Defense
After falling to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game during the 2018-2019 playoffs, the Chiefs made the swift decision to change their defense. They fired Bob Sutton and hired Steve Spagnuolo, they changed schemes and they brought in entirely new personnel. Those choices helped the Chiefs reach and win the Super Bowl, but there is still room for improvement for this unit.
Doug Farrar ranked this group at No. 13 heading into the 2020 NFL season. Here is a look at what he had to say about the Chiefs’ defense:
Yes, the Chiefs are led by Patrick Mahomes and the NFL’s most explosive offense, but Andy Reid’s team wouldn’t have won Super Bowl LIV without the efforts of two new additions — defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, and defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, who played at a Defensive Player of the Year pace through the entire season. Things could be even better in 2020 and beyond, as there appears to be a total belief in Spagnuolo and Mathieu as the defense’s schematic and emotional leaders, star defensive lineman Chris Jones got franchise-tagged, safety Juan Thornhill should be recovered from the torn ACL that cost him the postseason, and Mississippi State linebacker Willie Gay Jr. adds much-needed athleticism to the position if he can stay out of trouble.
Gay ran a faster 40-yard dash at the combine than the Las Vegas Raiders’ first-round cornerback. He adds a much-needed injection of speed to a unit on the defensive side of the ball that was severely lacking speed the past two seasons. If guys like Mathieu, Jones and Thornhill can improve in year two under Spagnuolo, this defense is definitely looking like one that could surprise some folks.
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