The Kansas City Chiefs had a humiliating performance in Week 5. What was a highly-anticipated matchup between two top quarterbacks in the league turned into a beatdown, as the home team's defense just couldn't stop Josh Allen and co. The result was an embarrassing 38-20 loss, capped by an insane play from Allen that summed up their struggles on defense.
After the game, Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu didn't mince any words when talking about their struggles. (via Sam McDowell, Nate Taylor)
“It’s missed tackles. It’s blown coverages. That’s the theme.”
“It’s missed tackles. It’s blown coverages. That’s the theme.”
—Tyrann Mathieu— Sam McDowell (@SamMcDowell11) October 11, 2021
He called the Chiefs' defense embarrassing, saying:
“Embarrassing. We're honestly beating ourselves.”
Tyrann Mathieu: "Embarrassing. We're honestly beating ourselves."
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) October 11, 2021
The safety also seems to call out his fellow Chiefs defenders:
“It’s a simple game. Cover your guy. Make a tackle. When you don’t do that, it’s embarrassing.”
—Tyrann Mathieu— Sam McDowell (@SamMcDowell11) October 11, 2021
Those are harsh words coming from the safety, but if there's anyone qualified on the Chiefs to talk about defense, it would be Mathieu. He has earned three All-Pro awards in his career, including two selections in the last two years. His skill in stopping offenses is what helped propel the Chiefs to a Super Bowl appearance last year. Mathieu is demanding that same level of defense from his teammates this season as well.
The Chiefs are off to a rough start after their Super Bowl appearance last season. They've gone 2-3 through five weeks, struggling mostly on the defensive end. Patrick Mahomes has done an admirable job keeping the team afloat through their offense. But if they want to get back to their winning ways, they have to do as Mathieu says and keep it simple on defense.