An effective offense beats being stoic, Chiefs’ Page says
No football team wants to create an us-versus-them mentality between its offense and its defense.
That’s never good for morale.
But to be honest, the Chiefs’ defense was very grateful that the Chiefs’ offense was finally moving the ball last Sunday.
“On defense, we really don’t like to talk about it,” Chiefs safety Jarrad Page told me. “We don’t want to make excuses.
“But you can’t help but get a little more energy when you see the offense moving the ball. It creates energy. We get all pumped up on the sidelines. You can’t deny it.”
Page and his defensive mates could sense something special coming from the minute Larry Johnson ripped off his 65-yard run in the early going.
“And it wasn’t just that play or that drive,” Page said. “It was the whole game. When you get to sit down on the sideline and watch them make plays, it gets you fired up. You make plays and then you come off the field and you watch them make plays. It’s fun.”
That doesn’t mean the Chiefs’ defense expects the Chiefs’ offense to be putting up 40 points a game.
“Just move the ball, take the clock down and wear down the other defense, that’s all,” Page said. “It’s kind of the mentality that we’ll go out and stop them and get you the ball back. Eventually, you’ll pop through on them.
“The thing is, if (the offense) goes out too many times three and out, it’s too quick. It’s not that you’re not full of energy on defense but you do get tired. That’s just a fact.
“It works both ways, too. If we struggle on defense, they’re going to be sitting on the sideline going, ‘Man, they’re getting a touchdown on us every time. Now we got to score every time.’ So, there are no excuses.”
Swarming
One aspect Page really likes about the team’s young defense is its ability to swarm to the ball.
“Last week against Denver, Turk McBride, big defensive guy, chases down Eddie Royal, 20 yards down the field, to knock the ball out,” Page said. “That’s what happens when everyone runs to the ball. Good things can happen.”
Fixable?
John Madden on Sirius radio on whether the Raiders situation will ever improve under Al Davis:
“Anytime you have an organization and an owner that wants to win as badly as Al Davis … and will spend the money to win, I don’t think you have as many barriers as you think. Those are easy. The ones that would be tough is where you didn’t have any good players and you had an owner or an organization that didn’t want to spend any money to get good players.”
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