Yesterday, the biggest defensive question for Kansas City was straightforward:
How do the Chiefs keep Jonathan Taylor from controlling Sunday night’s game?
Today there is another question attached to it.
Will Chris Jones be operating at full strength when they try?
Kansas City’s final Week 2 injury report lists Jones as questionable for Sunday night’s game against Indianapolis after he was limited during the practice week because of a calf injury. Rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane is also questionable with the shoulder injury he suffered against Denver.
The Delane situation is worth watching, but we have already discussed his encouraging recovery trajectory.
Jones creates a different conversation.
Kansas City’s plan for Jonathan Taylor begins in the middle of the defense.
Taylor ran for 98 yards and two touchdowns against Baltimore in Week 1 despite Indianapolis losing 41–23. He remains capable of turning an otherwise ugly offensive performance into a competitive game if a defense allows him to consistently reach the second level.
Jones is one of the players who can prevent that from happening before it starts.
Most fans naturally associate Jones with sacks and interior pass rushing. That is understandable. Few defensive tackles can destroy a passing play as quickly as he can.
But his presence affects the running game before the snap, too.
An offensive line has to account for where Jones is aligned.
If Indianapolis uses additional resources to prevent him from penetrating the backfield, somebody else receives a more favorable matchup. If the Colts attempt to block him one-on-one too often, Jones has the ability to wreck the play himself.
That is the basic problem elite defensive linemen create.
Their impact is not limited to the plays on which they make the tackle.
They change the blocking equation.
That becomes especially important against Taylor because Kansas City wants to prevent Indianapolis from living in second-and-manageable situations.
Give Taylor five yards on first down and the Colts can do almost anything.
Play-action remains credible.
Daniel Jones can use his legs.
Indianapolis can run again.
Kansas City’s pass rush has to respect multiple possibilities instead of attacking the quarterback.
Stuff the run early, however, and Steve Spagnuolo gets to play a very different game.
That is when the blitz packages expand.
That is when young rushers such as R Mason Thomas can attack.
And that is when Chris Jones becomes particularly dangerous.
My Take
I still think stopping Jonathan Taylor is the key to this game.
Chris Jones being questionable simply raises the stakes.
The good news is that “questionable” does not mean “out.” We will not know the Chiefs’ final active roster until closer to kickoff, and Kansas City has every reason to be cautious with a veteran this early in a 17-game season.
But if Jones plays, I will be watching his movement more than his sack total.
Can he anchor against double teams?
Can he penetrate on early downs?
Does Kansas City rotate him more frequently than usual?
Those details will tell us considerably more about his calf than simply seeing No. 95 in the starting lineup.
The Chiefs showed against Denver that this defense has more young playmakers than it did a year ago.
Sunday could provide the first test of whether those players can absorb additional responsibility when one of Kansas City’s superstars is less than 100 percent.
That is part of becoming a great defense.
Chris Jones can make everybody around him better.
The next step is proving everybody around him can help Chris Jones when he needs it.
Sources: Chiefs-Colts final Week 2 injury report coverage. Kansas City’s September 18 final report lists Jones and Mansoor Delane questionable for Sunday night.
