Date: 3/30/04
Subject: Chiefs
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Column: Before the 2003 season, the AFC was considered to be one of the toughest divisions. The "Wild" West the called it. No longer is there uncertainty over the favorite. Kansas City returns with last seasons team intact. Denver lost Clinton Portis. Oakland is old. San Diego...enough said. The Chiefs should be far superior than the 13-3 team from a year ago. The team sought out former defensive coordinator Gunther Cunnigham, a coach who believes in pressure and depends on speed. Clearly, this fits the team perfect. Gunther coached when the Chiefs had a pair of 13-3 seasons about 5 years back. It was the defense tht helped acheive those records considering that Steve Bono was on the team. Last year densive coordinator Greg Robinson went with gap control. With the Chiefs D-line, they are built for pressure. DT Ryan Sims was drafted 8th overall out of North Carolina several years ago. Under gap control, Sims was easily double teamed and unable to do what he does best, sack. DE Eric Hicks had his two best sack seasons under Cunnigham, and hopes to see an even better one in 2004. All the team needs now is a key free agent signing on the defensive side of the ball. Adding a little extra talent never hurts. Not re-signing T John Tait freed a lot of cap room, and now the team has more breathing room. Bottom line, the near perfect offensive team now has its counterpart.
