Alex Smith identifies an issue he believes is to blame for Chiefs’ woes
Former Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith didn’t mince his words Sunday when discussing the team’s postseason chances.
The Chiefs are 6-6 and in 10th place in the AFC standings.
“The Chiefs, it’s major panic time,” Smith said on ESPN. “I mean, I thought Patrick (Mahomes) said it brilliantly, listen, they can beat anybody. They can lose to anybody, as well. And they’ve got to win out, right? They play the Texans this next week, the best defense in the NFL. Their margin of error is so small.”
Smith, who led the Chiefs to 50 victories over five seasons (2013-17), is an analyst for ESPN. He broke down what he saw as a big issue for the Chiefs’ defense.
They can’t get off the field.
“To me, the thing that sticks out is this defense, especially so many of those highlights were on third down,” Smith said. “This defense cannot get off the field on third down. It used to be elite. Chris Jones, obviously a game-changer. They’re 28th in the NFL this year on third down. And since Week 8, they’re dead last on third down as a defense. Offenses are converting 52% of the time. That’s crazy.”
Video of Smith talking about the Chiefs was shared on X by the NFL on ESPN account.
This story was originally published December 1, 2025 at 10:32 AM.
