4/02/2004 By Bob Gretz

April 2, 2004 (morning)--As far as the voting that went down at the NFL meetings down in Florida this week, the Chiefs didn’t pick up many victories.

The team’s proposal to change the league’s overtime rules to guarantee each team one offensive possession went down to defeat, as they found few others willing to join them. The club’s idea to expand the field for the playoffs was pulled off the voting floor at the request of the league; the belief being it’s too soon to consider this expansion. There was never even a vote on Dick Vermeil’s biggest peeve: the game-day inactive list, the rule that puts seven members of the 53-man roster in street clothes each Sunday, even though they are paid as if they played.

But as the league left the posh resort where they held the meetings, there was one vote that could really benefit the Chiefs. In fact, the person who should be celebrating is Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez.

If the league follows through with plans to make defensive holding and illegal contact a point of emphasis with the officials this season, Gonzalez may have a record season not just for a tight end, but for all receivers.

Nobody in the NFL gets held on a weekly basis more often than Gonzalez. Week after week, linebackers and defensive backs grab and hold him on nearly every passing play. Contact continues well outside the five-yard zone off the line of scrimmage where this is allowed, especially when Gonzalez is lined up tight in the formation, rather than wide or in the slot.

Any time a Chiefs coach has brought up the situation with officials before a game – Marty Schottenheimer, Gunther Cunningham and Vermeil – invariably what happens is Gonzalez gets called for penalties, not the other way around. It happened last year in the Monday night game in Oakland; Vermeil said something in the pre-game meeting with the officials and Gonzalez was flagged twice for offensive pass interference. It’s been going on for years, especially when the Chiefs have played Denver and Oakland. That’s four games a year where Gonzalez is regularly mugged and seldom finds relief from the zebras.

In the 2003 season there were 79 flags thrown for illegal contact, down from 86 in the 2002 season. There were 188 flags thrown for defensive holding, up from 147 the year before. In the 2003 season, teams averaged 200.4 passing yards per game, the fewest in 11 seasons.

“All we’re talking about is making sure the receiver runs a free route after five yards,” said Mike Pereira, the NFL’s director of officiating.

That’s a quote to remember for Chiefs fans, starting with the opener in Denver on a Sunday night.

Last year, Chiefs opponents were called for illegal contact just twice and defensive holding four times. Considering how much the Chiefs throw the ball, those numbers are just ridiculous. In fact, Chiefs receivers were called for offensive holding more times than opponents were called for defensive holding.

Of course, the flip side is the effect this will have on the Chiefs defense. In the 2003 season, they saw six flags for illegal contact, but only one for defensive holding. They were called for defensive pass interference seven times. Cornerbacks Eric Warfield and Dexter McCleon led the team in those flags, as most starting cornerbacks would on any team.

As much as the emphasis might make it tougher on Chiefs DBs, they’ll be helped by Cunningham’s defensive scheme and aggressive tactics getting after the quarterback.