The Kansas City Chiefs vs. the AFC West (Part 2)
Which roster would you rather have: the Kansas City Chiefs', or the rest of the AFC West combined? Motivated by this tweet from ProFootballTalk, we're breaking down the answer. For part one, going position-by-position on the offensive side of the ball, click here.
DEFENSE
We all expected the Chiefs to field a superior offense to their AFC West challengers and for the AFC West to bring a superior defense. But just how wide is the gap, defensively, between the Chiefs and their division rivals?
It may surprise you to hear that the Chiefs finished 14th in the NFL in defensive DVOA in 2019, ahead of every AFC West team but Denver (which finished one spot ahead, at 13th). The Chargers (21st) and Raiders (31st) were far worse defensively than KC in 2019. But again, we are not comparing individual teams. When the AFC West’s powers combine, how potent does their defense become? Let’s go position-by-position.
Edge Rush
Frank Clark, Alex Okafor, Tanoh Kpassagnon vs. Melvin Ingram (LAC), Joey Bosa (LAC), Von Miller (DEN)
This is a clear advantage to the AFC West. We’ll give it to them.
EDGE: AFC West
Interior Defensive Line
Chris Jones, Mike Pennel, Derrick Nnadi vs. Maurice Hurst (LV), Shelby Harris (DEN), Jurrel Casey (DEN)
Nnadi and Pennel are solid, if unspectacular, interior defenders. Hurst, Harris, and Casey are all above-average players: Casey is a 30-year old five-time Pro Bowler whose skills are beginning to decline; Harris is 28 and coming off his best season; and Hurst, at 24, has shown some promise but has yet to establish himself as a star. Then there’s Chris Jones, an absolute gamewrecker and one of the best interior defensive linemen in the entire NFL. Jones’ star power alone is enough to elevate the Chiefs over a good AFC West group.
EDGE: Chiefs
Linebacker
Anthony Hitchens, Damien Wilson, Ben Niemann vs. Cory Littleton (LV), Nick Kwiatkowski (LV), Alexander Johnson (DEN)
Two of the three picks for the AFC West are newcomers (Littleton and Kwiatkowski), and even with their additions, no one will confuse the AFC West for a linebacker-rich division. Still, the Chiefs’ linebacking unit is one of the worst in the NFL, so despite the mediocrity of the West, they still have the edge.
EDGE: AFC West
Cornerback
Bashaud Breeland, Charvarius Ward, Rashad Fenton vs. Chris Harris Jr. (LAC), Casey Hayward (LAC), Desmond King (LAC)
It’s all Chargers here for the AFC West, with former Bronco Chris Harris Jr. joining forces with Casey Hayward and Desmond King to produce one of the best cornerback units in the NFL. The Chiefs’ CB room returns Breeland, Ward, and Fenton from its 2019 Super Bowl run, in which the cornerbacks performed much better than most expected, but this is a mismatch.
EDGE: AFC West
Safety
Tyrann Mathieu, Juan Thornhill, Daniel Sorensen vs. Derwin James (LAC), Kareem Jackson (DEN), Justin Simmons (DEN)
While the AFC West has a dearth of effective linebackers, it is rich with excellent safeties. The Chiefs replaced five-time Pro Bowler Eric Berry with first team All-Pro Tyrann Mathieu, pairing him with rookie Juan Thornhill. Until his season-ending injury in Week 17 against the Chargers, Thornhill was superb, allowing just 0.22 yards per coverage snap — sixth fewest in the NFL. But the AFC West can counter with Chargers’ Swiss Army Knife Derwin James, whose play is reminiscent of a younger Mathieu, and the capable Broncos’ duo of Simmons and Jackson. This is too close to call.
EDGE: Push
Summary
The Los Dengas Charonders get the nod at Edge Rush, Cornerback, and Linebacker, while the Chiefs sneak a win in Interior Defensive Line; Safety is a tie. That gives the AFC West, as expected, the better overall defense.
EDGE: AFC West
WHO WON?
The Chiefs finished ahead of the Charonders in four of 11 total position battles, while the Charonders took five. The Chiefs’ superiority at quarterback, by far the most important position, makes this incredibly close overall - too close to call.
Or is it?
What about special teams? Let’s take a look at Football Outsiders’ special teams DVOA, broken down by unit, with totals in the final column. Positive numbers are good. Negative numbers are bad.
The Chiefs had the second-best special teams DVOA in the NFL in 2019. Their division rivals finished 24th (Denver), 25th (Oakland), and 32nd (that’s last, and it’s the Los Angeles Chargers).
You thought the biggest gap between the Chiefs and their AFC West opponents was at quarterback? You were wrong. It’s on special teams. The Chiefs, despite the occasional slow start on teams play, have been consistently excellent in that area for years. The Chiefs last allowed a punt return touchdown in 2012, when Andy Reid was still the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and Patrick Mahomes was a junior in high school.
The Raiders, Broncos, and Chargers, meanwhile, have allowed three punt return touchdowns to Tyreek Hill alone.
EDGE: Chiefs
