Tyrann Mathieu identifies KC Chiefs defense’s biggest issue (at least it’s correctable)
In a game two weeks ago, by the time Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson released a third-down pass, Ravens receiver Marquise Brown had 10 yards of space separating him from the nearest Chiefs defender. Truth be told, the football arrived late and low, but Brown was so open that it didn’t matter.
As he watched him glide into the end zone, Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu outstretched his hands, one to each side, and it was almost as though you could hear him say, “How the heck did he get so open?”
The answer, as subsequent study revealed, is simple.
A miscommunication.
There have been other examples — too many other examples — from a struggling Chiefs defense through three weeks. Miscommunications are popping up regularly in the red zone, where such miscues are magnified and unforgiving.
During last week’s loss to the Chargers, a running back was left uncovered for a touchdown. On another play, Mathieu found himself sprinting across the defensive backfield before the snap, recognizing nobody had lined up opposite No. 1 wide receiver Keenan Allen. He got there late. Allen scored. Easy toss and catch.
“You’re playing against other NFL players. They make plays, too. They get paid, too. But anytime you miscommunicate or you can’t get lined up, you’re beating yourself pre-snap,” Mathieu said. “That’s the things that are in our control — getting lined up, communicating the right way. As long as we can continue to correct those things, I think our defense, it’s amazing. Everybody has to be on the same page, but once we’re able to not beat ourselves pre-snap, I think we can play good defense.”
The Chiefs own the league’s third-worst defense in terms of total yards allowed. But in Football Outsiders’ advanced metric DVOA, in which statistics are adjusted to compare to the average output, the Chiefs rank last in pass defense and last in rush defense.
Some of it boils down to execution. Missed tackles were a significant issue in the first two weeks. They’ve also failed to generate a consistent pass rush from anyone not named Chris Jones.
But much of it stems from the work done before the football is even snapped. Or, rather, the work that hasn’t been done. As the man relaying the play-calls, linebacker Anthony Hitchens has raised his hand. “I will be the first one to say I messed up,” he said after the Chargers loss Sunday.
It’s a display of leadership — but it tells only part of the story.
“It’s come up a couple times throughout the course of each game this season,” Mathieu said of the secondary getting its wires crossed. “I think that mostly falls on the players that (are) out there. That’s not necessarily the coaching or anything like that. You have to stay focused throughout the course of the game, especially in the secondary. Anytime you miscommunicate (or) you take a false step, those plays are explosive. We have to be really conscious of that.”
Like the Brown play.
The Chiefs held an 11-point lead in Baltimore, and the Ravens faced third and 4. Then, boom. One mishap and the momentum of the game had changed.
There’s a silver lining to all of this, even if you might have to look hard to find it when you rank among the league’s worst defenses. This is correctable, perhaps more “quickly fixable,” in Mathieu’s words, than a talent or scheme disparity.
“As long as guys take the accountability and responsibility and accept it, first and foremost,” Mathieu said. “And they raise their hand and say, hey, that was me that messed this up or miscommunicated. The more we can do that, the more we can correct the problems.
“We’ve got good guys in our locker room — great guys, guys that stand up for themselves, stand up for their teammates. So I expect us, like I said earlier, to be where we need to be. Obviously we need to get there a little bit quicker.”