Kansas City Chiefs: A Team Not Even At Its Peak Yet
By Ben Almquist
Josh Mauga
In my opinion, the biggest loss of the year for the Kansas City Chiefs was that of linebacker Josh Mauga. Now, hold your horses, and let me explain. No, Mauga is not better than these other players. That is not what I am saying. However, of all the positions where KC lost players, it is clear that this second inside linebacker spot is the position they were least ready to replace.
Chiefs fans have been excited about the potential of Justin March, and I believe rightfully so. However, he is not yet at the level he needs to be at. He has some developing and learning to do still. So March was largely unprepared to take on a starting role right away for the Chiefs. That has had a rippling effect on the defense.
Without Josh Mauga at his linebacker spot, the Chiefs have not had someone who could consistently keep blockers off of Derrick Johnson. That has affected Johnson’s (and Wilson’s) ability to make plays in the running game. That has also allowed holes to be opened up for opposing running backs. The end result has been a very inconsistent run defense for the Chiefs.