Five keys for the KC Chiefs to keep the AFC’s top seed

4. Keep Nick Bolton On The Field

It’s hard to complain about what the defense has been doing since the current winning streak started. Steve Spagnuolo and his staff have the defense playing great. Yes, there were a few hiccups in the Chargers game, but seeing as they were without Chris Jones, Willie Gay, and L’Jarius Sneed, it was to be expected. My overall take on what the defense needs to do to help the Chiefs win the first seed is to keep doing what they’ve been doing.

With one little exception. They need to keep Nick Bolton on the field more.

With Willie Gay out against the Chargers, Bolton played 99% of the defensive snaps and had arguably the best game of his career. Bolton is a fantastic tackler, has great vision, understands the game, and plays with the physical intensity that the defense needs. While he isn’t a great coverage linebacker, his understanding of where he needs to be keeps him from being a complete liability.

When the linebacking corps is healthy, Willie Gay and Nick Bolton should be on the field most. Period. I appreciate what Anthony Hitchens has done over the past couple of seasons and they still need him for the home stretch, but Bolton is the better player now and Gay’s speed makes him special. Ben Niemann getting occasional snaps is fine, but Bolton shouldn’t be coming off the field for him on a regular basis. The Chiefs’ defense has become a reliable unit over the past two months, but it’s at its best when Bolton is on the field.

Finally, perhaps the biggest key of all.