What we learned about the Chiefs in their dominant win over the Ravens in Week 3.
The Kansas City Chiefs put on a 60-minute masterclass this week, squashing an AFC powerhouse, the Baltimore Ravens. This week, a lot of what we learned is more what we relearned.
After a skittish Week 2, the Chiefs put the kibosh on the touted Ravens, leaving no question as to who runs the AFC. Here are some things we learned from a superb Week 3 victory.
The Chiefs have a legit pass defense
The Chiefs’ secondary, and cornerbacks in particular, have strung together three weeks of stifling defense. This week, a returning Charvarius Ward, rookie L’Jarius Sneed, Rashad Fenton, and safety Tedric Thompson were especially impressive. The rag-tag collection of corners is playing with exceptional swagger and, more importantly, collective discipline. Shockingly, this secondary had their best performance against reigning MVP Lamar Jackson, holding him to a tepid 97 yards passing.
Beyond that, according to Next Gen Stats, Chiefs cornerbacks, when targeted as the nearest defender, allowed 10 yards passing. The cornerbacks, even when Bashaud Breeland plays, is considered one of the weaker positional units for K.C. So this lights-out play even in the absence of their top corner has been a surprise, and a best-case situation for the Chiefs.
I was especially impressed with Fenton, whose aggressive coverage stymied any explosive plays from Ravens receivers. Quietly, Thompson was formidable; he delivered a few resounding tackles in bit moments, displaying plenty of awareness and comfort within Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme. L’Jarius Sneed continued to wow, and added another excellent game to his superb rookie campaign. Unfortunately, he went down with a collarbone injury late in the game, so Chiefs fans should monitor his status moving forward.
Beyond the cornerbacks, Juan Thornhill had his best performance of this young season. He kept pace with Lamar Jackson on a few key plays, shadowing him and making Jackson uncomfortable on some scrambles. That’s really all you can ask when it comes to defending Jackson in the open field. Thornhill did a great job of covering running angles, an extremely encouraging sign given that Thornhill is coming off an ACL surgery. So far, his mobility and speed looks as good as ever.
The takeaway? The pass defense is gelling. There’s clear chemistry across the secondary. This “no-name” unit is proving to be anything but. They present a collective discipline and fierceness, a balance that is hard to achieve. So far, so good for Spagnuolo’s group.