Can The Chiefs Win in the Playoffs?

Can The Chiefs Win in the Playoffs?

by Laddie Morse

Prior to last season, the name Bob Sutton wasn’t the not button name it is today. In Sutton’s first four years as the Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Coordinator, he had plenty of regular season success. However, last year saw the team finish near the bottom of the league in many stats and this year is about the same which raises a question: can the Chiefs win in the playoffs?

In an article by Doug Farrar published in July of last year called, “Ranking the Best Defensive Schemes” he listed the Chiefs… and Bob Sutton, as having the 10th best defense. He said this of the Chiefs D:

“…what Sutton does so well with the Chiefs, is to show different fronts to a quarterback and offensive line to make their pre-snap reads more difficult. As a result, you’ll see Kansas City’s defense lining up in all sorts of odd fronts that allow linebackers and defensive backs to do different things.”

Farrar points out that Sutton uses a variety of fronts to confuse the QB:

“On one play, he might throw a 1-4-6 alignment with a down lineman, four linebackers and a dime defense in which the linebackers and safeties may or may not be blitzing from any angle. Or, a base 2-4-5 in which Sutton’s defensive backs can patrol the field in nickel coverage.”

Finally, Doug Farrar points to the way Sutton plans for games and his theory of the game:

“Sutton’s philosophy is simple and effective: The more looks you throw at an offense, the more confusion you create, and the better your potential to limit the passing game. Sutton doesn’t talk much about his defensive concepts—he’s known as a “Zen thinker….”

If there is a way that Andy Reid and Bob Sutton connect, it’s probably through that “Zen thinker” philosophy because Reid is known for being such a creative thinker on offense… he’s going to have to have a counterpart with an equal amount of “head” in the game. Reid said this past January when asked about “replacing” Bob Sutton:

“There’s nothing going on there. I know everybody has their opinion on everything, just like they did when they wanted me to bench Alex (Smith). That turned out pretty good. So [the idea of replacing Sutton] is not where I’m at or have ever been. I don’t listen to any of that. I do what I think is right for the Kansas City Chiefs.”

Now, we know what’s been going on with Bob Sutton’s defense over the last year and a half but do we really know why? Is it enough to say that a change in personnel and the absence of Eric Berry and/or Justin Houston has been the difference? Gary McKenzie of ArrowheadPride says it’s more than that. When you compare the individual players and rank them as, 1) below average, 2) average, 3) above average and 4) high quality… you find that the players on the Chiefs defense of this year, are average to below average for the most part. Besides Chris Jones, Dee Ford and Kendall Fuller, most of the other players on the Chiefs D are average to below average.

If you consider the results of the Chiefs season so far, and that players Bob Sutton has been given to stock his defense with… it’s a miracle the Chiefs are 8-and-1.

So, were the first four years of the Chiefs defense really that good? Gary McKenzie goes further to say that in the first 5 seasons, 2013-through-2017:

• “Sutton’s defenses have given up the 3rd fewest points in the NFL and
• Have forced the 3rd most turnovers.
• His defenses also rank 18th in total yards allowed during that time.
• Truth is, that’s the one of the best DC resumes for the past 5 years.”

So, it gets down to this season. While we’ve seen a slight improvement over the past month allowing only 14, 10 and 21 points in 3 of their last 5 games, it still remains clear to me that THIS group of players, rookies included, will struggle in the playoffs, all things remaining the same.

That’s why the return of Eric Berry, and the quality of his return, will mean everything to changing the fate of this team. Also, the return of Justin Houston, and the quality of his return, will mean everything to changing the fate of this team. Plus, getting Daniel Sorensen back should help as well.

When the Tennessee Titans came to Arrowhead and manhandled the Chiefs last January, some lessons were learned. We hope. The Chiefs team HAD to get tougher. The Titans ran all over the Chiefs D and it’s hard ot imagine any playoff team coming into Arrowhead with a running game less effective than the Titans. Teams like the Steelers and the Patriots will be extremely tough outs but most of the other team the Chiefs could face at HOME are foreseeably beatlable… with this defense (which would include Berry, Houston and Sorensen): the Bengals, Texans, Dolphins, or the Jags. At 4-and-4, the Titans are still in the playoff race but I think if they had to come to Arrowhead in this year’s playoffs, the Chiefs would rip them up… even if they can run the ball on the Chiefs.

While I can see the Chiefs winning their first game at Arrowhead in the playoffs — assuming they are playing all their playoff games at home this year — winning a Conference Championship at HOME… even with the return of Berry, Houston, and Sorensen… the odds won’t favor them.

Can you project a better playoff outcome for this year’s Chiefs than that?

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