Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones addressed the team’s struggles following its Week 7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Jones spoke with reporters after Sunday’s defeat and acknowledged that even teams with championship aspirations must deal with difficult stretches during the season.
“It’s just like a little adversity in life; you’re gonna face adversity at some point in time in life. We all have aspirations and want to go undefeated,” said Jones. “That’s always the goal. And sometimes you face adversity, and it’s a point in time you’re gonna face it.”
“It’s about how you come back, because you’re gonna face it at some point in time. In some area of your life, adversity is gonna hit you. It’s about how you bounce back,” Jones continued. “So I think we’ve got guys on this team with high character who’ve been in this situation before. You know, go back to last year, then fast-forward to where we are now.”
The loss exposed problems for Kansas City on both sides of the ball. The Chiefs failed to sack Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold, while the offense struggled to move the ball behind quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Chris Jones and Chiefs Defense Struggle to Pressure Sam Darnold
Kansas City’s defense entered the Seattle matchup after recording four sacks against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6, ending a sackless streak.
However, the Chiefs couldn’t build on that performance against the Seahawks.
Kansas City failed to sack Darnold, allowing Seattle to sustain drives and control possession throughout the game.
The Seahawks finished with 24 first downs and dominated the time-of-possession battle, holding the ball for 35 minutes and 51 seconds compared to Kansas City’s 24 minutes and nine seconds.
Jones has also struggled to produce sacks through the opening seven weeks of the season.
The veteran defensive lineman has recorded just half a sack, a slow start for one of Kansas City’s most prominent defensive players.
The Chiefs will look to improve their pass rush as they prepare for their next matchup against the Denver Broncos.
Patrick Mahomes Addresses Chiefs’ Historic Offensive Struggles
Mahomes also spoke with reporters following the loss, emphasizing the importance of veteran leadership as Kansas City prepares for its next game.
“As a young team, it’s a learning experience. But for us veteran guys, we got to show them how we respond from this. I think that that’ll be the biggest thing. It’s just like how this game went; we can go out there and play better the next week,” said Mahomes. “In this league, it’s week to week, and it’s about going out there and having a great week of practice and getting ourselves prepared for another great defense.”
The Chiefs’ offense experienced an unprecedented setback against Seattle.
For the first time in Mahomes’ career, Kansas City failed to reach the red zone all game.
The two-time NFL MVP completed 19 of 33 passes for 165 yards, threw one interception and failed to produce a touchdown.
Kansas City’s inability to establish consistent drives contributed to Seattle’s significant advantage in time of possession.
Mahomes also emphasized that the Chiefs must learn from their mistakes and focus on preparing for Denver.
“So you got to feel it on that plane ride home and understand that it sucks. But then how can you build off of it?” said Mahomes. “The biggest thing is as we get back and get back to that film study on the (Denver) Broncos, you got to see where you made your mistakes and how they’re going to try to execute, and then do stuff to combat that and play better. So, obviously, it sucks right now, but we’ll be full steam ahead, trying to do our best to find a way to win this next week.”
The Chiefs now turn their attention to a divisional matchup with the Broncos, where they will try to rebound from one of the most difficult offensive performances of Mahomes’ career.
Chiefs Star Chris Jones Sends Clear Message After Difficult Seahawks Loss