last two days of practice our defense had the best two days of practice our defensive guys have had since I’ve been here. He’s made a tremendous contribution in the overall intensity of which they work, both in the concentration and focus. Our personnel is more mature. You mentioned the word earlier. Mature infers that you’ve been doing something over a longer period of time. These guys now have been together as a unit and, yes, the scheme is a little different, couple of different coaches, but they themselves have been together in this program. They know how we practice, how we prepare. We haven’t changed that. But I think Gunther has brought an air of toughness, too, and it’s transcended the defensive line and gone through the whole team.”
GRETZ: You described the Denver running game early in the week as a downhill running game. The word downhill is how Gunther described his defensive style. It’s going to be a heck of a collision at the bottom of that hill.
VERMEIL: “We’re an attacking defense now - a little more so than last year. I kind of believe we can be more disruptive. The big thing is with their running attack they keep going. They’re very patient. They don’t care if they only make three yards on first down. They may run the same play again on second down. That’s just their philosophy.
“Nobody, I think, is more consistent in running the ball than Denver. It doesn’t matter who’s carrying the ball. It’s a philosophical approach. It’s extremely well-coached fundamentally. Their offensive linemen may not be any more talented than ours or as talented, but they do so few things that they do them extremely well. They then just hand the ball off going downhill and look for cracks. They get you cut down on the backside or get a defensive lineman’s shoulders turned, or a linebacker over runs and….. They do it well and I respect it. I appreciate that kind of running and have coached it before. We have some of it within our own attack.”
GRETZ: How much do you expect to get out of Johnnie Morton on Sunday?
VERMEIL: “Everything he has to give. Anything less will not be acceptable. Johnnie Morton is a pro and he knows what’s expected of him. He made two catches on the practice field this week that looked like he’d never missed a practice. I don’t know if he’ll have the stamina you need or anything like that, but we’ll rotate him through and I believe he’ll make a big play.”
GRETZ: How Dexter McCleon?
VERMEIL: “He practiced well yesterday. I think he’s ready to go. We’ll know a little bit more game day. My only concern is when he has to come up and really whack somebody, take on a guard pulling out. Of course, they don’t pull guards. But take on a back leading or where the ball bounces outside and he’s got to contain it and push it back inside. I think his coverage skills are there as long as he can use his arm and shoulder properly.”