Why Dontari Poe's return is key for Kansas City's defense

With Dontari Poe practicing in pads for the first time this year, his presence is needed if the Chiefs want to succeed defensively

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid addressed the media today and said that nose tackle Dontari Poe could play Sunday in the team’s season opener against the Houston Texans. Reid announced at the beginning of training camp that Poe had surgery for a herniated disk in his back, sidelining him throughout training camp and the preseason.

Poe returned to practice on Monday for the first time after undergoing surgery on July 15.

The two-time Pro Bowl nose tackle is a pertinent part of Kansas City’s defense and holds the key to its success.

In the 3-4 defensive scheme that Kansas City’s defense runs, Poe is a huge reason for the success of Pro Bowl outside linebackers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston. Poe attracts multiple interior offensive linemen, allowing either Hali or Houston to enter one-on-one situations.

After a quiet 2012 rookie season, Poe rose in 2013 as Hali and Houston concluded the regular season with 11 sacks each. Kansas City’s defense was key in helping the Chiefs get off to a 9-0 start that year.

In 2014, Poe continued to dominate the middle, giving interior blockers problems. This allowed Houston to excel, logging a single-season franchise best 22 sacks. Houston and Hali both finished in the top 10 in the league last year in quarterback hurries among all 3-4 outside linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus.

Alongside helping Hali and Houston, Poe has joined in on the fun as well, invading the backfield and combining for 10.5 sacks the past two years.

Kansas City’s pass rush was huge in 2014 as the defense finished second behind Seattle in defending the pass. The Chiefs also finished second in total points allowed. The defense never surrendered more than 29 points in a game as the biggest point differential in a loss was by 16 points in Week 1 against Tennessee.

While Houston and Hali get most of the attention for their statistics and dominance, it can’t happen without Poe. With Kansas City’s challenging schedule early on against some of the top offensive teams, Poe’s presence is a necessity for the Chiefs.

In first half of the season, the Chiefs will face quarterbacks Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Andy Dalton, Teddy Bridgewater, Ben Roethlisberger and Matthew Stafford.

Kansas City’s defense proved last year it can compete against some of the top offensive teams in the NFL after facing the Broncos and Chargers twice and also playing the Patriots, Steelers and Seahawks. Despite not winning against all of those teams, the defense never allowed any of those offenses to light up the scoreboard.

Poe’s existence is important for Kansas City’s defense to help the rest of the defense, starting with Hali and Houston, who help the defensive backs. If Hali and Houston continue to terrorize opposing quarterbacks, it will force them to throw ill-advised passes, creating a lot of opportunities for takeaways.

With defensive end Mike DeVito, inside linebacker Derrick Johnson and safety Eric Berry all returning after missing a lot of action last year, the defense is expected to do even better. The Chiefs also added Marcus Peters in the first round of the draft, re-signed safety Ron Parker and picked up Tyvon Branch in free agency, all who will make a big impact. Expect more from the defense when cornerback Sean Smith returns from his three-game suspension.

There is plenty of depth and a lot of players who will contribute to help the defense play at a high level. It all starts with Poe up front and in the middle of the defense. From that point, opposing offenses will have a lot to worry about when facing this defense.

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Why Dontari Poe’s return is key for Kansas City’s defense

By Farzin Vousoughian | Sep 7, 2015

With Dontari Poe practicing in pads for the first time this year, his presence is needed if the Chiefs want to succeed defensively

More from Kansas City Chiefs