Defense finally back in KC

By Clayton Wendler  |   Tuesday, November 28, 2006  |  Comments( 3 )

Kansas City Chiefs
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It was about this time last year when Kansas City Chiefs fans thought their team might have finally possessed a respectable defense.

The Chiefs were coming off a month-long stretch in which they gave up, on average, only 259 yards and 17.5 points per game. They had won three of four games and were in the playoff hunt, with the Denver Broncos next up on the schedule.

The Chiefs beat the Broncos in Arrowhead last year, but Denver piled up 388 yards and 27 points, and Kansas City needed a late rally from the offense and a fourth-down stop to eke out a close win. Cracks in the dam were beginning to show.

The cracks turned into holes and the holes gave way to bursting torrents of yards, points, first downs and bad defense in the next two games. The Chiefs, looking nothing like the resurgent unit that gave fans hope earlier in the year, allowed the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants to ravage them.

Dallas had its way with KC's defense to the tune of 445 yards and 31 points. The Giants laughed their way to 406 yards and 27 the following week, with running back Tiki Barber using Chief defenders as his own personal escorts to the end zone.

What a difference a year makes. This year, that dam appears to be rock solid.

The Broncos came to Arrowhead last Thursday and rushed for just 38 yards. They scored only 10 points.

To put that in perspective, the Broncos haven't rushed for that kind of total against the Chiefs in over a decade. You have to go back to September 1993 to find it, when Denver ran for 35 yards at Arrowhead in a 15-7 loss.

You could see the difference at Arrowhead on Thursday. The Chiefs didn't miss tackles. They blanketed receivers. They pressured Jake Plummer all night long into interceptions, poor throws and bad decisions.

Javon Walker, the AFC's fifth-leading receiver, was held to just 55 yards on six catches. He didn't sniff the end zone. A year ago, the Chiefs couldn't contain the geriatric Rod Smith.

Overall, the Broncos had only 244 yards. They held the ball for less than 25 minutes and converted only four third-down attempts. They failed on two consecutive drives when they had a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter.

Kansas City's defense forced the Broncos into all of this without star linebacker Derrick Johnson on the field for much of the night. The Chiefs did it without James Reed, a starting defensive tackle who suffered a groin injury early in the contest.

It was a great way to cap a fantastic month for the Chiefs' defense. It started in St. Louis, where Kansas City held the Rams to a season-low 17 points in the Edward Jones Dome. It continued in Miami and against Oakland in Kansas City, where Gunther Cunningham's unit allowed only 13 points in each game.

For the month of November, KC's defense allowed, on average, 13.25 points per game. They gave up just 3.5 yards per rush. All of this is even more impressive when you consider the fact that the Chiefs only forced six turnovers. This wasn't a lucky month.

So here we sit, on December's doorstep, and the Chiefs rank 12th in total defense. They're giving up just 17.3 points per game, easily in the top 10.

Those are the best marks produced by a Kansas City defense since the 1997 unit. You know, the one that led the NFL in scoring defense? And oh, by the way, Cunningham also coordinated that unit.

So, is this change for real? Will Chiefs fans pinch themselves and wake up to missed tackles, long touchdowns and more bad defense?

One could easily argue that KC's defense has been feasting on bottom feeders over the last month. Oakland, Miami and yes, even Denver, are scaring no one.

From here on out, the Chiefs should look like a good defense. They face Cleveland (31st in offense), Baltimore (24th), Oakland (32nd) and Jacksonville (17th) over the remainder of the schedule.

Apart from the San Diego Chargers, the Chiefs aren't likely to face a competent offense until the playoffs roll around.

But unlike last year, the playoffs look like a real possibility. Thanks, in large part, to the defense.
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