As we’ve been doing for a number of years now, we’ll break down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opponent every week, telling you what to anticipate from a scheme and particular person standpoint. This yr, Jonathan Heitritter and I’ll cowl the opposing group’s protection. I’ll concentrate on the scheme, Jonathan on the gamers.
As we speak, we’re scouting the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ protection.
Alex’s Schematic Report
Chiefs’ Run Protection
A stout protection led by a robust entrance. Kansas Metropolis runs a 4-3 led by DT Chris Jones, who’s questionable for the Steelers’ recreation with a calf damage. His absence, ought to he sit out, could be huge. As a group, they’re permitting simply 91.4 speeding yards per recreation, which is third-best within the league. The Chiefs are additionally giving up simply 4 yards per carry and solely 30 runs of 10-plus yards this season, second-best within the NFL.
ILB Nick Bolton is their prime tackler, with 98 of them, together with a whopping 70 solo stops. He hardly ever leaves the sector, taking part in 95 p.c of the time. Drue Tranquil is subsequent to him of their nickel packages. In base, Leo Chenal joins them. He performs about one-third of their snaps. He does have three compelled fumbles this yr, and he is an efficient athlete and heavy-hitter who blocked a game-winning discipline objective try earlier this yr—an affect participant.
The DBs are lively in Justin Reid’s 82 tackles and Chamarri Conner’s 72 (who received’t play because of a concussion).
Total, they’re a disciplined and gap-sound unit with out many weaknesses. Operating between the tackles is a group’s finest guess. The Chiefs circulation effectively towards inside zone schemes and squeeze them from the bottom whereas the frontside retains the again shifting laterally and stopping a lane. They play the run rather well.
Retaining it easy and downhill with duo and lead runs might be the Steelers’ finest likelihood. Anticipating an enormous working day is pie-in-the-sky, however a 4.0 YPC, 100-yard day as a group is an efficient objective to shoot for.
Listed here are another defensive stats: Kansas Metropolis is permitting simply 18.5 factors per recreation, which is third-best within the NFL. They’ve given up underneath 20 of their final 4 video games and at or underneath 20 in 11 of their 15 video games this season.
Situationally, they aren’t nice on third down, permitting opponents to transform 40.5 p.c of the time, which is twentieth league-wide. However they tighten up within the purple zone, 51.1 p.c, which is eighth-best.
Chiefs’ Go Protection
Robust right here, too. It’s an underrated secondary with an aggressive defensive coordinator in Steve Spagnuolo, the DC who beat Tom Brady within the Tremendous Bowl. As a protection, they’ve 35 sacks this season. DE George Karlaftis leads the group with seven sacks and 26 QB hits. Tershawn Wharton is second at 5.5, and Chris Jones is third at 5. Kansas Metropolis brings the warmth. They’re registering a 26.9-percent strain charge, fourth-overall throughout the league, and have the second-highest blitz charge doing so one-third of the time. Solely Brian Flores and the Minnesota Vikings are larger (37-percent).
They permit an honest quantity of yards per recreation, however that’s a product of taking part in with the lead. They hold the ball beneath at 6.8 YPA with simply 20 landing passes and 12 interceptions. They’re giving up 45 completions of 20-plus yards, which is backside third within the league, but it surely’s not an egregious determine.
High CB Trent McDuffie has 12 breakups and two picks this season. Seven totally different Chiefs have picked off a go this season.
The Chiefs play a wide range of coverages and match routes. They don’t simply spot drop-and-play mixture coverages. With WR George Pickens again, I’d count on him to be bracketed in key moments. Kansas Metropolis did so to Cleveland Browns WR Jerry Jeudy two weeks in the past—examples (the primary is extra of a match).
They defend the display screen and RPO recreation effectively, and their corners/secondary sort out effectively. I wouldn’t attempt a lot of that towards these guys.
They’re pressure-heavy. Justin Reid performs dime backer in third-and-long and infrequently rushes. As does No. 21 Jalen Hicks and McDuffie, the latter registering 4 QB hits. However they’re additionally artistic within the again finish. Watch their safeties commerce locations on this C.J. Stroud interception—actually enjoyable and artistic stuff.
Russell Wilson and the Steelers’ receivers should pay attention to the change within the post-snap image. The excellent news is that Wilson performed towards the Chiefs within the AFC West with Denver the earlier two seasons, so he’s accustomed to their scheme and elegance. That is particularly useful on a brief week with little follow time.
Very last thing. Up entrance, they typically align with twin 3Ts on apparent passing conditions. However after they have a 3T and a 2i, when that d-tackle pinches inside, it’s an alert the DTs are going to stunt. The d-tackle is pinching to scale back the area to execute the stunt.
Jonathan’s Particular person Report
The Pittsburgh Steelers will look to rebound rapidly after a troublesome loss to the Baltimore Ravens on the street Saturday as they give the impression of being to get again within the win column towards the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs on Christmas Day.
The Chiefs are 14-1 on the season and a Tremendous Bowl favourite. They’ve a potent offense led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, however additionally they have one of many extra underrated defenses within the league. Kansas Metropolis’s protection ranks fourth within the league in factors and complete yards allowed. It ranks fifteenth towards the go however third within the league towards the run.
Defensive Line
The Kansas Metropolis protection is headlined by No. 95 Chris Jones on the defensive position, being among the finest inside defenders within the recreation. Jones has had a down yr within the sack division, with solely 5 on the season. Nevertheless, the five-time Professional Bowler and two-time All-Professional nonetheless has been extremely disruptive. He makes use of his distinctive mix of dimension, power, and athleticism to blow previous opposing offensive linemen to get to the quarterback and stuff the run. Jones will play inside but additionally kick out to the sting, making him precedence #1 for the offense to account for.
Jones’ working mate alongside the defensive position is No. 98 Tershawn Wharton, who has had a robust season himself in his first as a full-time starter, posting 26 complete tackles, six tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, a compelled fumble, and two go deflections. Wharton is a stout run defender with an incredible motor to hurry the passer. He makes use of his bull rush to get strain early and finishes with effort.
No. 69 Mike Pennel is a big-bodied defensive sort out specializing in early downs as a run defender. He has six begins this season and has sacked the quarterback 3 times in 2024. No. 91 Derrick Nnadi has performed sparingly in a rotational position.
EDGE
The Chiefs have a bunch of go rushers coming off the sting, however No. 56 George Karlaftis is the highest man for Kansas Metropolis. Karlaftis leads the group with seven sacks on the season, together with 33 complete stops, eight tackles for loss, and a whopping 26 quarterback hits. Karlaftis does an incredible job getting off the snap with an incredible burst and makes use of his relentless motor to run down ball carriers and quarterbacks in pursuit.
No. 51 Michael Danna is a stocky go rusher who solely has 1.5 sacks on the season, however he’s a robust, highly effective run defender regardless of his dimension (6-2, 257 kilos) and has began 11 video games for Kansas Metropolis this season. No. 90 Charles Omenihu served a six-game suspension to begin the season however is again within the lineup and is an issue for opposing offenses to dam because of his athleticism in his 6-5, 280-pound body.
Kansas Metropolis additionally has No. 97 Felix Anudike-Uzomah, who was a former first-round choose in 2023 and is beginning to see extra taking part in time in a rotational position in 2024, beginning two video games and has 21 complete tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and a compelled fumble on the yr. The Chiefs additionally traded for No. 55 Josh Uche, who has been working again from an damage.
Linebackers
No. 32 Nick Bolton has been one of many extra underrated linebackers within the league since getting drafted again in 2021. Standing 5-11, 237 kilos, he is a superb athlete who flies sideline-to-sideline in pursuit of the soccer. He’s a succesful protection defender, however Bolton makes his cash as a run defender and blitzer, posting 98 complete tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three sacks, a compelled fumble, a fumble restoration, and 4 go deflections.
No. 23 Drue Tranquill is a hyper-athletic linebacker out of Notre Dame who began his profession with the Chargers however has develop into an integral piece of the Chiefs’ protection the final two seasons. He’s a superb protection defender and performs with nice velocity and energy in pursuit, having 85 complete tackles, 4 tackles for loss, two sacks, and two go deflections on the yr.
No. 54 Leo Chenal is an athletic, highly effective off-ball linebacker who has 12 begins on the yr for Kansas Metropolis, having compelled three fumbles and deflected three passes to go together with 54 complete stops, 4 tackles for loss, and one sack. Behind the starters is No. 44 Cam Jones, who serves as a core particular teamer whereas seeing minimal snaps on protection.
Cornerbacks
The Chiefs are led on the backend of the protection by No. 22 Trent McDuffie, who has develop into an affect participant since getting drafted within the first spherical in 2022. McDuffie recorded his first two profession regular-season interceptions in 2024, together with a career-high 12 go deflections. He has spectacular quickness and consciousness to interrupt on passes. McDuffie can also be an aggressive run defender and tackler, having 55 complete tackles and 6 tackles for loss.
Additionally beginning for Kansas Metropolis is No. 2 Joshua Williams, who has phenomenal size and dimension (6-3, 190 kilos) to cowl bigger receivers on the skin. He’s solely allowed a 52.4% completion charge for 97 yards and one landing on the yr. No. 27 Chamarri Connor has began as Kansas Metropolis’s nickel defender, making an affect as an aggressive tackler with 72 tackles on the season, but additionally has 4 go deflections and two interceptions. Connor is working his means again from a concussion however has a shot to play Wednesday.
No. 39 Keith Taylor has hardly performed this season. Rookie No. 30 Chris Roland-Wallace has had one begin and has performed a good quantity in sub packages, making 21 complete tackles, two tackles for loss, a compelled fumble, a go deflection, and an interception on the yr. No. 13 Nazeeh Johnson performs some at security and in nickel/dome packages and has began 5 video games in 2024, having made 44 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, and three go deflections on the yr.
Safeties
No. 6 Bryan Cook dinner has developed into fairly the starter at security for the Chiefs after getting drafted within the second spherical again in 2022, offering sound run protection and a succesful protection defender to roam the backend. Cook dinner has 70 complete tackles, one sort out for loss, 5 go deflections, and two interceptions on the yr. He’s finest in zone protection but additionally holds his personal in man protection, permitting a 59/1% completion charge for 328 yards and two scores on the yr.
No. 20 Justin Reid has been a mainstay within the Chiefs secondary since 2022, coming over from the Houston Texans. He’s interchangeable at free and powerful security, having good instincts in protection, but additionally can set off downhill towards the run. Reid has 82 complete tackles, 5 tackles for loss, eight go deflections, and one interception on the season.
Rookie No. 21 Jaden Hicks has been an enormous addition to Kansas Metropolis’s protection this season, having snagged three interceptions and deflected three extra with out even beginning a recreation. No. 26 Deon Bush additionally gives depth for Kansas Metropolis on the backend whereas offering particular groups worth.
