Steve Spagnuolo Discusses the Biggest Issue KC's Defense Hasn't Solved

Through three games, the Kansas City Chiefs' defense has given up the third-fewest points in the NFL (50, tied with three other teams), and the Chiefs are undefeated. Still, one area that was a problem for the 2025 KC defense reared its head again on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins converted half of their third-down opportunities (8 of 16), including some long conversions in disadvantageous down-and-distance situations. The week before, the Indianapolis Colts converted just five of their 12 third downs in a 30-point effort, while the Denver Broncos converted just twice on 12 attempts in Week 1.

Still, what Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis achieved in Miami was enough to remind some fans of Kansas City's third-and-long struggles in the past. When defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was asked about his unit's ability to get off the field, he explained what he saw causing problems in South Florida.

"The 3rd and 18 was a penalty that converted, and listen, I could’ve had Nohl [Williams] in a better defense, not had him up there [to] press, but we talk a lot about those third-and-extra-longs and [being] careful where your hands go, because all of a sudden, a five-yard penalty's a first down," Spagnuolo said. "And that’s not good."

Spagnuolo recounted the specific ways the Dolphins converted, with some plays causing him more frustration than others.

"There was a 3rd and 9, they ran a trap," Spagnuolo continued. "I'm sure you're looking at numbers; you look at third-down percentage, and it looks crappy, but I kind of dissect the whole thing. I mean, that's a run play. I did think there was one 3rd and 10 there that they had a really good designed route concept that beat what we had out there, so I'm gonna give them that, but all of a sudden, you take three out of there, and it's a whole different ballgame."

While the third-down issues were a legitimate problem against the Dolphins, Miami was shut out on fourth-down conversion attempts, failing to move the chains on any of their three attempts that led to turnovers on downs. In that regard, Spagnuolo was happy with the defensive execution.

“What was good was when we were able to stop them and get it to fourth down; the three fourth-down stops were key. Now, we don’t want to always be banking on that, because those are pretty difficult, but… Would I like to be better on third down? Yeah. And we'll kind of dissect it and hopefully come up with something a little bit better this week.”

How concerning are the Chiefs' late-down struggles?

With only three games to evaluate, it's hard to predict if the third-down deficiencies in Miami will be a blip on the radar or a harbinger of things to come. Through three weeks, however, a few advanced stats show where KC will need to improve as the defense comes together.

According to SumerSports, the Chiefs' defense is sixth in early-down expected points added per play, falling slightly to 11th in late-down EPA/play, indicating a slight but not precipitous slip in third- and fourth-down situations.

The best solution for any remaining third-down concerns? Getting to the quarterback.

According to TruMedia, the Chiefs' defense is 20th in third-down pressure rate and 23rd in third-down time-to-sack, indicating that quarterbacks have been too comfortable in got-to-have-it situations so far this season.

Still, that still appears to be more of a long-term warning sign than an immediate verified catastrophe; growing pains are to be expected with a young defense, and it's far too early in the year to make sweeping judgments about an entire side of the ball.

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