Post by theultimatekcchiefsfan on Oct 3, 2005 22:57:12 GMT -5
Posnanski: Gonzalez filled with frustration
www.kansascity.com/mld/kansa...ts/12802551.htm
Gonzalez filled with frustration
JOE POSNANSKI
Kansas City Star
Tony Gonzalez is the Chiefs’ mood ring. You can always tell how everybody feels after a Chiefs game by watching him. After big victories, Gonzalez, the Chiefs’ star tight end, bounces around, smiles big, talks about how great this team could be. After hard losses, he’s inconsolable. He sits with his uniform on and stares at his locker, torturing himself by going over the game play by play.
After Sunday’s loss to Philadelphia, Tony Gonzalez was very, very angry.
“What did the Eagles’ defense do to you?” he was asked.
“What did the defense do to me?” he asked back into the flurry of cameras and tape recorders. He gritted his teeth. “I’m not going to go there. Next question.”
Oh, he was mad. The Chiefs blew an 18-point lead Sunday and were beaten 37-31. Afterward, nobody really wanted the blame. Trent Green threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown, but Chiefs coach thingy Vermeil suggested that it wasn’t Green’s fault. Green wouldn’t talk about it. Larry Johnson fumbled late in the first half with the Chiefs up 18. Vermeil said plainly that wasn’t Johnson’s fault.
The offensive line allowed Green to get pummeled, but nobody really wanted to blame that on the loss of left tackle Willie Roaf. The defense allowed Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb to complete 24 of his last 33 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns. That wasn’t their fault either. McNabb, Vermeil said, is not a normal guy.
So there was more blocking and shifting happening after the game than there was during the game. We think the 18-point blown deficit was the largest in Chiefs history, but we don’t even know that for sure. The Chiefs’ public-relations department would not confirm or deny it. They do know it’s the biggest comeback against the Chiefs since Carl Peterson arrived in 1989.
There was no blocking or shifting at Tony Gonzalez’s locker, though. Gonzalez caught two meaningless passes for 5 yards on Sunday. His first catch came on the last play of the first half. His second came with the Chiefs out of the game.
Gonzalez was plain ticked off.
“I didn’t go downfield at all,” he said. “It’s frustrating. I haven’t even sniffed the end zone this year. I’m not going to lie to you. I’m really frustrated.”
Through four games last season, Gonzalez had 18 catches for 228 yards and a touchdown. Through four games this season, he has almost as many catches — 16 — but for only 129 yards, and, as he mentioned, he hasn’t sniffed the end zone. His longest catch of the season is 17 yards, and that was in week one.
The last two weeks, Gonzalez has 34 yards receiving.
In those two games, he has not caught a pass longer than 8 yards.
The Chiefs say this is because teams are defending Gonzalez differently this year. They are double-teaming him more. They are lining up cornerbacks on him.
“It’s a lot different from last year,” Green said.
Gonzalez doesn’t buy it for one minute.
“I’m not pointing any fingers,” he said. “But defenses are not doing anything different now than they’ve ever done. Yeah, they’re double-teaming me. They’ve been double-teaming me ever since I got into this league.
“The Eagles didn’t do anything special to stop me. I just didn’t get the opportunity. I have to get the opportunity to do it. I need to get the ball to help this team win. I am a six-time Pro Bowler. We’ve always found ways to get me the ball in my hands before. I don’t know. I can’t tell you what’s going on. But it’s frustrating.”
From the outside, it’s clear that part of the problem is Roaf. His injury has not only affected the Chiefs on the field, it has psyched them out. Roaf’s absence has changed the way they play. Sunday, with 1:08 left in the first half and the Chiefs up 24-13, Vermeil decided to sit on the ball and go into the locker room. It was an utterly un-Vermeil-like move — he has staked his career on an attacking offense — but it just shows how scared the Chiefs are to drop Green back into the pocket without Roaf there to protect his back side.
Without Roaf, the Chiefs often kept Gonzalez in to pass block. On one play, they lined him up against brilliant pass rusher Jevon Kearse, which is absurd. Gonzalez was hopelessly overmatched. Kearse faked him out, sprinted around him and sacked Green. Gonzalez was so overwhelmed, he could not even grab Kearse, though he tried.
Then, this is not Tony Gonzalez’s game. He’s not a keep-in-to-block tight end. He’s one of the NFL’s great weapons. He was the first tight end to catch 100 passes last year. He has scored 54 touchdowns in his career.
“I don’t know what other guys are thinking about this,” he says. “But I don’t think we’re playing the way we’ve played for the last few years.”
He’s right. For the first time in a long while, this Chiefs offense is having an identity crisis. The team has scored more points the last three years than any other team in the NFL because everybody understood their role.
Now, though, it’s clear the coaches don’t know how to handle this Priest Holmes-Larry Johnson tandem. As mentioned, they have not adjusted to the loss of Roaf. Green is having an awful time throwing the ball downfield.
And the best tight end in football can’t get the ball.
“I’m just as fast, just as quick, just as strong,” Gonzalez said. “I’m probably stronger. So what’s the difference now? I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter to me why it’s happening. I just know if it stays like this I’m going to be frustrated.
“If they’re going to use me like this, then, maybe they should just move me for their own sake. I get paid too much money to not get the ball.”
Tony Gonzalez was angry. All around him, people quickly dressed and got out of the locker room. Those who stuck around tried to put a happy spin on this. The team is 2-2, which is not dreadful considering that the first four teams were tough. The Chiefs played well for a long time against Philadelphia and could have won were it not for the turnovers. The season has a long way to go. And so on.
Tony Gonzalez wasn’t buying any of that. Not after this game.
“I want to help this team win,” he said. “If they’ll let me.”
www.kansascity.com/mld/kansa...ts/12802551.htm
Gonzalez filled with frustration
JOE POSNANSKI
Kansas City Star
Tony Gonzalez is the Chiefs’ mood ring. You can always tell how everybody feels after a Chiefs game by watching him. After big victories, Gonzalez, the Chiefs’ star tight end, bounces around, smiles big, talks about how great this team could be. After hard losses, he’s inconsolable. He sits with his uniform on and stares at his locker, torturing himself by going over the game play by play.
After Sunday’s loss to Philadelphia, Tony Gonzalez was very, very angry.
“What did the Eagles’ defense do to you?” he was asked.
“What did the defense do to me?” he asked back into the flurry of cameras and tape recorders. He gritted his teeth. “I’m not going to go there. Next question.”
Oh, he was mad. The Chiefs blew an 18-point lead Sunday and were beaten 37-31. Afterward, nobody really wanted the blame. Trent Green threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown, but Chiefs coach thingy Vermeil suggested that it wasn’t Green’s fault. Green wouldn’t talk about it. Larry Johnson fumbled late in the first half with the Chiefs up 18. Vermeil said plainly that wasn’t Johnson’s fault.
The offensive line allowed Green to get pummeled, but nobody really wanted to blame that on the loss of left tackle Willie Roaf. The defense allowed Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb to complete 24 of his last 33 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns. That wasn’t their fault either. McNabb, Vermeil said, is not a normal guy.
So there was more blocking and shifting happening after the game than there was during the game. We think the 18-point blown deficit was the largest in Chiefs history, but we don’t even know that for sure. The Chiefs’ public-relations department would not confirm or deny it. They do know it’s the biggest comeback against the Chiefs since Carl Peterson arrived in 1989.
There was no blocking or shifting at Tony Gonzalez’s locker, though. Gonzalez caught two meaningless passes for 5 yards on Sunday. His first catch came on the last play of the first half. His second came with the Chiefs out of the game.
Gonzalez was plain ticked off.
“I didn’t go downfield at all,” he said. “It’s frustrating. I haven’t even sniffed the end zone this year. I’m not going to lie to you. I’m really frustrated.”
Through four games last season, Gonzalez had 18 catches for 228 yards and a touchdown. Through four games this season, he has almost as many catches — 16 — but for only 129 yards, and, as he mentioned, he hasn’t sniffed the end zone. His longest catch of the season is 17 yards, and that was in week one.
The last two weeks, Gonzalez has 34 yards receiving.
In those two games, he has not caught a pass longer than 8 yards.
The Chiefs say this is because teams are defending Gonzalez differently this year. They are double-teaming him more. They are lining up cornerbacks on him.
“It’s a lot different from last year,” Green said.
Gonzalez doesn’t buy it for one minute.
“I’m not pointing any fingers,” he said. “But defenses are not doing anything different now than they’ve ever done. Yeah, they’re double-teaming me. They’ve been double-teaming me ever since I got into this league.
“The Eagles didn’t do anything special to stop me. I just didn’t get the opportunity. I have to get the opportunity to do it. I need to get the ball to help this team win. I am a six-time Pro Bowler. We’ve always found ways to get me the ball in my hands before. I don’t know. I can’t tell you what’s going on. But it’s frustrating.”
From the outside, it’s clear that part of the problem is Roaf. His injury has not only affected the Chiefs on the field, it has psyched them out. Roaf’s absence has changed the way they play. Sunday, with 1:08 left in the first half and the Chiefs up 24-13, Vermeil decided to sit on the ball and go into the locker room. It was an utterly un-Vermeil-like move — he has staked his career on an attacking offense — but it just shows how scared the Chiefs are to drop Green back into the pocket without Roaf there to protect his back side.
Without Roaf, the Chiefs often kept Gonzalez in to pass block. On one play, they lined him up against brilliant pass rusher Jevon Kearse, which is absurd. Gonzalez was hopelessly overmatched. Kearse faked him out, sprinted around him and sacked Green. Gonzalez was so overwhelmed, he could not even grab Kearse, though he tried.
Then, this is not Tony Gonzalez’s game. He’s not a keep-in-to-block tight end. He’s one of the NFL’s great weapons. He was the first tight end to catch 100 passes last year. He has scored 54 touchdowns in his career.
“I don’t know what other guys are thinking about this,” he says. “But I don’t think we’re playing the way we’ve played for the last few years.”
He’s right. For the first time in a long while, this Chiefs offense is having an identity crisis. The team has scored more points the last three years than any other team in the NFL because everybody understood their role.
Now, though, it’s clear the coaches don’t know how to handle this Priest Holmes-Larry Johnson tandem. As mentioned, they have not adjusted to the loss of Roaf. Green is having an awful time throwing the ball downfield.
And the best tight end in football can’t get the ball.
“I’m just as fast, just as quick, just as strong,” Gonzalez said. “I’m probably stronger. So what’s the difference now? I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter to me why it’s happening. I just know if it stays like this I’m going to be frustrated.
“If they’re going to use me like this, then, maybe they should just move me for their own sake. I get paid too much money to not get the ball.”
Tony Gonzalez was angry. All around him, people quickly dressed and got out of the locker room. Those who stuck around tried to put a happy spin on this. The team is 2-2, which is not dreadful considering that the first four teams were tough. The Chiefs played well for a long time against Philadelphia and could have won were it not for the turnovers. The season has a long way to go. And so on.
Tony Gonzalez wasn’t buying any of that. Not after this game.
“I want to help this team win,” he said. “If they’ll let me.”