Kansas City Chiefs:

Need the blessings of a Priest to get into the Super Bowl?

The Kansas City Chiefs are a team that has been successful since the olden days of the NFL. The team was involved in two of the first four Super Bowls. In Super Bowl I the Chiefs went up against the Green Bay Packers. It was the first time that the two conferences had matched up in postseason play. The two teams squared off in Los Angeles, California in Memorial Coliseum on January 15, 1967 where the cost of a “reserved section” seat was $10. The Packers were one of the most dominant teams of all time and were led by the man whose name is on the Super Bowl Trophy, Vince Lombardi. The game was close at the end of the first half and when the Packers took a 14-10 lead into the locker room. In the second half it was a different story. The Packers scored 21 unanswered points and won the first ever Super Bowl with a score of 35-10. The next Super Bowl the Chiefs made their ways into was Super Bowl IV. The Chiefs stepped onto the field against the Minnesota Vikings. At halftime the Chiefs had built a 16-0 lead behind the strong are of Len Dawson and didn’t look back. They scored another touchdown and defeated the Vikings for the Chiefs only Super Bowl win with the score of 23-7. Dawson was named the MVP due to his 12-17 for 142 yards and one touchdown performance.

Last season the Chiefs were amazingly good. The team opened the season up with nine straight wins including a one point victory over divisional rival Denver and a come from behind overtime win over the Green Bay Packers. The Chiefs rolled through the 2003 campaign, selling out of Chiefs tickets to every home game. The team only lost three games all year and for the second time in franchise history they won 13 games in a single season. In the playoffs the Chiefs lost in a shootout against the Indianapolis Colts 38-31. The Chiefs only stopped two of the Colts’ eight drives in the game which just isn’t enough to win a playoff game. The lack of defense in the game forced head coach Dick Vermeil to fire his defensive coordinator Greg Robinson and bring in popular and aggressive Gunther Cunningham who coached the Chiefs for the ’99 and 2000 seasons.

In the off-season the Chiefs didn’t make too many moves but the ones they did make should immensely help out the team. The team signed two veterans that should help out each unit in center Chris Bober and defensive tackle Lional Dalton. The team also traded two fifth round draft picks to the Eagles for guard John Welbourn.

In the draft the Chiefs had a good number of draft picks to bring in to help out their team. Since they didn’t make very many off-season moves the Chiefs had to make the best out of their limited number of chances they had to bring in some new blood to help the team out. With their first pick, which came in the second round, they drafted Oregon defensive tackle Junior Siavii. At 6’4’ and 333 pounds Siavii is what defensive coordinators call “space eaters” and what opposing offensive coordinators call “problems.” With their second second round pick the Chiefs opted to get Pittsburgh tight end Kris Wilson. Wilson is a good blocker who has naturally soft hands and will be used in two tight end sets and to spell All-World tight end Tony Gonzalez.

On the offensive side of the ball coach Vermeil has built an offense similar to the group he had in St. Louis when he won a Super Bowl. The team is led by the best running back in the NFL Priest Holmes. Other pro bowlers on the offensive side of the ball include quarterback Trent Green, tight end Tony Gonzalez, offensive tackle Willie Roaf, and fullback Tony Richardson. The team was ranked second overall in total offense and fourth overall in the passing game.

As good as the offense is at moving the ball the defense is equally bad at stopping the ball. The unit finished 30 th overall in rushing yards and 29 th in total defense. The team is keeping its fingers crossed that new defensive coordinator Cunningham will be able to make the team a great deal better defensively with essentially the same 11 guys.

All Images, Content and Design © 2004