It wasn’t pretty by any means, but somehow the Kansas City Chiefs came away with the win over the Jacksonville Jaguars 19-14. Kansas City went into the game without Alex Smith and Spencer Ware. Jeremy Maclin ended up leaving the game with a groin injury in the first quarter as well. To have so many injuries and still find a way to win should be somewhat encouraging at least. Winning the ugly ones is important, especially when you fighting for the top spot in your division. Here are the takeaways from this week’s game.
Kansas City Chiefs Week Nine Takeaways
Dee Ford Has Arrived
Dee Ford has taken his share of criticism the last few years. Too often we saw him get run out of the play. His lean was poor and really only had one move. That has certainly changed this season. Today we saw Ford add two sacks, bringing his season total to nine. This ties him for most sacks in the NFL. The former first-round pick from Auburn has been able to get pressure consistently on quarterback this season. It may have taken two years but Ford seems to be turning into the type of player John Dorsey was hoping for. This team’s pass rush is going to be ferocious once Justin Houston comes back healthy.
The Run Defense is Atrocious
We all knew coming into this game that the Chiefs run defense has been poor this season. However, they were heading into a game against the 30th worst rushing offense that averages just over 70 yards a game. You would never have guessed it by watching the game today as the Jaguars racked up over 200 yards on the ground. Poor tackling is largely the culprit here, as Chris Ivory had defenders bouncing off of him all day. This is a serious concern as we’ve seen this all year. Kansas City will need to shore this problem up if they want to be able to beat teams like the division rival Denver Broncos.
There is No Quarterback Controversy
Last week I saw far too many tweets and articles discussing whether or not Nick Foles should be the starter in Kansas City. I think the game today put that debate to rest. Foles ended the game with 187 yards. He nearly had two interceptions, each of which was dropped by Jaguars defenders. He looked flustered all game, throwing balls off target and lacking the ability to sense pressure or get rid of the ball. Foles also missed an open Tyreek Hill in the endzone, throwing behind him, ending the drive in a field goal. Kansas City won this game despite Nick Foles.
Injuries Piling up
The injury report just got longer today as Jeremy Maclin left the game with what was reported as a groin injury. After Travis Kelce’s ejection for throwing his towel like a flag at a referee, the Chiefs skill positions were as follows: Nick Foles, Charcandrick West, Chris Conley, Tyreek Hill and Demetrius Harris. That’s not a lineup that is going to scare anyone. KC was also starting second string guard Zach Fulton due to Parker Ehinger being put on injured reserve. The Chiefs can’t expect to win many more games unless they get healthier.
The Kansas City Chiefs did not look good this week. Yes, they got the win but it was definitely ugly. The Chiefs wouldn’t have beat any other team than the Jaguars playing the way they did. Chiefs fans can look forward to next week as it looks like Alex Smith and Spencer Ware will be back in the lineup.
