KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -Everybody who's surprised to see the Chiefs in first place, and that includes just about everybody, failed to heed the lessons of history.
What's happening now in Kansas City also took place in New York in 2001 and 2002, and in KC only a year ago. For reasons that even he cannot explain, Herm Edwards' teams habitually start slow, then get things right.
The Jets in 2001 and `02, his first two seasons as a head coach, both lost two of their first three games, but still reached the playoffs. His first Kansas City team last season limped to an 0-2 start but regrouped, won nine of its next 14 and captured an AFC wild-card berth.
Now, after a second straight 0-2 start, the one-time star cornerback of the Philadelphia Eagles has the Chiefs at 4-3 and in first place in the AFC West. And he may be doing the best coaching job of his life.
Not only is the charismatic son of a career military man keeping Kansas City in contention, he's doing so while giving the Chiefs a top-to-bottom makeover, retooling both offense and defense and still managing to keep little fires from flaring into a roaring blaze.
That includes Pro Bowl running back Larry Johnson's turning moody and petulant after holding out of training camp and signing a $45 million contract. In two different games, a frustrated Johnson hurled the ball to the ground and drew boos and costly penalties when things weren't going his way. Then, when cornerback Benny Sapp had a similar meltdown and picked up a very unnecessary 15-yard penalty that kept a Cincinnati drive alive, the coach would have no more.
"I'm a very patient man, but I'm also patient in the fact that there are two sides of me," Edwards said after a team meeting that one player described as "intense."
"I'm patient with you and then I put you in the tolerance category. When you get put in the tolerance category, I'll tolerate you until I can replace you. When a guy gets into that box, it's not good."
The next day, a penitent Sapp apologized to fans, teammates, ownership, coaches and just about everyone else who might have witnessed or heard about his absurd conduct. He hasn't so much as frowned at anyone since.
Johnson, for about a month, has refused to speak publicly about anything. But neither has he thrown the ball into the ground. He's also rushed for more than 100 yards in two straight games and seems to be regaining the pace that enabled him to break the team rushing record two years in a row after Edwards had privately reassured the insecure superstar he was understood and appreciated.
"The thing about Herm is he's a leader," said fullback Boomer Grigsby. "Every player in this locker room genuinely respects him. And when you genuinely respect the guy who's running the ship, you want to listen to him. You want to follow his lead."
That goes double for the staff, says special teams coach Mike Priefer, the son of an NFL coach and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.
"I've been around leaders all my life - coaches when I was growing up, at the Naval Academy, serving in the Navy," said Priefer. "He's the best leader I've ever been around. He allows coaches to coach. He trusts you to do your job. He never loses his temper. He's not going to embarrass you by yelling and screaming at you in public. If there's a problem, he comes to your office.
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