Unsung hero of Chiefs 5-0 record put on a show again on MNF

Kansas City has superstars. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are the faces of the team — and understandably so, as that connection has been unstoppable for years — but through five games this season, the Chiefs have been carried by a different part of their team; the run defense.

After stifling Alvin Kamara to just 26 rushing yards on Monday Night Football, the list of running backs that Kansas City has shut down this season became one name longer (and more impressive):

After five games, it's safe to say those numbers are not a fluke. Kansas City is giving up just 3.7 yards per carry, completely removing opposing running backs from the game plan. Baltimore's Derrick Henry, for example, is averaging 6.0 yards per carry but managed just 3.5 against the Chiefs front.

Before last night, Alvin Kamara had at least 77 rushing yards in every game this season. Kansas City completely shut him down. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has directed an elite defense this season, but the defensive dominance dates back to last year, too.

Having a defense this reliable means that even when Patrick Mahomes and the offense have an off night, the Chiefs are always in a game. Linebacker Nick Bolton may not be a celebrity like some of his teammates, but he is instrumental in the Chiefs run-stopping prowess. He led the team in tackles on MNF and is the signal-caller for a unit that continues to impress.

Chiefs defense has been star of the show through five weeks

You know that Patrick Mahomes and the offense are going to pop off at some point. And that's what makes this Chiefs team even scarier because they've shown an ability to dominate games even when the offense isn't firing like we know it's capable of doing. Mahomes has been grateful for his defense's brilliance, giving props to the unit after KC's comfortable win on Monday, specifically DC Steve Spagnuolo. "It's about finding ways to finish with touchdowns in the red zone so we can make these leaps bigger (and) faster and then we can really let Spags be Spags."

Kansas City has given up 30 points in its last three games combined and hasn't surrendered over 25 points in a game once this year. If the Chiefs can play even close to this level of defense all season long, the Chiefs might walk their way to another Super Bowl appearance.