The hidden reason for Chiefs’ defensive rise? KC has been NFL’s best in this area
When the Miami Dolphins faced third-and-10 on their first possession against the Kansas City Chiefs, they received KC defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s full blitzing experience.
After coming off the edge, cornerback Jaylen Watson was credited with the 7-yard sack. Looking back at the replay, however, shows a whole lot more taking place.
Defensive end George Karlaftis drops into coverage. Linebacker Drue Tranquill blitzes through the middle with only a running back to stop him. Defensive linemen Mike Danna and Charles Omenihu run a stunt on one side, while defensive end Chris Jones draws three offensive linemen on the other.
The result: KC rushes five defenders.
And three of them come free almost immediately.
“Coach Spags is a wizard,” Danna said in the Chiefs locker room on Friday. “You’ve got linebackers blitzing, cornerbacks blitzing. You’ve got the D-linemen coming. You’ve got a plethora of different blitzes we can run, and that’s just one of the few.”
The one-play snapshot reflects one of the biggest reasons for the Chiefs’ defensive rise this season:
More than any NFL team, KC has thrived when bringing extra bodies at the quarterback.
Data from Sports Info Solutions provides the evidence. When bringing five or more rushers on pass plays this season, KC’s defense allows 4.9 yards per play, the best mark in the NFL.
The advanced stats are even more telling. When the Chiefs rush five or more players, the defense has tallied negative-45.94 expected points added (EPA) for the opposing offense — the best total in the league. Pittsburgh’s defense, to compare, is in second place at negative-31.42 EPA.
Also, consider this: Philadelphia’s defense led all teams in the category in 2022 with negative-41.82 EPA. The Chiefs have already eclipsed that season-long total this season — and in just nine games.
This week’s opponent has certainly taken note, with the Eagles saying they’ll be prepared for the pressure looks when they face the Chiefs on Monday Night Football.
Philadelphia center Jason Kelce says Spagnuolo is “doing just about as good as he’s ever done in this league, and he’s been a great coordinator for a long time.” Coach Nick Sirianni, meanwhile, says the Chiefs defense has done an excellent job disorienting offenses across the line of scrimmage.
“They create deception and all the things that you want to create when you’re blitzing. And they create havoc,” Sirianni said. “Again, that’s the sign of a well-coached team is when they’re not tipping it off.”
Kelce goes deeper when talking about watching KC’s rush patterns on film. He says the NFL used to be a league where blitzing had a “Live by the sword; die by the sword” type of mentality. In other words, you might create a big play with a sack one down, but later on, there was a greater possibility of allowing an explosive play.
That hasn’t been the case with this year’s Chiefs. They’ve been able to heat up opponents while not surrendering big plays on the back end when sending extra rushers.
“Things look similar,” Kelce said. “So it’s hard to tell what’s coming when.”
Danna says one key has been gaining experience. He says getting all of Spagnuolo’s calls down is “not exactly the easiest to learn,” but once players do get them down, they’re able to thrive on game days.
“It’s great to be on that side of the ball when you do have them (blitzes), because you never know who’s gonna block you or who may come free,” Danna said, “because we’ve got so many different patterns.”
This is where having Jones is a huge advantage as well.
Miami’s third-and-10 sack provides an example. The Dolphins shifted their protection Jones’ way, ensuring they gave him plenty of attention on the critical down.
That didn’t set Jones up for success, but it sure helped his teammates. When Karlaftis bailed for coverage, Jones swallowed up three Miami O-linemen, which left numerous openings on the other side of the protection.
“Spags is a mastermind,” Watson said. “He knows how to put us in positions. He knows everyone’s gonna slide protection to Chris. He’s going to chew up double-teams. So we just play off him, and he frees up everyone to come on blitzes and different looks.”
KC’s defensive totals are benefiting from the team-first strategy. The Chiefs are tied for second in the NFL with 3.4 sacks per game, boasting three players (Jones, Karlaftis, Danna) with at least 5 sacks.
“When all four as a front — or five, when Coach (Spagnuolo) brings five — are working together, it doesn’t matter. It’s the unit that gets the sack. It’s the Kansas City Chiefs,” Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen said. “And when that happens, good things happen as a defense.”
The opportunities rotate among guys as well. As Omenihu explains it, “Spags’ blitzes are unique. You’re always gonna have an open guy. If your opportunity calls, you’ve got to take advantage of it.”
Watson was the beneficiary in the first quarter against the Dolphins, with Danna describing Spagnuolo’s third-and-10 call as “really creative and exotic.”
It’s just the start, Danna says, of what KC wants to display.
“I’m looking forward to Monday,” Danna said, “and showing them guys what we got.”
