KC Chiefs’ Defense Praised for ‘Tremendous Job’ Against Miami Dolphins

From Andy Reid to Patrick Mahomes and more, Kansas City realizes how good of a performance it had on defense in Week 9.

With each passing game played, it's getting harder and harder to recall the growing number of impressive defensive performances the Kansas City Chiefs have had this season. For yet another week, Steve Spagnuolo's unit was the better of the team's three phases.

Facing a team that boasted the NFL's most efficient and scary offense entering Week 9, the Chiefs stepped up big-time. The Miami Dolphins were held to 292 total net yards on Sunday, with that total being just 110 in the first half. After the Kansas City offense provided a lead to work with, the defense added on to it with one of the most impressive plays of the year courtesy of Trent McDuffie, Mike Edwards and Bryan Cook. The second half was leakier than the first but still saw Miami put up less than the required amount to complete its comeback.

Following the game, head coach Andy Reid praised Spagnuolo's players for a job well done.

"Defensively, what a first half and what a second half," Reid said. "That fourth quarter was really something, which made it very exciting. The McDuffie strip of Tyreek (Hill), punching the ball out, Edwards picking it up [and] lateraling it to Cook, Cook scores... it doesn't get any better than that. (L'Jarius) Sneed's ability to match up most of the day on Tyreek was big, although Tyreek's one heck of a football player. He made a couple of nice plays in there, too." 

He also singled out McDuffie for helping start the aforementioned highlight-reel defensive play in the second quarter:

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!!?! pic.twitter.com/DnfmGOunnL

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) November 5, 2023

"He came up and smacked him, first of all," Reid said. "That was a pretty aggressive hit. It was a catch and then an immediate hit, and then he just went right for the ball. Punching it down, which is tough to do as you lay a lick on him like he did. He's a heck of a football player." 

Coming into Sunday, the Chiefs boasted the NFL's second-best scoring defense on a per-game basis. They also held a No. 2 ranking in points per play, showcasing how effective their defense is on a snap-to-snap basis. Forcing seven punts on the morning (or afternoon, for those in Germany for the game), it was the first time Miami was unable to score through its first three drives all season. On top of that, the Dolphins hadn't been held scoreless in the first half in 40 games. 

This year's Kansas City team is building an identity as one based on defense, not offense, which is a stark contrast from years prior. Under Reid, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, the Chiefs have always been the team that scores a bunch of points and does just enough on the other side of the ball to win. In the 2023-24 campaign, it's been the opposite. The Chiefs are holding opponents to low-scoring efforts and are managing to work through a flawed offense en route to a 7-2 start. When asked whether this is the best defense he's bad, Mahomes agreed. 

"Yeah, I mean, for sure," Mahomes said. "The fact that they're so good at all three levels and they're deep, they have guys rotating in... it's hard to get everybody snaps, that's how good they are. It's got to be a top defense in the NFL. That's a great offense — to hold them to 14 points where I fumbled in our own area for seven of those points, that's a tremendous job. I think they're going to continue to get better because they're young and they love it." 

According to Mahomes in his postgame media availability, he wasn't sure if anyone could've predicted this level of a defensive start to the season. Pointing to a surplus of youth in Steve Spagnuolo's defensive front, second level and backfield, Mahomes viewed the development as more of a lengthy process. Nine games into the season, the results have been nothing but positive in the grand scheme. This is a legitimate, championship-level group. 

Now, the Chiefs head into the bye week looking to get some rest but also prepare for the home stretch of the season. The playoffs are roughly two months away, and this same Dolphins team could creep back up when the outcomes matter the most. Edwards is aware of that, saying that the Chiefs' defense — and the team in general — is ready to go to war against anyone. 

"We're ready for any opponent," Edwards said. "We know they're a good team — this game was a battle for the first seed in the AFC — so we knew they were a good team. They'll be a playoff team. We might see them in the playoffs, we might see them before the AFC Championship, we might see them in the AFC Championship but either way it goes, we'll be ready for them again. We know they'll be coming even harder coming off this loss, so we're ready for whoever." 

Read More: Four Takeaways From the Chiefs' 21-14 Win Over the Dolphins