Kansas City Chiefs

Our team assessment

Article cutoff 2026-10-06

Chiefs | 4-0

Kansas City has been consistently productive near scoring territory and consistently careful with possession. Its four weekly returns were 31 points on six threatening drives, 33 on nine, 24 on six and 30 on five. Only two giveaways have interrupted that work. The defense has allowed opponents to stay on schedule on just 39.4 percent of their plays, a stronger foundation than the latest 30-27 score suggests. The offense itself has been less steady, alternating between sustained movement and heavier reliance on long gains.

Patrick Mahomes said “it’s not always going to be pretty”. Sunday's eight long gains made that an accurate description. Kenneth Walker's 76-yard run and Tyquan Thornton's 55-yard catch did substantial repair work. The late kickoff fumble gave Kansas City another scoring possession, but that recovery belongs to special teams. Six of the season's seven takeaways came outside special teams. The Chiefs earned their 4-0 start; the close games also show how quickly opponents can make the finish uncomfortable.

After opponent punts or failed fourth downs, Chiefs possessions have begun at their own 23.2, on average, across 17 competitive drives. The weekly average has varied widely, from their own 12.5 to their own 28.8. The latest game averaged their own 22.8. The resulting possession started at midfield or closer to the end zone in 2 of those 17 cases. These are actual starting spots, including punt returns, rather than a measure of the defense alone. The return unit has added 42 punt-return yards over the season. Starts following turnovers are counted separately: 6 competitive possessions at their opponent 38.2 on average.

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