Chris Jones on why Chiefs’ Pass Rush 'Needs the Cigar’

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Chris Jones sees a common thread between sacks and cigars – and the Chiefs have been close but…

“We're not far,” the defensive tackle said Thursday. “We're not far from where we want to be. It’s more so about executing, and we’re close but no cigar. We need the cigar at this point.”

At this point, the Chiefs need a box of them, 10 Romeo y Julietas. Their pass rush has gone without a single sack over a two-game stretch for the first time since Oct. 10-17, 2021. Such a stretch has happened only one other time in the tenure of coordinator Steve Spagnuolo (Oct. 6-13, 2019), and his unit has never gone three straight without one.

chris jones, josh alle — Nov 2, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) pressures Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) in the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Stroud is on career-low pace

Ending the dubious streak won’t be easy when C.J. Stroud leads the Texans (7-5) against the Chiefs (6-6) on Sunday Night Football (7:20 p.m. CT, NBC/KSHB-TV, Channel 41, 96.5 The Fan). The third-year quarterback has taken only 19 sacks in his nine games, a career-low sack percentage of 6.42.

“I think sacks are great,” Spagnuolo said Thursday, “and we always want to get them. I'm more into, did we affect the quarterback? Did we make him throw it out quick? You got to do a combination, not just the upfront guys.”

george karlaftis, c.j. strou — Jan 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) is sacked by Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis (56) during the fourth quarter of a 2025 AFC divisional round game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Those upfront guys have struggled through 12 games. The Chiefs rank 23rd in sacks per pass attempt (6.16 percent). Jones, who has three sacks so far, is on pace for 4½, which would be his lowest total since his 2016 rookie year.

Meanwhile, George Karlaftis has played through a thumb injury clearly affecting his ability to get home. The defensive end’s team-leading five sacks put him on pace for seven, which also would mark his lowest total since his rookie season, 2022. Karlaftis has gone three games without a sack. He hasn’t had a four-game drought in more than three years.

chris jone — Jan 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) is sacked by Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) during the first half of a 2025 AFC divisional round game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Jones and Karlaftis need to lead way, he said

“We got a lot of talented guys in the room that can rush the passer,” Jones said, specifically addressing third-and-long situations. “And we got to win more one-on-ones. We got to win more as a unit, because if the passer’s able to stay in the pocket, then it affects the back end of our defense.

“So, we as a unit have to make sure we're executing on all our blitzes, all our one-on-ones, especially in the pass rush. So yeah, I put a lot of emphasis on us improving as a D-line throughout these last five games of the season.”

dak prescot — Nov 27, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) throws a pass for a successful two-point conversion against the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

On one important snap in last week’s 31-28 loss at Dallas, Spagnuolo said Jones actually beat his man in a one-on-one rush, but the cigar again slipped through the Chiefs’ fingers.

“Sometimes, we got to be one step tighter in coverage,” Spagnuolo said, “to give the guys a chance. I remember one particular call that we had, to try to get Chris a one-on-one. We got it. He won, but it was half a tick late. And so, somebody cover just a little bit longer in the back end, and once we get the combination of rush and coverage together, maybe some of those will come.”

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