RDOGuy
09-29-2008, 03:08 PM
Once again, the Sunday Star's headline took it almost as a given that
after three losses to open the season, the Chiefs would finish 0-16.
Even as late as halfway through the fourth quarter, the guy who sits
next to me at Arrowhead (one of those people who likes to predict the
season by going down the schedule and saying, "Well, the Chiefs can't
beat THOSE guys") was still predicting a three touchdown explosion
from the Broncos... and a Chiefs loss.
Oops.
But there's no need to get excited. Not yet, anyway. All the Chiefs
did was beat a team that just as easily could have been 1-2 as they
came through the Arrowhead tunnel, and whose defense is, at the very
least, suspect. And they did it at home, with their wily, experienced
backup (who incidentally had a QB rating of 100.3 for the game) under
center.
We still don't know if Brodie Croyle can be the Chiefs' long term
answer at quarterback. Hell, we don't even know if he can play 12
consecutive quarters! Likewise, we have no clue whether Branden
Albert can play more than a few games at a time. Nor do we know if
Tamba Hali can fill the void left by the departure of Jared Allen.
But now we know at least one thing: the Chiefs won't go winless in
2008. That might not be much... but it's something.
Larry Johnson's career-high 65 yard run on the second play from
scrimmage certainly energized the Arrowhead faithful - and I do mean
"faithful," becuse it appeared many ticket holders chose to sell their
tickets to Broncos fans. But I found it oddly disturbing. Geez...
*I* could have put up a big gain by running though the hole Johnson
found, which was apparently opened to admit one of those huge cranes
that now litter the premises. (Score one for the developing offensive
line!) But the Larry Johnson we once knew seemed to have lost a step
or two - or perhaps some of the drive he displayed when he had so much
left to prove. There was a time nobody could have caught LJ after
such a breakout.
But in the drive that started at 2:06 of the fourth quarter, the
Chiefs' All-Money running back earned his pay. Following Denver's
nearly successful onside kick, the Chiefs desperately needed to grind
out a drive that put points on the board - preferably a touchdown. On
four successive plays - and despite a holding call aganist Rudy
Niswanger that would have killed any other Chiefs drive in the last 12
games - LJ delivered. All by himself. By then, it didn't matter that
the OL (by then with backup Herb Taylor playing at left tackle) wasn't
providing the holes he needed. He spun, bit and scratched his way to
every inch of the 58 yards the Chiefs needed to put the Broncos down
for good.
There's been a lot of talk about how the Chiefs needed a win to
validate their youth movement. Well, it turns out that even veteran
players needed this win, too. The fourth quarter LJ bore little
resemblence to the first quarter LJ. In fact, he looked a lot more
like the guy on whom the Chiefs bet the ranch. It's too bad that it
took a win for it to happen, but if he can keep it up, I'll be happy
to take back everything I've recently said about him.
There's no doubt that the Chiefs still have a long way to go. No one
can dispute that it was disquieting that their first two drives didn't
result in touchdowns - especially the gift-wrapped second drive that
started at the Denver 26. If you like, feel free to complain about
some of Chan Gailey's play calls on those drives (and throughout the
game) and the wisdom of trying to use Larry Johnson as a receiver -
but I guess that's what happens when you're a star player and start
complaining to the media about how many touches you're getting.
But thanks to the efforts of Johnson and a long list of young (and not
so young) players in all three phases of the game - Dwayne Bowe, Jamal
Charles, Glenn Dorsey, Brandon Carr, Dantrell Savage, plus the always
dependable Tony Gonzalez and Damon Huard come to mind - the Chiefs did
things they haven't done for a long time. They took advantage of
opportunities - sometimes well, sometimes not so well. They
established - and when necessary, re-established - momentum. Most
importantly, they kept sawing wood, and found a a way to wrestle a W
from a favored division rival.
It might turn out to be the only time this season that the Chiefs can
make it happen. But now they've at least proved that they are capable
of doing so. For any young team, this is a small step, but one that
is hugely important. It will be interesting to see how much time
passes before the next one.
after three losses to open the season, the Chiefs would finish 0-16.
Even as late as halfway through the fourth quarter, the guy who sits
next to me at Arrowhead (one of those people who likes to predict the
season by going down the schedule and saying, "Well, the Chiefs can't
beat THOSE guys") was still predicting a three touchdown explosion
from the Broncos... and a Chiefs loss.
Oops.
But there's no need to get excited. Not yet, anyway. All the Chiefs
did was beat a team that just as easily could have been 1-2 as they
came through the Arrowhead tunnel, and whose defense is, at the very
least, suspect. And they did it at home, with their wily, experienced
backup (who incidentally had a QB rating of 100.3 for the game) under
center.
We still don't know if Brodie Croyle can be the Chiefs' long term
answer at quarterback. Hell, we don't even know if he can play 12
consecutive quarters! Likewise, we have no clue whether Branden
Albert can play more than a few games at a time. Nor do we know if
Tamba Hali can fill the void left by the departure of Jared Allen.
But now we know at least one thing: the Chiefs won't go winless in
2008. That might not be much... but it's something.
Larry Johnson's career-high 65 yard run on the second play from
scrimmage certainly energized the Arrowhead faithful - and I do mean
"faithful," becuse it appeared many ticket holders chose to sell their
tickets to Broncos fans. But I found it oddly disturbing. Geez...
*I* could have put up a big gain by running though the hole Johnson
found, which was apparently opened to admit one of those huge cranes
that now litter the premises. (Score one for the developing offensive
line!) But the Larry Johnson we once knew seemed to have lost a step
or two - or perhaps some of the drive he displayed when he had so much
left to prove. There was a time nobody could have caught LJ after
such a breakout.
But in the drive that started at 2:06 of the fourth quarter, the
Chiefs' All-Money running back earned his pay. Following Denver's
nearly successful onside kick, the Chiefs desperately needed to grind
out a drive that put points on the board - preferably a touchdown. On
four successive plays - and despite a holding call aganist Rudy
Niswanger that would have killed any other Chiefs drive in the last 12
games - LJ delivered. All by himself. By then, it didn't matter that
the OL (by then with backup Herb Taylor playing at left tackle) wasn't
providing the holes he needed. He spun, bit and scratched his way to
every inch of the 58 yards the Chiefs needed to put the Broncos down
for good.
There's been a lot of talk about how the Chiefs needed a win to
validate their youth movement. Well, it turns out that even veteran
players needed this win, too. The fourth quarter LJ bore little
resemblence to the first quarter LJ. In fact, he looked a lot more
like the guy on whom the Chiefs bet the ranch. It's too bad that it
took a win for it to happen, but if he can keep it up, I'll be happy
to take back everything I've recently said about him.
There's no doubt that the Chiefs still have a long way to go. No one
can dispute that it was disquieting that their first two drives didn't
result in touchdowns - especially the gift-wrapped second drive that
started at the Denver 26. If you like, feel free to complain about
some of Chan Gailey's play calls on those drives (and throughout the
game) and the wisdom of trying to use Larry Johnson as a receiver -
but I guess that's what happens when you're a star player and start
complaining to the media about how many touches you're getting.
But thanks to the efforts of Johnson and a long list of young (and not
so young) players in all three phases of the game - Dwayne Bowe, Jamal
Charles, Glenn Dorsey, Brandon Carr, Dantrell Savage, plus the always
dependable Tony Gonzalez and Damon Huard come to mind - the Chiefs did
things they haven't done for a long time. They took advantage of
opportunities - sometimes well, sometimes not so well. They
established - and when necessary, re-established - momentum. Most
importantly, they kept sawing wood, and found a a way to wrestle a W
from a favored division rival.
It might turn out to be the only time this season that the Chiefs can
make it happen. But now they've at least proved that they are capable
of doing so. For any young team, this is a small step, but one that
is hugely important. It will be interesting to see how much time
passes before the next one.