FEATURE STORIES

July 31, 2006

By Kat Krtnick
UW-RF Public Affairs

There will be dozens of new faces, compared to 2004 when the teams last met, when the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings meet in a practice session on Friday at MSU-Mankato, home of the Vikings Summer Training Camp. The teams are scheduled to practice from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for those age 4 and older and those age 3 and younger will be admitted free.

The teams did not practice together in 2005 after the 2004 practice in Mankato had several scuffles and injuries to players.

The past two times that the Chiefs and Vikings practiced together in 2003 and 2004, not only resulted in a chance for the players to display their talents, but also prompted the exchange of hostile words and skirmishes between opposing teams.

This year should be different, though. The Chiefs are under the direction of first year Coach Herm Edwards while the Vikings are also under a first year coach in Brad Childress.

When the Chiefs venture to the home of Vikings Summer Training Camp to see how they measure up against their NFC North rival, they are missing one of most prominent players from last year's team--fullback Tony Richardson. Richardson, a two-time Pro-Bowler for the Chiefs and one of the most respected players to ever grace the franchise, left the Chiefs in free agency, taking a job as a Viking.

Richardson, a well-known locker room leader and man of character, will embrace the presence of his former teammates and friends.

Richardson is not the only similarity between the two teams. Both teams have new players in key positions and many talented free agents. With only a week of practice under its belts, each team is hoping that this practice will shed light on some of the unanswered questions in the lineups.

Edwards is looking to perpetuate the Chiefs' offensive trademark with the experience of veteran quarterback Trent Green, tight end Tony Gonzalez and wide receiver Eddie Kennison. The remaining wide receiver roles are up for grabs with Sammie Parker, Dante Hall, Craphonso Thorpe and Jeris McIntyre all battling for time. Tight end Jason Dunn has strong blocking abilities and will backup Gonzalez, while Ronnie Cruz will take over for Richardson at fullback.  

But Edwards has also promised that this offense will be all about ball control and utilizing the highly touted Pro-Bowl running back Larry Johnson; talk of a 2,000-yard season has been mounting since the end of his breakout season in 2005. With the probability of running back Priest Holmes returning slim-to-none, Dee Brown and Quentin Griffin will contend for the backup running back position.

The Chiefs' offensive line has traditionally been one of the best in the entire NFL, but the unexpected retirement of guard Willie Roaf suddenly jeopardizes the potency of line. Center Casey Wiegmann , guard Will Shields and guard Brian Waters all return as starters and will have to work on developing chemistry with potential candidates tackles Kyle Turley, Will Svitek and Jordan Black. Waters, who was injured in practice on Sunday, may not be ready to practice against the Vikings.

So, the Vikings defense will face the daunting challenge of trying to stop one of the league's most dynamic offenses. At cornerback, Fred Smoot and Antoine Winfield are both back from last season. First-round draft pick Chad Greenway is the probable starter in one of the linebacker positions, and another free agent that is expected to make waves in the defense is strong safety Tank Williams . Veterans Kevin Williams and Pat Williams will anchor the defensive line.

On the offensive side, Childress will run a west-coast style offense this season, using horizontal passing schemes to get maximum production from starting quarterback Brad Johnson. With the departure of wide receiver Nate Burleson, wide receivers Koren Robinson and Troy Williamson are being counted on to step up their level of play.

Last season the Vikings ran a two tight end offense, exploiting the receiving abilities of both Jermanie Wiggins and Jimmy Kleinsasser. Each will be vying for a single starting job this year, but both will contribute during the season.

Another ambiguity in the Vikings offense is who will obtain the No. 1 running back spot. Chester Taylor a free agent from Baltimore, is presumed to be the favorite, but where would that leave Mewelde Moore, the team's primary running threat from last season?

Richardson's experience on the field and leadership in the locker room warrants him for the starting fullback position.

Center Matt Birk returns to the offensive line after having to sit out last season because of injury and guard Steve Hutchinson, one of the most dominant guards in the league, will combine to be the catalysts for an effective protection force. Tackle Bryant McKinnie, tackle Marcus Johnson and guard Artis Hicks are anticipated to fill the other voids on the offensive line for the Vikings.

Edwards' defensive goals are to frustrate the Vikings' offense and to take away any big play opportunities. Standouts Ty Law, Patrick Surtain and Lenny Walls will compete for cornerback positions and cornerback Benny Sapp will serve as the team's nickel back.

The Chiefs first-round draft pick in 2005, left outside linebacker Derrick Johnson , should be ready for an explosive season, and right outside linebacker Kendrell Bell and middle linebacker Kawika Mitchell should maintain their roles from last season.

2006 first round-draft pick Tamba Hali is anticipated to add depth to the Chiefs' defensive line, but defensive ends Jared Allen and Eric Hicks are supposed to retain the right and left defensive end spots.   

The Chiefs have frequently utilized the close proximity of Vikings Summer Training Camp in the past as a chance for the players to compete against other league competition and for the coaches to see which guys are worthy in pads. With uncertainties in both the Chiefs' and the Vikings' lineups, Edwards and Childress will use this practice as a chance to see what players can perform and execute against some of the NFL's best.