Chris Jones Puts Chiefs’ Ugly Win Over Dolphins Into Perspective: ‘That’s Just the NFL’

The Chiefs' 24-10 win over the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon was very anticlimactic. There was never much of a doubt that Andy Reid's squad would come out victorious due to its subpar opponent, but there were some head-scratching blunders that left fans frustrated.

In the end, KC moved to 3-0 on the campaign, half the number of wins it accumulated all of last season. If there was one negative takeaway from the victory, though, it would probably be how the defense performed, especially after giving up 30 points to the Colts last week and failing to look much more prepared against Miami.

Steve Spagnuolo's group began the afternoon surrendering 91 yards on 17 plays en route to a touchdown run by Ollie Gordon II. It certainly wasn't how the Chiefs wanted to follow up a strong opening drive on the other side of the ball.

Despite the rocky start, veteran defensive tackle Chris Jones isn't worried. He knows games like this are going to happen throughout the season and that everything isn't always going to go flawlessly, but the team has to respond accordingly.

"We're gonna have those games where we face a lot of adversity," Jones said. "I think coming into today, we didn't start how we wanted to, but we was able to get the win. That's the beauty of it. We know this game isn't easy to come by."

“We're gonna have those games where we face a lot of adversity. I think coming into today, we didn't start how we wanted to, but we were able to get the win. That's the beauty of it.”

Chris Jones on the defense's performance vs Miami pic.twitter.com/0yDIMmBUpQ
— KC Sports Network (@KCSportsNetwork) September 27, 2026

Talking about Miami's first drive, Jones said that he expected Malik Willis and Co. to come out with a purpose. This winless Dolphins squad may not have a lot of talent on paper, but it wanted to put on a show for the crowd in the home opener, and it did just that in the first quarter.

"We knew they was going to come out punching," he continued. "A young team who is building, an explosive quarterback, running back. Mixed it up on us in the run game, blocked it up, threw it downfield a couple times. So, I think we beat ourselves on a lot of it. We got to figure out what we messed up on and correct those errors this week, and we can move forward."

From then on, the defense tightened up and only allowed three more points the rest of the day. The Dolphins did convert 8-of-16 third downs, however, and outgained Kansas City by 30 yards on the ground, an area where Jones is expected to anchor the defense from the interior.

It's been a slow start to the year for the 32-year-old, as he finished the contest with only one solo tackle and one pass deflection. Although the seven-time Pro Bowler has yet to tally a tackle for loss through the first three games and is battling a minor calf injury, he's still one of the best interior linemen the sport has to offer and should start seeing results in the box score sooner rather than later.

Sep 20, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) reacts after a play against the Indianapolis Colts during the fourth quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When asked what the youngsters on the defensive unit like Mansoor Delane, R Mason Thomas, and Peter Woods can learn from a matchup like this, he said it could serve as invaluable experience that not everything is going to go your way in these kinds of trap games.

"I think that’s just the NFL," Jones stated. "No matter the record of a team, we all are professionals. We all come to play, and we all got an opportunity in front of us. No matter what your record, what teams you beat. It's a new challenge every week. So, I think they'll take from it that nothing comes easy in this league.”

Patrick Mahomes echoed this sentiment in his postgame press conference as well. He noted that the Chiefs can and will be better, but that you have to take your victories when they come in the NFL.

There's no reason to panic about Jones' slow start or the defense looking leakier than expected today. History would suggest that Spagnuolo will clean up these mistakes heading into next week against the Raiders.

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