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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo needed only a few seconds to reveal his innermost thoughts during Thursday’s media session with reporters.
“I hope everybody had a happy Thanksgiving,” Spagnuolo said, “because I didn’t.”
No, the memories of a 31-28 road loss to the Dallas Cowboys remained fresh in Spagnuolo’s mind, even a week later.
The Chiefs’ seventh-year defensive coordinator said he was “totally disappointed” to allow 31 points. He lamented surrendering a pair of long runs, saying it was out of character for his team.
Beyond that, he also took ownership of K.C.’s poor play on third downs, as it allowed Dallas to convert 9 of 16 in those big-moment scenarios.
“I take the full blame for that,” said Spagnuolo, whose defense allowed 457 total yards. “We’ve got to have a better game plan.”
That was the bad — and there was plenty to discuss as the Chiefs’ veteran defense looks to turn things around, starting with Sunday night’s home game against the Houston Texans.
Eventually, though, Spagnuolo got to the encouraging part of his Thursday remarks: He’d seen a different fire from his defensive guys as they prepared this week.
That was most evident during an outdoor practice at the Chiefs’ facility the day before.
“I told the unit this morning that I thought that was the best no-helmet practice that we’ve had here in seven years,” Spagnuolo said. “I guess where I’m going with it is: Nobody’s lost interest in what we’re doing. I think they have just jacked it up — I’m talking about the defensive guys — in their preparation, because they know the margin for error now is really, really small.”
The Chiefs can’t afford many more slip-ups if they want to make the postseason. The Athletic’s Playoff Simulator gives them roughly a 37 percent chance of making it now, though that would dip to 11 percent with a loss to the Texans.
Spagnuolo, though, has spent much of this week preaching a message that’s similar to the one coach Andy Reid has been spreading: This is the time to keep faith while focusing on the details.
“Happy with the way they’re reacting right now,” Spagnuolo said of his defensive players. “Just got to go out and do it on Sunday, right?”
K.C.’s defense — by most measures — is not as strong as it was a season ago. The defense’s all-encompassing DVOA rating at FTN Fantasy, for instance, has dropped from the No. 12 spot last season to 18th in 2025.
All is not lost, though, especially if Spagnuolo can figure out a way for the team to improve in crucial moments.
The Chiefs’ defense, for instance, allows opponents to convert a first down into another first down (or touchdown) on 71 percent of drives this season. That mark ranks 11th in the NFL and typically serves as a decent indicator of how a team might perform from down to down moving forward.
It will also improve if Spagnuolo can get his team back to performing better on third downs.
This was the most glaring weakness in the Dallas game, as those nine third-down conversions tied for the second most allowed by a Spagnuolo defense in his seven seasons with the Chiefs.
“We’ve got to put the guys in better situations and try to make some plays,” Spagnuolo said, “because you can’t be like that on third down and expect to win or to keep the point total down.”
There were other issues, too. The Chiefs failed to get a sack for the second straight game, and they didn’t get much juice out of their four-man pass rush.
An early Spagnuolo blitz resulted in Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott throwing an interception, but the all-out strategy proved ineffective after that. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Prescott went 15-for-19 for 190 passing yards against the Chiefs’ blitzes, which marked the fourth-highest total in that setting during his 10-year career.
Spagnuolo said that the Chiefs’ shortcomings when blitzing varied. One time, Prescott checked to a perfect play to counter K.C.’s defense. Another time, a Chiefs player — subbing in after a few injuries — wasn’t lined up in the correct spot.
“It’s not like we didn’t know what to do,” Spagnuolo said, “but we were just a little bit of a tick off.”
The hope is that corrections will be evident on Sunday.
Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones noted he sensed good energy Wednesday, saying teammates were working to exhaust themselves — mentally and physically — to get better.
“I think everyone is dialed in,” Jones said. “I think everyone’s committed to doing whatever it takes to finish this season strong.”
The urgency couldn’t be much higher. Jones noted that the next few days were “critical moments for us as an organization, as a team.”
Following three straight Super Bowl appearances, the Chiefs face this reality: They need an early December win to maintain reasonable hopes of making this season’s postseason.
“Close but no cigar,” Jones said of his team’s recent results. “We need the cigar at this point.”
