Here’s What Frustrates Chiefs Most About Josh Allen

All guys

“It's all guys,” Leo Chenal said in the Chiefs’ locker room Thursday, “whether it's a four-man rush or more than that. It's guys just staying in their lanes, not running past the quarterback, powering when we need to. And then it's gonna be an ultimate plaster drill for the back-end guys and guys in coverage.

“Everybody's got to be a cohesive unit. Because one guy steps around there, one guy comes off coverage for one second, you know he's gonna make us pay for it.”

He made the Chiefs pay on a fourth-and-2 run in Buffalo last year, an instant-classic highlight Jim Nantz called “The Play of the Year.” Protecting a 23-21 lead, Allen dropped to pass, looked left, then saw George Karlaftis a step too deep on his rush off the right end. The quarterback immediately shot toward the hole. Karlaftis saw it and spun out of his block, too late to catch the 6-5, 237-pound Allen.

All told, Allen broke five tackles on the 26-yard touchdown. It was a significant boost in his MVP campaign.

“One guy can just be a little bit off,” Chenal said. “So just takes everybody.”

And even when everybody is doing everything, Allen can still win. So, when the Chiefs (5-3) visit the Bills (5-2) on Sunday (3:25 p.m. CT, CBS/KCTV, Channel 5, 96.5 The Fan), that’s the frustration they hope to avoid.

“There are snaps where you can be perfect,” Spagnuolo added Thursday, “and he still finds a way to get out. So, hopefully those, the number of those snaps are minimal, and we can find a way either to get him to rush his throw, or if he does decide to scramble, get enough guys around there that the gain he has is minimal.”

Committing five rushers is something most teams do against Allen. But the quarterback’s knack for finding seams – as he did on that fourth down against the Chiefs last year – makes him especially dangerous, Spagnuolo said.

Chiefs are 1 of 2 teams with this distinction

The Chiefs have developed a defensive identity this season that could help. They’re one of only two teams this year that’s faced both Allen and Lamar Jackson. Miami became the first in Thursday night’s 28-6 loss to the Ravens.

Kansas City in a Sept. 28 win over Jackson executed plaster coverage and rush-lane integrity exceptionally. Chenal made an acrobatic, one-handed interception while plastering tight end Mark Andrews.

They also contained Marcus Mariota most of last week’s game. However, when they weren’t expecting it as much against Trevor Lawrence in Week 5, Kansas City gave up too many gashing runs to the Jaguars’ quarterback in a 31-28 loss. But Allen is in a different solar system.

Avoiding NFL history

Allen is the true test. He already has five rushing touchdowns in seven games this season. Kansas City needs to avoid allowing him to become the first quarterback and fourth player ever with at least six rushing touchdowns in each of his first eight career seasons. Jim Brown, Marshall Faulk and LaDainian Tomlinson – three Hall of Famers – are the others.

Only Faulk (10, 1994-2004), Tomlinson (10, 2001-10), Brown (nine, 1957-65), Thurman Thomas (eight, 1989-96) and Derrick Henry (eight, 2018-25) have done that over streak of eight seasons at any point in an NFL career.