Teicher: Chiefs know they're in deep hole

tk13 · 10-19-2004, 01:08 AM

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...fs/9953171.htm

Chiefs feel their hole deepening

By ADAM TEICHER The Kansas City Star

Even when they were 0-3, the Chiefs looked at their season as one brimming with possibilities. Sooner or later, the prevailing opinion was, the team that won nine straight games last season would resurface.

At 1-4, the picture has changed. The Chiefs still can't get any traction. They wasted the momentum generated by a victory in Baltimore and the bye week by losing a winnable game Sunday in Jacksonville.

Now, the gravity of their situation is beginning to sink in.

“We are definitely in a hole,” halfback Priest Holmes said. “This is not high school or college football. Guys that we line up against every Sunday are licking their chops to be able to keep us down.”

Nobody is taking it harder than coach Dick Vermeil, who turns 68 late this month. Vermeil late last season re-signed for two more seasons in large part because he believed the Chiefs would again be Super Bowl contenders.

“(The losses) add up,” Vermeil said. “I told the squad today and I said to (wife) Carol last night, when you get my age, each one of those kind of losses takes about a month to two months to maybe six months off the end of your life. I mean it.

“This is what I get paid to do. This is what I love to do. I had better handle it. This is too good a football team to be 1-4, and we're 1-4. That's a reflection on me and my whole organization.”

The Chiefs opened 1-4 in 2001, their first season under Vermeil, and would fall to 1-6 before scrambling for a 6-10 finish. The expectations then were nothing like they were this season, when anything less than an AFC championship is failure.

“We're in a rebuilding program at that time,” Vermeil said. “We were trying to get principles built and developed and coached. We've gone on from there to lead the National Football League in scoring two years in a row. We've done a lot of things since then. We've been to the playoffs and lost. The anticipation of this season and the positive thoughts of how good we were going to be, all of that is fading. It hurts more.”

The season's four losses all were solid punches to the Chiefs' gut, and the effect is now cumulative. The sting is even greater with losses like Sunday's, when the Chiefs had fourth-quarter chances on offense, defense and special teams to put away the Jaguars and failed in every area.

At 0-3, the margin of error to scramble back into the playoff race isn't much, but such a task is possible. At 1-4, the task is much more daunting.

“It's hard to weigh which losses are worse,” quarterback Trent Green said. “The Houston game was awful. This one was bad. They all hurt. As the season goes on and as our record is unfolding, these games become more and more important.”

The Chiefs get a shot Sunday at Michael Vick and the 5-1 Falcons at Arrowhead Stadium. Vermeil indicated the Chiefs would look at replacing struggling cornerback Dexter McCleon in the starting lineup.

The Jaguars picked on McCleon repeatedly.

“They went after him a little bit,” Vermeil said. “All of these things will be considered, not only that position but any position where we feel we have a player that can play it better.”

The problem is that the Chiefs may lack a suitable alternative. Nickel back William Bartee struggled two years ago as a starter and lost the job to McCleon last season. Julian Battle has been such a big disappointment that he didn't even suit up Sunday. Rookie Benny Sapp is, well, a rookie.

“I have two guys that one day may be able to someday (replace McCleon), but I don't know if they can today,” Vermeil said. “We had William Bartee in there before, and he didn't play it well. Can he now? I don't know. I think Julian Battle somewhere down the road one day is going to be fine corner. Whether he can play as well as Dexter is playing right now, I don't know.”

The Chiefs had big plans for Battle this season and were hopeful when training camp began he would nudge McCleon from his starting spot. Not only has that not happened, but Battle couldn't even hold off Sapp for the No. 4 job.

That qualifies Battle as one of the year's biggest disappointments. McCleon, after playing well most of last season, would be another.

Vermeil, though, defended McCleon, who also played for him with St. Louis in the late 1990s.

“Everyone wants to point the finger at the corner,” Vermeil said. “I don't work that way. (Defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham) doesn't work that way.”

• TRADE DEADLINE TODAY: The last chance to deal running back Larry Johnson is today, when the NFL's trade deadline passes. The Chiefs had been in discussions with a handful of teams about Johnson. They also discussed a possible trade with the Cowboys involving wide receiver Antonio Bryant.

David. · 10-19-2004, 01:09 AM

the title made me laugh

Hammock Parties · 10-19-2004, 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13

“We had William Bartee in there before, and he didn't play it well. Can he now? I don't know.

FIND THE fuck OUT!!!!!!!!!!

Pants · 10-19-2004, 01:38 AM

Chill the fuck out, bundle of sticks.

**alanm** · 10-19-2004, 02:33 AM

I can't help but sit here in awe of Teicher's prowless at investigative reporting. I'm truly floored.

Redcoats58 · 10-19-2004, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13

"I think Julian Battle somewhere down the road one day is going to be fine corner. Whether he can play as well as Dexter is playing right now, I don't know.”

WTF! How could he not play as well as Dexter right now? Dexter is still cleaning the ashes off his jersey from being burned so many times Sunday! Senility I'm telling you.

Otter · 10-19-2004, 05:47 AM

Quote:

“(The losses) add up,” Vermeil said. “I told the squad today and I said to (wife) Carol last night, when you get my age, each one of those kind of losses takes about a month to two months to maybe six months off the end of your life. I mean it.

If Dick really means this I hope he walks away from the game today because he's not going to make it through the season.

This article is really depressing. We don't even have a decent backup cornerback -- Hasty and Carter have been gone how long?

It's time for chage.

MichaelH · 10-19-2004, 06:12 AM

Quote:

“(The losses) add up,” Vermeil said. “I told the squad today and I said to (wife) Carol last night, when you get my age, each one of those kind of losses takes about a month to two months to maybe six months off the end of your life. I mean it.

If that's the case, he should retire today and be done with it. Football is an intense game and takes a lot out of a person both physically and mentally. But if DV is aging that quickly, he needs to get out. At the rate the Chiefs are going, he might be 110 years old by January.

**J Diddy** · 10-19-2004, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redcoats58

WTF! How could he not play as well as Dexter right now? Dexter is still cleaning the ashes off his jersey from being burned so many times Sunday! Senility I'm telling you.

It was great Sunday, a friend of mine threw a brew at another friend of mine. I was halfway across the room, I saw the pass and broke on the brew. Picked it off, then I had a revelation.........

I just did what McLeon could not do all day.

whoman69 · 10-19-2004, 06:23 AM

The fact that Battle is one of the biggest disappointments while McCleon is just a disappointment floors me. Not many really expected Battle to have to step into the starting line-up while McCleon was expected to have the same skills that brought him 7 INTs last year. McCleon couldn't cover a one legged man right now.

KCFalcon59 · 10-19-2004, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13

“Everyone wants to point the finger at the corner,” Vermeil said. “I don't work that way. (Defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham) doesn't work that way.”

Well somebody better start working that way. You can't just sit there and do nothing and let this crap continue. That is insane. Bartee played better in preseason then I have ever seen him play. Put his ass out there and see if he has improved or it was a fluke. Don't just sit there and let Mcpeon get toasted game after (. x. )(. x. )(. x. )(. x. )ing game.

**Rausch** · 10-19-2004, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCFalcon59

Well somebody better start working that way. You can't just sit there and do nothing and let this crap continue. That is insane. Bartee played better in preseason then I have ever seen him play. Put his ass out there and see if he has improved or it was a fluke. Don't just sit there and let Mcpeon get toasted game after (. x. )(. x. )(. x. )(. x. )ing game.

...

Quote:

“They went after him a little bit,” Vermeil said. “All of these things will be considered, not only that position but any position where we feel we have a player that can play it better.”

MichaelH · 10-19-2004, 06:34 AM

The same problem that plagued the Chiefs last year are plaguing them this year. DV doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Last year it was Robinson, this year it's McCleon, Tynes, take your pick. I bet Gunther is having a hard time biting his tongue right about now. I believe in positive reinforcement, but when a player sucks as bad as McCleon, he deserves to have it broadcast everywhere. They get paid big bucks and should be able to suck it up.

TEX · 10-19-2004, 06:52 AM

The CHIEFS are finding new wasy to lose every week. That;s a clear sign that the team is not headed in the right direction. When you stand pat - you fall behind. Pretty simple...

TEX · 10-19-2004, 06:57 AM

$ 6 Million in cap space, obvious CB problems, yet NOTHING was done and McKenzie went elsewhere...

10-19-2004, 01:08 AM
tk13 ... Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $1712500	Teicher: Chiefs know they're in deep hole http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...fs/9953171.htm Chiefs feel their hole deepening By ADAM TEICHER The Kansas City Star Even when they were 0-3, the Chiefs looked at their season as one brimming with possibilities. Sooner or later, the prevailing opinion was, the team that won nine straight games last season would resurface. At 1-4, the picture has changed. The Chiefs still can't get any traction. They wasted the momentum generated by a victory in Baltimore and the bye week by losing a winnable game Sunday in Jacksonville. Now, the gravity of their situation is beginning to sink in. “We are definitely in a hole,” halfback Priest Holmes said. “This is not high school or college football. Guys that we line up against every Sunday are licking their chops to be able to keep us down.” Nobody is taking it harder than coach Dick Vermeil, who turns 68 late this month. Vermeil late last season re-signed for two more seasons in large part because he believed the Chiefs would again be Super Bowl contenders. “(The losses) add up,” Vermeil said. “I told the squad today and I said to (wife) Carol last night, when you get my age, each one of those kind of losses takes about a month to two months to maybe six months off the end of your life. I mean it. “This is what I get paid to do. This is what I love to do. I had better handle it. This is too good a football team to be 1-4, and we're 1-4. That's a reflection on me and my whole organization.” The Chiefs opened 1-4 in 2001, their first season under Vermeil, and would fall to 1-6 before scrambling for a 6-10 finish. The expectations then were nothing like they were this season, when anything less than an AFC championship is failure. “We're in a rebuilding program at that time,” Vermeil said. “We were trying to get principles built and developed and coached. We've gone on from there to lead the National Football League in scoring two years in a row. We've done a lot of things since then. We've been to the playoffs and lost. The anticipation of this season and the positive thoughts of how good we were going to be, all of that is fading. It hurts more.” The season's four losses all were solid punches to the Chiefs' gut, and the effect is now cumulative. The sting is even greater with losses like Sunday's, when the Chiefs had fourth-quarter chances on offense, defense and special teams to put away the Jaguars and failed in every area. At 0-3, the margin of error to scramble back into the playoff race isn't much, but such a task is possible. At 1-4, the task is much more daunting. “It's hard to weigh which losses are worse,” quarterback Trent Green said. “The Houston game was awful. This one was bad. They all hurt. As the season goes on and as our record is unfolding, these games become more and more important.” The Chiefs get a shot Sunday at Michael Vick and the 5-1 Falcons at Arrowhead Stadium. Vermeil indicated the Chiefs would look at replacing struggling cornerback Dexter McCleon in the starting lineup. The Jaguars picked on McCleon repeatedly. “They went after him a little bit,” Vermeil said. “All of these things will be considered, not only that position but any position where we feel we have a player that can play it better.” The problem is that the Chiefs may lack a suitable alternative. Nickel back William Bartee struggled two years ago as a starter and lost the job to McCleon last season. Julian Battle has been such a big disappointment that he didn't even suit up Sunday. Rookie Benny Sapp is, well, a rookie. “I have two guys that one day may be able to someday (replace McCleon), but I don't know if they can today,” Vermeil said. “We had William Bartee in there before, and he didn't play it well. Can he now? I don't know. I think Julian Battle somewhere down the road one day is going to be fine corner. Whether he can play as well as Dexter is playing right now, I don't know.” The Chiefs had big plans for Battle this season and were hopeful when training camp began he would nudge McCleon from his starting spot. Not only has that not happened, but Battle couldn't even hold off Sapp for the No. 4 job. That qualifies Battle as one of the year's biggest disappointments. McCleon, after playing well most of last season, would be another. Vermeil, though, defended McCleon, who also played for him with St. Louis in the late 1990s. “Everyone wants to point the finger at the corner,” Vermeil said. “I don't work that way. (Defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham) doesn't work that way.” • TRADE DEADLINE TODAY: The last chance to deal running back Larry Johnson is today, when the NFL's trade deadline passes. The Chiefs had been in discussions with a handful of teams about Johnson. They also discussed a possible trade with the Cowboys involving wide receiver Antonio Bryant.
Posts: 54,995

10-19-2004, 01:09 AM	#2
David. . Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: University of Missouri Casino cash: $10005850	the title made me laugh
Posts: 8,169

10-19-2004, 01:38 AM	#4
Pants Time Keeps On Slipping Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Overland Park Casino cash: $5539900	Chill the fuck out, bundle of sticks. __________________ "Turn the channel to 26!"
Posts: 27,294

10-19-2004, 02:33 AM	#5
alanm Feeling Victorian Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Nebraska/Wyoming/Colorado Casino cash: $1546436	I can't help but sit here in awe of Teicher's prowless at investigative reporting. I'm truly floored.
Posts: 33,659

10-19-2004, 06:34 AM	#13
MichaelH Go Chiefs! Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Gastonia, North Carolina Casino cash: $9302006	The same problem that plagued the Chiefs last year are plaguing them this year. DV doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Last year it was Robinson, this year it's McCleon, Tynes, take your pick. I bet Gunther is having a hard time biting his tongue right about now. I believe in positive reinforcement, but when a player sucks as bad as McCleon, he deserves to have it broadcast everywhere. They get paid big bucks and should be able to suck it up.
Posts: 3,187

10-19-2004, 06:52 AM	#14
TEX Out Gunning CP's Fandom Police Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Laguna Beach, CA Casino cash: $2073127	The CHIEFS are finding new wasy to lose every week. That;s a clear sign that the team is not headed in the right direction. When you stand pat - you fall behind. Pretty simple... __________________ "The CHIEFS, HAVE THEIR DYNASTY!"
Posts: 34,761

10-19-2004, 06:57 AM	#15
TEX Out Gunning CP's Fandom Police Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Laguna Beach, CA Casino cash: $2073127	$ 6 Million in cap space, obvious CB problems, yet NOTHING was done and McKenzie went elsewhere... __________________ "The CHIEFS, HAVE THEIR DYNASTY!"
Posts: 34,761