After scoring 31 points or more just twice last season, the Kansas City Chiefs are 2-for-2 in 2026.
Following home victories against Denver and Indianapolis, Sunday’s visit to Miami Gardens to face the struggling Miami Dolphins marks Kansas City’s first chance to keep its multi-pronged attack churning on the road.
With Patrick Mahomes at quarterback and Kenneth Walker III sparking the run game, the Chiefs (2-0) are more balanced than recent seasons. That’s a serious conundrum for defensive coordinators prepping for KC.
“It just puts the defense in a predicament,” Mahomes said. “I mean, just knowing that they have to kind of choose if they want to come up and stop the run or if they want to try to stop the explosive plays. And so that’s what you want. You want defenses guessing.”
Mahomes has passed for 566 yards and five touchdowns against one interception through two games while Walker, a key offseason acquisition, is averaging 6.2 yards per carry while one score apiece as a runner and receiver.
Five different players have been recipients of Mahomes TDs, feeding an attack that produced 29 first downs and 523 total yards against the Colts in a 33-30 overtime victory in Week 2. The Chiefs are averaging a league-best 457.5 yards in the early season compared to 271.5 for the 27th-ranked Dolphins.
Still, the Kansas City defense yielded 24 first downs and 329 yards against Indianapolis and did not produce a sack, numbers that defensive end George Karlaftis said must change.
“We missed some opportunities there,” Karlaftis said, “and that’s something we emphasized in the offseason. … We did affect the quarterback in other ways, I feel, but we’ve just got to get home and we’re going to do our best to get that done.”
Miami (0-2) enters its home opener as the NFL’s lone team without a sack this season.
After playing the San Francisco 49ers within eight points in the first half in Week 2, the Dolphins struggled to pressure 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who finished 20-for-22 for 287 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-13 victory.
Linebacker Josh Uche registered Miami’s only tackle for loss. Edge Chop Robinson (concussion) missed the game but returned to practice this week. Robinson notched 10 sacks in 32 games over the past two seasons.
Reflecting on the team’s lacking pass rush, Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley pledged to tweak schematics and personnel.
“I need to figure out something different to do, maybe different players in different spots,” Hafley said. “Maybe changing the scheme to generate pressure. That’s my job to figure out.”
Offensively, quarterback Malik Willis already has taken nine sacks, with Hafley stressing the importance of knowing situations.
Willis was sacked twice at San Francisco with the Dolphins threatening in the red zone.
“Once you are out of the pocket, you can throw the ball out of bounds,” Hafley said. “It’s a play he will learn from.”
Running back De’Von Achane led the ground game with 74 yards on 20 carries after rushing 11 times for 36 yards in a Week 1 loss at Las Vegas.
Miami averages 3.7 yards per carry but could aim to commit to the running game after the Chiefs yielded 119 rushing yards against Indianapolis.
Wide receiver Caleb Douglas (ankle) and edge rusher Rob Beal Jr. (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday for the Dolphins. Chiefs left tackle Josh Simmons (back) was their only DNP that day.
–Field Level Media
