Chief concerns for Kansas City

By Clayton Wendler  |   Wednesday, August 16, 2006  |  Comments( 4 )

Kansas City Chiefs
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans!
Three obstacles lie in front of the Kansas City Chiefs for their second preseason game.

Task One: tackle the Giants.

Task Two: block the Giants.

Task Three: complete passes.

More than anything else, those are the three obstacles that lie in front of the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night against the New York Giants in their second exhibition game.

It's easy to see why the first task is a priority. Last December, the Chiefs' defenders set foot in the Meadowlands trying to lock down a playoff spot. Instead, they served as running back Tiki Barber's personal escorts to the end zone.

Barber piled up 249 total yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns that night, shedding several would-be tacklers and embarrassing the Chiefs in front of a national television audience.

On Thursday, the Chiefs are again playing on national TV, and they probably haven't forgotten about Barber's career game. They've most likely been watching it played over and over again on the NFL Network for months.

If the Chiefs are as improved defensively as they want to be, stopping Barber on Thursday night would go a long way towards proving they are a better defense.

But Barber's game isn't the only reason the Chiefs' run defense needs to play well. The Houston Texans piled up 172 yards rushing against Kansas City last week in their first preseason game.

Even the starters were victimized. Someone needs to plug a hole in the dam this week, and complete task one.

Task two is a little more complicated. The Chiefs haven't really had any problems with blocking anyone for years now, but the retirements of Willie Roaf and John Welbourn have raised some questions.

Left tackle Kyle Turley answered some last week with a good outing against Houston. He provided good protection from the blind side and handled blitzers well. His counterpart on the right side, Kevin Sampson, struggled at times.

The backup offensive lines were flat-out horrible. After the starters left the game, the Chiefs could not run the ball consistently, and pass protection was almost non-existent. Backup quarterback Casey Printers was sacked five times in only 17 dropbacks.

This week, the challenge will be blocking one of the deepest defensive end lineups in the league. The Giants go three-deep with Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora and rookie Mathias Kiwanuka. Strahan and Umenyiora combined for 26 sacks last season, and Kiwanuka was a first-round draft choice this year.

Even when those three are not on the field, the Chiefs will have their hands full. The Giants piled up 5 ½ sacks against Baltimore last week, with several second- and third-string players recording the takedowns.

That means the starters and backups have something to prove. Turley needs to show that he can neutralize Umenyiora. Sampson's got a big test against Strahan.

And the backups just need to keep their quarterback alive. Which leads us to task three.

Printers may have been harassed all night on Saturday, but blame for his bad performance cannot be solely placed upon the shoulders of the offensive linemen.

The Canadian Football League import appeared indecisive in the pocket, unable to choose between running and passing on several plays. He also short-armed several throws to wide-open receivers, and tossed an interception on a pass that should have never been thrown. He gave the Chiefs no indication that he's ready to be the No. 2 quarterback behind starter Trent Green.

That makes Thursday important for Printers. It might be his last extended opportunity to impress the coaching staff. Veteran Damon Huard may return to the playing field and steal some snaps. Rookie quarterback Brodie Croyle may return in Game Three, further reducing Printers' chances.

Printers needs to turn in a good performance and complete task three. Otherwise, he may find himself falling down the depth chart in a hurry.

Sign up for our free e-mail alerts at the top right-hand corner of the page for all the latest Kansas City Chiefs updates.
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans! (4)

Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report