Conversations in and around the Kansas City Chiefs organization are interesting right now. When you read and hear what the sentiment is around Chiefs Kingdom, you might think that the offense is struggling or that the Chiefs’ mission to solve left tackle ultimately failed (again). Instead, the Chiefs are coming off a loss where they scored 28 points and racked up over 360 yards of offense. The narratives around the Chiefs’ shortcomings often come back to a few talking points: the offensive scheme, the pass rush, and the running game.

If you haven’t already said to yourself, “What about special teams?” let’s not leave them out of the blame game either. Ranking 22nd in special teams DVOA, Dave Toub’s unit has made very little positive impact on games all year, especially with Butker’s struggles at the beginning of the year and the constant wave of penalties. However, special teams is not the main reason why this team is on its final gasps of its playoff life. The blame game matters because if this team comes up short, it’s going to be examined and reexamined hundreds of times this offseason as to why the team failed.

Is the Chiefs offense falling short?

The Chiefs offense has never quite felt “settled” in 2025. It started with the injury to Xavier Worthy and the suspension of Rashee Rice. As the offense started to find its rhythm, Josh Simmons stepped away from the team and Isiah Pacheco got injured. Rice’s return seems to have complicated roles for Tyquan Thornton and Hollywood Brown, and now the Chiefs are looking at playing a game down three starting offensive linemen. It’s never felt like the Chiefs offense has reached its talent potential. With that being said, it’s hard to find a number that doesn’t love the Chiefs offense.

The Chiefs offense ranks 10th in points scored and 6th in yards, 2nd in EPA per play, and 3rd in weighted DVOA. Pretty much everywhere you look, the numbers suggest the Chiefs offense is rolling. Mahomes is having one of his best statistical years, too, pacing for 4,587 passing yards, 31 TD, 10 INT, 493 rushing yards, and 6 rushing TD. Most will point toward the shortcomings of the ground game as the reason why the offense feels limited. However, the Chiefs rank 3rd in EPA per rush, 10th in explosive runs, and 6th in rush success rate. So why does it feel like the offense isn’t good enough?

The truth is the timing of what the Chiefs have done offensively is a big part of it all. The Chiefs were able to fatten up on some bad teams and defenses that were injured from the Ravens game through the Commanders game. That stretch is when the offense looked its best. Also, their poor luck in one-score games has partly come from them climbing through the back door to cover in two-score games. The Chiefs drove down late to make a two-score game a one-score game against the Chargers, Eagles, Bills, and Cowboys. While those points still matter, the defensive strategy is probably a little different, especially when you consider the Chiefs have to ask the defense to get a stop.

Why the Chiefs defense is the problem

The Chiefs have gone over 11 quarters of game play without a sack. The Chiefs defense has averaged over 25 points allowed per game in their last four games. They have had chances to hand the ball back to Patrick Mahomes to win the game, and it never seems to happen. Down 6 with 2:37 left in Week 1, Justin Herbert scrambles to end the game. Down three with 3:00 left in Week 2, Saquon Barkley goes for 9 yards, and a tush push ends the game. Up four with 1:45 left in Week 5, they watch Trevor Lawrence fall down and still score the go-ahead touchdown. Tied with 2:59 left in Week 11, they gave up 3rd-and-15 to Bo Nix, which led to the game-winning field goal. Down three with 3:27 left against the Cowboys, they walk the Cowboys down the field with penalties.

The defense has not stepped up when the moment was biggest in any game besides the Colts game. More than that, they seem to struggle in the biggest moments. They are one of the worst second-half defenses per passer rating allowed. They are also putrid on 3rd-and-long. They make up for it by not generating pressure and being highly ineffective when blitzing. When blitzing, the Chiefs rank 31st in yards per play, 28th in pressure rate, and 31st in sack rate. In 2022–2024, they ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in those metrics.

The Chiefs defense has been largely the bigger issue for the wins and losses this year, especially when you factor in what the Chiefs offense has gone through this season. Missing Rice for six games, Worthy for three, rotating left tackles, and a real lack of an effective running game. They’ve statistically been the better unit this year, and yet it feels like fans’ frustrations lie mostly at the feet of the offense. Make no doubt about it, the offense is the more talented group, but they’ve lived up to the billing. The Chiefs defense can’t have the third-largest cap hit on the roster only register three sacks, or the likes of Mike Danna or Charles Omenihu having the poor seasons they’re having. Unfortunately, the Chiefs’ shortcomings on defense also handicap one of their best advantages.

Not having elite lockdown coverage players (like 2023 L’Jarius Sneed and McDuffie) or an average pass rush puts Steve Spagnuolo in a bind. While the Chiefs’ coverage has been alright this season, it can only do so much when quarterbacks get as much time as they do. Spagnuolo is one of the best defensive minds of the generation, but even he has a hard time coming up with a game plan for “can’t rush the passer, can’t cover with linebackers or the slot defender.”

Overall, it feels like the Chiefs need to be better on both sides of the ball to make the playoffs. However, one side of the ball needs to function like the best unit in the league to step up its performance, and the other just needs to be above league average to improve. Keep that in mind when people try to put this season at Mahomes’ feet as his own failure.