It's just a win, baby
JASON WHITLOCK
The Kansas City Star
What did you expect?
Seriously, with Tony Gonzalez in street clothes, the Denver Broncos on the Thanksgiving menu, Trent Green shaking off two months of rust and the embarrassing Oakland offense providing the competition, what did you expect Herm Edwards and the Chiefs to do on Sunday?
Surely you didn’t come to Arrowhead Stadium expecting to see the Chiefs throw the football. The Chiefs justifiably took the field with a single-minded focus: survival.
You don’t need style points to beat the Raiders. You need patience, the discipline to wait for the Raiders to self-destruct, the resolve to hand Larry Johnson the ball again and again.
The boos throated by 78,000 Chiefs fans at halftime were unjustified, an indication of a lack of sophistication. Yes, with the Chiefs trailing by six points at halftime and having thrown the football just four times, there was cause for concern. But there was no cause for unrest.
The Chiefs went on to beat the Raiders 17-13 in the only fashion that made sense given the circumstances.
The victory didn’t come until Raiders quarterback Aaron Brooks threw a horrible pass on first and goal from the 8 with around 30 seconds to play. Chiefs rookie Jarrad Page easily stepped in front of Randy Moss and intercepted the ball, ending the game and making Trent Green’s return a resounding success.
And I mean resounding. Had the Chiefs won a 3-0 no-hitter, the game would be considered a resounding success.
Trent Green is 36 years old and recovering from a major concussion. Sunday, he was missing his top weapon in the passing game (Gonzalez). There was no way to accurately predict how Green would respond to getting hit.
So Edwards and offensive coordinator Mike Solari asked Kansas City’s best player, running back Larry Johnson, to carry Green and the offense on Sunday.
Given the seasonlong ineptness of Oakland’s offense, Edwards realized it would take 14 points to beat the Raiders. When motivated and properly gassed, Johnson can score two touchdowns falling out of bed.
The lone hitch in Kansas City’s plan was Brooks, who returned to Oakland’s lineup after a two-month absence. Brooks, particularly his ability to escape pressure, transformed an embarrassing Raiders offense into a just-below mediocre unit. For just the second time all season, the Oakland offense almost single-handedly produced 20 points.
“Almost” being the key word. The Raiders ran a stupid play on first and goal, and Brooks threw the ball low when it should’ve been thrown high to the 6-foot-4 Moss.
There’s nothing I love more than second-guessing a head coach for his team’s offensive strategy. This was not the game to do that. The Raiders do only one thing well — attack and confuse quarterbacks. On Sunday, they unveiled a corner blitz for the first time all season and nailed Green in the back, forcing a fumble.
Putting the game in Johnson’s hands made perfect sense. Johnson delivered, grinding out 154 yards and two touchdowns in 31 carries. In many respects, it was the best game I’ve seen Johnson play. His longest run was 18 yards. He ran with a Priest Holmeslike savvy. He set up his blocks marvelously. He fooled would-be tacklers with subtle moves.
He made Green irrelevant for much of the afternoon — right up to the Chiefs’ final TD drive. Green threw the ball beautifully on KC’s game-winning, 80-yard drive, connecting with Eddie Kennison and Samie Parker on big plays.
“That’s why he’s our quarterback,” Edwards said. “That’s why you bring a guy like that back.”
Green finished the game nine-of-16 passing for 102 yards. Against the Broncos on Thanksgiving, with or without the services of Gonzalez, Green will be asked to share the load with Johnson. If necessary, Solari will open up the offense. If he doesn’t and the Chiefs fall behind, boo all you want.
But on Sunday you should have been cheering. The Chiefs climbed to 6-4, and Green left the locker room telling everyone he felt great.
