Getty Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo calls out directions on September 10, 2020.
The Kansas City Chiefs defense has been the Achilles heel of the team in 2021.
Andy Reid’s guys are 2-2 heading into Week 5, but they’ve had to score a total of 134 points to achieve that (33.5 points per game). According to The Football Database, their 125 points against (31.2 PPG) ranks 31st in the NFL.
That’s a popular ranking for the Chiefs, as they also rank 31st in yards allowed per game. Diving deeper, Steve Spagnuolo’s defense is currently 27th against the pass and 30th against the run with a staggering 146.0 rush yards per game.
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Bills Kill Chiefs With Kindness Ahead of Rematch
In Week 5, Kansas City will face a recent rival that needs no introduction. The Buffalo Bills have gone from up-and-comer to AFC powerhouse under head coach Sean McDermott and quarterback Josh Allen. They were the Chiefs’ challenger in the conference championship last season, falling short 38-24.
Now the Bills are out for revenge but the way their coaching staff is talking, you wouldn’t know it.
You may have heard the customer service phrase before, “kill them with kindness.” Well, McDermott and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll have started the build-up to the rematch with that mentality.
The Bills HC talked about the lessons he learned during his two seasons with Coach Reid in Philadelphia. “I remember a few of those occasions when we were in maybe a little bit of a dip, and Andy’s consistency brought us out of that. And then we went on to bigger, better things of course for many years there. His leadership and his examples are [some] of the things I learned from that consistency standpoint.”
McDermott’s compliments were warranted. Reid is a future Hall of Famer that just made NFL history as the first head coach to win 100 games with different franchises. Daboll’s praise may have pinched a nerve, however.
NFL Network’s Mike Giardi tweeted that Daboll “[called] Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo one of the best in the business. ‘It’s hard to say what he’s gonna do or when he is going to do it.'”
Even if the Bills OC was just being a professional, the quote drew the ire of many Chiefs fans on Twitter. “I just wish somebody would say how they really feel but thanks for being nice as a Chiefs fan I know the defense BLOWS!!” Wrote one fan.
Another said, “And back here in reality…,” with a screenshot of KC’s team defensive statistics from September 20.
@MikeGiardi And back here in reality……
And finally, “Chiefs fan here definitely not the best as we have the worst defense in the league.”
The trolling didn’t stop at Daboll as most used it as a springboard to vent about Spagnuolo’s performance in 2021. A sarcastic response from one fan read, “It’s so hard to say what he’s gonna do even his own players don’t know what to do.”
@MikeGiardi @ArrowheadPride It’s so hard to say what he’s gonna do even his own players don’t know what to do
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Buffalo Offense Provides Difficult Test
To be fair, the Chiefs have not faced a softball schedule to start the season. The Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers are a few of the best offenses in the AFC and the Philadelphia Eagles have proven to be no slouch either. Week 5 will provide no respite for Spagnuolo’s defense.
Buffalo is tied for second in total points with none other than Kansas City. Both franchises have scored 134 points through four games. The Bills average 145.2 rush yards per game (Allen factors in here as a runner) and 258.8 pass YPG in 2021.
To make matters worse, they field a dynamic wide receiving core that has a blend of youth and experience. Led by Stefon Diggs and Emmanuel Sanders this season, Buffalo flaunts a top slot receiver in Cole Beasley and solid depth in Gabriel Davis and Isaiah McKenzie. It’s a stout arsenal of weapons for Allen to target, so the expectation should be fireworks on Sunday Night Football.
The one difference between the two franchises is that the Bills’ defense is playing well. By comparison, they have allowed 11.0 PPG and 216.8 YPG (both first in the NFL). Of course, they’ve yet to face an offense that had Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill.
Get the popcorn ready! This should be a thriller in Week 5. My compliments to any fan brave enough to take the under.