The Chiefs secondary has overcome several early season hurdles

State of the Kansas City Chiefs secondary moving forward

Bashaud Breeland returns to the lineup in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Adding another physical cornerback against both the run and pass that already knows the defense improves the unit immediately. It will be interesting to see how Spagnuolo plans to deploy guys like Fenton moving forward with the likely starting positions on the boundary going to Breeland and Ward.

Fenton fits best working on the outside. He’s improved each week this season and is coming off a massive performance in Week 4. He can play the slot cornerback, which was his primary role in 2019, but his best play comes on the outside. But moving Fenton to the slot allows Mathieu to get back to moving all over the defense.

The addition of Breeland also means the Chiefs don’t have to rush Sneed back from injury. Tyreek Hill missed just over a month with a similar injury in 2019. All injuries and recoveries are different but having the ability to rest Sneed until he fully ready to go is a bonus. Once the promising rookie returns, it will be another interesting adjustment of how the team deploys each player.

Sneed wins with physicality, aggressiveness, speed, and ball skills. He’s best utilized in press-man coverage along the boundary. Still, with his experience playing safety during his senior season in college, he could find himself in a similar role to what Kendall Fuller played late in 2019. It would allow him to earn reps and develop the mental side of his game in zone coverage.

As guys return to the lineup, it will be interesting to see what Spagnuolo decides to do with his cornerback group. The Chiefs don’t have a cornerback that specializes in the slot, but several guys have the ability to play there if needed. It will be interesting to see if Sneed earns some reps in the slot utilizing his speed to keep up with some quick-twitch receivers.

With the performances Sneed put together early in the season, Breeland will have to get going quickly following his return this week if he wants to keep his spot. Without a multi-year deal, he could find himself losing time to younger players like Fenton and Sneed, who are looking to become future starters in the defense.

Fans should feel good about the secondary as a whole to this point in the season. Moving forward, Kansas City faces the Raiders in Week 5, with a Thursday night game following against the Buffalo Bills. The Bills offense has taken a massive step forward in 2020 and could become their biggest challenge this season. Josh Allen has shown significant growth, and the addition of Stefon Diggs has produced the second-highest passing yards per game in the NFL, trailing only the Dallas Cowboys who have put up enormous stats in garbage time each week.

Buffalo is scheduled to face the Tennessee Titans in Week 5, but due to the Titans breaking protocols regarding COVID-19, it could become a forfeiture. That makes a short week for the Chiefs even harder with only a couple of days to plan for one of the hottest offenses in football—one that is coming off a bye week.

Following the Bills in Week 6, the Chiefs will play the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, and Carolina Panthers before entering their scheduled Week 10 bye week. Denver could have Drew Lock back by that time, but significant losses on both sides of the ball keep the Broncos from being competitive. Carolina will be a team to keep an eye on over the next couple of weeks with their new offense showing optimism.