TEICHER-Change hasn’t been good for Chiefs’ Drummond

[C-Mac]

Change hasn’t been good for Chiefs’ Drummond
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star

Eddie Drummond’s kickoff return average of 21.5 yards is his career low. When he’s returning a kick, Eddie Drummond has a style all his own. He’ll make a quick move and then be quick to get up the field.

For the Chiefs, that’s a refreshing change from Dante Hall, who at the end of his Chiefs career danced and juked and seemingly feared to take the ball upfield because of the big hit that inevitably awaited.

Another refreshing change is this: Drummond isn’t pouting or quarreling with coaches or teammates. If he was ever going to do any of that, this would be a good time.

Drummond, a former Pro Bowler in his first season with the Chiefs, is in the biggest slump of his career. His kickoff return average of 21.5 yards is the worst of his six-year NFL career.

“It’s a gradual thing right now,” Drummond said. “I’m not getting on the guys hard, not getting frustrated or anything. I’m being patient with them. I’ve got to be. Blocking for kick returns is a difficult job, especially if you’re not used to doing it. Sooner or later, everything will come together.”

It doesn’t look to be sooner, at least not in time for Sunday’s game against Jacksonville at Arrowhead Stadium. The Jaguars have a strong coverage unit and haven’t allowed a return of more than 30 yards.

Injuries to Keyaron Fox, Dimitri Patterson and Benny Sapp have also robbed the Chiefs of some key special-teams players and forced them to go with rookies like Rashad Barksdale, Tyron Brackenridge and Nate Harris.

That means a turnaround for Drummond is probably a week or two away at best.

“More change,” Drummond said wistfully. “That’s how it is sometimes. I thought we were getting close to raising the bar a little bit, and then a lot of switches were made, and then we took a step backward, a big step backward.

“We haven’t had consistent personnel, and we’ve had a lot of young guys. It’s hard to get things consistent and rolling when you’ve got guys switching positions and coming in and going out. That makes it difficult.”

The Chiefs have suffered with lousy field position for much of the season, and their kickoff return team is a big reason. They are 27th in return average and 30th in average starting field position after receiving a kickoff.

Coach Herm Edwards called out the kickoff return team this week. Without naming names, he was pointing directly at Drummond and Mike Priefer, the special-teams coach.

“There is no magic wand that’s going to fix this to the point where we can say we’re going to be a great return team,” said Priefer, who kept the return team after practice a couple of days this week for some extra work. “It’s an ongoing process. We’ve got young players on the front line. Those guys have never done this before. They’re professional football players, and they need to adapt quickly. I’m a positive guy. I’m going to teach my guys positively, and they are going to improve. If they don’t improve, we’ll get other players in here.

“People forget we had a real nice return against Minnesota. We were one block away against Houston from a big return. But you can say you’re close a lot of weeks. We’re about ready to take that next step.”

Drummond is another big change. He was a Pro Bowler for Detroit in 2004 but had the worst statistical season of his kickoff return career last year, and the Lions released him at the end of training camp.

He played in only one preseason game after signing with the Chiefs, so they are adjusting to him as well.

“Some of the guys were here with Dante Hall,” he said. “I’m basically the total opposite returner from him. I’m going to take one jab step and I’m up the field. I’m fast, but I’m not as quick as him. I can’t lose ground to gain ground. I’m full speed the whole way, so it’s either going to be a big hit on me, or we’re going to break a big run.”

[TEX]

Still wish he had kept Dante. Man that was dumb.

[CupidStunt]

The flip-flopping and inconsistency on this forum is embarrassing. "Wahhh, Dante sucks, get rid of him".... "wahhh, Drummond sucks, where's Dante?".... "wahhh".

Choose a horse and stick with it. I wanted Hall gone because he was awful; getting value for him was just a bonus. Drummond hasn't done much this season, mostly because of the blocking, but I got what I wanted in a north and south runner. I'll stick with him and not embarrass myself pretending I wish we kept Dante.

I wish we had the Rams' coverage unit.

[ferrarispider95]

Originally Posted by TEX

Still wish he had kept Dante. Man that was dumb.

your joking right, did you miss him slamming the ball to the ground after every return

[Extra Point]

We got him, let's use him. lj4mvp pegged it. Hargggh to the pirate av!

[Deberg_1990]

Dante can still play. Hes probably more explosive overall than Drummond. He was nearly unstoppable last week against Dallas. However, it was time for him to go in KC. Whats done is done.

[Bob Dole]

Originally Posted by ferrarispider95

your joking right, did you miss him slamming the ball to the ground after every return

Did you miss the complete lack of any running lanes during every return?

Funny how many people didn't start noticing that until Drummond showed up.

[ferrarispider95]

Oh, so it is the lanes, not his reverse field direction that he liked to run. He has a big game against Dallas and everyone wants him back.

Drummond will come around. I liked Dante for what he did for KC, but he turned into a whiney bitch, you can't have a player throwing fits on the field on every single return. He took a couple shots at KC coaching after he left, Herm did not coddle Dante and Dante wants to be coddled.

[Misplaced_Chiefs_Fan]

I have no desire to see Dante back. His time has come and gone here.

Still, Drummond needs to be able to recognize whether the blocking is there or not and know when to down it in the end zone. I'd rather start at the 20 than consistently at the 16.

[Bob Dole]

Originally Posted by ferrarispider95

Oh, so it is the lanes, not his reverse field direction that he liked to run. He has a big game against Dallas and everyone wants him back.

Bob Dole isn't saying he wants him back.

Bob Dole is pointing out that it's the lack of blocking that has been--and continues to be--the biggest problem with the return teams. Hester would probably average 22 yards a return with this poorly organized return squad.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by Bob Dole

Bob Dole isn't saying he wants him back.

Bob Dole is pointing out that it's the lack of blocking that has been--and continues to be--the biggest problem with the return teams. Hester would probably average 22 yards a return with this poorly organized return squad.

Bob Dole is exactly correct.
IMO, that fact had more to do with Dante's numbers falling in DV's last year and Herm's first year, than it did with him "losing a step." The blocking wasn't there, he started pressing, he was playing WR which took a toll, and the rest is history - and unfortunately so is Dante. I hope it was merely a coaching oversight and not the fact that he was a HUGE - DV - GUY that lead to his being traded.

[TRR]

The blocking is obviously a concern. But if you look around the league, good return guys make plays by themselves. Dante Hall included. Same goes for Deven Hester in Chicago. The blocking is not always going to be perfect....The return man is supposed to be a playmaker. If it was ALL blocking, we could just throw John Welbourn back there, and he should be able to return one every once and awhile.

[blueballs]

KICK RETURN SAMIE

[TEX]

Originally Posted by ferrarispider95

your joking right, did you miss him slamming the ball to the ground after every return

Not joking at all. He was and still is better than ANYTHING we have. BTW, How's Frank Gantz Jr. doing these days? Just WHY did Herm let him go again?

[Wallcrawler]

Originally Posted by TEX

Not joking at all. He was and still is better than ANYTHING we have. BTW, How's Frank Gantz Jr. doing these days? Just WHY did Herm let him go again?

Dante Hall's KR's started to suffer the year we let Blaylock go to the Jets. The year Dante had all those TDs, they had a special on him on NFL network and he had said that DB was basicly his eyes into the next level. Both guys were running backs, so Blaylock would find a hole that he would take if he were running, and then get into it and block the defender in that gap.

Dante basicly followed Blaylock in, made the cut and his speed did the rest. Check out the big one that won the Ravens game in Baltimore after the Ravens went offside on the first KO and were forced to kick again. Blaylock makes a huge hole and Dante is off to the races.

We let some other guys go as well, Boerigter, Stills, etc... but on KR's Blaylock was a huge loss. I believe that led to more of Dante's dancing around than anything.

Dante spiking the ball is just his competetive nature and frustration boiling over. You know you have the ability to bust the game wide open, all you need is just a little help. One block here or there, and when youre getting NO help at all and limited touches of the football, I could see where some ball spikes and jawing could come into play. I dont think its good, or the way he should have handled it, but I can understand where it comes from.

Dante just needed to suck it up and get upfield, and not reverse field and all that other garbage when he knows he doesnt have help. Dancing around in one place doesnt get it done. But we see that Dante still has it with what he did for the Rams. I would have liked to see the Chiefs keep him, and work on the blocking, but also have him focus on going upfield instead of sideline to sideline.

As for Gansz Jr, we didnt lose much there. He was always HORRID with his coverage units, both kickoff and punt, no matter what personnel he had. When Dante emerged, he became the Vermiel of special teams. Forget the coverages and defensive aspects. Focus all attention on the return game and offensive aspect.

You would have to have a helluva lot more than 6 tds in one year to justify giving up starting field position around the 40 yard line each time you kick the ball away for an entire season.