The Kansas City Chiefs’ pass rush looked like it had turned a corner in Week 1. Four sacks on Bo Nix, a 48.5% pressure rate, a lost fumble, an interception - it all pointed to a front that might have found some life.
Then came the rematch in Week 8, and the whole thing collapsed back into the same old problem.
Against the Denver Broncos last Sunday, Kansas City barely got near Nix. Batted balls at the line were the main source of disruption, and even that came in limited bursts. Benjamin Solak of ESPN highlighted just how thin the pressure was, posting this stat from ESPN Research: "Chiefs pressured Bo Nix on 2 of 34 dropbacks (6%), the lowest for any team since 2024 Week 5, and the lowest for the Chiefs since 2012 Week 8."
That 2012 mark is a rough one for Kansas City to revisit. It came before the Andy Reid era, and that Chiefs team finished with 27 sacks, tied for the third-lowest total in the NFL that season.
This year’s numbers are trending toward something just as ugly. Entering Week 9, the Chiefs have only nine sacks, which leaves them tied with the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins for the fewest in the league.
That works out to a little more than 1.2 sacks per game. They’re also tied for 29th in pressure percentage at 19.3%, and their database has them 23rd in hurry percentage at 6.7%.
The individual production tells the same story. George Karlaftis leads the team with two sacks.
Two defensive backs, Nohl Williams and Chamarri Conner, have one apiece. Those three players account for nearly half of Kansas City’s sack total.
Chris Jones, meanwhile, has only a half-sack, and his season has been rough by any measure. He ranks fourth among defensive tackles in average annual salary, according to Spotrac, at $31.75 million.
That leaves the Chiefs with the same questions they’ve been asking all year. Can Jones get going?
Can a group of defensive ends built more for setting the edge than wrecking pockets start generating real pressure? And can younger names like R Mason Thomas find their footing before the season slips too far away?
The offseason brought some movement on the defensive line, but not the kind that promised a major pass-rush overhaul. With a pair of rookies and a nose tackle as the biggest changes, the unit still lacked the kind of juice needed to consistently threaten quarterbacks. As Kansas City heads into the second half of the season, pass rush remains a glaring issue - and it figures to be one of the team’s biggest needs again next offseason.
In Other News...
Chiefs Blowout Win Came With Two Injury Worries Fans Will Hate
The Chiefs turned a sluggish start into a 35-12 rout of the Jets, leaning on a second-half surge that featured multiple touchdowns and a pass rush that kept Geno Smith under constant pressure. Even with the offense finding its rhythm late, the win came with a couple of uneasy moments for Kansas City, the kind that can linger longer than the final score once a blowout is over.
Patrick Mahomes was seen dealing with an elbow issue after taking a hit while throwing, and the concern only grew as the game went on. Xavier Worthy also exited in the second half with what looked like a hamstring problem, leaving Kansas City to enjoy the result while wondering about two key players heading into the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Former Patriots Star Takes New Shot In Travis Kelce Gronk Debate
The old tight end debate got another jolt during Rob Gronkowskis Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony, when former teammate Rob Ninkovich weighed in on the long-running comparison between Gronkowski and Travis Kelce. Ninkovich backed Gronkowski in the discussion, framing the case around more than just catches and yards and pointing to the broader way Gronkowski impacted a game.
What stood out in Ninkovichs argument was the emphasis on what Gronkowski brought as a blocker, a part of the position that often gets overshadowed when the conversation centers on receiving production. Kelce has built his own Hall of Fame case as one of the NFLs most productive pass catchers, and he has publicly praised Gronkowski before, but this latest round adds another voice to a debate that still has plenty of life left in it. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Return Home With Pressure Mounting In A Game They Need
After opening the season looking like the Chiefs were back on familiar footing, the last two weeks have changed the mood around Kansas City in a hurry. Now they return to Arrowhead needing a response against the Jets, and the matchup comes with the kind of urgency that tends to follow a brief skid for a team that is used to setting the tone rather than chasing it.
The conversation around this one has centered on whether the Chiefs can use home field to steady themselves and get the offense back into rhythm after back-to-back losses. Around the league, several writers are leaning toward a bounce-back performance, but the bigger question for Kansas City is whether the defense can help set that tone early and make this feel less like a reset and more like the start of another run. [Read more 🡒]