Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott has seen his crew play downright dominant at times this preseason. Just look at Friday night's performance against the Kansas City Chiefs.

At one point in the second quarter, the Chiefs' first-team offense had run 14 plays, gained just 44 yards, netted only one first down and turned the ball over twice.

A big reason for that was the play of linebacker Stewart Bradley, who was credited with two tackles and a pass deflection in the game. A year removed from a season-ending knee injury, Bradley has regained his sideline-to-sideline range and is stout against the run. The defense, armed with two rookies playing with the first team and a handful of others expected to make key contributions, has gelled quickly this preseason. Bradley's performance as the quarterback of the defense has helped accelerated the learning curve.

"This is a building process getting ready for the season. Make sure the communication is good. Making the checks accurately and staying healthy," Bradley said after the game. "I think it's a credit to Sean and the coaches packaging the install of the defense in a way we can understand it quickly."

The defense is a source of optimism for this upcoming season. After forcing two three-and-outs in the opener against Jacksonville, the defense forced a pair of turnovers and held the Bengals in check. The defense came up with another pair of turnovers Friday against the Chiefs and one of them was quickly cashed in for a LeSean McCoy touchdown run.

-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 11:10 a.m., August 29