Chiefs I didn't write it, just relaying the message

Hog's Gone Fishin · 10-28-2017, 10:21 AM

By some important measures, Chiefs are better with Justin Houston in pass coverage

Adam Teicher
ESPN Staff Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The pass rush hasn’t been productive during the Kansas City Chiefs’ two-game losing streak and the solution seems on the surface to be obvious. The Chiefs need to send their best pass rusher, outside linebacker Justin Houston, after the quarterback more frequently.

Houston rushes the quarterback about three times for every occasion he drops into pass coverage, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

But what’s interesting is that while their pass rush is better when Houston rushes the quarterback, their pass defense isn’t as good overall. That suggests that perhaps defensive coordinator Bob Sutton is doing the right things with Houston on the whole. Houston leads the Chiefs in sacks with 5.5, but he’s good in coverage as well.

Some of the stats:

-- Houston has rushed the quarterback 199 times, as opposed to 63 times he’s dropped into coverage. This includes 11 times when the opposing quarterback has scrambled after dropping to pass.

-- The Chiefs have 12 sacks when Houston rushes and two when he’s in coverage. They also have four of their five interceptions when he’s chasing the QB.

-- The completion percentage is almost the same, 52.8 percent when he’s rushing against 52.5 percent when he’s dropped into coverage.

-- The Chiefs are allowing many of their long pass plays when Houston is rushing the quarterback. The Chiefs have allowed nine passes of 35 or more yards with Houston in their lineup. Eight have come with him rushing the QB and one when he’s in coverage.

That explains why the opposing QB has a better passer rating when Houston rushes the quarterback (89.9) than when he’s in coverage (81.5).

The Chiefs are also better on pass defense when their other outside linebacker, Dee Ford, drops into coverage as opposed to when he rushes the QB. Opponents are completing 59.1 percent of their passes with Ford rushing the quarterback and 29.2 percent when he’s in coverage. Opposing quarterbacks have an 82.6 rating when Ford rushes, a 31.6 rating when he’s covering.

The Chiefs have played 114 snaps with both Houston and Ford rushing the quarterback. Opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 82.9 and a completion percentage of 58.1. They’ve played 13 snaps with both in coverage. Opponents have a passer rating of 51.4 and a completion percentage of 25.

10-28-2017, 10:21 AM	Topic Starter
Hog's Gone Fishin Fish are scared of me Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $1490477	I didn't write it, just relaying the message By some important measures, Chiefs are better with Justin Houston in pass coverage Adam Teicher ESPN Staff Writer KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The pass rush hasn’t been productive during the Kansas City Chiefs’ two-game losing streak and the solution seems on the surface to be obvious. The Chiefs need to send their best pass rusher, outside linebacker Justin Houston, after the quarterback more frequently. Houston rushes the quarterback about three times for every occasion he drops into pass coverage, according to ESPN Stats & Information. But what’s interesting is that while their pass rush is better when Houston rushes the quarterback, their pass defense isn’t as good overall. That suggests that perhaps defensive coordinator Bob Sutton is doing the right things with Houston on the whole. Houston leads the Chiefs in sacks with 5.5, but he’s good in coverage as well. Some of the stats: -- Houston has rushed the quarterback 199 times, as opposed to 63 times he’s dropped into coverage. This includes 11 times when the opposing quarterback has scrambled after dropping to pass. -- The Chiefs have 12 sacks when Houston rushes and two when he’s in coverage. They also have four of their five interceptions when he’s chasing the QB. -- The completion percentage is almost the same, 52.8 percent when he’s rushing against 52.5 percent when he’s dropped into coverage. -- The Chiefs are allowing many of their long pass plays when Houston is rushing the quarterback. The Chiefs have allowed nine passes of 35 or more yards with Houston in their lineup. Eight have come with him rushing the QB and one when he’s in coverage. That explains why the opposing QB has a better passer rating when Houston rushes the quarterback (89.9) than when he’s in coverage (81.5). The Chiefs are also better on pass defense when their other outside linebacker, Dee Ford, drops into coverage as opposed to when he rushes the QB. Opponents are completing 59.1 percent of their passes with Ford rushing the quarterback and 29.2 percent when he’s in coverage. Opposing quarterbacks have an 82.6 rating when Ford rushes, a 31.6 rating when he’s covering. The Chiefs have played 114 snaps with both Houston and Ford rushing the quarterback. Opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 82.9 and a completion percentage of 58.1. They’ve played 13 snaps with both in coverage. Opponents have a passer rating of 51.4 and a completion percentage of 25.
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