Chiefs vs. Raiders: Antonio Brown’s lingering impact and 9 other questions
Where is the Chiefs pass rush?
All in all, I thought the first real-time outing of the new look Chiefs defense was mostly positive. Yes, they gave up 26 points to an average Jaguars offense with a rookie quarterback in Gardner Minshew. Yes, secondary coverage remains a concerning issue that could come back to bite us against better teams.
However, it was clear from the outset that this scheme should be more suited to stopping the run. Against a team with one of the most imposing runners in the league, the Chiefs defense held strong and only allowed 81 yards on 16 carries.
It’s not a great average, but the main takeaway is they largely avoided the gash run plays that plagued our defense last season. It’s something to build on, and I think that the run defense could end up being the strength of this defense by the end of the season.
The biggest concern I walked away with was the pass rush. At the end of the day, the defense had one sack and three quarterback hits. That’s fine when you play a team that can’t score with you, but it will be unacceptable against several teams on our schedule.
I’m not sounding any alarm bells yet, because this was actually a decent all around game one on defense. However, we’ve invested a lot in our defensive line and plan to invest more. If they can’t consistently produce pressure, that investment won’t pay off.
Who is the most reliable cornerback on this team?
If there’s a place to raise the alarm, it’s going to be at corner. In Week 1, Chiefs coverage gave up 347 yards and three touchdowns through the air to the tune of an average passer rating of 128.5. Even if Gardner Minshew is talented, that’s unacceptable given we’ll play far more talented quarterbacks in the regular season and especially the playoffs. It’s game one, but if it doesn’t improve, something will need to be done.
I wrote earlier this week that the Chiefs should work out a deal for Patrick Peterson. I get it. Some of you probably think this horse has been beaten to death and it’s never going to happen. Yet, would any of you have guessed two months ago that the ridiculous saga in Oakland would happen? Yes, it’s seems different, but is it really?
Don’t mistake the Cardinals comeback to say they’ll be a good team. Detroit let that happen and could have easily avoided it. The Cardinals will lose most of their games this season. Peterson was already unhappy last season. Will he be any happier if he’s on a bad team for the next few seasons? That’s a pretty plausible scenario.
It’s something to think about. To this point Kendall Fuller, Bashaud Breeland, and Charvarius Ward have not shown much to make me feel happy about our corner situation. They need to show more. However, if they don’t show more and the return of Morris Claiborne doesn’t move the needle, the Chiefs need to strongly consider making a move for another starting corner back. Peterson seems like the most likely option.