The overall performance of the team wasn’t that great, but Kansas City Chiefs rookie LB Nick Bolton had a game against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Bolton posted an impressive stat line with nine solo tackles, six assists and four tackles for loss in Week 7. In doing so, he became only the second Chiefs player since 1999, when tackles for loss became an official statistic, to record four in a single game. You have to go back to 2001 when LB Marvcus Patton did so in a 23-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles to find the only other occasion it has happened.
Bolton is also just the third Chiefs player to record 15 combined tackles in a single game, joining Eric Berry (2014) and Donnie Edwards (2000). Only two Chiefs players, Edwards (16, 2000) and Napoleon Harris (18, 2007) have ever recorded more combined tackles in a single game.
The 21-year-old Bolton became the only player in Chiefs franchise history to have ever recorded 15 combined tackles and four tackles for loss in a single game. He’s also only the third NFL player to record such a game since 1999, joining Eagles LB Jeremiah Trotter (2001) and Bengals LB Brian Simmons (1999).
Mind you, Bolton did all of this playing the MIKE linebacker position for the first time in his NFL career. He downplayed how difficult it was to do that and credited Chiefs’ injured starter Anthony Hitchens for helping him to prepare.
“Just calling plays was pretty much the difference,” Bolton said of the new role. “Everything else was pretty much the same week to week. Hitch (Anthony Hitchens) helped me out throughout the week and helped me get comfortable to go out there and play this week. So, a testament to him for that.”
Sure, Bolton will rightfully get dinged for his pass coverage in Week 7, but there are also signs of improvement there. You simply can’t take away what he was able to accomplish otherwise against the Titans.
Bolton’s season is also shaping up to be one of the better seasons by a defensive rookie in Chiefs history. Through seven weeks Bolton is tied for the most tackles for loss in the league with nine. He also remains the NFL’s leading rookie tackler with 55 combined tackles, pacing for over 130 tackles on the year.
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