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Chiefs pay for ignoring signs of D-cay
Sporting News, The, Sept 27, 2004 by Dan Pompei
Like many great defenses, the Chiefs' defense can prevent an offense from achieving its desired goals. Except the offense the Chiefs' defense drags down is its own.
It really shouldn't be a mystery as to why the Chiefs are missing tackles, failing to fill their assigned gaps, struggling to shed blocks and having coverage breakdowns. If you failed to address the warning signs on your automobile the way the Chiefs have on defense, you'd be hitchhiking.
The Chiefs chose not to sign a flee-agent starter for their defense in the offseason, and they should be regretting it. They also should regret selecting running back Larry Johnson in the first round of the 2003 draft when they had urgent needs on defense and also needed a wide receiver.
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Among the free agents they could have considered last offseason were cornerbacks Antoine Winfield and Fernando Bryant and defensive ends Jevon Kearse, Bertrand Berry and Grant Wistrom. Defensive players available in the 2003 draft included middle linebackers Nick Barnett and E.J. Henderson, outside linebackers Boss Bailey and Pisa Tinoisamoa, cornerbacks Charles Tillman and Rashean Mathis, safeties Eugene Wilson and Ken Hamlin and defensive end Tyler Bray-ton. They also could have chosen a receiver such as Anquan Boldin or Tyrone Calico.
The two critical positions on defense are defensive end and cornerback. The Chiefs haven't drafted a defensive end in the first three rounds of the draft since 1988. They drafted two corners in the first day of the draft in recent years, but William Bartee (2000) and Julian Battle (2003) haven't played up to expectations.
The hiring of Gunther Cunningham as coordinator was an outstanding move. Cunningham is one of the finest coordinators in the NFL and a clear upgrade over Greg Robinson. But unless Cunningham can sack the quarterback or Sill the "A" gap, his impact is limited. There is only so much a coach--any coach--can do.
"Gunther is a good football coach,' Panthers offensive coordinator Dan Henning says. "But maybe he doesn't have the bullets, I don't know."
I have to be honest; I went to Kansas City last Sunday planning to tell you about the wonderful Chiefs offense. Well, the offense wasn't so wonderful. I left K.C. overwhelmed by the rancid Chiefs defense, as I was the last time I went to a Chiefs game, in January for the playoff loss to the Colts.
The defense hasn't changed much, really. Everyone talks about Cunningham's love of the blitz, but he can't blitz effectively when the defense rarely gets the opponent in second or third and long. He can't blitz effectively if his cornerbacks couldn't be trusted to cover Condoleezza Rice, let alone Jerry Rice.
The coordinator isn't the reason the Chiefs have so many physical breakdowns, such as missed tackles. This is how Chiefs linebacker Shawn Barber explained the alarming number of missed tackles in the locker room after the 28-17 loss to the Panthers: "You had guys swarming to the ball and trying to make big hits. At some point, I guess it's fundamental technique. But if you swarm to the ball, you can overcome that. It's not something that's a critical point to the game being what it is."
Barber is wrong about that last point. If the Chiefs continue to miss tackles, they'll miss something else--the playoffs, and the opportunity to capitalize on one of the finest offenses of a generation.
SPEED READS
* Glad to see 49ers owner John York isn't blaming general manager Terry Donahue for the 49ers' fall. No G.M. could prevent a team from crumbling with the 49ers' budget and salary cap problems. York extended Donahue's contact last week, so Donahue will have more time, if not more money, to to rebuild the 49ers.
* If I were Packers coach Mike Sherman, I'm not so sure I would want Mike McKenzie defending a top receiver with the game on the line. The cornerback has stated repeatedly he does not want to play for the Packers and didn't report to work until last week. In the NFL, it's important every player buys into the cause.
* Giants coach Tom Coughlin can't expect his players to trust and respect him when he goes out of his way to think up rules that exist only for the purpose of having rules. A meeting should start when it's supposed to start, shouldn't it? Discipline is critical to the success of a football team, but ticky-tack rules don't build the kind of discipline it takes to win games.
INSIDE DISH
By DAN POMPEI
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