Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson collects the first interception of his career
Three seasons and four-plus games. That’s how long it took for Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson to get his hands on an honest-to-goodness interception. Not an almost-got-one. Not one wiped away by a penalty. They can’t take this one away from him.
Nelson had played 1,869 defensive snaps going into Sunday’s game, and it still took a Blake Bortles pass that ricocheted off of the helmet of one of his Jacksonville Jaguars offensive linemen and Nelson diving to the ground in the end zone for him to finally break through with his first regular-season interception with 12 seconds left in the first half.
Nelson, now in his fourth season with the Chiefs, had an interception taken away earlier this season in Pittsburgh in the end zone. He also felt like he could’ve had a pick earlier in Sunday’s 30-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Arrowhead Stadium.
“It’s a breath of fresh air,” Nelson said. “I didn’t know when it was going to come. If you saw earlier in the game, I could’ve had one but, you know, the grass gods got me. It just came back, so I’m happy.”
The Jaguars went at Nelson with deep throws early in the game. In the second quarter, Bortles connected with D.J. Chark for a 38-yards pass, but he went back to the well a few too many times on that same drive as he tried two throws to the end zone from 37 yards out to Donte Moncrief with Nelson in coverage. Both fell harmlessly incomplete.
On the Chiefs’ second-quarter goal-line stand at the Kansas City 3-yard line, the Jaguars failed to convert on a third-and-1 pass to Moncrief with Nelson in coverage.
“I think they were working more the coverage than they were Steven,“ Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “I thought he did a nice job and competed. I think they had one grab on him that was significant. Other than that, he bared down, came back and made a great play after that one.”
Nelson, a returning starter who was drafted the same year as former Chiefs Pro Bowl corner Marcus Peters, had the best training camp of his professional career before entering the NFL’s concussion protocol following a blow to the head during a preseason game in Atlanta.
“I’m so happy for Steve,” said Chiefs veteran cornerback Orlando Scandrick, who recalled off the top of his head that his first interception came off Atlanta’s Matt Ryan in Scandrick’s second season. “He works his butt off, and he’s continuously getting better every game.”
Fittingly, considering Nelson’s interception came on a deflection, the Chiefs’ defensive backs celebrated Nelson’s interception with a tip-drill in the end zone. Cornerback Kendall Fuller started it off by tapping to safety Ron Parker, who tapped to Scandrick, who tapped to Jordan Lucas before Nelson finished with an emphatic windmill dunk/spike.
The Chiefs, thanks to Nelson’s interception, held an opponent scoreless in the first half for the first time this season. They also intercepted four passes in the game, including the first-career interception for Lucas and an interception returned for a touchdown by defensive lineman Chris Jones.
“We just play our game,” Nelson said when asked about the defense sending a message. “We don’t worry too much about who is the best defense and whatnot. We play Chiefs football.”
Lynn Worthy
Lynn Worthy covers the Kansas City Chiefs and NFL for The Star.
This story was originally published October 7, 2018 at 7:28 PM.