For the first time in his impressive NFL career, Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is 7-0 to start a season. At 29, he became the fastest NFL Quarterback to throw 30,000 passing yards. Yet, the reason this team is undefeated falls squarely on the play of the defense.
When the 2024 season ends, hopefully, with the Kansas City Chiefs winning their third straight Super Bowl, Patrick Mahomes will lead them, but the talk should center on the defense.
Mahomes is the face of the NFL, but the defense led by Chris Jones is becoming such a dominating force that they could be the game’s best overall unit. You’d be hard-pressed to find another potential superstar on defense outside of Jones and Cornerback Trent McDuffie.
Don’t get me wrong. Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, and George Karlaftis are teetering on individual greatness. Yet the Chiefs’ defense is as good as any in team history because they have a roster full of glue guys who know their roles and how they fit.
Of course, the mastermind behind their success, Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, likely will be coaching his last year in Kansas City. If the Chiefs succeed with the Three-Peat, he’ll undoubtedly be a Head Coach in 2025.
Until then, we can appreciate his teachings, his style, and the fact that he’s created a unit that can withstand any situation they face from opposing offenses.
On Sunday, the Raiders had six runners combine for 21 carries and a combined rushing total of 33 yards. For those with math skills, that’s an average of 1.6 yards per carry. That confidence on defense stems from all those glue guys making plays.
It’s not just the front seven; the cornerbacks and safeties play exceptional run defense. The goal line stance in the third quarter, where KC’s defense refused to allow the Raiders to get into the end zone, shut them out on four brilliant plays by different sets of players.
It ended with the combination of Karlaftis and Tershawn Wharton, who had a brilliant season for the Chief’s defense, which turned the game back in the Chief’s favor.
The only reason the Chiefs were facing a first-and-goal from the three-yard line was a tipped pass thrown by Mahomes that was intercepted. At that point, the Raiders had all the momentum down by just four points. Their basic play-calling and lack of execution were no match for the Chiefs’ mentality.
In the AFC, only the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos, who the Chiefs will play three times over the last ten weeks of the regular season, have the same defensive mojo as Kansas City.
That stems from excellent coaching and a foundation of players who are committed to one another.
Still, the doubt about the Chiefs 7-0 record falls on Mahomes. He’s been average statistically but still hasn’t lost this season. Further, his critics slam him because he’s not putting up forty points per game, and in some eyes, he’s viewed unfairly for that.
He’s the game’s best player; if you need more evidence, Baltimore Ravens Quarterback Lamar Jackson laid an egg in Cleveland Sunday because he could not make the big play to bring his team to victory versus defeat.
Joe Burrow and Aaron Rodgers had bad losses Sunday in the AFC, and it’s apparent that none are on Mahomes’ trajectory. Yet, he passed the 30,000 passing at 29 without a superstar wide receiver on the roster the last two seasons.
So, as we view this team and their chances to Three-Peat in February, they have ten games left before the postseason begins. As the Chiefs have seen, injuries have hit this team hard. Still, some of the walking wounded, JuJu Smith-Schuster (likely out another week), Isiah Pacheco, and Hollywood Brown, could return in November or December. Not to mention, Charles Omenihu on the defensive side of the ball.
Then perhaps the shift will return to the offense. Until then, can we not enjoy the beauty of their team-first mentality?
