NFL.COM - Hail to the Chiefs

[C-Mac]

The domination of the Jets in Week 1 sent a message that the Chiefs defense has arrived. But Vic Carucci explores whether or not it's the biggest turnaround in the NFL.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/8848715

Ask Vic: Can Chiefs book trip to Detroit?
By Vic Carucci

National Editor, NFL.com
(Sept. 15, 2005) -- We've got mail:

Do you really think the Jets lost because of bad decisions? The Chiefs have improved defensively more than any team in the league. When you combine that with the No. 1 offense, you have a combination for the Super Bowl. Bad decisions? Come on. The Chiefs dominated the Jets in every sense.
--John

First, as I prefaced in the column to which you referred ( The good and the bad: Week 1), the Jets' ill-advised use of the shotgun formation (resulting in two bad center-quarterback exchanges) was hardly the only reason for New York's loss. The Jets had all sorts of problems on both sides of the ball, and many of them were caused by the Chiefs.

If a single game is any indication, the Chiefs defense has improved dramatically. Has it improved more than any team in the league? The Indianapolis Colts could have an argument there. Kansas City's offense also looks as strong as ever, but, again, I would put the Colts right up there in that category as well.

Yes, the Chiefs dominated the Jets. I'm not sure, based on one game, you should be sending any team to the Super Bowl. The picture we all saw in Week 1 could look dramatically different by Week 17.

[|Zach|]

Sounds very reasonable.

[C-Mac]

John :hmmm:

[Chief Chief]

The Chiefs are #32 in pass defense. Ya call that improvement?

[Fire Me Boy!]

The Chiefs are #32 in pass defense. Ya call that improvement?
If I'm not mistaken, scoring defense is what matters... what's that stat tell ya? Also, Gun's defenses of the 90s gave up yards, just not TDs.

[C-Mac]

The Chiefs are #32 in pass defense. Ya call that improvement?

I guess when the defense dictates thats all they can do......yes. Have to get use to the passing yards for that is exactly the way Gun's defenses are set up. Stop the run, force the pass, kill the quarterback, increase turnover opportunities.

[StcChief]

If I'm not mistaken, scoring defense is what matters... what's that stat tell ya? Also, Gun's defenses of the 90s gave up yards, just not TDs.

D - Bend don't break comes to mind.

[beer bacon]

The Chiefs are #32 in pass defense. Ya call that improvement?

We were fine against the pass in the first half when we gave up 81 net passing yards. It was during the second half, when the Jets were playing catch up, and Surtain was out, that we gave up a lot of passing yards.

[craneref]

The Chiefs are #32 in pass defense. Ya call that improvement?

Let me see, 32 teams in the league, 2 QB's threw for over 300 yards in week 1 and Pennington for the Jets wasn't one of them, so with VERY LITTLE calculation, we are no worse than 30th, yes I see the improvement. Before you try throwing raw stats, subtract the yards the Jets threw for when we were in the ungodly prevent, those are give up yards, just not points, so we conceded those yards. GO CHIEFS.

[beer bacon]

Let me see, 32 teams in the league, 2 QB's threw for over 300 yards in week 1 and Pennington for the Jets wasn't one of them, so with VERY LITTLE calculation, we are no worse than 30th, yes I see the improvement. Before you try throwing raw stats, subtract the yards the Jets threw for when we were in the ungodly prevent, those are give up yards, just not points, so we conceded those yards. GO CHIEFS.

We are 32nd in net pass defense, and 30th in total. You are not calculating in the 86 yards or so that Fiedler had on the Jets' last drive.

[NJ Chief Fan]

come on guys... we were missing our #1 cb for a half and our #2 for a whole game...shit can only get better

[Ugly Duck]

The Chiefs are #32 in pass defense. Ya call that improvement?Pronunciation: im-'prüv
Function: verb
1 : to advance or make progress in what is desirable

I guess going from #32 to #32 can be called an improvement if you really, really like the team. But, if you're not careful, Moss & Co. might drop you all the way down to #32 (there is no #33... #32 is as low as you can go).

[Dr. Chief]

Pronunciation: im-'prüv
Function: verb
1 : to advance or make progress in what is desirable

I guess going from #32 to #32 can be called an improvement if you really, really like the team. But, if you're not careful, Moss & Co. might drop you all the way down to #32 (there is no #33... #32 is as low as you can go).

I'll take #32 as long as the Raiders are 0-2.

[Wallcrawler]

Points allowed, rush defense, and turnovers are the stats that tell what a defense is all about. Right now, this defense is vastly improved from last season.

When teams play from behind, which they do quite a bit against the KC offense, they throw the ball a lot. When you have a lead like the Chiefs had over the Jets, you dont need to play aggressively and stop every single yard. You just play to keep them out of the endzone, and that is what they did, without Warfield for the entire game, and Surtain for 3 quarters.


Chiefs defense allowed 57 yards on 20 carries by last years rushing champ. The Jets did not get one single rushing first down.

The defense also forced 4 turnovers, and had 3 sacks.

The defense only allowed a single touchdown, and that came with 29 seconds left in the 4th quarter when the game was already decided.

The statistics may say that the Chiefs defense has not improved, but the Jets offense would disagree with you. Curtis Martin in particular. Im not sure that the Chiefs have ever held Martin under 100 yards in the Vermiel era.

[J Diddy]

I'll take #32 as long as the Raiders are 0-2.

Shit I'd take 42, (even if the added 10 were high school teams)

[mcan]

The statistics may say that the Chiefs defense has not improved, but the Jets offense would disagree with you. Curtis Martin in particular. Im not sure that the Chiefs have ever held Martin under 100 yards in the Vermiel era.


I'm pretty sure we've only played them once, and you're right, Martin had a killer day. I remember one play in particular where he put a move on Harts that made Harts FALL DOWN without ever even being touched. That was the exact moment that I wanted Harts off of this team. This year was the first time I actually got my wish...

[keg in kc]

I'm pretty sure we've only played them once, and you're right, Martin had a killer day. We'd played them twice before in the Vermeil era.

November 11, 2001: Jets won 27-7 (I'd forgotten that, how synchronistic) at the Meadowlands.

Martin had 20 carries for 133 yards and 3 TD, and 2 receptions for 8 yards.


October 6, 2002: Chiefs won 29-25 in the Meadowlands.

Martin had 21 carries for 119 yards and 1 TD, and 4 receptions for 25 yards.

(That game was Pennington's first NFL start, and he went 23-30 for 245 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT, for a QB rating of 108.3. We sacked him 3 times that day, but no fumbles. Ahh, the good ol' "Career Day _efense")


That's a combined 41 carries for 252 yards (6.1 ypc) and 4 TD in two games. Y'ouch.

Not to mention 27 and 25 points allowed, respectively.

I'd say Sunday's game was a slight improvement on that.

[jynni]

Has it improved more than any team in the league? The Indianapolis Colts could have an argument there.
I'll say it again - The Colts played the friggin' Ravens.

[morphius]

come on guys... we were missing our #1 cb for a half and our #2 for a whole game...shit can only get better
Exactly!!!

They had 83 yards passing total when Surtain intercepted the ball with 7:21 left in the first half. And only had 11 more yards passing in the rest of the half.

[C-Mac]

Again this is exactly the way Gun's defenses are set up, so we need to get used to some passing yards.
First you stop the run, and that forces the pass. Then you kill the quarterback and\or increase turnover opportunities.
:thumb:

[Cormac]

I'll say it again - The Colts played the friggin' Ravens.

Yes! Thank you.

The Colts make me wanna :Lin:

[ct]

John :hmmm:

planet spelling? should have been JOhn, perhaps...

[teedubya]

Id almost like to go to Indianapolis for the AFC Championship game, and beat them in THEIR house for a change.

[ct]

Pronunciation: im-'prüv
Function: verb
1 : to advance or make progress in what is desirable

I guess going from #32 to #32 can be called an improvement if you really, really like the team. But, if you're not careful, Moss & Co. might drop you all the way down to #32 (there is no #33... #32 is as low as you can go).


7 points allowed, nuff said. I don't care if we allowed 500 yards, I'll take 7 points and be pleased.

[Swanman]

7 points allowed, nuff said. I don't care if we allowed 500 yards, I'll take 7 points and be pleased.

There's one other stat that matters, and that is the 1 in the win column.

[Lzen]

I'll say it again - The Colts played the friggin' Ravens.

I know that. It's a double standard how some in the media want to praise the Colts and their defense after playing the Ravens while at the same time questioning KC's defense and blaming a lot of the Jets' woes on self inflicted mistakes. It's like they didn't even watch what the Chiefs did to cause a lot of mistakes by the Jets. And I'll believe the Colts defense is for real when they can shut down an offense that looks better than the Ravens high school offense.