Chiefs’ League-Best Streak Starts With Joe Cullen Meetings

“We certainly take a lot of pride in stopping the run,” linebacker Drue Tranquill said Wednesday. “I think people perceive us as defense that's been built to stop the pass, because we've played from ahead historically. But we certainly take great pride in the run.

“And that starts with Joe Cullen and our Wednesday run meetings, and so he fires us up. And then we try to carry that energy throughout the week. But it's certainly something we try to take a lot of pride in.”

Cullen and Chip Kelly go way back

Cullen, Kansas City’s defensive line coach, is a tough, scrappy assistant from Quincy, Mass., south of Boston. A former U-Mass noseguard, Cullen first met Chip Kelly when the Raiders’ offensive coordinator was a DB at New Hampshire in the 1980s.

And as the Raiders (2-4) prepare to visit the Chiefs (3-3) on Sunday (12 p.m. CT, CBS/KCTV, Channel 5, 96.5 The Fan), Kelly might want to study old boxing matches. That’s because Cullen loves to use visual aids to fire up the entire defense every Wednesday morning, especially when the Chiefs need to nullify an explosive back like Las Vegas rookie Ashton Jeanty.

“I like Mike Tyson,” Cullen said, in his trademark gravelly voice. “If you have to knock the run out, I want to show Mike Tyson knocking some people out.”

The Chiefs have knocked out plenty of running backs of late. In fact, they haven’t allowed a player at that position to reach 100 rushing yards in 32 straight games, including postseason. Since the Super Bowl, when Cullen, Spagnuolo and the Chiefs bottled up Saquon Barkley, Kansas City has neutralized Derrick Henry, Travis Etienne, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery and Barkley again.

And every Wednesday morning, Cullen sets the tone.

“Joe's got some energy to him,” Spagnuolo said Thursday, “but I think the credit really goes to the players to get dialed in right from the beginning on Wednesday morning. Because we always begin, no matter what team we're facing, we're stopping the run.

“We say it all the time, if they're two-dimensional, or can be two-dimensional, that's tough on us. So, let's try to make it a one-dimensional game.”

The last time

The last time the Chiefs didn’t stop a running back, ironically, was against the Raiders. On Christmas Day in 2023, Zamir White rolled up 145 yards on the Chiefs, the last time a player at the position topped 100 on Kansas City.

Toss in quarterbacks and the Chiefs haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher at any position in 25 games, the NFL’s longest active streak entering this week. Lamar Jackson in the 2024 season opener was the last to do it.

“I remember that game,” Tranquill added. “Zamir White had a great game, and we'll have to be better this week.”

Against the run this season

They haven’t been stellar against the run this season. They’re allowing 119.2 yards per game, 19th in the league. Quarterbacks have been their nemesis.

While the Chiefs managed to contain Jackson three weeks ago (48 yards), a few quarterbacks have had their way on the ground this season. Justin Herbert broke contain on a 19-yard scramble to ice the Chargers’ Week 1 win over Kansas City. And Trevor Lawrence posted 54 yards and two touchdowns, including one of the lowlights of the Chiefs’ season.

That’ll be key this week against Geno Smith, even if the Chiefs can contain Jeanty. Smith has just 71 yards on 20 carries this season. However, over his 12-year career, he has 12 rushing touchdowns and a 4.7-yards-per-attempt average.