The Kansas City Chiefs have a week off during the fifth slate of games on the NFL’s regular-season calendar. After four games, the team leads the AFC standings with a 96% chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN’s up-to-date NFL playoff picture.
It’s time to start comparing the team to the rest of the AFC playoff field, all the opponents it could potentially face on the way to a potential return to the Super Bowl. It’s hard not to feel confident putting the Chiefs’ offense up against any opponent it faces,
given how running back Kenneth Walker has helped quarterback Patrick Mahomes regain his form.
But how good is the defense?
Looking at the team’s season-long statistics, the unit stands out as one of the best in its conference in many major categories.
Points per game allowed
- Jacksonville Jaguars (13.3)
- Chiefs (19.3)
- New England Patriots (19.3)
Yards per play allowed
- New York Jets (5)
- Chiefs (5)
- Baltimore Ravens (5.1)
Passing yards per attempt allowed
- Chiefs (6.2)
- Jets (6.5)
- Patriots (6.5)
Rushing yards per attempt allowed
- Jaguars (3.3)
- Houston Texans (3.4)
- Miami Dolphins (3.6)
- Chiefs (3.6)
Red zone conversion rate allowed
- Jaguars (29%)
- Cincinnati Bengals (31%)
- Chiefs (44%)
However, the Chiefs rank eighth among the 16 AFC teams in third-down conversion rate allowed (37%) and have the lowest sack rate in the conference (2.6%). It’s worth considering the team’s opponents include some of the league’s lowest-ranked offenses so far in the Dolphins and Denver Broncos.
Kansas City has found a strength in being a bend-but-don’t-break defense under coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. With the offense clicking on all cylinders, all anybody can ask from Spags’ unit is to allow under 20 points per game. That’s all he cares about, too.
However, as the season wears on and the stakes rise, the defense needs to get off the field more on third down and find a way to finish pressures. The Chiefs have the seventh-best pressure rate in the conference (24%) and are just behind the Jaguars; however, Jacksonville has six more sacks in the stat line.
Another encouraging statistic for the Chiefs’ defense is its missed tackle rate, the lowest in the NFL, according to Sumer Sports. There is reason to believe the tackling will only get better as the season goes on, so already being one of the league’s most reliable in that area says a lot about the effort and intensity of the young, new-faced defense.
The bottom line
The Chiefs’ defense has never needed to be one of the league’s best in order for the team to succeed. When the offense is finding the rhythm it has in 2026, the defense simply needs to be good enough in any one matchup, making situational plays on late downs and in the red zone.
When you consider the Chiefs’ potential path through the AFC playoffs, which of the conference’s defenses would you take over Kansas City’s to make enough plays in win-or-go-home fashion? Jacksonville has flashed in that respect, but Spags and his coaching staff make a huge difference.
The Chiefs haven’t been perfect on defense, especially on pass-rush downs, but there’s reason to believe this unit can be good enough to win the crucial games in December and January.
