Chiefs' Midseason Defense Report Card

Defensive Ends:
Simply outstanding. They have been difference makers. Tamba Hali was an absolute steal in the first round of the draft, and Jared Allen is having a pro bowl caliber season. Allen gets his share of sacks, but he is extremely underrated in his ability to strip the football and force turnovers. Watch him tackle a quarterback – he practically integrates a strip into his tackle. Allen would likely have more sacks if it weren't for all those darn forced fumbles. Hopefully, pro bowl voters can look past the sometimes overrated sacks statistic, even though Allen has more than his share. Hali has also been outstanding. He's generated pretty decent pressure, but he is also all over the field and is a critical piece to the Chiefs' run defense. It was almost painful to watch Eric Hicks stand in for Tamba Hali--you could just tell how much Tamba Hali impacts this football team. I almost feel like an injured Hali would have gotten more pressure than Hicks. Jimmy Wilkerson has been a solid rotational DE. He has played his way into a roster spot for next season; I can't say the same for Hicks.
Grade: A

Defensive Tackles:
In short, they get the job done. Nothing more, nothing less. We've certainly seen the pocket collapse a lot more than we have in years past. That's really all you can hope for from your tackles. The tackles have been ordinary; then again, they haven't been awful. There's really not a whole lot to say about them, except that Ryan Sims may have eaten his way out of the Chiefs for next season.
Grade: B-


Linebackers:
It's surprising how little recognition Derrick Johnson is getting this season, but he is on pace to rack up 100 tackles and 9 sacks.That is, of course, assuming that his ankle injury does not become a concern in the second half of the season. Kawika Mitchell is quietly becoming a team leader. Kendrell Bell also quietly does his job. He isn't in on a whole lot of plays, but he does a terrific job of blowing up blockers. Keyaran Fox came in against the Rams and showed that the Chiefs also have some decent depth.
Grade: B+

Cornerbacks:
I have been impressed with the play of Patrick Surtain this season. He's making big tackles and he's done a pretty good job not getting blown up in his coverages. Ty Law is a little overpaid, but he's been pretty solid. He takes a few gambles and will get beat big, but mostly, he has done a pretty decent job. He is easily a better cornerback than Eric Warfield. Lenny Walls has been wildly inconsistent. Against St. Louis and Denver, he was shutdown. In a other games, his jersey was always seen 5 yards behind his receiver. The Chiefs sure do miss Benny Sapp. He has been about as consistent as you would hope a nickel back would be, but he just can't stay on the field.
Grade: B

Safeties:
Sammy Knight is finally playing to the level the Chiefs were expecting. I had long been predicting he'd be replaced by Bernard Pollard, as soon as game 1. But Knight has stepped up his play. He's been outstanding against the run and I think his play at safety has improved, now that he actually has defensive ends who can get to the quarterback and corners who can cover a lot of space. Knight will continue to play very well, as long as the Chiefs don't ask him to run in a lot of space. Greg Wesley has also been a very pleasant surprise. He's actually disrupting pass plays and making big hits. He looks like the Greg Wesley of old. Jarrad Page has been pretty solid in rotational play. The Chiefs have two quality starters at safety and they have a pretty terrific future ahead with Page and Bernard Pollard waiting for their shots.
Grade: B+