Kansas City Chiefs: 5 things to watch in AFC Wild Card game
By Ben Almquist
Kansas City Chiefs: 5 Things To Watch
#4: Harassing Marcus Mariota
Over the past few weeks, we have seen the return of the Kansas City Chiefs opportunistic defense. This is another chance for the defense to come up with some big plays. Marcus Mariota has not been good this year, especially not when he is being pressured. It’s time to dial up some blitzes and get after the quarterback.
Marcus Mariota has thrown the third most interceptions in the 2017 season with 15. The Titans have had to rely heavily on their running game this year to counter-balance Mariota’s struggles. However, they will likely be without DeMarco Murray this week. That puts even more pressure on the quarterback.
The Kansas City pass rush has looked much stronger over recent weeks. That’s largely due to a resurgent Chris Jones, who has responded well to losing his starting spot on the defense. Jones has been creating a lot of interior pressure. The Chiefs will also need Justin Houston to step things up this week.