One notable improvement through 3 weeks

[keg in kc]

Last year the team had a league-worst (by a wide margin...) 137 penalties.

Even with 10 in Oakland last week, through 3 games this year they have 19, which should fall somewhere in the middle of the league. That would average out to about 101 over 16 games.

Opponents so far have 24.

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

Penalties wiped out that nice play by Darrel Wiliams today and that 76 yard TD by Hardeman last week. Cam Erving led the Chiefs in penalties last year. So far he's doing much better.

[keg in kc]

Even if it did bring back the TD, that hold last week by McCoy might have kept Mahomes from getting squashed, so that one I'm philosophically okay with.

[Chiefshrink]

Even if it did bring back the TD, that hold last week by McCoy might have kept Mahomes from getting squashed, so that one I'm philosophically okay with.

Yep !!;)

[Chiefshrink]

I will say though you can still see that Pat's ankle is still not 100% though the way he was scrambling today.

[suzzer99]

I was going to comment on the clean game our D was playing in the game thread but I didn't want to jinx them.

[htismaqe]

I was going to comment on the clean game our D was playing in the game thread but I didn't want to jinx them.

The defense is much more fundamentally sound this year. It's really not even close.

[The Franchise]

The defense is much more fundamentally sound this year. It's really not even close.

Despite some missed tackles yesterday......tackling has been a HUGE improvement this season.

[htismaqe]

Despite some missed tackles yesterday......tackling has been a HUGE improvement this season.

Tackling, penalties, and setting the edge are the things I've noticed.

All of the DE's did an excellent job yesterday. Watch Okafor just stand there and make Jackson run around him was so great to watch.

[KCUnited]

Only 1 DPI in through 3 games. We had 14 last season, 2nd most in the league.

[Chieftain]

There is more patience on the defensive side and the players seem better positioned. I really like what I've seen from Wilson so far. Honey Badger also had a good game yesterday. But I think the best and most consistent player on defense has been Thornhill.

[Skyy God]

Only 1 DPI in through 3 games. We had 14 last season, 2nd most in the league.

Having a hands on, non-geriatric, former secondary coach at DC helps.

[Buehler445]

Only 1 DPI in through 3 games. We had 14 last season, 2nd most in the league.

To be fair we’ve played Gardner Minshu, Carr, and Lamar Jackson.

Jackson was kind of half ass trying to challenge us deep but frankly he’s not good enough.

Save the Chokeland 7 tries inside the 5 from DPI and swallowing the whistle on OPI (yeah I’m salty. Still. ) there haven’t been much to challenge the secondary.

[JakeF]

Not returning several kicks yesterday saved us from more penalties. We are generally better off if DAT just lets the kick go into the endzone.

[KCUnited]

To be fair we’ve played Gardner Minshu, Carr, and Lamar Jackson.

Jackson was kind of half ass trying to challenge us deep but frankly he’s not good enough.

Save the Chokeland 7 tries inside the 5 from DPI and swallowing the whistle on OPI (yeah I’m salty. Still. ) there haven’t been much to challenge the secondary.

While true, we also played some shitty QBs last season. The eye test so far appears to show less grabbing in coverage, imo.

[scho63]

Not returning several kicks yesterday saved us from more penalties. We are generally better off if DAT just lets the kick go into the endzone.

BINGO!!! I think we had ZERO KO returns and 1 punt return. That's 3-4 penalties saved right there.

[Skyy God]

Not returning several kicks yesterday saved us from more penalties. We are generally better off if DAT just lets the kick go into the endzone.

Had this conversation at the bar yesterday.

Less kickoffs is a good thing, as KR average was only like 26 last year and there were a ton of penalties.

The downside is that because ST get less reps, punt returns will become increasingly less frequent.

[suzzer99]

It's almost never correct to return a kick unless it's super short. You see guys make amazing plays, make a couple guys miss, then barely get back to the 25. Plus penalties. Plus injuries.

[ModSocks]

Only 1 DPI in through 3 games. We had 14 last season, 2nd most in the league.

Steven Nelson.