Chiefs HC Andy Reid
Getty
Ahead of Week 2, Chiefs HC Andy Reid opened up about CB Kristian Fulton potentially making progress.
There were many reasons why the Kansas City Chiefs dropped their season opener, but poor pass defense was at the very top of the list. Steve Spagnuolo and Dave Merritt’s secondary struggled immensely against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The result was a brutal 27-21 loss to a division rival in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Could help be on the way? One addition is possible, but not in the way you might think.
Getting cornerback Kristian Fulton more involved might be Kansas City’s best shot. What are the odds of that happening?
Andy Reid Gives (Mostly) Positive Update on Kristian Fulton’s Progress
Head coach Andy Reid seems cautiously optimistic. Speaking to the media on Monday, Reid assessed where the Chiefs’ offseason pickup is at.
“Yeah, he’s been working in and working out, which is a good thing,” Reid said. “We’ll just use him as we go here. How much bigger of a load he gets? I can’t tell you that, but he has been working and he gets better every day, so [he’s] more comfortable every day. It’s not only getting back physically, but also with the defensive part of it.”
It’s been a long road for Fulton, who’s struggled with injuries throughout his career. The former Charger inked a two-year pact with Kansas City back in March, only to miss a chunk of the offseason program with a knee injury. He recovered in time to come off the physically unable to perform list for real games, yet he still isn’t out of the woods.
Fulton played all of 15 snaps in Week 1. That was good for 23% of those available, leaving plenty of room for improvement. Several Chiefs defenders — including Trent McDuffie, Chamarri Conner and Jaylen Watson — out-snapped him in the secondary. That’s important because of where the defense struggled.
If Fulton’s workload eventually increases, it’d give Spagnuolo and Co. more flexibility to put someone like McDuffie back in the slot. In turn, that raises both the floor and ceiling of the secondary. Despite being a boundary piece by trade, Fulton rounding into form can have a ripple effect on the entire defense.
Contextualizing Week 1 Struggles of Chiefs’ Pass Defense
It wasn’t just a ho-hum game for the Kansas City defense. It was a downright terrible one against Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.
Herbert feasted all night long, going 25-for-34 passing with 318 yards and 3 touchdowns. He posted a 131.7 passer rating and led Los Angeles to a scorching 0.44 EPA/play on passing efforts, per rbsdm.com. On late-down passes, that figure spiked to 1.07 with a 90% success rate.
The variety of ways in which the Chargers found success was also puzzling. A trio of wide receivers managed to thrive on Friday. Quentin Johnston led the way, hauling in 5 passes for 79 yards and 2 touchdowns. Ladd McConkey wasn’t a slouch, either, recording 6 catches for 74 yards. Veteran Keenan Allen showed he still has something left in the tank, leading the team with 7 catches and adding 68 yards and a score.
Things simply must improve ahead of Week 2’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. A regular-season rematch of February’s Super Bowl LIX figures to bring an even more daunting challenge.