Chiefs: Notes, Quotes,
and Observations
by David Bell
Chiefs Injury Summary
Things remain the same for guys who are not likely to play on Sunday. Eric Berry, Justin Houston, and Mitch Morse, are likely going to be held out. In fact, I think what will happen is that we won’t see all three until after the Bye week. Nor do I think Daniel Sorensen will be up to the active roster until that point.
We might could add Mitch Morse to that list. What I am thinking is that the games against the Browns away and Cards at home are great opportunities to get Austin Reiter and Jimmy Murray real time game experience and that would be ‘extremely’ valuable to the roster.
Here is the look on Wednesday:
- Eric Berry – Heel, DNP Wed
- Anthony Hitchens – Rib, DNP Wed
- Justin Houston -Hamstring, DNP Wed
- Mitch Morse – Concussion, DNP Wed
- Frank Zombo – Hamstring, DNP Wed
About Dee Ford
Here’s the most important concept to remember when considering Dee Ford, or the possibility of re-signing him: GMs and Head Coaches feel that it takes 3-4 years to master the role of an OLB.
Review once again: Ford was a one pick by John Dorsey. He spent the first 2 seasons of his career with little or no opportunity to get real time game experience because he was playing behind Justin Houston and Tamba Hali. I’m not going to rant here about the stupidity of paying Hali’s salary for 2017. That’s a given.
- In 2016 though, Houston was out and Ford got the opportunity. He played very well over the last 6 games. Ford notched 10 sacks and had a totally important pass defensed in the last game of the season on the last or next to last play of the game.
- 2017 saw Ford in a role as a starter. Unfortunately he had suffered a back injury that only worsened as time went on and Ford eventually was placed on the IR — 2017 was an injury wash season.
- 2018: Ford is showing what he did in the last 6 or 7 games of 2016 — some really good stuff.
So, let’s look at what we have in Ford? He is stating his case for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He leads by 6 or 7 in QB pressures among all OLB defenders. PFF has graded him in the last game with, 3 sacks, and and a 92.5 rating. PFF works deeper: Ford had 33 pass rush snaps against Keenum and he had 8 pressures, and 5 hurries to add to those 3 sacks.
Dee Ford talked about stripping the ball in an interview with Pete Sweeney and he acknowledged that the schooling for how to strip had gone on since high school. Ford said:
“We’ve all known the technique it’s just a matter of getting better at it and executing. We all worked at it since college—maybe high school. The way this league has gone, the evolution of football, we are working it in high school. It’s just a matter of execution and just being more efficient.”
Now, there’s an article out about whether or not to retain Dee Ford (at ArrowheadPride). Give me a “dampened” break.
I Choose Chris Jones
Remember what I wrote about Chris Jones at the time of the draft? I noted that he had a rep for taking plays off that would be eliminated as a Pro. That was a true case and in two seasons Chris Jones is an NFL factor of high import. Chris Jones on the Chiefs front three is a top notch, NFL Pro Bowl quality player emerging towards All-Pro. Jones is fulfilling my expectation weekly. Versus Denver, Chris Jones had a PFF rating of 76.7. He totaled 6 QB pressures, a sack a QB hit and 4 hurries in this game. The hit was a play just short of a sack and Jones knocked Case Keenum on his keister, hard.
Jones has 29 pressures according to PFF and tied with others for the fifth most pressures. Now, think about Ford and Jones from the same side and… “You Have Something!”
What’s needed is… for Houston to return to the LOLB role. Plus, for the future, Veach needs to find another Chris Jones-type player who can line up on the left side to provide pressure as Jones does on the right.
So, Where is Justin Houston?
Houston was injured for the last 7 games of 2016. This is where Ford came in with good numbers, finally getting starter snaps, making a game saving pass break up and logging 10 sacks. Houston’s 2017, according to his own comments — let alone stats — was sub par. In 2018 he has not been a “special player” and is now out with a hamstring. We are paying $20M a year for the man and it’s time for him to step up. The future? Unless Houston helps carry us to the Super Bowl, I would suggest it is long past time to trade him or release him. A Post-June 1st release generates is $5.6M dead money but the cap savings is good at $15M.
The Chiefs anted up… but haven’t much to show for it.
Where is Allen Bailey?
Note that I wanted to keep Bennie Logan, pay another $1M difference in the cost of keeping Allen Bailey’s but… that was prior to the time the Chiefs made their decision to retain Bailey. I looked at the stats and Ladner Morse did the same. Bailey didn’t do squat in the game against Denver. Not one stat was recorded for him other than game snaps. [Editor’s Note: Fact checked! No Fake News here!]
The “Where Is” That’s Last? Eric Berry!
I now think that the Chiefs are going to hold Berry out until after the Bye. That makes since at this point since they Chiefs will be facing first the Browns and then the Cardinals over the next two weeks.
Injuries Personified… and the Bye-Bye
The Chiefs, even with players injured and out for a period of time, should be able to face down these two foes and notch victories making their record 9-1 when the face the Rams in Mexico City. It may be that Reid and Co. are looking to take that game as well so it may be at that point in time that Berry returns (along with Houston, see notes above). Sorensen’s practicing but, if we don’t need him, he should return after the Bye.
It’s probably a good time for Justin Houston to miss two more games as well and fully recover from the hamstring but the Chiefs need him back to be able mount an full bore pass rush. Think about that one: Ford, Houston and Jones all getting after the QB? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Mitch Morse should be available next week but whether that’s true or not we’d have to know the reality of his concussion and we don’t have anything on that. Could be another Bye-Bye Hello.
Everyone’s Fall Guy?
What was the failure in this game? I think our interior Front 3 on defense is letting up on their job of standing up blockers and finding the RB for the tackle. That’s basic stuff. I also think that Bob Sutton’s Play Sets just are not working, putting all the pressure on the ILBs to make run stops and at the same time cover receivers. What ever it is, it is an abstract lesson in how to not stop the run when you know you need to stop the run.
Enough said of the negative: see my comments above on Jones vis-a-vis Bailey and what can I say about Bob Sutton that is polite? Bob Sutton served the men who served the country as the Army’s HC (not wanting to be a negative constant, there’s really a lot more positive but, I am out of space and that is another subject).
The Forecast is Simple
The Chiefs win game 9. Final Score: 44-to-13.
No Brown Nose but, A Bloody One
The only thing I will write about this game is this:
Andy Reid?
“Put the foot to the pedal and the pedal to the metal. Don’t let up and don’t let the players down by coaching down to the competition. Copy?”
David Bell – ArrowheadOne
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