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Kelly's biggest plays are the most visible

Bucs DB has taken the brunt of criticism, but his position coach and teammates say it's unfair.

By ERNEST HOOPER

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 25, 2000

TAMPA -- The search begins with a loss and intensifies with another.

After four consecutive defeats, the search becomes an all-out manhunt. Everyone is seeking answers to why the Bucs, a team picked by many to reach the Super Bowl, are struggling at 3-4.

A critical look at the defense reveals a unit that has played well, with the exception of a few critical plays.

Among the miscues: a halfback pass by Curtis Martin that propelled the Jets to victory, a deep pass to Randy Moss that provided the winning points for the Vikings, and a 25-yard reception by Detroit's Johnnie Morton that helped the Lions tie Thursday's score just before halftime.

The thread that connects all three: cornerback Brian Kelly. Kelly had initial responsibility for covering Jets receiver Wayne Chrebet on Martin's pass, was a half-step from sacking Daunte Culpepper on Moss' catch, and failed to cover Morton on Charlie Batch's 25-yard pass that sustained the Lions' scoring march.

When Bucs coaches say they want defenders with a penchant for big plays, this isn't what they had in mind. Asked about the string of regrettable plays last week, Bucs coach Tony Dungy said coming up on the positive end of such plays is what makes good players great.

So, do we have our culprit?

Not exactly, says secondary coach Herman Edwards, who insists B.K. is okay.

"You can do that about any player in the National Football League," Edwards said. "You take his good plays and you can take some plays not so good and say this is what the guy is. At that position, you're in a fishbowl. You see those things before you see a lot of other things in a football game. When you're inside the tackles, a lot of things you don't see. When it comes out of it, it's either the secondary or a linebacker that has to make the play.

"Brian has been in a situation where he's had an opportunity to make some plays and he didn't do it. But there's a lot of plays he makes where he might be in coverage and the ball doesn't go his way because he might be in coverage. Those things go unseen."

Kelly is tied for second on the team in passes defensed with five, one a game-saving play in New England in which he broke up a touchdown intended for receiver Chris Calloway in the final seconds. In a team game, Kelly deserves a share of credit for playing on a unit ranked second in the league against the pass.

Still, a reticent Kelly described his 2000 performance as average and is looking at ways to improve.

"Just from play to play, I want to continue to concentrate, focus on the play and be the guy who helps try to change things around," Kelly said. "Not do too much but just do your job."

Edwards said Kelly was guilty of doing too much against the Lions. Kelly had Morton blanketed on the third and 22, but instead of staying with him, he dropped off to cover a running back coming out of the backfield. Batch was under pressure, so it appeared throwing underneath was a real possibility. Instead, Batch eluded the rush and hit Morton.

Detroit scored five plays later.

"Brian doesn't have to worry about lining up or technique anymore," Edwards said of Kelly, a second-round pick out of Southern Cal in his third season. "When you're young, that's what you worry about. He's gotten to the point where he sees formations and he sometimes anticipates what's going to happen and that can get you in trouble.

"Nine out of 10 times he's going to stay back. On that one, he didn't."

Kelly also dropped an apparent interception in the Lions game on a drive that resulted in a Detroit field goal. But he said he won't allow himself to get frustrated.

"You just have to keep going," Kelly said. "You got to let it go. You can't keep holding on to it. You've just got to let it go."

Edwards offered explanations for the other plays as well. Against the Jets, it's hard to find fault with Kelly playing the run when considering Martin's pass was the first winning toss by an NFL halfback in 49 years. Could anyone on the field not wearing green and white anticipate such a play?

And while Kelly's corner blitz came up short against the Vikings, it was still incumbent upon fellow corner Donnie Abraham to make the play against Moss.

Bucs receiver Keyshawn Johnson, a USC teammate and one of Kelly's closest friends on the team, said such scrutiny does not take everything into consideration.

"That's unfair, very, very unfair," Johnson said. "He wasn't the one over there when the ball got thrown in the air. So it's really unfair to decide that his blitz was the problem with that play. There were (10) other people on that one play, not just Brian Kelly on that one play.

"That there, to me, is nit-picking and looking for something or somebody to blame."

Edwards understands that during a losing streak, the blame is often going to fall on cornerbacks, who rival quarterbacks in visible errors. But in Kelly, Edwards sees an extremely capable corner whose good plays have gone unnoticed.

"When you're not winning, guys start pressing rather than, "let me hold back, let me read my keys and go through the progression of what I'm suppose to do,' " Edwards said. "You might make one, but you'll probably screw about three of them up doing that. That's where he's at right now.

"He's a prideful guy, he's a team guy all the way. He wants to do something good and he's done a lot of things good. That's what he has to remember. You've got to be a headstrong guy."

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