For many NFL teams, losing their starting MIKE (middle) linebacker sets off alarm bells. Defensive coaches must cross plays off the sheet, simplifying the defense so that the backup can process it — and be the field general of a dumbed-down system.
But this has not been true for the Kansas City Chiefs. When starting MIKE linebacker Nick Bolton left Kansas City’s Week 7 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers with a dislocated wrist, Drue Tranquill stepped in. According to Chiefs’ defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, having the former Los Angeles Chargers linebacker has allowed the team to keep the defense running as they had planned it.