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It Will Take More Than a Priest to Save Chiefs

Perhaps Marcus Coleman should have been cast as Forrest Gump because on Sunday at Arrowhead he just kept running and running and running.  Not even Priest Holmes, who became the all-time leading rusher in Chiefs history could catch him.  It’s quite possible that Tom Hanks himself would have trouble catching up to Coleman.  Eventually, though, Coleman stopped…when he reached the end zone.  Now we all expected something like this from the Kansas City defense, but when your offense starts giving up touchdowns to the opposition, you know you’re in a heap of trouble.  Not even Hollywood could have scripted an 0-3 start for the Chiefs.Five minutes before Coleman created a 14-point swing, Priest Holmes broke Christian Okoye’s franchise rushing mark.  It only took him 30 fewer games to do so.  It looked like the Chiefs would go up by 14 points, but then there was the interception.  It should have been just an interception, not a touchdown.  If Trent Green had just a wee bit more mobility than that of a three-toed sloth, it would not have been a 14-point swing, just a turnover.  Asking Green to run down a defensive player would be be like asking John Kerry to make up his mind, it wasn’t going to happen.  So Priest Holmes came to the rescue, only this time the rescue attempt failed.  Priest started off at least 10-yards behind Coleman, but was close enough at the end of the run to take a good swipe at the ball.  It’s safe to say a good majority of the Arrowhead crowd expected the ball to be dislodged from Coleman’s grasp.  After all, Holmes is their savior.  He is the guy who can put a whole team on his back and carry them into the playoffs.  He is the guy who can make an offense consistently put up 30 points per game and watch his defense give up 31.  He is the only man who could have saved the Chiefs season, but even he couldn’t do it.  So just who can save the Chiefs season?  I suggest prayer, and lots of it.

The road only gets harder from here, however.  The Chiefs next four opponents are a combined 10-2, and their first in a series of must-win games comes next Monday night at the 2-1 Baltimore Ravens.  

In order for the Chiefs to avoid their worst start since 1980 (0-4), they have to continue to improve on defense.  They held Domanick Davis to just 12 yards on 10 carries, disappointing fantasy owners who were counting on the stud running back to put up some big numbers against the 29th ranked defensive rushing unit in the league.  They penetrated the Houston offensive line to sack David Carr three times, holding the Texans offense to just 296 total yards, and only allowing three third-down conversions.  Granted, this performance was against the Texans, but the expansion team just out of diapers is averaging more offensive firepower than Kansas City so far this year.  

The secondary is still a big problem area for the defensive.  Clothes have a better chance of covering Britney Spears than the KC defensive backfield has of covering a big name receiver.  The Chiefs have given up nine passes of 20-yards or more in just three games.  In their opener against the Broncos, they let Ashley Lelie and Rod Smith dominate them downfield, combining for 11 catches and 164 yards.  The Texans’ Andre Johnson only caught the ball four times against the Chiefs Sunday, but those four grabs culminated in 96 yards, including a 46 yard strike to set up a score.  Against Carolina, no one receiver had a huge game, they didn’t have to.  Dashaun Foster, the back-up running back, ran for over 150 yards, similar to the number Denver’s Quentin Griffin put up the week before.  Giving big plays once in a while is going to happen, but giving up big plays consistently can break a team’s morale and focus; and in Kansas City’s case, not just for the game, but perhaps the season.

Last season, Priest Holmes bailed out his defense early and often to propel them to a 9-0 start.  It was thought he wouldn’t have to, by bringing back former coach Gunther Cunningham to coordinate the defense.  Cunningham has proven, though, that coaches can only coach, as the defense is about as well-coordinated as an Avril Lavigne outfit.

There aren’t any surprises from the Chiefs offense this year.  The secret is out on Dante Hall.  The former Texas A&M Aggie returned four kicks for scores last season, en route to a highly publicized campaign for early MVP honors.  This year, however, Hall is only the 20th best kick-off returner, and although he leads the league in punt return average, he has only had four attempts.

Defenses still can’t figure out Priest Holmes, as he put up 134 yards on a sore ankle that would have kept most backs on the sidelines.  They don’t have to, though.  Trent Green’s only real weapon has been Tony Gonzalez.  After all, Chris Horn, who was upgraded from the practice squad for the Houston game, has more touchdowns this year, one, than all of the Chiefs receivers combined.  All opposing defenses have to do is contain Holmes and Gonzalez to some extent.  Even if they let Priest run wild, opposing coordinators have to think that their offense can keep it a close game against the Chiefs defense.

The Chiefs had a nine game winning streak to open the season last year to obtain a 13-3 record, so maybe they can close out this season on a 13 game winning streak to obtain that same record.  If they are going to do that, their defense better try something new, perhaps playing defense.  Their offense is good, real good; but even a team full of Priest Holmes may be able to overcome the hole that KC finds itself in right now.  

We all know Dick Vermeil likes to cry.  He likes to cry a lot.  He has plenty to be teary-eyed about this season.  And unless the Chiefs can become just the fifth team since 1978 to make the playoffs after starting 0-3, Priest Holmes will be weeping, as well, and rightly so.

One reply on “It Will Take More Than a Priest to Save Chiefs”

Recieving The problem with the Chiefs (ither than the obvious defense) is that they have no wide recievers that can make an impact. Holmes and Gonzalez shouldnt be your leading recievers. This team is in deep trouble.

And wat ever happened to mr. X-factor, Dante Hall. Maybe the hype was too much to handle.

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