Chiefs run defense will show true colors in season’s first quarter
By Scott Loring
Game 3: Chiefs vs. Ravens
The Chiefs’ home opener will be against one of their toughest opponents from 2018. The Baltimore Ravens’ unique offense poses a daunting task against any rush defense, because defenders have to contain RB Mark Ingram as well as keeping tabs on QB Lamar Jackson, who contributed 67 of the Ravens’ 194 rush yards in last year’s tilt.
In his seven starts, Jackson never rushed fewer than 11 times and only rushed for fewer than 67 yards once. It should be noted that the team went 6-1 in those seven starts, with the one loss of course at the hands of the Chiefs. Baltimore also signed the 5’9″ 215-pound Ingram in the offseason to bolster their offense, and there is no doubting the Ravens will come to Kansas City hungry for revenge.
Game 4: Chiefs @ Lions
Detroit’s new OC Darrell Bevell (who, like Spagnuolo, did not coach in 2018) is a throwback to run-first ground assaults. Holding the same position in Minnesota and Seattle, Bevell orchestrated several top-ten rush units and will look to do the same with second-year RB Kerryon Johnson. The Auburn product averaged an eye-popping 5.4 yards per carry in 2018, and Bevell has made it clear the team will look to build its offense around the running game.
Lions HC Matt Patricia will likely take a page from his old friend Bill Belichick’s book against Kansas City in what will be Mahomes’ first regular season game in a dome as a Chief. Last year, Patricia seemed to be the last person in the world to realize that Johnson deserved the “Lion’s share” of the carries in their backfield; he will not make that mistake again.
These four games will give us a very good picture of how the run defense is trajecting in 2019. Fournette, Jacobs, Ingram and Johnson are not known to be home-run-hitting speed backs, but the first three were first-round picks, and Johnson was a second-round pick. Each is adept at breaking tackles and stretching the play. Broken tackles were the kryptonite to Sutton’s defenses.
Next. Projecting the Chiefs final 53-man roster. dark
While Chiefs fans have spent an entire offseason wondering how Mahomes and Reid would fare with an average defense, the time for results is near.