Babb: Brandon Flowers helping Chiefs’ defense bloom
 

Brandon Flowers helping Chiefs’ defense bloom
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star

Cornerback Brandon Flowers had barely pulled off his shoulder pads Sunday when he began talking about the Chiefs’ next opponent.

Flowers stood in the locker room, shortly after his team’s 31-10 win against San Francisco, and smiled. He said he was ready for Indianapolis and ready for quarterback Peyton Manning.

“I’m excited,” Flowers said, “to go against Peyton.”

For the second consecutive week, Flowers had a game-changing interception. He might be the team’s best defensive player, and he’s also the centerpiece of a secondary that, coach Todd Haley has said, has the skills to be someday considered among the league’s best.

It has youth and skill, and when things happen the way they did Sunday, Flowers said it makes him think the Chiefs can keep any offense in check.

“All the competing, all the hard work in practice, you can see it paying off right now,” said Flowers, in his third year. “We’re definitely showing people we’re not the same team as last year. We’ve got a whole new coaching staff, new players. We’ve just got to keep it going.”

On Sunday, it started with preparation. Flowers said he noticed a pattern when he watched film last week on the 49ers’ offense. Quarterback Alex Smith did some of the same things, and Flowers didn’t forget. Then came instincts. When Smith threw toward Michael Crabtree, Flowers recognized the pattern and broke on the ball. Finally, there was luck. Flowers broke up the pass, and the ball floated upward. Flowers fell on his back, and sure enough, the ball fell right into his hands.

Things like that didn’t happen last season, when the Chiefs went 4-12. Players might have done some of the right things, but they didn’t get those kinds of breaks. Flowers said that things are different now.

“Last year, we would drop interceptions right in our hands,” said Flowers, who is tied with 11 others for second in the league in interceptions, behind only Carolina’s Charles Godfrey. “We’re just making these plays this year.”

Haley, of course, believes that teams and players make their own luck. He said that Flowers helped himself Sunday by being in the right place at the right time. And Haley added that, if Flowers continues to be in those situations, he’ll have many more interceptions and could establish himself as one of the league’s better defensive backs.

“Brandon had a couple different chances to catch that ball,” Haley said, “and it looked like potentially it might be a lucky break. But one that Brandon created through his hard work, preparation, film study, having a good feel of what they were going to do defensively.

“He took advantage of that.”

Haley said Monday that he’d like to put up a sign soon that shares one of his favorite sayings: Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. He said that Flowers’ play encapsulated that, and that it’s a good sign for the team when players take advantage of those chances.

“Making plays is definitely a sign that we’re making progress,” Haley said.

Haley said he was impressed, too, that Flowers — and several others — were already looking forward to the Chiefs’ next game, even shortly after completing a defensive dismantling of San Francisco. The 49ers’ only touchdown came as time expired, and the Chiefs were playing many of their backups.

So Flowers had a few minutes to think about what lay ahead. And it won’t be easy. The Colts are 2-1, and Manning was chosen MVP last year while leading Indianapolis to an appearance in the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs now have two more weeks to think about their next task and arguably their most difficult challenge yet. Kansas City has an open date this week before visiting the Colts. Haley said another signal of progress was that players have their sights set on the current task — even if they have to wait.

Flowers said Sunday in the locker room that he was ready.

“We’ve got to keep on staying focused and keep on making these plays,” he said. “It’s looking good for us right now.”

Flowers for DPOY! Love the guy, nothing but shut out playing by him.

You beat Manning by pressure and keeping him off the field ... if our running game works and our secondary has a great day .. we have a chance to beat the Colts .....

This is great. We want the big dog.

ARF ARF!!!

Get some. Our confidence is off the charts.

Flowers is a great player, and this might be one of the few things almost all Planeteers would agree upon.

Manning will get his yards. He does against everyone, and they're at home. Can we keep him out of the end zone though? They don't have a very good rushing attack, so Im fairly confident we'll being able to shut down the run. Getting pressure is the key. If we can't, Manning will carve us up like he does everyone.

absolutely

I have confidence in him covering any receiver in the NFL and keeping him in check.

ANYBODY

Luck is when HARDWORK and preparation meets opportunity.

I hate it when they get the phrase messed up.

Weren't some people bagging on him after a preseason game?

he whiffed on a INT attempt which lead to the WR taking it to the house for a TD

and......?

The same brand of people were the ones slamming Succop for missing his kick against the 49ers...his only miss under 45 yards since he got here.

Some peoples kids....

Flowers will most likely play Wayne and play him well. The scary part is Manning on the rookie safeties. They are going to have to get DJ back in zone a lot to help those guys out and leave Belcher to cover their potential run game by himself.

Austin Collie is going to be a load, and we'll get to see how good Carr really is in that matchup. Also, Dallas Clark versus DJ and our young safeties.

good post.

It will surely be a good test for our young secondary.

Dont overlook the keys Romeo has gotten off Peyton over the years that he will surely help our young guys prepare for...he has had his number more than most coordinators in the NFL over time.

Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis are 7-0 against Peyton. :evil::evil::evil::evil::evil:

This post deserves special recognition.

:)Maybe Lilja can tip us off a little as well. Like maybe write down their playbook he had for 6 years. (How ever long he played there.) Give us their blocking signals. They might change those but still.....It could be like we're in their huddle. Well they don't have a huddle very often but still.....


PhilFree:arrow:

I didn't rip him, I'm reiterating what other people said after that preseason game. I know the kid has talent and the knack for the CB position.

The main thing we need to do as a team to take some of the heat off of our secondary which alot of posters have already mentioned is to get pressure on Manning. Peyton's effectiveness drops considerably when he's got defenders in his face. Peyton will pick apart almost any secondary given time to read and throw. Thats why we gotta bring the heat and I think Crennel has his number on this one as far as to what packages and formations to use.This game should be a good test for our front 7 also. I think its gonna be a closer game than alot of the "experts" will predict.

Getting pressure is NOT the key to stopping Manning. Rex Ryan learned that last year. It's just something people say. The key to stopping Manning is the ability to disguise your coverages actually and give him something he hasn't seen on film. If we blitz Manning he will eat our lunch. Write it down.

No, the ability to disguise your blitzes and get pressure straight into the face of Manning is the key to beating Manning.

This is why Crennel has had more success against Manning that any DC.

there is no such thing as 'something he hasn't seen on film'

you might trick him with a coverage once, but not all game


Manning will make bad throws under pressure, like any QB...of course he'll burn you blitzing but at least you're giving yourself a chance..not blitzing is suicide

milkman is exactly right...

If we sack him he cannot throw.

Yep.

I also think Crennel will stress that his young secondary has an opportunity to make a name for themselves in the league.

It's smart to respect the Mannings, but you don't have to be intimidated by them.

FAX

We have to disguise our blitzes, and yes we must blitz him. Not every play, but we gotta bring some heat. Just sending Hali at him is not going to cut it. Give him four+ seconds, and it is a guaranteed connection down field. I think this is game for Arenas to pop Peyton's blindside. I think DJ is gonna be all over Clark if he keeps playing like he has. I say, let's see what our young secondary's got. Let's Man em' up, and let's hit that MFer EARLY. Whether we sack him or not. Get him pissed at his O-line, before the 2nd Quarter, and then show blitz on his blind side, with Tamba coming over the RIGHT tackle and drop the would be blitzers on the blide side into coverage.

This too

New Orleans didn't do that in the SB. And that's how they won. So no. Blitzing Manning mercilessly does not and never has worked.