Chiefs Chances Depends
on Corners and Safeties
by David Bell | January 6, 2018
As I am watching the Texans/Colts game, I am reminded what experience does when playing postseason games. I think this is most important when dealing with the overall roster on both sides of the ball. At quarterback, experience can make a huge difference so when evaluating picks for the games I start right here with the QB. My picks are the Colts, the Over and the Spread on this game at Houston as an example. As the end of the first half approaches, Luck is doing what I fear most from him and Watson made a poor pass intended for Hopkins just before the half. However, the quarterback is not the only factor.
Experience and Players Sticking to
the Basics: Safeties and Corners
For Kansas City, their first postseason game will depend on Cornerbacks and Safeties. The Chiefs made a decision, apparently at Andy Reid’s bequest to sit Parker and Scandrick and start Jordan Lucas and Charvarius Ward. I have spent some time defending Scandrick but I perfectly understand this move. Ward has the length, speed, SAQ advantage over Orlando as well as straight up speed. He was picked apart by Philip Rivers but after this, he played well and even in the Chargers contest he made plays.
In regards to Safety, there are two questions involved. First, how well can Eric Berry play and presuming Berry is good to go, then who will start beside him? I thought that in the Raiders game, Lucas played well. He didn’t own all the snaps but a bunch of them and the secondary, rather than be exposed as a hoax, did it’s job and part of that was due to the front 7 getting pressure on Derek Carr. Thus coverage duration was limited. Time and again during the season, this has been a large reason for the failure of the secondary — no pressure on the quarterback. Or it was limited in its frequency. Given a 2 1/2 second duration for close coverage or making reads appropriately in cover 2, for example, the Chiefs were able to flex their play and force errors which included the turnovers.
What I Expect From the Cornerbacks?
Kendall Fuller will play well as will Steven Nelson. The need here is for Charvarius Ward to perform the basics of coverage based on the scheme called. Ward is best suited for press coverage. If the Chiefs use that and have a good pass rush, then the Cornerback situation will provide a solid defense. Situationally, they need to read the play of the receiver and cover them and come up in run support when required.
What I Expect From Berry and Lucas?
Here I am making the presumption that Berry will start and be on the field, making plays and setting the secondary for most snaps in the game. That aids both the Free Safety and the Cornerbacks in front in setting up properly in alignment. The fact is, this on-the-field leadership has been missing since week one.
If the secondary is exceeding expectations, it’s because the front end players are pressuring the quarterback (pressures hits, sacks) and this will disrupt the flow in a similar manner to what we witnessed versus the Raiders. No, I do not think that suddenly the overall defense has risen up as magicians. What is needed is players doing their basic jobs and playing as an interrelated plays, back-end, front-end and all over the field.
Week One in the Most Meaningful Season
It comes right down to preparation this week for the second season. If Berry is a go, and Sutton and the defensive coaches build on what happened in the Raider game the Chiefs defense should be able to make a couple of stops in each half. If that occurs and/or they are able to limit the oppositions red zone trips to Field Goal Attempts, then Patrick Mahomes and company are going to supply the necessary scoring to win the game.
I am going to be following the storyline on the 3 questionable players that I wrote about in the previous article. I think Berry is the most important among the 3 but it would sure be good to have Eric Berry, Sammy Watkins and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif able to take the field. At this point, my next concern is Derrick Nnadi. I have heard nothing negative about Nnadi thus far this week, and that’s a positive.
David Bell – ArrowheadOne
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