2003 Kansas City Chiefs: Sequel to the Greatest Show on Turf

2003 Kansas City Chiefs: Sequel to the Greatest Show on Turf

2003 Kansas City Chiefs: Sequel to the Greatest Show on Turf

In 1999, Dick Vermeil was the architect of one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history. “The Greatest Show on Turf” was led by Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt. Vermeil left the Rams and ended up in Kansas City where he would once again pull the strings for another historic offense.

The 2003 Kansas City Chiefs didn’t have any flashy nicknames, but they had tremendous talent on the offensive side of the ball. After losing his starting job in St. Louis to Kurt Warner, Trent Green had another opportunity be the lead pivot for a Dick Vermeil-coached team. Priest Holmes was a talented running back with big play potential and Tony Gonzalez was a future Hall of Fame tight end.

Vermeil harnessed the talent of his roster to the tune of 30.3 points per game. The Chiefs led the NFL in scoring with 484 points. Trent Green completed 63% of his passes for 4039 yards and 24 touchdowns. Tony Gonzalez had 71 receptions for 916 yards and 10 touchdowns. Eddie Kennison added 853 yards and 5 touchdowns. Kick returner Dante Hall electrified crowds at Arrowhead Stadium with his amazing kick returns. Hall returned two punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns in 2003. Gonzalez and Hall earned spots in the Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro honors for their spectacular seasons, but their feats were overshadowed by Priest Holmes.

Holmes showed flashes of his brilliance in years past rushing for 1555 yards in 2001 and 1615 yards in 2002. Other than being a tremendous runner, he was also an accomplished pass catcher out of the back field. Holmes recorded 132 receptions for 1286 receiving yards in 2001 and 2002. He gave a preview of what was to come in 2003 by scoring 21 rushing touchdowns in 2002. It looked as if there no more room to improve, but Holmes shattered those expectations. He posted less rushing yards in 2003, but he converted an astonishing 27 rushing touchdowns. He continued his great receiving and caught 74 receptions for 690 yards. His receiving yards combined with his rushing yards surpassed 2000 all-purpose yards. Holmes earned a place in the Pro Bowl and earned him First Team All-Pro accolades, but he would take a back seat in MVP voting to Peyton Manning and Steve McNair.

The Chiefs rode their high-octane offense to a perfect 8-0 record at home. They started the season with nine consecutive victories before finishing the regular season with a 13-3 record. The Chiefs won their first AFC West title since 1997 and earned a first round bye. They faced the Indianapolis Colts in the Divisional Round.

It was a matchup between the two highest scoring offenses in the league and they did not disappoint. The offensive powerhouses put their punters on ice and let their offenses go to work. The Colts took a 14-3 lead into the 2nd quarter before Dante Hall caught a 9-yard pass from Trent Green to trim the lead to four points. The Colts scored a touchdown in the 2nd quarter to take a 21-10 lead into halftime.

Priest Holmes continued his inspired play from the regular season by rushing for 176 yards and two touchdowns. His first touchdown came in the 3rd quarter to cut the Colts lead down to 7 points. The Colts’ Peyton Manning answered with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne before Dante Hall’s 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown brought the deficit back to 7 points.

Edgerrin James scored a touchdown in the 4th quarter to push the Colts’ lead to 14 and it would prove to be the game-winning score. Priest Holmes scored his second touchdown of the day, but it wouldn’t be enough. Kansas City ran into an equally formidable offense and failed to win the shootout.