jatfly
AKA:Burgraider
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SOME NEWS FROM THE OTHER SIDE!!!!!!!!
LOL!
Chiefs choke in the clutch and lose to Raiders
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
The Chiefs had been in this place so many times that it just felt like home. They were locked in another tight game with the Raiders, and if there’s been one constant in this bitter division rivalry, it’s that the Chiefs will make the play to beat Oakland.
This year’s Chiefs, though, are maddeningly different. They could find nobody for that familiar role of Raider-killer and lost 20-17 at Arrowhead Stadium, their first defeat against Oakland in the last 10 games.
It wasn’t Tony Gonzalez or Dwayne Bowe, who could get the Chiefs only so far. It wasn’t Brodie Croyle, who couldn’t work any late-game magic.
It certainly wasn’t rookie Kolby Smith, who rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns but couldn’t get the game’s biggest yard and another possible score when he missed an obvious hole on fourth and 1 late in the game.
Other candidates to pull off a Chiefs victory fell short as well. Dave Rayner’s short time in Kansas City is probably finished after another disastrous game. Rayner has been so shaky — he missed a 33-yard field goal in the fourth quarter — that coach Herm Edwards later passed on a 41-yard attempt to tie the score and ran the fateful fourth-down play with Smith instead.
After failing on the fourth and 1, the Chiefs put all their trust in their defense, but it too caved in. The Chiefs never got the ball back despite giving it to the Raiders with more than 4 minutes left.
This year’s Chiefs have nobody to deliver in the clutch, not even against the Raiders.
“There are a lot of weapons on this offense,” wide receiver Eddie Kennison said. “There’s too much talent on the field for us to be losing games like this one.
“There was no doubt we could have made the play, but we can’t wait until the end of the game. We have to get started in the first quarter. We can’t wait. We can’t have the attitude that it will be all right because we’ll make plays at the end, or we’ll lose the rest of these games.”
The Chiefs were in no hurry to blame Smith for their defeat. He made his first career start and succeeded where Larry Johnson and Priest Holmes have failed.
He often made the blockers look good and picked up many of his yards with a nifty move or two. But because of the unreliability of Rayner — Edwards said he would have tried the field goal had Rayner not missed three of his last five attempts — the Chiefs were forced to make an unorthodox decision.
They would go for the first down despite their shaky offensive line and rookie running back. The Chiefs sealed off an end, but Smith ran straight into a wall.
“I’m sure you’ll review the play,” said guard Brian Waters, who wouldn’t identify the culprit but didn’t have to. “We had a great opportunity. We missed a couple of things here and there. If you go back and watch it, it’s an unbelievable play call. It just wasn’t properly executed. It should have been a touchdown. I’ll let you watch it and I’ll see what you say.”
Any number of Chiefs could have absolved Smith any number of times. It could have been Rayner.
“I wanted to kick that last field goal,” he said. “It’s his decision, and I didn’t exactly prove I was stellar today.
“I’m obviously not hitting the ball very well, and that’s something I’ve got to get fixed by next week.”
There probably won’t be a next week for Rayner, not after Edwards acknowledged that a lack of confidence forced him into what is at best a debatable fourth-down try.
The Chiefs, unfortunately for them, are stuck with their defense. For the second straight week, they rolled over on the opponent’s last possession.
“It really makes no difference whether it’s the Raiders out there,” said safety Jarrad Page, who had interceptions that helped the Chiefs beat Oakland in their three previous meetings. “It doesn’t matter who the team is. We’ve got to get it stopped and give the offense a chance to get the ball back. We haven’t been doing that.”
To reach Adam Teicher, Chiefs reporter for The Star, call 816-234-4875 or send e-mail to ateicher@kcstar.com
Ed Zurga
Oakland Raiders' LaMont Jordan (3) celebrates his third quarter touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in a NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 25, 2007, in Kansas City, Mo.
LOL!
Chiefs choke in the clutch and lose to Raiders
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
The Chiefs had been in this place so many times that it just felt like home. They were locked in another tight game with the Raiders, and if there’s been one constant in this bitter division rivalry, it’s that the Chiefs will make the play to beat Oakland.
This year’s Chiefs, though, are maddeningly different. They could find nobody for that familiar role of Raider-killer and lost 20-17 at Arrowhead Stadium, their first defeat against Oakland in the last 10 games.
It wasn’t Tony Gonzalez or Dwayne Bowe, who could get the Chiefs only so far. It wasn’t Brodie Croyle, who couldn’t work any late-game magic.
It certainly wasn’t rookie Kolby Smith, who rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns but couldn’t get the game’s biggest yard and another possible score when he missed an obvious hole on fourth and 1 late in the game.
Other candidates to pull off a Chiefs victory fell short as well. Dave Rayner’s short time in Kansas City is probably finished after another disastrous game. Rayner has been so shaky — he missed a 33-yard field goal in the fourth quarter — that coach Herm Edwards later passed on a 41-yard attempt to tie the score and ran the fateful fourth-down play with Smith instead.
After failing on the fourth and 1, the Chiefs put all their trust in their defense, but it too caved in. The Chiefs never got the ball back despite giving it to the Raiders with more than 4 minutes left.
This year’s Chiefs have nobody to deliver in the clutch, not even against the Raiders.
“There are a lot of weapons on this offense,” wide receiver Eddie Kennison said. “There’s too much talent on the field for us to be losing games like this one.
“There was no doubt we could have made the play, but we can’t wait until the end of the game. We have to get started in the first quarter. We can’t wait. We can’t have the attitude that it will be all right because we’ll make plays at the end, or we’ll lose the rest of these games.”
The Chiefs were in no hurry to blame Smith for their defeat. He made his first career start and succeeded where Larry Johnson and Priest Holmes have failed.
He often made the blockers look good and picked up many of his yards with a nifty move or two. But because of the unreliability of Rayner — Edwards said he would have tried the field goal had Rayner not missed three of his last five attempts — the Chiefs were forced to make an unorthodox decision.
They would go for the first down despite their shaky offensive line and rookie running back. The Chiefs sealed off an end, but Smith ran straight into a wall.
“I’m sure you’ll review the play,” said guard Brian Waters, who wouldn’t identify the culprit but didn’t have to. “We had a great opportunity. We missed a couple of things here and there. If you go back and watch it, it’s an unbelievable play call. It just wasn’t properly executed. It should have been a touchdown. I’ll let you watch it and I’ll see what you say.”
Any number of Chiefs could have absolved Smith any number of times. It could have been Rayner.
“I wanted to kick that last field goal,” he said. “It’s his decision, and I didn’t exactly prove I was stellar today.
“I’m obviously not hitting the ball very well, and that’s something I’ve got to get fixed by next week.”
There probably won’t be a next week for Rayner, not after Edwards acknowledged that a lack of confidence forced him into what is at best a debatable fourth-down try.
The Chiefs, unfortunately for them, are stuck with their defense. For the second straight week, they rolled over on the opponent’s last possession.
“It really makes no difference whether it’s the Raiders out there,” said safety Jarrad Page, who had interceptions that helped the Chiefs beat Oakland in their three previous meetings. “It doesn’t matter who the team is. We’ve got to get it stopped and give the offense a chance to get the ball back. We haven’t been doing that.”
To reach Adam Teicher, Chiefs reporter for The Star, call 816-234-4875 or send e-mail to ateicher@kcstar.com
Ed Zurga
Oakland Raiders' LaMont Jordan (3) celebrates his third quarter touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in a NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 25, 2007, in Kansas City, Mo.
