How Eric Berry's Absence Affects Chiefs Defense

The Kansas City Chiefs will be without star safety Eric Berry after an MRI revealed a mass in his chest following last Thursday’s game against the Oakland Raiders, the team announced. The team believes the mass is lymphoma and placed Berry on the non-football injury list—ending his season. Berry is reportedly going to see a specialist in Atlanta to get the final diagnosis.

Berry’s health is obviously the primary concern, and everyone is pulling for him to make a full and speedy recovery. In the meantime, Berry’s teammates are in the thick of the NFL playoffs race and will have to survive without another one of their defensive playmakers.

While the Chiefs may be without Berry in body, they will have him in spirit. Berry’s fans and friends have already started the #BerryStrong and #WeAreBerryStrong hashtags on Twitter to show their support.

“Football isn’t as important as him getting himself better at this present moment,” head coach Andy Reid said Monday, via KCChiefs.com. “That’s the way the players approached it today and we will move on because that’s how life goes. But we will move on with his spirit in hand.”

When the Chiefs do move on—and they will have to quickly—they will turn to defensive back Ron Parker to take Berry’s place at safety as they did for five games earlier this season when he was out with a high-ankle sprain. The Chiefs were 4-1 in those games, and Parker wasn’t the reason for the loss.

In his five-plus games at safety, Parker intercepted a pass and allowed just six receptions for 95 yards and one touchdown on nine targets, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). A cornerback to start the season, Parker did well in coverage as a safety. In fact, Parker was probably better in coverage as a safety than he was at playing cornerback.

In games in which Berry was full strength, Parker allowed 30 receptions for 311 yards and two touchdowns on 48 targets—primarily at cornerback. In terms of coverage, Parker is better off at safety, and there shouldn’t be much of a difference between Berry and Parker in that area.

Moving Parker to safety means that rookie Phillip Gaines or Jamell Fleming will likely move into a starting role at cornerback. Gaines has acquitted himself well since Week 7, when he first started earning significant playing time, and may remain the team’s top slot cornerback in nickel situations either way.

Fleming is fighting back from a hamstring injury, but he was the starter when he got hurt in Week 8 after earning his first start in Week 7. If Fleming can’t go, the Chiefs could turn to slot cornerback Chris Owens—provided he can return from a knee injury that has sidelined him for five of the last six games.

If neither of them can go, Marcus Cooper would be next in line for playing time. Cooper was a rookie sensation and started at cornerback from Week 2-5, but he lost his job due to poor play. When healthy, the Chiefs have more than enough depth.

If necessary, Parker can still play some cornerback with Kurt Coleman filling in at safety. Coleman has played well in limited duty all season but could be pressed into more action at least until other players get healthy.

The biggest concern without Berry is run defense. Parker was nothing short of awful defending the run at safety. Pro Football Focus has credited Parker with 16 missed tackles this season, and 11 of them came when he was filling in for Berry at safety. From Week 2-9, no safety had more missed tackles than Parker.

That could be a problem for a defense allowing a league-worst 5.0 yards per carry and 129.4 yards per game on the ground. Parker needs to improve his pursuit angles and learn to wrap up ball-carriers, or the Chiefs are going to have to be more creative. They may now mix personnel in the secondary based not only on health, but also on their opponent.

Losing Berry the way they have could affect the defense and the team emotionally as much as physically. Berry was one of the team’s leaders, and the news that he might have lymphoma reverberated throughout the NFL community just as it did when Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano battled cancer in 2012.

“He’s a big part of this football team, obviously. Not only as a player but also as a person and leader, so there were some guys who were shaken up,” Reid said of the team’s reaction to Berry’s announcement, via KCChiefs.com. “But I think with his strength and being able to talk to the players, they felt a comfort in that.”

Defensively, the Chiefs have already taken their fair share of hits. Inside linebacker Derrick Johnson and defensive end Mike DeVito were lost for the season with torn Achilles tendons, but the Chiefs still have one of the best defenses in the league. They didn’t have Berry for five games as previously mentioned, but they’ve endured.

Split	Games	PPG	OPP AVG	vs. AVG	Under AVG Performances
With Berry	6	19.5	21.1	-1.6	2 (8.5 pts in Week 1, 8 points in Week 12)
Without Berry	5	15.6	24.7	-9.1	1 (1.2 points in Week 5)

The Chiefs defense was actually better from a points-per-game allowed perspective without Berry. That’s not to minimize Berry’s impact or importance. The Chiefs will miss Berry, but they have been able to rise to the occasion multiple times without some of their best talent on defense. 

The defense has very much taken its cue from Berry, who despite the challenge ahead didn't even want to miss playing time. He's a player who is a star but doesn't act like a diva and is therefore respected by his teammates. 

"At first I was in shock with the diagnosis on Saturday and did not even want to miss a game, but I understand that right now I have to concentrate on a new opponent," Berry said in a statement released by the team. 

As the Chiefs fight to replace Berry and earn a playoff spot, Berry will be in for the fight of his life. That part shouldn’t be lost no matter what happens over the final five games. The hope is that after Berry sacks his illness he’ll be ready to attack running backs, receivers and tight ends in 2015 and beyond.

Unless otherwise noted, statistics via Pro-Football-Reference or Pro Football Focus (subscription required).