The Kansas City Chiefs made a big statement on Sunday. Andy Reid's team dominated from start to finish, topping the Las Vegas Raiders 31-0 in an almost perfect outing on both sides of the gridiron. They're now sitting on a 4-3 record.
However, as good as they looked on Sunday, they're aiming for January games. With that in mind, they should make the most of another New York Jets' loss to bolster their pass-rush with a player who clearly has had enough. At least, that's what one might get from Jermaine Johnson II's latest tweet.
Chiefs Should Rescue Jermaine Johnson From The Jets
"Laying it all out there man… something gotta give," Johnson wrote on X.
That's music to GM Brett Veach's ears. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Chiefs are looking to add more firepower to their defensive line. Conversely, the Jets might already be coming to terms with the idea of losing Johnson:
"The Jets are already getting calls on defensive end Jermaine Johnson and running back Breece Hall," Russini wrote. "The Chiefs are shopping for defensive linemen — but not running backs.""
Johnson is just 26 years old, and while he hasn't had a good season, he's two years removed from logging a career-best 7.5 sacks. He also had 55 total tackles, seven passes defensed, one pick six, and one forced fumble.
Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen recently addressed the team's need to finish plays when they put pressure on the quarterback. As good as it is to keep the signal-caller on his toes, he wants to knock them to the ground:
"We have this saying: ‘Pressures and hits are great, but we want [the quarterback] on his back.’ We had our opportunities — and we’re continuing to get better. Analytics will tell you that usually leads to sacks," Cullen told the media ahead of Sunday's game.
Through three games this season, Johnson has logged one sack, one tackle for loss, one QB hit, and 12 total tackles. He could be a perfect complement to George Karlaftis, who's leading the team with 3.5 sacks. He'd also be an upgrade over Mike Danna, who has yet to record his first sack of the season.
The Chiefs entered Week 7 ranking just 21st in defensive pressure rate, per Pro-Football-Reference, while also checking in at just No. 20 in PFF's pass rush grade.
The Chiefs have rallied behind Steve Spagnuolo's defense to make the past three Super Bowls, and while the offense is finally shaping up, they know that they need to get to the quarterback if they want to return to the biggest stage.