KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Analyzing how a red-hot 5-0 start for the Kansas City Chiefs devolved into losing three out of four games heading to the bye week could have shaken the confidence of head coach Andy Reid.
Instead, it seems to have rejuvenated his belief that his team can make a run at an AFC title.
"We didn't finish up before the bye very well so we've all been sitting here, fans included, on a loss for a couple of weeks," Reid said. "But I like this team and I like their work ethic. I like the way they battled through the first nine games. There's room for us as coaches and as players to improve and that to me, I get kind of fired up about that."
The Chiefs sit at 6-3 atop the AFC West, two games ahead of the Oakland Raiders and three games ahead of the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers.
But the Chiefs have designs on chasing the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers for a top seed in the AFC playoffs. Both teams stand at 7-2. The Chiefs own a tiebreaker over the Patriots, however, thanks to their win over the defending champs in Week 1.
To attain that goal, however, Reid's team must address a leaky defense that ranks among the bottom five teams in the league in total yards, rushing yards and passing yards allowed per game while ranking 20th with 23.1 points allowed per game.
Reid must also find a fix for the team's running game, which averaged only 67.3 yards in its last four games after racking up 156.2 yards during its five-game win streak.
Reid said his squad must simply focus on improving day-by-day as they return from the bye week.
"That's what we're going to focus on," Reid said. "I talked to the team a little bit about that. Just let's get right back into things we know and grind and get better on a day-to-day basis and let everything take care of itself from there."
The Chiefs' head coach certainly owns the winning formula for managing the bye week successfully. His teams hold a 16-2 record during the regular season following the bye week. Up next is a trip this week to face the New York Giants (1-8).
His bye-week recipe seems simple but effective. He gave his players a week off to rest and recharge for the final seven games of the regular season. He tasked himself and his coaching staff with analyzing the first nine games to find what worked well and what must be fixed.
"The bye week lets us dig in on some things and we need to attack those things," Reid said. "Anywhere where your mind goes besides that is wrong as a player and a coach. That's really what's real and where we're at."
--The Chiefs return from the bye week with a sense of continuity following a ragged early-season schedule that included five prime-time games and four games on days other than Sunday.
"It was an interesting schedule," head coach Andy Reid said. "I'd never been through one quite like that."
NFL players and coaches are creatures of routine as much as anyone, and the irregular work weeks created gaps and adjustments to their normal schedule nearly every week of the first half of the season. But Reid refused to use the schedule as an excuse for the team's lackluster play the last four weeks heading to the bye week.
"I thought our guys handled it well," Reid said. "I thought they came out and they had energy and did the things they needed to do to prepare themselves to win games. It was unique. But again, that's all history."
The Chiefs' central time zone location means they normally play early games on Sunday afternoon. They played nine early Sunday afternoon games last season, but just one through the first nine games this year. The club now has a stretch of five of six games in the early Sunday window, including the next four.
The difficulty of the schedule also lightens as well. Kansas City's first-half opponents have a combined record of 44-37. Their opponents over the next seven games includes just one team with a winning record and a combined won-loss total of 24-39.
"We're sitting in a good position," Reid said. "We just need to get better. We need to get better as coaches and players. That's really the bottom line."
--Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said he and general manager Brett Veach discussed claiming veteran tight end Martellus Bennett following the Packers placing him on waivers last week.
"We looked at that as a potential," Reid said.
Reid is quite familiar with the 6-foot-6, 275-pound Bennett, who spent four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and another with the New York Giants. Reid's Philadelphia Eagles teams ran into Bennett on a regular basis. Bennett faced Reid's teams in 11 games, with just 22 catches for 152 yards and no touchdowns.
The New England Patriots claimed Bennett off waivers. He caught three passes for 38 yards in his return to the Patriots Sunday night against the Denver Broncos.
"He's in a good place. It worked out good for him," Reid said.
Reid indicated that reports Bennett might retire if claimed by any team other than the Patriots had no affect on the team's decision to pass on him.
"No, I never heard that," Reid said.
--The Chiefs released defensive tackle Roy Miller, just two days following his arrest on a battery charge related to a domestic incident involving his wife in Florida.
"We did release Roy and we're going to move on from that," head coach Andy Reid said shortly after Miller's release. "I can't really talk about anything from a legal standpoint so I'm just going to leave it at that."
The Chiefs quickly moved to fill Miller's roster spot, re-signing defensive tackle Cam Thomas. The 30-year-old Thomas spent seven NFL seasons with San Diego, Pittsburgh and the Los Angeles Rams before signing as a free agent with the Chiefs during the offseason. Thomas appeared ready to back up starter Bennie Logan before the team signed Miller in August.
Thomas picked up 7.5 sacks and 108 total tackles in 101 career games with 27 starts through his first seven seasons in the league. He played all 16 games last season with two starts for the Rams while picking up 15 tackles and a sack.
Reid said defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches could fill the void left by Miller's departure, but suggested the team would likely add another defensive lineman soon.
"But we probably need to look into that and I'm sure something would happen here relatively quick," Reid said less than an hour before the team's acquisition of Thomas.
The Chiefs attracted controversy last year with their choice of wide receiver Tyreek Hill in the fifth round of the draft. Hill was arrested in December 2014 for felony domestic assault and battery related to charges he struck and choked his then-pregnant girlfriend. He pleaded to the charge in August 2015 and received three years probation as a part of the plea agreement.
Reid declined to comment Monday when asked if the team parting ways with Miller sent any message about the club's tolerance for allegations of the nature against Miller.
"I have no comment on that," Reid said.
NOTES: DE Allen Bailey continues to improve, according to head coach Andy Reid, after leaving the team's last game against Dallas with a sprained MCL. But Reid did not indicate whether Bailey or any of team's other injured players would be on the field when the team returns to practice Wednesday. ... LB Tamba Hali played 23 snaps against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9, and appears ready to contribute as a situational pass rusher for the Chiefs down the stretch. How much Hali works into the team's defensive game plan likely depends on how well his knees respond to playing time and the health of other pass rushers, especially LB Dee Ford who continues battling a sore back. ... WR Albert Wilson did not play in Week 9 against Dallas after aggravating his hamstring. Wilson also missed a game earlier this season with a sprained knee. ... DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches may be in line for more playing time in the near future following the release of DT Roy Miller. Nunez-Roches has played the tackle role in the past. The team signed DT Cam Thomas to replace Miller, but Thomas may need time working himself into playing shape. Thomas has been off the field since THE Chiefs cut him Sept. 2 following the end of the preseason.
REPORT CARD AFTER 9 GAMES
--PASSING OFFENSE: A-minus - Quarterback Alex Smith posted one of the strongest first halves of his career, completing 69.6 percent of his passes for 2,444 yards and 18 touchdowns in the team's first nine games. All those numbers put him well on pace for career highs. Tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Tyreek Hill remain on pace for 1,000-yard receiving seasons, and rookie running back Kareem Hunt provides the team with a dual-threat option out of the backfield. The Chiefs lead the league at 6.2 yards per play, and Smith and the passing game are the biggest reason why.
--RUSHING OFFENSE: A-minus - The run game behind rookie Kareem Hunt deserve an A-plus for the first five games of the season, but the last four weeks bring down the average a bit. Hunt leads the league in rushing and yards from scrimmage, piling up 800 yards on the ground and adding 331 more through the air along with six touchdowns in total. Few running backs in recent weeks bolted out of the gates faster than Hunt. But with just 48 yards rushing per game the last four weeks, Hunt must find a way to make adjustments, as the league seems to be solving the riddle he poses.
--PASS DEFENSE: C-minus - The Chiefs rank 28th in passing yards allowed per game. The secondary missed two starters most of the first half of the season. Safety Eric Berry went to injured reserve with an Achilles tendon rupture following Week 1, and starting right cornerback Steven Nelson missed the team's first eight games with a core muscle injury. Perhaps most distressing, the Chiefs' pass rushing ranks tied for 16th with just 19 sacks through the first nine games. The team's defense relies on a strong pass rush to disrupt the passing game. When the Chiefs get to the quarterback, the defense can play lights out. When they cannot, opposing quarterbacks have big days.
--RUSH DEFENSE: D-minus - Even when teams don't rush the ball particularly well, they still seem to find ways to pile up yards against the Chiefs. The teams ranks 30th in the league with 131.1 rushing yards allowed per game. They also allowed nine rushing touchdowns, showing signs that the bend-but-don't-break defensive philosophy needs repairs quickly. The Chiefs seem to have the pieces to be better against the run, especially with the addition of defensive tackle Bennie Logan and linebacker Reggie Ragland. The team again misses the expertise of safety Eric Berry against the run.
--SPECIAL TEAMS: B-plus - The kicking game has been close to perfect with rookie kicker Harrison Butker connecting on his last 19 straight field-goal attempts. Punter Dustin Colquitt carries a less than stellar 39.4 net punting average but his ability to put the ball inside the 20 remains among the best in the league. Special teams coordinator Dave Toub normally hangs his hat on the return game, but the Chiefs have struggled in that area. The Chiefs rank eighth in kickoff returns with a 23.3-yard average. Teams normally avoid punt returner Tyreek Hill, leaving the Chiefs 17th in the league with an 8.2-yard return average.
--COACHING: B - Head coach Andy Reid and his staff deserve much of the credit for the team's 5-0 start, but it also holds significant ownership in the 1-3 slump leading to the bye week. Defensive coordinator Bob Sutton finds himself the target of much of the criticism with the team ranking 28th against the pass, 30th versus the run and 20th with 23.1 points allowed per game. The Chiefs have a Super Bowl offense and a No. 1 overall draft pick defense. Finding a way to improve the defense in the second half stands between the Chiefs and postseason success.
No comments:
Post a Comment