Chiefs’ Allen making a case for Defensive MVP

By Mike Ash  |   Thursday, October 25, 2007  |  Comments( 15 )

Kansas City Chiefs
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Considering Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen was suspended for the first two games of the season, the fact that he's currently tied for the NFL lead in sacks is nothing short of impressive. Perhaps even more impressive is that Allen hasn't registered more than 2.5 sacks in any single game, meaning that his totals - unlike those of New York Giants end Osi Umenyiora - haven't come at the expense of one overmatched opponent.

Allen has been a disruptive force since entering the league in 2004, but his fourth season is rapidly becoming his best campaign to date. With eight sacks in just five games, an average of 1.6 per contest, he's currently on pace to challenge the single-season sack record of 22.5. Had he been able to play the entire season, Allen would be on pace to break the record by three.

Whether or not he approaches Michael Strahan's record, though, Allen's impact goes far beyond the stat sheet. Opposing offenses have become so aware of his dominance that they've stopped running their usual plays while lining up against the Chiefs' defense. Allen, perhaps single-handedly, is forcing teams to change their game plans in order to protect their quarterback.

Two weeks ago against Cincinnati, Kansas City allowed a touchdown drive on the Bengals' first possession. Carson Palmer engineered an effortless-looking drive that took his team 73 yards in just four plays. But the Bengals didn't score again until there were 5 minutes left in the game, and Allen was the primary reason.

When Cincinnati got the ball a second time, Allen and fellow defensive end Tamba Hali sacked Palmer on third down to force a three-and-out. The Bengals took the field again after a Chiefs touchdown drive only to see Allen register two more sacks and force a turnover when Palmer fumbled.

From that point on, the Bengals made Palmer's protection their primary focus. Left tackle Levi Jones, a Pro Bowl alternate last season, was benched because he couldn't stop Allen from getting to the quarterback. And Cincinnati's explosive offense went into something of a shell, only running plays where Allen wouldn't have the chance to tee off on Palmer.

The same pattern emerged last week against the Oakland Raiders. Allen notched another two sacks on Daunte Culpepper, and the Raiders failed to take advantage of the Chiefs' biggest weakness. Kansas City has been vulnerable to the run this season, most glaringly when the opposing offense is spread out. But Oakland seemed to run a majority of its plays in tighter formations, allowing them extra protection if Culpepper dropped back to pass.

The result saw the Chiefs stop the Raiders' run game in its tracks, and - apart from one drive - Oakland failed to get anything done through the air with so much of its attention focused on Allen. The Raiders surely hoped to re-establish their running game against the Chiefs, and Allen again forced a team to alter its plans.

Next up for the Chiefs after their bye week are the Green Bay Packers, the team with the lowest-ranked rushing attack in the league. How will the Packers adjust their offense for Allen? Will they continue dropping Brett Favre back with a dominant pass rusher coming after him off the edge, or will they try to establish a running game - a departure from what's been working for them - in order to take Allen out of the picture? Either way, they may be playing into the Chiefs' hands.

After starting its season in an 0-2 hole, Kansas City has only lost one game since Allen returned to the lineup. That, perhaps more than any other statistic, illustrates his importance to the team. If Allen can continue his dominance, not only is his first Pro Bowl berth a virtual certainty, he may very well hear his name called when the postseason awards are passed out.
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CommentsComments: 15  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Patriot Deb		11:50 PM
10/25/2007
this team is so pathetic. no real stars. very boring team. why does no body comment here. You guys all SUCK. spend all your time ...
No.2
KR		10:23 AM
10/26/2007
I definitely would not call the team pathetic. 4-3 and handily beat the Chargers in San Diego. Chiefs will go to the playoffs ...
No.3
thankyoupriest		11:17 AM
10/26/2007
The Chiefs pathetic? actully far from it. Two of our more dominating players (LJ and Jared Allen) were ineffective for the first ...
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