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Ivis AburtoESPN Digital
Scoring at least 30 points is something already expected from the Kansas City Chiefs every week and they fulfilled that mission in road victory over the New Orleans Saints, turning us around to see their defense performance.
While the Saints scored 29 points, the Chiefs’ defense managed to contain the attack led by Drew Brees for 50 minutes, who returned to action after losing four games, while recovering from broken ribs and lung damage. duel with five incomplete passes in the first quarter.
The Chiefs’ biggest weakness as a team is the running defense and although they tried to exploit that area in the first half, the Kansas City defense managed to hold back Alvin Kamara and the Saints practically stopped the running game by just run six times. In the second half.
The Saints’ defense was expected to complicate the game for Patrick Mahomes, and it did. The surprise was the performance of the Chiefs’ defense, who with an interception and forcing eight kicks helped their attack early in the fourth quarter build a 14-point lead to maintain the victory.
It should be remembered that the Saints were approaching 29-22, after the Saints recovered a fumble from Mahomes at the Kansas City 25 yard line, which made it easier for Brees and the company to operate and also the time of the match briefly changed. towards New Orleans.
For its part, the Saints defense did their best to confine Mahomes with in-depth security coverage and sticky individual receivers markers, leaving the Chiefs quarterback completing just 55 percent of his missions (26 from 47 for 254 yards) and having to on several occasions resorting to his running attack, which could take a heavy blow with injury in the final minutes of the match to Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Regardless, Mahomes’ pass options, ability to escape the quarterback’s pressure, and the versatility of his running game were too much for a Saints defense that did whatever it took and perhaps more to be a Chiefs Foul that actually seems unstoppable.
Seahawks experience wins the battle
The experience weighs heavier in December, even more so in January, and the Seattle Seahawks used it to take a close and fought victory against a Washington Football Team that learned a valuable lesson for the future.
Washington, which appears to be very close to consolidating the defense as the foundation of rebuilding, is learning how to win important matches, that is, the experience of Russell Wilson and his company was reflected on the scoreboard to give the Seahawks. the playoff pass.
Washington’s line of defense has been characterized in recent weeks as one of the lines of defense that puts the most pressure on rival passers-by and while it did a good job against Seattle, it was constrained by the Seahawks line of attack, which did not allow sacks of Wilson, who was. however able to do some damage to his legs by adding 55 yards to six runs, including a 38-yard run, as he escaped the pressure to put up the score that put Seattle 13-0 ahead of the scoreboard.
In all, the Seahawks rushed 181 yards against Washington’s hard defenses.
On the other hand, Washington’s offense did what it was supposed to do: a weak Seattle defense attack by air, through which they added 269 yards, but with Chris Gibson’s absence, Dwayne Haskins couldn’t balance his attack, which he had only 84 rushing yards.
Managing the rhythm of the game and the experience in these types of games took center stage, so that despite Washington scoring twice in the fourth period, though he lost three points for missing an extra point attempt and a two-point conversion, the Seahawks could take home the victory.
Let’s try the Patriots and Bill Belichick in 2021
What was expected a few weeks ago became official: after losing to the Miami Dolphins, the New England Patriots will not go to the Playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons, but those who consider this a failure will only do so with the result. as analysis material.
From a competitive standpoint, Bill Belichick and the Patriots will certainly label his post-season absence a failure, but what could be considered the start of a New England rebuild, out of the playoffs, was one of the most realistic options of the game. Heading for the regular season.
The loss in free agency of the best quarterback of the era, the hiring of Cam Newton days before the start of the regular season, the decision of several key players not to play for COVID-19 and what this limited in terms of talent. grid are the reasons that make it difficult to evaluate the work of the patriots in 2020.
In an environment that may be more normalized by 2021, with a new quarterback or a more developed and experienced quarterback and a little more room for maneuver in the salary cap, Belichick will have to have a more competitive team next season and then, yes, he can be judged with more sense of justice.
Tom Brady’s Mental Impact on Bucs
Tom Brady showed why he is one of the best quarterbacks in history, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may not want to put their quarterback in a position to prove it often, as they only have one game left against the Atlanta Falcons.
After another slow start to the game, the Buccaneers had to overcome two 17-point backlogs to defeat the Falcons who, since losing that 25-point lead in Super Bowl LI, have added four defeats in games in which they were 17 or more points.
The task for Bruce Arians, his coaching staff and his players is not complicated as it is only about starting the games in a good rhythm so as not to complicate their qualification for the playoffs and to survive in the postseason.
Atlanta’s mistakes in strategy or execution to maintain the lead are not the fault of his rivals, whose merits are returning, so let’s take a look at some numbers that reflect the quality and influence Brady has on the mindset of his teammates.
The game against the Falcons is the first in Brady’s career in which he commands three 75-yard offensive drives in a quarter (Brady has played 1,352 quarters) and is the first game to have four 75-yard fouls in a half. (Brady has played 676 halves).
Brady tied Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers for the most winning quarterbacks (7) in NFL history after trailing 17 or more points, including the playoffs.
When the Falcons were encouraged to push him with more than four defenders, Brady was virtually unfazed, completing 10 of 13 passes for 163 yards with two touchdowns. His total distance under this circumstance is the second highest in the past five seasons.
The other game with the most yards under pressure came in Week 5 of last season when he added 166 yards through the air against Washington.
A star’s ability and quality count in large part to make him one of the best in history or at any given time, but his influence on a team’s mindset is an important part of the formula and in that meaning the impact of Brady. on the Buccaneers it is clear.