Power ranking the NFL defenses for 2019

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 05: Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks is sacked by Demarcus Lawrence #90 of the Dallas Cowboys in the first half during the Wild Card Round at AT&T Stadium on January 05, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

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SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 23: Defensive end Chris Jones #95 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts after sacking quarterback Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on December 23, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /

25. Kansas City Chiefs

2018 Review: Consider that Andy Reid’s team lost a total of five contests in 2018, including the AFC title game in overtime. In those setbacks, the Chiefs scored 40, 51, 28, 31 and 31 points, respectively. Kansas City finished next-to-last in the NFL in total yards and passing yards allowed while only five teams surrendered more yards on the ground. All this despite of the fact that the Chiefs tied for the NFL lead with 52 sacks and came away with 27 takeaways. As for that quarterback trap total, more than half of that came from Chris Jones (15.5) and Dee Ford.

2019 Key Additions: Lots of new faces. With the arrival of new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo – whose relationship with Andy Reid dates back to Philadelphia – comes a new look on defense in the form of the 4-3 scheme. The newcomers include pass rusher Frank Clark and linebacker Darron Lee (via trades with the Seahawks and Jets, respectively), defensive end Alex Okafor, outside linebacker Damien Wilson and rangy safety Tyrann Mathieu.

Analysis: There’s talk that the Chiefs may only have to show moderate defensive improvement in order to challenge for an NFL championship. But history shows that’s never really the case and the Chiefs need to find a way to consistently stop other teams if the Super Bowl is to become a reality. Shoring up the run defense would be a huge step and the move to Spagnuolo’s 4-3 helps. There’s a lot of new faces so patience must be exercised here.

Next: No. 24

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