Chiefs’ Low Sack Rate Makes Chargers Game a Real Pass-Rush Test

Kansas City Chiefs Merchandise - https://kansascitychiefs-mytake.blogspot.com/p/kansas-city-chiefs-merchandise.html

Arrowhead Pride reported from Steve Spagnuolo’s Oct. 15 media session that the Chiefs’ pass rush has produced only four sacks and a league-worst 2.6% sack rate through Week 5, even with a middle-of-the-pack pressure rate. Spagnuolo described the group as “a step away” from turning disruption into sack production. The timing is notable because Kansas City faces Justin Herbert and a Chargers offensive line that has allowed 17 sacks in five games. In a separate AFC tiering analysis, Arrowhead Pride placed Buffalo, Jacksonville and Baltimore in the top group of teams that could challenge Kansas City for conference supremacy.

My Take

I think this is one of the cleaner early-season measuring sticks for the Chiefs’ defense: not because sacks are everything, but because pressure without finishes has a way of looking better in theory than it feels on third down.

There is a big difference between a dead pass rush and an unfinished pass rush. The reported pressure-rate context matters. If Kansas City were not affecting quarterbacks at all, the conversation would be much darker. Instead, my read is that the Chiefs are close enough to believe a jump is possible, but not close enough to shrug off the league-worst sack rate as meaningless noise.

The Chargers matchup should help separate those ideas. When an upcoming opponent has already allowed that many sacks, it is fair to expect Kansas City’s front to convert more of its pressure into negative plays. That does not mean every successful rush has to end with Justin Herbert on the ground. A forced checkdown, a hurried throw, or a quarterback moved off his first read can still win a snap. But at some point, a defense built to play deep into January needs drive-ending plays from its rush, not just almost-plays.

The important part is how the Chiefs chase that production. I do not want to see desperation blitzing just to make the box score look healthier. A sack-hunting defense can create its own problems if rush lanes get loose or coverage gets exposed. The better answer, in my opinion, is controlled urgency: win earlier, keep the quarterback boxed in, and make the Chargers prove they can handle four-man pressure before Kansas City starts adding extra rushers.

There is a fair counterargument here. Sack totals can swing wildly from week to week, and a middle-of-the-pack pressure rate suggests the process may be better than the result. I agree with that to a point. If the Chiefs are consistently making quarterbacks uncomfortable, the sack number could correct naturally without a major schematic overhaul.

But that argument only goes so far. The AFC teams Kansas City may eventually have to deal with are not going to hand out unlimited chances. Buffalo, Jacksonville and Baltimore being framed as top conference threats is a reminder that the Chiefs are not being graded on whether they are merely functional in October. They are being graded against the standard of teams that can punish a defense for being one beat late.

So my specific argument is this: the Chiefs do not need to reinvent the pass rush, but they do need this Chargers game to show progress from disruption to closure. Four sacks through Week 5 is not automatically a crisis, especially with pressure still showing up in the broader numbers. But if Kansas City comes out of this matchup still talking about being “a step away,” that phrase will start sounding less like patience and more like a problem.

Sources

• Spagnuolo says Chiefs’ low sack total is “a step away” from turning into production
• AFC threat tiers put Bills, Jaguars and Ravens in Chiefs’ top contender group

Spagnuolo’s “Pleasant Surprise” Comes With a Challenge for Delane and Williams

Kansas City Chiefs Merchandise - https://kansascitychiefs-mytake.blogspot.com/p/kansas-city-chiefs-merchandise.html

According to Arrowhead Pride, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo called the young cornerback tandem of Mansoor Delane and Nohl Williams a “pleasant surprise” for Kansas City’s secondary. The same report noted that Spagnuolo also pointed to penalties and leverage as areas that still need to be cleaned up.

That is the interesting tension here: praise from the defensive coordinator matters, but the correction points matter just as much. For young corners trying to earn trust in a defense with real expectations, being a surprise is only step one.

My Take

My read is simple: Delane and Williams have given the Chiefs a useful young cornerback foundation, but the next phase of their development has to be about reducing the plays that give away free yards. Athletic ability and competitiveness can get a young defensive back on the field. Discipline keeps him there.

Leverage is not just a coaching buzzword. In coverage, it means understanding where your help is, which release you cannot allow, and how your body position can shrink the quarterback’s throwing window. If a corner is supposed to protect the inside, he cannot casually open the door to an inside-breaking route. If the safety help is inside, he cannot let the receiver win outside without making the throw difficult. Small mistakes become explosive gains when the quarterback sees the same opening the corner created.

Penalties are the other part of the equation because they erase good defense. A corner can cover tightly for most of a snap and still lose the down with a grab, a panic hold, or a late contact mistake. I am not saying every flag is equal, and I am not pretending officials always get those calls right. But if Spagnuolo is publicly tying the praise to cleanup areas, that tells me the standard is not just “show promise.” The standard is “be dependable.”

The strongest counterargument is fair: young corners need live reps, and over-coaching them can make them passive. If Delane and Williams are playing with confidence, the Chiefs should not coach the aggressiveness out of them. A cautious corner who is afraid to challenge routes can be just as damaging as an undisciplined one.

I agree with that to a point. The goal should not be to turn them into safe, soft coverage players. The goal should be controlled aggression. Challenge receivers, but do it with better hands. Crowd routes, but do it with cleaner positioning. Trust the help, but do not assume help will erase a bad angle. That is the difference between a promising young corner and one a coordinator can leave outside when the game gets tight.

What I like about Spagnuolo’s comment is that it leaves room for both optimism and accountability. Calling Delane and Williams a pleasant surprise is not empty praise. It suggests they have done enough to be noticed in a positive way. But the mention of penalties and leverage keeps the conversation grounded. The Chiefs do not need a feel-good rookie story nearly as much as they need corners who can survive high-leverage downs without gifting opponents cheap conversions.

So the takeaway is not that Kansas City has everything solved at corner. It is that the Chiefs may have two young defensive backs worth developing aggressively, as long as the coaching staff keeps demanding cleaner technique. That is a good problem. It means the conversation is no longer about whether Delane and Williams belong in the picture. It is about how quickly they can turn flashes into reliability.

Bottom line: I think Delane and Williams should be treated as legitimate pieces of the Chiefs’ defensive future, not finished products. The praise is encouraging, but the penalties and leverage issues are the real test. If they clean those up, this “pleasant surprise” can become something much more valuable: dependable depth with upside.

Sources

• Spagnuolo calls Mansoor Delane and Nohl Williams a “pleasant surprise” for Chiefs secondary

Brock Bowers Turns Miami’s Third-Down Warning Into a Real Chiefs Problem

Kansas City’s 24-10 victory over Miami looked comfortable when the final score appeared.

For long stretches, it was not.

Miami converted 8 of 16 third downs, repeatedly extending possessions and keeping Patrick Mahomes on the sideline. The Dolphins’ first touchdown drive consumed 17 plays and more than nine minutes. Arrowhead Pride

Kansas City eventually adjusted and closed the game well.

That makes the third-down problem easier to overlook.

Sunday’s opponent makes it harder.

Brock Bowers returned to the Raiders lineup last weekend and immediately caught 10 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. On Wednesday, the NFL named him AFC Offensive Player of the Week. Las Vegas Raiders

That combination should have Steve Spagnuolo’s full attention.

Third Down Is Where Bowers Can Hurt You Without Needing a Deep Ball

The dangerous part of Bowers’ game is not simply his ability to produce highlights.

It is his ability to turn normal completions into first downs.

Seven of his 10 catches against New Orleans moved the chains. Las Vegas Raiders

That matters against a Chiefs defense that just struggled to leave the field.

Kansas City does not need Las Vegas to hit a series of 40-yard passes for the Raiders offense to become a problem.

A six-yard completion on third-and-5 is enough.

Then another.

Then another.

That is how drives become 10 or 12 plays long, the opposing offense controls possession, and Kansas City’s defensive front loses some of its ability to attack aggressively.

Miami demonstrated the danger.

Bowers provides Las Vegas with a better weapon for exploiting it.

Defending Him Is Not a One-Player Assignment

Nick Bolton discussed the challenge Bowers presents during Wednesday’s press availability as Kansas City began preparing for Las Vegas. KMBC

That challenge should not be framed as Bolton-versus-Bowers.

Modern tight ends move too much for that.

Bowers can align inside, detach from the formation, work against linebackers or safeties, and force a defense to reveal how it plans to match personnel.

Kansas City’s answer therefore has to be structural.

Sometimes that may mean a linebacker.

Sometimes a safety.

Sometimes a corner.

Sometimes the answer may be pressure that prevents Kirk Cousins from comfortably waiting for Bowers to uncover.

That variety is one of the reasons Spagnuolo values versatile defensive backs.

Kansas City May Be Getting Help at the Right Time

The Chiefs’ Wednesday injury report contained one potentially important piece of defensive news: Chamarri Conner was a full practice participant after missing the opening three games with a knee injury. Kansas City Chiefs

Conner’s value is his flexibility.

Kansas City’s own preseason breakdown noted that he played extensively both in the slot and in the box last season, logging 391 snaps in the slot area and 405 in the box. The Chiefs entered this season still considering whether his best 2026 role would be slot-heavy or more safety-oriented. Kansas City Chiefs

That is exactly the type of defender who can be useful against a tight end who moves around the formation.

A full Wednesday practice does not guarantee Conner plays Sunday.

It does give Kansas City another possible tool if his return continues progressing.

The Chiefs Also Have to Resist Overcorrecting

There is another side to this matchup.

If Kansas City becomes obsessed with Bowers, Las Vegas wins before the ball is snapped.

Kirk Cousins has other receivers.

Ashton Jeanty still has to be defended.

And the Raiders are 3-0 because they have been able to find different ways to win, not because one tight end carried them through September.

The goal should not be to eliminate every Bowers catch.

That is probably unrealistic.

The goal should be to prevent his catches from repeatedly extending drives in the situations that matter most.

Third-and-6 is more important than second-and-14.

Fourth-quarter possession football matters more than a harmless catch before halftime.

Kansas City has to defend situations, not chase statistics.

Miami Provided the Warning

The encouraging part of the Dolphins game is that Kansas City improved as the afternoon went along.

Miami’s quick throws gave the Chiefs problems early, but Spagnuolo changed the picture later by varying pressure and coverage. Kansas City ultimately stopped Miami’s final meaningful possession on fourth down before turning the short field into a touchdown. Arrowhead Pride

That shows the defense can adjust.

Sunday’s challenge is doing it sooner.

Against Bowers and Cousins, giving away six or seven third-down conversions before finding the answer may be too expensive.

My Take

The biggest defensive statistic from Miami was not the 10 points allowed.

It was 8-for-16 on third down.

Kansas City won comfortably enough that the number became a footnote.

Brock Bowers makes it relevant again.

He returned from knee surgery and immediately looked like the centerpiece of Las Vegas’ passing game. Now the Chiefs face him one week after allowing an opponent to stay on the field far too often.

That creates a very clear test.

Kansas City does not need to erase Bowers.

It needs to win the downs where he can keep drives alive.

If the Chiefs can get Cousins and Bowers off the field on third down, their pass rush gets more opportunities, Mahomes gets more possessions and the game begins tilting toward Kansas City.

If they cannot, Sunday could look a lot more like Miami’s first 17-play drive than Chiefs fans would like.

Sources

Arrowhead Pride — Chiefs defense struggled on third downs against Miami

Las Vegas Raiders — Brock Bowers named AFC Offensive Player of the Week

Raiders — Brock Bowers 2026 statistics

Kansas City Chiefs — Nick Bolton Week 4 press conference

Kansas City Chiefs — Week 4 injury report

Kansas City Chiefs — Defensive backs preseason breakdown and Chamarri Conner role

Nohl Williams Is Becoming the Kind of Corner the Chiefs Can Trust When the Game Tightens

The most important defensive snap in Kansas City's 24–10 victory over Miami didn't produce a sack or an interception.

It produced an incompletion.

With roughly six minutes remaining Sunday, Kansas City led only 17–10. Miami still had a realistic opportunity to tie the game, but the Dolphins faced fourth down and needed to keep the possession alive.

Nohl Williams broke up the pass.

Miami turned the football over on downs, Kansas City took over with favorable field position, and Patrick Mahomes eventually found Travis Kelce for the touchdown that effectively ended the game. The Chiefs' official recap singled out Williams' fourth-down breakup as the play that stopped Miami's final serious threat. Kansas City Chiefs

One play does not establish a cornerback.

Williams' first three games are beginning to establish something more interesting: reliability.

Three Games, Three Passes Defended

Williams has recorded a pass breakup in each of Kansas City's first three games.

He also has 11 combined tackles and a sack through Week 3. Kansas City's official statistics show three passes defended—one against Denver, one against Indianapolis and one against Miami. Kansas City Chiefs

Those aren't All-Pro numbers, and they shouldn't be presented that way.

What interests me is the consistency.

Cornerback statistics can be deceptive because a defender doesn't accumulate numbers when quarterbacks simply throw somewhere else. Interceptions are even more volatile. A corner can cover well for weeks without seeing a catchable interception opportunity.

Pass breakups tell a narrower story.

When the football has reached Williams' responsibility this season, he has repeatedly found a way to contest it.

Sunday's breakup happened to come when Kansas City most needed one.

The Timing Makes the Play More Valuable

Context matters.

Breaking up a pass on second-and-10 in the first quarter is good defense.

Breaking one up on fourth down while protecting a seven-point fourth-quarter lead ends the possession.

Kansas City's official situational statistics reinforce the point. Two of Williams' three passes defended this season have come in the fourth quarter, and one came while the Chiefs were ahead by between one and eight points. Kansas City Chiefs

That doesn't prove Williams possesses some special late-game ability. Three games are far too small a sample for that conclusion.

It does show that Steve Spagnuolo has been willing to keep him involved when the consequences of a coverage mistake are highest.

Williams rewarded that trust in Miami.

Kansas City's Secondary Needs This Development

This matters beyond one fourth-down play because the Chiefs entered 2026 with significant change in the secondary.

Mansoor Delane's early shoulder injury complicated the transition. Chamarri Conner has yet to play because of his knee. Other defensive backs have been asked to take on meaningful work while Kansas City waits for the entire group to become available.

Williams gives Spagnuolo something valuable amid that uncertainty: a second-year player who is beginning to look less like depth and more like part of the answer.

Kansas City drafted Williams in the third round in 2025. He appeared in all 17 games as a rookie but started only five. He finished that season with seven passes defended.

Through three games this year, he already has three. Kansas City Chiefs

That doesn't mean we should project 17 passes defended or assume the current pace will continue. It means his involvement around the football has increased enough to watch closely.

There Is Still an Important Unknown

The next question is what happens when Kansas City's secondary becomes healthier.

Delane is returning.

Conner should eventually return.

L'Jarius Sneed remains an established piece of the defense and produced his own major play Sunday, forcing and recovering a Miami fumble. NFL

More healthy defensive backs mean more competition for snaps.

Normally that might threaten a younger player's role.

Williams' start could turn the situation into something much more useful for Spagnuolo: flexibility.

If Williams continues earning trust, Kansas City doesn't have to decide which defensive back is the solution and which one sits permanently. Spagnuolo can build packages around matchups, move players into different responsibilities and preserve depth over a long season.

That's particularly valuable in his defense, where disguising coverage and pressure depends on having defensive backs capable of handling multiple assignments.

Williams has to continue proving he belongs in that conversation.

Sunday helped.

My Take

I don't think Nohl Williams' fourth-down breakup means Kansas City has discovered its next shutdown corner.

I think it tells us something more useful right now.

The Chiefs trusted him in an important situation, and he made the play.

Then you look backward and realize he has gotten his hand on a pass in every game this season.

That's how a role grows.

Not through one spectacular interception that dominates highlights, but through repeated evidence that the defense can leave you on the field when the opponent has to complete a pass.

Kansas City's secondary isn't fully settled yet.

Maybe it doesn't need to be.

If Williams keeps developing while Delane and Conner work back toward full roles, Steve Spagnuolo could eventually have more trustworthy defensive backs than he has obvious places to put them.

That's a problem I suspect he would enjoy solving.

Sources

Kansas City Chiefs — Chiefs Defeat Dolphins, 24–10 — official September 28 game recap identifying Williams' fourth-down breakup as Miami's final realistic chance to tie the game. Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs — Nohl Williams 2026 game log — official game-by-game defensive statistics showing a pass defended in each of the first three games. Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs — Nohl Williams career statistics — official career totals and 2025/2026 comparison. Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs — Nohl Williams situational statistics — official situational breakdown of his 2026 defensive production. 

Chris Jones and George Karlaftis Showed Why Pressure Isn’t Only About Sacks

 Kansas City spent the week talking about how to pressure Malik Willis without allowing Miami’s mobile quarterback to turn broken pockets into opportunities.

The most important defensive play Sunday did not end with Willis on the ground.

It ended with George Karlaftis holding the football.

With Kansas City protecting a 17–10 fourth-quarter lead, Chris Jones got a hand on a Willis pass and Karlaftis intercepted the deflection. The Chiefs’ official site highlighted the turnover immediately after the game. Kansas City Chiefs

It is a useful example of why evaluating a defensive front only by sack totals misses part of the picture.

Jones Changed the Throw Without Recording a Sack

The basic purpose of a pass rush is not to collect sacks.

It is to disrupt the quarterback.

Sometimes disruption means finishing the play before the pass occurs.

Sometimes it means forcing a hurried throw.

And sometimes it means affecting the ball itself.

Jones did the latter.

A tipped pass does not produce the same headline statistic as a sack, but in this case the result was substantially more valuable: Kansas City gained possession while protecting a one-score lead.

That is exactly the kind of impact an elite interior defender can have even when the quarterback avoids going down.

It also connects directly to the challenge Kansas City discussed before the game.

Willis rushed nine times for 56 yards Sunday. He was capable of escaping pressure, just as the Chiefs expected. ESPN

The answer could not simply be sending every defender toward him as quickly as possible.

Kansas City needed disruption that maintained enough structure behind it to capitalize when Willis made a mistake.

The Jones-Karlaftis turnover accomplished both.

Karlaftis Had to Finish the Play

Calling this merely a Chris Jones play would undersell Karlaftis.

Deflected passes are chaotic.

The ball changes trajectory quickly, and defenders who are focused on rushing the quarterback have to transition instantly from attacking to locating the football.

Karlaftis did.

That is where coordinated defensive-line play becomes more valuable than four independent pass rushers chasing individual statistics.

One player creates the disruption.

Another converts it into possession.

Kansas City went from defending a seven-point lead to giving Patrick Mahomes another opportunity to put the game away.

The Chiefs eventually did exactly that.

Miami Still Exposed Something Kansas City Has to Address

There is a counterpoint.

Willis’ 56 rushing yards show that Kansas City did not completely solve the mobile-quarterback problem.

Miami also ran 67 offensive plays and held the ball for more than 34 minutes.

So this should not be interpreted as proof that Kansas City’s defensive front played a flawless game.

The more defensible conclusion is narrower.

When Kansas City needed a game-changing defensive play, two of its most important linemen created one together.

That is significant because the Chiefs have spent the early season trying to develop more pressure around Jones.

Young rushers such as R Mason Thomas and Ashton Gillotte matter to that effort, but Kansas City still needs its established players to create the standard.

Jones and Karlaftis did that Sunday.

Turnovers Change the Value of Pressure

A sack normally costs an offense yards and a down.

A turnover eliminates the possession entirely.

That distinction is why pressures, tipped passes and forced mistakes deserve attention even when the box score does not show a huge sack number.

Steve Spagnuolo wants quarterbacks processing multiple problems at once.

Where is Jones?

Which defender is rushing?

Which defender is dropping?

Where can I escape?

The more uncomfortable those decisions become, the more opportunities Kansas City has to create something larger than a sack.

Sunday’s interception was one of them.

My Take

I wrote before this game that the Chiefs needed to pressure Malik Willis without turning the afternoon into a scramble drill.

Willis still hurt Kansas City with his legs, so I would not call that problem completely solved.

But the biggest defensive play illustrated the larger point.

Pressure does not have to end with the quarterback on the turf to win the snap.

Chris Jones affected the pass.

George Karlaftis finished the turnover.

Kansas City turned defense into field position and eventually turned that field position into separation on the scoreboard.

That is the kind of complementary pass rush I want to see more often.

The Chiefs have spent a lot of draft capital trying to build a defensive front that does not require Jones to do everything himself.

Sunday gave us a simple picture of what that should look like.

Jones created the problem.

Karlaftis made Miami pay for it.

Sources

Kansas City Chiefs — Week 3 game center

Kansas City Chiefs — Week 3 highlights and Jones/Karlaftis turnover

ESPN — Chiefs-Dolphins game statistics and recap

The Chiefs Just Won Without Controlling the Ball — That’s a Different Kind of Progress

Kansas City’s first two victories told fairly obvious stories.

Against Denver, the Chiefs dominated.

Against Indianapolis, they survived.

Sunday’s 24–10 victory over Miami provided a third version: Kansas City won a game in which it did not control possession, did not pile up an enormous number of plays and did not need Patrick Mahomes to throw 47 passes.

That may be more meaningful than the final margin suggests.

Miami possessed the football for 34:21 compared with Kansas City’s 25:39 and ran 67 offensive plays to the Chiefs’ 49. Yet Kansas City averaged 6.8 yards per play compared with Miami’s 4.9. ESPN

That is an efficiency story rather than a volume story.

Kansas City Didn’t Need More Opportunities

The Chiefs’ offense has already shown it can accumulate yards.

Kansas City entered Week 3 averaging more than 450 yards per game after producing 523 against Indianapolis.

Miami prevented that kind of statistical avalanche.

Kansas City finished with 334 total yards.

The more revealing number is how few plays it needed to get them.

Mahomes completed 20 of 24 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns. His four incompletions included an interception, meaning Kansas City spent very little of the afternoon wasting passing downs.

That changes what an offense needs from the rest of the game.

Long possessions are valuable, but explosive efficiency can compensate for not having them.

Kansas City demonstrated that immediately.

On the Chiefs’ first offensive snap, Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce for 48 yards. Kenneth Walker III finished the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run. Kansas City Chiefs

Miami then answered in the opposite manner, putting together a 17-play, 91-yard touchdown drive.

Same number of points.

Very different paths.

That contrast continued through much of the afternoon.

There Is a Tradeoff Here

Efficiency should not become an excuse for losing the possession battle every week.

Miami’s first touchdown drive consumed more than nine minutes. Extended drives keep Chris Jones and the rest of Kansas City’s defense on the field while Patrick Mahomes watches from the sideline.

Against a stronger offense, that can become dangerous.

There is also natural volatility in relying on explosive plays. A 48-yard completion is enormously valuable, but an offense cannot assume one will appear whenever it needs one.

The Chiefs would still prefer to combine efficiency with sustained drives.

That is what makes Sunday interesting rather than perfect.

Kansas City did not play the ideal game.

It showed it could win when the game refused to become ideal.

The Fourth Quarter Changed the Meaning of the Afternoon

Miami entered the fourth quarter trailing only 14–10.

At that point, possession statistics mattered.

The Dolphins had kept Mahomes off the field, avoided allowing Kansas City to pull away and created exactly the kind of uncomfortable road game that can produce an upset.

The Chiefs responded with 10 unanswered points.

Harrison Butker made a 34-yard field goal.

Then Kansas City’s defense produced the play that effectively broke the game open: Chris Jones deflected a Malik Willis pass and George Karlaftis intercepted it.

Mahomes eventually found Kelce for an 11-yard touchdown that pushed the lead to 24–10. Kansas City Chiefs

That sequence matters because it shows how the units complemented one another.

Kansas City’s offense did not have to manufacture a 90-yard drive.

The defense created advantageous field position.

The offense converted the opportunity.

That is another form of efficiency.

My Take

The first three games have now asked the Chiefs to win three different ways.

That is what I find encouraging.

Kansas City has demonstrated that it can overwhelm an opponent, survive a shootout and win a road game where the other team owns the football for significantly longer.

I would not want 25 minutes of possession to become the Chiefs’ weekly formula. Eventually that will put too much pressure on the defense.

But being able to win that way matters.

The most important statistic Sunday wasn’t Kansas City’s total yardage. It was what the Chiefs did with the opportunities they actually had.

Forty-nine offensive plays were enough.

That is a useful trait for a team that expects to play meaningful football in January.

Sources

Kansas City Chiefs — Chiefs-Dolphins game center and official scoring summary

ESPN — Chiefs 24, Dolphins 10 game recap

Kansas City Chiefs — Week 3 highlights

Miami Has Allowed Nine Sacks — but the Chiefs Can’t Turn Malik Willis Into a Scramble Drill

Nine sacks in two games.

If you're Chris Jones, George Karlaftis or one of Kansas City's young pass rushers, that number probably gets your attention.

Miami quarterback Malik Willis has already been sacked nine times this season as the Dolphins have stumbled to an 0–2 start. NFL.com notes that Miami has surrendered a 43.1% pressure rate and a league-high 15.3% sack rate through two games. NFL

That looks like an obvious opportunity for the Chiefs.

It is.

It could also become a trap.

Because Malik Willis isn't a quarterback Kansas City should attack recklessly.

Chris Jones spent part of his Thursday media availability discussing the importance of containing Miami's mobile quarterback rather than simply charging upfield looking for sacks. Kansas City Chiefs

That distinction could become one of the most important defensive details Sunday.

Pressure Is Great Until the Quarterback Escapes It

There is nothing defensive linemen enjoy more than seeing a quarterback hold the football.

Willis has done that too often through Miami's first two games.

But he's also athletic enough to punish a pass rush that loses discipline.

Miami's own highlight reel from Week 2 included Willis escaping pressure to his left before firing a 23-yard completion to Malik Washington. Miami Dolphins

That's the danger.

A defensive end wins too far upfield.

Willis steps inside.

A defensive tackle abandons his rush lane because he sees a sack opportunity.

Willis escapes through the opening.

The Chiefs can technically win the pass rush and still lose the play.

That's why sacks aren't the only measurement that matters Sunday.

Sometimes the best rush against an athletic quarterback is the one that gives him nowhere to go.

Chris Jones Can Make Everybody Else's Job Easier

Jones is especially important in this matchup because pressure from the middle changes a mobile quarterback's escape options.

Edge rushers naturally create paths inside when they attack the outside shoulder of offensive tackles.

If Jones collapses the middle at the same time, Willis suddenly has fewer directions available.

That's when George Karlaftis, Ashton Gillotte, R Mason Thomas and the rest of the Chiefs' pass rush can close the pocket rather than chase the quarterback around it.

Kansas City needs coordinated pressure.

Not four defenders independently trying to win a sack race.

That sounds simple.

It isn't.

A quarterback who can scramble forces defenders to make decisions while moving at full speed.

Rush or contain?

Attack or retrace?

Follow the quarterback or maintain responsibility for a running back leaking into the flat?

Those moments are where discipline becomes more important than athleticism.

Miami's Problems Are Real

This isn't just a case of Willis making life difficult for himself.

The Dolphins have struggled protecting him.

Miami surrendered five sacks in its opener and four more against San Francisco. Willis has also acknowledged that there were situations where he could have helped himself by getting rid of the football sooner. NFL

That's an inviting matchup for Kansas City.

Especially after the Chiefs failed to record a sack against Indianapolis.

The defensive line should see an opportunity.

I just don't want that opportunity turning into impatience.

A defense that becomes obsessed with sacks can create exactly the kind of broken-play environment an athletic quarterback wants.

Keep Willis inside the pocket.

Collapse it around him.

Then finish.

This Is a Good Test for Kansas City's Young Rushers

We've already seen encouraging flashes from R Mason Thomas.

Ashton Gillotte is continuing to develop.

Kansas City wants more sources of pressure so Chris Jones doesn't have to manufacture everything himself.

Sunday provides an interesting lesson for those younger defenders.

NFL pass rushing isn't simply about beating the man across from you.

Sometimes you have to understand how your rush affects the three defenders next to you.

If Thomas flies around the edge, somebody must control the escape lane he creates.

If Jones penetrates inside, the edge defenders have to anticipate where Willis will move.

Everybody's rush becomes connected.

That is the difference between pressure and chaos.

Steve Spagnuolo wants pressure.

My Take

Nine sacks allowed jumps off the page.

My first reaction is probably the same as every Chiefs fan's:

Go get him.

Then you remember who Malik Willis is.

This isn't a stationary quarterback who is going to stand exactly where the defensive line expects him to stand.

If the Chiefs get greedy, Willis has enough athletic ability to turn what looks like a sack into a 15-yard scramble or an improvised completion.

That's why I think this game could tell us something about Kansas City's pass rush beyond the sack total.

Can the young guys rush with discipline?

Can the defensive line squeeze the pocket instead of creating escape lanes?

Can Chris Jones force Willis toward another defender instead of trying to make every play himself?

Kansas City absolutely should pressure him.

Miami's protection problems are too significant to ignore.

But the goal isn't to collect the prettiest sack statistics.

The goal is to make Malik Willis uncomfortable without giving him somewhere comfortable to escape.

If the Chiefs do that, the sacks should take care of themselves.

Sources

Kansas City Chiefs — Chris Jones Press Conference, September 24

KMBC 9 — Chris Jones discusses containing Malik Willis

NFL.com — Week 3 defensive matchup and Miami pressure statistics

Steve Spagnuolo Blaming Himself Tells You Everything About the Standard of This Chiefs Defense

The Kansas City Chiefs beat Indianapolis.

Steve Spagnuolo still wasn't happy.

I like that.

Kansas City is 2–0 after surviving the Colts 33–30 in overtime, but the Chiefs' defensive coordinator made it clear Thursday that the final score wasn't going to erase what he saw when he reviewed the film.

The contrast between Kansas City's first two games is pretty dramatic.

Against Denver, the Chiefs allowed only 10 points, 176 total yards and nine first downs.

Indianapolis produced 30 points, 329 yards and 24 first downs.

Spagnuolo's assessment was basically that his defense probably isn't as dominant as it looked in Week 1—and hopefully isn't as poor as it looked at times in Week 2. More importantly, he said the defensive room wasn't allowing the victory to hide the mistakes. Arrowhead Pride

That's exactly the attitude I want from this team.

Winning Can't Become an Excuse

One of the dangers of winning close football games is that problems can become easier to ignore.

The Chiefs won.

Patrick Mahomes made plays.

Kenneth Walker III helped finish the game.

Harrison Butker eventually ended it.

Everybody goes home happy.

But Kansas City's defense knows it helped create the overtime situation in the first place.

Indianapolis converted five of 12 third downs, and two failed third-down attempts were immediately followed by successful fourth-down conversions. Spagnuolo pointed out that eight of those third downs were manageable third-and-5 or third-and-6 situations. Arrowhead Pride

That's not where this defense wants opponents living.

Steve Spagnuolo's best defenses force quarterbacks into situations where everybody in the stadium knows the pass rush is coming.

Third-and-11 opens the defensive playbook.

Third-and-5 keeps almost everything available to the offense.

Run.

Pass.

Quarterback movement.

Screen.

Quick game.

That difference matters.

Then Spagnuolo Did Something Good Leaders Do

He blamed himself.

Spagnuolo specifically criticized his own play-calling near the end of the first half and said the decisions contributed to an Indianapolis score. Arrowhead Pride

Think about the message that sends inside a defensive meeting room.

A coach can spend an hour showing players missed tackles, bad leverage, poor communication and incorrect assignments.

Then he can say:

I contributed too.

That matters.

Accountability becomes much easier to demand when it travels both directions.

Steve Spagnuolo has four Super Bowl rings as a defensive coordinator. He has been running NFL defenses for decades. The Chiefs don't need him publicly accepting responsibility to protect his reputation.

He does it because the standard applies to him too.

That's how you maintain credibility with players.

The Overtime Response Still Matters

There was also something encouraging buried inside an otherwise frustrating defensive performance.

Kansas City's defense responded when it absolutely had to.

Indianapolis produced a huge play in overtime and appeared positioned to finish the game. Instead, the Chiefs stiffened in the red zone and forced a field goal.

Spagnuolo specifically praised that response.

Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill helped Kansas City survive a situation that could easily have ended the night. Arrowhead Pride

That's worth remembering.

Good defenses don't play perfect football.

Sometimes good defense means limiting the damage after something has already gone wrong.

Kansas City did that.

The offense received another opportunity.

The Chiefs won.

Now Comes Miami

The timing of this conversation is useful because the Chiefs are preparing for a completely different challenge.

Miami has speed.

Malik Willis can extend plays.

De'Von Achane can turn a small crease into a huge gain.

That makes defensive discipline especially important.

Kansas City can't afford to carry the sloppy parts of the Indianapolis game into Miami just because the Colts game ended with a celebration.

Spagnuolo clearly understands that.

My Take

I actually feel better about Kansas City's defense after hearing Steve Spagnuolo talk Thursday.

Not because the Colts game suddenly looks better.

It doesn't.

The Chiefs defense had problems.

What encourages me is that the people inside the building apparently aren't pretending otherwise.

There is a huge difference between saying, "We're 2–0, so everything is fine," and saying, "We're 2–0, but that isn't our standard."

Championship teams have to understand that difference.

I also think Spagnuolo publicly taking responsibility is important.

Players know when a coach made a questionable call.

They watch the same film.

They were standing on the field.

When the coach acknowledges his own mistake instead of assigning every failure to execution, he earns the right to demand the same honesty from everybody else.

Kansas City won't hold every opponent to 176 yards.

That's unrealistic.

But the Chiefs absolutely can demand better tackling, better third-down defense, better communication and better situational football than they showed against Indianapolis.

The Colts game gave Kansas City a warning without giving it a loss.

That's a pretty valuable combination.

Now we get to see whether the defense learned from it.

Sources

Kansas City Chiefs — Steve Spagnuolo Press Conference, September 24

Arrowhead Pride — Chiefs defense knows Week 2 wasn't good enough

Chamarri Conner’s Return to Practice Could Give Steve Spagnuolo His Missing Chess Piece Back

The Kansas City Chiefs are 2–0 without getting a single regular-season snap from Chamarri Conner.

Now one of Steve Spagnuolo’s most versatile defenders is finally moving closer to the field.

Conner returned to practice Wednesday as a limited participant while recovering from the knee problem that kept him out of Kansas City’s first two games. Andy Reid said the Chiefs plan to ease him back into the mix rather than rush the process.

That is encouraging news by itself.

What makes it more interesting is what Conner could eventually add to a secondary that has already been playing reasonably well without him.

Conner Is More Than Just Another Safety

Calling Conner a safety does not completely describe his value.

He has played throughout the secondary during his career, including responsibilities closer to the line of scrimmage and in coverage.

That versatility has always made him a natural fit for Spagnuolo.

The Chiefs drafted Conner in the fourth round in 2023 after he demonstrated the ability at Virginia Tech to play slot corner, deep safety and box safety.

That sounds like a Steve Spagnuolo player before he ever enters the building.

Spagnuolo loves defenders who make it difficult for quarterbacks to identify what Kansas City is doing before the snap.

Conner helps create that uncertainty.

A quarterback sees him near the line of scrimmage.

Is he blitzing?

Dropping into coverage?

Covering the slot?

Rotating deep after the snap?

The more positions one defender can credibly play, the more disguises become available.

His 2025 Season Showed His Value

Conner started all 17 games for Kansas City last season and finished with 117 combined tackles according to the Chiefs’ official statistics. He also recorded two sacks, an interception and two forced fumbles.

Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt noted that Conner led Kansas City’s defensive backs in tackles during the 2025 season.

Those numbers tell part of the story.

Availability tells another.

Conner was a full-time piece of the defense a year ago.

Kansas City entered this season expecting him to remain an important part of a secondary that underwent significant change.

Instead, knee swelling kept him off the field throughout the first two weeks.

Jaden Hicks and the rest of the secondary have handled the situation well.

That does not mean Kansas City would prefer to continue playing without Conner.

The Timing Could Be Excellent

Conner’s return to practice comes as Mansoor Delane also appears closer to returning to a normal role.

Delane was a full participant Wednesday after dressing but not playing against Indianapolis. Reid indicated he currently expects the rookie cornerback to be able to play against Miami, although Kansas City will continue monitoring him.

I have already written about Delane’s shoulder recovery, so the bigger story here is not another medical update on the rookie.

It is what Kansas City’s secondary might look like when the pieces begin returning together.

L’Jarius Sneed.

Mansoor Delane.

Alohi Gilman.

Jaden Hicks.

Chamarri Conner.

And several other young defensive backs who have already gained valuable snaps because injuries forced them onto the field.

Suddenly Spagnuolo may have choices instead of replacements.

That is a big difference.

Depth Can Become Flexibility

Injuries are usually discussed only as losses.

Sometimes there is a second effect.

Someone else gets experience.

Kansas City has already had to play without Conner.

It lost Delane after only three defensive snaps in the opener.

Other players had to respond.

Now imagine those replacements returning to reserve or rotational roles after proving they can survive meaningful NFL snaps.

The roster becomes deeper than it was before the injuries.

That is how early-season adversity can occasionally become useful later.

Nobody wants players hurt.

But when the starters return, the experience accumulated by the backups does not disappear.

Spagnuolo gets more tools.

My Take

Chamarri Conner returning to practice probably will not generate the attention that a Patrick Mahomes injury update would.

I think it matters quite a bit.

The Chiefs defense is built around confusion.

Steve Spagnuolo wants quarterbacks looking at one thing before the snap and seeing something else afterward.

Players like Conner make that possible.

He can move.

He can tackle.

He can blitz.

He can line up in multiple places.

Most importantly, the offense cannot always identify his responsibility from his alignment.

That is valuable football.

Kansas City has already started 2–0 without him.

Now the Chiefs may begin adding pieces instead of subtracting them.

Mansoor Delane is practicing fully.

Conner is finally practicing again.

The younger defensive backs have gained experience.

If Kansas City can get everybody healthy at the same time, Spagnuolo may soon have a problem coaches love having:

Too many capable defensive backs and a lot of different ways to use them.

I’m interested to see what that looks like.

Because the Chiefs defense has already shown flashes without its complete secondary.

Giving Spagnuolo another chess piece usually makes life considerably less comfortable for the quarterback on the other side.

Sources

Kansas City Chiefs — Week 3 injury report, September 23

Kansas City Chiefs — Chamarri Conner player profile and career statistics

Kansas City Chiefs — Dave Merritt coaching biography

Chris Jones Being Questionable Changes the Math Against Jonathan Taylor

 Yesterday, the biggest defensive question for Kansas City was straightforward:

How do the Chiefs keep Jonathan Taylor from controlling Sunday night’s game?

Today there is another question attached to it.

Will Chris Jones be operating at full strength when they try?

Kansas City’s final Week 2 injury report lists Jones as questionable for Sunday night’s game against Indianapolis after he was limited during the practice week because of a calf injury. Rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane is also questionable with the shoulder injury he suffered against Denver.

The Delane situation is worth watching, but we have already discussed his encouraging recovery trajectory.

Jones creates a different conversation.

Kansas City’s plan for Jonathan Taylor begins in the middle of the defense.

Taylor ran for 98 yards and two touchdowns against Baltimore in Week 1 despite Indianapolis losing 41–23. He remains capable of turning an otherwise ugly offensive performance into a competitive game if a defense allows him to consistently reach the second level.

Jones is one of the players who can prevent that from happening before it starts.

Most fans naturally associate Jones with sacks and interior pass rushing. That is understandable. Few defensive tackles can destroy a passing play as quickly as he can.

But his presence affects the running game before the snap, too.

An offensive line has to account for where Jones is aligned.

If Indianapolis uses additional resources to prevent him from penetrating the backfield, somebody else receives a more favorable matchup. If the Colts attempt to block him one-on-one too often, Jones has the ability to wreck the play himself.

That is the basic problem elite defensive linemen create.

Their impact is not limited to the plays on which they make the tackle.

They change the blocking equation.

That becomes especially important against Taylor because Kansas City wants to prevent Indianapolis from living in second-and-manageable situations.

Give Taylor five yards on first down and the Colts can do almost anything.

Play-action remains credible.

Daniel Jones can use his legs.

Indianapolis can run again.

Kansas City’s pass rush has to respect multiple possibilities instead of attacking the quarterback.

Stuff the run early, however, and Steve Spagnuolo gets to play a very different game.

That is when the blitz packages expand.

That is when young rushers such as R Mason Thomas can attack.

And that is when Chris Jones becomes particularly dangerous.

My Take

I still think stopping Jonathan Taylor is the key to this game.

Chris Jones being questionable simply raises the stakes.

The good news is that “questionable” does not mean “out.” We will not know the Chiefs’ final active roster until closer to kickoff, and Kansas City has every reason to be cautious with a veteran this early in a 17-game season.

But if Jones plays, I will be watching his movement more than his sack total.

Can he anchor against double teams?

Can he penetrate on early downs?

Does Kansas City rotate him more frequently than usual?

Those details will tell us considerably more about his calf than simply seeing No. 95 in the starting lineup.

The Chiefs showed against Denver that this defense has more young playmakers than it did a year ago.

Sunday could provide the first test of whether those players can absorb additional responsibility when one of Kansas City’s superstars is less than 100 percent.

That is part of becoming a great defense.

Chris Jones can make everybody around him better.

The next step is proving everybody around him can help Chris Jones when he needs it.

Sources: Chiefs-Colts final Week 2 injury report coverage. Kansas City’s September 18 final report lists Jones and Mansoor Delane questionable for Sunday night. 

The Colts Are 0-1, but Jonathan Taylor Is Exactly the Kind of Player Who Can Ruin a Comfortable Chiefs Night

 The Indianapolis Colts are coming to Arrowhead with an 0–1 record and a 41–23 loss sitting on their résumé.

The Kansas City Chiefs should ignore almost all of that.

They should pay attention to No. 28.

Jonathan Taylor was one of the few Indianapolis players who emerged from Week 1 looking exactly like himself. Against Baltimore, Taylor carried 19 times for 98 yards, caught three passes for another 23 and scored twice. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry, with five runs gaining at least 10 yards.

That is 121 yards from scrimmage on 22 touches in a game his team lost by 18 points.

In other words, Baltimore controlled the football game without really controlling Taylor.

Kansas City cannot assume it will have the same luxury Sunday night.

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has already made it clear that Kansas City expects a much better Indianapolis team than the one that gave up more than 500 yards to Baltimore. Taylor sits at the center of that concern, along with quarterback Daniel Jones’ mobility.

That is the right mindset.

Week 1 results can create dangerous assumptions.

The Chiefs looked organized, fast and physical while limiting Denver to 176 total yards. Indianapolis looked disjointed while Baltimore piled up 506.

Football does not carry those statistics forward to the next kickoff.

What does carry forward is personnel.

And Taylor remains one of the most productive running backs in football.

He rushed for 1,585 yards and 18 touchdowns last season and has spent much of his career proving he does not need perfect circumstances to hurt a defense.

That makes him a particularly interesting test for Kansas City.

The Chiefs’ Week 1 defensive performance was impressive because Denver struggled to sustain anything. Indianapolis has a player capable of generating offense even when the rest of the unit is sputtering.

A six-yard run on first down changes an entire possession.

So does a screen that turns into 18 yards.

Taylor forces linebackers to play downhill, safeties to respect the run and defensive linemen to maintain gap discipline instead of attacking recklessly.

That can also help Daniel Jones.

Kansas City wants Indianapolis in obvious passing situations, where Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, R Mason Thomas and the rest of the pass rush can attack without worrying about play-action or the run.

Taylor’s job is to prevent those situations from happening.

If he consistently creates second-and-4 instead of second-and-9, the Colts’ entire playbook stays open.

The matchup becomes even more interesting because Kansas City’s linebacker depth has already taken a hit with Cooper McDonald moving to injured reserve. That story was covered yesterday, but its consequences start becoming real against a back like Taylor.

Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill will have a lot to say about whether Sunday becomes comfortable or complicated.

My Take

This feels like exactly the kind of game where a fan base can get overconfident after one great week.

The Chiefs crushed Denver.

The Colts got crushed by Baltimore.

Kansas City is at Arrowhead.

It would be easy to look ahead and assume this should be simple.

Jonathan Taylor is why I will not do that.

The Chiefs defense proved something Monday night, but one dominant performance does not establish a season-long identity.

Sunday gives them a completely different test.

Can Kansas City stay disciplined when one of the best backs in football keeps attacking the same gap?

Can the linebackers tackle without giving away yards after contact?

Can the defense keep Taylor from turning short passes into drive-extending gains?

And most importantly, can the Chiefs force Indianapolis to abandon the run before Taylor gets a chance to take over?

If the answer is yes, I like Kansas City’s chances of making Daniel Jones carry the game.

That is where Spagnuolo wants this matchup to go.

But the Chiefs have to earn that right first.

Stopping Jonathan Taylor is how they do it.

Sources

NFL.com — Week 1 analysis and Jonathan Taylor’s 121-yard performance Read NFL.com’s Week 1 analysis

NFL.com — Jonathan Taylor 2026 game log and career statistics View Taylor’s NFL statistics

Arrowhead Pride — Chiefs expecting Indianapolis to rebound in Week 2 Read the Week 2 Chiefs-Colts report