Chiefs failures: Looking at the defense

Sep 15, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton watches against the Dallas Cowboys in the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City won the game 17-16. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

The 2015 Kansas City Chiefs have been a shameful site to start the season.

While most seem to have found their favorite scapegoat or target, I’m here to tell you that it is not as simple as one or two people.  Somehow the Chiefs have allowed for a culture of losing and failure to permeate through the organization, and NOBODY has been untouched by it.

The truth is, there are no individuals at fault for what we’re seeing.  Every single member of the organization is holding some share of the blame.  Some have erred in obvious form, while others have dropped the ball behind the scenes.  And I’m here to hold every last one of them accountable…

Defense

The Chiefs offense is easy to fault.  It hasn’t been a strength for some time now.  On top of that, the Chiefs defense is loaded with stars and fan favorites.  That often makes them above reproach for a lot of the fan base, even when they might be the most deserving of our criticism.

Oct 4, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard (25) makes a move past Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Tamba Hali (91) as he carries the ball in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 36-21. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Back to back 31 point games is not something that an elite defense allows.  That isn’t the hallmark of a dominant group…it’s the hallmark of a pretty bad group.  And it makes no sense for the Chiefs defense to be this bad.  It is essentially the same exact lineup that was dominant in many areas last year.

The only place our defense is different now is with the return of Derrick Johnson and Mike DeVito, plus the additions of Marcus Peters and Tyvon Branch.  None of these things should be a negative.  In fact, that should have helped us immensely in a number of areas.  Yet, for some reason, the 2015 Kansas City defense is just getting their buts handed to them.

The worst part about this is that it is our supposed strengths that are letting us down.  The pass rush and pass coverage have not been there at all for the Chiefs this season.  Houston?  Bailey?  Poe?  Parker?  Smith?  What happened to these guys?  For some reason, the Chiefs have been unable to make either quarterbacks or receivers uncomfortable this year.  That has got to change.

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