Chiefs failures: Looking at the defense

Defensive Line

It starts up front.  While Jaye Howard has been terrific this year…he’s the only one.  The guy that I once wrote off as a scrub is now possibly the Chiefs best defensive lineman.  He’s getting penetration, he’s rushing the passer, and he’s making huge plays in the running game.  Honestly, he’s playing at an excellent level, and you have to wonder if the Chiefs will be able to re-sign him after the season is over.

Dontari Poe and the rest of the DL haven’t been the dominant force they were supposed to be. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

On the opposite end, Dontari Poe has been a no-show so far this year.  Now, that may be a result of his back injury, so I’m not going to rush to judgment on him.  But there is no denying that his presence is not being felt along the defensive front.  The Chiefs need Poe to be a disruptive force in order to generate quality matchups at other spots for us.  If Poe is being shut out, then it’s that much more difficult to get pressure from anywhere else.

That lack of pressure can be seen with Allen Bailey.  Bailey was a wrecking ball last season, but this year seems unable to really do much.  He has been getting handled one-on-one a lot, which is not good because it allows for a double team on Justin Houston.  Bailey needs to be forcing the protection to account for him, like he did last year.

Next: How about the linebackers?