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Chiefs realize they can’t ease back into work routine
Sunday’s game against 49ers has gone from an early-season breather to a critical contest.
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
The weekend bye afforded the Chiefs a chance for three days of rest and to contemplate the grind facing them over the next 14 weeks.
One thing it didn’t do was improve their lot in life. The Chiefs are still 0-2 and as disappointed about it as ever.
They return to practice today to begin preparations for Sunday’s game against San Francisco at Arrowhead Stadium. The game, which once looked to be a lull in a tough first-half schedule, suddenly looms big.
Road games with Arizona and Pittsburgh and home matchups with San Diego and Seattle follow. If the Chiefs are going to make something of their first season under Herm Edwards, they had better start making their move against the 49ers.
“The one thing that we all have to realize is where we are compared to everyone else right now in the National Football League,” Edwards said. “We’re 0-2, we don’t feel real good about that … and we’ve got to make sure that we get out of that situation. That’s got to be our mindset at this point.
“Our next game is at home, and it’s going to be a big game for us. They are all big, but this one for me becomes real big for us on how we’re going to attack the rest of the season. I think that the players understand that. It’s early drama now all of a sudden for us in our third game.”
The Chiefs won 10 games last year and narrowly missed making the playoffs as a wild-card entrant.
They realized there would be a transition from Dick Vermeil to Edwards because of their wildly clashing philosophies but still believed they were talented enough to compete for the AFC West title or a wild-card playoff berth.
They certainly didn’t expect to be playing their first do-or-die game until the weather turned nasty, at least.
“Nobody probably anticipated us being here,” Edwards said. “I know I didn’t, but we are and you can’t escape it. You can say why and suggest different reasons, but we are what we are right now. We’re a team that’s trying to find a little bit of our identity on both sides of the ball, maybe more on offense now than on defense. That’s kind of a surprise for some reason, but we’ll fight through it.”
Everything the Chiefs have known for the last five seasons was turned upside down in the two losses. Their once-mighty offense has been grounded while the formally forlorn defense is suddenly stout.
“It’s a little different when you change and transition from one type of way you’ve done things to another philosophy,” Edwards said. “Most people think that’s an easy, but it’s not. You’re changing a lot of different things. You know that coming in as a head coach and that’s what you’re fighting.
“I think the players are buying into what we want to do, how we are going to do it and we’ve just got to improve on it. I think as the season goes on we’re going to improve and we’re going to get better. That’s all you can ask players to do.”
The transition began in earnest in their last game in Denver. The Chiefs, who tried to outscore the Broncos in Denver in recent seasons only to fail miserably, tried to use their defense, running attack and short passing game this time.
They fell short, but only 9-6 in overtime. While disappointed in the result, the Chiefs were encouraged they could take their new brand of football into the new Mile High Stadium and come closer to a victory than they ever did in the days when they attempted to outscore the Broncos.
“It’s not a panic situation,” Edwards said. “I’m not a panic guy. I just think you find out a lot about your team and I found out a lot about our team last week for sure. They did some good things in the game, we didn’t win, but I think our attitude changed a little bit about how we’re going to play and why we need to play that way.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEXT UP for chiefs: 49ers
•San Francisco at KC
•noon Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/football/nfl/kansas_city_chiefs/15601002.htm
Sunday’s game against 49ers has gone from an early-season breather to a critical contest.
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
The weekend bye afforded the Chiefs a chance for three days of rest and to contemplate the grind facing them over the next 14 weeks.
One thing it didn’t do was improve their lot in life. The Chiefs are still 0-2 and as disappointed about it as ever.
They return to practice today to begin preparations for Sunday’s game against San Francisco at Arrowhead Stadium. The game, which once looked to be a lull in a tough first-half schedule, suddenly looms big.
Road games with Arizona and Pittsburgh and home matchups with San Diego and Seattle follow. If the Chiefs are going to make something of their first season under Herm Edwards, they had better start making their move against the 49ers.
“The one thing that we all have to realize is where we are compared to everyone else right now in the National Football League,” Edwards said. “We’re 0-2, we don’t feel real good about that … and we’ve got to make sure that we get out of that situation. That’s got to be our mindset at this point.
“Our next game is at home, and it’s going to be a big game for us. They are all big, but this one for me becomes real big for us on how we’re going to attack the rest of the season. I think that the players understand that. It’s early drama now all of a sudden for us in our third game.”
The Chiefs won 10 games last year and narrowly missed making the playoffs as a wild-card entrant.
They realized there would be a transition from Dick Vermeil to Edwards because of their wildly clashing philosophies but still believed they were talented enough to compete for the AFC West title or a wild-card playoff berth.
They certainly didn’t expect to be playing their first do-or-die game until the weather turned nasty, at least.
“Nobody probably anticipated us being here,” Edwards said. “I know I didn’t, but we are and you can’t escape it. You can say why and suggest different reasons, but we are what we are right now. We’re a team that’s trying to find a little bit of our identity on both sides of the ball, maybe more on offense now than on defense. That’s kind of a surprise for some reason, but we’ll fight through it.”
Everything the Chiefs have known for the last five seasons was turned upside down in the two losses. Their once-mighty offense has been grounded while the formally forlorn defense is suddenly stout.
“It’s a little different when you change and transition from one type of way you’ve done things to another philosophy,” Edwards said. “Most people think that’s an easy, but it’s not. You’re changing a lot of different things. You know that coming in as a head coach and that’s what you’re fighting.
“I think the players are buying into what we want to do, how we are going to do it and we’ve just got to improve on it. I think as the season goes on we’re going to improve and we’re going to get better. That’s all you can ask players to do.”
The transition began in earnest in their last game in Denver. The Chiefs, who tried to outscore the Broncos in Denver in recent seasons only to fail miserably, tried to use their defense, running attack and short passing game this time.
They fell short, but only 9-6 in overtime. While disappointed in the result, the Chiefs were encouraged they could take their new brand of football into the new Mile High Stadium and come closer to a victory than they ever did in the days when they attempted to outscore the Broncos.
“It’s not a panic situation,” Edwards said. “I’m not a panic guy. I just think you find out a lot about your team and I found out a lot about our team last week for sure. They did some good things in the game, we didn’t win, but I think our attitude changed a little bit about how we’re going to play and why we need to play that way.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEXT UP for chiefs: 49ers
•San Francisco at KC
•noon Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/football/nfl/kansas_city_chiefs/15601002.htm