Priest Holmes: Operation Destroy Priest?

priest_holmes Priest Holmes: Operation Destroy Priest?

Here's a shocker; Priest Holmes is having another legendary season. While nobody should be surprised that Priest continues to set the benchmark for running back production and scoring, being able to sustain such athletic godliness at age 32 is noteworthy. Just to give you some perspective on what Priest is doing, at his current rate of scoring he is on pace to score 32 touchdowns this season which would be 5 better than his record-setting 27 scores from last year. By the end of this season Priest Holmes will have scored approximately 83 TD's over the last 3 seasons. That's more TD's than Tony Dorsett, O.J. Simpson, Earl Campbell and Larry Csonka scored during their entire NFL careers. How mind-blowing is that? Well, according to Priest he feels that he and the Chiefs offense have become such an unstoppable force, that defenses have given up trying to contain him and are now alternatively focused on injuring him with the intent of knocking him out of the game.

They know they can't stop us," he says. "They know I'm going to run the ball, and we're going to score touchdowns, they know it. So, now they've got a new idea. They're going to try to take me out." So there's a new strategy out there: Operation Destroy Priest. "It seems like that's the plan every week now," Holmes asks. He says every time he carries the ball, NFL snipers are taking shots. They are aiming for his ribs. They are going for his legs. They come in helmet first. More than ever before, Holmes feels like a target. "So they take aim. You got kids out there trying to make a name for themselves by hurting me. Every time I get hit hard, I can hear them;

They shout 'I think I got Priest. I think I got Priest. He's out. Don't have to worry about Priest no more.' It's an adrenaline rush for them."

He smiles and shrugs. "Can't blame them, really," he says. - Kansas City Star

The major caveat here being that the Chiefs are a 3-4 football team currently sitting third in their division. While few teams are able to stop the Chiefs offense as Priest claims, teams like Denver, Carolina, Houston and Jacksonville managed to keep the collateral damage to a manageable level and escape with wins. Short of Priest taking some snaps at linebacker, there is little more he can do to help his team win more games. Either they find a way to grow a defense fast, or they'll watch this blossomed offensive talent wilt away into statistical abyss. Unstoppable or not, that's the reality in Kansas City.

Holmes takes on the role of target [KansasCityStar]
Photo: [AP]

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Priest Holmes: Operation Destroy Priest?