hermhater
09-29-2007, 06:44 PM
Chiefs’ offense developing
By JEREMY BANKS, Kansan Sports Editor
Published: Saturday, September 29, 2007 11:34 AM CDT
E-mail this story (http://kansascitykansan.com/articles/2007/09/29/sports/sports3.eml) | Print this page (http://kansascitykansan.com/articles/2007/09/29/sports/sports3.prt)
Here’s a secret. The Kansas City Chiefs are not an offensive juggernaut. OK, maybe it’s not a secret.
The Chiefs are ranked 29th in the National Football League in total offense, accumulating just 250 yards per a game.
The running game has struggled, averaging just 64 yards per a game.
The passing game? The Chiefs are averaging 186 yards passing. With a good running game, those passing numbers are acceptable. But the Chiefs haven’t had a consistent ground attack all season long.
With running back Larry Johnson being the focal point of the Chiefs’ offense, defenses have routinely placed eight and nine defenders on the line of scrimmage.
And it’s worked.
But just before anyone can tab it as the worst offense of all-time, look at what has been done. On Sept. 23 in a 13-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings at home, the Chiefs showed some potential.
For the first two quarters, the Chiefs played vanilla. There was no creativity or aggression to the play calling. The Chiefs were predictable. Run up the middle. Two yards. Short pass to fullback Kris Wilson. Two yards. Incomplete pass. Punt.
This is what finally frustrated the Chiefs late in the first half.
It was probably the best thing to happen to them this season.
The Chiefs decided to take a chance and do something they probably haven’t done all season long: They trusted the playmakers to make plays.
Chiefs head coach Herman Edwards has a plan for his offense. He wants the Chiefs to run the football effectively which allows the team to control the clock and keep the opposing offense on the sideline.
Secondly, the passing game has to be efficient, preferably a completion percentage in the high 60s if possible.
Only in short spurts have we seen this in Edwards’ two seasons as head coach.
But trust me. It works. The New York Giants used this strategy in 1987 and 1990 to win Super Bowl titles. The Washington Redskins of the 80s and 90s won titles with this philosophy. The Baltimore Ravens won a championship with a strong running game in 2000 and most recently the Pittsburgh Steelers relied on a strong ground attack to carry the team to a title in 2005. However, these teams didn’t just run the ball on every down. There was creativity involved along with aggressive playcalling.
The Chiefs found it in the second half. Quarterback Damon Huard was allowed to throw the football down the field. And guess what? The Chiefs found out they had a pretty good receiver. Dwayne Bowe made some impressive catches, including a touchdown grab over two defenders to give his team the lead.
“When you think you’ve covered him you really haven’t covered him,” Edwards said.
Bowe, never one to hide his confidence, agreed.
“When my number is called, I’m going to make a play,” he said. “I told the offense ‘Just do your job and I’ll take over the game.’”
The Chiefs aren’t as bad as we thought. There’s Bowe on the outside, tight end Tony Gonzalez in the middle and Johnson in the backfield. I think the Chiefs are realizing this.
“We wanted to get the ball in the hands of three guys,” Edwards said, speaking of Bowe, Gonzalez and Johnson. “Those guys have to touch the ball.”
The Chiefs face a challenge this Sunday against the Chargers on the road, a frustrated team with a similar 1-2 record. The Chargers lost two games all of last year.
If the Chiefs believe in their talent and use it correctly, they can keep the Chargers in a tailspin.
http://www.kansascitykansan.com/articles/2007/09/29/sports/sports3.txt
By JEREMY BANKS, Kansan Sports Editor
Published: Saturday, September 29, 2007 11:34 AM CDT
E-mail this story (http://kansascitykansan.com/articles/2007/09/29/sports/sports3.eml) | Print this page (http://kansascitykansan.com/articles/2007/09/29/sports/sports3.prt)
Here’s a secret. The Kansas City Chiefs are not an offensive juggernaut. OK, maybe it’s not a secret.
The Chiefs are ranked 29th in the National Football League in total offense, accumulating just 250 yards per a game.
The running game has struggled, averaging just 64 yards per a game.
The passing game? The Chiefs are averaging 186 yards passing. With a good running game, those passing numbers are acceptable. But the Chiefs haven’t had a consistent ground attack all season long.
With running back Larry Johnson being the focal point of the Chiefs’ offense, defenses have routinely placed eight and nine defenders on the line of scrimmage.
And it’s worked.
But just before anyone can tab it as the worst offense of all-time, look at what has been done. On Sept. 23 in a 13-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings at home, the Chiefs showed some potential.
For the first two quarters, the Chiefs played vanilla. There was no creativity or aggression to the play calling. The Chiefs were predictable. Run up the middle. Two yards. Short pass to fullback Kris Wilson. Two yards. Incomplete pass. Punt.
This is what finally frustrated the Chiefs late in the first half.
It was probably the best thing to happen to them this season.
The Chiefs decided to take a chance and do something they probably haven’t done all season long: They trusted the playmakers to make plays.
Chiefs head coach Herman Edwards has a plan for his offense. He wants the Chiefs to run the football effectively which allows the team to control the clock and keep the opposing offense on the sideline.
Secondly, the passing game has to be efficient, preferably a completion percentage in the high 60s if possible.
Only in short spurts have we seen this in Edwards’ two seasons as head coach.
But trust me. It works. The New York Giants used this strategy in 1987 and 1990 to win Super Bowl titles. The Washington Redskins of the 80s and 90s won titles with this philosophy. The Baltimore Ravens won a championship with a strong running game in 2000 and most recently the Pittsburgh Steelers relied on a strong ground attack to carry the team to a title in 2005. However, these teams didn’t just run the ball on every down. There was creativity involved along with aggressive playcalling.
The Chiefs found it in the second half. Quarterback Damon Huard was allowed to throw the football down the field. And guess what? The Chiefs found out they had a pretty good receiver. Dwayne Bowe made some impressive catches, including a touchdown grab over two defenders to give his team the lead.
“When you think you’ve covered him you really haven’t covered him,” Edwards said.
Bowe, never one to hide his confidence, agreed.
“When my number is called, I’m going to make a play,” he said. “I told the offense ‘Just do your job and I’ll take over the game.’”
The Chiefs aren’t as bad as we thought. There’s Bowe on the outside, tight end Tony Gonzalez in the middle and Johnson in the backfield. I think the Chiefs are realizing this.
“We wanted to get the ball in the hands of three guys,” Edwards said, speaking of Bowe, Gonzalez and Johnson. “Those guys have to touch the ball.”
The Chiefs face a challenge this Sunday against the Chargers on the road, a frustrated team with a similar 1-2 record. The Chargers lost two games all of last year.
If the Chiefs believe in their talent and use it correctly, they can keep the Chargers in a tailspin.
http://www.kansascitykansan.com/articles/2007/09/29/sports/sports3.txt