Reduced workload looming for Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt? Not against Panthers.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs’ defense remains a top-five unit in fewest total yards and rushing yards allowed. It’s top 10 in fewest points and first downs surrendered.

So why does it feel like the Chiefs are slumping?

Last weekend the Buffalo Bills became the first team to hang 30 on the Chiefs since the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII — a stretch of 30 games since that 38-35 Chiefs victory.

A huge play by the Bills on fourth-down — Josh Allen’s 26-yard touchdown run to clinch the game — wounded the pride of a team that’s come up with big plays down the stretch in all phases while building a 9-0 record.

Allen’s play was the final problem of the day for the Chiefs in Buffalo. By standards they’ve established over the previous two seasons, the KC defense just struggled.

For starters, the Chiefs came up with no sacks against Allen. In fact, they haven’t recorded one by a defensive lineman in their past two games.

The back end of the defense also had its issues against the Bills. Cornerback Nazeeh Johnson was targeted 12 times and Allen completed nine of those throws for 103 yards, according to Pro Football Focus.

Defensive tackle Chris Jones said he’s confident the Chiefs will respond, starting with Sunday’s game at the Carolina Panthers.

“I love adversity,” Jones said. “I think it builds character, and we have a good group of guys with energy in the building.

“(It) has been great all week, uplifting. We know it was one loss. It’s a lot of errors we can correct, and that’s what our main focus has been on this week, making sure we correct those errors.”

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said film study this week was spread across the defense. He showed them 11 plays where someone mishandled an assignment.

“Very uncharacteristic of our group,” Spagnuolo said. “Had we cut them in half, I think we find a way to give (Chiefs QB) Patrick (Mahomes) a chance to win the game. Let’s just say that.’

The Chiefs face another mobile quarterback this weekend in rookie Bryce Young. He doesn’t have Allen’s experience, but he has helped the Panthers, who are coming off a bye, win two straight games and improve to 3-7.

“He feels really good about what he’s doing,” Spagnuolo said of Young.

Still, this shapes up as a bounce-back opportunity for the Chiefs. Here’s what else to watch when they take on the Panthers in a noon kickoff on CBS:

CHIEFS PLAYER TO WATCH: RUNNING BACK KAREEM HUNT

Looks like it will be at least one more week until Isiah Pacheco returns. With the Chiefs playing Friday, too, there was little sense in having him come back now and immediately have to play two games in six days (the same logic applies to recuperating defensive end Charles Omenihu).

So this is perhaps the final game for Hunt to be a workhorse, and the Chiefs are going against a defense that ranks last in the NFL in rushing defense at 160 yards per game.

PANTHERS PLAYER TO WATCH: WIDE RECEIVER JALEN COKER

The rookie from Holy Cross, where he was a teammate of Chiefs offensive lineman C.J. Hanson, has averaged 17.2 yards per catch in the past three games. And don’t forget that Bills QB Allen passed for 262 yards a week ago, the second-highest total against the Chiefs this season.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER TO WATCH: CHIEFS SAFETY JADEN HICKS

Special teams coordinator Dave Toub has plenty to keep him busy: overseeing kickers, kick and punt coverage, return men and more.

He also keeps up with how the KC kicking game affects the Chiefs’ field position. And he hasn’t liked what’s he’s seen recently.

“The last two games, we haven’t won the field position battle,” Toub said. “That’s something we’re obviously trying to get on the right track.”

Last week, the Bills’ average starting field position was their own 33-yard line. The Chiefs’ was their own 28.

Hicks has logged the second-most special teams snaps on the Chiefs this season (199), trailing only linebacker Jack Cochran (208). Hicks also tops the Chiefs with three special teams tackles.