FloridaChief
09-23-2004, 01:12 AM
There is hope
Chiefs' defense has improved, really
Dick Vermeil's weekly prayer session, news conference and Optimist's Club meeting began this week with a surprising statistic. Vermeil pointed out that 18 times in the first two games, his defense has stuffed a running back behind the line of scrimmage.
That's the most in the NFL, he said. The Chiefs had only 43 tackles behind the line all of last year, he added.
Now at first, that statistic seems to be one of those weird glitches you see in sports sometimes, like when a lousy relief pitcher has a low ERA because he's always giving up other pitchers' runs. After all, what could it really mean? The Chiefs, with all those negative runs, have still given up 100 more yards rushing than any team in the conference. They are on pace to give up an impossible-to-believe 3,000 yards rushing.
Who cares about negative rushes when you're getting run over?
Well, there might be reason to care. This really might mean something if you are one of those dazed Chiefs fans looking desperately for silver linings and reasons to hope. Yes, the team is 0-2. Yes, the Chiefs' defense looks as troubled as last year, it gives up as many big runs, it misses as many tackles and all that.
At the moment, this defense is playing no better than last year.
Here's the deal, though: You can see this is not last year's defense. This is not Greg Robinson's shifting, retreating, confused defense. No, new defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham has most definitely installed something new here. He has his linebackers attacking the line of scrimmage. He has challenged his defensive linemen to take up blocks and beat the offensive linemen in front of them. He has his safeties flying up to the line in an effort to stuff the running back.
Now, so far, none of this has made the Chiefs play any better. But it's not right to say, as you hear so many people say, that “This is the same defense.” It really isn't the same. Cunningham's defense is much more aggressive, the players attack the line, they make many more big plays. It's trendy right now, with things looking bad, to offer apologies and roses to Greg Robinson, who had to resign after last year's defensive debacle.
But anyone who is really watching can see that this defense is much tougher and much more aggressive than Robinson's defense ever was in Kansas City.
“If you look at the films — which I don't much — you can see we're in position to make plays,” defensive tackle Ryan Sims said after Sunday's game.
OK, it's probably not a great sign that Sims doesn't watch film — not sure what that's all about — but his main point was right: Cunningham's defense has players very often in the right place. Cunningham has, as he promised, instilled an aggressiveness that was very clearly gone. You sometimes see four or five Chiefs hit a running back. You sometimes see a linebacker or lineman rush through and blow up a play in the backfield. You didn't see this stuff much the last two years.
That's something, anyway.
Now, of course, the question is, “Are the Chiefs defenders good enough to actually stop anyone?” So far they have not been. There have been more breakdowns than a James Brown concert. A linebacker fills the wrong gap. A safety takes a bad angle and doesn't reach the hole in time. Somebody misses a tackle. Somebody gets faked out. The Chiefs have given up 13 runs of 10 yards or more. Vermeil didn't say if that's the most in the NFL too, but I'm guessing yes.
I'm also guessing that this defense might just get a little better. Sure, right now everybody's down. It's hard to see good things when a team is winless and giving up more rushing yards than any other team in the NFL and also the best player has a sprained ankle and also a starting cornerback won't just pay to get a town car to drive him around after a game.
But, hey, the Chiefs have only been playing this Cunningham defense for two weeks, and they have shown a few signs of coming together (Hey, look, 18 tackles behind the line of scrimmage!). Cunningham understands that when you do not have great talent on defense — and it's pretty clear the Chiefs do not — you have to attack as a group. You have to make some big plays. You have to force some penalties. You have to make the saving tackle.
No, the Chiefs are not there yet. They're not close to there yet. There is no guarantee that they will get there. But there are some decent signs. Which is more than you can say about the offense at the moment.
Chiefs' defense has improved, really
Dick Vermeil's weekly prayer session, news conference and Optimist's Club meeting began this week with a surprising statistic. Vermeil pointed out that 18 times in the first two games, his defense has stuffed a running back behind the line of scrimmage.
That's the most in the NFL, he said. The Chiefs had only 43 tackles behind the line all of last year, he added.
Now at first, that statistic seems to be one of those weird glitches you see in sports sometimes, like when a lousy relief pitcher has a low ERA because he's always giving up other pitchers' runs. After all, what could it really mean? The Chiefs, with all those negative runs, have still given up 100 more yards rushing than any team in the conference. They are on pace to give up an impossible-to-believe 3,000 yards rushing.
Who cares about negative rushes when you're getting run over?
Well, there might be reason to care. This really might mean something if you are one of those dazed Chiefs fans looking desperately for silver linings and reasons to hope. Yes, the team is 0-2. Yes, the Chiefs' defense looks as troubled as last year, it gives up as many big runs, it misses as many tackles and all that.
At the moment, this defense is playing no better than last year.
Here's the deal, though: You can see this is not last year's defense. This is not Greg Robinson's shifting, retreating, confused defense. No, new defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham has most definitely installed something new here. He has his linebackers attacking the line of scrimmage. He has challenged his defensive linemen to take up blocks and beat the offensive linemen in front of them. He has his safeties flying up to the line in an effort to stuff the running back.
Now, so far, none of this has made the Chiefs play any better. But it's not right to say, as you hear so many people say, that “This is the same defense.” It really isn't the same. Cunningham's defense is much more aggressive, the players attack the line, they make many more big plays. It's trendy right now, with things looking bad, to offer apologies and roses to Greg Robinson, who had to resign after last year's defensive debacle.
But anyone who is really watching can see that this defense is much tougher and much more aggressive than Robinson's defense ever was in Kansas City.
“If you look at the films — which I don't much — you can see we're in position to make plays,” defensive tackle Ryan Sims said after Sunday's game.
OK, it's probably not a great sign that Sims doesn't watch film — not sure what that's all about — but his main point was right: Cunningham's defense has players very often in the right place. Cunningham has, as he promised, instilled an aggressiveness that was very clearly gone. You sometimes see four or five Chiefs hit a running back. You sometimes see a linebacker or lineman rush through and blow up a play in the backfield. You didn't see this stuff much the last two years.
That's something, anyway.
Now, of course, the question is, “Are the Chiefs defenders good enough to actually stop anyone?” So far they have not been. There have been more breakdowns than a James Brown concert. A linebacker fills the wrong gap. A safety takes a bad angle and doesn't reach the hole in time. Somebody misses a tackle. Somebody gets faked out. The Chiefs have given up 13 runs of 10 yards or more. Vermeil didn't say if that's the most in the NFL too, but I'm guessing yes.
I'm also guessing that this defense might just get a little better. Sure, right now everybody's down. It's hard to see good things when a team is winless and giving up more rushing yards than any other team in the NFL and also the best player has a sprained ankle and also a starting cornerback won't just pay to get a town car to drive him around after a game.
But, hey, the Chiefs have only been playing this Cunningham defense for two weeks, and they have shown a few signs of coming together (Hey, look, 18 tackles behind the line of scrimmage!). Cunningham understands that when you do not have great talent on defense — and it's pretty clear the Chiefs do not — you have to attack as a group. You have to make some big plays. You have to force some penalties. You have to make the saving tackle.
No, the Chiefs are not there yet. They're not close to there yet. There is no guarantee that they will get there. But there are some decent signs. Which is more than you can say about the offense at the moment.