With the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline a week away and a high-profile trip to Buffalo looming, the Kansas City Chiefs enter Week 9 in a precarious position.
Kansas City improved to 5-3 with a 28-7 win over the Washington Commanders on Monday, a victory built on a dominant second-half performance from QB Patrick Mahomes, TE Travis Kelce, and WR Rashee Rice.
Mahomes finished 25 of 34 passing for 299 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions; Kelce led all receivers with 99 receiving yards and one TD on six catches; and Rice caught a game-high nine passes for 93 yards and a receiving TD.
Yet, despite the win and another strong performance from the offense, there remain some glaring holes for the Chiefs to fill, at least in the eyes of NFL.com’s Kevin Patra.
“The K.C. defense is surging, but could still use some help on the edge,” Patra noted on Tuesday. “The Chiefs generated 14 QB pressures against the Commanders in Week 8, with George Karlaftis accounting for six (43%). Chris Jones’ abnormally quiet night (he logged zero QB pressures in a game for the first time since the 2021 wild-card round) highlighted the pass-rush question. If Trey Smith’s back injury lingers, O-line depth could become a need.”
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While Mahomes remains the engine, leading the NFL in passing touchdowns (17) and ranking second in passing yards (2,099), with an elite 76.3 QBR (third-best in the league), the Chiefs defense hasn’t been as dominant as in year’s past.
Through the first eight games, Kansas City has allowed the ninth-most total yards (2,222) and the fifth-most passing yards (1,422), while also ranking in the bottom half of the league in sacks (17), QB pressures (45), and opponent completion percentage (69.5%).
The pass-rush has been carried primarily by Karlaftis, who has a team-high 4.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, and 26 total tackles, but overall pressure and sack totals still signal the need for an upgrade.
This has been exacerbated by the fact that Jones, the Chiefs’ perennial All-Pro defensive tackle, is on pace for a career-worst year, totaling just 11 total tackles and two sacks in eight appearances.
Sunday’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills — whose offense is led by 2024 MVP Josh Allen and Pro Bowl running back James Cook — will serve as a measuring stick for just how urgent the Chiefs’ needs are, and whether they pull the trigger on a deal or two with the trade deadline just two days after the Bills game.
