Getty Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed breaks up a key pass in Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers.
It was not the Kansas City Chiefs performance that we’ve come to recognize over the past few years in Week 9 but it was a victory nonetheless.
A large reason for that was Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, which has been the subject of a ton of criticism throughout the 2021 campaign. This group has appeared to rally around all the early season struggles as the year has progressed, with under 20 points allowed in three of their last four games.
In those three contests combined, the unit has averaged 12.33 points allowed per game, and that number only rises to 16.0 PPG if you add in the Tennessee Titans loss (last four outings). Has the opposition’s level of talent contributed to this statistic? Most likely, yes, but you play against whoever lines up across from you and the KC defense has done just that.
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Chiefs Cornerback Answers the Bell
One player that had a major impact on the Week 9 win over the Green Bay Packers was cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. The second-year player has had an up and down season in coverage but he did not back down against receivers like Davante Adams and Allen Lazard in this one.
In the fourth quarter, quarterback Jordan Love heaved a pass down the sideline towards Adams, only to have Sneed win the jump ball and come down with the interception. Here was the clip from our very own Devon Clements of Heavy on Chiefs.
#Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed intercepts Jordan Love’s pass intended for Davante Adams.
That wasn’t Sneed’s only big read, however, the cornerback was also able to make a key pass breakup in the end zone later in the fourth on a deep ball intended for Randall Cobb. The former fourth-round pick was credited with two passes defended in the boxscore, along with six tackles and the INT.
After the victory, Sneed explained that he had a bit of insider information that helped with the crucial stops. “I knew it was coming because the wide receiver splits were that close. It knew it was going to be a type of rub route, so I tried to make sure I stuck to him and got my head back around,” he told reporters about the interception during his November 7 postgame press conference. For the pass deflection, Sneed added, “I knew that was coming too. I saw the signal he gave the receiver.”
Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star elaborated in a tweet, noting that “L’Jarius Sneed said he knew the pass was coming his way because Jordan Love tapped on his arm. He saw Aaron Rodgers do the same thing on film.”
On this pass deflection late in the game, L’Jarius Sneed said he knew the pass was coming his way because Jordan Love tapped on his arm. He saw Aaron Rodgers do the same thing on film.
That’s good coaching by the Chiefs and intelligent execution from Sneed. Film study is an underrated part of the game, but sometimes it can make the difference between winning and losing. In Week 9, it certainly contributed on the defensive side.
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Feast or Famine Secondary
It’s not the first time that this secondary has been labeled as an unsung hero this season. Of course, they’ve also been the villain once or twice after embarrassing blown coverages.
As we mentioned above, no player has personified this like Sneed. The CB was awarded an 87.9 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus in Week 9, his best of the season. He was also given an 80.2 versus Washington and a 69.8 against the Giants. At the same time, Sneed was torched by Buffalo and Tennessee with sub-31.0 marks in coverage.
Andy Reid said he thought L’Jarius Sneed played his best game as a pro yesterday.
Most of the secondary had a successful afternoon against Love and the Packers. Charvarius Ward, Rashad Fenton and Tyrann Mathieu all received coverage grades over 65.0. The weak links were Juan Thornhill and Daniel Sorenson once again, who were down around 55.0 according to PFF.
Which Chiefs defense will we see on a weekly basis as KC attempts another playoff run? The answer to that question could end up being the deciding factor in how far this team goes in 2021.
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Chiefs’ L’Jarius Sneed Reveals How Packers Gave Away Key 4th Quarter Play