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It's not just a game
Winstow Townson/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York Jets head coach Herm Edwards argues a call during the fourth quarter of the Jets 16-3 loss to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. on Sunday. The misery that has enveloped the Jets this season has finally rattled Edwards. The normally upbeat Edwards abruptly ended his news conference Wednesday, walking out after sounding off on critics who have targeted his conservative approach in what has become a disastrous year full of injuries and bad luck.
Rams place emphasis on defense
BY R.B. FALLSTROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. LOUIS — Better late than never, the St. Louis Rams are going back to basics on defense.
Poor tackling cost the Rams (5-7) dearly last week in a 24-9 loss to the Redskins that all but eliminated them from playoff consideration. Interim coach Joe Vitt complained about several crucial missed tackles after the Redskins rolled up 257 yards rushing, the most allowed by the team since the move to St. Louis 11 years ago.
So on Wednesday when the Rams resumed practice, tackling was a major emphasis. The team
was in pads the first half of the workout to help them get a better feel for what should be an elementary part of the game.
The day after the game, with the wounds still fresh, Vitt was more vocal about the situation. He absolved defensive coordinator Larry Marmie and secondary coach Kurt Schottenheimer, putting the onus on the players and not the scheme.
"It's how you play the game, with pads," Vitt said. "We need to get better."
"We're not splitting the atom in this business; we're not finding a cure for cancer," Vitt said. "It's the staple of our sport on defense, and if you can't tackle you have to go
"One of the main things about tackling is you just have to want to tackle," linebacker Trev Faulk said. "That's Pee Wee football, that's one of the first things that goes with playing defense.
find another profession."
Players know they have nobody to blame but themselves.
"It was real embarrassing for us."
A few of the biggest whiffs: safety Mike Furrey took the wrong angle on Rock Cartwright's 52-yard run, cornerback Dejuan Groce tried to wait and meet tight end Robert Royal from a side angle, resulting in a 29-yard play. Rookie cornerback Ron Bartell
missed a pair of easy stops.
"If you don't tackle, you aren't going to win any game," linebacker Chris Claiborne said. "It doesn't matter what defense you call."
Bartell said the problem was "breakdowns in technique, especially myself. It was definitely tough to watch tape of that game. I missed two tackles I definitely should have made."
It's tougher for a younger player to hone his technique in practice, given that most NFL teams don't have full-contact workouts once the season begins. That's not the case in college, where most schools have an unlimited supply of bodies.
Three backs better than one in Denver
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER — The Denver Broncos' three-headed running attack surfaced a week ago in a 31-27 loss to Kansas City. The early reviews were as lukewarm as the collective results of Mike Anderson, Tatum Bell and Ron Dayne.
"It worked out OK," Dayne said Wednesday. "Mike was designed to get most of the work and Tatum to get his."
Anderson contributed a 1-yard touchdown run and 46 yards on
13 carries, though he also took a 66-yard screen pass for a score. Bell ran five times for 46 yards and Dayne had eight carries for 26 yards.
"For me, it is no different than the way I have been used throughout the season," Dayne said. "I'm aware I have to stay ready. We'll have to wait and see."
Bell was the focal point.
"But a lot depends on what happens on a regular basis," he said. "How much guys practice and how they look during the week."
Quarterback Jake Plummer said he liked the concept, but was comfortable when the running game was limited to Anderson and Bell.
whole week," coach Mike Shanahan said. "I don't think that'll be something that that we do on a regular basis."
"One of the reasons we used three backs was to get Tatum more carries because he was hurt (the week before) and practiced the
Dayne to the mix required little or no adjustment for him.
"They are coached to run the same track and read the blocking of the offensive line after a handoff." Plummer said.
"Each offers a defense a different look, Tatum more than the other two, Plummer said. He said adding
Individually, Anderson, Bell and Dayne rank no higher than 13th among the NFL's running backs.
Collectively, they combine to represent a running attack second only to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL. And Atlanta's numbers are bolstered by Michael Vick, a runnin- quarterback.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 5C
Chiefs peak when they need to most Injuries heal, players return
BY DOUG TUCKER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. Healthy and confident, the Kansas City Chiefs appear to be peaking at the perfect time, and just in time.
As they make the turn into what coach Dick Vermeil calls the fourth quarter of the regular-season, just about everything that's supposed to be up — such as yards per carry, yards per game and points scored — is going higher.
Conversely, things that are supposed to be down, such as yards allowed and points allowed, are headed south.
Perhaps just as importantly, good health has returned to a team that a month ago was hobbled at key spots. Left tackle Willie Roaf, who missed much of the season with a hamstring injury, has not only returned, he's regained the dominating form that took him to 10 Pro Bowls. Right guard Will Shields also has shrugged off back problems and is playing the way he did while earning 10 Pro Bowl trips himself.
As a result, quarterback Trent Green is not fighting for his life on every passing down and was able in a 31-27 victory against Denver last week to have his finest game of the year.
Even the defensive line has gotten a boost. Tackle Ryan Sims, out since the season opener with a foot injury, made his return last week against Denver. While he did not play much, he played well, and even had a big hand in the play of the game, when the Broncos were stopped on fourth and one near midfield with 2:01 remaining.
"We've become close to what we're going to be." Vermeil said. "It took a while. We had to get healthy, stay healthy. The defense had to continue to mature. Those things have all happened."
The one thing the Chiefs have not yet done is beat a winning team on the road. This week sends them to Dallas (7-5), where the Cowboys will be out to halt a two-game slide that's put them in the same position the Chiefs are facing — one game out of the lead in their division.
"Dallas was 5-7 last year at this time and now they're 7-5," Vermeil said. "We were 4-8 last year at this time and now were 8-4. So both organizations have turned their seasons around and now
The Kansas City Chiefs appear to be peaking at the perfect time and just in time.
compete Sunday to see which one can keep it going. The only thing our performance has done right now is guarantee us eight wins."
Ironically, the Chiefs launched the season thinking their toughest stretch would be early, with the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles coming to town along with road trips to Denver and Oakland. But as things have worked out, the Jets and Eagles are having down years and the Raiders are trailing everybody in the AFC West.
But their last six are against teams with winning records who are solid playoff contenders. Already beaten in Arrowhead Stadium the past two weeks are New England and Denver. Now comes trips to Dallas and the New York Giants, followed by home games against the San Diego Chargers and AFC Northleading Cincinnati Bengals.
"I believe we'll play well from here on out," Vermeil said. "I don't know how many we're going to win, but I believe we're going to play well. Right now, we're competitive enough to line up and play against anybody. Whether we can beat them or not, I don't know. Our schedule is so demanding that we can't afford a bad game."
In every one of their three straight wins — against Houston, New England and Denver — the Chiefs have appeared to play better than the week before.
"When you win three in a row, that's a good indication," Vermilil said. "But your concern with three in a row is that sometimes you start feeling so good about yourself, you forget how you won three in a row."
Experience has taught the NFL's oldest coach to be wary of overconfidence.
"The games played this late in the year, regardless of what you've done winning-wise, you have to regenerate that sense of urgency on Sunday," he said. "And sometimes it's a little bit harder coming off three wins. I've been a victim of that. I'm very much aware of it."