kansascity
In the aftermath of the Kansas City Chiefs' 20-3 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo made it clear that his primary concern is not the lack of sacks but the points surrendered. Speaking at his weekly Thursday press conference, Spagnuolo stressed that while sacks are desirable, they are not the ultimate measure of defensive success.
"Everybody wants sacks because it's great, and it helps us and all that," Spagnuolo said. "I'm more interested in the points on the board. Would it help us to keep points down by getting sacks? Probably. But if we can do it otherwise, I'm OK with that too."
The Chiefs have managed to sack the opposing quarterback in just two of their six games—four against the Denver Broncos and four against the Los Angeles Chargers. However, their pressure rate ranks ninth in the NFL at 41.7%, according to SumerSports, indicating that they are disrupting quarterbacks even without finishing plays.
Spagnuolo's stance is backed by the numbers: Kansas City's defense ranks second in the league in points allowed per game (17.2), trailing only the Minnesota Vikings. They also rank in a five-way tie for seventh in yards allowed per play (5.0).
Third-Down Troubles
While the points allowed are impressive, a closer look reveals a significant issue: the Chiefs allow third-down conversions at a 41.9% rate, ranking 20th in the NFL. This weakness was evident against Seattle, which converted 11 of 16 third downs. Spagnuolo acknowledged the problem, saying, "I'd like to win more of those third downs and get them to punt it. That didn't happen in this game, and fortunately for us, we found a way to stop them in the red zone."
The red-zone defense was a bright spot, holding the Seahawks to no touchdowns on three trips inside the 20. "When we had 13 points up there with eight minutes left, we're in the ballgame," Spagnuolo said. "It was because we played really good in the red zone. I don't think we can always bank on that."
Smith-Njigba's Big Day
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba torched the Chiefs for 150 yards on nine catches, often beating double coverage. Spagnuolo credited the receiver's talent but also pointed to execution issues. "He's going to win some," Spagnuolo said. "He actually had a completion when we had him doubled on one of them. The other ones, they didn't go to him, but we didn't double the whole game, so he obviously caught some."
Cornerback L'Jarius Sneed had a rough outing, allowing three catches, and rookie Mansoor Delane gave up two, including a perfectly thrown touchdown. Despite the struggles, Spagnuolo praised Delane's response. "I learned something about Mansoor in the game," Spagnuolo said. "I went right over to him and said, 'Look, I shouldn't have put you in that situation.' And he said, 'No, put me on him again.' I kind of like that and shared that with the rest of the unit."
Delane confirmed his eagerness to take on the challenge. "I told Coach Spags, 'Man, put me in those tough situations,'" Delane said. "I'm not asking for cloud coverage. I'm not asking for Cover 2. Like, go back out there and play man coverage. And that's what we did. A lot of teams are kind of scared to do that, but I feel like we didn't shy away from it."
Looking Ahead
The Chiefs will face another mobile quarterback in Denver's Bo Nix on Sunday. Spagnuolo indicated that the defensive front will employ different tactics against athletic quarterbacks like Nix. "When we play these elite athletic quarterbacks—and I put Bo in that group—we do some things differently up front," Spagnuolo said. "And we'll do that Sunday."
Injury concerns linger, as Delane missed Thursday's practice with a shoulder injury, potentially paving the way for Kristian Fulton to step in. Additionally, Spagnuolo may favor Chris Roland-Wallace over Sneed in the slot after Roland-Wallace's strong second half against Seattle.
So how good is this Chiefs defense? With four of their five wins coming against teams under .500 and persistent third-down issues, the truth likely lies somewhere in the top 10. If they can improve on third downs and generate more sacks, their ceiling could rise to elite status.
Originally reported by kansascity.