Halftime adjustments show a strength and a problem for the Chiefs
The Chiefs have an obvious coaching advantage over most teams. But what has been changing at halftime?
Last week against the Patriots, the Kansas City Chiefs went into the half looking like one team and came out looking like another. On Sunday against the Eagles, the Chiefs did it again. Depending on your perspective, this could be a good sign or a bad one going forward throughout this season. (In reality, it’s probably both.)
Starting positively: the Chiefs have an obvious coaching advantage over most (if not every) team in the NFL. The fact that they can solve problems over the course of a halftime and come out exploiting their opponent’s weaknesses is a fantastic thing.
But I have a few concerns.
For all of the tremendous things that Justin Houston has done in his two weeks back at full health, Bob Sutton has used him rather conservatively in the first half of the first two games of 2017. Then, out of the half, Sutton has let him loose. Kareem Hunt shared a similar story last week. He was criminally underused in the first half and then appropriately leaned-on in the second.
I’m not horrified of the future, but it’s something to keep an eye on. Andy Reid has shown a tendency to shy away from the running game when it hits a speed bump. Bob Sutton is showing a tendency to want to use Justin Houston in a sort of vulture role that doesn’t allow him to rush the passer as much as I would like to see. But, both coaches have amended their mistakes in the second half of this season’s first two games.
Also on today’s show: the phenomenal games of Chris Jones, Justin Houston and Kareem Hunt; the repeated mistakes of Travis Kelce and where the Chiefs fit in the AFC West.
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