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

[OKchiefs]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Every team holds, every game. Yet somehow other teams get sacks.

Plus, Houston has been virtually non-existent for more than an entire season. It isn't just one game.

Hey, I was critical of Houston's week 1 performance. But I think this week he actually showed something. And yes, holding happens all the time. But the holding in that game was so blatant that I don't think we should expect that every week. Houston had one sack called back and possibly could have had another on Roethlisberger's completion past the LOS if not for a blatant hold.

I don't disagree that Houston isn't what he once was, but I still think he's a dangerous pass rusher when given the opportunity.

[FAX]

Quite so, Mr. htismaqe.

You can call holding on every single play. I don't really like pinning losses on officiating. Heck fuzzy, I could even tolerate the new helmet rule and am almost at peace with the "landing on the QB with yourself" rule.

The egregious holds in critical situations are the ones that should bother people. Like, for example, the one on Fisher that cost us a late-game tie in the playoffs. Either call them consistently or don't call them at all. It doesn't matter if it's o-line or d-backfield. Just be consistent and I'm good.

I didn't see consistency in the last game ... but, honestly, that's probably the homer in me.

FAX

[kysirsoze]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Every team holds, every game. Yet somehow other teams get sacks.

Plus, Houston has been virtually non-existent for more than an entire season. It isn't just one game.

And there's a big difference between between "Houston isn't what he was" and "Houston cannot generate push". It's simply not true. I don't think EB is going to bring back the old Houston and I don't think Houston is going to lead the team in sacks. He might not even come in second. He can still be impactful on the pocket.

There are problems with our pass rush, but proclaiming we have one guy that is having any impact at all is a ridiculous position to take.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by kysirsoze

Well this is obviously not true.

Who is out there generating a push? The Chiefs were among teams with the fewest pressures in the league last year and Houston and Jones accounted for almost half of it. Now Houston looks like a guy who teams can contain without much trouble, and they have plenty of blockers for everyone else.

2 sacks on 110+ dropbacks is bad, but the last two years the sack numbers have also been way down. This unit is nowhere close to the one that was getting 50 or 60 sacks a few years ago and was leading the league in takeaways.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by kysirsoze

And there's a big difference between between "Houston isn't what he was" and "Houston cannot generate push". It's simply not true. I don't think EB is going to bring back the old Houston and I don't think Houston is going to lead the team in sacks. He might not even come in second. He can still be impactful on the pocket.

There are problems with our pass rush, but proclaiming we have one guy that is having any impact at all is a ridiculous position to take.

He's having plenty of impact in pass coverage. He's been completely absent in the pass rush.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by kysirsoze

And there's a big difference between between "Houston isn't what he was" and "Houston cannot generate push". It's simply not true. I don't think EB is going to bring back the old Houston and I don't think Houston is going to lead the team in sacks. He might not even come in second. He can still be impactful on the pocket.

There are problems with our pass rush, but proclaiming we have one guy that is having any impact at all is a ridiculous position to take.

Where are all these phantom contributions to the pass rush Houston is supposedly making? He has no sacks and he's got like 2 tackles. It isn't like he's got a big pile of pressures either. He's almost invisible.

[OKchiefs]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

He's having plenty of impact in pass coverage. He's been completely absent in the pass rush.

I guess we're just arguing semantics, but I gave examples of a sack he had (penalty doesn't change that he got to the QB) and another sack he could have had. Is that enough for his salary? Definitely not, but it also isn't "completely absent."

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by OKchiefs

I guess we're just arguing semantics, but I gave examples of a sack he had (penalty doesn't change that he got to the QB) and another sack he could have had. Is that enough for his salary? Definitely not, but it also isn't "completely absent."

Well, assuming that the holding actually happened (and I'm not sure it did) one could argue that he got to the QB BECAUSE of the penalty, but that's splitting hairs.

And yeah, when we're talking about Justin Houston, what he's done in the past, and what he's getting paid, he shouldn't be playing worse than Dee Ford. He's been totally absent compared to the expectation.

[kysirsoze]

Originally Posted by Eleazar

Where are all these phantom contributions to the pass rush Houston is supposedly making? He has no sacks and he's got like 2 tackles. It isn't like he's got a big pile of pressures either. He's almost invisible.

The strip sack that was called back for one. I get it that it doesn't show up on the stat sheet, but the penalty had nothing to do with the sack. He needs to be better and there's practically no way he'll ever be worth his contract, but saying he is not capable of generating push is a gross overstatement. Between him, Ford, and Jones, if Berry allows us to mix up blitz packages, our pass rush is going to be MUCH better.

[ModSocks]

Originally Posted by Eleazar

Now Houston looks like a guy who teams can contain without much trouble, and they have plenty of blockers for everyone else.

I don't know if i'd go THAT far. He was being double teamed a good portion of the afternoon yesterday. At least every time i looked, and he was rushing, he was getting doubled.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by kysirsoze

The strip sack that was called back for one. I get it that it doesn't show up on the stat sheet, but the penalty had nothing to do with the sack. He needs to be better and there's practically no way he'll ever be worth his contract, but saying he is not capable of generating push is a gross overstatement.

So, if we allow for plays that didn't actually happen, he's gotten to the quarterback once in two games. And that on a play where a DB was holding a receiver, which definitely could affect the QBs ability to find an open receiver and deliver the ball.

Between him, Ford, and Jones, if Berry allows us to mix up blitz packages, our pass rush is going to be MUCH better.

Now we are back to hoping that shuffling the scheme will somehow make the personnel do things they aren't capable of doing.

It's about talent, and there isn't enough of it this year.

[Mother****erJones]

Originally Posted by pugsnotdrugs19

Andy said today that they really wanted to get the defense off the field for longer stretches of time but basically couldn’t cause of how fast they were scoring.

I say **** that, keep scoring fast. Just turn up your aggression on defense and try to create more turnovers to get off the field.

Yes, this defense isn’t good enough to sit back and drop 7 or 8. Be aggressive and try to force offenses into mistakes knowing they need to score TDs every drive

[Mother****erJones]

Sutton became more aggressive and if Eric Murray didn’t suck, they would’ve had Big Ben sacked on the safety blitz

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by Mother****erJones

Yes, this defense isn’t good enough to sit back and drop 7 or 8. Be aggressive and try to force offenses into mistakes knowing they need to score TDs every drive

That is where I am at. Just blitz almost every play because this offense is pretty much unstoppable.

[Chief Pagan]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

I posted this way back in 2003 and haven't done any recent research since, so take it FWIW.

Both the 1998 Broncos and 1999 Rams has not only bottom third pass defenses, they were ranked like 29th and 31st.

The catch?

They both had top 3 run defenses and allowed like 3.5 ypc. The 2003 Chiefs allowed like FIVE.5 ypc, which is why they couldn't get off the field.

It IS possible for a bad pass defense to make it to a Super Bowl but it really isn't feasible for a defense that isn't excellent in at least one phase to make it.

The 2003 Colts couldn't get off the field against KC either. KC kicked one field goal and at the time I thought they should have gone for it and time ran out on KC at the end of the half and the end of the game. If you replayed that game ten times, I bet KC would have won half of them. Don't know how KC would have done the following week against the Pats. It would probably have been "no punt" game take 2.