Popular Post xen 1,010,220 Posted February 5, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 5, 2023 The McDuffie Effect: Why a rookie cornerback is the linchpin to the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (21) celebrates after an interception by safety Juan Thornhill (not pictured) during the second half against the Seattle Seahawks at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports By Dalton Wasserman Jan 24, 2023 Young cornerbacks made their presence felt throughout the 2022 NFL season. A star-studded rookie class that includes physical freaks like Sauce Gardner and Tariq Woolen led to a revival at the position at a time when it has never been harder to cover NFL offenses. Gardner and Woolen have rightfully claimed their accolades after excellent campaigns, but there is another young star in Kansas City who has quietly been just as impactful. Trent McDuffie wasn't an unknown going into the 2022 NFL Draft, but as PFF’s 11th-ranked player overall in the class, he was a steal when the Kansas City Chiefs traded up eight spots to No. 21 to get him. A deeper dive shows that he's among the most important players in Kansas City not named Patrick Mahomes. ELITE PRODUCTION McDuffie was forgotten about early in the season after he left his NFL debut with a hamstring injury. He did not return until Week 9, but he gave the Chiefs an elite presence on the outside upon his return. The standout newcomer did not record an interception in his debut season, yet he still garnered the respect of opposing defenses. Among the 86 cornerbacks who played at least 300 snaps during the regular season, McDuffie ranks near the top in several key metrics: Metric Figure Rank Coverage grade 76.0 14th Yards per coverage snap 0.68 3rd Yards per target 5.6 9th Primary target % 12% 10th 15-plus-yard plays allowed % 1.2% 2nd McDuffie is also already being avoided at a rate similar to the NFL's elite cornerbacks and is producing when targeted. His rate of 15-plus-yard plays allowed ranks second only to Sauce Gardner, and three of the five explosive plays McDuffie did allow were to Davante Adams or Ja’Marr Chase. EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT Trent McDuffie’s ability to shut down ordinary pass catchers while competing with elite ones is the primary driver of success for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit. Interior defender Chris Jones may be the defense's best player, but McDuffie has the greatest impact, and his presence was sorely missed when he was out due to injury. The difference in results is almost shocking: Metric Team rank when McDuffie plays (Wks 1, 9-18) Team rank with McDuffie injured (Wks 2-8) Coverage grade 1st 27th Passer rating 17th 31st Yards per reception 3rd 11th Yards per coverage snap 2nd 24th EPA/play allowed 12th 26th *Regular season only The Chiefs are a completely different defense with McDuffie’s presence in the mix. A team with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback and potentially the best coverage unit in football sounds almost unfair. Equally extraordinary to how McDuffie raises the ceiling of Kansas City's defense is the way he does it. PERFECT FIT The Chiefs traded up in the draft to take Trent McDuffie for both his talent and his fit in the system. One thing that pops off the tape is how often defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo deploys him in press coverage. McDuffie played the 17th-most press coverage snaps in the regular season despite missing six games. Using that for a 17-game pace would place him at No. 2. This is important because the Chiefs have led the league in press coverage snaps in three of four seasons since Spagnuolo’s hiring in 2019. Press coverage is arguably the toughest task for a cornerback. We think of the all-time greats when it comes to outstanding press coverage. It’s supposed to be hard for an average-sized rookie like McDuffie. And yet: Best PFF Press Coverage Grades (min. 50 Snaps)* 1. Asante Samuel Jr. 81.6 2. James Bradberry 79.9 3. Trent McDuffie 79.6 3. Carlton Davis 79.6 5. Stephon Gilmore 79.1 *Through divisional round This is simply incredible. There are 112 cornerbacks who have played at least 50 snaps in press coverage this year, and the rookie McDuffie ranks third among them in coverage grade. Regardless of whether Spagnuolo deploys man or zone looks on any given play, he likes his cornerbacks to have a physical presence at the line of scrimmage. McDuffie has played spectacularly in press man and as a physical presence in the Cover 2 flat area. He’s nearly always in phase and has a terrific feel for positioning and tracking the ball in the air without committing penalties. Should this be a surprise? Not at all. The Chiefs needed an elite press cornerback to continue running their defense the way they have since Spagnuolo’s hiring. McDuffie was also a top press defender in college. The pairing of the Chiefs and McDuffie is a rare one that includes both talent infusion and a perfect schematic fit. His impact has been immense, and he is an elite NFL player already. He may also be a key reason Kansas City lifts another Lombardi Trophy. Terim, artsy, mex and 2 others 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young cornerbacks made their presence felt throughout the 2022 NFL season. A star-studded rookie class that includes physical freaks like Sauce Gardner and Tariq Woolen led to a revival at the position at a time when it has never been harder to cover NFL offenses. Gardner and Woolen have rightfully claimed their accolades after excellent campaigns, but there is another young star in Kansas City who has quietly been just as impactful. Trent McDuffie wasn't an unknown going into the 2022 NFL Draft, but as PFF’s 11th-ranked player overall in the class, he was a steal when the Kansas City Chiefs traded up eight spots to No. 21 to get him. A deeper dive shows that he's among the most important players in Kansas City not named Patrick Mahomes. ELITE PRODUCTION McDuffie was forgotten about early in the season after he left his NFL debut with a hamstring injury. He did not return until Week 9, but he gave the Chiefs an elite presence on the outside upon his return. The standout newcomer did not record an interception in his debut season, yet he still garnered the respect of opposing defenses. Among the 86 cornerbacks who played at least 300 snaps during the regular season, McDuffie ranks near the top in several key metrics: Metric Figure Rank Coverage grade 76.0 14th Yards per coverage snap 0.68 3rd Yards per target 5.6 9th Primary target % 12% 10th 15-plus-yard plays allowed % 1.2% 2nd McDuffie is also already being avoided at a rate similar to the NFL's elite cornerbacks and is producing when targeted. His rate of 15-plus-yard plays allowed ranks second only to Sauce Gardner, and three of the five explosive plays McDuffie did allow were to Davante Adams or Ja’Marr Chase. EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT Trent McDuffie’s ability to shut down ordinary pass catchers while competing with elite ones is the primary driver of success for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit. Interior defender Chris Jones may be the defense's best player, but McDuffie has the greatest impact, and his presence was sorely missed when he was out due to injury. The difference in results is almost shocking: Metric Team rank when McDuffie plays (Wks 1, 9-18) Team rank with McDuffie injured (Wks 2-8) Coverage grade 1st 27th Passer rating 17th 31st Yards per reception 3rd 11th Yards per coverage snap 2nd 24th EPA/play allowed 12th 26th *Regular season only The Chiefs are a completely different defense with McDuffie’s presence in the mix. A team with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback and potentially the best coverage unit in football sounds almost unfair. Equally extraordinary to how McDuffie raises the ceiling of Kansas City's defense is the way he does it. PERFECT FIT The Chiefs traded up in the draft to take Trent McDuffie for both his talent and his fit in the system. One thing that pops off the tape is how often defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo deploys him in press coverage. McDuffie played the 17th-most press coverage snaps in the regular season despite missing six games. Using that for a 17-game pace would place him at No. 2. This is important because the Chiefs have led the league in press coverage snaps in three of four seasons since Spagnuolo’s hiring in 2019. Press coverage is arguably the toughest task for a cornerback. We think of the all-time greats when it comes to outstanding press coverage. It’s supposed to be hard for an average-sized rookie like McDuffie. And yet: Best PFF Press Coverage Grades (min. 50 Snaps)* 1. Asante Samuel Jr. 81.6 2. James Bradberry 79.9 3. Trent McDuffie 79.6 3. Carlton Davis 79.6 5. Stephon Gilmore 79.1 *Through divisional round This is simply incredible. There are 112 cornerbacks who have played at least 50 snaps in press coverage this year, and the rookie McDuffie ranks third among them in coverage grade. Regardless of whether Spagnuolo deploys man or zone looks on any given play, he likes his cornerbacks to have a physical presence at the line of scrimmage. McDuffie has played spectacularly in press man and as a physical presence in the Cover 2 flat area. He’s nearly always in phase and has a terrific feel for positioning and tracking the ball in the air without committing penalties. Should this be a surprise? Not at all. The Chiefs needed an elite press cornerback to continue running their defense the way they have since Spagnuolo’s hiring. McDuffie was also a top press defender in college. The pairing of the Chiefs and McDuffie is a rare one that includes both talent infusion and a perfect schematic fit. His impact has been immense, and he is an elite NFL player already. He may also be a key reason Kansas City lifts another Lombardi Trophy.
jetlord 10,209 Posted February 5, 2023 Share Posted February 5, 2023 McDuffie was a great pick and has played very well, but I wonder if the comparison of stats when McDuffie was out vs. when he played is influenced by the fact that Williams and Watson played much better with experience in the second half of the season. Not taking away from McDuffie, but the other rookies improved all season long. artsy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xen 1,010,220 Posted February 5, 2023 Author Share Posted February 5, 2023 8 minutes ago, jetlord said: McDuffie was a great pick and has played very well, but I wonder if the comparison of stats when McDuffie was out vs. when he played is influenced by the fact that Williams and Watson played much better with experience in the second half of the season. Not taking away from McDuffie, but the other rookies improved all season long. I'm sure it's a combination but Williams and Watson are more match and gameplan specific corners at this point with Williams better in man and Watson better in zone. McDuffie can do both and blitz ala Sneed. He's probably going to be the reason we don't pay Sneed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer 8,686 Posted February 5, 2023 Share Posted February 5, 2023 these posts always make my heart drop when I see a 1 word title with a player's name mex 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xen 1,010,220 Posted February 5, 2023 Author Share Posted February 5, 2023 25 minutes ago, oldtimer said: these posts always make my heart drop when I see a 1 word title with a player's name Gotta make sure to get your heartrate up each day. Just doing my part to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boone 304 Posted February 5, 2023 Share Posted February 5, 2023 Many were clamoring for Jermaine Johnson when KC traded up. Glad we took McD instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qnet 1,150 Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 McDuffie is badass. I was really impressed when he went up directly against Chase in the 1st meeting with Cinnci. Chase basically had to keep pushing off to get separation from him. If he had better hands he would have had about 3 int's in a shortened season. artsy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieHard 2,061 Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 Love McDuffie. We are quietly building a very good backfield. It would be great to see Cook take a step next year because he looks like he could be a stud. I don't want to lose Snead after next year, but we are getting in a better position to let it happen. Williams is pretty handsy which works well in the playoffs. I think Watson ends up bringing better in the long run, but they are both exciting prospects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sith13 1,746 Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 14 hours ago, Boone said: Many were clamoring for Jermaine Johnson when KC traded up. Glad we took McD instead. The one area this regime has been very successful with is the secondary. Both the scouting and the coaching seem to be there. A lot fewer misses than solid hits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CranjisMcbasketball 780 Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 Sneed is still the stud back there when healthy, mcduffie and watson been solid this year for sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artsy 1,137 Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 5 hours ago, DieHard said: Love McDuffie. We are quietly building a very good backfield. It would be great to see Cook take a step next year because he looks like he could be a stud. I don't want to lose Snead after next year, but we are getting in a better position to let it happen. Williams is pretty handsy which works well in the playoffs. I think Watson ends up bringing better in the long run, but they are both exciting prospects. Yes! If we can get a solid DE and another solid rotational DT, I think this defense will move up into the top 10 rankings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetlord 10,209 Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 3 hours ago, artsy said: Yes! If we can get a solid DE and another solid rotational DT, I think this defense will move up into the top 10 rankings. It may be time to replace Thornhill. He hasn't lived up to his rookie promise and he'll get expensive next season. If the Chiefs can find a second day safety in the draft, they may let some other team pay Thornhill. Hate to see starters leave, but that's how the Chiefs can remain on top within the salary cap. I'd try to extend Jones and Sneed this spring rather than letting them hit FA. Keep Saunders as well. This defense is only a couple of players from being good. artsy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azchief21 5,278 Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 Have we ever had a better set of CBs on the overall depth chart? We've had some good/great ones but 4 deep? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer 8,686 Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 26 minutes ago, azchief21 said: Have we ever had a better set of CBs on the overall depth chart? We've had some good/great ones but 4 deep? Kevin Ross, Albert Lewis, Deron Cherry, and Lloyd Burress Terim, artsy, mex and 1 other 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azchief21 5,278 Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 6 minutes ago, oldtimer said: Kevin Ross, Albert Lewis, Deron Cherry, and Lloyd Burress weren't Cherry and Buress safeties? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer 8,686 Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 4 minutes ago, azchief21 said: weren't Cherry and Buress safeties? yup..oh I re read your question..yea not sure of the depth back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetlord 10,209 Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 42 minutes ago, azchief21 said: Have we ever had a better set of CBs on the overall depth chart? We've had some good/great ones but 4 deep? In the days of Lewis and Ross, two CBs were all that were needed. There weren't as many nickel or dime formations in their day. artsy and oldtimer 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artsy 1,137 Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 57 minutes ago, azchief21 said: Have we ever had a better set of CBs on the overall depth chart? We've had some good/great ones but 4 deep? Yeeaaa, I'm not sure we should be "crowning" them quite yet. However, I do think they're on the way. I personally believe that a lot of the success of THIS years defense has been the Xs and Os.... I.e., Mr. Steve Spags. But, you do have to have the Jimmys and Joes too, so yea If they can get a DE that can give them a good 10-12 sacks per year, I think they're on the way to being possibly an ELITE secondary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azchief21 5,278 Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 26 minutes ago, jetlord said: In the days of Lewis and Ross, two CBs were all that were needed. There weren't as many nickel or dime formations in their day. The point of my post was not the best CB tandem but the overall CB room. Lewis and Ross are tough to top. McDuffie and Sneed are heading in the right direction but McDuffie missed time and Sneed pretty much missed the whole AFCCG and our bench held one of the best WR tandems in check. And though there weren't as many nickel & dimes back in the day, CBs were allowed to maul WRs. Nowadays CBs can't even look at WRs the wrong way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azchief21 5,278 Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 25 minutes ago, artsy said: Yeeaaa, I'm not sure we should be "crowning" them quite yet. However, I do think they're on the way. I personally believe that a lot of the success of THIS years defense has been the Xs and Os.... I.e., Mr. Steve Spags. But, you do have to have the Jimmys and Joes too, so yea If they can get a DE that can give them a good 10-12 sacks per year, I think they're on the way to being possibly an ELITE secondary. X & Os are great but you have to have pure athletic ability to run with and defend these elite WRs without being able to even breathe on them without getting PI. And these guys will come up & tackle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spfdchiefsfan 621 Posted February 7, 2023 Share Posted February 7, 2023 Best thing I love about MCDuffie???? You RARELY hear his name! Means he's doing his job and doing it well! artsy, oldtimer and azchief21 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Chief 1,092 Posted February 7, 2023 Share Posted February 7, 2023 Best CB pair? Dale Carter and James Hasty. Hasty was a mean dude! Troyofoc, artsy and mex 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mex 65,581 Posted February 7, 2023 Share Posted February 7, 2023 1 hour ago, Joe_Chief said: Best CB pair? Dale Carter and James Hasty. Hasty was a mean dude! Remember Bennie Thompson? Man he was a thumper. We need a guy like him on STs... Joe_Chief 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer 8,686 Posted February 7, 2023 Share Posted February 7, 2023 11 hours ago, Joe_Chief said: Best CB pair? Dale Carter and James Hasty. Hasty was a mean dude! and he was Deon Sanders fast..even played offense and caught TD. SOOOOO many times you could just seem him bait a Qb into throwing his was only to make a great play. If he'd of kept his nose clean he'd of been an HOFr artsy, SEMO and Troyofoc 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetlord 10,209 Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 16 hours ago, oldtimer said: and he was Deon Sanders fast..even played offense and caught TD. SOOOOO many times you could just seem him bait a Qb into throwing his was only to make a great play. If he'd of kept his nose clean he'd of been an HOFr Carter was a all world athlete with half a brain. IIRC, in his first game, preseason, he fielded a kick and stepped into the field of play and then retreated and took a knee in the end zone for a safety. Can't deny that he made some great plays, but he was so frustrating. qnet 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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