On the first play of the fourth quarter in the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 6 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, officials called offsetting unnecessary-roughness penalties. Chargers offensive lineman Alex Harkey shoved Chiefs safety Christian Roland-Wallace well after the play, and the young defender responded with a quick left-hand jab at Harkey.
As often happens in these situations, the agitator gets the best of the agitated. The penalties offset, but Roland-Wallace was disqualified from his best game
of the season. In 20 defensive snaps, he had four tackles (three solo), including one for loss.
The moment was disappointing to see from an ascending player in Kansas City’s secondary; Week 6 marked his first start of the season. To Roland-Wallace’s credit, he is making a concerted effort to put the play behind him and move forward. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo shared his response to the ejection during his press conference on Thursday.
“I didn’t get a chance to actually see him right after that, but true to his character, first thing Monday morning, he’s apologizing for it,” Spagnuolo told reporters.
If there was worry that the play would put Roland-Wallace in the doghouse, Spags made it clear that the third-year member of the secondary has built up a strong enough reputation to put it behind them.
“That’s not him,” Spags said. “I just think the emotion got the best of him, and I don’t think you’ll ever see him get in that situation again. That’s just how I feel about Chris; he’s solid as a rock.”
It’s a positive note on an important role player in the Chiefs’ Dime formations (6 defensive backs). Roland-Wallace has often manned the slot opposite cornerback L’Jarius Sneed when the defense deploys light personnel and has allowed only 28 receiving yards on five catches, according to Pro Football Focus. Against the Chargers, he allowed just three yards on three receptions.
He has also generated quarterback pressure three times over five blitzes. As the season wears on, Roland-Wallace’s role could grow within the scheme, and a bad moment in Week 6 doesn’t sound like it will be stop that momentum.
