The Secret Weapon Behind the Chiefs’ Fourth-Down Magic — and Why It’s Crushing Opponents on Both Sides.QQ
The Chiefs have been so good at stopping fourth-down plays that defensive coordinator Steve Spagunolo doesn’t want to talk about it.
“Do we have to talk about that?” he said as he knocked on the wooden lectern for good luck.
Spagnuolo doesn’t want to jinx the success. In a season when the Chiefs’ offense has enjoyed fourth-down prosperity — their 14 successful conversions tops the NFL, and their 82.2% success rate ranks third in the league — their fourth-down defense has been even better.
The Chiefs have held opponents to four-of-16 on fourth downs, and that 25% conversion rate tops the NFL.
The Chiefs will take a streak of fourth-down stops — seven in a row — into Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills, a team that converted perhaps the biggest fourth-down play of the 2024 season against the Chiefs.
The Bills held a two-point lead and faced a fourth-and-2 from the Chiefs’ 26-yard line with 2 minutes, 27 seconds left. Make a field goal, and KC quarterback Patrick Mahomes would have plenty of time to rally.
The Bills’ kept their offense on the field. Josh Allen dodged a potential sack by Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis and covered the distance for a game-sealing touchdown.
The Chiefs’ current run started in Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens. Since then, Kansas City hasn’t allowed a fourth-down conversion in the last four games.
On Monday night against the Washington Commanders, fourth-down stops played a pivotal role in the Chiefs not losing control of the game early.
Mahomes tossed interceptions on successive possessions. After each one, the Chiefs got the ball back after coming up with a fourth-down stop.
Washington faced a fourth-and-6 from the Chiefs’ 40. Commanders QB Marcus Mariota hit tight end Zach Ertz over the middle, but Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson stopped Ertz inches from the first down.
The Commanders got deeper into Chiefs territory on their next drive, but on fourth-and-1 from the 28, Mariota was rushed by a blitz and overthrew his receiver down the left sideline.
The Chiefs’ defense kept the game scoreless, and KC started a run of four straight full possessions with a touchdown to break open the game (which the Chiefs won 28-7).
“The job that they did this past week was special,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “That was very important in that game — the first half of the game.”
On both sides of the ball, the Chiefs are excelling at the trend of teams going for it on fourth down more often than ever. Last season, teams went for it on fourth down 60% more often than a decade earlier. And they converted at the highest rate in more than three decades.
This season the Chiefs have been stopping it better than any other team.
“I think the attitude and being aware that teams are going for it more on fourth down,” defensive tackle Chris Jones said when asked what has changed. “Being prepared for it and being proactive throughout the week.
“You don’t just run off the field after third down. It’s most likely these teams are going for it.”
Other big fourth-down stops for the Chiefs this season include: forcing a fumble on a dive from the 1 by Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence; forcing an incomplete pass from the New York Giants’ Russell Wilson on a fourth-and-3 from the Chiefs 28; and forcing an incompletion from the Detriot Lions’ Jared Goff on a fourth-and-2 from the Chiefs’ 44.
Just don’t mention any of this to Spagnuolo.
