LAS VEGAS — Time is running out for the Chiefs defense.
With so many familiar characters returning, from Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce on one side to George Kittle and Nick Bosa on the other, it feels like the last Super Bowl matchup between the 49ers and Chiefs happened just the other day. It makes me feel like.
At least until you look at it this way: Nine of the Chiefs’ defensive starters in Super Bowl Sunday in 2024 were not part of the team that won against the 49ers on February 2, 2020, and six were not yet at the time. He was in college and their first round draft pick was a high schooler.
The Chiefs have done the near-impossible and completely overhauled one side of the ball while remaining a Super Bowl favorite.
why?
Or, more importantly, how?
“In the world of free agency and the ever-changing world of the NFL, age was also a factor,” head coach Andy Reid said, giving credit to general manager Brett Veach. “We took some bruises early last year, but the young guys got better towards the end and then got back on track and did a great job this year. The work he has done is second to none.”
The result is an entirely new recipe for success, with Mahomes and the NFL’s youngest defenseman nearly on par.
According to NFL research, the average age of Chiefs defensive players who appeared in at least one game during the regular season was 25 years and 279 days old.
The 2009 Colts are the only team to have the league’s youngest defenseman reach the Super Bowl.
“We always talk about ‘understanding’ football,” defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “I think in today’s football, they have to be smarter than they were before. He’s not four on defense for five offensive plays.
“The game has expanded that way. I think players have to have pretty good IQ to do what they want to do defending offense in this league.”
The Chiefs initially extended Mahomes’ college career in the Big 12 by winning the shootout.
From 2019 to 2022, they averaged 28.8 points per game and never finished lower than sixth in the scoring rankings during those four seasons.
However, this season, they have allowed the second fewest points per game (17.3 points) in the league, and have transformed into the type of team that can win with strong defensive attacks.
The 17 points the Chiefs scored to defeat the Ravens and clinch a ticket to the Super Bowl weren’t enough to win the last five of a six-game AFC Championship appearance.
“I think our players understood that they could play differently to win football games,” Mahomes said. “You saw how dominant our defense was.”
Four of the Chiefs’ defensive starters in 2019, who ended a 50-year championship drought, were cornerback Bashaud Breeland and linebackers Reggie Ragland, Damien Wilson and Anthony Hitchens. He left the league this season. That’s not the only change.
One of the most dominant pass rushers in postseason history (Frank Clark), the former heart of the defense (safety and co-captain Tyrann Mathieu), and a potential 2023 All-Pro second-team selection with the rival 49ers. The rising undrafted cornerback (Charvarius Ward) was allowed to leave as a free agent.
“The biggest trap championship teams fall into is keeping players around too long,” one former NFL executive told the Post. “Victory comes with sentimental attachment. And finding the right chemistry is so hard that it becomes tempting to keep the core together for the next run, which can cloud decision-making.” there is.”
Veach, whose Chiefs declined to be featured in this article, made no such mistake.
The willingness to flip the defense and lean from Mahomes to Kelce in the interim is another thing.
He had a batting average close to 1.000 in free agency, and the draft is another thing.
“The reason we come to Kansas City is to win and to have this opportunity to play in big situations,” safety Justin Reid said.
When Reed signed a three-year, $31.5 million free agent contract to replace Mathieu, coach Wich understood that part of his job would be to coach a young secondary.
Six weeks later, the Chiefs have used seven of their 10 picks in the 2022 draft on defense, including five defensive backs.
“It’s hard to learn Spags’ defense, especially when he has so many different checks and calls and things we can do,” second-year cornerback Trent McDuffie said. “But I feel like the rookie class when we came in was special in a way because everyone felt like they had known each other for years, even though we had just met. Everybody was always there to help each other.”
The defense likely to start Sunday includes the following raw starters who are still on their rookie contracts:
- CB Trent McDuffie (2022 1st round pick, 5 forced fumbles, All-Pro first team selection this season)
- Defensive end George Karlaftis (2022 first-round pick, 10.5 sacks this season)
- Defensive end Mike Danna (2020 5th round pick, 6.5 sacks this season)
- Linebacker Nick Bolton (2021 second-round pick, 180 tackles, Super Bowl touchdown last season)
- Linebacker Leo Chenal (2022 third-round pick, 65 tackles this season)
- Cornerback Rajarius Sneed (2020 fourth-round pick, two interceptions, widely considered the Pro Bowl’s biggest snub)
The same description applies to the five defensive contributors off the bench.
“I think this has the potential to be a group that can do really special things in the future,” Karlaftis said. [also] We have a chance to do something really special this week. ”
Defensive tackle Chris Jones, who could be the sport’s hottest free agent this offseason, is the Chiefs’ longest-tenured defenseman, with 75.5 sacks since 2016. There is.
No one is more impressed with the way his supporting cast was rebuilt on the fly.
“I feel like we had bigger names on defense last year than we did this year,” Jones said. “But this defense outperformed last year’s defense and showed such improvement. What Spags was able to accomplish with these young players was amazing.”
If Justin Reed was the Chiefs’ prize in the 2022 free agent class, linebacker Drew Tranquil was the 2023 prize on a one-year, $3 million contract. He shared a recruiting email from Andy Reid who told him to “see red and think Super Bowl” when weighing his options.
Why was Tranquill a good fit? It’s the same reason all the defensive reinforcements clicked.
Let’s call it the Chiefs’ personality.
Justin Reed is “humble, hardworking, able to accept constructive criticism and willing to overcome adversity.” “Things don’t always go your way, but we need you to make the next play.”
