In preparation for Sunday's huge game against the Bengals, I've brought in Chris, the talented blogger of Arrowhead Pride for a few questions. Many thanks to him for taking the time to chat with us.
Behind the Steel Curtain : Let's get right to it. Tell us a little bit about the new and improved Chiefs defense. Is it changes in scheming? Personnel?
Arrowhead Pride : The improvements made on defense have less to do with the scheming and more to do with the personnel. The additions of the rookie Tamba Hali and, of course, Ty Law are making an impact. Gunther Cunningham's schemes are good- we just needed the right personnel to compliment them. We have two solid corners in Law and Surtain and a pretty damn good pass defense. The Chiefs rank fourth overall in defense and fourth overall in pass defense in the NFL. To sum up this ramble, the Chiefs made some good additions to a decent defense and that has put them over the top as one of the top defenses in the NFL.
Behind the Steel Curtain : How concerned were Chiefs fans after the 0-2 start??
Arrowhead Pride : Personally, I was pretty damn concerned. I had no idea how Damon Huard would play. Our defense was still unproven to a certain degree after the first two games so Chief's fans didn't really have a lot to bank on. After the loss to Denver in Week 2, I felt at least hopeful for the Chiefs, considering we held Denver to 9 points in an overtime game at Mile High.
Behind the Steel Curtain : Who the heck is Damon Huard and how has he been able to right the ship while Trent Green is out? How much faith do Chiefs fans have in him and might Green remain on the bench if Huard continues to win ballgames?
Arrowhead Pride: Damon Huard is a journeyman backup QB who you probably remember most from his days in Miami. He has rarely played in the NFL until this season and his success can be attributed to having Larry Johnson in the backfield and minimizing his mistakes. Huard has yet to throw an INT this season but he does have two fumbles. Also, much as people have criticized Herm Edwards' conservative philosophy, that philosophy is probably the biggest reason that Huard has had success. Right now, the Chiefs don't need a flashy QB who is hitting guys 50 yards downfield. When you have someone like LJ in the backfield, and our type of offense, you only need a QB who won't make mistakes. After Trent was hurt, Herm Edwards later told Huard that he doesn't need to win ball games for us, just don't lose them for us. As long as he keeps going with no mistakes, Larrry Johnson can take care of the rest.
Behind the Steel Curtain : What kind of changes has Herm Edwards brought to this club? Are Chiefs fans ready to move on from Dick Vermeil and embrace Edwards as the right guy to take the Chiefs to the Super Bowl?
Arrowhead Pride : The biggest change Herm brought was more of a defensive attitude. We are ready to get past the Dick Vermeil era. As fun as it was putting up 30+ points a game, I think in the back of all our minds we knew we weren't going anywhere. You've seen the same type of thing in Indy the last few years, a high flying offense but without a stick-it-in-your-face type of defense. This year, the Chiefs have that defense. Also, it helps that we've slowed our offense down so that our defense isn't on the field every 4 minutes. As Chiefs fans, it reminds us of the days of 'Marty Ball'. Many people in KC may complain about Martyball, however he did get us to the playoffs seven straight years in the early to mid 90's.
Behind the Steel Curtain : All great answers, thanks. But we can't let you go withtout hearing your predictions for Sunday.
Arrowhead Pride : Assuming Joey Porter and Townsend won't be that effective even if they do play, I will say 17-13 Chiefs as Ty Law and Greg Wesley both pick off Roethlisberger and we get in his face all day long...