News
10/20/24
4 min read
The Kansas City Chiefs Are Undefeated — But Not For Reasons You’d Expect
Patrick Mahomes may be the star of the Kansas City Chiefs, but it's the defense that's keeping them relevant as Super Bowl contenders in 2024.
The Chiefs moved to 6-0 after a convincing 28-18 win against the San Francisco 49ers. The offense didn't blow anyone away, but the defense stifled Brock Purdy and San Francisco's offense. Along with forcing Purdy to throw three interceptions, the Chiefs' defense got off the field easily, holding the 49ers to 2-of-11 on third down conversion attempts.
Now, the Chiefs are on track to be the AFC's No. 1 seed. It's not Mahomes and the offense but the defense that's keeping them on the path to another trip to the Super Bowl.
Top-to-bottom dominance
Wins like Sundays don't happen without such a stifling defensive unit.
Heading into Week 7, the Chiefs had the eighth-ranked defense by DVOA. That includes an even more dominant run defense, which ranks second in DVOA behind only the Minnesota Vikings.
Opposing teams averaged just 3.7 yards per carry against the Chiefs prior to Week 7, and the 49ers didn't do much better. They averaged just 4.2 yards per carry, and the league's second-leading rusher, Jordan Mason, was held to just 58 yards on 14 attempts.
That run defense stepped up multiple times, including early in the first quarter, when the 49ers were stuffed on back-to-back run plays two yards away from the first-down marker, forcing the 49ers to punt.
In the passing game, the Chiefs have done a solid job of generating pressure and forcing quarterbacks to make mistakes. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo continues to be one of the most creative coaches in the league at disguising coverages and blitzes to surprise opposing quarterbacks.
Chris Jones plays a big role in the team's ability to generate pressure. While he only has three sacks this season, Jones went into Week 7 as the second-best defensive tackle in the NFL in pass rush win rate.
Pro Football Focus credited Jones with 28 pressures before Sunday, the second-most among defensive linemen. At 30 years old, the 6-foot-6 veteran is a technician as a pass rusher, allowing him to quickly disengage from blockers to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
...grab the forearm of a moving target, forklift it, disengage in about 1.8 seconds. Freakshow.
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) January 29, 2024
cc: Chris Jones. pic.twitter.com/kSX9eRuEzA
While he hasn't had an interception, CB Trent McDuffie continues to develop into a star cornerback in Kansas City's secondary.
After making first-team All-Pro last year, McDuffie has yet to allow a touchdown in coverage, with opposing quarterbacks posting a 74.2 passer rating when targeting him. Meanwhile, he's on pace for a career-low missed tackle rate, missing just two tackle attempts through six games.
It's not just the quality of Kansas City's defense, but also the schedule it has played that makes its defensive dominance so impressive. According to FTN Fantasy, the Chiefs have played four teams that rank in the top 10 in DVOA — the Ravens (first), Falcons (sixth), 49ers (seventh), and Bengals (eighth).
For a team that generates so much attention because of its superstar quarterback and tight end, Kansas City's defense is the main reason it remains undefeated through the season's first seven weeks.
It's Only Getting Easier for KC
After such a brutal schedule at the start of the year, the Chiefs can keep their undefeated record with some easier opponents.
Three of Kansas City's next five opponents will feature struggling offenses with shaky quarterback situations in the Raiders, Broncos, and Panthers. In fact, the Chiefs rank 22nd in hardest remaining schedules and could lock up their division weeks before the end of the regular season.
Meanwhile, the offense will hopefully get a big boost in the near future with the eventual return of RB Isiah Pacheco. The star running back suffered a broken fibula earlier this season and was expected to miss six to eight games. His potential return is sometime in November, allowing him to get acclimated into the offense with enough time before the playoff run.
The defense could also be getting its own key contributor back in the playoffs. Veteran pass rusher Charles Omenihu suffered a torn ACL in the AFC Championship last season, and there's an outside chance he'll be healthy enough to play a role in the postseason a full year after his injury.
Even if Omenihu doesn't return, the Chiefs have enough playmakers across the board on defense to continue rolling through opponents for the rest of the regular season. This puts them in position to compete for another Super Bowl once the playoffs begin.
