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Newfound hope for a defensive turnaround is the latest development in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2021 season. Their defense had been one of the worst in the league before recent weeks, where they’ve managed to look relatively formidable, albeit against lesser competition.
Fourth-year defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi had been at the center of Kansas City’s defensive renaissance, making his presence felt in the run game with consistency. The whole interior of the defensive line has shown signs of life that were non-existent earlier in the season, with offseason free agency addition Jarran Reed coming into his own by his teammate’s estimation.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Wednesday’s practice session, Nnadi described the role Reed is growing into after a slow start to his 2021 campaign.
“I really feel like he’s a real team guy,” Nnadi said of his fellow lineman. “He sees how us as a D-line, how us as a defense can improve. I feel like with him, he’s a real student of the game, trying to find out what we can do to add more, improving our D-line as a defense. He just keeps learning and learning trying to help us be better.”
The improvement Nnadi and Reed are seeking will mostly bear fruit against opposing running games, which have gashed the Chiefs’ defense all season. Impressive performances against Green Bay and New York have the linemen feeling they’ve turned a corner, and when asked about what has changed from the beginning of the season against the ground attack, Nnadi said the whole unit is starting to come together in a real way.
“I feel like it all goes back to really just gelling as a defense,” He explained. “In the beginning of the year, it’s always going to be a little shaky at times. Sometimes as the year progresses, you see more improvement, you see more improved technique. I think it just goes back to just the guys keep working.”
Now that they’ve proven they can get stops when they need them, the defense just needs to focus on consistency down the stretch of the regular season. They’re still on the outside of the playoff picture looking in following their win in Week 9. They’re favored in an important game against the Las Vegas Raiders this week, and they’ll need to continue to make a marked improvement.
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