Whitlock: Chiefs offense sleepwalks in loss to Panthers

tk13 · 09-20-2004, 01:03 AM

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...fs/9708222.htm

KC's offense sleepwalks in loss to Panthers

JASON WHITLOCK COMMENTARY

Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil walked out of Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday afternoon wondering what has gone wrong with his once-feared, high-scoring offense.

A brief conversation with NFL schedule makers would provide a partial explanation. A comparison of Kansas City's 2003 depth chart and this year's would complete the explanation.

While owner Lamar Hunt and club president Carl Peterson chose to $tand pat this off-season in terms of jazzing up Kansas City's roster, NFL schedule makers decided to test Vermeil's offensive wizardry. Two games into the 2004 season, Vermeil and million-dollar-a-year offensive coordinator Al Saunders are failing the test.

On a day when Kansas City's much-maligned defense scored a touchdown and created two turnovers, the Chiefs' offense crossed the goal line just once, repeatedly self-destructed with mental errors and enabled the Carolina Panthers to win a game without the services of their top rusher (Stephen Davis) and receiver (Steve Smith).

Panthers 28, Chiefs 17.

Vermeil's squad is 0-2, but more important, his team lacks an identity and is quite possibly out of potential season-saving solutions. You can't add a high-impact receiver or defensive playmaker now. Kansas City's schedule won't provide much relief. And Saunders and Vermeil don't seem to have enough discipline to avoid getting cute with the play-calling at critical times and stupid with the decision-making.

“I don't know what we've done to the No. 1 offensive football team,” Vermeil stated disgustedly on Sunday.

Well, the Broncos in week one and now the Panthers might have exposed a well-covered secret: Kansas City's offense isn't as good as we think. For two straight years, Saunders' offense piled up points and yards without the benefit of a legitimate No. 1 receiver. You could argue that running back Priest Holmes, tight end Tony Gonzalez and KC's offensive line were that good. They made up for Johnnie Morton's and Eddie Kennison's shortcomings.

You could also argue that a weak schedule, Dante Hall's returns, always playing from behind in the 2002 season and plain-old good luck conspired to produce the myth that Kansas City's offense was unstoppable. We need more evidence before we sell the latter theory.

Let's call Sunday's one-TD performance prosecution exhibit No. 2. If you remember, the first exhibit was unveiled inside Denver's Invesco Field when Kansas City's offense mustered just 24 points despite 17 gift-wrapped points from Jake Plummer and a bad officiating crew.

Carolina's defensive game plan, unlike Denver's, was nothing special. The Panthers simply denied Kansas City good field position and accepted the gifts Vermeil and Saunders consistently offered.

Twice in the first half — at the beginning of the game and just before halftime — Vermeil settled for field-goal attempts on fourth and 1 from deep inside Carolina territory. Vermeil said he regretted the decision to kick before halftime — Lawrence Tynes missed the 47-yarder wide right. Both decisions were mistakes, though the first decision is much easier to defend.

What's impossible to defend is Vermeil and Saunders' decision to avoid establishing Priest Holmes and the running game at the start of the game.

The Chiefs opened by passing on six consecutive plays. Late in the game, with the Chiefs trailing by 11 points, Vermeil allowed Holmes to stand on the sideline play after play. On fourth and 3 with 4 minutes, 25 seconds to play, Derrick Blaylock ran a 2-yard sweep while Holmes looked on from the sideline.

“I asked if he was healthy and fine, and he said he was,” Vermeil explained when asked why Holmes didn't play late in the game.

Holmes carried the ball 16 times and caught three passes on Sunday. That's strange use of the best player in football.

Vermeil complained that Kansas City's offense overexposed its defense. Carolina backup tailback DeShaun Foster rattled off 174 rushing yards in 32 carries. He ripped the Chiefs for 71 yards on one play early in the fourth quarter.

“You give them too many opportunities, and they're going to pop one,” Vermeil accurately explained.

The best way for the Chiefs to protect their defense is by establishing Holmes on the ground and KC's punishing offensive line. Left guard Brian Waters played brilliantly against Carolina all-world defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, who eventually left the game because of a shoulder injury. Left tackle Willie Roaf controlled defensive end Mike Rucker early. Kansas City's tight ends slowed down pass rusher Julius Peppers.

“In the first half, nobody was near me,” Kansas City quarterback Trent Green said.

The great pass protection produced a lot of yards, two field-goal attempts and just 10 points. You know why? Because the Chiefs don't have any playmakers at receiver. That's no secret. That's why it's foolish to build a game plan that relies so heavily on the pass. It's easy for a receiver to make plays between the 20s.

Rookie free agent Richard Smith, the receiver who looked so good in the preseason, isn't ready. He made two critical mental errors in the second half. He went the wrong way on a tight-end screen and dragged extra defenders toward Tony Gonzalez. On the same drive, Smith failed to bend a route back out to the sideline and left Green hanging in the pocket for a sack. Smith also had a huge drop. He played significant snaps because Kennison left the game because of an injury.

The Chiefs have problems, the exact same ones that we knew about last season but that the Chiefs' front office chose to ignore.

09-20-2004, 01:03 AM	Topic Starter
tk13 ... Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $-1927500	Whitlock: Chiefs offense sleepwalks in loss to Panthers http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...fs/9708222.htm KC's offense sleepwalks in loss to Panthers JASON WHITLOCK COMMENTARY Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil walked out of Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday afternoon wondering what has gone wrong with his once-feared, high-scoring offense. A brief conversation with NFL schedule makers would provide a partial explanation. A comparison of Kansas City's 2003 depth chart and this year's would complete the explanation. While owner Lamar Hunt and club president Carl Peterson chose to $tand pat this off-season in terms of jazzing up Kansas City's roster, NFL schedule makers decided to test Vermeil's offensive wizardry. Two games into the 2004 season, Vermeil and million-dollar-a-year offensive coordinator Al Saunders are failing the test. On a day when Kansas City's much-maligned defense scored a touchdown and created two turnovers, the Chiefs' offense crossed the goal line just once, repeatedly self-destructed with mental errors and enabled the Carolina Panthers to win a game without the services of their top rusher (Stephen Davis) and receiver (Steve Smith). Panthers 28, Chiefs 17. Vermeil's squad is 0-2, but more important, his team lacks an identity and is quite possibly out of potential season-saving solutions. You can't add a high-impact receiver or defensive playmaker now. Kansas City's schedule won't provide much relief. And Saunders and Vermeil don't seem to have enough discipline to avoid getting cute with the play-calling at critical times and stupid with the decision-making. “I don't know what we've done to the No. 1 offensive football team,” Vermeil stated disgustedly on Sunday. Well, the Broncos in week one and now the Panthers might have exposed a well-covered secret: Kansas City's offense isn't as good as we think. For two straight years, Saunders' offense piled up points and yards without the benefit of a legitimate No. 1 receiver. You could argue that running back Priest Holmes, tight end Tony Gonzalez and KC's offensive line were that good. They made up for Johnnie Morton's and Eddie Kennison's shortcomings. You could also argue that a weak schedule, Dante Hall's returns, always playing from behind in the 2002 season and plain-old good luck conspired to produce the myth that Kansas City's offense was unstoppable. We need more evidence before we sell the latter theory. Let's call Sunday's one-TD performance prosecution exhibit No. 2. If you remember, the first exhibit was unveiled inside Denver's Invesco Field when Kansas City's offense mustered just 24 points despite 17 gift-wrapped points from Jake Plummer and a bad officiating crew. Carolina's defensive game plan, unlike Denver's, was nothing special. The Panthers simply denied Kansas City good field position and accepted the gifts Vermeil and Saunders consistently offered. Twice in the first half — at the beginning of the game and just before halftime — Vermeil settled for field-goal attempts on fourth and 1 from deep inside Carolina territory. Vermeil said he regretted the decision to kick before halftime — Lawrence Tynes missed the 47-yarder wide right. Both decisions were mistakes, though the first decision is much easier to defend. What's impossible to defend is Vermeil and Saunders' decision to avoid establishing Priest Holmes and the running game at the start of the game. The Chiefs opened by passing on six consecutive plays. Late in the game, with the Chiefs trailing by 11 points, Vermeil allowed Holmes to stand on the sideline play after play. On fourth and 3 with 4 minutes, 25 seconds to play, Derrick Blaylock ran a 2-yard sweep while Holmes looked on from the sideline. “I asked if he was healthy and fine, and he said he was,” Vermeil explained when asked why Holmes didn't play late in the game. Holmes carried the ball 16 times and caught three passes on Sunday. That's strange use of the best player in football. Vermeil complained that Kansas City's offense overexposed its defense. Carolina backup tailback DeShaun Foster rattled off 174 rushing yards in 32 carries. He ripped the Chiefs for 71 yards on one play early in the fourth quarter. “You give them too many opportunities, and they're going to pop one,” Vermeil accurately explained. The best way for the Chiefs to protect their defense is by establishing Holmes on the ground and KC's punishing offensive line. Left guard Brian Waters played brilliantly against Carolina all-world defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, who eventually left the game because of a shoulder injury. Left tackle Willie Roaf controlled defensive end Mike Rucker early. Kansas City's tight ends slowed down pass rusher Julius Peppers. “In the first half, nobody was near me,” Kansas City quarterback Trent Green said. The great pass protection produced a lot of yards, two field-goal attempts and just 10 points. You know why? Because the Chiefs don't have any playmakers at receiver. That's no secret. That's why it's foolish to build a game plan that relies so heavily on the pass. It's easy for a receiver to make plays between the 20s. Rookie free agent Richard Smith, the receiver who looked so good in the preseason, isn't ready. He made two critical mental errors in the second half. He went the wrong way on a tight-end screen and dragged extra defenders toward Tony Gonzalez. On the same drive, Smith failed to bend a route back out to the sideline and left Green hanging in the pocket for a sack. Smith also had a huge drop. He played significant snaps because Kennison left the game because of an injury. The Chiefs have problems, the exact same ones that we knew about last season but that the Chiefs' front office chose to ignore.
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