Our Seahawks absolutely shredded the Kansas City Chiefs’ third-down defense last week, converting a staggering 11 out of 16 attempts. That’s right, the Emerald City’s finest marched all over a defense that’s supposed to be one of the best, and now the Chiefs are staring down a rematch with the Denver Broncos needing to figure out how to get their groove back.
Chiefs’ Defensive Woes: The Seahawks Connection
Think back to the first time the Chiefs played the Broncos this season: Kansas City’s defense looked stout, holding Denver to just two third-down conversions on 12 tries. They even shut down the Broncos’ single fourth-down attempt. But man, things have changed since then. After our Hawks rolled into town and converted 11 of 16 third downs, it’s clear something broke. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo admitted, “We had them in 10 third-and-7 plus, but we only won four of them. That’s not good.” Defensive tackle Chris Jones echoed the sentiment, pointing out, “You take third downs, and you take tackling. That kind of makes up the game.” It seems our Seahawks exposed some real issues, and now the Chiefs are looking at the league’s 31st-ranked team in third-down conversions, the Broncos (who only convert 31.1% of the time), as a “bounce-back opportunity.” Sounds like they need one after facing us, doesn’t it?
Chiefs’ Offense Gets a Boost, Broncos Run D Stepping Up
While their defense tries to pick up the pieces, the Chiefs’ offense is getting some good news. Wide receiver Rashee Rice is back from injury for this Broncos game, and that’s a big deal for them. In his four games this season, Rice has pulled in 13 receptions on 16 targets for 190 yards and a touchdown. Patrick Mahomes made it clear how important Rice is, saying, “He’s such a physical receiver. He does a great job within the zone concepts at getting himself open, as well as being physical versus man [coverage]. Having him back out there will be big for us because it’ll help take some pressure off the other guys to make plays and let them go out there and be themselves.” Meanwhile, Chiefs rookie Cyrus Allen is still working to carve out a bigger role, focusing on “looking at the coverage and knowing what I got to do to help them guys.” On the other side of the ball, Denver’s run defense has actually shown some improvement during their current three-game win streak, giving up a middle-of-the-pack 4.2 yards per carry. So, it won’t be a cakewalk for the Chiefs’ offense either.
This Sunday, the Chiefs take on the Broncos again. For us, it’s a chance to see if they’ve learned anything since our Seahawks showed them what’s what. Will their defense tighten up, or will the Broncos keep those third-down struggles alive? We’ll be watching to see if the Chiefs can find their defensive edge again, or if our game was a sign of bigger problems.
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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