Chiefs hope to make toughness part of their new defensive identity
Last season, the evidence came in any manner of ways, statistical, anecdotal and even visceral at times. The verdict couldn’t be more clear. Substantial changes on defense were needed sooner than later.
Now, mere months later, the words “Super Bowl” seem to be on the lips of almost every defensive player who steps in front of a microphone at training camp. It’s still not clear what sort of identity this defense will ultimately take on. After all, they’ve had pads on for less than one week. But the collective optimism remains palpable.
In the Chiefs’ case, the Super Bowl talk hits the ear differently than run-of-the-mill optimism founded solely upon preseason euphoria. It seems genuinely based upon an offseason of moves aimed at reconfiguring the defense’s makeup.
“You put it out there because that’s the only goal that you should have when you walk into anywhere,” cornerback Kendall Fuller said of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl aspirations. “The guys that are coming in, we’ve got to meet at that level. We don’t want any guys that are coming that don’t want to match that level because that’s the only expectation that we have.”
Fuller entered camp as one of the veteran offseason additions, including six free-agent signings, designed to bolster an underwhelming defense. Of that group, linebacker Anthony Hitchens, cornerback David Amerson, nose tackle Xavier Williams and Fuller, acquired in the Alex Smith trade, have worked with the first unit early in training camp.
“I love how we’re growing,” eighth-year outside linebacker Justin Houston said on Sunday. “There’s no hothead guys. It’s just everybody is on the same page.”
Before anyone read too much into Houston’s use of “hothead,” he attempted to clarify that he’d used the term as a way of describing how his new teammates had integrated themselves — not necessarily as a reference to any past dynamics.
“When you come to a new team, a guy will really be quiet and really not feel open to speaking. That’s what I mean by hothead,” Houston said. “When you come to a new team, some people will be shy and just don’t take to other guys. Every new guy we brought in, they’re all open. Some people just be closed when they’re uncomfortable with a new environment, but all the guys we brought in — they just seem like they’re willing and they’re open and they’re ready to go.”
Last season, the Chiefs’ defense ranked among the bottom six in the league in yards allowed per game (28th, 365.1), first downs given up per game (22, last) and yards allowed per play (tied for 27th, 5.6). Their regular-season sack total (31) continued to leave fans longing for the production of 2014 (46 sacks) and 2015 (47 sacks).
Injuries certainly played a part in last year’s defensive woes. Pass rusher Dee Ford played in just six games last season. Meanwhile Houston, who played in 15 games last year, described the past few seasons following knee surgery in 2016, saying, “I was out there pretty much on one leg.”
Stinging road losses against Oakland and the New York Jets featured fourth-quarter comebacks where the defense simply couldn’t hold down the fort. Oakland rallied from a 30-21 deficit in the final quarter, while 38-year-old journeyman quarterback Josh McCown led the Jets to 38 total points and a scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Then there’s the lingering pain of the playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans. The Chiefs held a 21-3 halftime lead in January, but the defense allowed 19 second-half points and gave up eight runs of 10 yards or more as Tennessee snatched victory from the Chiefs’ clutches.
With that backdrop, general manager Brett Veach used five of the team’s six draft picks on defensive players. Then he used the sixth pick on a defensive player, Kahlil McKenzie, who will convert from offense to defense.
“Sometimes it just comes down to making sure you have guys that are wired right, guys that want to line up and play four quarters of football,” Veach said following the draft. “Our need is to just get tougher, and that’s what these guys did. We feel that these guys do that.”
Along with the free-agent additions, the Chiefs feature 12 defensive rookies on their training camp roster. In the first week of training camp, rookie draft picks Breeland Speaks (linebacker), Derrick Nnadi (defensive tackle), Dorian O’Daniel (linebacker) and Tremon Smith (cornerback) have all at least rotated in with the second-team defense during team drills.
“We think of toughness always being just physical, but to me there’s a mental-toughness part of this game,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton said. “There’s a practice toughness, the way you approach it. And there’s an execution toughness. All the things that you’ve done and all the time and effort you put in, you’ve got to be able to go out and do this when it’s needed.
“We’ve brought some guys in that have played with that characteristic. Hitchens is a guy like that. Kendall Fuller is a guy like that. Williams is a guy like that up front. We’ve had some guys that have added in that will help generate that a little bit more.”
The defense has challenged second-year pro and first-year starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes on a daily basis so far in camp. They’ve forced him to scramble from the pocket multiple times in team periods since they’ve gone to full pads, and the defense has now intercepted Mahomes four times since the start of full-squad practices on Thursday. The defense has a six total interceptions in full-squad practices.
This story was originally published July 29, 2018 at 4:55 PM with the headline "Chiefs hope to make toughness part of their new defensive identity."