Laddie Morse
It seems like only yesterday that I’d cringe every time the Kansas City Chiefs defense took the field… oh wait, that WAS only yesterday. Well, just about yesterday, because it was actually just two months ago. Now, we’ve returned to the days of Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith when Chiefs Kingdom would be thrilled to see the defense walking out onto the Arrowhead terrain.
While no one is currently Derrick Thomas in this comparison, Chris Jones plays the role of Neil Smith from his DT position. Smith is third (3rd) on the Chiefs all-time list of sackers with 85.5, and Jones compares favorably with 47.0 sacks in his career after 5.65 seasons of work. That means CJ would need to create 39.0 more sacks to overtake Neil Smith. Jones is currently fifth (5th) on the Chiefs all-time list and needs 29.0 more sacks to overtake Justin Houston, who is fourth (4th) on the Chiefs all-time sackers list. Houston has 78.5.
While sacks are fun and get everyone’s juices flowing, including the fans, those sacks are partially happening because of a great overall coverage scheme which the Chiefs DBs and LBs have been executing exceptionally well too. Let’s first take a look at the coverage skills of L’Jarius Sneed as spelled out by Brian Baldinger. Before watching this video, Baldinger uses the term, “Curl-Flat-Defender” which is almost self explanatory, because L’Jarius Sneed is in zone coverage and is ready to play any WR who runs a curl route in, or stops in, the flat on his side of the field.
On this next play, Baldinger points out Sneed coming on a Blitz, but to do so alone, doesn’t highlight the fact that the whole defense is playing in concert. Baldy does a good job of pointing out that CeeDee Lamb is warning RB Zeke Elliott that Sneed is coming on the Blitz, but it’s the way the whole defense plays together that gets the desired effect for K.C.. LB Ben Niemann is also coming on this Blitz and Zeke steps up to take him on and I stop the video in mid-stream to point out that #24, Melvin Ingram, who takes a deep and wide path and Cowboys #71, RT La’El Collins goes with Ingram to open up a clear path for Sneed. Also, Safety Tyrann Mathieu then takes CeeDee Lamb who run a deep post pattern which Mathieu mirrors closely. The rest of the DL plays along too, as Frank Clark takes a deep track and Tershawn Wharton (#98) and Chris Jones (#95) run a stunt to tie their OL counterparts up.
If anyone tires to tell you that the addition of DE Melvin Ingram hasn’t made a big positive difference, just show them this clip. This whole defensive performance was a beauty to behold and I’ve watched it several times. If each Chiefs defender doesn’t play his role to a “T”… it breaks down and falls apart. Take a look.
While focusing on Sneed here, he does more than cover well. Obviously, he’s a great blitzer when called upon, but he can also step up and makes tackles extremely well.
“At every position, they were better.” That pretty much spells out how well the Chiefs defense has been playing lately… when they play “together.” Sneed is not the only CB balling out this year. You can count 2019 6th round pick, CB Rashad Fenton, in that group of players:
Also, HC Andy Reid also said on Monday, that, “Fenton is one of my favorite guys.”
When we talk about tackling better the conversation must begin with the Chiefs leading tackler: rookie Nick Bolton. Here he is in the Dallas game getting a TFL (Tackle for a Loss).
It wasn’t just the DBs and LBs who had a good game against the Cowboys, both Chris Jones and the resurgent Frank Clark were up to their old destructive ways.
“It takes a village”… was a phrase made popular in the not too distant past… but I would amend that phrase when talking about the Chiefs defensive rise –> “It takes a coordinated village.” There are lots of teams who have better defensive rosters than the 2021 Kansas City Chiefs, but are any of those teams playing better overall defense than the Chiefs right now?
While Patrick Allen is mostly right, he forgot to mention that the unit is… “playing as a unit.”
There’s no denying that the Chiefs defense has grown to he place where they’re playing their best ball, and they’re probably the best defense in the league. Right now. What everyone wants to know is… can they keep it up? One way to look at this defense is as an offense…
The defense is now getting a reputation as a very good defense. Here’s Frank Buck and Troy Aikman (don’t vomit) on the future of the Chiefs both offensively and defensively.
Yes, I had to edit out some of Troy Aikman’s comments as they were not so complimentary of the Chiefs offense. Otherwise, their wrap up was on point: the defense is “really impressive.” Of course, I could never allow Buck and Aikman to offer the last thoughts on this topic, so here’s Mike DeVito (who played DL for K.C. from 2013 to 2015) and Derrick Johnson (who played LB for K.C from 2005 to 2017 and is the Chiefs all time leading Tackler with 1,151 tackles) narrated by ArrowheadPride’s Craig Stout:
The Chiefs defense held the Dallas Cowboys to zero touchdowns in this game. One of he reasons was the play of CB Charvarius Ward. Here’s one last play right before the half. Here’s three looks at the same play:
A synopsis of the Chiefs season defensively looks like this:
It is once again fun to be watching as the Chiefs defense takes the field. Can this defense help win a championship? It sure looks like that’s the case.
Go Chiefs! Go Defense!
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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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