The Kansas City Chiefs are sitting on a league-low four sacks through Week 5, a stat that might make most defensive coordinators lose sleep, but not Steve Spagnuolo. Seriously, the dude is calm as a cucumber, even with his unit rocking a league-worst 2.6% sack rate. It’s wild to see a team with so much defensive talent struggling to bring QBs down, but Spags is looking at the bigger picture, and honestly, you gotta respect it.
“A Step Away” Is More Than Just A Saying
Spagnuolo isn’t delusional, though. He knows his guys are close to breaking through. When asked about the pass rush this week, he nailed it: “It’s a step away. It’s a half of a second of getoff; it’s a quicker counter move if you really want to get down into the detail.” That’s the kind of analysis you hear from a guy who lives and breathes this stuff. The Chiefs are in the middle of the pack for pressure rate at 24%, so it’s not like they’re not getting to the QB. They just aren’t finishing. Spags acknowledged they’d love more sacks, no doubt, but he’s also happy they’re still getting quarterbacks off their spot and making them throw off time or balance. If they keep doing that, he thinks it’s a good thing for the defense.
We saw this play out against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4. The Chiefs hit Kirk Cousins ten times that game. Ten! And not a single sack registered. Defensive end George Karlaftis was an absolute menace, accounting for over half of those hits, including one late pressure that set up rookie safety Xavier Nwankpa for a game-changing interception. Spags loved it. He called Karlaftis’s play “a great illustration of being a relentless pass rusher,” and pointed out that most of Karlaftis’s success comes from that relentless drive, something he did back in college, too. That’s the kind of effort that leads to wins, even if it doesn’t always show up in the sack column.
Sacks Are A Stat, Wins Are The Goal
Spagnuolo is a veteran coach, and he’s got a clear philosophy: forget the “S” words. “Our guys have a lot of pride, but we do talk about staying away from the ‘S’ words: stats and standings,” Spags shared. “Try to deal in the ‘W’ word: wins.” You hear that? It’s all about wins. And when you look at the stat he DOES care about, it makes total sense. “We all want [sacks], but it’s a stat. You know the stat I like? The stat that we harp on is the one stat that helps our football team win the game, and that’s points allowed.”
And guess what? Kansas City is doing WORK on points allowed. They rank seventh in the league, giving up just 19.2 points per game. That’s comfortably under the 20-point mark that usually signals a defense pulling its weight in the NFL. So yeah, the sacks aren’t there, but the scoreboard speaks volumes about what this unit is actually accomplishing.
This Week 6, the Chiefs are at home against the Los Angeles Chargers. That Chargers QB has already been sacked 17 times in five games this season. Talk about an opportunity to change the narrative on that sack number! But honestly, if this defense can limit the Chargers’ offense and snag a win, just like they did in their previous two games, you know Spags will be a happy man. It’s all about points allowed, baby, and getting those Ws.
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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