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The Kansas City Chiefs' defense took a step forward in the 26-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals, although they realize there is still a lot of work to be done to help the team reach its goal to win the Super Bowl LIII.
The Cardinals had offensive problems as the weekend approached with an average of only 13.8 points per game, but the Chiefs did not let them out of this trend, limiting them to 260 yards rushing. firing quarterback Josh Rosen five times. The Chiefs also recorded 13 quarterback hits on Rosen and according to Next Gen Stats The NFL season was marked by strong pressure on 54.5% of Rosen's vehicles. It was one of the highlights of the season for a defense that took its share of critics to be at the bottom of the league in multiple statistical categories.
"I'm very proud," linebacker Justin Houston said on Sunday. "I think the defense has not played well all season, so we're trying to reverse the situation and get things moving in the right direction because we have goals. We know if we want to win this victory, the defense has to play better week after week, I think it's a good start, we just have to continue to bet on it. "
On the scoreboard in particular, the Chiefs have improved in recent weeks on the defensive, because after giving up 43 points in a defeat against New England in Week 6, they have limited each of their four last opponents to 23 points or less. While the Chiefs are still lagging behind the total number of yards and assists per game, they are now in 16th place in points per game (24) and are determined to continue to improve in the coming weeks. .
"What's crazy is that, even in such defensive performances, we have a lot of things to fix, so we talk weekly about how we can improve our defense," said linebacker Dee Ford . "Even after the New England game gave up so many points, we really did not want to stop on that one game, it's a bit like a routine for us to say," Okay. we need to improve in these areas "and we need to continue to attack these areas and we can be a great team".
Monday's game against the Los Angeles Rams will be a decisive test for Kansas City, who will face a team that is third in the league in scoring (33.5) and second in the league in yards per game (448). They will have their hands full against a big power offensive with two MVP candidates, Todd Gurley and Jared Goff, but there is no doubt that they are looking forward to the challenge.
"The last time I checked, he (Gurley) puts his pants in the same way as me," Houston said. "Without wanting to upset you, he's a great guy, a great player, but I do not put too much on it.I'll be watching movies and studying.It's not just him, it's all the offense of Ram, they play We focus on them as a whole and not on a single player. "
Perhaps the defense will benefit from a new impetus on the sidelines if Eric Berry is safe and returns to the field, but at least some positive signs have emerged in recent weeks. They are healthier and realize the games they need to win, leaving head coach Andy Reid satisfied.
"They play well," Reid said Monday. "The defenses are already strained in the National Football League – we see it every week – so we could have the pressure to pressure the quarterback, that was a huge part of the situation." we have a lot of room to grow up, absolutely, both teams and special teams have room to be better here, so we're going to continue working on that, but I thought our guys were going after that. "
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