Tag: Juan Thornhill

Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo explains Juan Thornhill’s usage, Dan Sorensen’s missed tackles

#Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo isn’t hitting the panic button on Dirty Dan’s missed tackles. He also explained Juan Thornhill’s lack of playtime in Week 2.

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A big question following the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens was about the team’s usage of their safety talent.

After having a standout performance in the Week 1 win against the Cleveland Browns, Juan Thornhill played just 11 snaps in the Week 2 loss. Meanwhile, veteran DB Daniel Sorensen played 100% of the team’s defensive snaps on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters for the first time since the loss, Spagnuolo explained there is a constant dialogue surrounding snaps, but he’s not planning to make a position change at this time.

“Yeah, there is dialogue on that all the time,” Spagnuolo said. “Look, Juan (Thornhill) has done a good job. He’s had spurts of good football. But when you talk about — what you’re asking about is a position change. A position change has to be merited when someone is not playing well and they need improvement there. I mean, if you asked Dan (Sorensen) I’m sure he’d tell you that he wants to play better. If you ask any of the 11 guys who play the positions on defense, I’m sure they’re going to tell you that they want to play better.”

Sorensen leads the NFL in missed tackles through two weeks, but Spagnuolo isn’t ready to panic about the eighth-year veteran’s performance. In fact, he’s seen this happen before with the same player and is certain improvement will come.

“To me, what I think that is with Dan (Sorensen) is just a bit coming under control,” Spagnuolo explained. “The one thing we love about Dan is, he’s not going to miss a tackle being soft. That’s not a bad thing. I believe, I’d have to go back, but I am almost certain this same thing happened to Dan last year. No preseason games, you came out for the first two games, I know the missed tackles were there last year too. And Dan became really one of our most consistent and aggressive tacklers. We’re not ready to panic on that right now and I know he’s not.”

As for Thornhill, Spagnuolo seemed to suggest that he’s still earning his way back to more playing time. In Week 1, they needed him to play extended snaps because of Tyrann Mathieu’s absence.

“Juan has done some good things for us, he just needs to earn his way back,” Spagnuolo continued. “Juan and I had a conversation on Tuesday. The game obviously, the first game, Tyrann (Mathieu) didn’t play, so Juan was out there a lot. In this game, Tyrann is coming back and Dan’s in there.”

So why didn’t Thornhill receive more playtime in Week 2? Well, you can thank the Ravens for that.

“What did happen, in the packages that Juan is in there for, we weren’t in them very much,” Spagnuolo said. “I mean, Baltimore kept us in our base package with just two safeties out there.”

I’m sure you’ve heard that sub-packages are the new base defense in the NFL. Well, offensive coordinators are finally adjusting their personnel to keep teams in their base packages, which have been almost ignored by GMs as they build their teams. It’s not just the Ravens who are doing this either.

Thornhill wasn’t on the field more frequently in Week 2 because he plays in the big nickel package when the Chiefs have three safeties on the field. The Chiefs have been stuck in their base personnel with three linebackers on the field often through the first two weeks.

Moving forward, Spagnuolo did seem to think that Thornhill would have more opportunities to mix in. It’s just a matter of matchups, health, performance and so on.

“We’ll see where it goes,” Spagnuolo said. “Before it’s all said and done we’re going to need everybody. Juan, Dan, everybody.”

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Chiefs S Juan Thornhill looks to build off stellar Week 1 start against Browns

#Chiefs S Juan Thornhill started the season off with a strong performance against the #Browns, now he looks to keep it going against the #Ravens in Week 2. | from @TheJohnDillon

In the absence of All-Pro S Tyrann Mathieu in Week 1, former Kansas City Chiefs second-round pick Juan Thornhill had an exceptional game against the Browns. Making plays all over the field, Thornhill proved he is a viable starter, capable of making an impact on the majority of the teams’ snaps. He showed a degree of comfort in his recovery from a 2019 knee injury that he hadn’t yet shown.

Big plays in the preseason served as teasers for what Thornhill is truly capable of, but his start against Cleveland was truly a proving ground. Playing his most significant role since dropping to the third-string in parts of training camp, Thornhill made two key plays that changed the outcome of the matchup against the Browns.

With about six minutes left in the third quarter, he made a clutch tackle that forced Nick Chubb to fumble, setting Kansas City up for a scoring drive that changed the tide of the whole game. Speaking of the decisive play after practice on Friday, Thornhill told reporters that he felt prepared to make the play as it happened, but was the beneficiary of some luck that he couldn’t account for to force the ball free.

“Once guys see that they’ve got a bunch of teammates around the ball carrier, they don’t typically get in on the tackle,” He explained about the game-breaking play. “I just didn’t want to stand around and just watch. I wanted to get in on the tackle as well, so I just saw an opportunity for me to shoot it and then I just saw the ball and literally put my hat right on the ball. I guess I got kind of lucky on that one to pop that one out.”

While his contributions against Cleveland were certainly key to the win last week, Thornhill remains squarely focused on the second game on Kansas City’s schedule against Baltimore, an opponent he knows well. In his comments, Thornhill showed tremendous respect for Lamar Jackson and the bevy of receivers the Ravens have acquired to wreak havoc on opposing secondaries, noting former Chief Sammy Watkins as a major threat.

“They’re a heck of a team,” He said of the Ravens’ most recent iteration, “They’ve got pretty much every single piece that you need. They have a quarterback that can run and throw the ball, so he can beat you with both, his arm, and legs. Then they just keep constantly adding receivers, people like Sammy [Watkins]. Sammy is an explosive receiver. He can take the top off at any point and time, and they’ve got 5 [Marquise Brown] out there that’s running 4.3, maybe even faster than that, that can take the top off. So, it’s going to be a good challenge this week. We’ve just got to come in with the right mentality to play as hard as we can because we know it’s going to be a dog fight regardless.”

Though Kansas City is slightly favored in the matchup, the game is expected to be the dogfight Thornhill predicted. Baltimore is coming off a tough loss to the Raiders on “Monday Night Football.” They’ll be hungrier than ever to win their first game of the 2021 NFL season. Big performances by players like Thornhill could be the difference between 2-0 and 1-1 for Kansas City to start their season.

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Secret Superstars of the preseason: Week 2

With the second week of the full 2021 preseason in the books, here are the players who did the most under the radar to state their cases.

As the preseason rounds to a close and NFL teams are looking down the barrel of final cuts, it’s more important than ever for those players on the bubble — or in the near vicinity of the bubble — to show all they can do. Not only to stick with their current teams, but also to make their attributes obvious to other teams if they are cut for whatever reason.

Not every player on this week’s Secret Superstars list is a bubble guy, but each player used Week 2 of the full preseason as their times to shine — at just the right time.

How Steve Spagnuolo helped Chiefs DB Juan Thornhill become more vocal on defense

#Chiefs DB Juan Thornhill explained how he’s gone from a quiet rookie to a vocal leader on the defense with the help of DC Steve Spagnuolo.

Kansas City Chiefs DB Juan Thornhill enters Year 3 in the NFL healthier and with a fresh perspective.

The veteran reported to camp early with the injured players to continue to work through some mental obstacles with his 2019 knee injury. Working with the incoming rookies, Thornhill had a chance to act as a mentor and a leader for young players at the onset of camp before other veterans arrived.

“Yeah, I love it,” Thornhill told reporters on Sunday. “Just because of the guys. I was once a rookie, and with Tyrann, we were going through the playbook at the same time, but he had a little bit more— he was a little bit ahead of me. But with me being a vet out here, there are some rookies that are not really sure how camp is going to go. Basically, I don’t have to say a lot, just tell them to follow me. And if there are calls they don’t know, I’ll communicate and walk them through it. If they mess up on a play, it’s okay, you’re gonna make mistakes, just get through it, forget the play and move on.”

Thornhill’s transition to a leadership role on the defense hasn’t exactly been a natural one. Entering the league, he was quieter and reserved, trying to take his cues from veterans like Tyrann Mathieu and Daniel Sorensen. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo had some different plans in mind for Thornhill, though. During practice one day, Spags took some measures to ensure that a young Thornhill would gain some much-needed confidence to become a more vocal leader within his defense.

“The biggest thing with him is just turning me into a leader,” Thornhill said of Spagnuolo. “Because I noticed my rookie season, there was a time that I was really quiet not saying much, (with) Tyrann (Mathieu) making a lot of the calls. I’m not sure, but I’m pretty sure that (Steve Spagnuolo) told Tyrann not to say something in walkthroughs one day. Like he told Tyrann not to speak and basically made me make every single call. And I was like, ‘there’s something going on, Tyrann’s not making any calls?’ I started making every single call louder, and from that point on, I started getting louder and louder, and I feel like that’s just him turning me into a leader.”

And sure enough, that experience helped Thornhill take up more of a leadership role in the Chiefs’ secondary. He knows all the calls for the defensive backs, corners and more. At 2021 Chiefs training camp, he’s louder and more confident than he’s perhaps ever been. He’s also on message with the rest of the veterans, explaining to the young players what they can accomplish together during the upcoming season.

“I mean, we’ve got a heck of a football team,” Thornhill concluded. “So, we don’t shoot for nothing less than winning a Super Bowl.”

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Chiefs DB Juan Thornhill admits he was never 100% in return from knee injury

While he currently feels better than he has in a long time, #Chiefs DB Juan Thornhill admitted on Sunday that he was never 100% in his return from injury last season.

Kansas City Chiefs DB Juan Thornhill is at training camp a bit early this week.

Thornhill would typically report to training camp with the veterans on Monday, but Thornhill joined the injured players, reporting to camp a few days early. This is not because of a new injury suffered late in the season or during the offseason. This is because Thornhill was still struggling late into last season with his knee injury suffered in Week 17 of the 2019 NFL season.

“The knee feels great,” Thornhill told reporters on Sunday. “I love that Coach brought me out here for this little camp here because I’ve got a chance to just get moving, get my feet back up underneath me, and I feel better than I have in a long time.”

During OTAs, Thornhill was held to limited work, but it was through his own volition. He wanted to make sure that he was doing the work that he needed to do to be able to start out the 2021 NFL season 100% percent, both mentally and physically.

“OTAs I just wanted to work a little bit more on my knee just to make sure I was 100 percent for the season,” Thornhill said. “I still got some work out there. I was beside Coach Spags (Steve Spagnuolo) communicating calls, I got individual drills just to get my legs moving. I wasn’t completely out of it, but it was just more of a mental thing so I could get back to camp and be 100 percent.”

From Weeks 2-6 during the 2020 NFL season, Thornhill played nearly 100% of the defensive snaps for Kansas City. Beginning in Week 7, the team began to dial back his snaps. It may have been understood that Thornhill wasn’t 100% in his return from injury, but it wasn’t said by the defensive back until today.

“Honestly, I had to play it off a little bit,” Thornhill said. “I wasn’t at 100 percent, but it was just more about the mental. Like I had to tell myself, ‘It’s going to hurt, but you’ve got to play through it.’ So, that’s why when the end of the season came you saw me making more plays just because it was more mental, and I just pushed myself through that mental block.”

Thornhill did start to gain back that confidence in his knee during the end of the season. It might have culminated in the defensive performance he had against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC title game. He played over 75% of the defensive snaps and had four pass breakups during the game. Still, it’s been tough to overcome the mental aspect of the injury.

One player that he’s leaned on throughout the whole process is Tyrann Mathieu, who has twice torn his ACL as a professional.

“I had conversations with Tyrann (Mathieu) when I tore my ACL,” Thornhill said. “He’s been through it two times, and he was telling me there were going to be some times that I was frustrated, and I was going to be a step slower on the play or things like that and I saw that during the season. There were multiple times I could’ve made an interception or knocked the ball down, but I was half a second too late. But the biggest thing is just staying confident, keep working with Rick (Burkholder) and the guys, strengthening my knee, staying on top of recovery and I’ll be back to where I was my rookie year.”

That’s the goal for this season too — Thornhill wants to get back to that type of confident and dominant play that he showed as a rookie in Kansas City. He says that it all starts with putting himself first and competing with his teammates during training camp and the preseason.

“I’m putting myself at the top of the list,” Thornhill said. “I’m going to compete with Tyrann (Mathieu). Tyrann is a heck of a player, so we compete every single day. He says he’s going to get an interception this game, I’m going to get two. That’s how we just compete against each other, so I’m going to put myself at the top of the list for sure.”

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Finally healthy, Chiefs DB Juan Thornhill relishes opportunity to play in Super Bowl

Juan Thornhill is finally healthy and can’t wait for the opportunity that lies ahead in his first Super Bowl.

During the 2019 NFL season, Juan Thornhill was one of the standout rookies for the Kansas City Chiefs. His play on the back end helped make the Chiefs’ rebuilt defense a formidable opponent for the most talented of passers right away. But suddenly, a non-contact knee injury in Week 17 cut his standout rookie season short. Thornhill had torn his ACL just three games prior to the Chiefs’ appearance in Super Bowl LIV.

“With this ACL injury, it just like— it can really knock you down,” Thornhill told reporters on Tuesday. “Because a lot of guys don’t really know how hard it is on the body and on the mind. The biggest thing for me, I was trying to keep a positive mentality.”

Thornhill has kept that positive mentality throughout the recovery process and it’s been a tough road back. Beyond the grueling physical rehabilitation, Thornhill had to cope with the reality that he wouldn’t be suiting up and playing with his teammates last year. He could only watch from the crowd as they faced the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV.

“The part that hit me the most was when they ran out of the tunnel,” Thornhill said. “When they ran out of the tunnel I was standing in the front row screaming for them and then after that, it just like hit me super hard and I shut down. Like, mentally, I just really wanted to be there on the field. I think that’s what drove me throughout this whole year. Like, ‘I’m going to get back to that game.’ I had to get back. That’s all I can say about that.”

That game did act as a big motivator for Thornhill, as he said. He was able to work his way back onto the field and play in Week 1 of the 2020 season, but the impact of the injury was apparent. He struggled at times throughout the year and had to learn to trust his knee and have faith in his abilities in the return from injury.

“It’s not really more about the physical capability. It’s more about my mind,” Thornhill said. “I feel like my mind was the one that was holding me back. And once we hit the playoffs, it was just— I made up my mind, just like, ‘Listen, you have a couple more games. Go as hard as you can, and everything will fall into place.’ Then like, last game I had a different mindset. Just like, if the ball comes to you, one, you’re going to make the play. It was just me talking to myself that lifted me up.”

As it became more apparent that the Chiefs could return to the Super Bowl, something clicked for Thornhill. He was finally physically and mentally healthy. It led him to a monster AFC title game against the Buffalo Bills, during which he recorded four passes defended. It was perhaps the first time that he truly looked and felt like his old self.

“I can definitely say I’m back to 100%,” Thornhill said. “I’m really confident in myself. I feel like I’m back to where I was last year, and I’m ready to go.”

All the hard work that it took to get back to this point was not in vain. Now he gets to experience all of those moments that he missed out on a year ago. With some more hard work and a little luck, he could be playing for the winning team in Super Bowl LV.

“It definitely means a lot to me, just being able to actually step out there, play in the Super Bowl,” Thornhill said. “This is like your childhood dream to go out there and play in one of the biggest games ever, so I’m really excited.”

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Chiefs’ Tyrann Mathieu talks resurgence of fellow safety Juan Thornhill

Thornhill’s beginning to look like himself again and his Chiefs teammate is taking notice.

No one knows better about what Kansas City Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill went through this season and last than Tyrann Mathieu. In 2013, Mathieu suffered a season-ending left knee injury in Week 14. Two years later he suffered a season-ending right knee injury in Week 15. He’s had to work his way back from both of those injuries each time and it’s never been an easy task.

For Thornhill, it’s taken him nearly a full season after his injury to begin looking like himself. Against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game, Thornhill saw a resurgence in his play and performance. He had four passes defended on the day, showcasing his range and making plays on the ball often.

“I think Juan (Thornhill) is coming into his own, once again,” Mathieu told reporters on Thursday. “Obviously, everybody has expectations for every player, but I think for him, it was all about taking his time. He was coming off a really big injury that really affects defensive backs in reacting and things like that. I think the more games he’s played in, the more plays he’s made, his confidence is just continuing to grow.”

Following Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens, Thornhill stressed to reporters his need to be confident as it related to making plays.

“It’s going to come, just be confident,” Thornhill told himself.

Well, now the plays are starting to come for Thornhill. He’s beginning to recapture what made him so special during his rookie campaign. Mathieu thought that the AFC title game was his best game of the season.

“I think last week was probably one of his best games just from him reading, reacting and bursting to the ball,” Mathieu continued. “I know he’s licking his chops to get back on the field. We’ll have another big opportunity and challenge for us, and I know he’s going to come through and make some plays for us.”

It was tough on Thornhill, not being out there with his teammates in Super Bowl LIV last year. As he begins to again look like the dominant player that he was during his rookie season, he’ll get the opportunity to make his mark in Super Bowl LV.

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WATCH: Chiefs DB Juan Thornhill goes up to snag an interception

Thornhill notched his first interception of the season.

The Ballhawk is back at it, folks.

Kansas City Chiefs DB Juan Thornhill recorded his first interception of the 2020 NFL season on an errant throw from New England Patriots QB Brian Hoyer. He put a little too much juice on the throw, overthrowing his target. Thornhill went up to get the ball over the receiver and took off for a 20-yard scamper into New England territory.

This also marks the first interception for Thornhill since his season-ending ACL injury in Week 17 of 2019. He was very close to making some big plays through the first few weeks of the season. Here’s what he said about that last week.

“Yeah, I mean talking to Tyrann (Mathieu) about it and everything, he’s been through it two times,” Thornhill told reporters. “And he told me there’s going to be sometimes I would be so close to making a play but I’m going to be a little short just because of the fact that I’m not comfortable and I’m not where I was. And like you said, I just have to remind myself like, ‘it’s going to come, just be confident’ because that’s the main thing. If you’re not confident in your ability, you’re not going to make any plays at all.”

Thornhill kept grinding and now he’s back to making plays just as he did before his injury. Unfortunately, the Chiefs would turn the ball over shortly after with a fumble by WR Sammy Watkins as he tried to gain some extra yardage. This team must capitalize on errors by Hoyer if they’re to come out of this with a win.

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Chiefs players react to postponement of Week 4 vs. Patriots

Kansas City Chiefs players took to social media to express their dismay over the postponement of the Week 4 game.

The NFL has announced that the Kansas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots Week 4 game will be postponed after a player on each team tested positive for COVID-19. The Chiefs had already begun to inform their players of the delay of Week 4 ahead of the official announcement. Several took to social media to react to the news of the postponement of the game.

Tyrann Mathieu opted to share an important reminder of the most critical protocols to follow that can keep everyone safe during the pandemic.

Tyreek Hill sought to reiterate Mathieu’s point because it’s just that important.

Armani Watts’ one-word reaction is really how most people are feeling after the news this morning.

Juan Thornhill feels like he’s witnessing something straight out of a movie, perhaps a horror film and not because it’s the month of October.

Mathieu’s initial reaction to the situation, while it wouldn’t follow social distancing guidelines, it emphasizes the frustration and disappointment from the players who truly love this game and want more than anything to be able to play.

This game will eventually be played, with the NFL expectation of Monday or perhaps Tuesday. This frustration is only temporary, but a disappointing Saturday for many Chiefs players and fans nonetheless.

Chiefs DB Juan Thornhill discusses progress in return from ACL injury

Thornhill continues to make progress each and every week for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kansas City Chiefs DB Juan Thornhill is closer to feeling like himself again following the Week 3 win over the Baltimore Ravens.

Thornhill tore his ACL in the final regular-season game of the 2019 NFL season against the Los Angeles Chargers. He trained tirelessly throughout the unique offseason impacted by COVID-19 to be able to have a chance to be ready to start the 2020 NFL season.

While Thornhill was out there in Week 1, through the first two weeks of the NFL season, the difference was noticeable. His range wasn’t quite what fans had seen during his dominant rookie season. His tackling wasn’t as precise and vicious as we’d previously seen. Despite the differences, he has stayed diligent and continued to work, knowing that everything would eventually come together.

“Well, first of all, I just like to say thanks to my coaches because with the game I had the second game, I missed a lot of tackles,” Thornhill told reporters on Wednesday. “Most of the time, some coaches they just give up on you and just try to take you out of the run game since I missed so many tackles, but they had faith in me, they still kept me in there and allow me to go in and redeem myself and actually put me in there and those runs to make those plays to show that I’m still there. I definitely feel like I’m getting back to where I was, it’s just all about confidence, making those plays just showing myself that I could do it.”

It’s not just the physical aspect of returning from injury for Thornhill, but the mental aspect too. He needs to have the confidence that he can stick his leg in the ground and drive. He needs that in the addition to the ability to physically do so. In Week 3, we saw a different player than we did in the first two weeks of the season.

Thornhill had a near-sack on Lamar Jackson in the first offensive drive for the Ravens. His range was shown off on a play that didn’t count in the second quarter. Thornhill would’ve notched a tackle for loss on Baltimore TE Nick Boyle, but a defensive holding penalty on L’Jarius Sneed nullified the play.

“Yeah, I mean talking to Tyrann (Mathieu) about it [ACL injuries] and everything, he’s been through it two times, and he told me there’s going to be sometimes I would be so close to making a play but I’m going to be a little short just because of the fact that I’m not comfortable and I’m not where I was,” Thornhill explained. “And like you said, I just have to remind myself like, ‘it’s going to come, just be confident’ because that’s the main thing. If you’re not confident in your ability, you’re not going to make any plays at all. So, I just see myself getting better each week and just pushing myself even harder each week in practice and hopefully, I’ll start making more plays.”

Mathieu has been someone that Thornhill has leaned on throughout this injury recovery and he provided solid advice here. While Thornhill is anxious to start intercepting passes, the goal is to get 1% better each and every day. He knows that at any given moment it could be his time to shine.

“You know, football things happen all the time,” Thornhill said. “I mean guys get hurt, guys get into trouble, anything could possibly happen but the thing is, we always have that next guy up mentality. So Coach (Dave) Merritt, you’re always talking about how everyone’s a star in our defense because you never know when your time is going to come like with (L’Jarius) Sneed going down this week, we have other guys that have to step up and be ready to play those snaps that he had and be ready to make those plays that come their way.”

His patience will be tested, but until Thornhill’s time comes, he’ll steadily grind toward getting back to where he was before his injury in 2019.

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