Lions Week 6 preview: Breaking down Chiefs’ offensive, defensive schemes

The Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs will square off in Week 6 of the 2025 season on “Sunday Night Football.”

“Got a lot of respect for what Coach (Andy) Reid has done,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said on Wednesday. “(Defensive Coordinator Steve) Spagnuolo, man; outstanding defensive coordinator. They’ve been intact, that staff, these players have been intact for a long time. They’ve got a really good system; they’re good at it. They’ve evolved to the point now that they’ve kind of seen everything; they kind of do everything. They’re very good at it, very disciplined.”

Let’s take a closer look at the Chiefs’ coaching staff, the scheme that they run, and some scouting notes from previously viewed games.

Chiefs head coach: Andy Reid

NFL coaching seasons: 34 seasons

Head coaching seasons: 27 seasons; 14 with Eagles (1999-2012), 13 with Chiefs (2013-present)

Super Bowls: Six appearances, winning three of five Chiefs (2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025)

Coaching traits: Culture builder - Championship mentality - Player developer - Play designer

Influences: Mike Holmgren, LaVell Edwards, Bill Walsh, Sherman Lewis

Playcaller: Yes

Offensive coordinator: Matt Nagy

NFL coaching seasons: 18 seasons

Offensive coordinator seasons: 5th, all with Chiefs (2016-17, 2023-present)

Head coach: Chicago Bears (2018-21)

Influences: Andy Reid, Marty Mornhinweg, Doug Pederson, Pat Shurmur, Brad Childress, James Urban

Key Staff: Mark Deleone, running backs coach (former Lions LB coach, 2021)

Offensive scheme

Passing game: Pro Spread

Running scheme: Inside Zone

Staples of scheme:

Personnel: 11 (49.2%, 23rd), 12 (31.8%, 8th), 13 (5.4%, 11th), 21 (4.1%, 10th)

Core West Coast concepts: Play-action (27.7%, 8th), pre-snap motion, and bunch formations

Lean on Mahomes’ mobility to extend plays and contribute in the run game

Shotgun orientated

Spread defenses out with speed WRs and flexible TEs

Quick-hitting passing attack; crossers, flats, and curls - YAC

Not afraid to test defenses deep with WR speed

Screens act as an extension of the run game

Run game uses power-based RBs to complement a QB who can scramble

Scouting notes

Expect a Ravens-type game plan for Mahomes from the Lions

Lots of eye candy (pre-snap movement)

Top 10 in 12 personnel use; designed for disguise with Travis Kelce shifting

Lions can handle confusing pre-snap looks because they live in Base personnel

Speed, speed, speed at wide receiver

3 WRs with sub-4.3 speed: Xavier Worthy (4.21), Hollywood Brown (4.27), Tyquan Thornton (4.28)

Screens go all over the field, to both RBs and WRs

Speed WRs are mainly used for YAC and but will test with deep shots

665 YAC is the fourth most in the NFL

Run game gets downhill in a hurry

Mahomes leads the team with 190 rushing yards; RBs Isiah Pacheco has 164, and Kareem Hunt has 163

Chiefs are committing 8.4 penalties per game, 22nd most (13 in Week 5)

RT Jawaan Taylor is the most penalized player in the NFL

Dan Campbell on the Chiefs’ offense:

“Offense starts with the quarterback, man, they’ve got speed on the perimeter. This back is a violent runner and he’s got juice. This is a good offensive line.”

Defensive coordinator: Steve Spagnuolo

NFL coaching seasons: 33 seasons

Defensive coordinator seasons: 13 seasons; Giants (2007-8, 2015-17), Saints (2012), Chiefs (2019-present)

Head coach: Rams 2009-11, interim HC 2017

Influences: Jim Johnson, John Harbaugh, Dean Pees, Joe Vitt, Ron Rivera, Leslie Frazier, Sean McDermott

Key Staff: Joe Cullen, defensive line coach (Lions DL coach 2006-08)

Defensive scheme

Base: 4-2, Bump-and-Run

Coverage: Balanced, but zone-leaning coverages

Staples of scheme:

Zone Coverage: 66%, mainly Cover 2 (22%) and Cover 3 (23%)

Man coverage: Cover 1 (15%), Cover-0 (11%, highest rate in the NFL)

Aggressive but balanced front with an adaptable back-seven

DL gets upfield in a hurry

Consistent 4-man front - rotate eight DL

Will use 3rd SAM LB - not too far off how the Lions use Derrick Barnes

Top 10 blitz rate (30.6%) - especially on 3rd down

A lot of subpackage looks (five defensive backs) in the secondary

Scouting notes

Pressure is slow to come (average time to pressure: 2.71 seconds, 24th) …

… but zone coverage behind DL helps them get home (pressure rate: 37.2%, 10th)

DL’s aggression can be used against them

Chris Jones moves all over the defensive line, works from 3- to 7-technique

Chiefs don’t stack the box much (18.6%, 23rd) - leaves them vulnerable against the run

SAM LB (Leo Chenal) lined up with DL as a spy in obvious passing situations

Blitzed a bunch vs. Jaguars, including CBs - didn’t get home much, leaving safeties vulnerable

Use safety-types in the slot

Dan Campbell on the Chiefs’ defense

“They’ve got (DL Chris Jones) 95 there in the middle, he’s disruptive. I think (LB Nick) Bolton is an outstanding linebacker. Key diagnose, he’s all over the field, smart as hell. (CB Trent) McDuffie’s a good player, (S Bryan) Cook’s a good safety. I mean, they’ve got a number of guys. (DE George Karlaftis) 56 can get on you. So, it’s a big challenge.”

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