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Adam Teicher, ESPN Staff Writer
FRANKFURT, Germany — The Kansas City Chiefs achieved another impressive victory in their International Series game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, showcasing their dominant defense.
The Chiefs not only held the typically high-scoring Dolphins to a season-low of 14 points in their 21-14 win, but they also scored a crucial defensive touchdown.
The game-changing play occurred when cornerback Trent McDuffie stripped the ball from Tyreek Hill towards the end of the first half. Mike Edwards, a teammate of McDuffie’s, picked up the loose ball and executed a lateral pass to safety Bryan Cook, who sprinted 59 yards to give the Chiefs a 21-0 lead.
In the second half, the Chiefs successfully defended against the Dolphins’ attempt to tie or win the game with a touchdown, forcing a turnover on downs.
“Cook was rolling,” praised quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who threw two touchdown passes prior to the defensive score. “He looked like the anchor leg of a four-by-one in track. He got those knees up and was rolling down the field.
“It was a huge play that had a significant impact on the outcome of the game.”
McDuffie, a first-round draft pick in 2022, has established himself as a skilled force in stripping the ball from receivers, as demonstrated by this being his fourth forced fumble of the season.
“He came up to smack him,” Coach Andy Reid explained. “That was a pretty aggressive hit. It was a catch, and then an immediate hit, and then he went straight for the ball, punching it down. It’s tough to execute such a move after delivering a hit like that.”
Hill, who was traded by the Chiefs to the Dolphins last year, played his first game against his former team. Despite making eight catches for 62 yards, the fumble became the most notable play of his performance.
“They played two-man coverage and I was unblocked and came free as soon as I caught it. I didn’t even get a chance to make a move,” Hill remarked. “That’s the explanation I have for you. They did a good job.”
Edwards deserves credit for his quick thinking in getting the ball to Cook.
“I was about to get tackled and then I thought, ‘No, we’ve got to do something else,'” Edwards explained. “So, I looked back and I saw my boy Cook and I thought, ‘I trust him.’ You’ve got to have trust to make a play like that.”
The Chiefs utilized zone coverage for a season-high 61% of the game to counter Miami’s speed, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. With an average of only 15.9 points allowed per game, the Chiefs are showcasing their best defensive performance through nine games since 2013.
Their yards per pass attempt is 6.1, the best at this stage of the season since 1988, and their yards per play is 4.8, the best since 1999.
Mahomes stated that during training camp, he believed the Chiefs were developing their strongest defensive team since he became the starting quarterback in 2018. The Chiefs made significant investments in their defense last season, including the drafting of McDuffie and defensive end George Karlaftis in the first round, Cook in the second round, and other valuable defensive contributors in the later rounds.
All of these players have greatly contributed to the team’s strong defensive performance this season.
“We brought back so many people, so many young guys, and they were going to develop,” Mahomes expressed. “But I mean the fact that they’re all developing this fast, I don’t know if anyone could have anticipated it. I knew they were going to be great as their careers progressed.
“They excel at all three levels. Players rotate in and excel. It’s challenging to give everyone playing time because of how talented they are. This defense has to be considered one of the top in the NFL. The Dolphins have a great offense, so for us to limit them to just 14 points… that’s an exceptional achievement.”
This story was contributed to by ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques.
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