Chiefs vs Rams: Marinated reaction
By Andrew Jones
The Chiefs offense will have to carry the defense during the first part of the season
There is a lot of good with the Kansas City Chiefs rookies and second year players. Outside of Eric Berry and Ron Parker, the entire secondary could be full of them. They are a talented group but with their age comes a learning curve. This curve is something the Chiefs will have to struggle through for possibly the first half of the season. We cannot realistically expect Marcus Peters and Phillip Gaines to step into starting corner jobs and shut down all receivers. Both have only a year of experience and both will make plenty of mistakes.
On Saturday the Chiefs were able to move the ball against one of the better defenses in the league. Then allow two scoring drives from one of the poorer offenses. The Chiefs young defense took bad angles on ball carriers and could not hold on to tackles.
Many fans point out that without Justin Houston, Tamba Hali, and Eric Berry the Chiefs will look bad. These are Pro Bowl guys who know how to stop the run and rush the passer. While that is true, the Chiefs won’t be stopping the Saints, Steelers, or Colts consistently even if they take the field. To stop the better offenses in the league requires a complete defense. Which is something Chiefs will have to find as they grow together.
In the mean time the offense has more weapons now than ever as an Andy Reid coached team. If Alex Smith can be the quarterback that he has been so far this preseason then the Chiefs may be able to win a shootout or two. As the schedule eases up, the Chiefs should jell as a team and make a memorable run at a championship.