Late night bullshit: the Chris Jones effect

[Direckshun]

What an insane season this was. The injuries and the difficulties this team had to overcome, only for them to do it almost every single time, has to cement this team as one of the most mentally tough football teams in the history of the sport. What an absurd joy it’s been for the team to figure out ways to win, week after week, only to pull it all together at the end and give themselves their most favorable playoff bracket of the Mahomes era.

That being said: this week, against the Steelers, sure was interesting.

This is the second game I can remember in two seasons that Jones had to sit out. The previous time was Banner Night to open the 2023 season against the Lions.

In that game, like the Pittsburgh game, the Chiefs DL, sans Jones, controlled the line of scrimmage. The Chiefs DL put a ton of heat on Goff, and this week they pummeled Russ.

There is no denying that Chris Jones is one of the most talented players in the NFL and our best pass rusher. But I do wonder if his propensity to freelance has had a dulling effect on our DE development.

When the DL is left to Spags’ precise lineups, as it was these aforementioned games, the DE corps looks so much sharper. With Jones, they get an incredible player, but it seems to be at the expense of the DE corps development, other than Karlaftis.

The effect, it seems to me, is that it’s negligible. Jones has played extremely well this season and our DL’s pressure rate has been… fine.

Without Jones, although it’s only a two game sample, the Chiefs DL across the board is more versatile and puts a ton of heat on opponents

Anyway.

I was wondering if anybody else noticed this, and/or had any thoughts.

[Hayneplane]

Fair comments. There is also the element that when Jones or another elite player is there others have the tendency to look to them to make the big play and don’t go as well themselves.

[HemiEd]

This thread was a pretty good discussion of this very subject. Its only a couple pages back.

https://chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=356455

[TheGuardian]

I thought this as well. That Chris might be winning his own matchups and doubleteams but that his free lancing is pushing guys into spots they don't feel as comfortable in