The Chiefs’ last trip to Atlanta ended with Nick Bolton making the kind of play defenders dream about and offenses hate. With 56 seconds left, Bolton stuffed Bijan Robinson for a 3-yard loss on fourth-and-1 at the Chiefs’ 13, and Patrick Mahomes finished it off by kneeling three times to seal a 22-17 win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Robinson and Bolton are back on the same field Sunday, and the assignment for Kansas City is exactly the same: slow down one of the league’s most dangerous runners. Robinson leads the NFL in rushing yards with 880, while the Chiefs’ Kenneth Walker leads in yards per game at 109.
“It’s all about building a wall, setting an edge, and the most important thing against (Robinson) is tracking the hip,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said.
That’s the key detail for Kansas City. Robinson has a knack for turning outside looks into inside gains.
“You start chasing the outside and get turned, that’s when he goes downhill,” Spagnuolo said. “That’s why we’re preaching this week about tracking hips, so when he decides to cut it back we can eliminate some of his explosive runs.”
The Chiefs’ run defense has had its ups and downs. Jonathan Taylor ran for 92 yards in Week 2 and added 40 more receiving yards.
Emanuel Wilson went for 100 yards against Kansas City in Seattle. The Jets opened fast last weekend with 99 rushing yards in the first half before fading as the game slipped away.
Still, Kansas City has also held four opponents under 80 rushing yards and is giving up 3.6 yards per carry. Robinson is averaging 5.2.
“He can break the big one any time his hands are on the ball,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said. “So for us it’s about playing with discipline.”
There’s plenty else to keep an eye on when the Chiefs and Falcons meet Sunday. Kickoff is noon Central Time, and CBS will carry the game on Channel 5 in Kansas City.
One of the more interesting Chiefs storylines is receiver Josh Downs, who is set for his debut. The question is how much he’ll be used right away.
Recent Chiefs trade pickups at wide receiver suggest the first game can be quiet before the role expands. In 2024, DeAndre Hopkins caught two passes on three targets in his debut, then exploded for eight catches, 86 yards and two touchdowns the next week.
Two years earlier, Kadarius Toney opened with two short receptions before following with four catches for 57 yards and a touchdown.
If that pattern holds, Downs could be in line for a bigger showing next week.
Atlanta has its own new face to monitor in safety DeMarcco Hellams. After the Falcons traded All-Pro safety Jesse Bates to the Jacksonville Jaguars this week, Hellams stepped into the spotlight as the next man up.
“I feel like I came into the league to take every day to prepare like a starter,” Hellams told reporters in Atlanta, “and when my moment comes, to be ready for it.”
The fourth-year pro has mostly worked on special teams, but Sunday brings a much tougher test against Mahomes and the Chiefs’ passing game, which now includes Downs after Kansas City acquired him from the Indianapolis Colts this week.
One more thing to watch: the deep ball. The Chiefs haven’t completed one since Tyquan Thornton went down with an injury in Week 4. That leaves the question hanging over Sunday’s matchup - is this the week Mahomes finally connects long again?
Special teams could also matter, especially on Atlanta’s side. The Falcons moved on from kicker Nick Folk this week after he started the season 13 of 18 on field goals, a better mark than Harrison Butker’s 12 of 19. Folk had made 107 field goals in a row inside 40 yards before missing a 38-yarder against the Cincinnati Bengals last weekend, and he had missed only one field goal in each of the previous three seasons.
Atlanta signed Jake Moody off the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad, and he’ll handle the kicking duties against Kansas City.
In Other News...
Chiefs Enter Falcons Game With Expectations Suddenly Worth Watching
The Falcons made a late change at kicker ahead of their matchup with the Chiefs, moving on from Nick Folk and bringing in Jake Moody from the Ravens practice squad. It is the kind of roster tweak that can get lost in the shuffle of a big game week, but for Kansas City it adds another small layer to a trip that already comes with plenty of attention, especially with a number of expert predictions leaning toward the Chiefs.
Kansas City also heads into the game with a notable absence of its own, as running back Kenneth Walker was ruled out before kickoff. Even with that wrinkle, the larger conversation around this one still points toward the Chiefs, who have a chance to turn a routine early-season meeting into another statement win if they handle the details the way most observers expect. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Jones Just Changed What The Chiefs Pass Rush Can Be
Chris Jones turned in the kind of disruptive outing that can change the feel of a defense, and the Chiefs needed every bit of it against the Jets. The defensive tackle finished with two sacks and six pressures, and his work up front helped Kansas City reach a season-high 50 percent pressure rate while piling up five sacks overall.
Jones and defensive line coach Joe Cullen talked through the impact plays on the teams postgame video show, a reminder that this wasnt just a one-off burst from a star player. For a Chiefs pass rush that has been searching for a more consistent edge, the bigger question now is whether this version of Jones can help set a new baseline rather than just a single-game spike. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Suddenly Face A Defensive Line Test Before Falcons Game
The Chiefs are shuffling the defensive front again ahead of their matchup with the Falcons, moving Marcus Harris from the practice squad to the active roster as they try to cover for injuries to Peter Woods and Omarr Norman-Lott. It is the kind of midweek adjustment that can quietly shape a game plan, especially when a team is already leaning on depth to keep its rotation intact.
Kansas City also brought back defensive end Jack Pyburn on the practice squad after waiving him, keeping him in the mix as another option if the pass rush needs reinforcement. The moves do not solve the larger injury picture, but they do give the Chiefs a little more flexibility as they head into a week where the defensive line is suddenly under a closer spotlight. [Read more 🡒]