AP Photo/Matt Patterson

The Chiefs are four games behind the Denver Broncos for first place in the AFC West and are also two games back of a Wild Card spot, and the problem is that all three Wild Card teams currently own tiebreakers over Kansas City.

Despite that, the team ranks in the top ten of offense, defense, and overall point differential.

So what exactly is the biggest Achilles heel of the Chiefs this season?

It’s simple: a lack of a pass rush has come back to bite them.

Heading into Week 14, the Kansas City Chiefs has a total of 22 sacks on the season, which ranks 27th in the NFL. The defensive line as a unit has 15 sacks. To put it in perspective, Myles Garrett on the Cleveland Browns has 19 sacks this season by himself.

Sending heat through blitzes has been a hallmark of the Chiefs’ defense ever since coordinator Steve Spagnuolo took over the unit in 2019, but the line has been unable to generate any notable pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season.

The Chiefs defensive ends recorded a combined 1 sack in November… half each from George Karlaftis and Gillotte against Buffalo. The lack of any defensive pressure or urgency is the main reason they went 1-3 over the month of November.

On Thanksgiving against Dallas, Kansas City registered only six quarterback hits — and just four were from the defensive line. Dak Prescott completed 27 of 39 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns, throwing the ball to wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens with ease.

In the offseason, the team needs a plan to address these pass-rushing issues, or they’ll have an even harder time on defense next season…