Nick Bolton Identifies Chiefs' Biggest Defensive Issues Entering Final Stretch of Year

The Chiefs' defense has struggled in two specific areas as of late, and linebacker Nick Bolton pointed them out following Week 12's narrow win.

Nov 17, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox (88) runs with the ball against Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton (32) during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs may have found a way to hold off the Carolina Panthers' comeback on Sunday, but no one seems satisfied with the club's performance in Week 12. The offensive side of the ball struggled with pass protection late, and Steve Spagnuolo's defense got carved up a handful of days sooner than most Thanksgiving turkeys will be.

Speaking to the media on Monday morning, linebacker Nick Bolton said the team is looking ahead to Black Friday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders but won't forget Sunday.

"Just next game," Bolton said of Kansas City's focus. "We've got a short week – we've kinda got to dial in on the Raiders coming up. There are some things I think we can clean up that we can kind of bring into this game that Coach Spags, on the defensive side of the ball, we can bring into this week. But yeah, man, it's on to the next game. Short week, we've got to figure out how to go win another this week."

Kansas City surrendered 27 points to one of the worst offenses in football, also allowing Bryce Young to turn in his best performance of the season by a sizable margin. Bolton singles out explosive plays and poor tackling as the culprits.

"I think just some explosive passes, I think we can work on that," Bolton said. "I think that's just everybody working together. Rush, linebackers, deep guys all working together. That continuity, that's something we can work on and build on."

While the Chiefs entered Week 12 with football's best defense when it comes to limiting explosives, that group has proven to be vulnerable since a hot start to the season. In Week 10's slim win over the Denver Broncos, Sean Payton and company had three passes of 20-plus yards and two runs of 10 or more. In the following game versus the Buffalo Bills, those respective totals were five and one. On Sunday, Carolina had four explosive passes in addition to several other decent chunks along the way. Without cornerback Jaylen Watson on the field, Kansas City's coverage unit is getting exposed more and more over time.

Missed tackles are also a problem. The Chiefs may rank 19th in terms of the most as a team, but two players (linebacker Drue Tranquill and defensive back Chamarri Conner) are among the seven worst individuals in that regard. Bolton ranks in the top 40, making Kansas City one of just five teams with three or more players in that exclusive (and disappointing) group.

Bolton is happy with everyone flocking to the football, but ensuring a tackle comes first.

"We've just got to find ways to get guys on the ground," Bolton said. "I think we're getting [population] at the ball, which is great. We missed a couple of tackles, but they're not leading to all that explosive plays because of the rallying to the ball. I believe if we can get the first guy [and] get him on the ground, it will help us get in some more manageable downs for us."

Since Watson went down with his injury, the Chiefs have fielded a bottom-five defense in EPA and dropback EPA. Opposing quarterbacks are having field days moving the chains, and a previously dominant rush defense is now just good. How much of the overall struggles stem from Watson is impossible to determine. It's clear that he meant a lot to the group, but other issues loom at large.

Kansas City seems to have identified those problems. Now, as Bolton alluded to, it's time for them to make corrections.

Read More: Four Takeaways from the Kansas City Chiefs' 30-27 Win Over the Carolina Panthers