The Kansas City Chiefs struggled to get after the quarterback last season. In order to improve the defense, expectations need to be high for pass rushers.
It’s not a secret that the Kansas City Chiefs struggled to bring down opposing quarterbacks last season. Fans were frustrated with defensive coordinator Bob Sutton for dropping linebacker Justin Houston into coverage a good portion of snaps. Part of that has to do with little help from the rest of the front of the defense.
The Chiefs started off the season with their two starting linebackers in Houston and linebacker Dee Ford. Unfortunately, Ford was not on the field for long after suffering another injury to his back. Even while Ford was playing last season, he was still highly inconsistent which has been a trend over his four years in Kansas City.
That left linebacker Frank Zombo starting opposite of Houston most of the 2017 season. Defensive end Chris Jones was the only other consistent threat to offensive lines, and he saw his fair share of extra attention along with Houston. Outside of Houston and Jones, the rest of the Chiefs front was almost nonexistent.
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We’ve seen what happens when elite pass rushers are left without help from the opposite side. Just last season, Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller had only ten sacks in 16 games due to lack of help from the opposing side. It’s a big reason the Broncos selected Bradley Chubb during the draft to complement the elite pass rusher.
Even in Oakland, Khalil Mack continues to struggle to get to the quarterback without much help around him. Kansas City tied for 24th in sacks last year with Oakland. Denver ranked 22nd in sacks. It’s clear that without support, even elite pass rushers like Mack, Miller, and Houston will struggle to bring down the quarterback.
For the defense to have a bounce-back season from its putrid performance in 2017, the front of the defense has to get after the quarterback. Kansas City has to find a way to give Houston and Jones some help and consistently wreak havoc for opposing quarterbacks. Who will step up in 2018?
Luckily Veach spent most of the draft addressing the front of the defense. While many fans are frustrated at the lack of secondary help, Veach felt that fixing the front seven was the most critical move after a loss to the Tennessee Titans run game in the playoffs last season. Let’s take a look at who could help get after the passer this season. What are the expectations for each player?