KC Chiefs Played Championship Defense When It Mattered vs. Buffalo Bills
For most of the Kansas City Chiefs' Divisional Round victory over the Buffalo Bills, it was the offense that was keeping the team in the game. Steve Spagnuolo's defense, a far superior unit during the regular season, struggled to slow down Josh Allen and the rest of the home team's offense.
It was an ugly opening half of play for the Chiefs on the defensive side of the ball. The Bills not only averaged 5.7 yards per play, but they ran a staggering 41 plays compared to the Chiefs' 21. A steady diet of running the football was the main reason why. Between Allen, James Cook, Ty Johnson and one play from Stefon Diggs, the Bills had 124 rushing yards and logged 5.6 yards per carry in the first half. Allen scored a pair of touchdowns and helped move the chains on multiple occasions. Through the air, he went 14-of-19 for 111 yards and did just enough to keep the offense rolling.
Coming out of the halftime break, Buffalo continued to dominate time of possession. Joe Brady's offense held the ball just once, keeping it for over half of the third quarter and running 15 plays. That sequence, capped off by a passing touchdown, was set up by 44 rushing yards on nine carries. Of those nine runs, four of them went for first downs. Entering the fourth quarter, the Chiefs had few answers for what the Bills were throwing — rushing, sorry — at them.
When it mattered most, however, things changed. While Kansas City's offense slowed its pace, the defense ramped up and resurfaced to help seal the deal.
In the fourth quarter, Buffalo was able to run three drives but came away with zero points. Previously, it had scored on all but one drive in the entire game. Each stop can be traced back to a key development or two.
On the first Bills drive of the fourth and final frame, defensive end George Karlaftis batted down a third-and-5 pass and the Chiefs sniffed out a fake punt on the following play. On the next series, cornerback Trent McDuffie recorded a huge tackle for loss that put Allen and Co. behind the sticks early. While a field goal attempt was conceded on the final drive, a third-and-9 Charles Omenihu pressure forced a throwaway by Allen. It took the hosts 16 plays to gain just 54 net yards and come away empty-handed.
Spagnuolo, who's been a master of in-game adjustments this season, certainly lived up to his reputation in the Divisional Round. Kansas City's defense was much improved in the second half, having yet another stellar closing stretch of play. Dating back to Week 14, the first Chiefs-Bills meeting of the season, here's what that defense has yielded in the final two frames of each contest:
- 3.6 yards per play, six points
- 2.6 yards per play, seven points
- 4.2 yards per play, three points
- 2.7 yards per play, no points
- 4.7 yards per play, six points
- 3.6 yards per play, no points
- 3.6 yards per play, seven points
For those keeping track at home, that's an average of well under four yards per play and just over four points per half. That level of defense is undoubtedly championship-caliber, even if there are some slow starts along the way. It falls much more in line with a unit that ranked among the best in all of football in EPA per play, points per drive/game, yards allowed, sacks and more during the regular season.
In the Wild Card round against the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City surrendered just one touchdown all game. The defense was in complete control of the action. While that wasn't the case for all of Sunday's matchup, the offense showed up and helped keep the game in good standing. Fueled by a solid running game and plenty of timely plays on offense, the Chiefs played complementary football to its fullest extent. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes told the defense to slam the door shut, which is exactly what they did.
The old saying indicates that defense wins championships. While the merit of that statement continues to be tested in modern-day sports, being able to showcase quality defense when it matters certainly makes things a hell of a lot easier. After not being able to get out of its own way for most of Sunday's game, the Chiefs' defense of old helped save the day. If Sunday's AFC Championship Game meeting against the Baltimore Ravens is a close battle late, don't be too surprised if something similar happens.
