Getty Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Mike Danna.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Mike Danna is having a career year, which is perfectly timed as he will hit free agency for the first time in 2024.
But according to Arrowhead Addict’s Adam Best, Danna is being overrated due to his surrounding cast.
“Unpopular take: Mike Danna has gone from underrated to overrated,” Best wrote on Twitter/X on November 2. “6 sacks on a 7.9% pass-rush win rate is fluky. Chris Jones has 7 sacks on almost a 20% win rate. Danna is a strong role player who gives max effort but benefits from playing with Jones + in front of strong corners.”
Unpopular take: Mike Danna has gone from underrated to overrated. 6 sacks on a 7.9% pass-rush win rate is fluky. Chris Jones has 7 sacks on almost a 20% win rate. Danna is a strong role player who gives max effort but benefits from playing with Jones + in front of strong corners.
What to Make of Mike Danna’s Stats
Though Mike Danna looks to be on pace for a career year based on his general pass-rush statistics (22 total pressures, 15 QB hurries, 6 sacks, 1 QB hit, per PFF), the stats shared by Adam Best confirm what the eye test shows:
Mike Danna is benefitting from having great players around him.
Having Chris Jones beside him on the defensive line along with elite cornerbacks in the secondary means that Danna is given ample time to get to the quarterback and consistently gets favorable matchups. Those are key factors that will help any pass rusher excel.
This isn’t meant to be a knock on Danna, who is controlling what he can control by capitalizing on favorable matchups. Instead, it’s meant to provide clarity on a player that the Chiefs may or may not try to retain next offseason.
Understanding the metrics will help Chiefs Kingdom determine what Danna’s true value is to the team, and might help the fan base better understand when a decision is made regarding Danna’s future in Kansas City.
Coach Spags Talks Throwing Off Dolphins’ Rhythm
In Week 9, the Chiefs travel to Frankfurt, Germany to face the Miami Dolphins, who are averaging a league-high 33.9 points per game this season.
Speaking to the media on November 2, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo discussed the importance of throwing the Dolphins’ offense off rhythm.
“Huge. It’s a rhythm passing game and he’s (Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa) really good at it. What I think is really challenging – I was just talking to (The Voice of the Chiefs) Mitch (Holthus) about it as I was coming in here – it’s one thing to be a drop-back team and be rhythm because you know as soon as the lineman pass set, you’re in a pass rush mode as a d-line and then you go from there,” Spagnuolo explained.
“This team has a lot of play-action rhythm passing. Everybody up front has to at least respect that it could be a run, and then, boom, all of a sudden it’s a pass play and he’s getting the ball out really quick. That’s what he’s really good at. I think that’s one of the main reasons for the success and the high percentage completion rate.
“What would work best for us is if we can – we’re talking about the pass, they run the ball as good as anybody. We have to begin there, if there is a way somehow some way, we can get the game one-dimensional then we have the chance to do what you’re talking about, up until that point it’s going to be a little difficult. We’ve got to play it honest, stop the run first, hopefully get them in longer down-and-distances, so we know what they’re going to do, then try to disrupt them.”
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Analyst Warns That Chiefs’ Pending Free Agent Is ‘Overrated’