KC Star - Law won't break
 

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...s/16295180.htm

Law won’t break
Chiefs cornerback defends himself against the critics and says he still loves the game.
By ELIZABETH MERRILL
The Kansas City Star

The lights glared on his white tank top and rippling Popeye guns, the team Web site crashed, and Ty Law, internally, rolled his eyes. He never liked the term savior. But he mugged for the cameras in July, flashed his $30 million smile and brought late-summer hope to a town awash with playoff — make that Super Bowl — hopes.

“Sometimes,” Law said, “your reputation precedes you.”

Nearly the entire team had filed out of the Chiefs’ locker room Thursday afternoon for a trip to Oakland, but Law wanted to stay and talk. He knows Kansas City had such high hopes when he signed with the team in July. He knows by Sunday night, the Chiefs could be officially eliminated from the playoff race.

Fingers have pointed, and many of them have been aimed at the guy who was supposed to be the missing piece of the puzzle, the five-time Pro Bowl cornerback, the free agent Kansas City fans salivated over for two years.

Now they’re spitting mad. They call Law the “fall-down corner.” They wonder whether his 32-year-old legs have lost it. Law has no doubt it’s still there, because ultimately, he says, he doesn’t need this. He has all the money he wants. He has three Super Bowl rings.

But he loves football and yearns to hoist a trophy in another place besides New England. That’s what keeps him going, he says, through the cracks and the boos.

“I’ve been hired, I’ve been fired, I’ve been cursed at, I’ve been talked about,” Law said. “Hey, that’s all part of having a career. But to believe in yourself and to still have your peers’ respect … to have guys you play against tell you on the field, ‘Damn, you can still play, you can still run, you can still hit’ … That means more to me than anything.

“Because a lot of people who don’t put on a uniform don’t understand what’s going on between those lines or understand what my job might be at this particular time.”

Law had 10 interceptions with the Jets last season, and he did it with a bad foot. But in Kansas City, he’s defined by several slips. The most recent one happened two weeks ago against Baltimore, when Mark Clayton was as wide open as the Kansas countryside on an 87-yard touchdown catch.

Clayton got behind Law and safety Greg Wesley, and coach Herm Edwards later said the play resulted from miscommunication. Law admits there are a handful of plays from the 2006 season that he wishes he could have back, mostly missed tackles.

But he also insists he’d never leave a man that open and has never done it in his career.

Edwards wonders sometimes whether Law is pressing to make plays. This is Law’s third team in three years, three systems and different sets of expectations.

“It’s not the season he probably anticipated he’d have,” Edwards said. “But he’s done some things that you don’t see. Sometimes a guy’s playing really good because they’re not throwing balls his way and he’s doing a really good job.

“What happens with corners is your name is out there when you intercept passes. And he hasn’t had a lot of interceptions this year. He’s made some tackles, but then if anything bad happens. … You could play a whole game and be playing pretty good, but if you miss a tackle or get beat on a touchdown, that’s what people remember.”

Law has three interceptions — that’s what they remember — and the Chiefs have seen major defensive collapses at Cleveland and Pittsburgh. One tackle here, Law says, and maybe things would be different.

He blames some of the defensive struggles on the newness of playing together. Rookie Tamba Hali is new, and so are safeties Jarrad Page, Bernard Pollard and interior linemen Ron Edwards and James Reed.

Law calls it a journey and compares this team to some of the greener groups he played with in New England before the Super Bowls. He hopes he’ll be part of the ride. The fans were so giddy about acquiring him last summer that the Chiefs’ Web site had more than 50,000 hits at once and crashed the day the deal was struck.

That’s what a reputation can do.

“I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t be here,” he said. “I didn’t play to where I messed up the season or something like that. I don’t think it’s even a question, but in this game, this business, you never know what’s going to happen.

“I had an opportunity to go back to New England before I signed here. People don’t know that. I chose to come here for a reason. If it didn’t work out, hypothetically, I’ve had a good time here. To play in front of these fans here is incredible, even when they’re booing. It’s a crazy place to play in, man, and I like it.”

This post belongs here......

....I don't question his "heart", I question that he probably runs about a 4.65. When you have old corners this happens.....he's obviously declining that's on the Chiefs not him.

He is the most overrated CB in the league. He was good before he left Pats but has lost alot of speed as mecca said. He spends more time on the ground than a cow turd.

Well, a big part of his game was being physical. He was probably as big of a reason as anyone behind the Colts complaining about the contact rules and getting them enforced like they are now. We probably don't let him get up and hit WR's at the line enough. He'd get burned sometimes but I'm not sure he was ever as good as guys like Surtain or Bailey at covering people.

We obviously take advantage of that lining him up 10 yards off of recievers...

As an old CB that's "played in this league", Herm should have known better. He should have known better than to sign a 32 year old CB to a high dollar contract, expecting him to the be Pro Bowl CB of old.

Hell, I knew it. I've posted in the past my feelings on guys like Hugh Douglas and Ty Law. Why doesn't a "Professional" like Herm Edwards know it? Or for fucks sake, King Carl (Dead Man Walking) Peterson know it?

Old Boys Network...CP hires only those who he *trusts* (i.e., control). Fans wait and watch. Buy tickets. CP wins again.

Carl Peterson is a latter day P.T. Barnum. And all the people living in Kansas City are the *Suckers*.

:(

Yeah, I added that in there... that's probably true. I mean he'd probably get burned sometimes but I guess he's doing that now anyway. When they used to play the Colts there were times he'd just take Harrison out at the line of scrimmage. Surtain was a lot better at running up and down the field with people, Law was better at hitting people and using his head to be in the right spot.

He was *the* reason behind the rules change. He fucked Marvin Harrison up in the 2003 AFC Champ...the skinny bastard couldn't breathe. With that being said, it's on the coaches to use his strengths, namely jamming the hell out of receivers on the line. If we do that with him, he can still be very, very effective.

Only if people allow themselves to be.

The victim mentality around here.

Wow.

Our coaching staff.......is just incompetent. Especially on the defensive side for years we've never taken advantage of the strengths of players and have asked them to do things they aren't good at.

Give me a fuckin' break. Who, outside of Jared Allen, *possibly* Mitchell and the newly acquired Hali could be considered *talented*? This team has been lacking in TALENT for years. Bad drafts, giving up draft choices for coaches, players, etc. has depleted this team beyond belief. Peterson has tried to "fill in the blanks" for years, leading to 7-9, 6-10, 8-8 type records. Just good enough not to lose, but not good enough to win.

Which *big name* Chiefs player in the past 6 years has left the organization to go on to do anything?? Anything? Not even Pro Bowl (and that hasn't happened either) but ANYTHING?

Well, good question... I guess Fujita and Tait. They're both starters on teams that have a legitimate chance to go to the Super Bowl. Partly because the NFC sucks, but hey, it's the Super Bowl.

Oh yeah, Morten Andersen is kicking for the Falcons! :)

The Chiefs have taken Surtain and Law and turned them into nothing more than blah corners....they ask them to do things they aren't good at.

When several players are signed for big money and they end up sucking that's an organizational problem.

Not exactly household names. My point was that this organization/front office - whatever you want to refer this clusterfuck as, has never *consistently* provided the coaching staff (or fans) of high caliber players. Jeff Fisher takes a crap team from 0-5 to 7-7 because of coaching and front office acquistions. Same with Billick/Newsome. Parcells/Jones and the ever popular Pioli/Belichick. Somehow, CP missed the memo on player acquisition, scouting and coaching hires.

In 18 years. Go figure.

The alternative to signing him would be to have Walls as the starter. They would have brought back some scrub (McLeon level) to fill the role that Walls is filling and the profits at Arrowhead would have been higher.

We would have also lost at AZ.

Law is not the savior Whitlock crowned him as (big surprise, JW is as wrong as CP.) However, he didn't cost the Chiefs a better FA. And, he didn't cost me any money.

Donnie Edwards has been pretty good for the Chargers. I think he may have even made a probowl but I might be mistaken.

All that said, I don't miss Donnie Edwards and you have a very valid point- our D has been a talentless collection of lemmings for years.

Law's contract isn't "high dollar" in any way other than face value. It's loaded with incentives and voidables.

Surtain's contract is "high dollar".

The reason the Titans are a "crap team" is because overall they lack talent.

Don't kid yourself, Jeff Fisher COACHED them to where they are.

The Bills and Titans have the same record we do...and in standings of the AFC the Bills are actually ahead of us, that's a bit embarassing.

Yeah, and if you look up and down their rosters, you could argue we're QUITE A BIT more talented, on both sides of the ball.

But our teams are going in different directions that's the worst thing to me. Bills are a young ascending team same for the Titans where we on the other hand are the old declining team......

Donnie Edwards in the only one that comes to mind.

Ok, this reporter shows her lack of knowledge with this. The safety was responsible for the deep coverage in that zone. And I don't recall Law slipping. I thought he just released the receiver to Wesley (who had bitten hard on the play action fake).

And that's where the difference is made.

Good coaches accelerate the process of ascending.

Bad coaches accelerate the process of descending.

Other than Tait and Edwards the Chiefs problem hasn't been cutting ties with players to soon it's been holding onto aging players to long.....

Now I believe Jeff Fisher is a great coach but Dick Jauron?

He's a decent coach. He's better with Herm's approach than Herm is.

A friend of mine is a Bills fan.......it hurts to see them develop young players and get good when we can never seem to do it. Especially when they have a couple of starters I really wanted the Chiefs to get.....

Coaches who know they are in over their head and dont have a clue are scared to play rookies or young players so they attach themselves to the veterans.
Thats Herm's mantra..he let Cotchery rot on the bench for 3 years while playing that POS McCariens..

If you want to bitch about Marty or Vermeil and their love of mediocre veterans, by all means, have at it.

But shut up about Herm.

We have more young players starting and contributing this year than we have since Carl Peterson arrived.

I was talking about Law..and used that to generalize why he wanted a very expensive overrated player..thats all.

If we are going to be anywhere competative in the next 3 years, this better become the norm.

We serioulsy need a youth movement through the Chiefs, We have many players over 30... EK, TG, TG, our interior line.

For any chance of competing for a playoff spot in 08 or 09, we need some serious house cleaning.

I know, and that's why I called you on it.

It was a generalization that simply isnt true, and there's no reason to bag on Herm for the ONE THING HE'S DONE RIGHT in KC - play the young guys.

I agree. That's the only reason I hold out some shred of hope - Herm seems to have a different approach to young players than his predecessors.

I think next year will be a serious transition year. We were caught this year with age and injuries.. But we have to get younger on offense espically on the line and QB.. Neither one of the QB's we have now should be on the roster next year. If the Chiefs are serious about the playoffs and serious about building a soild core of players the next couple of years. Then on thing that has to happen is get younger. Take the lumps and roll on.

The fans will be there if the team in young and shows promise. What pisses the fans off, it spending all the money on washed up vets, just in hopes one more year might spark that magical one and done playoff year.

House cleaning time, if you want a chance you have to clean house. Every organization has done it. Only way to start a foundation of being successful.

You really think Carl with 3 years left on his deal is going to go into rebuilding? If he planned on leaving at the end of that contract someone else would get the spoils of his rebuilding.

You're right..I was probably thinking more about what he had done in the past..and grouped the situation with Law in there.

Mecca,

Just thinking out loud here, but what about this? Plus I know Carl is a complete moron when it comes to talent.


Trade Trent to Washington for what ever you can get? 3rd?

Tony G? Man he could be a pacifer for a young up coming QB, but if you could get a 1 and 3 or 4 for him it might be tempting.

Hell you could probably get a 3rd for Huard and 3rd for Trent.

LJ? Wow, with all the young backs making marks in the NFL, if you could send him away for a couple of 1's and a couple of later round picks, it might be worth it..

I know LJ is pretty soild. But think of all the holes that the chiefs have. One offseason like that and the 08 season could be filled with alot of hope and promise?

Agian thinking out loud, dont bash.

Get rid of all the old offense players from the Vermeil/Saunders era...trade them..release them...whatever


Then build on this years draft..and in a few years down the road we'll have a winning season...say 9-7 or better

Chiefs have talent..its game-day coaching and heart thats lacking.....

Not our wonderful Chiefs.

And it will be the same until CP retires. He will sign some Free agents to plug the holes. Arrowhead will be sold out again. and we end up with an 8-8 record for 2007.

Will not happen as long as Carl is running the show. If people cant see that by now, i dont know when they will figure that out.

I also think law has played pretty good Considering the Chiefs whole Defense has what 26 total sacks? Hell, I think lastnight i seen that Green Bay's Dline had 34 on their own. Thats how bad our Dline has been, The 2nd half of the Season our Dline has been totally non existent.

We're not gonna rebuild. Forget it.

We're gonna limp along until Peterson retires.

The best we can hope for is that Herm is a better judge of young talent than Vermeil and this cupboard is fully stocked for the next coach.

Looks like Herm might of left it that way in NY? His predicessor isnt doing to bad...

I know we are not going to rebuild, but hey as Chiefs fans championships are so such a pipe dream with Carl here rochambeau, We have to have some hope.

Dont take that away from us Htismaqe. For the love of god man, let us have alittle hope?:cuss:

ROFL

If you let someone on a BB take your hope away, that is your fault. :D

How could I possibly take anything from YOU?

You're the doom and gloomer.

<i>But our teams are going in different directions that's the worst thing to me. Bills are a young ascending team same for the Titans where we on the other hand are the old declining team.</i>

That's because we can't seem to draft worth a crap and we keep signing aging FA's to fill in for our draft mistakes. We also sign those FA's because it creates a buzz among the fans and sells tickets.

I was thinking about Chris Farleys SNL skits...

Just was craking me up!

Its not all doom and gloom, there is a ray of hope we do have Damon Huard...

LOL!

C'mon man - WR's take time to develop. You can find lots of Wideouts around the league who blossomed in their 3rd year, that doesn't mean all the guys that coached those players were stupid for not starting them in their rookie or sophmore years.

Didn't Erik Coleman and Kerry Rhodes both start as rookies?

ROFL

I agree with those who say he's not being used correctly, he's always been known as a premier press CB who excels a jamming guys at the line.

Have i been very disappointed at times...Yes.

Is there plenty of blame to spread around...Yes.

NOBODY can lock down a man or a zone for the 10 minutes that teams often seem to have against us. And i believe the D coaches are just as much to blame for that as anyone.

If we had played a more "Let it Rip" style of D this season there is no way we would be sitting at .500. We had Livers imploding with AGGRESSIVE D. The browns game would have had a completely different outcome if they had been chasing derrick friggin anderson around like that.

I think Ty can/will still be a playmaker for a year or 2, pinning it all on him
is a mistake.

Its time for the coaches to accept some of the blame for schemes that dont seem to maximize what we do have.

Uh, that's what I said. "Jeff Fisher takes a crap team from 0-5 to 7-7 because of coaching and front office acquistions". There's also the Vince Young factor but at least Fisher and his owner aren't afraid to play a rookie QB (albeit, a rookie with massive talent and potential).

Actually, you were bitching about lack of household names. The Titans aren't resplendent with talent, they just have a good coach.

Donnie Edwards was drafted in 1996, Tait in 1999. So the Chiefs, under Carl Peterson, have had exactly TWO players leave in the last 10 years that actually made an impact on their new teams.

That's some high-quality player personnel decisions. :shake:

Joe Horn
Keith Traylor
Reggie Tongue
Scott Fuijita

He was drafted in 1995.

Theres no such thing as Santa Claus

The Kieth Traylor was really a one I wish Carl and fucktarty would of kept.

All he did was go to Denver and anchor that D line for 2 superbowls....

My bad on Horn. I was thinking 1995 for some reason when I wrote that and didn't double check.

Keith Traylor wasn't a draft choice.

Fujita hasn't made the Pro Bowl.

Tongue had minimal impact elsewhere.

Drafting 6th and 3rd the last two years could not have hurt the talent at his disposal.

Whatever.
If your point is that the Chiefs haven't drafted many players in years xxx-yyy who made the pro-bowl elsewhere, say THAT.
Not "nobody's left in the past 10 years and contributed elswhere."

That's two players out of 22 starters. And we could always bring up Pac Man Jones.

Huh? So you're DEFENDING Peterson's incredibly awful draft record? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, dude?!!!

Yep..Coleman and Rhodes..but..I can assure you..had he come back..Mawae and Abraham would be back too,and B.Thomas would be rotting on the bench..he would have never started Mangold as a rookie center or Dbrick as a LT..

I still think he should have kept Lamont Jordan instead of Curtis Martin...

Sorry Mr. ismaqe,I had to reply to this one.. ;)

Why does everybody here automatically play that card?

Pointing out inaccuracies in your statement DOES NOT EQUAL defending anybody, let alone Carl Peterson.

Um, what position did they draft in the 2nd through 7th rounds?

Hey, it's your opinion. I got no problem with it. I actually agree with you.

High draft picks don't automatically mean great players. What's your point anyway? That Jeff Fisher isn't a good coach?

Our Safeties are the big problem here. That play by Clayton you can see Law looking for his safety help and their not where they are supposed to be. I dont think either CB can trust where the Safeties are so that they can be agressive. If you cant be agressive then you become tentitive and you cant do that and be successfull. No push up front doesnt help...

Where was I inaccurate? I said "Name me a player that's made an impact elsewhere" in an effort to show the poor draft record. Not that I didn't know about Edwards, Horn, Tait. Duh.

Not at all, my point is the same as I make to Bears fans up here. When you continually pick in the top 5, you should have a pretty darn good selection of talent to work with. Better than a team like the Chiefs that is always picking 15-22. I would hate to suffer through the seasons, but I would love to see Carl have an opportunity to pick in the top 5 two years in a row.

Well, if you want to go top 6, CP is about 50-50. DT was number 4 overall, Ryan Sims number 6. I think we can all agree that Sims was equally as bad a pick as DT was a good one.

Not good odd, IMSHO.

No question, very small sample size though of 2 a long time apart. Only one of those drafts did the Chiefs get to pick all the way through the draft that high.

I would offer San Diego as an example, a lot of talent from strong drafts in an early position.

I'm with ya, I just used that as an example. But keep in mind that San Diego hadn't done nearly as well in the draft before the hiring of A.J. Smith. The trades and talent evaluation have pretty much been second to none, even the Ravens since he's taken over.

It seems that very, very few people can truly evaluate college players consistently and accurately. And I think that we can all agree that CP isn't in that category.

Many people on here, that know more than I about the draft, say it is still a crap shoot. However, I think your odds of success sure improve with draft position. I am sure somewhere must be a statistic that shows it.
That being said, Carl has crapped out a lot on some of his reaches. I personaly am gun shy of him ever drafting another DT.

You SHOULD have talent. High draft picks don't always translate into talent. See Ryan Sims. Not only that, but high draft picks are almost always more raw potential than game-ready talent.

The point remains:

The Chiefs are a more talented team, top to bottom than the Titans. The difference is coaching.

You missed Joe Horn.

He pointed it out.

You jumped all over him for "defending Carl".

Get over it, you f-ed up.