Tag: Chris Jones

Chiefs DT Chris Jones praises veteran’s impact: ‘Vital for our defensive line’s success’

Kansas City #Chiefs DT Chris Jones praises Charles Omenihu’s impact: ‘Vital for our defensive line’s success’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs defense had its most productive game in Week 15’s victory over the Cleveland Browns. Multiple players with sacks and interceptions included veteran defensive lineman Charles Omenihu.

Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones spoke with reporters on Wednesday about Omenihu’s getting his first sack as necessary to motivate him for the postseason run.

“Well, the big relief (is that) Charles (Omenihu) got his first sack. We were able to make sure Charles got a sack and make sure you got in the rhythm,” said Jones. “We definitely need Charles playing his best, especially towards the end of the year, and creep up into the playoff. It can be vital for our defensive line success. I think he’s continuing to do that; Tershawn Wharton is playing some of his best ball right now. And got to keep George (Karlaftis) at it.”

Omenihu recorded his first sack since returning from injury two weeks ago. He now has eight sacks since joining the Chiefs in 2023. He missed six games to start last season due to suspension but still finished with ten sacks.

DeMeco Ryans makes it clear on who the Texans must stop in Kansas City

The Texans know everything for Saturday’s game plan comes to down to stopping Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones.

The Houston Texans’ biggest weakness on offense remains the interior offensive line.

That might be the selling point for Vegas since it’s the Kansas City Chiefs’ top defensive strength.

Chris Jones is waiting at Arrowhead Stadium for his chance to take down C.J. Stroud as the Texans finish their preparation for Saturday’s game.

He already has five sacks on the year and is looking to double his total against Houston’s front five.

While the defense must be prepared to slow down Patrick Mahomes, DeMeco Ryans knows his team is in trouble if it can’t stop the two-time All-Pro defensive tackle.

“Make sure you know where ’95’ is at all times,” Ryans said Tuesday. “Chris is an outstanding player, size, strength, pass rusher ability. Not only inside, he lines up outside, can get in on the edge as well, does a great job of batting passes down. He just totally impacts the game for them, and you see why he has been a dominant defensive tackle in this league. His pure will, strength, everything about him. He is just a great player.”

Jones, 30, might not have the same sack totals as his breakout 2022 campaign, but his versatility makes him almost impossible to prepare for. This season, most of his success has come on the edge when attacking quarterbacks.

All five of his sacks have come aligned at the edge. When lined up at defensive tackle, he’s been winning against the run, totaling 11 QB hits and seven tackles for loss.

“No one can fall asleep on ’95,'” Ryans said. “You have to make sure you are aware. You have to go challenge him and you have to go compete. That is what this game is about and that is what I am most excited about, they have really good players, they have good players. Let’s put the ball down, compete and see what happens.”

The Texans offensive line has allowed 45 sacks this season, though only 17  have come off the edge. The rest comes from the interior, which could be better improved now with Tytus Howard shifted to guard.

Howard, who played Jones during his rookie season when the Texans took on Kansas City in the AFC Divisional Round, remembers how violent the do-it-all defensive lineman is when given his chance to strike.

“You gotta lock him down,” Howard said. “It’s the same thing. He’s a good player. I gotta go out there and do what I can do. I’m confident in what I can do so, gotta go out there and have a good game.”

Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT.

Chiefs DT Chris Jones shares his thoughts on Myles Garrett’s impact: ‘Hope he has no success’

Kansas City #Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones shares his thoughts on Myles Garrett’s impact: ‘Hope he has no success’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro Chris Jones spoke with reporters on Thursday about his counterpart on the Cleveland Browns, Myles Garrett. He shared his thoughts on Garrett’s success and hopes he doesn’t replicate that against the Chiefs offense on Sunday.

“Myles (Garrett) is amazing. (He) won Defensive Player of the Year last year, was well deserved, and has a lot of respect for his game,” said Jones. “Yeah, I have much respect for him and hope he has no success against us.”

Garrett is tied for second in the league in sacks with eleven and has three forced fumbles, maintaining his dominance as the top defensive end.

“Anytime you get on the field as a competitor,” said Jones. “You want to outdo anyone you get on the field with a few competitors. So I think that aspect speaks for itself. But I happen to hope he has no success.”

Jones hasn’t had many sacks this season due to constant double teams, but he has created opportunities for teammates. On Sunday, Garrett’s presence on the other sidelines could fuel the star defensive lineman in Cleveland.

Chiefs DT Chris Jones comments on Charles Omenihu’s Week 13 return: ‘It was good to get him back’

Kansas City #Chiefs DT Chris Jones comments on Charles Omenihu’s Week 13 return: ‘It was good to get him back’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro defensive lineman Chris Jones is a leader for his unit and has commanded so much attention from offensive lines this season. He spoke with reporters Thursday about his excitement to have veteran sack specialist Charles Omenihu in the lineup against the Las Vegas Raiders for Week 13.

“It was fun. It was fun; It was good to get him back. He worked his butt off to be back and to have him back out there doing what he does best, rushing the passer.” said Jones. “I think he played more than we actually planned for him to play, and he looked really, really good. So we’re excited about that. We’ve got to keep him going and continue to get better with that. You know, he can bring a lot of versatility to our pass-rush unit. So, we always can do more sacks, man.”

Jones took advantage of Omenihu’s return to the lineup with two sacks on Raiders quarterback Aiden O’Connell. He now owns 80.5 career sacks, breaking a tie with Justin Houston to move into fourth place for most
sacks in franchise history. Jones already owns the franchise record for most sacks by a defensive tackle.

Chiefs DE Charles Omenihu describes Week 13 return from ACL injury: ‘I feel good’

Kansas City #Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu describes Week 13 return from ACL injury: ‘I feel good’ | @EdEastonJr

The return of Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Charles Omenihu during last week’s victory over the Las Vegas Raiders added another much-needed pass rusher to the lineup. He spoke for the first time on Wednesday to the media since returning to the field to reflect on his injury recovery.

“I feel good, I feel good, I don’t have any soreness; there’s no swelling,” said Omenihu. “Greg (Carbin) and Tiff (Morton) (Chiefs training staff) have been marvelous in the process of getting me back and getting to the point where I can play 34 snaps and feel good and have no trouble. Today [and] throughout the weekend, I was all good.”

Omenihu was an effective player on the defensive line when he was on the field after a suspension cost him six games to start last season. He efficiently finished third on the team in sacks and is expected to fulfill that role now that he’s back on the field and through his first game of 2024.

“I mean, my expectations were to play really well. Did I meet my own personal expectations? Probably not,” said Omenihu. “I’ve got to sometimes give myself grace (since) that I hadn’t played in…I saw somebody said 308 days. It’s been a long time since I’ve played. You’ve got to be realistic, but my foot’s on the gas, man. I’ve gotta go. That’s my mentality.”

Omenihu’s return could have affected Chris Jones’s performance, as he ended his sack drought by collecting two against Las Vegas.

Key things to know about Chargers’ Week 14 opponent: Chiefs

Here are some important things to know about the Chiefs ahead of the Week 14 matchup with the Chargers.

The Chargers are on the road to face the Chiefs under the lights on Sunday night, Dec. 8, at 5:20 p.m. PT.

To get you prepped for the Week 14 bout, here are a few key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the matchup.

How things are going…

The Chiefs have the best record in the AFC at 11-1, with their only loss coming against the Bills.

Close wins

When you see the Chiefs’ record, you would think they’ve dominated their opponents. However, it has been far from that. Kansas City has now won nine games by one score or less, with six coming down to the final drive.

Pat is not all that

The Chiefs are atop the AFC, but their success cannot be attributed to Patrick Mahomes’s play. This is statistically Mahomes’ worst season. He is completing 68.4% of his passes but has a career-low 4.4% touchdown rate and a career-worst 2.6% interception rate.

Key piece is back

When the Chargers played the Chiefs back in Week 4, they were without running back Isiah Pacheco, a vital piece of their offense. Pacheco was sidelined for two months with a leg injury and returned last week against the Raiders. He only ran the ball seven times but averaged 6.3 yards per carry.

Spag’s defense is still dominating

The Chiefs aren’t going to make it easy for the Chargers’ offense. Kansas City’s defense ranks No. 8 in scoring defense (19.6 allowed points per game). While they’re slightly susceptible against the pass, ranking 23rd, the Chiefs are a brick wall against the run. They’re only allowing 87.8 rushing yards per game, good for the third in the NFL.

Look out for…

Defensive tackle Chris Jones. The Chargers have had problems along the interior part of the offensive line, which Jones will look to exploit. Jones has 54 quarterback pressures and six sacks this season.

Chiefs DT Chris Jones reveals reason for close games this season: ‘Keep the ratings high’

Kansas City #Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones reveals reason for close games this season: ‘Keep the ratings high’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones spoke with Prime Video’s NFL team hosts as part of their postgame coverage. He helped recap the team’s Week 13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders and explained the team’s handling of late-game moments.

“I think it’s situational. Andy Reid prepares us throughout the week,” said Jones. “We do a lot of situational downs, whether it’s two minutes in the game or a long drive drill, and then training camp. We do it also going into the season.”

Jones had six tackles and two sacks in Friday’s victory, clinching a postseason spot for the defending Super Bowl champions. He jokingly explained to the panel why all the Chiefs’ wins were so close and last minute.

“We keep it close. We keep the game close to make sure you guys are watching the whole game,” said Jones. “We want to keep the ratings high.”

The charismatic All-Pro defensive tackle was an essential reason for Friday’s victory as he moved into fourth place on the franchise’s sacks list.

Chiefs vs. Raiders: Chris Jones makes history with second-quarter sack

Chris Jones passed a legend on Kansas City’s all-time franchise leaderboard for sacks during the #Chiefs’ Week 13 matchup against the #Raiders

The Kansas City Chiefs’ defense has struggled recently after dominating the first half of the season, but it seems the tides may be turning.

After the Chiefs kicked a field goal in the first quarter to take a 3-0 lead over the Las Vegas Raiders, Kansas City’s defense took some time to get into gear.

Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell carved up the Chiefs’ secondary on a ten-play, 83-yard drive that got Las Vegas into Kansas City’s red zone.

But, just when it seemed that the Raiders might take an early lead, Chiefs pass-rusher Chris Jones sacked O’Connell, which stymied Las Vegas’ offense on a key third down.

Jones advanced his position on Kansas City’s all-time franchise leaderboard for sacks on the play, passing legendary Chiefs edge rusher Justin Houston.

Take a look at Jones’ outstanding effort on the play in this video, which was posted by the team’s official account on Twitter:

Expect the All-Pro lineman to continue putting on a show as Friday’s game progresses.

Chiefs DT Chris Jones isn’t a fan of playing weekday games: ‘I rather just play on Sunday’

Kansas City #Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones isn’t a fan of playing weekday games: ‘I rather just play on Sunday’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs will play the Las Vegas Raiders in the second-ever NFL game on Black Friday. The monumental showcase at Arrowhead Stadium is exciting for audiences worldwide but can be taxing on the players involved from both teams.

Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones has never been shy about sharing his thoughts on any matter throughout his career. During Tuesday’s press conference, he gave his thoughts on playing another game on a short week with reporters.

” I rather just play on Sunday, not these Thursday and Friday games. It’s not enough rest time, but i get it. We was allocated for the spot, only teams playing,” said Jones. “Personally for me, I love my rest. I have a recovery routine. Throughout the week, my body kind of gets used to it. So, to kind of speed it up, everything that’s challenging at points.”

Jones hasn’t racked up the sack numbers this season due to constant double-teams but has opened up opportunities for teammates. He won’t like playing on Friday but will still perform like it was a typical Sunday anyway.

Chiefs DT Chris Jones responds to criticism after Week 11 loss to Bills: ‘I love adversity’

Kansas City #Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones responds to criticism after Week 11 loss to Bills: ‘I love adversity’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs first loss of the season in November isn’t a reason for concern, as they remain focused on a three-peat. All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones spoke to reporters on Thursday about the team’s mindset after last week’s loss and how they are working on correcting mistakes.

“I love adversity. I think it builds character, and we have a good group of guys with energy in the building. Has been great all week, uplifting. “said Jones. “We know it was one loss. It’s a lot of errors we can correct, and that’s what our main focus has been on this week, making sure we correct those errors and go out and play this week in Carolina.”

Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo spoke with the unit earlier in the week, pointing out numerous mistakes from the game. Jones reflected on that film session with optimism.

“I think that was a positive. You can show us where the game is in ten plays and where we could have changed. Maybe the outcome could have been different, and be critical of your own errors.” said Jones. “I don’t think we played our best game last game, and a lot of us could have played better off in the defensive, and we’re going to get better from it. It’s a lot we can learn from.

The Chiefs defense hasn’t had the statistical production on pass rushes that thrived last season. The low number of sacks is a concern, but Jones and the rest of the line feel they can correct it soon.