Following the Kansas City Chiefs’ impressive 30–17 victory over the Detroit Lions, the broadcast crew shared a mind-boggling statistic: since 1972, no team had managed to finish a game with zero penalties, zero turnovers, and only one punt until Sunday night. It was, by all accounts, one of the most disciplined and well-coached performances this team has delivered in the past two seasons. If that trend holds as this offense is awakening, the Chiefs could soon become the league’s most complete and dangerous team. A Kansas City squad that isn’t beating itself is a nightmare for the NFL.
Beyond the box score, the Chiefs’ coaching performance showed up in the X’s and O’s. According to Next Gen Stats, Kansas City limited its use of 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers) to keep the Lions in their base defense. That decision created favorable matchups against Detroit’s linebackers, a weakness the Chiefs exploited relentlessly. Patrick Mahomes took full advantage, going 13-for-17 for 165 yards and a touchdown when targeting that group.
On the defensive side of the ball, the coaches put talented players in positions to succeed. Leo Chenal got his biggest workload of the season with a 72.2% snap share in the game. Cornerback Nohl Williams also had a season-high 21 snaps on Sunday night. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo leaned heavily on his base look (keeping three linebackers on the field), and Chenal responded with arguably his best performance of the season. That approach was partly necessitated by facing perhaps the best backfield in the National Football League. Even so, Kansas City did a respectable job containing Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, who combined for 89 rushing yards but were ultimately kept in check on Sunday night.
The real story around the Chiefs is how their coaching staff is hitting its stride at the perfect time.
Even philosophically, the Chiefs played an aggressive brand of football. Kansas City converted 2-of-3 fourth-down attempts on Sunday night, and head coach Andy Reid’s willingness to go for it in 4th-and-short situations was a key factor in their Week 6 victory. Lions coach Dan Campbell is always willing to gamble in favorable fourth-down scenarios, and facing an opponent who takes those risks almost forces you to follow suit.
Situationally, the Chiefs were nearly flawless in their contest with the Lions. One key moment came when they “double dipped,” scoring at both ends of halftime. Kansas City was methodical on both series, punctuating two eight-play drives with touchdowns, which set the tone for the back half of regulation. That put Detroit behind the eight-ball for the remainder of the game. They had just four offensive possessions in the second half, and maintaining efficiency is difficult when trailing by two scores. Those four drives went as follows: punt, touchdown, punt, downs.
The offense will finally be whole for Week 7, but having a coaching staff that can operate seamlessly behind the scenes is invaluable for a team still finding its footing. Despite the success of recent years, I’ve often questioned how consistently the Chiefs’ coaching staff outcoaches its opponents. For a long time, that was the team’s superpower. If the Chiefs are trending back in that direction, they’re positioning themselves to compete for another NFL championship.
Sometimes, football is as simple as positioning the pieces on the chessboard and letting them do what they do best. Patrick Mahomes is playing MVP-caliber football. The offense is faster and more dynamic than it’s been in several years. Travis Kelce has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence in recent weeks, while Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown, and Xavier Worthy will get their first opportunity to play together since being assembled in 2024. Add a coaching staff that minimizes mistakes, delivers winning game plans, and excels in in-game management, and suddenly the ceiling for this team feels higher than it has since the 2023 squad walked off the field at Allegiant Stadium as back-to-back champions.