An 11-point lead in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos should have been money in the bank for the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8. They were up 24-13, just converted a crucial third down, and the AFC West lead felt locked up. But somehow, by the time the final buzzer screamed, the Chiefs were staring at a sickening 28-24 defeat, with everything slipping away. Three plays after that big third down, they were punting on fourth and inches, and it was a total meltdown from there. We know the offense couldn’t finish their next two drives, which felt absolutely critical. But let’s be real, the defense totally let the Broncos find their fourth-quarter magic, giving up two touchdowns in just 11 plays on the field. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo called the loss “sickening,” and man, he wasn’t wrong.
The “Killer Instinct” Question That Haunts KC
Spags is putting the blame squarely where it belongs. “You have an 11-point lead going into the fourth quarter; the responsibility falls on the defense to make sure you win the game, and we didn’t do that,” he said. You can practically hear the frustration in his voice. He acknowledged that Patrick Mahomes has “bailed us out a number of times,” but it’s clear they don’t want to put the offense in that kind of do-or-die spot. What makes it even wilder is that before Denver’s nine-play touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs defense had forced three straight three-and-outs! They were playing lights out, then just… stopped. After the collapse, Spags didn’t pull any punches, asking his unit to “look in the mirror and ask themselves this question: Did we let up? Did we lose our edge? Did we lack the killer instinct?” It’s a gut check question, for sure. He’s even questioning his own play calls, wondering, “Did I call it differently? Does it need to be called differently?” He hopes they get another shot at that situation, and soon.
Sacks Are Glamorous, But What About the Real Finishers?
So, what’s really going on when they need to finish plays? The Chiefs are tied with the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants for the absolute fewest sacks in the entire NFL. That’s a huge problem when you’re trying to close out games. How do you pressure opposing QBs if you’re not getting to them? There’s one bright spot though: defensive end George Karlafits is leading the NFL in batted-down passes with seven after Week 8. Spags sees that as a “silver lining.” He’s happy with the six pass breakups, saying, “sacks are glamorous… but on a third-down play, if a defensive lineman is knocking the ball down, you’re really getting the same thing: they’re punting.” He’s got a point. A punt is a punt. But let’s be honest, you want those sacks, especially on early downs. Spags himself admitted it would be “really nice if we could get some of those first- and second-down sacks when they throw it.” Because right now, out of their nine total sacks this season, only *one* has come on third down. Just one! That means the pressure isn’t consistent enough to stop drives before they even get to third down, and it’s putting a ton of stress on that “killer instinct” when the game is on the line.
The Chiefs need to find those answers, and fast. The season is rolling, and games like this sting. They’ll be looking forward to proving they’ve learned from this bitter loss when they’re faced with another late-game situation. The challenge is there, now it’s up to them to answer Spags’ call and find that killer instinct.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Arrowhead Pride.
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