Whitlock's Charger game column...

shaneo69 · 12-25-2005, 06:00 PM

Without playoff berth, is it really a winning season?
By JASON WHITLOCKThe Kansas City Star

Dick Vermeil teared up.

Eric Hicks gloated: “Everybody, go out and party too much tonight. I heard we have a problem with that.”

And Carl Peterson sounded like a man with 2006 season tickets to sell, thanking fans and congratulating himself: “This makes for a very Merry Christmas for everybody in this organization. … 10-6 is a big improvement.”

On the day before Christmas, the Chiefs demolished the team that demolished The Team and kept their faint playoff hopes alive for another weekend. The Chiefs desperately want their 20-7 victory over the San Diego Chargers to be more than a moral victory.
Willie Roaf summarized Kansas City’s playoff chances this way: “They better sign Barry Sanders back.”

You see, for the Chiefs to make the playoffs, they’ll need more than a San Diego loss to the Broncos, champions of the AFC West. The Detroit Lions will need to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh.
Barry Sanders in his prime might be unable to knock off the Steelers in Pittsburgh.

Barring a miracle, beating the team that beat The Team inside Arrowhead Stadium will serve as the highlight moment for the 2005 Kansas City Chiefs. Peterson, Vermeil and the Chiefs players obviously believe they answered their critics and skeptics on Saturday, even if they failed to make up any real ground in the playoff race.

If the Chiefs can knock off the Bengals on New Year’s Day, Kansas City will finish 10-6, which, according to Peterson, is a big improvement over last year’s 7-9 finish.

You know what? Peterson is right, as long as you ignore the fact that a playoff-less season in year five of the Vermeil regime is inexcusable when you have the league’s most talented offensive line, deepest backfield, one of the league’s toughest quarterbacks and a defense reinforced with high-priced free agents.

A 10-6 record is a big improvement as long as you ignore Vermeil and Peterson’s stated goals. A 10-6 record is a big improvement as long as you ignore the fact that Will Shields and Priest Holmes might retire, Trent Green and Willie Roaf will be 36, Tony Richardson will be 35 and Vermeil doesn’t really want to coach anymore.

As good as things looked on Saturday — and they looked really, really
good — there’s no reason to believe that Vermeil and Peterson can sustain it. That’s not a statement about their competence. It’s a statement about the reality of the last decade of Kansas City professional football, and a statement about the age of Kansas City’s offensive football players.

Since 1995, the Chiefs have been consistently inconsistent — up and down season to season and in many seasons game to game. Trent Green has been healthy for five straight seasons.

This will sound funny coming from me, but it’s true: Larry Johnson is the only reason to believe that things will be different next season. He’s the only reason to believe the Chiefs could field a real Super Bowl threat.
Larry Johnson was made for Arrowhead Stadium. As a runner, he’s big, explosive and violent. He has the power of Christian Okoye and the speed of Joe Delaney. In terms of raw talent, the Chiefs have never had a back as gifted as Johnson. Priest Holmes doesn’t compare. Larry will surpass Holmes’ single-season rushing record next week. Johnson is 66 yards off Holmes’ mark. Had Johnson started from day one, he would’ve eclipsed the 2,000-yard barrier.

On Saturday, Johnson played a complete football game. He was deadly as a runner and as a pass-catcher. And he made a legitimate effort to block. He finished the game with 131 rushing yards in 32 carries. He caught four passes for 48 yards. He scored twice, once on the ground and once through the air.

It was cold, wet and muddy on Saturday, and Johnson loved it. You put Johnson in Arrowhead Stadium in December and January with a solid defense and the right coach, and the Chiefs are pretty unbeatable.
The right coach is the key. The right head coach will help Kansas City’s defense perform at a consistently high level. Gunther Cunningham was a terrific defensive coordinator working under Marty Schottenheimer. Greg Robinson was an adequate defensive coordinator working under Mike Shanahan. The failure of Kansas City’s defense falls on Vermeil.

The failure to make the playoffs will fall on Vermeil and Peterson. If they fail to man up and admit it, don’t be surprised when Chiefs players run off to Honolulu and all the Plaza nightclubs partying like they just won the Super Bowl. The same thing happened after the 2003 season.

kcxiv · 12-25-2005, 06:03 PM

I believe this is a repost.

**Tribal Warfare** · 12-25-2005, 06:06 PM

I totally agree with Whitlock here

Kerberos · 12-25-2005, 10:30 PM

He makes good points but he is still a tool.

He has one column out of 50 that have some good points or really hit home.

A busted watch is right twice a day!

.

**TinyEvel** · 12-26-2005, 02:34 AM

I was waiting for this post, to see what his (not IF, but WHAT) his negative spin would be on this win.
A-hole never disappoints.

huskerdooz · 12-26-2005, 02:42 AM

Jason is so predictable, his last 2 articles on the Chiefs are a direct result of Carl turning his 2 lap dogs (Rufus and Gretz) loose on him.

greg63 · 12-26-2005, 05:49 AM

Is Fatlock talking??

phxchief · 12-26-2005, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

I totally agree with Whitlock here

Me too, especially the "defense under Vermeil" part.

Skyy God · 12-26-2005, 03:38 PM

Still have to beat the Tiggers, CP. Jerkoff.

Deberg_1990 · 12-26-2005, 03:55 PM

I have grown to hate fat boy over the past few columns, but he is 100% dead on here. Its pretty much the exact same way i feel right now. Bittersweet.

chiefsfaninNC · 12-26-2005, 06:12 PM

Every once in a while that fat ass writes a good article. His consistency is very Chief-like.

CoMoChief · 12-26-2005, 06:40 PM

Whitlock does have a couple good points, but:

-Derrick Thomas, Neil Smith, James Hasty, Dan Saleamua, and Mark Collins will make any defensive coordinator look like a genious.

CrazyHorse · 12-26-2005, 07:57 PM

Wasn't it just last week when Johnson had "no heart"?

Must be nice not to have to be held accountable for anything you write.

Without credibility, it's tough to hear much of what he says. One thing for certain, there's not much chance he will have anything positive to say.

Dont get me wrong, he says a few nice things. But it's only to set you up for the ragging he's gonna do. He really has no value to the fans of KC or the Kansas City Chiefs.

I have negative things I could say about the way some things have gone. But, unlike JW, that's not ALL I have to say.

redfan · 12-26-2005, 10:24 PM

I'm not a fan of Jdubs, but he makes some valid points.
Ultimately, I blame CP for making zero changes in the D players the year after we couldn't make the Colts kick just ONE TIME. The O tore up the league that year...

**Rausch** · 12-26-2005, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BSPimpDude

Whitlock does have a couple good points, but:

-Derrick Thomas, Neil Smith, James Hasty, Dan Saleamua, and Mark Collins will make any defensive coordinator look like a genious.

Of course, no coach should be given credit for pushing to acquire those players...

12-25-2005, 06:00 PM
shaneo69 Smug Weasel Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bleachers at Busch Casino cash: $10004900	Whitlock's Charger game column... Without playoff berth, is it really a winning season? By JASON WHITLOCKThe Kansas City Star Dick Vermeil teared up. Eric Hicks gloated: “Everybody, go out and party too much tonight. I heard we have a problem with that.” And Carl Peterson sounded like a man with 2006 season tickets to sell, thanking fans and congratulating himself: “This makes for a very Merry Christmas for everybody in this organization. … 10-6 is a big improvement.” On the day before Christmas, the Chiefs demolished the team that demolished The Team and kept their faint playoff hopes alive for another weekend. The Chiefs desperately want their 20-7 victory over the San Diego Chargers to be more than a moral victory. Willie Roaf summarized Kansas City’s playoff chances this way: “They better sign Barry Sanders back.” You see, for the Chiefs to make the playoffs, they’ll need more than a San Diego loss to the Broncos, champions of the AFC West. The Detroit Lions will need to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh. Barry Sanders in his prime might be unable to knock off the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Barring a miracle, beating the team that beat The Team inside Arrowhead Stadium will serve as the highlight moment for the 2005 Kansas City Chiefs. Peterson, Vermeil and the Chiefs players obviously believe they answered their critics and skeptics on Saturday, even if they failed to make up any real ground in the playoff race. If the Chiefs can knock off the Bengals on New Year’s Day, Kansas City will finish 10-6, which, according to Peterson, is a big improvement over last year’s 7-9 finish. You know what? Peterson is right, as long as you ignore the fact that a playoff-less season in year five of the Vermeil regime is inexcusable when you have the league’s most talented offensive line, deepest backfield, one of the league’s toughest quarterbacks and a defense reinforced with high-priced free agents. A 10-6 record is a big improvement as long as you ignore Vermeil and Peterson’s stated goals. A 10-6 record is a big improvement as long as you ignore the fact that Will Shields and Priest Holmes might retire, Trent Green and Willie Roaf will be 36, Tony Richardson will be 35 and Vermeil doesn’t really want to coach anymore. As good as things looked on Saturday — and they looked really, really good — there’s no reason to believe that Vermeil and Peterson can sustain it. That’s not a statement about their competence. It’s a statement about the reality of the last decade of Kansas City professional football, and a statement about the age of Kansas City’s offensive football players. Since 1995, the Chiefs have been consistently inconsistent — up and down season to season and in many seasons game to game. Trent Green has been healthy for five straight seasons. This will sound funny coming from me, but it’s true: Larry Johnson is the only reason to believe that things will be different next season. He’s the only reason to believe the Chiefs could field a real Super Bowl threat. Larry Johnson was made for Arrowhead Stadium. As a runner, he’s big, explosive and violent. He has the power of Christian Okoye and the speed of Joe Delaney. In terms of raw talent, the Chiefs have never had a back as gifted as Johnson. Priest Holmes doesn’t compare. Larry will surpass Holmes’ single-season rushing record next week. Johnson is 66 yards off Holmes’ mark. Had Johnson started from day one, he would’ve eclipsed the 2,000-yard barrier. On Saturday, Johnson played a complete football game. He was deadly as a runner and as a pass-catcher. And he made a legitimate effort to block. He finished the game with 131 rushing yards in 32 carries. He caught four passes for 48 yards. He scored twice, once on the ground and once through the air. It was cold, wet and muddy on Saturday, and Johnson loved it. You put Johnson in Arrowhead Stadium in December and January with a solid defense and the right coach, and the Chiefs are pretty unbeatable. The right coach is the key. The right head coach will help Kansas City’s defense perform at a consistently high level. Gunther Cunningham was a terrific defensive coordinator working under Marty Schottenheimer. Greg Robinson was an adequate defensive coordinator working under Mike Shanahan. The failure of Kansas City’s defense falls on Vermeil. The failure to make the playoffs will fall on Vermeil and Peterson. If they fail to man up and admit it, don’t be surprised when Chiefs players run off to Honolulu and all the Plaza nightclubs partying like they just won the Super Bowl. The same thing happened after the 2003 season.
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12-25-2005, 06:03 PM	#2
kcxiv In Search of a Life Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Central Valley, Cali Casino cash: $8807996	I believe this is a repost.
Posts: 29,110

12-25-2005, 06:06 PM	#3
Tribal Warfare The Boom Boom Room Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $912813	I totally agree with Whitlock here __________________
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12-25-2005, 10:30 PM	#4
Kerberos Chiefs Baby Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Henderson, NV Casino cash: $10000632	He makes good points but he is still a tool. He has one column out of 50 that have some good points or really hit home. A busted watch is right twice a day! .
Posts: 5,638

12-26-2005, 02:34 AM	#5
TinyEvel Just a li'l Evel Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Bald. Goatee. Jorts. Casino cash: $5407131	I was waiting for this post, to see what his (not IF, but WHAT) his negative spin would be on this win. A-hole never disappoints.
Posts: 11,810

12-26-2005, 02:42 AM	#6
huskerdooz Starter Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Can't get there from here Casino cash: $9929885	Jason is so predictable, his last 2 articles on the Chiefs are a direct result of Carl turning his 2 lap dogs (Rufus and Gretz) loose on him.
Posts: 640

12-26-2005, 05:49 AM	#7
greg63 Homer go crazy!!! Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: SE Kansas Casino cash: $9324990	Is Fatlock talking?? __________________
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12-26-2005, 03:38 PM	#9
Skyy God 11-5, baby Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Livin the dream Casino cash: $2191557	Still have to beat the Tiggers, CP. Jerkoff.
Posts: 22,416

12-26-2005, 03:55 PM	#10
Deberg_1990 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $3914454	I have grown to hate fat boy over the past few columns, but he is 100% dead on here. Its pretty much the exact same way i feel right now. Bittersweet. __________________ Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning: Matt once made a very nice play in Seattle where he spun away from a pass rusher and hit Bowe off his back foot for a first down. One of the best plays Matt has ever made.
Posts: 66,914

12-26-2005, 06:12 PM	#11
chiefsfaninNC Starter Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Greensboro NC Casino cash: $10004900	Every once in a while that fat ass writes a good article. His consistency is very Chief-like.
Posts: 941

12-26-2005, 06:40 PM	#12
CoMoChief Mahomes Dynasty Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Parts Unknown Casino cash: $8052254	Whitlock does have a couple good points, but: -Derrick Thomas, Neil Smith, James Hasty, Dan Saleamua, and Mark Collins will make any defensive coordinator look like a genious. __________________
Posts: 39,156

12-26-2005, 07:57 PM	#13
CrazyHorse All Motor! Join Date: Sep 2000 Casino cash: $10004900	Wasn't it just last week when Johnson had "no heart"? Must be nice not to have to be held accountable for anything you write. Without credibility, it's tough to hear much of what he says. One thing for certain, there's not much chance he will have anything positive to say. Dont get me wrong, he says a few nice things. But it's only to set you up for the ragging he's gonna do. He really has no value to the fans of KC or the Kansas City Chiefs. I have negative things I could say about the way some things have gone. But, unlike JW, that's not ALL I have to say.
Posts: 2,118

12-26-2005, 10:24 PM	#14
redfan They gonna regret that trade!! Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: BBQ Elitas Casino cash: $1961852	I'm not a fan of Jdubs, but he makes some valid points. Ultimately, I blame CP for making zero changes in the D players the year after we couldn't make the Colts kick just ONE TIME. The O tore up the league that year... __________________ KC CHIEFS SB IV LIV LVII LVIII CHAMPIONS "65 Toss Power Trap!" "Triple Gun Trey Right 3 Jet Chip Wasp Y Funnel" "Orange You, Duo Left 30 XL 35 Y Corn Dog" "Trips Right Bunch F Shuttle, Tom&Jerry Right Yellow. Orange, Let's GO!!"
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