Season-in-review team reports — AFC
West
As published in print Feb. 6, 2002
2001 record: 6-10 |
| Overview |
| The Dick Vermeil regime in Kansas City hit some bumps in the road and
never showed signs of getting on track until it was too late. Vermeil admitted that he and
his staff overestimated the talent level they had to work with in Kansas City, and the
Rams-style passing game Vermeil & Co. looked to implement with QB Trent Green never
took hold. As the season wore on, the Chiefs realized they could move the ball on the
ground, and consequently, RB Priest Holmes became one of the most productive players in
the league in 2001. |
| Turning point |
| It was basically two different seasons for the Chiefs. After starting the
season 0-2, the Chiefs jumped all over the Redskins in Washington but couldn’t keep
the momentum going the following week against Denver and dropped their next four. A narrow
loss to the Raiders in Week 13 actually provided the Chiefs with some confidence for the
stretch run, leading to a turnaround of sorts, with three wins in their last four games. |
| Offensive MVP |
| When the Chiefs’ belief in the passing game finally subsided in
favor of utilizing the skills of Holmes, they began to show signs of life. A backup in
Baltimore whom the Chiefs signed as a free agent during the offseason, Holmes was a
near-perfect fit for Kansas City’s offense and easily exceeded expectations, winning
the league rushing title (1,555 yards) as well as posting the top yards-from-scrimmage
total (2,169). A total of 222 of his 327 carries came during the team’s final nine
games, when the Chiefs went 5-4. |
| Defensive MVP |
| SS Greg Wesley deserved strong consideration in his second season as a
pro, but the nod goes to athletic OLB Donnie Edwards. Leading the team in tackles is
nothing new for Edwards, who accomplished the feat for the fourth consecutive year (with
147 total stops). He also contributed nine tackles for loss, three fumble recoveries and a
pair of sacks. While Edwards didn’t make many big, momentum-swinging plays, the
consensus belief in Kansas City is that he would have if he had been allowed to rush the
passer more. |
| Biggest surprise |
| Despite being slow to come around in terms of using Holmes as the major
piece of the offense, it was impressive how well the Chiefs used him over the second half
of the season. With consistent touches, a spread offense and adequate cut-back lanes,
Holmes erupted for seven outings of 117 rushing yards or more and rushed for at least 71
in each of the Chiefs’ final nine games. |
| Biggest disappointment |
| The expectations were high for former Rams QB Trent Green, but his lack
of accuracy for long stretches was puzzling. His 24 interceptions were a new team record,
proving that he often used poor judgment in forcing passes into tight coverage. In all
fairness, Green got little help from a WR corps that failed to show much consistency and
could not stay healthy for any substantial period of time. |
| Rookie recap |
| WR Marvin Minnis was a little disappointing in that he was given chances
as a starter in a passing offense but had trouble learning the system and staying healthy
enough to make much of an impact. Eric Downing, the team’s top choice, did OK when
forced into the lineup because of the significant injuries at the DT position. DE Monty
Beisel was a nice special-teams player. Due to trades, the Chiefs were left without a
first- or second-round pick. |
| Free-agent/trade review |
| Holmes fit the Chiefs’ system extremely well, and he carried the
offense at times after midseason. Yet the verdict is still out on Green, who struggled for
long stretches during his first year back as a legitimate starter. The Chiefs added
veteran CB Ray Crockett, and he turned out to be better than the alternatives but still
showed his age at times. Casey Wiegmann was steady at center, but DE Rich Owens
didn’t provide much. |
| Team leaders |
Rushing — Priest Holmes, 1,555 yards on 327 carries, 4.8 avg., 8
TDs.
Passing — Trent Green, 296-523 attempts for 3,783 yards, 17 TDs, 24 interceptions,
71.1 rating.
Receiving — Tony Gonzalez, 73 receptions for 917 yards, 12.6 avg., 6 TDs.
Scoring — Todd Peterson, 108 points on 27 PATs and 27 FGs.
Kickoff returns — Dante Hall, 43 for 969 yards, 22.5 avg., 0 TDs.
Punt returns — Dante Hall, 32 for 235 yards, 7.3 avg., 0 TDs.
Punting — Dan Stryzinski, 73 for 40.8 avg., 35.6 net, 5 TB, 27 inside 20, 0 blk.,
76L.
Interceptions — Eric Warfield, 4 for 61 yards, 15.3 avg., 1 TD.
Sacks — Duane Clemons, 7. |
| Results |
Pointspread Shown Refers to Kansas City.
| Date |
Opponent |
Spread |
Score |
| Sept. 9 |
Oakland |
(+3) |
24-27 |
| Sept. 23 |
New York Giants |
(+2) |
3-13 |
| Sept. 30 |
At Washington |
(-3) |
45-13 |
| Oct. 7 |
At Denver |
(+10.5) |
6-20 |
| Oct. 14 |
Pittsburgh |
(-2.5) |
17-20 |
| Oct. 21 |
At Arizona |
(-2.5) |
16-24 |
| Oct. 25 |
Indianapolis |
(+3) |
28-35 |
| Nov. 4 |
At San Diego |
(+5) |
25-20 |
| Nov. 11 |
At New York Jets |
(+3.5) |
7-27 |
| Nov. 18 |
BYE |
|
|
| Nov. 25 |
Seattle |
(-1.5) |
19-7 |
| Nov. 29 |
Philadelphia |
(+3) |
10-23 |
| Dec. 9 |
At Oakland |
(+9) |
26-28 |
| Dec. 16 |
Denver |
(-1) |
26-23* |
| Dec. 23 |
San Diego |
(-3) |
20-17 |
| Dec. 30 |
At Jacksonville |
(+4.5) |
30-26 |
| Jan. 6 |
At Seattle |
(+3.5) |
18-21 |
* Overtime |
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