The Chiefs’ secondary has gone from weakness to strength. Here’s how they’ve done it
Tyrann Mathieu made a purposeful walk through the Chiefs’ locker room earlier this month, stopping at each defensive back’s station and repeating a two-word phrase.
“Lights out,” he said. “Lights out.”
The Chiefs had held the league’s top-rated passer, Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins, to 220 yards. They had kept him from completing 50% of his throws. And by now, such performances were more trend than outlier.
On a defense in need of an offseason shakeup, the secondary encountered the most significant makeover, with three newcomers in the five most prominent spots. But even as the description of last year’s underwhelming unit has shadowed their every move, the personnel overhaul prompted a production overhaul.
The Chiefs have allowed only 137 yards per game to opposing wide receivers this season, which ranks fifth in the NFL, and that’s despite a relative difficult schedule — Kansas City has faced none of the league’s eight worst-rated quarterbacks. Only two quarterbacks have topped 300 yards against the Chiefs, and one of them — Chargers veteran Philip Rivers — also threw four interceptions.
The other? Aaron Rodgers reached 305.
“I’ve seen gradual improvement as we’ve gone on,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of the secondary. “Better communication and a better feeling for the defense. They’re really playing well together. We’ve got plenty of room to get better, so we’ll keep working at it. But we’ve got some young guys in there playing well who are getting better. That’s kind of the bottom line.”
As a whole, the Chiefs’ passing defense ranks sixth on Football Outsiders’ DVOA, adjusted for schedule and recency. They rated 26th in the same category last year, sparking an offseason in which they were linked to just about every cornerback on the market.
General manager Brett Veach implemented a multifaceted approach. Free agency. Draft. In-house improvement.
They added Mathieu on one of the league’s richest safety contracts to lead the group. They plucked rookie starter Juan Thornhill in the second round. They signed veteran cornerback Bashaud Breeland. They stuck with Charvarius Ward.
In all, among the five primary options in the secondary, only two had actually played together in the past — Ward and slot corner Kendall Fuller started in Week 17 last year.
“I give credit to (defensive backs coaches) Dave Merritt and Sam Madison for the job they’ve done back there,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “I credit those guys and the leaders.”
The retooling hasn’t come without its hiccups. The Chiefs allowed the Jaguars to find success through the air, even though they had to turn to Gardner Minshew in the first half. At times, receivers were wide open or unguarded. The players spoke of communications problems.
That’s no longer a topic of conversation. They’ve learned Spagnuolo’s system. They’ve learned one another’s tendencies and preferences.
“I think everybody has a good feel for the coverages we run,” Mathieu said. “Guys are getting comfortable and more confident. I think for the most part, it’s just believing that the guy across the field is going to do his job, which allows us to do our job.
“Early in the season, we were challenged. But now we’re comfortable enough to come to the sideline and be able to adjust in-game. We’re willing to be challenged.”
This story was originally published November 29, 2019 at 5:00 AM.