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Kansas
City Chiefs linebacker Ben Niemann is slated for more playing time on defense
in 2020. During the 2019 season, Niemann played a subpackage role on
defense as the dime linebacker for Kansas City. He was also a core special teams player for the team.
Entering
the 2020 season, Niemann seems likely to earn playtime as the starting WILL
linebacker in addition to his role as the dime linebacker and his
responsibilities on special teams. So, what has given the coaching staff the confidence to give
Niemann an opportunity at a bigger role during the upcoming season? He’s become
stronger in his third year, but the one common thing pointed out by Andy Reid, Steve Spagnuolo and Matt House is Niemann’s
football smarts.
“If
you had to say one thing that makes him a candidate, it would be from the chin
to the hairline—a very
intelligent football player,” Spagnuolo told reporters on Monday. “We all know
his dad’s a football coach and played at Iowa and all that, but I’ve got a
great deal of respect for Ben. He’s a true pro. He knows everything we put in.
He’s a great communicator, he’s become a great communicator. I’ve got great
confidence in him and Hitch (Anthony Hitchens) when we put them in front
of the huddle and when they break the huddle and have to make adjustments. And
I would tell you this, I think Ben moves around a lot better than people give
him credit for. I mean, he’s tall and all that, but I still think he’s a really
good knee-bender, that’s why we put him out in pass coverage, and I’m looking forward to watching
Ben play some football this fall.”
Niemann’s father Jay is the assistant
defensive line coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Growing up as part of a football
family certainly helps when it comes to mastering the finer aspects of the game.
Niemann
is certainly displaying more comfort and confidence in the system in his second
year as Spagnuolo indicates. That comfort level seems to allow him to put his
football IQ to the test, communicate with his defensive teammates, and play
fast.
“I
think just being in the second year in the Spags (Steve Spagnuolo) system I
feel more comfortable,” Niemann told reporters. “In college, I didn’t play in
the box, I wasn’t an in the box linebacker. My rookie year we ran a 3-4 scheme
which was totally different, night and day than what we’re in now. Last year
and this year have kind of been my first two years in my experience as a true
inside 4-3 linebacker, so I think just being more comfortable in the scheme.”
The Chiefs’ linebacker coach, Matt
House, also appreciates the acumen with which Niemann sees the game of football. He also
noted his flexibility, non-literal as opposed to Spagnuolo’s knee-bending comment.
Niemann is able to play a
lot of different positions for the Chiefs and do so successfully, which makes
him that much more valuable to the team.
“Ben’s
just got a good feel for the game,” House said. “He sees the game from a wide,
wide lens and that definitely helps you. The more flexibility you have,
the more you can get a guy ready with limited reps, which helps too.”
Going
back to the common thread of Niemann’s smarts — he spent the offseason preparing
and learning as many different spots on the defense as possible. That way
Niemann could be prepared for whatever the coaching staff threw at him come
training camp.
“I
mean just getting into my book, learn as many spots as possible, so I can
plugin and play wherever they need me to,” Niemann said. “You know, line up
shuffle, things change, guys come in, guys leave, guys get hurt so just being
able to plug and play kind of wherever and this offseason just tried to attack
everything in terms of working out the playbook and all that.”
Between the mastery of the playbook and
Niemann’s unique feel for the game, the coaching staff sees a player ready for
more work, responsibility and opportunity within the defense. It’ll be
up to him to seize that opportunity, put his football IQ to work and make the
most of it when the Chiefs open the season next week.
