Kansas City Chiefs Front Seven Evaluation: NFL Week Five

Sweet release, thy name is the weekend!  Hey everyone, I'm finally free after a long week of the real life in the way, and I'm here to bring you the KPM for the Indianapolis Colts vs. Kansas City Chiefs game last week.  There were some stellar performances this week, but for the most part, it was a down week...especially for the inside linebacking corps.  This week, I added in the season long KPM/snap figures!  As always, the rating system is located here.  Let's get to it!

 

• 67.1% of the time, the Chiefs lined up in the nickel formation.
• 31.5% of the time, the Chiefs lined up in the 2-4-5 formation.
• 1.4% of the time, the Chiefs lined up in the goal line formation.

• McGraw is playing a hybrid safety/linebacker opposite of Vrabel. Tamba is still playing a standing linebacker role, but when in the 2-4-5, he always has someone standing just to the outside of him. This pushes Tamba inside a bit more than usual, and either Vrabel or McGraw plays a distanced outside linebacker.

• As it seems to often happen, DJ and Belcher start off the game very tentative. Because there is one fewer down lineman this week, there are more offensive lineman running free. Their hesitation is costing them in this regard, because the offensive lineman are blocking them out of the play before they make their minds up about which gap to hit.

• Belcher came out of the game on the first goal line defense package and was replaced by Mays. Belcher is typically better at hitting the holes, so that's a bit surprising. Maybe Mays hits harder and is stouter at the point of attack when he does meet the running back?

• Great play on 2^nd and Goal on the Colts first series. Dorsey and Edwards eat up a double team, Gilberry swims around his man and gets into the backfield, causing Addai to try to cut back into the defense. DJ flies through the line and wraps up Addai for a tackle behind the line of scrimmage.

• The Colts first goal line series: 2-4-5 on first down, goal line on second down, and nickel on third down.

• There are so many Colts offensive linemen getting to the second level with their blocks. The defensive linemen are simply overwhelmed in the 2-4-5.

• The extra offensive linemen in the second level seem to have the Chiefs inside linebackers a little spooked. First play of the 2^nd half, Dorsey grabs a great double team, opening a gap that Hart is running towards. DJ steps up to attack the gap, then backs off 2-3 yards, beyond the first down marker. Hart hits the empty hole and runs forward into DJ who stops him just beyond the first down line.

• Peyton is killing the secondary with slant routes. The safeties are so far off the line of scrimmage that a simple cut inside the cornerback leaves a lot of empty space for the wide receivers to run. The defense is far too worried about getting beat over the top, and it is allowing the short pass and run game to be far more successful than it should be.

• For all the shortcomings in the run defense department, Tamba looks stronger than normal. It seems that shifting him inside a bit is creating problems for both the left tackle and left guard, and he's not getting shoved off the line.

• Midway through the second quarter, the Chiefs have not sent a blitz. This is the epitome of a bend-but-don't break defense.

• Side note: I've noticed that Belcher has the "dot", but DJ plays every down. Wouldn't the coaching staff want to communicate with the player that is on the field every snap? Hrm.

• Another great play at the end of the 1^st half. The Colts have 4^th and 2, and the Chiefs are in the nickel defense. Peyton snaps the ball and hands off to Addai. Dorsey has blown through the line and gets blocked in the back by two Colts, but he has forced Addai to slow up and cut to the outside. Tamba holds the edge and forces Addai back inside to a waiting McGraw who tackles him for a 1 yard gain and the turnover on downs.

• The Chiefs first defensive play of the 2^nd half was in the nickel set. Crennel's got a ton of respect for Peyton Manning and the Colts offense.

• Both Gilberry and Shaun Smith have a very nice 1 KPM/snap at the half!

• McGraw has been outstanding in coverage and solid in run support thus far. Good call by Crennel on the gamble to play him forward. He's done quite well.

• Back to back completed passes allowed by DJ, one of which would've been an easy breakup just by turning his head.

• On both of DJ's completed passes, Dorsey stunted inside and let Gilberry use his speed to try to rush through the middle. Neither worked, and the offensive linemen didn't bite on it.

• Gilberry, once again, gets into the backfield, this time on a double team. He beats his men, turns Addai back into Dorsey, who smashes him into the ground for a tackle for loss.

• Gilberry AGAIN beats a double team and gets through on a passing play. Manning is not able to step into the throw and ends up throwing the pass short. Gilberry is playing lights out right now.

• Magee with a nice play to make his man miss and close a huge gap for a tackle for no gain.

• The pass interference call against DJ was terrible. We all knew this when it happened, but looking over it again just made it even worse.

• Lots of nickel snaps in a row near the end of the 3^rd quarter. The 2-4-5 and the nickel were (surprisingly) around even, but the nickel has become more prevalent.

• Seeing lots of Magee in the nickel this week. He looks pretty quick off the snap, and is working over the offensive linemen pretty heavily. Nothing serious out of him through three quarters, but he doesn't look half-bad out there.

• Magee and Gilberry as down linemen in the 4^th quarter, and they're both playing very well. Gilberry is eating up double teams on running plays, and Magee had a great play where he was held (penalty was called) and still got in to fill the gap. Good work out of both players.

• Three consecutive receptions allowed by Arenas on the Colts touchdown drive. Peyton really picked on him after realizing how difficult it was to throw at Flowers, Carr, and McGraw.

• No negative KPM for the touchdown allowed. The Chiefs were in the nickel formation with Magee and Gilberry as down linemen. Gilberry was head up with the right tackle, and Magee was head up with the center. Magee got the double team of the center and right guard, but because of the lack of down linemen, the left guard went unblocked into the second level and picked up DJ. Given the formation and the playcall, I cannot give negative points. Good execution by the Colts and unfortunate formation call by the Chiefs.

• I will not be counting the kneel-downs the Colts had at the end of the game into the players snap figures. As there was nothing that they could feasibly do to prevent the kneel-downs, there is no point in counting them for these player evaluations.

 

The KPM's:

Glenn Dorsey 

Dorsey was a STUD this week.  He had three gaps filled, eight double teams, three backfield penetrations, one quarterback pressure that forced the quarterback out of the pocket, and one tackle for loss.  He did let three men through early, and he missed a tackle.  After the initial onset of running plays, Dorsey stepped up and made up for the lack of the defensive linemen.  He played incredibly well against a good offensive line.

Overall KPM:  26 Points

Snaps:  62

KPM/Snap:  0.419

Ron Edwards 

Ron was a casualty of the 2-4-5 this week.  He was double teamed four times and let three free men through.  He really wasn't on the field for very long, and he too suffered from the extra offensive lineman.

Overall KPM:  2 Points 

Snaps:  17

KPM/Snap:  0.118


Wallace Gilberry 

Wallace was in beast mode this week!!!  Seven double teams, four backfield penetrations, three quarterback pressures, and one tackle for loss.  He didn't record a single negative play.  Where other defensive linemen were found lacking, Wallace shouldered the burden and really put it to the players in front of him.  He was everywhere, and was the perfect call for the amount of snaps he recorded.

Overall KPM: 36 Points 

Snaps:  39

KPM/Snap:  0.923

Shaun Smith 

Shaun Smith had the same deal as Edwards.  He pulled three double teams and turned a running back into a tackle.  Nothing negative on his end, but he really wasn't on the field for very long.

Overall KPM: 7 Points

Snaps:  8

KPM/Snap:  0.875

 

Alex Magee

Alex really played his heart out last week.  He filled two gaps, got three double teams, one tackle for no gain, and one forced penalty.  Between him, Gilberry, and Dorsey, the defensive end position held its own.  The three players were constantly causing trouble, and while it didn't always result in a positive play, they made the offensive line stay honest, even with a three man rush.  Stark difference from last year, and Magee was a big part of it.

Overall KPM:  11 Points

Snaps:  24

KPM/Snap:  0.458

Mike Vrabel

Vrabel did what he does this week.  Three gaps filled, two quarterback pressures, and one allowed pass completion.  Solid, but unspectacular is the name of his game, and he does it well.  There are times while watching the game that he'll disappear for several plays, but when breaking it down, he's just doing his job.

Overall KPM:  4 Points

Snaps:  70

KPM/Snap:  0.057

 

Tamba Hali

Tamba, Tamba, Tamba, you are a monster!  Four gaps filled, seven quarterback pressures (two forced Peyton out of the pocket), a sack, and a forced fumble.  He did have a missed tackle that would've resulted in a tackle for loss, but outside of that, he had another killer week.  The Colts chipped at him often after the initial onslaught of quarterback pressures, but he still routinely got into the backfield and forced quick and uncomfortable throws.

Overall KPM:  26 Points

Snaps:  73

KPM/Snap:  0.356

 

Derrick Johnson

DJ finally had a down week by the standard he's set this year.  He had seven gaps filled, broke up a pass, forced a dropped pass, two tackles for loss, and one tackle for no gain.  He hit the wrong gap once, was late to three gaps, allowed two completed passes, and missed a tackle.  DJ was the unfortunate player who had the onus on him throughout most of the second half while the Chiefs were heavy in the nickel package.  He still played very well, and his average KPM is based on the formation and Peyton Manning, rather than him playing badly.

Overall KPM:  7 Points

Snaps:  73

KPM/Snap:  0.096

 

Jovan Belcher

Jovan was not on the field as much as he normally is, and it's probably not a terrible thing.  He filled four gaps and had a tackle for no gain, as well as a wrong gap and a missed tackle.  He was playing very well against the run, but Peyton was looking at him when Jovan was on the field.  Crennel recognized this and got him off the field before he became a liability against the pass.  He should be back on the field in full effect against Houston in the 3-4.

Overall KPM:   1 Point

Snaps:  23

KPM/Snap:  0.043

 

Corey Mays

Mays was on the field in the goal line package.  He didn't do anything to register a positive or negative KPM point.

Overall KPM:  0 Points

Snaps:  1

KPM/Snap:  0.000

 

Andy Studebaker

Studebaker was in on the goal line package and while Vrabel was injured on the sidelines.  He filled one gap while he was in.

Overall KPM:  1 Point

Snaps:  4

KPM/Snap:  0.250

 

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KPM Rankings:

Defensive Line:

1. Wallace Gilberry 36
2. Glenn Dorsey 26
3. Alex Magee 11
4. Shaun Smith 7
5. Ron Edwards 2