There’s no denying that Kansas City’s defense just flunked its biggest preseason test. A 33–16 loss in Seattle exposed rust, depth issues, and a roster stretched thin by injuries. Andy Reid, usually content to play the long game in August, has already scrapped that plan. His starters will see the field against Chicago. The urgency is real now, and the coaching staff knows it. As Reid adjusted his depth chart and the injury list kept growing, one voice inside the building cut through the noise with blunt honesty in the aftermath. “Shame on us,” Steve Spagnuolo said.

The Chiefs showed up in Seattle looking for a rebound after a 20-17 preseason slip against Arizona, a game where Andy Reid kept Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and most of the starters bubble wrapped. Normally, August football gets shrugged off, but this one hit differently. Bad enough that Spagnuolo came out of it with more than a few choice words.

“Shame on us,” the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator admitted after watching his unit fold against Seattle. “It just felt like they came out with the intent to prove it against the Chiefs. I’m not sure we were ready for that.”

Regardless of the lineup Kansas City put on the field, Seattle moved the ball at will. The Seahawks piled up 114 rushing yards on just 11 attempts in the opening quarter, setting the tone for the night. By the end, they had gashed the Chiefs for 268 yards on the ground – an average of 5.6 per carry.

“The issues started inside,” Spagnuolo said. “And on the edge, the tackling wasn’t up to our standard. Usually, our secondary tackles as well as anyone. That wasn’t the case in this one. So everyone’s on alert, and we’ve got to get it corrected.”

Kansas City opened with Mike Pennel and Terry Tillery anchoring the interior, flanked by George Karlaftis and Mike Danna on the edges. In the rotation, Marlon Tuipulotu ended up logging the bulk of the reps inside, while rookie Ashton Gillotte saw the most action at defensive end.

Seattle averaged 8.6 yards per play in the first half. Kansas City’s plan to sit most starters backfired: the rust was obvious, and the backups weren’t nearly ready.

Since Spags’ arrival in 2019, the Chiefs have gone to four Super Bowls and claimed three rings, while his defenses have reliably shown up in the areas that matter most. Last season, his group finished second in both points and yards allowed.

That’s the backdrop to his postgame critique. Spagnuolo wasn’t sounding alarms so much as reminding his players that standards don’t dip in August. Preseason or not, the details matter.

Andy Reid’s calm voice, cracks in Chiefs’ armor

Andy Reid shrugged off the noise with the ease of someone who’s weathered plenty. “I don’t care about the chatter. Let’s just win the game,” he said.

But the whispers became alarms against Seattle. Veteran safety Mike Edwards twisted a hamstring, cornerback Nazeeh Johnson exited with a shoulder issue, Jack Cochrane went down with a knee problem, rookie DB Nohl Williams landed in concussion protocol, and Omarr Norman-Lott aggravated his lingering ankle bug, leaving the defense looking more like triage than a frontline.

With Edwards out, Kansas City loses much-needed experience in the back end. Norman-Lott’s pained ankle shrinks frontline options, while Cochrane and Johnson’s absences chip away at the special teams’ reliability.

The Chiefs close out the preseason Friday at Arrowhead against the Bears before jetting off to São Paulo, where they open the regular season on Friday, Sept. 5, against the Chargers.