Former Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III didn’t hold back this week, straight up calling out his old squad by saying he “didn’t really have opportunities to catch the ball” while in Seattle. Now with the Kansas City Chiefs, Walker is getting work in their passing attack and he’s giving all the credit to Coach Andy Reid for seeing his ability to catch and make plays in space. Ouch, right? For the 12s, that’s a tough pill to swallow, hearing one of our guys basically say he was underutilized here.
Chiefs D-Line Is “Close” But Not Quite There
Meanwhile, for his new team in Kansas City, the defensive line is still trying to find its groove early in the season. Through three games, the Chiefs only have four sacks, which isn’t exactly lighting the world on fire. Defensive tackle Chris Jones addressed the media on Thursday, pointing out that opponents are getting the ball out super quick, often in just 2.3 seconds. He’s not wrong, you know? NFL Next Gen Stats backs him up, showing that opposing quarterbacks have an average of 2.81 seconds of “time to throw,” which ranks them 16th in the league. Jones was pretty clear about it, saying, “We’re close statistically-wise , you look at the numbers. I don’t care how good of a pass rusher you are. When they’re throwing the ball that quick, it’s tough for anyone.” It sounds like they’re seeing the plays almost happen, but just not finishing.
Spagnuolo Wants More on Early Downs
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is clearly focused on fixing this sack scarcity. He’s got his eyes locked on early downs, stating, “I think we’d all like to see it better on first and second down.” Spagnuolo explained that when those plays get extended, offensive players eventually get open. So, the key isn’t just getting after the QB later in the down, it’s disrupting things from the jump. He also mentioned that the “back end” needs to do better with “explosive passes,” hinting at some coverage issues that could be extending those plays. It’s a whole system thing, not just the D-line, which makes sense. They need to get those guys off the field quicker, plain and simple. Even the Las Vegas Raiders are getting the ball out at the 13th fastest clip so far, showing how fast offenses are playing across the league.
A Wild Fan Story and What’s Next
In some truly wild news out of Chiefs Kingdom, one fan, Prater, actually got a Kansas City Chiefs-themed prosthetic eye after an accident! He didn’t want another brown eye after 46 years, so he asked for a Chiefs eye. How’s that for dedication? “At first they’re like, is your eye red, then I go yeah I got a Kansas City Chiefs eye, and they’re like, no freakin way I love it,” Prater said. That’s a fan who bleeds his team’s colors, for sure.
Looking ahead, the Chiefs clearly need to crank up the pressure to get those sacks, especially on early downs, to make a statement this season. And for us here in the Emerald City? We’ll be watching how Kenneth Walker III continues to shine with his new opportunities, probably wondering what could have been. You gotta root for your guys, even when they’re not in green and blue anymore, right? But man, that “opportunities” comment still stings a bit.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Arrowhead Pride.
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