RIVER FALLS, Wis. -- In St. Louis, Dick Vermeil created "The Show," a Rams offense that stretches the imagination of possibilities. Across the state of Missouri with the Chiefs, Vermeil is in the "Show Me" stage of development.

To Trent Green, who was Vermeil's original handpicked quarterback for the Rams' offense and now the Chiefs, fans say "Show Me" that your knee problems are behind. To left tackle Willie Roaf, they say "Show Me" that your recovering knee is right and you can dominate defenders again. To wide receiver Johnnie Morton, they say "Show Me" you can be the No. 1 flanker with 80-catch, 1,200-yard numbers. The list extends to receiver Eddie Kennison, talented young cornerbacks William Bartee and Eric Warfield and a talented collection of young defensive linemen.

	Green had seven more INTs (24) than TDs in his first season with the Chiefs.

Vermeil remembers a similar riddle with the Rams. In his second year with St. Louis, Vermeil felt the momentum building. He weeded out the malcontents and slackers. Each day he watched practice and game tapes of the Rams and, like he does now with the Chiefs, he saw the improvement. That Rams' team finished 4-12. The next year, they won the Super Bowl.

"We play seven playoff teams," Vermeil said. "Normally, if you are a playoff team, you break even against playoff teams. We play both Super Bowl teams. We play 9-7 teams that didn't make the playoffs. We play two teams who were 8-8, and they normally are teams that could go either way."

As you watch the practices in River Falls, you see the potential for a successful campaign. Green looks sharp, and the combination of Morton and Kennison far surpasses the patchwork receiving corps of Vermiel's 6-10 debut in Kansas City. A year ago, Priest Holmes was a question mark. Now, he's a 1,555-yard back who's just tapping his offensive talents. The secondary looks promising. The linebackers are solid. The defensive line creates excitement.

Yet a lot of things have to come together for the Chiefs to go 10-6 instead of 6-10. Like most teams, the answers revolve around the quarterback. That's perhaps Vermeil's best trump card. Green looks good although the protective wrap around his left knee reminds all that he's still trying to return to his skills prior to the 1999 season.

"From a physical standpoint, I'm as healthy as I've been since then," Green said, remembering the time prior to his 1999 preseason knee reconstruction. "I've been able to put on 10 pounds and now weigh 217 pounds. In 2000 and 2001, I was 208. The legs are a big factor. A lot of the weight I gained was in my legs, and you use your legs for throwing."

The odds were stacked against Green and Vermeil in their first seasons in Kansas City. Green's had four knee surgeries since 1999. Until this year, his offseasons have been in the training room instead of the practice field. He'd have to go into training camp trying to get in sync with what was then a substandard receiving corps.

Look back at the beginning of last season. Receiver Derrick Alexander couldn't practice much because of nagging injuries. Green had to make do with rookie Snoop Minnis and Chris Thomas, a former Rams special teamer who finished camp as a starting wide receiver. Things were so limited that the Chiefs couldn't slide into three-receiver sets all the time and had to use a tall tight end, Mickael Ricks, as inside receiver.

The result was a 1-6 start.

	“	We don't have anybody not working and just sitting on his helmet. That profile is gone here. If we are not a real good football team, it won't be because of work ethic and not having good squad leadership. ”
		— Coach Dick Vermeil

"We didn't really have any three receiver packages, and had to go more two tight ends with Tony Gonzalez and Mickael Ricks," Green said. "This year, we are able to broaden things. We need to be more productive in the red zone. Working with everybody throughout the offseason was so important. Johnnie Morton prepares much differently than Derrick Alexander. You could never get timing down with Derrick because his practice speed was much different than his game speed."

To be successful in Vermeil's offense, it's all about tempo. They practice fast. Receivers are asked to run to stop and be ready to look up, make catches and run for daylight with the ball. Morton noticed the difference after coming from the Detroit Lions.

"Last year with Detroit, you would get a chance to free lance, where here, you have to get downfield as fast as you can and get into your break," Morton said. "The quarterback is going to throw to a spot. Last year, you'd get open and are waiting for the ball to get there. By that time, a defender has a chance to react. So often now, I'll turn out of a break and the ball is in my hand."

At times this summer, Vermeil sees the flashes of brilliance from his offense. Green was particularly sharp in one of the dual practices against the Vikings over the weekend. There are times during his one-a-day practices that Roaf can dominate a defender. Still, everyone says "Show Me." The curious want to know if Kennison, who has been an in-house success story, can carry that over to the field for 16 games.

The Broncos remembered how Kennison retired on them during the middle of last season.

"My wife wasn't healthy at that time because she was pregnant and having complications with her pregnancy," said Kennison, who finished the season with 16 catches in five games with the Chiefs. "I had a lot on my mind. Coach Vermeil gave me a second opportunity, and I can't be in a better situation right now than I am. I'm in the right place at the right time."

Having been to Super Bowls as the coach of the Eagles and Rams, Vermeil knows what changes have to come from the Chiefs to advance the franchise toward the Super Bowl. Green has to dramatically trim his 2001 total of 24 interceptions. Twenty or 30 yards have to be removed from the 134 yards a game allowed rushing. And Green needs a big year.

"I'm planning on having a big year; this team is planning on having a big year," Green said. "That's one of the things we've focused on. We sit down and break down the films and say, 'Let's expand on this offense and take it even further. There is so much more that we can do."

Each day, Vermeil gets more encouraged by the work ethic.

"We don't have anybody not working and just sitting on his helmet," Vermeil said. "That profile is gone here. If we are not a real good football team, it won't be because of work ethic and not having good squad leadership."

Still, there are problems. First-round choice Ryan Sims is a holdout. So is Pro Bowler Gonzalez. Injuries have held back wide receivers Sylvester Morris and Minnis. Defensive linemen John Browning and Duane Clemons are coming off injuries and are doing their best practicing just once a day.

"I'm getting myself out there on the practice field because I want to work with the guys and start to get my timing down," Roaf said. "I feel bad when I'm not out there with the guys. This is a real good bunch of guys. They work hard together. The offense with Trent is going to be pretty darn good."

Good enough to be a surprise candidate for the playoffs? Maybe, but remember this is the Show Me state.

John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.