FEATURE STORIES

Aug. 10, 2006

By Kat Krtnick
UW-RF Public Affairs

About 7,500 fans filled Blakeslee Stadium at Minnesota State, Mankato on Friday evening to witness the Kansas City Chiefs and the Minnesota Vikings square off against each other in a "controlled scrimmage." The ambience was very relaxed throughout the entire practice, with the players on opposing teams often patting each other on the back, helping each other up, and smiling.

With lots of game footage to review and a chance to see the rookies and free agents in action, Chiefs' Head Coach Herm Edwards was extremely content with the outcome of the practice and proud of the sportsmanship that the players displayed. "I'm really proud of both teams, exhibiting good sportsmanship. I thought the contact was good. As a former player I know how it works: when you haven't faced a team in a practice everybody's trying to feel everybody out. When things got going, however, it was good competition. We kept it within the lines. We played football."

To begin the session, the Chiefs offense practiced with the Vikings defense on the practice fields, while the Chiefs defense united with the Vikings offense on the main field. Both fields carried out the exact same practice routine of 7-on-7 passing drills, one-on-one pass rush drills, shell drills and 9-on-7 drills.

In the defensive 9-on-7 drills, defensive tackle Ron Edwards and defensive tackle James Reed not only played with the first unit, but held their own against the Minnesota offense. Defensive tackles Ryan Sims and Lional Dalton, though demoted to the second team, still provided excellent coverage.

"They're a nice defensive line," complimented Vikings center Matt Birk. "I've been here nine years; we've gone up against those guys a bunch of times. And I've always thought highly of their group. They're talented but it's obvious that they have a strong work ethic as well and they all have high motors."

Also on the defensive end of the ball, linebacker Derrick Johnson continued to look impressive on outside. He has had a strong Summer Training Camp thus far, and his maturity is definitely being noticed.

  Rookie safety Jarrad Page was making his presence known on the field. He was an eminent threat to the Vikings' offense, continually being a menace around the football and rushing the passer on the blitz.  

During offensive drills, quarterback Trent Green and wide receiver Samie Parker stole the show. Parker made two spectacular catches, a 12-yard reception and a 25-yard reception, splitting defenders and exhibiting his leaping abilities.   

The only slight confrontation of the night occurred in one-on-one drills when wide receiver Dante Hall squared off against the Vikings' cornerback Fred Smoot. Smoot was pulling at Hall's jersey and defending him a little too close, so Hall used his speed and pivoted across the middle to pull away from Smoot for a touchdown.

Once the teams collaborated on the stadium field, the Chiefs' veteran offensive players did not grace the field. Quarterback Trent Green, running back Larry Johnson, guard Will Shields, center Casey Wiegmann, and newly acquired running back Michael Bennett all observed from the sidelines.

As well, Chiefs' tight end Tony Gonzalez and Vikings' fullback Tony Richardson were not present at the practice. They duo traveled to Canton, Ohio for friend Warren Moon's induction into the Hall of Fame.

Highlights of Chiefs' offensive players include: running back Dee Brown racked up some running yardage and revealed Edwards' inclination towards staying on the ground; quarterback Damon Huard stayed consistent throughout the practice completing 4-4 pass attempts; but the standout player in the offense was left tackle Kyle Turley. Turley relentlessly overpowered Vikings' 2005 first-round draft pick defensive end Erasmus James and provided excellent pass protection. Filling the other voids on the offensive line, Kevin Sampson started at right tackle and Jordan Black started at left guard.

Though the Chiefs' defense struggled against the No. 1 Minnesota offense in the scrimmage, it did produce two of the top plays of the night. Linebacker Kawika Mitchell busted through the Vikings' offensive line obstructing Vikings' running back Mewelde Moore from gaining any yards. Also, safety Sammy Knight made a hit on Vikings' fullback Steve Jackson , forcing him to lose control of the ball and step out-of-bounds.

Overall, the Chiefs and the Vikings both benefited from the opportunity to compete against different competition and test out the capabilities of the rookies and free agents. "It's always great to see another colored jersey out there," said Vikings' Head Coach Brad Childress. "And I appreciate Herm bringing his guys out here."