Carmen Vitali
NFC North Reporter
The Kansas City Chiefs have an offensive line full of bullies.
I say that with affection.
In the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens, bully-ball was on full display. The Chiefs’ offensive linemen didn’t want to just win the line of scrimmage; they wanted to get inside the heads of their opponent — especially the Ravens’ linebackers.
All game, guard Trey Smith snuck in little shoves after the whistle. Center Creed Humphrey less subtly pancaked a dude. Left tackle Donovan Smith drove a Baltimore defender to the ground. That was a pretty common occurrence, actually: Ravens players flat on the ground, crushed by their red-laden opponents.
This went on and on and on until linebacker Roquan Smith finally snapped. Following a too-many-men penalty, Smith incurred a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty that essentially ended the game in the fourth quarter. Smith inexplicably charged through the neutral zone right for Trey Smith and knocked him over. The ball wasn’t even close to being snapped.
The Chiefs know all too well what not having a formidable line can do in a Super Bowl run. Down a couple of offensive tackles, they didn’t just lose to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV; they were dominated. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the offense didn’t even score a touchdown.
Kansas City wasn’t going to let that happen again.
They’ll face another tough defensive opponent in San Francisco, with a defensive front seven that includes Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and Javon Hargrave. The Niners are known for their physicality up front… but so are the Chiefs.
“My favorite thing about playing guard is that there are numerous occasions and opportunity to be physical with somebody and just let out your aggression, play violently,” said Trey Smith on opening night in Las Vegas on Monday. “A lot more than tackle, when you’re kind of isolated on your island. Guard, you gotta go through me,…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/chiefs-offensive-linemen-remain-unsung-bullies-of-kansas-city-offense
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Publish date : 2024-02-06 20:22:10
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