Ian Rap: “Berry is improving”

[Dante84]

The #Chiefs and #Bucs are both 2-0 and both could be getting healthier: KC S Eric Berry (heel) is improving and could practice this week, while first-round DT Vita Vea could do the same. Too early to know their status for this weekend, but positive signs.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 17, 2018

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Absurdly high? You do realize that he still rushed the passer on 3 out of every 4 snaps right?

This idea that Houston is spending half of his time in coverage is pure 100% recall bias, not reality.

Right. It's absurdly high relative to the top tier pass rushers across the league.

Justin Houston, despite his amazing pass rushing abilities, was not called upon to be a pure pass rusher this year like nearly all elite 3-4 outside linebackers are. Instead, he was required to be much more versatile. He rushed the passer on 76.7% of his snaps, bringing his season total to 412. In those 412 pass rushes, he pressured the QB 54 times, 11th most in the NFL. Everyone above him had a higher percentage of pass rush snaps, with all but three of them over 90%. If we use that 90% number, which is on the lower end of the averages when it comes to elite 3-4 OLBs, and apply it to Houston’s 2017 season, he’d have had 64 pressures, sliding him up to 6th in the NFL.

Now those pass rushing numbers look a little better don’t they? But wait a second. Just because he’s not pass rushing doesn’t mean he’s a good pass defender does it? Well, of those 125 times he was asked to drop into coverage, he allowed 11 receptions for 133 yards and 0 TDs. I’d say that’s pretty solid for a premier pass rusher in the NFL.

Just in case you were wondering about Houston’s run stopping ability, his 31 stops tied him for second in the league among 3-4 outside linebackers. So if anyone was thinking maybe he’s a passing down specialist, think again.

On the surface, you might look at volume pass rushing numbers to judge Houston’s season. It would be an honest mistake considering his history and what the typical 3-4 OLB is asked to do. However, if you do that, you’ll miss the entire picture. He was asked to do much more than pass rush in 2017, and he did it well. Houston’s elite versatility and performance in all three elements of a linebacker’s game (pass rushing, coverage, and run stopping) have landed him a spot at number 79 on our list.

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by New World Order

We give up points when we’re up big

As is tradition.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Allen Bailey's sack happened on a play where they rushed 3 and dropped 8.

Conner's pass right up the gut for 22 happened when they rushed 6.

The blanket statement that they played "better" when they blitzed simply isn't true. It's recall bias - people seeing what they wanted to see.

I guess Reid has recall bias because he stated this in his PC today. He said Sutton made adjustments on his scheme at half time and the defense played much better.

[Marcellus]

Here are some facts to look at not simply saying the defense sucks ass and we have zero pass rush etc...

This article clearly illustrates how the pass rush effected the game in the 2nd half compared to the first. It also talks about Sutton making some big adjustments.

In the first half, Sutton repeatedly dropped eight defenders into coverage and rushed only three. This led to snap after snap of Big Ben having more than five seconds to survey the field, which will always — and it did in this case — lead to receivers getting open eventually. The Chiefs were attempting to play it “safe,” and in doing so, they got carved up. Something had to give, and fortunately for the Chiefs, that something was Sutton’s strategy, which he changed midstream.

It started with 1:57 left in the third quarter, with the Chiefs leading by a touchdown. The Steelers had a 3rd-and-3 after a nice stuff by linebacker Anthony Hitchens the play prior. The Chiefs desperately needed a stop, and Sutton decided to punch rather than counter-punch for a change.

The Chiefs show blitz, and rather than backing off into coverage, they send six defenders at Big Ben, overwhelming the offensive line with too many bodies to block. Roethlisberger is forced to throw immediately without a clear lane and from an uncomfortable platform, and the ball ends up inaccurate and incomplete.

This is exactly what the Chiefs need to be doing, and should have been doing the moment it became clear that the Steelers were going to pick a more conservative game plan apart. While there is inherent risk in blitzing and playing aggressively, the upside is that occasionally it will pay off in the form of a big play or a stop. When a defense is already giving up yards and points, the “risk” of playing aggressively is negated in that the bad outcome is already occurring. So trying to at least make a few plays for the other side makes sense.

This stop was absolutely crucial for the Chiefs in that it allowed the offense to stretch the lead to 42-28. And the next two drives, the Chiefs continued to play a more aggressive brand of football that led to positive results.

On the Steelers’ first drive of the fourth quarter, they had a 1st-and-10 at their own 38-yard-line. Once again, Sutton chose to be aggressive rather than sitting back, and it paid off.
Sutton blitzes safety Eric Murray while showing blitz with both inside linebackers. Steelers tight end Vance McDonald hits Murray on his way to a route, which slows the blitz but also disrupts the timing of the route. This allows outside linebacker Justin Houston a moment to create pressure on the edge, and Roethlisberger has very little time to step up, as Murray is closing fast. This results in a dump-off to McDonald, which Hitchens is waiting for and makes a quick stop.

A play like this demonstrates the value of pressure on the quarterback, in that it forces a hurried process. The very next play, Sutton continued to dial up heat.

Here, the Chiefs again threaten blitz with both inside linebackers, but this time Terrance Smith actually does blitz while Hitchens drops back into coverage. Smith is fast enough to split the (late) right guard and running back and get in Roethlisberger’s face. The result is an errant throw out of bounds.

The Chiefs didn’t blitz on the next play, a 3rd-and-8, but they did threaten it. As a result of the pressure the preceding two plays, Roethlisberger’s internal clock seemed to be accelerated, and despite a rather ineffective four-man rush, he got rid of the ball in a hurry, only to have it knocked aside by cornerback Kendall Fuller. The benefit of being aggressive isn’t just the plays where a blitz occurs. It’s beneficial in that it forces the quarterback to speed up his process, even on downs when the pressure isn’t there.

Unfortunately for the defense, the Chiefs gave up a safety on their ensuing offensive possession, pulling the Steelers to within 12 and giving the ball back. However, the defense again tightened up and forced another punt. On this drive, the Chiefs did not blitz as often (though they did threaten it), but they also ceased rushing only three defenders, instead opting for the more traditional four-man rush. Had they not done so, defensive lineman Allen Bailey would never have been alone against a blocker on one of the most important plays of the game.
Outside linebacker Dee Ford and lineman Chris Jones both draw extra attention on this play, which leaves Bailey on an island against an overmatched left guard. Bailey takes advantage of the one-on-one situation and walks his lineman right back into Roethlisberger, sacking him and setting up what proved to be an insurmountable distance for the Steelers on third down.

While rushing four isn’t exactly an “aggressive” tactic, when it’s compared to dropping eight and rushing just three, it looks downright predatory. And it paid off.

Jones noted after the game that the coaching staff made some adjustments that had a positive impact in the second half. “We knew they were going to get going. We knew they were going to score points. We adjusted to what they were doing. I feel like we all expected this. [The coaches] put us in good situations [in the second half] and the defense got off the field and gave it to our offense and our offense scored points.”

As Jones stated, the Chiefs’ defense came through to force three straight punts in the third and fourth quarter at a time when a stop was desperately needed. The first stop allowed the offense to put the Chiefs up by two scores. The second held that lead and gave the Chiefs a chance to put the game away. When the offense failed to do so, the third prevented a safety from leading to disaster and helped the Chiefs seize back momentum.

Of course, the Chiefs proceeded to fumble the ball away on the following possession (during what was looking like a scoring drive that would ice the game for the Chiefs), and the defense was forced into a rough position one more time with 5:03 remaining in the game.

While the Steelers were able to score on that possession, the Chiefs’ defense did gain a small victory: The drive took nine plays and chewed up more than three minutes. Forcing the Steelers to eat some clock and burn the last natural stoppage in play mattered a great deal to the final outcome of the game. And again, Sutton was willing to play it aggressive. An example of this came on 1st-and-goal from the Chiefs’ 6-yard-line, where Sutton created the appearance of dropping the entire defense but brought Hitchens up the middle unexpectedly.
This blitz took the Steelers by surprise to the point that, despite the presence of only two other pass-rushers, Hitchens found himself alone against the left guard with a head of steam. He was able to use his strength and momentum to push the offensive lineman right into Roethlisberger’s lap, forcing a throwaway and a crucial lost down at a crucial point.

Hitchens, like Jones, noted the difference in the 2 halves and viewed the defensive issues as fixable. “We just kept fighting in the second half. We came out [after halftime] and played much better. It wasn’t our best performance on defense, but it’s all mental stuff that we can fix. When you’re going against a Hall of Fame quarterback, he’s going to get some yards.”

The Chiefs’ defense didn’t do enough Sunday to be praised. However, they did just enough to help carry the offense through a slight pause in dominance down the stretch. Had the defense not held up after the safety, the entire dynamic of the game shifts.

The Chiefs didn’t exactly become a blitz-happy team in the second half, but they were definitely a great deal more aggressive than they were in the disastrous second quarter of the game. Even the first drive, in which they surrendered a touchdown, showed a shift in strategy from Sutton, with a very aggressive blitz from safety Eric Murray on 2nd-and-7.
Murray fails to finish — some credit should go to Roethlisberger, but failing to even slow down the quarterback is inexcusable with that sort of free shot — but the blitz itself is well-designed. Murray comes after the quarterback from his spot as a slot defender, which has the added benefit of forcing the Steelers to keep in mind that same blitz every time a slot defender lines up similarly. Had Murray not badly whiffed, that drive may have been dead in its tracks and I’d be writing about the Chiefs forcing four straight punts rather than three.

The defense is a major cause for concern for the Chiefs. That is an absolute truth. However, by dialing up the aggression, they were able to at least generate a few positive plays of their own and stop the Steelers often enough in the second half to contribute to the win. Hopefully Sutton takes a lesson from this game: The defense is likely going to surrender yards and points through the air — the run defense continues to look pretty competent, so that’s a plus — regardless of how safe he plays it, so there’s little sense in continuing to try and bend but not break.

Dee Ford was both critical and optimistic after the game. “We’ve got to get stops and we’ve got to communicate. There were a few times, I felt in crucial times, that we gave up big plays. That’s what it’s about now: not giving up big plays when we have a lead. As a defense, we’re not even scratching the surface.”

The Chiefs ought to embrace their quick-strike offense by adopting a more all-or-nothing approach on defense. By forcing the hand of opposing teams, the Chiefs can deliver some shots of their own rather than dying the death of a thousand paper cuts every drive. That could at least help the defense be good enough until Berry returns. And again, that’s all it needs to be. Just good enough.

There is a lot of video to go with the plays mentioned in the article but I cant embed and since you guys are so cheap and wont get an Athletic subscription you get what you get.

[Sassy Squatch]

Good grief. He's got Jones, Hitchens, and Fuller who should play at an above average level, overpaid goons like Ford and Houston who are still competent enough to play football, and a plethora of JAGs like Bailey, William's, Ragland, Nelson, and Parker. It shouldn't be that ****ing hard to assemble a somewhat competent, even mediocre defense with those pieces.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I guess Reid has recall bias because he stated this in his PC today. He said Sutton made adjustments on his scheme at half time and the defense played much better.

Sutton made adjustments, not all of those adjustments were blitzes. Try again.

[New World Order]

We forced two straight punts and a long fga at the start of the game followed by that bs holding call that took away our fumble 6 from Big Ben. Pass rush was active early but disappeared after we went up 3 scores

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

Yes, let's put all the blame on the GM who's had one real real offseason to fix the defense with the handicaps of having to trade away an All Pro talent at CB and no first rounder, and completely absolve the DC whose units have a proven track record of collapsing and giving away big leads at the most innoportune times in the most important games.

The same DC that took Mark Sanchez to consecutive AFC championship games and coordinated a top 10 scoring defense 4 years in a row?

Nobody is absolving the DC. You keep saying it and it isn't true.

I'm saying you can't fire the DC and expect the next guy to make chicken salad out of chicken doo doo. It isn't going to happen.

Players make plays. This is the NFL, not college.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

It was pretty much acknowledge by the Chiefs they kept Sutton this year because they didn't blame him because the talent wasn't that good. So they have switched out over half the defensive starters and they are worse than last year.

Is that Veach's fault or maybe Sutton sucks? I mean he has been in charge of some of the largest defensive meltdowns in playoff history.

It's Veach's fault that none of the guys he drafted this year are contributing at all. 100% his fault. Unless of course Andy is actually the one making the picks, which wouldn't surprise me.

And Sutton, as has been mentioned, has fielded REPEATED top 10 defenses when given the talent, just like pretty much every defensive coordinator in the history of the NFL.

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

The same DC that took Mark Sanchez to consecutive AFC championship games and coordinated a top 10 scoring defense 4 years in a row?

Nobody is absolving the DC. You keep saying it and it isn't true.

I'm saying you can't fire the DC and expect the next guy to make chicken salad out of chicken doo doo. It isn't going to happen.

Players make plays. This is the NFL, not college.

Guess what? Stagnation happens. Things that worked a decade ago might not be as effective today.

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

It's Veach's fault that none of the guys he drafted this year are contributing at all. 100% his fault. Unless of course Andy is actually the one making the picks, which wouldn't surprise me.

And Sutton, as has been mentioned, has fielded REPEATED top 10 defenses when given the talent, just like pretty much every defensive coordinator in the history of the NFL.

Absolute bullshit. You've got 2 players in Watts and O'Daniel whose counterparts are playing like tire fires in Murray and Smith, and yet they don't even get a chance to play.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

Good grief. He's got Jones, Hitchens, and Fuller who should play at an above average level, overpaid goons like Ford and Houston who are still competent enough to play football, and a plethora of JAGs like Bailey, William's, Ragland, Nelson, and Parker. It shouldn't be that ****ing hard to assemble a somewhat competent, even mediocre defense with those pieces.

What games have you been watching? Fuller has missed more tackles than Ragland and he makes as many bad plays in coverage as he does good ones. He's not above average, at least not right now.

Hitchens and Jones are the only ones playing above average. The rest stink, including Ford, who completely gave up on a broken play yesterday and allowed a TE/RB a free run down the sideline for a huge gain.

NOBODY is going to make this defense good. NOBODY. They're awful.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

Absolute bullshit. You've got 2 players in Watts and O'Daniel whose counterparts are playing like tire fires in Murray and Smith, and yet they don't even get a chance to play.

Because they're not good enough. Do you honestly think if they were good, they'd still be on the bench?

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

Guess what? Stagnation happens. Things that worked a decade ago might not be as effective today.

Players make plays. When we have some, guess what? The defense will get better, regardless of who coaches it.

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

What games have you been watching? Fuller has missed more tackles than Ragland and he makes as many bad plays in coverage as he does good ones. He's not above average, at least not right now.

Hitchens and Jones are the only ones playing above average. The rest stink, including Ford, who completely gave up on a broken play yesterday and allowed a TE/RB a free run down the sideline for a huge gain.

NOBODY is going to make this defense good. NOBODY. They're awful.

So Fuller has a year where he is considered the top slot CB in the NFL in Washington and possibly top 5 overall in the league according to PFF, and then he comes here and starts playing badly? What happened? Talent doesn't just disappear overnight.