Why the Chiefs win over the Broncos wasn’t an ‘ugly’ one
By Jake Kokoris
Tyrann Mathieu is a hero
After struggling for a few weeks, safety Tyrann Matthieu played lights out on Sunday night. He reeled in two interceptions, but his impact extended beyond that. Targeted three times, Matthieu allowed just one catch for 5 yards. He also added a tackle for loss on top of that.
Matthieu is the swiss-army man of this Chiefs defense. He’s asked to do quite a bit, so naturally over the course of a season he’s going to make his share of mistakes.
The Chiefs needed this performance from Matthieu, though. The Chiefs struggled to contain Melvin Gordon, and got beat by Tim Patrick twice for TDs. In a one possession game, Matthieu’s two interceptions gave Mahomes and company another two possessions.
As the Chiefs continue to develop cornerbacks L’Jarius Sneed, Rashad Fenton, and Charvarius Ward, along with safety Juan Thornhill, dependability in the secondary will be crucial for their playoff push. The corners have showed promise, but lack consistency—a trait furnished by experience. If Matthieu can continue to perform close to this level, each piece in the back end will get a little better as they continue to grow.
The Chiefs have a young secondary and several of the corners will likely be Chiefs for years to come. The leadership of Matthieu to that group may be tantamount in their overall development and dependability for the playoffs and beyond.