After his team lost Sunday to the Kansas City Chiefs on the final play of the game, Oakland coach Norv Turner was asked if the defeat seemed crueler than any of the Raiders’ previous four losses.
“I don’t rank ’em,” Turner said, his voice barely above a whisper. “They all hurt the same.”
While any NFL coach would agree, a number of them, including one here in Denver, would also admit that some wins are sweeter than others.
That feeling can permeate an entire organization, which was why Chiefs president Carl Peterson was missing at the start of the postgame celebration that spontaneously erupted when Larry Johnson scored the winning touchdown.
Watching from a box high above the field, Peterson was so excited at the last-second drama that he banged on one of the glass walls – in the process, shattering it and sending shards flying everywhere. Paramedics were called to rinse out his eyes to make sure there weren’t any slivers remaining.
When he finally made it to the locker room, Peterson’s exuberance hadn’t waned. Whenever a player approached – leaving the locker room, heading to the training room, going to the showers – he asked him enthusiastically, “Isn’t it great to beat the Raiders?”
The irony is that as sweet as the win was for the organization, Peterson and the Chiefs will be rooting for the Silver and Black on Sunday, when Mike Shan- ahan and the Broncos wage the next chapter of their passion play with Oakland. A Raiders win would drop the Broncos to 6-3. That, combined with a Kansas City win at Buffalo, would create a tie atop the AFC West. And while the Broncos have a convincing 30-10 win over K.C. in hand, the Dec. 4 rematch is at Arrowhead Stadium, where Denver is 2-8 during the Shanahan regime.
Should the Chiefs remain in the running for the division title when that game is played almost a month from now, they’ll undoubtedly look back to Sunday’s contest as a turning point. Coming off a loss to San Diego, the team’s immediate future looked bleak. Running back Priest Holmes was inactive Sunday, the result of a concussion as well as a possible spine injury that had him seeing specialists and leading to talk that his career might be over.
Both cornerbacks were injured, as were four other starters. That included offensive tackle Willie Roaf. His absence, as well as a number of statistics that showed a decline in offensive production, had led to more chatter, this speculating that the smashmouth-tough Chiefs offense had seen better days.
Coach Dick Vermeil and his staff couldn’t even be certain how those players who were present would perform, most notably, quarterback Trent Green. The veteran missed almost the entire week of practice after the death of his father; Vermeil hinted early in the week Green might not be mentally ready to return and didn’t name him the starter until Friday night.
Had the Chiefs lost, their record would be 4-4 – pretty good in the NFC North or even the AFC East, but last place in the AFC West. They also would have fallen to each of their division rivals.
Instead, thanks to a number of gutsy performances by starters and reserves and an inspired decision by Vermeil, the Chiefs escaped. And while there are still serious concerns on both sides of the ball, the difference between them and the Broncos – at least in the standings – is, well, as thin as a sliver of glass.
“This type of win is hard to find,” defensive tackle Eric Hicks said. “It could be the catalyst for great things to come for the rest of the season.”
Rivalry week
With Chiefs vs. Raiders in the books and Broncos-Raiders on the horizon this weekend, fans eager for more big games might want to look ahead to Dec. 4. There is a series of contests that day that figures to have a major impact on the postseason:
Atlanta at Carolina: It’s possible these teams will have six- and eight-game winning streaks, respectively, entering the showdown for first in the NFC South.
Green Bay at Chicago: Will the Bears’ quest for an NFC North title be derailed by a last hurrah from Brett Favre?
Dallas at New York Giants: Bill Parcells returns to the Big Apple wearing a black hat.
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh: The Bengals could show they belong in the AFC championship mix with a victory.
Denver at Kansas City: Might be the toughest contest remaining on the Broncos’ schedule.
Oakland at San Diego: Between now and this game, the Chargers could be in a position to challenge for the AFC West lead.
Game of the week
St. Louis at Seattle
The Rams have won their past two games under interim coach Joe Vitt, running the ball more than under Mike Martz. Even so, the Seahawks have won four straight and are threatening to run away with the NFC West.
Notes
JUST GEAUX SAINTS
While much of the buzz in recent weeks has been about Terrell Owens, Tom Benson and the New Orleans Saints have their own Cajun-flavored trouble brewing. After Relocation-gate and Camera-gate, came “Let’s not walk through the gates to watch this mess.” The team drew only 32,637 to Baton Rouge for its loss to the Bears.
TRENDING
Jacksonville set an interesting record with its 21-14 victory over Houston. It was the 58th consecutive game that the team failed to score 30 points. The players say how many points they score doesn’t matter as long as the Jaguars win. During that span, they’re 25-33.
Staff writer Anthony Cotton can be reached at 303-820-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com.
