With four consecutive victories in the last five games, the Chiefs they completely changed their countenance. The pressure on the rival quarterback and the improvement of the young defenders has made the difference, during their winning streak they have only allowed 11.8 points on average.
After seven weeks of ups and downs in which the Chiefs accumulated three victories and four losses in mid-November, those led by the head coach Andy Reid They were once again at the top of the race for the lead in the AL West Division, and before week 13 they were 7-4. This is the most competitive division with all four teams over .54% effective.
The upside performance of the defense has been primarily responsible for putting the Chiefs Back in the playoff race, it has conceded just 12.8 points per game in its last six games after conceding 32.6 in the first five games of the year, the eighth worst defense in league history. NFL according to Sports Illustrated (in that span the team won two games and lost three).
From week 6, the defense of the Chiefs has the fewest points allowed in the NFL at 87, almost half of what he allowed in the first five weeks.
One notable difference during this winning streak is the increased pressure on the quarterback from players like Frank Clark and newly acquired Melvin Ingram. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has devised ways for his defense to reach opposing quarterbacks by forcing them to drop the ball. In addition to an adjustment in the position of Chris Jones, who has made the difference against the race.
“(The guys have played better) Some of it has to do with just getting them back on the field as a unit. Having Melvin Ingram III there I think helped. That is a nice addition. Adding a Pro Bowl player on the defensive line surely wasn’t going to hurt and he had a few plays in the making from Nickel. They are playing well together and I think Spags is doing a good job with the game plans, “said Andy Reid.
Additionally, there have been improvements from young players, linebacker Willie Gay missed the first four games of the season with injury, but is tied for the team lead in interceptions with two; linebacker Nick Bolton was LA’s rookie of the month NFL in October and has more than 50 tackles this season.
It is not a single defensive area or a single player, it is a combination of factors, the union of the players and the presence of different players at different times, which allowed this improvement.
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