Kansas City Chiefs Review: Defense Shows Improvement in Tampa Bay
Going into their Saturday-night game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Kansas City Chiefs defense desperately needed to show their critics that they are better this season than they were in 2009.
In 25 first-half plays, the Chiefs top defensive unit showed that, with the exception of a Brandon Flowers missed tackle on a 53-yard touchdown pass to the Buccaneers' Michael Spurlock, there are several reasons that this unit can be much better in 2010.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for the Kansas City defense this season is to improve it's performance against the run.
Against the Buccaneers, the first team defense was in on Tampa's first seven running plays, and held them to just 2.4 yards per carry.
After the Chiefs began substituting personnel, the Bucs averaged 5.2 yards per carry on 16 rushes.
The Chiefs may finally have found the right personnel combination to stop the run on Saturday night.
Linebackers Jovan Belcher and Derrick Johnson
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Much of the chatter last season in Kansas City regarding the Chiefs defense was centered around the fact that former first-round pick Derrick Johnson lost his starting job to journeyman Corey Mays.
Through most of training camp this season and after their first preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons, the same question was reverberating around town.
Then the Chiefs depth chart for Saturday's game was released to the public and it was spotted at Chiefs practice that not only had Johnson been moved ahead of Mays on the depth chart, but second-year player Jovan Belcher had moved ahead of veteran Demorrio Williams at the other ILB spot.
Saturday showed that the shakeup of the depth chart was a long time coming.
While Johnson and Belcher combined to be credited with just Belchers two tackles, the team's rush defense showed much improvement with them in the game.
They are both more aggressive taking on blockers and getting upfield to attack the ballcarrier, while Mays and Williams generally are making plays four of five yards downfield.
Eric Berry Makes The Whole Defense Better
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Safety Eric Berry was able on Saturday to further show why the Chiefs were wise to invest their top draft choice on him this past offseason.
Not only did Berry come up and stuff a couple running plays in the Buccaneers first couple series on Saturday, but Berry was just as effective in pass coverage and blitzing the quarterback.
This kid is already becoming a leader for this defense, and his play is backing it up.
Kendrick Lewis Replaces Jon McGraw at Safety
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While all the talk this offseason has been about rookie safety Eric Berry, the other rookie safety drafted by the Chiefs is showing people he's pretty good too.
After leading the Ole Miss Rebels in tackles each of the past two seasons, Kendrick Lewis is showing the coaching staff why he deserves to start alongside Berry this season.
On Saturday, Lewis was given the nod over veteran Jon McGraw and showed he can be a contributor to this starting unit.
When Berry was sent on a blitz, Lewis locked on and showed excellent coverage skills covering the tight end. In last week's game against Atlanta, it was Lewis who came on the blitz and he was able to lay a lick on quarterback Chris Redman that resulted in an incomplete pass.
Lewis is quickly showing that with he and Berry together in the Chiefs secondary, that they are interchangeable in their abilities to support the run, rush the passer, and cover in space.
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Nose Tackle Is Still a Concern
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Going into this year's draft, the single biggest need that went unaddressed for the Chiefs was nose tackle.
Veteran Ron Edwards is still the starter, and did a good job on Saturday and occupying multiple blockers and allowing the Chiefs linebackers to make plays behind him.
After Edwards however, the play of backups Shaun Smith and Dion Gales is proving to be inconsistent at best.
While it's hopeful that head coach Todd Haley will stick with Belcher and Johnson at the ILB positions to help against the run, those lineup changes could be negated if something happens to Edwards.
Rookie Garrett Brown is showing signs that he could be good eventually, but he could be headed to the practice squad.
Hall Of Famer Emmitt Thomas Is Making The Chiefs Defensive Backs Better
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The biggest mistake the Chiefs defense made on Saturday night was when cornerback Brandon Flowers missed a tackle on the Buccaneers Michael Spurlock on a sideline pass that led to a touchdown.
Immediately after that play, KCTV commentator and former Chiefs quarterback Trent Green commented on how defensive backs coach Emmitt Thomas was over explaining to Flowers how he was in bad position and telling what he needed to do to be better.
The former Chiefs player and NFL Hall of Famer will be critical helping to produce a defense that will rely often on blitz schemes and put his cornerbacks on islands on plays just like the one where Flowers got burned.
Overall, the entire secondary unit has played well this preseason, and should only improve under Thomas' leadership.
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