Sorry no tales of a smelly vag or meth-addicted 'Super Fans'...
1. Play Nick Bolton over a healthy Anthony Hitchens
The rookie linebacker was the star of the game against the Titans, totaling 15 tackles and 4 tackles for loss. He was the catalyst in neutralizing running back Derrick Henry more than any other team has done this season — outside of Week 1.
He was inserted as the starting MIKE linebacker because Hitchens had to miss the game with the injury he suffered in Week 6 — but we don’t believe the team should look back. Bolton showed explosiveness — and an ability to come downhill through gaps to make run stops — at a higher level than we’ve seen from Hitchens this season.
Bolton struggled to cover his hook zone on passing plays effectively, but Hitchens isn’t any better in those scenarios.
It’s unrealistic to expect Hitchens to ride the bench for the rest of the season, but if the Chiefs want their best defensive players in the game, Bolton should be in — and playing the middle linebacker position — as much as possible.
2. Shorten the cornerback rotation to Charvarius Ward, L’Jarius Sneed and Rashad Fenton
In recent weeks, cornerback Rashad Fenton has clearly emerged as a player the team should trust to play outside and cover talented receivers. He’s had good snaps against the Buffalo Bills’ Stefon Diggs and Washington’s Terry McLaurin — and the statistics back up his overall play.
That’s why it was frustrating to see Fenton on the sideline on an important third-and-7 on Sunday, passed up for cornerback Mike Hughes to cover Tennessee’s A.J. Brown. The play resulted in a touchdown pass on a jump ball that Brown won over Hughes.
Fenton’s 45 snaps still outpaced Hughes’ 16 — but we believe Fenton should absorb all of the snaps that aren’t going to Charvarius Ward and L’Jarius Sneed. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is known to leave his starting outside cornerbacks in for the entire game. That should be extended to their three-cornerback sets; the Chiefs don’t use four cornerbacks on the field simultaneously.
Those three players have shown enough to be trusted as the only players taking cornerback snaps moving forward.
3. Drastically minimize Demarcus Robinson’s snap count
This year, the wide receiver has played 72% of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps — more than every other skill-position player not named Travis Kelce or Tyreek Hill. Yet he’s sixth on the team in receptions — and relative to the snaps he plays, he is one of the league’s least-targeted receivers.
Playing him over wide receivers Mecole Hardman, Byron Pringle and Josh Gordon is becoming more and more unjustifiable. Playing Robinson is almost equivalent to taking a receiver away from the lineup on a given pass play. And it’s not like he’s been sound in other areas: three times this season, he’s been called for holding.
Even if the coaching staff plays him because they trust him to know the offense more than the others, it’s not enough to justify his lack of positive impact on the unit’s success. The other receivers should be able to provide what Robinson does — while also adding a higher likelihood of making a play in the passing game.
Playing him over wide receivers Mecole Hardman, Byron Pringle and Josh Gordon is becoming more and more unjustifiable. Playing Robinson is almost equivalent to taking a receiver away from the lineup on a given pass play. And it’s not like he’s been sound in other areas: three times this season, he’s been called for holding.
Even if the coaching staff plays him because they trust him to know the offense more than the others, it’s not enough to justify his lack of positive impact on the unit’s success. The other receivers should be able to provide what Robinson does — while also adding a higher likelihood of making a play in the passing game.
https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2021/10/27/22748201/3-things-to-change-about-the-kansas-city-chiefs-roster-nick-bolton-rashad-fenton-demarcus-robinson
[Reply]
I wholeheartedly endorse #1. Bolton needs to be the first linebacker on the field and the last one off.
I wholeheartedly endorse #2. I'm a big Fenton fan. Ward is obviously a starter and while Sneed is in a sophomore slump I'm hopeful that he'll get back into form.
I somewhat endorse #3. We all get a little frustrated with Robinson sometimes, but I'm not sure if he brings some things that are not obvious. I think he blocks downfield well, which is good when you're putting the ball into the hands of Tyreek and Kelce, and I use d to think that Robinson was good at improvising when Patrick is moving outside the pocket. I'm not so sure about that any more, but I think he's better than Hardman at a minimum.
I'd prefer to give Pringle time over Robinson, but I think Hardman is just a gadget player at this point. I don't think he does the little things that so important in this offense. And as for Gordon, I don't know enough about him in the offense to have an opinion there.
[Reply]
They lack depth at these positions. Not sure how realistic #1 and #2 are. Especially since Gay and Ward are coming off injuries.
#1 should be playing Jones at DT. You can't let players decide what positions they want to play. Especially if they suck at a given position. Same thing with Brown at LT, though they don't have anyone else to play at LT right now.
I'm fine with limiting Robinson's snaps to see what Gordon or Pringle can do. I'm done with Hardman. He's nothing more than a fast receiver. He should have indeed been drafted by Al Davis.
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