Fog of War: Challenges Facing the Kansas City Chiefs Defense

The Kansas City Chiefs’ defense has found itself navigating a “fog of war” in the 2024 NFL season—a mix of injuries, scheme adjustments, and opponent exploitation that has turned a once-reliable unit into a inconsistent one. After helping the Chiefs reach the Super Bowl last year, the defense has struggled to maintain that form, with a series of overlapping challenges creating confusion and uncertainty on the field. From key players missing time to coverage breakdowns in critical moments, the Chiefs’ defense has often looked lost amid the chaos—unable to find a clear path back to dominance. Fog of War: Challenges Facing the Kansas City Chiefs Defense explores these interconnected issues, how they’ve impacted the team’s playoff hopes, and why breaking through this fog will be essential for Kansas City to make another deep postseason run. For the Chiefs, the defense isn’t just a supporting cast—it’s a make-or-break piece that must find clarity soon.

Fog of War: Challenges Facing the Kansas City Chiefs Defense begins with the most persistent issue: a revolving door of injuries in the secondary. The Chiefs have lost three starting defensive backs to significant injuries this season: cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (hamstring, four games), safety Justin Reid (concussion, three games), and nickel cornerback Trent McDuffie (ankle, five games). Each absence forced unproven backups—like rookie cornerback Chamarri Conner and practice-squad call-up Deon Bush—into critical roles, creating gaps in pass coverage that opponents quickly exploited. For example, in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions, the Lions targeted Conner on 12 passing plays, completing 9 for 145 yards and 2 touchdowns—including a game-winning 35-yard score in the fourth quarter. “Injuries in the secondary are brutal because chemistry matters so much back there,” said Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt. “You can’t just plug in a backup and expect the same communication or trust. The fog sets in when guys are still learning each other’s tendencies mid-game.” This instability has left the Chiefs ranking 24th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (258.3)—a sharp drop from their 11th-place finish last season.

Another layer of fog facing the Chiefs’ defense is a noticeable drop-off in pass rush production, particularly from the edge. Last season, defensive end Chris Jones and linebacker Nick Bolton combined for 21 sacks, creating consistent pressure that disrupted opposing quarterbacks. But this year, Jones has been limited by a knee injury (missing two games) and double teams, seeing his sack total drop from 15.5 to 8.5 through 14 weeks. Bolton, meanwhile, has struggled with a shoulder injury that has sapped his burst, recording just 2 sacks after tallying 6 last year. Without this pass rush, quarterbacks have had more time to scan the field, leading to longer drives and more completions in tight coverage. In Week 10 against the Buffalo Bills, Josh Allen had 3.8 seconds to throw on average (well above the NFL average of 2.8 seconds) and completed 72% of his passes for 315 yards. “The pass rush is the backbone of our defense,” said Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. “When we can’t get to the quarterback, everything else falls apart. The fog gets thicker because receivers have more time to get open, and our secondary is forced to cover for longer than they’re built to.” This lack of pressure has also made it harder for the Chiefs to force turnovers, with their takeaway total dropping from 28 last season to 16 this year.

Fog of War: Challenges Facing the Kansas City Chiefs Defense also highlights the confusion in run defense, which has gone from a strength to a liability. Last season, the Chiefs ranked 8th in rushing yards allowed per game (97.6), with a defensive line that clogged lanes and linebackers who tackled efficiently. But this year, they’ve fallen to 20th (120.4 yards per game), struggling to stop both power runs up the middle and outside zone plays. Part of the issue is scheme uncertainty: Spagnuolo has toggled between a 4-3 and 3-4 alignment in an attempt to fix the run defense, but the constant changes have left players out of position. In Week 12 against the Denver Broncos, the Broncos rushed for 165 yards, with 90 coming on plays where Chiefs defenders misread the alignment and failed to fill gaps. “The fog here is scheme confusion,” said a Chiefs defensive lineman, speaking on condition of anonymity. “One week we’re in a 4-3, the next a 3-4, and we’re still learning our assignments. When you’re thinking instead of reacting, you miss tackles or let runners slip through.” For the Kansas City Chiefs, this run defense struggle has been costly—opponents have used long rushing drives to control the clock, keeping Patrick Mahomes and the offense off the field for extended stretches.

A less visible but equally damaging challenge in the fog is poor situational defense, particularly in the red zone and on third down. The Chiefs have allowed opponents to score touchdowns on 68% of their red zone trips (ranking 28th in the NFL) and have converted just 35% of third downs into stops (ranking 26th). These struggles often stem from communication breakdowns: in high-pressure situations, players have misheard calls, missed assignments, or failed to adjust to opponent formations. In Week 14 against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Chargers converted 5 of 7 third downs, including a 3rd-and-10 where a miscommunication between two linebackers left a tight end wide open for a 20-yard gain. “Situational defense is where discipline matters most, and we’ve lacked that,” Spagnuolo admitted. For the Kansas City Chiefs, these failures have turned close games into losses—they’ve lost five games by seven points or fewer this season, with situational defensive breakdowns being the deciding factor in three of them. Breaking through this fog will require more consistent communication and discipline, especially as the playoffs approach and every play becomes critical.

Fog of War: Challenges Facing the Kansas City Chiefs Defense concludes with the path forward—and why clearing this fog is essential for the Chiefs to compete for a championship. To fix the defense, Spagnuolo will need to simplify the scheme, reducing alignment changes to help players react instead of think. The return of key injured players (like McDuffie, who is expected back for the playoffs) will also stabilize the secondary, while Jones’ return to full health could reignite the pass rush. Additionally, the Chiefs will need to focus on situational drills in practice, drilling red zone and third-down scenarios until they become second nature. For the Kansas City Chiefs organization, the defense’s struggles are a reminder that even great teams can get lost in the fog—but with the right adjustments, they can find their way back. As Mahomes and the offense continue to put points on the board, the defense must clear the confusion and become a reliable partner. In the end, the Chiefs’ Super Bowl hopes don’t just depend on their offense—they depend on their defense breaking through the fog and playing like the unit that helped them win a title just two years ago.