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Setup suits Chiefs
Schedule, Green’s return will put team in a good position, Edwards says.
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
Almost from the moment the Chiefs realized they would play a significant portion of their season without quarterback Trent Green, they wished merely to have their heads above water upon his return.
Thanks in no small way to Sunday’s 30-27 win over San Diego at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs could get even more than they hoped for.
An exact date for Green’s return hasn’t been set, but it’s no longer some fuzzy object way off on the horizon. The Chiefs and Green have said it will come sometime next month, perhaps as soon as the Nov. 12 game at Miami.
If it turns out that way, the 3-3 Chiefs will have two more games with backup Damon Huard as their quarterback. They are no longer intimidated by that prospect, not after going 3-2 with Huard as their starter.
“That’s a tribute to Damon and (offensive coordinator Mike Solari),” coach Herm Edwards said. “They’ve done a good job of really solidifying some things and doing some things where Damon can be successful. Damon and the team have bought into that.”
The Chiefs finish the NFC West portion of their schedule in the next two weeks. They’ll face Seattle at Arrowhead on Sunday and the Rams in St. Louis on Nov. 5. They are 2-0 against the division’s weakest teams, San Francisco and Arizona.
Even a split would leave the Chiefs at 4-4. They would still be chasing the Broncos and, probably, the Chargers but would still have enough time left to catch one or both.
“You’re doing real good at the halfway point in that case,” Edwards said. “You’re still in the hunt.”
The second-half schedule isn’t particularly taxing. The Chiefs have two games against the Raiders and one apiece against the Browns and Dolphins. All are currently one-win teams.
The Seahawks are the defending NFC champions, but might not resemble them Sunday. They were taken apart at home Sunday by Minnesota and will come to Kansas City without Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who injured his knee against the Vikings, and Pro Bowl halfback Shaun Alexander, who has an injured foot and missed the last three games.
Picture if you will the Chiefs without Green and Larry Johnson. Edwards, though, is determined not to let the Chiefs think of the Seahawks minus their two offensive stars as anything less than what they were.
“That kind of scares you as a coach,” he said. “You know how the team is going to react. If (your team) thinks in your mind, ‘Well, they don’t have this guy and they don’t have that guy,’ then you lose your focus. (Pittsburgh linebacker) Joey Porter was out and the next thing I turned around and (the Steelers beat the Chiefs) 45-7. Teams rally. Their team is going to come together and say we’ve got a young quarterback in there for the first time as a starter. Their defense is going to try to get turnovers and get a short field for the guy.”
Edwards will use as motivation the Chiefs’ experience last month in Denver. The Chiefs hadn’t won or been competitive in Colorado for five years and were fresh off the loss of Green, which at the time appeared devastating.
But the Chiefs led for much of the second half before losing in overtime.
“I’m going to remind them of that,” Edwards said.
The Rams are 4-2 heading into Sunday’s game at San Diego. They’re living on the strength of a league leading turnover differential of plus-11.
The Chiefs committed five turnovers in the first two games but protected the ball much better since. They’ve turned it over four times in the last four games, not counting rookie quarterback Brodie Croyle’s two interceptions in garbage time against the Steelers.
“Damon hasn’t thrown many interceptions, but this week he fumbled it and that cost us some points,” Edwards said. “But we’ve protected the ball halfway decent.”
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/football/nfl/kansas_city_chiefs/15832931.htm
Schedule, Green’s return will put team in a good position, Edwards says.
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
Almost from the moment the Chiefs realized they would play a significant portion of their season without quarterback Trent Green, they wished merely to have their heads above water upon his return.
Thanks in no small way to Sunday’s 30-27 win over San Diego at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs could get even more than they hoped for.
An exact date for Green’s return hasn’t been set, but it’s no longer some fuzzy object way off on the horizon. The Chiefs and Green have said it will come sometime next month, perhaps as soon as the Nov. 12 game at Miami.
If it turns out that way, the 3-3 Chiefs will have two more games with backup Damon Huard as their quarterback. They are no longer intimidated by that prospect, not after going 3-2 with Huard as their starter.
“That’s a tribute to Damon and (offensive coordinator Mike Solari),” coach Herm Edwards said. “They’ve done a good job of really solidifying some things and doing some things where Damon can be successful. Damon and the team have bought into that.”
The Chiefs finish the NFC West portion of their schedule in the next two weeks. They’ll face Seattle at Arrowhead on Sunday and the Rams in St. Louis on Nov. 5. They are 2-0 against the division’s weakest teams, San Francisco and Arizona.
Even a split would leave the Chiefs at 4-4. They would still be chasing the Broncos and, probably, the Chargers but would still have enough time left to catch one or both.
“You’re doing real good at the halfway point in that case,” Edwards said. “You’re still in the hunt.”
The second-half schedule isn’t particularly taxing. The Chiefs have two games against the Raiders and one apiece against the Browns and Dolphins. All are currently one-win teams.
The Seahawks are the defending NFC champions, but might not resemble them Sunday. They were taken apart at home Sunday by Minnesota and will come to Kansas City without Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who injured his knee against the Vikings, and Pro Bowl halfback Shaun Alexander, who has an injured foot and missed the last three games.
Picture if you will the Chiefs without Green and Larry Johnson. Edwards, though, is determined not to let the Chiefs think of the Seahawks minus their two offensive stars as anything less than what they were.
“That kind of scares you as a coach,” he said. “You know how the team is going to react. If (your team) thinks in your mind, ‘Well, they don’t have this guy and they don’t have that guy,’ then you lose your focus. (Pittsburgh linebacker) Joey Porter was out and the next thing I turned around and (the Steelers beat the Chiefs) 45-7. Teams rally. Their team is going to come together and say we’ve got a young quarterback in there for the first time as a starter. Their defense is going to try to get turnovers and get a short field for the guy.”
Edwards will use as motivation the Chiefs’ experience last month in Denver. The Chiefs hadn’t won or been competitive in Colorado for five years and were fresh off the loss of Green, which at the time appeared devastating.
But the Chiefs led for much of the second half before losing in overtime.
“I’m going to remind them of that,” Edwards said.
The Rams are 4-2 heading into Sunday’s game at San Diego. They’re living on the strength of a league leading turnover differential of plus-11.
The Chiefs committed five turnovers in the first two games but protected the ball much better since. They’ve turned it over four times in the last four games, not counting rookie quarterback Brodie Croyle’s two interceptions in garbage time against the Steelers.
“Damon hasn’t thrown many interceptions, but this week he fumbled it and that cost us some points,” Edwards said. “But we’ve protected the ball halfway decent.”
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/football/nfl/kansas_city_chiefs/15832931.htm