It felt like the Kansas City Chiefs were executing the bend-don’t-break defense for most of the afternoon before the fourth quarter, when the Denver Broncos scored 15 points and stole the game and the AFC West lead from the Chiefs.
Kansas City’s defense stuffed the run and didn’t give quarterback Bo Nix much room to throw, whether through coverage or batted balls. Defensive end George Karlaftis batted down three passes, and rookie R. Mason Thoma and nose tackle Khyiris Tonga each added one. At one point,
CBS play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz noted that the Chiefs led the NFL in batted balls.
“It’s something we emphasize throughout the week,” Defensive tackle Chris Jones said at the podium after the loss. “To make sure you get your hands up if you can’t get there.”
However, batting balls down at the line of scrimmage only helps so much. The team still needed the pass rush to get Nix to the ground, and that didn’t happen as it did in Week 1.
ESPN NFL analyst Benjamin Solak pointed out that, by ESPN’s analytics, the Chiefs pressured just two of 34 dropbacks (6%), which was the lowest of any team in over two years.
It was also the lowest pressure rate Kansas City has generated in a game in the era of head coach Andy Reid. Chris Jones knows the team has to execute in pass-rush situations more.
“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. “One-on-one, we have to win on one-on-ones. There’s a big emphasis on winning one-on-ones; we have to take advantage of that. We get a one-on-one — we have to win it.”
Denver had an effective game plan by using Nix’s legs: according to NFL Next Gen Stats, Nix completed 5 of 7 passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns on “designed rollouts.”
He also completed 5 of 6 passes against man coverage after entering the week with the NFL’s lowest completion percentage in man-on-man matchups (41%). The team missed cornerback Mansoor Delane on the outside, but this speaks to the lack of disruption the Chiefs caused on the Broncos’ signal caller.
Karlaftis (1) was the only Chiefs defensive lineman who recorded a quarterback hit; linebacker Nick Bolton also had one, but was beat in coverage across the middle by Nix — who has struggled to attack the field over the middle in past games this season.
While multiple factors contributed to a demoralizing loss in Denver, the lack of sacks was a big deal and gave Nix confidence to make the plays needed late. Maybe the blitzes will be more effective with a healthier secondary, but there doesn’t seem to be a direct solution for generating more sacks in Kansas City.
