For a team built on firepower, the Kansas City Chiefs‘ defense has been running on empty, and the silence from their pass rush is becoming deafening as the playoffs approach. With their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, the Chiefs’ defense is looking for a spark. But the latest message from coordinator Steve Spagnuolo ahead of their must-win game against the Houston Texans might not be the one fans were expecting.

After their recent practice, the coach pointed out that the defense, including defensive tackle Chris Jones, had responded with strong effort and attention to detail during the practice.

“I thought [yesterday] was the best no-helmet practice that we’ve had here in seven years…  they have just jacked it up in their preparation because they know the margin for error now is really, really small,” he said during the press conference.

There are only five games left in the season, and the team understands that their next matchup could decide their playoff chances. Speaking of the Chiefs’ struggling pass rush, Chris Jones believes that the unit is close, but they lack something that he called a “cigar.”

“We’re not far,” the defensive tackle said Thursday. “We’re not far from where we want to be. It’s more so about executing, and we’re close but no cigar. We need the cigar at this point.”

The Chiefs have gone two straight games without a sack. This has happened only twice under Spagnuolo. And the next game is already tough enough.

They will face Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who has one of the lowest sack rates (6.42%) in the league. Jones has only three sacks this season. George Karlaftis is playing through a thumb injury, and while he leads the team with five sacks, he hasn’t recorded one in three games.

So, it will be crucial for the team to turn things around in the next game. And while the team has turned its attention to improvements, Spagnuolo also addressed the defensive issues from the previous game.

Steve Spagnuolo blames himself for one defensive mistake

Speaking of the Chiefs’ mistakes on third down, the coach didn’t hesitate to take the blame for the loss.

“We weren’t very good on third down. I take full blame for that.. You can’t be like that on third down and expect to win,” he said.

Dallas converted 9 of 16 third-down chances, often extending drives the Chiefs should’ve ended. With a weak pass rush, the Chiefs couldn’t create pressure in situations they normally dominate. Spagnuolo admitted the calls weren’t good enough and said the unit must improve.

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They have fallen in their pass-rush production, dropping from second to 28th in pressure rate. They also slid from third in sack rate to 31st.

Spagnuolo also added, “I think sacks are great and we always want to get them. I’m more into, did we affect the quarterback? Did we make him throw it out quick? You got to do a combination, not just the upfront guys.”

With the Texans up next, the Chiefs know they can’t afford another slow defensive showing. If they want to keep their season alive, this is the week they must improve.