Five important discoveries from KC Chiefs road win over Broncos

By Matt Conner | Jan 8, 2022

DENVER, COLORADO - JANUARY 08: Mecole Hardman #17 of the Kansas City Chiefs rushes ahead of Michael Ojemudia #13 of the Denver Broncos during the second half at Empower Field At Mile High on January 08, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) /

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DENVER, COLORADO – JANUARY 08: Melvin Gordon #25 of the Denver Broncos rushes for a touchdown during the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field At Mile High on January 08, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) /

Tackling remains a concern

Yes, the turf at Mile High Stadium was a problem for everyone. Drew Lock fell down without being touched. Harrison Butker slipped on a kick. That lack of traction affected everyone all afternoon.

That said, there was still a big, big problem with tackling on the day for the Chiefs defense in a way that made the defense look soft. It was hard to find a single defender who arrived first to the ball who ended up making an actual tackle. Instead, it was usually the third or fourth player to the ball who ended up finally tripping up the running back or wide receiver after gaining several yards.

Early in the year, tackling was a big concern for the Chiefs’ defense with poor angles or outright misses to go with bad communication and blown assignments. Given the way the Chiefs also looked against the Cincinnati Bengals, fans can only wonder if this is a blossoming issue once again. If so, this is not a good time.

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