Joe Burrow is playing quarterback at a thermonuclear level right now. Here’s how the Chiefs can at least slow him down.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ defense were able to do something in the playoffs that the Los Angeles Chargers couldn’t, and that was to mitigate the Jacksonville Jaguars’ passing offense by pressuring the quarterback.
Trevor Lawrence only completed 61.5% of his passes for 217 yards in the divisional round, finishing with a 74.4 quarterback rating. In the wild-card matchup against the Chargers in that historic comeback win, Lawrence threw 6.1 yards per attempt, and against the Chiefs, that number dropped to 5.6 yards per attempt.
The Chiefs’ defense wanted to bring the pressure, so they brought a blitz on 22% of the dropbacks, and hit the quarterback seven times. Kansas City’s defense grabbed one interception, sacked Lawrence twice, and only allowed him to throw one touchdown.
It seemed like the Chiefs’ defenders were everywhere all at once, and that is exactly what head coach Andy Reid thought after the game:
“I thought from the defensive backs to the defensive line to the linebackers, I thought everyone was flying around making plays. Again my hat goes off to the guys, they were incredible on third downs and second downs they just played a great game all the way around. “
The question now is if the Chiefs’ pass rush can get to Joe Burrow in order to slow down the Cincinnati Bengals’ offense in the upcoming AFC Championship game. Burrow is playing at a ridiculous level right now, so that’ll be Job One if the Chiefs want to vault the Bengals to the Super Bowl.
Touchdown Wire’s Laurie Fitzpatrick goes to CB Trent McDuffie’s film to see what he brings to the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense
When the Kansas City Chiefs watched the bottom half of the first round in the 2022 NFL draft go down, they knew they might have to move up to get the guy they wanted. So, they traded up with the New England Patriots for the 21st overall pick, and took Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie to help redefine their defense.
“He moves around well,” head coach Andy Reid said of McDuffie after the pick happened. “Good hips. Good hands. I like the part about being smart when you’re playing that position. Leverages become important. How you do those. Size, different-sized players… we have some big receivers that we go against. How are you going to take care of that?”
Outside of Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley, McDuffie is one of the top cornerback prospects now in the NFL. It would be a three-way tie between these top selections if it wasn’t for McDuffie’s length. He’s only 5-foot-11 and his arms are in the bottom 7th percentile among all cornerbacks (29.75 inches). Due to this lack of size, there is a good chance that the Chiefs may start him out at the nickel corner position to see how adjusts to the NFL.
Let’s go to the film and examine how his skillsets can contribute to the Chiefs defense.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert was born for prime time.
Quarterback Justin Herbert has solidified himself as a legitimate MVP candidate in his sophomore season.
Herbert currently ranks fourth in the NFL with 294 passing yards per game, third with 30 passing touchdowns, first with a quarterback rating of 67.35, and tied for first with five game-winning drives.
When the Chargers meet the Chiefs on Thursday night, he will have a great opportunity to further make his case, as Herbert has proven to shine bright under the primetime lights.
In Herbert’s four career games in primetime, he is 97-of-145 passing for 1,182 yards, 12 touchdowns, one interception, and a rushing touchdown.
The last time Herbert faced Kansas City came back in Week 3, where he put together an impressive performance – finishing with four touchdowns.
However, since then, the Chiefs’ defense has done a complete 360.
Amid their six-game win streak, Kansas City has allowed just 9.6 points per game, which ranks second in the NFL. In addition, the unit has been stingy, posting 15 takeaways in their last five outings.
Herbert should benefit from the return of Keenan Allen, who missed last weekend’s win over the Giants. However, he will be without his blindside blocker, Rashawn Slater, who was ruled out with COVID-19.
If we know one thing about Herbert, it’s that pressure rarely phases him. But against a team like the Chiefs, who are one of the best at getting to opposing quarterbacks, Joe Lombardi will need to draw up a solid game plan.
While not an ideal scenario, the Chargers can mask his absence and make life easier for Slater’s fill-in, Trey Pipkins, with extra blockers, moving the pocket, and simplified half-field reads.
A win led by Herbert not only allows the Chargers to control their destiny en route to the first AFC West title since 2009 but increases the chances of him being recognized as the league’s most valuable player.
A look at some causes for concern as the Los Angeles Chargers gear up to face the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chargers are hosting the Chiefs in the most crucial game remaining on their schedule on Thursday night, as both teams are neck and neck in the race to be crowned AFC West champions.
Los Angeles should be feeling optimistic, but there are also reasons why they should be feeling wary heading into the Week 15 bout.
The Chiefs went from having one of the NFL’s worst defenses to one of the NFL’s best literally overnight. How on earth did this happen?
Before 2021, the last team to hold its opponents to less than 10 points per game in four of five games was the 2014 Seahawks, in their third of four years leading the NFL in scoring defense — something no other team has done in the Super Bowl era.
Last Sunday, after holding the Raiders in a vise in a 48-9 beatdown, the 2021 Chiefs became the first team to accomplish that four-in-five stretch since the Legion of Boom pulled it off. Steve Spagnuolo’s defense held the Packers to seven points in Week 9, the Raiders to 14 points in Week 10, the Cowboys to nine points in Week 11, the Broncos to nine points in Week 13, and the Raiders to nine points in Week 14. Outside of the Broncos, that’s a bunch of generally high-powered offenses that turn very normal when they meet this defense.
Interestingly enough, the Chiefs’ defense bottomed out in the second half of the 2020 season, dropping from 14th to 29th in Defensive DVOA, and the uptick wasn’t nearly as significant in 2019, the team’s Super Bowl-winning season, when the defense moved from 16th to 11th. This season? The Chiefs ranked 28th in Defensive DVOA in Weeks 1-9, and only the Patriots have a better Defensive DVOA since Week 10. They’re third in Defensive DVOA behind the Patriots and Cowboys since Week 6, so this isn’t an in-season blip that can be ignored.
This is a new level of greatness for a defense that has been able to take risks because the Chiefs’ offense was so explosive. Which makes this turnaround even more impressive, because for the most part, the Chiefs’ offense has been anything but. That offense has seen a nice uptick from 11th to fourth in the second half of the 2021 season, but the second half of the season also includes a two-game stretch against the Cowboys and Broncos in which Patrick Mahomes failed to throw a touchdown pass. If the second half of the season didn’t also include a two-game roll against the Raiders in which Mahomes threw seven touchdown passes and no interceptions, it’s hard to say where the 9-4 Chiefs would be.
(Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports)
Where the 9-4 Chiefs are right now is at the top of the AFC West, one game ahead of the Chargers, who they face this Thursday night. The Chargers beat the Chiefs, 30-24, in Week 3, but Justin Herbert and friends will face an entirely different threat this time around. That defense is the key to the team’s six-game winning streak after a 3-4 start, and it’s worth investigating what changed, and why this is no flash in the pan.
The Kansas City Chiefs are now led by their defense, as if 2021 wasn’t already weird enough.
In 4-Down Territory, Doug Farrar and Luke Easterling tackle the NFL’s most pressing topics on a weekly basis.
Every week, in “4-Down Territory,” Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar and Luke Easterling of Bucs Wire and Draft Wire discuss the NFL’s most pressing topics. On this week’s video, Doug and Luke talk about (and occasionally disagree about) the following:
The list of reasons for the Jaguars to move on from Urban Meyer seems to grow every week. Last week, there was the report from Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network in which it was revealed that Meyer calls his coaches “losers.” that he lied about the reasons for benching running back James Robinson (probably the team’s best player), and players are apparently close to open revolt. Why is it that college coaches struggle so consistently with the rigors of the NFL?
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young won the Heisman Trophy last Saturday, and there’s no doubt he’s had a great season. But should he have taken the trophy home, or was this the year it should have gone to a more deserving defensive player?
Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas is on his sixth NFL team, and he’s never been successful before Green Bay signed him off the Cardinals’ practice squad in October. Douglas recently said that he didn’t learn to watch tape the right way until last season, which is a pretty remarkable thing to admit – and a rather damning indictment of his former coaches. Now, Douglas has pick-sixes in two straight games, the first Packers player since Herb Adderley in 1965 to achieve that. Which other players around the NFL deserve a better opportunity in a new home?
The Chiefs started the season 3-4 with what may have been the NFL’s worst defense. Since then, they’ve rolled up six straight wins, they haven’t allowed more than 17 points in a game, they’ve allowed less than 10 points in four of their last five games, and they absolutely demolished the Raiders, 48-9, last Sunday. How does a team go from having the NFL’s worst defense to perhaps having the NFL’s best defense in such short order?
Watch this week’s episode of “4-Down Territory” right here!
The Chiefs’ defense was bad enough before it had to face Derrick Henry, and several business decisions occurred.
In 2019, per Pro Football Focus, Derrick Henry of the Titans was the NFL’s leading rusher with 1,985 yards, including the postseason. Derrick Henry after contact was the NFL’s second-leading rusher with 1,605 yards. Nick Chubb of the Browns finished third with 1,494 yards.
In 2020, Derrick Henry of the Titans was the NFL’s leading rusher with 2,067 yards, including the postseason. Dalvin Cook of the Vikings was the NFL’s second-leading rusher with 1,557 yards. Derrick Henry after contact was the NFL’s third-best rusher with 1,525 yards.
Through the first six weeks of the 2021 season, Derrick Henry of the Titans was the NFL’s leading rusher with 783 yards. Derrick Henry after contact was the NFL’s second-leading rusher with 587 yards, and Chubb was the NFL’s third-leading rusher with 523 yards.
You get the idea. It’s not just that Derrick Henry is the NFL’s best back by an absolutely crushing margin; it’s also that Henry after contact outpaced just about every back in the NFL. Henry’s combination of brute force to and through the gaps and second-level speed makes him an impossible player to consistently stop.
The Chiefs and their leaky defenses decided to take things to the next level on Sunday. It’s hard enough to bring Henry down when you’re trying to tackle him; if you’re obviously not… well, you might as well go 7-on-7 in the parking lot and call it a day.
There was this sort of arm tackle from the usually outstanding defensive lineman Chris Jones…
…and what can only be called an intentional miss by cornerback Mike Hughes.
Watch 21. Guys are out here making some serious business decisions. I don’t want to hear anymore about the “culture” on that side of the ball. This is every bit as bad as 2018. pic.twitter.com/Z5XPqE9F4p
2018 was Bob Sutton’s final season as the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator. The Chiefs ranked 27th overall in Defensive DVOA, though the team made it all the way to overtime in the AFC Championship Game against the Patriots because they could run the ball when they had to, and because Patrick Mahomes became a football-throwing alien in his first NFL season as a starter.
This season, under Steve Spagnuolo, the Chiefs came into Week 7 ranked 31st in Defensive DVOA. They can’t run the ball at all, Mahomes has been erratic at best, and though we don’t like to question the effort of players (that’s something you don’t want to speculate about, because there isn’t much worse you can say about a player on the field than to wonder if they’re giving their all), but as we also say, the tape does not lie.
Touchdown Wire’s Laurie Fitzpatrick breaks down the film to determine what is ailing the once-proud Chiefs defense.
The Kansas City Chiefs have reached back-to-back Super Bowls and began the season as the odds-on favorite to make it three in a row.
That’s understandable, considering all the firepower the Chiefs bring to the table offensively with talents such as Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce.
However, most observers didn’t expect to see the Chiefs’ steep regression on the defensive side of the ball this season.
The Chiefs defense has allowed at least 29 points in all five games. They have one of the worst run defenses in the league, allowing an average of 141 yards per game — which ranks 29th. When it comes to defensive pressure, the Chiefs have the fewest sacks in the NFL with seven, and they’re ranked last in the league in pass rush by Pro Football Focus.
The Chiefs simply aren’t tackling well, and safety Daniel Sorensen leads the league in missed tackles with eight. Kansas City is allowing averages of 7.1 yards per play and 3.3 points per drive. They’re allowing the opposition to score a touchdown on 41.7% of drives.
The rushing defense in particular has struggled, which has led to linebackers overplaying the run in play-action. Along with a non-existent pass rush, that creates a lot of problems.
Let’s examine each of these aspects.
In the run game, the Chiefs allowed eight touchdowns between the tackles, according to Sports Info Solutions, and only the Seahawks and Eagles allowed more rushing yards between the tackles through Week 4. The move of defensive tackle Chris Jones to the outside may account for part of this problem as teams are targeting the A gap more.
Last Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills, on a second-down play, the Chiefs brought pressure to what they thought was a passing play. But the call was a draw run. Instead of penetrating the gap and getting a tackle for loss, Sorensen was caught flat-footed and didn’t wrap up.
Since the Chiefs’ defense was honoring the run so much, the zone-read allowed Bills quarterback Josh Allen to rush for 60 total yards just by reading the linebackers.
With the number of athletic quarterbacks in the NFL, the Chiefs can’t afford to keep overcommitting to the run. Otherwise, these issues will continue to happen week after week.
Play-action is the next area in which the Chiefs defense is getting beaten. Once defenders realize the running back isn’t getting the handoff, Kansas City’s defense overcompensates and drops back too far into coverage — leaving the middle of the field wide open.
When it comes to bringing pressure, the Chiefs just aren’t getting the job done. Against the Bills, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo finally brought more pressure in the fourth quarter, but by then it was too late.
The absence of pass rush wasn’t the only issue, though. A lack of innovation seems to be a problem as well, as the Chiefs weren’t even using stunts. In the clip below, they just run straight at the quarterback.
Allen had all day to throw. But what is especially concerning is that in the broadcast angle of the clip, the pass-rushers actually pull up and stop rushing completely, allowing Allen to find Stefon Diggs wide open downfield. All throughout the game, the Chiefs gave Allen a clean pocket.
Early in the game, the Chiefs needed a stop on third down (below). The defense called no stunts and failed to bring pressure, leaving the defense in man coverage to follow receivers around downfield.
Defenses rely on cohesiveness and the ability to bring pressure up front in order to help the secondary. Stunts from the defensive line and blitzes from the linebackers aren’t the only places where pressure can come from. In Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles, cornerback L’Jarius Sneed got a sack from a blitz. The question is: Why don’t they use it more?
The Chiefs lost two defensive starters from last season’s team in free agency, linebacker Damien Wilson and defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon, and then the injuries to Jones and Charvarious Ward also are having an impact.
When watching this team the past two weeks, there were more than a few snaps where defenders were communicating responsibilities as the quarterback snapped the ball. That being said, it’s difficult to run deceptions when players aren’t even sure of their assignments at the snap.
Tyrann Mathieu, the rare Chiefs defender playing at an above-average level right now, has expressed his frustration in some fairly epic on-field ways — specially when it came to Sorensen and some serious coverage busts.
I went back and found all the plays where Tyrann Mathieu was visibly pissed off at Daniel Sorensen pic.twitter.com/LLBDkuhLgw
Not what you want to see, and Mathieu doesn’t need to go quite that live in-game, but he was more eloquent about the defense’s issues after the Bills did what they did.
“You try your best to set a good example,” Mathieu said. “I feel like I can make more plays. Teams aren’t going to let me make certain plays but you have to take the bull by the horns sometimes. For me it is all about continuing to lead these guys the right way. I think my emotion, my spirit, it can go left or right. For me it is important for me to push these guys in a positive direction. I know we still have a good football team. We are struggling right now but, like I mentioned earlier, it’s a long season and I think we will be able to get it right.”
It’s still relatively early in the season. But as of right now, it seems unlikely that the Chiefs will find any impactful free agents off the street to help with depth. It doesn’t seem like the Chiefs are interested, anyway, as they brought in wide receiver Josh Gordon to help on offense instead of a cornerback or defensive tackle.
Still, the Chiefs can boost their chances on defense by bringing more pressure up front and finishing their tackles. But they have a long road ahead if they expect to get back to the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs have been missing an elite cornerback, but maybe they already have one on the roster?
Ever since Marcus Peters’ departure, the Chiefs Kingdom has been clamoring for an elite cornerback for the defense.
The front office showed their confidence in the in-house secondary this season by not bringing in any big splash cornerbacks in free agency nor addressing the position until later in the draft. One of those in-house corners has lofty goals for himself and plans to take the next leap in 2020.
Some scoffed at Brett Veach’s decision to trade for an undrafted free agent cornerback ahead of the 2018 season, but Charvarius Ward has proven to be worth the investment.
In his first season as a starter in 2019, Ward recorded 74 total tackles, two interceptions, 10 passes defended and a forced fumble. As a Super Bowl champion, the pressure has been cranked up. Knowing that his running mate Bashaud Breeland won’t be across from him for the first four games makes his success that much direr. Ward spoke about where he plans to go from here after a Super Bowl victory.
“Honestly, I feel like I could be one of the best young corners in the game, as long as I just keep believing in myself and having confidence in myself off the field and on the field,” Ward said. “The sky is the limit. I feel like I’m going to be one of the best young corners in the game this season. I’m going to earn my respect this year.”
While Ward has been effective during his career, he has only the two interceptions recorded in 2019. Ward has been working on improving in that area this offseason.
“That’s one of my biggest things is getting the ball by forcing interceptions and stripping the ball,” Ward said. “Instead of batting the ball, I’m going up with two hands and try to hop on the ball to get an interception. I just want to make turnovers to get the ball back to Pat, Tyreek [Hill], Sammy [Watkins], Travis [Kelce], and all of those guys to get more points. That’s one of my key areas of focus this year – turnovers.”
Ward believes there’s potential for growth for the entire defense in the second year of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s system.
“We’re the defending Super Bowl Champions, so of course we’re ready to get out there and defend our throne,” Ward said. “I feel like everyone knows the system way better, so we’re just building comradery now and getting to know each other better and better. I feel like this season, we could be one of the best defenses in the league if we keep grinding, keep working, and just grind day-by-day.”
At the end of the day, Ward believes in himself and he wants to be recognized as one of the elite cornerbacks in the NFL.
“I just believe in myself and my ability,” Ward said. “I know what I can do on the field, I just need to show the world. I need to show the coaches, show the media, show you guys, show the fans, just show everyone that I can be that lockdown corner that I think I can. I know I can and I’m going to do it”
The vibe in the locker room seems to be the potential of the defense. We all know what to expect from guys like Chris Jones, Frank Clark, and Tyrann Mathieu, but fans aren’t too sure what to expect from Ward. Based on his responses and goals, the Chiefs Kingdom should expect a lot.
When the Chiefs signed defensive back Tyrann Mathieu in the offseason, they hoped Mathieu would help the defense. He’s done more than that.
Through the first half of the 2019 season, it looked like the Chiefs were going to have to take the same trip to the postseason they had in 2018 — riding Patrick Mahomes all the way, and hoping their defense didn’t blow it all up. The last straw for Andy Reid and the Chiefs’ front office for ex-defensive coordiantor Bob Sutton was Kansas City’s loss to the Patriots in the 2018 AFC Championship game, when the Chiefs never got the ball in overtime, and New England marched down the field on a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Sutton’s defense was helpless to stop it, and things had to change.
To replace Sutton, the Chiefs hired Steve Spagnuolo, the architect of the 2007 Giants defense that stunned the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Spagnuolo’s multiple fronts and aggressive coverages provided a different template than Sutton’s far more passive approach, and though it took a while for everything to gel, the Chiefs now have a championship-caliber defense at exactly the right time.
Through the season’s first nine weeks, Kansas City allowed 14 touchdowns and had just six interceptions, though their seven dropped interceptions (tied with Cincinnati for the league lead) was a precursor of better things to come. Kansas City allowed 7.02 yards per attempt, and an opposing QBR of 90.50. Not the worst in the league in any of these departments, but hardly the kind of defense Spagnuolo or Reid wanted. Their opponent completion rate of 62.96% ranked 11th-best in the league.
Rex Burkhead’s game-winning touchdown run in the 2019 AFC Championship game spelled the end of Bob Sutton’s tenure. (Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)
But from Weeks 10-17, the change has been remarkable. The Chiefs are tied with the Ravens for the fewest passing touchdowns allowed with seven, and have picked off 10 passes — tied with the Falcons, Browns, Colts, Saints, and Dolphins for the most in that span. They also have seven dropped picks in the second half of the season Only the Steelers, Packers, and Ravens have allowed a lower completion percentage than Kansas City’s 57.36%.
The Chiefs have allowed 6.22 yards per attempt — only the Ravens, 49ers, and Steelers have been better, and only the Steelers have allowed a lower QBR than Kansas City’s 68.72. The Chiefs’ defensive Positive Play Rate (the percentage of plays in which an opposing offense has Expected Points Added over zero) has dropped from 46% to 42%.
Perhaps most importantly for their playoff prospects, the Chiefs have become the kind of team that can beat other postseason entrants without a superhuman effort from Mahomes — or even with Mahomes in the game. Playing through injuries as he has, Mahomes saw a drastic dip in production from his 2018 MVP season, but the Chiefs beat the Vikings, 26-23 in Week 9 with Mahomes on the bench and Matt Moore throwing for 275 yards and a touchdown. They lost a close one, 31-24, to the Packers the week before with Moore as their quarterback. They beat the Patriots, 23-16 in Week 14, with Mahomes challenged by New England’s top pass defense, managing 283 yards and a touchdown. And now, they have a revenge match on Sunday in the divisional round against the Texans, who beat them 31-24 in Week 6, back when this defense wasn’t what it would become.
Players such as cornerback Charvarius Ward and defensive back Tyrann Mathieu have thrived this season under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
The unquestionable key to this turnaround, besides everyone getting on the same page with Spagnuolo’s more aggressive man and match concepts, has been defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, the former Cardinals and Texans star who signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Chiefs in March. As has been the case through his career, Mathieu is a game-changer from every possible position. This season, he’s played 1,080 snaps — 82 at the defensive line, 315 as a box safety or nickel/dime linebacker, 483 as a slot cornerback, 27 as an outside cornerback, and 173 as a free safety.
“He wears a lot of hats,” defensive backs coach Sam Madison recently said, via ESPN’s Adam Teicher. “Early in the year, we just wanted to put guys in situations to be comfortable. He understands the defense. … Since he’s been at LSU, he’s played all over the place. It was just a natural fit for him. He’s taken to it very well. I talked to him a few weeks ago, telling him just to be patient and try not to go out there and find the plays [but] let them come to him. That’s what he’s been doing.”
Mathieu’s transformation in Spagnuolo’s schemes mirrors the overall defensive improvement.
“He’s the glue,” Spagnuolo has said of Mathieu. “He’s the guy that can get in the huddle in practice and say, ‘Hey, we need to step it up.’ You need guys like that. That stuff, I value as a coordinator. It makes my job a lot easier.”
As a slot defender through the first half of the season, he allowed 16 receptions on 21 targets for 132 yards, a touchdown, no interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 107.6. From Week 10 on, he increased his efficiency with 17 catches allowed on 27 slot targets for 110 yards, no touchdowns, and an opponent passer rating of 40.2.
As a safety, his coverage improvement has been similarly transformative. In the first half of the season as a box or deep safety, he allowed 23 catches on 34 targets for 221 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and an opponent passer rating of 92.9. In the second half of the season, he allowed 28 completions on 42 targets for 193 yards, no touchdowns, three interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 47.0.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid knows his safeties — he had Eric Berry from 2013 through 2018 in Kansas City, and Hall-of-Famer Brian Dawkins in Philadelphia from 1999 through 2008. As far as Reid is concerned, Mathieu belongs in that discussion.
“This organization was blessed to have Eric Berry… a great leader, tough, all those things. Before that I was with Brian Dawkins. I’ve been lucky to be around some really good safeties. They’re all different in their own way but they’re all great football players with great instincts and good leaders. They lead a different way. This kid here, he’s a special kid. He’s not the biggest guy. You’re not looking at one of those huge safeties but, man, is he a good football player. He just gets it.”
Leadership is one thing. The 5-foot-9, 190-pound Mathieu also brings top-tier athleticism, field awareness, and the ability to read a play and snuff it right out — from anywhere on the field.
