When you consider that the Kansas City Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach completely retooled the starting Offensive Line during the 2021 offseason, you have to wonder if the same kind of “reclamation” plan is in store for nearly the whole defense in the offseason of 2022?

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Unheard Of?

There’s no Chiefs fan, observer, pundit, sports authority, game analyst that exists anywhere, that has not already passed judgement on the Chiefs defense: abysmal is the word I would use. Going into Sunday, it is giving up 31.2 PPG. That is horrid. I remarked to Laddie Morse a day or two ago that back when AS/11 was at the helm, I believed that if the Chiefs could score 28.5PPG, they would get to the Super Bowl. That was 2016 and we of course, fell short. The Chiefs are currently averaging 35PPG on offense as a team. That type of scoring is going to be necessary if DC Steve Spagnuolo doesn’t come up with solutions — quickly.

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Is It a Reclamation Project?

I’ll go back through the game film after the Bills game, to verify what I witnessed or have previously reviewed, with specific focus on the defense to see of what I am thinking and what I am seeing continues to be true… or not. I ran through the remaining players available on the NFL “Get-a-Guy” list (F/A’s) and didn’t see anyone that would save the defense.

Because I believe the Chiefs have good football players on the defensive side of the ball, all that I can think of is we have a “Scheme” problem, though it is true that I believe the Chiefs have Future needs at LB, DE and CB that must be addressed. I mentioned CB Stephon Gilmore and LB Jaylon Smith yesterday, but did not believe they were in the plans, or affordable. Now? Gilmore was traded to the Panthers and Smith has signed with the Packers.

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Player Positioning and Assignment

Where am I going with this? Probably the film room for extended sessions. Whatever defensive sets are being called by Spagnuolo are not working. I have mentioned Jarran Reed and Chris Jones in the article on Thursday because Both men are very good players but they are not making plays. So add Alex Okafor who was brought aboard for a solid rotation. In the only appearance this season, Frank Clark played well but he has missed 3 of 4 games. Clark is essential to the front four. Fortunately, he returns to the field versus the Bills. Man, sometimes I sit and think: What if they had retained Tim Ward?

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I’m still not at the point of assigning Mike Danna and Derrick Nnadi to a starter/major contributor role — they are rotational player. in fact, Danna had two sacks last week, but I still have a player-crush on Chris Jones.

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Making My List and Checking it Twice

I’ll adding more to the list by including L’jarius Sneed, Charvarius Ward, Rashad Fenton because he has been a steady hand in the mix, and Juan Thornhill, too. Why is Juan Thornhill not the deep Safety and a starter? I like Dan Sorensen, specifically his game moxie and toughness. However, his best deployment is for the Specialist/hybrid role, in the box, not as the high safety. The Chiefs desperately need defense against the aerial game and Thornhill is the superior defender against the pass between the two players. Extend that to the Cornerbacks. They have looked out of place, or without understanding how to react to the route runners patterns. This is across the board.

Get thee hither to adding Linebackers. Above, there are 9 players who are not making plays — for the most part — or are part of the breakdown of the defense versus the run and the pass. It certainly appeared to me that Anthony Hitchens being lighter, was faster at diagnosing plays and in pass coverage –> in preseason games. Nick Bolton emerged on the scene early and often and he’s been used a lot in the first four games. If you add Ben Niemann to that mix, you have pretty much listed the complete defense.

Willie Gay was tearing things up in preseason games, playing top notch football That would have given us, what we anticipated, was a very good Linebacking crew. Then, he stubbed his toe and has returned to active play jus this week. His absence has surely hurt the defensive effort.

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Reasons Over Excuses

All of these players have been part of a championship team in the playoffs and in the Super Bowl. Can it be they all accidentally played well and now are falling of to their real ceiling? I can’t believe that is the case.

Also, I cannot understand Spags thinking. Someone should ask Andy Reid, “are we experiencing Bob Sutton’s Redux?” My point about listing these Six players above is my specific case in point. In the right defense sets, all six players have played top notch football when called upon and put in the circumstances to succeed. So far, success is eluding the defense. If my view of this is correct, DC Steve Spagnuolo needs to shoulder the blame and solve the problem. Things are not looking their best when a rotational DE is the player being touted –> Mike Danna.

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DBs Ups and Downs

When the season started with two INTs by Tyrann Mathieu, my thinking was very positive and considering the CB’s I had a very high opinion. The addition of Mike Hughes and Deandre Baker were positive acquisitions. We had the outlook that L’Jarius Sneed would become a future shutdown corner and the group still had Charvarius Ward and Rashad Fenton. Mike Hughes and Deandre Baker have given us glimpses of solid play, but none of it has been enough. For this week, Rashad Fenton has cleared concussion protocol and was a full participant in Practice on Wednesday.

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Witness Statement

So, what did we witness? Opposing WRs slashed us to death with crossing routes or plays to the flats for which the coverage was lacking. Even a jump pass over the top by the Ravens QB Lamar Jackson worked for a TD, Dan Sorensen was coming into the short-intermediate zone and Tyrann Mathieu was already up covering a WR. There was no single high Safety to cover the back end. Result? easy, uncovered TD. What?

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So, Who Ya Gonna Call?

For now, it would have to be a trade if something were to change in the roster. At this juncture, I am heaping the whole problem in the lap of DC Steve Spagnuolo. The players appear to not understand assignments. It’s all on Spags and his crew to pull of some miraculous shift in strategy in a salvage effort. When opposing teams go to a quick count, the Chiefs defense is out of sorts and appear confused.

Getting Frank Clark on the field and Willie Gay back from the IR will surely help. The rest, appears to me to be in Spagnuolo’s hands: getting the players on the right page of defense playbook–> in a coordinated effort, in other words, all of them at the same time. One more point: I do think playmakers have got to eventually be added: Another quality DE, a LB and a top CB. Unless a trade is made, that is a subject for 2022.

For now? I don’t believe the player talent pool is failing due to lack of effort. That turns my attention to the coaching staff.

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An Even Better Offense?

Shawn Sorter wrote a piece about the arrival and potential emergence of WR Josh Gordon. All that we hear is good stuff — if he stays out of trouble. There is of course a “BUT” in the story-line. What I see is Gordon about to go on stage to earn a roll in the Chiefs new version of the Mahomes’ era offensive drama. Let’s hope he enters stage right on Sunday Night. “Break a Leg” Josh. The offense is going to need you very quickly. Mahomes and Co., might have to score 40 PPG to get to the Super Bowl.

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David Bell — ArrowheadOne

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