A warning.

It’s rooted in reality, and not just his own anecdote that made its way onto the screen.

The Chiefs ranked second in the NFL in points and yards allowed a year ago, offering at least one similarity with those 2016 Giants. That’s as good as Kansas City’s defense has been under Spagnuolo — a necessity given the unexpected dip in the team’s offensive production — but it’s not as though it was completely unfamiliar to the organization. The Chiefs have actually had some pretty good defenses in their history.

But rarely in back-to-back years.

Almost never, actually.

In both the 2014 and 2015 seasons, the Chiefs finished seventh in the league in yards allowed. It’s the only time in the last half-century in which the Chiefs finished in the top 10 in yards allowed in consecutive seasons.

Hard to believe, I know. But it’s indicative of just how difficult it is for defenses to produce at an elite level over multiple years.

The reasoning is layered, and, sure, Jones is right that complacency is one of those reasons — it can be hard to convince players they need to be better when they proved they were already good enough. The league adjusts. The coaches and players have to be prepared to return the favor.

But let me add a salary-cap era reason: It’s pretty hard to keep a really good band together. Good defenses are comprised of good players and therefore expensive players.

If you’re shouting that offenses can somehow manage to provide consistency, I’ll point out they thrive on star players, most simply on the quarterback, in some cases.

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