The Kansas City Chiefs Run Defense Is Running Out Of Excuses

by primetime 07 on Oct 29, 2008 9:22 AM CDT in 2008 Campaign Comment 29 comments

Below I wanted to provide a bit of statistical evidence that our run defense hasn't changed in five years despite an array of new personnel, a new head coach and a new (but certainly not improved) offense.

Below are our current run defense numbers for the 2008 campaign:

Left End

Left Tackle

Left Guard

Up the Middle

Right Guard

Right Tackle

Right End

Plays: 27

Plays: 35

Plays: 11

Plays: 81

Plays: 15

Plays: 31

Plays: 38

NFL Rank: 13

NFL Rank: 5

NFL Rank: 27

NFL Rank: 3

NFL Rank: 23

NFL Rank: 9

NFL Rank: 2

Avg Gain: 8.26

Avg Gain: 5.14

Avg Gain: 4.73

Avg Gain: 5.42

Avg Gain: 4.07

Avg Gain: 7.16

Avg Gain: 4.87

NFL Rank: 30

NFL Rank: 26

NFL Rank: 29

NFL Rank: 21

NFL Rank: 32

NFL Rank: 17

As demonstrated by the numbers above, we are pathetic at stopping the run. We all said the same thing in 2003 when our offense was top flight. The excuse for the run defense then was that the offense scored too quickly tiring the defense out.

Now, check out our 2003 run defense numbers after the jump.

Left End

Left Tackle

Left Guard

Up the Middle

Right Guard

Right Tackle

Right End

Plays: 74

Plays: 33

Plays: 22

Plays: 186

Plays: 29

Plays: 43

Plays: 50

NFL Rank: 7

NFL Rank: 31

NFL Rank: 29

NFL Rank: 1

NFL Rank: 24

NFL Rank: 25

NFL Rank: 18

Avg Gain: 7.38

Avg Gain: 7.09

Avg Gain: 4.23

Avg Gain: 4.95

Avg Gain: 5.79

Avg Gain: 5.07

Avg Gain: 3.62

NFL Rank: 31

NFL Rank: 32

NFL Rank: 21

NFL Rank: 28

NFL Rank: 27

NFL Rank: 28

NFL Rank: 7

What has changed? Nothing! I'd say Gunther's [in]ability to stop the run is becoming more apparent. What's the excuse this time?

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Comments

question

Do we have the talent on the D line to be competent in a year or two? Is the problem talent or coaching?

by ChiefsDude on Oct 29, 2008 9:53 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yes

but we need a MIDDLE LINEBACKER. It’s arguable the most important position in the Cover 2. I can already tell a difference in our interior D-line in regards to keeping the guards and center off our our LB’s, but our LB’s now have to actually be in the right place and make the freakin’ tackle!

by PVChiefsfan on Oct 29, 2008 10:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

2003

Gun was not our Defensive Cordinator in 2003 he was hired back after that year. Our defense has improved every year under Gun until this year where we only have 2 starters playing the same position as last year, everyone either changed position or is a new starter.

by tevans96 on Oct 29, 2008 10:19 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

You're right

But the bigger point is that we haven’t done anything in 5 years to fix the run defense. They’re still as incompetent as they were 5 years ago.

by primetime 07 on Oct 29, 2008 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The new excuse (besides rebuilding)

is the O goes “three and out” too fast and the D is fatigued.

by NJChiefsFan on Oct 29, 2008 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

we have not jelled

I think the big problem this year is that the guys on defense don’t trust eachother. They are overplaying and moving themselves out of position, there have been several plays where we give up long runs and you can see the player get out of position and then get himself out of the play.

3 rookies + 3 first year starters, or over half your squad, is not a good combination for success. And on top of that I think we all agree that at least 2 positions, DE & MLB, need to be upgraded next year. And the biggest problem is that those are the two most critical positions in the D we run.

by tevans96 on Oct 29, 2008 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah right.

Wasn’t there a point (in the last 3 years) where we didn’t give up a 100 yard rusher for 10 +games? I think K. mitchell was the Middle linebacker. I could be wrong, but I thought we were second only to B-more, as far as 100 yard rushers go.

by GHOST OF DT on Oct 29, 2008 2:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

A few years ago that is

by GHOST OF DT on Oct 29, 2008 2:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Herm rating

http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/staff/posts/18422

This is a link to who players vote they would most like to play for. Herm is number 5. Clearly the players that voted for him don’t like winning or doing anything to prepare them to win.

Herm Edwards - the new Art Shell.

by CBaller13 on Oct 29, 2008 11:50 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I know I am biased

but we just haven’t fielded a great career middle linebacker since Willie Lanier. We haven’t fielded a great group of linebackers since Bell, Lanier and Lynch.

I just don’t know what the answer is.

"But what do I know, I’m like an empty room with a large ECHO"

by Lanier63 on Oct 29, 2008 12:11 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

MLB

Until we get this position upgraded I don’t see a way for us to improve our D no matter what we run or who calls the plays.

We had some ok talent in the 90’s but have not kept the right guys the last 10 years.

by tevans96 on Oct 29, 2008 12:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I guess it can be said that

the better defenses stay together for many years.

"But what do I know, I’m like an empty room with a large ECHO"

by Lanier63 on Oct 29, 2008 1:04 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yes it can

Go to Wide World of Roto for all your fantasy news!

by JasonM on Oct 29, 2008 1:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

or at the very least

keep essential parts together for an extended period of time, and surround them with good supplemental talent

by sm7600 on Oct 29, 2008 1:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sounds like a balance or rookies and veterans...

…hmmmm….vaguely remionds me of something called “rebuilding” :)

Just keep matriculating the ball down the field boys.

by THE_TRUTH on Oct 29, 2008 3:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Goonther said that the LB's are the QB's for the defense...

Explains why we haven’t done well scouting players for either positions (shouldn’t have said that Gun now you just jinxed the position forever)

When was the last time we drafted a QB that ever took us into a position to make it to the SuperBowl? I think the answer is NEVER, even Dawson was a free agent pickup from Cleveland. Wow! that’s nuts.

Of the past 10 years we have only drafted 7 LB’s, and of those only 3 were taken in the first day (K. Mitchell ‘03,Key Fox ’04, D. Johnson ’05). The Chiefs didn’t even take a LB in the past 3 drafts even though our defense has been questionable for so many years.

Why did we never properly addressed the position that is the most critical for the success of a Cover 2 scheme?

by aPacificChief on Oct 29, 2008 4:09 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Carl Peterson

"But what do I know, I’m like an empty room with a large ECHO"

by Lanier63 on Oct 29, 2008 4:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Goonther

…Nice. Never heard that one :)

by primetime 07 on Oct 29, 2008 4:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hey PT congrats on your own article spot.....

by aPacificChief on Oct 29, 2008 5:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks!

by primetime 07 on Oct 29, 2008 5:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

But we never were able to draft a QB throughout the history of the franchise...

that ever was able to get us to the SuperBowl. I agree about Peterson’s failures, but why are we so bad in drafting QB’s?

by aPacificChief on Oct 29, 2008 4:22 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Just look at 1983

That year there were 6 QB’s taken in the first round, this is considered by far the strongest QB draft class of all time. The Chiefs as we all know were one of the teams to take a QB in that class. So what do we do with the 7th over all pick and the 2nd QB taken, we select the one with the worst pro career out of the bunch.

4 of the 6 lead their team to the super bowl – John Elway (5 – 2 wins) Jim Kelly (4) Dan Marino (1) Tony Eason (1)

Of the other two QBs one, Ken O’Brien had a productive 11 year career. While the other player, Todd Blackledge, only played 7 seasons and only 5 with the Chiefs.

That draft as much as anything I think makes this organization gun shy about drafting a QB, the only guy they had no chance of getting was Elway. They could have picked any of the others. But unlike San Diego we have not even tried again after our mistake we just go with retreads.

by tevans96 on Oct 30, 2008 1:08 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

NUTS.....Ya know the next highest QB we ever took after Blackledge was Elkins...

in ‘89 with the 32nd overall pick in the second round. So I’d have to agree with the gun shy part.

Fascinating……The Chiefs selected another 5 QB’s since Elkins, and none higher than the 32nd pick since ’89.

by aPacificChief on Oct 30, 2008 5:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

cause we are the CHIEFS!!! we have shitty luck when i to comes to that stuff we cant find a tom brady, or a trent edwards we are so unlucky and i know all yall see that too!!!

by kcchiefsfan56 on Oct 29, 2008 6:55 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs