Chiefs pay for ignoring signs of D-cay

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.

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

For a while, it appeared third-year Lions QB Joey Harrington was having difficulties fitting in with his teammates. But that has begun to change. The team's offensive linemen "adopted" Harrington in the offseason and began socializing with him. This year in training camp, TE Stephen Alexander pulled Harrington into card games. It's critical for a young quarterback to be respected and liked by his teammates, so this is no small development in Detroit.... Look for the Cowboys to rotate their running backs all season. Depending on the opponent and the game plan, different backs will be featured in each game. Rookie Julius Jones will get a lot of work as long as he stays healthy, and he could lead the team in carries. And veteran Eddie George still is very much in the team's plans. In fact, the Cowboys deny rumors about George being on the market before the season.... Former Cowboys RB Emmitt Smith has looked a lot younger on the field than George. Smith's leadership and good attitude have played well in coach Dennis Green's new program with the Cardinals. But the Cardinals don't want to overwork Smith, 35. Even with Marcel Shipp out, the Cardinals want to limit Smith to 15 to 20 carries a game so he stays fresh. While Smith's runs have made him famous the underappreciated part of his game remains his blocking. The Cardinals believe his pass-protection skills are as solid as any halfback's.... One question about QB Tim Rattay when he came out of Louisiana Tech in 2000 was his durability. Those questions remain now that he has had a chance to be the 49ers' starter. In the last six months, Rattay has had injuries to his groin, forearm and now to his shoulder. When Rattay comes back, you have to wonder if his throwing motion will be affected by his latest injury. And it's not like he had a howitzer of an arm to begin with.... The Dolphins still are looking for a successor to Fddi8 Jones as team president, and one person who fits the job description perfectly is Jim Steeg. A former business manager of the Dolphins, Steeg, 54, has planned the last 25 Super Bowls as the NFL's vice president for special events. Steeg recently informed the league of his intention to step down from his position after this season.... If Qasim Mitchell continues to struggle at left tackle for the Bears, it's possible John Tait will have to be moved from right tackle. Tait prefers playing right tackle and the Bears would like to leave him there, but they can't let Mitchell compromise their offense. The Bears also have another option at right tackle in Aaron Gibson. For now, the Bears will try to give Mitchell more help and see if he can't develop consistency.... The Raiders are pleased with the blend of abilities of their two new safeties, Marques Anderson and Ray Buchanan. Anderson, who was acquired in an August trade, didn't work as well with Darren Sharper in Green Bay because both are better playing closer to the line of scrimmage. Buchanan is more of a cover safety. Buchanan has been a cornerback for 11 years in the NFL, but he was an outstanding college safety and probably is better suited for that position as he ages.

RELATED ARTICLE: The resilient Panthers.

The Panthers have been written off more times than dinner with a client, but nothing seems to keep this team down.

Resilience helped them overachieve and win the NFC championship last season, and it helped them defeat the Chiefs Sunday. Playing without their leading rusher. Stephen Davis, and leading receiver, Steve Smith, didn't slow down the Panthers. Neither did having a short week to prepare after a Monday night game--or playing in hostile Arrowhead Stadium.

What weakens other teams seems to strengthen this one. Without Davis, DeShaun Foster became a starter and actually gave the Panthers a Dimension Davis can't provide--the long run. His 71-yard run was longer than any of Davis' carries over the last four years.

"Foster is more of an elusive guy," Panthers receiver Muhsin Muhammad says. "Davis is more of a power-type back. Foster can be powerful also, but he makes guys miss and has a little more breakaway speed."

Rookie wide receiver Keary Colbert wasn't even on the active list in the Panthers' opener, but he replaced Smith Sunday and came up with some critical receptions, including a 9-yard touchdown

You have to credit the Panthers' draft-day decisions Foster (2002) and Colbert (2004) were gifted second-round picks who filled needs.--D.P.

RELATED ARTICLE: Getting an early read on the NFL.

The 2004 NFL season is only two games old, but already an all-time record might have been set--for books published about the sport. A look at three of the best new releases:

* Winning the NFL Way: Leadership Lessons from Football's Top Head Coaches is written by Bob LaMonte, an agent for many NFL coaches. The book provides some valuable life lessons but also provides some candid glimpses into some of pro football's most powerful men. For instance, during the renovation of Lambeau Field, Mike Sherman had the contractor save chunks of concrete from the old tunnel that led from the Packers' locker room to the field and embed them in the surface of the new tunnel. "I wanted our players to walk over the same concrete to let them know they belong to the same team as those former Packers," Sherman says. Sherman also saved the door frame to Vince Lombardi's office and had it moved to his office to remind him of the big shoes he has to fill.

* Dante Hall--X Factor has some interesting insights into the Chiefs' return man. The 26-year-old Hall, who co-authored the book with Bill Althaus, claims he's "probably going to be done" at the age of 30. In that case, he's got a lot to accomplish in the next four seasons if he wants to achieve his goal of seeing his jersey hanging in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

* Johnny Unitas: America's Quarterback by Lou Sahadi is the first complete biography of the former Colts quarterback, who died two years ago. In it, Unitas said former Colts coach Weeb Ewbank routinely sent spies to watch the practices of opponents.--D.P.

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