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Unsung Heroes Defensive coordinators motivate Chiefs, RedskinsPosted: Tuesday November 27, 2001 11:03 AM
Every Tuesday during the NFL season, CNNSI.com’s Pat Kirwan will recognize the players and coaches who don’t see much of the spotlight but get the job done. At the end of the season Pat will present his Unsung Coach of the Year award in the memory of former NFL player and coach Chip Myers. In January 1999, after having served as an NFL assistant for 15 years, Myers was named Vikings offensive coordinator. Just a month later Myers suffered a fatal heart attack. Getting your side of the ball to play with great enthusiasm when things haven't been going well during the season is as hard as anything could ever be in the NFL. This week two defensive coordinators got their units to come up big when their teams needed them most. Kansas City defensive coordinator Greg Robinson got a great effort from his group in a 19-7 win over Seattle. Robinson’s father died last week and Robinson missed some practices to be with his family. His Chiefs defense came out Sunday and held the Seahawks to 204 total yards, with just 65 yards coming from the backfield. The Chiefs sacked Matt Hasselbeck three times and forced Seattle to punt seven times. Teams that play the Chiefs continue to say they are much better than their 3-7 record and I agree. Washington defensive coordinator Kurt Schottenheimer devised an excellent game plan for Donovan McNabb and the rest of the Eagles. Philadelphia only generated one field goal, had just seven first downs, and most importantly, McNabb threw for only 92 yards as LaVar Arrington shut him down. The Redskins have now won five straight games and they’ve only scored a total of 141 points this season. That means the defense has come through during this winning streak. Winning on the road in Philly is very impressive. A batch of backup running backs came through to help their teams win on the road. Ki-Jana Carter was signed last July by the Redskins as an insurance policy in case Stephen Davis got injured. Most personnel people around the league thought Carter was finished as a pro, but in the win over Philadelphia, Carter rushed 18 times for 56 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for nine yards. Meanwhile in Chicago’s victory at Minnesota, James Allen came off the bench for the injured Anthony Thomas and delivered (107 yards in 27 carries). And the Falcons went into Carolina and fullback Bob Christian had a career day. With Jamal Anderson out for the year Christian rushed four times for 78 yards and a touchdown. He also caught five passes for 44 yards to lead the team in both categories. Last year Christian’s best rushing day was seven yards and his top receiving performance was six catches for 26 yards. Offensive line depth is shallow at best in this league so when players have to step in and their team wins it's significant. The Dolphins used Heath Irwin at center for the first time in his career while Troy Andrew played left tackle most of the game in Miami’s 34-27 win over the Bills. Finally, the Browns had some off-the-field issues during the week, suspended some players and won anyway. Credit goes to the backups who stepped up to the plate. Aaron Shea filled in for Mike Sellers at tight end/H-back and grabbed three passes for 21 yards; he also had a number of exceptional blocks. Mark Smith replaced Gerard Warren at defensive tackle and helped the Browns shut out the Bengals with four tackles and a sack. Pat Kirwan, who spent 12 years as a pro football coach, scout and personnel administrator, is an NFL analyst for CNN/Sports Illustrated. Unsung Heroes appears every Tuesday at CNNSI.com.
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