Assessing the Biggest Weakness of Each 2016 NFL Playoff Team
Kansas City Chiefs: Pass Rush
Overall, the Chiefs' passing defense was baller this year, finishing fourth in Adjusted Defensive Passing NEP per play. Most of the credit should go to their secondary, though, because the pass rush provided almost no help.
The Chiefs were 29th in Sack NEP per drop back, finishing ahead of just the aforementioned Lions, the New York Jets, and the Cleveland Browns. Those teams occupied three of the bottom four slots in Adjusted Defensive Passing NEP per play, with the New Orleans Saints being the only other team involved. The Chiefs managed to overcome it with guys like Eric Berry and Marcus Peters, but they may not be so fortunate against better opponents.
The positive here is the Chiefs will likely be getting edge rusher Justin Houston back for the playoffs. Houston played just five games during the regular season, but he made a major impact in those five.
| Split | Drop Backs | Sacks | Sack NEP per Drop Back |
|---|---|---|---|
| With Houston | 191 | 10 | -0.10 |
| Without Houston | 435 | 18 | -0.07 |
If you extrapolate their numbers with Houston for the entire season, the Chiefs would have been right around the league average. He can turn a weakness into something much more acceptable, meaning Kansas City could be even better than they played during the regular season.
