Kansas City Chiefs defense has a turnover problem

It was perfect timing last week that the Kansas City Chiefs had three dropped interceptions against the Arizona Cardinals because it reminded me to point out what is arguably the worst Chiefs stat right now (besides the win / loss), and that's the turnovers.

The Chiefs are minus-five in turnovers last year. Compare that to the plus-18 they ended at last year.

The Chiefs haven't been forcing turnovers anywhere near the mark they did last year when they finished with a whopping 36 takeaways, good for second in the league. The Chiefs have forced just 10 turnovers this year. That puts them in a tie with the Jets and Raiders with the least amount of turnovers forced in the NFL. The Jets and Raiders have combined for four wins this season, by the way.

While the Chiefs pass defense has ranked well throughout the year (and their run defense hasn't), they have just four interceptions. Compare that to the 21 they had all of last season.

"We have to take advantage of those," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Wednesday of the turnover opportunities, via quotes from the Chiefs. "We've had a few in our hands sometimes you can press and you almost try too hard and you end up not making the play. You've got to relax and focus in on the ball and squeeze it, make sure if there's a fumble that you've got bodies around that, right? I mean those are base fundamental things and we'll keep working that."

Chiefs dropped INTs RT @PFF @ArrowheadPride 2nd most with 12

— Arrowhead Pride (@ArrowheadPride) December 11, 2014

Repeatedly early on this season I said that the Chiefs turnovers would come. There's no way they're going from the NFL's second best turnover differential to the worst. They're not close to the worst turnover differential right now but that's not because they're forcing turnovers, it's because they're not turning it over themselves. The Chiefs have turned it over fewer times (15) than all but four teams in the league.

"Normally when you get one then you get another one and then they kind of build on each other," Reid said, "but we've got to get that first one and kind of get this thing started here."

The Chiefs really, really need to get this thing started. Like by this Sunday.