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KChiefs1 · 01-23-2020, 08:25 AM

Chiefs film review, Part 1: With Mike Pennel leading the way, KC boasts a new and improved run defense

https://theathletic.com/1552465/2020...d-run-defense/

Seth Keysor

People should be talking about the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense more than they are right now.

The Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game victory over the Tennessee Titans should have opened some eyes nationally as to the improvement Kansas City has made in stopping the run. Titans running back Derrick Henry was an unstoppable force barreling through the playoffs one run defense at a time, and the Chiefs, it was believed, were weak in that area. It looked like the perfect foil for Kansas City’s Super Bowl chances.

Instead, the Chiefs held Henry to his lowest rushing total since Week 10, and his lowest yards-per-carry output since Week 6. They also handed him a net loss catching the ball, tackling him behind the line of scrimmage on both of his catches for a total of minus-8 yards.

Despite that impressive performance, a strange narrative has emerged from the game that the Titans “went away” from running the ball and that was the reason Henry didn’t dominate the game as anticipated.

https://twitter.com/gmfb/status/1219...562159104?s=21

The common discourse surrounding the game is that all-universe quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ buzzsaw of an offense forced the Titans to start playing catch-up and Henry was thus contained. As always, though, it’s important to fact-check claims to see whether they match up with reality. An easy way to do this is to check the drive logs, which show you every single play that occurred throughout the game.

Doing so in the Titans-Chiefs game shows that the Titans didn’t go away from using Henry because they were trailing by too much to run the ball. Rather, it appears they went away from him because he was largely ineffective. On Henry’s first 9 carries, he averaged 5 yards per carry, a respectable number. However, 24 of his 45 yards came on 2 attempts. His remaining attempts averaged 3 yards and set the Titans behind the chains several times, requiring passes or penalties to bail them out of bad down-and-distance situations.

After those first 9 carries, things got worse for Henry and the Titans rushing offense. On Henry’s final 10 carries — all of which came before the fourth quarter and the Chiefs seizing their biggest lead of the day — he gained a paltry 24 yards. The first carry of that ineffective stretch came with 13:39 remaining in the second quarter and the Titans holding a 10-7 lead. After that point in the game (keeping in mind the Titans extended their lead to 10 points), Henry’s runs gained 3, 5, 4, 3, 1, 1, 0, 3, 4 and 0 yards. And that’s leaving out a 3rd-and-1 stuff in which Henry was unable to gain first-down yardage despite a holding penalty on the Titans (that play can be found here).

So how did the Chiefs do it? Were they stacking the box constantly and daring the Titans to pass? Well, no.

https://twitter.com/natewellerr/stat...057188869?s=21

Pennel, Nnadi, Clark, Suggs and the rest of the defensive front are set to face a very different run game in the San Francisco 49ers’. However, the way in which the front was able to dominate the action against the Titans bodes well for their ability to control the line of scrimmage. While the Chiefs’ defense did struggle to stop opposing run games in the first half of the season, the additions of Pennel and Suggs, Clark’s return to health and the continued development of Saunders and Kpassagnon have them playing like a very different group now. If they continue to operate the way they did against Tennessee, the 49ers will not be able to get away with ignoring the passing game like they did against the Packers, and perhaps the Chiefs’ front seven will start getting the respect it deserves.

01-23-2020, 08:25 AM	#3145
KChiefs1 I’m a Mahomo! Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Mid-Missouri Casino cash: $6771021	Chiefs hire Steve Spagnuolo as new defensive coordinator Chiefs film review, Part 1: With Mike Pennel leading the way, KC boasts a new and improved run defense https://theathletic.com/1552465/2020...d-run-defense/ Seth Keysor People should be talking about the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense more than they are right now. The Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game victory over the Tennessee Titans should have opened some eyes nationally as to the improvement Kansas City has made in stopping the run. Titans running back Derrick Henry was an unstoppable force barreling through the playoffs one run defense at a time, and the Chiefs, it was believed, were weak in that area. It looked like the perfect foil for Kansas City’s Super Bowl chances. Instead, the Chiefs held Henry to his lowest rushing total since Week 10, and his lowest yards-per-carry output since Week 6. They also handed him a net loss catching the ball, tackling him behind the line of scrimmage on both of his catches for a total of minus-8 yards. Despite that impressive performance, a strange narrative has emerged from the game that the Titans “went away” from running the ball and that was the reason Henry didn’t dominate the game as anticipated. https://twitter.com/gmfb/status/1219...562159104?s=21 The common discourse surrounding the game is that all-universe quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ buzzsaw of an offense forced the Titans to start playing catch-up and Henry was thus contained. As always, though, it’s important to fact-check claims to see whether they match up with reality. An easy way to do this is to check the drive logs, which show you every single play that occurred throughout the game. Doing so in the Titans-Chiefs game shows that the Titans didn’t go away from using Henry because they were trailing by too much to run the ball. Rather, it appears they went away from him because he was largely ineffective. On Henry’s first 9 carries, he averaged 5 yards per carry, a respectable number. However, 24 of his 45 yards came on 2 attempts. His remaining attempts averaged 3 yards and set the Titans behind the chains several times, requiring passes or penalties to bail them out of bad down-and-distance situations. After those first 9 carries, things got worse for Henry and the Titans rushing offense. On Henry’s final 10 carries — all of which came before the fourth quarter and the Chiefs seizing their biggest lead of the day — he gained a paltry 24 yards. The first carry of that ineffective stretch came with 13:39 remaining in the second quarter and the Titans holding a 10-7 lead. After that point in the game (keeping in mind the Titans extended their lead to 10 points), Henry’s runs gained 3, 5, 4, 3, 1, 1, 0, 3, 4 and 0 yards. And that’s leaving out a 3rd-and-1 stuff in which Henry was unable to gain first-down yardage despite a holding penalty on the Titans (that play can be found here). So how did the Chiefs do it? Were they stacking the box constantly and daring the Titans to pass? Well, no. https://twitter.com/natewellerr/stat...057188869?s=21 Pennel, Nnadi, Clark, Suggs and the rest of the defensive front are set to face a very different run game in the San Francisco 49ers’. However, the way in which the front was able to dominate the action against the Titans bodes well for their ability to control the line of scrimmage. While the Chiefs’ defense did struggle to stop opposing run games in the first half of the season, the additions of Pennel and Suggs, Clark’s return to health and the continued development of Saunders and Kpassagnon have them playing like a very different group now. If they continue to operate the way they did against Tennessee, the 49ers will not be able to get away with ignoring the passing game like they did against the Packers, and perhaps the Chiefs’ front seven will start getting the respect it deserves. __________________ Last edited by KChiefs1; 01-23-2020 at 09:06 AM..
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