Edwards Guides Another Team to the Postseason

Herm Edwards is just the fifth head coach in NFL history to guide two different teams to the postseason in his first season at the helm of those franchises. Prior to leading KC to a playoff berth in 2006, he led the N.Y. Jets to the postseason in his inaugural season with that club in 2001. Edwards has now been to the postseason four times in his first six seasons as an NFL head coach. His most recent postseason victory was a 20-17 OT decision in an AFC Wild Card Game at San Diego (1/8/05).

Chiefs Bounce Back From an 0-2 Start to Make the Playoffs
The Chiefs were one of 11 NFL teams that started the 2006 season with an 0-2 record. Kansas City was the only member of that group to bounce back and qualify for the playoffs. In the process, the Chiefs became just the fifth team since the start of the 2000 campaign to start a season at 0-2 and make the playoffs. This season marks the 15th postseason berth in Chiefs history, but only the third time in franchise annals that the club has qualified for the postseason after failing to win on Opening Day. The club previously accomplished that feat in ‘71 and ‘97.

Dating back to the ‘90 season, the 2006 Chiefs are one of 18 clubs that have opened the season at 0-2 and have still qualified for postseason play. That group includes the ‘93 Cowboys and 2001 Patriots who both went on to win the Super Bowl after an 0-2 start.

Chiefs Seek First-Ever Victory at the RCA Dome
Kansas City is seeking its first-ever victory at the RCA Dome where the Chiefs own a 0-3 regular season record. The Chiefs last road victory against the Colts was a 38-28 decision at Baltimore (12/21/80). Indianapolis owns an impressive 32-8 (.800) regular season record at home under Tony Dungy. In fact, the Colts have won 20 of their last 21 regular season games at the RCA Dome with that lone blemish coming in the form of a 26-17 setback vs. San Diego (12/26/04). However, Indianapolis is just 2-2 in postseason games at the RCA Dome, including a 21-18 setback vs. Pittsburgh (1/15/06) in their most recent home playoff contest. The Colts won home playoff games vs. Denver in 2004 and 2005.

The Turnover Table is Always Critical in the Postseason
Dating back to ‘90, Kansas City owns an NFL-best +165 turnover differential, owning a league-high 570 takes and a league-low 405 gives among teams active for all of those seasons. The Chiefs finished the 2006 campaign with a +4 turnover mark (30 takes/26 gives), denoting the 15th time in the last 17 seasons that KC has boasted a positive turnover mark. The Chiefs have forced at least one turnover in 19 consecutive regular season games, the longest active streak in the NFL.

Winning the turnover battle is always critical, especially in the postseason. During the 2005 NFL Playoffs, teams with a positive turnover margin registered a 7-3 record. Kansas City is 5-1 when plus in the turnover column in 2006. The Chiefs will face a Colts squad that is 17-3 (.850) at home under Tony Dungy with a positive turnover differential. The Colts have won eight consecutive games when plus in the turnover column. The Colts were -3 (5 takes/8 gives) in their four losses in 2006.

Putting Pressure on Manning is a Must for the Chiefs
In three career playoff victories Colts QB Peyton Manning has completed 79.8% (71 of 89) of his passes and has averaged 379.7 ypg in those contests, throwing 12 TDs and one INT, good for a 153.7 rating. In six playoff setbacks, Manning has completed 52.6% (122 of 232) of his passes and has averaged 220.5 ypg in those games, throwing three TDs and seven INTs, numbers that translate into a 61.4 rating.

The Chiefs defense has only allowed one 300-yard passer this season. Over the final three games of the regular season, KC’s defense limited opposing passers to an average of just 209.6 ypg. During that span opposing QBs completed 58 of 100 passes (58.0%) for 629 yards with only one TD and five INTs, numbers that translate into a 59.1 rating. KC also registered 9.0 sacks and forced two fumbles over that stretch. KC will face a Colts offense that has allowed an NFL-low 15.0 sacks in 2006.

Scoring Defense is Especially Important During the Posteason
Typically the team that hoists the Lombardi Trophy boasts one of the league’s top scoring defenses. The last 22 Super Bowl champions have ranked in the NFL’s top 10 in scoring defense. The Chiefs and Colts will both be attempting to break that string in 2006. The last team outside the league’s top 10 in scoring defense to claim an NFL title was the ‘83 L.A. Raiders who ranked 13th in the league at 21.1 ppg.

Kansas City finished the 2006 regular season tied for 11th in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing 19.7 ppg. That defensive performance marked the highest ranking by the Chiefs in that category since the club led the NFL in scoring defense by permitting just 14.5 ppg in ‘97. It also marked the first time since ‘97 that the Chiefs have allowed fewer than 20.0 ppg in a season. Indianapolis finished the 2006 campaign ranked 23rd in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing 22.5 ppg.

Chiefs-Colts Scoring Stats to Watch
The Chiefs allowed just 17.1 ppg in their nine regular season victories in 2006 and held 10 of their opponents to 20 points or less. KC will be faced with the task of attempting to contain a Colts offense that tied for second in the NFL in scoring offense, averaging 26.7 ppg. However, the Chiefs did limit the NFL’s top scoring offense (San Diego – 30.8 ppg) to just 20 points in their most recent meeting with the AFC’s top playoff seed on 12/17.

Indianapolis is 32-2 (.941) in regular season and playoff action when scoring 30 points or more under Tony Dungy. The Colts are 19-1 (.950) at the RCA Dome when reaching the 30-point plateau under Dungy, including a streak of 16 consecutive victories. Indianapolis is 2-2 all-time in postseason games at the RCA Dome. In a pair of home playoff victories vs. Denver (1/4/04 & 1/9/05), the Colts have averaged 45.0 ppg. In a pair of home playoff losses vs. Tennessee (1/16/00) and vs. Pittsburgh (1/15/06), the Colts were held to an average 17.0 ppg.

Chiefs Set to Face a Playoff-Tested Colts Squad
Indianapolis owns one of the league’s most seasoned postseason rosters. The Colts have qualified for the postseason for five consecutive years, the longest active streak in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are making just their second postseason appearance in the past nine seasons.

Eight of Kansas City’s 22 starters – 36.4% of the club’s starting lineup – have never played in a postseason contest. That list includes: DE Jared Allen, T Jordan Black, DT Ron Edwards, DE Tamba Hali, LB Derrick Johnson, RB Larry Johnson, WR Samie Parker and TE Kris Wilson. However, the Chiefs do boast five players who reached a conference championship game during their NFL tenure. CB Ty Law (New England) and TE Kendall Gammon (Pittsburgh) are the only players on the Chiefs roster ever to reach a Super Bowl. Here’s a look . . .

KC Needs Another Stellar Effort From RB Larry Johnson
Dating back to the start of the 2005 NFL campaign, no player in the NFL owns more rushing attempts or yards than Chiefs RB Larry Johnson, who has carried the ball 752 times for 3,539 yards, a remarkable average of 110.6 yards per game. Over that same span, only Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson (46) has scored more rushing TDs than Johnson (37).

Johnson has been especially hot down the stretch in 2006. Over the final 11 weeks of the regular season, he has averaged 130.2 rushing ypg and has averaged an incredible 142.5 yards of total offense per game over that span. During that 11-game stretch he has also produced nine of his franchise single-season record 11 100-yard rushing games. The Chiefs are 18-6 (.750) in the regular season when Johnson tops the century mark.

Only St. Louis (10) has allowed more 100-yard rushers than Indianapolis (9) and Oakland (9) this season. The Colts rank 32nd in the NFL in rushing defense, allowing 173.0 ypg. Indianapolis has registered a 3-4 record in its last seven contests. Over that seven-game span, the Colts have actually permitted 190.6 rushing ypg. In the Colts four regular season losses, Indianapolis has relinquished an average of 225.5 rushing ypg. The Chiefs single-game playoff rushing rushing record of 176 yards was established by RB Priest Holmes in Kansas City’s most recent postseason contest, a 38-31 loss vs. Indianapolis (1/11/04).

The Chiefs own a 12-2 (.857) record in games when Johnson scores two or more rushing TDs. The Colts have allowed 20 rushing TDs in 2006. Only St. Louis (21) has permitted more. Indianapolis has given up two or more rushing scores in its last three losses this season.