In their Week 16 game against the Atlanta Falcons, the Kansas City Chiefs had to rely on their defense to endure the 17-14 victory that secured the AFC first division.
As linebackers Anthony Hitchens and Damien Wilson were unavailable – Hitchens was on the reserve / COVID list and Wilson was injured – the Chiefs knew they would have to rely more on Ben Niemann to make the defensive plays and align everyone properly.
But then, in the second quarter, Niemann left the game with an injury.
“It was a little hectic there,” Chiefs’ defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo acknowledged to reporters on Thursday, “but I’ll tell you this: Matt House and Britt Reid do a good job of preparing these guys. We knew it could happen. “
Spagnuolo was referring to three novice linebackers: second-round pick Willie Gay Jr. and unformed players Omari Cobb and Darius Harris. The defensive coordinator said that Harris – technically still a rookie because he spent the last season on the injured reserve – spent that year wisely, which helped him put on the helmet with the green dot and jump into a role for which he did not. had practiced.
“He practiced all week on the SAM linebacker because we predicted Ben would be MIKE,” said Spagnuolo, “and then, suddenly, he had to switch. But he spent a lot of time on things. Last year – when he was on injury reserve – he spent a lot of time learning. I thought he did really well. From a verification standpoint, he did a good job with that; this is what the MIKE linebacker needs to do ”.
Spagnuolo also praised Gay, who had a higher percentage of snaps on Sunday than in any game this season.
“What Willie does is play fast,” noted Spagnuolo. “He plays fast and he’s physical – and that’s what you want from your linebackers. [But] there is still a learning curve here – I think that applies to anyone who holds that specific position in the first year. And again, I am back to not having the off-season and stuff, but we are keeping it updated. He’s certainly going to see a lot of football now – and that’s a good thing for him. “
Since Hitchens remains on the reserve / COVID list – and even if they are ready to play, the Chiefs are likely to rest Wilson and Niemann against the Chargers – both Harris and Gay should have plenty of playing time on Sunday. As they participated in one of the best defense performances of the season against the Falcons, Spagnuolo should be happy to put them on the pitch against a Los Angeles team that almost took the Chiefs down in week 2.