The Kansas City Chiefs defensive squad was a huge bright spot in a year that did not start out well.
Ending the year at 9-7 and missing the playoffs was a hard pill to swallow for head coach Andy Reid and company. However, having consecutive seasons above .500 is something that has not occurred since 2005 and 2006.
Yes, ending the season the way it did was disappointing and having no wide receiver score a touchdown was just the nail in the coffin of 2014. However, even with that stat hanging over the heads of the entire team, there was one aspect of the Chiefs that was highly impressive.
Kansas City was able to finish 2014 in the top 10 in yards allowed per game (330.5 – 7th); and top five in passing yards per game (203.2 – 2nd); and points allowed per game (17.6 -2nd).
The fact that they held both Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos and Super Bowl champion Tom Brady to under 300 yards passing is astonishing. The secondary of this team is one the verge of being in the same conversations as the Seattle Seahawks’ Legion of Boom as one of the best in the NFL.
This offseason, the Chiefs only added to that reputation by signing Tyvon Branch from the Oakland Raiders, and drafting the best corner available in Marcus Peters.
Both of these players join an already impressive squad. Players like Sean Smith have quietly made a big name for themselves with Kansas City. Another impressive matter to these stats is that they did all this without their anchor in the secondary Eric Berry who was fighting cancer in the second half of the season.
Will history repeat itself in 2015?
On paper, this prediction is one you can almost take to the bank as a sure thing. The additions of player through free agency and rookies only help add to this squad in the long run.
Smith is in the last year of his contract with the team, and will command near top-dollar in the market at the end of the season. Players like safety Ron Parker has been making waves with the team and was rewarded with a five-year, $30 million dollar deal by Kansas City this offseason. The entire secondary has taken shape and this shows not only on paper, but in the results it produces on the field.
This unit has all the skills to remain in the top five, and dare say maybe the best in the NFL. If Berry is able to return and the Justin Houston contract gets worked out this defense could be scary good in 2015. Every part of this defense allows the greatness of the other one to shine. The pass-rush forces the quarterback to throw quickly. The bump-and-run pressure of the secondary throws off the timing of the receivers and tight end. Every piece of this team makes the other better.
If all the pieces come together again in 2015, history will very much repeat itself.
There you have it, Addicts. Do you think this team will be a top five defense in 2015? Where do you see the defense this coming year? Let us know in the comments.
Thanks for reading.
Go Chiefs!