Tag: Defense

Broncos lead the NFL with 22 takeaways through 12 weeks

The Broncos lead the NFL in takeaways (22) through 12 weeks of play. Ja’Quan McMillian (4) and Justin Simmons (4) lead the team.

The Denver Broncos’ defense has been forcing turnovers at an impressive pace during the team’s recent winning streak.

Over the last four weeks, the Broncos have totaled 15 takeaways, the most by any team during a four-game stretch since 1989. Denver also has a four-game streak of at least three takeaways, a team-high since 2000.

“It’s huge,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of the team’s takeaways earlier this week. “If you’re looking at the league in general, with anywhere from 11 to 14 possessions per game — you take it away, you get one, they get one less. You take two away, you get two more and they get two less — just do the math. It was at that 1-5 mark that we were not really good with that. Since that mark, we’ve been really good with that. We have to keep paying attention to it, but it’s significant.”

Denver has totaled 22 takeaways this season, more than any other team.

At some point, there will be some regression. The Broncos have recovered 10 fumbles in their last four games, a historically high total. As Andrew Mason of Denver Sports pointed out on Twitter/X, two of those fumbles were muffed snaps and one was a botched reverse — some luck was involved in those turnovers.

The Broncos can continue to be aggressive, though, punching the ball out when given opportunities while continuing to force interceptions as well. Denver might not be able to keep up its historic turnover pace, but the Broncos can continue this style of play that has led to takeaways.

Dallas Turner named a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award: the nation’s top defender

Dallas Turner being recognized as one of the top defensive players in college football

Despite being a high-end recruit and a very talented player himself, the first two years of [autotag]Dallas Turner’s[/autotag] collegiate career were spent in Will Anderson’s shadow. Turner was sensational his first two years as he combined for 67 tackles and 12.5 sacks, but Anderson was the star of the defense during that span with 152 total tackles and an insane 27.5 sacks. With insane numbers like that Anderson was viewed as a generational prospect and declared for the 2023 NFL Draft after just his junior year where he was selected third overall by the Houston Texans.

Now, with Anderson out of the picture, Turner has became the superstar of the Alabama defense. Through 12 games this season, Turner is already at 46 tackles, eight sacks and two forced fumbles as he is able to just pin his ears back and go get after the passer. It feels like every time that there is a crucial third down, 15 is somewhere around the ball.

Turner will more than likely be a First-Team All-American and Firs-Team All-SEC, but it sounds like he will also be in contention for the Chuck Bednarik Award which is handed out annually to the nation’s top defensive player. Turner would be the 4th player under Coach Saban at Alabama to win the award alongside Jonathan Allen 2016, Minkah Fitzpatrick 2017 and Will Anderson in 2022.

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Saints’ defensive struggles leave Dennis Allen little to hang his hat on

Dennis Allen’s defense can’t rush the passer or stop the run — things you’d expect of a New Orleans Saints team built by a defensive-minded head coach:

Dennis Allen’s defense can’t rush the passer or stop the run — things you’d expect of a New Orleans Saints team built by a defensive-minded head coach. So what can the New Orleans Saints head coach lean on when asked to highlight his team’s strengths?

That’s exactly what reporters asked Allen on Monday after his team’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, and he pointed to their “opportunistic” success in takeaways. He’s right to do so. The Saints have intercepted 14 passes in 11 games (with Tyrann Mathieu snagging two of them in Atlanta), second-most around the NFL. They’ve also recovered 6 fumbles, which are trickier and tend to vary wildly from one year to the next.

But those turnovers make up a very small percent of plays; the Saints have faced 358 pass attempts this season. Their opponents have run 681 plays in total. If those 20 takeaways are the bright spot, the other 97% of your defensive snaps might be concerning.

And they are. As we said at the top, the Saints struggle to stop the run. They’re allowing 4.5 yards per carry (tied for 6th-most) and 124 rushing yards per game (10th-highest). Teams know they can run on New Orleans. Just look at the Falcons’ game-winning drive in which they bludgeoned the Saints with 10 consecutive runs to drive 54 yards downfield and kick a field goal to put the game out of reach.

Things aren’t better on passing downs. The Saints may be getting their hands on a lot of passes (thier 72 pass deflections lead the league) but they aren’t impacting the passer often enough. They’ve sacked opposing quarterbacks just 18 times, tied for 2nd-fewest in the NFL, and their Pro Football Reference pressure rate is 8th-lowest (18.2%). They might be pressuring quarterbacks into bad decisions here or there, but too often they aren’t moving the passer off his spot. And when they do send pressure, it isn’t getting home with a drive-killing sack.

It isn’t all bad. The Saints have performed well on third downs this year; their 35.6% conversion rate allowed ranks 8th-best. And there’s a lot to be said for taking the ball away to give your offense more opportunities. But they’re failing to do things well on a play-by-play basis. They’re getting pushed back against the run. They aren’t pressuring and sacking quarterbacks. They aren’t doing the things that you should see from a head coach from a defensive background.

And that’s our central question: if Allen can’t hang his hat on his defense, what can he do? Why should the Saints stick with him as their head coach if the unit he’s built and managed for years is falling off this badly?

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Chris Jones: Chiefs defense was ‘spoiled’ by Patrick Mahomes in recent seasons

Chris Jones told reporters that the #Chiefs defense had been “spoiled” by Patrick Mahomes’ prolific output in previous seasons.

The Kansas City Chiefs offense returned to life on Sunday in the team’s 31-17 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. The efficient scoring in the second half was crucial as the team looked to move on from the criticism of last Monday night’s defeat and early season struggles.

The defense has rightfully received most of the praise this season and turned in a solid effort in the victory by holding Las Vegas out of the endzone through the entirety of the second half. Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones has often been vocal about believing in the offense through its struggles, and he shared more thoughts on Sunday after the game during his press conference.

“Listen, over the years, man, the offense has been so good, right? And we’re so used to Pat (Patrick Mahomes) scoring 30 points a game and Travis (Kelce) having 80 to 100 yards a game. We’ve been so spoiled with that as a team,” Jones said. “It might not start it the way we wanted to start it right. But as this offense continues to play, they’re gonna continue to get better. Young guys are going to continue to step up, and we’re gonna get back in their rhythm of Pat scoring 30. And we just thought their pass rush crazy.”

The Chiefs offense, led by Mahomes, Kelce, and rookie Rashee Rice, outscored the Raiders 31 – 3 after falling behind 14-0 in the first half. The efficient play from the key offensive talent made it easier for the defense to refocus and hold Las Vegas to a field goal in the second half.

“So we always had belief in those guys,” Jones explained, “It’s not a thing where we lose belief in the offense and think that our offense can’t score because they can clearly score at any moment in the game. It’s just them finding a rhythm and getting going.”

6 takeaways from Broncos’ 29-12 win over Browns

Here are six takeaways from the Broncos’ win over the Browns in Week 12.

The Denver Broncos won their fifth-straight game on Sunday, this time a 29-12 win over the visiting Cleveland Browns in Week 12.

There’s a lot to digest from this game, so let’s begin with the key takeaways.

Chiefs defense allows fewest yards per play since Week 8

The #Chiefs defense is allowing the fewest yards per play in the NFL since Week 8.

The Kansas City Chiefs defense has stepped up its game in 2023 and has some seriously impressive stats to show for its tremendous efforts this season. Led by defensive backs L’Jarius Sneed, Trent McDuffie and Justin Reid, the unit is allowing the fewest yards per play of any team in the NFL since Week 8, according to Pro Football Focus.

While the team may be in a bit of a rut on the other side of the ball, the outstanding play of its defense should give them an opportunity to put together a strong end to their 2023 campaign as they look to clinch the top seed in the AFC playoffs in January.

Expect defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to continue developing the young talent at his disposal over the course of Kansas City’s last seven games. If he can manage to squeeze any more production out of his players in the season’s homestretch, the Chiefs should have no problem making some noise when elimination games start.

 

Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie reflects on his first two-sack game

#Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie reflected on first two-sack game in his football career in comments to the media after Kansas City’s loss to the #Eagles.

The Monday night rain fell hard and often at Arrowhead Stadium as the Kansas City Chiefs came up short against the Philadelphia Eagles. The offense wasn’t effective in the second half, wasting a solid performance from the defense that held Jalen Hurts and company for most of the game.

Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie was a standout in the game, securing two sacks for the first time in his career, including college. The second-year upstart shared his thoughts on the accomplishment with reporters during the post-game press conference.

“It’s great. I think my last sack was last year against the Broncos. So, (I’m) excited I can get two tonight. But huge credit to coach Spags (Steve Spagnuolo). I mean, his game plan. And his game calling was huge tonight and showed a lot of different looks. I was messing up their offense.” said McDuffie, “So I thought he did a great job and allowed us to get a lot of plays on the ball and sacks at that.”

McDuffie also forced his fifth fumble of the season to go along with his sacks. He reiterated to reporters how unique the night was and his desire to improve on the career night.

“No, sir. Never. I think my first (two) sack game in the NFL.” said McDuffie, “So definitely a first, but hopefully, I can get some more.”

McDuffie has thrived in corner blitzing situations and forcing turnovers in what is becoming a pro bowl caliber season. The Chiefs will hope for a similar performance in their next game this Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.

WATCH: Chiefs Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis sack Eagles QB Jalen Hurts

#Chiefs defenders Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis both brought #Eagles QB Jalen Hurts down to give Kansas City a chance to extend its lead

The Kansas City Chiefs defense has stymied the Philadelphia Eagles offense with a raucous pass rush that has kept quarterback Jalen Hurts on his toes through the first half of the highly anticipated Super Bowl LVII rematch in Week 11.

Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis both managed to get to Hurts late in the second quarter to give Kansas City another chance to add to its lead heading into halftime.

Check out their outstanding sacks here, and take note of their effort as they both emptied their tanks to give Patrick Mahomes a chance to do something special:

 

These plays are demonstrative of Kansas City’s defensive resurgence in 2023 and helped keep momentum in the Chiefs’ favor in this consequential midseason matchup.

Expect McDuffie and Karlaftis to continue wreaking havoc on the Eagles offensive line as this game wears on to keep Kansas City in the driver’s seat until the final whistle blows.

Chiefs DB Coach Dave Merritt reveals plan for CB L’Jarius Sneed to avoid penalties

Kansas City #Chiefs defensive back Coach Dave Merritt reveals plan for corner back L’Jarius Sneed to avoid penalties.

The defense has taken center stage this season for the Kansas City Chiefs through their first nine games. The unit has shown grit and resilience through critical moments and clinched victories as the team heads into Week 11 with a 7-2 record.

Chiefs defensive back coach Dave Merritt has worked closely with the secondary and the team’s top cornerback, L’Jarius Sneed. The veteran defensive back is usually charged with covering the top receiver on opposing teams but has struggled with committing penalties. During Friday’s press conference, Merritt discussed the team’s plan to help alleviate the penalized plays for Sneed moving forward.

“Yeah, I think the first thing for L.J. (L’Jarius Sneed) is at the line of scrimmage; nothing is going to change other than lowering his target,” Merritt explained. “He may have had one that was called hands to the face, but the majority of his penalties are going downfield when he’s in phase. And so with that being said, not to get too technical, what LJ is going to have to do and what we’ve been working on and even started working on last week, and hopefully start clicking in is once he’s in phase running down the field with a wide receiver.

“He has to know right now that at that point in time, as you’re reading your keys when that wide receiver sinks his hip, you have to make sure that you just pump the arms. But what he’s doing is grabbing, he’s reaching, trying to just hold on almost like a little kid with due to a mommy or daddy when they’re trying to run away from him.”

Sneed has been flagged 12 times this season for holding and pass interference. Merritt and the coaching staff believe he can still get past the infractions and turn it around in the second half of the year.

“He’s like grabbing. And so he’s just got to trust that my ability is good enough to run the route with him,” said Merritt, “And so, that’s one of the things we’re working on. But the majority of them, again, are happening once he gets in phase downfield. So that’s what we’re working on.”

The Chiefs secondary will have to deal with several weapons from the Philadelphia Eagles this Monday in the much-anticipated Super Bowl rematch.

Chiefs defense ranks third in NFL for first downs allowed, according to Pro Football Focus

The #Chiefs defense has done a great job keeping opponents behind the sticks through nine games in 2023.

The Kansas City Chiefs defense has passed the eye test during its first nine games of the 2023 NFL season, and the stats compiled by Pro Football Focus certainly seem to back up their dominance on film.

According to PFF, the Chiefs defense ranks third among all teams in the league for first downs allowed through its first nine games.

Kansas City only trails the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys, who occupy the top two spots on this impressive list.

The Chiefs’ defense will need to leverage its ability to get off the field in Week 11 when they face off against Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football in a Super Bowl LVII rematch.

Pressuring Hurts and keeping the Eagles behind the sticks will be among the most important factors for Kansas City’s success, and with any luck, the Chiefs should have no problem creating dilemmas for Philadelphia to remain among the NFL’s best teams in this capacity.