Tribal Warfare
09-17-2009, 10:24 PM
Chiefs have to prevent Raiders from converting third-down plays (http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/1452771.html)
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star
Once Monday was behind the Chiefs’ defense, players had no confusion on what their mistake was in Sunday’s 38-24 loss at Baltimore. There were film studies, meetings and coaches’ harsh criticisms — and the message kept emphasizing the same thing: Get off the field.
The Ravens converted 10 of 17 third-down plays. That led to Baltimore running almost twice as many offensive plays as the Chiefs and some late fatigue that broke down Kansas City’s unit when it needed a stop. Baltimore kept converting, and in the days since, the Chiefs have kept hearing about it.
“Those are the money downs,” strong safety Mike Brown said. “That has been harped into us this week.
“We get off the field on third down, and there’s no problems.”
Instead, the Chiefs had big problems on a day in which big plays on defense gave the team a chance to win.
Linebacker Tamba Hali sacked Joe Flacco and forced a fumble, and Derrick Johnson returned an interception 70 yards and set up a Kansas City touchdown. Instead of celebrating those plays and others like them, the Chiefs have spent this week hearing from coaches that a few impressive spurts are nice — but they cannot mask the weaknesses of an inconsistent pass rush and ineffective third-down defense.
Kansas City’s biggest problem was a familiar one: It couldn’t get to the quarterback often enough. That was a constant problem last season, when the Chiefs ended the season with 10 sacks, the worst number in NFL history for a 16-game schedule.
Last Sunday, other than Hali’s sack and forced fumble — which the Ravens recovered — the Chiefs couldn’t keep pressure on Flacco, who attempted 43 passes and was sacked once. The most devastating example came in the fourth quarter, when Kansas City sent an all-out blitz, and Flacco threw deep and found Mark Clayton for a 31-yard, go-ahead touchdown.
Exhaustion and frustration mixed, and not long after that touchdown, the Chiefs were walking again toward a losing locker room.
“One glaring stat,” Brown said, referring to Baltimore’s 59-percent conversion rate on third downs.
Chiefs coach Todd Haley said this week that the defense cannot get into similar situations Sunday against Oakland. The Raiders possess a talented quarterback, JaMarcus Russell, and three running backs that Haley has drilled his team on when he wasn’t discussing the Chiefs’ internal priorities. Oakland won’t make things easier, and Haley said Thursday that he’s not above calling for extreme measures if the pass rush cannot generate pressure on Russell or contain Oakland’s three rushers.
“You have to do anything and everything,” Haley said. “As I said way back in training camp, we’ve got to figure out ways to create pressure, and if we can do that with four guys, that’s ideal obviously. If we have to do it other ways, then we’ll have to do it other ways. But we have to create some disruption in the backfield, no matter what.”
Brown, a veteran defensive back, admitted Thursday that additional blitzes means additional pressure on the Chiefs’ secondary. That’s a mostly young unit, and it might not be full strength, either, if second-year cornerback Brandon Flowers’ injured shoulder isn’t healthy. Flowers missed the Baltimore game, and Haley hasn’t said whether Flowers will return to the lineup against Oakland.
Brandon Carr, another second-year corner, said that regardless of the defense’s personnel, there are concerns that just haven’t met coaches’ expectations.
One of those, Carr said, is the defense’s discipline.
“We’re still getting there,” Carr said.
Brown said that if the Raiders have similar success against the Chiefs on third down, it will not be because Kansas City is unprepared or that the issue hasn’t been confronted. He said he expects a better result Sunday because, if nothing else, the Chiefs learned the hard way last Sunday that third downs can sour an otherwise encouraging performance.
Instead of remembering the handful of big plays, Brown said, all anyone wants to talk about is that glaring statistic, which he said was the most glaring reason for Baltimore’s 501 yards total offense.
“I’m kind of done with that game and moving forward,” Brown said. “We’re up for the challenge.”
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star
Once Monday was behind the Chiefs’ defense, players had no confusion on what their mistake was in Sunday’s 38-24 loss at Baltimore. There were film studies, meetings and coaches’ harsh criticisms — and the message kept emphasizing the same thing: Get off the field.
The Ravens converted 10 of 17 third-down plays. That led to Baltimore running almost twice as many offensive plays as the Chiefs and some late fatigue that broke down Kansas City’s unit when it needed a stop. Baltimore kept converting, and in the days since, the Chiefs have kept hearing about it.
“Those are the money downs,” strong safety Mike Brown said. “That has been harped into us this week.
“We get off the field on third down, and there’s no problems.”
Instead, the Chiefs had big problems on a day in which big plays on defense gave the team a chance to win.
Linebacker Tamba Hali sacked Joe Flacco and forced a fumble, and Derrick Johnson returned an interception 70 yards and set up a Kansas City touchdown. Instead of celebrating those plays and others like them, the Chiefs have spent this week hearing from coaches that a few impressive spurts are nice — but they cannot mask the weaknesses of an inconsistent pass rush and ineffective third-down defense.
Kansas City’s biggest problem was a familiar one: It couldn’t get to the quarterback often enough. That was a constant problem last season, when the Chiefs ended the season with 10 sacks, the worst number in NFL history for a 16-game schedule.
Last Sunday, other than Hali’s sack and forced fumble — which the Ravens recovered — the Chiefs couldn’t keep pressure on Flacco, who attempted 43 passes and was sacked once. The most devastating example came in the fourth quarter, when Kansas City sent an all-out blitz, and Flacco threw deep and found Mark Clayton for a 31-yard, go-ahead touchdown.
Exhaustion and frustration mixed, and not long after that touchdown, the Chiefs were walking again toward a losing locker room.
“One glaring stat,” Brown said, referring to Baltimore’s 59-percent conversion rate on third downs.
Chiefs coach Todd Haley said this week that the defense cannot get into similar situations Sunday against Oakland. The Raiders possess a talented quarterback, JaMarcus Russell, and three running backs that Haley has drilled his team on when he wasn’t discussing the Chiefs’ internal priorities. Oakland won’t make things easier, and Haley said Thursday that he’s not above calling for extreme measures if the pass rush cannot generate pressure on Russell or contain Oakland’s three rushers.
“You have to do anything and everything,” Haley said. “As I said way back in training camp, we’ve got to figure out ways to create pressure, and if we can do that with four guys, that’s ideal obviously. If we have to do it other ways, then we’ll have to do it other ways. But we have to create some disruption in the backfield, no matter what.”
Brown, a veteran defensive back, admitted Thursday that additional blitzes means additional pressure on the Chiefs’ secondary. That’s a mostly young unit, and it might not be full strength, either, if second-year cornerback Brandon Flowers’ injured shoulder isn’t healthy. Flowers missed the Baltimore game, and Haley hasn’t said whether Flowers will return to the lineup against Oakland.
Brandon Carr, another second-year corner, said that regardless of the defense’s personnel, there are concerns that just haven’t met coaches’ expectations.
One of those, Carr said, is the defense’s discipline.
“We’re still getting there,” Carr said.
Brown said that if the Raiders have similar success against the Chiefs on third down, it will not be because Kansas City is unprepared or that the issue hasn’t been confronted. He said he expects a better result Sunday because, if nothing else, the Chiefs learned the hard way last Sunday that third downs can sour an otherwise encouraging performance.
Instead of remembering the handful of big plays, Brown said, all anyone wants to talk about is that glaring statistic, which he said was the most glaring reason for Baltimore’s 501 yards total offense.
“I’m kind of done with that game and moving forward,” Brown said. “We’re up for the challenge.”