| Legendary Michigan State coach
Duffy Daugherty once said, "Football is not a contact sport, it’s a collision
sport. Dancing is a contact sport." First-year Kansas City coach Gunther Cunningham
couldn’t agree more, having scrapped the ill-fated "Chunks" big-play air
attack of last season for a good old-fashioned, knock-’em-in-the-head power running
game. Perhaps it will be called "Clunks."
After spending a good portion of his 30-year coaching career on defense, including the
last four as the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator, Cunningham said in the preseason that
he wants to slam the ball into the teeth of the defense. What the Chiefs’ new coach
really wants is a return to the success of the ground game in the first four years
(1989-92) of his predecessor, Marty Schottenheimer. Those teams featured a 260-pound
Christian Okoye and a 250-pound Barry Word.
Offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye has echoed the game plan, saying the team will lead
with the run, and run early, in between and later. Aptly named and sized for this
offensive ideology is the 259-pound RB Bam Morris. With Pittsburgh in 1994-95, Morris put
up big numbers and had the ability to carry a heavy workload and take over a game. He is
the Chiefs’ only proven halfback. However, after running into legal woes, Morris has
never entered a season as his team’s featured back. Although it had nothing to do
with previous suspensions, Morris did not play in Week One against the Bears, a team he
had a brief stint with last season.
"I don’t know. That’s not my decision to make. I’m just happy to be
here, and I hope I can get my chance," Morris said.
One of the principles Cunningham is preaching is sacrifice. Moving 33-year-old,
three-time Pro Bowl FB Kimble Anders, who has a career-long run of 44 yards on 397
attempts, to halfback could be viewed as a sacrifice, but that’s not how Anders sees
it.
"I don’t think this change is bad," said Anders. "I’ve been a
fullback; now something better has come along."
After six years as a starting fullback, Anders made his first career start at halfback
in Week One. The Chiefs’ first play from scrimmage was an Anders run for six yards.
"Yeah, it felt good. I liked that one," Anders said. However, on second down he
was tackled for a four-yard loss. "I don’t know about that," he said.
Kansas City fell behind 20-3 at the half and had to look to QB Elvis Grbac and the pass
the rest of the way. Anders finished with 39 yards on 10 carries in a 20-17 loss. "It
was rough because we were knocked off our game plan a little bit."
Second-year player Rashaan Shehee, 5-10, 210 pounds, changes the pace as a third-down
back. "There is room for a player who is productive, whether it’s a little guy
or a big guy," said Chiefs RB coach Al Lavan. He has worked with both Shehee at the
University of Washington and Morris while with Baltimore.
"Everyone knows I’m not a big back, a pounder. I can move; I use my speed. I
just want to contribute to this organization any way I can," Shehee said. |
