Evaluate the Defense Game #1

[petegz28]

I thought they looked improved from several aspects. Keep in mind this was Jax and not a high-powered offense.

Tackling = Much, MUCH better

Coverage = Tighter. Few plays without a defender right on the WR

Run Defense = Stellar start, let's not get cocky

Pass Defense = Not a ton of pressure today. Missed a huge sack which ended up leading to a TD. Coverage overall was decent. Made a backup look all-world but that happens when a backup comes in mid-game.

Overall it looked like we were more sound fundamentally. Run gaps were getting filled, screens were getting blown up and not a ton of YAC. Hopefully as the season progresses our defense will as well.

Overall grade today: C+

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Halfcan

The defense held them to 13 points until the outcome was pretty much decided. It created 2 turnovers and held their stud rusher to 66 yards and under 100 with a fumble. The Jags piled up some garbage yards but were never a threat to win.

I am not being a homer- just stating positive things they did, but I know that goes against the narrative that the D. still sucks.

I guess my expectations were much lower since it was the First game with several new players, playing in a new system under a New coordinator- on the road in the heat.

I highly doubt this is the High Watermark for this defense and they are only going to get worse.

Leonard Fournette is a 'stud rusher' in the same sense that Ward is a 'stud Corner'.

Dude averages 3.7 YPC for his career. He was at 3.3 last year and was on his way to healthy scratch territory. Any sort of in-depth analysis of the Jags offense last season was that it was less efficient and less productive with him on the field than it was with TJ Yeldon.

Fournette ain't good, man.

The Jags were never a threat to win. They shouldn't have been - the Chiefs are MUCH better than they are. And winning in a cakewalk with a 1-footed QB and your top offensive weapon injured makes that clear. Especially when the pass-rush DIDN'T perform.

But the Chiefs are a contender and when the SB is your bar to clear, everything should come with heightened importance. The Cardinals can go out there and tie the Lions and claim a moral victory because their rookie QB didn't puke on his shoes. The Colts can go out there with Brissett, push the Chargers to OT and be pleased with their performance. Because neither of those squads are relevant.

The Chiefs...well they need to see where they were struggling and ignoring some of the issues from yesterday because they hung a W doesn't help there.

[O.city]

On a positive note, Nate Taylor talked about it in his article today and the defense knows they weren't good enough for sure.

[TwistedChief]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Leonard Fournette is a 'stud rusher' in the same sense that Ward is a 'stud Corner'.

Do you think many NFL running backs would've looked like world beaters if Blake Bortles had been their QB?

We recognize that the Chiefs can rotate any running back in with some success given their weapons and coaching, so it only seems natural that Fournette should actually get some uplift given the abysmal supporting cast.

I would take Fournette over Williams and McCoy on an apples-to-apples talent basis without hesitation.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by O.city

On a positive note, Nate Taylor talked about it in his article today and the defense knows they weren't good enough for sure.

Sounds like Jones and Clark were double teamed most of the game.

Spagnuolo used eight defensive linemen against the Jaguars in a game that featured conditions of 91 degrees with humidity at 54 percent. The Jaguars often used two players to block Jones and defensive end Frank Clark, especially after Foles left the game. Backup defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah took advantage of the Jaguars’ tactic to record a sack of Minshew late in the third quarter.

In 28 combined dropbacks from Foles and Minshew, the Chiefs’ defense hit the opposing quarterbacks just three times.

“It wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be, but that that’s first-game stuff,” Clark said of his performance and the Chiefs’ pass rush. “When you get to a certain level in your career, guys start to show you respect in those type of ways (by chipping the edge). It’s respect, but we’ve got to do better to get to the quarterback. We can defeat those chips because there are ways to defeat it. We’ve just got to exploit it more.”

Clark and Alex Okafor, another veteran defensive lineman, correctly adjusted their rushes to account for Minshew’s quick, short passes. Late in the third quarter, Okafor almost recorded an impressive defensive trifecta: pass deflection, interception and touchdown return. Okafor accomplished the first task but couldn’t collect the ball just in front of the end zone.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

Sounds like Jones and Clark were double teamed most of the game.

Was just going through that part. I'll be curious to see if anyone does a breakdown. I saw Jones getting doubled a lot but at most I saw an occasional chip on Clark.

Just look at the clip on the sack from Ogbah - exactly what the **** was Clark even trying to accomplish there? He literally just puts his head down and pushes into the LT's chest. Doesn't see what he's trying to find, doesn't even try to use his hands to hand-fight.

He just rushes upfield, the LT does a basic kick-out and Clark decides it's time to look like Allen Bailey and do...nothing. And no, there was no double there (the double was clearly on Jones) - it was just a 3rd string LT taking on Clark and fairly easily removing him from the play.

Yeah, he needs to get a LOT better.

[DJ's left nut]

Here's a tweet of the sack:

Emmanuel Ogbah (@EmanOgbah) beats Jawaan Taylor with the cross chop/club/rip. Sacks the QB! #PassRush #Chiefs #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/2J7RaBJyfT

— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) September 8, 2019

I mean c'mon man...what exactly was that?

[Titty Meat]

For much of the game they looked like last years Defense however this years defense unlike last years made some stops at a critical juncture where last years defense always found a way to blow a big lead making the game close and the offense would have to go out and win it again.

I think this defense will improve but waant the argument as long as it's a little better than last years that's good enough?

[R Clark]

Originally Posted by FAX

Speaking for myself, it's about expectations ... specifically from the premier acquisitions (Clark and Mathieu) and the rebuilt linebacker group playing against this specific team's offense.

This wasn't the Lambs or the Immigrant Blowjobbers. This was the Yaguars.

When I take into consideration the strength of their o-line and their skill players, I am very disappointed that they couldn't shut those guys down in humiliating fashion.

Mathieu had 2 tackles and 1 assist. Clark had 1 tackle total on the day. Other than Wilson and Hitch (5 tackles each), the linebacker group often looked confused and I don't think they had a single tackle between them.

Again, I haven't seen the All-22 and I don't know the calls, so what do I know? But based on the eye-test and the stats, I am far from impressed. It was the damn Yaguars with a barber-shop tenor at QB and there's no way (in my mind) that they should have been that effective.

FAX

I must be reerun cause I sure thought Wilson , hitchens was linebackers? Had I been right about that by your calculations the linebackers would have had at least 10 tackles . In a 4-3 isn’t three linebackers on the field?

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Here's a tweet of the sack:

Emmanuel Ogbah (@EmanOgbah) beats Jawaan Taylor with the cross chop/club/rip. Sacks the QB! #PassRush #Chiefs #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/2J7RaBJyfT

— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) September 8, 2019

I mean c'mon man...what exactly was that?

Theres no defending that play BUT he did draw I believe 3 penalties in the game and had a pick.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by R Clark

I must be reerun cause I sure thought Wilson , hitchens was linebackers? Had I been right about that by your calculations the linebackers would have had at least 10 tackles . In a 4-3 isn’t three linebackers on the field?

They didn't play much base, Hitchens played 100% of the snaps, Wilson was at like 85 and Darron Lee played like 10 plays as the 3rd LB.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Here's a tweet of the sack:

Emmanuel Ogbah (@EmanOgbah) beats Jawaan Taylor with the cross chop/club/rip. Sacks the QB! #PassRush #Chiefs #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/2J7RaBJyfT

— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) September 8, 2019

I mean c'mon man...what exactly was that?

I mean, he bull rushed him backwards 3 steps?

Looks like he wanted to go outside but saw the chip coming and just put his head down and bull rushed.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Was just going through that part. I'll be curious to see if anyone does a breakdown. I saw Jones getting doubled a lot but at most I saw an occasional chip on Clark.

Just look at the clip on the sack from Ogbah - exactly what the **** was Clark even trying to accomplish there? He literally just puts his head down and pushes into the LT's chest. Doesn't see what he's trying to find, doesn't even try to use his hands to hand-fight.

He just rushes upfield, the LT does a basic kick-out and Clark decides it's time to look like Allen Bailey and do...nothing. And no, there was no double there (the double was clearly on Jones) - it was just a 3rd string LT taking on Clark and fairly easily removing him from the play.

Yeah, he needs to get a LOT better.

Looks like he tried a basic bull rush. But maybe he was keeping an eye on the RB about to peel off

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Titty Meat

Theres no defending that play BUT he did draw I believe 3 penalties in the game and had a pick.

He needs to be able to punish teams for what treating Jones like they do in that clip.

SNR referenced how Jones was getting early penetration. I almost wonder if they didn't start sliding protection towards Jones and away from Clark once they saw that Clark wasn't really doing anything out there.

I don't expect 20 sacks from Clark but he has to be a credible enough threat that teams can't abuse Jones like they do in that clip. I mean the poor dude has no shot if he's gonna get that kind of attention.

And if Clark can't punish them for that kind of mediocre talent at OT, Jones is gonna get that kind of attention on every snap. It'll be a long year for a guy entering FA and don't think for a minute he won't see that play when they're running film.

Very few guys will just defeat a double team (I mean, you'd think for $20 million Clark could, but I'm just piling on now), but he at least needs to be good enough against a single blocker to draw the double on fair occasions. Clark needs a lot more help than he got there and the Jags essentially treated Clark on that rep like he was Breeland Speaks.

[O.city]

He tried to jump or something it looked like, had he just kept pushing he pushes the LT into the QB.

I'm not exactly overly joyed by the deal, but I think you're being a bit overly harsh here DJ.

[BryanBusby]

This is the when the Patriots have the annual loss in Miami and patsfans lose their minds and the Patriots go to the SB anyhow.