Post by MizzouTiger on Dec 10, 2007 2:44:44 GMT -5
www.kansascity.com/sports/story/397012.html
Chiefs hit new lows in 41-7 loss to Broncos
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
DENVER | Through the first five games of the freefall that dropped them from first place, the Chiefs were able to convince themselves that things weren’t that bad with one simple statistic: They either led or were tied at halftime of each game.
They can no longer hide behind that after Sunday’s 41-7 loss to the Broncos. By the middle of the first quarter, Denver had all of the points it would need to win.
The 4-9 Chiefs couldn’t claim they were competitive this time, even against an opponent with plenty of problems of its own. To their credit, they didn’t even try.
“I know (the Broncos) are over there saying, ‘What happened to the Chiefs?’ ” linebacker Derrick Johnson said. “They probably thought we’d give them a better game.”
Not if the Broncos were paying attention they didn’t. This year’s edition is rapidly becoming one of the worst ever fielded by the Chiefs, no easy feat given the franchise’s stupor that covered almost 20 seasons in the 1970s and ’80s.
The Chiefs in 43 previous losses to the Broncos were never beaten by as many as 34 points.
This season, they’ve lost six straight games, the first time they’ve done that since Marty Schottenheimer’s final team in 1998.
The Chiefs need to lose their final three games to tie the club record for consecutive losses, but that mark comes with an asterisk. The 1987 Chiefs lost nine straight, but three of those defeats came with replacements during the players’ strike.
The Chiefs once lost eight straight, but that streak came over two seasons, 1975 and 1976.
The team record for consecutive losses in a nonstrike season is seven, set in 1985. The Chiefs can tie that by losing to Tennessee at Arrowhead Stadium next week.
The Chiefs preferred to believe they hit bottom in Denver, but with three games left, it might be far too premature to make that claim.
“I’d hate to see rock bottom if this is not rock bottom,” defensive end Jared Allen said. “I’ve never been on a team that’s lost this many games, and it’s driving me nuts and we need to fix it.
“We can’t even fill the stands any more. Arrowhead used to be a place where we had a distinct advantage because of our crowd and the way we played there. We’ve got to get back to basics. We cannot lose at home.”
This latest defeat angered coach Herm Edwards more than the others. The Chiefs built their program under Edwards around defense, putting most of their resources into players for that side of the ball.
The defense had held up admirably under some difficult conditions but removed all doubt early about this week’s outcome by allowing the Broncos to go on two early touchdown drives.
“I expected more, to be quite honest,” an uncharacteristically blunt Edwards said. “They shouldn’t take the ball down on us and score 14 points right out of the gate. The only way we’re going to make this a game is to not let them score points right away.
“The burden’s on the defense. This was the worst game we’ve played all season. I didn’t see it coming. I thought we had a good week of preparation.
“The defense put our offense in a bad way, period. Right now, our strength, if we have a strength, is our defense. You can’t give up 14 points early in the first quarter of a football game and expect your offense to start moving the ball. We put our offense in a bind.”
The Chiefs lost to the Steelers last season by the similar score of 45-7. They had the sense then after losing to the defending Super Bowl champions that they merely were caught in the wrong place on the wrong day.
There was no such sense this time. This one was more about the Chiefs than their opponents.
“It’s more than embarrassing,” cornerback Patrick Surtain said. “Anytime you’re a professional and you go out there and put on the kind of performance we did, you should be embarrassed. That’s the way the game goes sometimes. It will show a lot about our team how we bounce back next week. I know the guys in this locker room will never quit. We’ll come out with a better performance next week.”
Chiefs hit new lows in 41-7 loss to Broncos
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
DENVER | Through the first five games of the freefall that dropped them from first place, the Chiefs were able to convince themselves that things weren’t that bad with one simple statistic: They either led or were tied at halftime of each game.
They can no longer hide behind that after Sunday’s 41-7 loss to the Broncos. By the middle of the first quarter, Denver had all of the points it would need to win.
The 4-9 Chiefs couldn’t claim they were competitive this time, even against an opponent with plenty of problems of its own. To their credit, they didn’t even try.
“I know (the Broncos) are over there saying, ‘What happened to the Chiefs?’ ” linebacker Derrick Johnson said. “They probably thought we’d give them a better game.”
Not if the Broncos were paying attention they didn’t. This year’s edition is rapidly becoming one of the worst ever fielded by the Chiefs, no easy feat given the franchise’s stupor that covered almost 20 seasons in the 1970s and ’80s.
The Chiefs in 43 previous losses to the Broncos were never beaten by as many as 34 points.
This season, they’ve lost six straight games, the first time they’ve done that since Marty Schottenheimer’s final team in 1998.
The Chiefs need to lose their final three games to tie the club record for consecutive losses, but that mark comes with an asterisk. The 1987 Chiefs lost nine straight, but three of those defeats came with replacements during the players’ strike.
The Chiefs once lost eight straight, but that streak came over two seasons, 1975 and 1976.
The team record for consecutive losses in a nonstrike season is seven, set in 1985. The Chiefs can tie that by losing to Tennessee at Arrowhead Stadium next week.
The Chiefs preferred to believe they hit bottom in Denver, but with three games left, it might be far too premature to make that claim.
“I’d hate to see rock bottom if this is not rock bottom,” defensive end Jared Allen said. “I’ve never been on a team that’s lost this many games, and it’s driving me nuts and we need to fix it.
“We can’t even fill the stands any more. Arrowhead used to be a place where we had a distinct advantage because of our crowd and the way we played there. We’ve got to get back to basics. We cannot lose at home.”
This latest defeat angered coach Herm Edwards more than the others. The Chiefs built their program under Edwards around defense, putting most of their resources into players for that side of the ball.
The defense had held up admirably under some difficult conditions but removed all doubt early about this week’s outcome by allowing the Broncos to go on two early touchdown drives.
“I expected more, to be quite honest,” an uncharacteristically blunt Edwards said. “They shouldn’t take the ball down on us and score 14 points right out of the gate. The only way we’re going to make this a game is to not let them score points right away.
“The burden’s on the defense. This was the worst game we’ve played all season. I didn’t see it coming. I thought we had a good week of preparation.
“The defense put our offense in a bad way, period. Right now, our strength, if we have a strength, is our defense. You can’t give up 14 points early in the first quarter of a football game and expect your offense to start moving the ball. We put our offense in a bind.”
The Chiefs lost to the Steelers last season by the similar score of 45-7. They had the sense then after losing to the defending Super Bowl champions that they merely were caught in the wrong place on the wrong day.
There was no such sense this time. This one was more about the Chiefs than their opponents.
“It’s more than embarrassing,” cornerback Patrick Surtain said. “Anytime you’re a professional and you go out there and put on the kind of performance we did, you should be embarrassed. That’s the way the game goes sometimes. It will show a lot about our team how we bounce back next week. I know the guys in this locker room will never quit. We’ll come out with a better performance next week.”