Not much went right for the Kansas City Chiefs in the 28-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 9, but the team’s fatal flaw was painfully apparent.

While Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was under siege behind a beat-up offensive line, Bills QB Josh Allen sat back comfortably and rarely faced pressure from the Chiefs’ defensive line. Heading into the game, we knew that Kansas City would have to control the trenches, and they failed to do so. But really, it has been the same story for most of the year, win or lose.

Only three Chiefs defensive linemen have double-digit pressure numbers through eight games (Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, and Charles Omenihu). Only a single player along the D-Line has more than two sacks (Karlaftis). The majority of the pressure for Kansas City this season has been generated when Steve Spagnuolo sends extra pressure with his elaborate blitz packages.

Following the Week 9 loss to the Bills, Jones was asked to evaluate the pass rush. He challenged himself and his teammates to do better in a specific situation.

“There’s still room for improvement,” Jones said. “I think we had two sacks today. If we plan on winning, especially front four, d-line, we’ve got to affect the quarterback. We got to. It makes it easier for the defense, and it makes it easier for the back end. And we got to take advantage of one-on-ones. When we get a single block, you’ve got to win. You’ve got to win. I think that’s huge going forward. We’ve got to emphasize winning our one-on-ones. So, if we get a one-on-one, we’ve got to win it.”

The Chiefs actually had three sacks on the day, but the point from Jones stands, and he’s not exempt from it. Winning one-on-one matchups will be key moving forward, but it was also key to the game they just lost.

The secret to beating Bills QB Josh Allen was getting pressure — and the Chiefs failed completely

Asked a question by Tracy Wolfson ahead of halftime, Chiefs HC Andy Reid capped his answer with a word on his pass rush.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid, on the defense, specifically asked about Bills tight ends by @tracywolfson: "We have to make sure we cover them, for sure. And we've got to get pressure on the quarterback."

— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) November 2, 2025

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Bills QB Josh Allen completed 20 of 21 passes (95.2%) for 243 yards and a touchdown from a clean pocket. On the flipside, Allen completed 3 of 5 attempts for 39 yards when under pressure (26.7% pressure rate). Typically, Allen has been dynamite under pressure during his career, but this season, he’s actually proven flappable.

Whatever happens after the bye week, the Chiefs have to find a way to generate consistent pressure along their defensive line. Chris Jones believes they’ve got the right pieces in place to do so, despite the recent injury to rookie DT Omarr Norman-Lott.

“I don’t think we need to make any drastic changes,” Jones said. “I feel like we have the guys to do it. I think it’s moreso being detailed, detailing our work. Look at ourselves in the mirror. Holding ourselves accountable. And we got a lot of great guys in this room who take a lot of accountability for their pla and responsibility. So I’m quite sure for the bye week, they’re gonna get their bodies healthy, detail their work, and we’re gonna come back ready.”

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides brief update confirming injury to RT Jawaan Taylor during Week 9 loss to Bills

Chiefs HC Andy Reid spoke about the injury the team suffered in the Week 9 loss to the Bills.

Charles Goldman