Monday Morning
Quarterback:
Chargers provide present for KCl
12/24/2001
by
CK Rairden
Landmark columnist
Merry Christmas Chiefs.
That was ugly. But it was a needed step, and a win. The
Chiefs, fifteen weeks into the schedule have their first
winning streak, achieved when they outlasted the Chargers
20-17 on Sunday at Arrowhead. It was a game they should
not have won, a game where both the coaches and players
made terrible decisions and mistakes, but the team pulled
it off.
The San Diego Chargers did just what was expected and
concentrated on NFL rushing leader RB Priest Holmes. They
reasonably contained him; Holmes had 80 yards on 23 carries.
That put the pressure late in the game on Chiefs QB Trent
Green.
Green responded, with a little help from Chargers S Rodney
Harrison, and led the Chiefs on an 8-play 65-yard drive
that ended in a 1-yard TD plunge by RB Tony Richardson.
The Chiefs opened the game with a stellar offensive drive
where Green looked sharp and converted on 4 straight 3rd
downs with pass completions.
The last 3rd down completion was a 3-yard TD pass to
seldom used TE Jason Dunn. It gave the Chiefs a nice beginning,
but the defense would surrender a quick TD drive by the
Chargers and the score was tied 7-7 before the Chiefs
offense would see the ball again.
The Chiefs then struggled for the remainder of the game
and it was brutal to watch.
QB Trent Green looked brilliant on the first drive and
the last drive. In between those two pieces of work he
had some poor decision making moments. He threw an awful
pick that led to the Chargers go-ahead touchdown where
he once again threw directly into double-coverage. He
tossed an earlier interception where he under threw RB
Tony Richardson, and Richardson didn’t make a play
on the ball.
However Green may have found an intangible. There was
a distinct positive that he provided during the game.
His running ability. What? That’s right; Trent Green
found some wheels and put together some nice runs for
yardage finishing the game with 5 rushes for 36 yards.
If he can provide that on a weekly basis his value as
a QB just increased.
His pass on the 4th quarter drive for 21 yards to WR
Snoop Minnis on 3rd and 4 was a thing of beauty. It was
a perfect spiral, a perfect placement and a perfect pass.
He threaded the dart through 3 San Diego defenders and
Minnis ran an accurate route and made a fine catch.
But let’s face it—the Chiefs needed some help
from the Chargers on the game winning drive. On that drive
KC received some early Christmas gifts from the Chargers
defense. Three first downs were the result of defensive
penalties from the Bolts.
The main gift was from Chargers S Rodney Harrison. Trent
Green had made another poor decision and tried to force
the ball into FB Tony Richardson. The ball was deflected
and picked off by the Chargers. Had that stood it would
have been a three INT game for Green.
But it didn’t. Santa Harrison had delivered a cheap
shot with a hard left forearm to the face of Trent Green.
The flag came out immediately. The INT was for naught,
and the drive continued.
Harrison would be flagged again later in the drive on
a hold against TE Tony Gonzalez.
Two plays later, the Chiefs would score the go ahead
TD and the Bolts would be on their way to losing their
eighth straight game.
It’s still not clear if this Chiefs team posses
an “A” game. If the team does have one, they
didn’t bring it on Sunday versus the Bolts.
But it didn’t matter in this instance. The Chiefs
played ugly. And that didn’t matter in this instance
either. The Chiefs received some gifts from the Chargers
and won.
Merry Christmas Chiefs.
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