Turning in a big win that had surprisingly little to do with Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs took advantage of a lousy day by Brock Purdy. The Chiefs won with an elite defense, and head coach Andy Reid revealed a two-word motto for the beastly bunch.
Those words are “demand better,” according to Sports Illustrated.
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“We’re trying to outdo what we did last year,” Reid says. “(Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) Spags started training camp this year, from day one, saying that he’s been a part of talented defenses that have fallen off the next year. And that he wasn’t going to allow that to happen this year. We have a motto: Demand better. We break it down with that motto every single day in practice. Demand better. We’re going to continue to push ourselves. Continue to push this thing to the limit.”
The Chiefs have performed well on defense, allowing 20, 25, 17, 10, 13, and 18 points this season. And Reid’s push for the defensive narrative serves two purposes. First, it keeps the defense on edge and requires them to perform at a high level. It’s accountability in progress.
“It’s coming into a program where you know what we do works and you buy into the program and the way that we do things,” Reid said. “You believe in it, it allows you to play fast and free. You know what you’re doing. You’re confident in yourself. You’re confident in your teammates around you. And you’re confident in the calls that coach Spags is making. It’s going to allow you to make some plays.”
Another reason Reid pushes the defensive narrative is based on need. The offense simply isn’t what it used to be. Look specifically at Mahomes. His accuracy is fine at 68% completions. But there’s little threat through the air with 1,389 yards in six games. That measures out to a pace of 3,936 for the season, which would be his first-ever full season below 4,000 yards other than the one-game appearance his rookie year.
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Also, Mahomes has six touchdown passes with eight interceptions. Nope. Not a typo. He has been awful in those categories. That would amount to 17 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions for the season, career-worst numbers by a long shot. Yes, he’s 6-0 as a starter. But it’s because of the defense.
Per game, the Chiefs rank No. 10 in total yards and No. 20 in points allowed. Neither of those numbers are outstanding. And the Chiefs are No, 23 in the league in turnover differential at minus-3. So what is this? Smoke and mirrors.
Maybe. It’s a team finding ways to win. It sure seems like a crash is around the corner somewhere. It doesn’t appear to be sustainable. There’s plenty of season left, and the Chiefs have a lot to prove. But it’s hard to imagine a Super Bowl three-peat if the offense doesn’t find a higher gear.