2026
2026 season · Weeks 1 to 8 · 5-2
Chiefs defense
Every snap the Chiefs defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How good-0.04 EPA a play allowed, 10th of 32, and 0.02 above what the offenses they faced usually manage (20th).
- How they playThey blitz on 27% of dropbacks, the 22nd-most in the league, and get pressure on 19%.
- Where offenses find roomThrough the air: +0.02 EPA a dropback, 12th, softest intermediate right (+0.75 a throw).
- Who hurt themJaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA): 163 yards and +13.0 EPA on 14 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
- Next upWeek 9 against the Jets, whose offense ranks 11th in EPA a play.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | -0.04 | 10th of 32 | 70th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | +0.02 | 12th of 32 | 64th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.13 | 9th of 32 | 73rd | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 40% | 4th of 32 | 89th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 8% | 9th of 32 | 73rd | |
| Yards per play | 5.1 | 8th of 32 | 77th | |
| Yards per carry | 3.4 | 2nd of 32 | 95th | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 40% | 15th of 32 | 55th |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 3.4% | 31st of 32 | 5th | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 19% | 22nd of 32 | 33rd | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 12% | 28th of 32 | 14th | |
| INT rateper dropback | 2.3% | 10th of 32 | 70th | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 39% | 3rd of 32 | 92nd | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 1.81 | 8th of 32 | 77th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.6 | 8th of 32 | 75th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | +0.02 | 20th of 32 | 39th |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Chiefs. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 3 of 7 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 1 against the Broncos, 0.35 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average -0.08 a play elsewhere, the 32nd-toughest schedule of offenses.
vs DENW 31-10-0.34usual +0.00
vs INDW 33-30+0.15usual -0.15
at MIAW 24-10-0.15usual -0.02
at LVW 30-27+0.03usual +0.02
vs LACW 22-6-0.31usual -0.25
at SEAL 3-20+0.16usual -0.08at DENL 24-28+0.09usual -0.05Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is intermediate right: +0.75 EPA a throw against a league +0.38. The lockdown zone is behind the line right, -0.48 a throw (league -0.22). Completions against them run 3.6 points under expected, 3rd-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 3.4 yards a carry against them, 2nd of 32. The leak is off left tackle: 3.7 a carry and +0.02 EPA (league 4.6, -0.03).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 17.311th | 121.03rd | -0.052nd-toughest | 15.02nd-fewest20.02nd-fewest25.12nd-fewest |
| Tight ends | 10.031st | 65.625th | +0.2214th-toughest | 10.95th-most14.45th-most17.85th-most |
| Backs, receiving | 5.920th | 41.926th | +0.2029th-toughest | 15.512th-fewest17.912th-fewest20.213th-fewest |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 13.16th-fewest13.16th-fewest13.16th-fewest |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA | 14 | 163 | 1 | +13.0 |
| Josh Downs | IND | 9 | 72 | +8.2 | |
| Jonathan Taylor | IND | 28 | 132 | 2 | +6.4 |
| Brock Bowers | LV | 11 | 86 | 1 | +5.1 |
| Quentin Johnston | LAC | 3 | 57 | +4.6 | |
| Ian Thomas | LV | 2 | 32 | 1 | +3.6 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Their biggest third-down edge is third-and-short (1 to 3): offenses convert 47% against a league 61%. They are stingiest in the red zone (-0.22 a play, league +0.03) and weakest in 3rd down (+0.03, league -0.04).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 184 | +0.03 | +0.02 | +0.02 |
| 2nd down | 142 | -0.16 | +0.00 | -0.16 |
| 3rd down | 97 | +0.03 | -0.04 | +0.06 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 19 | 47% | 61% | −13 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 29 | 52% | 44% | +8 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 49 | 31% | 27% | +4 pts |
| Red zone | 57 | -0.22 | +0.03 | -0.26 |
| Two-minute drill | 61 | +0.04 | 0.00 | +0.04 |
| When they lead | 273 | -0.07 | +0.01 | -0.07 |
| One-score game | 310 | +0.00 | -0.01 | +0.01 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 36 | +0.05 | +0.03 | +0.02 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
They send extra rushers on 27% of dropbacks and average 4.3 rushers; 73% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow +0.21 EPA when they blitz and -0.09 when they do not.
They put 6.7 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 2%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 3.7 a carry; into eight or more, 1.3.
Offenses lean on the run against them: 7 points under their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains +0.13 EPA against them on 28% of throws; screens -0.35.
31 defensive penalties for 293 yards, 20 of them first downs, the 30th-fewest. They miss 7% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 4th-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
George Karlaftis leads the pass rush with 18 pressures and 2 sacks on 83% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56George KarlaftisDE | 83% | 18 | 2 | 16 | 6 | 24 | 1 |
| 95Chris JonesDE | 70% | 6 | 0.5 | 3 | 1 | 13 | |
| 91Felix Anudike-UzomahDE | 52% | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 1 |
| 97Ashton GillotteDE | 49% | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 19 | |
| 92Khyiris TongaDT | 46% | 1 | 13 | ||||
| 51R Mason ThomasDE | 45% | 9 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | |
| 99Peter WoodsDT | 41% | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 13 | ||
| 94Bryson EasonDT | 8% | 2 | |||||
| 96Marcus HarrisDT | 2% | 1 |
Nick Bolton plays 100% of the snaps with 67 tackles.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32Nick BoltonLB | 100% | 67 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 94.8 | 6 | |
| 23Drue TranquillLB | 90% | 52 | 5 | 4 | 16 | 64.3 | 1 | |
| 43Jack CochraneLB | 25% | 21 | 1 | 7 | 54.8 | |||
| 31Jeffrey BassaLB | 5% | 14 | 1 | 87.5 | ||||
| 44Cooper McDonaldLB | 0% | 3 | ||||||
| 48Cole ChristiansenLB | 0% | 3 |
Nohl Williams is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 58.4 passer rating on 28 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20Nohl WilliamsCB | 93% | 28 | 12 of 28 | 138 | 58.4 | 1 | 7 | |
| 17Alohi GilmanSAF | 81% | 13 | 7 of 13 | 85 | 1 | 88.9 | 1 | |
| 21Jaden HicksSAF | 65% | 14 | 7 of 14 | 112 | 1 | 84.8 | 1 | |
| 5Mansoor DelaneCB | 56% | 25 | 17 of 25 | 248 | 2 | 113.9 | 1 | 5 |
| 38L'Jarius SneedCB | 55% | 43 | 34 of 43 | 341 | 1 | 105.0 | 3 | |
| 27Chamarri ConnerDB | 54% | 5 | 4 of 5 | 45 | 94.6 | 1 | ||
| 8Kristian FultonCB | 45% | 8 | 4 of 8 | 18 | 43.3 | 1 | 1 | |
| 30Christian Roland-WallaceCB | 33% | 9 | 8 of 9 | 61 | 89.1 | 2 | ||
| 22Jadon CanadyCB | 2% |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.