David Bell Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs: A New Defense In the Mix

David Bell May 23, 2019 No Comments

by David Bell | May 23, 2019

In 2019, Steve Spagnuolo, Kansas City’s new Defensive Coordinator, has or will switch their Defense from a 34-base to the 43. I know, you’ll say, what does that mean since KC was seldom in a 34 base over the past 2 or 3 years and you will not likely see Spagnuolo’s defensive sets in a 43 base very much at all but variations of it. If anything, you should be able to see the Chiefs and catch them in a basic 4-2-5 (nickel). This could work the Open side out of the base or the 4-2-5 and you will see the side opposite the Tight End of the opposing team, open the other side – and the safety will come up into the box on that side.

A Preliminary Look at the Chiefs in a basic 4-3: LBs

How I think this will work for the Chiefs Spagnuolo over-all defense as implemented by Matt House’s Linebacker crew, is to have a base LB group of Wilson, Hitchens and O’Daniel set in the LB positions but if they are using the 4-2-5 you will see Derron Lee in the box. At this point, I can see Ragland in the middle on 1st and 2nd downs. That’s pretty good grouping of House LB’ers set for aerial defense and speed with a toughy up the middle swapped out with Darron Lee at the Box-Safety role.

I see no reason to mistrust it at this point as I really see that the heavy hitter has to be Ragland as the MLB when stopping the run and tangling with Offensive Linemen coming through to the second level. This is why I think the bunk about Ragland is just that… bunk. I did write about him over the past weekend. My point stands though. I need a guy who can stuff the run behind a 4-man front in the middle of the LB crew and speed on the edges. I have that with Wilson, Lee, Hitchens and O’Daniel off the edges which means I can use Rags over the middle coverage for intercepting RB’s in the hole and pursuit tackle to tackle, if you will. Lee, O’Daniel, Hitchens and Wilson are going to be a lot more effective dropping into coverage. Even with Ragland in, he can effectively drop back in the short zone as he proved for me in my film review the year before last when he joined the roster.

The Defensive Back-End?

In 2019, things changed a lot and much for the better. Eric Berry is gone. He gave us nothing for two straight seasons and Brett Veach could not gamble another season on lack of contribution. Added is Tyrann Mathieu who is already becoming the vocal captain of the defense as is showing in OTAs.

Returning is Armani Watts who missed most of 2018 due to injury as well as Jordan Lucas. That gives us a pretty solid group whether Dan Sorensen is part of the mix or not. The think that makes the Safety role tremendously strong through the addition of Juan Thornhill in the draft. This was a top level pick and in my view, a steal when Veach drafted him, keeping in mind what Veach had-to-do to cover the Tyreek Hill saga exposure. Also listed as safeties are: Harold Jones-Quartey (FA) and Andrew Soroh (UDFA).

Not only is this group strong in pass defense but also it’s strong in run support at the same time. Uncertainty of protection over the top in 2018 will disappear in 2019, and the CB’s will be able to play straight up and know that behind them they have solid basic belief that Help (with a capital H) will be there for them.

The 43 Front End

I am really looking forward to what we will see from our Defensive front. It’s going to be very good. Outside we should see Frank Clark and Breeland Speaks and a third starter in Emmanuel Ogbah. Inside the Starters will have at least 3 as well in Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi, Okafor and Xavier Williams. I can see this group able to use their collective speed and toughness to be a tight defense versus the run and also rush the passer. The addition of Kahlen Saunders in the middle adds another alternative and I see him effective very quickly from a 1-Tech A-Gap type attacker. That’s a pretty solid group right there.

As I envision this I have protected the corners with quality Safeties as a group. I have a room full of Linebackers who have Corners who will assist with run defense support and the Linebackers will be missioned to attack the LoS and stop the run behind a superior group of Defensive Linemen who will engage the offensive linemen, stack them up and make plays on their own.

I do not envision design a 25th to a 32nd rated defense in other words… I am looking at a 15th ranked Defense overall and probably better by the end of the season when the Spagnuolo defense has gelled.

NFL Teams Using the 4-3 base – 2019

I think I ought to talk about what I think we are going to see from teams running the 43 first.


In the AFC West you will see both the Chiefs and Chargers itching to run the 43. The Raiders already use a 43 base so that leaves only the Broncos in a 3-4 look. In the AFC South, only the Jaguars will use the 4-3 whereas in the east you will see the Dolphins and in the North, only the Bengals. Teams in the AFC that will use multi-formations are the Bills, Pats, Ravens and Browns.

The 43 in the NFC? In the North, Lions and Vikings while in the East you will see the Boys, Eagles and Giants with a base 43 defensive front. NFC South will see the Bucs and Panthers and for the NFC West the Rams, 49’ers and Seahawks. Remaining teams will use multiple formations.

As you can see that is half of the NFL Teams setting up to use the 43 defense with others using a mix of defense looks based either way. Don’t be surprised if the Chiefs mix in a little 34 looks at the same time though their wide body front 3 is a bit light and the men who could man the 34 OLB Edge roles a lot more limited. Still, I expect to see this look.

The 43-Base

I have doubts that we will ever see much of this basic defense set. But we could if an opponent sets a vanilla offense with a single set back and a slot wideout instead of 2 RB’s in the backfield. However, this gives you a view of the basic setup of the 43. 

Bleacherreport shares their view of the 43 Over/Wide 9 on the field (graphic below):

The Chiefs will use the 43 Over and Over Wide (9). They used a similar look out of the 34 so I am going to base my view of the wide look in that to shift the point of attack on the pass-rush, the Chiefs will use a similar look to what was occasionally used in the 34 even though the DC is no longer Bob Sutton. It is not showing the Cornerback that would be walking up tight into the box but that has got to be the coverage on the closed side with #84 and no direct coverage lined up opposite from the LB role. Here I am going to presume the Chiefs will want a tall CB or Safety up in to coverage. The use of that tight end as a blocker is also a strong possibility which would be covered inside by the strong side LB.

The 43-Over

This set has the same type of vanilla problem as the above look with the 43 base. I believe in today’s world you would see the Full Back as the flexed WR which could be the point where one of the “vanilla” tan LB’s is actually a up in the box safety and that I can see as either Darron Lee or Dorian O’Daniel. Or for that matter, one of the speedy corners or safeties depending on who the receiver is and his body-type and speed.

This is the type of set that I always envision mismatches for the Chiefs aerial defense because we are light in using a taller safety or CB. Probably the best match for this is going to be Charvarius Ward unless we get a surprise from a speedy Linebacker that could surprise such as Gary Johnson. At any rate, this is where I can see the length mismatch occurring.

The 43 Under

This again is too traditional a look with 2 backs in the backfield but offers a view of how the defense would set up against it. Use your imagination and put the F-Back as a slot WR and then imagine the Chiefs and using Tyreek Hill as that slot receiver and running a jet sweep or a fake and the movement causing a problem for corners and Linebackers whether this takes place behind the QB under center or if the QB is in the shotgun, it could well be the slot receiver in motion and in front of the QB.

LAURELS to BASICS and the 43 Base

Lastest is the most basic of all: Weak, Middle and Strong basic set. it is how things started with the 43 design.

 

One last Basic Set: 43 Under-Go Fast

This is going to get a lot more complicated with Spagnuolo and the Controlled Chaos Defense. I didn’t even touch on pass coverages out of these basic 43 defense scheme looks. My purpose was to give the reader a shot at understanding the basic defenses that exist with the 43 — very vanilla but it demonstrates a lot about how the different looks occur and for the purposes of stopping the run. I think you can envision that.

This last look as set with all three Linebackers in the standard set. The Chiefs can use the WLB and SLB as speedier defenders and an MLB who I can envision as Hitchens with Ragland out.  If I go fast, I could call it my go-fast 43 and that would mean I am looking at each position providing speed over-all including the Defensive front. I would want Darron Lee, Dorian O’Daniel and Anthony Hitchens as the LB’s. Or Wilson could be in that mix.

If I alter this under look, I could place Lee as the Safety in the box and use the other three as noted. Ragland would be off the field. I see the speed occurring up front also. We are trying to outmaneuver the offense with speed and not over power them. We are shutting down the aerial game at the same time. I also think we are looking up front for Speaks being out and using Okafor or Ogbah with Clark and Nnadi & Jones for the interior. Maybe you sub Ogbah for Nnadi. Think on it because I don’t yet know who is faster among the front 4 linemen.

I have just provided a preliminary look at the 43 defense and will do more with it in the next article or two. I see Spags shifting personnel in mix-and-match looks to disguise what the defense intends and in this way it adheres to what we have already had intimated to us about a Controlled-Chaos Construct 43 defense. I will also address some simplified constructs for the aerial defense at the same time. Of course, I have no idea yet how this will unfold so I will have to KISS it (Keep It Simple Silly) until I am more educated in what is going to happen.

I can say this: I am truly seeing this defense as a powerful force for the Chiefs — not just another mediocre scheme. As I have said, I see this as being a defense which climbs into the top 15 and higher as the season progresses. It’s different and it will test the mettle of our opposition even as the players learn how to meld their talents into a cohesive unit.

David Bell – ArrowheadOne

 

 

 

 

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