Las Vegas Raiders 2022 opponent offseason review: Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders 2022 opponent offseason review: Kansas City Chiefs

Defensive Changes

There will be a new face patrolling the defensive backfield for the Kansas City Chiefs this season, as they signed yet another former Houston Texans safety in Justin Reid to replace former safety Tyrann Mathieu, who signed with his hometown New Orleans Saints.

Mathieu had provided some solid years for the Chiefs and for that reason, Raiders fans wanted him to sign with the team badly. However, he went back home and got a bunch of money to do it, signing a three-year/$28 million dollar deal with $18 million of that guaranteed.

Reid had been ok with the Houston Texans so far in his four-year career. Last season was one of his better seasons, allowing the lowest passer rating against of his career at 82.9% and 53.3% completion percentage against that’s down from a whopping 110.2% and 69.2% respectively in the 2020 season. Reid also only played in 13 games out of a possible 17 last year and had his lowest tackling performance of his career finishing with only 66 total tackles on the season.

The Kansas City Chiefs did not re-sign pass rusher Melvin Ingram after he had a solid nine games for them last season. He was disruptive in the pass and run game and even if his sack numbers don’t reflect it getting only two last season, his lowest in a non-injury season since his rookie season, he did have 11 quarterback hurries and 22 pressures.

They did not sign anyone of his caliber to replace him, and drafted George Karlaftis, a defensive end out of Purdue to replace him. The Chiefs also drafted Trent McDuffie out of Washington, with the Dolphins pick they got from the Tyreek Hill trade, to hopefully help their pass defense which has been one of the few blemishes for the Chiefs in the Andy Reid era.