Jared Allen needed a moment alone. The final pass had been swatted away, Allen had just completed the biggest game by a Chiefs defender since the days of Derrick Thomas, and all he wanted was some space in front of his locker.
He slipped on a pink shirt and a white disco suit, which a teammate called a mix of “Miami Vice” and “Saturday Night Fever”–ugly, but mesmerizing.
Kind of like Kansas City’s 28-21 win over Washington on Sunday, a game the Chiefs desperately needed and didn’t seal until there were 14 seconds left and Mark Brunell’s pass in the corner of the end zone was batted down by Sammy Knight.
The Chiefs gave up 398 yards and looked every bit the NFL’s 27th-ranked defense. The offense struggled again, even with Pro Bowl tackle Willie Roaf back in the lineup. But the defense made just enough big plays as it forced three turnovers–two credited to defensive end Allen–and K.C. improved to 3-2.
“Whew,” coach Dick Vermeil said after the Chiefs snapped a two-game skid.
He didn’t care about Santana Moss’ 173 receiving yards. For one afternoon, statistical rankings didn’t matter. When someone asked about the nearly 400 yards his defense gave up, Vermeil fired back.
“Right now, I’m going to enjoy the fact that we took the ball away from them three times, scored with one of them and knocked them around,” he said.
The biggest takeaway came in the third quarter, with Washington (3-2) driving to the Chiefs’ 32 and the score tied 14-14. Carlos Hall popped the ball out of Rock Cartwright’s clutches, although Allen was right there, and Knight scooped the ball up and ran 80 yards for a touchdown.
Allen sacked Brunell three times for 25 yards.
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“He’s been close all year,” Chiefs defensive end Eric Hicks said. “He’s one of the best young talents in the National Football League. If he played for the Giants or Jets, he’d be all over `SportsCenter.'”