If the Chiefs D really has turned some kind of corner and plays like they did against the Colts - the Pats are going to need to get some breaks imo. They've given up 9 points in the last two games. If our D regresses back to anything like most of the season it will probably be a close game.
I think this is the first year we've had a fully healthy Justin Houston for the playoffs. And of course Ford and Jones are beasts. Since Houston's return from injury in week 10, to the end of the 2018 regular season, the Chiefs defense had 14 takeaways, 26 sacks (8 from Houston), 15 forced fumbles (3 by Houston) and Houston had 10 QB hits in that time. We got 3 sacks, a strip and a ton of pressures vs. Luck.
Hitchens and Ragland are at least playing middle of the road now, instead of giant ball of suck.
Looks like Berry is back although I wish this wasn't his first game in over a month. Would really love to have Dorian O'Daniel to cover White - but it looks like he's our only missing piece on defense.
Charvarious Ward replacing Scandrick is looking more and more like a gigantic upgrade. He blanketed TY Hilton on Saturday. Hilton hasn't been 100%, but still went off ok vs. the Texans. The only big plays he made vs Ward were garbage time and on that one perfect pass for a TD where Ward had good coverage.
Here's a heartwarming story about Ward's odd path to the NFL.
But more than anything our D has seemed to have motivation issues all year. One big reason allowed 10 pts ppg less at home. There were games where they didn't seem to pursue, wrap-up, swarm to the ball, win one-on-one matchups. I don't know what it was - some combination of discouragement, not trusting the other guys to be where they're supposed to be, and Bob Sutton being too old/passive to light a fire under their asses when needed.
I had a feeling the extra rest and motivation of a playoff game would cure a lot of our run D woes for the Colts game. And it did. All week the pundits talked about how Mack was going to shred us. Didn't happen. For this game we've got everything except the extra rest.
Last edited by suzzer99; 01-17-2019 at 02:07 PM.