Is The Kansas City Chiefs’ Secondary Its Primary Concern?
3. Marcus Cooper will be better and more consistent in 2014.
Much has been said about the tale of two seasons Marcus Cooper had in 2013. During the first half of the season, some NFL writers thought Cooper warranted Defensive Rookie of the Year consideration. He made several stellar plays that contributed to the team’s 9-0 start. He struggled the back half of the year, but his worst performances came at the hands of Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers. Overall, he more than surpassed everyone’s expectations for a former seventh-round pick (of the San Francisco 49’ers).
Cooper’s progress will be a key part of fielding a more consistent defense in 2014. I’m impressed with his mental toughness. He’s shown the ability to rebound after being beaten by a wide receiver. If he can learn to jam receivers more consistently, he’ll be well on his way to realizing his true potential in this league. With a full season under his belt and more coaching from Emmitt Thomas and Al Harris, I think we’ll see him play a more balanced brand of football this year.
4. Safety play will be vastly improved this season.
As previously mentioned, Quintin Demps and Kendrick Lewis were two of the biggest reasons why this defense wilted as the 2013 season wore on. It’s tough to play Cover 1 if your safety’s consistently out of position. When Sutton backed off and started playing more Cover 2 and Cover 3, quarterbacks like Peyton Manning neutralized Kansas City’s passrush with quick passes that exploited the soft middle of those zone schemes. Husain Abdullah and Eric Berry will split time at single-high safety in 2014. Both of them have the necessary range and athleticism to be effective in that role.
Fans were counting on Sanders Commings to help strengthen the position, but he’s out with yet another multiple-week injury. That may have been a blessing in disguise. News of his surgery accompanied the acquisition of former Charger and Patriot Steve Gregory. He’s a serviceable veteran whose experience should help stabilize the safety spot. He’ll be valuable to the team when they put three safeties on the field in their sub packages. Between Berry, Abdullah, and Gregory, I think the Kingdom can rest a little easier than they did at the end of 2013.
Am I off my rocker to think this group can be better than it was last season? Do the Chiefs need to add another 1-2 late-August castoffs to bolster the position group? Is the secondary the weakest part of Kansas City’s defense? We look forward to the opinions of our readers. Please use the comment section below to weigh in. As always, we appreciate your readership and support.
Until next time, Addicts!