http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...fs/9708213.htm
Green struggles to find the zone again
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
The Chiefs left Denver last week with the feeling that their opening-day loss to the Broncos was just one of those things.
They left Arrowhead Stadium after Sunday's 28-17 loss to Carolina with the realization that their problems run much deeper than that.
One season removed from a 13-3 regular-season record, the Chiefs fell to 0-2. If that were the extent of their problems, their situation wouldn't be so dire. They still have 14 games remaining and are only one behind the trio of AFC West leaders.
But other than the fact that the Chiefs have the 0-2 Texans coming to Arrowhead next week, they have little reason to think this will get much better anytime soon.
“I know we're a good enough football team to clean some things up and get going and start winning football games,” coach Dick Vermeil said. “But being 0-2 doesn't make things any easier. It tests you a little bit more. We're not as good a football team as we ought to be.”
The Chiefs' once-feared offense is a mess. Trent Green is forcing throws and not resembling anything close to the Pro Bowl quarterback he was last season. The Chiefs also appeared to lose yet another wide receiver, Eddie Kennison, to what they called a sore hamstring.
Their defense again was shredded by a running attack, this time one led by a backup. Carolina's DeShaun Foster, subbing for the injured Stephen Davis, gained 174 yards, including a 71-yarder in the fourth quarter that ended any realistic thoughts of a Chiefs rally.
The Chiefs' aura of invincibility at Arrowhead has been punctured, if not shattered. The Chiefs lost at Arrowhead in the regular season for the first time in 13 games, though they've now dropped two straight there, including the playoff defeat against Indianapolis.
Most mystifying to the Chiefs is the play of their offense, which generated just 10 points. Their other touchdown came on Eric Warfield's 43-yard interception return.
“We didn't produce last week, and we didn't produce this week,” Vermeil said. “We've gone from the No. 1 scoring team in the NFL for two straight years to this.
“Obviously, there are a lot of things we have left to do before we're back to where we were offensively.”
Getting better play from Green is at the top of that list. He has completed only 50 percent of his passes and has two interceptions and no touchdowns.
He personified the Chiefs' troubles Sunday.
Green started out on fire. He threw on the Chiefs' first six plays and completed five, taking the Chiefs inside the Carolina 20.
From there, the drive stalled and the Chiefs settled for a field goal. After that, Green had only one more completion of more than 20 yards.
Green acknowledged the obvious, that he was pressing.
“Sometimes you get into that mind-set: ‘OK, where am I going to go with this thing and where do I need to put it?' ” he said. “As the game went on, I felt there were some plays I needed to try to make.
“As a team, we need to start pressing. We started 0-2, and our expectations were nowhere near that. We can't keep falling behind and think we'll eventually crawl out of it. Being 0-2 definitely isn't going to make it easy. We've got to start making a move.”
Green received precious little help from his receivers downfield other than Johnnie Morton and tight end Tony Gonzalez. Dante Hall didn't have a catch. Richard Smith dropped two passes and ran the wrong route at least once.
“The injuries have taken a toll,” Green said. “Right now, we're kind of scrambling to put guys in there. We just don't have the continuity right now. We lost Eddie today, and Johnnie is still not 100 percent, and Richard Smith still has a ways to go.”
The Chiefs haven't been 0-2 since 2001, Vermeil's first season. They were headed to 1-6 and eventually 6-10.
Nobody is predicting such disaster for the 2004 Chiefs. But they are pointed in that direction.
“We're a good football team,” Gonzalez said. “I don't think anybody's confidence is shaken. I do think everybody has to question himself and say, ‘What can I do better?' ”