GSRelyea
12-19-2007, 01:06 PM
Kansas City Chiefs
Inside Slant
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/chiefs/home.htm
When you realize that the Miami Dolphins have won more games in their last seven outings than have the Kansas City Chiefs, you realize how far this team has fallen since limping into the playoffs with a 9-7 record last year.
When you consider that Arrowhead Stadium's once over-powering fan base was harder on the Chiefs than on the visiting Tennessee Titans, you realize the extent of the frustration raging throughout a city that once revered its Chiefs.
When you remember how Carl Peterson essentially cleaned house after the last time the Chiefs won only four games — 1988, right before he took over as Kansas City's president and general manager — you have to wonder whether he'll include himself in the house cleaning necessary should this current team finish 4-12.
With their final two games on the road — where they may get a better reception than they did at Arrowhead during a 26-17 loss to Tennessee that made their 2007 home record 2-6 — the Chiefs could well end up with four wins. That may be familiar territory to coach Herm Edwards, who was there with the Jets as recently as 2005. But no Kansas City team has been that bad since 1987 and '88, when two Frank Gansz teams won only four games each year before Peterson became the new sheriff in town.
Losers of seven consecutive games, five of them at Arrowhead, the Chiefs seem no closer to ending this slide than when it began with a fourth-quarter collapse against Green Bay on Nov. 4.
The Chiefs led Tennessee 14-10 at halftime and 17-13 with 3:49 remaining in the third quarter. But in a span of the next four minutes, Kansas City kicked off out of bounds, gave up a three-play scoring drive, threw an interception on its first offensive play and quickly fell behind 23-17 just seconds into the fourth quarter.
As the Chiefs haven't scored a fourth-quarter point since the Green Bay collapse, this one was over.
"Obviously this has become a habit for us, because this is what we do. We almost win a lot of games," sardonic defensive end Jared Allen said. "It was like, 'Here we go again, we're going to lose again.' You can't point a finger at anything physical, but you can just feel it out there. There's not enough people here who aren't OK with that."
Added cornerback Patrick Surtain: "It just seems like in the second half, when an opposing team makes a big play, things go downhill in a hurry. We've got to be tougher-minded than to let those things snowball."
But "tough" isn't a term anyone is associating with this Chiefs team these days.
NOTES, QUOTES
—A group of Chiefs linemen started heatedly snapping back at a group of fans who'd been riding them from their seats behind the Kansas City team bench for the past several games.
"We got tired of the same idiots who've been ripping (Damion) McIntosh for weeks, especially after he had one of his best games here today," said guard Brian Waters, the Chiefs' offensive captain. "Same bunch of guys for the last couple weeks."
Why they got on McIntosh, who did not give up a sack while working against Tennessee's Kyle Vanden Bosch — who had three the previous week against San Diego — is unknown. Out of habit, no doubt.
—Like a lot of NFL teams, the Chiefs announce only tickets sold, so the official attendance Sunday read 74,976, another Arrowhead Stadium sellout.
No way. Even the most generous estimate put the crowd at 50,000. But at least the game was not blacked out locally, as many feared would happen earlier in the season.
—Forecasts of an offseason house-cleaning continue to come from inside the Chiefs locker room, and no one feels safe from the broom.
"I saw one sign today that said, 'Clean house,'" Pro Bowl TE Tony Gonzalez said. "Maybe that includes me, too. Whatever it is, something's got to change.
"I don't know how many more years I'm going to play, especially in this environment."
PLAYER PERSONNEL NOTES
—QB Brodie Croyle had a 102 passer rating at halftime after throwing two TDs against Tennessee, but he fell off to 67.7 by game's end when he added two interceptions in the second half. He had career highs in attempts (43), completions (25) and yards (217), but he fell to 0-4 as a starter.
—TE Kris Wilson scored his first TD this year and only the fourth of his career when he dragged two tacklers for about 7 of the 9 yards on his scoring reception.
—TE Tony Gonzalez's three-reception, 17-yard outing against the Titans was his lowest offensive output of the season.
—WR Eddie Drummond, who had fallen out of favor as a returner and had been inactive in the previous four weeks, returned to action against Tennessee and immediately fumbled away his first punt return.
Inside Slant
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/chiefs/home.htm
When you realize that the Miami Dolphins have won more games in their last seven outings than have the Kansas City Chiefs, you realize how far this team has fallen since limping into the playoffs with a 9-7 record last year.
When you consider that Arrowhead Stadium's once over-powering fan base was harder on the Chiefs than on the visiting Tennessee Titans, you realize the extent of the frustration raging throughout a city that once revered its Chiefs.
When you remember how Carl Peterson essentially cleaned house after the last time the Chiefs won only four games — 1988, right before he took over as Kansas City's president and general manager — you have to wonder whether he'll include himself in the house cleaning necessary should this current team finish 4-12.
With their final two games on the road — where they may get a better reception than they did at Arrowhead during a 26-17 loss to Tennessee that made their 2007 home record 2-6 — the Chiefs could well end up with four wins. That may be familiar territory to coach Herm Edwards, who was there with the Jets as recently as 2005. But no Kansas City team has been that bad since 1987 and '88, when two Frank Gansz teams won only four games each year before Peterson became the new sheriff in town.
Losers of seven consecutive games, five of them at Arrowhead, the Chiefs seem no closer to ending this slide than when it began with a fourth-quarter collapse against Green Bay on Nov. 4.
The Chiefs led Tennessee 14-10 at halftime and 17-13 with 3:49 remaining in the third quarter. But in a span of the next four minutes, Kansas City kicked off out of bounds, gave up a three-play scoring drive, threw an interception on its first offensive play and quickly fell behind 23-17 just seconds into the fourth quarter.
As the Chiefs haven't scored a fourth-quarter point since the Green Bay collapse, this one was over.
"Obviously this has become a habit for us, because this is what we do. We almost win a lot of games," sardonic defensive end Jared Allen said. "It was like, 'Here we go again, we're going to lose again.' You can't point a finger at anything physical, but you can just feel it out there. There's not enough people here who aren't OK with that."
Added cornerback Patrick Surtain: "It just seems like in the second half, when an opposing team makes a big play, things go downhill in a hurry. We've got to be tougher-minded than to let those things snowball."
But "tough" isn't a term anyone is associating with this Chiefs team these days.
NOTES, QUOTES
—A group of Chiefs linemen started heatedly snapping back at a group of fans who'd been riding them from their seats behind the Kansas City team bench for the past several games.
"We got tired of the same idiots who've been ripping (Damion) McIntosh for weeks, especially after he had one of his best games here today," said guard Brian Waters, the Chiefs' offensive captain. "Same bunch of guys for the last couple weeks."
Why they got on McIntosh, who did not give up a sack while working against Tennessee's Kyle Vanden Bosch — who had three the previous week against San Diego — is unknown. Out of habit, no doubt.
—Like a lot of NFL teams, the Chiefs announce only tickets sold, so the official attendance Sunday read 74,976, another Arrowhead Stadium sellout.
No way. Even the most generous estimate put the crowd at 50,000. But at least the game was not blacked out locally, as many feared would happen earlier in the season.
—Forecasts of an offseason house-cleaning continue to come from inside the Chiefs locker room, and no one feels safe from the broom.
"I saw one sign today that said, 'Clean house,'" Pro Bowl TE Tony Gonzalez said. "Maybe that includes me, too. Whatever it is, something's got to change.
"I don't know how many more years I'm going to play, especially in this environment."
PLAYER PERSONNEL NOTES
—QB Brodie Croyle had a 102 passer rating at halftime after throwing two TDs against Tennessee, but he fell off to 67.7 by game's end when he added two interceptions in the second half. He had career highs in attempts (43), completions (25) and yards (217), but he fell to 0-4 as a starter.
—TE Kris Wilson scored his first TD this year and only the fourth of his career when he dragged two tacklers for about 7 of the 9 yards on his scoring reception.
—TE Tony Gonzalez's three-reception, 17-yard outing against the Titans was his lowest offensive output of the season.
—WR Eddie Drummond, who had fallen out of favor as a returner and had been inactive in the previous four weeks, returned to action against Tennessee and immediately fumbled away his first punt return.