Dee Ford is about to start his third season with the Kansas City Chiefs since being selected 23rd overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. Ford saw a lot of playing time in 2015 when Justin Houston went down with a knee injury. Ford played in 14 games during the regular season for the Chiefs in 2016, and showed plenty of promise in his attempt to fill in for a player of Justin Houston’s caliber. Dee Ford recorded 21 solo tackles, 23 combined tackles, 4 sacks, and even two passes defensed. One of of his biggest plays came from breaking up a pass intended for Danny Woodhead in the closing seconds of a Chiefs victory against the Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium in week 14.
It’s Dee Ford’s Time to Shine
It is believed that the Kansas City Chiefs selected Dee Ford in the 2014 draft to be the eventual replacement for Tamba Hali. Hali has been one of the staples of the Chiefs defense since Kansas City drafted him in 2006. Ford could still very well be the replacement for Tamba Hali, even though Hali just signed a 3 year contract extension. A lot of people saw the re-signing of Hali to be a lack of faith in Dee Ford by the Chiefs front office, but it was later revealed that Justin Houston recently had ACL surgery, and was reportedly out for part of the 2016 season. The surgery guaranteed Ford would see even more playing time in the 2016 season, and would likely fill the hole that Houston continues to leave with his surgery/injury.
Kansas City has built their team behind a solid defense and a conservative offense. The offense achieves this well with Alex Smith and his game managing style. The defense likes to apply pressure on the quarterback with their Outside Linebackers in the 3-4 defense. The quicker the linebackers can get to a quarterback, the more likely it is that a quarterback will make a quick throw, giving the young Kansas City secondary the Chiefs a solid chance against receivers.
As pointed out above, the Chiefs have a fairly young secondary, especially at cornerback. Kansas City does have the 2015 NFL defensive rookie of the year in Marcus Peters, but for the most part they are untested. A dominant pass rush would be a huge help for their defense, keeping offenses on the sideline while the Chiefs offense can slowly march down the field, taking time off the clock. This would be the preferred way for Andy Reid‘s team to win games in 2016.
Dee Ford chose to wear the number 55 because that was Derrick Thomas‘ number when Thomas was at Alabama. Derrick Thomas’ number, 58, has been retired by the Chiefs. Thomas was a huge force while in college at Alabama, and in the NFL with the Chiefs, so Ford is looking at former Kansas City great for inspiration. While Justin Houston is out, it’s Ford’s time to shine for the Chiefs, especially if he wants to become a dominant force on one of the better defenses in the league. This will be Dee Ford’s year to prove that he is up to the challenge.
