Andy Reid’s rookie secret revealed (Getty Images)
Because of the outcome, kansas City’s defense turned heads in Week 1 against Denver, and not just.
The short answer, according to Jeremiah, is coaching. “I thought the Chiefs’ defense, when you dug in and watched the tape with so many new pieces and young pieces, I thought they played outstanding,” Jeremiah said on ESPN’s BigDay show. The story was who was doing the damage. Several young, first-year players showed up ready, contributing in ways that had ESPN analyst Daniel Jeremiah reaching for superlatives after reviewing the film. With the Colts coming up next on the schedule, that rookie-fueled unit is already generating serious conversation around the league. But it goes deeper than that. “From R Mason Thomas off the edge, Peter Woods inside. You saw [Mansoor] Delane with a pick before he got injured. A lot of young pieces, and this has long been one of the best teaching staffs in the NFL. And Steve Spagnolo and that group did a good job getting those young guys ready to go. So I’m a believer in this Chiefs defense.”
Performing well in Week 1 is one thing. Doing it across 17 games with a roster carrying this much youth on the defensive side is something else entirely.
“Offensively, yes, they ran the ball well, particularly from under center,” he said. That is the real question hanging over this team right now. Mansoor Delane’s injury is already a concern. He picked off a pass before leaving the game, and losing a young corner with that kind of instinct is not something you shrug off. The Chiefs will need other pieces to hold up. On the offensive side, Jeremiah noted that things were not completely smooth either. “I don’t think the pass game was super synced up yet. Patrick’s still more comfortable in the gun and some of that’s just, you know, it’s always been done. And I also think there’s some of the, you know, coming off the knee injury, it’s just more natural for him. If those rookies keep delivering, the Chiefs will be a very difficult team to plan against come January.