rushing ypp (rank)
2018 5.0 (31st)
2019 5.1 (30th)
passing ypp
2018 6.4 (12th)
2019 5.9 (8th)
total ypp
2018 5.85 (24th)
2019 5.60 (19th)
ppp
2018 0.38 (18th)
2019 0.33 (12th)
sos
2018 16th
2019 3rd
sacks per game
2018 3.25 (1st)
2019 2.85 (11th)
TO%
2018: 14.9% (5th)
2019: 13.7% (8th)
snowbrag weighted defense rank
2018 24th
2019 15th
in summary, despite facing a much tougher sleight of offenses, giving up slightly more yards per rush, AND getting significantly fewer sacks and fewer turnovers, the defense has improved tremendously against the pass, which has helped them perform much better overall. you can point to the secondary as the single biggest improvement on the 2019 chiefs over 2018.
secondary (games started)
CB:
2018: nelson (16), fuller (15), scandrick (7), ward (2), tremon smith (1)
2019: ward (13), breeland (12), fuller (4), claiborne (1)
S:
2018: parker (14), murray (9), lucas (4), sorensen (3), berry (2)
2019: mathieu (13), thornhill (13), sorensen (1)
i can't believe we watched all of 2018 with that unbelievably bad of a safety group, my goodness