John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is a breath of fresh air.
After a few years of convoluted coach-speak and former GM Scott Pioli’s propaganda, Reid’s no-nonsense approach to speaking with the media is a bit of a relief.
It isn’t that Reid is doing anything out of the ordinary here. Most NFL head coaches are pretty up front about what is going on with their organizations but Pioli’s regime was so secretive, about even inane details, that to hear a Chiefs coach say something like “Dexter McCluster hurt his hamstring and I think he’ll be back next week” makes it feel like we’re getting a super secret bit of information.
Reid continued to sling truth yesterday when he mentioned that DE and Scott Pioli first-round pick, Tyson Jackson, hasn’t been good at rushing the passer.
“Tin Man,” as we lovingly call Jackson around here, is working very hard to improve his pass rush, according to his new head coach.
“I’ve been very impressed with Tyson,” said Reid. “Very, very impressed throughout this whole camp, since we’ve been together here. Not many guys are going to outwork him on the field. Pass rush was not his forte. He’s working like crazy on it to get better. As a coach, that’s all you ask for. You saw what he did today. Now again, this isn’t live. The offensive line, they’re trying to control it. Both sides are trying to control it and work it. He did a nice job. He’s a big man that can move a little bit. It’s very impressive.”
This is great news for Chiefs fans. Jackson has developed into a very solid run defender in the last couple of years. This alone seemed a huge consolation, considering how awful Jackson was during his rookie season. If the former LSU Tiger can actually put a little bit of pressure on the QB this season under new defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, it could make a tremendous difference to the Chiefs’ defense.
Sutton’s scheme may allow Jackson to finally flourish. Romeo Crennel’s scheme asked his defensive lineman to do more reacting than attacking. When Jackson was asked to attack, he did a poor job of it but the scheme didn’t do him any favors.
What we’ve seen of Jackson so far doesn’t inspire confidence that he will suddenly turn into a terror for QBs dropping back to pass, but if Tyson get a little bit more push on passing downs, Tamba Hali and Justin Houston should take care of the rest.
What do you think, Addicts? Will Jackson finally have a breakout year under Sutton and Reid?