Scoutin' Those Chiefs: Week 3's 13-10 Win Over the Vikings
As I've mentioned, things are running a bit behind this week on the ol' HoG. Nevertheless, your features will be delivered. Week three for the red and gold was a win alright, but it wasn't pretty. Minnesota Viking rookie running back Adrian Peterson ran rampant all over the Chiefs in the first half. Most of his 102 yards and his touchdown were netted during those first two quarters. What saved the Chiefs was the return of Jared Allen, as well as the rest of the Chiefs' defensive squad. This week, I don't feel inspired enough to break it down into pluses and minuses, or highs and lows. I'm just going to call it like it is.
Halfway through the second quarter of this game, I was certain we'd be 0-3 by the time time expired. The Chiefs were literally on the verge of melting down. Tony Gonzalez continued to not catch passes. Larry Johnson continued to not be able to run the ball, and the Chiefs' approach to winning (Editor's Note: This is my terminology for play calling, as the 'p' and the 'c' words have saturated the media so far this season, all of which suggests Offensive Coordinator Mike Solari is to blame.) football games began to look foolish and embarrassing.
Players were getting called for delay of game due to spiking the ball in frustration. Drunk fans were storming the field (Note: It was one, but pluralizing always adds intensity, no?), quarterback Damon Huard was screaming mad at quarterbacks coach Dick Curl, and, as usual, Herman Edwards stood there on the sidelines looking like one half of a staring contest. All of this can be summed up in one word: meltdown. It was in fact, the proverbial season on the brink.
Then things changed a little bit.
A little bit.
The Chiefs decided -- long after the rest of the six-plus billion people that inhabit the globe had realized it -- that they might have to throw the ball a few times against this stingy Viking run defense. But oh no, they thought. Eddie Kennison is out and Tony Gonzalez is being double teamed. That means we'd have to go to the rookie. Well, they gave it a shot. And it worked. Amazing concept, there. And therein lies the problem.
Herm Edwards has repeatedly said that he believes that a coaching staff has got to continue to put the ball back in the hands of players who aren't succeeding. And I get that. I do. As a concept, it can build confidence. But hey, buddy. We're way beyond concepts and confidence. We're in the midst of something you may want to call the regular season, the time in which players, you know, play to win the game. Add to that that coaches have to delegate and assign the appropriate techniques for that to happen.
Beyond game day, though, Johnson claims that coaches are too stubborn to listen to what players think, and Huard admits he was frustrated as all hell with whatever piece of idiocy Curl was demonstrating in that particular moment. And what did the Head Chief in Charge do? He threw his offensive coordinator under the bus.
Awesome. That is 115% of good times.
"I don't call the plays," Edwards told the press, which is attached to the notion that no, Solari is not handcuffed to calling specifically conservative plays that Edwards wants his coaches and players to utilize that reduce the risk of: a) turning the ball over, b) sustaining drives and scoring touchdowns, and c) yep, that's right, winning football games. That's just great.
No what else it is? A load of fresh llama dung. Herm Edwards is responsible for the success, or lack thereof, of this football team, and by association, said approach to winning games. If the shit ain't goin' right, it's for one reason and one reason only: Herm ain't lettin' it.
One team will get their act together this Sunday at Qualcomm. Or maybe neither will. Maybe someone wins by default, ala the Chiefs opening-day quarterback decision. But i don't buy that. One team must fix the global entity of things not working right. I have a hard time believing it won't be the Super-Chargers.
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