Chiefs Cornerback Breakdown

So far through the regular season injuries and bad fits have plagued us.  Wanted to give a breakdown on what these players do and why all of them playing together are important to the Cornerback position.

Brandon Flowers:

Flowers plays generally the most important position in the secondary.  Most Quarterbacks are right handed.  Naturally throwing to the right is an easier pass.  That read is automatically in vision of the QB on every drop due to position.  It's very hard to hide what a defense is doing from this position.

Brandon Flowers is unique...it's not power and speed that make him good.  Flowers has great vision and footwork.  There are few wide receivers that Flowers can't match step for step.  There are few Quarterbacks that can fool him on play-action or a pump fake.  Flowers isn't the greatest athlete nor does he have phenomenal range.  He's an intelligent player that is a good athlete with superior technique.

Flowers mirrors a lot of the talent on this Chiefs roster.  I would classify Dorsey, Hali, Jackson as elite technicians more so than elite talents.  Because of Flowers technique he is able to provide Romeo with schematic versatility.  Has the vision and instincts to thrive in Cover 2 & 3.  Has the footwork to be in position for intermediate passing game.

Stanford Routt:

While Flowers plays the most important position, Routt plays one that factors in offenses ability to make big plays.  With Brandon Carr teams rarely made plays on the backside.  Unlike Flowers position at left conerback, the Quarterbacks back is generally turned (right handed Quarterbacks).  Outside of shotgun formations Routt man he is covering is typically the last read.

Also unlike Flowers, Routt doesn't have the vision to offer much as an off-corner back (covers 2 &3).  Routt is stiff and doesn't have the footwork to break quickly.  His reads do not appear to process plays quickly (not processing plays like screens prior to being caught by wide receiver).

Routt has the ability to match speed.  He doesn't have the ability to cover a lot of routes like Flowers in diverse coverages.  Routt does have the ability to press at the line of scrimmage (something Flowers doesn't do as well).  This ability allows Routt to stick with later developing routes that often happen from the backside wide receiver.

Brandon Carr was a more dynamic athlete.  He wasn't as fast as Routt, but he had better footwork and could offer more schematically to Romeo.  At this point all I see him as is a press corner.  Doesn't play the ball at all, and while on the WR downfield, rarely shows ability to make play on ball.  Very much an asset in limiting teams ability to beat us with speed.

Jalil Brown:

Jalil Brown physically has more in common with Brandon Carr than either Routt or Flowers.  Similar to Carr, cornerback Jalil Brown has the physical ability to play any coverage well.  Flowers is an elite zone coverage cornerback, but lacks the raw physical ability to match up well as a pure press guy.  Routt offers little as an off-corner back, while having the size and foot speed to press.  With Jalil Brown he offers more versatility.

Jalil Brown has a blend of speed, size, power, hips, and footwork that no other player offers.  During preseason he showed the ability to press, and ability to make plays on the ball down field.  Throughout the preseason Brown improved rapidly in my opinion.

Losing Brown was a blow.  Outside of Flowers he is our best cover corner.  The Chiefs have been hurt by their inability to matchup in the defensive sub.  This is a problem that will persist throughout the season and Sunday v. Drew Brees.  Brown isn't ready to be a #1 CB, but physically has everything to give Romeo more coverages to work with.

Cornerback Breakdown:

When all 3 players are healthy and on the field, Romeo has more options.  Replacing Reeves with Flowers gives Romeo the ability to mix coverages...with Reeves and his inability to play man Romeo didn't have many coverage options to work with.  Flowers gift is he makes that side of the field an elite zone coverage side with ability to combo some effective man coverage (especially on non-intermediate routes).

With more ability by individuals in coverage Romeo has more effective packages.  Potentially this combo will be playing their first game together.  Against Brees it may be a tall order, but these 3 offer this secondary a lot of looks.

We haven't seen the best of this secondary, and because of that we haven't seen the best from this defense.  For this early part of the season, the injuries have exploited this units depth.  But few teams are prepared to start their 4th CB on the first game.

Chiefs: Belcher take

There are numbers in football that as fans we attach "value" to.  Numbers like TD's, Interceptions, Sacks is the currency that drives popularity and monetary value.  Generally as fans we attach little value to the Offensive Lineman that can seal, drive, pull, and pass block.  On a given play, in order for it to be successful more things have to happen that doesn't get recognized than the end result of a tackle, sack, INT.

When we see an I-Formation we pretty much assume on a run play one guy is blocking and one guy is running the ball.  Every time that fullback is in the game, more times than not he will key a linebacker.  Same thing applies to the TE's in the run game.  Both positions require a player that can contribute as run blockers.

Belcher role is a response to those scenarios.  In our system the player lining up at the Mike linebacker is reading the blocks from players at the position of FB/TE.  When you hear, "keep DJ clean"...this is a small sample of what that means.  That role essentially keeps the Will clean to make plays.

Belcher is consistent with making the right reads/force in the run game.  He makes contact quickly and doesn't lose much ground, creating an alley for fills at DJ's position.  In the 3-4 that's how many teams construct their roster.  In Pitt Mike LB Larry Foote serves that purpose for the athletic Will Lawrence Timmons.  Similar to the FB role to a RB, the Mike/Will relationship calls one guy doing the dirty work to keep the playmaking linebacker free.

For the past two years both DET/BUF in 2011, and ATL/BUF were able to remove the Mike position from field in favor of a defensive back.  Without the 3-4 and Belcher's role Derrick Johnson produced his lowest tackle numbers in 2011.  In the sub blocks are able to get to Derrick Johnson v. the run.  Without the blocks in the 3-4, DJ is a Pro Bowler.  While in the sub he has been exposed in the early part of year for two straight seasons.

Belcher gets knocked for what he's not physically, but I look at him like a FB.  Yeah, you can always improve...but using what resource?  Like the FB the priority is to have a skill and do a job that will largely go unnoticed.  Having a playmaker at either the FB/Mike would be nice, but the value with that role in this scheme is for a skill that doesn't require a playmaker.

I believe the Chiefs have an elite 3-4 run defense.  It's not because of their talent, rather their ability to execute.  Making the right reads, the right fills, and playing in unison is what makes the Chiefs 3-4 run defenses one of the better units.  In my opinion Belcher is one of the reasons for that success.  In this defense (like the FB on offense) it's not his job to be the playmaker.

Opinion: Cassel

The Chiefs signed Matt Cassel to a 6 year 63 million dollar deal.  The short story about that number is...Cassel got a 3 year 42 million dollar deal, with 3 years team option for for 20 million.  The Chiefs can get out of the contract with Cassel anytime they want.

The Chiefs have Cassel on a year to year deal now.  The value with Matt Cassel is...he is a worst case scenario.  The Chiefs aren't married to him financially.  If he serves no purpose going forward then cut him and have minimal financial penalties for doing so.

At this point I wouldn't panic about the QB.  Cassel is buying time, IMO.  Chiefs have 3 years to identify a QB or develop one.  In Kansas City things shouldn't/don't turn around quick.  I'm not in favor of rushing to replace Cassel.  I'm in favor of them using the time they have on Cassel's deal to identify the right one.