The burst that carried Chiefs rookie linebacker Dorian O’Daniel past two would-be blockers, the vicious shoulder blow delivered with bad intentions to Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon and O’Daniel’s emphatic flex of muscles and exuberant pounding of his fist against his own chest — they were all months in the making.
That simple third-quarter screen pass that went for a 4-yard loss signified the arrival of O’Daniel as a presence on the Chiefs’ defense. He’d previously gotten small tastes of playing time, but the Chiefs finally leaned on him this past Sunday against the Bengals.
“I’ve been in situations where I haven’t played when I wanted to, per say.