State of the pass rush; How are the Chiefs getting after the quarterback?
Looking at every dropback of the Raiders game to try and figure out how the front seven are doing applying pressure.
I generally go into any film review with a certain number of expectations. After all, we walk away from every game with a certain number of beliefs as to what actually occurred during that game. The narratives that spring forth immediately following the clock hitting zero are perfectly natural.
Often times one can get a good idea as to what took place based off that first viewing. Of course, when watching the game live it’s tough to look for any one thing, and unless one is charting (something I’ve sworn to never do live) it’s impossible to quantify even the things you think you’re seeing. Our emotions, memories, and own biases betray us.
I guess what I’m trying to say is I did not find what I expected to find when I reviewed the Chiefs’ pass rush snaps against the Raiders. At the same time, I found exactly what I was expecting to find.
I know, it sounds weird, but let’s talk about Kansas City’s pass rush, something that has been the topic of a lot of conversation since the season started, and what they did against Las Vegas. First of all, the pass rush hasn’t OR HAS been a particularly strong suit for the defense week in and week out, depending on what metrics you use.
It may be hard to read that pic (click on it to get it closer), but what it’s saying is that in terms of pressure rate by PFF’s metrics, the Chiefs are below average while being an average team in terms of aggression (blitzing). They’re not bad, but they’re not good either.
Something that’s interesting is that when you go by Pro Football Reference’s pressure percentage (which is measured combining sacks/hits/hurries, with a greater weight to sacks), the Chiefs actually fare pretty well there, ranking 3rd in the league in pressure percentage. What does that tell us? Well, besides the fact that methodology matters, it tells me that the Chiefs are doing a decent job with knockdowns/hurries/sacks in terms of numbers, but aren’t pressuring the QB much outside of those plays with “direct” pressure. Meaning when it’s good, it’s good, but it’s not as consistent as one would want.
Which brings me back to the Raiders game. On first watching, I found myself again feeling as though the pass rush was underwhelming. And I decided it would be good to review every snap, charting whether pressure occurred, who had the pressure, and how it got there or didn’t get there (how many rushers, who got doubled other forms of protection help sent their way, etc).
It’s a LOT of information, but it was worth it, as I discovered a few rays of hope and also some of the root issues that I think explain the Chiefs’ pass rush dilemma.