Eric Berry Will Be X-Factor For Kansas City Chiefs In Week 11
By Aaron Charles
@aaroncharleskc
Getty Images
The Kansas City Chiefs will have yet another tough game this weekend when they take on the Seattle Seahawks at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. This will be Kansas City’s seventh game this season against a team that currently holds a winning record. The Chiefs are going to need big games from a lot of guys to keep their four-game winning streak going, but strong safety Eric Berry is going to be the X-factor.
Berry is the Chiefs’ most versatile defensive weapon. He’ll need to tap into his entire bag of tricks to help stop the ridiculous Seattle rushing attack. The 170.9 yards per game the Seahawks average on the ground is by far the best in the league. The Dallas Cowboys are the next best with 153.2.
One of the best ways to stop Seattle’s biggest strength is with a good plan for Russell Wilson. Among quarterbacks, he leads the NFL with 500 rushing yards, 7.6 yards per carry and four touchdowns. Berry’s versatility could be used in a couple of ways to stop Wilson. He could be used as a spy.
The secondary might be able to afford to give Berry up to stop the run. No team has allowed fewer passing yards this season than the Chiefs, and only one team has thrown for fewer yards than the Seahawks. Berry could also be used to bring the pass rush so the guys on the outside can focus more on containment.
Kansas City definitely doesn’t want to allow Wilson to break to the outside, but Berry also needs to keep an eye on Marshawn Lynch. He’s having another great year with 689 rushing yards and 12 total TDs.
The most important matchup in this Sunday’s game will be the Seahawks’ monster rushing attack against the Chiefs’ subpar run defense. Defensive coordinator Bob Sutton needs to have a plan and several backup plans for slowing Wilson and Lynch down. Berry’s diverse skill set should be a big part of all of those plans.
Aaron Charles is a Kansas City Chiefs writer for www.rantsports.com. Follow him on twitter @aaroncharleskc or add him to your network on Google
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