The Kansas City Chiefs defense failed to make life hard for Bo Nix on Sunday. The team generated pressure on just two of the quarterback’s 34 dropbacks. That 6% pressure rate was the lowest mark for the Chiefs since Week 8 of the 2012 season, per Yahoo Sports. It was also the worst rate recorded by any NFL team since Week 5 of the 2024 season. The defense held a 24-13 lead entering the fourth quarter before Denver scored two touchdowns to steal the win. This loss dropped Kansas City to 5-2 in the standings.
Chris Jones, the star defensive tackle, did not shy away from the criticism after the game. He took responsibility for the lack of sacks and pressure in the 28-24 defeat. “We blocked a couple balls, but I don’t think we got him down today, and I put that on the defensive line,” Jones said. He emphasized that the front four must win their individual matchups to succeed. “One-on-one, we have to win on one-on-ones,” Jones added. This struggle marks a sharp drop from the season opener, where the Chiefs pressured Nix on nearly half of his dropbacks.
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Interior Pressure Disappears
The game tape shows that the pass rush looked best when Jones lined up inside over the guard. On a third-and-2 play early in the game, linebacker Drue Tranquill blitzed and cleared the way for Jones to attack right guard Quinn Meinerz. Jones flew off the line and entered the pocket quickly. A quick pass by Nix negated the rush, but Jones did get his hands on the quarterback. Jones typically lines up in this B-gap spot on neutral downs or third-and-short situations. When the downs got longer, he moved to the outside, which reduced his impact. The lack of consistent pressure from the interior left the rest of the defense exposed.
George Karlaftis Steps Up
While the overall unit struggled, defensive end George Karlaftis made some key plays. He earned the team’s only sack of the afternoon on a drawn-out play action. According to reports, Karlaftis now exclusively holds the NFL top spot with seven batted passes. He batted down three passes on Sunday alone. Rookies R. Mason Thomas and Khyiris Tonga each deflected another pass. Despite these efforts, Karlaftis was the only defensive lineman credited with a quarterback hit.
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The Road Ahead
The Chiefs now face a New York Jets team at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 8. To avoid losing another game, the defense needs to convert sporadic disruption into consistent pressure. The Broncos also found success through the air by targeting the middle of the field. Kansas City has little room for continued defensive inconsistency as they trail Denver in the AFC West. The front four must fix their one-on-one issues immediately.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
