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Defense shows true colors after deficit
By Tully Corcoran
The Capital-Journal
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Down 14-0, it was provin' time.
The Chiefs defense had not allowed a touchdown since the first half of Week 1 and in a 6-minute blur, had already given up two Sunday.
The NFL's No. 3 defense was in trouble.
"They kinda fired their guns," defensive end Jared Allen said. "Defensively, we came together and said, 'Listen man, this is where we prove we are good enough. We're gonna prove we're not just a fluke team at the top.'"
"14-0 don't scare me unless they're going to stop the game," Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said. "I've been down worse than that, believe me. I just said that they cannot score any more touchdowns. If you let them score any more touchdowns it's over."
The Cardinals did not score any more touchdowns. They got two field goals and missed the potentially game-tying 51-yarder as time expired. Kansas City won 23-20 and has recovered from a 0-2 start to jump back into the AFC West race.
When the Chiefs needed their defense to stiffen, it did. After Arizona covered 101 yards and scored touchdowns on its first two drives, the Chiefs defense began controlling the game.
"I told the coaches all week on defense it's going to be interesting if these guys score a touchdown how these guys are going to react," Edwards said. "I didn't want them to score that fast, believe me. I look up and the guy is throwing the ball down the field. Then we turned it over, we spotted them, and the crowd got in the game."
But Kansas City allowed just 197 yards in the game's final 54 minutes. More importantly, Arizona could not protect its lead by melting away the clock with its running game as Kansas City allowed 2.9 yards per carry.
Still, it would take some big defensive plays.
Tamba Hali started it with a sack that killed Arizona's first drive of the second quarter. Allen and defensive tackle Ron Edwards bagged Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart in succession on the Cardinals next possession, a drive that ended with Bernard Pollard's blocked punt.
The Chiefs would get two more sacks and Ty Law's critical interception to steal a win on the road.
"It was all about somebody stepping up and making a play," Law said.
It was the kind of game Edwards loves. His team didn't panic. It stuck to its plan and trusted its defense. The defense came through for the offense, then the offense came through for the defense.
"This is what happens to you when you're a mentally tough football team," he said. "We never sensed, believe it or not, that there was ever any panic. Wasn't any panic on the boundary, no panic in the locker room. There wasn't any panic. We just kept playing. There are obstacles, OK, but the objective is to win."
http://cjonline.com/stories/101006/chi_folo.shtml
By Tully Corcoran
The Capital-Journal
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Down 14-0, it was provin' time.
The Chiefs defense had not allowed a touchdown since the first half of Week 1 and in a 6-minute blur, had already given up two Sunday.
The NFL's No. 3 defense was in trouble.
"They kinda fired their guns," defensive end Jared Allen said. "Defensively, we came together and said, 'Listen man, this is where we prove we are good enough. We're gonna prove we're not just a fluke team at the top.'"
"14-0 don't scare me unless they're going to stop the game," Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said. "I've been down worse than that, believe me. I just said that they cannot score any more touchdowns. If you let them score any more touchdowns it's over."
The Cardinals did not score any more touchdowns. They got two field goals and missed the potentially game-tying 51-yarder as time expired. Kansas City won 23-20 and has recovered from a 0-2 start to jump back into the AFC West race.
When the Chiefs needed their defense to stiffen, it did. After Arizona covered 101 yards and scored touchdowns on its first two drives, the Chiefs defense began controlling the game.
"I told the coaches all week on defense it's going to be interesting if these guys score a touchdown how these guys are going to react," Edwards said. "I didn't want them to score that fast, believe me. I look up and the guy is throwing the ball down the field. Then we turned it over, we spotted them, and the crowd got in the game."
But Kansas City allowed just 197 yards in the game's final 54 minutes. More importantly, Arizona could not protect its lead by melting away the clock with its running game as Kansas City allowed 2.9 yards per carry.
Still, it would take some big defensive plays.
Tamba Hali started it with a sack that killed Arizona's first drive of the second quarter. Allen and defensive tackle Ron Edwards bagged Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart in succession on the Cardinals next possession, a drive that ended with Bernard Pollard's blocked punt.
The Chiefs would get two more sacks and Ty Law's critical interception to steal a win on the road.
"It was all about somebody stepping up and making a play," Law said.
It was the kind of game Edwards loves. His team didn't panic. It stuck to its plan and trusted its defense. The defense came through for the offense, then the offense came through for the defense.
"This is what happens to you when you're a mentally tough football team," he said. "We never sensed, believe it or not, that there was ever any panic. Wasn't any panic on the boundary, no panic in the locker room. There wasn't any panic. We just kept playing. There are obstacles, OK, but the objective is to win."
http://cjonline.com/stories/101006/chi_folo.shtml