In the Kansas City Chiefs’ most recent loss, a 28-24 loss to the Denver Broncos, the pass rush may have had the least impact on performance on the year.
After the game, we wrote about the Chiefs’ pass rush causing just two pressures on 34 drops by Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, according to ESPN analysis. That came nearly two months after Kansas City harassed Nix in a season-opening win with four sacks and two more quarterback hits.
The defense executed the game plan well with no pressure through three quarters, but let’s take a closer look at the Chiefs’ pass rush totals from Week 8:
Chris Jones rushes in from the inside
Watching the game back, the Chiefs’ pass rush looked at its best when defensive tackle Chris Jones lined up where he must often: inside over guard in a 3-technique or 4i alignment.
On third-and-2 Early on, linebacker Drue Tranquill blitzed and covered the only player who could help right guard Quinn Meinerz on Jones. Taking a one-on-one, Jones flew down the line and off Meinerz’s shoulder to quickly enter the pocket. A quick pass denied Jones the win, ending up in the hands of Nix.
Jones lined up in the B-gap on 24 of the 48 plays he was on the field in Denver (50%). He usually lines up there on neutral downs (1st and 2nd down) or third-and-short.
Needing four yards to convert a third down, Nix’s dropback was a bit more drawn than the previous third-and-short pass. This time, Jones and defensive end George Karlaftis bull rush two right-side linemen and force Nix to feel them in the pocket — and Karlaftis ends the rush by getting a hand on the pass.
After the game, Chiefs Communications noted that Karlaftis single-handedly owns the NFL lead in batted passes (7). He also had the team’s lone sack of the afternoon, although it came on a drawn-out play action that left a Denver tight end to block him on the backside.
One of Jones’ biggest assets as a rusher is his size; he’s difficult to see when the quarterback is trying to scan the field, and his 6-foot-6 frame, even when blocked, can disrupt a dropback from the front of the pocket.
When second and third downs go long, Jones often moves to line up over or outside the offensive tackle. Defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah has been the primary inside rusher in those situations; he blew up a Denver screen pass by coming in and getting to Nix quickly from an interior spot.
However, I believe Jones is most effective when rushing from the front of the pocket.
After the game, Jones said the Chiefs needed to “win the one-on-ones.” He cites this as a major stress. He’s in there, but pass rushers around him have to take advantage of Jones’ gravity.
On this second-and-18, the Chiefs’ pass rush seemed to run a stunt that invited Nix forward and to the right of the pocket. Jones comes off the ball and covers right guard and center, setting up defensive end Ashton Gillotte to circle behind him and meet Nix in open space.
However, Gillotte was either late in the loop or simply forgot that it was his assignment until Jones was in front of him. Suddenly, Nix had a wide open platform to confidently fire a rocket into the center. It’s hard to ask for more from the range on this one.
On this third-and-10, Jones drew intense attention from Denver’s three interior linemen after rushing up the middle. The left guard pitched and rotated before returning to help the fullback — a key to the Broncos’ pass protection against blitzes — on linebacker Nick Bolton, who had no penetration.
However, look at the space Karlaftis gives left tackle Garrett Bolles to work in the pocket. Instead of preparing for an inside move based on how the line plays out, the Chiefs’ leading rusher takes himself out of the game by rushing upfield.
On the other side, a sloppily executed stunt wasted Gillote and rookie R Mason Thomas. This gives Nix a platform to deliver a gentle strike to move the chains that he just misses.
As the game wore on, the lack of wins from pass rushers not named Chris Jones became more apparent. On this first-down play, up by two scores in the fourth quarter, Nix buys himself enough time to eventually find a target over the middle for a big gain (though Bolton slipped on what was likely a pass breakup).
Jones drew two blockers, and more importantly, Gillotte couldn’t get past the right tackle, leaving Nix room to throw. With nose tackle Khyiris Tonga on the field, the team isn’t built to chase the quarterback, so is it fair to criticize the coaching staff for not using edge rusher R Mason Thomas in a full-time role when the Chiefs build such a late-game lead?
Kansas City’s pass rush wasn’t the biggest factor in blowing the game in Denver, but a few more splash plays could have gone a long way in a game the Chiefs led in the second half until the final minute.
One tweak would be to keep Jones inside at all times when chasing the quarterback and give Thomas more run to the edge; he played just 17 snaps against the Broncos, less than 30% of the snaps.
However, the main criticism is of the players around Jones. He’s not making plays himself this season, but he’s still getting a lot of attention; his teammates need to sharpen their pass-rush moves to capitalize on it more often.