Week by week, there are plenty of areas that teams and players need to "clean up," and coaches or coordinators, for the most part, do their best to do that before the next game.
No matter how dominant the Chiefs might look—just look at last week's 31-10 thumping of Denver—there are still areas of the game that need to be cleaned up. For instance, the Chiefs' special teams unit committed four of the team's seven penalties against Denver, which gave the Broncos an edge just when K.C. thought it had put them down for good.
This past week's 33-30 overtime victory against Indianapolis was no different. There were some outstanding performances that deserved the spotlight, but there were a few players who need to step up before K.C.'s first away game of the season in Miami next Sunday.
L'Jarius Sneed needs to step up
After so many people gave up hope on Sneed, he really showed up and showed out in Week 1 against Denver, proving that Tennessee simply got unlucky during its time with him.
But after such a stout defensive performance last week, he had a game to forget against Indianapolis—and that's with the Colts' No. 1 receiver, Alec Pierce, leaving after just one catch (which was against Sneed).
Sneed was targeted by Daniel Jones 13 times on Sunday night in front of millions of NFL fans, and he looked out of place for most of the game. Out of those 13 passes aimed in his direction, ten were completed for 126 yards and the Colts' lone passing touchdown.
Obviously, Sneed is a veteran in this young, inexperienced secondary, but that means guys like Nohl Williams and Jaden Hicks will be looking to him to see what to do. On Sunday night, all he did was show them what not to do.
Sneed's one penalty was a wonky one, too. It was easily avoidable, but it also saw an offsetting penalty by Indy's Josh Downs because of the tenacity Sneed showed all the way to the sideline (and beyond). That penalty would usually be a major negative, but, as we've seen before, Sneed has a way of getting into receivers' heads and causing them to make mistakes of their own (ask Ja'Marr Chase).
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo believes Sneed is and always has been one of the best corners in the league, but if Sneed doesn't amp up his coverage next week, it's going to be tough to defend his 75 percent snap count. He's going to be great at the line, and he's going to be combative within the first five yards, but he has to return to form in coverage downfield.
The pass rush has to step up
Last week against Denver, the Chiefs' defensive line looked like a completely different animal compared to the past few seasons. Players like Felix Anudike-Uzomah and R. Mason Thomas really impacted the game and rushed throws throughout the night.
This week's game against the Colts showed that Denver's offensive line may not be very good or that K.C.'s pass rush is still going to take scheming and practice to improve.
"Danny Dimes" has never truly been a great passer in the league, especially before last season, but on Sunday night, the offensive line in front of him gave him plenty of time to find players downfield and hit targets across the middle from whistle to whistle. He completed 70 percent of his passes against the blitz, ending with a passer rating of 130.8 when facing the extra pressure.
When it was all said and done, the Chiefs' defensive line recorded zero sacks (again), with only three players (Karlaftis, Gilman, Gillotte) recording a single hurry, according to PFF. That has to change if the Chiefs want to be taken seriously on defense.
Last year, it was apparent that Spagnuolo had to bring five, six, or even seven guys to generate an actual pass rush, but last week's matchup gave Chiefs Kingdom hope that K.C. could consistently bring four, which would open up the defense even more.
Instead, the Chiefs returned to last year's form against Indy, needing to bring corner blitzes and linebackers up to the box in order to make a mediocre, overpaid QB feel uncomfortable in the pocket, even with the crowd noise and primetime lights.
Luckily, Spagnuolo and Chris Jones have a real opportunity to eat in Miami, as the Dolphins' offensive line ranks in the bottom 10 on almost every rankings list. Rookie left guard Kadyn Proctor and center Aaron Brewer rank highly when it comes to pass protection, but the edges of Miami's line are weak and give K.C.'s defensive line a serious chance to step up.
Special teams need to step up (again)
Much like last week, it's special teams coordinator Dave Toub who bears the brunt of the hate from Chiefs Kingdom, but not for the same reason as last week or even last season.
Toub has consistently put together a kickoff and punt return unit that simply doesn't look up to snuff, especially compared to teams like Baltimore and even Cleveland, which both rank in the top eight in return percentages.
It's not all on Nikko Remigio or Brashard Smith (when Toub gives him the opportunity), but when Remigio decided against a fair catch at the end of the second quarter, all of Chiefs Kingdom held its collective breath. Luckily, the two Colts gunners did not pop the ball out or even tackle him for a loss, but the opportunity was there. Remigio has to understand the situation he almost put the Chiefs' defense in at his own 16-yard line.
Remigio had a productive rookie season, but it has gone downhill since then, and he has created doubt about his play with mediocre returns and boneheaded decisions. Not only that, he was one of a few players seen as lucky to make the 53-man roster just last month, with players like Smith, Tyquan Thornton, and even Emmett Johnson ready to show they can return it better.
Kansas City's third-string running back, Smith, has had spurts of good returns, but I'm afraid neither option is going to suffice if Toub wants a threatening return game like he had with Tyreek Hill or even Mecole Hardman, who had a 55-yard punt return just two seasons ago. Remigio has never even broken a 32-yard return on punts.
Not only that, Harrison Butker once again missed a field goal on Sunday. It's nothing to be too alarmed about, considering it was a 51-yard kick, but after last year's performance and the injuries that plagued him in 2024, he simply has little room for error as one of the highest-paid kickers in the league.
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