In 2000 the Baltimore Ravens went five consecutive weeks without scoring an offensive touchdown and still won the Super Bowl. They liked that philosophy so much that they kept it in place for five more years. The Kansas City Chiefs demonstrated last year that they are able and willing to take mid-game hiatuses from scoring, but are they capable this year of holding defenses to 10.3 points per game like the 2000 Ravens? Given the dearth of talent on offense, it would certainly be nice. I’d also like $1.20 gas, mandatory three day weekends, and world peace. Preferably in that order, but I guess I’d pay a little more at the pump if the Israelis and Palestinians stopped pelting each other for a decade or two.

The truth is that I didn’t see enough from this 2009 Kansas City defense to convince me that they’re substantially better than their 2008 incarnation. I have a hunch that they are, but I had a hunch this time last year that Pat Thomas was going to be a solid player and Jarrad Page was on his way to his first of many Pro Bowls. I appear to have missed my mark by a bit. Save this article for posterity also, and we’ll see whether or not my aim has improved in the offseason. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2009 Kansas City defense:

DEFENSIVE LINE
The new regime spent a fair amount of effort on bringing in veteran leadership at positions where they felt it was sorely lacking. I guess Ron Edwards is all the leader this group needed, and the newest depth chart reveals that it wasn’t even critical for him to start. Instead, the starters will be third year player Tank Tyler, second year player Glenn Dorsey, and rookie T.J. Jackson. Aside from their age, all three have something in common: none of them have ever played their current position before. In fact, no Chief lineman other than Edwards has played in a 3-4. That’s not to say they can’t do it, but it’s definitely a tall order.

While Dorsey and Jackson showed promise during the preseason, Tank didn’t. I was a big Tank supporter last preseason, but I don’t see the same intensity and brute strength from him this year. Maybe it’s that he once again is being improperly utilized. Maybe it’s that he just doesn’t have the girth to play the nose. I don’t know the exact cause, but I know the effect. This could be a banner year for AFC West running backs.

LINEBACKER
I keep reminding myself that the 11-5 Chiefs team from 1990 featured Percy Snow as a starter at left inside linebacker. That, in turn, should make me feel better about Demorrio Williams getting the nod over Derrick Johnson, right? It doesn’t. Williams has done nothing to dissuade me of the opinion that Atlanta was not mistaken in their decision to let him walk.

Corey Mays, on the other hand, has piqued my interest. Mike Vrabel was a sleeper–in four years on the Steelers’ roster he was seldom utilized and not highly regarded. Likewise, James Harrison was not highly regarded until Joey Porter was gone. That’s Pittsburgh. Corey Mays isn’t coming to Kansas City from Pittsburgh. He’s coming from Cincinnati, a team that started Brandon Johnson and Rashad Jeanty last season. Mays’ preseason play fairly earned him a starting job over virtual no-show Zach Thomas, but if he was unable to crack Cincy’s lineup for the past two years, is he really good enough to start, or is he just good enough to start in KC?

On the subject of Zach Thomas, I do not believe for a second that Jovan Belcher demonstrated anything which would make him more worthy of a roster spot than a future Hall of Famer coming off of a strong season.

While I’ve been critical of many of the new front office’s personnel decisions, it’s hard not to like what they’ve done with the bookends. Tamba Hali is still listed on the team website as weighing 275 pounds, but looks and moves more like 250. The guy who was rightly accused of being dependent on Jared Allen looks to have gained his independence. Meanwhile, Mike Vrabel is exactly as billed–a solid leader, stalwart against the run and probably still capable of four or five sacks. Nothing is guaranteed, but I trust these two to be two of the team’s three best defensive players.

CORNERBACK
Unless Donald Washington ascends dramatically, there are only two good ones on this roster. One of them is starting. The other is not. Brandon Carr and Ricardo Colclough are rehashes of Dexter McCleon and Julian Battle. Both play five or more yards off their man more often than not. At least one of them will lose a game for the Chiefs this year. Keep Brandon Flowers’ health in your thoughts. Without The Killer, this unit will be killed.

SAFETY
I feel at least a little vindication in my two year defense of Jon McGraw. It isn’t that Jarrad Page played poorly, but rather that McGraw simply outplayed him. McGraw is a smart, athletic defender whose successful stint at cornerback last year in Flowers’ absence should have turned more heads than it did. Page will probably reclaim the starting position by midseason, but anticipate seeing big contributions from both. McGraw is more than just a special teams player, and maybe this preseason will finally garner him some of the credit he is due.

Opposite McGraw, however, is a player in whom I have little faith, who is backed up by a player in whom I have no faith. When (I cannot bring myself to use the word if), later this season, Mike Brown lands on the injury report for several consecutive weeks, we fans can only hope McGraw can do as well at strong safety as he has at free safety, because DaJuan Morgan cannot be trusted. While I understand the perceived necessity in the release of Bernard Pollard, understand that there was nothing of value behind him.

Check back later this week for the third and final installment of this series.

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