Andy Reid looked quite pleased with the way the Kansas City Chiefs defense is getting closer to becoming the sort of attacking unit that creates turnovers.
It wasn’t so long ago, certainly within head coach Andy Reid’s tenure with the team, that the Kansas City Chiefs employed one of the league’s top defenses. Yes, even under Bob Sutton.
In case recency bias has overwritten the data from Reid’s first few years in K.C., let us remind you that from 2013 to 2016, the Chiefs ranked in the NFL’s top 7 (at worst) in total points allowed. In 2014, the Chiefs ranked second; the following year, they ranked third overall. Much of that was based on the team’s ability to generate turnovers.
In 2012, the last year of absolutely miserable football in Kansas City, the Chiefs were last in the NFL in takeaways per game with a scant 0.8. That means they couldn’t even generate a single turnover with their defense in every game. The very first year of Sutton’s tenure, the Chiefs vaulted to No. 1. Literally, they went last to first and averaged 2.4 takeaways/game after not even averaging one the year before.
In 2014, the Chiefs dropped back to 0.9 takeaways/game, third worst in the league, in the season known as Eric Berry‘s bout with cancer. It was also the only year of Reid’s coaching tenure that the Chiefs did not make the playoffs. In 2015, the Chiefs were back to 1.9 takeaways/game (5th in NFL)—and their winning ways.
Reid knows that generating turnovers is crucial to his team’s success. Steve Spagnuolo, the new defensive coordinator, is also aware of this and has encouraged his unit to be more aggressive than they have in years past. On Sunday, the Chiefs had Lamar Jackson feeling the pressure from all sides (26 pressures, per Pro Football Focus) and Reid liked what he saw. While the turnovers are not appearing en masse, Reid says the defense is nearly there.
“It was great to see… We were so close on these on these turnovers,” said Reid on Monday with a smile. “We were right there. I think the more we play in the defense, the more those things will happen. They were attacking the football. I appreciate seeing that. Turnovers are a big thing in this league, and those things are going to start clicking if you keep that mindset of attacking.”
Tyrann Mathieu is showing a swagger in the heart of the defense. Frank Clark, the big-money pass rushing import, has taken considerable attention from offensive coordinators to free up others along the line. Chris Jones is a known disruptor, but even rotational guys like Emmanuel Ogbah and Tanoh Kpassagnon are thriving in this aggressive scheme. Damien Wilson, the team’s newest linebacker, looks like the spark needed at the position. Juan Thornhill is so close to make several plays that it’s only a matter of time until things come together in the box score.
The Chiefs are already undefeated with a two game lead in their division, so it feels weird to focus on something negative and say it will get better, but K.C. is a rare team that’s already winning at such a regular clip that also has a much higher ceiling. Defensively, however, things are coming together and Reid seems happy with the team’s progress. That’s likely a sign we should feel the same.