The Kansas City Chiefs have made palpable improvements along the defensive line this season.
When it comes to stopping the run and rushing the passer, the gains made over last season are quite noticeable. They’re allowing a league-best 65.8 rushing yards per game and they’ve faced some of the premier running backs in the league. They’re also tied for the seventh-most sacks in the NFL with 11 through four games this season. Consider the fact that they had 31 through an entire 17-game season a year ago.
So what’s been behind this shift in defensive play? According to veteran DT Chris Jones, the new defensive line coach deserves all of the credit.
“Listen, I told everybody, I’ve been in this system four years. What’s changed? Joe Cullen,” Jones told reporters on Saturday. “Joe Cullen — his demeanor, our game plan, the way he brings the best out of us individually and the defensive line group. We harp on that. We take accountability to stop the run. That’s a high priority on our list. It gives us the ability to rush the passer once we stop the run. So, it forces to pass the ball and do what we love to do most and get after the quarterback.”
Back in training camp, Cullen told reporters that he felt this defensive line group could be more productive. They had plenty of familiar faces returning, but all it took was the proper motivation and the right motivator.
“Yeah, that’s a competitive group we got in there,” Jones said. “We got a lot of guys that (are) coming back, a lot of familiar faces. We got George Karlaftis — a rookie — but everyone else is — we got Carlos Dunlap; his leadership and things he brings to the room. We got Frank Clark. And we got a lot of guys who (are) competing for different things in our room. And Joe Cullen brings the best out of us.”
Jones says that Cullen has unique ways of getting players to take accountability and challenge each other. One of those ways is what he calls “The Wagon.”
“He challenges us every day,” Jones explained. “(He) has this thing that he calls ‘The Wagon’. Basically, you got to lead every drill, challenge the group. Khalen Saunders has ‘The Wagon’ right now, and he’s doing an exceptional job. But that’s what it’s all about as a group — being competitive, challenging each other, making sure we get the best out of each other.”
There’s no rhyme or reason to how you get “The Wagon.” It doesn’t take a big performance or anything special accomplished in practice. It’s just “however Joe (Cullen) is feeling” according to Jones. That said, he believes it’s working, that it’s challenging players to take accountability and ownership over the way they practice and play. It appears to be showing up on the field through the first quarter of the season as well.
