Sims meeting expectations

Chiefs' lineman rebounds from wasted season

? He missed his first training camp in a bitter contract holdout. Then he missed most of his first season because of a lack of conditioning and a subsequent injury to his elbow.

Now, finally, Ryan Sims is playing like the Kansas City Chiefs expected when they made him a high first-round draft pick in 2002.

In fact, the only thing that kept him from getting a game ball last weekend was the final score — Cincinnati 24, Kansas City 19. The Chiefs don’t award game balls following a loss.

“After watching the game film, a couple of people really stood out, including Ryan Sims,” coach Dick Vermeil said.

The 6-foot-4, 320-pound NFL sophomore has provided the Chiefs something they’ve sorely been lacking — a good push up the middle.

Frequently double-teamed, he also has created more opportunities for others to make tackles.

“He makes it a whole lot easier for the defensive secondary,” cornerback Eric Warfield said. “And I don’t know if many people have noticed it, but he goes out and has fun. He has a whole lot of fun. And he’s good.”

There even has been talk of Sims possibly going to the Pro Bowl. If the Chiefs (9-1) keep up what they’ve started the first 10 games and go deep into the playoffs, someone from the defense almost would have to be represented when the stars gather in Hawaii the week after the Super Bowl in Houston.

“I’ve done pretty good,” Sims said. “I just go out and work hard. It may have been a surprise to some people. But I do what I do. Last year I played with no practice, no nothing. I didn’t really know the defense. I didn’t know the people I was around.

“This year I’ve got people around me to help me out, and I know the defense. The whole team’s clicking. Everything’s going pretty good.

“But I would rather go to Houston than Hawaii.”

One of the people who are somewhat surprised at how quickly Sims has taken charge is Warfield.

“Honestly, I was really surprised to see him have such a big impact after sitting out almost the whole year,” Warfield said.

“He has a lot more to learn. He lost a lot of strength in that arm. But when he gets back to 100 percent, and gets the knowledge of this league, he’s going to be a beast.”