Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo
Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Kansas City Chiefs got punched in the mouth hard last night by the Seattle Seahawks in a glaringly bad 20-3 road defeat. They are no longer undefeated, but remain the top seed in the AFC, and with a win over Denver in Week 8, could very well take firm control of the AFC West well before Thanksgiving.
There have been a lot of major reactions, one way or another, to this one. And while the loss looked really bad, exposed glaring team flaws, and halted momentum for the 2026 season, there were still bright spots to take away from the game, some new, but others that continue to reinforce strengths among this Chiefs team.
One of them being the effectiveness and stoutness of Kansas City's run defense. Take away the late 21-yard touchdown scamper to Emanuel Wilson, which, in all honesty, iced the game, but by no means was the Chiefs' defense fully invested at that point; he rushed the ball for just 79 yards on 23 totes. That's less than 3.5 yards per carry, one of the poorer marks given up by KC this year, but still really good overall.
Kansas City must capitalize on the favorable opportunities it's stout run defense puts them in
Under Steve Spagnuolo, the Chiefs have always put a big emphasis on being a gang-tackling team with a physical mindset of rallying to the football and containing the run game. It's been no different this year.
Through six games, the Chiefs rank eighth in rush yards allowed per game (93.7). It's been a bright spot on a defense that, as a whole, does not surrender many points at all, but in the micro has some big concerns. Getting after the quarterback has been one of them, as KC remains without double-digit team sacks this year, one of just five teams not to have reached that mark.
You'd have to believe that with a revamped pass rush with two rookies in R Mason Thomas and Peter Woods, as well George Karlaftis playing some of the best football of his career would begin to turn into some sacks. Especially if Chris Jones can start to look like he's got a pulse when playing.
Having a stout run defense helps in so many ways. In fact, the Chiefs were constantly forcing Seattle into 3rd-and-long situations due to their excellence on first and second down, notably against the run. It was their lack of pass rush, however, that allowed Seattle to convert 11-of-16 third downs, many of them for 7 yards or longer.
The Chiefs all year have helped themselves by having a strong run defense and putting teams in uncomfortable positions. But more times than not, it's all been for naught, as their lack of pass rush has outweighed the benefits of a good ground defense.