October 25, 2003 (morning)--For the second week in a row the Chiefs are playing on the national TV stage – a fitting place for an undefeated team. After escaping hostile Oakland with a 17-10 win on Monday Night Football, Kansas City (7-0) will play host to the Buffalo Bills (4-3) on Sunday Night Football. Kansas City is looking for its first eight-game winning streak in the history of the franchise, but if recent meetings with the Bills are any indication, win number eight will be tough. The last three meetings have all been decided by less than a touchdown including last season’s 17-16 Chiefs win at Arrowhead.
Although the Chiefs enter Sunday’s game on a hot streak, perhaps the biggest key that KC boasts is their raucous sellout crowd and home field advantage. Let’s take a look at three KEY MATCH-UPS that should play a big role in deciding the outcome of this weekend’s game:
WR Johnnie Morton vs. CB Nate Clements
The Chiefs front office knew it was only a matter of time before he 'caught' on. WR Johnnie Morton came to Kansas City prior to the 2002 season boasting a resume with four 1,000-yard receiving campaigns and five straight seasons with 50+ catches for the Detroit Lions. Now just seven games into his second season with the Chiefs, Morton has nearly matched his total from a year ago and has played up to his reputation as a dangerous pass catcher. On the heels of his first 100-yard game in a Kansas City uniform (109 at Green Bay 10/12/03), Morton leads the club with 353 receiving yards, ranks second with 21 catches and is tied with TE Tony Gonzalez for the team lead with three TD catches. Making difficult snags along the sideline and courageous catches over the middle has made Morton a valuable target for QB Trent Green and the Chiefs high-scoring offense.
However, Morton may have a tough time finding open space tonight against Buffalo's talented secondary and CB Nate Clements. In just his third NFL season, Clements has already started 34 games and has established himself as a shutdown presence. The former first-round draft pick has led the Bills in INTs each of the last two seasons and leads the NFL's third-ranked pass defense again in 2003 with three picks. Clements biggest day this season came at Miami when he posted two INTs, one of which he returned 54 yards for a touchdown. The Ohio State alum has 30 tackles and three passes defensed on the season.
CB Eric Warfield vs. QB Drew Bledsoe
The match-up between Chiefs CB Eric Warfield and Bills QB Drew Bledsoe should be a fun one to keep an eye because these two have a bit of a history. When these two clubs tangled last season, Warfield clinched the Cheifs narrow win by intercepting Bledsoe on the Chiefs three-yard line with just over four minutes remaining in the game. On the play Buffalo’s strong-armed QB tried to hit WR Peerless Price deep downfield, but Warfield slipped in front of the intended target at the last moment making a highlight-reel pick.
In 2003, Warfield has picked up right where he left off last season with steady improvement and play-making credentials. After recording four INTs in each of the last two seasons, the 6-0, 200-pound corner is on the same pace registering two picks and four passes defensed this year. On Monday night in Oakland Warfield thwarted a Raiders drive by intercepting QB Rich Gannon at the Chiefs 14-yard line. He may need to make one of those big plays against Bledsoe and the Bills.
Through seven games in 2003, Bledsoe leads the AFC in pass attempts (222) and is second in completions (135) and yards (1,595). Bledsoe has played in just 23 games with the Bills but he currently ranks fifth on the franchise’s all-time lists in completions (510) and sixth in passing yardage (5,954), attempts (832) and in passing touchdowns (30). In three starts at Arrowhead Bledsoe has yet to win, marking the only opponent that he has started against more than once and not beaten. Last year against Kansas City Bledsoe completed 24 of 36 pass attempts for 225 yards and threw a TD pass to his favorite target WR Eric Moulds. Moulds is another big player in this match-up, because his status for Sunday’s game is still up in the air. The eighth-year receiver from Mississippi State has missed the last two games with a groin injury and is listed as questionable for this weekend. Whether or not Moulds plays could give fans an early read on who will get the best of this match-up.
DE Vonnie Holliday vs. LT Jonas Jennings
If there was one game on the schedule that Chiefs DE Vonnie Holliday was looking forward to, Sunday’s contest against Buffalo might have been it. Okay, well the game at his former team Green Bay probably was important to him, but this might have been a close second. The reason Holliday will be licking his chops on Sunday is that the last time he faced the Western New York foes (12/22/02) he racked up a career-high and Packer record 5.0 sacks while playing in the Green and Gold. The North Carolina product also racked up three forced fumbles and earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance. Now with Kansas City, Holliday is tied for the team lead with 4.0 sacks and has started all seven of the Chiefs contests this year.
Holliday will be reunited with the same starting left tackle on Sunday that was on the field against him in the meeting last year, Jonas Jennings. A former third-round pick of the Bills in 2001, Jennings started 15 games a year ago and has opened all seven games on the Buffalo schedule thus far in 2003. Helping Jennings on the left side of the line will be guard Ruben Brown, who has started all seven games this season and played in his 125th game vs. Philadelphia (9/28/03) earlier this season. Jennings may look to Brown, who has been named to seven consecutive AFC Pro Bowl teams, early on Sunday in order to slow down the record setting Holliday.
www.kcchiefs.com
Although the Chiefs enter Sunday’s game on a hot streak, perhaps the biggest key that KC boasts is their raucous sellout crowd and home field advantage. Let’s take a look at three KEY MATCH-UPS that should play a big role in deciding the outcome of this weekend’s game:
WR Johnnie Morton vs. CB Nate Clements
The Chiefs front office knew it was only a matter of time before he 'caught' on. WR Johnnie Morton came to Kansas City prior to the 2002 season boasting a resume with four 1,000-yard receiving campaigns and five straight seasons with 50+ catches for the Detroit Lions. Now just seven games into his second season with the Chiefs, Morton has nearly matched his total from a year ago and has played up to his reputation as a dangerous pass catcher. On the heels of his first 100-yard game in a Kansas City uniform (109 at Green Bay 10/12/03), Morton leads the club with 353 receiving yards, ranks second with 21 catches and is tied with TE Tony Gonzalez for the team lead with three TD catches. Making difficult snags along the sideline and courageous catches over the middle has made Morton a valuable target for QB Trent Green and the Chiefs high-scoring offense.
However, Morton may have a tough time finding open space tonight against Buffalo's talented secondary and CB Nate Clements. In just his third NFL season, Clements has already started 34 games and has established himself as a shutdown presence. The former first-round draft pick has led the Bills in INTs each of the last two seasons and leads the NFL's third-ranked pass defense again in 2003 with three picks. Clements biggest day this season came at Miami when he posted two INTs, one of which he returned 54 yards for a touchdown. The Ohio State alum has 30 tackles and three passes defensed on the season.
CB Eric Warfield vs. QB Drew Bledsoe
The match-up between Chiefs CB Eric Warfield and Bills QB Drew Bledsoe should be a fun one to keep an eye because these two have a bit of a history. When these two clubs tangled last season, Warfield clinched the Cheifs narrow win by intercepting Bledsoe on the Chiefs three-yard line with just over four minutes remaining in the game. On the play Buffalo’s strong-armed QB tried to hit WR Peerless Price deep downfield, but Warfield slipped in front of the intended target at the last moment making a highlight-reel pick.
In 2003, Warfield has picked up right where he left off last season with steady improvement and play-making credentials. After recording four INTs in each of the last two seasons, the 6-0, 200-pound corner is on the same pace registering two picks and four passes defensed this year. On Monday night in Oakland Warfield thwarted a Raiders drive by intercepting QB Rich Gannon at the Chiefs 14-yard line. He may need to make one of those big plays against Bledsoe and the Bills.
Through seven games in 2003, Bledsoe leads the AFC in pass attempts (222) and is second in completions (135) and yards (1,595). Bledsoe has played in just 23 games with the Bills but he currently ranks fifth on the franchise’s all-time lists in completions (510) and sixth in passing yardage (5,954), attempts (832) and in passing touchdowns (30). In three starts at Arrowhead Bledsoe has yet to win, marking the only opponent that he has started against more than once and not beaten. Last year against Kansas City Bledsoe completed 24 of 36 pass attempts for 225 yards and threw a TD pass to his favorite target WR Eric Moulds. Moulds is another big player in this match-up, because his status for Sunday’s game is still up in the air. The eighth-year receiver from Mississippi State has missed the last two games with a groin injury and is listed as questionable for this weekend. Whether or not Moulds plays could give fans an early read on who will get the best of this match-up.
DE Vonnie Holliday vs. LT Jonas Jennings
If there was one game on the schedule that Chiefs DE Vonnie Holliday was looking forward to, Sunday’s contest against Buffalo might have been it. Okay, well the game at his former team Green Bay probably was important to him, but this might have been a close second. The reason Holliday will be licking his chops on Sunday is that the last time he faced the Western New York foes (12/22/02) he racked up a career-high and Packer record 5.0 sacks while playing in the Green and Gold. The North Carolina product also racked up three forced fumbles and earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance. Now with Kansas City, Holliday is tied for the team lead with 4.0 sacks and has started all seven of the Chiefs contests this year.
Holliday will be reunited with the same starting left tackle on Sunday that was on the field against him in the meeting last year, Jonas Jennings. A former third-round pick of the Bills in 2001, Jennings started 15 games a year ago and has opened all seven games on the Buffalo schedule thus far in 2003. Helping Jennings on the left side of the line will be guard Ruben Brown, who has started all seven games this season and played in his 125th game vs. Philadelphia (9/28/03) earlier this season. Jennings may look to Brown, who has been named to seven consecutive AFC Pro Bowl teams, early on Sunday in order to slow down the record setting Holliday.
www.kcchiefs.com
