When Kansas City Chiefs’ starting middle linebacker Anthony Hitchens left the Week 6 game in Washington with a triceps injury, rookie linebacker Nick Bolton was asked to step up. The following week, he started at middle linebacker and took sole responsibility for play-calling duties.
Since then, the Chiefs’ defense has built momentum: they shut out Washington in the second half, held Tennessee Titans’ running back Derrick Henry to an uncharacteristically mediocre performance and limited the New York Giants to 17 points in Week 8.
All that with Bolton leading the way from the middle linebacker position.