These three Tyrann Mathieu plays show versatility he can bring to Chiefs defense
The Chiefs didn’t wait long to make a splash.
On Monday, the first day of the NFL’s negotiating period, the Chiefs reportedly had a deal in place with free-agent safety Tyrann Mathieu. The terms were reported to be three years and $42 million.
The Chiefs, who had the 31st-ranked defense a year ago, were looking for help on that side of the ball, and Mathieu should fit the bill.
Pro Football Focus Kansas City noted that in the 2018 season Mathieu played 352 snaps at slot corner, 419 box safety snaps and 301 free safety snaps while with the Texans. It was his lone season with Houston after playing five years with Arizona.
Here are three different plays that showcase what Mathieu can do on defense:
1. Pass coverage
Mathieu showed a great ability to recover after it seemed the receiver had broken coverage:
2. Get the quarterback
Mathieu sacked Dolphins quarterback Brock Osweiler, who had no chance:
3. Stop the run
Here is a breakdown of Mathieu’s abilities from NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger that begins with Mathieu stuffing running back Ameer Abdullah. There is more after that play that’s worth watching:
This story was originally published March 12, 2019 at 8:40 AM.
