The Chiefs\u2019 defense remains a top five unit in fewest total yards and rushing yards allowed. It\u2019s top 10 in fewest points and first downs surrendered. So why does it feel like the Chiefs are slumping? Last weekend the Buffalo Bills became the first team to hang 30 on the Chiefs since the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII \u2014 a stretch of 30 games since that 38-35 Chiefs victory.<\/p>\n
A huge play by the Bills on fourth-down \u2014 Josh Allen\u2019s 26-yard touchdown run to clinch the game \u2014 wounded the pride of a team that\u2019s come up with big plays down the stretch in all phases while building a 9-0 record. Allen\u2019s play was the final problem of the day for the Chiefs in Buffalo.<\/p>\n
By standards they\u2019ve established over the previous two seasons, the KC defense just struggled. For starters, the Chiefs came up with no sacks against Allen. In fact, they haven\u2019t recorded one by a defensive lineman in their past two games.<\/p>\n
The back end of the defense also had its issues agains the Bills. Cornerback Nazeeh Johnson was targeted 12 times and Allen completed nine of those throws for 103 yards, according to Pro Football Focus. Defensive tackle Chris Jones said he\u2019s confident the Chiefs will respond, starting with Sunday\u2019s game at the Carolina Panthers. \u201cI love adversity,\u201d Jones said. \u201cI think it builds character, and we have a good group of guys with energy in the building. \u201c(It) has been great all week, uplifting. We know it was one loss. It\u2019s a lot of errors we can correct, and that\u2019s what our main focus has been on this week, making sure we correct those errors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said film study this week was spread across the defense. He showed them 11 plays where someone mishandled an assignment. \u201cVery uncharacteristic of our group,\u201d Spagnuolo said. \u201cHad we cut them in half, I think we find a way to give (Chiefs QB) Patrick (Mahomes) a chance to win the game. Let\u2019s just say that.\u2019 The Chiefs face another mobile quarterback this weekend in rookie Bryce Young. He doesn\u2019t have Allen\u2019s experience, but he has helped the Panthers, who are coming off a bye, win two straight games and improve to 3-7. \u201cHe feels really good about what he\u2019s doing,\u201d Spagnuolo said of Young. Still, this shapes up as a bounce-back opportunity for the Chiefs. Here\u2019s what else to watch when they take on the Panthers in a noon kickoff on<\/p>\n
CBS: CHIEFS PLAYER TO WATCH: RUNNING BACK KAREEM HUNT<\/p>\n
Looks like it will be at least one more week until Isiah Pacheco returns. With the Chiefs playing Friday, too, there was little sense in having him come back now and immediately have to play two games in six days (the same logic applies to recuperating defensive end Charles Omenihu). So this is perhaps the final game for Hunt to be a workhorse, and the Chiefs are going against a defense that ranks last in the NFL in rushing defense at 160 yards per game.<\/p>\n
PANTHERS PLAYER TO WATCH: WIDE RECEIVER JALEN COKER<\/p>\n
The rookie from Holy Cross, where he was a teammate of Chiefs offensive lineman C.J. Hanson, has averaged 17.2 yards per catch in the past three games. And don\u2019t forget that Bills QB Allen passed for 262 yards a week ago, the second-highest total against the Chiefs this season.<\/p>\n
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER TO WATCH: CHIEFS SAFETY JADEN HICKS<\/p>\n
Special teams coordinator Dave Toub has plenty to keep him busy: overseeing kickers, kick and punt coverage, return men and more. He also keeps up with how the KC kicking game affects the Chiefs\u2019 field position. And he hasn\u2019t liked what\u2019s he\u2019s seen recently. \u201cThe last two games, we haven\u2019t won the field position battle,\u201d Toub said. \u201cThat\u2019s something we\u2019re obviously trying to get on the right track.\u201d Last week, the Bills\u2019 average starting field position was their own 33-yard line.<\/p>\n
The Chiefs\u2019 was their own 28. Hicks has logged the second-most special teams snaps on the Chiefs this season (199), trailing only linebacker Jack Cochran (208). Hicks also tops the Chiefs with three special teams tackles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Chiefs\u2019 defense remains a top five unit in fewest total yards and rushing yards allowed. It\u2019s top 10 in fewest points and first downs surrendered. So… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10341,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n