Taylor: Chiefs pass rush peaking at the right time
Behind relentless DT Chris Jones, Chiefs pass rush peaking at just the right time
By Nate Taylor
Jan 13, 2023
Spoiler!
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — At this time a year ago, the Chiefs had recognized they had issues with their defense. Among them was that a few core defenders, such as linebacker Anthony Hitchens and safeties Tyrann Mathieu and Daniel Sorensen, members who helped the Chiefs win Super Bowl LIV just two years earlier, were no longer in their prime. Too often, the secondary allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete deep passes. Perhaps most damning to defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who has built his 24-year career in the NFL on harassing those passers playing the sport’s most important position, was that the Chiefs were one of the league’s worst teams at sacking the quarterback.
Changes were necessary.
Coach Andy Reid and Spagnuolo hired Joe Cullen, a veteran defensive line coach known for his pass-rushing tactics. In the NFL Draft, the Chiefs added more youth and athleticism by selecting five defensive players in the first four rounds, including defensive end George Karlaftis with a first-round pick. And in the first week of training camp, the Chiefs signed defensive end Carlos Dunlap, a 13-year veteran.
Also, Spagnuolo and Cullen, in strategizing how to improve the Chiefs pass rush, placed their faith most in the unit’s best player: superstar defensive tackle Chris Jones.
“Our first goal always here is to hoist that (Vince) Lombardi Trophy,” Cullen said in August during camp. “For us to get there and get that opportunity to do that, (Jones) has to have a career year.”
Seventeen regular-season games later, Jones has delivered the pass-rushing goods to Spagnuolo and Cullen. He helped lead the Chiefs to a 14-3 record and a first-round bye in the postseason by producing 15 1/2 sacks and 29 quarterback hits, both numbers tying career highs. He also played 916 snaps (80 percent of the unit’s total snaps), the most among the Chiefs’ defensive linemen.
When he explained his success, Jones commended his supporting cast, teammates such as Karlaftis, Dunlap, defensive ends Frank Clark and Mike Danna, and Khalen Saunders, the superbly athletic D-tackle listed at 6 feet tall and 324 pounds. Surrounding Jones are five pass rushers who have either had a productive season or at least one that became the best of their career.
“It’s a thing of beauty when all four (defensive linemen) are in unison and they’re working toward the quarterback and staying alive in the hunt,” Cullen said in December. “Chris and Frank and Mike Danna do a great job of coordinating that rush. The biggest thing is don’t chase the sacks. When you do your job, great things happen.”
Last season, the Chiefs ranked 29th in the league with just 31 sacks.
The six prominent defensive linemen this year collected a combined 39 sacks, but paired with a plethora of blitzes from other positions, the Chiefs defense finished with 55 sacks, the second most in the NFL behind the Philadelphia Eagles (70). The Chiefs also hit the opposing quarterback 114 times, fourth-most in the league.
“Chris and I are usually on the same side, so it makes my job a lot easier,” Karlaftis said. “Chris has played all these snaps that I think has to do with him progressing and him, quite honestly, being probably the best defensive lineman in football this year, at least in our eyes.”
The Chiefs’ blowout victory over the Raiders on Saturday proved to be a showcase for Jones and his supporting cast. Raiders quarterback Jarrett Stidham was pressured on 45.2 percent of his dropbacks, the Chiefs’ highest single-game rate in the past three seasons, according to Next Gen Stats. The Chiefs finished with a season-high six sacks, including a game-high 2 1/2 from Jones and two from Danna.
Ahead of their upcoming postseason run, the Chiefs have generated the fifth-highest pressure rate in the league, at 34.5 percent, in the past five weeks.
“The guys are pushing me to be my best every day,” Jones said after Saturday’s game. “Without the guys challenging me, then none of this is capable. A Pro Bowl (nod) is a nice thing to have, but I don’t play for Pro Bowls, man. I’m truly appreciative of it. But I play for Super Bowls, so hopefully we just keep this thing going and we’ll get to the big show.”
Jones, who is listed at 6-6 and 310 pounds, has been an effective pass rusher from the interior and on the edge against opposing tackles. When he rushes from the defensive end position, he often switches roles with Danna, who slides to the interior to give the Chiefs another speed rusher.
“It’s great because it creates a bunch of mismatches,” said Danna, who recorded a career-high five sacks along with 10 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles. “You get one-on-ones for people. When we’re all on the same page, it’s hard to beat us all.”
Even when the Chiefs don’t record a sack, their pass rush has still been impressive, influencing or forcing opposing quarterbacks into throwing incompletions. The Chiefs ranked 10th this season in forcing the quarterback to throw the ball away 28 times, according to Pro Football Focus. One of the unheralded statistics the Chiefs defense leads the league in, according to TruMedia, is batted passes, with 29.
“It’s a self-timer when you’re rushing and you feel those pats (on the ball) coming from the quarterback,” Saunders said in December. “It’s just that indicator of getting your hands up. That’s one of those things that we don’t even practice. We don’t do one batted-ball drill. It’s just one of those things where you’re getting close and you feel that clock going off. You can’t get it if you don’t put your hands up.
“It’s a negative play, for sure. When you gain nothing, that’s a win for the defense. Getting those batted balls is huge, and we do take pride in being No. 1 in the league in it.”
As a seven-year veteran, Jones’ most memorable moment in the Chiefs’ comeback victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV was in the fourth quarter, when he recorded a game-high three pass breakups.
When combining sacks, throwaways and batted balls this season, the Chiefs lead the league with 112 such plays (the Dallas Cowboys are second with 105). Jones said Cullen has emphasized to his players that raising their arms and hands can make the opposing quarterback, when scrambling out of the pocket, hold on to the ball longer since a passing window could be somewhat obstructed. Such a result has led opposing quarterbacks to throw the ball away just before they reach the sideline.
The most impactful play this season for the Chiefs in which the pass was batted near the line of scrimmage occurred in early December in a road victory over the Denver Broncos. On a fourth-and-1 play near midfield, linebacker Willie Gay Jr. pressured quarterback Russell Wilson on a blitz and, after quickly diagnosing the Broncos’ short-yardage play, tipped Wilson’s short pass to himself for the interception. Gay then stiff-armed Wilson to the turf and scored his first career touchdown on a stress-free 47-yard return.
The Chiefs’ oldest pass rusher, Dunlap at 33, leads the team with eight passes defended. Karlaftis, the Chiefs’ youngest pass rusher at 21, is second with seven such snaps. Listed at 6-6 and 285 pounds, Dunlap, who is known for his pass-knockdown skills, has shared tips with Karlaftis on when to anticipate a short pass. In the Chiefs’ win over the Seattle Seahawks in December, one of Karlaftis’ biggest highlights was when he, while rushing from the interior, raised his right arm to deflect a pass from quarterback Geno Smith on a pivotal fourth-and-3 play. Later in the game, Karlaftis sacked Smith.
“Before George kind of went on this sack (streak) that he’s going (on), he had a few batted balls in there, which were big for us,” Reid said in December. He later added: “I know the history of him doing it. He’s batted a few of ours down (in the past). I’m glad he’s on our side. Carlos is a smart guy, and he talks to everybody, so I’m sure he’s helped in that area.”
Since the start of camp, Karlaftis has finished each of the Chiefs’ practices with the same routine. He stays on the field to polish his pass-rushing techniques by observing and listening to Jones, Clark and Dunlap. Karlaftis was the Chiefs’ lone rookie this season to start every game, becoming their first defender to do that since safety Juan Thornhill in 2019. With a mix of power and second-effort tenacity, Karlaftis finished the season by collecting 5 1/2 sacks in the final seven games.
“I love George, man,” Jones said, smiling. “I think he’s going to be a tremendous player. The more he plays, the more he’s able to feel the game and the more knowledge he has. He’s young. Sometimes it’s about the growing process and what you learn throughout the year to become the player that you’re going to be. He’s very understanding of that.”
Chris Jones recorded a career-high 10 pressures in the Chiefs' 31-13 victory over the Raiders.
Jones was able to pin his ears back and get after the QB, averaging a 0.70 seconds pass rush get-off, his quickest in a game over the last 5 seasons.#KCvsLV | #ChiefsKingdompic.twitter.com/lLubUMbSCu
01-14-2023, 01:42 PM
Taylor: Chiefs pass rush peaking at the right time
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