Yay! Another Bob Chiefs thread - Chiefs in a rush to boost defense

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Improvement has already been seen as the team tries to create more pressure on the passing game.

RIVER FALLS, Wis. - | The grand plans the Chiefs have for improving their defense don’t necessarily hinge on the arrival of Herm Edwards, the play of Ty Law or the development of rookies Tamba Hali and Bernard Pollard.

Those guys may have no impact at all if the Chiefs can’t find a way to generate more of a pass rush than they did last season, when only four teams had fewer than their 29 sacks.

The Chiefs like to point to last season’s improvement in their rushing defense. They climbed to seventh in the league by allowing fewer than 100 yards per game.

They can make no such claim about their pass defense, which was 30th. The additions of a new head coach and some key playing components might help them make similar improvement, but not like a consistent pass rush.

Defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham, after a few days of training camp practice, was cautiously optimistic.

“All through the (offseason practices), I’ve seen the pass rush improve,” he said. “It’s showing up in camp now that we have the pads on.”

Everything starts with end Jared Allen, who led the Chiefs in sacks in each of the last two seasons. He had 11 last season and will probably need at least as many this year if the Chiefs are to make that improvement.

“He’s really improved fundamentally,” Cunningham said. “It took him two years, but he’s a better technical pass rusher. Prior to this, he did it all with heart and attitude. He would just fight you until he got there. That’s a heck of a thing for a guy who’s had 20 sacks in two years.”

Allen is as relentless a pass rusher as anyone the Chiefs have.

“Sacks are still going to come off effort,” Allen said. “Offensive linemen get paid as well. Very rarely are you just going to break someone down and get a clean sack. But I understand better how to position myself to give me a better shot at a sack. I’m learning how to set offensive linemen up better.”

The Chiefs made Hali their starting left end at the start of training camp, but he will also play in their pass defense and might line up in a variety of different places. He had 11 sacks at Penn State last season.

“His first couple of years at college he actually played (defensive tackle),” Edwards said. “So there’s a way when we go to the 3-4 that we can let him rush inside. There are some things we can do. I’m not going to sit here and give my game plan away to 31 teams but we can use him a lot of different ways.

“He’s going to play a lot of football.”

The Chiefs thought they were getting a boost to their pass rush last year when they traded with Tennessee for end Carlos Hall. Hall had eight sacks playing for Cunningham as a rookie with the Titans in 2002 but hasn’t come close to that total since.

He certainly didn’t last season when he had only one. Hall was injured early in camp, didn’t return until shortly before the season and, after playing through an assortment of regular-season injuries, never was able to make much of an impact.

But Hall has made it to this point in camp without a setback and could become a pass rush factor.

“Camp is where it all went bad for me last year,” Hall said. “I never felt right the whole season. This year has been different. I feel good. I’m hungry. I just have to go and get it.”

The pass rush suffered last year mainly because the tackles failed to get adequate push up the middle. The four players who started at tackle last season — Lional Dalton, Ryan Sims, John Browning and Jimmy Wilkerson — combined for just three sacks.

The Chiefs added free agents Ron Edwards and James Reed, but much of the responsibility falls to the starters, Sims and Dalton.

“We’ve got to get better push from the inside,” Cunningham said. “Ryan Sims and Lional Dalton are big, strong guys, but they have to improve their pass rush.”

Hali could also help the Chiefs as a tackle, though the Chiefs have yet to unveil that at camp.

“We’ve talked about a lot of things with him,” Cunningham said. “On some of my mad scientist nights, I’ve come up with some schemes where we can bring him from places where maybe they don’t know where he’s coming from.

“He’s a rookie. If you put too much on him, he may not play effectively.”

Cunningham’s favorite tactic is, of course, the blitz. Ten of last season’s sacks came from linebackers or defensive backs. He said during the offseason that linebacker Kendrell Bell would be more involved as a pass rusher.

Cunningham would prefer not to have the Chiefs blitz as much as last season, when he had little choice. But he didn’t promise that and had a mischievous grin as he talked about it.

“I’ll never say that,” he said. “Our coverage element has been good. Herm always calls me the blitz coach. He told me the ways those guys have been covering, I’ll probably call a blitz every other play.

“You need to keep teams off-balance.”

[Bob's your Information Minister]

RIVER FALLS, Wis. | You could argue the Chiefs wasted money signing Ty Law if Herm Edwards is intent on installing the Tampa 2 Defense.

Sorry for not mentioning that before spending the entire offseason whining about the importance of acquiring Law, the league’s most complete cornerback.

Pure Cover 2 is not a defensive or coverage scheme that requires big-time playmakers at corner. In the run game, Cover 2 corners actually are facilitators more than playmakers. They don’t attack the football until the back bounces outside the numbers. Law and Patrick Surtain, two sturdy, physical corners, will force the runner inside so Kansas City’s linebackers and safeties can make the tackles.

In the passing game, Cover 2 corners stop the wide receivers from getting a free release and force the quarterback to throw the ball over the middle of the field. If Cover 2 is effective, the Chiefs safeties — Sammy Knight and Greg Wesley — should make monster hits in the passing and running games.

Realizing all of this and understanding how much money Lamar Hunt has invested in Surtain and Law, I sat down with Edwards after lunch Tuesday afternoon and wanted to debate him about the wisdom of restricting Surtain and Law to Cover 2.

The Chiefs’ two best defensive players are going to be setup men for nine other defenders. No way that can be true, can it?

“No,” Edwards told me. “I’m not going to give them all that money and then not let them make plays.”

Edwards spent the next 30 minutes schooling me on the nuances of the Tampa 2. He was animated and passionate. You can tell he believes deeply in the defensive scheme that turned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from laughingstock into perennial playoff team and Super Bowl champion. Edwards helped then-Tampa coach Tony Dungy install the scheme. Edwards watched the Tampa 2 turn Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, Ronde Barber and several other Buccaneer defenders into multiple Pro Bowlers.

He’s confident the same thing could happen to Jared Allen, Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson, Kawika Mitchell, Kendrell Bell and the Chiefs’ young safeties, Wesley, Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page.

“I’m not worried about our defense,” Edwards said. “We’re going to be better on defense.”

And the Chiefs will be diverse on defense. Cover 2 will be their base defense, but it won’t be KC’s only defense. The Chiefs will blitz. They’ll play man to man in obvious passing situations. They’ll play Cover 3. It’s all going to start with Cover 2, which Edwards believes will help KC stop the run and allow KC’s front four to get to the quarterback.

“The perception is we had an awesome front four in Tampa,” Edwards said. “We didn’t. We had Warren Sapp. We have better defensive ends on this team than we had in Tampa.”

Edwards is talking about the Buccaneers before they acquired Simeon Rice. And Edwards is right. The Bucs had athletic, workmanlike defensive ends in the early years of Tampa 2.

Cover 2 is designed to make the quarterback hold the football an extra count. The corners disrupt the outside receivers early and make the quarterback find alternate targets. It’s critical that Law and Surtain re-route receivers in the first five yards.

But what’s most critical is that the Chiefs stop the run on first down. The key to Cover 2 is stopping the running game and disabling the opposition’s play-action-passing game.

This is where Ryan Sims, Lional Dalton, John Browning and free-agent pickup Ron Edwards are crucial. The Chiefs have to get strong play from their defensive tackles or KC’s swift linebackers won’t be free to fill running lanes.

Coach Edwards likes Ron Edwards as a gap-plugger over the center. Finding or creating a Sapp-like gap-disrupter is new defensive line coach Tim Krumrie’s job. The Chiefs hired Krumrie to motivate and/or locate a replacement for Ryan Sims.

If the Chiefs stop the run on first down, Law and Surtain will make just as many big plays as James Hasty and Dale Carter used to, and Lamar Hunt’s money will be well-spent.

[Florida_Bronco]

Law, the league’s most complete cornerback.

Amazing how 1 idiotic sentence can discredit an entire fluff piece article.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

He's not complete until he's played on the 29th ranked secondary, right guys?

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/1707/526953072my1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[MechanicalBull]

Amazing how 1 idiotic sentence can discredit an entire fluff piece article.

I think the title of the thread did it for me. Rush to boost the D? Seems like over the years its been a very slow crawl :~ohyah!:

Law will improve the secondary and I do like Hali.

[Kaylore]

The main reason that the pass rush has improved is because the O-line sucks now and your fullback isn't anywhere near as good as Tony Richardson. If Turley was really "doing well" they wouldn't be getting a bunch of preasure. That's the down side to camps - everytime one unit is winning, it means that the another is sucking.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

I can't wait to see Plummer read zone and throw right into man coverage...oops!

[Clockwork Orange]

He's not complete until he's played on the 29th ranked secondary, right guys?

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/1707/526953072my1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

You only wish you could show a picture of a Chefs player from an AFC Championship game. :thanku:

Anyway, if that's your logic, then all of your bull**** from a year ago about Patrick Surtain was just that, bull****. He must be complete garbage since he was on the 30th ranked secondary. Right? Hell, Surtain kicked so much ass that the Chefs had to go out and get someone to cover opponents #1 receivers.

Surtain even cost you your avatar until you decided to welch on that bet too. :rofl:

[Kaylore]

Law is a complete cornerback: He's old, he mugs past the line, he draws penalties, he allows a ton of completions, he regularly leaves his resposiblities to ball hawk, and makes plays now and again. Yes, Law has all these qualities.

[Florida_Bronco]

He's not complete until he's played on the 29th ranked secondary, right guys?

Seriously, even you aren't homer enough to call Law the most complete corner in the game.

[Clockwork Orange]

I can't wait to see Plummer read zone and throw right into man coverage...oops!

I can't wait to see TrINT drop back with no Willie Roaf protecting his blind side....boom.

[Steve Sewell]

This is where Ryan Sims, Lional Dalton, John Browning and free-agent pickup Ron Edwards are crucial. The Chiefs have to get strong play from their defensive tackles or KC’s swift linebackers won’t be free to fill running lanes.

ROFL! ROFL! ROFL! ROFL! ROFL!

[Florida_Bronco]

Surtain even cost you your avatar until you decided to welch on that bet too. :rofl:

Yeah, whatever happened with that? Bob?

[Tredici]

I mean seriously who gives a ****? What are they going to do? Improve from all out joke to mildly amusing status?

Even if they turn into the best defense ever seen in the NFL who gives a ****? Can't you post all this crap over on the Planet, Boob?

Where's Blue "with what will all the newcomer's think" schtick? I'm so sick of half the threads being started about the Chiefs I could puke. Isn't it time for this crap to go in the other sports discussion locale?

[elsid13]

I mean seriously who gives a ****? What are they going to do? Improve from all out joke to mildly amusing status?

Even if they turn into the best defense ever seen in the NFL who gives a ****? Can't you post all this crap over on the Planet, Boob?

Where's Blue "with what will all the newcomer's think" schtick? I'm so sick of half the threads being started about the Chiefs I could puke. Isn't it time for this crap to go in the other sports discussion locale?

You're right, this crap is pushing legitimate BRONCOS stories off the front page. Someone need to take away Bob's ability to start threads. People come here to talk broncos football, this is the crap that going to drive folks away.

[Sodak]

Bob, only you could possibly make me hate the Chefs even more than I already do.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

I can't wait to see TrINT drop back with no Willie Roaf protecting his blind side....boom.

Trent will just hand that ball off. Boom. Goes the defense.

[Clockwork Orange]

Trent will just hand that ball off. Boom. Goes the defense.

That was a lot more imposing with Roaf & Richardson in the picture. Without them, eh, we'll see.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Chiefs without Roaf last year = 150 yards rushing per game.

[12th man]

Talk about a fluff piece. That D is still going to suck. It's a new system and it's going to take time to learn it. Minus law and hali they have the same sh1t defense they had last year with the same sh1t coach in gunther, and added more sh1t to the sh1t pile with david gibbs and lenny walls, though I doubt walls will play any. Plus, Hali is still a rookie, and he's going to struggle some. Law is was a good addition, but there is only so much one man can do for a team. I don't think he can even save this D, especially at this point in his career.

[ROYC75]

The defense will be better, the question is, "Will it be good enough to get anywhere in the post season ?"

[Malcontent]

Trent will just hand that ball off. Boom. Goes the defense.


OOOOOhhh Scarrrrrryyyyy!Hilarious! Hilarious! Hilarious!

[Jetmeck]

I can't wait to see TrINT drop back with no Willie Roaf protecting his blind side....boom.

LOL

[Jetmeck]

Chiefs without Roaf last year = 150 yards rushing per game.

Run LJ run, how many times a game can he run ?

He is a good rb but he can't pass protect for shiatt which will fit right in with the rest of your line this year. I read somewhere TrInt passer rating dropped significantly
with Roaf out ?

Run LJ run, how many times a game can he run ?
Guess we will find out with 8-9 in the box.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Run LJ run, how many times a game can he run ?
.

Read my lips.

WE. SIGNED. MICHAEL. BENNETT.

[Jetmeck]

I mean seriously who gives a ****? What are they going to do? Improve from all out joke to mildly amusing status?

Even if they turn into the best defense ever seen in the NFL who gives a ****? Can't you post all this crap over on the Planet, Boob?

Where's Blue "with what will all the newcomer's think" schtick? I'm so sick of half the threads being started about the Chiefs I could puke. Isn't it time for this crap to go in the other sports discussion locale?

AMEN, brother......been saying this for over a year.

[Kaylore]

AMEN, brother......been saying this for over a year.
I can't believe there are still people who don't know Tredici is a woman.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

That explains a great deal. Have you checked under your skirt recently?

[Orange_Beard]

Yeah, your mom is still there.

[Orange_Beard]

Who is the Chiefs 2nd QB?

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Who is the Chiefs 2nd QB?

Damon Huard, unless one of the rookies steps up.

[Malcontent]

Damon Huard, unless one of the rookies steps up.


Same difference BOZO!

[Orange_Beard]

Do you have faith in him?

I think the real impact of Ralph leaving is that Trent will take more hits. I think the running game will only suffer a small amount. I believe he will be a factor(the back-up).......my 2 cents.

[youcandoit1687]

Read my lips.

WE. SIGNED. MICHAEL. BENNETT.

what a dumb**** thing to say. that is just retarded on so many levels

[Bob's your Information Minister]

I don't know if Trent could take any more hits than he did last year. At one point he had been hit more than any other QB in the NFL.

I'm confident in Huard based on what he did off the bench one year in Miami. He was 5-1 and played pretty well.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

what a dumb**** thing to say. that is just retarded on so many levels

Yes, it's incredibly stupid.

I'm a complete f*cking moron for thinking that Michael Bennett might give Larry Johnson a breather.

I'm unbelievably stupid for thinking that.

Meanwhile you are a GENIUS.

[kamakazi_kal]

I don't know if Trent could take any more hits than he did last year. At one point he had been hit more than any other QB in the NFL.

I'm confident in Huard based on what he did off the bench one year in Miami. He was 5-1 and played pretty well.

huard had chris chambers then.......and now he has quiterson :~ohyah!:

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Oh, kam. Oh my dear, dear kam. My dear, dear, dear ignorant kam.

Chris Chambers didn't play with Damon Huard in 1999.

He was still in college.

[kamakazi_kal]

oh.....:giggle:

i didnt pay any attention to other teams pre 2002 (fantasy football)

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

you cant blame me for taking a stab at ya...... its in my nature

[Paladin]

I have Boob on ignore, but fellas, you keep punching that "quote" button and he shows up. I am seriously pi$$ed at the number of times legitimate Broncos' posts and stories get pushed to the mullets because this arsehole blabs some nonsense and the folks respond. It is all Bulls**t. Leave that corksucker in the "Other Football" forum where his fat little behind belongs. I don't give a rat's arse about the mullets, and I couldn't care less if that bunch of losers ever, ever win another f**king game. That is a sad, dumb, impotent, incompetent organization, and it sucks, too.

There is another board that just closes the door on the trolls. And it is a cleaner board because of it, and I go there very often. There are posters here who bring good information and share good insights that keeps me coming back, but I am about done with the trolls that come around here and basically screw up a great board.

Ef that! Get the bustards off the main board and throw them on the "Other Football" forum. Last time I looked, KC is not Denver or the Broncos. Therefor, it is "Other Football."

[Bob's your Information Minister]

You might have a point, if Bronco fans didn't start Chiefs threads all the time.

[freak6]

Yes, it's incredibly stupid.

I'm a complete ****ing moron

I'm unbelievably stupid



Ban boob.

[cutthemdown]

Chiefs without Roaf last year = 150 yards rushing per game.
cheifs played in those game oak twice, buff, tex, jets the worst run defenses in the nfl.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

cheifs played in those game oak twice, buff, tex, jets the worst run defenses in the nfl.

Dammit. Dammit! We should have had 250 yards rushing against all of those teams!

[azbroncfan]

Of course the pass rush will look improved going against subpar T with Roaf not in there.

[Steve Sewell]

I don't know if Trent could take any more hits than he did last year. At one point he had been hit more than any other QB in the NFL.

I'm confident in Huard based on what he did off the bench one year in Miami. He was 5-1 and played pretty well.
Bob, you can't be serious about this... I think your delusion has reached all time levels tonight.

[Steve Sewell]

You might have a point, if Bronco fans didn't start Chiefs threads all the time.

Bob, if you haven't noticed, this is a Broncos board. Of course there will be threads about our opponents where we'll talk about them in a constructive and objective manner.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Bob, you can't be serious about this... I think your delusion has reached all time levels tonight.

Why is that so delusional?

Huard played well off the bench in Miami with little offensive talent around him.

He can't do that in KC?

[ak1971]

anyone notice there is a Bob/labf feature errr ignore on this board? That way you only get curious about the moron when you see 40+ post

[youcandoit1687]

well he hasnt played in 7 years...id tend to think that throwing him in the fire after 7 years of not starting would be sort of a problem for the guy.

[Malcontent]

I have Boob on ignore, but fellas, you keep punching that "quote" button and he shows up. I am seriously pi$$ed at the number of times legitimate Broncos' posts and stories get pushed to the mullets because this arsehole blabs some nonsense and the folks respond. It is all Bulls**t. Leave that corksucker in the "Other Football" forum where his fat little behind belongs. I don't give a rat's arse about the mullets, and I couldn't care less if that bunch of losers ever, ever win another ****ing game. That is a sad, dumb, impotent, incompetent organization, and it sucks, too.

There is another board that just closes the door on the trolls. And it is a cleaner board because of it, and I go there very often. There are posters here who bring good information and share good insights that keeps me coming back, but I am about done with the trolls that come around here and basically screw up a great board.

Ef that! Get the bustards off the main board and throw them on the "Other Football" forum. Last time I looked, KC is not Denver or the Broncos. Therefor, it is "Other Football."


I'm with you Pal! Fugg Bob and the other queef maggots! IGGY!

[24champ]

Chefs are the new raiders of the AFC WEST. Old QBs, New coaches. Raiders signed Sapp and Chefs sign Law both old and both will not amount to much. I do not expect much from the chefs this year, anyway next year is rebuilding year for them. All these dumb threads by bobo and co. are just a way of Cheffy fans pushing the panic button trying to make things seem great but it really isnt.

[ludo21]

We have better defensive ends on this team than we had in Tampa

bwhahahhahahhahahha....Ha!

wait....

hahhahah LOL Classic.