Chiefs: Amidst Offensive Excitement, Don’t Forget the Defense
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
The Kansas City Chiefs have a new offensive-minded head coach in Andy Reid and a new quarterback at the helm in Alex Smith.
That’s why it’s not surprising that offense was the talk of the BBQ town after Friday night’s first preseason clash against the Saints.
The first offense did look quite impressive, and at the very least, Smith and Co. gave Chiefs fans a glimpse of what could be the future.
Chiefs Kingdom was excited, about offense.
Then Sunday rolled around and the team was back in St. Joseph. The offense was reportedly stale and No. 1 overall pick Eric Fisher, an offensive tackle, was sitting out.
Offense, once again, was front and center on the minds of Chiefs addicts all over the world.
Frankly, we were guilty of it here at Arrowhead Addict as well (Well, except for Jason Seibel, who was able to see beyond the offense). Offense was the only thing we wanted to talk about.
Today though, the tone has changed a bit. Although the Jamaal Charles injury scare dominated most of the morning, Adam Teicher of The Kansas City Star did have some defensive news to report from camp.
"The defense didn’t dominate the practice like it did on Sunday. But the defense was dominant over a three-play stretch early on. First, Brandon Flowers broke up a Smith pass intended for Baldwin and would have had an interception if he hadn’t dropped the ball. Next, Justin Houston deflected a pass that Dontari Poe intercepted. Finally, Derrick Johnson blitzed and forced Smith to hurry a pass for Knile Davis in the flat, but it was incomplete.Safety Eric Berry and reserve linebacker Edgar Jones made big defensive plays. Berry leveled running back Shaun Draughn with a hard hit at the line of scrimmage. Jones, in a running drill, got into the backfield and heaved Cyrus Gray to the ground."
It’s about time to talk some defense.
Kansas City has a defensive unit that features some legitimate game-changers. Defensive coordinator Bob Sutton wants to be aggressive, and he has the personnel to make that happen. Dontari Poe has the potential to be a superstar at nose tackle, and he alone will be able to anchor the defense.
John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Kansas City is going to ask him to shoot the gap and cause havoc in the backfield, and at 340 pounds, havoc will indeed be wreaked.
Poe could single-handedly change games in 2013, and he’s just one player on this unit of 11. He’s also just one of three on the front line.
Behind the front line are a group of linebackers who can fly all over the field and make plays. Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali are established stars, and Justin Houston recorded 10 sacks last season.
Kansas City’s front seven could be great in 2013, and that’s only going to make the defensive backs better. If Poe and company can get after the quarterback, that’s going to force errant throws and create some opportunities for the secondary.
Players like Brandon Flowers and Sean Smith could be on the receiving end of those potential opportunities.
Oh, and let’s not forget No. 29. Eric Berry only tallied one interception last season. With an aggressive defense in front of him, though, and help on the edges, he could be poised to have a phenomenal season.
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
The potential an Andy Reid-led offense has is staggering, but the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs could very well make their mark on the other side of the ball.
Don’t forget about the defense.