KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — It becomes easy to overlook the Kansas City Chiefs defense simply because of the star power on the other side of the ball.
Patrick Mahomes, a two-time league MVP. Travis Kelce, a four-time All-Pro tight end.
Yet the high-flying Kansas City offenses of yesteryear struggled to soar last season, when a weak group of wide receivers were the culprit in dragging down the entire unit.
And it was the defense of coordinator of Steve Spagnuolo that stepped up, finishing second in the NFL in scoring and total defense while helping the Chiefs win a second consecutive Super Bowl.
Very little has changed four weeks into this season.
The wide receiver group is similarly depleted now that Rashee Rice has joined Marquise Brown on injured reserve, and Mecole Hardman is potentially out for Monday night’s game against New Orleans with a knee injury. And the defense has similarly stepped up, shutting down the opposing run game while making key plays late in games to help Kansas City to a 4-0 start.
“For us — not specifically the team we play but everybody — it’s about stopping the run,” Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis said, “and earning the right to rush the passer. Regardless of who we play, stopping the run is going to be a focus.”
Especially against the Saints, who lead the league in scoring and are in the top 10 in rush offense and total offense.
Yet the Chiefs have a track record that proves they can do it.
It began with the opener against Baltimore, when the Chiefs held Derrick Henry to 46 yards rushing. That kept them in the game until the fourth quarter, when they forced an incompletion in the end zone on the final play to preserve a 27-20 win.
Then it was shutting down Zack Moss of the Bengals. And doing the same against Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, holding him to 31 yards rushing and stuffing him on fourth down in the final minute to close out a 26-22 victory.
Last week, the Chiefs held the Chargers’ JK Dobbins to 32 yards rushing. And after allowing a field goal with 3:53 to go in the first quarter that put Kansas City in a 10-0 hole, its defense forced six punts, made a fourth down stand at its 3-yard line and held the Chargers to a missed field goal as the Chiefs rallied for a 17-10 win over their AFC West rivals.
“I thought our defense stepped up in key situations,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “Whether it was (Drue) Tranquil ending up with 10 tackles. Chris Jones had two big sacks, then a big fourth down play. The list goes on.”
Lest anyone think Jones would rest on his laurels after signing a five-year deal worth $158,750,000 in March, the two-time All-Pro already has three sacks in four games. Defensive back Trent McDuffie has similarly followed an All-Pro year by taking down opposing wide receivers, and running mate Jaylen Watson allowed no catches on five targets against Los Angeles.
Maybe there is just as much star power on the Kansas City defense as there is on the offense.
That’s not to say there isn’t room for improvement. The Chiefs have struggled to cover tight ends, and they’ve been particularly poor on opening drives, when teams have been able to drive downfield to take an early lead.
“We’re giving up too many points in those drives,” Spagnuolo acknowledged Friday. “Sometime in there in that first drive, we have to make a third down stop. I always think that first third down, it’s important to get that stop.”
Outside of those first-possession woes, though, even when opponents have been able to reach the Chiefs’ red zone, it has been tough to score. They were second best in the NFL behind the Browns last season in the percentage of opposing drives that ended in scores, and they aren’t far behind this season — the Chargers were the latest to fail to score inside the 20.
“I think it has a lot to do with different factors,” Jones said. “You have play-calling, which can play a lot into what players are doing. Then, you have the player’s mind frame on standing post, to not let them in, saving four points. It all goes hand in hand.”
That’s a good way to describe the Chiefs: Their high-profile offense and impressive defense working in hand in hand, helping them to overcome a rash of injuries and remain one of two unbeatens left in the NFL as Week 5 began.
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