Chiefs Need To Revive Their Lost Pass Rush To Get Sacks

The Kansas City Chiefs are trying to revive their lost pass rush that vanished during their 6-11 season last year, and they’re not where they want to be just yet. According to Jesse Newell of The Athletic, the Chiefs are generating pressure but not getting sacks, which is a problem that may or may not need to be fixed. 

Newell used the example of defensive end George Karlaftis, who had seven quarterback hits against Las Vegas Raiders’ quarterback Kirk Cousins. That number is the highest total for any NFL player in a regular season game since Pro Football Focus began tracking the stat in 2021, according to the writer. Karlaftis also had 11 QB pressures, which tied Minnesota’s Dallas Turner for most in a game this season.

There was one big positive, however. The Chiefs rushed two late in the fourth quarter, and Karlaftis was able to deflect a throw that safety Xavier Nwankpa picked off. It was a typical turnover from a team that was down and scrambling to make plays that weren’t there, though, so that caveat applies. 

At the other end of the spectrum, the win at Las Vegas was the third straight game where the Chiefs have failed to get a sack. That’s not what Kansas City had in mind when they drafted edge rusher R Mason Thomas and nose tackle Peter Woods, as teams have begun to account for Thomas especially in their protection schemes. 

Nonetheless, Karlaftis said he’s happy with the results so far as he commented that the Chiefs have “affected” the quarterback. The sacks will come, he insisted, and defensive tackle Chris Jones added that the Chiefs hav put “a lot of good on film.” 

But the Raiders offense is still a work in progress, and the one good offense the Chiefs have faced went up and down the field on Kansas City as the Chiefs eked out a 33-30 OT win against the Indianapolis Colts. 

Better opponents are coming, so improvement will be a major goal during the Chiefs early bye week. The Chiefs have gotten close with no results, as Newell also noted a missed sack from Thomas when he appeared to have Cousins wrapped up, and Karlaftis had a sack taken off the board when cornerback L’Jaris Sneed was called for holding. 

Fortunately, there’s also a punching-bag opponent on the horizon. The Chiefs play the Los Angeles Chargers after their bye week, and the Chargers are an absolute mess right now.