Chiefs Film Room: Is Dee Ford ready to make the leap?
By Tarek Mavani
These past five seasons have seen us Kansas City Chiefs fans spoiled. We have witnessed the combination of Tamba Hali and Justin Houston emerge as one of the most feared edge rushing duos in the league, and have grown accustomed to them wreaking havoc on opponents. Unfortunately, the Hali and Houston era looks to be on its last legs.
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Hali is going to be hitting the market this year, and even if he does come back, we saw injuries take their toll as the season progressed. The guy goes all-out on every single play, how much longer can we expect his body to hold up if he comes back? This was presumably Dorsey’s line of thinking during the 2014 draft when he grabbed Dee Ford in the first round.
After a forgettable rookie season where he rarely saw the field, albeit through very little fault of his own, the 2015 season was our first true look at the Auburn product. Contrary to year one, Ford had ample opportunity in 2015 to prove he’s ready to be the Robin to Houston’s Batman. So, did he?
As much as it pains me to say it, Ford’s play this season showed me that barring a Madden-like offseason progression, this defense would be taking a major step backwards should Ford assume Hali’s role in 2016. I make this proclamation having watched four games in which Ford was prominently featured:
- Week 14 against San Diego
- Week 16 against Cleveland
- Week 17 against Oakland
- Divisional Playoffs against New England
Heading into this four game block, my worst fear was that I’d see a player that showed no signs of developing a broader arsenal of pass-rush skills and relied too heavily on his natural athletic abilities. To my dismay, this is exactly what showed up on tape.
If there’s one thing we know about Dee Ford, it’s that he loves the speed rush. Watching the tape made it quite clear that it’s the only move he feels comfortable utilizing. It wouldn’t be such a problem if he had mastered the move, but he attempts to beat tackles around the edge solely with his athleticism and little to no technique. Each year, the NFL proves year in and year out to young players that pure athleticism simply does not cut it. Ford has yet to take this message to heart.
This is your typical Ford pass rush: gets a great jump off the snap, races upfield, and then simply gets pushed beyond the QB by the tackle. Anybody who watched a Chiefs game this season saw this happen on countless occasions.
By relying purely on his speed, Ford makes no effort in getting his pad level low when rounding the corner. This makes it incredibly easy for the tackle to get his hands on Ford’s shoulder and push him harmlessly out of the way. But that’s not the only issue I have with Ford’s pass rushing.
When you watch that clip, check out the gaping hole that opens up on Ford’s side. One thing the Broncos did extremely well against Cam Newton was apply pressure while staying in their pass rush lanes. Cam didn’t have anywhere to step up or escape as the walls continuously crumbled around him. Ford refuses to stay in his pass rush lane and gives the QB a massive area to step into, helping the Chargers convert the third down. Now imagine what would happen against a mobile QB like Cam.
While he’s far from Cam, Manziel is definitely a mobile QB. And look how he happily takes the path that Dee Ford so graciously opened up for him. Yet again, Ford shows no awareness of pass rush lanes and recklessly speeds upfield. Also, notice how his pad level is almost straight up, making it all too easy for the tackle to guide him past Manziel.
By being far too reliant on his speed, Ford has neglected to develop complimentary skills that would make him a lethal pass rusher. One, as we talked about it, is dipping his inside shoulder low when rounding the edge. Tackles would then have a much smaller target to try and land a reach block on.
But another skill Ford hasn’t developed is one that Hali has all but mastered –using his hands. Hali is constantly using his hands to prevent tackles from getting a good hold of him. Or in cases where they do get his hands on him, Hali relentlessly fights to free himself. Meanwhile, Ford rarely uses his hands against blockers, and on the occasions he does, it’s far too late as the lineman is fully engaged and anchored.
On this particular play, Ford makes no effort to use his hands in any capacity during his initial rush. It is only once the tackle is engaged that Ford tries to push him back with a futile hand to the shoulder. With Ford, there is no sense of urgency once he is engaged with lineman. Very little effort is made to free himself from blocks, either because he lacks the technique to do so, or hasn’t quite yet developed the strength necessary.
Speaking about strength, it is another area Ford must put considerable effort into building. While it is painfully obvious here when he gets absolutely stuffed on a bull rush, it also hurts the defensive unit against the run.
It’s troubling to see Dee Ford get zero push against the tight end on this play. Normally, I’d like the Chiefs chances of stopping a run if the offense single blocked our outside linebacker with a tight end, however, teams did this multiple times to Ford’s side and rarely regretted the decision. Let’s hope Ford spends some time pumping some iron in the offseason.
Now, Dee Ford did have his moments this season (his three sacks against the Chargers jumps to mind), but these moments were the exception, not the rule. Remember, it’s more about the process than it is the results, especially with young players. And when it comes to Ford, there is still a lot of work to be done on the process.
Is this shocking news to anybody? I would think not. But considering he was a first round pick and has had two complete offseasons with the team to work on his craft, you’d expect a little more polish and consistency. Until Ford stops relying solely on raw athleticism in his attempt to get after opposing quarterbacks, I am unconvinced he’ll become the secondary edge threat the Chiefs will sorely need in the very near future.