The 2013 K.C. Chiefs: A Great Enigma
By Laddie Morse
This defense can take over games… and this year they do exactly that.
For the Chiefs DC Bob Sutton, given the personnel he’s got to work with, it’s a match made in hell for offenses who have to face them. Since it’s a 3-4 defense let’s begin at the nose:
+ Dontari Poe has become such a dominant force, and so consistent, that offenses must double-team him or they can expect the QB’s nasal cavity to be shoved up into his cranium… metaphorically speaking of course.
+ The double-team on Poe leaves either DE Tyson Jackson or DE Mike DeVito un-doubled or,
+ It leaves either Tamba Hali or Justin Houston in man-to-man, which is impossible for offenses to deal with for a whole game at a time.
+ Poe being doubled also frees up both Derrick Johnson and Akeem Jordan to shut down the run.
+ The coverage scheme Bob Sutton uses, allows Safety Eric Berry to drive his hot rod body all over the field like he’s racing in a demolition derby… only everyone else seems to be riding mopeds.
+ The sticky man coverage that Sean Smith, Brandon Flowers and now Marcus Cooper have shown they can play… allows Hali and Houston time to get where they’re going, and they are getting there at an unprecedented pace for the Chiefs organization.
Last season the Chiefs had 27 total sacks in 16 games. They have over 30 sacks this year through 6 games. Tamba Hali already has more than he had all of last season. Let’s be clear, the sacks are all directly related to the tight man coverage scheme Bob Sutton has the Chiefs successfully employing.
The Chiefs are currently third in passing defense.
However, you have to have the players to pull it all off, and the Chiefs have arguably five defensive players playing at a Pro Bowl level including Poe, Berry, Hali, Houston and DJ. Plus, the difference between this year’s defensive squad and last years, is that the holes that existed last year have been effectively plugged, thanks to CB Sean Smith, CB Marcus Cooper, ILB Akeem Jordan, and Safeties Husain Abdullah and Quintin Demps.
To other teams, the Chiefs defense has become the hideous monster that no one wants to face. The Chiefs D is first in the league in points allowed at 10.8 points per game. The next closest team, who has also played 6 games, is Cincinnati, which is allowing 18.5 points per game.
The offense? It’s problematic… often befuddling… and is just a different story altogether.
Yes, the Chiefs are 6-0 and we should all be elated about that, right? But, guess what? We’re not. Why should we be? The Chiefs, as they stand right now, appear to be the equivalent of the “walking dead” or Frankenstein for that matter… alive for the moment but….
If this team plays the way they did on Sunday, offensively… when they meet the Denver Broncos next month… they’re goners for sure, no matter how great anyone believes the defense can be.
And this doesn’t just apply to the Broncos games, it extends to the playoffs and the conference championship because the Chiefs simply, don’t have the offensive tools to out-scare, or outscore, anyone. In fact, this offense has no “Fear Factor”… the ability to scare opposing teams. But, the defense sure does.
The enigmatic Chiefs are essentially their own worst enemy. An offense with one weapon for opposing defenses to shut down is reminiscent of the 2010 playoffs.
Deja-que-the-fat-lady’s-singing.