[Marcellus]

Here are some facts to look at not simply saying the defense sucks ass and we have zero pass rush etc...

This article clearly illustrates how the pass rush effected the game in the 2nd half compared to the first. It also talks about Sutton making some big adjustments.

In the first half, Sutton repeatedly dropped eight defenders into coverage and rushed only three. This led to snap after snap of Big Ben having more than five seconds to survey the field, which will always — and it did in this case — lead to receivers getting open eventually. The Chiefs were attempting to play it “safe,” and in doing so, they got carved up. Something had to give, and fortunately for the Chiefs, that something was Sutton’s strategy, which he changed midstream.

It started with 1:57 left in the third quarter, with the Chiefs leading by a touchdown. The Steelers had a 3rd-and-3 after a nice stuff by linebacker Anthony Hitchens the play prior. The Chiefs desperately needed a stop, and Sutton decided to punch rather than counter-punch for a change.

The Chiefs show blitz, and rather than backing off into coverage, they send six defenders at Big Ben, overwhelming the offensive line with too many bodies to block. Roethlisberger is forced to throw immediately without a clear lane and from an uncomfortable platform, and the ball ends up inaccurate and incomplete.

This is exactly what the Chiefs need to be doing, and should have been doing the moment it became clear that the Steelers were going to pick a more conservative game plan apart. While there is inherent risk in blitzing and playing aggressively, the upside is that occasionally it will pay off in the form of a big play or a stop. When a defense is already giving up yards and points, the “risk” of playing aggressively is negated in that the bad outcome is already occurring. So trying to at least make a few plays for the other side makes sense.

This stop was absolutely crucial for the Chiefs in that it allowed the offense to stretch the lead to 42-28. And the next two drives, the Chiefs continued to play a more aggressive brand of football that led to positive results.

On the Steelers’ first drive of the fourth quarter, they had a 1st-and-10 at their own 38-yard-line. Once again, Sutton chose to be aggressive rather than sitting back, and it paid off.
Sutton blitzes safety Eric Murray while showing blitz with both inside linebackers. Steelers tight end Vance McDonald hits Murray on his way to a route, which slows the blitz but also disrupts the timing of the route. This allows outside linebacker Justin Houston a moment to create pressure on the edge, and Roethlisberger has very little time to step up, as Murray is closing fast. This results in a dump-off to McDonald, which Hitchens is waiting for and makes a quick stop.

A play like this demonstrates the value of pressure on the quarterback, in that it forces a hurried process. The very next play, Sutton continued to dial up heat.

Here, the Chiefs again threaten blitz with both inside linebackers, but this time Terrance Smith actually does blitz while Hitchens drops back into coverage. Smith is fast enough to split the (late) right guard and running back and get in Roethlisberger’s face. The result is an errant throw out of bounds.

The Chiefs didn’t blitz on the next play, a 3rd-and-8, but they did threaten it. As a result of the pressure the preceding two plays, Roethlisberger’s internal clock seemed to be accelerated, and despite a rather ineffective four-man rush, he got rid of the ball in a hurry, only to have it knocked aside by cornerback Kendall Fuller. The benefit of being aggressive isn’t just the plays where a blitz occurs. It’s beneficial in that it forces the quarterback to speed up his process, even on downs when the pressure isn’t there.

Unfortunately for the defense, the Chiefs gave up a safety on their ensuing offensive possession, pulling the Steelers to within 12 and giving the ball back. However, the defense again tightened up and forced another punt. On this drive, the Chiefs did not blitz as often (though they did threaten it), but they also ceased rushing only three defenders, instead opting for the more traditional four-man rush. Had they not done so, defensive lineman Allen Bailey would never have been alone against a blocker on one of the most important plays of the game.
Outside linebacker Dee Ford and lineman Chris Jones both draw extra attention on this play, which leaves Bailey on an island against an overmatched left guard. Bailey takes advantage of the one-on-one situation and walks his lineman right back into Roethlisberger, sacking him and setting up what proved to be an insurmountable distance for the Steelers on third down.

While rushing four isn’t exactly an “aggressive” tactic, when it’s compared to dropping eight and rushing just three, it looks downright predatory. And it paid off.

Jones noted after the game that the coaching staff made some adjustments that had a positive impact in the second half. “We knew they were going to get going. We knew they were going to score points. We adjusted to what they were doing. I feel like we all expected this. [The coaches] put us in good situations [in the second half] and the defense got off the field and gave it to our offense and our offense scored points.”

As Jones stated, the Chiefs’ defense came through to force three straight punts in the third and fourth quarter at a time when a stop was desperately needed. The first stop allowed the offense to put the Chiefs up by two scores. The second held that lead and gave the Chiefs a chance to put the game away. When the offense failed to do so, the third prevented a safety from leading to disaster and helped the Chiefs seize back momentum.

Of course, the Chiefs proceeded to fumble the ball away on the following possession (during what was looking like a scoring drive that would ice the game for the Chiefs), and the defense was forced into a rough position one more time with 5:03 remaining in the game.

While the Steelers were able to score on that possession, the Chiefs’ defense did gain a small victory: The drive took nine plays and chewed up more than three minutes. Forcing the Steelers to eat some clock and burn the last natural stoppage in play mattered a great deal to the final outcome of the game. And again, Sutton was willing to play it aggressive. An example of this came on 1st-and-goal from the Chiefs’ 6-yard-line, where Sutton created the appearance of dropping the entire defense but brought Hitchens up the middle unexpectedly.
This blitz took the Steelers by surprise to the point that, despite the presence of only two other pass-rushers, Hitchens found himself alone against the left guard with a head of steam. He was able to use his strength and momentum to push the offensive lineman right into Roethlisberger’s lap, forcing a throwaway and a crucial lost down at a crucial point.

Hitchens, like Jones, noted the difference in the 2 halves and viewed the defensive issues as fixable. “We just kept fighting in the second half. We came out [after halftime] and played much better. It wasn’t our best performance on defense, but it’s all mental stuff that we can fix. When you’re going against a Hall of Fame quarterback, he’s going to get some yards.”

The Chiefs’ defense didn’t do enough Sunday to be praised. However, they did just enough to help carry the offense through a slight pause in dominance down the stretch. Had the defense not held up after the safety, the entire dynamic of the game shifts.

The Chiefs didn’t exactly become a blitz-happy team in the second half, but they were definitely a great deal more aggressive than they were in the disastrous second quarter of the game. Even the first drive, in which they surrendered a touchdown, showed a shift in strategy from Sutton, with a very aggressive blitz from safety Eric Murray on 2nd-and-7.
Murray fails to finish — some credit should go to Roethlisberger, but failing to even slow down the quarterback is inexcusable with that sort of free shot — but the blitz itself is well-designed. Murray comes after the quarterback from his spot as a slot defender, which has the added benefit of forcing the Steelers to keep in mind that same blitz every time a slot defender lines up similarly. Had Murray not badly whiffed, that drive may have been dead in its tracks and I’d be writing about the Chiefs forcing four straight punts rather than three.

The defense is a major cause for concern for the Chiefs. That is an absolute truth. However, by dialing up the aggression, they were able to at least generate a few positive plays of their own and stop the Steelers often enough in the second half to contribute to the win. Hopefully Sutton takes a lesson from this game: The defense is likely going to surrender yards and points through the air — the run defense continues to look pretty competent, so that’s a plus — regardless of how safe he plays it, so there’s little sense in continuing to try and bend but not break.

Dee Ford was both critical and optimistic after the game. “We’ve got to get stops and we’ve got to communicate. There were a few times, I felt in crucial times, that we gave up big plays. That’s what it’s about now: not giving up big plays when we have a lead. As a defense, we’re not even scratching the surface.”

The Chiefs ought to embrace their quick-strike offense by adopting a more all-or-nothing approach on defense. By forcing the hand of opposing teams, the Chiefs can deliver some shots of their own rather than dying the death of a thousand paper cuts every drive. That could at least help the defense be good enough until Berry returns. And again, that’s all it needs to be. Just good enough.

There is a lot of video to go with the plays mentioned in the article but I cant embed and since you guys are so cheap and wont get an Athletic subscription you get what you get.