Chiefs Defense Finally Records Sacks In Impressive Effort Vs. Chargers
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Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Ashton Gillotte, sacks Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert during the second half of the Chiefs' win on Sunday. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
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Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.The Kansas City Chiefs entered their fifth game this season, having not had a sack since their very first contest.
And they ranked tied for last in the NFL with fewest sacks.
But leading up to Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said — rather than sacks — he mostly concerned himself with two stats: points allowed and wins.
Points? Check. The Chiefs defense allowed just six in Kansas City’s 22-6 victory.
Wins? Check. The Chiefs’ win against their divisional foe helped them to advance to 5-0 to remain the only undefeated team in the AFC.
And to boot, the Chiefs finally got their first sacks since against the opening win vs. the Denver Broncos.
“It was great to have the four sacks,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. “That’s a question I get asked the most from our friends — the media.”
It was a constant question, following the performance in 2025 when the Chiefs’ normally aggressive and blitz-heavy defense generated pressure on only 39.8% of its blitzes, per NextGenStats, and that feeble amount ranked 22nd in the NFL.
Their four sacks against the Chargers included two of them on back-to-back plays late in the fourth quarter.
Following defensive back Chamarri Conner’s first-down sack, which forced Los Angeles to lose seven yards, defensive end George Karlaftis followed suit with another one.
It was all part of a great defensive effort by the Chiefs, which compensated for a Chiefs offense that scored just three points in the second half.
The Chiefs, though, were never truly threatened because their defense held the Chargers to 259 total yards — and just 43 rushing yards by running backs.
“They were playing lights out,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said.
Most impressively, the defense held the Chargers to total of one yard when the Chargers were pinned back on their own goal line. Los Angeles had to punt from its own two-yard line.
The Chiefs could have gotten even more sacks, but Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was savvy at eluding pressure.
As well as the Chiefs defense played as a whole, though, the opponent should be considered.
The Chargers not only fell to 0-6, but the injury-ravaged, winless team also had to start four rookie offensive linemen —Travis Burke, Logan Taylor, Jake Slaughter, Alex Harkey — against Kansas City.
Herbert’s best target wide receiver, Ladd McConkey, returned for this game but had to exit in the second quarter with a concussion.
“That’s a tough thing they’re going through,” Reid said. “Their injury list might be as long as I’ve ever seen.”
Most notably, the Chargers were without their bookend tackles in whom they’ve invested a lot.
They spent the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Joe Alt, the son of former Chiefs stalwart John Alt.
And right tackle Rashawn Slater was handsomely rewarded before last season with a four-year, $114 million contract.
His $28.5 million average for 2026 is thethird highest in the NFL among tackles.
The competition for the Chiefs stiffens later in the season, and the defense will have to use its performance harassing Herbert as a springboard.
“We’ve got to get the quarterback on the ground by any means necessary,” Karlaftis said. “And we’ve got to do a better job of that.”
This article was originally published on Forbes.com