KC Chiefs: Brett Veach and Andy Reid shoulder blame for roster issues
By John McCarty
Chiefs appear lost when trying to tackle ball carriers, and the numbers bear that out.
If you look closely, squint and look, you can see Darron Lee whiffing on another tackle or Damien Wilson jumping on the back of a ball carrier for a three yard ride before being brought down. Simply put, this team can’t tackle. Missed tackles everywhere, for everyone, the blame is spread all around.
This goes around to the discussion of physicality and toughness. Who’s physical on this defense? Where is the toughness? That’s a mindset instilled in training camp, if not before, where hitting, tackling and toughness are a mindset.
When you play a team like the Ravens, the Steelers, Eagles perhaps, the Seahawks of years past, you knew you were in for a fight, it was going to be a tough, physical game. The mindset on those teams is to not just tackle someone, it’s to hit someone. That’s not the mindset of the Chiefs.
It certainly appears based on the approach and playcalling, the Chiefs have practiced neither run blocking or tackling. It’s obviously not been a point of emphasis for this team, and a team that has not developed toughness has and will obviously struggle against teams willing to run right at and over you.
This happened against the Colts, it happened again against the Texans, and guess what? It happened against the Patriots in the playoffs last year.
Until being physical and tough is important to the Kansas City Chiefs, they will struggle against disciplined teams willing to favor balance on offense and toughness across the roster.
Discipline? What’s that?
The Chiefs continue to commit atrocious penalties and poor behavior to no apparent concern to Chiefs coaches.
Young and upcoming corner Marcus Peters reportedly got into a scuffle with a coach on a bus after a game, and combined with the other obvious issues, was traded away for simply the best offer.
This season we saw Travis Kelce push offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy to no consequence or apparent concern. Perhaps that’s not a big deal if it were not for the fact, on the field,this team simply can’t stop committing penalties.
In 2018, the Chiefs led the NFL in penalties per game at 8.2. That equates to right at 131 penalties for the season. That’s simply not good.
Are they getting better?
Nope.
In 2019, the Chiefs currently are averaging right at eight penalties per game. But it gets better. In their past three games, the Chiefs are averaging just below 10 (9.7) penalties per game. Yikes.
Kareem Hunt was released because he couldn’t stay out of trouble and had issues, apparently lying to the Chiefs about an incident in Ohio. The aforementioned Kelce has had multiple issues including being ejected from a game a few years ago for throwing a penalty flag at an official. Multiple other players on this roster have had their fair share of issues and run-ins, and it continues and continues.
What else doesn’t stop…
Free agency has yielded very little for the Chiefs despite big money paid on a yearly basis.
In his first year as general manager, Brett Veach made two big free agent signings; linebacker Anthony Hitchens and wide receiver Sammy Watkins.
Thus far, Watkins has produced some, but is hindered by injuries, which, yep, was an issue for Watkins at his previous stops and is probably why they were content not keeping him around. I’m not questioning toughness, but the body of Sammy Watkins struggles to play in every game. Hitchens, on the other hand, takes the field, but has yet to really make impact plays for the defense.
Not to worry, can’t hold his water Brett Veach made a just mind numbing deal for former Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark, trading away the 29th selection in the 2018 draft and a second round selection in the 2019 draft for the defensive end.
That’s okay because Frank Clark has…oooh, nevermind! Clark has not produced much of anything yet.
Big money safety Tyran Mathieu has been better for sure. Linebacker Damien Wilson can’t tackle, but that’s okay, because Darron Lee can’t either. Wait….
The Chiefs have spent a lot of money since Brett Veach took over, but as of yet, have seen very little in return. Perhaps, and I’m just spitballing here, Veach should stop using his pre draft evaluations when determining if a player is worthy of a contract.
A reference for those that don’t remember, Veach spoke of how much he liked both Watkins and Hitchens in the draft lead up process. Darron Lee was a former first round pick, which is another aspect like, former first round picks in hope they discover something in Kansas City.
Newsflash, they don’t. But that’s not the worst of it.