Ahead of the 2023 NFL season, Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo cautioned that there might be a bit of an adjustment period for his defense. 

Why? Well, that has typically been the case with his defenses over the years in Kansas City. Also, this group is also particularly young, with their defensive line, cornerback, and linebacker rooms all falling well below the league-average age.

After the team's second game of the year against the Jacksonville Jaguars, it's clear that they don't need any extra time to gel. This group has already arrived and they're putting the rest of the league on notice with their play and performance. Even Patrick Mahomes has taken quick notice of the defensive impact as his offense has struggled to find consistency through two games. 

So what was behind the dominant performance in Week 2?

Pass rush nightmare

The Chiefs notched four total sacks against the Jaguars on Sunday (seven according to PFF's accounting, who count 0.5 sacks as a full sack). The team also managed 24 total pressures, which is the second-most in a game in the first two weeks of any season during Steve Spagnuolo's tenure as defensive coordinator.

The best part about the pass rush, however, was Chris Jones' triumphant return. In one game, this man established himself as the league's top pass-rusher regardless of position.

Chiefs DT Chris Jones has a pass-rush win rate of 38%, No. 1 in the NFL regardless of position

— Steve Palazzolo (@StevePalazzolo_) September 18, 2023

Fresh off his holdout with no training camp or preseason, Jones was an absolute nightmare for the Jaguars. He put rookie OT Anton Harrison in the blender all day long. He produced a turnover on downs and a forced fumble during the course of the game as well. 

Third down dominance

The Chiefs' defense has proven to be one of the best third-down units in the league through two weeks of play. They held the Jaguars to just 3-of-12 on third-down attempts in Week 2. Jacksonville ranked 10th in the NFL last season in terms of third-down conversion percentage, converting for a first down at a 42% clip. 

Shutdown in the red zone

Red zone defense has been a struggle at times for the Chiefs during Steve Spagnuolo's tenure as defensive coordinator, but not this season and certainly not in Week 2. The Jaguars made it to the red zone (inside the 20-yard line) on three separate occasions on Sunday. They were held to a field goal twice and on their final attempt, Trevor Lawrence turned the ball over on downs. No touchdowns were allowed in those scenarios this week.

Don't test the cornerbacks

The cornerbacks didn't just shut things down in the red zone. Only one Chiefs cornerback allowed more than 50% completion percentage into their coverage on Sunday, but he was also only targeted three times. L'Jarius Sneed was the only corner to allow more than 9.3 yards per reception. Joshua Williams allowed no receptions on two targets, good for just a 39.6 passer rating into his coverage. Keep in mind, this is the fourth-youngest cornerback room in the NFL with an average age of 24.30 years old. 

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Featured image via Bob Self/Florida Times-Union