Tag: Mike Danna

Top Twitter reactions from Chargers’ loss to Chiefs

How the internet reacted to the Chargers’ loss to the Chiefs on Sunday night.

For the third straight year, the Chargers had a late lead at home against the Chiefs and could not finish.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to Los Angeles’ loss:

Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury update ahead of Wednesday practice

A trio of players will miss the first #Chiefs practice of the week on Wednesday. Plus updates on Trent McDuffie, Bryan Cook, Blake Bell and Lucas Niang.

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided his usual pre-practice injury update on Wednesday.

A trio of Chiefs players will be absent as the team kicks off the practice week. Reid gave the rundown on those injuries.

“The guys that won’t practice today — Mike Danna won’t practice — though he’s doing better we’re just going to hold him out,” Reid said. “And then, (Joe) Thuney fits into that same category with the ankle sprain. So, he won’t practice today. We’re just monitoring those two guys. Then (Rashad) Fenton won’t practice with the hamstring.”

Danna has been dealing with a calf injury and played 25 defensive snaps in the Week 6 game against the Buffalo Bills. Joe Thuney was rolled up on by a defender and Patrick Mahomes during the course of the game, suffering an ankle sprain. He played all 67 offensive snaps for Kansas City in Week 6.

It seems like both of these players are just getting rest days to start the week, but should be good to go for the Week 7 game in San Francisco.

As for the secondary situation, Fenton misses his fourth consecutive practice with a hamstring injury. Trent McDuffie, who Reid spoke in-depth about on Monday, will practice as things get underway on Wednesday.

“(Trent) McDuffie will practice and we’ll just see how he does as we go,” Reid said.

Bryan Cook, who missed Week 6 with a concussion, is also back at practice on Wednesday per Reid.

Reid also gave an update on Lucas Niang (Knee/PUP) and Blake Bell (Hip/IR). Neither player will be back this week, but Reid does expect them back at some point this season.

“Most likely it’ll be after the bye (week),” Reid said. “Somewhere after the bye. But they are getting better. We just have to see how it goes.”

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Chiefs DE Malik Herring is next man up with DE Mike Danna injured

#Chiefs DE Mike Danna has been ruled out for Week 3 and Andy Reid says that DE Malik Herring is the next man up at the position.

The Kansas City Chiefs will be without DE Mike Danna for Week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts. Danna suffered a calf injury at the end of the Week 2 game and has missed practice all week. Reid officially ruled him out during his Friday press conference.

It’s a big loss for the Chiefs, as Danna has the third-most pressures on the team through two weeks according to PFF. A big theme this week has been the “next man up” mentality, with Willie Gay Jr.’s suspension at the forefront of the discussion. This situation is no different for Kansas City.

While rookie DE George Karlaftis and veterans Frank Clark and Carlos Dunlap will play the majority of the snaps in Indy, Chiefs HC Andy Reid revealed that they have one player in mind as the next man up in place of Danna. Reid was asked by ESPN’s Adam Teicher whether the next man up would be former fourth-round draft pick Joshua Kaindoh.

“He’s not right now,” Reid said. “We’ve had more than we need (depth-wise) there. We’ll let 94 (Malik Herring) jump in there and get a few reps, potentially.”

Herring sat out the 2021 NFL season with a knee injury that he suffered in practice at the Reese’s Senior Bowl. He made the 53-man roster this year, but has been a healthy scratch to this point. Should he play on Sunday against the Colts as Reid suggests, he’ll be making his NFL debut.

“(It’s a) dream come true to make my first NFL debut,” Herring told Chiefs Digest’s Matt Derrick. “I can’t wait to see how it goes.”

The former Georgia Bulldog recorded three pressures during the 2022 NFL preseason, including one sack against the Chicago Bears in preseason Week 1. Listed at 6-3 and 275 pounds, Herring has a good combination of size and speed, which should make him difficult for tackles to handle when aligned outside. A big part of Danna’s game was the versatility to play inside on clear passing downs. It’s unclear whether the Chiefs will ask Herring to do the same.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates ahead of Wednesday practice

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid confirmed that two players won’t practice as the team begins practicing ahead of Week 3 vs. the #Colts.

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided his pre-practice injury report on Wednesday.

After several players were banged up during the Week 2 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, only one of the players injured during that game won’t practice at the start of the week. It also looks like the Chiefs could be trending toward another week of Matt Ammendola as their kicker.

“As far as injuries go, the guys that won’t practice today are (Harrison) Butker and (Mike) Danna,” Reid said. “Butker has the ankle (injury) and Danna has the calf (injury).”

Danna suffered a calf injury late in the Week 2 game against the Chargers. He was ruled out quickly, which is hardly a good sign. Kansas City also signed DE Benton Whitley to the 53-man roster from the Rams practice squad. That might indicate a long absence and perhaps an injured reserve stay for Danna.

As for Butker’s ankle injury, Reid spoke a little bit more about that situation.

“Yeah, so they’re tricky,” Reid explained. “I’m not necessarily saying that it’s a high ankle sprain, it’s (just) an ankle sprain. But it’s a matter of getting the swelling out and letting the tendons there heal up a little bit.”

Reid mentioned on Monday that the team was confident in Matt Ammendola, should they need to rely on him again in Week 3. He performed quite well in Week 2, making all of his kicks save for a poor kickoff late in the game.

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Here’s what Chiefs DE Mike Danna worked to improve this offseason

#Chiefs DE Mike Danna worked on a number of facets of his game this offseason, but one spent most of his time working to improve one specific area. | from @EdEastonJr

The defensive line has always been the backbone of defensive success for the Kansas City Chiefs. Whether it was Buck Buchanan, Derrick Thomas, or Tamba Hali rushing the passer, the defensive line has always featured a strong pass rush.

Heading into this season, the team had some big questions along the defensive line to answer. They used free agency and the draft to potentially answer those questions. They also could have an answer in a veteran member of the defensive line as Mike Danna is poised to take a step forward in his development in 2022.

Danna is entering his third season in Kansas City and has shown steady improvement throughout his career. In 2021, he played all 17 regular season games and started in six. As he enters a pivotal season, Danna has spent the offseason focusing on various aspects of his game that he thinks will make him a better player when it comes to rushing the passer.

“Making the game slow down, man in the sense of pre-snap keys, o-line indicators, working my eyes,” Danna told reporters on Monday. “Then from fundamentals and technique, I did a lot of pass rushing. A lot of flipping the hips, worked on a lot of power. It’s a combo of things and also from the run standpoint, anchoring down. Being able to hunch your feet, play the box, read blocks. But the biggest thing for me was just reading pre-snap keys so I can get a jump on the snap or, you know, an advantage when it comes to the snap of the ball.”

During the team’s first padded training camp practice on Monday, Danna had plenty of work with the first team defense alongside Frank Clark and Chris Jones. He had some successful pass-rushing snaps too.

The 24-year-old appears ready to prove he deserves consistent playing time in the edge rush rotation. The addition of veteran pass rusher Carlos Dunlap will make things tougher on Danna, but it will also push everyone on the team to step their game up in order to secure more time on the field.

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Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo sees shades of Elvis Dumervil in Mike Danna’s play

#Chiefs DE Mike Danna might not be the prototypical NFL defensive end, but he reminds Steve Spagnuolo of former #Broncos and #Ravens DE Elvis Dumervil. | from @TheJohnDillon

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Few NFL coaches have better input about pass-rushing talent than Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, and his quotes on second-year lineman Mike Danna ahead of Thursday’s practice raised some eyebrows.

Speaking to reporters about Danna’s development, Spagnuolo deferred credit to his staff for the defensive end’s exceptional play in relief of Frank Clark, and he said the former fifth-round pick has all the makings of a great contributor.

“I’ll tell you what, I give credit to the coaches Brendan [Daly] and Terry [Bradden] that work with him. I give credit to Mike [Danna],” He explained when asked if he thinks Danna had taken a step forward in the pass rush, “When you say that I see it coming, it’s hard to tell, but always anticipated that it could. That’s probably a good way to say it. Mike’s one of my favorite guys because it’s chin to the hairline, really smart and everything inside his heart is really good.”

Another question arose about what Spagnuolo saw in Danna when the team drafted him last season. While focusing on the physical attributes he brings to the table, the coordinator made a comparison to a former All-Pro defensive end that seems particularly apt given Danna’s performance in recent weeks.

“It goes back to the work he’s put in,” Spagnuolo said of Danna’s pedigree coming out of Michigan last year, “The prototypical D-end is the 6’4”, 6’5”, long arms and that’s not Mike [Danna], but I worked with Elvis Dumervil when I was with the Baltimore Ravens and Elvis was built pretty much the same way.

“Sometimes [those] guys with the leverage underneath and the long arm rushers that Mike has,” He continued, “Elvis revolutionized [that] in my opinion, I think Mike’s been able to take things a step further in doing some of that stuff. We always say this about pass rush, 20 percent technique, 80 percent want. Mike always has the 80 percent want.”

Dumervil was listed at 5-11 and 250 pounds, but he became a five-time Pro Bowler, a two-time First-Team All-Pro and led the league in sacks in 2009. To be compared to Dumervil is high praise, especially for a player that has only recently come into his own. If Danna can continue to improve his game and build on the momentum that seems to have come easily to him through four games, he could end up being a primary contributor on a defense that desperately needs more playmakers.

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Chiefs DE Mike Danna enthused by defensive showing vs. Eagles

#Chiefs DE Mike Danna was a defensive standout against the #Eagles. He shared some thoughts on where the defense stands after the game. | from @TheJohnDillon

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A resounding 42-30 win in Week 4 for the Kansas City Chiefs has the team back to .500 after early-season struggles on both sides of the ball. Excepting one interception, MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ performance against the Eagles was flawless. In spite of some issues that will need to be addressed in the coming months, the defense played admirably compared to recent showings.

In need of a momentum-building win after dropping back-to-back games in weeks two and three, Kansas City took care of business to get Andy Reid his 100th win as head coach of the Chiefs. With so much on the line this season, and aspirations for another Super Bowl berth, the team couldn’t afford to let their slide continue, officially getting themselves back on track to compete for a top seed in the AFC playoffs.

Second-year defensive end Mike Danna played a big part in the win, and he spoke to reporters after the game about the state of the defense. Danna had two sacks in the matchup, the best performance of any Chiefs edge rusher in a single game this season. He explained to the media that the unit is working in concert, still chasing any edge that might help the team win.

“You just keep stacking them,” He said about the win after a few tough weeks. “[This] defense, we’re a family, we’re a unit, we stick together. This was a big win for us, we just have to keep stacking the days and get the ball rolling.”

A primary factor in the two losses was an inability to do basic things right defensively to give the Chiefs any chance at putting up a fight against some of the NFL’s best offenses. Lining up correctly, knowing assignments, and consistent communication pre-play were all issues against Baltimore and Los Angeles. Asked about where the defense stood after the win, Danna seemed pleased with the performance but made it clear that the climb to their full potential was far from over.

“We got better, but there is always room for improvement,” Danna said. “We’re going to keep on hitting the nail on the head and getting our communication down until we’ve got it down perfect. [We’ll] keep working at it and improving it.”

With their work far from over and 13 games left to play this season, Kansas City is right in the mix, even if after two surprising losses. If they can come away with more wins against Buffalo, Washington, and Tennessee in the coming weeks, early concerns could give way to familiar confidence in a Chiefs team that has accomplished so much in recent years.

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Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo assesses lack of pass rush after Week 3

On Monday, #Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo spoke about why his defense has struggled to get to the quarterback through three weeks of play. | from @TheJohnDillon

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Following the Kansas City Chiefs’ second straight loss, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo spoke to reporters about the state of his defense. His group has proven to be abysmal in the red zone, ineffective in coverage, and seemingly unable to pressure the quarterback. They showed slight improvement against the run in Week 3, but it wasn’t significant enough to forgive the poor start to the season.

The time for a fix was weeks ago, and Spagnuolo made no bones about the defense’s poor performance. Asked to make a general evaluation, the coordinator was noticeably frustrated with his players and their performance.

“Yeah, I don’t know. It’s funny, sometimes I feel like we’re quite a ways away,” Spagnuolo said of the unit, “But I will say this, when I talk with the guys tomorrow, I’m going to tell them that there’s a lot of good snaps in there. There was a lot of good football played, but in this league against a really good team in a close game maybe when your offense is struggling a little bit, it might be three plays that makes the difference. The one that sticks out in my mind is the 42-yard completion, that explosive pass play. We didn’t survive that.”

Perhaps one of the most surprising aspects of the defense’s collapse has been the total lack of a consistent pass rush. The coaching staff moved Chris Jones to defensive end in the offseason to help provide an edge threat opposite 2019 signing Frank Clark, but haven’t seen the results they hoped for so far this season.

When a question about the blitz game came up in his press conference, specifically related to the recent absence of Clark, Spagnuolo admitted he recognizes the problems at play. He did praise second-year defensive end, Mike Danna, for his ability to fill in as a capable backup.

“It has come in spurts,” Spagnuolo said of the pass rush, “Maybe it’s been a little inconsistent, but I’ll tell you what I think Mike Danna did a great job yesterday, the sack he had was just a relentless sack. We had some other ones where we were right there, I know Chris [Jones] had one where he pushed the tackle into the quarterback one time. There’s other ones that stick out a bit where we were just there, we’re just missing a little bit. Part of that comes back to I’m not sure we’ve had enough of those downs and distances… we had more yesterday with the third downs where we could really pin our ears back and come after the quarterback. And I felt early that we did a good job of it. Let’s not forget when Chris [Jones] draws a holding penalty that’s almost as effective as getting [to the quarterback].”

Watching two games squirt right out of reach in the final minutes has put Kansas City on edge ahead of their matchup against the Eagles. With a lot of season in front of them, the Chiefs have enough time to prove they’re still the team to beat in the NFL. They will still need to find some answers quickly to problems that could prove to be the deciding factor in their quest to make a third straight Super Bowl.

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Chiefs DE Mike Danna resolved to see defense improve in Week 4 vs. Eagles

#Chiefs DE Mike Danna says the team is “looking onto the next challenge” as they try to rebound from a 2-game losing streak. | from @TheJohnDillon

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Perhaps the Kansas City Chiefs’ most effective defensive lineman in the matchup against Los Angeles, second-year defensive end Mike Danna looked every bit the part of a situational starter in the wake of Frank Clark’s crazy run of injuries. Though Danna still has some development time in the tank before he’ll be considered a finished product, he brings a physicality and veteran presence to the Chiefs’ locker room that is factoring more into the game plan by the week.

Speaking to the media after Sunday’s loss, Danna said that Kansas City will need to prepare better in the coming weeks during practice.

“All it takes is the preparation that goes into the week,” Danna explained. “Be ready when your number’s called. I’ve got 10 other guys that are trusting me out there to do my job, so when I go out there, I am as serious as a heart attack. I try to be a great teammate, be a leader and help guys when they need me. It’s been a blessing to be on that field with the guys, but coming out with the loss today, we’ve got to take it with a grain of salt.”

The way the team has prepared and played in the past two weeks hasn’t been enough to get them back into the win column. To that end, Danna preached sticking together and avoiding the blame game.

“We’ve got to go back to the drawing boards,” He continued. “We’ve got to stay together as a unit. That’s the most important. It’s an offense, defense, special teams game, so nobody’s pointing figures, we’re going to respond and we’re looking onto the next challenge”

Asked about securing the Chiefs’ only sack of the game, Danna responded by saying that it was an effort play that was made easier by some shoddy offensive line play by the Chargers.

“[It is] just effort man. Effort and getting after the QB,” Danna said, “Coaches always say pass rushers keep rushing, so when I didn’t get him the first time, I knew I had to keep going. Ended up with a gift in my hand.”

For now, though, Danna is focused on next week and how he can help the team bounce back against head coach Andy Reid’s former team in Philadelphia. The Eagles are a force to be reckoned with, but Danna seemed confident as ever in the Chiefs’ ability to make progress week to week, even if it’s only incremental.

“It’s always about flipping the page, taking on the next challenge,” He said of the mentality after the game. “We can’t sit and dwell about this too long. We’ve got to let it soak in, but we go watch the tape, watch the film and we take that with a grain of salt and we bounce back. We take on Philly and we respond.”

If Danna becomes the player that coaches described through the preseason, the defense will be on track to turn itself around in no time. His performance in Week 3 was a step in the right direction, but there is still plenty of room for development in his game. The former fifth-round pick is getting serious consideration for a consistent role on a defense that desperately needs fresh blood to step in and stop the bleeding.

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Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo impressed by defensive ‘unit play’ in preseason

#Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo has noticed the preseason successes of the defensive line, but says it’s a symptom of good unit play. | from @EdEastonJr

The preseason finale for the Kansas City Chiefs takes place this Friday at Arrowhead Stadium. After the final snaps of the preseason, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will join the rest of the coaching and front office staff to deliberate on 53-man roster cuts.

A position group that has plenty of options but not necessarily a lot of roster space is the defensive line. One player who has secured a roster spot with improved play in his second year is former fifth-round draft pick Mike Danna.

”Listen, I’ve talked about Mike [Danna] a lot,” said Spagnuolo. “I mean, you guys know how I feel about him, his intelligence, his natural ability. I think what coach [Brendan] Daly and Terry Bradden do with them is outstanding. You’re talking about a guy that went to Central Michigan, that went to Michigan for a year. If he can keep doing that, he’s going to help us.”

Both in training camp and the preseason, Danna continues to trend upward in his development. The defensive line did lose a player during recent cuts with defensive end Taco Charlton. A rotational piece from a year ago, Charlton’s release shows just how competitive the position has become for Kansas City.

While the defensive line has flashed this preseason for the Chiefs, posting 10 sacks in just two games, Spagnuolo sees it as a symptom of the defense playing together as a whole. He credits the unit performances just as much as he does the individual performances for creating that success.

”I’m not trying to avoid the question, but this is what I said to the guys whatever two days ago,” said Spagnuolo. “What I was impressed most with was the unit play, and what I meant by that was I saw 11 guys for how many ever plays that was, playing together. To me, that’s how you can be an effective defense. So, even though it showed up as sacks, there was probably something good being done on the back end. I thought guys were actually pretty mentally in tune; the mindset was right for a second preseason game, on an away game, the travel, the whole thing. So, I think the whole unit, I just hope that continues because if we play good unit defensive football, we can be pretty good, in my opinion.”

Friday night’s matchup with the Minnesota Vikings will go a long way toward revealing the future of Spagnuolo’s defensive unit.

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