Chiefs

Film review: Chiefs defensive front secured win over Cardinals by bothering the QB

By Lynn Worthy

November 14, 2018 5:30 AM

The majority of the attention paid to the Chiefs this season has focused on the offensive production led by first-year starter Patrick Mahomes and the predicaments they put opposing defenses in with their personnel.

With the Los Angeles Rams’ explosive offense up next (33.5 points per game, 50 pass plays of 20 yards or more), the Chiefs pass rush could be a critical factor.

Sunday’s Chiefs win against the Arizona Cardinals at Arrowhead Stadium showed how a defensive front can impose its own pick-your-poison scenario. The Chiefs defense, boosted by the return of outside linebacker Justin Houston, dominated individual matchups along the line of scrimmage. Houston’s fourth-quarter interception on a screen pass proved a pivotal, momentum-swinging play.

Defensively, the Chiefs held the Cardinals to less than 4 yards per play, sacked the quarterback five times, registered 13 quarterback hits and intercepted two passes (including a screen pass).

“I will say we have to protect the quarterback much better,” Cardinals coach Steve Wilks said after the game. “We were down six points there and that interception hurt us on the screen play. We have to do a much better job of trying to get the guy up the field or try to cut them. That point right there, the guys were still in it. We were still fighting and trying to battle. ... Things that hurt us were not being able to protect the quarterback and then the interceptions.”

The coaches’ film is courtesy of NFL Game Pass. The game-day television broadcasts, a condensed 45-minute version of every game and the coaches’ film are available with an account at www.nfl.com/gamepass.

Chris Jones pressure up the middle

Defensive lineman Chris Jones had one of his most dominant performances of the season. He got to the quarterback for two sacks, batted down two passes and hit the quarterback three times and forced a fumble.

As inside linebacker Reggie Ragland pointed out during his postgame comments, offenses are forced to block Jones one-on-one thanks to the focus of Dee Ford and Houston rushing off the edge.

In the video above, it’s clear that at times Cardinals guard Jeremy Vujnovich (68) simply couldn’t block Jones.

The slow-motion clip shows Jones getting a hit on quarterback Josh Rosen on a three-step drop in the first quarter. The entire idea of three-step drop is for the quarterback to get the ball out of his hands quickly, neutralize pressure and get the offense into a rhythm.

Despite lining up on the outside shoulder of the guard Vujnovich, Jones manages to cross the face of the blocker and swim inside toward the center-guard gap, rip through a late attempt by the running back to pick him up and get to Rosen timely enough not to draw a roughing flag. All that on a short drop designed for the quarterback to get the ball out quickly.

The second play is an example of Jones using quickness and awarenessto disrupt a screen pass before it had a chance. He got on top of Rosen so quickly and used his 6-foot-6 frame to bat the ball down on a play designed to let the defensive linemen get up field. By the time the intended receiver David Johnson got his head around, Jones was already within a few yards of Rosen and had thrown off the timing of the play.

On Jones’ sacks, the end zone view from the defensive perspective shows he simply overmatched Vujnovich. In one instance, Jones hits Vujnovich with a swipe and rip move. He catches Vujnovich reaching, swats his hands away and bursts toward the inside gap with a rip move, shoves the running back out of the way and plows over Rosen. At the same time, Ford blew by the right tackle Andre Smith (71) on a speed rush and forced Rosen to step up in the pocket.

The other sack came courtesy of an old-fashioned bull rush by Jones just pushing Vujnovich directly back into Rosen. Jones not only pushed the blocker into Rosen, but he had the awareness to also reach around the blocker with his right arm and knock the ball out of Rosen’s hands.

“Our interior is very dangerous,” Ford said after the game. “When we rush as a unit, we’re hard to stop. When those guys are going like that, the sky’s the limit for this defense.”

Winning one-on-ones

Ford now has nine sacks this season, and he came into the weekend as the top-rated edge defender (overall, not just pass rush) in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. He recorded a sack in the fourth quarter with the Cardinals playing from behind and forced to pass. In this case, we see him simply use get-off, dip and bend to get to Rosen.

His ability to apply consistent pressure makes opposing offense have to account for him, often use multiple blockers or “chip” with tight ends and running backs. Of course, that creates one-on-one opportunities elsewhere.

Defensive lineman Allen Bailey logged a sack and two quarterback hits in the win. He now has five sacks this season which ties his single-season career-high (2014).

Bailey (97) used a bull rush on Vujnovich, a frequent target on Sunday, to get his sack in the fourth quarter. Jones was only about a step behind him in getting to Rosen.

Rookie outside linebacker Breeland Speaks, who made the move from defensive lineman to linebacker this season, played his fewest snaps (24) in weeks because of the return of Houston. He logged two quarterback hits as he rotated in off the bench.

Speaks started the past four games with Houston out because of the hamstring strain. In this clip, Speaks uses a double swipe to keep the blocker’s hands away from his body and turns the corner in time to deliver a blow to Rosen just after he lets go of the pass.

“Dee is healthy and playing good football. Having Justin opposite just felt right, I’m sure, for him,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “Then Breeland (Speaks) being able to come in and TK (Tanoh Kpassagnon) being able to come in, that is a pretty good rotation. Breeland, to watch him grow the last little bit while Justin was out, that is a neat thing for our guys there, man. I think Dee, he’s healthy, feels good about the things he is doing. He is doing a good job of setting the edge, which kind of gets overlooked just because of his pass rush. He is playing good football right now.”

Get ready for Gurley

One area the Chiefs defense will want to iron out before going up against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday is covering running backs. Overall, the Chiefs pass defense against the Cardinals was solid. Clearly, the pass rush helped greatly.

Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who moved into second place on the NFL’s career receiving yardage list, caught six passes (on 10 targets) for just 50 yards. He’d posted a 100-yard receiving day in their previous game.

However, running back David Johnson (31) led the team in receptions (seven) for 85 yards. That’s the second week in a row an opposing running back has been the leading receiver.

The Chiefs have added speed to their linebacker unit, particularly in passing downs, with Dorian O’Daniel playing more and the return of safety Dan Sorensen, who played as a dime linebacker.

However, the Cardinals were able to pick off linebackers in coverage to get the ball to Johnson in space quickly. In both of the above clips, the outside receiver rubs/picks the linebacker responsible for covering Johnson.

In the first instance, Sorensen and cornerback Steven Nelson are on the same plane, which caused them to run into each other as they followed the men they’re covering.

On the Johnson touchdown, Ford stepped up and got blocked by the outside receiver. Eric Murray recognized it late and tried to get out on Johnson, but Ford not getting around the wide receiver and Murray not switching out immediately made it an easy pitch-and-catch.

Cleveland used a similar design to convert a fourth down the previous week with a pick on Speaks opening up an easy throw for a large chunk of yards to help set up a touchdown in the second quarter.

Rams running back Todd Gurley, an MVP contender, leads the NFL in rushing yards (988). But he’s also caught 40 passes for 402 yards and four touchdowns. Last season, he hauled in 64 receptions for 788 yards.

The Chiefs will have to account for Gurley as a threat in the passing game and communicate on route combinations involving linebackers and defensive backs crossing paths.

Lynn Worthy

Lynn Worthy covers the Kansas City Chiefs and NFL for The Star.

Chris Jones pressure up the middle

Winning one-on-ones

Get ready for Gurley

Lynn Worthy

Related Stories from Kansas City Star

Chiefs-Rams Monday night game moved to LA because of field conditions in Mexico City

Snap counts: Chiefs getting healthier heading into Mexico City game

Sports Pass is your ticket to Kansas City sports

#ReadLocal