The Chiefs have lost their last two games.
Coincidentally or not, defensive tackle Chris Jones has been blanked on the official stat sheet in each one.
Jones, who turned 32 in July, has just 13 total tackles with one tackle for loss, three QB hits, and a half-sack through seven games in 2026.
On the whole, the Chiefs have just eight sacks this season, averaging just over one per game. Only Philadelphia has a lower sack rate than Kansas City, which has been getting one on just 3.69 percent of opponent dropbacks. By contrast, Minnesota leads the league with a 12.32 percent sack rate. Chicago is No. 2 at 9.65 percent.
What’s up with the Chiefs’ pass rush? How can the team get things going, particularly with Jones?
“[W]hen you rush four, you want to get somebody home, obviously. That’s what [defensive line coach] Joe [Cullen] strives for, and the guys strive for, and we’ve been doing a good job with getting pressure on,” head coach Andy Reid said in his Monday news conference, via transcript from the team. “You’ve just got to get to the quarterback. We had a lot of blocked balls, which was great, you’ve got to be relatively close to get those. Especially if they’re intermediate throws, the trajectory of the ball is one that you’ve got to be relatively close [to] get a hand up to be able to block.
“But going back to Chris, I mean, Chris is giving his all. He’s doing everything he can do. He gets doubled from various angles. He’s going to draw a lot of attention, and so that’s [an] advantage to the other guys to have a chance to get themselves home. So, as much emphasis is put on Chris, let’s take advantage of that and get ourselves on the quarterback. So, not just to the quarterback, but on the quarterback.”
The Chiefs will be back at home to face the Jets in Week 9. New York ranks No. 26, allowing a sack on 9.62 percent of passing attempts. We’ll see if that can get Kansas City’s pass rush going on Sunday.