The Kansas City Chiefs are a definite Super Bowl contender in 2022, but like all challengers, they have areas that they must still get better at.
For KC, poor tackling is right at the top of the list, and Arrowhead Pride contributor Maurice Elston called several Chiefs defenders out for their inability to get the job done in this department.
5 Chiefs Defenders Called Out for ‘Tackling Problem’
The SB Nation article focuses on “three things the Chiefs can improve to increase [their] chances at a Super Bowl run.” Missed tackles were bullet point number two.
“The Chiefs have a tackling problem,” Elston began. “The defense is ranked seventh in the NFL’s missed tackles, with 67 on the year. Only two other teams currently in the playoff picture are in the top 10. In their Week 12 loss to the [Cincinnati] Bengals, the team combined for 14 missed tackles, according to Pro Football Focus.”
Then the Kansas City writer got to the culprits, listing them by name.
He informed: “The Chiefs’ starting safeties, Juan Thornhill and Justin Reid, lead the team with eight missed tackles apiece, followed by linebacker Willie Gay Jr. with seven and rookie cornerbacks Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson with five apiece. When most of your missed tackles are from your secondary, that usually means you are giving up big plays.”
Pro Football Focus premium has actually been much harsher on the KC defense and their missed tackle numbers. Here are the defenders who lead the Chiefs in missed tackles on PFF:
- Reid and L’Jarius Sneed: 13 missed tackles.
- Thornhill: 10.
- Gay and George Karlaftis: nine.
- Watson and Frank Clark: eight.
Second-year linebacker Nick Bolton took some arrows after the Bengals loss — and deservedly so — but he’s actually been the most sound tackler this year with six misses and a team-leading missed tackle percentage of 4.6%. Karlaftis, Clark and rookie linebacker Leo Chenal rank at the bottom of this area (missed tackle percentage) according to PFF.
Out of those Elston listed, Williams is the only one that PFF redeemed a bit. He was charged with five missed tackles and a percentage of 12.5%. Either way, this is certainly a rough area for KC with 119 missed tackles as a unit.
The Arrowhead Pride analyst concluded: “While defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has caught a lot of heat lately — and some of it deserving — he can only put players in the right position to make a play. They still have to make it. If the Chiefs want to make a push to the Super Bowl, they are going to have to eliminate the big plays, and that starts with better tackling.”
Chiefs Safety Pairing Not Getting It Done
For all the talk on social media, you could argue that Reid and Thornhill have struggled more than anyone else on this Chiefs defense in 2022 — especially when you consider that several rookies are either outperforming them or putting up a similar level of production.
The impending free agent, Thornhill, has been graded as the lesser of the two by PFF, although one could argue that Reid’s stats are worse.
The newcomer was very vocal about his ability to lockdown players in coverage ahead of the matchup in Cincy, but he’s actually allowed 270 passing yards this year — with 133 yards coming after the catch. Thornhill’s been a little better (218 and 89), and the pair has combined for five passing touchdowns against.
Reid also forced nine turnovers during his time in Houston but has zero with KC. He also has zero sacks, while Thornhill has one interception and one sack in 2022.
The Chiefs pass rushers and cornerbacks hear a ton of criticism, but the safety pairing has not been strong so far this season. Reid is here to stay after signing a three-year deal this spring, but Thornhill’s future is very much up in the air.
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Chiefs Called Out in Problem Area That They ‘Have to Eliminate’