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6B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2008
FANTASY FOOTBALL
ASSOCIATED PRESS
St. Louis Rams quarterback Trent Green, left, drops back to pass as Rams running back Steven Jackson (right) blocks during the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills in St. Louis on Sunday.
QBs and running backs steal fantasy spotlight
I was a coming out week-end of sorts for quite a few quarterbacks in the NFL and some running backs as well. Here are the headlines that should grab your attention from the weekend's action.
Yes, the Chiefs finally won a game. How they did it against the undefeated Broncos, I do not know It may have had something to do with a big game from running back Larry Johnson. Johnson had 28 carries for 198 yards and two touchdowns. He will need to continue carrying the offensive load until the Chiefs get quarterback Brodie Croyle back because Damon Huard does not provide any explosiveness in the passing game.
IT'S SHOWTIME
VICTORY!
New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre took center stage on Sunday with an impressive six-touchdown effort against the Arizona Cardinals. Favre threw for 289 yards in the game as the Jets won a shootout. Favre bounced back from a rough Monday night game against San Diego last week and if running back Thomas Jones continues to struggle, the spotlight will remain on Favre's passing game.
ST. LOUIS BLUES
No, not the hockey team — if you even knew they had a hockey team. The Rams' woes continue to mount as the undefeated Bills trampled them this weekend. The one positive the Rams did have was running back Steven Jackson who returned to form with 110 yards on 24 carries, a touchdown and five catches for an additional 78 yards. The Rams, looking to make some changes, fired coach Scott Linehan and replaced him with defensive coordinator Jim Haslett. He will have a week off before attempting to earn the first St. Louis victory of the season against a strong Washington squad that just beat the Cowboys in Dallas.
HOUSTON, WE HAVE LIFTOFF
...but we still have a problem. The Texans looked abyssal on offense in their first two games of the season. Even though
quarterback Matt Schaub kicked into high gear this weekend, the team still couldn't win. Schaub threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns and Slaton gained 116 total yards on offense and scored a touchdown. The Texans still managed to lose in overtime after a field goal by Jacksonville kicker Josh Scobee. The offensive resurrection does give hope to Houston fans for a win in an upcoming three-game home-stretch.
NOT SO BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Green Bay quarterback Aaron (Mr.) Rodgers was injured in the fourth quarter against Tampa Bay this weekend. The injury doesn't appear to be too serious, but it could be something to watch as the season progresses. The bigger problem is the fact that Green Bay produced only 181 total offensive yards against a stout Tampa Bay defense. In an NFC North division that prides itself on defense, Green Bay could be put to the test many times throughout the season, and if they struggle as they did against Tampa Bay, they will have no shot to win the division.
Edited by Andy Greenhaw
When will Chiefs fans show LJ a little love?
Johnson's superstar stats fail to impress the KC faithful
COMMENTARY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Larry Johnson, Chiefs running back, celebrates with Weston Dacus, left and Tamba Hali, right, after Johnson scored a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos on Sunday in Kansas City. Mo. Kansas City won the game 33-19 with help from Johnson's 198 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs are 1-3 on the season.
Four games into the season. Larry Johnson is seven yards away from leading the NFL in rushing.
Not bad for a guy who, only a couple of weeks ago, thought he was on his way out of Kansas City. Not bad for a guy who thought his touches were being siphoned off elsewhere.
That said, I don't think I could find fault in LJ's paranoia. After all, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more frequently denigrated superstar in football.
Find me another player who rushed for more than 2,000 yards in college with better than an 8 yards-per-carry average. It can't be done. Next, try to explain how LJ doesn't win the Heisman Trophy with stats those stats. Carson Palmer's mom might be the only one stepping up to make that case.
But surely in the NFL, a supposed meritocracy, Johnson would find favor. Or maybe he'd get chastised by a coach who never wanted him in the first place. A coach who told him it was time to "take the diapers off". So much for the meritocracy.
Injuries to Priest Holmes and Derrick Blaylock would eventually force Johnson onto the field. Once there, he would silence his critics... right?
Despite being the second most productive running back in the NFL since 2005, that hasn't happened.
Ask most Chiefs fans what they think of LJ, and you'd better put the earmuffs on any nearby children. Even the cleanly worded criticisms are at best unfounded, and at worst, blatantly hypocritical.
He's selfish, surly, and arrogant. He has held out for a new contract and used the press as a means to get more carries, so clearly the guy's a jerk. And let's not forget that, despite his numbers, he's not a complete player. I
guess he's just an all-around bad guy, huh?
The truth of the matter is that you and I are probably every bit as selfish as he is. Did he want more money? Sure he did, and so would you — especially if your job entailed getting destroyed by 300-pound men every week.
I also can't see how his asking for the damn ball constitutes excessive selfishness. Look at it this way: If you're participating in a group project and most of your fellow members clearly can't get the job done, aren't you going to ask for more responsibility? If you want a good grade, you will. Similarly, if LJ wants the Chiefs to win, he knows he needs to get his carries.
His personality should be a non-issue. He isn't the most friendly guy — but he's not a used car salesman. He's a running back.
His performance shouldn't be questioned, either. When he's had a good offensive line, he's been great. Without one, any back would struggle. He's also a more productive receiver than people have ever recognized.
But no, he's not a very good pass blocker. And no, LJ is not LT. But then, LaDianian Tomlinson will likely finish his career heralded as one of the all-time greats. J
can't recall a player being so consistently damned for "only" being among the elite at his position.
The real mystery was always how KC fans could lavish praise on a now former Chief to whom those exact same criticisms could easily be applied. I'm talking, of course, about Jared Allen. You want selfish? Allen's the guy who was quoted as telling Chiefs management to "pay me or trade me." You want to talk one-dimensional players? According to Pro Football Prospectus (think Sabermetrics applied to football), Allen is consistently one of the worst defensive ends against the run in the NFL. And I'm not exactly sure how to judge the quality of a person, but I think I'll take the surly guy over the guy who has endangered countless lives with his drunk driving.
Despite this, LJ is a pariah in Kansas City, whereas Allen was on the verge of folk hero status (before he was traded to Minnesota, of course). I still don't get it.
If LJ does want to find favor with Chiefs fans, he's off to a good start this season. After his performance against the Broncos, the LJ haters have been silent. They really should stay that way.
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Edited by Mary Sorrick
Chiefs still soaking up victory against Broncos
ASSOCIATED PRESS
"I kept asking my wife about 1 o'clock, 'We won, right?'" Edwards said Tuesday. "She said, 'Yeah, you won, honey."
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A year without winning can play tricks on a man's mind.
Their first victory since Oct. 21, 2007, was especially important for the raft of young players on the roster of the rebuilding Chiefs, Edwards said. Coaches had noted that many of the rookies were beginning to doubt whether they
Just ask Herm Edwards, who had trouble sleeping Sunday night after his Kansas City Chiefs halted a franchise-record 12-game losing streak with a 33-19 victory over Denver.
"I think they were questioning themselves," Edwards said. "They were questioning their talent. You can't question that. The way you overcome that, you've got to just keep playing."
even belonged in the NFL after an 0-3 start that included back-to-back blowout losses to bottom feeders Oakland and Atlanta.
Two-time Pro Bowler Larry
Johnson ran for 198 yards, but most encouraging for Kansas City's long-term picture was the energy and verve displayed by rookies. Two were given game balls. Dantrell Savage had a 51-yard kickoff return that swung the fourth-quarter momentum right back to Kansas City, and cornerback Brandon Carr played well all day against Denver's high-powered passing attack.
"The one thing you have when you're a young guy, you have talent. That's what gets you in this league," said Edwards. "But you also have passion. You're not going to know how to do everything correctly." Rookie left tackle Branden Albert, one of two first-round draft picks starting for the Chiefs, injured his elbow in the first half and may not be able to play this week at Carolina.
Edwards was uncertain how much time Albert would miss, but he doubted the rookie would need surgery.
Gonzalez, readily agreeing the victory was more important than anything else, said he was nevertheless disappointed not to have gotten the record at home in front of Chiefs fans who have been so supportive of him. Edwards said that once he became aware that Gonzalez needed only 3 yards, it was late in the game and the Chiefs had only a one-possession lead against an opponent averaging 38 points.
"In a game like that, I couldn't do it. I just couldn't. It wouldn't be fair," Edwards said.