The Zone Blitz:
Chargers vs Chiefs
12/21/2001
by
CK Rairden
Landmark columnist
The Chargers were the Cinderella darlings
of the NFL back on November 4th when the teams had their
fist meeting of the season in San Diego. The Bolts were
5-2 and had a struggling Chiefs team at home. They were
planning on advancing to 6-2 and putting together a run
for the playoffs.
But it all fell apart for San Diego on that Sunday afternoon.
The Chiefs knocked starting QB Doug Flutie out of the
game and then ran up a 19-0 lead. The Chargers were shocked
but bounced back when rookie QB Drew Brees came in and
rallied the team. The Chargers scored 20 unanswered points
to take 20-19 lead midway through the 4th quarter.
The Chiefs answered--putting together a 71-yard TD drive
to make the score 25-20 and then hung on for a much needed
win.
The Chargers went on to lose their next six for a total
of a 7-game losing streak. The Chiefs dominated the Chargers
physically and Chiefs RB Priest Holmes ran over them for
181 yards.
Chargers head coach Mike Riley was embarrassed with that
result stating that “(Our run defense) has always
been, and hopefully will continue to be, a cornerstone
for this team.”
The Chargers should remember that, especially on defense.
__________
BLITZ BITS
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--Expect the Chargers to put a premium on stopping Priest
Holmes after he dominated them in game one.
--The 181 yards the Chargers surrendered to Holmes is
a franchise record for yards rushing by an opponent.
--Until that game it had been 18 games since the Chargers
defense had allowed a 100-yard rusher.
--Holmes has sat out much of this week’s practice
nursing a groin injury.
--SS Greg Wesley has turf toe and may not play for the
Chiefs on Sunday. That’s bad as he is important in
run support.
--The Chargers will start Doug Flutie at QB despite his
7-game losing streak. Coach Riley has made contradictory
statements about whether or not back-up QB Drew Brees
will play so it’s anyone’s guess which QB will
finish.
--The Chargers have lost their last four visits to KC
by a combined score of 130-20.
--The Chargers are a paltry 1-13 in their last 14 road
games.
--The Chiefs have yet to win two straight games this
season.
--The Chiefs can climb out the AFC West cellar with a
win, as they would move to 5-9 while the Chargers would
fall to 5-10.
--Trent Green’s 81% completion record against the
Broncos tied a club record.
--The Chiefs have announced that they will continue to
sell beer in same kind of plastic bottles that were tossed
on the filed last week in Cleveland and New Orleans.
--This is the last home game for KC in 2001. The team
is 2-5 this season at home.
The Chargers are reeling, and the Chiefs have yet to
win two straight all season. Something has to give. I
say the Bolts go down hard. KC 28-14.
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