Pendergast Says Chiefs Defense Has to Stop the Run and Big Plays

by Joel Thorman on Dec 15, 2009 1:14 PM CST in 2009 Kansas City Chiefs Campaign

Photo courtesy KCChiefs.com

Todd Haley assistant coaches and coordinators don't talk to the media so it was a nice surprise to see Josh Looney of KCChiefs.com recently sat down with Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast. As many of you know, there have been some things on defense the Chiefs have done well and some things they haven't done so well.

We'll start with someone Pendergast believes is making strides -- Tamba Hali. As we've noted plenty of times, Hali's transformation into an outside linebacker is especially impressive when you note that he's previously played with his hands on the ground.

"He put a lot of time in the offseason through the OTAs, mini-camp and of course training camp trying to learn how to play the position," Pendergast said of Hali. "We're asking him to stand up and not only read run or pass, but when he does read pass, drop into coverage based on what our defensive call is."

Pendergast pointed out that much of this, particularly dropping into coverage, is new for Hali. He's been excellent at pressuring the passer so it's nice to see that he's also progressing as a cover guy.

Looney also asked Pendergast the one area where the Chiefs have improved the most.

"There's a lot of things we have to do better but I'd probably say the third down defense has been the most improved. We've done a nice job of getting three and outs."

The Chiefs are among the league leaders in third down defense. They force a ridiculous amount of three-and-outs when you compare this season's number to last year. It's really an encouraging sign that the Chiefs are performing well on the most crucial down.

Pendergast also hit on two big problems for the Chiefs defense this season - Stopping the big play and stopping the run.

"The big plays are all about trust and accountability within the scheme and all 11 guys being on the same page and working together," he told Looney.

Indeed. This is pretty much exactly what Haley has said in the past. Big plays aren't always one little miscommunication by one player. It's a team effort and those sorts of things usually happen when everyone's not on the same page.

"I think first and foremost we have to continue to stop the run defensively," he explained. "There's been some games this year where we've played the run fairly well. We didn't do it as well as we would have liked last week."

As for the final three games?

"I think these last [three] games we have to continue working on stopping the run, eliminating the big plays and continuing to be good on third downs."

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"Ya see,"

“for the defense to be good, they have to stop the other team moving up and down the field and scoring points.”

-Clancy Pendergast

Please help send my girlfriend to Broadway! Visit http://magonbroadway.blogspot.com/

by Patrick Allen on Dec 15, 2009 1:16 PM CST reply actions

wow clancy thats genius

Let me get this straight… If the other team has less pts than the chiefs then the chiefs win? Is that the objective?

by golfbard on Dec 15, 2009 4:39 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

I know Looney is a company man

but he punked out on that interview. How about asking Clancy why the team is still giving up yards and points in bunches? How about asking what the Chiefs need to take the next, or any step forward as a defense?

He was tossing up the softest of softball questions.

Hard nosed journalism…

Please help send my girlfriend to Broadway! Visit http://magonbroadway.blogspot.com/

by Patrick Allen on Dec 15, 2009 1:18 PM CST reply actions

I think you answered your own question in the subject line, though. To be fair, Looney isn't a "journalist" so much as a "PR guy" to give the franchise a face. I think he does his job, though.

My long, drawn-out predictions that no one cares about, nor will bother to remember:

1. Todd Haley will still be the Chiefs Head Coach up to the 2011 season.
2. Clancy Pendergast won't make it to the 2010 season and was never intended to. Last-minute hire for a position that needed to be filled.
3. Todd Haley will not be the OC at the start of the 2010 season.

by jbj8609 on Dec 15, 2009 1:24 PM CST up reply actions

I think Josh does a really good job

He brings us stuff we never really got before….plus, it’s always nice to have another person blogging about the Chiefs.

Arrowhead Pride

by Joel Thorman on Dec 15, 2009 1:29 PM CST up reply actions

Exactly

Criticising Josh for not doing something that isn’t his job is completely unfair. For all the secrecy out of Arrowhead these days, Josh gives us more timely updates on day to day transactions than we have ever gotten before.

This is my signature line. It is full of awesome and win.

by KCSatchmo on Dec 15, 2009 2:07 PM CST up reply actions

I like Looney a lot

but he could have asked something a little more juicy.

Please help send my girlfriend to Broadway! Visit http://magonbroadway.blogspot.com/

by Patrick Allen on Dec 15, 2009 1:37 PM CST up reply actions

Looney's been great

he’s a welcome addition and excellent information outlet. I’ve found him to be surprisingly and brutally honest at times for someone who posts to the team website.

by VermeilLikesToCry on Dec 15, 2009 1:56 PM CST up reply actions

Agreed completely

Arrowhead Pride

by Joel Thorman on Dec 15, 2009 1:59 PM CST up reply actions

this franchise is at a point where it has to be very careful about the PR the fans see

i know it’s not much, but honestly this small interview may be all we get in terms of “answers” about this franchise. they keep secrets as it is, but clark and pioli are aware that they have a very passionate fanbase. a fanbase that needs to feel involved. look at AP for example. a lot of people spend a lot of time on this blog, and the quality is sterling. the ownership knows the quality of the fans that they have. instead of looking at the information this doesnt give, look at it as a gift :) they certainly didnt have to go above and beyond simply giving us another haley interview :) they still want to keep secrets, afterall

go chiefs :)

if rhymes were valiums, i'd be comfortably numb

by Chris Sembower on Dec 15, 2009 2:53 PM CST up reply actions

the biggest "gift" being..

the stat about third down efficiency. i’m still on this site religiously, and somehow i didnt know that we were actually effective on 3rd. that was enough to feed my overly optimistic nature :P

if rhymes were valiums, i'd be comfortably numb

by Chris Sembower on Dec 15, 2009 2:56 PM CST up reply actions

Nice viewpoint

Arrowhead Pride

by Joel Thorman on Dec 15, 2009 4:48 PM CST up reply actions

Thank you captain obvious.

by Budd Jones on Dec 15, 2009 1:52 PM CST reply actions

what were you honestly expecting?

if rhymes were valiums, i'd be comfortably numb

by Chris Sembower on Dec 15, 2009 2:56 PM CST up reply actions

How insightful

I never thought of it that way.

by raiderhater77 on Dec 15, 2009 1:57 PM CST via mobile reply actions

Well, it really is that simple isn't it?

Predictions:

Kansas City will not win more than four games in 2009
Kansas City will have a new OC and DC in 2010
Kansas City will win at least seven games in 2010

by jmcgoblue on Dec 15, 2009 1:59 PM CST reply actions

I'm all about demoting Clancy after the season

But what do we really expect him to say?

“Look, our LBs are really bad in pass coverage, so I have to use them in conjunction with our below average safeties to cover backs, TEs and slot receivers. This keeps us from being able to blitz as often as we would like so we’re constantly playing on our heels which is killing us in run support”

If he told the truth, we’d kill him for throwing everyone under the bus.

This is my signature line. It is full of awesome and win.

by KCSatchmo on Dec 15, 2009 2:10 PM CST reply actions

what else can one say but....

DUH!

The only measure of true success in the NFL is the Vince Lombardi trophy. Anything less is a rationalization.

by sm7600 on Dec 15, 2009 3:33 PM CST reply actions

Is Clancy the right assistant?

In another post I was indicating to krayfish that much of the head coaches success rests with the coordinators, assistants, scouts, etc.
For anyone to come into a down franchise is very difficult. Not many can even do it effectively with an already winning franchise.
To confirm the importance of those surrounding the head coach I would encourage anyone to read Bill Self’s book At Home in the Phog. There is a guy that took over a very successful team and he had his share of turmoil at the start. In the end, even with an NCAA National Championship, when it came time to renegotiate his contract, Self indicated how important it was to pay his assistants better and how important it was to try and keep certain ones.

by BCRavenJHawkfan on Dec 15, 2009 3:56 PM CST reply actions

I dont think Clancy is the answer at all.

He tries to throw different looks but then drops back into a normal zone D. other teams know this an just move the ball down till they get into the red zone are backed up. then our D plays pretty well. but thats only because of less field.

Would ya like a free NANAA!

by Jazzy Megalodon on Dec 15, 2009 4:10 PM CST reply actions

step ONE... identify the problem (check)

step TWO…. friggin fix it!

* "I doubt anyone will miss Connor Barth except UCrawford"
* the LB corps may become the biggest strength of the Chiefs in 2009
* The OL is NOT as bad as you think it is... give it time, and you'll see improvement this season
* Stats are for losers

by stagdsp on Dec 15, 2009 5:02 PM CST reply actions

Madden says

the defense is supposed to stop the other team from scoring

maybe Clancy should listen to him

by KCCheeze on Dec 15, 2009 6:06 PM CST reply actions

Pendergast is special

When i was behind the bench at the chiefs redskins game this year i was able to see what he did. He worked with the corners almost every time they came off the field. He only talked to the d-line maybe a total of 5 times the entire game. And the 2 times he did talk to the d-line was on the last 2 redskin drives. Same for the LBS he talked to vrabel and hali only pretty much when he did talk to the LBs. 3 of the other times he talked to the d-line was when he grouped every one together. It was so bad that flowers tried to ignore him every time. Idk if things have changed since that week but he had the LBs and DBS callen run or pass out way to much outloud even if it is with different words.

Pretty much what im saying if we keep him which we shouldnt then we should put him with the dbs at most.

by Kcchiefsownuson on Dec 15, 2009 6:54 PM CST reply actions

Pendergast got fired from the Cards

It wasn’t because the team sucked, it was because HIS defense wasn’t up to snuff. The on field product wasn’t good enough for the Cardinals top brass and they decided to go in a different direction. Maybe he isn’t good enough. Head coaches can get canned for any variety of factors, but coordinaters get fired because the units that they are responsible for don’t produce. If he works directly with the defense and the defense struggles mightly then the responsiblity is his. He may be a better DC than Gun but that doesn’t say a whole lot, less failure is still failure and our defense is failing at some pretty critical phases of the game, stopping the run and stopping the big play. What good does having a otherwise solid defensive day do if we give up 250 yards and two tds to Miles Austin or get eviscerated for 200 rushing yards with a 4.8 per yard average by the Bills.

by ill_spec on Dec 15, 2009 8:22 PM CST reply actions