Kansas City Chiefs must bench safety Daniel Sorensen
If you’ve watched a single Kansas City Chiefs game this season, it’s not a shocking revelation that the defense is awful. There are many contributing factors to the problem, but none larger than veteran safety Daniel Sorensen.
Sorensen, nicknamed “Dirty Dan”, has been a long-time fan favorite due to his aggressive playstyle and ability to make a big play in crucial moments.
He was never regarded as a great starting safety but thrived in a smaller role coming off the bench. He was a vital piece of the Super Bowl championship team, making clutch plays down the stretch. However, it appears Sorensen’s days of being a reliable third option are over.
It’s time for the Kansas City Chiefs to bench Daniel Sorenson
Unfortunately, Sorensen’s production has decreased rapidly before our eyes this season. In 2021, Sorensen has been a complete disaster on the football field. Most of the damage has been done in coverage. He’s allowed 16 receptions which is tied for most in the league among safeties.
Adding to that stat, he’s been targeted 20 times which ranks fourth amongst safeties. I’m not great with math but giving up a reception 80% of the time isn’t a great formula to win football games.
Even worse, Sorensen leads the entire league in missed tackles with 12. As if that wasn’t bad enough, it quickly got worse.
In Week 5, the Chiefs faced off against an AFC rival in the Buffalo Bills. This was an AFC Championship game rematch from the previous year, set to take place on Sunday Night Football.
While in the spotlight,Sorensen had one of the worst games of his career. He got absolutely exposed in coverage. He gave up two touchdowns en route to an embarrassing 38-20 loss.
Sorensen looked completely lost on the football field. He was constantly out of place, which led to an unforgivable number of blown coverages.
Sorensen has never been great in coverage, but now he’s a liability. In the past, his playmaking ability would cover up his coverage deficiencies, but that’s simply not the case anymore. A valid case could be made for Sorensen being the worst player in the NFL.
Many Chiefs fans, including myself, still wonder why Sorensen is still playing? Especially since Juan Thornhill, who has flashed great potential in the past, has been snubbed of starting snaps due to Sorensen starting. Which is completely unacceptable.
The likelihood that Thornhill is somehow worse than Sorensen is incredibly low. In fact, in 2019, the year the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, Juan Thornhill started over Sorensen all season until an injury sidelined him. So, I’m personally not buying the notion that Thornhill isn’t better than Sorensen.
The Chiefs must bench Sorensen. I understand everything he’s done for the organization, but he’s costing the team games.
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The Chiefs have a better chance to win with Thornhill starting at safety than Sorensen. This is a difficult decision for the coaching staff, but it’s one that must be made. In closing, I’d like to say that I will forever have a love for “Dirty Dan,” but all good things must come to an end.