Chiefs looking for more sacks under Crennel

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Kansas City set a dubious pass-rushing standard in 2008, taking down the quarterback an NFL record-low 10 times. DeMarcus Ware had twice as many and 10 other players surpassed the Chiefs' total.

Yeah, it was embarrassing.

Last season, Kansas City made an improvement, more than doubling its total to 22. Progress, but still not even average; all it did was move the Chiefs one step up from the cellar, above Jacksonville.

Of all the areas Kansas City needs to improve - and there are plenty for a team that's won 10 games in three years - the pass rush is high on the list, if not teetering on top. It must get better if the Chiefs are going to end their string of bottom-of-the-league defensive seasons.

"That's a clear-cut goal of ours of an area that's got to improve, to at least get pressure on the quarterback," Chiefs coach Todd Haley said. "Not necessarily getting sacks and that statistic, but we've got to create pressure and ultimately create minus plays."

The superficial view isn't promising.

Kansas City made no significant offseason acquisitions on the line and have gone with the same front seven through the first few weeks of offseason workouts. The Chiefs also will be playing under their third defensive coordinator in three years, with Romeo Crennel taking over for Clancy Pendergast, who had replaced Gunther Cunningham of the Herm Edwards era.

Look a little deeper, though, and there are glimpses of hope for hounding the quarterback.

First is Crennel.

The 62-year-old was at the helm during New England's almost-annual run to the Super Bowl, helping Bill Belichick - along with new Chiefs offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss and GM Scott Pioli - lead the Patriots to titles in 2002 and 2004.

OK, so his stint as Cleveland's head coach didn't go so well, a 24-40 record in five seasons leading to his firing in 2008. But Crennel has four Super Bowl rings - two with the New York Giants - and runs a variation of the 3-4 defense Kansas City had last season, making for an easy transition.

"I like what he's been doing so far," second-year defensive end Tyson Jackson said. "Romeo is going to make a huge difference."

The players might not be different, but there's reason to think they'll be better.

Tamba Hali made a seamless transition last season from the line to outside linebacker, where he was able to use his speed to get around the corner in Pendergast's hybrid 3-4 defense. He led the Chiefs with 8 1/2 sacks, which could have been more had he been able to keep quarterbacks from slipping through his fingers.

Another year to learn the nuances of the position and Hali should be even better.

The progress of Jackson and Glenn Dorsey, Kansas City's first-round picks in 2008 and '09, will likely determine how good the Chiefs' rush can be.

Dorsey had a less-than-exciting rookie season after being selected out of LSU with the fifth overall pick of the 2008 draft, then came into training camp out of shape in Haley's first season as coach a year ago. Dorsey spent the first part of camp trying to get in shape and struggled with a switch from defensive tackle to end most of the season, managing a sack and 54 tackles.

This offseason, Dorsey is in much better shape, giving him a chance to work on technique, not physique, and the Chiefs have considered moving him to nose tackle because of his versatility.

"He's light years ahead of where he was last year as far as physical conditioning," Haley said. "That's given him a chance to be out there and work hard. He's going to be an important player for us."

Jackson could be, too.

The third overall pick in 2009 got a late start to camp in a contract holdout, putting him behind before he ever got started. Defensive lineman typically take a little longer to adjust to the NFL than other players due to the nuances of the position and Jackson was a work-in-progress for most of last season, getting 38 tackles and no sacks.

Still, there were signs of progress, even if the numbers didn't prove it, giving Jackson and the Chiefs hope that he'll be better with a year of experience.

"There's been a huge difference between last year and this year. It's not even close," Jackson said. "Last year, I was trying to figure out what to do, where to go. This year, I'm able to do things without having to think about it, just react to what's going on around me."

The Chiefs hope it will all amount to a better pass rush. At least it can't get much worse.