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KC comes close with QB Huard
By ELIZABETH MERRILL
The Kansas City Star
DENVER | He stopped by Saturday, just before the team left for Denver, and Trent Green’s parting words of wisdom to Damon Huard had practically nothing to do with football.
Pep talks, with this team, might be overrated. In a place that has been synonymous with giant embarrassment, on a day they were double-digit underdogs, the Chiefs went into Invesco Field with a quarterback who hadn’t started for 2,121 days and a season that was already spinning out of control.
And they almost pulled it off. Jason Elam’s 39-yard field goal in overtime lifted the Broncos to a 9-6 win in a packed stadium that spent much of the afternoon gasping and booing.
It was a tough week to be a quarterback in Kansas City, and Green spent the first part of it in the hospital after suffering a severe concussion last weekend in a loss to the Bengals. Green was gone, the doomsayers were out, and many suggested that the season was over after the first week. If an 0-1 start was unthinkable, 0-2 seemed inevitable.
“All that really matters is your teammates,” Huard said. “And knowing that you did your best and believing in yourself. I think for the most part, we did that today.
“We need to hold our heads up high walking out of here.”
The Chiefs’ defense undoubtedly left with a little swagger. After years of finishing near the bottom of the NFL rankings, they became the first team in 45 years to hold the Broncos scoreless in the first half at home. After a respectable showing last weekend against the Bengals, the Chiefs held Denver to its fewest points ever at Invesco.
Cornerback Patrick Surtain even suggested that the Chiefs thought they could get a shutout.
As the players drifted out of the locker room late Sunday, one thing was obvious — that this loss carried a little more hope.
“The first half, I thought we maybe could’ve buried these guys,” receiver Dante Hall said. “The defense was playing great, we were in the red zone … we had every opportunity to bury these guys.”
Huard, a career backup whose prime seemingly passed seven years ago, said he “felt a rush” as he ran onto the field as a starter for the first time since 2000. He’d thrown just one pass in five years before last week and was the subject of a bunch of nervous Internet message boards, but the Chiefs said Huard was unflappable when he walked into the huddle.
“He was a pro,” guard Brian Waters said. “He was under control. Even when bad things happened, he bounced back.”
Huard silenced the crowd when he drove the Chiefs 60 yards on the first possession, feeding the ball to Pro Bowl running back Larry Johnson. He ran 17 yards up the middle, then ran some more. Seven of the first eight plays went to Johnson.
Coach Herm Edwards’ game plan was nearly flawless — riding Johnson, and relying on field position and defense. What he didn’t count on was more turnovers. Johnson was stripped by Nick Ferguson at the 6 on that first drive, and the Chiefs waited more than a quarter before scoring with 5 seconds left in the first half.
A Huard fumble late in the third quarter may have changed the complexion of the game.
The Chiefs were up 6-0, and they had all the momentum when Huard hit a wide-open Eddie Kennison for 37 yards. Huard dropped back to pass on the next play, the ball was batted in the air, and Huard caught it and took off running. But John Engelberger jarred the ball loose, and Denver got a field goal from Elam.
“It just happened so fast,” Huard said. “It was instinct, and boy, I’d like to have that play over.”
Edwards, undoubtedly, would like to have the last couple of minutes of regulation over. Hall broke a big punt return that was called back because of an illegal block above the waist.
Johnson plowed his way to the Broncos’ 47, then Denver’s defense clamped down and drove the Chiefs back. The Broncos won the coin toss, and Jake Plummer finally found a minigroove, hitting passes of 14 and 24 yards.
Elam’s field goal ended it 5:10 into overtime.
“We had a chance to win this,” Edwards said, “and that’s all you can ask for.
“We will grow, and we have some things to do better.”
It wasn’t the start the Chiefs wanted heading into the bye week. It wasn’t as bad considering the circumstances.
Huard said he doesn’t know whether Green will be ready by the time the Chiefs play San Francisco on Oct. 1, but it’s looking more and more as if that’s very iffy. But Huard said he’d be ready.
“You’ve always got to have that mind-set,” he said. “I know Trent Green started 81 straight games, but you just never know. And you’d better be ready to go.”
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/football/nfl/kansas_city_chiefs/15545370.htm
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By ELIZABETH MERRILL
The Kansas City Star
DENVER | He stopped by Saturday, just before the team left for Denver, and Trent Green’s parting words of wisdom to Damon Huard had practically nothing to do with football.
Pep talks, with this team, might be overrated. In a place that has been synonymous with giant embarrassment, on a day they were double-digit underdogs, the Chiefs went into Invesco Field with a quarterback who hadn’t started for 2,121 days and a season that was already spinning out of control.
And they almost pulled it off. Jason Elam’s 39-yard field goal in overtime lifted the Broncos to a 9-6 win in a packed stadium that spent much of the afternoon gasping and booing.
It was a tough week to be a quarterback in Kansas City, and Green spent the first part of it in the hospital after suffering a severe concussion last weekend in a loss to the Bengals. Green was gone, the doomsayers were out, and many suggested that the season was over after the first week. If an 0-1 start was unthinkable, 0-2 seemed inevitable.
“All that really matters is your teammates,” Huard said. “And knowing that you did your best and believing in yourself. I think for the most part, we did that today.
“We need to hold our heads up high walking out of here.”
The Chiefs’ defense undoubtedly left with a little swagger. After years of finishing near the bottom of the NFL rankings, they became the first team in 45 years to hold the Broncos scoreless in the first half at home. After a respectable showing last weekend against the Bengals, the Chiefs held Denver to its fewest points ever at Invesco.
Cornerback Patrick Surtain even suggested that the Chiefs thought they could get a shutout.
As the players drifted out of the locker room late Sunday, one thing was obvious — that this loss carried a little more hope.
“The first half, I thought we maybe could’ve buried these guys,” receiver Dante Hall said. “The defense was playing great, we were in the red zone … we had every opportunity to bury these guys.”
Huard, a career backup whose prime seemingly passed seven years ago, said he “felt a rush” as he ran onto the field as a starter for the first time since 2000. He’d thrown just one pass in five years before last week and was the subject of a bunch of nervous Internet message boards, but the Chiefs said Huard was unflappable when he walked into the huddle.
“He was a pro,” guard Brian Waters said. “He was under control. Even when bad things happened, he bounced back.”
Huard silenced the crowd when he drove the Chiefs 60 yards on the first possession, feeding the ball to Pro Bowl running back Larry Johnson. He ran 17 yards up the middle, then ran some more. Seven of the first eight plays went to Johnson.
Coach Herm Edwards’ game plan was nearly flawless — riding Johnson, and relying on field position and defense. What he didn’t count on was more turnovers. Johnson was stripped by Nick Ferguson at the 6 on that first drive, and the Chiefs waited more than a quarter before scoring with 5 seconds left in the first half.
A Huard fumble late in the third quarter may have changed the complexion of the game.
The Chiefs were up 6-0, and they had all the momentum when Huard hit a wide-open Eddie Kennison for 37 yards. Huard dropped back to pass on the next play, the ball was batted in the air, and Huard caught it and took off running. But John Engelberger jarred the ball loose, and Denver got a field goal from Elam.
“It just happened so fast,” Huard said. “It was instinct, and boy, I’d like to have that play over.”
Edwards, undoubtedly, would like to have the last couple of minutes of regulation over. Hall broke a big punt return that was called back because of an illegal block above the waist.
Johnson plowed his way to the Broncos’ 47, then Denver’s defense clamped down and drove the Chiefs back. The Broncos won the coin toss, and Jake Plummer finally found a minigroove, hitting passes of 14 and 24 yards.
Elam’s field goal ended it 5:10 into overtime.
“We had a chance to win this,” Edwards said, “and that’s all you can ask for.
“We will grow, and we have some things to do better.”
It wasn’t the start the Chiefs wanted heading into the bye week. It wasn’t as bad considering the circumstances.
Huard said he doesn’t know whether Green will be ready by the time the Chiefs play San Francisco on Oct. 1, but it’s looking more and more as if that’s very iffy. But Huard said he’d be ready.
“You’ve always got to have that mind-set,” he said. “I know Trent Green started 81 straight games, but you just never know. And you’d better be ready to go.”
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/football/nfl/kansas_city_chiefs/15545370.htm
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