The Kansas City Chiefs discovered one of their biggest weaknesses thanks to the Seattle Seahawks after a lopsided preseason game. The Chiefs, without Nick Bolton and Chris Jones, are miserable in the run game. The Seahawks had nearly 200 rushing yards on the Chiefs — less than five minutes into the third quarter.
It felt like every player that touched the ball for the Seahawks was able to break free for a big run. The Chiefs gave up two runs of 30 yards and every ball carrier had at least one rush over 10 yards, except Jalen Milroe, by the halfway point of the third quarter.
I guess it’s a good thing to find out the team's weaknesses now, rather then in the regular season. Obviously, they’ll have Bolton and Jones during the regular season, but it will be crucial for them to get some help in the run defense or draw up some schemes to mask their liability in the run game.
Steve Spagnuolo will have his work cut out for him in addressing the run defense
The Chiefs have had a suspect run defense in the past and they were able to weather it, so I’m sure this is something they’ll figure out throughout the course of the season. That said, it’s not a good sign to see Drew Lock and a bunch of reserves running all over your defense, regardless if it’s the first team defense or not.
Bolton and Jones have been relatively healthy in their NFL careers, but if either one of them misses significant time this season, it could be a big problem for the Chiefs. The last thing the Chiefs needed was another thing to keep in mind ahead of the season. They already have the whole Rashee Rice situation to deal with and now they may have some defensive problems when it comes to their run defense that could affect them.
They don’t necessarily need to sound the alarm just yet, but it’s something to monitor. Jones and Bolton’s role on the defense just got a lot more important. The Chiefs may need to find some reinforcements for depth if nothing more.
I’m sure teams will still default to the pass, but it’s a problem when a team can run and pass all over you. If Kansas City isn’t careful, they’re going to find out how problematic it is that the success of their run defense hinges on two players.