THE MATCH-UP
A pair of division rivals will meet on the national stage of Monday Night Football in a key early-season AFC West match-up as Kansas City visits Denver’s INVESCO Field. Monday’s contest marks the second straight night road game for the 2-0 Chiefs, who are coming off a 23-17 win on Sunday night at Oakland (9/18). That victory featured yet another solid effort from the Chiefs retooled defense, which has permitted just 12.0 ppg in the club’s first two contests. The Broncos are 1-1 after getting a 20-17 home victory vs. San Diego (9/18) thanks to a 41-yard K Jason Elam FG with just 0:05 remaining.
The Chiefs are one of four AFC clubs that currently own 2-0 records. Kansas City is seeking to inaugurate a season with three consecutive victories for just the seventh time in franchise history. The Chiefs most recent 3-0 start came in 2003 when the club opened the year 9-0 en route to a 13-3 campaign. KC went 13-3 and won the AFC West after a 3-0 start in ’95, as well. The club also claimed a pair of AFL titles after opening the year with three straight wins in ’62 and ’66.
Kansas City has won four of its last five primetime road games with the only blemish on that mark coming in the form of a 34-24 setback on Sunday Night Football at Denver (9/12/04). Meanwhile, the Broncos are attempting to snap a two-game losing streak in Monday night competition. The home team has won seven of the last eight games in the Chiefs-Broncos series dating back to 2001. However, the spotlight of Monday Night Football may be just what KC needs to register its first win in Denver since 2000. While only Denver (63-18) owns a better regular season home record than Kansas City (59-22) among AFC teams since ’95, the Chiefs have won three straight road games on Monday nights, including a pair of such MNF games in 2004. But no matter the day or the location, Chiefs-Broncos contests always seem to come down to the wire. In fact, 25 of the last 30 outings in this series have been won by the squad scoring last. The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Chiefs who face a home date against Philadelphia (10/2). Up next for Denver is a trip to Jacksonville (10/2).
THE SERIES
Kansas City holds a 50-39-0 (.561) all-time advantage over Denver in the 89 previous meetings between the two clubs (88 regular season, one postseason). Those 50 wins vs. the Broncos are more than the Chiefs have amassed against any other franchise.
The Chiefs have won seven of the last 12 regular season meetings between the two clubs, but Kansas City is still seeking its initial victory at INVESCO Field and is attempting to end a four-game losing streak at Denver. However, the last time the Chiefs snapped a significant losing streak at Denver, it came on Monday Night Football when QB Joe Montana orchestrated a 31-28 win (10/17/94) to break an 11-game string of Kansas City losses at Mile High Stadium.
The two teams split their series last year with KC getting a 45-17 win at Arrowhead (12/19/04), while the Broncos claimed a 34-24 decision at INVESCO Field on Opening Day (9/12/04). KC’s last road victories against the Broncos came in ’99 and 2000 when Gunther Cunningham was serving as the Chiefs head coach. Cunningham posted a perfect 4-0 regular season record vs. Denver as KC’s head coach and returned to the Chiefs as defensive coordinator in 2004.
The Texans/Chiefs won 25 of the first 27 games in this series between these two original American Football League teams. Denver then responded by claiming wins in 26 of the next 37 contests. The Chiefs first-ever regular season game after the franchise relocated to Kansas City in ’63 was a 59-7 win at University of Denver Stadium (9/7/63). The Broncos produced a 14-10 victory in the only postseason meeting between the two teams, a ’97 AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Arrowhead (1/4/98).
REGULAR SEASON GAME #3
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (2-0)
AT
DENVER BRONCOS (1-1)
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2005
–
8:00 PM (CENTRAL)
INVESCO FIELD AT MILE HIGH – DENVER, COLORADO
TV:
ABC’s Monday Night Football (KMBC-9 in Kansas City) – Al Michaels, John Madden and Sam Ryan.
NATIONAL RADIO:
CBS Radio/Westwood One – Marv Albert, Boomer Esiason and John Dockery.
LOCAL RADIO:
KCFX-FM (101.1) – Mitch Holthus, Len Dawson, Bob Gretz and Bill Grigsby.
2005 STATS AND NFL RANKINGS
CHIEFS
BRONCOS
Total Offense ... 371.5 (6) 321.5 (17) Rush Offense ... 161.5 (4) 84.0 (22) Pass Offense... 210.0 (16) 237.5 (12) Total Defense... 358.5 (27) 319.5 (21) Rush Defense... 64.0 (5) 115.0 (22) Pass Defense ... 294.5 (30) 204.5 (15) Turnover Ratio ... +3 (6t) 0 (15t) Pts./Game... 25.0 (6t) 15.0 (23) Opp. Pts./Game... 12.0 (8t) 25.5 (27t)CHIEFS VS. BRONCOS
REGULAR SEASON AT DENVER (1994-04)
(4-7-0)
Date Result Of Note
10/17/94 W, 31-28 Montana, 393 pass yards, 3 TDs. 10/22/95 W, 21-7 Marcus Allen’s 100th rushing TD. 10/27/96 L, 7-34 Vanover, 97-yard KO return TD. 8/31/97 L, 3-19 Four Elam FGs (35, 36, 25, 53). 12/6/98 L, 31-35 Elway, 22-32, 400 yards, 2 TDs. 12/5/99 W, 16-10 Vanover, 80-yard punt return TD. 9/24/00 W, 23-22 Grbac-Alexander 22-yard TD pass. 10/7/01 L, 6-20 Anderson, 155 rush yards, 1 TD. 12/15/02 L, 24-31 Holmes, 161 rush yards.
12/7/03 L, 27-45 Portis, 218 rush yards, 5 TDs. 9/12/04 L, 24-34 Holmes, 151 rush yards, 3 TDs.
THE HEAD COACHES
VERMEIL VS. THE BRONCOS (4-6)
Dick Vermeil’s teams are 4-6 vs. Denver (1-0 w/PHI, 0-1 w/STL, 3-5 w/KC) with the home team winning nine of those 10 games.
DATE RESULT OPP. COACH
9/7/80 W PHILADELPHIA 27, Denver 6 Red Miller 9/14/97 L DENVER 35, St. Louis 14 Mike Shanahan 10/7/01 L DENVER 20, Kansas City 6 Mike Shanahan 12/16/01 W KANSAS CITY 26, Denver 23 OT Mike Shanahan 10/20/02 L Denver 37, KANSAS CITY 34 OT Mike Shanahan 12/15/02 L DENVER 31, Kansas City 24 Mike Shanahan 10/5/03 W KANSAS CITY 24, Denver 23 Mike Shanahan 12/7/03 L DENVER 45, Kansas City 27 Mike Shanahan 9/12/04 L DENVER 34, Kansas City 24 Mike Shanahan 12/19/04 W KANSAS CITY 45, Denver 17 Mike Shanahan
REMEMBERING HANK STRAM (1923-2005)
This season the Chiefs are remembering Hank Stram, who passed away on July 4th, by wearing a helmet sticker with his initials during the entire 2005 campaign. A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2003, Stram served as the franchise’s head coach from 1960-74, compiling a 124-76-10 regular season record and a 5-3 playoff mark. He guided the club to three AFL titles and a win in Super Bowl IV. His many contributions to the game include the two-tight end offense, the stack defense and the moving pocket. Perhaps the most fitting compliment paid to Stram came courtesy of QB Len Dawson at Stram’s HOF enshrinement in 2003. “I wear a Super Bowl ring on one hand and a Hall of Fame ring on the other,” Dawson remarked. “I know I wouldn’t have had either one if it hadn’t been for this guy – Hank Stram.”
Stram’s “biggest” win against Denver was a 59-7 victory at Denver (9/7/63), a contest that stills stands as the highest-scoring game in KC history. That win also marked the initial regular season victory for the Kansas City Chiefs. The team played its first three seasons in Dallas and was known as the Texans (’60-62).
Stram also owned a stellar record on Monday Night Football as Kansas City’s head coach, posting a 6-1 (.857) record in such games, including wins in his first four MNF contests. In fact, among coaches with at least five MNF appearances, only John Madden (11-1-1, .885) owns a better winning percentage in Monday night play. Stram’s first MNF outing came in just the second-ever telecast of ABC’s primetime pigskin showcase, as the Chiefs won a 44-24 decision at Baltimore (9/28/70). Stram’s final MNF appearance as KC’s head coach was a 42-34 win at Denver (11/18/74).
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL ROAD WARRIORS
The Chiefs have won their last three Monday Night Football road games dating back to a 17-10 win at Oakland (10/20/03). That three-game road MNF winning streak ties as the longest such string in franchise history. KC won it’s first three road MNF contests from ’70-72.KC’s three-game road winning streak on MNF ties with Dallas for the NFL’s second-longest active streak. Green Bay owns that mark with five straight road MNF victories dating back to 2001. The longest all-time road winning streak on MNF is eight games, established by Oakland from ’75-81. Here’s a look at the Chiefs last three Monday road games.
KC’S LAST THREE MNF ROAD TRIPS (3-0) Date Site Result Of Note
10/20/03 OAK W, 17-10 Gonzalez sets KC career catch record. Key Play: S Greg Wesley and S Jerome Woods stop WR Tim Brown at the one-yard line as time expires to seal the victory.
Date Site Result Of Note
10/4/04 BAL W, 27-24 Holmes: 125 rush yards, 2 TDs. Key Play: One-yard Holmes TD run with 14:57 remaining caps a 13-play, 80-yard TD drive, giving KC a 27-17 advantage.
Date Site Result Of Note
12/13/04 TEN W, 49-38 Johnson TD runs of 46 & 41 yards. Key Play: Nine-yard TD pass from QB Trent Green to WR Eddie Kennison with 0:32 left caps a 64-yard drive to give KC a 42-38 lead.
MONDAY NIGHT FLASHBACK – MONTANA VS. ELWAY
The Chiefs are 3-2 all-time in Monday Night Football play vs. the Broncos, including a 2-1 mark at Denver. KC’s last MNF visit to Denver resulted in a 31-28 comeback victory (10/17/94) and was later selected as one of the top five games in MNF history in a 2002 fan vote.QBs Joe Montana and John Elway waged an epic duel as Kansas City forged a 24-21 lead with 4:08 remaining in the fourth quarter. However, Elway responded by scoring on a four-yard quarterback draw to put the Broncos back ahead 28-24 with 1:29 left to play. That set the stage for a classic Montana comeback as he led the Chiefs on a nine-play, 75-yard scoring march. The ever-cool QB found WR Willie Davis on the right boundary. Davis stretched out to make a finger-tip grab and tip-toed inside the front pylon just before his momentum could carry him out of bounds, giving Kansas City a 31-28 lead with just 0:08 remaining to snap the Chiefs 11-game losing streak at Mile High Stadium.
MIKE SHANAHAN
NFL Head Coach:
12th Year
NFL Coach Overall:
22nd Year
NFL Overall:
117-76 (.606)
Regular Season:
110-72 (.604)
Postseason:
7-4 (.700)
Record w/Broncos:
102-60 (.630)
Record w/Raiders:
8-12 (.400)
AFC West Exp:
17th Year
College:
Eastern Illinois (’74)
Mike Shanahan was named the 11th head coach in Broncos history on January 31, 1995, after spending three seasons (‘92-94) as San Francisco’s offensive coordinator. Just the fifth coach in NFL history to lead his club to back-to-back Super Bowl titles, Shanahan owns six Super Bowl appearances as a head coach or NFL assistant - five with Denver, including XXXII and XXXIII titles and a win with the 49ers in SB XXIX. Born in Oak Park, Illinois on August 24, 1952, Shanahan began his coaching career at Oklahoma in ’75, before stints at Northern Arizona, Eastern Illinois, Minnesota and Florida.
He entered the pro ranks as the Broncos receivers coach in ’84 before assuming duties as Denver’s offensive coordinator from ‘85-87. Shanahan served as head coach of the L.A. Raiders for the ’88 season, plus the first four games of the ’89 season, compiling an 8-12 regular season mark. A former wishbone QB at Eastern Illinois, Shanahan’s playing career was halted when he lost a kidney during the spring of his junior year.
Shanahan’s 102-60 (.630) regular season mark and 7-4 (.636) postseason record both rank as the top winning percentages in Denver history.
DICK VERMEIL
NFL Head Coach:
15th Year
NFL Coach Overall:
19th Year
NFL Overall:
117-108 (.520)
Regular Season:
112-103 (.521)
Postseason:
6-5 (.545)
Record w/PHI:
54-47 (.535)
Record w/STL:
22-26 (.458)
Record w/KC:
36-30 (.545)
College:
San Jose State (’58)
Dick Vermeil was named the ninth head coach in Chiefs history on January 12, 2001 following head coaching stints with Philadelphia (’76-82) and St. Louis (‘97-99). He is one of just four coaches in NFL history to lead two different teams to the Super Bowl and has twice been named NFL Coach of the Year.The Calistoga, California native began his NFL coaching career with the L.A. Rams (’69, ‘71-73) serving as the team’s special teams, RBs, and QBs coach and offensive coordinator. During his tenure as head coach in Philadelphia (’76-82), he compiled a 54-47 record. In ’78, Vermeil guided the Eagles to their first playoff appearance in 12 years. He then led the ’80 Eagles to a 12-4 record to earn a trip to Super Bowl XV.
Vermeil returned to the sidelines as the head coach of St. Louis for three seasons (’97-99), guiding the Rams to a 13-3 record in ’99, concluding the year with a win in Super Bowl XXXIV. A standout quarterback at San Jose State, Vermeil served as an assistant at Stanford (’65-68) and UCLA (’70) before taking over the head coaching duties for the Bruins from ’74-75. In ’75, he led UCLA to a 23-10 victory over #1 ranked Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
THE 2005 CHIEFS
The Chiefs are 2-0 for the second time under head coach Dick Vermeil. Al Saunders is in his fifth season as Kansas City’s assistant head coach/offensive coordinator, while Gunther Cunningham is in his second campaign in his second stint as KC’s defensive coordinator.
Kansas City is fourth in the league in rushing (161.5 ypg). The Chiefs are sixth in a host of offensive categories, including scoring (25.0 ppg), total offense (371.5 ypg), yards per play (5.9), yards per rush (4.6) and yards per pass play (8.09). KC is tied for seventh in the league, averaging 20.0 first downs per game.
In 2004, KC set an NFL record with 398 first downs. The Chiefs registered 63 rushing TDs in 2003-04, tying the ’61-62 Packers for the best two-year total in NFL history. The Chiefs led the NFL in total offense for the first time in 2004, averaging 418.4 yards per game. KC also ranked in the NFL’s top five in each of the four major offensive categories for the first time in team history in 2004: scoring offense (2nd – 30.2 ppg), total offense (1st – 418.4 ypg), pass offense (4th – 275.4 ypg) and rush offense (5th – 143.1 ypg). In total, the Chiefs established or tied 19 single-season team records in 2004, including marks for completions (370), passing yards (4,406), passing first downs (228) and third-down conversions (47.2%). The club’s 30.2 ppg scoring average ranked second in the league.
The Chiefs defense is tied for the eighth in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing just 12.0 ppg. The Chiefs have held back-to-back opponents under the 21-point barrier for the first time since posting a 17-10 win at Oakland (10/20/03) and a 38-5 victory vs. Buffalo (10/26/03). KC is first in the AFC and fifth in the league in rushing defense, allowing just 64.0 ypg. The Chiefs are tied for fifth in the NFL with a +3 (5 takes/2 gives) turnover margin. KC’s defense is third in the AFC in the Red Zone defense (28.6 TD%).
Notable additions to KC’s defense in the offense included two-time Pro Bowl CB Patrick Surtain (T - MIA), one-time Pro Bowl S Sammy Knight (UFA – MIA) and one-time Pro Bowl LB Kendrell Bell (UFA – PIT) who earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors with the Steelers in 2001. KC also bolstered its defensive roster with DE Carlos Hall (T - TEN) and LB Derrick Johnson (D1-05).
Kansas City’s specialty units are headed by Frank Gansz, Jr. K Lawrence Tynes tying a team record with 58 made PATs in 2004. Rookie P Dustin Colquitt (D3-05) made his NFL debut vs. NYJ (9/11). KC ranks third in the NFL in kickoff return average (29.2). TE Kendall Gammon earned a Pro Bowl berth for his long-snapping exploits in 2004, while WR Dante Hall has earned a pair of Pro Bowl berths as a return man.
CHIEFS-BRONCOS CONNECTIONS
KC WR EDDIE KENNISON spent the first eight games (six starts) of 2001 w/Denver, catching 15 passes for 169 yards with a TD … Chiefs DT
LIONAL DALTON appeared in 16 games (13 starts) w/Denver in 2002, amassing 39 tackles (33 solo), a sack, a FF and a PD … Denver P TODD SAUERBRUN played in 16 games with KC in 2000, punting 82 times for 3,656 yards (44.6 gross, 35.8 net) with 20 inside the 20 … Denver special teams asst. THOMAS McGAUGHEY served a minority coaching fellowship with KC (2001) and was a volunteer asst. (2002) … KC OL coach MIKE SOLARI (’92-96), Denver head coach MIKE SHANAHAN (’92-94), TEs coach BRIAN PARIANI and QBs coach GARY KUBIAK (’94) all coached together in SF … KC RBs coach JAMES SAXON and Denver asst. DL coach KEITH MILLARD coached together at Menlo College … KC asst. special teams coach CHAD O’SHEA is a native of Colorado Springs, CO … Denver asst. coach KIRK DOLL is a native of Wichita, KS and coached at Wichita St. (’75-76) … Denver WR ROD SMITH played at Missouri Southern. Smith and KC CB ERIC WARFIELD both attended Texarkana HS
in Texarkana, AR … KC LB KAWIKA MITCHELL and Denver DE TREVOR PRYCE both attended Lake Howell HS in Lake Howell, FL … KC LB coach
FRED PAGAC (’78-00) and Denver def. coord. LARRY COYER (’91-92) coached together at Ohio State.
THE 2005 BRONCOS
QB Jake Plummer is in his third season as the Broncos starting quarterback and has posted a 20-9 (.690) record over that period. RB Mike Anderson (D6-00), who rushed for 1,487 yards and 15 TDs as a rookie in 2000, is serving as Denver’s primary ball carrier. Denver’s stable of RBs also includes Tatum Bell (D2a-04) and former Heisman Trophy winner, Ron Dayne. The Broncos offensive line is headlined by five-time Pro Bowl C Tom Nalen (D7c-94) and also includes Ts Matt Lepis and George Foster (D1-03) as well as Gs Cooper Carlisle (D4b-00) and Ben Hamilton (D4a-01). Two-time Pro Bowler Rod Smith and Ashley Lelie (D1-02) man the WR posts. Smith is Denver’s all-time leader in receptions (727), receiving yards (9,945) and TD receptions (59). Eight-year veteran Stephen Alexander mans the TE post, while Kyle Johnson works at fullback.
Four-time Pro Bowl DE Trevor Pryce anchors a retooled Broncos defensive line that includes three former Browns: DTs Gerard Warren and Michael Myers and DE Courtney Brown. Former Pro Bowl LB Ian Gold returns to the team that originally drafted him after one season with Tampa Bay. Three-time Pro Bowl LB Al Wilson (D1-99) and D.J. Williams (D1-04) round out the linebacking unit. Five-time Pro Bowl CB Champ Bailey is in his second season with Denver and is joined in the secondary by FS John Lynch, who owns six Pro Bowl berths. SS Nick Ferguson (D2b-00) and CB Lenny Walls round out the defensive backfield.
Three-time Pro Bowl selection K Jason Elam (D3-93) handles the placements, while former Chiefs and Panthers P Todd Sauerbrun does the punting. Rookie CB Darrent Williams (D2-05) returns punts and KOs.
MEDIA INFORMATION
INJURIES
T Willie Roaf (left hamstring strain) and DT Ryan Sims (right foot strain) did not play vs. the Raiders. Players injured at Oakland included:
LB Keyaron Fox (right knee sprain), TE Jason Dunn (left knee sprain) and DE Carlos Hall (back sprain).
RADIO AND TV
ABC’s Monday Night Football will broadcast the game to a national television audience. Hall of Fame sportscaster Al Michaels handles the MNF play-by-play for the 19th season, while former Oakland head coach John Madden provides the color with sideline reports from Sam Ryan. CBS/Westwood One Radio will carry the game to a national radio audience. Veteran broadcaster Marv Albert handles the play-by-play, while longtime NFL QB Boomer Esiason provides the color with sideline reports from John Dockery. Clemson Smith-Muniz and Alfredo Bejar handle the national Spanish radio broadcast for CBS/Westwood One.
The Chiefs Fox Football Radio Network, anchored by KCFX-FM (101.1), carries all Chiefs games. Eight-time Kansas Broadcaster of the Year, Mitch Holthus, is in his 12th year handling the play-by-play duties, while HOF QB Len Dawson adds the color with sideline reports from Bob Gretz. The KCFX pregame show begins at 4:30 PM (CT). Chiefs Gameday, KC’s official TV show airs Sundays at 10:00 AM on KCTV-5.
CONFERENCE CALLS
Denver CB Champ Bailey (1:20 CT) and Broncos coach Mike Shanahan (1:45 CT) and will be available via conference call to the KC media on Wednesday. CB Patrick Surtain (12:20 CT) and coach Dick Vermeil (12:35 CT) will speak with the Denver media on Thursday.
2005 DENVER BRONCOS
AFC NFL Category Player Total Rank Rank Scoring K. Johnson/Elam 12 T9th T14th Rushing Yards Anderson 54 22nd - - QB Rating Plummer 59.9 15th 28th Receptions R. Smith 15 T3rd T4th Rec. Yards R. Smith 173 5th 10th Interceptions Bailey 2 T2nd T3rd Punting Avg. Sauerbrun 45.0 T4th T7th Punt Ret. Avg. Da. Williams 15.8 1st 2nd KO Ret. Avg. Da. Williams 23.8 - - - - Sacks Four players tied 1.0 11th 24th
2005 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
AFC NFL Category Player Total Rank Rank
Scoring Tynes 20 2nd 3rd
Rushing Yards Holmes 160 4th 8th QB Rating Green 79.0 9th 15th Receptions Gonzalez 9 T12th T26th Rec. Yards Kennison 128 16th 27th Interceptions Surtain 1 T5th T8th Punting Avg. Colquitt 43.4 9th 14th Punt Ret. Avg. Hall 8.0 9th 14th KO Ret. Avg. Hall 29.2 4th 5th Sacks Four players tied 1.0 11th 24th
Chiefs Seek to Snap Their Losing Streak in Denver with a Potent Rushing Attack
by Pete Moris Chiefs-Broncos Scoring Stats to ConsiderDating back to the start of the 2002 season, no team has produced more 30-point games than the Chiefs (23). In fact, Kansas City owns a stellar 15-2 record when scoring 30 points or more dating back to 49-0 win vs. Arizona (12/1/02). The Broncos have lost 10 of their last 11 outings when giving up 30 points or more, including a string of seven consecutive losses. In total, Denver is 7-21 (.250) under Mike Shanahan when permitting 30+ points.
However, 30-point contests have been rare for opponents at INVESCO Field. It’s something that’s happened only three times, most recently in a 41-28 victory by Atlanta at Denver (10/31/04). KC’s only 30-point performance at Denver during the Shanahan era came in a 35-31 Broncos victory at Mile High Stadium (12/6/98). Denver has won seven straight September home games dating back to 2002 and hasn’t allowed an opponent to produce a 30-point game at home during the season’s first month since Miami registered a 38-21 win at Mile High Stadium (9/13/99). Holding opponents to 21 points or less is always a target for the Chiefs defense. KC has won 16 consecutive games when holding opponents to 21 points or less dating back to a 17-16 win vs. Buffalo (11/17/02). That ranks as the fourth-longest active streak in the NFL. Denver is 9-12 (.429) at home when being held to 21 points or less dating back to ’95, something the Chiefs defense has accomplished four times over that span, by far the highest total of any NFL team. KC most recently accomplished that feat in a 16-10 win at Denver (12/5/99). Denver has lost just four home contests dating back to 2003. The Broncos were held to 14 points or less in three of those four outings. Of course, holding the Broncos under the 21-point barrier is no guarantee of victory. Denver got its first win of the season last week by a 20-17 count vs. San Diego (9/18).
KC’s Rushing Defense vs. Denver’s Rushing Offense
Stopping the run will be a key factor for Kansas City’s defense this week. In KC’s last four victories at Denver dating back to ’94, the Chiefs haven’t allowed a single Broncos RB to post a 100-yard game. In fact, KC has held Denver to 100 or fewer team rushing yards in three of those four victories. In those four wins at Denver, KC has permitted an average of just 102.5 rushing yards per game. The Chiefs rushing defense is off to a stellar start this season, ranking fifth in the league by permitting just 64.0 rushing yards per game. The Chiefs have held their first two opponents under 100 team rushing yards and are attempting to accomplish that feat in three straight games for the first time since ’98-99.
Of course, slowing down the Denver rushing game is easier said than done. The Broncos have won 10 of their last 12 games when producing an individual 100-yard rusher. Denver has also won four straight home games vs. the Chiefs and have boasted an individual 100-yard back in each of those wins. Over that four-game home winning streak against KC, the Broncos have averaged 214.0 rushing ypg.
KC RUSHING DEFENSE AT DENVER LAST FOUR WINS VS. LAST FOUR LOSSES
FOUR WINS FOUR LOSSES
Date Atts/Yds/TDs Score Date Atts/Yds/TDs Score 10/17/94 27/97/2 W, 31-28 10/7/01 39/197/1 L, 6-20 10/22/95 26/85/0 W, 21-7 12/15/02 35/197/3 L, 24-31 12/5/99 18/83/1 W, 16-10 12/7/03 32/270/5 L, 27-45 9/24/00 30/145/1 W, 23-22 9/12/04 36/192/2 L, 24-34 Totals 101/410/4 91-67 142/856/11 81-130 Per Game 25.3/102.4/1.0 22.8-16.8 35.5/214.0/2.8 20.3/32.5
KC’s Daily Double – RBs Priest Holmes & Larry Johnson
KC boasts two of the NFL’s most dangerous running threats in RBs Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson. Holmes ranks first in KC history with 24 regular season 100-yard rushing games. Meanwhile, Johnson has posted four 100-yard outings in his last seven contests, including a 151-yard, two-TD performance in his most recent meeting with Denver (12/19/04). During KC’s three-game road winning streak on MNF, either Holmes or Johnson has posted a 100-yard outing in all three of those victories.
The Chiefs have registered at least one rushing TD in 33 of their 36 regular season victories under head coach Dick Vermeil, including each of club’s last 17 consecutive victories dating back to 2003, the longest active streak in the league. Johnson has scored a rushing TD in eight straight games, the second-longest streak in KC history behind only Holmes (11). Meanwhile, Holmes has 82 career rushing TDs, a figure that is tied for 12th in NFL history with Pittsburgh RB Jerome Bettis.
The Broncos are 8-25 when permitting a 100-yard rusher under Mike Shanahan, but have allowed just one RB to post a 100-yard day at INVESCO Field since it opened in 2001. That opponent is Holmes, who has actually done it twice, racking up 161 yards (12/15/02) and 151 yards
(9/12/04) on the road against the Broncos. Denver has only allowed seven 100-yard rushers dating back to 2002, owning a 1-6 record in those contests. Last week, the Denver defense held Chargers Pro Bowl RB LaDainian Tomlinson to just 52 yards.
QB Comparison – KC’s Trent Green vs. Denver’s Jake Plummer Since coming to KC in 2001, Chiefs QB Trent Green has thrown for 16,540 yards, a total topped only by IND’s Peyton Manning (17,531) over that span. Green boasts an 87.8 career rating, the eighth-best mark in NFL history and owns 36 regular season victories in a Chiefs uniform, a tally topped only by HOF QB Len Dawson (94). Despite those gaudy numbers, he is still seeking his initial victory at Denver. In his most recent meeting with the Broncos, a 45-17 win at Arrowhead (12/19/04), Green completed 16 of 19 passes (84.2%) for 224 yards with three TDs.
Denver QB Jake Plummer owns a career 3-4 record as an NFL starter vs. the Chiefs. All three of those wins have come as the home QB, including a pair of wins at INVESCO Field. When Plummer is at his best, his teams typically fare well. Since signing with the Broncos in 2003, Plummer has posted a 12-1 record in games when he throws two or more TDs, including an 8-1 mark at INVESCO Field. Denver has won 15 straight games when its starting QB boasts a 100.0 rating or better (min. 20 atts.), including 10 straight wins in such games with Plummer at the helm.
The Chiefs have an impressive track record when forcing opponents into multi-INT games. Dating back to a 49-0 win vs. Arizona (12/1/02) when KC forced Plummer to throw three INTs as the Cardinals QB, the Chiefs are 12-2 in games when they register two or more INTs. Plummer owns a 9-35 record as an NFL starter in games where he’s been picked off more than once, including losses in five of his last six such contests. Here’s a look at Green and Plummer in head-to-head competition in 2004 . . .
GREEN VS. PLUMMER HEAD-TO-HEAD, 2004 Player Att-Comp-Yds Comp. TDs/INTs Rating W-L
Trent Green – KC 51-32-398 62.7% 3/1 98.3 1-1 Jake Plummer – DEN 41-70-522 58.6% 3/4 72.4 1-1
Turnovers Are Always Pivotal in Chiefs-Broncos Contests
Winning the turnover battle is especially important at Denver, where the Broncos are 49-8 (.860) with an even or positive turnover mark since ’95. KC has won seven of its last eight games on the road when owning a positive turnover mark dating back to 2003. That lone loss was a 34-24 setback at Denver (9/12/04) when KC actually boasted a +2 (3 takes/1 give) turnover advantage. The Broncos have thrown one INT in three of their four home losses dating back back to the 2003. In total, Denver owns a 9-20 (.310) record with a negative turnover ratio dating back to 2001.
Hall, Kennison and Smith Have All Excelled in KC-Denver Games Denver is the only team that WR Dante Hall has scored against as a receiver, a punt returner and a kickoff returner. Four of Hall’s 13 career TDs have come against Denver. In the most recent Chiefs-Broncos contest, Hall returned the game’s opening kickoff for a 97-yard TD in a 45-17 win at Arrowhead (12/19/04). Hall also got a 93-yard punt return TD vs. Denver, providing the winning margin in a 24-23 victory at KC (10/5/03).
Two of Hall’s three career 100-yard receiving games have come at Denver, including a career-high 143-yard effort (12/15/02). He also set a single-game career high with 11 catches for 124 yards and two TDs at Denver (12/7/03), touching the ball 19 times for 296 combined net yards.
Chiefs WR Eddie Kennison produced a career-high 1,086 receiving yards in 2004, including a pair of 100-yard outings against Denver. In total, Kennison racked up 13 catches for 202 yards (15.5 avg.) against the Broncos a year ago. In his most recent meeting with the Broncos, he registered a seven-catch, 101-yard, two-TD performance at KC (12/19/04).
Broncos WR Rod Smith has registered nine career 100-yard games against KC, the highest total of any individual player against the Chiefs. However, KC has produced a 6-3 record in those contests and hasn’t relinquished a 100-yard performance to Smith since he had 131 yards in a 24-23 KC win at Arrowhead (10/5/03). The last time Smith had a 100-yard outing in a Chiefs-Broncos outing at Denver was a 110-yard performance in a 20-6 Broncos victory (10/7/01).
First Down Fodder, Ball Control Stats
The Chiefs set an NFL record by producing 398 first downs (24.9 per game) in 2004, breaking the previous mark of 387 established by the ’84 Dolphins. Denver’s defense ranked first in the NFL a year ago by permitting just 235 first downs (14.7 per game) … No team advanced the ball more frequently than the Chiefs in 2004, who combined for 866 “advances” (496 rushes/370 completions) or 54.1 per game. Denver was third in league with 837 “advances” (534 rushes/303 completions), good for an average of 52.3 per game. Pittsburgh (34:00) led the league in time of possession in 2004, but was trailed closely by Denver (32:38) and Kansas City (32:14).
POSITION-BY-POSITION NOTES
by Brad KuhbanderQUARTERBACKS
QB TRENT GREEN
• Completed 18 of 28 passes for 237 yards for a 90.9 rating at Oakland (9/18).
• Has completed 33 of 54 passes for 437 yards with an INT for a 79.0 rating.
• Has started 66 consecutive games with KC dating back to a game vs. Oakland (9/9/01), the longest streak by a QB in team history.
• Has led the Chiefs to 36 regular season wins as the starting QB, a total topped by only Hall of Fame QB Len Dawson (94).
• His 16,540 yards passing with the Chiefs are the third-best mark in team history, needing just 738 more yards to overtake QB Bill Kenney (17,277) for second in franchise annals.
• Only IND’s Peyton Manning (17,531) has more passing yards than Green (16,540) from 2001-05
• Ranks first in team history with an 87.7 passer rating.
• His 61.85 completion percentage is first team history.
• Has completed 213 passes of 20+ yards, the most in team history.
• Has 20 career 300-yard passing days with KC, the most in team history.
• His 7.77-yard average gain ranks first in club history.
• His 94 TDs with KC are the third-highest total in Chiefs history, needing 12 more to pass QB Bill Kenney (105) for second.
• In nine starts vs. Denver has completed 180 of 293 passes for 2,233 yards with 10 TDs and nine INTs for a 83.6 rating with two 300-yard games and three 100.0 rating contests.
• Connected on 16 of 19 passes for 224 yards with three TDs for a 155.4 rating vs. Denver (12/19/04).
QB TODD COLLINS
• In 39 career games (17 starts) with BUF (’95-97) and KC (’98-04) has completed 302 of 546 throws (55.3%) for 3,447 yards with 17 TDs and 19 INTs for a 70.4 rating.
RUNNING BACKS
RB PRIEST HOLMES• Carried the ball 19 times for 75 yards (3.9 avg.) with a one-yard TD run and caught three passes for 15 yards at Oakland (9/18).
• Has rushed 41 times for a team-high 160 yards (3.9 avg.) with two TDs and caught four passes for 20 yards (5.0 avg.).
• Is fourth in the AFC and eighth in the NFL with 160 rushing yards.
• Stands eighth in the AFC with 180 yards from scrimmage.
• His 10 first downs rank eighth in the AFC.
• Ranks first in Chiefs history with 5,642 rushing yards.
• Is second in club history with 1,197 rushing attempts, needing 50 more attempts to bypass RB Christian Okoye (1,246) for first.
• Stands first in Chiefs history with 7,825 career yards from scrimmage.
• Is first in Chiefs history with 72 career rushing TDs and 78 total TDs.
• His 2,183 receiving yards with KC rank fourth in team annals among RBs, needing 274 more to pass RB Ed Podolak (2,456) for third.
• His 229 career receptions rank third in club annals among RBs, needing 60 more to surpass Podolak (288) for second.
• Is second in Chiefs history with 1,426 total touches from scrimmage and needs 20 more to bypass Podolak (1,445) for first.
• In seven starts vs. Denver he has recorded 143 carries for 729 yards (5.1 avg.) with nine TDs and four 100-yard games.
• Rushed 26 times for 151 yards with three TDs at Denver (9/12/04).
RB LARRY JOHNSON
• Rushed nine times for 41 yards (4.6 avg.) with a six-yard TD run at Oakland (9/18).
• Owns a streak of eight consecutives games with a rushing TD dating back to a game vs. San Diego (11/28/04), the second-longest streak in team history behind RB Priest Holmes (11).
• Has produced 18 carries for 151 yards (8.4 avg.) with three TDs and one reception for 11 yards.
• His 151 rushing yards are tied for sixth in the AFC.
• Is tied for first in the AFC and tied for second in the NFL among non-kickers with 18 total points.
• Started his first career NFL game vs. Denver (12/19/04), rushing a career-high 30 times for a career-high 151 yards (5.0 avg.) with two TDs.
FB TONY RICHARDSON
• Has rushed one time for four yards in 2005.
• His 1,570 career rushing yards rank 17th in team history.
WIDE RECEIVERS
WR EDDIE KENNISON• Recorded four receptions for 52 yards (13.0 avg.) at Oakland (9/18).
• Has caught eight passes for a team-high 128 yards (16.0 avg.).
• Has caught a pass in 53 straight games dating back to a contest at Oakland (12/9/01), the third-longest streak in KC history.
• His 50 catches of 20+ yards with Kansas City rank fourth in team history and needs four more to bypass WR Willie Davis (53) for third.
• In eight games (seven starts) vs. Denver has 31 receptions for 493 yards (15.9 avg.) with three TDs.
• Had seven catches for 101 yards with two TDs vs. Denver (12/19/04).
WR DANTE HALL
• Totaled 11 touches for 176 yards (16.0 avg.) at Oakland (9/18). Took back four kickoffs for 136 yards (34.0 avg.) and four punt for 32 yards (8.0 avg.). Also caught one pass for 15 yards.
• Has touched the ball 15 times for 223 yards (14.9 avg.). Has returned six kickoffs for 175 yards (29.2 avg.) and four punts for 32 yards (8.0 avg.). Has also caught two passes for 23 yards (11.5 avg.) and carried the ball three times for a seven-yard loss.
• His 6,052 career kickoff return yards and 248 kickoff returns each rank first all-time in team history.
• Is 10th in NFL history with 6,052 career kickoff return yards.
• Ranks first in franchise history with five kickoff returns for TDs and nine total special teams TDs.
• His five kickoff return TDs are tied for fifth in NFL history, needing one more to tie RB Ollie Matson, RB Gale Sayers, RB Travis Williams and RB Mel Gray for first.
• His 11.37-yard career punt return average is the top mark in club annals.
• His 13 career TDs have come from an average of 82.4 yards, the longest average distance in NFL history (minimum 10 TDs).
• His nine career kick return TDs are tied for third in NFL history and he needs four more to pass RB Eric Metcalf (12) for second.
• Needs 2,000 combined net yards in 2005 to join RB Marshall Faulk (’98-01) as the only other player in NFL history to top the 2,000-yard barrier in four consecutive seasons.
• In nine games (two starts) vs. Denver he has returned 38 kickoffs for 885 yards (23.3 avg.) with a TD and 16 punts for 285 yards (17.8 avg.) with a TD to go with 24 receptions for 332 yards (13.8 avg.) with two TDs.
• Caught a career-high 11 pases for 124 yards at Denver (12/7/03).
• Returned a punt for a 93-yard game-winning TD vs. Denver (10/5/03) and took back the opening kickoff for a 97-yard TD vs. Denver (12/19/04).
WR SAMIE PARKER
• Caught three passes for a career-high 86 yards (28.7 avg.) at Oakland (9/18) with a career-long 49-yard reception.
• Has recorded five receptions for 109 yards (21.8 avg.).
• Caught his first three NFL passes for 84 yards with a TD vs. Denver (12/19/04).
WR MARC BOERIGTER
• Has been inactive for two games.
WR CHRIS HORN
• Recorded two catches for 25 yards (12.5 avg.) at Oakland (9/18).
• Has three receptions for 36 yards (13.0 avg.) and two special teams tackles.
TIGHT ENDS
TE TONY GONZALEZ• Produced a team-best five receptions for 44 yards at Oakland (9/18).
• Has caught a team-leading nine passes for 95 yards (10.6 avg.).
• Ranks first on the Chiefs all-time receiving chart with 579 catches.
• Is just the second tight end in NFL history to establish himself as his franchise’s career leader in receptions, joining Cleveland’s Ozzie Newsome (662).
• His 7,000 career receiving yards rank second in team annals, needing 307 more yards to overtake WR Otis Taylor (7,306).
• Is third in NFL history among TEs with 579 career catches, needing 84 more to bypass Newsome (662) for second.
• His 7,000 receiving yards rank fourth among TEs in NFL history, needing 919 to overtake Jackie Smith (7,918) for third.
• His 54 career TDs are tied with Wesley Walls for the third-highest total by a TE in NFL history. Jerry Smith is second with 60 TD catches.
• Has caught a pass in 70 consecutive games dating back to a game at New England (12/4/00) for the second-longest streak in team annals, trailing only WR Stephone Paige (83 straight).
• Ranks fourth among TEs in NFL history with 15 career 100-yard receiving days, needing five more such days to pass Sharpe (19) for third.
• His 15 career 100-yard receiving days rank third in team annals, needing four more to bypass WR Carlos Carson (18) for second.
• In 16 games (14 starts) vs. Denver he has 64 receptions for 795 yards (12.4 avg.) with three TDs and two 100-yard games.
• Caught six passes for 73 yards (12.2 avg.) at Denver (12/7/03).
TE JASON DUNN
• Has played in two games (one start).
TE KRIS WILSON
OFFENSIVE LINE
C CASEY WIEGMANN• Has opened 64 consecutive games with KC dating back to a game vs. the N.Y. Giants (9/23/01).
G WILL SHIELDS
• Has started 193 consecutive games dating back to a game at Houston (9/12/93), the second-longest active streak in the NFL, trailing only Green Bay QB Brett Favre (207).
• His streak of 194 consecutive games played is the longest string in franchise history since ’68.
• His 193 starts are the most in team history since ’68.
• His 194 games played are third in team history and he needs to play in 10 more contests to pass P Jerrel Wilson (203) for second.
T WILLIE ROAF
• Was inactive at Oakland (9/18) with a left hamstring injury suffered vs. the N.Y. Jets (9/11), breaking his streak of 49 consecutive starts with Kansas City.
G BRIAN WATERS
• Has started 55 consecutive contests at left guard dating back to a contest vs. Seattle (11/25/01).
T JORDAN BLACK
• Started at left tackle in place of an injured T Willie Roaf at Oakland (9/18).
T KEVIN SAMPSON
• Played as a reserve at RT at Oakland (9/18).
T CHRIS BOBER
• Started at RT at Oakland (9/18).
DEFENSIVE LINE
DE ERIC HICKS• Totaled four tackles (two solo) and one QB pressure at Oakland (9/18).
• Has recorded 11 tackles (six solo), eight QB pressures and one pass defensed.
• Ranks fifth in team history with 40.5 career sacks and needs 11.0 more to pass LB Mike Bell (51.0) for fourth.
• Has recorded 5.0 career sacks vs. Denver and 1.5 takedowns of Jake Plummer.
• Amassed five tackles, a sack and two QB pressures vs. Denver (12/19/04).
DT LIONAL DALTON
• Tallied three solo tackles at Oakland (9/18).
• Has registered seven tackles (five solo) and one QB pressure.
DT RYAN SIMS
• Was inactive at Oakland (9/18) with a right foot sprain.
• Has tallied one tackle.
DT JOHN BROWNING
• Recorded three tackles (two solo) and three QB pressures at Oakland (9/18).
• Has produced nine tackles (seven solo), a pass defensed and a team-high 10 QB pressures. Also has a blocked field goal.
• Had a career-high 11 tackles at Denver (9/24/00).
DE JIMMY WILKERSON
• Registered three tackles (two solo) and two QB pressures at Oakland (9/18).
• Has totaled six tackles (four solo) and three QB pressures.
DE JARED ALLEN
• Totaled three tackles (one solo) and three QB pressures at Oakland (9/18).
• Has produced seven tackles (two solo), a sack (-5.0 yards), seven QB pressures and a forced fumble.
DE CARLOS HALL
• Produced two tackles at Oakland (9/18).
• Has two tackles and three QB pressures.
DT JUNIOR SIAVII
• Had one QB pressure at Oakland (9/18).
LINEBACKERS
LB KENDRELL BELL• Recorded five tackles (four solo) and one QB pressure at Oakland (9/18).
• Has amassed nine tackles (eight solo) and one QB pressure.
LB KAWIKA MITCHELL
• Totaled 10 tackles (seven solo) and one pass defensed at Oakland (9/18).
• Has a team-high 21 tackles (13 solo), three passes defensed and a fumble recovery.
• Recorded nine tackles and a sack vs. Denver (12/19/04).
LB DERRICK JOHNSON
• Recorded 10 tackles (six solo) and recovered a QB Kerry Collins fumble at Oakland (9/18).
• Has registered 18 tackles (13 solo), a sack (-6.0 yards), two QB pressures, a pass defensed, one fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
• Became the first Chiefs rookie linebacker to start on Opening Day since Percy Snow started vs. Minnesota (9/9/90).
LB KEYARON FOX
• Left the game with a right knee sprain in the second quarter at Oakland (9/18).
• Has recorded two tackles and one special teams stop.
LB RICH SCANLON
• Has three special teams tackles.
LB BOOMER GRIGSBY
• Has played in two games on special teams.
LB GARY STILLS
• Totaled one special teams tackle and recovered a CB Chris Carr fumble on a punt return at Oakland (9/18).
• Has three special teams tackles and a fumble recovery on special teams.
• Ranks second in Chiefs history with 126 special teams tackles, needing 22 more to surpass LB Greg Manusky (147) for first.
LB KRIS GRIFFIN
• Has been inactive for two games.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
CB PATRICK SURTAIN• Tallied five solo tackles and one pass defensed at Oakland (9/18).
• Has recorded nine tackles (eight solo), an interception (53 yards), one pass defensed and a fumble recovery.
• Dating back to 2000, only S Darren Sharper (32) has registered more INTs than Surtain (26) and S Tony Parish (26).
• Returned an interception for a 40-yard TD at Denver (10/13/02) w/Miami.
SS SAMMY KNIGHT
• Totaled six tackles (two solo), one pass defensed and one QB pressure at Oakland (9/18).
• Has registered 15 tackles (nine solo), a sack (-8.0 yards), two passes defensed, a QB pressure and a forced fumble.
• Dating back to the ’97 campaign, no NFL player has recorded more takeaways (46 – 35 INTs, 11 FRs) than Knight.
• His 35 interceptions since ’97 are the second-highest total in the NFL during that time, trailing only S Darren Sharper (37).
• Posted eight tackles and an interception at Denver (12/12/04) while with Miami.
FS GREG WESLEY
• Produced nine tackles (six solo) at Oakland (9/18).
• Has totaled 15 tackles (10 solo) and one pass defensed.
• Posted eight tackles and a forced fumble vs. Denver (12/19/04).
CB DEXTER McCLEON
• Recorded five tackles (four solo) and one pass defensed at Oakland (9/18).
• Has 12 tackles (11 solo) and one pass defensed.
• Tied a career high with two interceptions to go with four tackles vs. Denver (12/19/04).
S JEROME WOODS
• Has tallied two special teams tackle.
• His 717 career tackles rank seventh in Chiefs history, needing 12 more to bypass LB Derrick Thomas (728) for sixth.
S WILLIAM BARTEE
• Has played in two games.
S BENNY SAPP
• Had three solo tackles and a sack (-7.0 yards) and strip of Kerry Collins at Oakland (9/18).
• Has recorded six tackles (five solo), a sack (-7.0 yards), one QB pressure a forced fumble and two special teams stops.
CB DEWAYNE WASHINGTON
• Has registered four tackles (two solo).
SPECIALISTS
K LAWRENCE TYNES• Made a career-high three of four field goals and both of his PATs for a personal-best 11 points at Oakland (9/18).
• Has converted five of seven field goals and all five of his PATs for a team-high 20 points.
• His 20 total points are tied for fifth in the AFC and seventh in the NFL among kickers.
• Hit a career-long 50-yard FG at Denver (9/12/04) in his first NFL game.
P DUSTIN COLQUITT
• Punted three times for 120 yards (40.0 gross, 22.0 net) with one inside the 20 and a touchback at Oakland (9/18).
• Has punted five times for 217 yards (43.4 gross, 31.0 net), landing one inside the 20 and one touchback.
TE KENDALL GAMMON
• Has played in 210 consecutive regular season games dating back to his rookie season at Houston (9/6/92) as a member of the Steelers.
• His 210 straight games played is the longest active streak in the NFL among non-kickers.
Chiefs 23, Raiders 17
September 18, 2005 • McAfee Coliseum • 62,273
KANSAS CITY. . . 7 10
3
3 — 23
OAKLAND . . . 0 10
7
0 — 17
CHIEFS – Holmes, 1-yard run (Tynes kick) (8-17, 4:26). RAIDERS – Jordan, 1-yard run (Janikowski kick) (6-49, 2:59). CHIEFS – L. Johnson, 6-yard run (Tynes kick) (4-70, 1:42). RAIDERS – Janikowski, 29-yard field goal (11-64, 4:45). CHIEFS – Tynes 31-yard field goal (7-59, 3:03).
RAIDERS – Moss 64-yard pass from Collins (Janikowski kick) (1-64, 0:11).
CHIEFS – Tynes 39-yard field goal (15-53, 9:18). CHIEFS – Tynes 42-yard field goal (11-54, 4:39). Team Statistics Raiders Chiefs First Downs . . . 16 17 Total Net Yards . . . 327 354 Rushes/Net Yards. . . 36/125 19/71 Net Passing . . . 256 229 Pass Attempts/Completions . . . 35/21 28/18 Had Intercepted . . . 0 0 Times Sacked/Yards. . . 1.0/7.0 1.0/8.0 Punts/Average . . . 4/51.0 3/40.0 Penalties/Yards. . . 7/84 9/78 Fumbles/Lost . . . 3/2 1/1 Possession Time . . . 25:26 34:34 RUSHING
CHIEFS – Holmes 19-75, 1 TD; L. Johnson 9-41, 1 TD; Kennison 1-8; Wilson 1-6; Green 4-2; D. Hall 2-(-7).
RAIDERS – Jordan 15-59; Collins 3-10, 1 TD ; Crockett 1-2. RECEIVING
CHIEFS – Gonzalez 5-44; Kennison 4-52; Parker 3-86; Holmes 3-15; Horn 2-25; D. Hall 1-15. RAIDERS – Jordan 6-32; Moss 5-127, 1 TD; Porter 5-68;
Crockett 3-24; Curry 2-12. PASSING
CHIEFS – Green 18-28-237, 0 TDs, 0 INTs. RAIDERS – Collins 21-35-263, 1 TD, 0 INTs.
INTERCEPTIONS CHIEFS – None. RAIDERS – None. SACKS CHIEFS – Sapp 1.0. RAIDERS – Burgess 1.0. FIELD GOALS CHIEFS – Tynes (31) 46B (39) (42). RAIDERS – Janikowski (29) 50WL. The Chiefs improved to 2-0 on the young season with a tense
23-17 win at Oakland. A balanced offensive attack and game-saving stop from the defense kept Kansas Cityʼs undefeated season alive. With the Chiefs leading 23-17 with just under 5:00 left, a KC fumble gave Oakland the ball near midfield for one last chance. The Raiders penetrated deep into Kansas City territory, setting up a pivotal fourth-and-six play from the Chiefs 10-yard line. S Sammy Knight then broke up a pass in the end zone that was intended for WR Jerry Porter, sealing the victory.
The Chiefs got the first break of the game when they recovered a muffed punt return at the Raiders 17-yard line. RB Priest Holmes converted a pair of fourth-down conversions including a touchdown dive on fourth-and-goal from the one-inch line to give the Chiefs a quick 7-0 lead.
Late in the first quarter S Chris Carrʼs 34-yard punt return set the Raiders up in Chiefs territory. After an 18-yard pass to WR Randy Moss, RB LaMont Jordan punched in a one-yard TD run to knot the score at 7-7 on the first play of the second quarter. Kansas City fired right back with a 49-yard QB Trent Green-to-WR Samie Parker pass, then a six-yard TD run from RB Larry Johnson to grab a 14-7 lead.
The Chiefs caught another break when the Raiders had a TD called back on the next possession when Moss was flagged for offensive pass interference. The Chiefs defense then forced a 29-yard field goal, preserving the lead at 14-10. K Lawrence Tynes added a 31-yard field goal for a 17-10 lead at the break. The Raiders came out throwing in the second half. After the two clubs exchanged failed field goal tries, Collins found Moss on an impressive game-tying 64-yard touchdown.
Like they had done all game, the Chiefs answered a Raiders score with one of their own. Taking over at their own 26-yard line, KC pounded out a 15-play drive that ate 9:18 off the clock. They converted two third downs and got as deep as the Oakland nine-yard line before settling for a Tynes 39-yard field goal on the final play of the third quarter to regain the lead at 20-17. Oakland went three-and-out, but again the Chiefs could only cash in with a three-pointer. Another long drive – this one covering 11 plays and 4:38 – ended with a Tynes 42-yard field goal, keeping the Raiders within one score at 23-17.
After another Raiders punt, the Chiefs were looking to kill the clock and ice the game. Instead, a Parker fumble after a 23-yard completion handed the ball back to the Silver and Black with 4:52 left. The Kansas City defense took it from there, preserving the win with one final stand.
GAME NOTES
• The Chiefs extended their winning streak over the Raiders to five games against the Raiders, the club’s longest streak against Oakland since ’97-99.
• RB Larry Johnson extended his streak of games with a rushing TD to eight consecutive games, the second-longest string in KC history.
• TE Tony Gonzalez reached the 7,000-yard career receiving plateau, becoming just the fourth TE in NFL history to reach that mark, joining Shannon Sharpe (10, 060), Ozzie Newsome (7,980) and Jackie Smith (7,918).
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS / WEEK 2 / THROUGH SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2005
WON 2, LOST 0 * RUSHING No. Yds Avg Long TD 09/11 W 27- 7 New York Jets 78,014 Holmes 41 160 3.9 35 2 09/18 W 23-17 at Oakland 62,273 L. Johnson 18 151 8.4 35t 3 09/26 at Denver Kennison 1 8 8.0 8 0 10/02 Philadelphia Wilson 1 6 6.0 6 0 10/16 Washington Richardson 1 4 4.0 4 0 10/23 at Miami Green 5 1 0.2 2 0 10/30 at San Diego D. Hall 3 -7 -2.3 2 0 11/06 Oakland TEAM 70 323 4.6 35t 5 11/13 at Buffalo OPPONENTS 42 128 3.0 18 1 11/20 at Houston * RECEIVING No. Yds Avg Long TD 11/27 New England Gonzalez 9 95 10.6 17 0 12/04 Denver Kennison 8 128 16.0 37 0 12/11 at Dallas Parker 5 109 21.8 49 0 12/17 at New York Giants Holmes 4 20 5.0 8 0 12/24 San Diego Horn 3 36 12.0 17 0 01/01 Cincinnati D. Hall 2 23 11.5 15 0 K.C. Opp. Cruz 1 15 15.0 15 0 TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 40 35 L. Johnson 1 11 11.0 11 0 Rushing 18 4 TEAM 33 437 13.2 49 0 Passing 18 30 OPPONENTS 48 615 12.8 64t 2 Penalty 4 1 * INTERCEPTIONS No. Yds Avg Long TD 3rd Down: Made/Att 9/26 12/28 Surtain 1 53 53.0 53 0 3rd Down Pct. 34.6 42.9 TEAM 1 53 53.0 53 0 4th Down: Made/Att 2/2 1/4 OPPONENTS 1 0 0.0 0 0 4th Down Pct. 100.0 25.0 * PUNTING No. Yds Avg Net TB In Lg B POSSESSION AVG. 31:32 28:28 Colquitt 5 217 43.4 31.0 1 1 50 0 TOTAL NET YARDS 743 717 TEAM 5 217 43.4 31.0 1 1 50 0 Avg. Per Game 371.5 358.5 OPPONENTS 7 337 48.1 43.6 0 2 56 0 Total Plays 126 125 * PUNT RETURNS Ret FC Yds Avg Long TD Avg. Per Play 5.9 5.7 D. Hall 4 2 32 8.0 17 0 NET YARDS RUSHING 323 128 TEAM 4 2 32 8.0 17 0 Avg. Per Game 161.5 64.0 OPPONENTS 4 0 42 10.5 34 0 Total Rushes 70 42 * KICKOFF RETURNS No. Yds Avg Long TD NET YARDS PASSING 420 589 D. Hall 6 175 29.2 45 0 Avg. Per Game 210.0 294.5 TEAM 6 175 29.2 45 0 Sacked/Yards Lost 2/17 4/26 OPPONENTS 12 312 26.0 50 0 Gross Yards 437 615 * FIELD GOALS 1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ Att./Completions 54/33 79/48 Tynes 0/ 0 0/ 0 3/ 4 2/ 3 0/0 Completion Pct. 61.1 60.8 TEAM 0/ 0 0/ 0 3/ 4 2/ 3 0/0 Had Intercepted 1 1 OPPONENTS 0/ 0 1/ 2 0/ 0 0/ 0 0/1 PUNTS/AVERAGE 5/43.4 7/48.1 Tynes: (41G,38G,32N)(31G,46B,39G,42G) NET PUNTING AVG. 5/31.0 7/43.6 OPPONENTS: (28B)(29G,50N) PENALTIES/YARDS 13/104 15/164 FUMBLES/BALL LOST 2/1 10/4 TOUCHDOWNS 5 3 Rushing 5 1 Passing 0 2 Returns 0 0 * SCORE BY PERIODS Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 OT PTS TEAM 21 13 6 10 0 50 OPPONENTS 0 10 7 7 0 24 * SCORING TD-Ru-Pa-Rt K-PAT FG S PTS Tynes 0 0 0 0 5/ 5 5/ 7 0 20 L. Johnson 3 3 0 0 0 18 Holmes 2 2 0 0 0 12 TEAM 5 5 0 0 5/ 5 5/ 7 0 50 OPPONENTS 3 1 2 0 3/ 3 1/ 3 0 24 2-Pt. Conversions: TEAM 0-0, OPPONENTS 0-0 SACKS: Allen 1.0, D. Johnson 1.0, Knight 1.0, Sapp 1.0, TEAM 4.0, OPPONENTS 2.0
* PASSING Att Cmp Yds Cmp% Yds/Att TD TD% Int Int% Long Sack/Lost Rating Green 54 33 437 61.1 8.09 0 0.0 1 1.9 49 2/ 17 79.0 TEAM 54 33 437 61.1 8.09 0 0.0 1 1.9 49 2/ 17 79.0 OPPONENTS 79 48 615 60.8 7.78 2 2.5 1 1.3 64t 4/ 26 88.3
Player
Tkls.
Asst.
Total
TFL
Sacks/Yds PR
FR
FF INT/YDS
PD
Mitchell, Kawika
13
8
21
0
0.0/0.0
0
1
0
0
3
Johnson, Derrick
13
5
18
0
1.0/6.0
2
1
1
0
1
Wesley, Greg
10
5
15
0
0.0/0.0
0
0
0
0
1
Knight, Sammy
9
6
15
0
1.0/8.0
1
0
1
0
2
McCleon, Dexter
11
1
12
0
0.0/0.0
0
0
0
0
1
Hicks, Eric
6
5
11
1
0.0/0.0
8
0
0
0
1
Bell, Kendrell
8
1
9
0
0.0/0.0
1
0
0
0
0
Surtain, Patrick
8
1
9
0
0.0/0.0
0
1
0
1/53
1
Browning, John
7
2
9
2
0.0/0.0
10
0
0
0
1
Dalton, Lional
5
2
7
0
0.0/0.0
1
0
0
0
0
Allen, Jared
2
5
7
1
1.0/5.0
7
0
1
0
0
Sapp, Benny
5
1
6
0
1.0/7.0
1
0
1
0
0
Wilkerson, Jimmy
4
2
6
0
0.0/0.0
3
0
0
0
0
Washington, Dewayne
2
2
4
0
0.0/0.0
0
0
0
0
0
Fox, Keyaron
0
2
2
0
0.0/0.0
0
0
0
0
0
Hall, Carlos
0
2
2
0
0.0/0.0
3
0
0
0
0
Sims, Ryan
1
0
1
0
0.0/0.0
0
0
0
0
0
Siavii, Junior
0
0
0
0
0.0/0.0
1
0
0
0
0
TEAM
0
0
0
0
0.0/0.0
0
0
0
0
0
TOTALS
104
50
154
4
4.0/26.0
38
3
4
1/53
11
Player
Tkls.
Asst.
Total
TDs (0):Stills, Gary
2
1
3
Scanlon, Rich
2
1
3
Safety (0):Cruz, Ronnie
1
2
3
Horn, Chris
2
0
2
Sapp, Benny
2
0
2
Woods, Jerome
2
0
2
TDs (0):Colquitt, Dustin
1
0
1
Fox, Keyaron
1
0
1
Blocked Punts (0):Mitchell, Kawika
1
0
1
Tynes, Lawrence
1
0
1
Blk Punt Rec. (0):Washington, Dewayne
0
1
1
TEAM
0
0
0
Blk Field Goal (1):TOTALS
15
5
20
Blk FG Rec. (0): FF (0):
FR (1):
Regular Season Defensive and Special Teams statistics are based on coaches film. vs. N.Y. Jets (9/11/05)
SPECIAL TEAMS BIG PLAYS
INT = Interception
KEY
PD = Pass Defensed
2005 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS DEFENSIVE STATS
Regular Season (Through Two Games)
2005 CHIEFS SPECIAL TEAMS STATS
John Browning, (Mike Nugent)
FF = Forced Fumble
DEFENSIVE SCORES
FR = Fumble Recovery
PR = Pressure Gary Stills, (Chris Carr)
9/11 9/18 9/26 10/2 10/16 10/23 10/30 11/6 11/13 11/20 11/27 12/4 12/11 12/17 12/24 1/1
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
NYJ OAK DEN PHI WAS MIA SD OAK BUF HOU NE DEN DAL NYG SD CIN
FIRST DOWNS
Total
23
17
Rushing
10
8
Passing
10
8
Penalty
3
1
THIRD DOWNS
Attempts
10
16
Converted
4
5
Percentage
40.0 31.3
TOT. OFFENSE
Net Yards
389 354
Plays
61
65
Avg./Play
6.4
5.4
RUSHING
Net Yards
198 125
Rush. Att.
34
36
Avg./Att.
5.8
3.5
PASSING
Net Yards
191 229
Attempts
26
28
Completions
15
18
Intercepted
1
0
Gross Yards
200 237
Sacked
1.0
1.0
Yards Lost
9.0
8.0
ADVANCES
Rushes
34
36
Completions
15
18
Totals
49
54
PENALTIES
Number
4
9
Yards
26
78
FUMBLES
Number
1
1
Lost
0
1
SCORING
Points
27
23
TD Rushing
3
2
TD Passing
0
0
TD KO Returns
0
0
TD Punt Returns
0
0
TD Sp. Teams
0
0
TD Def. Returns
0
0
FG Attempts
3
4
FG Made
2
3
Safety
0
0
9/11 9/18 9/26 10/2 10/16 10/23 10/30 11/6 11/13 11/20 11/27 12/4 12/11 12/17 12/24 1/1
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
NYJ OAK DEN PHI WAS MIA SD OAK BUF HOU NE DEN DAL NYG SD CIN
FIRST DOWNS
Total
19
16
Rushing
0
4
Passing
19
11
Penalty
0
1
THIRD DOWNS
Attempts
16
12
Converted
8
4
Percentage
50.0 33.3
TOT. OFFENSE
Net Yards
390 327
Plays
70
55
Avg./Play
5.6
5.9
RUSHING
Net Yards
57
71
Rush. Att.
23
19
Avg./Att.
2.5
3.7
PASSING
Net Yards
333 256
Attempts
44
35
Completions
27
21
Intercepted
1
0
Gross Yards
352 263
Sacked
3.0
1.0
Yards Lost
19.0 7.0
ADVANCES
Rushes
23
19
Completions
27
21
Total
50
40
PENALTIES
Number
8
7
Yards
80
84
FUMBLES
Number
7
3
Lost
2
2
SCORING
Points
7
17
TD Rushing
0
1
TD Passing
1
1
TD KO Returns
0
0
TD Punt Returns
0
0
TD Sp. Teams
0
0
TD Def. Returns
0
0
FG Attempts
1
2
FG Made
0
1
Safety
0
0
Chiefs 45, Broncos 17
December 19, 2004 • Arrowhead Stadium • 77,702
DENVER . . . 7
3
0
7 — 17
KANSAS CITY . . . 14 14
7 10 — 45
CHIEFS — Hall, 97-yard kickoff return (Tynes kick).
CHIEFS — Johnson, 5-yard run (Tynes kick) (11-87, 6:26).
BRONCOS — R. Smith, 22-yard pass from Plummer
(Elam kick) (9-64, 4:47).
CHIEFS — Kennison, 7-yard pass from Green
(Tynes kick) (6-44, 2:34).
CHIEFS — Johnson, 32-yard run (Tynes kick) (6-58, 2:46).
BRONCOS — Elam, 27-yard field goal (9-70, 1:47).
CHIEFS — Parker, 48-yard pass from Green (Tynes kick)
(9-90, 5:21).
CHIEFS — Kennison, 18-yard pass from Green
(Tynes kick) (10-99, 6:05).
CHIEFS — Tynes, 39-yard field goal (5-46, 1:12).
BRONCOS — Hearst, 4-yard run (Elam kick) (6-61, 1:18). Team Statistics Broncos Chiefs First Downs . . . . 24 22 Total Net Yards . . . 402 410 Rushes/Net Yards. . . 20/132 36/162 Net Passing . . . 270 248 Pass Attempts/Completions . . . 41/23 23/17 Had Intercepted . . . 2 0 Times Sacked/Yards. . . 5.0/19.0 3.0/18.0 Punts/Average . . . 4/38.5 4/32.8 Penalties/Yards. . . 10/100 6/58 Fumbles/Lost . . . 2/1 2/0 Possession Time . . . 26:49 33:11 RUSHING
CHIEFS — Johnson 30-151, 2 TDs; Hall 1-6; Collins 1-4; Easy 4-1.
BRONCOS — Bell 9-50; Plummer 2-29; Droughns 4-27;
Hearst 5-26, TD. RECEIVING
CHIEFS — Kennison 7-101, 2 TDs; Parker 3-84, TD;
Gonzalez 3-44; Hall 2-17; Richardson 1-11; Dunn 1-9.
BRONCOS — R. Smith 6-75, TD; Luke 5-40; Lelie 3-37; Putzier 3-30; Droughns 2-14; Bell 1-58; Hearst 1-15; Watts 1-14; Carswell 1-9.
PASSING
CHIEFS — Green 16-19-224, 3 TDs, 0 INTs;
Collins 1-4-42, 0 TDs, 0 INTs.
BRONCOS — Plummer 23-41-292, 1 TD, 2 INTs.
INTERCEPTIONS
CHIEFS — McCleon 2-23.
BRONCOS — None.
SACKS
CHIEFS — Mitchell 1.0; Browning 1.0; Dalton 1.0; Hicks
1.0; Stills 0.5; Wilkerson 0.5.
BRONCOS — Williams 1.0; Wilson 1.0; Coleman 0.5; Fatafehi 0.5.
FIELD GOALS
CHIEFS — Tynes (39).
BRONCOS — Elam (27).
WR Dante Hall set the tone with a 97-yard kickoff return TD on the gameʼs opening kickoff, while RB Larry Johnson racked up a career-high 151 rushing yards and QB Trent Green turned in another nearly-flawless performance as Kansas City registered a decisive 45-17 win vs. Denver. Defensively, the Chiefs forced three turnovers and compiled a season-high 6.0 sacks against Denver as KC produced its largest margin of victory over the Broncos since getting a 48-17 win (12/18/83).
After Hallʼs return, KC went up 14-0 on a five-yard TD run by Johnson, who accounted for 45 yards on an 11-play, 87-yard drive. Denver answered with a 22-yard TD catch by WR Rod Smith to make it 14-7, but that would be as close as the Broncos would get. CB Dexter McCleon registered the first of his two INTs on Denverʼs next possession, setting up a seven-yard TD strike from Green to WR Eddie Kennison. Green, who flirted with a perfect passer rating, completed 16 of 19 passes for 224 yards with three TDs and a 155.4 rating. Meanwhile, Kennison was on the receiving end of seven passes for 101 yards and two TDs. Johnson got his second TD on a 32-yard burst in the second quarter as KC held a 28-10 advantage at halftime. After McCleonʼs second INT, WR Samie Parker got his first NFL score on a 48-yard bomb from Green, giving KC a 35-10 edge. Thanks to an 18-yard touchdown pass to Kennison that capped an epic 10-play, 99-yard drive, the Chiefs lead swelled to 42-10 early in the fourth quarter.
Perhaps the gameʼs most impressive defensive play came when S Greg Wesley chased down RB Tatum Bell, who appeared poised to score after a 58-yard gain on a screen pass. But Wesley poked the ball loose from behind at the five-yard line. The ball bounded out of the end zone for a touchback, thwarting a potential score. A 39-yard FG by Chiefs K Lawrence Tynes and a late four-yard TD run by Broncos RB Garrison Hearst made the final count 45-17 in favor of the Chiefs.
GAME NOTES
• The Chiefs set a single-season team record with their seventh game with 400 yards or more of total offense, breaking the previous mark of six such games last achieved in 2002. • With 151 yards rushing from RB Larry Johnson, the Chiefs became the first team in NFL history to have three different players (Priest Holmes, Derrick Blaylock and Johnson) produce a game with 150 or more rushing yards in the same season. • WR Dante Hall registered a franchise record with the fifth kickoff return TD of his career. It was also Hall's ninth career special teams TD, giving him the most in Chiefs history.
• In his first NFL start, Johnson registered his third consecutive 100-yard rushing game, a mark that tied as the second-longest streak in franchise history. Johnson became the first player other than RB Priest Holmes to enjoy such a run since RB Christian Okoye produced two separate three-game 100-yard rushing streaks in ʼ89.
DENVER BRONCOS / WEEK 2 / THROUGH SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2005
WON 1, LOST 1 * RUSHING No. Yds Avg Long TD 09/11 L 10-34 at Miami 72,324 Mi. Anderson 19 54 2.8 8 0 09/18 W 20-17 San Diego 75,310 Bell 13 47 3.6 30 0 09/26 Kansas City Dayne 8 44 5.5 13 0 10/02 at Jacksonville Plummer 5 20 4.0 11 0 10/09 Washington K. Johnson 1 3 3.0 3t 1 10/16 New England TEAM 46 168 3.7 30 1 10/23 at New York Giants OPPONENTS 57 230 4.0 61 3 10/30 Philadelphia * RECEIVING No. Yds Avg Long TD 11/13 at Oakland Smith 15 173 11.5 23 0 11/20 New York Jets Putzier 8 83 10.4 16 0 11/24 at Dallas Lelie 8 79 9.9 16 0 12/04 at Kansas City Adams 5 66 13.2 21 0 12/11 Baltimore Mi. Anderson 3 41 13.7 26 0 12/17 at Buffalo K. Johnson 2 21 10.5 19 1 12/24 Oakland S. Alexander 2 13 6.5 8 0 12/31 at San Diego Bell 1 13 13.0 13 0 Denv. Opp. Watts 1 10 10.0 10 0 TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 40 36 TEAM 45 499 11.1 26 1 Rushing 10 9 OPPONENTS 39 450 11.5 60t 2 Passing 28 24 * INTERCEPTIONS No. Yds Avg Long TD Penalty 2 3 Bailey 2 36 18.0 25t 1 3rd Down: Made/Att 7/28 12/27 TEAM 2 36 18.0 25t 1 3rd Down Pct. 25.0 44.4 OPPONENTS 3 37 12.3 25 0 4th Down: Made/Att 2/4 0/2 * PUNTING No. Yds Avg Net TB In Lg B 4th Down Pct. 50.0 0.0 Sauerbrun 10 450 45.0 34.6 2 3 56 0 POSSESSION AVG. 30:24 29:37 TEAM 10 450 45.0 34.6 2 3 56 0 TOTAL NET YARDS 643 639 OPPONENTS 9 417 46.3 35.3 1 0 54 0 Avg. Per Game 321.5 319.5 * PUNT RETURNS Ret FC Yds Avg Long TD Total Plays 135 120 Da. Williams 5 3 79 15.8 37 0 Avg. Per Play 4.8 5.3 TEAM 5 3 79 15.8 37 0 NET YARDS RUSHING 168 230 OPPONENTS 5 0 64 12.8 20 0 Avg. Per Game 84.0 115.0 * KICKOFF RETURNS No. Yds Avg Long TD Tot
